Last week I celebrated my real birthday. A few times.
After a rather sad Easter, with no family around and no traditional food, some cheering up was in order. First good thing that happened: I took a few days off. Then my husband came to Singapore and we got to spend an amazing week together.
We started our week in Bali and loved every minute of it. Having a private villa with its own pool is not something that commoners can enjoy in Europe, unless they win at the lottery. So we were really thrilled at the idea of not sharing the pool and the beach chairs with anyone else.
I can get used to that life – waking up around 10, taking a quick swim before having breakfast served, taking a nap whenever I felt like and planning the next meal… I can’t imagine something better than this. I admire people who spend their vacations hiking, scuba diving, visiting 10 attractions in a few hours; I just wasn’t built to do that.
On my actual birthday we went to a beach club that I mentioned in a previous post, had a few cocktails, a nice lunch and dipped our toes in the ocean. I think it’s one of the best ways to celebrate yourself. At night I returned to Ku De Ta, a restaurant that I loved from the first moment I saw it, and then we walked back to our villa. Perfection!
Little did I know that another amazing celebration was about to happen back in Singapore. My good friend Janice organized what I can call the coolest and most unexpected party ever. The night started with a Birthday Girl tiara. Yup, she made me wear it. And I kind of like it; made me feel like Miss Universe for one second.
With a couple of other friends we went to Nox, a restaurant where you dine in the dark. In total obscurity we had to find our forks, glasses, eat, guess the ingredients and pour the water in our glasses. The food was great, and the fact that we couldn’t see anything made it an amazing experience. We savored every bite. Also, our jokes probably made the waiters yawn, like “Do I have something in my teeth?”. Well, we laughed.
And then we went to what I initially thought it was a bar. To my defense, it’s called New Asia Bar. Well, it’s not just a bar. It’s a night club at the 71st floor of the Swissotel. Yes, 71st! The view was amazing. I heard most European hits here, even some Romanian artists, danced until my feet almost fell off – felt like home for a short while.
Quick touristy tip: instead of paying 33 SGD for a 30 min ride on the Singapore Flyer, get a cocktail at this place end enjoy the view. I loved it.
And that’s how I celebrated my b-day in Asia. The secret is to have family and/or really close friends to share these moments with. That’s what made it special.
Madalina Antohe 