14th October 2007 A Significant Day In My Life

IdilFitri fell on 13th October 2007. After the morning prayers and visit to the close relatives' houses, we had to do something that we have never done before on such an auspicious day. We had to continue painting the recently completed porch which will be used during the wedding celebration of my son's wedding at our place.
It was while working on the painting job with my son Azuan, son inlaw Lokman that my 5 year old grand daughter Nur Farhana Jazleen blurted out that she knows of a secret about 'Tok Pa' (grand pa) but she can't disclose it yet until tomorrow. She stuck to her promise of secrecy no matter how much persuasion I did to her.

The morning of the 14th of October saw us putting the final touches to unfinished job around the house. I asked Nur Farhana again on her secret and reminded her that she said she can tell about it today. Before she could answer it, her elder sister Nur Alia Jazleen shouted 'I know, its perfume'. Nur Farhana ran off to her mother crying saying that she wasn't the one who broke the code of secrecy and it was Nur Alia who did it. Such is the strength of will of a young child when given the task of keeping a secret, secret. I cant blame Nur Alia because she didn't know that it wasn't the time yet though it was already the day.

Initially I had decided not to blog about my birthday. Celebrating a birthday isn't really a norm in our family. Only birthdays of the of the grandchildrens are celebrated. Living around KL, they frequently attend to birthday parties of their friends in the neighbourhood. For us the elderly ones including my children, at the most we will just wish each other 'Happy Birtday' and pass whatever presents we were giving.

That small incident about the keeping of the secret of the present changed my mind. What great will Nur Farhana had. Furthermore I would like to thank my children especially my eldest daughter Azura who was the mastermind behind the event. She was the one who read my blog about my son's impending wedding where I mentioned that it will occur a day after his dad's birtday. She caught the hint and immediately posted a comment pertaining to the hint.

The birthday celebration on the 14th evening was significant because it was the first time after 57 birthdays that it will be celebrated with all the children and grandchildren present and involved the cutting of a birthday cake (no blowing of candles though due to the number of candles involved hehehehe) and singing the birthday song! Usually only the grandchildren will get such a treat. Among the adults we will just wish each other happy birthday and hand over whatever present that we have. If we are being wished from afar (since all of my children are living their own lives faraway from home) the same will be done via phonecalls or the SMS minus the present. Anyway it feels good to be remembered especially when your birthdays are now numbered. On that auspicious occassion they gave me a beautiful gift in the form of a perfume set from Giorgio Armani. Beside that the marriage of my son Azuan to Wan Hanizah was another great birthday gift. Their marriage was solemnised on that very night of 14th October 2007.
I would like to thank all of my children, children inlaws and grandchilfren for making my 57th birthday a day to be remembered. Many thanks too to fellow bloggers who had wished me happy birthday. I would like to say a word of thanks to all my friends who did the same on my Travel site at www.virtualtourist.com/qahlua.

Here are some pictures that I would like to share with you.