I babble, I ramble, and I rattle

** This post was meant to be published during my birthday last year but somehow I totally forgot about it. Even the pictures have gone missing. **

There were not many birthdays that I remember in vivid details but the one in 2003 was indeed a special one.

It was my first birthday in Dublin, having arrived there less than 4 months prior.

I was given a nice surprise from my dearest housemates just after midnight by waking me up from sleep. Actually I wasn’t really asleep. I was pretending to so that I wouldn’t spoil their surprise.

I was asleep earlier on (no thanks to my attempt to read my anatomy book) but woke up when they came home at around 11pm. Then I wasn’t able to sleep because I knew they were up to something. At midnight, sleep was impossible as SMSs began to stream in.

I tried to be as quiet as I could, replying all the well-wishers while pretending to be asleep under the duvet.

When they shook me up from sleep and sang me the birthday song, I tried my best to put up a sleepy and surprised look. I guess I did ok because they never suspected anything. I would have loved to be properly surprised but how did you expect me to sleep when I knew something was up?

Sorry for deceiving you guys, Joni, Viki & Pao Ying. I didn’t want to spoil the surprise that you have planned.

Had a great time that night morning.

My birthday present from them was a long sleeved black cotton T-shirt… with a cute doggie and my name on it. It was my favourite T-shirt when I was in Dublin (it was warm and comfortable) but unfortunately it’s too warm to be worn in Malaysia.

But the biggest surprise came on the morning of 6 December 2003.

Someone knocked on the door at around 10.30am, looking for a certain Miss Nuraini. With him was a cute cuddly teddy bear.

It was a birthday gift from my mum! And it was Boka’s suggestion to look up for gift shops which provide delivery services online. Even though I’ve never been a big fan of teddy bears, I simply loved the one that I received that morning. I still have it with me now. My only teddy.