What I Got For My 21st Birthday

These are a mixture of presents from my secondary and polytechnic friends. Unwrapping presents is my favourite part of receiving presents. There's always elements of excitement and surprise because you don't know what you're going to get.

I must say that my friends really do know me very well. Hello Kitty is my favourite cartoon character ever, but I'm not the kind of person who is willing to spend my money on such stuff because authentic ones are pretty expensive. So receiving them as presents is just mind blowing. I'm not afraid to say that I cried whilst I was opening them. I was so touched.

In my birthday wishlist, I stated that I wanted a Marc Jacobs watch. I think my friends couldn't find that exact model so they got me this Sovil et Titus one which I love even more. This design is nicer and the size/fit is perfect. Furthermore, Sovil et Titus is my favourite watch brand ever.  

On top of the books, my brother also got me this Armani Exchange watch. I'm so in love with rose gold accessories at the moment.

I wanted a pair of black Topshop Leigh jeans because they're the most comfortable kinds jeans I've ever tried. My aunt is just such a lovely person to give me three pairs plus an abstract-print blouse.

I'm so happy to receive an Ipad mini from my uncle. I'm a huge reader and is therefore carrying a book with me everywhere I go. An Ipad is going to be so useful because I'll be able to have a ton of books with me without having to lug around dead weight. The chosen Hello Kitty cover is so beautiful.

Apart from presents, all the adults in my life have also given me cash.

This was given to me by my mum which was in turn given to her by her mum. Can you call this a family heirloom? Haha.

My friends know how to crack me up.

I'm a firm believer that people are not expected and really don't have to give me any presents at all. Every single thing that I've received is a show of their kindness and I'm really very, very, VERY appreciative and grateful for them. To me, the best part about celebrating birthdays is not about how many or what kinds of presents I've received, but the fact that I'm still alive. I honestly believe that being alive is the best present I can ever have. As long as I'm alive, I can spend time with the people I love, I can do things that will make others and myself happy, I can fall and get back up again, I can control my own destiny.

P.S. I have one item from my grandparents which I don't have with me at the moment because it's still being custom made. I think I'll make a post once I've received it, sometime in June, because that item means a lot to me.

21st Birthday Book Haul

The Harry Potter box set is so beautiful!!! Quite a few versions have been released in recent years and the particular one I've gotten is in celebration for the 15th anniversary.

Part of my ever growing book shelf.

I really appreciate the books that I've been gifted by my brother and cousins. These books mean a lot to me, especially The Lord Of The Rings as it is the series that I grew up with. I remember during my primary school days, my family would set aside Saturday as movie night and we would watch The Lord Of The Rings. My dad would set up the projector and speakers so that we can pretend like we're in a cinema. And since its a very long movie, I think we actually took a few months to watch. That's one of my favourite childhood memory ever.

21st Birthday Cake

Time flies! I can't believe I'm now 21 years old and I'm having mixed feelings about it. It's really scary to think that I'm now officially an adult in the eye of the law and I need to be held accountable for every single one of my actions. I can't even begin to fathom the day when I need to live on my own and be responsible for someone else other than myself. At the same time, I'm also really excited as I'll soon be starting a full time job doing something that I really love and hopefully save up enough money to do some travelling.

This Or That Book Tag

Source

1. Audio or book in hand?

Book in hand, definitely. I've never tried listening to a book before actually. I cannot imagine doing that because I'm sure I won't be able to comprehend anything and that it will just go in through one ear and out the other.

2. Soft cover or hardback?

No preference. Although I must say that whenever I'm reading books with soft covers, I find myself having to tilt the book in all sorts of angles when I'm trying to read those words that are near the spine. I cannot stand having cracks in the spine of my books.

3. Fiction or non-fiction?

Most of the time fiction. I usually only read non-fiction when it is about children with special needs.

4. Fantasy world or real life issues?

This is so difficult. It really depends on my mood. But I find that most of the books in the fantasy genre do touch on issues relating to the real world to a certain extent.

5. Harry Potter or Twilight?

To be honest, I've never read any of those two series.

6. Kindle, I-Pad, or other?

I would much prefer being able to read the physical copy of the book. Otherwise it would be an I-Pad.

7. Borrow or buy?

Borrow. I don't really buy books because I find that it is not worth my money since I usually get rid of them pretty soon when (a) the spine is cracked or (b) there are folds in the book or (c) the pages turn yellow.

8. Bookstore or online?

I don't really buy books but when I do I will buy from a bookstore. I like to make sure that the copy of the book I'm buying is in tip-top condition and that there is no price tag sticking anywhere on the book.

9. Tell me one time or total trilogy?

Ooh. Another difficult question. I don't really have an answer because I haven't read that many standalone. Most of the books I read are either in a trilogy or a series.

10. Monster read or short and sweet?

What is the definition of a monster read even? The books I read are usually about 400-500 pages long.

11. Starry eyed romance or full of action?

It really depends on my mood. But I like books that have a good mixture of both.

12. Curl up in your snuggie or bathe in the sun?

Curl up in a snuggie. Why would I be reading in the sun when I could be doing some kind of sport?

13. Hot chocolate or latte?

Can I choose tea instead? I don't want hot chocolate or latte especially since I don't really drink milk.

14. Read the review or decide for yourself?

I will read the review but how I rate the book will ultimately depend on how I feel after reading it.