MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER TURNS 96! (6 JANUARY 2008)

Have you ever attended a 96th birthday party? Well, I have. Born in the year 1912, my maternal Great Grandmother turned 96 this year. The occasion was celebrated at Orchard Hotel's Hua Ting Restaurant.

In traditional Chinese style, a plate of "shou tao" (longevity buns) was delivered to the table to kick off the dinner party. The buns were filled with warm lotus seed paste, and they were nice and sweet. Dinner was followed by a cake-cutting session. The sinfully sweet chocolate mousse cake was so yummy!

So what's the difference between a 96th birthday party and a kiddy birthday party? Well, the lack of a magician, bouncy castles, party packs... and obviously, there're way more candles on a 96th birthday cake! My cousins (kids of Mommy's cousins) and I made up our own party games, so we had plenty of fun nonetheless. The adults yelled at us to "Sit Down!", but that didn't deter us for long. The party was in a private dining room in Orchard Hotel, so we could roam around without disturbing other diners. My baby sister remained sleeping peacefully throughout the chaos.