Personal - My 41st Birthday

Hi Blog,

This week was a special week for me. Yes, based on the title, it is my birthday week! I must say this year birthday seemed rather different... Previously, I didn't feel any great with my birthday... Will tend to feel emotional and upset over myself but as I blogged these years... Should be three years of blogging my birthday experience, I went through from depressing to now... I had grown and picked myself up from where I fell. This year, I felt happier :D

On the 24th Jul 2020, EK, WJ, XY and HR hosted a durian supper to celebrate my bday.

What a sweet fattening start to start my 41st. Yes! I am 41 now! Hahaha... Die inside my mind...

I shall share with you what thought that I have to save myself from dying inside me.

Hey Jeff!

Yes? Blog.

Be thankful, Jeff. :) Not many around your age-aged gracefully and still look youthful; 10 years younger. Age is just a number, living fruitfully matters; because even though you are young and you just waste your time, age will just become a number to remind us how long we wasted our life.

:) you are correct. Blog.

On the 25th Jul 2020, my Bday morning. I wanted to go for a good hike to let the durians fuel burned somehow.

Time to wear my favourite green shoes. This was its first time to go on a hike and I noticed the green shoe sole was about to give way,,, I need to find a glue to keep them intact.

Mr Sun was happy and wished me loudly when I stepped out. :D Thanks, Mr Sun. Yes, I am on my way for a hike.

ZN contacted me in the morning and he was too bored this week, don't want to stay at home. So Since I was going alone, I just invited him to join me.

Even though my body wanted to rest, sleep and hiberate, basically like emotion days during my bday, I just wanted to sleep my day away, but I just pushed myself to engage. Accompanied ZN for a hike will make me remove such "tired" thought.

As I arrived the meet up point with ZN, I saw this little snail... It made me remembered of a story about a snail crossing a big gap to remind me that even a small snail is doing an impossible but at least it tried. Even if it can't make it or unable to cross, it is okay. It will make it when time comes.

It taught me a great lesson - some gap might be greater than one to handle, one will clear those clearable gaps and challenge those difficult ones when it aged. Rather than sitting inside the shell for not doing anything, clearing whatever one can is equal to growth. :) I guess time will heal and strengthen my lost soul.

Hey ZN! Put on that mask for the start of the hike before others stomped us. Hahaha...

But for a photo, take without a mask for the moment. Please don't report me.

A beautiful model got the spotlight than me. Hahaha... Sometimes, we have a dream to soak in the spotlight and most importantly is to feel CONFIDENT! Which... I don't have... since I was born...

What a beautiful weather today. :3 Thanks Miss Sky sending your wishes.

Yes Blog. To reflect me on something which I learned in the past. A diamond shines brightly and many people love how it is cut and how much light is able to reflect. But when there is no light, no one will bother all diamonds but to find the light in the darkness, basically what is really matter in life.

To think again... What is the use of diamond beside flexing itself. The only precious stone is the one which can glow from within, the one which doesn't need light to be recognised its value. I guess, I have a lot to learn.

Enter the trail and it seemed unfamiliar... I guess it was due to trek from another direction.

Thanks trees for singing me bday song

Since I wore red today, I become the brightest and loudest colour in the wood

More journeys in future

Arrived to Hill Top, the familar landmark to assure that we were on the right trek

Yup, bright shoes and attire, mosquitoes started to buffet on me.

On the second landmark - wooden bridge. That time when I hiked here, it was raining. I didn't get to see how amazing those kind soul did for everyone. They made a wooden bridge and secured with nails. Great craft work which benefits many.

On the third landmark - ponding. I was drenched and my shoes got soaked by mud and water... Today I made it through. Life will have challenges and hiccups, just accept the failure and try again, is the way to improve ourselves.

Managed to complete the trail. Not easy but manageable. Will do this again!

(Credit to ZN) He wanted me to accompany him to Sheng Song Market to get some food. I rejected him a few times but ended up... I just followed...

Lucky, it was not crowded but the air con just very chilling and cold.

Tonight celebration - my brother bought me an ice-cream cake and they also know I like carrot cake, so they get me one too. Ended up, I got two cakes. (because they don't like carrot cake as I do)

Birthday shots!

Birthday is never a day when we celebrate ourselves but to Thank our mother for going through painful, life-threatening process to give us life and taking care of us for years. So Every birthday is a milestone of our gratitude towards our parents. Thank you mother for taking care and gave me a chance of living 41 years. So today birthday is for my mother than me. Thank you mother, happy birth day.

Have to take pictures with two tenants from my brother's house. They bought this carrot cake for me. It seemed like I will have the whole carrot cake myself.

Embarrassing birthday song began. I just forced myself to enjoy it. hahaha

When I was back home, I got GrabFood from HZ. Aww... Avocado! Man. Thanks for the treat, HZ. That warmed the cockles of my heart.

After having a good lunch, the evening sky showed a great rainbow silver-lining. :D Beautiful. Thanks, Miss Sky for such great sight. :)

Dinner time - My sister treated me a pizza nearby and it smelled great with Truffle oil :3

Check out this Truffle Pizza :3 Yes! Can't wait to take a piece asap! Thank you to my sister for the treat despite she was jobless. :')

On 26th Jul 2020, my plant decided to throw me a big pitcher as a gift. Aww... thank you for still surviving. You are always there for me.

Hmm... Perfect Sunday morning to burn my fat away. A brand new day for me.

but my bag was not new and smelly... by my sweat yesterday even when I tried to air it.

So where was I heading to?

To nowhere. Just want to sleep... zzz but...

ZN contacted me as he got rather upset with his GF... I read the relationship turned south for him...

So yeah, since he contacted me and just followed where I am heading to, I shall give time to him

This time around, I will bring him to explore some quarries

When we arrived at MacRitchie Venus Drive... Just checked out the crowd!

No wonder they have to close the iconic location

Just checked out the crowd! I was not exaggerating.

(credit ZN) thanks for helping me to take picture. Finally a spot where has no one around.

Especially when we prepared to cover the trail towards Bukit Timah.

ZN seemed rather experienced. Ooo he tried this treek before! He brought his colleagues and his Gf (oh now is ex-gf) here before.

Arrived to pipeline trail, slightly manageable crowd. I wondered what happened these days... The crowd seemed like no where to cover and decide to check in some popular spots.

But as you can see from the picture, the crowd was rather okay.

Anyway speaking of gift, even my regular hiking trails give me a gift of surprise.

Did you see this opening? Yes, I didn't notice that at all despite many visits. I paid no attention at it. Now, I sensed that I was summoned.

What a peaceful and untouched pond. Too bad it doesn't have a good seating space to chillout.

But the new discovery is a gift to me. Just like our daily life, whenever we have any self-discovery and get to know ourselves better, able to control our emotions than another way around, is a great experience of living.

Wanted to take the green path to reach Dairy Farm Quarry quicker but the biker warned us to stay away from the path. I guess I should take his words and let cyclists ride there safely than self-centred.

After taking a longer path, finally, we had arrived at Dairy Farm Quarry and we were not alone as there were visitors. It seemed like everyone is SG, wanted to become an explorer.

It seemed like every time when I bring whoever to Dairy Farm Quarry... 9.5/10 of my friends just went meh towards this quarry. Hmm... I guess It can't impress anyone... That taught me something again. (Wow! What a thought-provoking day)

Not everyone will like/appreciate one, People just come and go when they are there. Our life also likes this; we should not expect others to embrace who we are. Only when one decides to appreciate, then we will truly embrace.

OH man! Miss Sky had warned me that when we were at Dairy Farm. Yes, it started raining.

I got tired... Time to go back home and rest earlier... because...

Dinner time - my mother and brother treating me a bowl of my favourite Mala. :3 Yummy!

On 27th Jul 2020, one thing which surprised me when I was back to work. G, my colleague treated me another bowl of Mala again for my lunch. YIPPEE!! Double mala meal!

And my school leader bought a apple something (I forgot how to read or spell the name of this thingy) as a birthday cake.

Tradition birthday cards from my school leaders. :) Thank you for your wishes.

Speaking of a birthday card, a group of students made this card for me, initialled by ZY. What a sweet sweet gesture.

Their effort surely warm the cockles in my heart. Does it for you?

My other student also tried to make an IG video feed to give me a birthday wish. Awww... thank you, everyone.

Beside birthday cake and Mala treat during the noon, I got a dinner treat from Miss D at Gokul. Yummy. So sweet of her for the treat. I will have to treat her back on her birthday. Thanks for contributing to my Gokul post.

Miss D ordered one special dessert to surprise me. As the dessert was behind me, she failed to get her phone camera to work to capture my surprising moment. So... I told her that I will re-act the scene. Girlish scream and acted 'paiseh' for the video. What a sweet treat. Thanks, Miss D.

Overall, my birthday celebration seemed positive and a great start for me. Like what Vern had told me, "Counting our blessing" and it will be my 40+ journey.

Jeff