A Family Reunion and Birthday Celebration in Kota Kinabalu

Our reunion with Sam’s family did not end when we left BP on 13 October 2025. Just a day after we returned home to Kota Kinabalu, Sam and Maddie flew in on 15 October 2025 for a 5D4N holiday - a special father-and-daughter trip dedicated to spending quality time together in KK. Interestingly, Livvie would separately have her own exclusive mother-and-daughter time with her mom in Chiang Mai.

Whether by coincidence or deliberate planning, Sam’s visit to KK happened to coincide with my 74th birthday. As I recalled, I felt deeply blessed - in October 2023, I celebrated my 72nd birthday in Perth with Serene’s family (Read here), and the following year in Athens, Greece, with warm greetings flowing in from both Singapore and Australia (Read here).

This year’s celebration was held at Kinsly, a restaurant under the Adelphi group. It was our very first visit to this outlet, and it turned out to be a delightful new addition to our family’s list of memorable dining experiences.

For this birthday celebration, I believe my granddaughter Maddie will remember it for a long time - not just because of the fun, but because the birthday cake was entirely her choice (and she made sure everyone knew it!).

After placing our food orders at Kinsly, my wife and Maddie went off to hunt for the perfect birthday cake. They stopped by a nearby bakery, where my wife finally picked a lovely one and was just about to pay. But before the cashier could ring it up, a loud and decisive voice came from the far corner of the shop: “Popo! I want this birthday cake!”

Heads turned. There was Maddie, pointing excitedly at a cake proudly decorated with the characters from her all-time favorite movie - Frozen. There stood Elsa, Anna and Olaf, perfectly posed on a swirl of icy blue frosting, looking ready to break into a song.

Naturally, Popo didn’t stand a chance. The “Frozen” cake won, hands down. And so, at the birthday dinner, Maddie beamed from ear to ear as her beloved characters took center stage on the dessert table.

It was truly her kind of celebration - a sweet, sparkly, Frozen moment that would melt any grandparent’s heart (though thankfully, not the cake’s icing!).

As I watched her joyfully blowing out the candle together with the birthday "boy", I felt a deep sense of happiness and contentment - knowing that this rare and heartfelt celebration would be remembered and treasured far longer than any ordinary birthday.

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With today’s technology, greetings can be sent in an instant. For family members who couldn’t join us for the celebration in KK, their absence was beautifully made up for with short video clips filled with greetings and well-wishes.

For me, it was more than just receiving birthday messages - it was a delightful way to see how my grandchildren have grown, not only in confidence but also in their musical and singing talents! Watching them play their instruments and perform so cheerfully made the virtual connection feel wonderfully personal and heartwarming.

From Singapore, Livvie delighted us with her cello performance of one of my favourite songs, “Hallelujah”, beautifully accompanied on the piano by her mom. 

What made it even more special was knowing the effort behind it - Livvie had told me earlier, during our time in BP, that she would practise diligently to perfect her playing of this song. True to her word, her performance reflected not only her growing musical talent but also her dedication and love for sharing music with the family. It was a touching and memorable highlight of our celebration.

From Perth, my granddaughter Grace sang a beautiful rendition of “The Aeroplane” together with her mom, accompanied tenderly on the guitar by her older brother, Nathan. Their heartfelt family performance was both touching and memorable.

As I listened, I was deeply moved by the song’s lyrics:

If I had the blueprint or the brain,

I would build an aeroplane,

With fashion wings of balsa wood and glue,

And I would fly to you........

Those simple yet profound words carried a message of love, longing, and connection - sentiments that resonated deeply within me. Watching Grace and her family perform together filled me with warmth and joy. Their shared musical bond, woven with affection and harmony, beautifully captured the spirit of togetherness that made our celebration so special.