Another Birthday

My birthday this year was a happy occassion, mainly for two reasons. First, it fell on Eid Adha. So this means I get to celebrate it with my family, in my hometown. Second, it was kinda like a double celebration. Five days before my birthday, I had successfully defended my thesis, which means I had fulfilled one of the major requirements for getting a PhD in UM. All I have to do now is finish the last two chapters! I was overjoyed, and this euphoria continued on until my birthday. Naturally. Hehe.
I woke up in the morning with some kind of zest. After a scrumptious breakfast comprising of ketupat, rendang and the like, we headed to my late Dad's grave. It's been a while since I stepped foot at the graveyard. 8 years have passed since my Dad's tragic death. If he were still alive today, I would have asked him to forgive me and to pray for my success and happiness. I miss my Abah, my favourite guy. A guy who had never let me down and loved me unconditionally. 
My sis surprised me with a red velvet birthday cake! I was overjoyed! As usual, birthday wishes came pouring in via SMS, Whatsapp and Facebook, mostly from my close friends, colleagues, relatives, and ex-students. I was happy, and wished that God bless all of these people. I thought about my life, and how blessed I am to be able to celebrate another birthday. God is great! 
Did I have any special wishes this birthday? I guess my friend in UK, Faiz, really knew what was in my head. And my heart. She would always remember my birthday, without fail. I guess it's easy for her to remember mine. It's a week after her son's birthday and 5 days before her birthday. Her Facebook wishes really hit close to home and was probably the best birthday wish I ever got this time around:
Salam and Selamat Hari Raya babe!!! It's that time of the year again. Happy birthday! May all your dreams come true either today or soon. May your PhD journey become easier and may you find happiness and true love real soon. Take care!
Ameen to that! 

    A visit to my late Dad's grave in the morning

    Red velvet birthday cake! Yums!

    
    
Mi familia! 
    With my munchkin! 

Cakes are special. Every birthday, every celebration ends with something sweet, a cake, and people remember. It's all about the memories. ~ Buddy Valastro

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

One Kiddo's Opinion

Image
Sometimes the last thing learners need is for their preferred learning style to be affirmed. Agreeing to let people learn only in a way that feels comfortable and familiar can restrict seriously their chance for development. ~ Steven Brookfield Mork Mindy, do you know that you’re frowning a lot nowadays? Mindy Uh, really? You’re so observant, Mork. Mork Well, I have to be, don’t I? I’m your supposedly alter ego . Your animus , as Carl Jung put it. You wouldn’t be having those frowns if you’re not affected by something. Mindy Well, yeah. I am affected. By words. Mork (Chuckle) Don’t we all? Mindy Yeah, but if it’s by someone you least expect, how do you deal with it? Mork Okay, this is getting somewhere. What happened, dear? Mindy You know how I love my kids. And my teaching. In fact, I got my kids to thank for for lifting me up this New Year. Seeing them sitting in class, apprehensive yet cheerful really helped me to get out of my moroseness. Mork Okay. So, what is the problem, dear?
Read more

Bring It On, 2010!

Image
No one ever regarded the First of January with indifference. It is that from which all date their time, and count upon what is left. It is the nativity of our common Adam. ~Charles Lamb Another year whizzed past! Looking back, I’m proud of some the things I managed to accomplish despite being Bath-deprived. Those who know me well would know that this deprivation has got nothing to do with a bath. The damage to my ego was incalculable. However, I managed to accomplish a few things this past year, which served as balm to my long-suffering, bruised ego: 1. I managed to publish in an international journal! It was really a feat considering I never dreamed I’d be able to publish in an international journal. I've published here and there, but never in an international journal. I’m so grateful to have a mentor at work who’s always willing to guide and share. I owe this to her, really. 2. I got a better score for my teaching evaluation, it’s gone up a few notches, thanks to my kids. It real
Read more

KPI

Image
* KPI = key performance indicator = a business metric to evaluate factors that are crucial to the success of an organization After weeks of long tedious meetings discussing the KPI of the department, I was suicidal. Truly, I was. During the last meeting we had two days ago, I simply tuned off. I also prayed to God that my boss would disappear and never come back. Within minutes, my mind started to wonder about the many things that I would like to do once the meeting is over, and I started scribbling… A colleague sitting a few seats next to me, passed a note: Z, you look so engrossed. You’re not taking the minutes, are you? I replied: Nope. Unsatisfied (for I don't know what reason), she passed me another note: Huh? Then why are you scribbling so profusely? What are you up to? I handed her the paper I used to scribble, which goes like this: Jif Softlan Plastik sampah Scouring brush Kitchen towel Tissue Toothbrush Toilet Duck Mineral water HL Milk Calamansi Bread Milo Nescafe She th
Read more