Babysitting Duties

Took the kids out for the afternoon on Sunday while my brother and sister-in-law went to visit New Creation Church and have a dinner date. Decided to watch the movie, Frozen, and together with the help of +3, we navigated the world of babysitting three children.

It was great fun and I think +3 and I work well as a team! I like how we would take turns to carry Gideon, while the other watched and engaged Julia and Ethan.

We took the train from SK to HBF and had an early dinner at McDonalds. Not the healthiest option, but always a winner with children. Poor Gideon must have been exhausted and fell asleep on the train. He even snoozed through the meal, but was awake in time for the movie.

Frozen was a good pick. A funny show that was entertaining and enjoyable, (I love Olaf!) which all of us liked.

After the movie, we had a quick jaunt through Toys R Us to buy some toys and seal the "Best Aunt Award" before heading home.

It was fun babysitting and it certainly opened my eyes to the world of caring for children. So many things to note when they are entrusted to you! But I'm happy we did it. :)

My Favourite Line From The Weekend

"It's not about you or me. It's about us."

Holiday!!!

We just booked our tickets to London for 2014!!! WHEEEE!!!

Season's Greetings

What a lovely way to start Christmas day, lying in bed listening to Christmas songs and being thankful for the many blessings in my life.

As the year draws to an end, I must say that the biggest blessing for the year is having +3 in my life. No words can describe how happy he makes me feel, and how lucky I am to have someone who cares for me and my family so deeply.

And with the new year coming, I wish that all my loved ones be blessed with good health, happiness, love, prosperity and an abundance of all good things. Looking forward to the new year ahead!

Winter Solstice

It's 冬至 today and +3 and I are preparing 汤圆 now. We bought the frozen ones from the supermarket, and boiling them in water with pandan, ginger, lime leaves and sugar.

I like how we are starting our own couple traditions, and how there are plans to continue and maybe improve on what we are doing. So next year, we will be making 汤圆 from scratch!

River Safari Adventure

Spent the day with my brother and his family at the River Safari today. Oh man, if you're thinking of going there on a weekend over the holiday period- don't.

The place was so crowded with throngs and throngs of people. And the exhibits weren't all that fantastic too. I much preferred the SEA Aquarium in Sentosa.

Headed back to Compass Point for lunch and a bit of shopping, then back home to nap. Had a nice catch up with my brother and sister-in-law too.

It was a tiring day but a fun one nonetheless.

A Leisurely Afternoon

I took the afternoon off, and am now sitting in a cafe having a nice lunch before making my way to see the TCM.

It feels nice. After months of mad rush to finish my publications, the last of the lot have finally gone to print so I can afford a quick breather before focusing on my upcoming event.

It's nice. To sit here, alone, without having to make small talk, without having to scarf down my meal, able to sit back and people watch and just think about simple things like what to cook for dinner tonight.

I might even do a spot of window shopping (or *gasp* actual shopping. It is Christmas after all.) Or I might jist head back home, relax, and just read a book.

The afternoon is mine, and it feels wonderful.

Don't Forget

Today was a good reminder of why I do what I do. Am thankful and blessed.

Freebies!

Whee it's been a lucky week for me when it comes to scoring free movies. Fashionjeannie called on Friday to say she had extra tickets to the movie, Walking with Dinosaurs, and asked whether +3 and I would be free to watch it.

Then last night cousin.E messaged to ask if I wanted to watch I Hugged the Berlin Patient because she too, had an extra ticket.

Free movies are awesome because as everyone knows, I love watching movies at the cinema. I have pretty low standards when it comes to entertaining oneself so a free movie is actually a score for me. Heehee.

Not to mention, it's been a trying few weeks at work so every little reason to celebrate and enjoy is always welcome.

:D

Being Thankful

On trying days like today, I have to remind myself of the good things in my life, and to be thankful and gracious.

I had to borrow +3's laptop for work, as I had been scheduled to help out for the full day for an event. As I started working on my paper, my colleague came out and said she had not requested a mixer and was unable to play music and had to borrow my laptop instead.

I was feeling rather miffed, but decided that I would be gracious about it. At least I was able to help out at the event, even though it was at an inconvenience to me. (Gives me an excuse to not work haha).

Started to feel a bit peckish, but thankfully I had a bit to eat for breakfast thanks to +3. Imagine if I didn't have any food in the morning!

I stayed the night because it took a while to set up my email account and by the time we were done, it was late. Lucky for me, I had some clothes at his place, so didn't have to worry about what to wear.

I'm thankful. And reminding myself that everything is all good.

Coffee, I Miss You

I think it's been more than a month, maybe two, since I last had a cup of coffee. It all started because I started taking TCM, and apparently coffee neutralises the effects of TCM.

The doctor actually said I could have a cup a day, but my sister (who also sees a TCM doctor regularly) told me that coffee is strictly off limits. And since I want to avoid any nagging, I thought I'd follow her advice.

Oh, I miss my coffee! I used to have at least one cup in the mornings, and the lady who makes the coffee even knew my order so well that all I'd need to do was smile and she'd prepare my cup. But thankfully have been able to survive pretty well without it.

One positive side effect is that I'm actually able to fall asleep quite early at night, and no longer lay in bed tossing and turning. I'm usually in bed at 10ish and asleep by 11pm.

It's a little bit harder when I'm with +3 though, especially when I make him a cup of coffee in the mornings. I'm always so tempted to sneak a sip but so far I've been a good girl. Heehee.

Well let's hope this discipline pays off and my health condition gets better sooner than later. So far I'll just have to make do with my sanzha tea and look forward to the day I can have my cuppa again. Wheee!

The Last Stretch

It's amazing how it's already December. As always, around this time of the year, I ask, where did all that time go?

Well the better half of the year was spent in a happy couply bliss with +3. The more time we spend together, the more we realise how aligned we are. From the silly to the serious, it all seems to be falling into place. And I like how we find random things to dk together. Like the detox foot patch thing. Lol.

The detox thing seems to be working well. Better sleep at night and +3's exzema on his foot seems to be improving too. It's not very expensive but over the long term costs do add up ($2/day), and with the idea of the $5/day challenge at the back of our minds, it does seem like a bit of a splurge.

We talked about doing the $5/day challenge over the weekend but we had thanksgiving dinner at FashionJeannie's place on Saturday, and Marc was over for dinner at the parent's place on Sunday. So I adapted the challenge somewhat, and said that we should just try to be more mindful of how much we spend in December.

It's tough though. I've already received my Christmas present from +3. We were walking around GWC and there was a sale for WMF cookware, so he got a set for me. Oh be still, my heart!

And I've been cracking my brain trying to figure out what to get him too. Hmmmmm.

The rest of the month looks like it's going to be quite busy. There are a couple of Christmas parties coming up, my brother and his family will be in town, the parents will be heading to visit my sister in the US, and it's a busy period at work for me as my event is in early Jan.

All in all, 2013 has been a good year and I have a feeling 2014 is going to be better. Met up with Mama Yvonne (yes she's expecting!) when she was in town, and she said 2013 was a good year for roosters and 2014 will be even better. Yay!

Anyway in this final stretch and over this Christmas period, I wish everyone an adundance of blessings of love, happiness, good health, wealth, peace and joy.

Happy December!

The One Week Foot Detox

+3 and I are going to do a one week foot detox. We came across one of those foot detox sticker things, where you stick a herbal patch to the soles of your feet, and leave it overnight. The herbal patch is supposed to draw out toxins, and the next morning the patch turns brown.

We bought one to try, and sure enough, the patch on the soles of our feet did turn brown after. Seemed to have a rested sleep as well, so we thought we would try doing this for a week.

Day one and the patch is on and I'm going to sleep. I'm going to try to document this so here's to a good night's rest and toxins exiting my body.

On My To Do List

- Sleep early. I'm trying to do that sleep early, wake early thing, but it's hard when you're pulling late nights in the office. Left work relatively early today, so I'm quite pleased that I'm already in bed and it's not even 10.30pm. Will need to try to keep this up.

- Ride. It's been months since I last rode and I finally got me a pump so I can pump my tires. Bike is all ready (albeit a tad dusty) and the plan is to take it for a spin tomorrow morning. Need to get used to being on the saddle again!

- Make almond butter. Just because it's so yum and it's been a while. Might try to make nutella too if I can find cheap hazelnuts.

Random thoughts. :)

2 More Months!

Oh my, 2 more months till the end of the year. How time flies!

It's been a good year so far. Things at work are getting hectic and my health isn't in tip top shape, but I'm still counting my blessings.

The recent spate of gushing about +3 is an indication of how good things have been between us, I guess. It's an odd combination of early days and the sense that we have been together for a longer time than it actually has been.

The parents like him, and just today my mom asked if he was out of town because she hadn't seen him in a while (2 weeks). Hehehe.

Two more months till 2014 and all I can say is that I am thankful for the way things are now and I hope that my family and loved ones will have good health, happiness, love, prosperity and peace. :)

Cracked

The name of one of my favourite online sites, and also what the chiropractor did today.

It was a good appointment. The chiropractor explained that tense / tight muscles are shorter and pull the bones closer, leaving little gap in between and squishing the nerves and what have you.

She felt around my spine and head, identified the tight areas, and got me to lie down. A poke and prod on my spine, and crack! A twist of my neck to the left, and craaaaack! A twist of my neck to the right, and craaaaack!

Wooot. It felt good. And she explained that I'll be feeling a little sore tonight and tomorrow. Supposed to ice it but I'm already in bed. Heehee.

She also gave me some sesame oil to rub to prevent inflammation. Which I guess I should use huh.

Anyway the session today reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend a while back. He said that people should see a chiropractor as a preventive measure rather than as a cure. Which makes sense if you think about it, because you might as well get realigned before anything gets too serious.

What a welcome to my 30s. Lol.

Poked

I went for my first acupuncture session over the weekend! The muscles around the neck and shoulder have been really tight, and I've been suffering from really bad headaches for the past couple of months. It was getting even frequent in the past week, so I decided to see a TCM to get it sorted out.

No surprises, I'm full of "re qi". The TCM doctor did a bit of gua sha and cupping, and then (I imagine) she whipped out the needles. I expected her to poke needles all over my neck like a porcupine, and was surprised when she started removing my socks.

Me: Erm, you are going to poke my ankle?

TCM: Yep!

Me: Mine is neck pain leh.

TCM: *something about meridian points*

Ok la. Since she is the TCM doctor, and she comes recommended, I guess I should trust that she knows what she is doing. Hehehe. Interestingly, the moment the needle went in, I felt an almost immediate sense of relief. Nothing very life shattering or what, but it definitely felt better.

She prodded my neck after that, and lo and behold, the pain was less!

Wheee!

She did another spot somewhere on my shoulder, and it's been 2 days and (touch wood) no headaches. Heehee. Happiness is having my qi flow all over, baby.

Of course, in the spirit of true kiasu and kiasi-ness, I also made an appointment to get my back alignment checked at the chiropractor this afternoon. Hopefully they will be able to sort out any lingering issues, and relieve the stiff shoulders and neck mucles that I constantly seem to have.

Wish me luck!

Birthday Blessings

Oh I've been showered with so much love over my birthday, I really am so blessed.

Most of them came from "expected" sources- Dinners with close girlfriends. Weekend getaways with +3. Birthday celebrations with +3 and the parents. Facebook well wishes from people on my friends list.

But what I never expected was to receive birthday presents from my colleagues. Sure, I get along with them well and fine, and I'd even buy lunch for a few closer ones on their special day. However, I received gifts from 3 colleagues (4 if you include the tiramisu that was made, but for the office, not me lol).

It's a pleasant surprise, even if one of the gifts was a lollipop and outdated CD (which will probably get regifted haha).

And it's a nice reminder that even though I may complain about work and the tonnes of red tape and the sheer amount of paperwork that I need to do, that the people who I work with do make that difference.

:)

To Batam And Back

+3 and I were trying to figure out what to do on my birthday. We had both taken the day off and our original plan was to go to Universal Studios Singapore and have a day in Sentosa.
Unfortunately our Malacca jaunt left us both feeling a little under the weather (too heaty but it was totally worth it!) and I wasn't up to queueing for rides under the hot sun.

We deliberated. A picnic? Walk in the park? Shall we still go to Sentosa? Suddenly he said the magic words, "What about a cheap massage in Batam?"

Score!

Nevermind that we had just come back from Malacca and that our bags were not even unpacked. We checked the ferry schedule and figured out the timing in order to get back to Singapore in time for dinner with the parents.

Off we went! We took the 1230hrs ferry, and headed to the highly recommended Sports Massage Centre. After an hour and a half of kneading and pounding and stepping on our backs, we were heading back to the ferry terminal to catch the 1640hrs ferry. Almost missed it because of the traffic jam, but thankfully we got there juuuuust in time.

Rushed to meet the parents at Spring Court for another epicly yummy meal, and then headed home to pass out from the after effects of massage and good food.

I know I've said this many, many times, but I feel blessed. So very blessed.

...Aaand We're Back!

Time really flies when you're having fun. Our weekend getaway to Malacca was great!

The coach we took (Luxury Tours) was comfortable and spacious. The ride to Malacca was about 4 hours, and we got there at about noon. Walked to the hotel (not as far as everyone seems to think), checked in, chilled for a while, and hit the streets.

We had kueh pie tee and ayam buah keluak at Nancy's Kitchen, cendol and coffee at Lao San Cafe, and sting ray, carrot cake, sotong and assam laksa at the night street market.

Breakfast at the hotel, more ayam buah keluak and kueh pie tee, as well as assam fish and popiah during our second visit to Nancy's Kitchen. Chilled for the rest of the day at Calanthe Art Cafe and had coffee and brownie.

Burp.

Malacca never fails when it comes to stuffing face, and I'm glad +3 found the food delicious. We have our next trip planned in November! Wheeeee!

My favourite part of the trip was really how easy it was to travel with +3, even when it came to small nitty gritty things like how we pack our bags. I guess the great thing about the early days of any relationship is the discovery of new things about each other that reminds you how aligned you are.

:)

Malacca, Here We Come!

As part of my month-long birthday celebrations (hur hur), +3 planned a weekend getaway to Malacca. He booked the bus tickets and hotel, and we're now on our way to stuff our faces and fill our bellies. Heehee.

Hard to imagine it's been three months. Somehow time just seems to pass by so fast, and it feels like we've been dating for a much longer period. Lol. On the plus side, now that the three-month mark is here, we passed the probation! Hehehehahaha.

I'm blessed.

Run!

Went for an early morning jog with +3 this weekend. How early, you ask? We were up at 6 and out of the house by 6.30am. Yup, early.

It's been a while since I ran and so we took it slow and did a walk/jog/walk thing. It was a good pace (did not collapse!) and it was an interesting route.

We started off at his place and went to Clarke Quay and then hmm Great World City? Then Fort Canning where we sat on the swings for a while. It was a lovely day and we took lots of silly pictures. Heehee.

I don't know why but it made me really happy to run together. All in all, brilliant. :)

Of Medicated Plasters And Bald Patches

I've been suffering from this neck crick for the longest time and it's been causing me tension headaches from time to time. Usually, I'd arrange to go for regular massages with my masseuse but I've not gotten round to making an appointment with her recently.

My colleague, meow, offered me some medicated plasters. She said that the ones she used were really good and I thought it wouldn't hurt to try them out.

Turns out the medicated plasters are pretty effective. It also turns out that I've got a hairy back.

Ouch.

So after using a few pieces, I think I've managed to rip off a few square patches of back hair and even some from the base of my hairline on my neck. How attractive. Lol.

Ten Dollars A Day

One of the bright sides to working where I do is the ridiculously cheap meals at the canteen. I forgot to bring my wallet today, and had to borrow some cash from a colleague to tide me over.

She lent me a tenner, and I've had:

- Kopi ($0.70)

- Mee Soto + Bergedil ($2.50)

- Rice and dishes ($2.90 - hmm why is this so expensive)

- Chocolate and peanut waffle ($1.30)

I've had breakfast AND lunch and still have $2.60 left! Sweeeeet.

The Art Of Procrastination

I've realised that +3 and I have very different working styles. He likes to be productive in the office, and I like to slack off. A good example of this is how we both approached working on a deadline for our respective upcoming projects.

+3 planned his time well. He paced himself, making sure he did enough every day, yet not working too late so that he could go home and get a good night's rest. By the time his project deadline submission was due, he had worked a couple of late nights, but did not have to pull any all-nighters.

As for me, my submission is due tomorrow and in the time I've had to work on my stuff, I've ..

- not done any work

- cooked
- shaved +3's hair

- gone to SGTCC (or is it STGCC?)

- gone for the Eames exhibition

- played PVZ2
- fallen sick

- rediscovered old favourites on youtube

- napped
- cut my toenails

- blogged about how I've not done anything

It's 2.36am and I need to submit my stuff tomorrow. So I've downed 2 cups of coffee and plan to burn the midnight oil till it all gets done. Of course, I'm not doing it *now* seeing how I'm writing about it. Haha.

Ah well. Better get cracking. Clock is ticking.

Two Sides Of A Coin

One thing I've learned is that there are always more than one side to a story. What you hear is usually from that person's point of view, and one should always be mindful of that.

Someone I follow on instagram posted a public post. Her main gripe was that her husband's ex was now following the same people on instagram, liking the same pictures, using the same hashtags etc. I think the word stalker got thrown in somewhere too.

Naturally, that post garnered lots of sympathetic replies. People saying that they would unfollow this ex, and generally agreeing that this was stalker-ish and unacceptable behaviour.

Uhm. I don't really get what's so wrong though. If there is a user whose pictures on instagram I like, I check out his/her followers and who he/she has been following, because you're more likely to find someone with similar creative tastes.

Anyway, soon after this post was made, a user who is presumably the stepson of this person (son of the ex) started commenting. He was basically saying stop smearing my mom's name and you're the stalker instead.

*fight! fight! fight!*

I don't know what is really going on, but this stepson's posts really served as a reminder not to believe everything wholesale and that there is always another side of the story.

A Simple Night In

Sometimes, the best ways to spend an evening is to just chill at home. Met up with +3 last night, tired and drained from a long day at work.

We walked to the supermarket to pick up some groceries, headed back to his place (where he unceremoniously left me outside the gate while he tapped himself in *sob*), and whipped up a simple meal.

After dinner, he tinkered with his new gundam robot toy thing while I finished up some work and sent some emails.

Everything felt so nice and normal and comfortable, and it was definitely a great way to wind down at the end of a hectic day. Life is good. :)

It Is Possible To Eat Nonstop For Four Days

Here are the places I ate at during my Hong kong trip that were quite memorable:

TBLS - http://tbls-kitchenstudio.com/

SF booked dinner at this private kitchen, TBLS, for 5 of us. Food was really good, though a bit on the pricey side. A good experience nonetheless.

Yung Kee - http://www.yungkee.com.hk/

Must have - roast goose and century egg. Melt in your mouth goodness. Makes you cry tears of joy when you eat it.

Kau Kee - http://www.openrice.com/english/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=1618

Beef noodle goodness. So tasty, so yummy. Have no expectations of any good service, and expect to share the table with others.

Xu Liu Shan - http://www.hkhls.com/

Maybe it's supposed to be pronounced Hui Lau Shan. But doesn't matter. Oooh their mango desserts are so so so so yum.

The Grill Station - https://www.facebook.com/pages/%E7%87%92%E6%88%BF%E7%84%97-The-Grill-Station/343279075693716
Yummy grilled food. 

Some other interesting shops-

http://www.homeless.hk/ - Interesting knick knacks for the home.

http://www.timothyoulton.com/ - Vintage furniture.

http://www.minihotel.hk/ - Loved the lobby area of the Causeway Bay branch.

..

I'd write more but it's lunch time. Lol.

Good Times

The downside to constantly having a good time at play, is that work seems incredibly dull when you get back to the office. Lol.

Anyway, the super long weekend came and went in a flash, and as usual, I had a blast.

Had a picnic with the girls on Thursday at Hort Park. The idea for a picnic came about on our weekly walks, when we discovered that Hort Park was a lovely and relatively uncrowded place to hang out. We fell in love with one of the fields and decided that we had to have a picnic there one day.

Girly picnics are always a hoot. The food was delicious and healthy, and we even managed to set up a mini bar counter. Lol. My favourite part of the picnic was lying on the grass looking up at the sky.

On Friday, we went to Ubin to cycle. The usual suspects were there, +3, fashionjeannie, S and metamorphoenix. LGG apparently forgot she had to go to BKK. We suspect she just can't cycle and refuses to admit it. Hehe.

Ubin was brilliant, and not as crowded as I expected. I think the long weekend over Hari Raya and National Day meant that a lot of people went overseas instead.

Walked along the boardwalk at Chek Jawa, took silly pictures with +3, ate a yummy lunch at the jetty.

The relatives from Malaysia came over on Saturday, and I spent most of the day recovering from the previous day's exhaustions and also helping my mom with some food preparation.

Ah Bing came over to help out and learn as well, and it was nice chatting with her and getting to know her a little bit better.

I also invited +3 to come over for dinner, because one cannot miss a spread like the one that my mom prepared. There was lasagne, palabok, macaroni salad, buku salad, that sour pork soup thing, grilled vegetables and a braised duck (that was bought).

So. Much. Food. So. Yummy.

+3 scored major points that night just by showing up. Hur hur. I think the family was quite relieved that he was 1. chinese 2. taller than me 3. a nice guy. Lol. Plus, he scored extra brownie points when the kitchen door came apart and he fixed it. (Thanks Universe!)

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

All in all, a successful dinner. Hehee.

Sunday was a nua day. Had a nice random catch up with Y, met +3 for a second round of breakfast, and CH called to check if I was in the area to have lunch.

Hung out at his place to finish up some work, lazed around playing PvZ, then had dinner and headed back.

Good times. :)

I Love Pani Puri

Although I think it's sacriligious to be paying so much for chaat in Singapore when you can get cheaper and tastier options in India, beggars can't be choosers.

The problem with that time of the month before that time of the month, is that random cravings are so easily triggered. A chat with LGG about chaat (in fact she was complaining about it), and suddenly that's all I've been thinking about.

Thankfully metamorphoenix was talking about heading to Little India so I pounced on this opportunity to get my craving satisfied. Yummmmmm. Chaaaaat. *drool*

Ah well, my heart sings with joy. Happiness is knowing you are about to have a food craving satisfied. And it's the long weekend too!

Still Predictable

I called the optical shop today to order some contact lenses. I can't buy them off the rack because of something to do with the curvature of my eyeball (I think my eyeball is too flat), and shops don't usually stock the ones I need.

Me: I need to order some contact lenses. When is the soonest they can come in?

Optical Shop Guy: When are you traveling ah?

Lol. He certainly knows me well. Apparently I only order contact lenses right before I need to travel, and I always ask them if they can rush it.

Optical Shop Guy: I'll place the order for you, by next Tuesday they should be in. Anyway, I'll throw in a few extra pairs too.

Sweet! I used to always ask for extra pairs, especially if the orders were unable to come in on time for my trip. But now he pre-empted me and just offered them. Yay!

Happy Days

I can't stop smiling and bouncing around. :):):)

Predictable Me

I feel so blessed.

Was feeling a little moody today and decided to whine to everyone online. Almost instantly, I got messages from my colleagues proffering various food items (scored ritz biscuits, chocolate chip cookies and ice cream, woot!), and also an offer from +3 to go for a nice meal at L'Entrecote tonight to cheer me up.

Apparently, everyone knows the way to cheer me up is through my stomach. Lol. I'm inclined to complain about how predictable I am, but knowing that the people around me understand me so well just puts a smile on my face.

So now I'm that out of the funk, the plan is to cook a simple meal at home with +3, watch some TV and just chill.

Life is good.

It Happens Almost Every Day

I'm pretty sure I've written about this before, but since it's an almost daily occurrence I thought I'd pen it down again.

My routine every morning is pretty simple. Alarm clock rings at 7am, and again and again every 10 minutes for the next hour. In between snoozes, I whatsapp my sister, check facebook, email, and surf the net for a bit. By the time it's 8am or so, I roll out of bed, wash up, get dressed and leave the house by 8.10am.

I usually yell out "Bye Maaaaaaaa!" as I'm putting on my shoes, and she comes out of the room to give me a hug before I go.

The thing about my mom, though, is that it's very important that one leaves the house look all spiffy and... proper. I'm pretty sure it bugs her to no end that her daughter is happy to step out the door sometimes looking like a hobo.

Ma: I comb your hair?
Me: It's combed! *runs fingers through my hair* See?
Ma: But you will look so pretty if people can see your face...
Me: *runs out the door* Buh byeeee!

And she keeps trying. Every single time she can. Lol. Gotta love her la.

When Having A Lobotomy Seems Like A Viable Solution

Bah. Been having a headache for the past couple of hours, the kind where it feels like the muscles around your neck are so tight and there's a constant throbbing in your skull.

Three aspirins later, and I'm nowhere near feeling any better. And my powerful painkillers are in the office. Woe is me.

I'd say having a headache is one of the most annoying (common) ailments one could suffer from. Moments like this really makes me wish I could remove my brain and replace it with... ugh it hurts to think.

Alright, think I better end and get some rest. Zzz.

On Dating

I don't think anyone really goes out to meet people with the mindset "oh I shall go dating". Or maybe they do, I don't know, but I know I certainly don't.

Perhaps it's me being jaded, perhaps it's me being happy with the way things were going in my life, but I never really felt any strong urge to DATE in the past year or so.

LGG and other concerned friends would ask me to go out, meet men, go dating. And while I understand the logic of having to meet new people in order to increase the pool of potentials, it never really bothered me enough to go out and do something about it.

I figured that I might as well enjoy myself now, and if and when I start to feel lonely/horny/bored/the need to procreate (uhm why do people date again?) then I'd start to put in some effort in meeting new people. No point forcing myself to do something I didn't feel compelled to. It will happen when it happens.

Of course, the universe had other plans and I gotta give the universe credit for letting things fall into place with no effort on my part (universe knows me best hur hur).

Who woulda thunk that I'd end up dating my movie and makan kaki aka couch landlord aka artist formerly known as ACG?

It makes sense though. We usually have a blast hanging out, and he is one of the only people I know who finds it hilarious to do bo liao things like photobombing tourist pictures. There is a high level of comfort when we are together and I guess it just felt like the natural next step.

So, happy days! It's still too early to tell but I guess we'll take it a day at a time and just enjoy the ride. Wheee!

Because I Have Been Lazy To Update

This will probably be a rather lengthy post, hehe. Unless I get lazy and stop halfway. *grin*

-Bekok
Heading back to Bekok for Ah Leong's funeral with SF and cousinE was honestly quite fun. We managed to coordinate our plans to head up really quickly, and I enjoyed catching up with both of them, and getting up to speed on family gossip.

It was also nice to just stroll around the town. CousinE showed me the temple that she did her meditation at, and the buddha statue that used to belong to her dad.

The funeral itself was a rather interesting experience. We found out that the neighbours actually take turns to "set up" for the wake, since it's such a small town.

-The Best Plans = Having No Plans
Realised this after having a couple of epic days out. The few really awesome days also happened to be days where everything was just impromptu and unplanned. We just went with the flow and enjoyed what comes.

I reckon this is also an extension of that saying about how you cannot get lost if you does not know where you're going. Hehe.

- Church Hopping!
A perfect example of how having no plans leads to an amazing day. We started the day with breakfast at Chye Seng Huat Hardware Store. Finally, after talking about it for months, we decided to haul our asses there and check out the place.

Coffee and food was good, and the place had a really nice vibe. *strikes CSHH off list of coffee places to go to*

Decided to check out the Jalan Besar trail from the National Heritage Board but gave up when I realised that 1.the information boards for the trail weren't that easy to find 2. too much to read and not that interesting (that's why I failed history in school) 3. it wasn't written by CH anyway.

Abandoning the trail, we walked randonly along Jalan Besar, checked out some really old shops at Syed Alwi Road, traipsed on down to Rochor Road where we bought some stuff from the mamak shop in the old HDB estate.

Spotted an old church next to the Queen Street bus terminal and decided to pop in. I don't know why I felt compelled to go in, but I'm glad we did. There is something so peaceful about stepping in a church, and it was nice to sit there, pray and thank God for the blessings in my life.

Went church hopping with the aim of visiting the churches that I grew up with- Cathedral of the Good Shephard and Church of St Bernadette. We passed by quite a number of other churches too, and spent some time in each, but my favourite was going back to my primary school and sitting there reminiscing. Sitting on the swings at Fort Canning was also insanely random yet another one of my favourite parts of the day.

Ended with a nice meal at home, watching TV while cooking shabu shabu.

-Enablers, We Are
Another random day led to a walk around the CBD over the weekend. The city feels so different once you take out the office crowd, and everything just feels so quiet and empty.

Walked along Club Street and at what was probably the third cafe that we plonked ourselves in for the day, we realised that ever since we started dating (yes, dating- more on that later), it's been almost a non stop stuffing face session.

Did we used to eat so much before? Apparently not. And then we concluded that we were such enablers of each other. Typical conversations actually sound like this:

Me (or him): Wanna have *insert food*?
Him (or me): Yeh!

Lol.

Somehow ended up heading to the Gardens by the Bay, because I'd not been there yet. And like all touristy places, we got into photobombing mode and immortalised ourselves in as many tourist photos as we could.

Gardens by the Bay is beautiful, but I think I've got to go back again and spend more time there. Saw a patch of grass and decided to lie on it for a while, and took some photos together too. (Plug for instagram: check out my photos there!)

I don't remember the last time I laid down on grass, and that just felt so simple and joyful.

-Food Challenge
23 days down, 8 more to go. Having successfully eaten 46 different meals, it's surprisingly not as hard as I thought it would be. There are still foods that I like that I've not yet eaten: laksa, empal penyet, instant noodles, beef hor fun, and probably more that I can't think of right now.

It's interesting to see the different types of food that other people are eating, and it makes you really mindful and aware about what you tend to eat. I think the one recurring comment I had for myself this month was that I needed to eat more greens. Lol.

-Knowing The Truth
Had to deal with a rather unpleasant situation of cutting someone out of a social group. I guess, sometimes it's hard to tell a person's true colours, and it can be shocking when you find out that you never really knew a person as well as you thought you did, if at all.

Nonetheless, sometimes hard decisions have to be made.

===

Ok, I think this is a super long entry and I'm getting tired so shall end here for now. Lol.

Back In Bekok

We are back here again for Ah Leong's funeral. The last time I was here was more than 10 years ago, for my first uncle's funeral.

Nothing has changed. Well, the same faces are older, and a couple of houses now sport a fresh coat of paint, but everything else appear to be the same.

SF, cousinE and I took a taxi to JB Sentral and bought train tickets to come here. Interestingly, the Sultan of Johor was driving the train (no idea why). We arrived and Xiao Oh picked us up.

Dropped our stuff at his house and came over to the wake to spend the day. It's a sad occasion, Ah Leong left two very young children (3yo and 2yo!) behind.

Ah well. It's such a reminder of the fragility of life.

Pink Dot 2013

I better write about my experience at Pink Dot 2013 while it's still fresh in my mind. Hehe.

Caught a movie with ACG in the afternoon. There was a Despicable Me marathon, and if you bought the add-on package with the tickets, you'd be able to purchase a pair of minion goggles to watch the 3D movie with. Hur hur.

So we decided to go for the marathon (also to celebrate his one month of being smoke-free) and head down to Pink Dot after.

DM and DM2 were hilarious, of course. I think they've got a winning formula with the minions, and having played Minion Rush for the past few weeks just made everything that much more enjoyable because you recognised elements from the game.

Finished at about 6 and took the train down to Clarke Quay where we walked over to Hong Lim Park. CH had been texting me about how hot it was but I did not expect so many people to be there!

It was definitely really hot and muggy, but the atmosphere was contagious. Met quite a few people there, and missed some, but all in all, I really loved the vibe.

We got in time to chit chat for a bit and soon the announcements were made to form the dot. I thought it was so clever how they booked a room at the Furama Hotel and placed a lighted heart at the window so that everyone would know where to look (so that's how they do it hehe).

Speeches were made, songs were sung, and soon we were counting down. I'd manage to snag some pink cellophane while chatting with YF (apparently a pink screen is not bright enough, need to use flashlight function one).

21,000 people were there to form the dot, which was amazing. There was more music after and we hung around for a bit, but soon left to go to Lau Par Sat to stuff face with satay and sambal sting ray. Yummeh.

Eat July!

There's a new food challenge in town - to eat a different meal for dinner every day for the month of July. No repeats. 31 different meals. For those up to a super challenge, it's a different meal for lunch and dinner. 62 different meals. Lol.

We are using the #eatjuly and #eatdifferent hashtags on instagram, so that we can see who is taking part. Hehe. How fun!

A Challenge

I recently found a photo-a-day challenge and decided to dust off my old instagram account and take part. There's a list of daily themes posted at the beginning of the month, and you take a photo according to the daily theme, and upload it with the challenge hashtag.

This reminds me of a previous photo "challenge" I tried but didn't manage to keep up with. To post something every day that made me happy. Hehe. Might start that up again.

Another challenge issued today was to eat something different for lunch and dinner, every day for a month. And of course, take a picture and upload it. Lol. Interesting but definitely not an easy task. Will consider hehe.

Anyway, hopefully I'll keep up this habit. :)

My New Phone Cover!

Hahaha thought this was so cute.

The Small Things

In my last post, I wrote about some of thing "big" things in my life, the so-called "pillars" that I am thankful for. Today,  I thought I would talk about the small (and maybe)  silly things that I'm glad I have.

My zhang-da-le bag. This was a bag I spotted at a small shop at Arab Street,  after dinner and drinks with D and N. The shop was called Spoil Market and it had such an eclectic range of bags and shoes and random knick knacks.

I spotted my bag and thought that this would be the perfect grown up version of my army bag- a canvas sling bag that costs all of $4.50 from the Army Market. My zhang-da-le bag is made from a mix of canvas and leather, is much larger (can easily hold 3 days worth of clothes)  and still manages to look rugged yet sophisticated at the same time. A good buy, I must say. 

My S4. While I'm still navigating the phone and figuring out which are the best apps for me, I'm really enjoying the better battery life and the larger screen. Initially the phone felt clumsy and made my hand cramp when i held it for too long, but I've gotten used to the larger size. 

I have yet to port my contacts over but it's not that big a deal thanks to my next fav thing..

Whatsapp. Seriously the best app ever. Whoever decided to create this app is a genius. I love being able to chat with my sister and brother in different countries, without racking up huge global SMS bills. Wheee!

I also love that there is a group chat function so that it makes communication so much easier. My mom has certainly learned how to use the group chat, creating various family groups. Hehe.

Anyway. It's the start of the week and already mid-June. Time flies too quickly. So best to be happy with what we have already.

Giving Thanks

It's so easy to forget to do this on a regular basis, but it's so important to appreciate all the good things no matter how big or small.

Things that I am thankful for:

My family. I grew up in an environment which was loving and supportive and nurturing. I know that not everyone had that growing up, and I feel really blessed.

It's not just my immediate family, even extended family are close, and that's something that is really quite priceless. My mom created a whatsapp group with the aunties and cousins, and it's near impossible to have a bad day when you constantly receive messages so full of love.

My friends. While one could argue that we all choose our friends, I'm lucky that I'm surrounded by such an amazing group of people who are so  kind and funny and talented and smart.

You become who you surround yourself with, and I think the people around me have helped shaped who I am today. The collective amount of experience and wisdom that they have really have let me grow and learn so much.

My job. While I still haven't attained my dream job of getting paid to MSN all day, and while I do complain about my job ever so often (especially during my peak period and when I have to deal with difficult situations or people), I'm thankful that I have a job. And it's not even a bad job.

It's stable and there are no politics in the office (at least not at my level), and I do feel valued and appreciated and I'm pretty sure I'm perceived as doing well at my job.

Plus I am earning a comfortable enough salary that affords me little luxuries. I'm thankful that I do not really need to think too hard if I feel like having a nice meal or take a taxi home.

No one is perfect and there will always be challenges ahead, but I'm glad things in my life are currently stable and that I'm fortunate enough to be so blessed.

:)

My Shiny New Toy

It was about time to get a new phone and I finally decided to get me the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Have a good first impression of it but need to play around with it for a bit. Also need to get me the necesssry screen protectors and figure out how to mute the whistling sounds when s notification from whatsapp comes in.

Some Things Never Change

I was reading some really old blog posts from 2006, and I realise some things just never change.

"I have to be at the airport in about *looks at clock* 6 hours time.. and I'm not even packed!"

Lol.

I'm Cheap

It's been a year since I joined my current job, and I must say that the past 12 months of having cheap lunches has changed my expectations of food prices somewhat.

Watched Hangover3 at Cathay over the weekend, and decided to have a late supper after the show. The kopitiam at Bras Basah was a 24 hour joint, so we headed there to grab some grub.

I happily whipped out my kopitiam card, which entitled me to a 20% discount (10% off at other outlets). Ordered me an orange-carrot juice, which cost *coughchoke* $3.60. Even after my 20% off, it was about $3!

Sure, it's not a large amount of money, but I pay half of that at my workplace! And to think kopitiam used to be the cheapest option for lunch when I used to work in the area.

Ah well. I guess I just have to be glad that I don't have to spend so much money for lunch these days and enjoy having a bit of savings in the bank.

:)

A Trip Down Memory Lane

It's been a really long time since I've walked down Orchard Road in the middle of the night. Actually, it's been a really long time since I've been anywhere in the middle of the night, let alone out and about town. Lol.

Caught Ironman3 at the cinema, and after the show was done, I didn't really feel like going home. Decided to take a walk, enjoying the cool and quiet of the night. Strolled down Orchard Road, reminiscing about the past as we walked and walked and walked.

Stopped for a while at Clarke Quay, and sat by the river for a bit. Memories of a time long past came to my mind, of a time when I used to party and be part of the scene. These things that I used to do years ago in my teens and early twenties.

Everything felt familiar, yet different at the same time. It almost seemed like I could see the shadows of my past, laughing and lingering. It was very hard not to feel nostalgic.

I sat there for a very long time, then continued on. By the time I was ready to go back home, it was already 3am.

But it was a beautiful night, and I felt very much at peace. It was a good reminder of how far I've come, and a pleasant trip down memory lane remembering how things used to be.

Done!

After years of procrastination, I've finally gotten the paperwork done and have legally renounced my religion. It's a huge relief and a load off my back because now I don't have to worry about any issues regarding distribution of wealth in the event that I conk off.

I Did It!

Heh I really should blog about the 61km ride that I did while the whole experience is still quite fresh in my mind and my muscles are still feeling sore.

A couple of months ago, the cycling babies decided to sign up for and take part in the OCBC Cycle 2013 event. There were a few different categories and we chose the Super Challenge- 59km. The distance of the route later got extended to 61km.

I borrowed a road bike for this event, since foldies were not allowed for the cateory. And barely took the roadie out for 2 rides before the actual event. Lol.

D and I decided to combine the ride with a staycation at a nearby hotel, so that we wouldn't need to wake up so early to reach the event.

It was my first time taking part in such an event, all in all I think there were a little more than a thousand people who signed up for the Super Challenge, and a total of over 10,000 participants overall.

There was a definite buzz in the air, and the sense of the cycling community coming together to take part in this event.

Gathered at the pen, waited to start, and off we went.

The route took us from the F1 pit up onto the expressway, and all the way to Changi and back. I lost CY and D and was riding at my own pace, following the general crowd.

I thought I had a decent speed and was making good time, and was quite chuffed when I was on the return lap. In fact, I was feeling rather pleased that my legs were holding up so well.

And then, I got to a giant signboard that said LAP 2 TURN RIGHT.

What?!

The downside to not reading any race info was that I had no idea that I needed to complete 2 loops. So what I thought was the halfway point was really just the quarter mark, and what I thought was close to the finish line, was actually the mid point.

*insert swear word of choice*

I toyed with the idea of turning left (FINISH), but I figured, I still had juice left and what's the point of not completing the distance? So I made my right turn, got back onto the expressway, and met the thousands of other cyclists that were doing the Challenge (42km) categoy.

Bleh. Now I had to jostle with the new crowd, which slowed me down at some points. But ah well, my aim was to complete, not compete. (Lol I just made that up.)

It was quite mentally exhausting having to be alert all the time. My legs held up surprisingly well, it was only my hands and arms that were getting sore. Riding with my body bent forward took some getting used to.

As we approached the Sheares Bridge, exhaustion got the better of me and I pushed my bike upslope instead of trying to ride up.

Got my ride timing today, and I completed the ride in 2 hrs 46 min. Hehe.

I have to say, them padded bike pants and the gel seat cover really saved my ass. My butt and ladybits did not hurt at all! *grin*

Getting To Know.. Me

If 2012 was the year where I started to feel more grounded and settled, then 2013 would be the year I understand and know myself that much better.

The past four months have really taught me a lot about myself, and it's strange because there wasn't really any big drama or life changing event that happened. I just had more time to reflect, and really analyse why I felt the way I did about certain situations.

It's felt almost like I've been in an experiment of sorts. A happens and you get B reaction. Analyse why B happened. Consider alternative reaction C. X happens and you get Y reaction. Analyse why Y happened. Consider alternative reaction Z.

Interesting.

It's an on-going journey of self awareness and understanding, and not one that I can conquer overnight. But it's been insightful and rather puzzling at times, and I'm glad for it.

..

In other news. I really am loving my new mobile charger. No more worries about having your phond die on you!

Also, I need to get a new phone but am not sure which to get. Hmmm.

Daily Devotions

I was tucking the kids into bed tonight, when Ethan suddenly says, "Mom hasn't done our daily devotions."

The thought of getting my brother or sister-in-law up to read to the kids cross my mind, but they've had a long day and I know they are tired. I ask Ethan and Julia if they would like me to read to them instead.

It's a short chapter talking about forgiveness, followed by a simple prayer. The kids repeat the prayer after me and after that I give them a hug and kiss goodnight.

I feel humbled. A part of me feels odd and out of place, reading these devotions (worried I would sizzle up there and then). But another part of me feels blessed to be a tiny part of something that is so important to my niece and nephew, even if it was for just one night.

Good Perspective To Have

If indeed you do end up losing the game, make sure you bow out graciously. Enjoy the fun of having played, instead of being so caught up in having lost.

Officially In The Second Quarter Of The Year

Now, how did that happen?

It's already April, and in a couple of days I'll be heading to Perth to attend Junie's wedding. Wow.

The ride in Malaysia did not happen, as the queues were quite long, and after two hours of waiting, we were no where near getting on the bumboat.

Decided to do a Changi Village > Marina Barrage > Changi Village ride which was pretty good. 6 hours on the saddle and my ladybits were fine! Yay for gel cushioning. Hur hur.

Just Smile

Some people smile, Bona, to make friends.

Others smile to look younger and live longer.

And then there are those, Bona, who so totally get life, that smiling is all they know.

Cheese,
    The Universe

The Day My iPhone Battery Lasted One Full Day

Time to buy 4D and toto! My iPhone battery actually lasted one whole day. Without charging! I'm amazed, who would have thought it was possible?

Of course, I need to clarify that I barely took my phone out to use that day but still. It's quite amazing, since it's never actually happened to me before.

The day in question was an impromptu day at Sentosa on Sunday. Breakfast plans got thwarted when we got to the Vivocity at 9am and nothing was open. Since Sentosa was just right across the bridge, it made sense to just go there.

Something to note if you plan to have breakfast in Sentosa: don't. Only Toast Box was open and there was such a long queue. But then again, Vivocity was closed too so... (ok, nevermind.)

The new S.E.A. Acquarium was open so we decided to do the touristy thing and get tickets. Overall, I think there were some exhibits that were disappointing, but all was forgotten when we got to the jelly fish, sharks and manta exhibits. Makes me want to pick up diving again.

Had lunch then traipsed around Sentosa for a bit before heading back. Was pleasantly surprised to see that my iPhone battery was still pretty juiced up when I got on the train while making my way back home. Hehehe.

Tax Time

It's that time of the year where everyone has to start filing their taxes, bleh. But I have to be thankful that at least I'm earning money.

I still recall the first time I had to file taxes, and was so happy that I didn't need to pay taxes because I was earning so little. Lol. How times have changed.

I feel blessed.

Crazy

So, the following have been confirmed:

- Day cycling in Malaysia over Good Friday with CH and her friends. My friends suck! Everyone is overseas during that long weekend, so I was unable to get anyone to go on this trip, while CH managed to get 6-7 people. Hmph.

- Perth from 3-7 April to attend Junie's wedding. Short trip but will try to catch up with the relatives and Jy while I'm there too.

- 27-29 April. Not quite an overseas trip, but more of a staycation with B while we take part in the OCBC Cycle on the 28th.

- Jakarta from 24-26 May to visit Irene. No idea why we decided to plan a trip, but plan a trip we did.

.. And I'm still wondering if I want to go to Phuket over the long National Day holiday in August (have 24 hours to decide, and pay). Fansipan and Wudangshan are still pending too!

Things I Learned While Cleaning My Bike

1. It's not as easy as throwing your bike in the shower and hosing it down. Chances are, the bike doesn't fit in the shower cubicle.

2. There are bits and bobs that have grease and require soap to get rid of. Yet it's close to impossible to get rid of grease that gets on your skin.

3. You need to dry your bike thoroughly before putting any lubricant. Apparently, not with a hairdryer.

4. Putting lubricant creates an epic mess. And no, you're not supposed to put it everywhere.

5. I'm not above bribing the experts with offers of food in return for cleaning my bike (thanks ACG!).

Roadie

Took the roadie out for a spin today, after E helpfully helped me to change the inner tube and pump up the tires.

It took some getting used to, and I think a lot of my initial fears were unfounded. It is a much efficient ride though, and I think I just need to figure out how to improve my riding posture to make it less tiring on my arms.

Unfortunately, I do see why it's a roadie, and meant to be ridden on the roads. Our usual ride through the park connector felt like it was a much bumpier ride, and harder to control over unstable ground.

Hopefully I'll be able to clock in some miles on the roadie and be well prepared for the 59km. B and E are both thinking of buying hybrid bikes, and I'm tempted to purchase a new steed, but my current one is still barely 4 or 5 months old.

I guess that I will see how the race goes, then decide if I want to get a new bike. Till then, will practise with my borrowed roadie.

It Will Be March Tomorrow

How did two months of 2013 slip by just like that?! Today is already the last day of February, and it's beginning to sink in that I need to start doing some actual work in the office. Hur hur.

It's been a good year so far, lots of eating during my trip to the States and over Chinese New Year, and it's time to get back on the saddle or try to clock in some runs.

Borrowed a roadie for the OCBC Cycle Singapore, and have to wait for E to help me get the tube changed before I can take it out for a spin. So exciting, yet so scary too.

Well, time to buck up. It's going to be March tomorrow! Yikes.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Wishes Do Come True

Sometimes, I think it's amazing how the things we wish for comes true. I'd been lamenting about how I only went to Malacca for a weekend in 2012, compared to my travelled packed year in 2011, and wished for more travel in this coming year.

And wadya know, after coming back from an uber-epic trip in the US (2800+ miles driven!), I may be going to Malacca this coming weekend Jakarta, the weekend after. Lol.

Not to mention the planned trip to Wudanshan in China, and Fansipan in Vietnam. Gulp.

Homeward Bound!

I'm at the airport now, sitting here having breakfast (well, supper, if you think in SG time).

The last two days were nice. Followed my sister to her acupuncture appointment, thinking I could sit by the river and have a cuppa. What I had forgotten was that the last time, Mark drove us out after dropping my sister for her appointment.

So when I said I was going to go to Peet's coffee, my sister said she had no idea what I was talking about. Thankfully there was a local coffee shop, and I got to sit and people watch anyways.

Met her friends for dinner at a Korean BBQ place, Bob Sang. Food was good, and it was good fun catching up with them again. After dinner, we headed to Krispy Kreme to get their Hot Now! donuts. OMG bliss! Like biting into little hot clouds of love.

On Sunday, Mark took me out for a spin on his Evo. Wheee! Then we went to their friend's place to watch the superbowl finals. We were cheering for the 49ers but unfortunately it was a close match and they didn't win. It was a memorable experience nonetheless, as it was the largest game of the year.

Anyway, I'm glad to be heading home. While the trip has been epic, I miss my mobility. I also miss my family and friends.

Day 14

We're back and I can't believe 2 weeks has passed by so quickly. Had a cheeseboard pizza (oh I'm going to miss it so much) and caught a movie at the cinema. I'm glad to be heading home soon, yet I don't want to leave. Does it make sense?

Tahoe

We left Vegas on Wednesday, and started the long drive to Tahoe. The original plan was to leave early in the morning, stop and see Mono Lake, and onwards to Lake Tahoe.

By the time we left (not as early as we would have liked), it was dark when we reached Mono Lake. So we had to satisfy ourselves with googled pictures. Lol.

Stopped by the Rhino's Pub and Grill to grab a quick bite, and we continued on our way.

With the snowfall that we experienced at the Grand Canyon, we were expecting Tahoe to be colder with much deeper snow. But after checking in and chatting with the hotel staff, I realised that it hadn't really snowed for a couple of weeks.

So we skipped the plans of snow mobiling, headed up the mountains anyway, and just watched people ski and snowboard.

Drove around the lake and stopped at various viewpoints, then had a simple dinner back in the hotel room. Safeway rotisserie chicken, for the win! Also finished 3 bottles of wine, soaked in the jacuzzi, and played at the megabucks slot machines at the casino.

It's the tail-end of the trip, and we drive back to SF today. Just need to hit a couple more shops to pick up stuff requested by friends, and spend the next couple of days nua-ing and packing up for my flight home.

What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas

After our gun experience today, Mark and I went back to pick my sis up (she slept in). We decided to go to the laudromat to do some laundry, then headed to Firefly for some tapas.

Food was good, but we were careful not to eat too much. Headed to the outlet malls to pick up a handbag for my mom, and then walked around.

Headed to Tom Collichio's craftsteak at the MGM Grand for dinner. Oh my, food was so good! Now that's what you call good food. Compared to Bottega Louie, the service wasn't as good (no "my dears" or "love") but it was still a wonderful meal nonetheless.

We then went to get our tickets to Zumanity- one of the Cirque du Soleil productions. I was originally toying with the idea of going to a strip club (in Vegas mah), but I'm glad I didn't. Zumanity was such a visual feast. I loved it!

Went to the casino, lost a bit of money, then headed back. Early and long day tomorrow. We are headed to Lake Tahoe!

Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta!

Just had an amazing experience at The Gun Store with Mark. Went there thinking of getting a few shots in with the basic package, but after chatting with the guy at the counter, we decided to pick the package that allowed us to shoot 6 guns.

I want the full gun experience, is what I said.

So we picked out 2 hand guns, 2 semi-auto rifles and 2 machine guns.

Started out with 40 shots with the Glock 19 (9mm). Initially being in the gun range was quite "shocking", the gun shots were really loud and you could feel the impact. My first few shots were quite tentative, but with 40 shots, you really got to experience how it's like to shoot a handgun.

Second gun I had was a semi-auto rifle, ghe Beretta CX4 (9mm). I got 20 shots of that, and the impact and recoil was definitely larger than the Glock.

Third was a big handgun, the Dirty Harry (44magnum). Although I only had 10 shots, it was a much heavier gun to shoot. But oh my, what an experience. Apparently the Dirty Harry is one of the 2 largest handguns in the shop.

My fourth gun was a shotgun (12 gauge). I originally chose an Uzi but after chatting with the guy who was supervising us, he suggested using a shotgun (since I wanted the full gun experience lol). Got 10 shots out of that.

After that we moved on to the machine guns, and I had the MP5 (9mm) and the M249 S.A.W. (.233), with 50 and 40 shots respectively. Awesome, awesome, awesome!

The MP5 was a little harder to handle as it would veer to the right, but oh my, what an experience! The S.A.W. is apparently the gun that they mount on humvees, and when you finally get it hot enough to shoot all the way... ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta!

I'm so glad we decided to do this. It's really been an epic trip!

From the Grand Canyon to Vegas

Woke up this morning to 2 inches of snow. It was amazingly awesome, so Mark had me gear up and we went around taking silly pictures of me and snow. Sis and Mark snowballed me as I was getting out of the room. Raaar!

Apparently I'm really lucky that my first snow experience looks so beautiful.

We drove out to an overlook and it was completely blocked by clouds. Stood there for almost 30 min and could barely see the canyon.

Went to the visitor centre, caught some video about the origins of the Grand Canyon, and then walked back out to the overlook again. And I'm glad we did.

The skies had cleared out and the view of the canyons was simply breathtaking. It's really humbling standing right there.

We left soon after and made our way to Vegas. Unpacked at Aunty Pat's place, and headed down to the strip. Lost money at both Caeser's Palace and the Bellagio casinos. Boo. (I prefer the Bellagio though.)

Watched the fountain show, walked around, and headed back home at almost 2am. Who would have thought just a mere 24 hours ago, we were at the Grand Canyon?

Arizona

Spent the day with Aunty Fe. Mark and my sis were still sleeping in so Aunty Fe and I decided to go to the shops to buy some stuff. Picked up these really yummy yogurt pretzels, and a nice gallon jar for ma.

Went back home, and snoozed for a bit, and when Mark and my sis got up, we headed to Abuela's (I think) for mexican food with Ate Cheche and the kids.

The last time I saw them was during our holiday in the Philippines! Maxine was still a bub and Jacob was a little boy. How time has passed!

We went to the outlet malls and also picked up some groceries for dinner. Had a nice home cooked meal of roast chicken and vegetables.

Left early in the morning, and made our way to the Antelope Canyon. Amazingly beautiful. Then we headed to the Grand Canyon, and arrived when it was dark. So we will explore tomorrow.

Had dinner and was hanging out in the room. Forgot to get my flip flops so was outside heading to the car when I realised it was snowing!!!

HAPPINESS!!!

My first snow! I wasn't so sure, thanks to my last experience in Ladakh, so went back in to ask Mark and my sis. I WAS RIGHT! IT WAS SNOWING!!!

YAAAAAAY!!!

:) So I'm glad I went out to grab my flip flops.

Snow! For Real!

I just saw snow!!! Yaaaaay!!!

Day ?

Oh man, I've lost track of time.

We got into LA, had ramen (I had a bento set) at what was supposed to be the best ramen place in LA- Daikokuya in Little Tokyo. There was a looooong queue, and after a 30 min wait, we managed to get seats.

Food was good, portions too large, as usual.

Next day, we did the touristy thing. Drove along Sunset Boulevard (singing Sunset Boulevard, of course), walked along the Walk of Fame at Hollywood Boulevard, and drove up to see the giant Hollywood sign.

Had tacos at Guisados, where everything was freshly made. So yum. I had the half of 6 samplers, cos I wanted to save my stomach space for dinner.

Dinner was at Botegga Louie, and oh my, it was probably the best dining experience I've had in the states so far. It reminds me of that italian restaurant at SAM, but larger and more bustling. The kind of place I'd go if I wanted to have a nice meal.

Had a bottle of pinot grigio, some appetisers and amazing desserts. The service was excellent, and I was a happy camper at the end of the day.

Checked out this morning and made our way to Sun City, Arizona. We had donuts along the way, not krispy kreme though, and an In n Out burger for lunch halfway through our 7 hour drive.

Got to Aunty Fe's place by almost 8pm and it's so lovely to see her again. She's got a nice cosy apartment, and I love getting hugs and kisses from her.

We'll be meeting up with cheche tomorrow, and she suggested driving up to Sedona. I googled the pictures and the place looks pretty, but I'm rather tired of being on the road. More tempted to stay home and just spend time with Aunty Fe.

We're off on Sunday and going to the Grand Canyon, and maybe even the Antelope Canyon if we push it. Halfway through my holiday. Am enjoying myself but feel like I need a break from this break. Lol.

Day 6: Roadtrip

We drove this today- http://goo.gl/maps/JZRgh

And we had the most amazing time. Sang "Under the Boardwalk" while actually under the boardwalk in Pismo Beach, drank malibu in Malibu, and listened to "Santa Monica" in Santa Monica.

My inner bo-liao queen is satisfied.

Also ate the most amazing tri-tip sandwich today. It was so good.

Day 5: Roadtrip

We drove this yesterday- http://goo.gl/maps/MFWS2

About 300 miles down south and now we're spending a night at the Ocean Palm Motel.

Day 3 and 4

Oh my. I'm getting lazy to update. Lol.

Yesterday we did the touristy thing and went to the Ferry Terminal and Fisherman's Wharf. Had clam chowder and sourdough bread- it's so good. Slurp.

Also walked around some market at the Ferry Terminal and had some raclette, and fresh oysters.

Today, I went on a short walk in the neighbourhood. Then we drove around, and checked out the crazy steep streets and the world's most crooked street (Lombard? Lambard? Jialat I cannot remember).

Also went past Chinatown, Little Italy and Little Japan. Stopped at Coit Tower, ran some errands, went to Haight and Ashbury. Ate tacos, had lunch and cocktails at a pub, and ate some ice cream at Ben & Jerry's.

Climbed the golden gate bridge and hung out at the lookout point. It got really cold once the sun set, but it was really beautiful.

The weather has been great- clear skies and warm sun. I say I brought the good weather lol.

We set off tomorrow for our road trip. Packed our bags and getting ready for an epic adventure. Wheeeeeee!

Day 2

Had a nice walk with Mark around the neighbourhood. The houses are not the typical suburban cookie cutter houses, and have so much character.

Went to an award-winning deep dish pizza place, Zachary's, for lunch with Mark's momand aunt, and we had 3 small pizzas and 2 salads to share. Could barely finish half of it!

Browsed at a bookshop next door but did not get to buy anything as we had to take my sister for her appointment with the acupuncturist. While waiting, Mark and I went to pick up my local sim card and grabbed a coffee at Peet's coffee.

Headed to Costco after, and it's scary how huge portions are. 4l bottles of wine. Blocks of cheese and butter larger than bricks. Oh my.

Picked up some stuffand headed to Tommy and Tina's place to have dinner with their friends. It was brilliant, great food and great company.

Woke up this morning to catch a beautiful sunrise. Gotta love the view from the house.

SF: Day One

Ahhhh I'm finally here after an interesting flight from Singapore > Tokyo (Narita) > San Francisco.

The plane ride wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought, thanks to pre-planning and choosing exit row seats. They also allowed you to charge your phone so I was well sorted on the entertainment front.

A slight delay on the SG side meant I got to Narita late, which left me with very little time to catch my connecting flight. I had to run through the terminal, and managed to catch my flight in the nick of time. Hehe. At least I got a quick workout in to let the blood flow.

Finally arrive at SF and they confiscate my bak kwa. Ta ma de. Methinks it's cos CNY is coming up and the customs folks are going to have a good time. Bah. Oh well, at least they let everything else through.

My sister picks me up, and it's her first time coming to the airport alone. It's so niiiiice to see her, and awesome to see her show me this and that about the place.

We head home so I can take a quick shower. "So long on the plane and you don't want to shower?!" she says, when I asked if we can go eat instead.

I unpack, take a quick shower, check the goodies that we bought online that were delivered, and make our way out. Destination: The Cheeseboard, where we queue up for an amazing butternut squash and kale pizza. Mark later says that the buttersquash and kale is his least favourite pizza, lol. So I'm guessing we are heading back there again one day to try a different flavour.

Sister and I shop around- we go to Safeway, Trader Joe's, and Starbucks (so I can fuel up), as well as a couple of other shops. Go back home to meet Mark, nua a bit, and head back out to meet Mark's friends.

The view from their place is AMAZING. You can see the lights from the city and the sunset is breathtakingly beautiful. I plan to take a walk around the area and explore the neighbourhood.

We had dinner at Fat Fish, and ordered too much sushi. The face stuffing has begun. Went to Starbucks after dinner and just hung around chatting with Mark's friends.

It's so weird talking to so many Americans. At one point as I was walking down the street, I hear a large African American lady talking, and I wanted to say "Amen!" when she ended. Need to control self when here. Lol.

Weather is brilliant, although I had a not-so-bright moment wearing flip flops on the plane. It was 4degreesC at Narita and 10degreesC when I landed. Lol.

Alright, I think I should try to get more sleep. Woke at 430am and it's 5am now.

Zzz.

Whoops. Clicked Too Soon.

Lol. Didn't get to finish my last entry cos I clicked on Send too soon.

But now I'm lazy and it's late and I want to sleep. Shall endeavour to do the Happy Moments of the Day more regularly.

Happy Moments of the Day

Had a random chat with ACG yesterday.

ACG: So how was dinner?
me: Last night?
ACG: No, three years six months and two days ago. Of course last night la..

Lol. Anyway, that got me thinking. How have things been for me over the past few years? Couldn't remember much, so I re-read some old blog entries.

One year ago- Jan 2012
Feeling blessed to have the love and support that I do from my family and friends.

Two years ago- Jan 2011
Had just come back from a holiday in Krabi and feeling hopeful about the year ahead.

Three years ago- Jan 2010
Discovered Skype and would use that to chat.

Four years ago- Jan 2009
Settling into work and waiting for the divorce to be settled.

Five years ago- Jan 2008
Few months into my marriage and getting used to living with the in-laws.

Six years ago- Jan 2007
Just came back from a holiday in the Philippines, engaged.

Wow. So much has changed since then! I'd dig even further back, but feeling lazy. Hehe.

One of the things I did in 2009, were daily entries where I penned down my happy moments of the day. And it was a great reminder to be thankful for the little things. So here are my thankful moments of 15012013:

- Catching up with Rodney and Jeanne for dinner. Yummy Japanese food at Irodori Japanese Restaurant at Riverview Hotel at only $35++
-

Pounding Pavement

Eeks. With the purchase of my bicycle, I've been neglecting my runs. It's just more fun riding- you get to go further with much less effort. Plus my Asics fell apart during my ride with E a couple of weeks ago, and I haven't had the time to get a new pair.

At first I thought I'd have the chance to do a couple of runs this week, before my trip. But with no shoes, and my schedule packed with dinner appointments, it looks like I'll be having to give it a miss. Boo.

I'm So Proud

Took my baby on the MRT for the first time today. Got on at Nicoll Highway and now heading to Outram Park. I'm so proud!