Thirty!

I celebrated my 30th birthday this year, and while I don't usually think my birthday is something super important to celebrate, I did have quite the celebration this year thanks to my amazing family.

Being at the start of a new decade of life, I guess I had no choice but to spend some time looking back and being thankful for what God has blessed me with these past 30 years. There are so many things to be grateful for, life itself for one, the people who brought me into this world and have been with me through all 30 years of my life, and the other people I have met on the way and continue to be my support system. I am truly blessed with the best people by my side.

I don't think I was the kind who used to envision where I would be in the future or dream of who I'd be when I was older, but I wonder if young Amanda could see the me now, what would she think? Whatever she thinks, I know the me in the here and now can't help but be grateful for the journey God has brought me on throughout these past 3 decades, and even more so for the wonderful people he has placed in my life. I am truly, truly blessed.

So my birthday extravaganza started the weekend before my actual birthday. We travelled into Singapore to spend the weekend with Koko and Winnie because they couldn't make it back the following weekend. It was the first time I stayed with them since they got married, and I was finally able to put a taste to all the food Winnie cook. She cooked enough for a whole battalion for every meal! It was extreme in terms of volume (yes yes, very Chong) and just awesomeeeeee. She even baked a cheesecake for my birthday! (I'm salivating just thinking of the cheesecake, it was sooo good!)

It was fresh out of the oven. We didn't even give it time to sit or cool down/refrigerate awhile before we devoured it hahaha

We also took the opportunity to do the touristy bits, which included a fancy high tea (which was nice but let's be honest, is not really our thing. We are more volume-eaters than fancy-eaters haha but it was a cool experience to have at least once, and something we had been talking about trying forever) and something called I Light Singapore (which I still think was a ploy to trick us into walking off everything we ate hahaha). It was a fun weekend spent with family, something we hadn't had the chance to do in too long. We even had the chance to meet up with some extended family (and their pets).

Unintentional colour coding. We honestly did not coordinate our colours!

Some sights and smells and tastes from the weekend in Singapore

There are 2 dogs and 2 birds hiding somewhere haha

My actual birthday weekend was spent in JB because Niko only had the day of my birthday off while I had a golden weekend (the whole entire 2-day weekend off woots woots), so we decided to go to him instead of having him come to us. I was perfectly content with just lazing around the house for the entirety of the weekend (which is what we do most weekends we're off), but my family wasn't having it. Instead, we did the very hip, very insta-worthy (just, you know, minus the actual insta part) activity of cafe-hopping haha I think we went to more cafes in that one weekend than we'd been to in half a year put together.

Went to a place called Space Cafe the night before my birthday, where we bumped into Koko's uni friend who sent a photo of us to Koko saying she saw someone who looked like him hahahaha

A makeshift birthday cake using whatever they could find in the fridge because the real cake would make its appearance the next day hahaha

The Founders Cafe - drive drive drive until some kilang area then eh suddenly got nice cafe haha, food was quite nice too!

In front of another cafe Bloom by Mokmok, where we tried some fancy porridge and their pancakes

Creamery Boutique Ice Creams, where we tried a cookie-ice-creamy thing

Buffet dinner at Genesis Steamboat - not bad too!

I told you there was an actual cake!

Makan makan makan makan makan

I had a few bad work days leading up to my birthday weekend, and even had to deal with some work stuff on my birthday even though it was a Sunday. Despite that, more than having a lot of good food, I'm grateful for how loved I am. No matter what happens in life, I always have people around me who look out for me, always have my back, and always want me to be happy. What more can I ask for? What more do I need in life?

A friend told me on my birthday that she hoped I was being spoilt rotten. I was, and come to think of it, I always am. I know it, I am now reminded of it again, I am so so so thankful for it, and I never ever want to take it for granted. To everybody who loves me, thank you so much, and please know that I love you all more!

God is good, all the time. That has always been true, and will always continue to stay true.