Birthday!

Short note: Just to let you know that there was a problem with blogspot for a couple of weeks and that I could not receive comments sent in. Before I could figure out what to do, the problem fixed itself. But the comments got lost in the process. Hope everything is ok now.

So yah, where was I? Talking about birthdays. I am not much into them. But my kids (I think Joni started it) thought they should make my 50th a big do.

In case you're thinking that was last week, it wasn't. I am only now blogging about the party cos I thought I should save the memory before it goes.

They even had a theme for it. Like a Grammy Awards Night. I was told little.

I received a call - "Mum, quick! Silver or gold?" So I said, "Gold".
(I thought they were talking decorations - turns out I had just chosen the colour we were all supposed to wear! Or we were to wear something to do with stars - some interpreted that as the ones in the sky)

Partners-in-crime, Tammy my youngest, and Joni my eldest..


I was asked for a guest list. Which went longer and longer like my twice-a-month grocery list so it had to be cut down. My only specification was: NO PRESENTS. But - what I really wanted instead was for my friends to do a song, dance or skit. Anything that would make the night memorable! And what a night it was!

Here'ss what welcomed us into the multi-purpose hall (we were staying in an apartment at that time)..

The stage was an area cordoned off with black tape - a brilliant idea!

On the walls were several hand-painted mock frames with photos of ahem birthday girl through the years...


Even the floor tiles were decorated with golden stars where names of celebrities were written..


Ummm....that's my son, Darren (D.O.N.'T ask)..


Here's where guests signed in as they arrived....that's my brilliant Korean ex-student, Isabelle
(I will blog about her one day).


Umm...the birthday girl. ahem. Yes, that's golden glitter in her hair.


I loved that the whole affair was casual so we could all let our hair down....


The M.C. for the night was Darren. Honestly, sometimes I think my children were just born to be on stage...


He wrote a song for me (altogether now: awwwww..).
But for some reason I can only remember one line that went something like "though you sometimes get on my nerves..." (altogether take back that awwwwww).


And let our hair down we did. Here are some of the older f*rts having fun:


Jessie and Sharmini


My husband Paul, and Eng Hoe our longtime friend - we've known each other since ...oh...the Jurassic Era...(Eng Hoe has the kind of smile that looks like it will just crack his face in two)

Paul, Eng Hoe and Franklin



This guy, who came as The Joker, sang a song with Tammy, my youngest...(that's Josh, can you guess?!)


This group plonked me down on a chair and made me watch their medley of golden years songs...

This was their starting pose (that's me, bracing myself -you'd close your eyes too, knowing the kind of things these guys could come up with...)


"You're just too good to be true
Can't take my eyes off of you...."

It gets worse....
It really does.....




My friends from New Zealand, Tony and Maria, doing a number...


Here are Koreans singing a Korean song! (the one on the right is my ex-boss and the one on the left was my student, a Jackie Chan look-alike. He's actually been stopped on the street for an autograph...)


See?

He's a terribly shy person so I was exceptionally touched that he actually belted out a Korean pop song for me!!



Even my Japanese student sang, "Sukiyaki" in Japanese. She insisted I back her up!


"The charms of Sukiyaki
The arms of Sukiyaki
Are all I long for
Since I left for Nagasaki
Why did I roam
Far away from home
But I know that she will wait for me..."

Those are the lyrics. Reeeeally!!

An item performed by some very talented guys that involved beatboxing and thigh-slapping.
(By the way, all except one of these guys are still single and available)...



Nya from Nigeria (in all her golden head-to-toe glory) did a dance while Fudge from Zimbabwe
sang.


At some point of the night, I decided to kick off my shoes..



And let 'em have it! (actually, st*pid shoes were mad ill-fitting)


Val: My ex-boyfriend told me one day that I couldn't sing.
That's why he's my EX-boyfriend.

There were games where props were given and participants had to let their imagination go wild..

I think this was a house-fly?


Heard of a ham sandwich? I think this was a samwich.



Food, except for some pizza, was all home-made by the Lims...

Look at that glorious grin by Sin Yee when she sees food.

My Indonesian friend Gaby with another glorious grin (her favourite slogan? "what's yummy goes to tummy")..


Chief cook, Sarah Lim (you're the sweetest!)..

ummm.....is that the pizza you bought, in your hand?!

Home-made carrot cheese cake by the Lims (there were three in all - and yes, were is the correct tense cos they were missing by the end of the night)


An assortment of guests..

My Chinese son, Kevin (this one I 'adopted' whether he wanted to be or not). And my Botswanian son, Boago (this one adopted me as his mother whether I wanted to be or not)..



Yes, it was truly a Grammy night to remember.

Can't wait for my 60th :)




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A Quiet Christmas

Since my Dad's demise was a mere one month ago, it's kinda quiet around our house this Christmas. No decorations, no tree*, no lights.

*updated: I woke up this morning and found an elf had put up a Christmas tree lights and all, in the corner of our sitting room! (?)

But I did make some gingerbread cookies for the kids at the Daycare Centre - in the shape of houses. I hand-cut each one (what I won't do for these kids) before baking them as I don't know if a house-shaped cutter can be found anywhere.

The kids had fun icing them!




Then I decided to make some gingerbread men for my own distribution...

They started out pretty normal...

See? just a regular guy.


Then I started thinking, "How 'bout I change their eyes to make them look more gleeful...and ..and..add a bowtie here.."



"Oh, oh, can't have guys alone... should have some spunky gals..."



And then it kinda went out of control....."we could even go oriental...."



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ummm....



Next time, I'll just stick to houses....









p/s
If you are enjoying reading this blog for leisure, sign up as a follower if you haven't already!
Muaks!

Goofy Gifts

The other day one of our kids from the Daycare Centre was out shopping for farewell gifts for the staff, as, he was leaving the centre. His mum started picking out for each staff...





These are jumbo-sized fabric roses (almost 2-and-a-half feet long each!)...




But for him, this caught his eye and he said to his mum, "I think we should get this for Aunty Val," (which is what the kids call me)...so, this is what they got me....

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(Ok, save the wise cracks about why you think he got me this.)

I am so honoured. It shows how well he knows me....I often do buy the whackiest things, if I think:

- they may be useful somehow at the Centre for an object lesson or prop
- the kids will love them!
- I love them!
- they're conversation starters
- they're so me
- they bring a laugh

It makes the goofiest sound by the way:
(this is gonna take me forever - figuring out how to upload the video...)






Here's something I bought some months ago...(don't ask how many of these I have)





And here's what it does....



So fun I can't stand it.

Here's the coolest Christmas stocking I have ever received (my boss bought this for me
cos she said it is so me)..



Now before you get the impression that I only love receiving goofy gifts, I don't. I ....

..ahem...(major throat-clearing here)

do also love:

- chocolates (BIG time, small time, any time)

- lasagna (cooked, thank you)

- white cotton-lace trimmed peasant-style blouses

- craft books

- recipe books (one can dream that one will whip up something from the recipe book that gets one's attention when one gets into the mood one day that is likely to happen to one maybe twice a year which is better than one not being inspired at all throughout one's year)

- pretty diaries or notebooks



Just sayin'.






p/s The writer of this blog would love feedback on some of the whackiest gifts you have ever received, or tell her what is on your wish-list. (No harm wishing.) Also, the best gift you can give her is to sign up as a follower of this blog, if you haven't already! Then she will persevere writing even though it takes forever to do so for each post (these two video uploads took me the longest time! ish!)