My BBC (birthday boy celebration); and a Channel News Asia 'treat' too!

One year ago, after I turned 60, I told myself to start blogging (the reasons are given in "First Post", 31 October 2010).

I'm 61 today! We -- my wife Angie, my daughter Lynn and her husband Mike, and my mother-in-law Rosie and her husband Danny -- went to this restaurant I had discovered by chance while checking out the newly opened Circle Line mass rapid transit. The dinner buffet spread there, ie, Penang Place (in the Connexis, at B1 level of the One-North station), was pretty good and we had a great time. There were many diners -- on a Monday evening.

It was quite noisy there when my other daughter Liane and her husband Chee Khoon, both Sydneysiders, called me on my cellphone to wish me Happy Birthday. I had to strain to hear them on the line.

We left the restaurant sated.

I seemed to have been on an eating binge since yesterday (Sunday). After church service, my mother-in-law took me and my wife to lunch at Tim's Restaurant, in Lorong 4, Toa Payoh. I had an excellent Angus tenderloin steak.

Then, in the evening, my nephew Tan Beng and his wife Boon Sin took my wife and me to a German restaurant/wine bistro, Magma, in Bukit Pasoh Road. We had a great time there too.

The pianist was next to our table, and we later complimented him for his good selection of tunes. Boon Sin requested the Happy Birthday song for me (aiyoh, pai say, man). Glasses were raised! We tucked into our apple strudle dessert.

We then asked for the bill and... surprise! The manager, Mr Zhang Yong Quiang, came bearing a chocolate cake with a single lit candle on it (hmmm, what's 61 minus 60?). The cake (picture below) was yummy.

 And all we had asked for was the Happy Birthday song. This was excellent service, indeed. Thank you, Mr Zhang, for making that evening extra special.

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Rounding off tonight, after the dinner at Penang Place, we all watched a Channel News Asia programme, "The Pulse on Singapore Aviation" (this episode, "Guardian of Our Skies", was the third in the CNA series). For us, it was a must-watch -- my daugher Lynn was featured in it! (She is the "Viper" in my "When Charlie Met Viper" posting of 28 July).

So, all in all, I had a great BBC!