Daddy's 70th Birthday Celebration

I was so looking forward to 16th of November this year because it was my Daddy's 70 th birthday! The celebration started when we all met for dinner at a restaurant specializing in - what else, but Daddy's favourite hometown food - 'Hakka' dishes! Daddy treasures his Hakka ancestry, I believe. He speaks fluent Hakka. But since he married a Teochew (my mummy), he willingly gave up his 'Hakka' roots and switched to Teochew porridge and Teochew cooking, out of respect for my mum who is in charge of culinary at home. Daddy loves my mum and his family. He would give up little pleasures in his life to make everyone else happy.

Guess Mum wanted to pamper Daddy for the sacrifices he has made all these years :) Initially, me and Ting had the idea of Chinese cuisine at a hotel. But mum crusaded and persuaded us to instead opt for a simple Hakka restaurant. It turned out to be a rather nostalgic evening as we all tucked in for a great meal of Hakka cuisine. It was so like my folks' values - upholding thriftiness, appreciating and enjoying simplicity ;) Something I really hope to learn more and more as I mature.

Daddy and his xin-gan-bao-bei, Ashley

Daddy's xin-gan-bao-pei No.2, Tristan!

One for the camera, PaPa!

One more shot!


Our family shot (Tristan giggling away!)



Family shot #2 (Tristan still doing his happy birthday song & blessing Gong Gong?)



Grandparenting is one of the great pleasures of life... with grandkids as adorable as Ashley & Tristan, who would want otherwise ;)

The huge claypot rice - Hakka style!

This yummy mango cake was ordered from Orchard Hotel. It was filled with mango slices & coconut flakes sprinkled at the edge.



There was a mini tragedy, however, regarding this cake. I had ordered from Orchard Hotel (which appeared in a Straits Times feature of 50 yummiest cakes!) as I felt that it was worthwhile to splurge on an item like this on Daddy's 70th birthday. Mango cakes are Daddy's fave and I just wanted to please him.

However, I kindda messed up the whole process, with my ignorance. Sigh;( I had collected the cake on Saturday evening and stored it in the fridge overnight, which was fine. Come Sunday, we had to leave the house earlier in the afternoon. So we took the cake with us and placed it in the car, which I judged to be relatively cool. We didn't park under the sun or anything like that. Alas!!! That turned out to be a BIG BIG mistake. When evening arrived and we brought the cake from the car to the restaurant, I opened the box & to my horror and upset, the cake had collapsed and the mango slices inside had fallen out at the edge. The look of the cake was completely destroyed! I was greatly disappointed! Since the cake was 'disfigured', I reckoned we cut the cake at home.

Look at Tristan drooling over the cake ;) Notice the 'disfigurement'... sigh!

Tristan, you dun get no cake until you hug Gong Gong... heehee.

"OK, now - where's my cake ??"

Daddy having his slice.

Anti-clockwise: Ash & Uncle Fred just resting, Christmas decors, Tristan playing with gingerbread man






Daddy with her daughters & sons-in-laws

Dear daddy, may you have many more birthdays to come & I will make sure your birthday cake stays intact next year, haha. I love you, daddy!