Thursday 27 March 2008

A celebration of sorts

Birthdays tend not to become too important an event especially when the figures get too big and the candles too many on the cake, posing a fire hazard. I remember my first few birthday celebrations, and oh that was so long ago. I remember Mak and her agar-agar bunga batu which was always a hit with my friends. Then there’s the kek kukus and noodles galore. All these served in her latest collection of Pyrex and syrup in those Tupperware tumblers in various shapes and colours. My school friends would turn up in their best frocks, their mode of transport being mini bikes neatly parked outside our gates.

And how we enjoyed the games of musical chairs and passing the parcel. Such simple pleasures.

I remember too some birthday surprises, one in particular that nearly gave my husband a heart attack. It was the day we were supposed to go for an important parent teachers’ meeting and he suddenly refused to go. Clearly upset, I made a unilateral decision to go by myself when a close friend called me up for tea at Whiteleys. We had tea and a bit of a rant about the strange behaviour of my other half. My daughter then phoned to say that the meeting was cancelled. So we decided to go to this friend’s place instead and drown my sorrows in a game of scrabble. I was certainly in no mood to go home.

When the door to her apartment opened, there stood my husband slaving over several legs of lamb roasting in the oven. The children and some friends were also there for the birthday surprise which nearly turned into a disaster, and one friend even came with a birthday cake the shape of a pair of voluptuous boobs that still gives me nightmares and an inferiority complex.

One year it was a drive to the countryside for lunch at a friend’s country house hotel by the Thames. It was lunch in style with some close friends and after the afternoon walk in the vast 100 year old listed garden, we settled down for tea before the long drive back into London. It was then that the French Chef walked in with a birthday cake, my name correctly spelt on the icing. What a day it was.

Anyway, this year’s quiet celebration wasn’t too bad at all. The children decided that a tomyam steamboat at Holiday Villa would be a good idea as the day was cold and there were snow flurries too. They invited some friends and Hafiz called up Uncle Jimmy and family.

It was the night after Raihan performed at the Royal Albert Hall. I was there to see their performance for Islamic Relief and what a performance they gave. And because I couldn’t have enough of their acapella, I invited them over for a bit of Tom Yam too.

Dato J was in charge of the steamboat and that was only the starters. Then we had nasi goreng kampong and mee goreng mamak. You wouldn’t believe what was served for dessert! Raihan kindly performed Assolatuwassalam - a favourite of mine!
And the family presented me with this new laptop that I am typing on.

Thank you Raihan! And thank you my sayang mamas!

62 comments:

nadya.s said...

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAKTEH,
may allah bless you with good health, great wealth and many beautiful years ahead.


my salam to mr.awang goneng (i bought the book!) and your kids.

ubisetela said...

Happy Belated Birthday Kak Teh!

zarina said...

Happy Birthday and have fun with the new laptop.

Unknown said...

Kak Teh,
Happy Birthday Kak Teh. May the blessings shine upon you, and trust me, many more such great celebration of sorts coming. Such memories... :)
Have a nice day.

Anonymous said...

Selamat Hari Jadi, Kak Teh! Ah, nothing like a birthday spent with family and loved ones and good food! :)

May you have health and happiness always, my dear. Hugs!

melayudilondon said...

fooo! tomyam steamboat dgn raihan rendition? gempak babe! gempak!

Mama Rock said...

happy birthday kak teh!!! gals that you had a blast! ehem ehem..that new laptop, make sure it runs on vista ya :)

Kak Teh said...

nadya, thanks for the wishes. and do enjoy the book. Insyaalah will convey your salam. take care.

Ubi, thank you!

zarina, yes, was playing solitaire and the kids thought I was hard at work!

Kak Teh said...

akmal, Insyaallah and thanks for the wishes.

kenny dear, thank you. it was a memorable evening.

melayu di london yang sekarang di singapura, yes, RAIHAN was the bonus. They were fantastic!

Kak Teh said...

mama raock, i dont know what it runs on - hehe, pakai saja yang lain-lain anak-anak yang install. Thanks MR!

MrsNordin said...

Wah, wah wah... you really played it down with this posting, ya? "Dato' J was in charged of the steamboat.." I ingat siapalah Dato' J ni, a closer look at the picture, rupa2nya Jimmy Choo!! And Raihan sang at your birthday do??

Hebat you, Kak Teh... I like your style...!!! :)

Typhoon Sue said...

amboi... syioknyerrr dapat laptop baru. ha, itu macam, kena update blog ni every 2 days tawwww!!
:-)

Happy Belated Birthday Kakteh.

amira shasmeen said...

Happy Birthday, Kak Teh ...

Kak Teh said...

mrs nordin, hehe, nasib baik bukan dia yang menyanyi and Raihan in charge of steamboat, kan? But truly happy they cld make it. And Raihan's Assolatuwassalam was indeed so touching. They also sang their version of Happy Birthday for me.

Sue, thanks. It was last mother's day that i hinted i wanted a laptop but i didnt really expect it because none of them cld afford it. Then one sayang mama received a bonus out of the blue and that's it!

Kak Teh said...

amira shasmeen, thanks you for the visit and for your birthday wish.

Anonymous said...

Kak Teh dear,

Happy brthday!!! May you have lovely days ahead and be young always (both physical and at heart)! *winks*

Oh yeah, you wouldnt believe my luck these days. Met Raihan while having breakfast at the usual place. Also, met a young prince (future king of a state and his dad is one of those wise rulers who speak out for the welfare of their people). He is so simple and nice (plus handsome! Hmm, maybe can pair up with mini MI).

wah! Both you and Lee got yourself new toys, huh.

Take care and hope to see you soon!

x

Kak Teh said...

ms istanbul, yeah, i directed raihan to malaysia hall. they were there for late lunch earlier and now they are back home.

A young prince? hmmmm shall we give luck a nudge?

yes, lets see what new toy Lee has. Am still experimenting with mine.

Pi Bani said...

Happy 17th birthday Kak Teh!! (tak kiralah 17th birthday yang ke berapa kali, kan?)

Seronok dapat toy baru? :)

Anak Mami said...

happy bithday kak teh! semoga panjang umurk dan murah rezeki selalu.

salam to AG.

Kak Teh said...

pi bani, memang seronok dapat toy baru. The whole of yesterday was spent ' moving house' and 'housekeeping'!

anak mami, thank you. Insyaallah will convey to him your salam. Keep well.

IKHWANI said...

salam kak teh.
selamat menyambut ulang tahun.
semoga di panjangkan umur dalam iman dan dimurahkan rezeki.

finished reading GUit. It brought back my memories especially when I read the chapter about Kg. Raja (my father's kampung)

Coincidently, we were in Terengganu while I was reading that, I spotted Redi Kedai Gambar (not sure whether it's the same one as in the book but the signboard is old), we had nasi minyak at kg simpang tokku, raoung-raoung kg cina, masjid putih, pegi pulau duyung had satar there..pantai batu buruk, merang, had keropok lekor, pasar payang and all.

Kak Teh said...

onde-onde, thank you!

Aaah! GUiT! Do you know that I have yet to finish the book? I suppose i learnt abt the essence of GUiT a lot during my visit to the place last year. And while doing the filming for Jejak Awang Goneng, I met some of the people mentioned in the book.
How about reviewing it in your blog?

ZABS said...

Salan Kak Teh,
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY. Semoga diberi kesihatan yang berpanjangan. Main scrabbles sejukkan hati, boleh ke?...

Kak Teh said...

zabs, terima kasih. Rasanya scrabble tu boleh mengubati segalanya.Itulah salah satu obsessions saya.

silversarina said...

Happy Belated Birthday Kak Teh !!

Makan-makan with Dato' J and Raihan... so sweet !!

Kak Teh said...

silversarina, kebetulan raihan dan Dt J sekeluarga ada masa nak luangkan dengan kak teh sekeluarga. Alhamdulillah - memeriahkan majlis.

wonda said...

Happy Belated Birthday, Kak Teh! A good start for you to do something with your new laptop! *wink* Dah buat?

Kak Teh said...

wonda, an incentive indeed! Just wish it can also rearrange words for me to make beautiful sentences! Thanks!

Salt N Turmeric said...

Happy Belated Birthday Kak Teh! Patutlah dpt flowers a few days ago ya? ;)

I can imagine how u felt like during tht 1st story. Mesti 'angin' bila hubby tiba2 cancel plan and all. lol. nasib baik Kak Teh buat plan w friend yg included in the surprise party. Kalau tak, naya aje.

Bergen said...

Kak Teh, happy birthday, ma'am. You did good for Jejak Awang Goneng. It's a good thing.

Happy birthday. Mine's on 21 March. Same day as AuntieYan.

Kak Teh said...

farina,thank you. Yes, there was a conspiracy from all sides. and the ploy was to get me to that friend's house. My husband said, next time, pls no more surprises! boleh heart attack macam ni.

bergen, have a look at the video clips. will email you the links.
and also - happy belated birthday!

Nazrah Leopolis said...

kelmarin i woke up and told myself it's someone important's birthday...ayo mati tak sempat nak online nih...in between layan kakaknya yg manja and adik yg kuat minum...terlewat nak wish kak teh.

*shame on me!*

happy belated birthday kakteh! may you always be blessed with pleasant surprises.

so which cat is sitting on ur new toy?

ada dapat itu pointy 6-inched bejewelled pumps from the datuk tak?

oh, in case u lupa, bcuz i don't tell u enuff...i lap u.

Anonymous said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DEAR KAK TEH!! Here's wishing you health, wealth and happiness all the years of your life!

Sorry I am one day late. Aiyah, I need to get my timing right.

What a blessed woman you are!

Kak Teh said...

nazrah, aaah, he had already given me a pair for my graduation, remember? and am no imelda marcos.
you must have yr hands full now! take care and lap u too.

judy, hope u are better. keep indoors and rest. LOts of water! was just thinking - may be we shd meet up. i'll come to you one day.

Queen Of The House said...

Happy belated birthday, Kak Teh! Wow what a celebration with celebrities! Well, you are one, too!

mad redo1 said...

Albeit a bit late, still mad redo1 wishes kak teh a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! looking forward to more chocs with the new lappy...

wanshana said...

Dear Kak Teh,

Happy Belated Birthday!

Sorry terlambat - but, I could have sworn I left a comment hari tu. I must have pressed "Preview" instead of "Publish" instead agaknya...and then hopped somewhere else! So sorry...

Waaaa...what better combination than Tom Yam, Steamboat, Nasi Goreng Kampung, Mee Mamak, family and friends to celebrate your 17th birthday, eh?

Many Happy Returns of the day, K.Teh :)

Kak Teh said...

QOTH,, thank you - terekebetulan depa ada masa. yang tak dak masa and too busy prince charles, the queen corgies, camilla, hahahah!thanks for kind words anyway.

mad redo2 - more chocs coming up! served with cream. hey, actually, i also received so many boxes of chocolates. how they know abt my choc obsession, entah lah!

wanshana, thanks to you too.Yes, what a wonderful 17th!!! I actually felt my age because many of those who turned up were children of friends who actually grew up before my eyes and now they are married!
But Dt JC has this wise words - he will always be 48, and I will always be 25!

Anonymous said...

Happy Happy Birthday Kak Teh! If I was there, I would surely bake you a cake.

You are so blessed Kak Teh to have not only close friends and family but celebs as well! Wahhhh... you must be one special lady.

Keep warm.

Kak Teh said...

wiz, what a wonderful surprise to see you here!! Thank you and yes, i'd have ordered your beautiful cupcakes, all chocolatey and wicked! and you'd weave those lovely lyrics of yours. AAAh! Thanks.

elisataufik said...

Happy Birthday Kak Teh!!!

Semoga panjang umur, di murahkan rezeki dan segala amalan di terimaNya. Amin ya rabbil al amin!!

*hugs*

Kak Teh said...

eliza, ameeen! and hugs to you too!

Arena said...

Salam
Happy belated birthday Kak Teh. Kalau me and Ed belum balik lagi, boleh join sekaki (heheheh tak malooo) anyways, sorilah kak teh, hari tu tak sempat nak jumpa, our schedule was very tight. But thanks for the directions to all the places we wanted to go. Snowing masa hari kami ada di sana tuh.. brrrr..

Arena doakan, Kak Teh sentiasa dalam lindungan Allah, di panjangkan umur, dimurahkan rezki & sentiasa dikelilingi org yang sayang pd KakTeh. Take care. Moga berjumpa lagi.

Kak Teh said...

arena, terima kasih. Ya kalau arena dan ed ada tumpang dua kaki pun boleh! Kita tak jumpa pun tak apa, asalkan arena ambil kesempatan salju yang sejuk tu untuk berkepit-kepitan berjalan-jalan dengan ed di kotaraya london. Insyaallah lain kali boleh kita jumpa lagi.

[danial][ma] said...

hej! happy birthday kak teh. may you have a greatest birthday celebration ever, and have a great year ahead full with love, great health, and great life...cheers!

Fauziah Ismail said...

Salam Kak Teh
Happy Belated Birthday.

Kak Elle said...

A happy belated birthday kak teh sorry I miss this entry earlier.

Semoga di panjangkan umur dan dimurahkan rezeki and most of all the happiness with the loved ones:)

Anonymous said...

Selamat Ulang Tahun dan Bahagia.
Moga keberkatan berterusan

-atenah

Kak Teh said...

danial ma, thanks so much for the kind wishes.

Fauziah, thanks and take care. la ni suddenly tengah dok sibuk. Will be in touch.

Kak Teh said...

kak elle, dont worry. I will be a year older for the whole year! haha! Thanks.

Thanks atenah. and you too take care!

Anonymous said...

Happy belated birthday K Teh semuga Allah panjangkan umur

ms hart said...

Aaaaahhh Kak Teh...WHERE was I???? Happy belated birthday, Kak Teh, and may you have many, many more, filled with Allah's blessings and love! You so deserve it!!

zulomar said...

Assalamualaikum Kak Teh

Happy belated birthday. Moga dipanjangkan umur dan dimurahkan rezeki.

Jealous gitu, bithday siap Raihan hadir. Me & family are big Raihan fans.

The photo of myself & my family with you during the Monsoon Cuppa always appear on my computer (screensaver), automatic. I didn't put as screensaver. In fact I don't even know where the picture is in the PC.

Anyway, best wishes & wassalam.

Zulomar

Kak Teh said...

anonymous, thank you dan sama-sama kita doakan Tuhan melimpahkan rahmat ke atas kesemua kita.

ms hart,aaah its okay. I am still 25!! and a whole year to celebrate until i am 26, hehe!

zulomar, raihan will always be my all time favourite. they are so nice inspite of their success. and yes, i have mentioned you to some of your friends in london. they do remember you.

Sue Adnan said...

Salam perkenalan Kak Teh,

Happy Birthday!
Many happy returns to you.

Bestnya... Raihan perform during ur bday celebration...

Kak Teh said...

zmadnan, salam, Alhamdulillah. Raihan pun tak ada apa petang tu, jadi kak teh jemputlah ke makan malam tu. dan sudi menyanyi pulak tu!but that is raihan, always so obliging and tak sombong.

Ordinary Superhero said...

Happy very belated birthday to you Kak Teh. Not sure whether I have told you (commented) in your previous entries on Raihan, Che Amran the kelantan guy was my class mate in primary school. What a path he has taken!

Kak Teh said...

OSH, Cik Am is wonderful and still looks as if he is in primary school. Tak makan tua.

msiagirl said...

Dearest Kak Teh!

Happy Belated Birthday, I am sorry I missed it. However I plan to celebrate when you come down soon! (We can do both yours and mine!) Sounds like you had a wonderful evening, and so you should. Hugs xx

Anonymous said...

happy (belated) birthday, kak teh! am so happy to know u're a fellow arien. went to kl (am frm sg) last weekend n bought GUiT coz i heard so much abt it from yr blog. cant seem to find it here. anyhow, pray u're well n always be in Allah's keep. take care.

Kak Teh said...

m'siagirl, thanks and wait for more news. will write to you.

pennyjane, thanks for kind wishes and hope you will enjoy GUiT. I am indeed an arian. When is yours?

Anonymous said...

Happy Belated and all that, KT!

New laptop, eh? You lucky girl!