Many Happy Returns

I am happy and sad and everything in between. My birthday was on the 26th, during the mid-term school holidays. I still had to go to school because our Symphony Orchestra was going for a competition in Penang the very next day. I'm the concertmistress of Team A (playing the Prince of Egypt) and the conductor of Team B (playing Pocahontas). I spent most of rehearsal time with Team B. That morning, I was in the classroom with them, about to begin practice when suddenly, everyone from Team A came in.

At first, I thought they wanted to listen to Team B's performance, and asked them as much. Then, my good friends Kam and Shum walked in with a birthday cake and they all started singing the birthday song. I was really surprised and also really pleased. It's the first time ever someone surprised me that way. Then I blew out the candles and Kam cut the cake (her b'day: 28/3). We made the cake a mess but had fun smearing the cream on each other's faces. The cake was a mocha sponge cake. After that, it was business as usual.

Here is my Tumblr post complete with photos.

After rehearsal, So Jun came to pick me up to take me out. She was a little late, but never mind. After we dropped her friend off, I got out to get in the front seat. She had dropped my present beside the door (by accident) so when I opened it, she asked me if I could pick up something she dropped from beside my seat. And that's how I got my present. Easily the best birthday present EVER. I don't deserve it, but she says I do. Either way, I was really touched, especially by the little note she wrote for me. We went to Jusco, had Secret Recipe for lunch and she bought me these really cute charms. I skipped violin that day. (Shhh!!!)

For dinner, Dad bought crab and we watched The Avengers. Dad's birthday presents were tickets to Taylor Swift's concert in June and the lomography camera (but apparently, that's my pay for doing his website). Also, he bought me scallop pasta from Indulgence for lunch earlier.

The next day was the 27TH and THE DAY OF OUR COMPETITION. I was nervous the whole day for Team B, in the end they got bronze, as expected after their performance. Oh yeah, apparently my partner from the Genting friendship concert shares the same birthday as me. ANYWAY. THEN IT WAS TEAM A'S TURN. AND MY GOD WE WERE GOOD. All smiles after we left the hall. But during the presentation ceremony, we got... silver. I've never felt so deflated in my life. WE DESERVED GOLD. And it's not just me, some other schools also mentioned that we should have gotten gold. Heck, even the school that goes out of their way to say how much we suck said we should have gotten gold.

On the bus, I listened to the audio our senior (Mei Ern) recorded. I CRIED. IT WAS PERFECT. REGARDLESS OF THE RESULTS, I AM PROUD OF US AND THE FIVE YEARS WE DEVOTED TO THIS ORCHESTRA. NO REGRETS.

Also had a long talk with Mei Ern and Kam and we went to this totally useless shopping centre which totally killed our mood completely. But later we sang and stuff so we were pretty high by the time we arrived back in school. Also got a Doraemon from my junior.

28th: Kam's birthday present from me was a message attached with a collage. I had to go to school to do oral, my cinematography is good. Then Junqi took me out to AEON, had lunch at Nando's, watched Captain America, took the worst photo in history.

30th: Watched Divergent with Carmen and Cassandra. Did those Kawaii photo thingies. Had lunch after at Sakae Sushi.

It was a jolly holiday indeed.

31st March + 1st April: I received birthday cards from my three Mouseketeers. Oh yeah, even our coach thought we were gonna get gold, he was shocked when I asked him why we didn't.