14.9.09 Monday

Here goes my post about YESTERDAY!

Yesterday was Steph's birthday! We (me, Shelia and LeePei) organised a surprise birthday party at her house yesterday night. It was my idea for a surprise, and LeePei's to have it on her actual birthday. This was because they all had Mr. Lim tuition that day until 6.30pm, so it was a convenient time to have dinner and thus, it was put into planning. But, yes, being the last minute people we were, we only started on Friday I think. The first thing we had to do was to get permission from her parents. So on Friday I was to keep Steph's company while Shelia and Pei went to Pei's shop to call her mum. They were just going to call a 012 number that Steph called using Pei's hp before, without knowing for sure who it was. Unfortunately nobody answered. On Saturday, while we were 'chilling' in Pei's shop Pei casually asked for Steph's hp, saying she wanted to bluetooth a song for her. It was true, she did bluetooth the song, but she also got her mum's number.

After school that day (yes! We HAVE school on Sat) me and Shelia went to 1B to look for Steph's and hopefully Liau's present, while Pei went off to her guitar lesson. So on the way we called Steph's mum and explained roughly what we wanted to do for Steph. Her mum said it was ok and so we discussed details like food preparation and time arrangement. We got to 1B and walked around. Our idea, contributed by me, was to get her heels. Those heels that she would never choose for herself. But we were open for other options. Because she recently bought a wallet and a pair of shoes, and because she likes her pencil box very much, and beacuse she has a reasonable bag, there weren't really alot of choices for us. So after a refreshing KFC lunch (where my and Shelia's skirts were blown upwards by the air-blowing machine thingy that is supposed to keep the floor around the wash-basin dry. Haha) we went back to our hunting. In the end we were deciding between a Charles and Keith black heels, and 2 Vincci heels, one sea green and one orange. They were about 3 and a half inches tall? I guess.. not too sure. So we ruled out the C and K one because it would be too old for her. So we took a long time going back and forth with the green and the orange. The green was very nice, but we weren't sure that the colour would suit her. The orange was younger, but, well, we weren't sure that the colour would suit her skin tone. Haha. We kept MMS-ing pics of the heels to Pei, and she was so unhelpful (COUGH!!!!!!!!!) because apparently she was napping and she just kept saying, Hmm, up to you guys, both are nice. So in the end we just chose the green one, because it made your feet look really thin. Haha. We rushed through looking for Liau's present. Also my idea, we wanted to get her a jacket because she only had that Giordano one that everyone else has too. So we bought her the Padini 'jacket', also sea-green for her, which is supposed to be for guys. But oh well, it was very nice. I wanted one too! I wanted the heels too! Hahaha. But oh well, I was happy with what we chose. =D

So on the way to dropping Shelia off to tuition, we talked about the money splitting and how much it all amounted to, and how much we had to come up with if we were to buy a cake for her. We decided that it was too expensive, so we asked her mum to prepare the cake.

On Sunday, we started confirming the guest list. We already invited some friends, now we just had to confirm everything, including the food. So I discussed with Shelia and Pei who else we wanted to invite. We thought about 10 people would be good enough. So after deciding, we started calling them up. And let me tell you, did I call up many of them. I asked Alexis, Joway, QOO, and Crystal. I asked Pei to confirm with Nick and Qiao Wei. Asked many people for KJR's number, and gave it to Pei. Asked Shelia to confirm with And and ask Joey. Asked Alexis to ask Ting Fung. La di da di daaaaaa... My heart was aching seriously! Crystal!!!!!!!! Kept texting you!!!!! Kept calling and texting and calling. Then confirmed with Shelia that she was doing spaghetti, that I was doing Mee Hun (I know, so irrelevant right?) that QOO was doing the drinks, that Steph's mum was preparing the cake, chicken wings and 3 pizzas. Sigh.. I was really stressed and ANXIOUS. Worried that something will go wrong, that someone will be late, or something like that. Half dead. So I went to bed after telling dad and Kev my plans for THE DAY, after asking kakak to cook the mee hun at about 5pm. I dreamt about the surprise. I don't remember the dream now, whether it was successful or not, but I know I dreamt about it, and it was a stressful dream. Haha.

So school on Monday was usual. Wished her happy birthday, did not ask how she was celebrating, did not give her any presents. She told us about how her church friends helped her celebrate on Sunday with surprising her with a cake at Wagamama. She was like '.. and they surprised me with a cake. It's the second year that they've done this you know! Another SURPRISE cake!' And I was like totally cringing inwardly, Ohmygoshwhatwouldshethinkofanothersurprisefromus? Nick asked Steph how she was going to celebrate that night and she said 'I don't want to celebrate.' And we were all cringing inwardly, Ohmygoshwhatwouldshethinkofasurprisefromus? HHHHHHAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I was seriously worried all day at the edge of my seat, repeating myself to Crystal about how things could go wrong. Haha. (Sorry and thanks Crys =P). So end of school came and we gave our 'last' wishes to Steph and went home.

Against my instinct that said no, I could not resist Keeping Faith. So I picked up the book and started reading. When I finally put it down, it was 4.30pm. !!!!!!!!!! I hastily bathed and asked my kakak whether she cooked the mee hun already. I also told her to take out a box of lasagne my mum made before she left for Aus to give to Steph because I know she loves it very much. Then I started texting people and calling people to remind them not to be late. Asked QOO whether she bought the drinks already. Asked Shelia if she was done with her spaghetti. Was really very restless and nervous. To increase my already hyperventilating self, Shelia said she was rushing. The spaghetti was not done, she still hadn't bathed yet. Until now I don't know what made her so slow. I think she just arrived late back home as it's just so far. So I just kept texting her 'FAST!'. By 5.30pm, Kev came back from the course thingy and he ate a fast dinner and by 5.45pm I left home. With a bag full with DVDs and Steph and Liau's present, Keeping Faith and my hp. The DVDs were just in case everyone wanted to watch a movie. I was restless in the car. And when we turned into the main road I was Oh.My.Gosh. It was so jammed! I totally forgot that it was rush hour, and that it was close to the Buka Puasa time! I texted Shelia telling her it was really jammed that she better get a move on. So after 15 minutes of calling and texting people directions and stuff, I arrived. T-T Not long after me was QOO and Crystal. Played the piano with Crys, we played grade one duets and we were kind of lousy (well, I was!). And my heart repeatedly jumped out of my chest about 3 times when I thought the person coming through the door was Steph. Actually it was the others. T-T

So we all discussed how we were going to do the surprise. It went from, hide and let her see the food on the table and she'll be like hey why is there so much food and we spring, to stay right at the door and scare her when she comes in, to ask one of the boys to stay at the door and offer to get her bag as soon as she steps in the door then we spring, back to the food, back to the stay-right-at-the-door, and guess what? We ended up with the classic hide and when she walks in, let her take a few steps in and we spring on her. It was so hectic. Her younger sisters were there watching Up on DVD, and at around 7, the youngest sis, Gwen called the dad to ask where they were. They were 'amost there'. So we got ready. A camera on top of a shelf to be turned on when the car arrives to record everything and just.. tensed ourselves. The youngest sister kept watch outside. After a while, she said THEY'RE HERE and we all scrambled, literally to our respective places. So the girls (most of us) were behind a folding door (those that fold sideways, like those metal sliding-folding doors in coffee shops) with the upper half of it fixed with glass btu.. erm.. like it's those rough ones, where you can't see through it clearly. But there were tiny slits of partitions so we could sort of look out. The guys (only 3 of them) and one or two girls hid opposite us, behind a half-wall where the aquarium was. They were on all fours to hide themselves.

So Steph comes in, and her sis shouts HI SIS. She's out of sight now, with us behind the door, and finally she comes into view, in her uniform, carrying her school bag and holding a plate with raw salmon on it. So she walks past us, means that she walks past the guys. And they are exposed, not hidden like us. I think we were all so nervous our brains weren't responding properly. AND YOU KNOW WHAT SHE DID? She waved a hi at them, Nick was the closest to her and he had his mouth open and was shocked and just.. didn't do anything but looked at her. It was a passing wave, LUCKILY, and she just put the salmon on the table in front of her, which was just beside the guys, between both our hiding places. After that second after she put her salmon down, we slammed the door open and SURPRISE!!!! The guys stood up too! We didn't intentionally slam the door, it got stuck halfway and we put too much force on it. So it slammed. Opps. Steph was really shocked. She didn't say anything. We were all like Happy Birthday! Surprise surprise and stuff. She covered her mouth with her hands and started crying. !!!!!!! It was perfect!

I think alot of thanks goes into her mum, for preparing the food and the cake, and her dad for delaying her arrival. They went to get the salmon and picked up the pizza, which was supposed to be delivered but the guy couldn't find the house. I don't blame him. The dad just said that Steph's younger guy cousins were over for dinner for her birthday. So THAT'S why she just sort of waved at the guys without looking at them, she thought they were her cousins. So really, the dad literally saved the surprise. Haha. So we went on the eat dinner and took loads of pictures. We sang the birthday song and cut the cake and took more pictures. Then we played a fun game that required coordination (CRYSTAL! AHAHHA). It was fun. Then everyone started going home. I asked her to open our present to her. She didn't really jump out of her seat, but she said she liked it, I'm just going to take her word! =) I was the last one there. Chatted with her mum and stuff. Sighhhhhhhh...... I'm just so totally un-stressed now. The relief was so great. Before Steph arrived we were all talking about her reaction. Worried about it. Scared that she would go like 'I KNEW it!' or something like that. But it all turned out ok! Thanks to her little sister Gwen too! =D

So thanks to everyone who came. Hopefully we gave her a memorable birthday, and that she knows it was out of sincerity from us! =D Happy birthday Steph! You're 16!!!!

You know the great thing about it? It was the very first real surprise party we've organised, those at the home of the subject. So it was a success, I think it's safe to say.

Haha. Sorry about the seriously, seriously, long long long post. @@ Yay to us!!!