Still Thinking…

Ah oh. I really shouldn’t be blogging and make preps for the birthday do tonight. But I can’t help it, I waited for that time-stamp on my blog for 4 years. So a little distraction just to document it will be ok, wouldn’t it?

Anyway, I always feel so very lucky on the 29th. It is a weird feeling to be a leap year baby, and I recall my tiny fingers scrawling the number ’29’ in a red marker, on the calendar on some years when there is no leap day.

I got my semi-surprised birthday gift from DH at the stroke of midnight last night. I was, of all things, slumped unceremoniously in front of my Mac – staring hard at the Canada Revenue website (yes, DEFINITELY unceremonious!). There were some company matters to attend to, and I was reading through tax (*read: BORING) information. At 11.59 pm, DH burst into the homeoffice with a little wrapped box in hand. I was of course super excited and opened it. It was …errr.. a box of matches. It came with a note that says the real present has ‘walked’ away…and it is somewhere near the keyboard. Oh well…I have a treasure hunt to participate!

It was a lovely gift. And very timely too. You see, in the past month or so – we have been taking walks around the neighbourhood. In my true Asian fashion, I will ONLY wear whats comfortable on my feet – and with evening temperatures sometimes hitting below zero degrees, nothing else matters. I have been walking with my Rockport sandals because they were the most comfortable for me, even if they are open-toed ones! Yes, I have been walking in below zero temperature (on some nights) with just socks and sandals warming my feet. My trainers were broken, and I didn’t want to buy a pair just for the sake of buying one. I am pretty happy with my Rockports, thank you.

So to Nike DH went for my birthday gift – all nicely wrapped in a huge orange bow.

The usual wishes came through various means, via Facebook, MSN, SMS, phonecalls and emails. Thank God for technology. I don’t remember having to reply to so many birthday wishes all at the same time.

I woke up this morning with a quiet conversation with God, thanking Him for his many bounties in all of my years.

Then, an email came from my cousins. The title was “The Secret of Leap Years” and I thought it was a forwarded email of sorts. It was around 7.30 am, I was sleepy and opened it. My cousin had made a video of some really funny photos with some funny twisted stories, complete with wishes from my family. Goodness..that video made me laughed so hard and bawled like a kid. I don’t really know why I was bawling, and we were laughing it all off over Skype a few minutes later. He even bought a cake and 9 candles as ‘prop’, made his kids sing a birthday song and blow it for me just for the camera . LOL. That’s one birthday cake I DON’T get to eat.

The last message on the video was from Mak. It was a classic birthday message from her – it always end with a reminder on not forgetting God and prayers.

I will always remember Mak’s story about the day I was born. She said there has been a huge thunderstorm while she was in labour in that small clinic called Chong Clinic I think, and my late Mak Ngah was getting nervous for my birth. She made a nazar for Mak’s safe labour, and apparently after I was born – the storm subsided. In the midst of all these attention I am getting on this leap birthday, 2 women stay central in my heart.

Arwah Mak Ngah for her prayers for Mak, and my sweet mum for teaching me what Ihsan means even when I didn’t understand its true meaning then.

Thank you Allah for all your gifts. I have so much to be thankful for, and I pray You bless many others with the same, if not more.