Celebrating my birthday

I celebrated my 33rd birthday today and I am touched by the many surprises, well wishes, gifts and love I get from around the globe!

My first gift to myself was my promotion from a postdoctoral fellow to a faculty position as a research associate at Johns Hopkins University. My other satisfaction would come from publishing my influenza manuscripts.

My first surprise was on Thu, Nov 20 when my Singaporean friends wanted to give Wenmin a pre-birthday surprise. So, we gathered at her apartment corridor with a side table and a waffle maker while she emerged from the elevator. She was surprised and touched by our gesture. She kept covering her face or turning away while I took pictures of her. Then, my friends suddenly took out a photography catalog with a $100 gift card and presented to me. I was truly surprised because I did not tell them my birthday. I had thought we were only celebrating for Wenmin's.

The gift card story began on Nov 14, when Tiah Ling overheard that I was interested to buy a monopod or tripod. So, she emailed me on the pretense of seeking my advice on which to buy. Instead, I told her it would depend on how she would use it. I was very 'politically correct'. Thus, she got nothing out of me and decided to get the gift card.

My friends from France, one studying in Germany, and my best friends and Godson in Singapore emailed, skyped or left well wishes on Facebook. My young nephews, Anselm and Maximus, called and sang to me the animal birthday song which they learned from the movie Madagascar. This is the lyrics: Happy birthday to you. You live in a zoo. You look like a monkey, and you smell like one too. Listening to their innocent voices singing this song brought a big smile on me.

I also had a delicious dim sum lunch yesterday when I 'dragged' Tom to Silver Spring. It helped to satisfy part of my food craving that I had built up over two years away from Singapore. Also, I got my bath scale which I had wanted to buy. I am putting on weight as I have put off going to gym and eating out often.

On Sunday evening, Vladimir, Dijana and I had gone for a walk around Loyola College. On our back, Vladimir treated me to dinner at Petit Louis Bistro, a French restaurant, at 4800 Roland Avenue. The restaurant was cozy with a fireplace, food was delicious and the prices were reasonable.

I had a restful sleep with my stomach stuffed with good food from Sunday.

This afternoon, Wenmin passed by my lab to give me a card, Cape Cod potato chips and M&M's (R) Premiums Triple Chocolate. After watching the program Unwrapped on the Food Network, I had been searching high and low for this brand to try out the salt and vinegar flavored potato chip. Now, I know where to get them.

As for today's dinner at Szechuan House Corporation at 1427 York Rd, Shiying, Clive, Tiah Ling and Yih Yng sacrificed their studying time to accompany me even though they had final exam tomorrow. Food was delightful and the company was fun. Shiying casually mentioned to the waitress that it was my birthday today. After clearing our table, I was wondering why it had taken so long for the waitress to come out with the fortune cookies. When she emerged, she was carrying a cake and sang the normal birthday song. It was an ice cream cake on the house. Life is full of surprises.