Twenty.

The time is pi ‘o clock (That’s 3.14pm) and I’m high above the clouds with approximately two hours til landing in Malaysia. 

Looking our prime :D HAHAHHAA.

I can’t believe it’s Tuesday already and that this moment has actually even arrived!

Twenty.

Last Friday was the twentieth anniversary of my birth. Double decades! It’s still a little bit hard for me to comprehend. I remember clearly, as if it were yesterday my sheer jubilance over hitting the double digit milestone! Seems laughable now, looking back, and I realiise how the naive, excited bursts of ‘I can’t wait to grow up’ is now seen through a less rose-tinted lens with weary, cautious eyes something similar to the sentiments of “I wanna be forever young." More or less, growing old is one thing you can be sure of, so why not make a celebration out of it?


Wednesday night, the eve of my birthday, nine of my high school girl friends, and I shared a meal together at Fasta Pasta, Upper Mt Gravatt. Thank you especially to Steph and her little sister Jacqui for making the effort to drop by just to wish me, despite not being able to stay to eat!

Thank you ever-expectant, ever-present waiter, who made sure we were comfortable and happy.

I now know that when making a reservation at Fasta Pasta, responding with 'birthday' when asked the occasion will mean being met with a table decorated with helium balloons, a birthday instrumental upon finishing your meal, plus a generous slice of cake from the dessert cabinet, with your name piped around the plate’s rim. Definitely unexpected and added a special touch :) :). So kudos to Fasta Pasta Mt Gravatt! You sure know how to acquaint with and acquire loyal customers.
Protip for ordering pasta in the future: entree size (rather than a main) should beyond satisfy!

Thursday morning went something like our household’s typical pre work/school birthday breakfast ritual. A happy wake-up call from a loud proclaiming sister bounding into my room, onto my bed and smothering me with a hug. Awww <3!! And then downstairs for a extra-special breakfast. Now, with my family, or mum rather, you actually never know what to expect. It could be pancakes, it could be birthday breakfast muffins. This particular morning was toasted croissants and a one-litre tub of Sara Lee Rocky Road ice cream turned upside down for the birthday cake. :3 Healthy? Not a chance! Tasty and sugary chocolatey love!? YESSSSUM SIRR, YOU BET! :D

So off they went to school and work. My bother and I were left to knock over some house chores before I was due to set off on my bike for my shift and he to school later for a badminton sesh. While I was outside preparing veggies for mum to cook later I received a phone call from Stephy, (who lives in Sydney) wishing me happy birthday.

Next thing, she's asking me to go and check whether the package she sent has arrived yet... so I do... and... SURPRISE! Out jumps Ella, Erik and Romnick with a HUUUUGE box of cupcakes and a box of presents! W-O-W. I have never been more touched or surprised by a gesture. Warm and fuzzy :3. Thank you so so so much (,:!

Friday I worked ...then Danni came over and we headed out to see Muscles at the Alhambra Lounge. Famous for his hit Ice Cream, the Melbournian DJ was not at all what I expected and failed to knock my socks off...but he was quite the energetic performer! Support band Young Men Dead, though, are a group to surely keep an eye on. Was actually their first gig too, according to the frontman, and they played exceptionally well! :D:D:D Bit addicted!
After that we danced the night away with a couple of friends of mine who were out at an Asian club night called Babyface...lololollll. Thanks for the ride home Mauriceeeee!

I really don't want to gush, seriously. But I do want to thank each and everyone who made my birthday THE MOST incredibly memorable one...yet!!! :D:D <3

So much love!

exxes and ohs.

Mizz (8

Phonettiquette

[fun-et-ih-cut] the word mash of phone & ettiiquitte combined.
Miriam Lai 2010

What a dork. I just quoted my own, freshly coined word. [8
Someone urbandictionary it!
But yes, Monday night the phone rang, and it went a little like this:

Me: Hello?

Caller: Is Gerard there?

[WHAT!? No 'hello', 'good evening', no 'may I' or 'please'?]

Me: [elongated; somewhat lightly pressing] y-essssssss..[+emphasis] MAY I PLEASE ask who's calling?

Caller: Uh it's Mike.

...

Here in words.. I guess looking at it it seems pretty petty and somewhat insignifcant, but at the time it really really irritated me! I mean, you can at least show minimal respect to the phone receiver right? After all, they are the connection to the party, I mean, person in line (yeah anyone get that (bad) p!nk reference? D;).

And it's just.. genral courtesy, it doesn't hurt to be polite, right? P's and Q's people, P's and Q's!! (As I child, I never underestood the line "mind your p's and q's" but since then I can only infer that it's referring to Please (P) and Thank-You's (Thank Q).

Needless to say I passed the phone onto my brother and didn't bother to lower my tone and informed him a very impolite friend who needs to learn phone ettiquette was on the line. Possibly not the best way to remind someone the ways of phonettiquette, but he had to hear it, right?


Lo and behold, this was only the beginning of my dealings with bad phonettitquette yet.
The next day, I received a text message from a friend I was supposed to see that day, a one liner comprising something along the lines of "Can we meet up tomorrow instead."

No apology. No explanation. With the history this particular somebody and I share, I sent a response, equally blunt. "Are you dying? I want to hear this explanation." But no phonecall ensued. Just a text. "Sorry forgot I already organised stuff with another friend."

Is it fair of me to have expcted a call or explanation? Said friend had been sick last we were supposed to meet, so bailed, and had promised to 'make it up to me.' He'd been telling me how keen he was to meet me, yet had not one day initiated a time nor place. So of course I was disappointed, annoyed, mega frustrated. I had set aside this time out of my day, and he couldn't even call to explain? At this, I took the liberty to be the bigger person, -perhaps he's low on phone credit, or something, you know? I texted him to call me again. When he didn't, I called him, but was met with an ongoing dial tone until it rang out. Once. Twice. Thrice. After everything, we spoke yesterday and he claims he 'wasn't at his phone'. This, in my opinion was simply no consolation. A text to notify later on or a return call would have sufficed enough. Heck, I'm all for benefit of the doubt and forgiveness. But this isn't the first time. Far from it.

At the heart of the matter, he had the cheek to call ME a bad friend. A rude friend. And a friend who doesn't tell him anything, anymore. ... [insert deep metaphoric quote that is on the tip of my tongue but is refusing to budge.]

Anyway. All I can think of is that the ratio of giving and ratio is way out of whack and is setting this waaaaay out of balance on the scales of Friendship.


Your thoughts?

__________________________________________



It's now Sunday and I have just returned to and finished this post after starting it on Tuesday evening
Since then, I have celebrated the 20th anniversary of my birth, amongst many other excitingly exciting things such as packing for my upcoming family trip overseas!!

Please anticipate upcoming photos and blogdates! Much love, Happy Sunday (:
Mizziam

Oh, and thank you to my dearest friend Kaila who introduced this song to me a long while back.
Incidentally, being my birthday recently I recalled it's song title and have barely stopped playing it since!

Bon Appetit! <3