After a long 7-year absence, our favorite race is finally back! SUPER RACE III was launched 10pm last night at my birthday party. 3 teams (comprising of 4 Singaporeans, 3 Malaysians, 1 Chinese, 1 Indian) were formed and the contestants made their way to the 1st pit-stop this morning at 8:30am. This is going to be a very interesting race as we are not very familiar with the streets of Hong Kong.

Organising a race like this is not easy. It takes a lot of planning (clues, venues) and tedious coordination works (logistic, prizes). Felicia, Sherry and Danielle were fantastic organisers! The race was made very challenging and interesting. Throughout the 9-hour race around Hong Kong, we conquered 9 pit-stops and accomplished 9 demanding tasks. We have good contestants amongst the teams. Most of us were very competitive and had that strong desire to win this race. This made the race very exciting and fun.

Occasionally, we made a couple of critical blunders – ones that could have cost our team our chance to win. At our 4th stop, we actually walked past the pit-stop without realising it and we spent the next 45 minutes roaming the entire beach looking for it.

In the end, it was a neck-to-neck fight to the finishing line. My team was always tailing the leading team. At the final seconds, both team sprinted against each other to the final stop. What a bloody close-call! Due to my team’s "unconventional and highly-controversial" tactics of running the race, the organisers decided to award the grand prize to the other team. The truth is my team crossed the final line first. We should have won!

The teams have made many entertaining videos (lots of bitching and mockery footage) along the way. The race has also given us a chance to see the other sides of our friends. People react differently under different circumstances. It is a good way to observe our friends and their reactions to pressure. The race pushed us to put aside our differences and work together as one. After the race, all teams sat down together and exchanged stories. We all had the same destinations but our journey was very different.

Based on the positive response I received on FACEBOOK and SMS, many of my Wahbiang friends want us to bring back the race to Singapore. Yes, I say. But someone back home has to do the hard work. Meanwhile, enjoy the key moments of our 1st and 2nd Super Race. (Plus a special "Hong Kong Amazing Race Spoof Video" that was specially edited to commemorate today’s race!)

Photos of my last 8 birthdays – retrieved from my digital archive.  It is one of those days in the year when I feel very blessed and loved. Thanks to God’s blessings, my life is blessed with lots of caring friends, doting soul mates and loving families. 35 good years and I am looking forward for another 35 great ones.

I can’t remember the wishes I have made. Usually, I was too distracted by the loud public crowing of the birthday song. Surely, my friends can sing this old classic better – if they aren’t too lazy about their terrible pitch and tone. (What’s worse is when they start to sing the "all the versions" – English, Chinese and Cantonese!) You wish you took that VIP room offer. Next, it is about the candles…It seems that after my 18th birthday, no one bother to put the exact numbers of candles for me. Sometimes it was 1, 2 or 3 candles. Another strange thing about lighting up the candles. No one seems to remember the most important ritual item – the lighter. If there is no smoker friend… you can imagine the chaos.

There I was, looking at those melting wax on the creamy pile of cake…and preparing for those sudden bursts of flash. And then, everyone ask you to make a wish. Normally, I would make 2-3 wishes. Sometimes 5 – depending on my mood. No, none of my wishes came true. Or they did. Anyway, I don’t remember them the next morning. 1 wish stays constant throughout the years and that is "I wish that all my friends’ and families’ wishes come true." Pretty selfless, right? Or simply lazy. Mmm.. perhaps, I need to be serious about my wish this year.

Maybe it is the way we celebrate our birthday. The venue and the song. What do you expect them to do when you are in the restaurant? Eat, sing, blow cake, cut cake and eat again. Right after I finish my cake ceremony, I start my "forest-killing" ritual – tear the wrapping paper, destroy the packaging and inspect the "surprise" inside. Can we for once – imagine birthday without candles, cake and that dreadful song? 

I need to do something. Different. Maybe not in time for this year. But surely it justifies a wish that I can make later in the restaurant. No more birthday cake-cutting in the restaurant / office conference room next year. Keep the candle (as it is the cheapest and simplest form of ritual). Maybe no candle on the cake. How about on the Peking Duck? Or on a gigantic deep-friend wanton? How about doing this at the beach? On the roller-coaster ride? Or maybe even underwater in the sea? Or best, outside Steve Job’s house!

It is 7:15pm now. Time to go to blow my candle, cut my cake and make my wish. The gang is waiting for me at the Causeway Bay restaurant now. Life is beautiful and full of sweet surprises. So are birthdays. Surprise me please.

Felicia can really read my mind. And that is scary. I was hoping for a different birthday cake this year. I reached home at 12:05am and she greeted me with her homemade almond jelly "heart" cake. I love it! It is so simple, smooth and sweet! (Okay, time to hunt for my present!)

My lovely colleagues treated me to a sumptuous Hong Kong dim sum lunch yesterday. It was sinfully awesome! There were at least 30 over dishes! 4 hours later (in the evening), my super-intern Danielle personalised my birthday cake – using the chocolate chips to form my name "JOE". Now you know what I do on the eve of my birthday… Nothing but eating whole day!

(Photo Taken: Soho, Hong Kong – The billboard is real. The red circle is real too. Just not sure about the news on it. )

(Photo Taken: DBS Bank & Hang Seng Bank, Central, Hong Kong – For the past 3 months [every afternoon during lunch hours, rain or shine], these protesters have been publicizing their grievances outside the banks. It is time the banks in Hong Kong learn how to clean up their mess. Again, this is "Freedom of Speech"! Surely, you will never find such a scene outside our DBS Bank back in Singapore. We do know how to clean up our "corporate image" and any "undesirable presence".)

(Photo Taken: Tung Lung Island, Hong Kong – Taking a private, undisturbed afternoon cool dip in the clear shallow water at a secluded beach at Tung Lung Island. Taken with my 400mm paparazzi lens.)

We were looking for a "marine park" but we found ourselves stranded on this strange eastern island, Tung Lung Island ("Eastern Dragon Island" 東龍洲).

30-minute ferry ride from my house, this island is largely uninhabited. Do not expect any town shops like Tai-O or Cheung Chau. More likely, you find creepy looking spiders and hairy caterpillars within your first 10 minutes on the island. Despite the remoteness, this island offers great hill-top terrain for camping and hiking. Its coast is also easily accessible with decent beach and shallow clear water for beach-goers.

This island is more well-known for its 300-year old fort and the Hong Kong’s largest ancient rock craving (1.8 x 2.4m). We didn’t manage to see both of its star attractions. We were kinda lost and terribly worn-out. Equipped with the wrong footwear and clothing, the kids and the adult barely made it back to the jetty. The bad weather (humid and rainy) made it very uncomfortable for us to proceed.

The hike was tiring – especially for the Ho Family (to me, it is more steep than Lamma Island). Poor Sherry and Hong Fei, they have to carry their little 3-year old prince up and down the rocky hills. Elkan was in his usual pranks, screaming at his top of his voice at every sight of flying insects – destroying the tranquility of this quiet place. The best moment for us both (Daddy and son) was when we hiked to the edge of the cliffs (step by step, hand in hand) to see the rock formations below. What an adventure for my little darling!

Lunch was certainly the star itinerary of the day. We possibly had the most authentic "Gong Zai Mian" (港式公仔面) at a very old eatery island wooden hut. Eating at this place reminded us of those kampong houses back home in Malaysia. Look at the photos – it was really tasty!

Perhaps we should plan our trip properly. This seems like a good place to camp overnight. Maybe there are more to see here. We may be on the wrong track. Anyway, it is a good Sunday outing – certainly better than crowding with the shoppers at Causeway Bay. The sun, the sea and the sand is always more desirable.

(Photo Taken: Meet the "Nites" – From Moscow to Tokyo, the Creative Mafia is here!)

(Photo Taken: Tai O Fishing Town – Maybe someone should tell the 80-year old Ah Pek inside that his beloved Snow White is just a stone’s throw away from him. Hong Kong Disneyland is on the same island, 20 minutes taxi ride away.)