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. ^^