Birthday treat

The dinner invitation from FIL and MIL today was extended to my mother, Da and me. Da's birthday falls on 31 May 2009 and his parents were giving a dinner treat.

After work, Da and I fetched my mother from her home before we proceeded to Da's parents' home to fetch his parents. Thereafter, we drove to Hong Kong Street Family Restaurant at Eastwood Centre. By coincidence or not, Da's parents and my family both like the food at Hong Kong Street Family Restaurant. The dishes are tasty and the prices are reasonable.

There were five of us at the dinner table but somehow we ended up ordering six dishes! We had initially ordered five dishes. However, MIL wanted an additional order of a soup and hence, we ended up with six dishes. MIL explained to my mother that the Cantonese are used to drinking soup with their meals. For us Hokkiens, we can do without soup at meals. In fact, I usually use the soup merely to wet my rice and I often do not finish the bowl of soup. I am not fond of Chinese soups.

After a very heavy dinner, it was time for Part Two! Cake time! During lunch time today, I had bought a walnut cake from Bengawan Solo Cake Shop. I was not sure whether the shop assistant would give me a few candles, a "Happy Birthday" plastic sign and a plastic knife since I only bought a cake that cost S$7.80. Taking a chance, I thickened my skin and asked if she could give me a few candles, etc. To my pleasant surprise, she obliged. (By the way, the good news is that I am now the proud owner of two plastic signs - "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Birthday"... *grin*...)

As we were eating the cake at the restaurant, we did not do a very boisterous version of "Happy Birthday" when we sang the birthday song to Da. However, given the fact that we were the last customers left in the restaurant, I guess all the waitresses were looking in our direction.

By the time we left the restaurant, it was around 11 pm. After giving Da's parents a lift home, we gave my mother a lift home. Da's parents and my mother both gave Da a red packet each, to wish him "happy birthday" and for "good luck". For the Chinese, it is customary that the older folk give the younger folk a red packet "for good luck" on the birthdays of the younger folk.

My family will be coming to our home for dinner tomorrow. I will be cooking the dinner tomorrow and I am planning a Japanese theme for dinner. I intend to bake and decorate a cake for Da tomorrow but I have a feeling that the dear boy will not want to "cut cake" again. Shy, lah....