Happy Birthday!

Joe had been staying with us in the past few days to spend some quality time with us and more important with the babies KaiXiang and Toro.

So it happens that he was leaving from SFO on 12/12. On that day Pei Sun was actually not feeling too well, she seemed to be catching those marathon sneezes again. After Pei Sun and I sent him to the airport, I came home feeling a little tired after a productive day of work.

So I thought, I am ready to go to bed. As soon as I left the car, I noticed oops, the side door was unlocked. Once again, we left the house open. Oh well, it happens quite a lot. So locked it as always.

Then I tell myself let me turn off all the christmas lights first, so I went to the patio area, then I noticed a pair of New Balance shoe. Oh crap, Joe forgot his shoes. But wait, there are more shoes... Hmm... what happened?

My first thought was. Oh no, someone trespasses the house. But then 5 sec later, I realized what it was. Surprised!
It was my own birthday party. So I did spoil the surprise, but only 5 secs earlier. I consider it still pretty well executed plan! Good job, Donald!

The party was fun. It was fun because it was so spontaneous. It was so casual, gotto see so many friends without having to make a lot of plans. It's nice. I feel contented. Perhaps one of the many reasons that make December special!

And Lynn, the cakes are awesome!! Check out the pictures in the surprise party link. It is one of the few moments in life when I like time to just stop.

Then the next day, 12/13. The actual day. Toro begged me for food early morning at 4am, I feed her. Then again, she begged for food at 6am. I was furious, so I gave her 4 tiny pieces instead of her usual meal (around 30 pieces or so). She didn't want to eat any. So I have to give her more. And still she refused. After 3 times of refilling her food bowl with my food, then she finally started to eat. Then I went back to sleep.

Alarm has sounded. I didn't know. Then Pei Sun woke me up at 8am. It was too late for a shower if we are carpooling. If I don't carpool with Pei Sun, then she would be late. So she got to work late, I had to take the caltrain. It wasn't too smooth a day to start. Then I got to work, busy! But quite productive! Got a few birthday greetings to cheer me up! Chin Ping called me to wish me my bday, then she asked me how's the camera? I was confused, what camera? "No camera," I told her. She said "oops.."

I didn't think too much about it except that perhaps i was supposed to get a camera as a gift, but it was later decided to not get it. That's why there is the "oops."

Birthday is a big deal in our family tradition. We celebrate it by eating out in a nice restaurant. But instead, we eat dinner at home today. The menu wasn't too impressive at all, instant noodle (Indo Mee), and some leftover fried rice and porridge that we had when we sent Joe off the airport yesterday. It was definitely the least eventful dinner in my 32-year of life.
After an unexciting dinner, I managed to get a few phone calls first from Lina, then from Lalit with birthday wishes. It was quite fun to hear from friends who are not even local. After that, I went into the bedroom and was greeted by all the froggies. And Toro too sneaked in between.

This is when I am so pleasently surprised that an uninteresting dinner was followed by such an extraordinary presentation by Pei Sun.

I opened the box. I knew it was a camera because of the oops from the morning. And the first thing I saw was the lens. I thought I got a lens, have to buy my own camera. But there is no way, just not Pei Sun's style to do so.

It's a Nikon! Awesome. I have been talking and talking about getting a digital SLR for probably a year now. Finally, I got it. I am sure at that point that Donald is involved in influencing the decision. The next sets of photos are all taken with the new D80.


Pei Sun held it off without telling me for so long. She has been planning this for a while. So sweet of her.
Tricky too, started me off with such uninteresting food.
I hardly want anything usually. Only thing I wanted was SLR. She knew all along, and she waited for the perfect time to give it to me. So touched! Definitely the best gift ever! Also very timely for our trip to NY.
Consider the day wasn't too good to start, it ended pretty nicely. I had a really good birthday after all.
I feel grateful to have my lovely wife by my side. I feel lucky because it is more than just her presence that I felt. It was the satisfaction that she understood me, and gave me the best of my wishes.
Even though the camera news was leaked out, it was still a surprise as I wasn't really expecting it until I saw the present. Then I knew what was inside... hehe...
This is how the story goes, apparently the surprise party was supposed to happen on 12/13. Then we have the camera and everything. But circumstances moved the party to a day earlier, and the camera didn't arrive in time. Donald had to wrap the camera and pass it to Pei Sun on the day before our uneventful dinner. Given all the effort that went into it, I should stop whining about the dinner.

Toro checking out the new camera. She asked, "Why is the lens moving around?"









Raindeer in front of the fireplace.





















Steakhouse in Mt. View






Took a walk after lunch. It's fall!











More fall pictures...










Iceland poppies...









The corner house wins the most elaborate christmas decor around.













Toro wants some attention, when the computer is getting too much of my attention.








Another fall picture.

Del-Toro is short for dell toro.