Ting’s 30th birthday bash… from an unexpected storm rolling in to a cake so good; she somehow rallied her closest pals for a wet and wild celebration to remember. In this heartfelt read, Ting reflects on this milestone of three decades of living, learning, and loving — and shares her gratitude for the incredible people who’ve walked this journey with her.

Teary eyes. Wide-eyed smiles. Overflowing hearts. Gosh.
I feel so, so blessed. My heart is so, so full.

That’s all I could think of as I celebrated my birthday with the ones who mean the most.

Contemplated for the longest time whether or not to throw a birthday party – and looking back, I’m so glad I did!

Putting together a party to celebrate the BIG THREE with my closest friends felt like a deliberate pick – from choosing a theme that reflects my persona, to sending out invites to my favourite people, down to a location that fits the bill…

Being a spontaneous fun lover by nature, that mental load surely weighed on me haha!

But the most important and brutal question of all… who would want to come to my party?! HAHAHA

Frankly, my closest friendships are mostly one-on-one, which means most of them:

• are introverted and prefer close intimate setting
• have never once met each other

Pooling together a bunch of strangers where none of them has a choice but to interact with one another just for a friend’s birthday party?!! Gosh that’d be an introvert’s nightmare HAHAHA

Despite all the fears in my head, the show has to go on. This 30th birthday party felt like an opportune time to give back to my closest ones for shaping me to become the person I am today.

With that said, time to get cracking!!

Quickly whipped up a birthday poster with Canva!

The brief: “bring the wild, we’ll bring the wet.”

Truly, those famous last words! The thunderstorm hit almost immediately the moment we reached the birthday venue at 1-Altitude Coast! It’s true when they warned us to always be careful what we wish for haha!

Given my “Don’t think, just do it. We’ll think of another way when shit hits the fan!” cognitive function, there was simply no wet weather plans!

A party of 18 people, stranded in the thunderstorm?! With the lightning repeatedly flashing before our eyes, the thought of impending downpour felt thrilling to me. After all, it’s supposed to be a wet & wild party HAHAHA I could definitely laugh about it, but can’t say the same for everyone else!

As the rain came pelting down, it suddenly hit me, “Ok fine these are my guests… so I still need a backup plan. What do I do now?! Perhaps a hideout at one of the random pavilions in Sentosa while we grab food over?! HAHAH” *panic mode activated*

The calm before the storm: storm clouds loomed in the horizon before all hell broke loose

Well thankfully….

The fire bells in my head dissolved almost immediately as the staff ushered us to the indoor restaurant just right next door, Sol & Ora. Honestly, it was such a blessing to have a back-up plan in place without much thought hahaha #cheapthrills

Even with the thunderstorm passing us by, there was no time to lose – the night is young, the young is night, the party has to go on!!

Just as we were getting started with a round of ice-breaking, the staff presented the birthday cake and it was time for cake-cutting woohoo!!

Got this gorgeous beau from a local Singaporean cake shop, fieldnotes, as recommended by one of my good friends!

Boi, this Earl Grey x Lavender cake surely hit a spot and didn’t disappoint!! Absolutely loved it – earl grey lavender isn’t even one of their top-rated flavors, just imagine how good their best sellers must be!!

“Don’t cry ah!! Let’s see how many times she’s gonna cry today AHAHAH”

Friends who know me by heart knows how emotional I can get.

Honestly, if there was a challenge to see who cries the most number of times that night, no doubt I would have been crowned the champion HAHAHA #notproud

With that said, my heart was full seeing my closest friends gathered that night. It was one of those fleeting moments of pure bliss – where life stood still, as I allowed myself to soak it all in.

A sneak peek of what went down that night: featuring a predator and her fallen prey hahaha

From getting me to take more shots by cheekily baiting me to “do it for the memories, we’ll take vids & pics!!”, to the smallest yet sweetest gestures — like helping me cut the cake and gifting presents that screamed, “we know you and have seen you walk through life!” Every detail was simply heartwarming.

But the breaking point when the flood gates became uncontrollable?!

It was when the members of “Yiur Support Group”, a telegram chat between my sister, brother, and his girlfriend, handed me a palm-sized note. NGL, I wasn’t expecting much – gifting just wasn’t commonly practiced in our family.

Staring at the note, there were a bunch of options to choose from, ranging from flowers arrangement, to a cold plunge spa and an iFly experience… all inspired by the conversations my sister had been quietly listening to over time.

My eyes traced to the last line: “Business investment to help you raise your baby.”

I froze. And then the tears came streaming endlessly — because OMG, THAT really hit a spot. It was as though they were saying, “We see you, we believe in you. Now, go ahead and do it!!”

It reminded me of something Noah Kagan wrote in his Million Dollar Weekend book — he talks about validating your idea by simply asking someone to give you $1 for it. Not because the dollar matters, but because it symbolizes commitment, courage, and proof that your idea holds value — even to one person.

That moment with yiur support group? It felt exactly like that $1 validation, marking my first ever informal meeting with the board. It was as though they were echoing: This matters. Now go — it’s your turn. That hit of dopamine honestly felt so surreal and crazy uwu.

Soon after the tears came streaming down (literally and figuratively), the storm was over, and it was time to head outdoors to play!!

Truly, it was a wet and wild night.

Dips in the pool, grooving to the music right beside the DJ, gazing at the full moon, deep heart-to-heart chats that left us empowered, followed by the water-gun chaos and endless selfies later… it was one of those nights that made life feel alive and electric woohoo!!!!

Everyone was simply vibing to the beat and it was simply delightful watching every one bond over endless laughter and their child-like antics. Boy, we all may be in our late twenties and early thirties, but all of us were having tons of fun just like little kids!! HAHAHA

A friend did up a CHATGPT Ghibli of me – how cute!

Hosting this 30th birthday party felt incredibly close to heart.

It wasn’t just a celebration – but one that felt like a symbolic pause, a bittersweet moment to honor all the friendships that had witnessed my evolution in the past three decades. It was the entirety of this life experience – be it through laughter or sadness, naivety to lessons, transitions to growth, heartbreak to healing that shaped every single bit of me to be whom I am today.

As I learn to better embrace life in its duality – the highs and lows, I am beyond grateful for those who cheered for me whenever I reached new peaks, and even more grateful for those who stood by me and cheered me on in the darkest of valleys – holding space without trying to fix or rush me out of it, and often reminding me I was still worth rooting for.

“To have that kind of love from people I love, and to be that kind of love for people I love — perhaps that’s the greatest gift of all.”.

I am immensely thankful – and wouldn’t have wanted to trade any bit of what we shared. As I bid goodbye to my twenties, I am soooo looking forward to an exciting future that lies ahead, all in this one precious life!!

& as one of my friends shared her realization after the party…

“This party is so Ting. Even when there weren’t any wet weather plans, even when there was a huge-ass thunderstorm in the midst of the party… everything still worked out.”

For sure, it’s a mantra that has stayed in me for many years, and probably one that I will continue to bring it into the next decade of my life: “Everything always works out! If it doesn’t, it’s not yet the end.” :’)

Honestly, couldn’t ask for an even more meaningful way to celebrate the 30th!!

Are you thinking of holding a birthday party?! If you are still unsure, this just be a sign for you to do it 😉 After all, we all love a reason to celebrate!