One year difference

Ducca’s birthday a year ago was, well, eventful. In a good way, of course. On that day something happened that was previously unrecorded in Ducca’s past birthdays. Not that Ducca’s past birthdays are dull, in fact, every birthday is special to Ducca, but, the memory of last year’s birthday is especially sharp.


If one year ago, during my birthday, if you’d told me I’ll be spending my next birthday with strangers in an alien place, I would have laughed in your face.



But it did happen. A year ago, my mates sang the birthday song during class which made my face extremely red. A year later, I’m in a totally new place which I visited for the first time, spending my time with around 60 people I had not known existed before. And no, they didn’t sing the birthday song. Thank god. Lol!


All I can say is, what a difference a year makes. The saying, though clichéd, rings so true: you never know what will happen tomorrow, let alone a year! Though this year I’m far away from my closed ones(I miss them badly!), events that happened made this year’s birthday another special occasion.


Because I had to be outstation for days leading up to my birthday, I really can’t celebrate it on the big day itself. Thus, my relatives over here celebrated with me a few days earlier(thanks!) and the next day I was off to work outstation for 3 days.


Around two hours left to the start of my birth-day I received a surprise from one of my colleagues who was also outstation with me. Ohh..i really didn’t expect him to treat me, so I was really surprised when it came. And then the clock struck midnight, and well, my birth-day began!


I spent the first hour of my birth-day playing ps2 with virtual strangers, which happened to be my hostel mates for the day. It’s been such a loooong time I last touched a ps2, and I deserve to play till late night ahh!! Ahahah!! I was already starting to like my hostel mates a lot. They are very kind and warm and funny and approachable.


I went to sleep around 2am after that, only to wake up 4 hrs later for work! The whole day I was trying hard not to fall asleep during work, with a slight headache too. But I told myself this is only for a day, how many times do u have the opportunity to work elsewhere and spend good time with people you just met? So what if I slept late? I don’t get to do this often!


When it was time to say goodbye, there was the tiny feeling of sadness there again. over the relatively short time we had, I had grown to like the place and its people a lot. I was sure I’m gonna miss them! One of them greeted my birthday as we parted, and I’m thanking him in my heart that he remembered, tho I suspect he still couldn’t remember my name!


For dinner I bought some Dunkin’ Donuts(we don’t that store where I’m staying) and off we’re back to our original town. I checked my phone and found there were a few messages from my friends greeting me. Aww..you guys!! Thanks a lot!! This marks the first year I’m not seeing my friends on my birthday, and also theirs. Sigh. Don’t worry, when we gather in the future, let’s party till we drop our pants!! XP


So. A year is all it takes for all the difference. A year later I’m in a new place, around new people, doing new things. I wonder then, how will my birthday next year take place? Another new place? Another new event? Another person to share it with? Who knows? I only know that, a year from now, I’ll look back at last year and this year with fond memories.


This is an account of how I spent my first birthday away from my loved ones, what I did, how I did it and who I did it with. I miss you guys. Thanks for all you’ve done.

*written 21st Sep*

A rare day

Like most of Ducca's friends, Ducca has two birthdays in a year, one from the lunar month, and one from the widely used 'English' calendar(Gregorian, issit? can't remember the official name). But the two birthdays never fall on the same day for as long as Ducca remembers. Then it occured, it never happened since Ducca was born.

But this year, it's different. This year, in fact, Ducca finally gets two have two birthays on the same day.

This year's birthday is really really special. It is xtremely rare that the two dates fall on the same day. The last time this happened was, well, was on the day Ducca was born!!!

The next time it happens again...well...Ducca might be very old already till then...so let's savour this year's b'day with awesomeness!!!


But there's a downside though...this year marks the first year Ducca is without Ducca's loved ones near during the bithday...and on such a special, once-in-a-few-decades year....it makes the heart ache....it's just too bad...and sad...

But Ducca refuses to be saddened by this fact...it is, after all, a special day, and why spoil it? Whether Ducca is going to celebrate it alone or not, at least, take heed in knowing that this is not a moment to be missed...



Happy Birthday Ducca!!!

What price would you pay?

Seven dollars. It's not really that much. But for a poor ass ex-student with low income living off breads almost everyday, seven dollars is a heavy sum to pay up. So, to be fair(to my wallet too), i live by a fairly loose rule: if you want to spend, make sure it's damn worth it. And no regrets.

It was a Monday, and i had an extra off day. What do i do? I have two choices: either stay at home and listen to 3 kids shouting, crying, playing and fighting outside your door, or go to the mall. Being the bored ass i was, either i get out, or explode in my own room.

So there i was, in the mall. Wanting to catch a movie, i went straight to the cinema. there wasn't much choice; there's only 'Money No Enough 2', 'Babylon AD' and 'Death Race' being shown among other thai horror movie and malay romance film. And Wall-E. I chose to watch 'Money' first, and in i go.

After 2 hrs i came out, not knowing what to do, and where to go. Why not, i say, watch another movie, just to pass time? Now i'm left with 'Death' nd 'Babylon'. From the papers, 'Babylon' didn't get good reviews. And 'Death' does not really appeal to me either. I have a feeling that i would be disappointed in both films, a feeling both won't be the kind of film i reeeaaalllllly enjoy, but what to do? Do i want to spend another seven dollars for a movie i think will be crappy?

My logical side is screaming 'IIDDIIIOOOTTTTT!!!!!!' as i handed the girl behind the ticket counter my cash. i went in for the movie, and i came out feeling a little pissed. The movie is THAT bad. Shit!!!!

There i am...a bit regretful for sitting through the movie...but later i reasoned, hell, it is waaay worth it than enduring kid's screams and shouts and tantrums. Seven dollars of freedom....seven dollars of crap movie...a small price to pay.

i made it sound if the kids are kids from hell. Well, they are, in a way, when they have their tantrums(which, by the way, almost all the time!)...


So yea. what price would you pay to escape these kids? i say seven is just right.



By the way, the crappy movie which i went to is 'Babylon'. The paper was right. Damn. ANd i have no intention to watch 'Death' either.