Turning 26

29th of October

Gosh, has it already been 26 years? Time seems to creep up on you, ready to pounce when you least expect it. It only seemed like yesterday that I was a fresh faced college kid, eagerly awaiting his first day in college. Now, I'm a working person with 4 years of work experience under my belt. I know 4 years is not much, but it sure doesn't seem like it.

Heck, in another 4 years, I'll be celebrating the big three-oh *shudder*

I can't imagine myself as a 30 year old man. Then again, a few years ago I would have told you that I couldn't imagine myself as a 26 year old young adult. A person's perspective of age sure changes a lot the older they get eh. When you're 18 years old, you think being 30 is old. When you're 30, the 'old' age is 40, and when you're 40 it gets pushed back another 10 years or so. Soon, we'll have 60 year olds claiming that life only begins at 70.

Denial me thinks?

As for me, I intend to age gracefully (I hope!). I know at 26 I am no longer considered young. Sure, I still fall under the category of a young adult, but I'm no longer young in the 'carefree, youthful' sense. I am only young in the 'hair still black, face haven't wrinkled, perut haven't buncit' sense.


26 green bottles hanging on the wall.......

So how does it feel to be 26? Not much difference actually. Sure, my body doesn't process junk food as well as it used to anymore, resulting in my gaining weight (ugghh); my hair seems to be thinning in certain areas; and I am beginning to get that old person syndrome where your body creaks and pops whenever you change from a sitting to standing position, and vice versa. But other than that, there is not much difference - really.

Of course, to me there is not any difference, but I am sure that it won't be long before school kids start looking at me and thinking 'uncle'. Even now, toddlers and pre-schoolers are being taught to address me as Uncle Bernard.

Arghhhh!!!

I tell you, the day 20 year olds start calling me Uncle Bernard is the day I'll buy myself a flashy sports car and zip around in a vain attempt to recapture my youth. Forget everything I said about aging gracefully!!...

The grim reaper of age and senescence will have to pry the chalice of youth from my cold, dead fingers!

He'll have to drag me kicking and screaming down the alleyways of arthritis...

..across the ditches of dentures, over the gunungs of geriatricity and through the valleys of viagra-dependancy!

I won't go down without a fight!!

My birthday, Brokeback style

The melodrama aside, this year's birthday was pretty memorable for me. Not only because my girlfriend brought me horseback riding, but because I managed to spend it with the people who matter to me the most - my family, girlfriend and friends.

Oh, did I mention I went horseback riding? It was something my girlfriend planned for me, and it was my first time. Yup, I'm a virgin when it comes to spreading my legs and mounting a big, hairy, muscular animal...oerrr.



It was quite scary at first. Walking up close to a large animal such as a horse, I couldn't help thinking "What would happen if it turned around and kicked me in my nuts?"

Thankfully, I never got the chance to find out as I obediently followed the instructions of the horse-dude and planted myself near the head of the horse at all times.



After explaining the basic components of horse riding, the instructor asked me to get on the animal and take it around their small track. Getting on it was simple enough, but once it started moving it was an entirely different story altogether.

"Tarik rein ke kanan untuk jalan kanan!" yelled the instructor, who by the way is named. Junior.

I yanked my reins to the right, but nothing happened. Bear in mind that at that time I was traveling straight towards a wooden wall (I know that the horse wouldn't be stupid enough to run into a wall, but that knowledge somehow eluded me then)

"Lebih Kuat!!"

Panicking at the sight of the fast approaching wooden wall, I gave a might tug at the reins. The horse responded by giving a loud, annoyed snort and ignored me entirely.

Crikey! Images of me somersaulting over the horse and the wooden wall, off the cliff and to my death crossed my mind. Thankfully, the horse avoided the wall (as a horse normally would) and I timidly let it lead me around the track a few times while I worked out the proper technique for using the reins.

After while, I got it! When the horse first responded to my commands, it was amazing. Pull left on the reins, and it goes left - pull right and it goes right - pull back and it stops. It's just like a remote control car! A remote control car which can throw me off its back whenever it likes and stomp on my nuts of course.

I am glad to report however, that there were no nut-stomping incident throughout the entire hour we were with the horses. Instead, we went for a very fun one hour ride around Bukit Tinggi. Sitting atop such a majestic animal, with the clip-clop of its hooves emanating throughout the hillside - I almost felt like Legolas from LOTR. Of course, unlike Legolas, I almost shitted in my pants when the horse suddenly began to gallop.

Looks like I'll need a few more lessons before I can reenact my LOTR fantasies.




Birthday parties

I say parties because I was not the only one celebrating a birthday on that particular weekend. My friend Norman also celebrated his together with 2 other friends of his.











Below is a picture of the birthday dude looking nice and sober. I heard that wasn't how he ended his night though....hahahah.





Daniel on the other hand, appeared quite normal - but the truth became apparent when he strutted around with his chest sticking out, inviting us to abuse him. We came up with a very good test to see how sober a person is (which we tested on Daniel), we even had it down on video but due to its nature, I don't think it's appropriate for me to post it here *ahem ahem*





For my birthday, we celebrated over dinner at The Smokehouse along Jalan Ampang.

I am quite malas to story what happened. The photos are pretty self-explanatory hor.





















All in all had a great time on my birthday. Thanks to all my family and friends who made it special for me. When I turn 30 we'll celebrate big time okay? We'll all go get ourselves a couple of drinks (tea of course) and reminisce about the good old days when we were young and full of vitality!

Sounds like a plan!