slosh down the pepper!

The birthday that started and ended at work.

16 Jun, 12.30am:

I left office after clearing my personal mailbox and mailing a copy of the leave calender to my yahoo mail account.


16 Jun, 2.05pm:

I left home for work.


17 Jun 12.15am:

I left office after deleting my sent items in my personal inbox. It's really frustrating not being able to send out emails because the mailbox is full.


I had the above thoughts when I was crossing the road this afternoon on my way to the office. This is not the first time I am working on my birthday. I don't really feel the need to take the day off unless it falls on a Friday or before my leave or before any public holiday (which is impossible for me since Singapore doesn't celebrate any festival in June).


I have had cakes and department celebration in my previous employment as well. In D-bank, there are 20 - 30 of us who would crowd around in the pantry and sing a birthday song with the cake the AVP aka our manager had bought. Some other colleagues who are closer to each other would then pool together a sum of money and get a gift for the birthday boy / girl. The bad thing is we relied on the AVP to get the cake. Somehow, someone will inform the AVP that somebody's birthday is coming and the latter will get the get somewhere and on someday in the birthday month, we will sing the birthday song together.


In M-bank, it's pretty much similar. Except that there are a group of managers now co-sharing the cake. There are also about 20 of us in the department. No gifts though, but they will buy one cake each. So if there are 2 people born in the same month, we will have 2 cakes on that day of celebration. If it is the birthday month of the Boss, then the birthday cake will be huge with definitely some picture of Winnie the Pooh, and most likely a lunch spread of pizzas, chicken wings, tze char, beehoon etc, compliments from the Boss who thinks that we put in a lot of effort plannning her birthday celebration. It is also almost a tradition to have Mr Yip singing the cantonese version of "Happy Birthday". We just loved to hear him sing; not saying that it sounded fantastic, but it is definitely entertaining and refreshing~


Now, in B-bank, there is the cake, and there are also gifts! Things are more upmarket here. Let's talk about the cake first. Mr. NQ who was nominated as the social & welfare committee this year always delight the group of 13 with his selection of exotic, fine-tasting birthday cakes. Last month, we had a ultra-rich chocolate cake by Cova (the high class Italian cafe that boasts of a great house brew). Today (or rather last evening), he got me and another birthday guy a triple chocolate cheesecake from Canele, again some high class chocolate patisserie.




It was nice of him to search for that cake when I told him I felt like having a chocolate cheese cake :p Oh yes, I am his appointed deputy committee member who would source the gifts for female colleagues while he does the guys' and of course, the cakes. He always asked me what cake I would like whenever he needs to buy any for the office. Cool!

I got a Billabong sweater and cap! Thanks to EW & BL who went to Raffles City to get the gifts.



Of course, each one of us has to 'donate' $10 - $20 each during each birthday month, depending on the number of people celebrating it at the same time. T's birthday fell on 13 Jun and mine on 16 Jun, so it was really a good timing to celebrate it. Due to some data entry error, where T's was entered as 16 Jun, we had the celebration today instead. Haha.

At about 9pm when NQ was leaving the office, I had a quick chat with him over birthdays. I was telling him that most of my friends (even my family) don't do gifts and cakes anymore, and ironically, I only get such stuff in my workplace, past and present. He said he will cook up something himself and get everybody to celebrate for him if nobody does that, hehe. Anyway, subsequently he sent me a SMS which stirred my emotions:

In verbatim:

"I think there is some truth in perhaps when u grow older, pple celebrate things like bdays less. But just to let u know, I was particularly excited when i got u the cake and pple like EW n BL were all excited about getting u the gift n all :) I would be very happy if got so many pple celebrate for me liao haha. Happy bday! Savor the last few hours."

For the record, this guy's a married man who loves his beer and humor at all times. On getting his msg, I decided to express my thanks once again to him, EW & BL who went through the trouble to make the event a memorable and tasty one for me! It's nice having wonderful people around me, and I ought to learn to appreciate them. A word of thanks may not be much, but that's the beginning!

Taking a step back, I still have good times with my friends. Though we only have dinners and no cakes, it was still emotional to know that I have friends beside me and who will lend a helping hand when I am in need. Birthday celebrations are more of a ceremonial practice to get together to chat over meals.

As for Tempest, I always have great times with him. He never fails to surprise me on my last 3 birthdays I had with him. I am waiting to see what he's up to for the 4th one :-p

posted by slingwoof @ 6/17/2009 02:25:00 AM