a birthday email

this morning, at the stroke of midnight, someone special lullabied me to sleep with the sweetest most sincere rendition of happy birthday....

on the way to work i received many SMSs from many of my closest friends including one from Zul all the way in Hanoi...

at work...i had an email from Washington...Seoul..Azerbaijan...Moldova...and Iraq...all with well wishes for the year ahead...

Felix from Kenya sent me a touching email...with a beautiful birthday present attached....read on...

today i turn 27 as the world watches on...and some of it...celebrates with me....

Felix. Photo taken in Indianapolis, USA. Summer 2005

Dear Iva,

Happy birthday to you!!!

I recall the last day in Santa Fe, we symbolized the world coming together as One, a birthday without terrorist scare and alerts!

Iva what surprise do you have for us? I could start saving for your wedding, if you propose or he proposes today!!!

May I take this chance to wish you Good Luck, Peace and Fun on this special day in your life, I will buy candies, chocolates and share with a family on the streets of Nairobi to celebrate your birthday as my gift to you Iva.

Iva we Love you and we join you in celebrating your Birthday from all over the world, there is nothing special like the world celebrating one special life.

Lets keep the flame and exchange ideas and encouragements all the times.

One Love, Felix

the weekend...

i had a nice weekend....nice bordering fabulous....

oooh but let's go back to National Day....my favourite local holiday....it was nice to be able to celebrate in Singapore...last year i spent National Day on United Air from Hong Kong to Chicago...brooding away....depressed that I would miss the festivities which i so love...the marching...the F16s...the apaches... the fireworks....

i remember Aaron saying to me last year..."You're really quite Patriotic, aren't you!"...after complaining endlessly that the US embassy arranged for me to fly out on National Day....

anyways...this year's was spent quietly...iman and i went for a late lunch of sup-tulang...(how much more Singaporean can you get?) at Beach Road...and then headed to...well...one of our favourite spots... to just enjoy each other's company...and hey...we got to see the apache's and the F16s fly over us before heading to the National Stadium....

I loved it...loved it soo much...the soldiers in the crisp ironed uniforms...the beautiful state colours...the marching...the singing...everything...

i didn't get to see the NDP fireworks...live that is...

but iman brought me to Marina to watch the last of the fireworks exhibition...the last time i watched this was 2 years ago with Dr F...and we only watched half of it...cos we were late...and also half of it cos it was half blocked by the Durian spikes of the Esplanade...we were so standing at the wrong spot....but iman...iman got it perfect...

it was hilarious really....

ooooh......

ahhh.....

tsk tsk tsk.....

so nice....

it was such wholesome Singaporean experience....could've brought tears in my eyes...and i'm sure it did bring tears to the eyes of the Singaporeans who thought they had the best seats in town when they decided to dine al'fresco at Spaggedies Marina only to find their view blocked by hordes of kiasu Singaporean's fighting to get a good spot to check out the fireworks display...

i'm proud to announce that I was one of those kiasu Singaporeans who elbowed her way through...

i'm feeling better now....can u tell?

Sonia asked me...iva are you manic?... my answer...no...just melodramatic!

empty (part deux)

it's saturday...and i'm at work...


i feel better today....

like the emptiness has washed over...

yet...the feeling still stays with me...

but in a comforting way...

as if there's a place i can return to...

where i can dwell...

and let my thoughts wonder...

where i can feel lonely...

and empty...

for as long as i need to be...

before returning into the arms of those who love me...

empty

when things slow down...

when the deafening loudness quietens...

an emptiness washes over...

quiet and hollow...

ever present...

masked by the noise...

the routine...

but there....

nevertheless...

i can't stop but fill myself....

and immediately let it pour out...

so that the emptiness becomes comforting...

the emptiness becomes a friend...

empty...

ice-cream frenzy

i've been busy....

what's new?

but last week i was busy selling ice-cream...which was an experience that i truly cherish...

you see...i was tasked to head a committee set up to organise an Appreciation Lunch for staff in our organisation...not only did we have to plan the lunch and the entertainment that came with it....i was also tasked with spearheading our organisation's effort to raise money for the President's Challenge 2006.

The target- $8,000.

We sold ice-cream, cookies and our Senior Management sportingly agreed to do really silly things like wear a whipped cream beard and/or dance the hula, etc to raise money.

My favourite was the ice-cream challenge. We had 3 colleagues who pledged to eat a cup of ice-cream for every $10 raised. We raised quite a bit. And my colleagues had to eat 20, 15 and 12 cups of ice-cream each. It was hilarious and it was a lot of fun.

It added much needed cheer and excitement. And guess what? On the lunch itself, we managed to hit our target!

There were several bumps, it was hard work, filled with our blood, sweat and tears...but the end results were certainly worthwhile!