Birthday Celebrations 2026

 Whoops I’m turning half a year OLDER TODAY and I’ve only realised I’ve forgotten to share about how I celebrated my birthday MONTH yet! >< Yup, that’s me: unorganized.  XD

Forever grateful to the friend who taught me that you’re allowed to celebrate your birthday for the ENTIRE MONTH and not just the day itself; I thought it a smashing idea and immediately adopted it! Just ignore mother who sneers at me that I only want to contact people and eat meals out with them; how the heck can I do that when the parents have FORBIDDEN me from contacting people and asking them are they free to celebrate my birthday together with a meal out? *sigh*

But my birthday MONTH this year:

I started with my 3^rd consecutive awesome sleep last night; yes, I’m odd and like to note down when I can score a solid sleep and don’t wake until the next morning when the Sun has risen sufficiently enough for me to see the time from my clock on the wall. XD

That Monday I see my long-lost cousin Ray (his surname’s ChEn and mine’s ChAn; surely bazillions of years ago our cousins were siblings?? XD) for some acupuncture and massage, followed by grocery shopping, lunch at home and then a trip to the orthotist to try and get my boot fixed. That’s a long and boring story; you’ll prolly hear more about it when I pen (well, type XD) my Xmas Greetings this December. XD

Apparently, you can collect many birthday freebies during your birthday month? Unsure why mother’s mean and will only lemme redeem ONE birthday freebie a year but this year I got a free iced dirty chai from the Gloria Jean’s @ Moorooka and how cool: they do drive-thru! Next year … anybody please free to take me to collect more birthday freebies? I’ll share them with you if they’re shareable, obviously!

Obviously, I’ve been unable to drive since suffering the blasted brain injury. I held my driver’s license and technically still remember how to drive (right pedal accelerate and left pedal brake; I only drove automatic so never had to learn the third pedal. Tick down to indicate right and tick up to indicate left but unless you’re expecting mass casualties you prolly shouldn’t stick me behind the wheel of any car! XD) so in the past it’s been my dearest dad who gave me a lift to GG and I’d find someone to please drop me home afterwards. Only suddenly mother decides for my dearest dad that he’s ‘too tired’ to be driving me somewhere at night? Originally, I’d feared that she’d found yet another nefarious way to keep me socially isolated from my peers but they were awesome and organized a lift roster for me, meaning I can join GG hopefully every second week.

Unfortunately, the first week of my birthday MONTH ended without a single proper meal out (our once-weekly family dinners out don’t count as proper meals out since dad only orders two meals for three people; he eats one meal for his dinner and takes the second meal home for his lunch the next day then leaves the third meal for mother and I to share – and you can guess who gets the ‘bigger’ half? Obviously not me! ><”) but I held hopes for better luck during the second week!

When I was originally released from the insane asylum (more commonly known to everyone else as the Brain Injuries Rehab Unit of the Princess Alexandra hospital XD) I had to return every six months for an MRI to check that the stupid brain tumour sitting on my brain (and thus clogging up precious brain space ><) hadn’t done anything stupid like hit a growth spurt. After I had several six month all-clears, the hospital said come once a year for an MRI instead. Following several more one year all clears, the hospital decided that I would only need an MRI once every two years instead, meaning last year I very happily didn’t need to undergo one. After my MRI this year, when I went for the follow-up and got the all clear, I expected to be told come back the year after next but instead, my next MRI isn’t scheduled until another FIVE YEARS later! The parents just laughed and reckoned it’s because public hospitals don’t have enough money. XD Me, I’m clueless: how much does having a brain MRI scan cost, anyway?

After my dearest dad dropped mother and me off @ the P.A. for my MRI, he went to Macca’s to collect our free burgers; see, the night before my MRI night dad had taken me to   watch the Broncos play and since more than nineteen points were scored, every ticket   redeemed a free burger! Perhaps I’ve remembered wrong (sh*tty memory post brain injury ><) but I thought the tickets used to redeem Broncos burgers but now they’re only Big Macs? Who cares; a free burger’s a free burger! XD

Unfortunately, this year was also a lonely birthday month; usually for book club we all head out for dinner after the March book club to celebrate my birthday but I’d missed March’s book club coz a friend suddenly offered dad and I tickets to watch the Broncos play @ Suncorp Stadium, and Mr. Hall used to contact me every year for dinner at the Glen Hotel before we returned to my place for birthday cake but obviously that’s not gonna happen since he moved up into heaven last year. Then there’s the thing where the parents don’t allow me to contact *anyone* to see if they’re free for a catchup to celebrate my birthday.  I dunno, but what gives?? >< Next year, I’m tempted to ask EVERYONE about catching up during my birthday month come March the 1st before the parents ban me from doing so! >< *sigh*

I was delighted to receive a surprise birthday present from my grade eight history teacher, Mrs. Burvill-Shaw (well, back when she taught me history in grade eight, she was just Ms.  Shaw). We’d lost touch after I graduated Canterbury College and reconnected through Facebook; turns out she’d suffered a brain injury just like me! Thankfully, she’s not got my mobility issues~

Happily, I continued scoring awesome sleeps (when I bid my teddy good night, fall asleep then don’t wake to relieve myself until the Sun has risen sufficiently for me to see the time on the clock on the wall) and enjoyed one on the day before my birthday. Apparently, Christians aren’t meant to believe in omens? Doesn’t matter, I took that as a good omen for my birthday the next day!

Oh, when I went to collect my new book club novel (usually the book for next month’s handed out @ the previous meeting but I’d missed it) mother had given me some coins to buy a new library card since my old one’s broken/frayed/whatever. Only turns out that library cards have gone digital now! I still remember my very first library card I got back in primary school (more than a quarter-CENTURY ago; yes, I’m old XD); it was light blue and started 15/…!

Oh, one birthday freebie I scored was my free Boost Juice; when I was younger my favourite was the Mango Magic but there’s now a COOKIES AND CREAM one!! <3 Actually, Jane had originally taken me to Sunnybank Plaza to get my free Boost Juice but only after walking from the top till nearly Kmart did, I realise Boost Juice had gone! >< I was so upset Jane immediately shouted me a bubble tea from a nearby store; think she thought I was gonna have a meltdown. XD

For my BIRTHDAY, mother had prepared a special breakfast for me: Milo cereal, but SPECIAL MILO cereal; some limited edition that came with PINK pieces! Yay also for my 8^th consecutive awesome sleep; I didn’t wake until the noisy garbage truck THUNDERED down the road and started tipping bins~

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get away from blasted physio even on my BIRTHDAY. By now, it’s become a necessary evil. ><  *sigh*

That afternoon Ari the OT student came and gave my demented left hand a session of unfunctional exercises; lol, I had a good laugh when I found out she thought I was only turning TWENTY-NINE, not thirty-nine! XD

My birthday dinner was @ Yum Cha And Co with Aunty A and the Slams; it’s a higher-end Chinese restaurant @ Garbo and not just your local HK-style café. Dad lemme chose my favourite Peking Duck and afterwards we all came home and ate the cheesecake mother had baked me for my birthday. When I arrived home, either parent turned on the TV and we found out that the Broncos were losing, but once I sat down and added my vocal   support, we regained the lead and hung on to WIN! :D

Every 2^nd and 4th Thursdays of the month I attend GCCW @ the Garbo library. Either morning, I’d just entered the library and was hiking to the meeting room when Bob passes me with his walker and says “Hey Em; race ya?” Then he’s off! I stagger after him, screeching “Oi, no fair, you’re on wheels and you didn’t gimme a head start; besides, it’s ladies first!” Aww but isn’t Bob a sweetheart? After reaching the door he waited for me to catchup then even gestured me to enter first, meaning I won. XD

Oh, one birthday freebie I got was from Zarraffas; you get a complimentary drink for your birthday! I chose a dirty chai but stuck with two shots of expresso and not three when given the choice since I was wary of getting on a caffeine high then bouncing off all the walls/ceiling. Perhaps if this offer appears again next year, I can try three shots?  XD

Some Wednesday during the month, Jane took me to table tennis and gave me a HILARIOUS birthday card! The newest version of the Happy Birthday song: "Happy Birthday to you... Squashed tomatoes    and stew.... Bread  and butter  in the gutter ...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! XD

The Tuesday after my birthday I had a belated birthday lunch with the vet for my two fluffy unicorns and we finished with bubble tea~

One more birthday deal I took advantage of: Red Rooster gave me a three-dollar voucher, so I ordered and enjoyed one piece of fried chicken! Lol, luckily Jacinta lemme munch it while she drove me home; after she’d pulled up in the driveway, dad immediately rushed out, yanked open my car door and said did you save any for me?? XD
One birthday meal I enjoyed out was with Annie!  I’d first met her as my carer but she’s since become a phlebotomist and even popped out a baby! Rhys is super-cute and after a birthday lunch at Pinelands Plaza we went and enjoyed Shaved Ice from Excellent Cup~ Originally, we were gonna eat @ Yang Mama only to find out they were CLOSED every Tuesday so instead we tried somewhere new called Singapore Fast Wok! Actually, I had the shaved ice takeaway and then mother nabbed like SEVEN spoonfuls! ><

I like my tea white and two. Lots of milk with two teaspoonfuls of sugar, please. Only mother has taken to HIDING the sweetener, so obsessed she is with restricting me to herbal tea? *sigh* One of my carers cleverly managed to find where sneaky mother hid the sweetener and I once again enjoyed white tea with two teaspoonfuls of sugar/one spoonful of honey for a while but then mother found out, rehid the sweetener and then banned my carer from finding it again! >< One hilarious time: my carer had made herself a cup of white tea while mother had given me a cup of some herbal tea. For some reason, she’d sat with us awhile, yapping at my carer.  When she eventually got up and left (went upstairs), my carer immediately went and tipped her tea out! “Don’t you like English breakfast tea anymore?” I asked, to which she screeched “I thought that was sugar but it was actually SALT; EWW!” I’d burst into laughter before congratulating her on hiding her expression very well and inviting her to instead have a cup of herbal tea with me instead. XD

But that was all half a YEAR ago and cripes, next year I’m turning FORTY! Your thirties are called your dirty thirties; what are your forties called? Fantastic forties? Flabby forties?? XD

Anyhow, ‘twas a lovely (if quiet) birthday celebration month for me~

Next post here … a movie review? My Xmas Wishlist for 2026? Who knows! Until then~

Cheers,

Em.  ^^

 

Fifteen Years 3

1.5 DECADES ago last year, my most beloved maternal grandma went to heaven to live with God forever. Dearest por por, not a single day goes by when I don't remember the immense love you had for me; you raised me for the first four years of my life and when we moved to Brisbane you came with for the first six months and looked after me while the parents went to TAFE and learnt English. You were so smart: despite knowing barely any English you taught yourself to understand all the soapies (it's all body language and apparently someone's always dying, crying or lying XD) and even the rules of tennis! After you returned to HK I grew up in Australia; sometimes you'd fly over and visit me and other times I'd fly back and visit you. When I suffered the brain injury back in 2007 mother rang my Aunty Nga in HK and told her to tell you. Three years later we returned to HK; when we first arrived @ Aunty Lai's apartment you were out so I took a seat on the sofa but the moment you returned of course I had to get up and give you a big hug! The night before we left you climbed into bed beside me and we cuddled awhile. On our final night in HK I stood up from my manual wheelchair and gave you a big long hug, saying until next time. Except dad decided we'd embraced long enough, pushed me back down into my wheelchair and started pushing me away! I tried putting my foot down on the ground to stop the wheelchair and grab the wheel with my hand to turn the wheelchair back around to finish our final embrace but a horribly disabled female is obviously no match for a full-strength man! >< All I could do was blow you kisses, wave and hope beyond all hope that I'd hug you again soon ...

Several months later, mother is supervising my shower in the laundry (since Home Modifications hasn't built a downstairs bathroom for me yet) when suddenly the phone rings with the information that you've been hospitalised. Mother immediately rushes back to HK for one month to look after you and I really don't understand: how the heck does pneumonia suddenly become third stage lung cancer??

After mother returns to Brisbane I know we'll haveta fly back to HK and say bye to you soon but I had no idea it'd be this soon. One night we're chatting over the phone when I ask her do you remember how you taught me how to recite the Lord's prayer in Canto when I was 3.5 years old? I can still remember it! You say let's recite it together and we do; later that night I remember blogging and saying hopefully we'll recite it together many more times.

Only one night shortly afterwards I'm asleep when the ringing phone suddenly wakes me. I sleepily flick open the bedside lamp, wondering who'd possibly ring @ 4am but since either parent answers the phone quickly think nothing more of it and snuggle back under the covers. I'm nearly asleep again when suddenly my bedroom door opens and both parents enter my room. Mother crawls into bed me, touches my cheek and holds out the phone. "Em," she tells me. "Take the phone and say bye to grandma. She's going to heaven now and can't reply but she'll definitely hear you." WTF?! I swear, my heart *STOPPED* when I heard those words. Sure, grandma had terminal lung cancer and wasn't long for this world but there was still time to go back to HK and say bye, wasn't there?? I take the phone and say in a quavering voice "Por por (Canto for your maternal grandma)? Can you hear me? It's time for you to go to heaven now. Sorry I can't be in HK to send you off but I love you the most forever and will miss you forever, okay?? Hopefully I'll cya in heaven again one day..." Mother takes the phone back and continues talking with thee nurse that rang while dad stays with me patting my back until he thinks I've fallen back asleep and leaves my room too. But oof course I'm still awake and cry myself silently to sleep. The following night, we immediately fly back to HK but grandma's funeral isn't for another three weeks. My dearest dad gives the eulogy and mother asks me do I want to sing a song for grandma? I pick her favourite hymn, Amazing Grace and when it's my turn I front the stage saying hi I'm Tsz Yin (my Chinese name), Lam Sok Ngor's (my grandma's Chinese name) grandchild who lives in Australia. Sorry if my Canto skills are shoddy; I've lived in Brisbane since 1990 so if you don't understand my Canto, just poke the person beside you and ask "She said whaat?" After the laughter dies down I say Amazing Grace was my most beloved maternal grandma's hymn so I'd like to sing it for her today. I'm about too start counting my parents in when the pianist suddenly starts playing it! The parents and I all sing the first verse together, then dad stops and leaves mother and I to sing the second verse together. When mother stops to lemme sing the third verse by myself, I put all the love I can into the verse and someone manage to get through the entire verse with a steady voice before the parents re-join me for the final verse. Several days after the service, we catch a ferry back to Cheung Chau where grandma's ashes are sealed inside a beautiful headstone.

Por por, I can scarce believe that last year marked 1.5 DECADES since you went up to heaven to live with God forever. Not a single day goes by when I don't remember the love we had for each other and God had better be treating you up in heaven like the QUEEN you surely deserve to be. Sure, nobody's perfect but in my eyes, you always were. Hopefully one day we'll be reunited in heaven; until then, you are forever in my heart~

Birthday Reflections 2026

 Ooh, turning another year older toms; must remember to write a birthday reflections post!

Turning thirty-nine isn’t very different from turning thirty-eight … although this means I’m not just in my late thirties now but my VERY late thirties, cripes! XD

Same as every other year I’ve tried to enjoy this year but obviously there’s only so much enjoyment you can derive from living the very disabled life.  *sigh*

Still haven’t managed to rejoin the workforce yet, sadly.  Think it’s a catch-22? I’ve been unable to find paid work since I’ve not got any qualifications but I can’t get any qualifications since I’m unable to study due to memory   issues post brain injury. But remember: I’m willing to do ANYTHING (even wash toilets) provided I can do it whilst sitting down and it gets me properly paid.

Unfortunately, I’ve got not one but TWO blasted hours of physio to endure on my birthday but hopefully afterwards the carer can take me to Sunnybank Plaza and I can get my free Boost Juice! Apparently, I can get a free bubble tea too?? (If you know what other freebies are available, please lemme know!)

Unsure why I’m not a very reflective person? Suppose I’m just more interested in sharing meals out with people (it’s been just over seven weeks - nearly TWO MONTHS - since I last enjoyed a proper meal out (by proper I’m meaning a proper-sized portion where I’m not required to doggy bag half home for arvo tea) so should you be free to take me out for any meal with you whenever, please lemme know!

Next post here … actually, I’ve got not one but TWO posts awaiting composition (1) last July marked fifteen years since my most beloved grandmother went up into heaven to live with God forever while last December marked twenty years since I’ve lived @ our current abode!

Anyhow, until then~

Cheers,
Em. ^^

Birthday Wishlist 2026

 Let the monthlong celebrations begin!

Hmm …I vaguely recall that was how I started my birthday wishlist posts for previous years, too. Yeah, I’m repetitive like that. XD Apparently brain injury sufferers tend to repeat themselves?  You’ll just haveta put up with me, sorry!

It’s only been like three/four months since I last asked for presents (Christmas); hopefully I’m not coming across as too demanding by penning another wishlist asking for more presents? Feel free to go read sth else more interesting.  Just make sure you buy me a birthday present first! XD

What I’m hoping for this year:

(1)               Books – I’ve been an avid reader ever since I learnt how to read (around age four, maybe?) and doubt I’ll ever lose the love of losing myself in a good book and forgetting that the world exists for a while. Unfortunately post brain injury I read that slowly it’s practically   shameful but my favourite genres are fantasy, science fiction and historical fiction although I’m game to try anything bar Mills and Boon. XD Actually, after I MET Raymond E. Feist (my favouritest author ever) years ago I thought he’d retired from writing but turns out he’s still churning out books; someone please get them for me! Otherwise reminiscing about primary school days (more than a-quarter CENTURY ago; yes, Aunty Em’s old XD) will someone please get me Walter Farley’s The Black Stallion series? I loved reading those when I was little but confess to having forgotten everything bar perhaps The Black’s original name was Shetan? XD

(2)               Teddy – the other item I’ll always ask for. All my teddies are loved and all are named (even though one’s called John Doe and the other John Doe2. XD) Teddy bears are the quintessential stuffed toy although I love exotic ones – my favourite Christmas present last year was a teddy NIGIRI! (Never mind that I don’t eat any personally XD)

(3)               Glow In The Dark Stars – many years ago, someone (Kwany, maybe?) gave me some glow in the dark stars for my room but they’re duds and don’t work! Well, every now and again they glow very briefly when the day’s been cloudy/rainy … XD

(4)               Pet - although I’ll forever be guilty of the manslaughter of poor Silver and Bronze (seriously, I honestly was unaware that goldfish are so pathetic that they need a heater to keep them warm during Winter lest they freeze to death! ><) but they’ve been in heaven nearly eighteen years now and SURELY, I can be trusted with two more goldfish?? Just make sure their fishtank comes with a heater, please! Barring that:  Luke Mac Court, are you EVER gonna bring me my pet rock?? When you first told me about them years ago, I thought you were just   pulling my leg but I tried Googling ‘pet rocks’ and discovered that there were entire WEBPAGES devoted to the care of pet rocks; like, you don’t haveta give them food and water like live pets but you can give them stuff like different textures to sit on! Liam, since you’re Luke’s dad I reckon it’s your RESPONSIBILITY to make sure your son delivers on his promise; why did you   tell me to drop the matter?? I’m an only child so feel lonely without a pet!! XD

(5)               Frosties – since I believe all wishlists require one food item at the very least, I’m asking for a box of my favourite unhealthy cereal. Normally mother only lets me eat boring healthy cereals like Weet-Bix, All-Bran and Plus but a balanced diet surely includes sugary    stuff every now and again?? XD

(6)               Birthday cake – back when I turned THIRTY (2017), I’d asked mother please could I buy a birthday cake. Her immediate, snapped response: “No way! I didn’t get a birthday cake for my last birthday, so why should you?” I protested that it’s not just any old birthday I’m celebrating but my special DECADE birthday; you can’t jolly well deny me cake! >< In the end? Mother lemme buy one little *slice* of cake; if it were not for peers who understood the importance of DECADE birthdays and the NEED for cake, I would’ve gone without! O_o
The next year, I made sure mother had birthday cake before trying again politely asking to buy a birthday cake for my 31^st birthday. This time mother decides no, since she’s gonna bake me a cake instead! I ask for a cheesecake so the night before my birthday, after I’ve let her gleefully force me off to bed @ the piss-early time of 9:45pm she starts making my birthday cheesecake. On the night of my birthday, after dinner, we’re each tucking into a small slice of my birthday cheesecake. Me: “Um, mother? The cake tastes nice, thanks, but how come it’s SALTY? Aren’t cheesecakes meant to be SWEET?!” Mother looks horribly caught out for a moment before she just doubles over with laughter, howling her amusement. “Oh, you caught me out!” She cackles. “I was hoping you’d not realise since you’ve got inferior tastebuds!!” What actually transpired: the recipe said use UNSALTED butter but since she was already tired when she began making my birthday cake for me that night, she hadn’t read the recipe carefully and so used SALTED butter. XD You’d think after that she’d learn her lesson and just lemme buy a cheap cake from some bakery for future birthdays, don’t you? But no, apparently store-bought cakes are VERY BAD for you since they contain preservatives and what not … but they taste great! I only wish mother would try making her cakes sweet; I swear, if the recipe says 100g of sugar she probably puts like 10g in! >< XD Actually, does anyone know where I can buy cake that’s really pretty inside from? Earlier   this year I enjoyed one slice of cake where the inside was checkered rainbow colours; I’d love a birthday cake like that!!

 

I suppose I never have too many things to ask for since I don’t think I’m overly-materialistic; I’d much rather meet peoples out for a meal to celebrate my birthday! Unfortunately, mother’s very ‘gun  gun  gai gow’ (say that in Canto; in English: tit for tat, maybe?); since I enjoyed a lunch out back on those Thursdays when she worked half a day once she retired she immediately cut my support hours for those Thursday lunches out, while dad’s made up some strange rule that I only get to share a meal out with my peers once every TWO MONTHS. Seems kina unfair, when the parents enjoy morning/arvo tea with their mates EVERY WEEK?

Even worse, I’m not allowed to contact anyone to see if they’re free for a meal out to celebrate my birthday month! >< So, the onus is on you, dear reader:   please contact me first and say sth like ‘Hey Em, haven’t caught up with you all year and hear it’s your birthday soon; let’s have lunch/dinner/whatever together! Please don’t fail me, else I’m bound for a very lonely month … >< XD

Actually, someone please teach me:   what freebies can I get for my   birthday? Please lemme know if you can take me around to get any!!

As always, I reserve the right to add to this post should anything else I’m after pop up … XD

Next post here: perhaps you’ll not hear from me again until I publish my birthday celebrations post; actually, this year I’m hoping to walk some of the Bridge To Brisbane 5km course; if I really manage that, will definitely haveta publish something about that!

Until then~

Cheers,
Em. ^^

2025 Reflections

Whoops again, another NYE, another whoops I’m only writing my reflections for the year-that-almost-was on the final day of the year!  Only last night did I publish the post about how I spent my Christmas Eve, Christmas Days and Boxing Days for 2025 and will haveta return and edit that post since it’s full of typos/grammatical errors/whatnot! XD

So, 2025: can you believe it, we’re already halfway through this decade! Here’s how this year was for me:

Physically-wise:  like last year, I’ve totally stacked it thrice. Apologies if I seem to go on about falling over excessively; it’s just that were I to find myself on the floor I usually can’t get myself back upright without help. >< From the moment I wake till the instant my head touches the pillow come the end of another long day, I’m constantly freaked that I’ll have a bad fall (fall awkwardly) and hurt my right arm after which I’d be beyond screwed since my right arm’s the only more/less functioning one I’ve got left post-brain injury. But I’ve been taught to only freak out inside my head, not to freak out in the real world, cause a ruckus and disturb others, so it’s all good.  XD Thankful also that mother wasn’t around to witness my few falls this year; for one I scrambled myself back into   bed without her finding out immediately and for the other two someone was around to pull me back upright. XD

Work-wise: another year where I’ve been unable to contribute to society.  *sigh* I think it’s a catch-22: I can’t hold down any paid job since I’ve not got any qualifications but I can’t get any qualifications since I’ve got memory issues post-brain injury? Anyhow:  willing to do ANYTHING as long as I can do whilst   seated and it get me properly paid; will even wash toilets provided you lemme wash them whilst seated and gimme a respectable salary. XD I’ve only got one hand to type with now but do so at 31WPM; hopefully that’s not too slow?

Spiritually-wise: like I said last year, I’ve come to realise that when I don’t expect anything to happen, I can’t be disappointed when absolutely nothing happens. I can’t help but    rail  against  the fact that there’s no other way  to heaven except through God because if  there was any other way, believe me, I’d take it! Earlier this year, Pastor Peter Pie (shows I’ve got alliteration skills; on the extremely  rare occasions when he’s mean I can call him Peter Poo XD) asked me had I  ever considered baptism; I  gave him the same reply that I once gave dear Pastor Chong when he asked me  the same question many years ago: I’ll  get baptised once God fully grants me  physical healing or after He lets me know what it was that I did/didn’t do that    was so unspeakably sinful that He saw it right to totally destroy my life for. Besides, I thought baptism wasn’t an entry requirement for heaven and that God lets unbaptised believers into heaven too, after their earthly life’s up?

Sporting-wise: like I mentioned in  my 2025 edition of my  Xmas  Greetings, Queensland NEEDED to win the Origin this year after our  poor captain’s  father passed away suddenly  on the Sunday before the decider come next  Wednesday; watching the game live from the couch  at home  I’d been terrified that the smelly Blues would crash over the line and steal the title but our lads were heroic and held on for victory; fingers crossed that’s the starting point for another (at  least!) eight-year winning streak!

And GLORY: for the first time since 2006 (the year before the cruel and unfaithful God totally destroyed my life with the brain injury) the mighty Broncos WON the NRL premiership! We’d  come *so close* to it in 2006 and I was so  pissed with Ben  Hunt  from dropping the ball on the restart, thus costing us the title (even though a church uncle very knowledgeable in the game explained to me that  the fault actually lay with the player in  the previous play) but Hunty hung around long enough to regain the title;  I hope he and captain Adam Reynolds retire  immediately  so they’ll be forever remembered as champions!

Everything else wise:  oh, for the first time in my life, I was affected by a cyclone! Sure, Alfred landed far up north to where I’m based down in south-east Queensland but before his arrival, I was singing my adaptation of Ronan Keating’s ‘If Tomorrow Never Comes”:  if tomorrow never comes … I got blown away by Alfred … XD

On the night of his arrival, the winds were literally HOWLING outside my bedroom window and being so noisy that I had trouble falling asleep! At 11:55pm I relieved myself once more, said oh, stuff it and pulled the covers over my head, rolled over and fell asleep anyway.  Upon awaking the next morning? Hey, I didn’t get blown away by Alfred!! XD

Is that enough reflecting for 2025? It’s time to make way for 2026!

Cheers,

Em. ^^

 

Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day 2025

 

With   the Silly Season  over for another year, here’s how I spent my Christmas Eve, Christmas Day    and Boxing    Days!

Christmas E$ve:  the  24^th  began with my   4^th   consecutive awesome  sleep (when I bid my teddy  sweet   dreams, fall asleep  and then  don’t  wake until  the Sun has risen  sufficiently for me  to see  the time from the clock on the  wall  - much easier now that  it’s Summer!) but  there was slight panic  when CODA rang just before 9:30am  saying Jane can’t come mind you today; her   car’s broken down! O_o o Mother    gives me fifteen more minutes then  helps me up  (meaning  she leaves me  to  get myself mostly independently kitted  after helping  extremely slightly with absolutely nothing  bar  the bra strap before coming back and finishing with  absolutely nothing bar the AFO straps and both shoelaces) before I head over  to    the bathroom  and brush teeth.  That  done, I’m  sitting   over the loo when  CODA suddenly  rings  back,  saying Catherine from Staffing Options will  support me  from 10am  till 1:30pm, phew. Usually  my  carers are from    CODA South; when carers from that  organisation  aren’t found, agency works from Staffing Options are  called in. Catherine’s looked  after me many  times;  she’s middle-aged and Chinese!

Over the usual breakfast (one bowl of   healthy cereal, all  my usual  drugs – aka health   supplements mostly   XD and one full mug of water, I  quickly  scrawl  out  a Christmas card for Catherine~!

When  she announces her arrival three minutes late,  I answer the door, give her the Christmas  card  and then sit over the loo before we   head out  together to buy groceries from Warrigal Square. All the disabled parks are already taken outside Woolies but I direct Catherine  around  to the  front and phew, she grabs a disabled park outside Ichiba, the Japanese  grocery store.

Groceries bought, I head home and take a shower before sitting   down to a lunch  of a tuna and cheese toastie,   washed  down with one mug of  delicious  vanilla chai. Actually, someone please teach  me: what’s chai called in   Canto?

After catherine leaves,  I  enjoy my most important two  hours of  the day online and then munch   some   arvo tea   (one piece of  fruit, one rice cracker  and one mug of  herbal    tea and read for awhile  before sitting over the toilet briefly then sitting  by the door and waiting for Dr. Lee for pickup to  our EM Christmas party! ‘Twas a potluck dinner; I enjoyed two plates of food (thanks to whoever walked behind me   to  get some) but mostly    sat out the games since I’m unfortunately very physically  disabled and not mobile. After dinner there was a Christmas service; there were these candles named the Jesus  candle, the Mary  candle, the joseph  candle, etc. and little Daniel was given the task  (closely supervised by his dad Kwany, obviously) of lighting  them and then Hannah (his little  sister)  had the responsibility of extinguishing the candles!

The night  ended for me with  some delicious mango pudding;  after Dr. Lee tootled me home I   returned online briefly   then obediently hit   the sack  at the piss-early  time of   9:45pmm. Zzz~

Christmas Day: aww, what better way than to begin  CHRISTMAS  DAY then with my  5^th   consecutive awesome sleep? After relieving myself on the commode chair  (I must  wear an orthotic  over my  affected calf and ankle if  I  am to walk without pain but mother insists I  sleep barefeet (apparently, feet/skin need to breathe even though I’ve tried protesting that  it’s my nose/mouth that breathes? XD) so I use a commode chair I use bathroom   trips that  doesn’t require my affected foot  to touch the ground; I just  stand and pivot  too the commode chair, do my  business then stand and pivot back into  bed.

When mother lets herself into my  room to hit  me  with the eye goo  (for some odd reason it’s my left limbs  that don’t function properly post brain injury  but my  right eyelid that doesn’t fully shut nor my right eyebrow move much  hence why I wear eye  gel  during the  day  and eye ointment for lubrication) I say good morning first and she brightly responds with “Merry Christmas!”

After brushing  teeth I dit over the loo then get a special Christmas breakfast: COCO  POPS! Sure, homebrand Coco Pops don’t go pop like official Kelloggs ones but they  still taste great!

Christmas Day means attending  church. Since our English ministry didn’t have a service prepared the parents  made me attend the Canto one although thankfully I  was allowed to   remain  seated for worship but I harmonised along  with the Christmas hymns sung. Obviously only Christian ones but I  sang four secular  Christmas carols while been driven around inside  the car during the  day~ I  was willing to hike up the several steps and sit inside the little room at the back  of the  main  hall;  unsure why the parents not only  refused but  dadf  even insisted I  sit  on the most  right  side of  the hall  when usually I sit on  then most left side of  the hall for peace of mind? Doesn’t matter~

After service we went home briefly then went to the Slams’ for Christmas lunch! I made sure to wear my  Santa hat, since I obviously  wasn’t  allowed to wear it attending  church today (mother wouldn’t  even lemme wear  a Christmas tee) and I’d not  get  to wear it again  tomorrow since Christmas had ended for another year! Aunty  A  came also, although she’s still  feeling the side effects of just getting  the shingles vaccine, the poor thing~

For entrée we had  crackers with slices of smoked salmon  and little slices  of cheese on  top (I donated the salmon to dad XD) and then for lunch I had barely  half  a bowl of  rice with a few  of Anna’s yummy mini  pork ribs and a few slices of  dad’s  duck. ‘twas slightly disappointing since I thought CHRISTMAS was like  feast-worthy, but hey,  still yummy~

For  dessert, clever mother made a yummy cheesecake! After I enjoyed one yummy tiny   slice I  saw Uncle Slam  cut himself a slice of seconds and so tried  asking  could I please have another slice too? Dunno why polite  request  was immediately   refused by  the parents but oh well.

When we all left,  I took  a seat in  the backseat of Aunty A’s new car! Farewell, 852 LPU;  I remember your  predecessor the little red 595  BJB so  next  year I’ll haveta memorise the newest car’s numberplate. XD

The rest of  the   day  was spent uneventfully; just the usual  events: shower (one of  my few longer ones during  the year, dinner, bed. Zzz~

Boxing Day: another awesome sleep, yay! Not only that, today was mother’s BIRTHDAY! Hence why    after she  let  herself into my  room  and stroked my face (what  she  does to wake me up; dad  kisses my cheek  instead) I immediately sit upright and sing her the happy  birthday song, using Mini Pearl (the teddy  currently keeping me  company in bed nightly) to do the hip  hips!

Back  to boring healthy cereal for breakfast without toast, but hey.

I thought  dad would take us  to  Westfield Carindale for our once-yearly  shop, but he took  us  to Capalaba  Park and amazeballs, he    lemme use Sparkless3 (my manual wheelchair)!  I really enjoyed Boxing Day, since I  got  to WINDOWSHOP. XD Mother found a really  cute Winnie the Pooh  bear tee for me, while I  picked up the memoirs of Adam  Reynolds! We enjoyed mini  bahn mis from Van  Dough for   lunch before returning home  and having  a quiet rest of the   day. In the past, the parents have invited friends over for mother’s birthday but mother snapped at me that’s never happening  again since  she’s too  tired to host? Still,  I   told dad he had to get mother a  birthday cake  else she’d deny me birthday cake for my next  birthday! Only with mother’s birthday falling on Boxing Day, it's like impossible to  source one … solution? Dad took one of the chocolate chip muffins I’d made with Doorrie for our final OT cooking session for 2025  and stuck  a candle into it! We sang mother the happy birthday song  and shared the cupcake (dad half while mother and I one-quarter  each; how we usually split things.

Afterwards,  ‘twas time to open presents! My favourite was the TEDDY NIGIRI I received from the cSlams!

Sorry this isn’t  proofread; toms I’ve gotta write 2025 reflections but promise I’ll revisit this next  year and edit it  properly!
Cheers,
Em.  ^^

XMas Greetings 2025

Greetings, everyone! Just like that, this new decade’s not new anymore: wow, we’re already halfway through it! Hope you and your family have had an awesome 2025?

Last year, I was the absolute idiot who’d already totally stacked it on the second day on of the year but this year, I lasted until mid-late January before falling flat on my butt for the first time in 2025; may I call that an improvement? XD

While it’s the left side of my  body that’s been  affected post brain injury  and stroke (left leg must wear an orthotic if I am to walk without pain but I still ambulate with a disabled gait, while my left arm doesn’t do much functionally so thank goodness I  was originally born right-handed) it’s my right EYEBROW that doesn’t move (so I look like a Vulcan when only my left eyebrow goes up and down XD) and my right EYELID that doesn’t fully shut hence why I wear eye gel during the day  and eye ointment during the night to keep it lubricated.  Usually, mother squirts the eye goo into my eyes after I obediently hit the sack at the piss-early time of 9:45pm but this year, more often than not, mother will come hit me with the eye goo around 9pm and go to bed first herself, ordering that I do the same at 9:45pm. That’s fine; I’m perfectly capable of going to pour myself half a mouthful of milk before bed, brush teeth and sit over the loo myself without any assistance whatsoever from mother before hitting the sack. 

That night, after I’d entered my bedroom and turned the light switch off, I’d grabbed the back of my commode chair and then the  bedside rail some Home Modifications guy had installed for me on the wall when I’d initially been discharged from the insane asylum (more commonly known to everyone else as the Brain Injuries Rehabilitation Unit  of the Princess Alexandra hospital  XD) before pivoting around to my bed and sitting down. Only I didn’t sit far back enough - in the next instant, plop! My bum slid off the bed and I was on the floor! Luckily, fat butt good cushioning XD; I didn’t hurt myself but what the heck was I gonna do now, screech upstairs help mum I’ve slid off the bed please come pull me back up? Obviously not! 

I scrambled around, pushed myself back into bed and thought I’d done well enough to not let mother find out, but whoops in my haste to climb back into bed I’d banged bruises all up and down my legs and obviously mother saw those! Usually, I sprout out with random bruises since I’m a messy sleeper who apparently flails against the bedroom wall and bash myself bruises; one year a carer saw all the bruises down my legs and asked me, “What, did you have a fight with your mum or something?” I’d laughed and replied, “If I did, then obviously I lost: check out those bruises!” We’d both cracked up, before I’d assured her that they were accidentally self-inflicted and nothing to worry about. XD

 

You know how Brisbane has tourist attractions like Dream World, Movie World and Sea World? Well, in Singapore this year they opened a MINIONS world and after I heard about it, I told everyone, “If you’re going to Singapore, please stick me in your luggage and take me too – I’ve GOTTA go to Minion Land!!” I believe everyone who knows me even slightly will be aware of my complete obsession with those yellow, jellybean-shaped, stupidly hopeless henchmen from the Despicable Me series?  XD

One night when I was already in bed waiting to fall asleep with my teddy, I heard my dearest dad having a Facetime conversation with his older brother saying “Yeah, we’re taking a short trip to Singapore soon” and hope ignited!

Several days later, when I was seeing my long-lost cousin (my surname’s ChAn and his surname’s ChEn; surely bazillions of years ago our cousins were siblings? XD) for some acupuncture and massage, after mother excuses herself into the bathroom Ray says to me, “So, I hear you’re going for a trip to Singapore soon?”

“MINIONLAND!!” I squeal back excitedly. Back in the car after treatment, mother confirms this for me, but then immediately emphasises to me that this will be the final overseas holiday she ever takes me on, since it’s too much bother for her to help me out with personal care.  Shame: I’ve tried researching supported holidays before but don’t have enough funding for one and I’m unsure how you’d go about applying for more?

But visiting Singapore for the first time in two DECADES (we first visited in 2005 just after I’d graduated high school) was AMAZEBALLS and visiting MINION LAND was the BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!! Mother lemme buy a minion plushie with fairy floss hair as my souvenir from there; when I brought FairFloMin to a Toastmasters meeting to show him off to all the other members, Neil (our current club president) was cheeky and pretended to give poor FairFloMin a HUGE LICK!  “Eww!” I screeched; the next day, my carer was a champion who wiped him down for me with an antibacterial wet wipe and thus saved him from the contamination of Neil germs. XD

Remaining on the topic of Minions, this year I hit the Ekka for an afternoon and night and returned home with a GIANT Minion - he’s 87cm big!

I saw the huge Minion along the prize rack of some game and asked the game attendant, “May I win him? What do I need to do after giving you my cash?”

The guy demonstrated. There was a bottle lying on its side. With a ring attached to a piece of string on a stick, you had to hook the ring around the neck of the bottle, draw the bottle upright and release the ring without the bottle tipping over. The game attendant demonstrated once and made it look easy! I paid for three goes. My first attempt was dismal failure:  the bottle stood straight up, but once I released the ring from the bottle neck, it went straight back down. Hm, no good! For my second attempt, the bottle wavered upright for three seconds before falling back down flat. Hey, I’m sitting right now and can concentrate. I told myself.  I’ve got this; if I can make the bottle stay upright for my last go for five seconds, I’ll win! Very slowly, I draw the bottle upright and release the ring. The bottle stays upright for one second. For two seconds. For three seconds! For four seconds! For four and a half seconds! But then, on the fifth and final second, it gives up the ghost and falls back down fat. Defeat. >< “Oh no,” I wailed. “I   failed!”

But the game attendant catches my gaze.  “Hey, you know what?” He says.  “I can see how much  you love the Minions and I can also see how hard you tried, so  I’m going to give it you anyway!”

“You’re the BEST!!” I   screech. For the rest of   the day, my poor carer had to push the wheelchair for me, since once that enormous Minion was on my lap, I couldn’t reach   around him to the wheel When we rolled me past his game stall later again that day, the guy was still  @ work and when I yelled “Hey!” at him, he looked up,  saw me holding the massive Minion on my wheelchair, flashed me the thumbs up and called back “Cool Minion!” my only response?  “THANK-YOU SO MUCH!!” :D

 This year, Queensland NEEDED to win the Origin, since our poor captain’s dad had suddenly passed away the previous Sunday but after immediately leaving camp to be with his family, he’d returned on Wednesday to lead the team out. Watching the game live from the couch I’d been terrified that the Blues would somehow snatch the victory from us brave Maroons but our lads were heroic and held on for the win; fingers crossed that’s a positive omen that Queensland have started another (at least!) eight-year winning streak!

And GLORY: for the first time since 2006 (nearly two DECADES ago!) the Brisbane Broncos won the NRL premiership!! The last time Brisbane hefted the premiership trophy was the year before the cruel and unfaithful God totally and wantonly destroyed my life with the brain injury and I’d been so GRUMPY with idiot Ben Hunt in 2012 when he’d dropped the ball from the restart and thus cost us the grand final (even though a church uncle very knowledgeable about the game had explained to me that the fault actually lay with the player in the previous play)  but Hunty hung around and secured the final redemption by winning the 2025 NRL premiership; I hope he and Adam Reynolds retire immediately and will be remembered as champions!

The day after the NRL grand final was a public holiday and originally my dearest dad had planned to take mother and I out to the city, hence why I was allowed to use Sparkless3 (my manual wheelchair). After boarding the bus, a girl sitting in the priority seating up the front (since her leg was casted up to the thigh) immediately waved me over to sit beside her. I was wearing my Broncos jersey to celebrate Brisbane’s mighty premiership win and since she was wearing a Broncos jersey too, complimented her on how awesome her jersey was.  “Likewise!” She cheerfully replied.  “Are you heading out to   their fan day like us, too?”

What fan day?? I’d not heard anything about it!  Her dad immediately whipped out his smartphone and showed the event to my dearest dad, my dad quickly located the same event on his mobile and voila, immediate plan change!

As we disembarked the bus the heavily casted girl and I bid each other bye and maybe cya at Suncorp Stadium and then we made our way inside!

Turns out one whole side of the stadium had been open to fans and not only was the PREMIER David Crisafulli present to give a little speech, afterwards, the grounds were opened to everyone!  When people started streaming down into the field, I told the parents that I wanted to head out too; sure enough, a short while late some usher approached us and asked would you like to go down?!

Down in the field we all took happy snaps together and I wanted to wheel over to  where a stage had been setup for the players to come out and get a Bronco to autograph my jersey for me, but the parents said don’t;  it’s too far away and we can just watch them on the big screens since we’ve gotta leave soon and open the door for the carer who’s coming at 4pm. Fair  enough, I watched the big screens and cheered loudly for the mighty Broncos; fingers crossed we’ll successfully defend the title again next year and hopefully  I’ll not haveta wait another nineteen years before we’re the premiership champions again because cripes, I’ll  be nearing SIXTY by then! (Fifty-seven. XD)

One more story for 2025: for the first time since 2012, I wheeled the Bridge To Brisbane! Mr. Hall, my teacher (for year ten high school maths) who first invited me to do it with him and a bunch of other maths teachers thirteen years ago has since moved up into heaven but last year at my twenty-year high school reunion I bumped into one of the teachers I’d done it with and Mr. Ilsley had said let’s do it together again next year!  Back in 2012 we’d done the 10km course but this year we only did the 5km course since Mr.  Ilsley’s in his seventies now. While travelling along the course, I saw some female doing the course using a rollator! She’d walk some and when she needed a rest, she’d put her legs up onto the rollator’s frame and the person accompanying her simply rolled her along! Back doing another session of blasted physio the next week (at time of typing this letter I’ve still got one more session to endure before finally getting a very short break over Christmas and New Year) I’d asked my physio, do you think I’d be capable of tackling the 5km using a rollator too? Like, walk some and then rest some? She’d replied I’m unsure can your affected hand handle a rollator but you should stick with what you know. Currently you are walking with a hiking pole; how about you walk 1km, sit 1km and repeat that for the 5km? She then immediately offered to accompany me to do it, saying I’d need to find someone to help me push my manual wheelchair along while I was walking. I immediately started enquiring around and a Toastmasters friend said she was willing to help push my wheelchair for me while I walked! Mother warns I’ll need training to be able to walk such a distance and I’ve said that I’m willing: once 2026 arrives I’m gonna start preparing for the event come September!

Huge apologies:  usually I send out these greetings come the 11^th, giving you one fortnight’s time to read and reply but yesterday I was busy attending Christmas parties; they’re one of my most favourite things about Christmas! Still, please allow me to wish you and your family a very Merry   Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year; please remember to contact me for a meal catchup/whatever so we can celebrate 2025 together since I’ve got odd parents who usually don’t lemme contact ANYONE and ask are they free for a get-together? Hope you’ve achieved everything in 2025 that you set out to and may your 2026 be overflowing with many awesome things!  Looking forward to   staying in touch with everyone next year~