28. Is it any different than 27 or even 26? I certainly don't feel any different. I guess that's because nothing really drastic has happened in my life in the last few years. Unlike 22 when I moved to South Korea or 24 when I moved to Australia, 28 feels like it's going to be much like 25, 26 and 27. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful I'm here for another year especially in a country I love living in, with a partner I adore and a growing network of friends. My birthday wish is for more of the same. I am glad I'm not 30 yet!
My birthday fell on a Friday. For most birthday boys and girls, having your birthday on a weekend day is ideal. I had just come back from three weeks of travelling with Dave around the US, Belize and Guatemala and I didn't expect Dave to have much planned. A quiet birthday didn't look so bad.
Dave woke me up on Friday morning with a gorgeous breakfast. He gave me a kiss on his way out the door for work. I ate my breakfast with delight knowing I had such a sweet man to share my birthday with.
After a bit of grocery shopping, I returned home around noon finding Dave had taken a half-day off work. He showed up at our door with a pot of beautiful yellow flowers and a take-away food containers from my favourite take-away Thai restaurant with my favourite Thai meal - Pad Khee Mao or Drunk Noodles with Chili Basil sauce.
We took a sarong out to the beach and ate our take-away Thai in the warm sun and cool breeze. I cannot stop when it comes to chili peppers and as my eyes welled with tears and my mouth and throat fiery hot, Dave took off to buy a bottle of water and returned with the water and a delicious orange poppy seed cupcake - sweet finish for such a lovely birthday lunch.
I was full and sleepy after lunch, but Dave insisted we go up to Randwick, the shopping area near Coogee. We stopped at the Vodafone and picked up the newly released Samsung Note 3. When it comes to electronics, I'm very complacent. If the technology is doing what I need it to do, I usually don't see any reason to upgrade. Dave being an analyst for the mobile market in Australia has been pushing me to upgrade because my contract ran out months ago. Once I have the new technology in my hands, I'm quickly converted and I was.
The Note 3 is massive! It covers my entire face, which could be annoying if my cheek hangs up on someone. What I enjoy about this phone is the large screen and ability to multi task with multiple browsers open. Before we bought it, I tested the Vodafone staff to dazzle me with the features of the Note 3. This was a mistake. They knew basic features that older models of the Galaxy series already has. Thankfully, there was a more knowledgeable staff member who could show us especially with the camera. Unfortunately, the previous train wreck of a show lasted too long and I was getting quite irritable with them wasting our time. When it was time to purchase the phone, we had to go back home and get my passport to secure the transaction and then it took twice as long to transfer my data plan and files from the old Samsung Galaxy 2 to the new Note 3. At this point, I was like a irritable baby ready to cry and yell at everyone. If you know me, you'd know that if I'm sleep deprived, I get really irritable. However, a quick 20 minute power nap fixes everything and I'm renewed and chipper again. I felt bad because Dave thought getting the phone wouldn't take long, whereas I was ready for a nap. During the transaction, I missed a phone call from a recruiter I needed to answer. When I called back, I couldn't hear her because of the loud street. This call then prevented all of my music files from transferring over. When I finally got the Note 3 set up, I had lost all of my call history, which is important especially when you're job hunting. By the time we got home, I had to bring it up with Dave that he should have let me take my quick nap and then we could have gone. He was so upset because he hates upsetting me. I felt like a jerk, but we both reached an understanding that we both needed to be more patient and understanding of each other's priorities. Dave is so sweet. Whenever he gets an idea in his head to surprise me, he doesn't think about any variables except for making the surprise work at any cost. At the end of our conversation, I told him I really appreciated everything he's done and will be more appreciative after I take a quick nap. He then drops the bomb that I only have 40 minutes until we have to be nicely dressed and at the bus stop to go into the city!
I took my nap with 10 minutes left to spare. I was still a bit irritated, but felt much better than I had. While I was sleeping, Dave had added all the apps I used on the old phone to the new one. I quickly showered and we were out the door. We missed the bus he planned on us taking, but took the next one. In the end, we arrived at our destination at the exact time we needed to.
As we disembarked from the bus at Circular Quay, Dave had a sly look on his face. We walked past Cafe Sydney. We walked past the Shangri-La. We were going to Quay! This restaurant is the only 3 hatted restaurant in Australia and is listed in the top 50 restaurants in the world! I didn't expect us to go here unless it was our anniversary.
The dining area had tables near the windows overlooking the harbour and Sydney Opera House and had tables on a platform farther away from the windows, but were elevated and had mirrors on the back wall which reflected the view from the windows. We had the pleasure of sitting on the platform tables. We had a gorgeous view. I quickly interrogated Dave on his plans for my birthday.
He had booked this reservation 6 months ago and his surprises weren't over.
After a beautiful 4 course meal, Dave presented me with a home-made card. I opened the stapled edges to find a booklet entitled "Dear Shadiyah, On your 28th birthday here are...28 reasons why you're my favourite". Turning each page, there was a reason featuring a puppy with a look that complimented the reason. It was the cutest and sweetest gesture. Every morning, I wake up Dave with puppy images from Instagram telling him the puppy wants him to wake up. He can't help but look at the puppy image and then starts to wakeup. We would love to have our own dog, but living in a one-bedroom apartment wouldn't be an ideal environment for a dog. Plus, we wouldn't be able to walk the dog on a regular basis. Looking at puppy images on Instagram is the next best thing for us.
As I reviewed each page, my heart melted even more. Dave and I couldn't stop kissing at the table, but realised we had the most amazing desserts in front of us ready for us to dig in. Hand on heart, I had the best chocolate cake I had ever had. Quay's desserts are regular features on the TV show Masterchef Australia. Dave had the famous Snow Egg. He cracked into the 'egg' and ice cream oozed out. The egg rested on an nest of fruit flavoured ice chips or granita. It as so refreshing and light. My eight layer magic Chocolate Lava Cake was more decadent. When it arrived, the server poured hot chocolate ganache in the middle of the circular cake. The ganache melted the cake through creating a hole where the ganache sunk in. Cutting through the cake with my fork revealed the delicious layers. We both shared our desserts bite for bite, but my last bite was definitely the chocolate cake.
I still don't know what the bill amounted to, but I'm sure it was as heavy as that chocolate cake. It didn't matter though. Dave and I enjoy treating ourselves because we work hard and save. When we have special occasions whether it is a birthday, anniversary, new job or just a much needed treat after a hard work day, we don't think twice about treating ourselves.
We ended the night by walking around the Sydney Opera House, the very view we had during dinner. We played around with the new Note 3 using the different camera features to capture the harbour night life.
My birthday celebrations didn't end there. For Saturday, Dave had the idea of sharing my birthday with our close friends with a beach barbecue in our new neighbourhood - Coogee. At noon, we took over two coveted picnic tables near the barbecue pit on Coogee Beach and set up the picnic blankets and balloons. Planning a gathering is not hard compared to waiting on who will actually show up. The first person arrived at 12:45 pm. Fifteen minutes later, more and more people began to show up. By 2 pm, we had about 30 people! Two hours late, but the party was a success.
Water-balloon Fight!
Ready? Aim. FIRE!
Passing the Balloon From Above and From Below
Race to the Front!
Dave and I are known for being the party games masters. We set up various water-balloon games involving partners and groups. We ended the games with a final water balloon fight. Most of our friends are in their late 20s to early 30s. Luckily, our friends can easily find their inner child and enjoy water-balloons as much as Dave and I do. My soccer girls even created a mini-soccer game where we had to play with a drink in hand.
October 4th Birthday Girls!
Me and Ainsley
By sunset, we packed up everything and few friends helped up bring the picnic items back to our apartment. No one had seen our new apartment yet, so this was our first chance to show them the apartment we desperately hunted for and were finally enjoying. After Dave demonstrated his ukulele skills and teaching a few friends how to play a Jack Johnson song, we left to go to Coogee Bay Hotel - the dirty pub everyone goes to when everything else is closed. We sat in the beer garden enjoying our wedges and beers, not so much the meat market constantly approaching our tables. My soccer girls wouldn't let me end the night without a shot of course.
So 28 still doesn't feel any different than 27 or even 26. The celebrations were top-class and I am so thankful to have such a wonderful boyfriend and amazing friends in Sydney.
One thing that getting older should teach me is to slow down a little. I went running on Monday, two days after my birthday and tripped over a bump in the side walk Getting older is definitely not going to help the healing process.
