It's that time of the year

This is the time of the year which is the most torturing for Yin How. Why? Because my birthday is coming. I’m someone who loves surprises so even if I wanted something for my birthday, I wouldn’t tell him. Instead I’ll drop him all sorts of hints. Then Yin How (being the unobservant guy he is) will have to crack his head trying to figure out what is it that I want for my birthday.

Usually around a month before my birthday, I start asking asking him, “Watcha gonna buy for my birthday?”Then around a week before my birthday when he knows time is running out, he’ll start pestering me, “Wei… what do you want for your birthday?” and I’ll reply, “Nothing la”. Yin How will then have to interpret this reply using his male brain…. does “Nothing la” really mean nothing at all, or does it mean “I’m saying nothing but actually I want something and if I don’t get something on my birthday, you’re gonna pay for it”. ;) Then he'll use his same old strategy on me, "If you won't tell me what you want, I won't buy anything for you." and I'll reply, "Don't need la". Then he'll be back at the same dilemma, does "Don't need la" mean there's really no need to buy a present or you better buy a present?

So Yin How will have to go on with this guessing game until my birthday comes. And on my birthday, he will wait anxiously while I open my surprise birthday present, hoping that I will like what he bought me. To me, it’s the thought that counts, and not the actual birthday present and so far every year I’ve be happy with everything he bought for me… well… almost everything (see the 23th birthday).

This is a list of what Yin How bought for me over the years.

• 18th birthday – A gold ring
• 19th birthday – A handphone. This was my first handphone and Yin How started saving his allowance months before my birthday to buy this RM630 handphone for me (that’s quite a lot for a college student living on a weekly allowance)
• 20th birthday – We were in KL studying and he wanted to surprise me with a birthday cake but my housemate saw it in the fridge and asked me about it, ruining his surprise. :P
• 21th birthday – Still studying in KL and he was dead broke. While I was still sleeping in the morning, he snuck out, drove to Watsons to buy a doggie soft toy which I said I liked, came back and put it on me. I woke up finding the soft toy and I always tell him that even though it was the cheapest present he got me, it was the most meaningful present to me.
• 22th birthday – At this time, he starting working in Dell, and he wanted to get me an expensive present to make up for the years in KL when he was always so broke, so he bought me a Vanessa diamond bracelet.
• 23rd birthday – Lingerie. I felt like this was a present to himself and not for me
• 24th birthday – Something personal :)
• 25th birthday – White gold earrings

So what do I want for my birthday this year? Actually nothing la… I’ve reached the stage where birthdays are not that exciting anymore. It’s just a reminder that I’m getting older (but hopefully wiser). So does “Nothing la”, really mean nothing at all this time? I’ll let Yin How guess for himself. ;)