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I gulped nervously as my hands trembled in fear. People quickly pooled into the hotel like ants rushing to get home. They were all strangers and not a familiar face was in sight. Everyone seemed to have someone to talk to but I was all alone. Feeling as awkward as a turtle, I waddled to the reception center in my sky-high stilettos and asked for my table number for the night. All of a sudden, a figure approached me in the corner of my eye. Turning to face the person, I realised that it was Mr Loo, my parent’s old neighbor. It was his son’s wedding dinner and he had invited my whole family. Unfortunately, my parents could not make it as their company had asked them to fly over to Thailand to oversee a huge project. Because of the sudden change of plans, I had to attend that wedding alone. Seeing that it was my first time attending a family event alone, I was petrified. To prepare for this event, I had even prepared the lines to congratulate mr loon this celebratory event. As I turned to face him, I immediately recited, ‘Congratulations on your wedding! May your marriage be filled with all the right ingredients: a heap of love, a dash of humor, a touch of romance, and a spoonful of understanding. May your joy last forever. Congratulations! ‘

All of a sudden, everyone surrounding us burst into fits of laughter. It was then that I realised that I had congratulated the wrong person! My face turned red as I apologised profusely. Shortly after that, we headed to the ballroom for the dinner. As I sat at the table I was assigned to, multiple pairs of eyes stared back at me. They were all around the same age - at around their 60s, and not a single youth was in sight. Then, they started bombarding me with questions asking about my age, how I was holding up in my studies, and even asking if I had a boyfriend ! I quickly answered their enquiries as fast as possible remove the awkwardness amongst us. Soon, it was time for he food to be served. As the first dished was served, we all waited for the elderly to take some of the food first, as a form of respect to them. Then, we all started digging in quickly. However, due to my excitement to try all the food on the table, my arms swung towards the glass on my right and toppled it over. Orange liquid spilled all over the cloth covering the table, and the people around me gasped in surprise. While some shook their heads at me in dismay, some of the people around me lent me a helping hand and even helped me to clean the table up. Soon, the waiters and waitresses took over and cleaned the table as fast as possible. I apologised to the people sitting at the same table as me and we soon started to eat again.

After that embarrassing incident, I was careful about what I did on the table. We soon fell into a comfortable silence until the lady beside me decided to get to know me better. As the next dish was served, she also helped me to take some of the dishes onto my plate. To show my gratitude towards her, I proceeded to thank her
‘Thank you auntie,’ I politely said to her. To my horror, we was not the least pleased with my manner, but instead got angry at me.
'How dare you call me an auntie! I am still young ! ‘ she defended herself. Soon there was a commotion starting between us and she started scolding me for being rude and assuming her age. As I did not want to start any problems, I apologised profusely and even went as far as to promise not to call her an ‘auntie’ again. I sighed deeply and frowned. This night was not going well at all.

Thereafter, the dinner went on as normal and soon it was time for the final dish of the night- the supper. As the waiter brought out the delicious desserts, my mouth watered. It was my favourite dessert ! In a moment of excitement, I quickly snatched a bowl of the creamy goodness again from the table and started gulping it down like a caveman. Dozens of eyes stared at me and I quickly realised my mistake. I had eaten before the elderly ! I put down my spoon as fast as lightning and apologised profusely for my grave mistake. The others on the table looked at me in bewilderment and continued to shake their heads at me. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to dig a hole in the ground and hide my face in there. After what had felt like a thousand years, the others around the table finally stopped chiding me and started eating their dessert. As minutes went by, the dinner quickly ended and we all walked out of the ballroom. Being embarrassed after all the things that I had done at the dinner table, I speed-walked towards the exit of the hotel the wedding was held in. Out of a sudden, I slipped onto my long dress and fell down on the floor. Gasps of shock and surprise erupted from the crowd behind me. Some of them even walked up to me to help me up. However, as I was too embarrassed to even say anything, I immediately walked out of the hotel, but not after saying ‘thank you’ to the person that helped me up.

After that embarrassing wedding attendance , I swore to never go to a wedding alone ever again.

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Celebrations make up the happiest moments of everyone’s life. Coming from a large family, it is quite traditional for my family to have various celebrations for various reasons each year. Be it birthdays, weddings, wedding anniversaries, you name it. However, there was one particular celebration that I have not forgotten and would never forget. Even if I was given a million dollars in exchange for erasing that memory out of my brain, I would refuse without a second thought.

It was my grandparents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary in a month. My parents, together with my relatives,  planned to make my grandparents’ golden wedding anniversary a momentous one. Instantaneously my relatives and parents got to work. My parents booked a function hall at a grand hotel near my grandparents’ house in advance and also arranged a buffet lunch on that day. Two of my aunts volunteered to invite all the other far relatives and cousins to join in the occasion. My Uncle invited a priest from my grandparents’ church to bless my grandparents pink of health. This was all done without my grandparents’ knowing!

The anniversary day finally arrived, after what felt like an eternity. I put on my favorite dress, a navy blue gown with glittery stones and gems scattered around the hem of my dress. My six aunts and my mother wore the same blue sarees with green hues, all in uniform.Their uniform dress code pleased my grandparents so much that they could not stop flattering their daughters. One of my aunts bought a new set of dress for my grandparents; a pink saree for my grandmother and a white shirt for my grandfather. Both of them adored their gifts. Once everyone was ready, we all headed to the nearby hotel where our celebration would take place at. During our journey to the hotel, my grandparents were teeming with curiosity. They bombarded my parents and relatives with the same question," Where are we going?" After much pestering, I simply lied," We are going to church." We finally reached the hotel, and as we entered the reception hall that we had booked, I immediately stopped in my tracks. What I saw the next second was unquestionably jaw-dropping.

The reception hall was decorated exquisitely with huge golden ribbons taped to the walls, with red balloons tied up at each corner of the walls. A big banner was hung up on the top of the stage. 'HAPPY 50TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY' was written on the banner in bold red and decorated with glitter paint and other designs. The banner was absolutely beautiful, and I later found out it was done by one of my artistic cousins, Monica. These were just a few details from the big picture. After taking a 360-degree turn around the whole hall, my grandparents were speechless. Until my grandmother turned to us, with eyes brimmed with tears, and said, "You all have my blessing," and broke down uncontrollably, shedding all her tears of euphoria.

The celebration was a blast. My grandparents cut a cake, which we then devoured mercilessly. The buffet lunch was served and everything was going smoothly. My cousin and I secretly planned to sing a song to entertain everyone. After lunch, I went up on stage and called for everyone's attention. My cousin played the guitar while I sang melodiously. After I sang, rapturous applause filled the entire hall and I felt like I was on cloud nine. My grandparents looked at me with pride and praised my singing talent. I felt contented as I made them feel content as well.

This is truly one of the most memorable celebrations I have ever been in in my past fifteen years on Earth. I am really grateful for this celebration as it made me realize how satisfied and ecstatic I would feel after making a loved one's day an unforgettable.  I learned that true happiness comes from making someone happy. This celebration is also memorable as I had a chance to connect more with my relatives and especially, my grandparents.

This celebration would be incised in my mind forever

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Pain. Sharp, everlasting pain. It filled every single cell in the heels of my feet as I walked into the brightly-lit room with my three inch high stiletto heels. I made a mental note to myself that I would use high heels as minimally as possible in the future. "Welcome to Hilton Hotel," the doorman said in a cheerful tone. I plastered on a smile and took a deep breathe. I would have to bear with this pain for the rest of the night. Tonight was a celebration that many students anticipated for, where one could express themselves as dramatically as they wanted. Prom night was for all the graduating students to celebrate the end of the hectic O-level examinations, and to bid their last proper farewells to each other. I was led to a grand ballroom and my jaw dropped as I stared, awe-stricken, as the doors pushed open.

The ballroom was absolutely breathtaking, with several dazzling chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The sound of heels clicking was muted by the maroon carpeted floor and every part of the room was filled with students in eye-catching costumes; boys in dapper tuxedos and girls in unblemished gowns. My best friend, Susan, spotted me and ran to me with delight. "Wow! Your dress looks stunning on you," she gaped at me from head to toe. I had spent several days trying to find the perfect dress, and the dress I had finally chosen was long and elegant. The dress was advertised as "sky blue" but in fact was much more pastel and faded. It sat comfortably at ankle height and was decorated with sparkling beads. Before I could attempt a humble response, Susan grabbed my hands and dragged me to the center of the dance floor. We ended up having a "silly-dance showdown" and was giddy with laughter by the time an announcement was made that it was dinner time.

We sat at big round tables laid out with linen tablecloths, with jazz music playing, creating a romantic atmosphere. It was my first time trying a seven course meal and I was curious to see what it would taste like. Some courses, like the appetizer course that served shrimp cocktail, were rather interesting. Others were not to my liking, like the "too healthy" salad course. Of course, I would not hesitate to say that the dessert, which was chocolate silk pie, was my favourite course.

Finally, it was the event everyone was excited for. The voting of prom king and queen was commenced and names had to be written on a small slip of paper before it was inserted into a box. When the results were finalised, the crowd hushed and everyone held their breathes. "And the prom queen is.... Shirin!" I stiffened and glanced around in shock as the students applauded. When the surprise sank in, I walked, embarrassed, to the stage. I was still filled with disbelief as the prom king was announced. Soon after, every student hurried around taking pictures with one another so that the last proper memories of each other could be kept safe forever on our memory cards. By the time I went home, I could not wipe the gleeful grin on my face.

Up till this day, I still have the prom queen sash that was awarded to me, kept in a corner of my wardrobe, forever reminding me of such an unforgettable celebration.

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[P6 Graduation Party]

Today was the big day.

I rummaged through the messy heap of clothes piled up in my closet. Finally my hand brushed up against the familiar fabric and I pulled out my old primary school uniform from the depths of my mountain of clothes. Hastily, I squeezed into my now too tight school uniform. With one deep breath, I sucked in the weight I had gained over the holiday and buckled the belt of my pinafore, all the while I cursing in my head “Who’s stupid idea was it to wear the school uniform to a party?”

Teeming with excitement, my mother burst into my room, “Come on, let’s go! Your father’s already waiting in the car!” She exclaimed as she pulled me to the car by the wrist.

Having driven me to school every morning for six years, my father drove his accustomed route once more with ease and we pulled into the driveway of my primary school within minutes.

We scrambled quickly out of the car and into the school. The school felt foreign without noisy students scurrying around yet a strong sense of nostalgia filled me as we walked through the corridors to the hall. We knew we were heading in the right direction as the sounds exuberant chatter of students and their parents got louder.

The school hall had been completely transformed, streamers hung from the ceiling and confetti sprinkled the floor. There was even a red carpet that led under a bright pink banner with “P6 GRADUATION PARTY 2014” in bold that sat atop an arch of rainbow balloons. The red carpet reached past rows of neatly arranged chairs all the way to the stage. Not to mention the buffet of appetisers, entrees and deserts, complete with coolers of fruit punch on the left of the hall. To the right, there was an old-school disco ball above a temporary dance floor and even a photo booth nearby with an overflowing box of props and a glaring backdrop of shimmering gold streamers. All the bright colours had made the boring gloomy hall I knew nearly unrecognisable.

Instantly my parents made a beeline towards the group of other parents, eager to catch up with the friends they’ve made in the school’s parent support group (PSG) and needless to say compare which secondary schools we had been posted to. Likewise, I immediately identified the familiar faces of my former classmates and rushed to greet them. Everyone looked especially dolled up for today with some of the girls even sneaking on some foundation and mascara to look their best.

Together we had the best of times stuffing our faces with scrumptious food while we laughed recollecting our fondest memories of one another. When the everyone had reached the Principal tapped the mic to grab everyone’s attention and we all settled into the rows of chairs swiftly. He then went through the standard greetings followed by a heart warming speech in contrast. As he congratulated us on our graduation the pride was evident in his voice, he stood tall and proud as he looked at us and we knew in that moment that we had done right by our school. His speech ended with a rousing round of applause and even brought some students to tears. Like clockwork we all rose from our seats to sing the school song. Our voices filled the hall as we sang the school song for the very last time and a powerful sense of unison and belonging overwhelmed me.

Right after that, the hall lights dimmed and the trendiest songs began to blast from the speakers. My closest friends and I looked at each other as though communicating telepathically and we rushed to the dance floor to jam out to “Amnesia” by 5SOS. In the middle of the third song my friend suddenly shrieked. She had caught sight of the empty photo booth and we rushed over. Making full use of all the props, we took numerous pictures all in different poses. The best part was that we all got a printed copy of each picture packaged nicely in a black and gold envelope labeled “P6 Graduation Party 2014” in cursive.

Towards the end of the party the long awaited slow dance song started to play. All of the students cleared the dance floor with the exception of some courageous couples while the rest of us stared wide eyed at their audacity - dancing with each other in full view of their parents 😱 Still my horror completely vanished from my mind when Jim Halpert, the boy I had had the biggest crush on throughout these six years walked up to me and asked me to dance. I could barely contain my enthusiasm as I grabbed his hand with both of mine and launched up from my seat. I was giddy with glee as my heart pounded and an enormous smile plastered across my face. As we stumbled carelessly across the dance floor, I could feel my happiness explode within me like fireworks on the Fourth of July. I nearly could not pry myself from him at the end of the dance. As he turned to leave he gave one last heart melting smile as he looked back that burned into my mind.

The party was ending and it was almost time to go. I huddled together with my closest friends as we made promises to keep in touch. Unknowingly tears had started to stream down my cheeks, I could not believe this was it. Thinking back on all the time I had spent in this school, all the unforgettable memories I have had here almost made these six years feel too short.

Reluctantly I left my friends and headed to the car with my parents. As we left the school a mixture of feelings raged within me. I stared fondly at my primary school until it disappeared into the distance.

I will never forget today.

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I laughed bitterly as my eyes swept over the crowd in front of me. I was still wondering why I even bothered to show up in the first place. Shaking my head, I stepped into the house. The inside was squeezy and small with the number of people stuffed inside the one room. The banner that hung from the ceiling read "Celebrating our six years in school together".

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I would feel like birthdays just come and go in a blink of an eye. However, the 'Sweet sixteen' birthday seemed to have a more significant meaning. People says, "Sixteen is the age where one truly becomes mature." I had never believed in this theory until I actually turned sixteen. I finally realised during my birthday celebration that it was indeed true.

'Beeep!' my phone buzzed loudly all of a sudden. Still half asleep, I checked through my phone. My entire face lit up brightly when I was greeted by all the sweet birthday wishes. After I thanked the people who wished me, I woke up with an optimistic mood, ready to start my day. Some of my neighbours and friends came over to my house and we all ,including my family, started to hang the decorations made earlier onto the wall of the living room. We poured our blood,sweat and tears in getting all the decorations right from the photo booth to the table.

Time flew by in a slit second, it was already time to get dressed up. Few of my friends came over as we helped each other on doing the makeup and hair. One of my friend who was a makeup expert swiped cream and stuffs on my face. We had rotations. In the end, we all looked gorgeous with luscious makeup on and a smooth eyeshadow look that was blended perfectly. I curled my hair, making it more culier that it was already. I had never felt like a princess in my life. I went ahead and changed into my white dress with many tiny details which made the whole cloth beautiful.

By the time I opened my room door, I was stunned to see a lot of people. They all looked at me with astonishment. I was the center of attention by the time i walked in the living room. "Wow! You look amazing!" my relatives and friends remarked. I suddenly had butterflies in my stomach as i had never had a big birthday party. Anxiety enveloped me as I pondered whether people would judge me. I felt like I was thrown away in a dark corner. My deep thoughts were instantly disturbed when my friend jumped on me and wished me. I felt relieved and enjoyed to the fullest, not caring about what others thought. Everyone sang the birthday song as i gently cut the unicorn cake with a shiny golden horn. The cake was coated with melted chocolate and it looked so pretty that i took lots of snaps of it just before cutting. Loud music blasted off as I danced with all my friends and family. I danced till the end that all my makeup started disappearing.

I was constantly brushed with happiness as I took pictures with my loved ones. Soon, the lengthening shadows of the evening reminded us that we had to wind up. Everyone slowly left as i waved them a goodbye. I went to unwrap the stacks of gifts which were lying in the corner. That mesmerising day was one of the greatest time I had in my life. I felt so blessed that my parents would give me such a great party. I also realized how much i had grown in the sixteen years of my life. Little did I realize how tough yet fun getting ready for a party was since I would not care in the childhood days. I still cherish those moments everyday.

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My head pounded with a fervor as the sunlight streamed through the gaps of the closed curtains while a bird's sweet song meant to wake us gently only served as a hammer, pounding away in my head. I groaned, pressing my pillow harder against my ears to shield myself from the noise. I turned over to see my mother in the same condition as me, only difference was that her eyes stared blankly back at me before she asked me, "What happened last night?" I was so exhausted and the headaches were still pulsing, but I still recounted last night's events.

I was sitting at my desk, trying to complete my weekend homework when my mother burst through the front door, arms full of grocery bags from the nearby Japanese market.

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I could not have been more happier and nervous at that moment. Waves and waves of elation and fear engulfed me as I walked towards my form teacher, my hands shaking. After four stressful years, I had finally overcome my largest hurdle yet. My emotions could not how been more mixed. I had spent countless hours hunched over papers trying to cram as much information as I could into my brain. As I walked towards my teacher to receive my certificate, I could not wait to see my family and friends. To find comfort within familiar faces.

As I walked away from my teacher, my certificate clasped around my right hand, unopened and unseen, I noticed my parents and younger brother in the audience at the back giving me a thumbs-up. This warmed my heart deeply and as I took my seat at my class, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction and relief wash over me. I slowly pried open my result slip, anticipation coursing through my veins. B3...A2...A1...A2...A1...A2...B4. My L1R5 was 11 points. Together with my 2 bonus points, I had a score of 9 points. My heart leaped.

After the ceremony, I nearly ran to my parents to deliver them the good news. When I showed them my result slip, they took a moment to process everything. When they did though, my mother nearly strangled me as she wrapped her arms around me. We walked home with smiles reminiscent of a psychopath adorned on our faces. The moment we stepped into our house, my mother asked me," So who do you want over for your graduation party?". I honestly had no idea why I obliged to this idea since I was an introvert ever since I was born. However, I am guessing that the increased concentration of dopamine in my brain led me to agree to the idea. So, I called over a few of my friends from school and some of my family members.

A few days had passed and the day of my party had arrived. My family came first and I greeted them with awkward handshakes and forced smiles while they congratulated me on my achievement. My friends came later with warm smiles on their faces. I was more casual to greeting them. My father had ordered pizza and drinks to appease the guests. Of course, it goes without mentioning, that he bought salad and low-sugar sweets too as would any parent. I was oblivious to the fact that one person was looking directly at me.

I turned and I received the shock of my life when I saw my long-time best friend, Ronald, behind me. I thought I was dreaming at that moment. This was not the Ronald I knew from long ago. This was an older, more matured Ronald. His features were the same as before but everything else was different and yet, I knew instantly that that was Ronald from the moment I saw him. We used to be best friends ever since primary two up until primary six. A mixture of memories, good and bad, flooded my brain, threatening to overwhelm me. I asked him how and why he was here. He pointed at my parents who were talking to a family member.

Apparently, my mother and father decided to invite Ronald over for my graduation party. They knew Ronald and I had drifted apart after enrolling into different secondary schools. I was dumbfounded to my core. I have not seen or even spoken to Ronald in years and now I could not even muster up a word to say to him. He did though. He told me that he came to the party because he missed having a listening and thoughtful friend. He told me that he scored 17 points for his O-levels after subtracting his two bonus points. He just wanted to talk to someone who would listen and I guess I was the one he wanted to talk to.

We talked for over an hour until he said he had to leave. Ronald gave me his phone number before leaving and I made a mental note to talk to him the next day as I enjoyed talking to him again. Talking to him brought back memories of my childhood with him. We were inseparable. I could not forget that day with him from then on. We do still talk to each other regularly.

I realised that that day was so special to me and so memorable because I remembered the simpler times I had with Ronald. We would play together without a care in the world. We were carefree, young, innocent boys who felt content with what we had. Meeting him and talking to him again made me realise how important Ronald was in my life. Without Ronald, who was definitely more of an extrovert, I would never have been able to make more friends and break out of my shell. We were interdependent on each other. I would not be able to forget Ronald or that day ever again.

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Finally. After 8 months of continous hard work and perserverance. I completed my PSLE. I felt as if a yoke had been lifted off my shoulders after what felt like an eternity. For the first time in months, I got to know what it meant to be free. To live without something bordering you, to play, without the guilt eating away at you. My friends and I decided to celebrate the end of the PSLE and the school year by having a celebration over at my friend Jacob’s house. It took 5 people to persuade me to go. I did not want to interact with any other human beings. During the PSLE period, I thought that being alone gave me more time to think about life, and that being alone was better than having friends.

At first, I thought it to be a small celebration party, with maybe some chips and games to play, as Jacob had mentioned. I underestimated the extent that he would go for the celebration. He convinced his mother, who was very strict, to order pizza. I was stunned at the fact his mother relented. Turns out, he had worked very hard before PSLE, doing consistent revision, greatly reducing his time spent playing games. His mother saw the effort that he put in and the pizza party was a reward for his efforts and hard work. I felt so guilty as my other friends and I did not bring anything to the party.

Halfway through the party, half of my class and students from other classes showed up at the door. It was an unexpected surprise, but a welcome one. During the party, we caught up with each other. We spent time playing the xbox Jacob had in his room. As it was the exam period beforehand, Jacob had not played his xbox in months. It was dusty and I even sneezed after dusting it with my hand. During the party, I realised how much I would truly miss my friends. We told each other jokes, shared stories and complained about how our parents tortured us to make us study during PSLE. The PSLE had made my friends and I grow distant from each other as we were a competitive lot and wanted to score the highest among each other. The party made me realise what I had sought to avoid was a mistake. I was regretful for ignoring my friends, and I am sure that my friends did too.

After the party, I thanked Jacob for organising the party to get us back together. I was eternally grateful. The party convinced me that I had to keep in contact with my primary schools classmates. Without the party, I doubt that I would interacted with them after I moved on to secondary school. The party made me realise that I should not have had the thought to shut myself away from my friends. I was grateful for that thought to be gone. This was my most memorable party.

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“I hate my life…” I mumbled to myself. Why must I go there. I could be back at my room playing computer games or practicing the bass guitar while jamming to my favorite rock band mud honey but no. “Your older brother is coming back home after 3 years in Australia. We are going to throw him a surprise party at home but we must fetch him first…then… then…” I slowly remembered my mother’s “master plan” that she masterminded and created and thinking about it really grinded my gears. I scourged the dumpster of my closet to get my casual wear which consisted of an old pair of ripped jeans and my favorite shirt with the letters ACDC that my father gave me for my birthday. I then went down and hopped in my father’s car and we drove to the airport.

We were at terminal 3 of the airport as we waited for my brother’s plane to descend. We waited for at least 30 minutes before we see a familiar silhouette. It was my brother Eugene. My parents ran towards him and gave him a bear hug. Tears of joy can be seen streaming down from their faces and they look as if they were on Seventh Heaven. After that happy tear-stained reunion, I went up towards my brother and gave him a friendly smile and said in a sarcastic tone, “welcome back loser. I really missed you.”

Upon hearing that, He gave me a bittersweet smile and said,” I missed you too nerd.” somethings just never changes and one of that is our brotherly bond between us.

Comparing him now to back then, he really did change quite a fair bit. He is much buffer and slimmer compared to the past. He also now gave of the more mature aura compared to what he gave out before and most noticeably, he have that Australian accent for some reason.

After that reunion, we went back home and that where the celebration begun. Beforehand, we had already prepared everything that is needed including some balloons, a cake and some tidbits. My mother then went back to the kitchen and cooked us up a scrumptious dinner. All of my brother’s favorite dishes were there. It ranged from the tofu all the way to steamed grouper.

However, despite all of the food on the table, we bickered on just one dish which was the fried chicken wings. This is so nostalgic.  Since we were kids, we have always fought for this dish and even now we still did. Seeing the scene in front of them, my mother could only facepalm herself while my dad was laughing hysterically at the scene unfolding in front of him. I eventually as a good and respectful younger brother yield to his request and gave him my chicken wings. However, I could not let this insult to my pride slip away that easily.

When my mother came back with the cake, which was a black forest cake, a sinister idea flashed across my mind. Let’s take revenge I told myself. Thinking about it really put a smile on my face. When my mother was taking a picture of my brother with the cake I grabbed his hair, and with a force of a 900 newtons and at a speed of 40km/h, I slammed his poor face into the cake.  After he recovered, cream was smeared all over his face and all those chocolate bits on the cake were stuck on his face. Instinctively whipped my phone out of my pocket and took a picture of it before posting it on the social networking platform, Instagram with the caption ‘You can really say that he is giving me a black face’

I was laughing like a madman on the floor after what had happened and tears were forming at my eyes. I can feel my stitches forming up in my stomach for laughing so hard. I could also feel my sides splitting.

After what my brother regained his wits, he ended up throwing cake all over me and that was the start of a food war. Cake was smeared all over the walls and there were cake bits stuck in the ceiling but we didn’t care one bit and enjoyed it as if it was the last day of our sad and pathetic lives. we laughed like crazy and as hard as OJ simpson after his trail as we continued it.

Afterwards we were reprimanded very badly for what we have done by our parents and we were forced to clean up the whole place. Even though we got into so much trouble, I think we wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. This memory will always be etched to my mind forever as it shows how strong our brotherly love for each other really is and god forbid i will ever forget it

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I remembered feeling envious of my friends because they had the opportunity to travel to different countries, experience their cultures, see the nature and enjoy the scenery. My father, our family's sole bread winner, always bring us to Johor Bahru for our overseas trip every year. I never got to travel to other countries I wanted to go like Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

However, last year I finally got to travel to one of my favourite country I wanted to visit on my bucket list- Taiwan. It was a memorable celebration as we celebrated my fifteenth birthday in Taiwan. We went to many places like Yehliu, Yang Ming Shan ,Taipei 101 , Shifen Waterfall and Ximending.

On my birthday, my family brought me to Yang Ming Shan mountain in the ungodly hours of the morning to enjoy the Sunrise from the mountain. The view was breathtaking and we took many photos. There were even sheeps and horses on the mountain. I have neither seen nor rode a horse before in my life. I was very excited when I got to ride one. While the horse was walking , it's clacking sounds produced from it's heels sounded so satisfying. However, the weather there was very extreme. It was very, very cold at around seven degrees. The bracing weather there was like a frozen tundra.

By lunch time, we were famished and our hands were numb from the freezing temperature even though we wore gloves. It was a good experience for me as I have never travelled to cold countries before so it was an eye-opening experience for us. The local driver brought us to eat the famous Yang Ming Shan chicken at a restaurant there. When we stepped into the restaurant, we could smell the aroma of the stewed chicken which made us even hungrier. When the main course came , we had to cut the chicken ourselves and we gobbled the food down like wolves. I had to say that that whole day of celebration at Taiwan was just walking, exploring and eating.

We spent the whole afternoon travelling from the Yang Ming Shan mountain to Taipei 101. By the time we reached there, it was dinner time and our stomach was already demonstrating a whale's call. We waited for almost an hour to get a seat at the famous Ding Tai Fung for dinner.

The lift from the ground floor to the 88th floor of the building was quite advanced as it took only forty-five seconds to reach the top floor. During the forty-five seconds there were classical music that was being played in the lift to give off a classy feeling.

The view from Taipei 101 was even more breathtaking than the view at the mountain. The city-lights were very beautiful and mesmerizing. Unfortunately we only had an hour to enjoy the view there as we did not want to miss out the night market performance. At night, we went to Ximending in Taipei to explore their night market. My father even bought a black colored Nike Shoes and a fashionable schoolbag for me as my birthday present. I was elated and grateful for the presents. We ate a lot of street food and I ate so much that I gained weight after coming back from the Taiwan trip. There was even performances and live magic shows along the street. When I watch their street dancing performances I was amazed by their dance moves and I was even more fascinated by the fact that they actually performed Korean Pop songs. I found myself grooving along the music while they perform.

All in all, this overseas trip celebration was memorable and it left a deep impression on me as I am finally able to enjoy the natural scenery from the mountains, eat a lot of delicious, mouth watering local foods, watch the city lights from a building that is as tall as the sky. I was able to ride a horse and most of all , I was able to celebrate my fifteenth birthday overseas with my beloved family. The celebration made my family and I closer than before and we became more bonded. I felt sad while enjoying the celebration as I knew I would never be able to experience these type of moment again. There was also a mix feeling of nostalgia and sentiment whenever I look back at these memories. It was a memorable celebration, a bittersweet celebration.

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As I was sitting on a bench in my garden , looking at all my friends chatting happily , I felt so loved having my close friends around me. Two days ago , I prepared the house for this memorable day.

I vacuumed and mopped the floor. I dusted the furniture. I ran errands just to buy all the decorations to prepare the house for this special day.

The table was dressed with a shimmery table cloth. Vibrant colours of helium balloons and many streamers were hung around. The huge birthday banner which wrote " Happy 14th Birthday " was hung in the middle which was pleasing to the eye. Upbeat music like titanium was played to hyper up the mood of the party.

My favourite part of the party is the birthday cake. My friends woke up early in the morning just to collect the cake that they ordered. The birthday cake had a unicorn horn on it. It had five layers of the rainbow colours and variety of flavours. The icing made me very tempted to savour the sweetness of it.

We had water bomb games at my garden. We took bags of water and throw at each other.

This memorable celebration will definitely be etched in my mind for a long time to come. I realise that having big parties are not as important to me anymore as i grow older. I feel that I just need a few close friends to celebrate this very special day with me.

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I can still remember that day fondly, the memory etched in my brain.

As I stood in front of the registration counter,smiling, I thought, "What better way to celebrate my special day than being here, doing the most fun and exiciting activity in the world!" It was my eleventh birthday and to celebrate, my family, a few invited friends and I were at a Laser Tag arena. After registering, we were brought to a room to get our equipments and put on our laser tag vests. I was bubbling with energy as I was handed the laser gun. My excitement only grew as we finally made our way into the arena.

It was amazing. Dimly lit with red light and black pillars and obstacles hidden by ghost-gray fog, the arena was spectacular and beyond my expectation. It was huge and perfect except for one thing. That smell. It was overwhelming, strong and candy-like. It did not seem to bother the others but it was nauseating to me. It made my head hurt and irritated my nose. I decided to endure the torture and enjoy the rest of my special day playing laser tag!

After a few minutes into the game, I had totally forgotten about the smell and the pain. I was enjoying myself to the fullest. The arena was silent most of the time. I only heard occasional buzzing sounds signalling that someone got shot. I hardly got shot. My strategy was to hide in corners and wait for people to walk past me then zap! Once our time was up, white light filled the room. Everyone had a smile on their face. My friends and I talked about our experience as we all made our way to the exit which was the same way we entered.

I thought it would have been gone. I was wrong. My lungs were filled with poison. That smell of candy soon began to cloy. I could not help but to take deep breaths of it as I was panting after the game. This time I could not endure it. I felt sick to the stomach. My throat burned a little and before I knew it, vomit pooled beneath me. All of the contents from lunch were evident in the pale yellow puddle. Everyone looked at me with shock. I had just embarrassed myself in front of my friends. Now my whole would find out about this and I would be the new hot topic in school.

It was only a matter of time that my friends would start to giggle. However, genuine worry was plastered on their faces. They did not laugh at me. I told everyone that I was fine and that it was the smell that caused me to throw up. I went to the ladies to clean myself up then made my way back to the group feeling much better. My friends cheered me up and made me feel a lot less insecure about the incident which seemed to be a bit silly when I thought about it later.

It was on this day and this celebration that I realised I had found my lifelong friends. Friends who would laugh with me and not at me. Friends who excepted me for me. Lifelong friends who I would cherish forever.