I Was, Am And Will Always Be My Father’s Birthday Present

Posted on by Jolene

I arrived 20 years ago on the morning of my dad’s 30th birthday.


l-r: My dad the birthday boy, ME the new baby, Mum, and my paternal grandma on the 16th of January 1987.

I really like this photo alot. It’s one of the very few photos that I have of my first day on Earth.

Every time my birthday comes around, I feel very weird and fidgety and keep trying to appreciate my last few hours of being Nth years old, or like today, my last 4 hours of being a nineteen year old.

I feel uneasy during my birthdays. I don’t know why.

But my dad turns 50 at the stroke of midnight! That must be a much bigger deal than turning twenty!

šŸ™‚ There’s so much I want to say to the other half of the pair who brought me into this world but I just don’t know where to begin.

It’s been a wonderful 20 years of which you have loved me and groomed into someone who has inherited almost all of your traits. The friendliness, the self depreciating humour, the cheekiness, the impatience, the reverse psychology skills, the forgiving nature, and the occasional tantrums, it’s all here in me today, dad. šŸ™‚

I can only imagine what was going through your head when you saw me on the day of your birthday. I should think it must’ve been something special. Did you introduce me to your friends as your birthday present?

Throughout my childhood, YeaYea would always play the home video of my arrival from the hospital for me to see. The quality of the window was worse than Filem Negara’s and I remember there was a yellow tinge and the camera would take awhile to focus on my face.

You said to the camera, “Hi Pei Shan! We’re filming this video so that you can watch it when you’re older! We’ve just brought you back from the hospital today… see how sleepy you are!”

Mum was holding me and tapping me on my cheeks lightly, hoping that I would wake up. I was half asleep and I refused to open my eyes for the camera.

Then I gave a big yawn(a trait that hasn’t changed in the last 20 years!) and mum cooed some more.

“See how small your hands and feet are!” you said as you tapped my hands and feet which were bundled up in mittens.

The camera spanned on to the huge array of presents which I received from your friends and our family. Mum then showed the jewelry that I received.(Where are they? Hahaha).

Funny, how I can only remember the first part of the video. But it is something I treasure very much, thanks dad. It’s also funny that the only time you called me Pei Shan was in that home video. šŸ˜€


Thanks Dad for making my childhood such a beautiful one. From the late night robot dances(the one where you’d let me step on your feet and you’d pretend to be a robot) to the bedtime stories about Sleazy Willy The Chameleon Who Lived In A Cactus(I think the creators of SpongeBob SquarePants stole your idea, dad), its these memories that I can never forget. I still giggle about how you’d make the sound effects of Sleazy Willy getting pricked by the cactus whenever he comes out of his home.

You’ve always been very proud of me in whatever I do, no matter how insignificant the achievement. Even when I took up the drums back in form1-4, you didn’t hesitate to let me know about your dreams of me becoming a pro drummer one day. Sorry dad, the people around me who were into jamming were only playing Metallica and the likes and I was only ever drumming along to the beats of the Backstreet Boys.

Likewise, I’m very proud of all your achievements (even though I can never understand half of them!). However, what I do know is that you’re a brilliant man. The one man who knows how to fix anything that could ever go wrong.

Sure, you were always the fiercer one but I still love you no matter how you tell me off and how you always manage to make me see the error of my ways. Hehe, but I still think I’m a very good girl compared to you when you were a naughty little boy who broke Mama’s claypot cover when you pretended to be a Kacang Putih seller by putting the cover on your head and danced around. Or how you sprayed Mama’s hairspray all over her room and made it sticky.

See! Maybe I’m naughty in the sense that I go out late at night(hehehe, do you really stand by the window to see me coming into the house way after midnight? I think you do!) but you know that I will always listen to you whenever you want me to improve myself. I’m still working on the chopsticks and am sorry for snapping back at you when I said, “So what if I don’t know how to hold the chopsticks properly? I’m a chinese who cannot speak chinese what.”

Sorry dad.

Hope you have a great birthday! I’ll get you your birthday present when i get back(hope I have enough cash to get you something nice) and I promise you that the quality of my gifts will improve when I start working as a dentist.(you’ll be getting your plasma tv sized computer LCD screen and BMW soon enough. Wait for awhile ya dad!)


I made my dad a card! It’ll arrive on the 18th I think. If he sees this entry, the surprise will be gone adi.


DAMNIT! I can’t believe I missed out “spend”. So stupid. šŸ™

Even though it’s not my mother’s birthday, I think that she deserves some credit for my BIRTHday. Actually, alot of credit. Hehe.

I always find the story about the moments leading up to my birth very amusing. My mummy cried because she was afraid about the prospects of her first childbirth! Heheheh so cute!

Mum, remember how when I was 5, for the 1992 Ladybird Kindergarten concert, I sang a song called “I will Follow Him”?

I think the lyrics went like that,

“I will follow him, Follow him wherever he may go,
La la la la la la la la…la lala la laa la la la(oops i forgot the lyrics), he is my daddy dear!”

I remember singing a Mummy Dear version for you because I didn’t want you to feel left out. I’m so cute and lovable right. Hahaha.

Thanks Mum for all the years that you have been the patient one and the softer one. Hehehe. For all the hugs and kisses that you have been so generous with. I wish I can be as tolerant as you when I am a parent myself.. but as I grow older it seems more and more impossible for that to happen. I LOVE YOU MUM!

And lastly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME ME ME ME!!

To all of you who didn’t buy me a birthday present or even a measely card, I DEMAND YOU TO WISH ME IN MY COMMENT BOX NOW! šŸ˜›

šŸ˜€ Now I shall bathe and then continue studying.

35 thoughts on “I Was, Am And Will Always Be My Father’s Birthday Present”

  2. Happy 20th birthday, Jolene! Haunter here..coming out from the depths of the Internet to wish you a happy birthday. *grins* Anyways…just wanted to say that I love the way you entertain us mouse-potatoes! (as opposed to couch potatoes). Hope you enjoyed your birthday!

    jo: heyy haunter:D thanks for layaning all my crap! hahahha.. thanks for the wish!
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  3. Happy birthday. šŸ™‚

    Nice entry.

    jo: ehehe thank u jason kor!ƂĀ Ć‚Ā  ƂĀ Ć‚Ā Ć‚Ā  ƂĀ Ć‚Ā Ć‚Ā  ƂĀ Ć‚Ā Ć‚Ā  ƂĀ Ć‚Ā Ć‚Ā  ƂĀ 
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  5. HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAYYY!!!!

    your post is really nice šŸ™‚ love it.

    jo: ahahha thank u! it’s for my father..:D so ..try to be nicer la. hahaha.

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  7. Hey Jolene! Remember me? Nice post, and as u requested : Happy 20th Birthday! God bless you and take care..

    jo: *boxes Rudi* of course I remember you la!! hahahaha.. when will we get to see each other again?:D bet ur having the time of ur life in UK. thanks for the wishes old classmate of mine!! *hugs*ƂĀ Ć‚Ā  ƂĀ Ć‚Ā Ć‚Ā  ƂĀ Ć‚Ā Ć‚Ā  ƂĀ 
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  8. to think u’re only a month and 16 days younger than me. happy birthday!!!!! šŸ˜€

    jo: ahhh! good good, so u wait for me then we go into casino together;P
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  9. harlo…happy birthday…
    exam coming loh… so malang…exam comes after 1 week of ur bday..hahaha…

    jo: waaaa!! ur first comment here.:D .. ugh. dunno how to make it through.
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  10. happy birthday to u Jolene and also to myself šŸ˜€ LOL..
    wish all our wishes and dreams come true~

    jo: happy birthday to you toooo!!! and to me tooo!! hahaha.. yeah man, what a strange coincidence;D
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  12. hey there jolene! i want to add into your birthday wishes counter too! HAPPPY BIRTHDAY!!
    and also to uncle!! hehe

    jo: thank u!! my dad says thank u too:D and my bday is todayla
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  14. hey jolene. such a nice and touching post. hehe.. happy 20th birthday!!

    jo: heheh thank u xin yi! ur first time leaving a comment here too:P
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  15. since i woke you up and wished you adi, it’s only fair that i say HAPPY BRITHDAY, UNCLE LAI! haha. i forgot to add that in because we were talking about naughty stuff at like 7:50am. lol. eh you know ah, on my birthday my mum EXPECTS presents from me, supposedly for crediting her for my wonderful life, tcah! so muka tebal right. lol. so sweet la your entry. i wanna go home right now >

    jo: ahahha i loved the wakeup call! šŸ™‚ very nice. was talking to my bestest best friend with the fairy lights illuminating the morning darkness in my room. hahaha… OH! so it was you who told me about the must credit parents on bday thing!
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  16. Jolene dear!!! my beloved classmate and my ultimate entertainer in SP..HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABE!you’re growing up to be a mature professional dentist….so have to cut down on your boob jokes already LOL

    anyway i’ll get you something lovely from penang…am so sorry that it’s going to be belated gift!

    love,
    brenda (who’s using your account to type a comment)

    jo: ahahha hey babes… šŸ˜€ while u were typing that i was playing quadrapop on my bed. glad to be of service..and ur also one of the few mad people here in SP that can really go nuts with me.:D ..cannot will never cut down on boob jokes.hahahh:D thanks !! no need to susahkan sendiri ya/….XD
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  17. Happy Birthday Jolene! and to your dad too:P that;s a very sweet entry and he must be real proud to have a daughter like you. Enjoy your 20th birthday:)

    jo: ehehe thank u! lol well i hope he is!!ƂĀ 
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  18. Happy Birthday Jolene! =) And Happy Birthday to your dad too. I think its so sweet that you both share the same birthday.

    jo: ehehe thank u!! yeahh:) quite unique la.. but it doesn’t seem that groundbreaking to me coz i’ve been in this situation all my life. lol!:)
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  19. happy birthday!!! thanks for being such a sweet housemate!!

    jo: ahahh ur also a very great housemate:D thanks for the beautiful card. i love it so much!

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  20. Happy Birthday Jo. And Jo’s Dad šŸ™‚ Such a sweet post (no, I didn’t lick it)..

    jo: eheh thank u pelf! ahahah…. just showing my gratitude to my dear father!
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  22. happy birthday jolene, what a sweet entry. šŸ™‚ and happy birthday to your dad too! the birthday card is very creative! loved it!

    jo: ahhah thank uƂĀ  babes!!! yeah i used double sided tape! haha.. it’s something i try to do for everyone’s bday:D
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  23. Hey Jolene,

    Happy 20th Birthday!!!! Happy new year to you too! Hehe, hope to see you soon. Best of luck on your dentistry course. Cheerios!

    jo: heya jack!! haha.ƂĀ  u turn 20 this year as well rite?:D happy new year to you toooO! i think we’ll be seeing each other very soon! most probably at the next proposed big blog meet! thank u dear:D u take care!
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  24. happy belated birthday girl. hehehe.. fellow january babies!.. eh.. the older i get, the less excited i am about turning a year older.. enjoy your 20th year.. apparently, technically, it’s it’s the last teen year. lol..

    jo: ehehhe happy birthday to the fellow january baby too! hahaha..i am still quite excited though. still child-like huh?:D
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  25. HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAAAAY!!!!! ^___^
    You were such a cute kid! šŸ™‚ OK, now it sounds like you’re not cute anymore…..but I don’t mean that! šŸ™‚

    I’m still 3 years away from being 20. Wah, 17 years, I can’t even get a new passport issued without my parents. =_=

    jo: ahahha thank u! out of so many comments, ur the only one who said i’m a cute kid. T_T.. lol!! šŸ™‚ enjoy the final years of your teenage years…:D hahaha, i dun think i’ll be without my mum when i change my passport even if i’m 21.
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  26. hi! i’m a lurker šŸ™‚ but happy 20th! love your entries btw šŸ™‚

    jo: eheh hello!! thank u for the kind words:D
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  27. happy belated birthday!! hope you had a great one with loads of prezzies and a ton of cake! yum.. how cool is it to share the same birth date with your dad huh? must have been one helluva celebration. here’s to more to come!

    jo: thank u dear!! uh no…. no celebrations. hahahhaa..:) yeah it’s pretty cool.. not everybody can say the same ya?:D haha
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  30. Happy belated birthday, Jolene! You’re just 1/5th of a century old. Still young. šŸ˜‰

    jo: ahaha.. no, when u insert the word century, i sound pretty old;D
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  33. well, it’s always good to remain child like. rather than be a crusty old hag right?

    jo: ahahha that’s right.
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  35. Jolene, I’d been reading your blog for the past year and I must say that I’ve enjoyed reading it a whole lot =). Happy 20th birthday to you, and here’s to a great year ahead.

    jo: hey u!;D thanks for reading me for one whole year!! *kembang* and thanks for the wishes. do u know that you look alot like kinkybluefairy? i thought kinkybluefairy suddenly opened a new blog….0_0
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