Sweet Twenti-Wan Moments

We only turn 21 once.

So my sis had to make sure my 21st birthday was memorable. Like, memorable.

She took a full day of leave, despite her crazy schedule, and brought me through a day of pleasant surprises... starting with...

We shrieked, giggled, and laughed at my Mom as we sat with our feet in the water, nibbled at by the little fish. It was my first time, and the LONGEST10 minutes of my life.

After the Tingling Senses Experience, we needed two hours of a relaxing comedy movie to calm the nerves.

Then it was time for...

After being super-duper full from the sumptious Dim Sum of The Imperial Restaurant, we took a leisure walk... I had no idea where we were going... and ended up at...
It was the perfect place for just the two of us to sit and chat while adding to our intake of uncalled-for calories.

When we were finally done, we went over to Bugis for me to get my IPHONE 4!!!

And at the end of the long happy day, I went home to be greeted by all these and more~

And as for the birthday bash the weekend before my actual birthday... well, maybe more of that next time. As it is, I have some of the party's pics here on FB, courtesy of Delwyn who kindly filled the position of Official Photographer of the Night with not a single complaint.

Gifts. SMSes. Overseas packages. Lunches and Dinners. Call it overload of happiness. It was an amazing time of being showered with Love and Joy and Happiness, surrounded by loved ones and friends.

Thank yeww, dear ones, for making my twenty first birthday so perfect! =)

**She went for a session of speed-blading today...and now has scratches and a cut lip as a result of a fall**

COURAGE

by Orianthi

Take all my vicious words
And turn them into something good
Take all my preconceptions
And let the truth be understood

Take all my prized possessions
Leave only what I need
Take all my pieces of doubt
And let me be what's underneath

Courage is when you're afraid,
But you keep on moving anyway
Courage is when you're in pain,
But you keep on living anyway

We all have excuses why
Living in fear something in us dies
Like a bird with broken wings
It's not how high he flies,
But the song he sings

Courage is when you're afraid,
But you keep on moving anyway
Courage is when you're in pain,
But you keep on living anyway

It's not how many times you've been knocked down
It's how many times you get back up
Courage is when you've lost your way,
But you find your strength anyway

Courage is when you're afraid
Courage is when it all seems grey
Courage is when you make a change,
And you keep on living anyway

You keep on moving anyway
You keep on giving anyway
You keep on loving anyway

**She has decided that the iphone is life-style-changing**

The Final Countdown

It's a little queer to sit here with the knowledge that I am spending the last few moments of my life as a twenty year old.

In less than half an hour the clock will strike 12, and I will be leaving behind my childhood (or what little I had of it) forever.

Life in the last twenty years has been an incredible journey.

the moments of laughter

the friends, old and new

the quiet tears

the unfailing support of siblings

the stresses of work

the dives into the deep blue ocean

the little juicy bits of surprise happiness

the beloved furry darling of my life, Misty

the excitement of new experiences

the triumphs of overcoming challenges

the heart pangs that cut deep

the roads less traveled.

It has been of learning lessons, of never giving up till I succeed. Of making the most of what I have, and still being contented. Of thanking God for both the laughter and the tears. Of things lost and things found. Of relishing the little joys. Of aspiring for bigger, greater, higher things. Of making decisions without regret. Of taking risks and enjoying the ride.

Yup, Life has been an adventure.

And I've a feeling it's only gonna get better from here!

I can't wait to see what TWENTY-ONE brings my way. (:

**She could die of happiness right now.**

Just Right.

You know how some things that we eat trigger memories from our childhood?

Well, this is one of my triggers.

As a kid, I loved it whenever I had this for a snack. Whether I was at home or in the classroom with the rest of my generation, I was thrilled whenever someone pulled out this little treat.

The part I liked best of course was the hard sugary icing on top. It looked pretty, like a demure little flower perched on a rock. And it tasted GOOD, too. I would bite off the top from the biscuit and eat it with a relish, savouring the sweetness.

The bottom part I would then discard with disdain. It was plain, colourless, TASTELESS. It didn't draw my attention the way the pretty icing did.

Why do people make such plain old biscuits? I would wonder. Why don't they just make the top part?

But after several such instances of snitching the icing and tossing the biscuit, I would get tired of the sweetness that I had liked in the first place and quickly lose interest. It was too much sugariness on its own till I could no longer appreciate its taste.

....

Fifteen years later, I am eating the biscuits again, snacking while I watch football with my brothers and friends.

And suddenly I realize why you have to eat the biscuit as a whole - not just the top, or the bottom alone.

Because together, they taste just right.

They complement each other. The plain biscuit accentuates the pleasant appeal of the coloured icing, and the icing in her turn lends sweetness to the biscuit that is not there on its own.

It’s a mini reflection of life.

Too many good things at one go becomes no longer good. If Life was over-saturated with happy moments and good things all at once, we would no longer be able to appreciate it after awhile. At the start, we would enjoy the sweetness, happy and pleased. But eventually our sensitivity to its pleasant flavour would be dulled. We’d get tired of the good things, losing interest and pleasure in its taste.

At the same time, if Life were constantly plain and uninteresting like the little round biscuit, we would be just as prone to murmur and complain. The dull staple would be viewed in the same way we view tedious days – with contempt. Nothing to look forward to. No sweet moments to add flavour to the unexciting existence. Boring.

But when Life is peppered with a little of both, they balance off each other perfectly. The fun happening days lend an existence to the other slow-moving moments, and the gentle peaceful days give us a breather so that we can recharge and properly appreciate the energetic moments.

Together, they are just right.

**She thinks the last two weeks have been too long, and is looking forward to tomorrow**