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"Humour"
I was thankful to get one of the two corner seats by the door of the MRT train. It was going to be a 45-minute ride from Bedok in the east to Clementi in the west. Around me were three sleeping passengers – the person beside me and the two persons facing me. The lady in front of me had her head painfully tilted to one side and her mouth wide open. I started talking to myself about how tired Singaporeans are.
Then I heard the announcement on the train. “Jurong East Interchange.”
I had fallen asleep and missed my stop at Clementi! Talk about tired Singaporeans! LOL.
This final installment of my story… the surprise I created for myself on my 50th birthday.
The surprise I created for my friends… Three videos for the people who have contributed to making me… I am who I am because you loved me…
The surprise I got my guests to make for me… I got my friends to go to my “recording room” and do a recording of their birthday wish for me. Nobody knew what everybody else said (except Jing and Ting who helped my friends do the recording). We screened the little video clips after I screened three video clips I made.
I’m only posting two that I made. Haven’t not had time to edit and string the little clips made on that day by my friends.
Most of those in the video were there at my surprise party. My longest time friend is Judy, I knew her since I was six. And next is my friend Catherine. We’ve been friends for 42 year!
Vocals: Angeline Koh with The African Children’s Choir
I chose this song because it says what I feel in my heart toward the family and friends gave to me.
Did I surprise me? YES. And everyone else got their share of surprises too. 
On the 2 October, I sent a reminder to my guests. It read:
Hello everyone.
It’s been fun preparing my surprise birthday party for myself Here are the details again…
Sunday, 3 October 2010
4 pm
Please come dressed comfortably… don’t worry, I’m not doing any games or whatever. I’d just like you to be comfortable. We are among friends
In case you are wondering why I’m suggesting to come at 4 pm, it’s because I attempting to make a surprise for myself. I don’t know if my idea will work, but anyway, it’s ok. We’ll see what comes out of my idea. If you can’t make it at that time, don’t worry too. It’s always open house. Dinner will be served at about 6 pm.
Feel free to call or sms.
Angel
You’ll have to wait for my actual day to find out how the surprise turned out
On the 19 September, I sent an email to a small group of my friends. My email read:
One morning a week ago, I woke up with the sudden urge to surprise myself with a surprise birthday party. Don’t ask me what I mean by “surprise myself”. If I know about the surprise, how can it be a surprise? Aren’t surprises supposed to be a secret kept from the one it’s for?
I turn 50 on 8 October 2010. I had been hesitant about making a big hoo-ha about it.
And then I woke up with this thought that I turn 50 only once in my life.
Fifty, half a century. Doesn’t the Bible have something to say about the year of Jubilee? The 50th year?
If life expectancy is really three-scores and ten, then I have only 20 years to go. Longer I hope, with good health (and no medical aids).
And well, wow, I DID take 50 years to get to 50. So that at least deserves a celebration.
I surprised myself by deciding I would have a party.
Yes a party, but not a big party. Just a few friends who have been life markers for me, turning me from one decade to another.
It’s my birthday and I want to thank you for being there for me.
It’s my birthday and I want to thank God for the journey.
It’s time to meet, time to remember, time to celebrate.
So how is it going to be a surprise?
I don’t know.
I’ll just be happy if you will be here.
Please don’t bring any presents, your presence will be present enough for me.
Ok now here your surprise for me…
Could you think of a line or two that you’d like to say to me, an advice or a blessing or a memory you have of our time together? If you have a photo or two that you’d like to share, please bring it or email to me.
And just be prepared that one surprise deserves another ok?
Sunday, 3 October, 4 pm
Thanks much and I look forward to see you. Don’t worry if you can’t make it.
Angel
So how did my surprise turn out… You’ve have to read my next two posts…
To get our creative writing juices going, participants at the Digital Storytelling workshop were asked to contribute random words. Later we were given 10 minutes to make a story using all the random words.
Here’s mine unedited… (Random words in red) I wasn’t able to use a word from our random list… Oblique
Lewis Carroll in the making
I’d like to be a fish when I grow up. A fish that swims among the stars in the black sky. I’d watch the rain below me fall on the earth and the cow jumping over the moon. I wonder if I’ll see a cheerful giant eating his dumpling and bouncing among the cloud when the sun comes out.
Well don’t blame me for writing this whimsical, non-nonsensical story. Lewis Carroll wrote Alice in Wonderland and it’s been studied for years and even made into a movie.
You might be smiling at the end of my story. What do you expect when you give a list of random words to string?
Wow! I didn’t even need a Lifebook computer to write this.
