5 years ago, when I was 16, I attended a neighbour's 21st birthday at her house. She had so many friends coming over, uni friends, jc friends, secondary school friends. I was so amazed by it and was even envious man. So many friends together at one place! I thought to myself, I'm gonna have the exact same thing.

And damn right I was after many years of imagining how it'd be like.

Here I am in 2013, having held my own 21st birthday in October right at my house with all the awesomest friends in the world. Little did I know 5 years ago that I would have done this and invited such a pool of people and enjoyed myself to the fullest.

Yes, I've always thought that I'm so narcissistic COME ON GUYS COME CELEBRATE ME TURNING 21 BITCHES. Rock on. Pull up your pants.

I told everyone not to give me anything coz I sincerely wished only for a day that I'd be surrounded by my friends and family. Oh, I only invited my friends over coz I always think friends+extended family is damn freakin weird. So I invited my NEIGHBOURS HAHAHA.

But anyway, I got so much that I never asked for. Cards full of love and prezzies that I will fully make use of and make sure they become rotten like my horrendous OP wallet. I shall save that story for another day.

And just simply being there and spending with me a day I fully turn into an adult. 21 is seriously THE milestone. I foresee so much more that will begin with my life from now on.

This is true because.. it is only this year, when I turn 21, that I truly am confident in achieving what I am aiming for in life, ambition wise. I've always known what I wanted but the path is very much clear now.

It is also this year when I feel the most comfortable in my skin. Being able to live my life and act just like how I feel. Growing up has been painful, well not really, I describe it like I went through shit and bricks, but the road to 21 was quite a battle. Being confident with being just me and myself, took a long time. I think I can only look at this in retrospect. Whilst growing up, I think I was a bit hard with myself and I didn't realise that. Not even my secondary school friends.

Only one friend saw that. And it was my long-time old friend Rebecca.

Maybe it's because she hadn't been interacting with me much only until recently for god knows what reason. I think it's when she came to NTU. Anyway, I've known her since primary school and during secondary school we drifted quite a bit. After reconnecting, I think we've noticed how the other changed. She's no longer boyish, she loves to look good and dress up now. Something I never would've imagined. For her, she wrote to me in my birthday card that she was glad to see that I've grown so much more confident now than before. When I read that, I felt so... I dunno what I felt but I thought that she identified something that only she knew and only I realised. It was just a simple card, with simple words, but it epitomised my whole coming of age thing.

I'm glad I've reached this stage and if I had known what I know now when I was younger, I'd be a little less harsh on myself. Growing up is such. You always want to tell your younger self something that could've altered your way of perceiving things then. But, I guess life is like that. It's kinda nice knowing that you managed to get to where you are now despite many things in life. Yet, I'm thankful for the experiences coz I attribute much of where I am now to them. Without experiencing some things, you just can never grow.

So 21, I am ready to face the world. In less than 2 years' time, I'm gonna graduate from NTU and the world is gonna be my freakin oyster. My friends and I have always talked about our dreams and aspirations. I think it's so important to have them, otherwise life has zilch meaning. And it's not just about what I want to be career wise. It's also about love, food, the world or the economy, whichever that comes first to you haha. Whatever that holds true to your heart and means a lot to you.

Anyway, the theme for my birthday was Be Bold and Beautiful coz to me, that's what makes the world go round hahaha. And so, I dressed up in an Indian Sari. Something I've always wanted to be dressed in and I LUVVIT. The first time I laid eyes on the sari, I knew that that would be it. I tied it all by myself yo. Chinese girls learns to tie sari after watching Youtube videos just twice. Kudos to me. And I pasted a bindi on everyone's forehead like it was a rite of passage to enter my house nyahahah.

I was hoping to see more siao costumes and outfits by my friends, but it's ok, like you guys said, being yourself is already bold and beautiful enough -.- Well I award you the Ms World title yay.


So pictures HERE WE GO!

I cut my hair again like 2 weeks before the celebration so it was way short again. (2 months later now, it's back to being just nice)




The fabulous Coral Sexcondary School people.
Truly, the time when I met lifelong friends. All of them so bold and beautiful on my birthday : )

Missing a number of people. Vivien and Alicia who are studying in Australia. Yijie who is having the time of her life on exchange in Hongkong and Jiaqi. But Jiaqi came earlier in the morning at 1:38am to deliver me a pie that she baked specially for moi :'DDD So grateful. She had another birthday to attend but it's ok I forgive coz the pie was damn nice and she cycled all the way to my house!!!!!!! I was just about to sleep btw until my brother was like, "I really think it's your friend" after brushing him aside like 10,000 times thinking how can anyone be outside my house at this time. Really? Prince Charming? Hell yeah I'll let down my long hair.






Awesome ballz.
Well that's what the whatsapp group is called lol.
Yenhuei was wearing so beautifully that day aww! Touched.

Anyway, sometimes I feel like my secondary school days were like, girl school days. Now that I think of it, I don't think I actually went to a mixed school. I think I went to a girls' school lah?! All my bestfriends are GIRLS siah. So much so that a number of people have mistaken that I went to a girls' school and I have to tell them no, I went to Coral. I think I possess the girls' school girl personality. What I believe so... is that because I went to a mixed school, my potential (hahaha) was not developed. And I suppose luckily so?! Coz my perception of them girls are like... you're just either butch or bimbotic or um, just really bitchy. The latter applies to every girls' school girl. Really eh, test it out fo yo self. No offence to all my friends who went to girls' schools HAHAHHAAH. I love you just the way you are~ feat. Bruno Mars.




JC PEEPZ.
I'm sorry you guys are such a small group coz I must be honest that TPJC wasn't the best time of my life HAHAH. Even so I'm glad to still have these people around meeting up on the RANDOMEST of occasions. And still be able to talk about shit. I'm glad we're all past the green uniform stage yet still connected.


On to Uni life


SIYOUX

I only see my juniors at the benches in school but I guess my birthday shall be a way to reconnect.




My retarded friends. What would I do without yáll.
We started out so awkward. And I'm happy to say that..... We're still so awkward.
Yayyyyyyy. Hahahah k lah, glad to be awesomez friends, I think it's fate we were brought together as a team in the first place.
Whenever I think wkw, I think you guys.



The most gorgeous people in school, Joshua, Jasmine and Lucas.

This semester, we haven't been meeting often but these people will give you the best JOKES AND FUN. Wkw people do this best. And these 4 are special too : )



The endless videos we made together and slogging out. Holy mother. But all worth it lah.
So talented everyone here. Good actors, good directors, good cameramen, the people who taught me what the hell excellence was. What a stellar cast and crew.



OLD OCIP TEAM :'DDDD

I will NEVER forget the amount of good fun we had. Never. Up till today, one year on, I can only  think of good things from that trip. And good things only.

And soon I will be bringing,



THIS TEAM

to where it all began.
Wow, the level of cheesiness was just overloaded.
But, truly, I can't wait. I am so damn excited. I forced everyone to come to my birthday celebration but I guess my level of dictatorship needs to up a level. Soon you will see.
As you can also see, the girl beside me is my younger sister. Everyone say hi to Mak Soo. I also only just found out that day. Hahahahah goodness we seriously look like sisters in this picture.



The beautiful Atheena. She has a face that spells b-itch but she is one of the most FUN and HILARIOUS person everrrrr. Throw in nice as well. Like an elder sister.



MAY TIAN Teehee.





Flower Fiona and beautiful Rebecca




Tan Hui Quan!!!!
My only hall friend who could make it :'D
One of my prettiest friends and retarded as well. She's awesome and I'm so glad to have found her in uni : )
Suxin and Ruilin are in freakin Taiwan having exchange now. Livin the damn life. And missin out on our birthdays pfffft.



Amelia!
Israel will always be one place I'd visit in the future. This girl travelled the freakin Middle East, like Jordan Iran and sorry but they really are god forsaken places. Nobody wants to go there coz they're known to be war-torn countries. But it's BECOZ of that, which makes these places so enticing.


;D


And please, how can I forget Tan Yuan Yun.
You're stuck with me since Secondary school no choice, but I know you're also happy that I'm stuck with you hahahah. Congrats my lovely friend you know, first to break the mould :'D HAHA.


Profile peekcha teehee.


Sorry but I love this picture to bits.
Our kiampah faces, will be a win for many years to come.

Ooh btw, to keep up with the supposed "Indian" theme, the food was also Indian WOOOHOOO. Indian food never fails I tell ya.




My erm, very retarded juniors hahahaha but lovely as well.

Back in the house,



I dunno what in the world they were clapping for. Well I guess I must've made the speech of the century.
Nelson Mandela what? Haha God bless him in heaven now.


So much happiness oozing here


My cute neighbours ahhh..

And then there is the sibling.


The one who does the stupidest things with you and can read you like a book.

I get mistaken as the elder sister many times. He looks young ugh. I think coz I'm more driven than my brother lah, he's always just so relax and chill I cannot stand it haha. No stress = SK II face. And I guess he's blessed with my mother's "young looking" genes.


Anyway, my senior Xiangyun made this awesome tower of muffins for my birthday and it's so special and unique I'm so happy she made this just for me : ) Her first time creating this as well...




: )




Just me makin the speech of my life and blowing out my candles.
I decided not to cross my fingers and close my eyes but instead just share my wish with everyone who was willing to spend the evening with me. I only wish for it to come true for all of us : )

I dunno who I'm gonna meet and what other friends I will make in the future, but for now, these are the best that I have.

And they truly are the best.

Thanks for one of the most enjoyable nights of my life.