Birthday Memories

It's two weeks to my birthday and I have to be honest, I've been excited since September started. I think it's cos August is not an "ember" month. But when September rolls by, I know it's on! This is the finish line. This is when my birthday is going to roll around the corner and for that one day I am going to be queen of the world. A friend of mine pointed that by doing this I am essentially excited about my birthday for 25% of the year. I am totally fine with that. I'm not completely stupid. I do know that thousands of people are probably queen or king of the world for that day, but that's something I don't need to think about.

I know it's kind of vain and attention-seeking to be so excited about a birthday. I think it all started back in school. Since I started kindergarten, birthdays were a big deal in school. We were allowed to wear "color dress" which was essentially not the school uniform. All 500 people in school knew that day was my day. You walk around and everyone wishes you. The whole school assembly sings for you. One of my big fears was that some other kids will have their birthday on my day and I'll have to share it. Actually there were these twins who had their birthday on the day before mine. The rule was that if any birthday was on the weekend, they could do it the day after or the day before. I did not like those days when 3 of us would stand in the assembly together. Especially if they were the ones hijacking my day.  I think the amount of attention that we got in school for birthdays just went to my head. I remember so many birthdays as a kid that I would cry at night that my day was ending and it wouldn't be that amazing for a whole year. I was a dumb kid.

My parents never overly spoiled me for my birthday. We had our ritual trip to the toy store where I could pick any one toy within budget. The budget was always flexible at their end but I remember that even when I was young, all I would focus would be on the price tag to make sure that I don't go over budget. We would get a cake and sometimes I would have a birthday party, but I somehow don't remember much of those parties. I think I was very young. I just remember lots of presents. I actually don't remember a lot of the good presents. I remember once someone gave me plastic coasters when I was barely 8. I think that was the worst present.

The highlight of my birthday years and till date my best birthday was my 16th birthday. My sister threw a surprise party for me. All my friends were there. My mom made amazing food. But the best part was that it was the first (and I think last) time that she managed to stay quiet till the surprise. We are terrible at giving each other presents. We always get too excited and blurt it out. Another amazing birthday highlight was my 18th birthday. I was dating this guy I was crazy about and I fully expected some big gesture at midnight. When nothing happened, I was totally crushed and went to bed. The next day I logged into Orkut (the Facebook of the time) and his status message said, "If god made the world in one day, he made mine today. Happy Birthday". Man. I was almost in tears. Just that status message seemed enough to make my whole day. I can't remember anything that happened after that.

One of the good birthdays was my first birthday at Purdue (I was 23). I was kinda glum cos I didn't have any friends who knew it was my birthday and I was still in that phase where I thought it would be rude to mention it to them (I've definitely outgrown that since). I was on the phone with my sister and I was talking to her about something dumb when suddenly the door opens and there she was. She drove down to surprise me, rounded my meager friends and we went out for dinner. That was super special.

My birthday in Singapore when I turned 27 was the stuff of legends. I planned a trip to Kuala Lumpur and 33 of my friends could make it. I know it was more about KL than it was about my birthday but I didn't care. It was my birthday trip and we were taking the party bus to KL. We spent the whole day sightseeing. swimming in the hot tub, eating at local restaurants. We had one of the most epic parties ever and they surprised me with a cake that I didn't expect at all. Kathy made this memory book and had everyone sign it with messages for me. I think it's one of my most prized possessions ever. I think I have memorized every page of that book. We then went to the club, got smashed, ran all over the hotel. My god that night was awesome. I think that birthday has pretty ruined all future birthdays for me because I doubt anything can top that. I'm kidding. It's not a competition I know. And if all birthdays were that awesome, then it wouldn't be awesome anymore.

I've had some sucky birthdays too. There have been times at Purdue when noone knew it was my birthday. My sister gave me this awesome idea. I signed up on all the restaurant websites that give free meals on your birthday and I would go and eat at as many as I could. It was awesome because the whole week I had something to look forward to. I even got a $30 voucher for Benihana through this effort. It did suck though. And as empty and meaningless as it might be, sometimes those stream of Facebook messages from people who barely knew you but were just wishing you cos Facebook reminded them, would be the best part of the day. I have often thought about removing my birthday from Facebook because that way only the people who actually knew my birthday would wish me. But then I'm like, fuck that! I'd rather have a hundred wishes and make myself feel good. Also, it would really really suck if close friends didn't wish me. At least this is a safety net.

I'm thinking about this birthday and to be honest, I am just wishing and praying that I deal with any disappointment with grace. I know I can be a brat sometimes. I told Valentyn that I don't want anything for my birthday. And I know that it means that he won't get me anything. And since I am the one who chose that, I really really hope that I don't get disappointed on the day when something I asked for actually happens. It's been pretty great so far cos my parents gave me this really awesome bag which I can't wait to use at my new job. I also got a whole box of Lush stuff from Rob. So presents wise, I think I'm pretty set. I'm slightly disappointed cos I thought we'll have a big night out on Saturday (my birthday is on Monday) but Valentyn has plans for that night that I can't be a part of (no tickets :( ). To be honest, I don't think I would enjoy a Rugby game in the cold anyway. My parents want to do something special with me but I just don't know what to do logistically. We'll see. I am driving down to D.C. with my labmates so I might try to see if they want to have a drink once we get there. Maybe. I dunno. I don't know most of them. I'll figure something out. If nothing happens, I'll treat myself to an amazing meal and I dunno, go on a run, jump into a freezing cold lake, do anything I've never done before. Birthdays are amazing. I can't wait!!

How dreams come true

'Twas a dreadful cold thanksgiving night, 

She felt ill, no strength nor might,

All she wanted was to lay in her bed,

"We'll drag you out!", her comrades said.

She trudged along to the party place,

Her eyes fell on his perfect face,

"I have no chance" she was so sure

No inkling she had, what the night had store.

They drank, made merry, he in her thoughts,

But no boys for her, with danger it's fraught.

The night wore on, they were alone

An unexpected moment and her luck shone.

He was so close, close enough to touch

But she was scared of risking too much,

Bated breath, praying courage to find

She threw caution aside, and did her mind.

They spent the night with kisses and talks

Morning came, "it's the end", she thought,

"That was amazing but he'll never call"

She had no hopes, no hopes at all.

Then her world shook, through Facebook chat

He asked her out, the earth seemed flat

They met and talked, the world shut out

The kinda date she'd heard tales about.

And that is how the dream began

The impossible dream of meeting her man

Who made her happier than she ever knew

Each moment with him, time vanished not flew.

She's smiles pondering, her life aglow

Wants him to know, she'll miss him so

She'll miss the hugs, kisses, his touch

Cos she found her love whom she loves so much. 

Month in Mexico: Part 8

It's funny how the only way my blog pushes ahead is when I have other more important yet more mundane tasks that I want to avoid. Anyway, it's been 6 months since Mexico and the story needs finishing.

After the calm and serene perfection of Holbox, the next plan on our agenda was to hit up Cancun for some insane partying. There is this chain of clubs (worldwide I think) called Coco-Bongo. Coco-Bongo is basically Vegas show meets night club. They have many many levels packed with people and a center stage. I have no idea why Clare and I decided that we need to go dance on the bar right in the center of the stage. It was amazing, bright, crazy intoxicating. It was a flat rate (and a very exorbitant one at 100 bucks) for the whole experience so we probably drank our body weight in vodka cran. One of the most embarrassing moments of my life happened on that bar :( I was crazily dancing on the bar of this club filled with thousands of people where I conveniently happened to be standing on an air vent in my itsy bitsy dress. You can see how the rest of the story goes. I was SOOOOOO mortified. But thankfully that mortification lasted 2 mins before the next song played and I went back to dancing like crazy. But like all clubs, it was a mixture of amazing fun intermingled with feelings of "what the fuck am I doing here". The packed crowds, the mile long line to the bathroom and the general high levels of drunk obnoxiousness. All the usual fun club stuff.

The next day after Cancun, we headed to this island called Isla Mujeres. It was a 30 minute ferry ride from Cancun. On the ferry there, Ben and Marek were doing their usual thing, strumming on the guitar and this older Mexican gentleman just comes and joins them. They didn't have a common language and they alternated between them showing him some of their music and him showing them his. It was one of those magical moments that make travel what it is. Isla Mujeres was much nicer than I expected. I had heard so much about how touristy it was but I think it was a bearable level of touristy. Kinda like Singapore again. You can accept the touristy side and have an amazing time. The best part was that the hostel was on the beach. and by this I mean that the beach was part of the hostel. They had a dance floor and a bar on the beach with tables scattered on the sand. So perfect. The water was very rocky but I still went swimming a few times. We spent most of our time in Isla Mujeres just exploring the island. We rented a golf cart and drove everywhere. Went to some very beautiful but very touristy beaches, walked around the city, ate tons of amazing food and then came back to have drinks at the beach each night. One especially memorable moment was all of us lying on the beach and Ben and Marek playing their newest song for us. The sun was setting, the music was making everything even more beautiful and all I could think of was how lucky I was to have experienced this moment.

Isla Mujeres was also kind of sad for me cos this is where I had to say goodbye to Clare and Anto. This is the terrible side of traveling. I am the worst at saying goodbyes. I think I almost cried when Clare left. I always thought that getting unreasonably attached to people is something I would get over when I get older. But it has never gotten easier. I still cry every time I leave mummy papa at home, every time I leave behind friends, even if they were in my life for a few days. The next day we headed back to Cancun to head back and my heart was so broken. Clare leaving was hard enough but I was so hung up over Ben that I didn't sleep a wink when him and Marek were leaving. The biggest heart breaker was leaving Mexico. I feel this closeness to the place like this is where life comes to heal. Everything gets better in the midst of amazing spirit, food, culture, people. Maybe it would be the same for any other vacation place. I dunno. I felt like this one of the best months of my life. Each day felt like one of the most beautiful days life had to offer. Maybe it wasn't the place by itself. The place mixed with the people I met probably made it the magical journey that it was.

Month in Mexico: Part 7

I just went from being freakishly excited to kinda bummed. I thought I had a great rapport with Al. Al was the world exploring motorcyclist from Canada. I met him at the hostel in Oaxaca (Part 4). He was our roommate. I hooked him up with a couchsurfing reference cos I thought he was awesome. I also fixed the issue with his blog when it bugged out on him. And he acted like he was sooooo grateful. We've even emailed each other 2-3 times. Well, I just read his blog about the trip and apparently his roommate "Shindy" from India was busy chasing boys :( And that is EVERYTHING he had to say about meeting us. Jeez. I'm trying hard to think about what brought that on and I can't come up with anything. I did all the exploring by myself. I just spoke to Ben, Marek and Gary in a group. Oh well, can't please everyone.

The reason I was so mad excited is cos in a week I'm gonna be setting out on the road trip of my life. NYC to San Fran. The whole ride is through the forests and mountains. 12 days of wilderness. I know that right in this moment, I am living the best time of my life. I feel almost overwhelmed by how amazing life is right now. I feel like I don't deserve to be this insanely happy. If I wasn't hanging out with my sis right now, I don't think be able to handle this much joy. But she always makes me feel like I deserve to be spoiled beyond belief. She has spoiled me all my life. Rob would always complain about how Mansha and my parents keep me shrouded from the harsh realities of life.

Anywayyy, I know this blog was supposed to be about Mexico!! Soo... I know how I always exaggerate and use superlative adjectives for everything but Isla Holbox is IT. It's the place of my fantasies. It's the place I wanna bring my sister, my bro, my parents, my future husband. Especially my future husband. It's such a romantic place in the right way. I have never fantasized about the palatial resorts in the Maldives or Bora bora. Instead, I want a real paradise like Holbox. So, after a 3 hour bus ride from Cancun and a 30 min ferry ride, we reached Holbox. The hostel was simply perfect and though they didn't serve breakfast, the kick-ass location, clean A/C rooms, and awesome kitchen more than made up for it. The hostel was right by the beach too!  I stayed in Holbox for 3-4 days and what's funny is that I was just supposed to stay one night. I'll start at the beginning though. I don't remember specifically what we did in Holbox each day but I'll just go activity wise. To give you an overview about Holbox, it's an island with a tiny town with more locals than tourists. The water is the PERFECT color and everything looks pretty but not touristy. Everyone uses golf carts to get around but the town part is barely 7-8 blocks across so you can walk everywhere. As soon as we landed at Holbox, we met Anto. He's another Aussie and he became our trip buddy for the next week. He is one badass traveler who works as an exercise physiologist when he isn't conquering the world. He also makes me feel extremely unfit every time I hang out around him.

My first night in Holbox was already a big dream come true. Just a month or so ago, I had posted a pic of bio-luminescent plankton on Reddit. Never in my million years did I imagine that I would be swimming in it soon after. What it is is basically small dots of plankton that glow when you agitate the water. Depending on the moonlight and the amount of plankton in the water and how still the water is, it can look bloody amazing. When you shake the water, it looks like tiny diamonds glittering in the water (plankton pics from Google).

This is close to what it looked like

Best case scenario of what luminescent plankton can look like 

The next awesome thing we did in Holbox was this tour that consisted of three islands. The first island was called Punta Mosquito. Holbox was mosquito hell. I had to toss out my insect repellent at the security check so the first night in Holbox was spent in misery. I had huge welts all over my skin. So "Punta Mosquito" didn't sound too appealing. But the boat-guide was a chill guy and he encouraged us to jump in the water and chase after the gorgeous flamingoes. The island has many many packs(?) of flamingoes and everytime we tried to get close to them, all of them flew away in a big wave of pink. The boat ride itself was so much fun cos the guy was going SUPER fast.

The second island , as far as I can remember, was called Punta Iguana. It was basically a very very swampy tropical island with this bubbling (and freezing cold) spring in the middle. We walked over boardwalks, passing by TONS of iguanas and then jumped into the freezing cold water. They also had this really high wooden structure that you could climb and get completely unobstructed views of the tiny island. The coolest part about this place was that we were on the only ones. I was having a ball imagining that we are on some episode of survivor and civilization has never reached the island. 

I have no idea what the third island was called but it was tinyyy. It was pretty much just this single wooden house kinda structure and that's it. The boat ride was super fun and our captain was a total ladies man. Clare and I went and sat up in the front and it was sooooo awesome to be bumping around the water on super fast speed. 

The next day was the highlight of our stay in Holbox and Mexico in general. So, basically I was supposed to leave Holbox in a day but I figured out a way where I could pay almost a 100 bucks more but still make it to my flight in time. We got unbelievably lucky as against all odds it turned out to be a great day to see the whale sharks. So I decided to stay and I am soooo glad I did. The captain of the boat, Marvin, was a super fun and somewhat too enthusiastic instructor for whale-shark seeing. He also claims that he is Che Guevera's grandson. We drove suppeerrrr fast on his boat and one of the highlights of my boat ride was me standing on the deck of his full-speed boat with Marvin holding on to me. What a crazy crazy rush! I have to admit that I was absolutely terrified of swimming with the whale sharks. These boys were easily over 10 feet long and I kept imagining being knocked out by their tails. Also, Marvin is the kinda instructor who grew up in the water so it was really hard for him to understand that someone wouldn't be comfortable in the water. He pretty much pushed me in the water, kept yelling at me to swim faster and then finally grabbed my waist and just dragged me along with him. However, the minute you see this crazy gigantic majestic creatures under the water, all the fear is simply replaced by deep awe. I got crazy lucky or perhaps unlucky because Marvin pretty much dragged me right to the mouth of the whale shark. He was probably way more confident than me but I was freaking out about being swallowed whole by them. But I dunno how in all that fear, I actually managed to put my hand inside the mouth of the whale shark to take a picture. I thought it would be some super cool sciencey look into the body of the whale shark but unfortunately the underwater camera didn't really have a flash so you can't tell much. The rest of Holbox was just more magical beach.. amazing sea food.. walking around the town for some crazy nightlife fun.. and tons and tons of mosquito repellant. 

I have been completely torn about mentioning some other details here. Details about my crazy crush on Ben. But the whole point of writing this blog is to look back and relive some of the memories, and it's not fair to filter memories on the basis of convenience. Especially if it might be used thousand of years later as an important historical source :P So yeah.. I started to have a huge crush on Ben after the beach night from the last post. It's always a pattern with me and it might even be an unhealthy pattern. I am never into an guy until he shows interest in me. And then I become this crazy obsessed person. It was the same with Ben. My whole stay in Mexico was secretly tortured by liking Ben since that beach night. He seemed to be this really serious intense guy, who seemed super mature for his age and cmon, any guy who can write songs like that automatically becomes super sexy. I also had this whole image about how the rest of our stay in Mexico would be this romantic week of getting to know each other so well before fate pulls us apart. Lol. No such luck. I still have no idea about how Ben saw the rest of the week but it wasn't the same vision as me. In retrospect I almost feel bad for him cos he was stuck with this girl adoring him and following him around while he probably wanted to do his own thing. I have to admit that I did let my feelings for him cloud some of the awesomeness of my last week in Mexico but I managed to keep my sanity thanks to Clare. She would listen to my childish moanings and over analysis about every small Ben related thing and somehow manage to not make me look like a complete psycho. Oh well, I know for a fact that everything happens for a reason. And while it was quite an, er.. inconvenience at the time, I've had plenty of lessons to learn from the whole Ben-isode that's for sure.