Before My Birthday
A few weeks before my birthday, I had the feeling that my classmates were up to something. I didn’t know exactly what they were planning, but I was pretty thrilled to know that my classmates, who really are some of the most loving and caring people I know, were about to celebrate my special day with me. It made me feel really lucky. 🥰
On My Actual Birthday
However, as my birthday approached, schools in Singapore were closed down to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. I was slightly disheartened as I thought it meant that I would not be able to celebrate and share my joy and happiness alongside my friends… 😔
Fortunately, my disappointment did not last long. Unknown to me, my friends worked around the shutdown and decided to host what they called a “zoom meeting”. That day, the moment I joined the “zoom meeting”, my friends broke into a song, singing Happy Birthday to me. They also took turns to talk about what they liked most about me. I was taken by surprise, and felt very moved by their gesture. 💕
Belated Birthday Celebration
A few weeks after school reopened, I remember walking out of class after school feeling super drained and tired. My friends caught up with me and gifted me this hand-drawn and painted Black Panther Themed Ukulele with a matching piece of artwork. I became so excited since Black Panther is my favourite Marvel character – I find him the coolest out of all the heroes. 🦸🏿♂️ I thanked my friends profusely for this wonderfully thought out gift. Once I got into my mum’s car, I immediately took out the ukulele and started playing the Avengers Theme Song on it. It totally made my day and perked me up.
Here is a short video of me playing the Avengers Theme Song on my Black Panther ukulele. 😁
I also received many nice birthday cards and letters from my friends. I kept them all in a box that sits in one of my drawers in my room. Reading them makes me feel very loved.💕
Mini Review of My Ukulele
Design
The ukulele and artwork was painted by one of my kindest and coolest friends, Kiera. She painted the ukulele with acrylic paint – black (the colour of Black Panther of course) and bits of grey blended all over, with the Black Panther’s necklace painted around the body of the ukulele. The design of the ukulele perfectly matches the feel and aesthetic of Black Panther.
Sound
Of course I wasn’t expecting it to be similar to my Kamaka or KoAloha ukuleles since it is a soprano ukulele (BWS EST 1988 23-inch Soprano Ukulele). But surprisingly, its sound projection is decent and I was able to play the full Avengers Theme Song on it cleanly with ease.
My rating…just for fun
5 out of 5 Stars
The sentimentality of this ukulele cannot be beat.
Where I Keep My Precious Gift
To preserve the painting, I kept it in a zip lock bag to protect it from outside elements. As for my uke, I store it nicely in my under-bed compartment. This means that I sleep very close to it every night. 😁😴
I hope to bring this ukulele to school one day and play it for my friends when we have the time. This ukulele will always remind me of the endless support which my school friends fuel me with.
I am very grateful for all the support I receive.
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(*Because I am too young to own a bank account, the name shown will be my mom’s name. But no worries, it will show a picture of me!)
Evan J De Silva 
Great story! Sorry I missed your birthday, so Happy Birthday! 🎶
Best of luck!
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Thank you for reading! Hope you’re doing well!
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