What did Utsudo’s warmest birthday look like? Before her March 1 birthday, Utsudo held an event inviting birthday art and messages, and more than sixty people took part. On the day, she ate out with friends in Tainan and had a small get-together at a café in Chaozhou that evening—she had company almost 24 hours straight. The last birthday that left such a deep impression was at eighteen, shortly after her mother passed away. She thanks the friends who’ve stood by her and reminds herself how precious it is when someone reaches out during hard times.

Translated from Utsudo’s original Chinese column.

Over sixty birthday wishes

March 1 is my birthday. Before it, I held an event inviting birthday art and messages, and more than sixty people took part—far more than I expected. Some even prepared more than one piece, so introducing every creator took about two and a half hours, even at a slightly brisk pace.

I’m truly grateful for all the wishes from everywhere, and for the gifts from my real-life friends. Everyone’s company and warmth made me feel so loved.

A day of eating and drinking with friends

That morning I had a meal with friends. We went to Tainan for the all-you-can-eat BBQ 肉次方 (roughly “Meat to the Nth Power”), which we turned into “Shrimp to the Nth Power,” because I was sitting by the ordering screen and frantically ordered heaps of red angel shrimp—yes, I’m that person who eats shrimp to get their money’s worth.

Though I was defeated pretty quickly, and I was also the first to start on the ice cream (covers face)

Eating, drinking, chatting and goofing around with friends was so much fun. I wished time would slow down, but since we had another small get-together that evening, we had to hurry back to Chaozhou after the meal.

That evening we had a small gathering at a Donutes café in Chaozhou, drinking coffee and sharing two big six-inch strawberry cakes. Two members were meeting me for the first time, but nobody was shy and we chatted happily. Even though we’d never met, it felt like we were old friends—maybe because we’d seen each other on my livestreams.

All day, my friends went everywhere with me. In the evening I livestreamed, and then late at night I went out for a walk. I had someone by my side almost 24 hours that day. That warm feeling still fills me with gratitude, and I want to hold on to every bit of it.

The last unforgettable birthday

I remember the last birthday that left such a deep impression was when I turned eighteen. My mother had passed away not long before, and I was steeped in grief, but the people around me planned a birthday party for me. That day everyone was especially gentle with me, and the message “I’m not alone” really got through. I was deeply moved, and I still remember it vividly.

Much of the time, I feel like I’ve been walking alone for a long while, so when I feel everyone’s warmth, it touches me deeply. Thank you all so much for being with me along the way. Thanks to your support and encouragement, I can keep forging ahead on this path.

I’ll treasure this warm kindness in my heart, and I hope to bring you all more surprises next year.

Thank you, my friends

This post is more of a little journal entry. I hadn’t originally planned to include it in the Ghost Island series, but I thought maybe I could pass these feelings on to you, so I wrote it down after all.

When you’re struggling, having someone willing to reach out a hand is something to be truly grateful for.

Thank you, my friends.

FAQ

Further reading

• Previous: Hey! I Heard You’re a Writer on Ghost Island #226: The Advantages of Being a New Novelist
• Start from the beginning: Hey! I Heard You’re a Writer on Ghost Island #01: Utsudo’s Debut — A Road to the Dream Covered in Frost
• Utsudo’s books

About the author

Utsudo is a Taiwanese light novelist and novelist VTuber with more than ten years in the industry and 40 commercially published print books. Her novel 《遺失的情書》 received a 2022 Ministry of Culture youth creative award. The 《嘿！聽說妳在鬼島當作家》 series records her experiences as a novelist in Taiwan.