My Favourite Things In Life

Happy 3 month-old!

2012-02-02T11:38:00.005+08:00

Our little precious is exactly 3 month-old yesterday! Since his visit back to Malaysia over the Chinese New Year, he seems to have grown tremendously in the aspect of social interaction. Observation of his development: starts laughing when he's been tickled on his chin and chest, expressing his preference for a rocker and smiles at us without being teased. Now I can sort of differentiate his cries; the genuine ones due to hunger/sleepiness from those for attention only. How cute! Just last week, he made a great discovery ie. his pair of hands! Mittens are constantly in a wet and stinky state.

Zach boy is a star this trip back with everyone welcomed him home cordially. He's always swarmed and happily entertained by cousins/uncles/aunties at every waking moment. Bet he must have enjoyed the attention judging from his interaction with them. This Chinese New Year celebration was better than expected. It was practically like house moving though. The atmosphere in Tampin, Zach boy's great grandma's place, was very thick indeed with blasting red crackers, fireworks, lion dance. Zach slept through on the eve despite the loud blasting noise from fire crackers. Early morning on the 1st day of CNY, hubby brought him out to watch the lion dance. Uncertain if he could truly see the lion dance, Zachary remained quiet throughout the performance. hahaha.... So that's Zach's 1st Chinese New Year. :)

And here's our 1st precious family potrait taken on 1st day of CNY with Mel's polaroid and artistically retaken by myself. *proud* :)

A Date with the Centenarian

2012-01-03T22:01:00.001+08:00

The oldest person in Singapore has passed away. It's not something recent. But I just learned about the news some 3 weeks ago. It wasn't announced until 5 days later. She left quietly. Hubby had wanted to bring Zach to meet her. When I was 5 months pregnant, we visited her home at Hougang. She was a cheerful, 113 year old centenarian born in 1898. Together with her caregiver, Bro Sharana Rao (who happens to be a yoga master), we lunched at Swensen which serves her favourite vanilla ice cream. She was a midwife in those days. When we met, she gave me 3 good advice on healthy pregnancy; read good books, get soaked in the morning sun and think positively. Nevertheless, we still visited Bro Sharana last week. Also to pay respect to Sis Teresa Hsu but subsequently we found out that her wish was to leave nothing and the only way to pray to her was through our hearts.... For those who do not know about Sis Teresa Hsu, her life and her contributions, please google. .

Look, how simple she wants her meaningful life to be. Looking at my wardrobe-full of clothes, bags & shoes, I feel guilty. Yet, yet, yet, I need to have those things to make myself "ME"....hehe... Oh and this has just reminded me that, I have yet to shop for new year clothes! Ok, hopeless, I know. I will try to buy fewer items from now onwards....

2012: 10 weeks on

2012-01-03T21:18:00.002+08:00

Happy 2012! It's the beginning of the 10th week of my motherhood. In another word, it's the end of countdown at clubs & parties and late nights hangouts. Oh well, at the very least, hubby & I attended a bbq party on the 31st evening but we left before 11 pm.

Life is definitely more manageable now with the help of our new Indonesian helper. So far so good but hubby thinks she's wasting too much time and water on laundry and house cleaning.. Isn't that what she's employed for??? She came a day after Zach boy's 2nd full month party on the 18th Dec 2011. We had one earlier on with just family members. So little boy had already 2 parties specially held for him. Approximately 1 grand was spent on these 2 events which include food & beverages, cakes & cupcakes, photographer and rental of the function room. Speaking of which, the photographer named Ray sucked at capturing moments. Regretted that I did not get my very own friends to do it for me which I believe, would have turned out much more satisfactory. By the way, here's the website and I do not recommend it to anyone unfortunately. http://raynmagphotography.com/about/ Perhaps Mag could do a better job but I really am not sure as this is the very first time I engaged their service and also the last time. Oh well, at least the food we catered from Neo Gardens was good and the cupcakes from Sweetest Moments http://www.sweetestmoments.com.sg/ were very pretty. Steep though.

Anyway, on the last day of 2011, we took him for the 6 in 1 vaccination at a neighbourhood paediatric clinic which costed a whopping S$ 202! Nevertheless I was very pleased to learn his current weight to be 5 kg at his 9th week which means he has doubled his birth weight at the start of 2nd month. I think it was last week that Zach boy has started to coo while maintaining some eye contacts. Today he smiled when I talked to him. Aoowww...how cute!! This makes me forget about the episodes of milk bottle strike at his 6-7 weeks when he drank only some 200-300 ml of my hard-pumped breast milk and drove me crazy as I was worried that he wouldn't grow! Babies are really strange little things. They are different every single day.

I am glad that life seems more within control now with Zach's schedule and temperament appear more predictable, FOR NOW. My life went UPSIDE DOWN, INSIDE OUT when I took care of him all by myself for a while after the confinement nanny left on 4th Dec (see, I remember precisely when the nightmare began) before help from family members came in time. It was the most challenging time in my life and I really thought I was having post natal depression. Looking back, I think it was just baby blues that derived from stress and the inability to adapt & cope. How lousy, I know. I never admit I am good in this.

Now, it's time for me to figure out what I want to do in the next few months. Come on, sit down and do some plannings!! Life is too short to just stay home and pump milk!

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A very different 1st week @ home

2011-11-10T17:46:00.000+08:00

Zachary boy is home with us! He came 3 weeks earlier on 1/11/11. Contrary to what most people would have thought, we did not choose his birth date. It was a natural delivery instead of a Caesarian birth. So the post natal ward and nursery were full house, let alone choosing the type of rooms we wanted. Well even though we weren't able to secure a single room, everything else went quite smoothly and that's more important than anything else.

With the great help from the confinement nanny, things are going quite alright and I'd say I am tolerating confinement days pretty well. The only complaint is too much time spent on "breast-related" activities. I pump & nurse all day long due to overproduction by my mammary glands. Apart from the regular nursing, I can still express some 3-5 bottles extra to be stored in the fridge. I'd like to store them for future use but, but, but my confinement nanny will use them up when I am just too lazy to drag myself up for the midnight feed. Nothing surprising hehe...

Pain and aches from childbirth are gone but still feeling exhausted and definitely need a good back & hands massage to soothe soreness from breastfeeding posture. I suppose I won't be blogging too often from now onwards but the pregnancy journey til the day of Zachary's birth is definitely worth another entry! Will probably do that in the next post. Last but not the least, here's Zachary....

Preparation

2011-09-21T15:43:00.004+08:00

Another 2 weeks have passed. Not much done still. Received a rocker which also seemed to be able to double as an infant car seat at first. Look how hubby was trying to get it fixed onto the passenger seat.

Finally decided on a cot which will be delivered next month. I'm so tempted to have the baby's room decorated with jungle theme which is gender-neutral but just too much work! So, will leave it as it is for the time being other than making more rooms for the cot. Perhaps adding a chest to keep the baby's stuff if necessary.

Last but not the least, look at what I've been consuming to nourish the little fella! It's homemade concentrated chicken essence steamed with Chinese herbs for 3 hours before adding in birdnest to be further steamed. It's very yummy actually! Love it!

Clearing Clutters

2011-09-08T09:51:00.005+08:00

This is exactly what I need to do now, especially when the little fella is arriving soon and I've yet to make much preparation. I don't wish to keep buying and end up with no space to store them. Til this moment, I am proud to say I still stay very level-headed, practical as in not to over-purchase things that I simply think they are cute....Can't believe that some possessions which I've always wanted to reorganize or even discard are still sitting comfortably in the house after years and years! How ah? Get help? Anyway, am so glad that my niece came over last week to help with the heavier chores. At least I've 3 vacant cubicles in the wardrobe now. *pleased*

I am racing against time. I am getting heavier, bigger, less mobile to get things done yet clutters are piling up and new essential things have yet to be bought. *sigh* Most weekends are packed with activities all the way til ..... I don't know, just before I pop? We shall see. And nope, I've no spare time to blog about my Scandinavia adventure in more details.....Not in these few weeks....

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Greetings from Copenhagen!

2011-08-14T05:32:00.002+08:00

It's my 2nd weekend in Scandinavia and I think it'd be nice to have at least 1 blog entry written from here! Weather has been kind at times with much sunshine on the last day in Stockholm and Oslo. It was forecasted that it'd shower in Copenhagen yesterday & today but I am really grateful that weather has been pretty kind, not expecting too much sunshine but good enough if there's no rain. I wonder if the Nordics even know how's a truly good weather like. *sigh* Quite sad to be living in a land that's always freezing half the time and with summer that has so much rainfall. I miss the bright and shiny weather back home....

Enough about the weather. Itinerary still has to go on no matter what the weather is like. At least we visited almost 90% of the attractions that were on the list. We didn't do the other 10% not because of weather but more so because of time constraint. The hotel accommodations are much better than what I've expected as I've been reminded time and again that, say, a 4 star hotel in Scandinavia isn't the same standard as that in other parts of the world.Well, agree to some extent. But everything here is so clean and in good working condition. So, no complaint.

I'd be blogging more about my trip in detail and so,not adding too much details into this entry. Good night! A few photos from Denmark, Sweden and Norway..... :)

Heaven on Earth, great fjord of Norway

One of the archipelagos of Stockholm where Skansen is situated

Who doesn't know her?? The Little Mermaid at the harbour of Copenhagen!

Nyhavn @ New Harbour of Copenhagen
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Hardworking....

2011-08-02T16:49:00.000+08:00

Here I am in the library, doing research for my upcoming trip. I am running out of time!! I have yet to finish packing, printing e-tickets, buy the necessary stuff.....arrggghhh..........

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Kids!!!

2011-07-23T14:14:00.001+08:00

How fun to see those childhood friends' babies growing into toddlers and start interacting with each other! Too cute I tell you! Look at this pair, the boy is 2 and the girl just turned 1. I wish this pair is mine! Bunny year is just so productive that I easily have at least 10 friends who is welcoming a new born this year. Gathering with the childhood friends will never be the same again with these small fellas coming along....

Hubby's Bento

2011-07-21T22:42:00.003+08:00

That's a very healthy bento, isn't it? Loads of fresh vegetable salad, stuffed capsicum with mashed potatoes & celery and egg sandwich. :)

Special Swim Session

2011-07-21T22:36:00.001+08:00

Weather was scorching hot! I had a relaxing swim after being dormant for a while. Today's swim is a special one because I wasn't swimming alone and the little fella was enjoying its very first swim very quietly... :) I am definitely hoping for the same level of cooperation when we head for Scandinavia in weeks to come. Tomorrow, this little fella will be officially introduced to all the aunty friends. Oh my, time to have some noise tolerance training....

Best Tart in Town (in my opinion)

2011-06-22T09:52:00.002+08:00

I'm no big fan of egg tarts but this has to be one of the best that I had tried in recent years! The traditional egg tart always make me feel "jelak" after just 1 piece but this mini egg tart with super crunchy crust comes in bite sizes. Not just that, it comes in as many as 8 flavours! Well, I still prefer the original one and I've tried the green tea flavour which isn't too bad either but for such a small tart, S$ 1.40 is really not that cheap. Where did I chance upon these mini tarts? ION basement. :)

But, these tarts can never beat the apple pie from Cafe De Amigo @ Funan IT Mall but, but, but, sadly, the chef has left and I was told that I could never find this apple pie in town anymore because the chef moved to Cafe Le Chateau which since has also closed down a year ago. I texted the restaurant owner and his reply was "you can find it no where and no amount of money can buy you this apple pie anymore". Not very helpful. :( If anyone of you stumbled upon this blog while searching for Cafe Amigos apple pie and have some clues........please, please, please drop me a message! I so miss the Amigos apple pie!

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Hubby's Bento

2011-05-24T13:35:00.000+08:00

Menu of the day:-

Grilled salmon & stuffed mushroom with bed of broccoli, cauliflowers and cherry tomatoes.

American Idol

2011-05-20T09:47:00.000+08:00

I am no longer so hyped over AI though I still follow. Season 8 was superb, season 9 was dull and season 10 is hmm....alright. I miss Adam Lambert's weekly performance on AI. His live performance of "Mad World" still mesmerizes me and it was just yesterday that I noticed that he actually sang the lyrics incorrectly!!!! Don't believe???

http://youtu.be/PfR0JGWX62E

Listen: At 1 minute : He sang, "going no where with the daily races, going no where, going no where...." That's not the right lyrics!

Now listen to the finale version which is the correct version. He sang, " bright and early for the daily races, going no where, going no where"

http://youtu.be/20zZZvDJp4k

Still don't believe? Go listen to original version by Gary Jules...

http://youtu.be/4N3N1MlvVc4

Does it matter? No it doesn't. Adam Lambert's performance was simply so captivating that so few people actually noticed this. And that's the beauty of it.....Perhaps he realized but continue to sing his own version at other live performance after AI!! haha

Month of May

2011-05-19T23:12:00.002+08:00

I am so way behind time. Half the world is already using iPhone and it's only last month that hubby got me an iPhone while he's still using his antique Nokia cellphone. You know the ultra basic type with no additional functions other than calls, texts, alarm clock and extremely poor quality photos. You can no longer find it in the market, not even the 2nd hand market....LOL..... Anyway, the iPhone was too sophisticated for me in the first few weeks that I practically didn't explore any other functions apart from sms-ing and calling. I even missed about 8 calls from my ex-coursemate who was in town to visit me who didn't have international roaming and had to rely on public phones for every call made! Poor her... When we met up, she spent the entire lunch time giving me iPhone tuition and installed some useful applications for me too! It was a pleasure to have her visit me all the way from east Malaysia. That's a good 2 hours flight. Just this afternoon, I received another guest from Penang who's my ex-coursemate too. Once again, I was at Orchard Road, window shopping and more importantly, had some good catch up session! It's always good to meet up with old friends. Wish I could visit them at their respective hometown too!

New iPhone case! I know, it's childish but at least, it's leather and not the bling bling kind. I said before I was gonna get a Hello Kitty phone cover and I would and I did! I know my town friends are gonna puke when they see this. LOL...oh well, I am happy with my pink toy. That matters more. *pleased*

1st May with Karen @ Din Tai Fung, Paragon

19th May with ST @ Coffee Club, Takashimaya

Across Marina Bay Sands.........

2011-04-26T00:36:00.004+08:00

There we were, having some fun time again in the name of birthday celebration. What a relaxing night, great view plus good food with the girls' companion. The girls bought new cameras and so, it was a night for them to test out the skill and functionality of their new cameras! I got the birthday girl a feather crown, soap bubble and sparkle candles. Blowing bubbles was so much fun but the sparkle candles did not sparkle much and that really dampened my mood :( If only they sparkled + the feather crown on the birthday girl's head with the laser show @ MBS, the combination would have given rise to some spectacular effects on the photos.... Bubbles in the air magically set the ambience right but a pity that the effect was not fully captured in the photos. Anyway, it was still a fun night overall despite some minor hiccups.

Birthday girl gave me a kiss for the crown and the bubbles!

Bubbles in the air....

Beer battered dory which was the most yummilicious dish on that night @ Overeasy

Safari

2011-04-26T00:09:00.003+08:00

Of late, I am just so addicted to Nat Geo. Honestly I think the animals in zoo are living a much more blissful life than those in the wild. Life in safari is indeed very stressful. Imagine if you have to fight for survival almost every day and being fearful of being torn into pieces by the predators. So yeah, stop disliking that annoying co-worker in your office. At least he/she doesn't see you as food in his/her plate.

I've never realized elephants have so many tricks up their "trunks" til I watched Nat Geo. It' interesting to see how the elephants try to chase off lions that were trying to attack baby hippos, throwing broken trunks at rhinoceros and shooing off cheetahs that were tearing off their raw, bloody prey. Just like human, the elephants were disgusted by the sight and covered the carcass with sands....haha....

I truly am fascinated by this female leopard named Lagedema. Kudos to Dereck and Beverly Joubert who are the producers of the documentary named "Living with Big Cats" / "The Leopard's Eyes" which captured the life Lagedema over a span of 3 years. I wish I could meet Lagedema someday in the safari of Africa...

Search for the rest of the clips on youtube if you are keen to watch the complete documentary. Don't miss the clip where Legadema miraculously protected the baby baboon from being attacked by hyena instead of swallowing the tiny prey in one gulp! Aaaoooww...cant believe this....a wild leopard too has compassion!

In the same week, I've watched several other interesting documentaries on these big cats...

The Heart of Lioness - lonely lioness seeks human companionship
The Last Lioness - lioness adopts a baby antelope

I am following "Into the Pride". Just watched Episdode 1 and found the cat trainer, Dave Salmoni, to be rather nonsensical, disrupting the tranquility of the pride in order to condition them to get used to human presence. I don't perceive what he does as part of conservation work. Why on earth does wild animals need to be conditioned that way? Is he hoping that the lions will someday pose and wave to the tourists' cameras? Kevin Richardson is much better by thousand miles, though Christian the Lion is still my all time favourite!

Fine weather

2011-04-17T14:43:00.000+08:00

It's warm and sunny this morning. A perfect day to swim a few laps in the pool to chill a bit. Instead, hubby is now happily participating in the AGM held by the residential management. What are some of the agendas? Management fees, parking issues, building new facilities, blah blah... I've not much interest in these issues. So here I am back to our home, rest a bit and head downstairs again to rejoin the AGM hoping that the buffet lunch is ready by then! :)

Bak Kut Teh

2011-03-22T23:30:00.002+08:00

Bak kut teh is one of my favourite local dish and I've yet to find any so called "Teo Chew" style bak kut teh in Singapore that's to my liking. It's always too pepperish that taste more like my mom's pig stomach soup than fitting into my definition for the taste of authentic bak kut teh. The good news is, I've found one that serves pretty decent bak kut teh recently! It's called Song Fa Bak Kut Teh, located directed across the Clarke Quay MRT station along Circular Road. *happy* What's more surprising is that I also found that the shop serves lean meat bak kut teh which is similar to the one which I tried in Malacca last year. I am sure to drop by there again with my hubby who loves bak kut teh just as much as I do. :)

Prime pork loin @ S$ 7.50/bowl (right) VS pork ribs (left) @ S$ 4.50/bowl - doesn't taste any different. I should have just ordered the cheaper version. I prefer the softer pork ribs.

Helen

2011-02-26T01:04:00.001+08:00

As far as I'm concerned, the way to determine if a person is fashionable is, no doubt, by judging from the hair style. Has anyone noticed that ladies of leisure or what's more commonly known as taitais never fail to leave the home with well-set hair? I've been keeping long hair since the day I knew my own name (except for a year or so in my secondary school days). Waist length hair is no stranger to me and tying hair or making hairdo are certainly nothing new. When my hair was sufficiently long, I'd play around with them whenever I felt like it.

I don't usually splurge on hair accessories but the mood just struck me one afternoon. Walked pass Helen @ Wisma Atria and saw some very feminine hair accessories. Fell in love with them instantly and spent about S$ 50 + on 3 items. The peach bow clip is just so Korean-ish but I doubt I'd use it often. Oh well, shall try. I wish I could be more determined to keep my hair in good shape. Enough of unkemptness!

2011 Gathering

2011-02-25T23:07:00.005+08:00

No specific agenda. Just after new year, we had a small gathering to drink a bit at my place and did some silly things as usual. Been going out quite a bit for dinners, gatherings, celebrations to catch up with friends. Didn't realize that until I started archiving my photos!

Pizzas & drinks @ my place and us doing silly things, bombarding another friend with multiple sms-es who's absent from the gathering....

Miss F's birthday celebration @ one of the karaokes, can't remember the name....

At MBS Skypark again before heading for Din Tai Fung for dinner

And my favourite new dishes from Din Tai Fung; drunken chicken & century egg! Yummy!

And of course, our first ever proper baby shower gathering just last week...

Anyway, a series of good events seems to be in the line this year with some found the other halves, some getting hitched and others adding new members to families. As for me picking up new "skill" right after the new year is the best part. It gets me focused and helps me believed that my cerebrum still has unlimited space to store new information. Ironically, the "supposedly-intelectually-stimulating" job which I've been holding for the past 4-5 years has failed to grow me further. So what now? I don't know. Let's just see. NATAS fair starts today. Perhaps a good time to plan for our next vacation but where to?? Frankly, not quite in the mood to go anywhere at this point in time but have always hope to return to Europe again. Oh come on, I know, I know, haven't I just visited last year and the year before? Simply can't get enough of Europe and I regret big time that I didn't visit Cafe Angelina @ Paris in my previous visits. Which woman can resist the temptation of the yummilicious dessert?? There you go, some information about Cafe Angelina http://www.placesinfrance.com/angelina_cafe_in_paris.html

Chinese or Lunar?

2011-02-07T12:33:00.004+08:00

Recently, an American friend sent a mass greetings to some of us which stated "Happy Chinese New Year". I didn't think too much about it but shortly after that email, she apologized that it might have sounded offensive to some & rephrased it as " Happy Lunar New Year". I find it a bit amused. Does it really matter if the word "Chinese" is used? Come on.....

Anyway, I am quite glad that I'm back in town without too much of traffic. But I am left with two ulcers on my lips, sore throat, fever and cough. This year, I have to vote the arrowhead chips as my number 1 favourite New Year goodies! Arrowhead is seasonal and I also notice many young people don't really know what it is. In fact, I only came to know about it last year!

We spent the eve at hubby's granny's home and it was interesting to watch the continual fireworks and firecrackers that reminded me of the childhood days when they were not banned then. Mahjong session wasn't too exciting either but I came to learn that the is a new game called "Rumikub" that simulates mahjong but it's designed for kids. I played a few rounds with the kids and pretty enjoyed it. :)

Didn't quite expect to still able to meet up at least some friends just before I left home, one of which who've officially announced her new relationship with this guy whom we've been teasing her about since months ago. hehehe... Apart from these, really nothing else that's exciting.....Conclusion, life is equally as "sien" regardless if it's festive season or the routine days at work....That's a sign of emotional aging, yes I admit.

Last but not the least, how could we ever miss this homemade dish for the new year? 顺糕吃了今年顺顺利利，一帆风顺！..

Facelift!

2011-01-20T21:22:00.002+08:00

The shopping mall which I always pop by almost everyday on my way back from work is undergoing a major overhaul since 3 months back. Initially, I thought it was only a few individual shops having some interior renovation but only to find out the entire mall is finally undergoing facelift! Indeed, I've been hoping for this to take place because I really don't quite enjoy shopping at this mall with too few options, both dining and shopping, not to mention how old the interior and the exterior of the mall looks. I saw the artist impression of the new design and it's way too cool! I can't wait for the renovation to be completed, hopefully providing a better shopping and dining experience! But it's going to be a good 2-year of long wait.....

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保证好吃卓女士炒米粉 - All Time Fav. Fried Vermicelli

2011-01-18T13:02:00.002+08:00

I didn't draft this entry today. Just an overdue post which I am publishing today. No cooking this week as hubby is out of Singapore for business meeting and the firm is putting him up at the Mandarin Oriental. Arrgggghhhhh...I so want to stay at Mandarin Oriental but too short of a notice to arrange for leave. Anyway, I don't think I should be so irresponsible to abandon my work and join him on a work trip. Ok, I heard, "Yeah, right..." hahaha

Anyway, sharing the recipe of my all time favourite stir fried vermicelli in simply 3 easy step, though my mom always make the process looks more complicated than it really is....

1. Stir fry ingredients:- spring onion (save some for garnishing), dried shrimps, garlic, mushroom (optional)

2. Add in ingredients as below (picture paints a thousand words)

3. Add in vermicelle/ beehoon that's pre-soaked in warm water for 10 minutes and black+light soy sauce, sugar, pepper at your own estimation

VIOLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How difficult can cooking get? :)

Bento #1, #2 & #3

2011-01-04T13:07:00.001+08:00

So this is what I've been doing in the morning for the entire of my previous week. Yes, bento! I enjoy bento-ing and there's so much room for improvement and of course, for the expression of one's creativity. The hardest part in bento making is probably the crafting and yet, not compromising the nutrition of the food prepared. I wish I could be as creative and skillful as those Japanese bento maker featured in Facefood. Still a long, long way...

Bento # 1: Vegetarian bento in 杂饭 style, also my least favourite because I feel it's too soggy for a bento so I've learnt my lesson that bento should minimize the stir fry style of preparation

In preparation for Bento #2. Laid the base with snow pea & baby corn before adding the carbo-packed layer of hashbrown & ham

Bento #2: Ham-face (left) with Pseudo-sushi (right)

Steaming the brinjal in preparation for bento #3

Bento #3: Mr KFC @ Kok Face the Chicken, with steam brinjal and sambal petai

If you notice, the face of Mr. KFC was made from hard boiled egg. :)

To me, bento-ing is not just about cooking. It's a combination of cooking, crafting, creativity and of course, caring for the person who is going to consume your bento. Preparing bento is fun. It doesn't take too much of time in the morning if you do some proper planning beforehand. Try it too! :)

Bags, Bags & More Bags Part II

2010-12-29T12:52:00.002+08:00

I am slowly growing out of the big C and find more interest in Loewe Amazona. I think Amazona is relatively sturdier and more functional. I can dump in my netbook, water bottle, pencil case, long wallet & keys. Sounds good, doesn't it? I had a short chat with the sales assisstant and learnt a bit more about the product. So the amazona series is made from goat leather and do have some nice basic colours that are in the classic line. Hmm....that means I can wait a little longer before I cross over since the colours will still be around. Oh well, but that doesn't mean I'm completelly walking out on my old love forever.

Me in my dark gold CC Bubble Quilt and leopard print dress+ knit long overcoat.

Bags, bags & more bags Part I

2010-12-21T11:05:00.007+08:00

I had some free time on hand yesterday and we know what's the next best thing to do. No other place is better than Orchard Road. As I was searching for some snacks at ION, my eyes popped up when I saw a lady carrying my dream bag for the month! Why do I say "for the month"? Well, everyone goes through phases. What I like and I wish for today may not be the same anymore by next year, or even next month. Of course I am only referring to all these frivolous material things rather than my other half. Anyway, this is what I saw and I was queuing closely and sneakily behind her like a suspicious pickpocket. OMG!!! All I wanted was to snap a few photos subtly which I managed to. Yay! Then I headed to the boutique to check on availability but only to find out that Singapore did not order this colour and the item was also sold out as limited pieces were brought in. Nevertheless, I got myself on the waiting list for the same design and see if there is going to be a more interesting colour coming in?

And so, this is the size, material & style that suit my need and I think she's pretty though there are prettier ones in blue with brown handle but I need not another blue bag. So I want this!! Errr...you think she's not pretty? Because you've no taste lo....muuaahahaahah

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Kite Flying

2010-12-16T23:12:00.007+08:00

Weather has been rainy in the past weeks and last Sunday was bright and sunny! Without having to exit home, I could even feel the excitement from all the facebook comments. Everyone was happy to see dry and sunny weather on a Sunday so that we could get out of the house for once without an umbrella. Hey and this is a tropical country let alone some parts of the world that only see the brightly shining sun for a couple of hours for a few months in a year. So we really have to be more understanding when the angmoh lie all over the beaches, gardens, parks, riverbanks and any other piece of land that they find the sun rather than reminding them about skin cancer. Now look how everyone was so happy when there's breeze and sun.....

Even doggie knows how to enjoy the sun.....

Is that Paul?

Close up: Indeed, that's Paul...now we know where he's gone... RIP
Anyway, we must admit Singapore is just too good in attracting foreign talent. Even Paul decides to migrate here...

A Night @ Marina

2010-12-15T22:16:00.014+08:00

This place is probably one of the hottest spot in town. Where else but the MBS @ Marina Bay Sands. For a moment, I couldn't recognize this city ad I thought I was in Hong Kong! The city does look quite pretty from the view atop at the skypark. Or should I view it from another perspective and say, sky & air of Singapore is indeed very clean & clear.

We took the opportunity to check out the room and skypark during my cousin's stay.

Still so spacious even with 2 double bed. I was told that any beverage that's removed from the minibar for more than 30 seconds will be charged. So, no more swopping of cheap coke from NTUC with the MBS coke.

Sarah & Clara, growing fast & tall!

Where the pool meets the city....

Steamboat dinner @ Marina Barrage. This is what privilege dining is all about. Doesn't seem like it? Look at the next pic..

Now you know why...one and only table... LOL

View of Marina Bay Sands from Marina Barrage

Year End Barbeque

2010-12-13T15:17:00.013+08:00

School holidays is always a time for some food & fun. So barbeque never fail to top the nomination list but just how many times a year do we have to do this??? Really sick of chicken wings and tried to look for more plant-based alternative. I remember the oyster mushroom tasted real good when a promoter at Cold Storage offered me some samples. So I got a pack of the oyster mushrom and did a quick stir-fry on the bbq pit. The mushroom tasted yummy! What's more, it's so easy to prepare! Just cut them into vertical strips, marinate with some salt, pepper, sugar, oil and garlic. Viola! This dish will definitely appear again in the next barbeque session. :)

Home made honeydew sago

Keep swimming, kids.....

Kelantan Trip

2010-12-13T15:16:00.019+08:00

My 好姐妹 has finally tied the knot with her Mr. Nice high school friend this December! That's the very reason why I was in Kelantan. 4 days 3 nights away from hubby, I thought I'd miss him terribly but in actual fact, that didn't quite happen. LOL!!! Well, we had activities all arranged for us the minute we reached. Let's see...

Day 1: Hanging out at LCCT which was surprisingly pretty cool! Followed by supper upon arrival @ Kota Bahru and checked into a centrally located, cosy little hotel.

That's all I packed for my 4 day/3night trip

Bunny & me hanging out at Old Town Cafe before boarding the next flight to KB

Supper @ KB : The yummy clam porridge!

Cosy hotel room in the heart of KB town

Day 2: The Big Day!

My 8-year old navy blue dress, CC wallet on chain in patent blue and the white camelia brooch which I made myself! :)

Day 3: Kota Bahru Day Trip - Shopping & Eating!!

This is turtle egg!!!! How could you Kelantanese eat turtle eggs??

Close-up pic of turtle egg!! The shell is soft.

Shopping for batik

Last but not the least, some Kelantanese delicacies; ayam percil, lakse (not laksa ok) and nasi kerabu. Wondering where's nasi dagang? All in my gastrointestinal tract already...

Day 4: Home Sweet Home

See the greeneries? We know where we are.....

Air Asia

2010-12-08T13:39:00.011+08:00

I have developed this love-hate relationship towards Air Asia. Why? The online ticket booking experience was an absolute PIA! Almost every single step in booking the ticket online required me to exercise so much caution in order not to fall into the trap of having to pay more. If you've done the booking, you'll understand the pain one has to go through. Now, here's just one example of the many "traps" . Check this out. If I'd not look at the screen more carefully, I'd have missed the option of "continue without picking seat" box and go on to pay more and select the seat all thanks to the WHITE FONT IN DARK GREY BOX as compard to the WHITE FONT IN ALMOST LIGHT GREY BOX THAT WAS VIRTUALLY INVISIBLE AT 1st and 2nd GLANCE. This is really @#)(@*$)@(*%)#%*#)(%*@)^&*()_+*

Come one Air Asia, watch Tiger! I am sure Air Asia could have done something like below. Isn't this fairer?

After all the hassles I went through (including filling up address & credit card details), this shit appeared, without shame....

After all the traps set to trick us into selecting the more expensive options, as always, they think they've got good sense of humour by displaying this at the back of the seat...

Only one thing to compliment, the check-in process for domestic flight was a breeze. Simply key in the reference number at this kiosk and just before I completed processing my thought if this kiosk was going to work, the boarding pass appeared before my eyes! Yiippeee.... :)

Not to mention the number of umbrellas Air Asia has prepared at the point of open air flight boarding/alighting contrary to Tiger Airways @ Singapore budget terminal (where I took my outbound flight from) which appeared unprepared on rainy days. I'd have given Air Asia an A if the umbrellas were given to the passengers as souvenir. Yeah, dream on.....Who knows they've been losing umbrellas and this is the very reason why we are tricked into paying more to compensate for the loss of brollies??

Would I recommended others to take Air Asia? Would I fly with Air Asia again? Well, let me ask, what choice have we got if I want to fly cheaply to Kelantan? Overnight train? Bus??? Or MAS?? So, no choice.

The Budget Terminal, LCCT

2010-12-02T20:17:00.003+08:00

I am blogging from LCCT. It's been ages since I last flew from here and I must say, it's pretty cool apart from the slow connection. What's new. Well, better than none. I must say they've done this better than the neighbour next door, for once..... Will sign off here. Time to catch the next flight!

Shopping Spree

2010-11-29T11:01:00.008+08:00

It's year end and always the best time to find excuses to shop, shop and shop! Though I've passed by Sephora@ION multiple times, last Saturday was the very first time I landed myself inside the store. Surprisingly, the shopping experience resulted in instant gratification given that I'm no cosmetic fanatic. I grabbed 2 sets of multicolour palettes, ann eyebrow pencil, eyeliner and an oxygen spa spray which costed me (or should I say, my hubby? LOL) more than a hundred per bottle. Sueh enough, the spray has caused some allergy reaction. :( Anyway, I still haven't gotten over the joy of the colour palettes! The only regret is that I was not quick enough to grab the blockbuster item, i.e the 183 colour palette retailing at ONLY S$ 79!!!! Now I finally understand why some ladies are so hyped over Sephora.....

Oh, not to mention my new Oxford clogs which I got from Marina Bay Sands on the same day too! hehehe

My outfit over the weekend after we returned from a long day out; white Mango dolly dress with floral trimmings and lilac Fendi arm candy which I have been thinking to sell off due to underusage. I changed into the new pair immediately after I bought it, chucked the old pair into the box and continued with my shopping! *pleased* :)

Cute Lil Things

2010-11-26T20:58:00.005+08:00

I walked pass a stall selling bag charms and saw something I've been searching for. To motivate me further, I was quite in the mood to shop for these lil things after a crazy day at work. Each was sold at S$ 4.90. Well, I got myself 5 at one go; 2 bears, 2 dolls and a bunny. hehe. I've seen similar charms on birkins and they look absolutely cuuuutteeeeee. So I tried attaching the dolls to my classic flaps but the overall look of them were rather disastrous. Though I think they'd sure look absolutely cute on a birkins, just too bad, I've yet to own any big H so the 2nd best option to toy with seems to be the boston & the Damier/Monogram which turn out to be pretty decent!! See it for yourself :)

Malacca

2010-11-23T13:25:00.016+08:00

As of last Saturday morning before we left for the trip, I was still running a fever which was going into the 7-8th day already! Life still has to go on. All I could do was to bring along bottles of herbal tea and mineral water before we began the road trip. The weather was pleasant, partly because we set off early in the morning and arrived in the historical town before noon. By the way, that's hubby's "virgin drive" back to homeland in his newly purchased car. LOL...with the help of GPS of course. We had an early check-in at Renaissance Hotel where the wedding reception was held, before we headed town to hunt for the chicken rice ball, durian chendol and tour the tourist attractions of course since this is truly my 1st time visiting the city for leisure.

Chicken rice ball @ Famosa Restaurant, Jonker street . Rice balls were good but chicken was too tough. :(

The historical area packed with tourists

Inside the St Paul church

Surprise, surprise! There's river cruise in Malacca! Apparently much was invested to clean up the river. Now this place sure resembles the Boat Quay of Singapore...

It's a small city and we've pretty much finished whatever we wanted to see by 3 pm. So what now? Hit another restaurant again along Jonker walk for durian chendol, laksa & chicken rice ball.

Another chicken rice ball restaurant....

Now, it's time to get ready for the wedding dinner.

Me in my almost 10year-old Sonny Sen two-piece dress which looked too plain and so I wore my recently purchased Promod vest over . How could I not bring along my 2.55 in Metallic bronze to dinner? Last is my SF bow heels in lilac pink which never fail to match any outfit so well...

And hubby's friends seated with us.....

So the groom was trying to intro some young ladies at the opposite table to these 2 single gentlemen...

Couple shot

The next morning, we had bak kut teh for breakfast!

Groom brought us to a bak kut teh stall for breakfast. Bak kut teh with no bak kut (pork ribs) but lean meat with tofu instead. Soup base was filled with herbal aroma and yam rice tasted just nice to go with the bak kut teh, not overpowering yet enough to taste the yam still! Good recommendation.

Look how happy hubby was whenever he smells bak kut teh....

View from our room...bye bye Malacca!

Right now, my favourite thing in life.....

2010-11-15T19:19:00.003+08:00

...would be a flu bug-free me with no sore throat, fever, runny and stuffed nose...blah blah... It's not only affecting me but everyone else around me. Colleagues, hubby, work, my favourite weekends, plans that I have in mind, etc....I hate this. Please let me get well soon! When I left the clinic this afternoon, the clinic assistant said to me, "Ok, get well soon. See you....". Oh my, who wants to see you again???

You Need A Break!

2010-11-01T13:30:00.006+08:00

If that sounds familiar to you, you must have watched Joanne Peh's tv advertisement. Ok, cut the crap and I've no interest whatever is said but what's worth more attention here is that Jetstar is celebrationg its 6th Birthday and mega hot fares are now available at http://www.jetstar.com/sg/en/cheap-flights/hotfares.aspx .

What caught my attention would be the fare to Osaka & Taipei! (in blue brackets) Travelling period is sometime after Chinese New Year 2011. For Osaka, the travelling period ends in May. Who wants to travel in March/April 2011?? *sigh* Knowing how fast the people here react when it comes to cheap things and great offer, I think the tickets would be all sold out by now.....

Hello-Wind!

2010-10-31T10:50:00.008+08:00

How about some of the below served at your Halloween party tonight?? Kind of gruesome, aren't they?? hahaha...And no, I didn't make these because it's never a tradition for us to celebrate Halloween and even if we do, I don't think I would ever shape the food I cook into a burnt hand or broken fingers unless I'm paid to do it or I'm assured that the food will be finished up. Oh well, if you have a better understanding of the process involved and ingredients used to make them, they become more eadible than they look. Anyway, I got these pictures from other websites as I was doing some random surf.

Garlic bread sticks with almond pieces as nails.

Meatloaf made from carrots, onion, minced meat, vegetabless, etc and cheese + tomato sauce to create the "burnt skin" effect

I'd rather try some pumpkin carving or better still, pumpkin rice. Happy Halloween!!!

Colourful Saturday Brunch

2010-10-30T13:31:00.004+08:00

I love bright colours from clothes, bags, shoes to food in my plate. Here's our vegetarian brunch for Saturday! I spent an hour preparing for this. Didn't quite expect to take that long...........So, I must snap a pic or two!!By the way, hubby commented that it is really yummy, not to mention, healthy too with the portion of vegetable much larger than that of the potatoes.

Hubby enjoying his Saturday brunch in the study, working from home...

Hello Kitty Part 2

2010-10-29T12:15:00.005+08:00

In conjunction with 50th Year Anniversary of Sanrio at Singpost, Hello Kitty laptop case is available for sale! Limited description was written about the laptop case and so I'm still hesitating if I should get one for myself since it doesn't come dirt cheap. S$ 45 for a laptop case and I wonder if it's slightly overpriced just for the image of my friend? Anyway, it's released today!!

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Hello Kitty Part 1

2010-10-20T14:08:00.008+08:00

I know I am not a kid anymore but seeing Hello Kitty product always makes me happy and put a smile on my face! I chanced upon a shop at City Square JB that sells Hello Kitty mahjong and doesn't come cheap though.

I still can't fully understand the obsession that people have, including myself, for Hello Kitty. These are items that I wish I could bring home but I think I'd be too embarassed to use them or to display them at anywhere too conspicuous....

Favourite Moments in India

2010-10-19T14:52:00.011+08:00

I wouldn't say India is an incredibly fun & exciting destination whenever I'm concerned but the travelmates made the trip memorable enough! Here's my 10 favourite moments in India...

1. Saree session for 11 women to find the perfect piece @ Taluka Boutique, Jaipur

2. 1st glimpse of Taj Mahal

3. Jumping high at Sikandra, Akhbar the Great; (now if I say Akhabar the Great, no one knows who on earth but if I say, he's the Granpa of the King who built Taj Mahal, there you go....ohh...I see....)

4. Wedding day: Groom's procession on a nicely adorned white horse, fireworks and yumseng session!

5. Bollywood dancing at engagement party

6. Hens Night

7. Tasting of Local delicacies

8. Dining at Ohm Tower - the most horrible food ever, to the extent that we passed around the food to see which tasted the worst!

9. Dining at Hotel on 2nd night- great ambience & the best meal for this trip (in my opinion)

I simply adore that 3D Indian painting on the wall.

10. Camwhore with the girls, anywhere & anytime! You name it we did it, from morning, til midnight, from hotel room to lobby, inside plane/car to tourist attractions, from shopping place to wedding venue....See it for yourself.

And finally, we have a decent family potrait that's professionally taken....

Pasta Pasta Pasta

2010-10-18T10:29:00.005+08:00

I love cooking pasta the oriental style, with diced/sliced vegetables/meat and stir fry with pasta! Can I call this fusion food?? :)

The Plant and I

2010-10-05T13:20:00.007+08:00

My plant was almost dying in July... I relocated it and with sufficient sunshine, it revived! I've been watering it daily and see how well it has grown and bloomed nicely. I reckoned it is too lonely so I added another member to the family. My performance has been consistently well in the past weeks (as in, have yet to cause the death of any plant) and hubby has given me greenlight (or I assume he has if he had not said disapprove) to add more members to the family! Yay!!

Just take a look at how they've bloomed from small tiny buds to the pretty purple petals...

F1

2010-09-30T14:23:00.006+08:00

Not a big fan and have absolutely nothing to blog about this event. Just thought that this piece of design from Breadtalk looks quite cute. *sigh* Why can't my mind just leave the thought of food alone a second???

Facebook Craze & Pet Society

2010-09-30T12:55:00.006+08:00

I am amazed how some people can build those ultra-pretty rooms in pet society. Speaking of which, my niece who signed up for FB, just for Pet Society, has decided to give up on the game and transfer all her assets she accumulated in the game to me. I used to open a few facebook account to collect more points and transfer to her. Now she's bored with the game, what a kid!

It was her last day in this school. Her mum delivered her specially ordered "fold-over" for lunch.

Event-Full Weekend one after another...

2010-09-26T10:51:00.011+08:00

This week will be car collection and Jacq's housewarming followed by hubby's friend's full month and his colleague's wedding dinner on Sunday. Next week will be sis in law's graduation followed by Yee's wedding. Busy....busy....

Anyway, it was really enjoyable just sat down, relaxed and enjoyed a homecooked meal. Poor Jacq, it must have been a very tiring day for her. Been there, done that. :) Oh well, guess what's more important would be the guests enjoyed the night.

Last but not the least, this is me again, in my Warehouse grey dress worn only the 2nd time attending hubby's colleague's wedding reception @ Goodwood Park Hotel with my Metallic Bronze Reissue 2.55 *bimbotically happy* SMILE :)

Jojo Party

2010-09-24T16:48:00.004+08:00

My niece, Jojo, seems to be celebrating her birthday every year, with the same group of people too. LOL. Anyway, she has been requesting for a barbie doll birthday cake from my sis, which is her aunt, every time she sees her. So here, presenting to you the barbie doll cake for Jojo!

Shyuan and I were shopping for a pressie for Jojo. We entered the "Hello Kitty" shop and asked for an umbrella as we thought it'd be more worthwhile to buy her something practical since she may have tonnes of impractical stuff inherited from her elder sisters. So the staff at the Hello Kitty shop recommended a ”彩虹雨伞“to us. We had the same expression, "Huh, what's that?". Anyway, we presented the gift to lil Jojo and she was impressed with the very first reaction to be “哇。。。！彩虹雨伞". LOL...That was funny. The exact description was used! Look at how much she enjoyed the umbrella.....

Of course, no one Chinese celebration will be complete without food......

Coincidentally, it's also the Mid Autumn Festival. So let's walk around the neighbourhood with latterns!

Incredible India

2010-09-13T12:27:00.005+08:00

It has been many years since I last travelled with a big group of girlfriends. If not for Yee's wedding this time, I doubt we can easily gather as many as 9 of us, excluding partners & family members. I've heard many different reviews about the country. I have yet to do much research about the tourist attractions but Taj Mahal is not to be missed but I set the main objective to be totally immerse myself in my 1st ever attendance to an Indian wedding and have lots of fun celebrating the reception which is exactly a month away from today. The rest is just secondary.....

I better get myself equipped with unlimited supplies of Dettol wet tissue wipes, water & snacks. Just so vexed that I haven't got myself vaccinated. Well, I suppose the least you know, the less likely you think about it and all will be well. :)

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Back from Europe

2010-09-07T00:44:00.020+08:00

Been a week since I returned...Lethargic and have yet to post any photo.
It's my 1st time to Greece. There are too many things to share about the 2 weeks + in Europe. Well, I'd just share a couple of things which I didn't use to know....

1. A temple-like section with many Chinese figurines actually existed in the British Musuem

2. 1st time seeing Tower bridge being opened for ship to cross beneath.

3. Roast duck/chicken rice served at random restaurants in London Chinatown @ Leicester Square is fantastic and tastier than those sold in Singapore!

4. Tartar is raw minced beef which I reluctantly swallowed into my tummy for the very 1st time in my life!

5. I tried escargot too!

6. St Michel (Latin Quarter?) is such a lovely part of Paris which I've never explored in my past visits.

7. Sometimes, you'd be surprised that you need no French in Paris, not because you speak English but the officer at the post office surprised me by reverberating in Mandarin!

8. Some metro stations in Paris were built as deep as 4-5 floor beneath the ground!

9. Glass frame of Mona Lisa is getting thicker as year passes by which is getting more and more Chinese altar-looking ...

10. Athens is absolutely overrated & less developed than my homeland, for sure.

11. Santorini is not called Santorini for nothing with the caldera view that would blow any visitor away!

12. 15th full moon is regarded a special day to the Greek too where musuems and many more attractions (Acropolis too) offer free entrance and extended opening as late as 2 am!

I LOVE TRAVELLING WITH HUBBY!! *MUACKSSSSS*

Babies and More

2010-09-02T00:32:00.003+08:00

Losing count of buns in the oven for in 2010 & 2011. Hubby describes it as "why on earth is everyone humping like rabbits without condom??" hahahaha... Oh well, shouldn't he be saying "Congratulations" instead??

Felt Cheated & Frustrated

2010-07-26T10:41:00.008+08:00

.....by Starhub & the cooking show featured on AFC @ Asian Food Channel. I notice the repetition of the programmes and that's not just it. Some programmes are really not updated in which I've watched them on Singapore Channel 8/Channel U years ago. :(
Why on earth am I paying for programmes as such??

Anyway, on normal days, I enjoy watching cook show filmed outdoor where the chefs can easily obtain the raw ingredients from the garden or backyard. But, if you watch some episodes of the Scandinavian cooking filmed in the cold, cold Nordic weather with grey sky and strong wind, I wonder what's the fun of cooking in such unpleasant weather with the chef always cautious about light-weight ingredients being cut too small to avoid being blown away by the wind. Not to mention apron is always replaced by thick, long sleeves jacket. How convenient is that eh? 真是无聊！

Cold Weather, Hot Ipad

2010-07-26T10:37:00.005+08:00

Nice weather and was really reluctant to get up from bed. I am still pondering if I should get hold of an ipad. It's the hottest thing and just released last Friday. I had half the mind to take some time off from work and get hold of one but that'd be too crazy, simply just not me. Well, I shall wait til the demand cools off before deciding if I should own one. In the meantime, I shall be faithful to my Dell. :)

Holga Lomo

2010-07-25T00:59:00.001+08:00

My new toy which I've just bought from Bras Basah! :)

Santorini Here I Come!

2010-07-20T18:52:00.004+08:00

I can imagine, Athens is probably a little like Rome & Pompeii with the boring ruins. I don't intend to spend too much time there and I regret not planning for longer time at Santorini. Oh My God, the photos are enough to make me palpitate! I wonder why I didn't choose to go Santorini for our honeymoon! We are going to spend about 10 days in London and Paris before heading for Greece. I can't wait I can't wait!!

Happening weekend @ Casablanca

2010-07-19T00:08:00.003+08:00

As we were relaxing in the living room one lazy Sunday noon, we heard the rolling of drums and tambourine. Not the usual kind of barbeque party commotion. When I looked out of the window, it looked more like a carnival by the pool! I quickly grabbed my camera and went down with hubby to watch these tall and slender ladies doing their dance before the fun was over. Oh well, since it's free, why not? :)

Just the day before, the condominium was celebrating "healthy lifestyle day". Quite a few activities there. What a happening weekend for the residents eh? :)

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Blogging Bout My Big 30th on a Rainy Day

2010-07-18T23:19:00.007+08:00

Darling & I curled ourselves on the sofa bed, watching tv, he had a cuppa hot coffee while I had tea. What a relaxing Sunday noon....

While he's busy watching tv, I blogg about my overdue post on my big 30th @ Kampong Glam. It's the 2nd time I celebrated my birthday at this restaurant. I used to remember they serve pretty good kebab. The food didn't disappoint me but the service was rather chaotic that night with just 3 tables of guests. Reason being, food not ordered by us was served to our table and we accidentally ate a piece of mushroom but was then served to another table. Thanks to the dim lighting that the table next to us wouldn't have realized a piece of mushroom missing from the plate. No alcoholic drink. How boring for my friends and so we moved to Ambrosia. Good ambience with beers & sisha available. This is the 1st time I shared my birthday cake with all the other unknown guests simply because we couldnt finished the cake that hubby brought over. It was a relatively fun night but as age catches up, partying is really not my thing anymore.....

Anyway, I've shamelessly requested for a watch when friends asked me what I wanted for my birthday. In my profession, when I ask a question, I expect an answer. Likewise, when I'm asked what I want for birthday, I will give an answer. So feel free to ask!!! It has been probably a decade that I don't wear a watch ever since I carry a cell phone. Now I have to get used to wearing this tastefully selected Scandinavian watch :)

You Are What You Wear

2010-06-28T18:07:00.009+08:00

For once, I thought I was wearing so much like my profession which isn't quite my style at all. But in order to not waste the pieces of garments I bought years ago, I decided to let them get out of the closet and have some sun.

Anyway, yesterday was a super good mood day and I decided to put on my oversize shade & headed for Orchard Road after my home-cooked lunch.

So this is how I sum up my day:-

My home cooked stir fried pasta for lunch before heading for town

Navy style top and my favourite oversize shades. This is more "me" than my OMG work attire above.

Arrived at ION. Boutique like a madhouse. Which one on earth??

What else but every girl's favourite, Mango@MNG!

And the day was supposed to end like this.........

But no....these loots were purchased weeks before, total bill under S$100!!*pleased*

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Nicole Liau

2010-06-22T10:06:00.012+08:00

A rowdy bunch of aunties were there to meet Nicole for the very first time last evening. She was soundly asleep throughout our visit and we didn't get to see if she's got double or single with her eyes wide opened. I mean the eyelids. Of course her mummy is hoping Nicole will take after her. Baby Nicole, you better be. Well if you don't, it doesn't matter. Everyone will still love you. Baby Nicole's arrival cleverly coincides with the current World Cup. I bet her daddy is more than willing to run the night shift. A few blissful glimpse to share.....

Eyes closed but mouth was opened. Cuteeee...

Mr & Mrs Liau watching baby Nicole

OMG!! It's my mummy's friends!!!

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4 am

2010-06-21T01:33:00.004+08:00

What can one be doing at this unearthly hour? All kind of things actually. Pictures tell everything. What a night at sis's place last week, this is truly what people call " the night is still young...."

Check the clock, almost 4 am. Revising....

Playing facebook games....

Preparing supper....

Having supper.....

Our supper!

Cramp De La Cramp

2010-06-20T21:19:00.011+08:00

What a well-planned day, I thought to myself. I started boiling soup, cooking rice & got all the ingredients prepared before we headed for a swim. After the swim and shower, just nice for a good dinner. Viola!

So I swang and swang my left then right arm. Lifted my right and left leg before the swim to stretch a little more. All geared in my newly bought long sleeves swimming costume. I plunged into the pool. Oh damn! It's still cold :( I shouldn't have spent those dollars! After 1 lap, I felt some tension on my right arm downwards. So I rested by the pool. Oh well done, well done, the cramp worsened and I was in absolute pain from my right arm all the way down to the waist. Then came a knight in dampened top naked armour to rescue this drenched damsel in distressed. He's nevertheless, my hubby, who came not just rendering his help but laughter as well. Very funny yeah. Incorrigible. He said the multiple swings on my left & right arms didn't appear to help in preventing the cramp. So that's the end of my swimming session on a beautiful Sunday evening, after just a mere 10 minutes :( Party pooopeerrrrr!!!!

Well, not totally immobile for the rest of the evening. At least, I could still whip up 2 dishes and a soup for dinner and here's my "frittata-like" omelette to clear my fridge again before the busy week ahead. So all in were the button mushroom, hashbrown, carrots, eggs and onion! Tata!

Life Is All About Maintenance

2010-06-11T13:27:00.002+08:00

I am hardly vocally philosophical. I believe philosophical talk isn't the cup of tea for most and you need to meet the right people of the same wavelength before such conversation could be triggered.

As I was staring out of the ever-relaxing view from my window, I was thinking to myself, if not for the maintenance fees we are paying quarterly, we wouldn't be able to enjoy this. Yet, some people complain about the immaterial portion of hike in fees without considering how much improvement has taken place ever since the new management took over. These people ought to be nominated to do some voluntary work in the compound to reduce the maintenance fees.

At the back of the window where I was standing were 3 panels of full length mirror. I had a glimpse of my side view with tummy bulging after a heavy lunch. Oh my, I was thinking, how much effort does it take to maintain that figure of 21 years old which has long gone. To my right placed the tv. Again, how many times a week must I wipe it to keep it dust-free? From plant to figure, relationship to career, health to keeping a blog & a house clean, one's entire life is devoted to maintenance!! To achieve is tough but to maintain is even tougher!

And this is 1st time in my life watching these pencil thin models catwalking on a live fashion show. Look at the pair of legs...I was truly shocked! I thought I could only find them in Africa!! Envious? How much of sacrifice to make to achieve and maintain their 7-stone figures???

Look at the pair in dark navy blue on the most right. To envy or to pity??

This is nice!

The rest looked normal less this dark navy blue pair...arghh...again...

Eventful Month Pt II

2010-05-27T12:24:00.003+08:00

Another batch of students have graduated. These days, I see them posting all sorts of complaints about their work on Facebook openly, publicly with no reservations. In the past, they used to rant when their emails weren't replied immediately. Now they start to complain the endless emails flooding their work inbox. I can't help but "LOL" and tell them, now you know how I felt & welcome to the real world!

Noodle All The Way

2010-05-23T14:30:00.006+08:00

Hubby has been craving for kimchi. I reckon Korean style ramen is the best to go with kimchi. I wasn't quite satisfied with the outcome of my 1st attempt, the kimchi ramen, so in the 2nd attempt, I improvised it to something that I myself have been craving for i.e the minced pork mushroom noodle! 3rd attempt came to combi of the 1st & 2nd attempt, i.e the minced pork and mushroom ramen!

Ramen cooking in progress

Taddahh....1st attempt but I found it tasted awful though hubby said it's alright..

My favourite minced pork mushroom noodle (drystyle)- from awful to awesome!

Minced pork mushroom in soup style

Hubby savouring his dinner

I guess it's going to be a while before I start craving for noodle again...

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Eventful Month Pt I

2010-05-20T14:12:00.019+08:00

What have I been up to? It has been an eventful month indeed. Let's see; attended Miss K & Miss T's Big 30, Mother's Day Celebration, Students' Graduation and a Wedding Dinner. Upcoming will be another wedding luncheon and a dear friend's visit!!

So this is what happened at Miss K & Miss T's Big 30....

3 Monkeys Cafe @ Holland Village

Watch that gluttony expression!!! Hungry, hungrier, hungriest!!

Before.......

After......what a transformation. *wuiiiiwiiitttt*

Miss C: I love my iphone, I love my iphone, I love my iphone.......

Spot the error in the kitchen: what on earth is the bottle of Shieldox doing amongst the soy sauce, sesame sauce, wine, canned food, butter etc...???!!!

Brotziet, a German bar @ Vivo City

The "Abandoned"

Miss T: Oh, my Prada pouch

Miss N: Excuse me, it's mine. See, how matching....

Miss K: Actually it's mine. I am getting married. So happy!!! hehehehe

I have the most honest look: It's mine!

Above are all posers. This is the birthday girl. It's hers.

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5-in-1 Celebration

2010-05-07T13:51:00.006+08:00

When one is darn good at finding excuses for oneself and even better in finding faults at others, why not apply some of these skills in finding more reasons to enjoy some food & fun with friends? An initial plan to have a simple meal with one has evolved into a massive & rowdy gathering of 8 women! Amidst the never ending quest for better days ahead, don't forget to slow down one's pace and celebrate life! We've came up with a list of reasons for a good celebration at my place just last night which is a weekday evening!

1. Miss T's Advance Birthday Celebration
2. Miss H's Baby Shower
3. Miss N's Home-Return After years of Globe Trotting
4. Miss N's New Job
5. Miss K's Wedding Annoucement

They are all good news & worth celebration aren't they?? :)

Baby's Gift

My helpers have arrived!

Steamed Spring Roll, Stuffed Tomatoes, Stir-Fried Hash Brown & Salad. My pasta wasn't ready yet!

Hinting, hinting, on the ring.....

The 4 Nominees To Wash The Dish

Washing in Progress with the rest giving moral support

All-In-A-Pot

2010-04-25T00:24:00.005+08:00

When I was studying abroad, all-in-one-pot dish was my favourite dish especially when I dined alone. It's convenient, nutritious, easy to prepare and save time! After a long day of shopping, I reached home feeling beat but recalled the chicken in the fridge can't be kept for any longer. I wanted to boil some ginseng chicken soup but gathered it would have taken too long as we were famished! With the ingredients available at home, I whipped up a big plate of mushroom chicken with carrot for our dinner. Nutritionally balanced and looked appetizing too! :)

Simple ingredients

Hmm..smells good when stir fried...

Simmering....

TADDAAAHHHH.........A nutritious meal on the way!

Chicken : Protein
Carrot : Vitamin A
Onion + Spring Onion: Vitamin C, Antioxidant
Mushroom : Minerals, antioxidant
Rice : Carbohydate

Not As Interesting As They Appear To Be

2010-04-15T11:01:00.010+08:00

It's weekend again. So we did the usual thing that almost every couple in Singapore would do on weekends. So this movie looks interesting, doesnt it? We had a quick dinner at the DIY Teppan Pepper Lunch Restaurant. So the DIY part seems interesting too. But, the fact is, both aren't as interesting as they appear to be. :(

Hubby & I @ Kinokuniya before the movie & dinner. Me in my army green shorts & beige cardigan with white singlet underneath + my new Long Champ Le Pliage that is still very, very white for now. 3rd pic (right most): Hubby and his work file, reading while waiting. WTH! #$%^&*()!+_(. Stop it, Mister.

Weekday Dinner

2010-04-05T23:41:00.003+08:00

I am in the mood to cook! Simple dish for two :)

New Recipe New Oven!

2010-04-04T22:18:00.006+08:00

It's a good day to attempt new recipe again. I made some stuffed tomatoes and risotto for lunch. The two dishes are supposedly western but I adopted my mom's Chinese cooking method to prepare the minced pork for the tomato fillings together with portobello mushroom which is more common in western coooking. The gravy from the minced pork + mushroom fillings was not wasted. I made use of some low-quality hashbrown which the shape couldn't even hold to make some stir-fried risotto and the gravy blended in very well to accentuate the flavour. Overall, I'm really pleased today with the two new dishes. Playing with my new toy, the microwave oven which we just bought yesterday added more fun to the cooking process :)

Ready to stuff the fillings into the tomatoes

Stuffed with minced pork + portobello & some mozzarela toppings added

Garnished with green spring onion, how pretty!

Done! Baked stuffed tomatoes fresh from oven!

Hubby enjoying my new recipe :)

New toy bought from Court's Mega Sales

Gravy from the minced pork to add more flavour to the portobello mushroom

Portobello mushroom risotto

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Good Friday noon

2010-04-02T16:52:00.013+08:00

....and we are now spending it at hubby's office OMG! I am blogging from his room and I bet he didn't even realize I captured this photo minutes ago because he is obviously too busy fighting war judging from the mess and the seriousness on his face right now.

So this is me camwhoring while he's working...

Fortunately I brought my laptop along so I can now get some work done, blog a little, drink my favourite Dilmah tea and just took some pics of the view outside the window.

View from hubby's office room:-

On the right of the photo is The Sail. What is The Sail? It's a very, very expensive high-end condominium!!!

The upcoming IR (The Sands) @ Marina

Oh and you know what, I am about to reveal the most interesting corner of his entire room (in my opinion); my entry records stciked all over the wall! With my notes on each of them, they look like a mini-blog corner don't they?

2 hours later......

It's 5:40 pm and he's still not done :( So what now? Do the usual stuff. Tea and biscuit time :)

What time can we go to Vivo City??????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Pattybelle

2010-04-01T00:31:00.007+08:00

What is this for??? Are we reverting to our grandmas' time to wash "it" after each use??? I can't imagine. I'd rather stick to the disposable option though I must say these little things are really pretty. Check out the website here at http://www.pattybelle.com/ if any lady out there would like to make the "3R" (reduce, recycle & replace) contribution to the environment monthly. I think I've quite done my part by not turning on the air-condition at sleep.

Birthday Month

2010-03-31T18:53:00.016+08:00

How blessed it is in life when you know there are always these people to celebrate those moments with you, perhaps since 199X and the tradition goes on and on passing phases of teens, twenties and now sharing the emotional struggle of hitting your big thirty!

In March, we have 2 turning thirty and of course, that suffices to call for celebration!

SC's Big Thirty @ Thomson 888

Pro setting up the lighting and background for shooting

And this is what we did to his precious photography equipment

Finally something decent: work of pro

Birthday girl in the middle!

Cake cutting session

Some "taboo" session; timing with the hour glass

WW's Big Thirty with ALL GIRLS ONLY @ Villa Bali

2 guests in town, coincidental enough to arrive on the same day which was the eve of WW's big 30!

Yummy choc cake!

Pressies opening ceremony....

Hong Kong

2010-03-08T23:31:00.014+08:00

I am back from HK! What a vibrant city with eateries still packed with people and shoppers patronizing boutiques at Causeway Bay, all happening after 10: 30 pm! Managed to visit a couple of places which I didn't get to in my previous trip.

1. Ocean Park
Highlights: Met Mr & Miss Panda & went on a thrilling roller coaster ride which was potentially fatalistic to my cardiovascular system if the spin continued for a few more minutes...

Behind me was the ride that almost "took my breath away"...

Futuristic-feel train ride that took us to & fro the peak of the park

Where the pandas are housed; fully conditioned!

Feeding time for the panda

2. A day trip to Macau
Highlight: Street long of free food samplings which were enough to fill the stomach and skip our lunch.

Generous portion of almond biscuits for sampling.

Egg roll with egg white & sea weed.

Portuguese egg tart is a must try but no sampling offered. :(

The shop assistants carrying a large bamboo tray of almond biscuits for food sampling.

Me @ Cathedral of St. Paul

3. Shopping
Highlight: Visited the "bag stations" to fulfil my ongoing bag-craze. Scored nothing though. Discovered a vintage shop too.

Found some vintage Chanel bags as old as 30 years old in pristine condition sold in this shop located at the basement in a shop along Jaffe Road @ Causeway bay.

4. Food
Highlight: Dimsum, lotsa desserts & black squid sausage

Surprised to see a good variety of durian-flavoured dessert available here at this popular dessert house called "Lucky" just a few shops away from Lee Theatre @ Sharp East Rd.

Durian puff

Contrary to those served in Mal & Sin, generous chunks of honey dew given!

Famous Yee Shun Milk Dessert from Macau

Black bean sauce pork rib that is steamed with white radish which absorbs the saltiness. My favourite and the best I've ever tried!

Dim sum @ Lee Gardens - Pay before 12 30 pm to enjoy the price of small portion regardless of portion size ordered

Black squid sausage that tasted so pepperish!

That's all for now. Good night!

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Carrier of the Secret

2010-03-07T00:02:00.004+08:00

Surprisingly, my 6 year old Dell lappy which I haven't turned it on for almost a year is still working except that the display was no longer clear and I needed to plug into another monitor for the screen. Other than that, it worked perfectly well. I tried to transfer as much data stored inside the old lappy to my new one. Then I retrieved some mp3 and found the song "Carrier of the Secret" played during my wedding alongside with the video montage! Oh my....and that was in 2006..me in my wedding dress....marching into the ballroom...hahaha

Catmasutra & Avatar

2010-03-06T23:16:00.011+08:00

How are these two associated?

Nothing. Just combining two entries into one.

I recently joined Paul Koh's facebook group and was notified that there's going to be a showcase of his paintings at Alliance Francaise. So there I went with hubby. It was a small scale exhibition and no photography allowed. No photos to share here but more of his work can be found at http://www.catmasutra.com/.There were only two of us. *shrug* But most of his paintings showcased were sold pieces with price ranging between S$ 800 and S$ 3000. 我好像也会彩 lor...Anyway, if anyone follows the blog "mrwangsaysso" which apparently, is quite a well known blogger, they are in fact, brothers.

So what is it about Avatar???? I've heard all the ravings on this movie which made me decided to watch it. Yes, interesting and a great combination of many science fiction movies. The part which I found to be particularly refreshing which I've never seen in any other movies is probably the tail to tail connection where emotions and thoughts are transmitted. This, kind of reminds me of how I plug in my thumbdrive into my lappy to send & store information. Oh well, when Jake Sully tried to connect with the dragon-like creature (I say you are quite a genius if you can remember the name, without referring to any sources, please) to make it his, oh my, it was errr....kekeke. But to think that some people actually become depressed because they think Pandora is a better place than earth?? 也有点太夸张了吧。。。 As I was trying to put myself in the shoes to decide between living on earth vs Pandora, I was thinking, oh my, no pretty dresses and what is going to happen to my bags and shoes? No more sleeping on mattress with pillow? hmm... me being bimbotic? materialistic? Come on, be honest with yourself. *wink* Oh, but everyone on Pandora seems to be tall and slender. No bulging tummy. No thick arms. Not a bad idea after all....

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Before, During and After Lunar New Year

2010-02-20T15:56:00.020+08:00

Can't believe 2010 has gone just like this and we are coming to the end of the 1st quarter of 2010 as I am writing this.

Lunar New Year doesn't excite me as much as it used to be in my childhood days. In fact, it has become increasingly frustrating at times. Nevertheless it was good to have some get-together session with family but sadly, for this year, none with friends esp those childhood friends whom I spent at least 15 years of Lunar New Year with doing group visitings and a lot other silly things....

Before new year:

My best buy for new year clothes: Cotton On floral dress for S$ 10 and the cardigan for S$ 5. yay yay!! And of course, spring cleaning! See the vacuum cleaner behind me in the modelling pic. I got a bit bored doing the chores so I started trying out my new purchases.

One more, not the best deal in town but the heels is really special and comfy too! A pair of purple heels to match my other purple accessories. Been looking high and low for quite a while for purple heels and found this pair at Pedro, Ion Orchard. Upper lining is made from calf leather so hopefully, this can spare my poor feet from cuts and bruises. :(

During the new year

Karaoke and bbq with family

It's all about song choice.

In-house Jackie Cheung. Same surname only. Nothing more.

Chilling out by the pool before the bbq started...

Awaiting.....

I marinated the chicken wings and I concluded that it was a good way to prevent myself from eating them as the initial smell of the raw chicken wings still lingered even after they were barbequed...

Kids and their funny faces, all having marshmellows!

Home-prepared Yu Sheng

After the new year:

Hong Kong trip - more updates in upcoming blog entries...

HAPPY TIGER YEAR! ~ XOXO

Western soup for a change

2010-02-04T18:21:00.010+08:00

I experimented with a new recipe shared by the exec chef of Holiday Inn Atrium (Singapore) in one of those tv cook shows. Modified a wee bit to add more nutritional value to the cooking. Isn't that the whole idea of having home-cooked food?? So don't ever complain if my cooking is too bland!

I've longed wanted to try making this starter dish that we are always served with at restaurants. My favourite is pumpkin soup which I've yet to attempt making it but my guess is, the steps won't differ much from that of brocolli seafood soup which I've prepared this week. This soup is filling and I believe it makes a great baby food and a healthy, slimming meal too!

Ingredients used: Brocolli, Onion, Potato, Celery, Anchovies+Scallop stock

One tip I've learnt is that, I can use potatoes to create the creamy texture of the soup without corn starch! yay yay! Pumpkin soup is next!

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What Makes Us Happy......

2010-01-17T10:13:00.002+08:00

is this plate of fried oyster omelette and that bowl of minced meat soup noodle!!! So yummy and I truly believe they are the best in Singapore!! We discovered these two dishes back in year 2004 at a hawker centre nearby where we used to stay and we are still loving 'em after almost 6 years to the extent that we spend almost 2 hours to and fro travelling back there to savour them! Ahh...so enjoyable...

Skinny is Yummy!

2010-01-14T11:10:00.001+08:00

Not skinny girls, not skinny jeans but Skinny Pizza! I suppose this food joint is relatively new and I've only seen 2 outlets so far with one located at Wheelock Place and another at Suntec City Mall. It's quite different from the traditional pizzas I've eaten so far in terms of taste, texture and even presentation. The crust is as thin as the Indian naan and it's served with generous portion of the salad leaves. Apart from the thin crust, the salad leaves is what I love most but I forgot what the name is! Unique taste accentuating the aroma of the pizza! Skinny pizza has a good selection vegetarian pizza and that's what you should go for! Forget about the usual meatball bolognese, chicken ham pizzas...... I'd like to try again but not so soon because the price is pretty steep, almost S$ 60 for just 2 of us. So you can imagine.....

What?? The Skinny Bitch?? Does that mean the waitresses working there are Bitches? What an awful sense of humour in trying to be catchy and creative.

Vegetarian pizza with cheese & pumpkin toppings

A picture paints a thousand words

2010-01-13T15:25:00.004+08:00

Photos above captured the night view of ION Shopping Mall, one of my favourite spots in Singapore. The Christmas light up livened the atmosphere. I love this photo certainly not because I think it is so damn well-taken by myself but it speaks a lot about the entire city area; lotsa trees, lotsa cars, lotsa buildings, lotsa shoppers, lotsa ERP with one right in front of my mother's favourite shopping mall, Tangs Plaza....

Fashion & Photography Pleasure

2010-01-05T16:04:00.004+08:00

Time for some fashion cum photography pleasure for the new year which I enjoy much more than being ethanol-intoxicated.

Here is one of the most versatile dress I ever had which can be worn several ways to create different styles, along with my CC royal blue princess. *heart it so much*

Tube dress style

Toga style

Tube style with front-left ribbon

8-year old Halter-neck Floral Print dress

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1st post of 2010

2010-01-04T22:11:00.007+08:00

Work has resumed and I felt like a lazy kid this morning, reluctantly dragged my feet to work. It's the 4th day of 2010. Out of 4 days, I've spent half of them at Orchard Road, again. It was a rare opportunity to meet up with this newly-wed friend of mine who recently made a trip home to KL for her wedding reception. So we seized the opportunity to catch up during her stopover in Singapore before she flew back to London. It was wise of me to bring hubby along. While I was busy chatting with my friend, hubby too, was busy chatting with his new friend, my friend's hubby. While I paused for a short while to rest my throat and looked over to my left, hubby was still very busy with his conversation. Hmm...now it looked as if I was there to accompany him to catch up with his friend rather than the reversed...

There we were at Watami Japanese Restaurant at ION Orchard, quite reasonably priced given the location and ambience. Worth a try.

I personally doesn't like this photo because it makes my face looks broader than usual! :(

Last but not least, my ensemble for the day. Oh my childhood friend actually commented this ultra wide collar dress made me looked like a brolly... :(

Twenty dollars turquoise dress which I got from a night market in Bangkok worn with a patent red, wide belt from Dorothy Perkins and red Valentino bow pumps + metallic bronze Chloe Paddinton satchel

2009/2010

2009-12-31T22:36:00.011+08:00

Clock is ticking..........

New Year is coming............

Reflection of the past year? Resolution in the new year? If I were to state one, my daily resolution is pretty similar to the rest of the female population, i.e to shed more pounds so that I can squeeze into UK size 6 again. The reflection in the mirror has suggested that this resolution is bleak. ... *sigh*

I don't find tonight to be extraordinary save for the increased noise level from the countdown parties here and there. What matters more is the 365 days ahead of me. Guess the new year celebration is a good excuse for some to get drunk. After so many years, I have yet to fathom the joy of being unsober, not remembering what one has done, not recognizing oneself in the mirror. I am not against it either. It's funny to watch. 开心就好。。。

An unbelievable pre-Christmas & New Year dim sum gathering

2009-12-22T09:32:00.003+08:00

Venue: Imperial Treasure, Nan Bei Restaurant, Takashimaya, Orchard
Date : 12th December 2009
Expected No. of Attendees : 8
Actual No. of Attendees : 4
Actual No. of FFK Attendees: 4
Actual No. of emails/sms : Unbelievably countless
(to organize this meet-up)

What in the world has caught all her attention?

Can you see smoke coming off from her left hand just above the black arrow?

Finally, a more decent potrait.

Oh wait, zoom in to see what's on the table. My little teabag pyramids! :)

Today's ensemble: Leopard print dress with dark brown narrow belt and white wooden heels & black Prada tote

Christmas gift from me

2009-12-19T15:52:00.010+08:00

Christmas gift from me to hubby? Oh puhhlleeasee....no urge to get into romantic mood for Christmas yet unless he decides to buy me a gift that starts with letter C hehe. We bought some Ceylon tea for friends during our trip to Sri Lanka but I haven't been able to pass these souvenirs to them til recently, which is already so close to Christmas day. I looked at these little pyramids filled with teabags and thought I could perhaps transform them into something that fits the theme of the season. Yes, Christmas tree deco! I am just going to make one for each of them, regardless they have a Christmas tree at home or not. They can hang this little gift anywhere they want.

Initially I wanted use the gold and beige organza gift pouches to package the pyramids of teabags. But I realized I didn't have enough of these pouches to package all of them.

Now here's how I used some creativity to handi-craft these little pyramids of teabags to give a new look, just with 5 steps!

1. Cut the long ribbon into appx. 15 cm each. Punch a hole on the message tag. Write down your message on the tag.

2. Insert one end of the 15cm ribbon through the hole. Staple the two ends of the ribbon.

3. Form twin pyramids by glueing the side of two single pyramids.

4. Stick the ribbon with message tag onto the twin pyramids (or stick in between two single pyramids)

5. Join two twin pyramids back to back.

Here are the end-products!

The teabags can be taken out from the opening at the bottom of the quadruplet. :)

I did offer my hubby one but he said, "No, thanks". To be precise, he didn't say "thanks", he said, "No, I don't want". Fine...fine...

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Food and Wedding

2009-12-07T09:59:00.012+08:00

It's a wedding month! One after another wedding invitation from cousin, unimates, hubby's friend....We made a trip to KL for my uni buddy's wedding at Concorde Hotel. I couldn't wait to visit KLCC but so little time left for shopping. *sienz* At least I managed to savour my favourite nasi bojari at Mdm Kwan, the restaurant that serves the truly Malaysian cuisine! Miss that "outer-crispy, inner-juicy yet not greasy" fried chicken drumstick! Oh what a description. Now a picture paints a thousand words.

Salivating yet? You know this dish is so flavourful! I shall describe: the chicken itself is salty in taste, the shredded beef is sweetish, sambal prawn is no doubt spicy and the slice of tomato adds a tinge of sour to taste. So you tell me, flavourful or not? There's a hard boiled egg and it tastes like any normal egg. Nothing more. Having loved this high carb, high protein dish so, so, so much, I do wish there could be a more generous portion of vegetable. That will be perfect!

So for those who are looking for great food in KL, Madam Kwan Restaurant is located at KLCC, 4th/5th floor. You won't miss it. Just look around. Is this the only nasi bojari in town? Nope, definitely not as I've tried the Sakura Restaurant near Bukit Bintang area. I've found another blog that is able to tell more about nasi bojari. I don't take credit from others (which we have enough of that from others at work, haven't we??) so here's the link to the blog reviewed by a KL resident I believe:- http://www.mysimplefood.com/2008/11/madam-kwans-nasi-bojari.html

Now back to the topic of wedding; on 5th December, pretty Cammie was taken "off the shelf" and joined the Chee family!

I've finally met up with a couple of unimates whom I haven't seen since my wedding in June 2006! Pity that we didn't have much time to catch up but managed to camwhore a little here and there. Old habits die hard.... And you know, some people never change. Still pulling a long face year after year, refusing to return a simple hello when greeted by friends... *lol* Ridiculous yet amusing. Nonetheless, they were good chat sessions by and large with the rest.

Uni buddy and I camwhoring while waiting for the dinner to begin. My ensemble: White corset and black lacy-tiered skirt. Accessories: Black floral headband & Black & White pearl long necklace and my super versatile CC medium armcandy.

Close-up of my headband

When we arrived at our Singapore home from KL, to my horror, I realized there were still 3 chicken drumstick in the freezer expiring on the day itself. Despite being dead beat, I've to make good use of whatever that's available in the kitchen to whip up our Sunday dinner. It's a far cry from my nasi bojari chicken at Mdm Kwan....

Potato-carrot Chicken in Mushroom Sauce

Long Champ, Wrong Champ?

2009-12-03T12:27:00.009+08:00

After spending a few days doing nothing other than self-pitying because I thought I was so sick, I told myself I can't 自干堕落 anymore. While tidying up the mess around the house, I found a few pretty decent shopping bags that came with toiletries purchase. These bags came in really timely and handy as I was ready to go out for some groceries shopping after the tidying. Coincidently, just a week ago, a friend was chatting about using Long Champ bags for groceries shopping. Then I suddenly realized, hey, these gift bags do bear some resemblance to the design of Long Champ bags but the shapes are very WRONG! So yeah, I've got two blue Wrong Champ bags to do my groceries in an effort to reduce the number of plastic carriers we bring home each time after shopping. Look, countless of them!

So here's my Wrong Champ with me happily getting ready to do some groceries for our dinner last night!

Before Shopping

After Shopping

End-product of Shopping

Oh Please.....My foot la!!!

2009-11-23T13:20:00.006+08:00

I hate them!!!! What? My feet! Why? They never seem to be able to fit in any pretty pumps / Mary Jane perfectly and comfortably. What fits me best is the ah-mah (old grandma) style of sandals. Oh no, how to go with my dressing??

Look at this pathetic pair of feet that has suffered countless injuries regardless the type of footwear. Even sneakers hurt! :( Yes, those in the pictures are my feet. How disgusting right? My left toe is bruised. Heels and ankles are not spared either. I can confirm the injuries come from unsuitable footwear, not domestic abuse.

I've been hunting high and low for a brand that can fit my feet well. As yet, to no avail. I am still tolerating the pain from wearing them. But luck has been on my side as I manage to find this pair of nude colour low-ankle socks that fits me well.

Not too visible when I have my pumps on. See! Yay yay!! Best of all, it's only S$2-3/pair!

At least these socks can save me from the pain as a result of hours of walk (or shopping to be precise). For a longer walk, I can't probably say the same. I am so glad I am not Cinderella. Otherwise, I'd have to stay single forever as there are no shoes that can fit my abnormally shaped pair of feet perfectly.....

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Jimmy

2009-11-22T15:28:00.008+08:00

I was excited to find a store selling Jimmy Spa's product in Shanghai which I can't find in Singapore. Not that I am a fan. Just thought they looked cute! Jimmy created the illustration (图文) of "向左走，向右走" which was then made into a Hong Kong movie and accompanied by a song of the same title sung by Stephanie Sun. It has a simple yet captivating story line.

Here's the two purses with the character from "向左走，向右走". I gave them to my nieces as I think I am a bit too "mature" to look good carrying them.

I did a search on Jimmy's work and noticed that he has illustrated a book called "遗失了一只猫". I thought that title eptly described my childhood experience! After some research, I only managed to find the introductory story but not the full version! Very clever of Jimmy. So, boh pian. Early this year, I dropped by Popular bookstore to hunt for the book but to no avail. Then I got my brother to get the book from Taiwan. Indeed, he brought back 2 Jimmy's books. But, not the one I asked him to buy! Nothing about the cat at all :(

After 10 months, I finally found it at Popular bookstore again! Oh well, it's only S$9 so I bought it.

The illustration wasn't as interesting as "向左走，向右走". Neither was the story :( And yeah, the girl who lost her cat in Jimmy's story finally found her cat but more than often, real life and story are always million miles apart. I lost my cat and never found it.......NOT EVEN A PHOTO because we had no camera back in 1980s.... *sob* Ah huh, so this probably explains my uncontrollable camwhoring habit. Forgivable...forgivable...

Last but not the least, enjoy the story here. If you can't understand the story, you are in serious trouble. Please look at the clock. Why? It's time to pick up the trendiest language on earth now.

http://www.fairydream.net/html/books/jimmy/leftright.htm

Belated Birthday Celebration @ Marina Barrage

2009-11-12T00:19:00.011+08:00

Some friends have thoughtfully organized a combined birthday celebration for hubby and 2 more friends at the 7th Storey Restaurant located at Marina Barrage. Some photos from the gathering:-

Hubby and I having buffet lunch. Love the red balloon!

Birthday cake

Birthday boys and girl with spouses

The youngest guest at party having her lunch

Birthday girl distributing cake

Birthday boys and girl

Men's talk

View at Marina Barrage

The Marina Barrage

Me @ Marina Barrage

Fashion Ensemble: My 8 year-old Topshop jeans miniskirt with Esprit floral shirt bought in 2007 but never worn til that day and CC Prefall 2.55 Tote in burgundy

View at the rooftop of Marina Barrage: Great place for some kite-flying fun

3 men having whale of a time flying kite

Inside the Marina Barrage gallery @ The Sustainable Singapore Gallery

Food Again!?

2009-11-02T12:51:00.008+08:00

Yes, to continue with what I am better at (still learning), I whipped up hubby's favourite petai for 2 consecutive weekend.! If you ever see him fighting over food one day, that has to be petai.....

Long bean carrot rice (my favourite) + Sambal Petai (his favourite) + Lotus Soup (our favourite)

Watercress Soup + Steam Egg with Minced Pork + Sambal Petai!

Simple enough for two! :)

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Birthday Cake & Apple Cinnamon Waffle

2009-10-29T12:52:00.009+08:00

Hubby is an October baby. As I cooked him birthday meal last year, I decided to attempt something slightly different this year; steam him a cake! Why not bake? Oh well, I haven't bought an oven yet which I know it would most likely be underutilized. So this is my very first attempt to bake a cake. Cake baking (steaming in my case) is really simple. I can't believe I could do this! I was anxiously waiting by the steamer to check the progress from time to time not wanting the condensed vapour to dampen my cake. Pardon the sub-standard cake decoration. I was actually glad to have found some strawberries in the fridge to add some visual candy to the cake.

Subsequently, I was left with many eggs, self raising flour, baking powder etc. All the ingredients required for pastry making. Since I've recently collected my new toy, the waffle hot plate, I tried waffle-making for the very first time too!

All I could say is, I didn't enjoy wee bit of the process. The taste of the apple cinnamon somehow disgusted me more than I ever know even though fresh shredded apple was used. The taste wasn't that awful but I just feel nausea at the instance of smelling it! I mean the waffle! I have to admit that the cake was much more delectable than the apple cinnamon waffle.

From the two attempts, I firmly conclude I am definitely not the cut to be a baking wife/mum. Fortunately, neither of us is a cake or pastry person. So I reckon it's better to continue doing what I am better at, that is to cook instead of bake! This may also spare us from consuming the loads of sugar and flour !

Red Hot

2009-10-26T13:28:00.013+08:00

*Photo credit: Coocochanel5@TPF*

This is a piece that countless Chanel lovers are going ga-ga over. The colour is called the patent red. I adore the colour but the patent finishing is really not my cup of tea. At least, not when I am living in a tropical city. I can't imagine a sweaty palm touching the patent finishing leaving the fingerprints all over! I bet, by the end of next month, it's going to be worldwide out-of-stock item. Why? Other than the collectors, ebayers will be stocking up these red hot babies to be re-sold at rocket high price over the evil bay @ ebay. Buay tahan....

Having said all that, I am still lemming for the perfect shade of red jumbo caviar. It's not only my favourite. It's everyone's favourite colour. *sigh* Depressing to think about the waiting list for my dream bag especially when there are at least 30 people in KL and Singapore that's fighting over one or two piece of them in the local store. What's with all these women?? What's with me??

Anyone living in Paris, London or US, please save me from depression!!! I know your local stores are still well-stocked!!