Last Sunday, October 4th, we went to visit our good friends at Denai Alam Riding and Recreational Club (DARC) at Shah Alam. Our friends Terry Teo and Imelda Caday asked Nawi, their trusted driver, to pick us up from the hotel together with our friend from Manila, Polet, who's also my hair stylist & wardrobe surpervisor when I was still performing at City of Dreams Manila. I was so excited to see them but what I didn't know, they have been ALL excited to do something MORE EXCITING and SURPRISING for me. Here's how it goes...
Somewhere along the way when we were quite near DARC already, the car suddenly stopped and Nawi said there were something wrong with the engine. He got down together with Marl and checked the engine. Nawi asked Marl to buy some water to pour in the car's engine while Polet and I were in the backseat just chitchatting. Then a motorbike came and talked with Nawi then Nawi asked me to ride the motorbike because Ate Mel (Imelda's nickname) was already waiting for me. And you know, I'm so gullible and vulnerable just like that, yes even at my age as Forever 25! I know Nawi and I trust him and without any hesitation, I hopped on the motorbike with a stranger - at least, I thought so. But a minute after getting on the bike, I suddenly got nervous and I realized why I got on the bike with someone I didn't know. I was already having wild thoughts that Marl will surely get angry with me for being stupid at my age (I repeat, at Forever 25), or maybe this motorcycle guy might kidnap me and take me to a remote quite place somewhere in Shah Alam. I was even ready to jump off and show some Matrix moves just in case I'd really get nervous and paranoid. But the ride was only 5 minutes and I was already seeing my ray of hope when I saw the familiar road to DARC. But instead of stopping by the main entrance, the driver took me to the stables instead which was very strange. I finally got off the bike and was silently walking through the stable then BAMMMMM!!! Imelda shouted "Happy Birthday" while carrying a beautiful fruit cake together with some kids from DARC, then few seconds after I saw Marl taking a video of me while Kuya Terry was laughing. THEY FINALLY GOT ME!!!
We took some photos and just laughed about how the surprise came about while having Nasi Padang for lunch. After lunch, Imelda took us to her new humble abode and we were totally amazed! She has a very beautiful home right in the middle of DARC!!! It looks simple outside, in fact looks like a normal chalet from the outside, but inside, it's like WOAHHH! It looks like a showroom for a posh penthouse apartment/condo. She then gave me her birthday presents. She gave me a Louis Vuitton glass ring and jumpsuits. Her 11 year-old daughter Jasmine gave me a very cute Guess bag hahaha! And I thought all along that we were already over with my birthday celebration. But I was wrong. Imelda took out a jelly cake and everyone sang "Happy Birthday" again then... the kids grabbed me and pulled me towards the splash pool. I kinda expected it with my "hunch" but not in a way where I was really dragged down helplessly. I thought I could resist them by stopping but if I stopped walking, we'd all fall to the ground. Soooo, I just let them drag me but made sure that I didn't have anything in the pocket and I also managed to take off my shiny flats moments before they threw me out on the pool. My friend Polet got thrown in the pool as well and it took a marathon run for Marl after being chased by kids before he surrendered as he even asked the kids to push him into the pool. IT WAS ONE HELLUVA FUN TIME!!!
Our friends Reen and Betty came over to wish me as well. Then Kuya Terry suggested Polet to ride the cute pony Dira - the pony I rode in 2014 that made me stop from learning to ride horses. Just view the video and you'll see what I mean. Anyway, Polet went through the usual 'initiation' for new visiting friends at DARC - that is to ride Dira. Polet did great even though we asked him to ride in the big arena, instead of the usual oval paddock. Kuya Terry then asked me to ride Dira again, I was hesitant at first but finally gave in - for entertainment purposes only. LOL!
I had so much fun at DARC - as always. Thank you so much to Ate Mel and Kuya Terry for the wonderful surprise-after-surprise celebration you gave me for my Forever 25th Birthday 2015! =)
With Polet, Marl, and Nawi in the car on the way to DARC
I found some worth-sharing videos in my iPhone backup files. I'm so excited to share with you all every fun moment in every frame of the videos. Here's one of them...
Taken on the 4th of September 2015, after surprising our friend Imelda Caday on her birthday dinner at the Melting Pot of Concorde Hotel KL - which did not only surprise her and her friends but also other diners at that timel, we jammed for a few songs for some fun time. Well, I only danced. Okay, not "only danced", I mean I DANCED. LOL! Who ever said that I'm a shy person? LOL! Enjoy!
