I turned 27 on the 28th

On Friday the 28th, I turned 27. What have I got to show thus far ... well, nothing much except that I've been blessed with the most wonderful family, engaged to the sweetest of gal, made friends with some of the craziest bunch of peeps and lived life to the best I simply could ... or at least that's what I like to think. Come on yo, it's my big day no? :P

So how did I spend my birthday you ask??? Well, I slept in late. Haha ... yea, since it was on a Friday, it was also an off day for me, so sleeping in just seems to be the right thing to do. Just before lunch time, SY and I lazily made our way to Marina Mall and there we had lunch at La Brioche. A pretty decent French chain restaurant that's rather popular with the expats and locals alike here in Abu Dhabi. Seated at the table, it was nice just to watch the variations of people pass us by.

Soon we were served complimentary bagguette with yummy truffle butter. Our drinks of refreshing strawberry and lemon iced teas were served in a long cylinder glasses that's pleasing to the eyes as well as the pallet. Our grumbling tummies demanded to be served well, hence we started off with some delish chicken ceasar salad and an almond croissant. Both were good ... the salad's crunchy greens paired well with the juicy chicken fillet tenders and the salty truffle butter complimented the sweet croissant especially well indeed.

Our mains came next and we both wanted pasta. SY made the better choice this time around with spaghetti on white truffle mushroom sauce. It was rich and creamy ... just the way we both liked it. My chicken & spinach lasagna was a bit of a dissapoinment since it tasted bland and the cheese used seemed a li'll 'rubbery'.

We walked around the mall for a bit before taking a pit stop at Starbucks. Here I had my 'bday' cake in the form of a slice of the ever sinful strawberry cheesecake. SY went to buy me a 'love candle' and was prepared to sing me a bday song but I insisted on having my bday song sung behind closed doors instead since there were so many people in the mall that day. Malu lah!!! Haha. :P

We then took a cab to Abu Dhabi's Heritage Village and on the way there, we passed by the marina and feasted our envious eyes on the many luxury yachts parked majestically there. Entry to the Village is free of charge and inside, we saw a group of Emirati men singing traditional folk songs. Clay huts were also on display to give visitors a glimpse of life here in the UAE before the vast developments kicked in. Further in, shops were plying their trade of swords, perfumes, carpentry, glassware etc. Some fried sweets were also offered on a complimentary basis. There is a museum as well and inside, one can see old photos of Abu Dhabi and appreciate how this country have tremendously developed over the past 37 years. From bare nothings to what it is today ... nothing short of an amazing accomplishment I must say. Live farm animals like goats and cows were also on display to showcase the livestocks available in yesteryears.

Soon it was dinner time and we had to walk a good 20 minutes back to Marina Mall to hail a cab. The amount of people in the taxi queue was most disheartening indeed with at least 50 people in front of us. Luckily the number of taxis were abundant and the wait was cut short to approximately 30 minutes. We told the cab driver to drop us off at Novotel Hotel and on the 2nd floor lies Restaurant China. This is my second visit here and this time around we satisfied our craving for authentic sour & spicy soup, sharks fin with scrambled egg, plain stir-fried kang kung and deep fried spare ribs. As usual, we were guilty of over-ordering again but we managed to 'stuff' it all nevertheless and washed it all down with some soothing tasting chinese tea.

After being out almost the entire day, we retired back home and I got my bday song. Just the two of us, the lights dimmed ... she sweetly sung, I clasped my hands, made my wish and blew out the candle to mark the end of another wonderful birthday made that much more special with SY being around to enjoy it with me. :D

Ooo ... that's me in the Polo shirt my bros got me. Notice how my collar was flipped up. SY doesn't like it this way but I can do it since it was my bday. She said it made me look as if I've lost my neck wo. Haha ... what say you guys??? To flip or not to flip??? And in photo 3 ... that's obviously the 'love candle' sitting on the duvet sheet SY bought. Nice hor ... :p