Golden Shower

Normally I didn't celebrate birthdays. Families still send me greetings but I don't usually go to a restaurant, or buy something for myself, or get my self plenty of attention. Surprises come once in a while, but my birthday this year brought so many unprecedented surprises that I have to share just a little bit more, as a formal gratitude to all involved, and to Our Father in Heaven who send hordes of gracious people for me to stumble upon.

The first gift I received came far before my birthday from a fellow crafter Andrea. She sent me a few precious jewellery from her charity shop.

Very flattering message

But that's not yet all the magic, but we will get there near the bottom.

Then comes a  sweet surprise from Germany:

The 24th of October is my youngest brother's birthday. God is playing games with my mother. Her first child (me) is born on Oct 25 first thing in the morning (just a minute pass midnight!) and her last child (my youngest brother) was born on Oct 24 at the end of the day.  No one in my family notice, but I have God that works mysterious way, so I just laugh it off.

That's not my point. I am working late that day and my cell phone has been vibrating almost non stop. I thought it was broken, though seriously I don't expect a brand new cell phone broke that easily.

I was shocked to see almost 60 notification in my facebook personal page or The Syndicate's page, and since I am unpopular, I thought someone is spamming the facebook, or that it's petition day or something the like. I learned later on that it was the mischief of my sister at heart, who posted a challenge on FB, saying she will donate $1 to The Whiskers' Syndicate for each birthday gift on the The Whiskers' Syndicate facebook page:

 The mischief was exacerbated by Team EFA's captain Nicole Planchon (she owned Brizel4TheAnimals, a wonderful animal charity shop on Etsy!) who posted Lori's challenge all over Etsy For Animal Team's FaceBook page:

Throughout that day and beyond (since Indonesia is at least 12 hours advanced from USA and Europe) the two posts, along with shares from my other sister Ekeim Teeuwise and EFA team mate Elizabeth Ruffing (she made cutest slug toys in the world!), set my personal and Whiskers' Syndicate's page on fire with birthday wishes, some brought in friends that I never knew is on FaceBook, and many other from complete stranger, who  generously shared Lori's challenge without knowing who I am or what I do. Perhaps what they know is that the wish will help feed hungry kitties, but their wishes made my heart bloom and make a stranger happy on her birthday is still a charity.

A package from Japan:

People often mistaken me for a boy because they heard my late father calling me "my son" while it is actually "my sun" which give idea to my uncles and aunt for the package and it's wishes "for our sunshine"

The weirdest phone call comes from the post office. They want to deliver a package from Australia (guess who?) but my door is locked and I am not home the whole day so they ask me what to do. I picked the package up during my break time and get another gift from my Australian parents:

There they go mummy! Flying free on top of my bed!

My mother's butterflies made me smile, the last sentence in her card (above all those kisses) sent me to tears. Away from my family for a very long time, and live in a hostile community devoid of seeds of virtue, her heart felt expression is the warmth of the sun touching a frozen ice desert.

My Indonesian mother sent a smiling bomb:

The wrap is a humble, plain, printing paper with the message hand written with pen right on top, but it hides another big surprise from one of my brothers (not the one who celebrate his birthday on Oct 24):

Lenovo Ideaphone S 890 is the most recent issue (launched January 2013) from the ex-IBM bought by China and it's yet to enter Indonesia. My brother was abroad so he didn't know that I already bought myself a cell phone, however, this one has dual sim card so I can connect and call simultaneously. I am sure he consider this phone because he knows that I spend the whole day on the street. Still, it's a nice and generous gift from afar!


Coming next is my American "mother":

And a long time friend, back to my Care2 days:

Her wishes is via facebook

Then entered a long silence over the cell phone, and I think the party is over.  By late night Oct 26 (11:02 pm as indicated by my post below) the fund raiser stopped at USD 669 out of USD 700, and I think I will end the month as is.

Now, remember my friend Andrea, who started all this up there? She left this for me to find the next morning:

While I am sleeping, she covers what is left to fund raise for Whiskers' Syndicate, and by doing so, ending the birthday bash that sent me shock waves across three days.

Not really though, there's another one:

I thought that dried orchid was dead (see the leaves), but I keep it anyway and water it every day, and it gives me a full bloom on the 25th.

The name of the orchid? Golden shower.

A divine message from above that made my day.



Oh, and just in case everyone is wondering what I did on my birthday?

I worked double shift during the weekend (24 - 27 Oct 2013) to pay USD 350 mortgage due on Nov 5  :)