Let the good times roll (again)!

Colin and I just celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary on 29th March 2008. To make the celebration really special, we decided to take a trip down memory lane, back to our courtship days! For those of you who are not aware, Colin and I had many a milestone in America. We had our very first official date in LA's cheesecake factory, first time holding hands at Santa Monica, and of course, Colin proposed to me on Valentine's Day 2003 at Lake Tahoe.

This is us sharing a strawberry shortcake on our first official date back in 2002.

2008 - Strange how Colin seems to look quite the same as 6 years back.
Here's the precious moment in 2003 after the "YES, of course i'll marry you!!!" Note that Colin was still on bended knee.....*aww*
Dining by Lake Tahoe 5 years later, thought not at the same table, but I got a rose this time too! :)
On top of the world - Celebrating our engagement on Valentine's Day 2003 on top of the mountain.Celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary from the same spot 5 years later! Lake Tahoe is such a magical place for both of us that we'd love to come back again. Perhaps to celebrate our 5th, 10th, 20th......anniversaries?

Of course, apart from travelling down memory lane, we also took this opportunity to explore new grounds.
I personally think that the Niagara Falls is such a overwhelmingly spectacular work of nature. When we were there, we spotted this lovely rainbow over the massive falls.
Here's my hero hubby carrying me across that tight rope! Ha!


After Niagara Falls, we moved on to the Big Apple, where I've always wanted to visit since Sex and the City! :)
Here's us at Rockefeller Centre after a nice italian dinner.
At the famous skating rink in the middle of Rockefeller Centre.
Times Square, Manhattan, by night. Love the neon lights!

All in all, a fabulously fulfiling 18 days. Cheers to more great vacations!

FB is awesome! freaking awesome!

Its official. Facebook is the most amazing, most phenomenal social networking website that I've come across to date. Interestingly, after my last post about re-connecting with old friends, Chrix and Huifang, my long-lost primary school classmates, found me on FB 2 weeks ago.
That's me, Huifang, and Chrix - the 1st 3 who got together! We then embarked on our mission to hunt down the rest of our class of 6C - 1989! Group of 3 grew to group of 7 a week after our 1st lunch get-together.


Most of us were found through FB, and the rest? Credit must go to the ever-enthusiastic and resourceful Chrix, who dug out his Primary 6 autograph books and started dialing the numbers. Bear in mind that the numbers are from 19 years back, where there was even no prefix 6 to residential numbers yet! Chrix coaxed and begged some parents to give him their son / daughter's contact numbers, and in the span of the last 2 weeks, we managed to re-connect with almost half of our 42-person class of 1989! Can't wait for our next gathering!


Now, on to another note. A colleague of mine recently wrote a poem for me. Well, technically, I asked him to. Haha. One day while chatting, he shared that he enjoys poetry and sometimes tries to write for his girlfriend (who, unfortunately, according to him, does not appreciate his work very much). Upon hearing that, I just could not resist asking him if he could write one for me.


I was pleasantly surprised when one day his poem appeared in my email inbox at work, and after reading what he wrote for me, I couldn't help but chuckle! Here's what he wrote :


Ellen:


What delightful an appetite,
Without shame, take pride!
For with such belly full,
Would anger barely rule?
Thence without, such given
Yours amongst the gibbons:
The encircled throne…


Cheeky but Playful,
As the random winds,
But such steel behind the mill,
The blades does turn,
Pray the grain does churn!

Friendships re-kindled

I recently re-connected with a good friend of mine (let's call her S), who I have not spoken with since I was 16. S and I were close as sisters when we were in Secondary School, we studied in the same class, were in the same ECA, and I often hung out at her place after school. However, after being posted to different junior colleges after graduation, we drifted apart and subsequently lost contact altogether.

Thanks to the wonderful Facebook, we found each other after 14 years of not talking. When S realised that I had been keeping in touch with a few of our close friends all these years, she told me that she feels embarrassed that she did not make the effort to keep in touch with us. I told her that whilst effort and maintenance do keep friendships active, friendships do die hard, and I believe that our friends are all still out there somewhere, waiting to re-connect with us!

This evening, I re-connected with another of my long-lost friend, Jasmine. Jasmine and I have also not met since Secondary School, and we found each other through Facebook too. Jasmine also happens to be colleagues with my JC buddy Shuying. The 2 ladies met me after work (yes, these poor things had to go back to the office on Saturday!) for dinner at Kim Gary Hong Kong Cafe at VivoCity. Here's a look at what we had :

I had a refreshing Longan Aloe Vera drink.

Jasmine and I had the spicy typhoon shelter style noodles with pork chop. Being the chilli queens that we are, we each added more chilli padi to the soup, only to end up with "swollen" lips at the end of the meal!Shuying had the baked rice in cream sauce, which was served in one of those bamboo containers used for steamed dim sum. Cute!

We shared a yummy french toast - my cha chan teng staple! I love having this for supper when I am in Hong Kong.

Jasmine and I

Shuying and I

After dinner, we adjourned for drinks at Bakerzin, where I had a sinful but yummy Valrhona Chocolate with Marshmallow.

Here, we continued chatting, gossiping, and bitching like we had never ever been apart. It sure felt good that all these years of not talking had not made us strangers. We promised to meet up again and I secretly also made a resolution to do this with more friends with whom I have lost contact!

Treading with care into the Lunar Rat Year

Happy Lunar New Year everyone!

Just as there are 12 days of Christmas, there are 15 days to celebrate for the Lunar New Year, which translates to 15 days of non-stop eating for most, and for some, it can be 15 days of misery, having to answer endless questions from "well-meaning" relatives, who, after a year of not seeing you, are exploding with interest about your social life, your work, and your family planning.

The rat year started on a not-so-high note for us. Colin, his folks, and I drove to Sungei Rambai (a town near Muar in Malaysia) to visit Colin's grandparents on the 1st day of CNY. On our drive in, our car collided into a car in front of ours, and we ended up paying RM320 to the other car's driver. 2 days later, on our drive out, while queuing patiently at the causeway, an impatient car which was trying to squeeze its way through bumped into our car from behind! So that makes 2 accidents in the span of the 1st 3 days of the Rat year! Hah! We can only take heart in the fact that none of the 4 of us were hurt. What else to do except share a laugh about it and tread (or drive) carefully henceforth?Ok, so I know this is a real random photo that has nothing to do with CNY, but hey, you need cute shoes to tread carefully into the Rat Year right? And aren't these mary janes just the cutest? Love them to bits!

So, coming back to the Kampong trip. Apart from the 2 minor accidents, the visit to Sungei Rambai turned out quite fun (Apart from the lack of a good shower and good bed). We had tonnes to eat, much to drink, and lots to play! What's CNY without some gambling? We played blackjack and texas hold'em poker, and some relatives also had a few rounds of mahjong. When it comes to CNY gambling, the outcome is always secondary to the fun and interaction with family, but having said that, it sure feels great when you win a round of RM50!

Anyway, today was the 1st day of work for me, as it is for most other folks. This morning, I had to literally drag my body out of bed and my feet to work. It was really totally difficult to kick start my engine after the 4-day hiatus. And I'm guessing all that buttery cookies and tarts that somehow worked their way into my tummy probably didn't help? It was simply tough to snap out of CNY mood when half the office is on leave and the other half as lethargic looking as me!

Can't wait for CNY to be all over. I so want to start counting down to my vacation in America. 31 days to go till 14 March 2008. 31 days. 744 hours. 44,640 minutes. 2,678,400 seconds. Tick, clock, tick.

Annoyed!

Its been raining a lot here in Singapore.. so much so that it irks me. It irks me when I wear long pants and they get soaked through (sometimes up to knee level!). It irks me when I wear skirts and dirty water splashes onto my lower leg when I step on puddles. It irks me when I wear my pretty sandals or heels to work and they get ruined by the time I reach the office. It irks me when I always have to carry an umbrella in my already heavy bag, and the day that I forget to do so (today), I get caught out and got home drenched to the skin. But above all that, i really really hate the musky smell of laundry dried pathetically in stale damp air!

So.....rain, rain....go away.....please?

On the bus home earlier, I witnessed a selfish act that annoyed me. Yes, I'm in an irritable mood, but selfish people really get on my nerves!

I boarded the bus at around 6.20pm, together with a very pregnant lady (I would guess that she is at least 8 months pregnant as she looked ready to pop!). After we boarded, we walked through the crowded bus, with me hoping that someone would give their seat up to the pregnant lady. No one did. Everyone just continued in their ways, either chatting, playing with their phone, or just doing nothing.

The pregnant lady stood near a group of teenagers (perhaps she thought they were her best chance to get a seat). The teenagers totally ignored her, and continued chatting about movies and shopping. I could not help but send them my disgusted glare, and I just secretly hoped that someone would get off at the next stop so that she could sit down. In the end, the poor lady only got her seat after standing for 15 minutes, during which she had to use both hands to hold on to the pole in order to keep her balance on the moving bus.

It is sad that some Singaporeans simply lack graciousness and civic-mindedness. Many of us are so self-absorbed that we become selfish. It really irks me when I see such selfish acts. Unfortunately, they seem to have no signs of diminishing.

The late Princess Diana once said "Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you." So wait no further, PAY IT FORWARD!

Happy 2008!

2007 was a very eventful year for me. I started the year at probably the lowest point of my humble 30 years, struggling almost daily and too often unhappy. I then made a decision to take a break from work in order to pick up the pieces in other areas of my life. That was probably my best decision ever.

The next 4 months that I spent unemployed was my favourite 4 months yet! During the 4 months, I re-connected with myself and my loved ones, went for an extended honeymoon (2 weeks in Japan and 2 weeks in Europe), learnt to cook, started this blog, and gained 3 kg due to the sedentary lifestyle which I most thoroughly enjoyed and so sorely miss today.

In June, a twist of fate led me to my current job, one which I hope, and will try, to stay in for as long as I possibly can! The next 6 months was a happy blur, with me settling in at my new job, and with a few more trips overseas. Towards the end of the year, I even took up golf! Am now into my 6th lesson, and am totally loving it!

The way the year 2007 unfolded truly showed me that when things do hit rock bottom, the only way it can move from there is UP! I am honestly grateful that the year had come and gone and hopefully I am now wiser and more prepared to embrace 2008 with open arms and an open heart!

On to the new year, Colin and I spent our 1st weekend of 2008 playing tourists at Sentosa! Its been years since we last visited Sentosa and my, has the place changed!

The weekend at Sentosa came about due to a free night stay at Rasa Sentosa Resort.

Our comfy deluxe bedroom - only rant is the "too soft" pillows. Guess we have been spoilt by our tempur pillows that we both woke up with sore necks the next morning. Haha.

Our room had a relaxing pool and sea view.

The view from outside our door.

Had initially planned to spend the afternoon lazing at the beach, but it started pouring after we checked in. Decided to check out the 4D Cineblast instead, which was basically a 4D 15-minute movie (honestly not worth the $16 ticket). We also tried a "new" attraction called the Luge & Skyride. For $9, you get to ride the black toboggan down a winding slope. From the bottom of the slope, you take the skyride which is like a ski-lift up back to where you started. This was so fun we came back for round 2 the next morning!

Putting on safety helmuts before our luge race!

Don't blame us for being cheapskate, but at $10 per photo, we thought we'd just use our camera to take a photo of the screen shot of our photo!

Colin managing to snap a photo of me as I came in after the ride

Feet dangling above ground....left my stomache in knots. I always have had a fear of heights.

My dear hubby trying to distract me with a kiss!

Dinner was at Silver Shell Cafe at the resort as we were given a $100 dining voucher

Colin tucking in to some chilli crab. See those people behind him? They were the strolling musicians who went round serenading diners. After dinner, we caught Songs of the Sea, a show that replaced the "Musical Fountain" that we remembered.Songs of the Sea was part musical, part laser-show, part pyrotechnics, with fire and water jets thrown in as well! The water jets reminded us of the Bellagio dancing fountains, and though it was still raining throughout the show, our spirits were lifted by the fireworks which ended the 25 minute show.

Back at our hotel room after a day of playing tourists in Singapore. May this sweet picture set the mood for the rest of 2008, and may everyone I know and love have a wonderful 2008 ahead!

Merry Christmas!

When I was growing up, Christmas was always my favourite holiday of the year, even more so than Chinese New Year. Though not Christians, my family had a tradition of celebrating Christmas. It was a great reason for us all to get together, decorate the Christmas tree, have a big feast of roast turkey, beef, honey baked ham, lasagne / pasta and the whole works, and my favourite part would be when my brother and I hung up Christmas Stockings next to our beds and waited for Santa to come by with our presents. Only we never managed to meet Santa, or rather, we didn't realise that our folks were our Santa Claus. till many years later.

As an adult now, I love Christmas for quite different reasons. Shopping is fantastic! Virtually every shop in town is having some form of a SALE, slashing prices, making all efforts of restrain very futile..

This year's Christmas is quite quiet and simple for us. No fancy or loud parties. Just gatherings with close friends and family. Yesterday after work (boss declared half day off, much to the excitement of us all!), I went to vist my best friend Jessie and her baby Shun. Jess is home to attend her sister's wedding and will only be here till Saturday night. Had to catch her and her baby before they returned to Japan.

Shun is extremely adorable. We had to try quite hard before he would let go of his toy and show off his handsome face to the camera. Jess had to step in when Shun started crying....haha! I probably need more practice with kids. And by the way, Happy 6 months Birthday baby Shun!

After an afternoon at Jessie's place, I met Colin for our Christmas eve dinner at Su Korean Cuisine at Far East Plaza. Had previously eaten there with Kat, and we both liked the food, hence I decided to bring Colin here. We ordered the Set Menu for 2 people, which left us really stuffed!

As with most Korean restaurants, this one served an assortment of 8 side dishes, which were all quite yummy.

There was a choice of grilling our own meats or have them grilled in the kitchen (for those who don't want to smell like BBQ after a meal). We chose to grill our own meat since it was more fun that way. The meats were quite well marinated and were tender and tasty. While Colin preferred to eat his meat with rice, I preferred to wrap them up with the lettuce leaves provided, adding a small dollop of bean sauce on the meat. Upon biting, the crisp cold lettuce leaves provided some balance to the hot juicy meats, which somehow made me feel less guilty with the indulgent dinner!
The set meal also came with a seafood beef soup, which we topped up to a Ginseng Chicken Soup. The soup had one whole chicken in it, and the chicken was stuffed with glutunous rice. I found the chicken quite tender, but Colin felt the soup a bit bland with not enough ginseng.
Orchard road was crazy crowded last night, and boy were we glad we did not have to drive through it. While Colin navigated our way through Scotts Road, I could not resist snapping a few shots of the Christmas lights!

Happy Holidays!