one special gragok.

if i ever lived to see 70, i would want exactly the same things on my birthday.

1) ALL my family gathered which includes three generations of gragoks, their random chinese/british/italian other halves and completely rojak children.

2) a live band made up of old friends playing old tunes and portuguese folk songs. with my nephews and nieces each taking turns on the stage singing them.

3) a montage of photos - from my youth all the way to my old age, with a few completely stoned (on what illegal substance i will never know) photos thrown in.

4) my older grandchildren giving funny and absolutely tear-jerking speeches about how wonderful i am, and the younger ones performing (yet another) hip hop song.

5) an open bar - of course.

6) old street signs of where my family's kampungs used to live.

7) and a dance floor, because even when i need a tongkat and someone to help me walk, i would still try to stand and do the twist, with my daughters holding their arms out to me in case i fall.

that was what my uncle matt's birthday looked like tonight.

i never realised how old he is, especially since he's sharp as ever (even tried once to pick up Shopaholic Girlfriend when she came over for christmas, the cheeky bugger). he's always telling me how special i am, but he doesn't realise how special HE is. he's the only uncle i recognise, the only one i always have a smile for, the only one i could sit and talk to about his sailing days for hours.

i know nearly every tattoo on his body (it's all over, i kid you not) even the one of the naked woman on his arm, and the one my grandma tried to burn off with acid during the days of the emergency in case the police thought he was a gangster and killed him.

i remember all his jokes, his witty one-liners, his dry, raspy laugh from years of smoking. his limp, his useless hand and tongkat all acquired after the stroke. his great personality and his famous line - i WALLOP you one time then you know!- that his nieces and nephews learned to imitate perfectly.

he's had a long and hard life, but his never-say-die attitude has inspired all of us - from his siblings to the little de silvas. i adore this family, for their strength, their courage and most of all, their seemingly endless ability to love.

love u uncle matt, the oldest and best de silva son.