‘She’s a king, a queen, a warrior, a woman, a leader, a rebel; my mother, my teacher, my bestie, my partner, my Inspiration, my mommy… thank you is too weak of a word! I celebrate you everyday!’
American singer and songwriter, Alicia Keys on her mother
MY youngest sister, Ah Lan, who’s working in Johor Bahru, celebrated her 60th birthday on January 1 this year.
She had a special birthday cake and KFC fried chicken specially ordered by her daughter, Ah Hong, who was holidaying in Sapporo, Japan at that time.
The birthday presents greatly surprised Ah Lan who was expecting a quiet celebration by herself.
Her husband, Ah Fatt, who works in a restaurant in Singapore, was unable to take leave to celebrate the big day with her.
All of us in Sarawak were surprised to learn about Ah Hong’s birthday presents for her mother.
“So it is possible now for us to order things for someone in Malaysia even when we are overseas,” we told ourselves.
The headline for this column —Love from Japan — immediately sprang to mind as soon as I heard about the good news.
Curious about the story behind Ah Lan’s birthday gifts, I proceeded to interview both Ah Hong and her via WhatsApp.
“I ordered through GrabFood. I ordered a fruit cake and KFC fried chicken because my mother said she was craving for KFC. I paid with my card.
The total cost was S$97.82. I learnt to order from GrabFood ever since I was in secondary school,” said my niece, who works in Singapore.
GrabFood, as all Malaysians know by now, is a service that brings a wide variety of local restaurants and eateries right to our footstep.
Whether you are craving local delicacies, international cuisines or your favourite comfort food, the service connects you with a range of dining options.
Because of the increasing demand for GrabFood, GrabFood delivery drivers are now a common sight on Kuching roads during the day and at night.
According to recent reports, the demand for GrabFood has not only increased but also solidified as a permanent, post-pandemic behaviour in Southeast Asia.
The platform has seen significant growth in both delivery volume and user spending.
Meanwhile, in her reply, Ah Hong added, “Everyday, I will go back to Malaysia and celebrate my mother’s birthday with her. Sometimes, we celebrate it in advance.
“I think children should try to celebrate their parents’ birthdays every year with them. One day, they may not be able to do so.”
Ah Hong grew up with my mother and I in Kuching because her mother was working in Singapore and Johor Bahru.
In her reply, she continued, “I still remember how you often celebrated my birthday, the birthdays of Belia, Tzen and Ah Ma even when you were busy and working, Ayie (Aunty).
“You would take the time to come back early from work, buy us either fried chicken from KFC or SugarBun or pizzas from Pizza Hut and cakes.
“You even baked a birthday cake for me before.”
(Belia is another niece of mine, Tzen is my son while Ah Ma is my mother and Ah Hong’s grandmother).
Ah Hong’s honest and candid reply touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes.
So much water has flowed under the bridge that I have forgotten about some of the things she mentioned.
Yes, when my mother was around and the kids still stayed with me in my house, I made it a point to celebrate birthdays for everyone at home.
I didn’t know then that celebrating a birthday acknowledged an individual’s uniqueness, his/her personality and contributions to the family.
That it sent a powerful message that their presence in my life was valued.
But I enjoyed sharing experiences like singing, blowing out candles, sharing a meal and taking pictures together. Indeed, these helped to build a storehouse of precious memories for life.
Ever the journalist and always the journalist, I proceeded to ask Ah Hong one last question on WhatsApp.
“What is your mother to you?”
“One of the most beautiful things that I learned from my mother is empathy.
Be it strangers or animals, she treats all equally which makes her more amazing.
Moreover, she taught me not to hurt anyone on purpose and to help people whenever possible.
“Not only this but also she taught me not to differentiate between the rich or poor, beautiful or ugly.
She says that it is the heart of a person that makes him/her beautiful and rich, not temporary possessions.”
After Ah Hong, I proceeded to interview Ah Lan.
Before replying to my questions, my sister shared with me a picture of the lovely birthday fruit cake her daughter had ordered from Japan.
“I was very surprised and happy,” said Ah Lan.
“Ah Hong also called from Japan, asking me whether I wanted to eat KFC fried chicken.
Immediately, I said, “Yes, I would like to share them with my colleagues.
“After we finished eating the KFC fried chicken, she called again, asking me to pick up my birthday cake.
She and her hubby, Ah Wei, also wished me “Happy Birthday.” “Yes, every year, Ah Hong brings me out to eat and presents me with a birthday cake.”
Ah Lan shared that on January 1, Norizan, her supervisor at her workplace, also bought her slices of birthday cakes and treated her to dim sum, a meal of small dishes of small steamed or fried savoury dumplings containing various fillings.
Since Ah Hong is Ah Lan’s only child, I proceeded to ask my youngest sister another question, “Did you ever wish for more than a child?” “Yes.
But we can only plan. It is God’s will.
My birthday wish is to stay healthy and happy. I’m 60 years old now this year.
“I was touched by Ah Hong and Ah Wei who called me from Japan to wish me “Happy Birthday.”
I’m very blessed to have a daughter and a son-in-law who love me.”
All over the world, birthdays are celebrated in different ways.
No matter how they are celebrated, birthdays remind us that life is precious.
Each birthday is a milestone that marks another year that we are alive. It is a day for us to be grateful for the blessings in our lives including supportive family, friends, emotional well-being and health.
My friends, if you are celebrating your birthday today, “Happy Birthday to you.”
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.
