I do enjoy the coconut leaves rustling happily in the wind outside .
My four mongrels happy with their status as guardians of the house have been noisily knocking at the door for their breakfast.
It should be a hot sunshine day.
Can you remember the first birthday cake you ever had? I cannot remember really. Birthday cakes only came into our lives when the first missionaries had birthday cakes for their children in Sibu. And I think the first real birthday cake for my extended family was the birthday cake made for Mrs. JB Chong. My grandfather's first birthday cake must be for a birthday he celebrated in Singapore.
Later Cheng Hua Kong started making cakes I think for many families started establishing their own family birthday traditions with western cakes and having dinners in restaurants like Blue Splendour.
My father's 50th Birthday was celebrated by his siblings - he received a huge table and a beautiful handsewn (green) table cloth from his beloved sisters. And Aunt Grace organised a western dinner for him. I am quite certain they had steaks on the table. And I do remember that was the first time our family had mashed potatoes at home. I was only about 9 at that time.(My father married my mother late). My father never saw his 60th birthday. Hence I wish I could have given him a birthday cake...So this is a sort of replacement too.
Many of us with Foochow roots would only remember having mee sua with eggs and chicken for our birthdays. On our birthday if we were lucky our mother would reward us with a chicken drumstick. In big families the better pieces of chicken were always for the grandparents and other elders. The Kutiens had hoong ngang with hardboiled eggs. And the Heng Huas had their Heng Hua Noodles.
As for many of us it was good enough if we could get a hard boiled egg for our birthday. But I always appreciate it when our birthdays were remembered by our mother and we would get at least something quite special. This made it worth our while to be alive! And a year older!
2009 is a good year for people/nations to celebrate their 60th birthday or anniversary.
So I thought today would be a good day to look at cybercakes ....and look what beautiful cakes I found....lovely cakes of different colours with different flowers. And I continue to amaze myself - I still like those little yellow flowers - whether they are roses or tulips or peach blossoms ....or daisies....
To all my friends and classmates who were born in the Year of the Ox...Happy 60th Birthday! One cake for each decade of your life. Let's eat all the six at one time - cyberly that is.......Republic of China is also looking at its 60th Anniversary...and so is Ferrari....
Cake I
Cake 2
Cake 3
Cake 4
Cake 5
Cake 6
Thanks to all those who have made the above cakes...they really are very nice.
Happy 60th Birthday!
May you always be blessed; with walls for the wind, a roof for the rain, a warm cup of tea/coffee by your side table, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you and all that your heart might desire. (An Old Gaelic blessing)
(My computer is still down and I am using a friend's notebook to this for you today...you can still reach me at yisawan@gmail.com)
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