My Daddy is fabulously 80!

MR. TAN CHENG HEE 

This was what I wrote in Facebook when I posted this photo of Dad at the stroke of midnight.

HAPPY 80th BIRTHDAY, DADDY 💖
Daddy, when I grow up (to be 80) I want to be just like you. I want to laugh until my eyes turn tiny. I want to enjoy eating, especially nasi lemak and curry. I want to still be able to drive around and be independent. I want to have close friends to drink coffee with. I want to always joke around so people would be happy. I want to keep learning new stuff so that I understand how youngsters talk. Best of all, I want to be able to snooze whenever I want to in front of my 80 inch TV!

Dad is living a full and healthy life, Praise God. Mom is by his side all this time; life is longer when one has someone to annoy, isn't it?!!!!!. At least they get to laugh together, cry together, tease each other, travel together and now with Dad losing half his hearing, there are a lot more laughter at home!

On 5 August this year, TP and I decided to celebrate Dad's 80th birthday in a grand style, something extra special for him to enjoy and remember. I am the only child of the family and I am truly blessed to have a super supportive husband by my side for the past 21 years. Nicole, our daughter, came back from the States for the summer to attend her granddad's dinner. There's always been just the 5 of us all this while. Whilst other families wait for big reunions to get together, we 5 have always found it easy to go for weekend meals together, until Nicole left us in 2015 to further her studies in the States. This grand dinner wouldn't be the same without her around so my Dad agreed to celebrate earlier this year.

The planning of the dinner took about 6 months. The venue was our main concern but we managed to secure The Ming Room at Bangsar Shopping Centre. Thereafter was a series of fun decision-making and shopping! Dad was ONLY in charged of the guest list. Everything else was going to be a surprise for him. Oh by the way, the theme that night was SHANGHAI NIGHT. Dad loves the theme song for Shanghai Shore (an old movie) and I know that he would love it along with his chosen guests.

The minute I surveyed The Ming Room, I knew how to decorate it. We have a team of experts working with us, who also happened to be our friends. Hubby designed the photo booth. The team put it all together and we got to choose the colors and decide on the final product. We wanted cocktail tables outside the restaurant to give it a little Western feel.

We purposely shopped for "old-fashioned" sweets to serve to the guests. The little red box contained fortune cookies for the guests to take away.

We shopped for the wine. I told hubby I am not having beer served that night. If anyone has to be drunk, they better do it in style! So wine it was. 

My very good friend, whom I always call "My bestest BFF in the whole of the universe" - ZAIN - flew in from KK, Sabah, to surprise my Dad, to do the photography for us and to enjoy the evening together with us. He is practically family to us.

Some photography before the guests arrived. Dad and Mom enjoyed the photo booth and accessories provided. So did our guests, later on the evening.

Guests arriving. Dad got all excited in meeting everyone again. We had 12 tables that evening. It was beautiful to watch old friends meeting again; wonderful to watch siblings and relatives hugging each other. I have not seen some of the friends whom I last saw at my wedding; it was amazing that they could still recognize TP and I. The way everyone greeted everyone and hugged and kissed; I would have believed that they had not seen each other for 200 years!!!

Dinner is about to start... C'mon everyone!

"Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to Dad's fabulously 80th birthday gathering. I am very honored that all of you are here to celebrate this day with my Dad................"

"I apologize that Dad could not furnish you with details of tonight as it is all a surprise for him as well. Let's start off the evening with a video of my dad's life. Enjoy!" 

And the theme song for Shanghai Shore started the video with a bang!

Pastor Ken said grace before dinner.

TP and I hired a band to entertain us for the evening. I okayed the list of songs as I am familiar with the songs that Dad likes. The guests enjoyed the band very much. We received some great feedback and it made us very happy that we made a good choice.

The cake was Orange Butter. We chose the design. I wanted a cute but significant one. Cute cos Dad is always a cute person. Significant as Dad has reached a good ole age of 80 and in the Chinese culture, there must be a Longevity Peach-shaped bun or "Sau Bao" on the cake that brings blessings of long life and prosperity and happiness. Dad knew nothing about his cake being bigger sized than him....LOL.

And then, there's The Toast, by Colin Kirton, my cousin. Followed by more...

Dinner was really good. I was very satisfied with the food, which is most important in a Chinese dinner. The Ming Room did not disappoint us. Wine was abundant. Chats were never-ending. Photography never stopped! It was a superb night for a superb man, my Dad. It was his night. I have never seen him this happy in my life. Dad is a people person. He loves being around people and people love being around him. He is a joker. He makes a dull room light up with laughter within seconds. Seeing family and relatives was a joy as I have not seen some of them in years. But, seeing Dad's friends reuniting together, for him, was a whole different ballgame.

Dad sang too... "My Way"

TP ended the dinner officially with a speech. Nevertheless, the evening went on with more and more photo-taking, which pleases me more than ever. Photos are memories on a stand-still. Photos capture moments of that beautiful evening. Photos are snaps of expressions and personalities. And, these photos will make my Dad smile each time he goes through them as he has a photographic memory til this day. He remembers every moment, every hug, every handshake and every word that was uttered to him.

Below are photos of our guests taken throughout the evening.

The Tan Clan COUSINS!

Dad and Mom sitting on the chairs

K-I-S-S-I-N-G (well....about to!)

Look at Dad's face! He just had to have the last laugh!!!!

And now, the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain

I've lived a life that's full
I've traveled each and every highway
But more, much more than this
I did it my way

Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption

I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall
And did it my way

I've loved, I've laughed and cried
I've had my fill my share of losing
And now,…