“The way I see it, you should live every day like it’s your birthday.”
– American media personality, Paris Hilton
LAST Tuesday, April 7, my family members happily celebrated the birthdays of two special persons in our lives, namely, my niece, Ah Hong, and my grandson, Raidon.
Ah Hong is 30 years old while Raidon is six years old. Both are born in the Chinese Year of the Rat. They are mice born on the same day.
Celebrating birthdays on the same day, I’ve learnt, is a unique blessing, perfect for sharing double the joy and creating share memories.
Ah Hong loves Raidon, who is her cousin’s son, so much that she decides to come back to Sarawak to celebrate her birthday and his birthday together. She has been doing that for many years now.
When Ah Hong is around, Raidon only has eyes for her. He will follow her around like a pet lamb. If she sleeps at my son’s house, Raidon will sleep with Ah Hong, not his parents.
Ah Hong, who works in Singapore, always buys birthday gifts from the republic for Raidon.
My grandson is currently very interested in LEGO sets which come with different types of interlocking bricks.
When I asked Ah Hong what she bought for her favourite nephew this year, I was very surprised when she replied,” Formula One LEGO set.”
Until then, I did not know there were F1 LEGO sets for sale. I later learnt that the F1 LEGO sets were exceptionally special due to a major 2025 partnership covering all 10 teams, offering unprecedented accuracy, detail and variety across themes like Speed Champions, Technic and DUPLO.
Her expensive birthday gift shows how much Ah Hong loves Raidon. No wonder Raidon could not sleep when Ah Hong spent the night at my son’s house after arriving straight from Singapore on April 5. He was apparently so excited about the LEGO set he received that he kept playing with it.
He was also very happy with the toy police boat he received from Ah Hong’s husband, Zhiwei. You could say he was absolutely bursting with joy that night.
On the morning of April 7, Raidon went to school with a birthday cake and presents his parents had bought for his classmates and his teachers.
Later that day, Amelia, my daughter-in-law, shared a video and pictures of Raidon’s birthday celebration at his school. His friends sang him two birthday songs, one in English and one in Bahasa Malaysia, before his teacher invited him to blow out the candle on his birthday cake.
Do you know that school birthday celebrations are now a common modern trend aimed at boosting a child’s self-esteem and fostering a sense of community within the classroom?
Celebrating in class allows children to share their special day with friends, thus fostering a joyful, encouraging environment.
That night, Raidon’s parents sponsored Ah Hong’s and Raidon’s joint birthday celebration at a popular and affordable Western eatery in Padungan, which offered a variety of pasta, grilled meats, fish & chips and snacks.
That was my first visit to the Western eatery, and I think it will not be my last because I like the food there, especially the spaghetti.
My son, Tzen, and his wife, Amelia, also bought a matcha-flavoured birthday cake, a Japanese-inspired dessert featuring earthy green tea powder, often made as a light, airy chiffon or sponge cake.
After all the family members had finished their meals, it was time for the birthday song to be sung and the lone candle on the cake to be blown out. After Raidon and Ah Hong had posed with the cake, Raidon blew out the candle.
Then it was time for the cake to be cut and the pieces to be shared. Sharing a cake symbolised spreading joy, happiness and good fortune among loved ones.
At the dinner, birthday gifts, mostly in the form of ‘angpows’ (red packets containing cash) were presented to the celebrants.
We also grabbed the opportunities to pose with Raidon and Ah Hong. That night, we celebrated both of them – two hearts, two smiles, two lives that inspired everyone around us.
Now, these pictures serve as a visual diary that allows us to look back on cherished times and share memories of the joint birthday celebration of two special persons – Ah Hong and Raidon – in our lives. Thank you, God, for them.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at adelinel888@gmail.com.
