Buffetting : Adulthood

I would like to digress, Best Bud I really forgot what day is your birthday! I shall jump for being such an ignorant arse, but I remember celebrating it before once when we were back in 2ndary school. It was 7th of September right? Look I even have a picture with the date to prove it:

Look who had to wake up in the morning to see a cake in the pajamas?!

Anyway back to the present.

The passed week has been one hectic, torturous and not to mention mentally taxing period.

Sequel of the previous post, stepping into adulthood is never easy.

Having everything planned out from A to Z with minimal guidance, support and resources in a week can be detrimental to the mind.

Everyone would have loved it if someone else could have planned their 21st birthday for them, instead of themselves. But I remembered someone telling me that its good enough to be able to celebrate it, some don't even do.

I sucked it up, but as compared to my previous family members who have done it before, mine pretty much was more down to earth and so much less the "vogiu" so-to-speak.The cousins did in hotels, KL tower spinning restaurant, Japanese gourmet, and I think I was the first to throw one in my own house. My aunt was saying how budget restricting I was doing this, but the mom said its better to have it in the house, seeing how empty the entre-port harbor our house used to be is getting this year.

With all the feud and cold war, its gotta be quite impossible to throw parties and have guests over ain't it?

Nevertheless, the Depression in my house has gone, and well I've also decided to just open up again after all these while and made the effort to invite those lost souls again back to my mind.

I thought I was just going to have a depressing 21st with just the family and a few friends, but something told me otherwise, and glad I did because it made me realized I do have people whom actually cared to re-connect, other than those who just sweep things down the carpet, which reminds me of housekeeping of the social media friend list.

When I created the event page I had a hard time tracking down names I would want to plot. I had a few in mind whom I've confirmed them in the list. First was Petite, followed by Fye because they always, ALWAYS invite me out. Every single outing without fail. These are the people you know who actually do think about you for outings and be bothered to make calls and texts to get you into the circle. Hence, their invitation.

Petite's the one in front of me, and Fye's the dark guy on my left.

Yet, Petite and Fye connect people, a lot. I might as well invite the usual gang, minus the ones whom I not wish to have them appear.

Sidetrack again, I got to Paradigm with Queen on the 7th to celebrate her 21st and we talked a lot. 

Gosh loved the food and concept there, anyone wants to go for a session there, do tell! I wanna go too!

Anyway, so we talked on how we'd actually made it this far, and it came to a part when she asked me whom I do not wish to have in the event I will be holding. 

Its such a shame, and a pain to admit that I do not wish to have the ones who promised everything as a group to be there. They have made themselves quite unworthy of my feelings and devotion for them. It was a cumulative effect, with the different wavelength and all, but Monkey's 19th Birthday sparked it all. I was done trying to be nice to them. 

So when Monkey turned up on the event day asking for them, I told him I did not invite them. I mean, they had this celebration for another August baby without me knowing the thing existed, should I be bothered? And Monkey told me that they are having this thing on September and he was asking me to join them. I told him no, or as of now just considered me not going. Seriously what the hell? They don't deserve genuine friendships like Monkey devotes, they take advantage of it.

Monkey wasn't particularly offended in any sense of his 19th birthday fiasco, and it was only me, even Queen said that.

"You differentiate Love and Hate very distinctly. Very."-- Queen

Monkey probably forgot about the incident and forgiven them instantly because that's the best quality he have, yet his weakness too. But I'm different. I take friendship into a whole different level in relationships, so much different from familial ones. Once you betray me, don't you think tricks are going to work, especially after all these years not dropping me any texts, phone calls, or even a hi in Facebook. Forget it.
Hence, the slashing of the S-gang. Best bud should know, though I wonder if he is still actively engaging with them.

And so the usual gang from the high school was there, the people I could connect.

Next up was the people I still wish to connect, the ones from my University Prep-School. They were the ones I grew up with, the ones I truly have matured with. Knowing the fact that we were the "rejects" and surviving 1.5 year of hardship, living the best out of it and stand up to the society telling them off we are so much better than you are, just had me submerged in a very intense sense of belonging.

Not to mention 2 of the best top listed favorite teachers from the prep school too! They were nothing less than an inspiration to me. I would have called the ex-chem tuition teacher, but I guess the crowd was different.

Subsequently, the crowd which I called upon latest and in last minute, the ones from my university, near my house. The ones from the public couldn't make it, because most of them are from the outer areas of Selangor, in which asking them to come by a night from Sarawak, Penang or Johor is just ridiculous. And since the ones in the private are already starting their lectures, they just hollered. With the craziest group in the commencing year of 2012 med school of Monash, these Jessies and Jaggers cast a whole heck of thundering laughs and noise during the event. It was nice to have them around, familiar faces and their tricks of course, but it was nice to have them around.

So the crowd was high school,prep school, med school and 2 of vet school, plus relatives and family friends. The number totaled up to a big 7, so I literally had to attend to everyone without spending more than 10 minutes in each crowd. The event ended abruptly after 9pm because it was Monday the next day, but I was glad it did because I didn't have to stick up for too long to keep ALL of them accompanied.

The last ones to go were, the high school people because they were the ones closest to the house, experience or distance wise. Catching up was fun, everyone were glad they actually made it because most of them never had the time to make time to hang out, some are even leaving for their studies soon.

Hence, the hectic crowd control. The relatives were easy, the friends were tough. It was the most important element of the event, because without a crowd, there's no event ait?

Next up food. Gosh it was a nightmare getting the food settled all by myself for 70 person. Catering services are pretty much a very risky gamble, especially when you have not been using the same one for the past, I don't know, ten years? Had a bad experience with KampungKu from the Crocodile farm back our area, so I had to get all the caterers to send in their menu and make a best bet.

Settled down with Swiss Gardens, because I liked their menu and also because the lady in charge was pretty persistent and efficient in calling me back to follow up, considering my busy schedule. Heck I was talking about changing the Yong Tau Foo to Nam Yu Fried Chicken in the phone with her while I was carrying 37 flowswitches up to the office of our customer. That bad.

" The one from Cheras? The last time I used them their fried rice went stale even before we started."---Mom

Newsflash, bad one. I almost passed out when she said that. Options were out, 2 days before the event and numbers of guests yet to confirm. The last thing I need was this. Not to mention the elder Sis who kept on bugging me that my 21st have no LOK LOK Car. What's that?

swapped from cygentz.com

Ello? I doubt the crowd ca finish the catered food, and we still have a 3kg cake no less and now a lok-lok car? Oh that was not the end of it,she even pestered that the menu was BORING.

How exciting can a Chinese-Malay catering buffer service be compared to Japanese fusion gourmet? Pardon me I'm at a budget here, time and financial wise, and I know no Japanese chef who can drop by, so let go before I blow.

Nevertheless, managed to settle it the morning before the event swiftly, thank goodness. The food was good, though I only managed to try them out today, the day after the event because I was too busy walking around I was surviving on Soya Bean and nuggets only the whole night before everyone left.

not the most glamorous, but I guess this should do the trick. not like press release or some sort.

Last but not least, the cake. Heck the cake was the trickiest, but I managed to nail it no less. The idea was to get the cake shop to carve a "2-1" as the cake shape. But I have to order 2kg minimum for the word 1, and 3kg minimum for the word 2. Hello, 5 kg of cake after a catering? No way, the crowd may not cry I will because I will only be eating cake for the next whole week. 

I cracked my head for 30 minutes for a design, and I ended up choosing something really close to me, the Keyblade. I wanted to look for really cool ones, even thought of the Ten Powers from Rave; but the creativity of a pastry chef can be that limited, I stick to most basic concept of the Keyblade, the Kingdom Key. Headed over to the RT Cake house to have a chat with the chef on laying down the basic designs of the cake, making slight changes here and there so as she may be able to get the shape of the cake with her best confidence. And it turned out to be quite amazing! Even for my pesky elder Sis who bugs on every single detail to admit the cake looks ok, it was indeed okay. For a design dropped by 2 days before the cake delivery, and a concept came up in 30 minutes, it was totally fine. 

Heck, the chef even said she didn't sleep on the night before because she was busy making final touches for the cake.

 

And the presents. They are technically being classified a few different categories:

1-Food

2-Men Grooming

3-Acessories

4-Clothing

5-Books.

 

Well, conventional presents would be Ang Pao aka Cash Pockets.

 

It's easy and simple because the receiver can just buy the things that they want to instead of being disappointed to the gifts which are given that they don't like. Fair enough. 

 

 1- Food

 

Its pretty much the same food, chocolate. The difference is just the brand and the quality. Of course I love all chocolate. Heck its enough for me to survive for all my stress period in Vet School for a semester! Guess I wouldn't need my Garette's popcorn ait? 

 

2- Men Grooming

Somehow I find it a lil weird, because the presents might represent me not being "groomed' enough around them? The primary tuition teacher, being all sophisticated and all gave me this:

 

Heck, I never used one before. 

 

And the ladies from the Monash crowd gave me these:

 

 

They smell so manly, I wonder if I should put them to good use or not. I'm not the manliest man around though.

 

3- Acessories

Well the older generations got me the accessories actually. One of the jap classmates who had the same birthday as I do gave me this:

It was really sweet of her to do so! Very blingish, but I have no idea where to use it on. Maybe on the carkeys.

The aunts and mom got together and bought me a ring and a necklace with the golden key on it. Well, I won't post clear pictures of it, since I've already wore them in the pictures.

And the cousins trio got me a polo set of wallet, pen and belt. Just nice for a guy don't ya think?

4- Clothing

 

Quite simple too, to get clothes for guys. But it sucks when that guy is me, because I'm freaking huge. I've got jerseys, Ts, and Polos. Things which I can wear most of the time, I guess its a good gift?

loved this tie. super groovy.

5-Books

 Which I do appreciate highly too. You see, people tend to not get books unless you really know the person well enough on the genres and authors of the books the receiver likes. But I'm a very random reader, so any books will do. But books on economics,politics or cars, ugh, not yet.

 

So it was a haul but I loved one most:

 

 

Oh this girl is such a babe! She was like the Booze Queen. She knows spots in PJ with best booze and cocktails and she enjoys making them. I can totally imagine a bar in her house, seeing she's from KDU and all, gotta be quite rich eh? But I really loved this the most. I used to talk about wine with her and she knows a loooooooooooooooot. 

 

Probably will keep her contact to get some drink with her next time when we have lives outside of academic school. Can see that I would love it to have her around bars drinking.

 

So that was the day I stepped into adulthood. Was hectic, was crazy, was tiring. Quite surprised I managed to pull it through, even though it was a very small scale event. Heck, I can't believe I used to thrash the school's event like a rocker with my comrades, and international big shots too. 

 

Responsibility calls. 

 

It takes 21 years to make my mom undergo one hardship of me going against her will.

 

I wonder when would the next time be? Sometime, there's always a little whisper in my heart, asking for a rapid relinquish so I wouldn't need to put her through another torment, one which goes against her will for sure.

 

But life's a suffering. Is it okay for me to choose to avoid it?