broylim Birthday ~TOY MUSEUM~ PART 2

making of | PART 1 | PART 2 | Presents (Part 1) | Presents (Part 2)

I'M BACK and this time, with more photos from TOY MUSEUM!

Well after cutting the cake... OH YES! Did I mention that I hardly ate my own cake even though I love cake? Sad right? Because I was too busy cutting it for everyone I forgot about my own stomach. Oh well~ At least the next day, I still have that K-BOX cake that was almost smashed into my face for lunch. And did you know that cake cutting was tiring business because my back ached like mad while I was cutting it.

Back to the photos... This is while everyone was enjoying a piece of me the cake.

Nicholas came and joined us later on~ More Tango people! Anyway, if I didn't remember wrongly, I was too tied up cutting the cake that I didn't get the chance to be the photographer of the "people eating cake" shots.

Poor Patrick the Starfish...

The initial idea of the green screen was so that my guests can take a picture WITH THEIR TOYS in front of it but I only managed to do it for some guests because there were too many people to co-ordinate everything. Ben Ang brought his Domo plushie to match his extremely adorable T-shirt! Small Domo + Big Domo~

It's been awhile since I've seen Ching Kai and I was really happy that he managed to turn up for TOY MUSEUM. :) Hope that your leg is fully recovered already yes? :)

Initially meant to be the very last item of the whole event, I had to push up this live performance because I didn't want my friends' efforts to be wasted because some guests were leaving already. Together with Zhi Kai, Haikal and Kevin, we performed "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga. What an appropriate song right? :P

And I really thank the three of them for coaching me in terms of singing and a little bit of music and really appreciate their hard work in rehearsing with me in the evening while I was still back at Tango Wing. I think without them, this act wouldn't be such a show stopper.

Unfortunately, I was unable to get a video of this because Leon couldn't find the video button in time. Partially my fault because I assumed that he knows how to take videos using the 550D but oh well... BUT!! Rini has the video~

Remember the plastic balls I've signed? Well, after "Born This Way", I did my very first Japanese song (surprise surprise right?) of the evening - "Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~" by ayumi hamasaki. Another "appropriate" song considering that the ball idea was inspired by her genius. Honestly, at the end of the whole thing, my throat was killin' me because of all the shouting and stuff and I don't think I did that great but oh well~

My aunts and Rena with the plastic balls. I think I prepared too many of them because I still have half a tote bag filled with them back at home. Anyone wants? :P

Well I did mention in my event page that digital playthings are not allowed but I guess a CLASSIC Game Boy could be considered a toy back at in the times. I still remember playing Power Rangers (Pokemon wasn't even out yet!!) on that Game Boy that Zhi Kai brought and kindly lent to Nicholas because he forgot his toy; such atrocity! Haikal's Troll matches with his stylish hat, no?

Group shot with them~ Well, they suddenly lifted me off the ground and I couldn't compose myself to get the correct body language but I think it's still okay, no? Notice the ball Zhi Kai's holding in his hands? It's called a "Power Ball" and it's meant to tone your arms. Is that considered a toy??

WASTED!! This would be a stunning shot if the light hits more on our faces.

My BEST room mate in OCS; Nicholas! I realized in a lot of frames that I tend to lean away from the person I take photos with. Bad habit... Must change!!

Taking photos with them lovebirds~ In case you're wondering, the black thing in my hand is the wired shutter to my camera which I thought was broken but in actual fact, someone accidentally changed the setting of the remote and I was stupid enough not to realize it.

With my father. He always has a funny face when he take photos...

My uncle's jealous that I get to take photos with my father and he just had to take some with me. I'm famous, no? *hohohohohoho~*

Xavier, my little cousin. Really photogenic little one.

Evidence of Rena getting fatter by the second.

I don't know who took this photo but it's so funny~ Rena and her mother posing with the Barbie doll(s) - I'm pretty sure the doll on the right is not a Barbie, more like a Jenny. Not only do the dolls look similar, the mother-daughter combination looks similar too, no?

Rena with 2 dolls now. Toys make you smile when you were young and apparently, they are still charming until today.

Rena and her family. I think Sheena and Laura had to leave early because they had something on. Is it me or the lighting or the family has really dark skin? :P

My uncle, Xavier and my aunt. For some unknown reasons, Vanessa and Xander (my other cousins), did not turn up that night. Weird.

With my aunt. She is one of the nicest person to gossip with. :P

My kaka. She's been taking such great care of my family and my cat (especially my cat) that it would be a sin not to take pictures with her. See the balloon at the back? I think it's one of the little kids terrorizing her with balloons - and that's maybe why she has so many; to keep them away from terrorists.

The after-party got smaller and smaller because it was getting late. Good thing the room's until 3am so the people who wants to stay can stay for as long as they want. And good thing I managed to wrap the main thing up by 11pm-ish so that those who wants to catch the last train or bus can dash away - thoughtful, no?

Anyway, I want to bring your attention to that innocent-looking 3-legged brand water bottle on the right side of the photo. Yes! That green capped bottle sitting innocently on the table, blending well with the rest of the glasses and drinks. You'll see what it did to me later...

But before that... What looks like a balloon dress and a very annoyed child...

It's not blusher nor is it Cover Girl make up. It's FREAKIN' ALCOHOL!!

I was telling Daryl and the rest that I was feeling sleepy by the time it was around 12am-ish and Daryl suggested that I have some of that 3-legged cooling water thingie. As I was thirsty and I could really do with some freshening up, I took the bottle, uncapped it and poured a HUGE MOUTHFUL of its contents into my mouth.

It tasted like mango...
Then the burning sensation of pure VODKA started to kick in...
And my face changed in disgust.

BLOODY HELL I drank a whole mouthful of undiluted mango hard liquor almost like an expert! Okay no. I'm not the best drinker because really~ I can drink fruit beer and feel like crap in a matter of minutes. And my "good" friends did not stop me from drinking it some more... Kanasai~

And because of that, I had to go home earlier because not only did it made me even more sleepy, it made me shiver non-stop. Weird things alcohol does to your body - that's why I don't drink, not even sparingly. On top of that, I look like a lobster and it wasn't exactly funny. Well, looking back, it's probably quite hilarious but I don't want to go through that experience ever again. The only blessing I can thank of is that I didn't go crazy and sprout nonsense.

So I left my own party earlier than some of the guests. Well, the survivors are mainly my siblings and cousins so I didn't feel that bad. My uncle was kind enough to drive me home and on the way, dropped of some of my friends since we all stay in the Hougang area.

The moment I reached home, I dumped all my stuff at the dining table, rushed to bathe and immediately went to sleep because I almost fell asleep while bathing. It was that bad!

Lesson learnt: Next time you're sleepy and someone hands you a suspicious looking bottle of what seems like water (or cooling water), SMELL IT before you down a whole mouthful. Not the best feeling~~

Well unless you love your alcohol then you'll probably enjoy it...





That's the end of TOY MUSEUM! Was glad that it went really smoothly. There were hiccups, true, but at least things went pretty well and no one was killed.

I really THANK Y'ALL, those who attended, for your time and your marvelous presents (Stay tuned! They will be the subjects for the next post!) and the lots of love y'all showed me. I had never felt so happy in my life before~

And remember your toys - your precious childhoods that shaped what you are today and remind yourself of what makes you yourself.

because "BABY YOU WERE BORN THIS WAY~"

making of | PART 1 | PART 2 | Presents (Part 1) | Presents (Part 2)

Click to visit other parts of the ~TOY MUSEUM~ Special

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broylim Birthday ~TOY MUSEUM~ PART 1

making of | PART 1 | PART 2 | Presents (Part 1) | Presents (Part 2)

Just came home from SAFTI after collecting my posting order and I think I just wasted let's see...

8am - 12:30pm... 4 and a half hours? Minus 3 minutes... 4 hours and 27 minutes of my life TRAVELLING from one end of the country to the other just to get a few pieces of paper! If it's not retarded, I don't know what is. Not to mention almost $4.00 gone to transportation. Whatever happened to the internet or email or technology?

Anyway, since I have nothing on until sunset, I shall continue the episode of TOY MUSEUM, starting with Part 1 because there are way too many photos to be placed in a single post. Furthermore, I'm feeling slightly sleepy after waking up so inhumanely early this morning so I finish this and go for a nap later.

Let the guests arrive! All my guests are made to sign the guest book at a point or another but Bing Ru, being the first official guest to arrive started with the guest book the moment he stepped into the room under the close supervision of my Green Aliens who were joined by other toys later on.

One of the greatest helpers of the event, Rena! Initially, we had no plans of putting toys at the guest book table but after I started with my Green Aliens, the rest of them started to flood the table with other toys like Vera's and Rena's Barbie dolls, toy cars, Bing Ru's Stitch, long armed monkeys, etc. Really interesting!

Another one of my greatest helpers, Alvin~ Taken before the room was flooded with other guests. He helped me with the decorations (green screen) and the balloons. Thanks~ :D

Raven and I rehearsed some of our songs before the guests arrived. Actually, we were meant to find a day before the actual event to rehearse and to confirm some stuff but she's always so busy with work. In fact, sometimes I feel that her job is even more strict and demanding than the army but so long as she's happy with what she's doing, then that's all that matters, no?

As much as I want to be the photographer of the event, I can't simply because I cannot handle the workload of interacting with the guests, managing the logistics and ensuring that things go smoothly. Therefore, a lot of the photos taken here are in fact not by me. Some of them are by Rena (as seen in this photo, she used the wired control to trigger the camera; useful tool!) and a lot of them by Leon.

Like in most events in Singapore, things never start on time. My event was meant to start at 6:30pm but when it was time, there were not more than 5 guests (not inclusive of the helpers) so I had to push everything backwards and had to rearrange the schedule a little bit. Shortly after 6:30pm though, my secondary school friends came! Been awhile since I've seen them. Left to right: Myself, Yuying, Peggy the Piggy eat Maggi and Peijin. Really glad they turned up!!

Even though they were slightly late, they were still considered pretty early; my FATTIES (poly classmates); the most fun-loving people. Without them, K-box is never fun! From left to right: Peiquan, Daryl, myself, Weiguang, Jum, Ching Kai, Rini, Clarence, Wayne and Ben Ang. Wayne brought his own light sticks because he knows that I will be singing. So supportive! :P

Vera found this bunny mask which I believe belongs to either my nephew or my little cousin on the floor and I picked it up and wore it for this photo. I look less fat with the mask on my face... Maybe I should keep it on forever...

Remember the green screen with the colorful mats as seen in the "making of" post? This is the purpose of the green screen; to serve as a backdrop for my guests' photo shoot with their toys. Over here, Vera, Jessica and Bing Ru shows of their toys. Sometimes, I wonder if Vera's duckie bolster is considered a toy or not because technically, it seems more like a sleeping companion than a plaything. What do you think?

Jessica and me~ The backdrop is such a good idea!!

And here's my other group of friends; some of the sweetest people you'll ever meet! In this photo, Yahya, Ain and myself.

Even though I was busy moving around the huge room, there were times where I took my camera and tripod around to snap photos of my guests because I just can't resist taking pictures! Over here, Daniel and gang along with Wesley (ex-colleague; extreme right) and Kenvin (BMT mate; guy in red). Daniel and gang were preparing my birthday on the day itself so they were constantly chasing me away. :(

 Wayne, Clarence and Ben Ang.

The food that we had that day; buffet! If you ever want to plan an event at K-box, be sure to check out their buffet menu because it goes on and on and I had a really hard time trying to finalize the menu because there were so many good stuff that I wanted to try. Oh yes~ The buffet arrived late that day though because the caterers were stuck in a traffic jam. But once they were set up, the show began~ Too bad I don't have photos of it because *ahem*... I wasn't the photographer.

And while everyone was digging into their food and stuffing their faces, I continued touring around the room to take photos. Over here, Alfa and Raven having their dinner.

My now-ex-wingmates from Tango; Zhi Kai, Kevin and Haikal singing from where they were with the customized wireless microphones. 

And at the fatties' table, they arranged their toys as shown above. Really adorable!! Ben Ang brought his Domo, Jum brought his Pooh bear which resembles Xander's "Serene-bear-bear", Wei Guang brought his Wigglytuff plushie which can "transform" back into a Jigglypuff (CUTE STUFF!!) and Rini brought her reindeer~ I guess soft toys are the easiest toys to bring because they are so easily found.

Took this random shot of the room to show what everyone was doing.

2 other secondary school friends joined slightly later. Extreme left, Benjamin and extreme right, Ronald. Took this photo using the timer function. Noticed I changed my shirt? That because Raven gave it to me as a birthday present because she said she wants to give me something that tops the striking-ness of my lime green polo-T and she picked pink... -_-" She made me wear it that day. Surprisingly though, it wasn't that uncomfortable and the color is actually not bad. It makes me look very fair though...

I was really honored to have my grandparents join me in the party on that day! I had never expected them to turn up because K-box is not exactly elderly-friendly but they did anyway~ So touched!!

If I didn't remember wrongly, I took this picture using the remote control. Haikal looks extremely funny in this shot~

There are lots of April babies in my BMT platoon and a lot of them were unable to turn up for my event because they were also celebrating their big 21st on April 2. Sadded. I call that the Curse of the BMT buddies because both my buddies, Sam and Wilson, celebrated their birthdays on the same day as I did and they couldn't make it. Hopefully, we will get to meet up one day~ :D The only 2 BMT mates that turned up were Kenvin and Daniel and I'm so grateful for their attendance~ Even though Daniel had to book in on the night itself, he came!! So touched!!

The bunch of friends who I hang out a lot with especially during weekends. If it wasn't for Alvin, I wouldn't have met these wonderful people. :) Clockwise from left: Chong Yee, Daniel, Hazel, Ain, Yin Zhi, Ain, myself and Alvin.

And finally~ The cake!! GIMME THE CAKE!! A week before the event, my father and I went to a bakery near my house to test out some flavors and to pre-order the cake. I even got the chef to put the title of the event on the cake itself~ Coolness!! I didn't want the typical "key" cake because honestly, it doesn't mean anything to me. Being 21 doesn't mean you're free. You are free since the day you were born; not when you turn 21. So the key isn't significant to me at 21...

If you had celebrated your birthday at K-box before, you would have known that they will give you a complimentary cake and that's what they did for me~ They gave me this small cake so that my family can smear the cream all over my face! Should have told them to give me something without those white blobs of "facial products". The cherries were nice though. :P

I love this photo!! Taken by Leon~ As opposed to getting small groups of people to take photos with me by my cake, I opted to just take a huge group photo altogether in a single frame because it saves time and I can be sure that I took a photo with everyone in the room that evening. Furthermore, it was easier to organize.

Ta da!! All the guests who came to my event! Well, less some of my relatives because I had no clue where they disappeared to but I guess it's okay unless they want me to photoshop them in like what I did with Sheena the other time. Other than class photos, I have to say that this is the largest group photo that I have taken in my life~ Thanks to the K-box staff for helping me take this shot.

And then there was the birthday song! Happy birthday to myself!! Someone put the song on the system and the music video was really adorable (as seen with that big smiley bear on the screen). At least this year, I didn't sit there like a cuckoo and somehow, I didn't feel that uneasy in front of so many people. Maybe because after making a fool out of myself at the opening act (sadly not photographed), my stage fright vaporized. In fact, I don't even think I have stage fright though... :P YES!! I changed clothes again.

My family portrait and regrettably, I look possessed because I had to open my eyes really wide due to the flash. Not the most flattering photo but I guess it'll do.

Blowing of the candles... As opposed to having just 2 large candles and 1 small one, I asked for 21 small candles so that the cake will look more aesthetically pleasing because come on! Just 3 candles on the huge cake is like a single cactus in the middle of a vast desert~ Looks weird, no? 

My father had to prank me on my birthday and he asked me to pick out the candles using my mouth. Luckily, he didn't manage to drive my face into the cake but unfortunately, I wasn't spared from the mess.

LOOK AT WHAT THEY DID TO MUA FACE!! They smeared and threw cream at me and even though the cream was tasty, it wasn't the best smelling thing you'll like across your cheeks and in your nose (yes, it went in). It was oily and smells like butter. Good thing my grandfather wasn't evil and he came over to help me wipe the mess off my face while I continue to cut the cake. Leon Lim. I'll make sure the whole cake lands in your face on your 21st. :)

Well. That's all for Part 1 of the TOY MUSEUM episode. Be sure to stay tuned for the second part of the party (post-cake)!! More photos!!

+ If you want me to link you up, please inform me so I can put your URL at the "links" section and so I have additional blogs to read. :D

making of | PART 1 | PART 2 | Presents (Part 1) | Presents (Part 2)

Click to visit other parts of the ~TOY MUSEUM~ Special

Read more...