Last Thursday was Demis' (aka. my new husband's) birthday. Seeing it was our first birthday celebrated in the married world, I considered it my duty (wifely obligation) to go out of my way to spoil him. So after he unwrapped his tenth and final present (and drunken the beers I sat holding for him) we went to dine at Oh! Calcutta! (the prefect choice for a man that loves fine Indian cuisine from an award winning establishment).

We took our seat at the crisp white table and gazed over the tantalising and superbly innovative menu. The restaurant was intimate and so carefully designed that it almost made you feel as though there was no other movement except the shadows of the candles flickering against the tables. Our waitress described the specials with such graceful detail and passion that I wasted no time in ordering them for both my main and entrée. Demis (who clearly knew it wise to follow his wife's intuition) did the same.

While we waited for our meal we were served tiny complimentary tastings of various Indian delicacies. In the background we would occasionally hear the owner assisting a table in their order or talking about one of the meals (in such a way that it tempted you to change your order to the dish he was describing), and we knew our meal was going to be special.

When my entrée of mussels arrived I became intoxicated by the smell of flavour and art. Recalling the taste still makes my mouth water and my whole life seem meaningless in comparison. The taste was so perfect and exquisite that I could not even pinpoint a single herb or spice - it was as though the flavour in itself had become one complete and wholesome ingredient that could be compared to no other. It filled my body with a spark of fire that rushed to my toes and suddenly vanished leaving the hairs on my tingling skin standing upright. The sauce was so impressive that even though I had quickly finished my mussels, I could not help but drink the sauce as though it were soup.

Demis claimed his variety of four entrées was just as mind blowing (and each with a unique and inventive flavour)...but I doubt it. How could anything be as good as the mussels I had?

When my main of venison arrived I was drunk with pleasure. Although no meal would ever match the mussels I was still thoroughly impressed with my next meal. The strong flavour and rich smooth sauce was perfectly accompanied with the nutty rice and warm garlic naan bread. We both dined in the true sense of the word. The restaurant, food and service were both perfect and inspiring.

Opting for a Chai tea (even the tea was a masterpiece - served in a tall glass with fresh ingredients and so delicious I could have drunken several more) over dessert (although I was eager to taste their sweet creations there was still a birthday cake awaiting our return) we toasted to a birthday and the wonderful few weeks that had just passed.

Some people don't really care much about birthdays. They see it as another unwelcome reminder that life is passing and age is growing and a lot of the times even associate it with the unnecessary hassles involved in organising a party or get-together. In short, many people choose not to make a big deal of the whole event.

I'm appalled by this thought. Birthdays are the truest representative of what life is all about. Living in such an unpredictable world as we do it's sad to think we can't stop, appreciate and celebrate the day that you or someone else has reached another year of life (as well as the fact that we were born at all!). We are all around for an unknown yet certainly pitifully short period of time - being alive is worth every bit of fuss (and of course the more fuss for me all the better).

Later that night Demis blew out his candles and made a wish. I made a wish too (just in case his was shamefully superficial). I wished that there would be so many more years of birthdays, life and marriage to celebrate...and well, if any of those birthdays happened to involve more of those mussels then that would be a welcome (but totally unplanned) addition.