This year is the year of birthday parties for me. All my friends are throwing their 21st birthday parties. Have been invited to quite a few and have already attended some. Mine is in a month time but im really too lazy to plan a big party. Im starting to feel this 21st thing is like a tradition. Like CNY. Everyone celebrates it but everyone hates it. Seriously. You think the birthday boy is happy? No... he has to entertain both his family and friends(which can be separated into another 4 categories of cliques.) You think the people invited are happy? No... i have to freaking buy him a birthday present when im already broke.

Anyway lets not spoil this joyous occasion to mark adulthood. I mean every year, we still celebrate CNY right? So the 21st must go on! And i have a few tips for everyone who is planning their 21st.

Tip 1: Have separate parties for your family and friends. Seriously... don't put the 2 groups together. Everyone will feel very odd. Celebrate with your family in some chinese restaurant where everyone can talk loudly and comment on how you have grown and how cute you used to be as a baby. Then choose a bar or a cafe to celebrate with your friends where there can be games and alcohol. Oh alcohol.. the saviour of boring parties... And no BBQ. Strictly no BBQ. It makes everyone all greasy and sweaty and smelly. Eick...

Tip 2: Have something to entertain your guests while they wait for the climax of the event, the cutting of the cake. Bring cards, board games, nintendo wii, a huge tv. Like how we need blackjack and mahjong during CNY to get rid of the awkwardness of having not seen each other for a year.

Tip 3: Choose a great tasting cake. Seriously people. Prima Deli and Bagawan Solo are for insignificant birthdays. Like when you are 19 or something. 21st is a milestone so get the best for everything. My recommendation :Bakerz Inn. Yes the price is steep but you get the best tasting cakes in the world. Usually i pretend to have a bite before tossing the rest away. Then i leave the party forgetting what flavour it was... was it chocolate or fruit... Give your guests a memorable cake!

Tip 4: If you got yourself a HUGE cake, do yourself a favor and get 21 candles instead of the miserable 2 big ones and 1 small one. Pay more if they refuse to give you so many candles. Get 21 candles. 3 candles on a gigantic cake is really pathetic... not to mention 21 candles will make the cake glow even if the design is terrible. But if you got your cake from bakerz inn, no need to worry about that.

Tip 5: Wear your most gorgeous clothes. And make all your friends wear nice too. You want to take a really pretty 21st photo instead of people wearing singlets and shorts and flipflops. If your 21st is glam, the rest of your life will be. So wear your best shirt. Wear a blazer even.

Tip 6: Appoint an emcee to help your party flow smoothly. Get someone with a sense of humor and close to you. Get a friend. Not a relative. But if you followed my tip 1, there wont be any relatives around. If you have been to one of those weddings ran by families, you will know what i am talking about. Those emcees who stare at their script and read it out monotonously, totally spoiling the atmosphere.

Tip 7: Prepare a speech. You are 21! Thank the people around you for making you who you are. Tell them what being 21 means to you. Tell them what you hope for in the future as you begin the next chapter of your life. And ask them for their support and that you guys will be friends forever. And to that, give a toast and cheers!

And that's my 7 tips of planning and executing a great 21st birthday party. Adhere to them and im sure it will be the most memorable birthday of your life. Not to mention your guests wont be staring at their watches, wondering when they can leave.
Signing out - 2/20/2008 05:20:00 PM

This year is the year of birthday parties for me. All my friends are throwing their 21st birthday parties. Have been invited to quite a few and have already attended some. Mine is in a month time but im really too lazy to plan a big party. Im starting to feel this 21st thing is like a tradition. Like CNY. Everyone celebrates it but everyone hates it. Seriously. You think the birthday boy is happy? No... he has to entertain both his family and friends(which can be separated into another 4 categories of cliques.) You think the people invited are happy? No... i have to freaking buy him a birthday present when im already broke.

Anyway lets not spoil this joyous occasion to mark adulthood. I mean every year, we still celebrate CNY right? So the 21st must go on! And i have a few tips for everyone who is planning their 21st.

Tip 1: Have separate parties for your family and friends. Seriously... don't put the 2 groups together. Everyone will feel very odd. Celebrate with your family in some chinese restaurant where everyone can talk loudly and comment on how you have grown and how cute you used to be as a baby. Then choose a bar or a cafe to celebrate with your friends where there can be games and alcohol. Oh alcohol.. the saviour of boring parties... And no BBQ. Strictly no BBQ. It makes everyone all greasy and sweaty and smelly. Eick...

Tip 2: Have something to entertain your guests while they wait for the climax of the event, the cutting of the cake. Bring cards, board games, nintendo wii, a huge tv. Like how we need blackjack and mahjong during CNY to get rid of the awkwardness of having not seen each other for a year.

Tip 3: Choose a great tasting cake. Seriously people. Prima Deli and Bagawan Solo are for insignificant birthdays. Like when you are 19 or something. 21st is a milestone so get the best for everything. My recommendation :Bakerz Inn. Yes the price is steep but you get the best tasting cakes in the world. Usually i pretend to have a bite before tossing the rest away. Then i leave the party forgetting what flavour it was... was it chocolate or fruit... Give your guests a memorable cake!

Tip 4: If you got yourself a HUGE cake, do yourself a favor and get 21 candles instead of the miserable 2 big ones and 1 small one. Pay more if they refuse to give you so many candles. Get 21 candles. 3 candles on a gigantic cake is really pathetic... not to mention 21 candles will make the cake glow even if the design is terrible. But if you got your cake from bakerz inn, no need to worry about that.

Tip 5: Wear your most gorgeous clothes. And make all your friends wear nice too. You want to take a really pretty 21st photo instead of people wearing singlets and shorts and flipflops. If your 21st is glam, the rest of your life will be. So wear your best shirt. Wear a blazer even.

Tip 6: Appoint an emcee to help your party flow smoothly. Get someone with a sense of humor and close to you. Get a friend. Not a relative. But if you followed my tip 1, there wont be any relatives around. If you have been to one of those weddings ran by families, you will know what i am talking about. Those emcees who stare at their script and read it out monotonously, totally spoiling the atmosphere.

Tip 7: Prepare a speech. You are 21! Thank the people around you for making you who you are. Tell them what being 21 means to you. Tell them what you hope for in the future as you begin the next chapter of your life. And ask them for their support and that you guys will be friends forever. And to that, give a toast and cheers!

And that's my 7 tips of planning and executing a great 21st birthday party. Adhere to them and im sure it will be the most memorable birthday of your life. Not to mention your guests wont be staring at their watches, wondering when they can leave.