Singapore Adventure: Hey, Matthew! It's Your Birthday!

While yesterday was the first anniversary of Jim's father's death, it is today, January 3rd, that will always remind me of Joe. I'm not alone. Our nephew Matthew, currently visiting from Colorado, shares his birthday, today, with his grandpa. While I'm sure Matthew's 11th birthday last year stands out mournfully from the rest, the memory that Matthew spoke of yesterday was one of sitting on his grandpa's lap as the two of them enthusiastically blew out their birthday candles in one big breath.

Our Colorado family shared many blissful January 3rds, stretching our holiday season to enjoy one last lazy day, to trash talk during one last football bowl game, and to indulge in one last holiday feast before school and skiing and endlessly busy lives distracted us from making time for loved ones.

Fortunately today has been devoted to time with loved ones, and I hope Matthew's 12th birthday here in Singapore will stand out dazzlingly from the rest. A lazy day? Check. We slept in, enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, our condo's pool, and the Narnia movie. Trash talk? Check. There's no football, but there was plenty of macho swaggering accompanying Matthew's reverse bungee at Clarke Quay this afternoon. A holiday feast? Check. This is Singapore, so our birthday boy is, of course, spoilt for choice. Decisions decisions. Torn between his favorites so far, naan (Indian bread) and Shanghai dumplings (from Din Tai Fung), Matthew opted for naan, and we accompanied it with the Indian version of soup dumplings, delicious pani puris. If he still craves Din Tai Fung, there's always next year. Hint hint.