Bits and bobs of our final preparation

January 31, 2013 1:11 pm / Leave a Comment / Mag

In these weeks (and then days) leading up to the big day, I alternate between getting extremely excited watching everything fall into place and hating the planning process, like now, when the pressure is mounting, when we have to make a mad sprint to briefcompilepackcomplete everything. Heck, I’m even having an inflammed throat already. There really isn’t a worse time to fall sick.

I’ve gone for the final fitting for both my wedding and evening gowns and no alteration was required except for the hem of the wedding gown, where she had to trim according to my shoe height. Michelle (the designer) was quite pleased and muttered to no one in particular, “If only all my brides were like you”. Well, if only she knew how hard I tried to gain weight. I just did not succeed ;)

Then there was the hen and stag night which our respective bridesmaids and groomsmen planned for us. It coincidentally fell on the same day (last Friday) and L, who was adamant about not touching alcohol, told me he would be home early that night, right after his sumptuous seafood dinner with the boys. Knowing how crazy my girls can get, he was prepared to “go to bed alone”. Oh, the night could not have been any more different.

Mine turned out to be a homely gathering at Gi’s place. They ordered food and candy, we took turns to get a massage on Gi’s OSIM uDivine, turned on the telly and chatted. There wasn’t a drop of alcohol and the closest we got to male strippers were Josh and Tony (Adel and Gi’s husbands) whom I would pay to have them keep their socks on. It wasn’t anything remotely wild, you can say it’s boring even, but it was nice just hanging out.

L, on the other hand, had an exciting, booze-filled night. After dinner, they adjourned to SS’ place for drinks. There were hard liquor and random card games, then he got so inebriated he crashed on the couch for the night. SS was nice enough to send me a photo of a drunken L, smiling away idiotically, and informing me he wouldn’t be coming home. It was hilarious (I would share it here but I think he would kill me). What was that about going to bed alone again?! Famous last words, I say.

So I took the whole week off work to rest and run errands. Monday was my day of preening – I scheduled back-to-back appointments so I spent the entire day in town, scurrying from one beauty salon to another.

Tuesday was a girls’ day out with my mum and sisters (it was like a hen’s day with family). I took them for a dim sum lunch at Imperial Treasure, brought my mum for a manicure, shopped from ION to Somerset 313, and stopped for random coffee breaks at Ya Kun and Pique Nique.

I’ve grown to appreciate my mum tremendously in recent years, especially after seeing my friends have kids and understand how difficult motherhood can be. And also because I’m starting my own family. I have much to learn from my mum and can only hope to be half the selfless and loving wife/mother that she is. Anyway, I’m really glad we had a full day of quality mother-daughter time before the wedding.

And yesterday, we went to the Registry of Marriages to pick up our certificate for signing this Saturday. My folks came along too. It was a largely unromantic and administrative process much like the e-filing (we were in and out in 15 minutes), but we still took some photos for posterity.

We’re just two days away! Sore throat, begone!

Posted in: Bitches, Family, Wedding

Giving thanks for 2012

January 1, 2013 8:05 pm / 2 Comments / Mag

Once again, I have been blessed with a great year and I’m beyond thankful for that. Like the year before, last year has been nothing short of fabulous.

If I had to describe 2012 in two words, it would be “wedding planning” (haha) because we did spend the entire year planning our wedding banquet. L proposed in November the year before so in the first quarter of the year, we did the necessary research and started shopping for wedding vendors. In the second quarter, we did our pre-wedding photoshoot and took a short break. The third quarter saw us exchanging our vows in a beautiful and intimate nuptial mass in a small chapel with only immediate family members. At the same time, we started working on the details of the wedding banquet. And in the last quarter, we stepped up our wedding planning in preparation for the big celebration that is to happen in February this year. That is in sum, our year.

There’s always, always, always something to be thankful for.

— Unknown

I’m thankful that our wedding planning journey has been such a breeze so far. I’m thankful for my folks and the future in-laws who have made this really smooth and happy for us. Really, I think it could have turned out to be like the horror stories I hear about if not for the conscious effort on everyone’s part.

I’m thankful that I managed to catch two of my favourite musicals, Wicked and Annie in the same year. These are musicals that makes my heart skip a beat when I read about them on the Internet or the papers. When they finally came to Singapore, it was fastest fingers first to the keyboard and mouse to get a ticket.

I’m thankful for having been able to travel quite a fair bit despite entering the year thinking that we might have to forgo a few trips to save for the wedding. Shanghai in April, where I had my closest encounter to a Michelin-starred chef at 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana. Paris in May, the highlight of the year, where I fell head over heels in love with the city. Malacca in June, where I got to spend a lot of quality time with my family. Sydney in August, to get away from the heat here. Macau in September, the most impromptu trip L and I have been on. And Perth, also in September, when I was given the opportunity to grant my mum’s wish to visit her sister and I got to spend time with my cousins and cheeky niece.

I’m thankful for being given the opportunity to try my hand at a new role in July and closing a chapter in the best possible way anyone can leave a job with – invaluable experience, two promotions and a bunch of colleagues-turned-friends.

I’m thankful for everyone who make up the pieces of my life. My family, my unshakable pillar, my unmoveable rock. L, the man I’m going to spend the rest of my life with, who loves God, loves me and makes me laugh everyday. My friends and the awesome meals and parties we had. Most importantly, I’m extremely thankful that all of my closest and dearest have enjoyed good health throughout the year.

I’m thankful for all the things that made me smile, big or little.

So yes, it has been a fantabulous year.

I ushered in the new year with L and friends, lots of champagne and a toast to the year ahead. What 2013 is going to bring, I won’t know but I have a good feeling about it.

Happy New Year, dear readers! May you have a lot to be thankful for in the new year!

Posted in: Bitches, Family, Friends, Love, Personal, Work

Christmas buffet with the Bitches

December 31, 2012 7:02 pm / Leave a Comment / Mag

Christmas in my family is the same every year – gathering at my aunt’s place, copious amounts of food, shrieking children, Christmas carols, the works.

Christmas with the Bitches, on the other hand, have been different the last three years as our options expanded. The year before, we gathered at a restaurant at NEX and annoyed every other patron with our high-pitched laughter. Last year, we decided to do a bit of public service and gathered at Adel’s place for a turkey-slicing and games.

This year, L and I hosted a small gift-exchange at our place, and also invited a few of his groomsmen to join us. We decided to take the easy way out of the food solution by ordering a festive buffet spread with Oh’s Farm Catering – it didn’t turn out to be the best decision but I’ll leave the snarky review for another post. Thank goodness when the Bitches get together, it’s almost always for the company. We could be served twigs and still have a good time.

Our party coincided with the Suzuki Cup Finals so the first half was invaded by 22 sweaty guys sprinting left and right on the telly. Good thing the game ended on a good note or we would have at least four Grinches at our gift-exchange. As usual, there was a lot of excited chatter and laughter as we tore open our gifts. We ended the night with a round of tight hugs and Christmas wishes.

Hope your Christmas was filled with as much love and more!

Posted in: Bitches, Love

Restaurant Week (5th edition)

December 29, 2012 6:22 pm / Leave a Comment / Mag

I just realised that except for the first edition when L was still in Shanghai, we have never missed an edition of Restaurant Week. Call us foodies, gluttons, bargain-hunters… whatever it takes to get our hands, or mouths, on reasonably-priced good food, we’ll do it ;)

For the fifth edition (which happened in October), L decided to go for quality instead of quantity. We used to try and go for as many restaurants as we could in the week but this time, we only went for two. Both restaurants he booked required a S$15++ per person top-up for their three-course menu which we gladly paid because a meal there would usually cost more. I also visited another participating restaurant for dinner with the ex-colleagues for a joint birthday celebration.

* * *

Our first Restaurant Week meal was at Forlino at One Fullerton. We’ve always wanted to try their Restaurant Week menu but there are limited slots and our fingers somehow seem to be the slowest when it comes to things like these. This edition, L managed to quicken his fingers and clicked his way to a slot for a Sunday lunch.

It was like a mini obstacle course trying to locate the restaurant from where we parked, but at least the directions were clear. We were seated at a corner overlooking the Esplanade and Marina Bay area, and had clear views of bus-loads of tourists going trigger-happy at the Merlion. Service was average, not what I would expect of a fine-dining restaurant. Could have attributed it to the fact that they have had enough of serving bargain hunters like us, but it was only the first day of the week-long event so no excuse for them. There were two options for each course so L and I tried everything among us. I did enjoy my three-course selection of pasta, beef and pudding but L thought his was just mediocre (not something he would go back for). He also thought it was a bit of a cop-out that their usual Petit fours were replaced with a plate of fried pasta with sugar powder topping, an obvious cost-cutting measure. We liked it though, it is one of those snacks you can munch on throughout a movie without feeling nauseated after.

* * *

Our second meal was the following Sunday, the last day of the event, at Salt Grill & Sky Bar helmed by Chef Luke Mangan, one of Australia’s leading chefs and restaurateurs. The direct lift from the fourth level takes you to the top of ION Orchard where we had what must be our first sky-dining experience together.

I was beyond happy that we were seated at one of the best spots in the restaurant, right by the full-length glass windows, overlooking the city. I had the salmon gravlax, grilled spatchcock (chicken) and coffee. L selected the crab omelette in miso, poached barramundi and coffee. We also ordered a glass of Berton Vineyard’s Foundstone Merlot (which was part of the week’s offer) to share. Service was also impeccable; attentive but not intrusive. We had an amazing time enjoying the company, the food and the view – definitely a place I would return to for a romantic dinner date.

* * *

Since the girls were planning to celebrate Nic’s and my birthday the same week, I booked us a table at The Moluccas Room at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, a new participating restaurant serving traditional Indonesian cuisine.

When I saw how empty the restaurant was on a Friday evening, I kind of knew we were done for. The three-course menu consisted of food like otak otak which we can get at a hawker centres for a lot cheaper and better. Indonesian fine dining. I should have known. The upside was that since it wasn’t crowded – far from it, in fact – we were able to stay and chat to our heart’s content. We could open our gifts, squeal, take lots of photos and enjoy the scenic views of the Marina Bay waterfront knowing we were not taking up precious table space. Menu aside, I must highlight that the service was extremely polite – all the wait staff were very cheerful and ready-to-serve, so it might still be worth another shot.

* * *

Seems like the week’s dining escapades have a consistent theme – the views. I love dining with a view. It adds to the overall experience and makes the meal so much more memorable, don’t you think?

Till the next feasting week!

–

Check out my other Restaurant Week posts here: 2nd edition, 3rd edition, 4th edition

Posted in: Friends, Love, Wine & Dine

Lantern Festival, Survivor-style

November 3, 2012 9:51 pm / Leave a Comment / Mag

Okay, okay, I know Mid-Autumn Festival is so two centuries ago but I still think this post is worth the time. Not just because I’ve already thrown together these collages and don’t want them to go to waste but also because this year’s lantern competition was EPIC and I have some funny photos to share.

This competition of ours is into it’s third year running and the rules are getting trickier. Unlike the first and second years’, another criteria was added and we upped the stakes with cash prizes. Our competing lanterns had to be:

a. made of plastic;
b. emits music; and
c. not exceed $8.

I had just landed from Perth that morning and didn’t have the time to source for a lantern so mine was a cop-out Mr. Bean plastic lantern I stole from Josline who turned up with three (!) but it was a fierce competition between the rest.

Maddie’s awesome mom prepared us an impressive spread of food and drinks. I caught L pinching food a few times before the party started. When everyone arrived, we settled down with our food and made a lot of noise over dinner. While the girls were yakking away, the boys gravitated silently towards a corner to watch live football on an iPad.

Once we were done filling our stomachs, we decided to get the competition going and our friendly conversation turned into competitive lantern-bashing. We were each given two voting slips decide on the winning lantern (if you can’t already tell, we’re very serious about this), and in true Survivor-style, each of us had to cast our vote in private, with only the camera as our witness. There was a small gym right next to where we were so we picked that as our voting spot.

Since the gym had sliding glass doors looking out to where we were, we could try to influence each voter’s decision by shoving our competitors out of the way and pressing our lanterns onto the glass screaming, “VOTE FOR MEEE! THIS ONE! YOOHOO! LOOKIE HERE! MINE’S THE NICEST!”

As the votes were being counted, there were more lantern-bashing even though it didn’t matter by then, “What nonsense lantern is this? It can’t even stand on it’s own. Check out my Spongebob!” Then we pooled our money into an uninspiring plastic bowl and waited.

The winner turned out to be Mr. Spongebob, even though it had an obnoxious owner (Diane). Well, she had every right to diss everyone else’s lantern given that hers was the only one who fell within the criteria and could blow bubbles. We all had to grudgingly admit that it was impressive as compared to the rest so most of us gave it a vote.

After that bout of stomach-clutching laughter, the boys went back to football and some of us jumped into the pool for a dip. I didn’t bring my swimsuit along but it was really nice just chilling out on the deck chairs and watching the few of them being silly in the water.

I think that’s how friendships should be like – easy, comfortable, honest, fun, with large doses of love and laughter :)

Thanks to Sammi (who was the organiser and main sponsor) and Maddie (who was the host) for such an enjoyable and fun-filled night!

Next up, Christmas, and it is my event. Hoping to get the inspiration I need to come up with something smashing for the girls…

Posted in: Bitches

Sunday brunch at Nosh

October 28, 2012 3:34 pm / 1 Comment / Mag

Just got back from brunch with Kev, Jenn, Adrian, Madmad, Cindy and L at Nosh, with all of their kids in tow, and this is my favourite picture from the series…

“Who’s the sweetest baby girl on the planet?”

Amazing how kids these days are so well-versed with technology and photo-taking, they smile on cue and know exactly where to look!

Posted in: Friends, Love

Of blogging, bridesmaids and bonding

October 18, 2012 12:24 am / Leave a Comment / Mag

I’m feeling quite sorry – both for myself and to those who were waiting for a post – for the radio silence here. I’ve been so swamped at work and occupied with everything else offline (like lazing in bed watching House M.D. with L) that I’ve kind of lost the momentum to write. I do miss writing though. I’ve been doing this for so many years and this is probably the only time I’m feeling so… disconnected. I know what sparked the change but it’s something I cannot do anything about at the moment (I’ll leave that reflection for another day). Right now, I’m just glad I managed to find this pocket of time for an update. It feels good.

L and I are cranking up our engines again for the wedding preparations these couple of weeks. We have completed the photo-selection for our album last weekend, and also called our JP yesterday. (It’s a little too early to be booking a JP but she accepted anyway, although she did exclaim after asking about the date, “Aiyo, still so early! Why you so kiasu? These days couples very scary!” good-naturedly.)

And just last month, I arranged a dinner at Platters on a Friday evening to gather the select girlfriends so that I could pass them their bridesmaids’ invite. It was worth all the extra effort seeing them dig eagerly into the boxes of goodies I prepared and giggling as they read my messages.

The gathering was also to formally introduce Cindy to the Bitches – that’s essentially who my bridesmaids are made up of. To break the ice (not that they needed any ice-breaking), I brought along a bunch of photos and letters from ten (!) years ago, when we were in school together.

Being in a girls’ school, we wrote lots of letters to one another even though we could be seated right next to each other in class. The contents of our letters ranged from confiding about boyfriends/crushes to proclaiming our love for each other. It was hilarious and we laughed till our stomachs ached and tears rolled down our cheeks while re-reading what we wrote.

We also took a lot of photos when we went clubbing, skipped classes (ahem) and got bored during study sessions. Seeing them brought back so much memories. There are stories that we’ve heard a million times that still sounded funny when we re-told them. Everyone was musing about how silly the teenage us were.

But it’s true what they say, “if you don’t do stupid things while you’re young, you’ll have nothing to smile about when you’re old” :)

Posted in: Bitches, Friends, Wedding

Dim sum family

July 12, 2012 12:10 am / 2 Comments / Mag

The ‘dim sum family’ is made up of my ex-colleagues, as well as their spouses and kids. We used to do poker nights and dinners quite often (even did a picnic once) but now that we’re all grazing at greener pastures, such meetings have become a bi-yearly affair.

That’s sad.

So we’re going to change that. We are planning to catch up at least once a month now – there is a group chat (cleverly named ‘@ Greener Pastures’), appointed organisers, penalties for no-show, etc., so let’s hope we keep to it. For the month of July, it was a dim sum brunch at Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine at MBS (which happened last Saturday). Very impressed with this round’s organiser, Billy, for being able to draw Milton out of his cave!

Coffee and cupcakes at High Society after

The boys

Cheeky big sister who loves her chocolate (and her brother) very much

The girls

P.S. Don’t worry guys, you won’t be termed the dim sum family forever. It’s just for this post.

Posted in: Friends

Recent updates (in pictures)

June 26, 2012 12:55 pm / 4 Comments / Mag

I know I’ve not been very diligent in blogging recently. Took my time with the Shanghai posts and copping out with just photos on this one. Am not about to spend my between-job break (more on that soon) parked in front of a laptop so will update again when I have the time!

♥

9 May 2012
Mother’s Day dinner at Boon Tong Kee

27 May 2012
L’s cousin turning 21

2 Jun 2012
Bitches at Josline & Jaeline’s birthday party (check out that cake!)

3 Jun 2012
EPIC brunch of 16 adults and 5 kids at The White Rabbit with L’s law friends

9 Jun 2012
Brunch with Cindy and Tricia at The House of Robert Timms before Cindy pops

23 Jun 2012
Brunch with the Burgess family at Spruce

♥

Posted in: Bitches, Family, Friends, Love

Hosting an awesome BBQ

April 15, 2012 12:32 am / Leave a Comment / Mag

We hosted a BBQ at L’s place the Saturday before and it was a smashing success. The food and alcohol we carefully selected were very well-received and everyone had good time. At one point, Maddie very earnestly proclaimed mid-chew, “Wow, best BBQ ever, Mag.”, to which Sammi readily agreed, “Yah, I think this is the BBQ of the year!”. They were happy but I was even happier to know that they went home well-fed and satisfied.

I can’t take credit for the success of our party because I couldn’t have done it on my own. L and his mom put in a lot of time and effort helping me with the marketing, marinating, setting up and washing. It is really an awful lot of preparation work for an event that does not even involve cooking (just wrapping the sambal fish fillet in aluminium foil took me half an hour). Thankfully, all the work was well worth it because our friends were duly impressed and satisfied.

To replicate this awesome event, you will need:

1. Experience with organising BBQs (we have done this a couple of times so we know exactly which aisle to head straight for at the supermarket, where to order our raw food from, which types of food will be more popular with the guests, etc. Saves a lot of time)

2. At least two very patient helpers (I had L, his mom and his maid)

3. Good, sunny weather

4. Lots of food (meats, especially)

5. Some alcohol

At least three days before the BBQ, procure your raw food from City Satay online. Order satays of your choice, black pepper chicken chop, honeyed chicken wings and lots of otah. Spend just above S$120 to enjoy the free delivery.

On the day of the BBQ, make a trip to the supermarket to get everything else you need for the big cookout. Charcoal, fire starters, snacks and refreshments. Also buy ready-to-cook ketupat rice and attempt to boil it on your own because it’s a cheaper alternative. Be very efficient while shopping and pat yourselves on the back for being “good at this BBQ thing”.

When you arrive back home, rest for a bit because you know you have lots of preparation work to do. Remember to chill the alcohol. Prepare white wine and prosecco; they are light and refreshing and pair well with oily BBQ food. Oh, and don’t forget to take a photo of the night’s poison to send to your friends as a teaser. You’ve got to work up the excitement. Then start toiling. Boil the ketupat rice (you’ll need an hour for this), marinate, wrap, set up cutlery, tables, etc.

Do a cursory check of the set up and feel very proud of yourselves. Then start working on the next most important thing – the pit. Spend some time getting a good fire going. 40 minutes, to be exact. Use up to two boxes of fire starters, too much tissue, and have two persons fanning the coals with a cardboard cutout like a silly retard. No matter the silliness. What you need is a good fire. This fire will ensure that one hour on, the coals will be red, hot burning and aid you in cooking your food like a wizard.

Once there’s a good distribution of heat, start cooking and resist the urge to place every piece of cooked food into your own mouth. You have other mouths to feed, remember? Destroy a small quantity of food but tell yourself all it takes is some practice. Make sure every husband/fiancé/boyfriend present does his job by cooking. Let them run the show.

As for the girls, all they should be doing is eating. Eating, laughing and having a lot of fun while the guys sweat it out at the pit. Know that the boys are actually enjoying themselves while they grill and, errr, ration the morsels of food allocated to them amongst themselves. The girls can request for more food as soon as the communal plate is wiped out. Oh, and chomp down the delicious, slightly burnt food in the most unglamorous of ways to maximise your satisfaction. There may not be enough drinks to go around so ration your wine, especially if it’s a bottle of delicious lychee wine because it will be THE favourite.

Spend some time after you’re done pigging out winding down with the prosecco (if there’s even any left). Play a DVD while everyone slumps on the couch spotting bulging bellies. If there aren’t any good movies to play, end the night with a round of tight hugs and promises to host again. As they say, the ornaments of a house are the friends who frequent it.

Feel contented and happy as you pack up the house, then take a nice long shower before falling into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Well done on hosting an awesome BBQ, now roll yourself between your soft sheets and sleep in till noon the day after, you deserve it ;)

Posted in: Bitches, Love, Wine & Dine

Wedding wine tasting

April 6, 2012 10:36 pm / 1 Comment / Mag

Last Thursday, we spent the evening holed up in a wine cellar of sorts, tucked away on the first floor of an obscure building off Chinatown. Our lovely friends, ST and SS, had arranged a wine tasting session for us to pick our wedding wines together with A and T, who were also getting married.

We sampled both reds and whites from various wine regions, mostly from Italy and California. It was very enjoyable kicking back and sipping wine with friends after a harassed day at work. We shared our glasses, exchanged opinions and took notes from our very patient hostess, Phu. At the end of the session, L bought two bottles (one of which was the delicious and light Gancia Romina Lychee from Italy which we opened during a barbeque we hosted last Saturday) but did not finalise our wedding wines since we still have some time to the wedding. We decided we would schedule another session to sample their newer selections at a later date. Hey, any excuse for another round of drinking, right? ;)

It was also L’s birthday. The very thoughtful ST brought along a little cupcake and candle, so we sang the birthday boy a song, took a group shot and popped out to a coffee shop a few doors down for dinner. (I bought him an Awfully Chocolate cake which he blew out at home with his family that night.)

As we were leaving, N gathered three bottles of half-consumed wines under her arms to bring along to dinner. I think if she had the capacity to carry more, she would. SS teased her about it the entire evening.

So picture us, huddled in a dark corner of the coffee shop with bottles of wine and plastic cups amongst plates and plates of zhi char dishes. What a combination. Dinner was surprisingly delicious and most satisfying. We went home that night well-fed and ever-so-slightly inebriated, laughter still ringing in my head. Mmmm, we should do this more often.

Posted in: Friends, Wedding

Saturday lunch at Ippudo

March 18, 2012 11:58 am / 2 Comments / Mag

Yesterday, I met up with Beverly for lunch at Ippudo, Mandarin Gallery, to pass her my copy of The Hunger Games. It is such a good read, it must be shared with as many people as possible :)

We had fun chatting and took some photos on my new camera with her adorable little man. You can’t tell from this set of photos but he has to-die-for eyelashes!

How anyone can look so cute while shooting a death stare is beyond me

Us and cheeky-faced Hunter

Posted in: Friends

Sketches of a dream

March 2, 2012 2:38 pm / 2 Comments / Mag

So after our last appointment, the designer came up with a few proposals for the wedding gown based on what I liked and suited my frame. L went with me to pick up the sketches yesterday evening. I was beside myself with anticipation but tried to stay calm like a lady.

All the designs were elegant and stunning. There was no way I was going to be able to make a decision on the spot so after talking through the details of each design with us, our consultant passed all four sketches to me to take home and ponder upon.

I sought the opinions of my bitches through our group chat on Whatsapp and can I just say? They are the AWESOMEST. No kidding.

My fashionistas! I need help!

Lai

Come on babe bring it on

Ok let’s do this

They gave lots of ideas and advice and we almost unanimously agreed on one design. L liked that design from the beginning and I would probably go with the same if left to decide on my own. Fashionistas, yo!!!

So that decision has more or less been made. Now I just need to think about whether I should top-up to go with the design I like most, taking into account our budget and L’s take on topping up. Decisions…

Posted in: Bitches, Wedding

Ushering the Dragon

February 25, 2012 3:34 pm / 2 Comments / Mag

I know. Chinese New Year was so last month. I haven’t had the time to sort out the photos, but finally did. As they say, better late than never.

Chinese New Year in my family is always a big affair, like most other Chinese families. It has actually mellowed quite a bit over the years. I remember a lot more snacking and visiting, but it’s also because most of the elderly relatives we used to visit (i.e. my grandparents’ siblings) have since passed on so it’s more or less just my folks’ siblings. Most people would agree it’s still a very big family gathering and possibly one of the rowdiest, heh. This year, we had our reunion dinner with my mom’s siblings at Seafood Paradise. That was where I had my first lo hei of the year. Over the next 15 days of the new year celebrations, I would do the lo hei a total of eight times – that has to be some record!

We spent the first two days visiting relatives and took advantage of the rest of the public holiday to just chill. There was a fair amount of gambling and snacking, as usual. L and I also attended quite a few gatherings at our friends’ places – Kevin and Jenn’s, Kenneth and Trina’s, Sunil and Sharon’s, Tony and Gi’s, and Linus and April’s. Ahh, it was a fun few days! I suffered from major withdrawal and blues when I went back to work, and it was made worse by the fact that the next public holiday would be months away.

Anyway, here’s a series of pictures we took during the celebrations.

CNY 2012 - Ushering the Dragon

CNY 2012 - Ushering at Dragon

CNY 2012 - Ushering the Dragon

Posted in: Bitches, Family, Friends, Love

The wonderful year that is 2011

January 1, 2012 10:43 pm / 3 Comments / Mag

2011 has been amazing in many ways. As I sit here, typing in L’s bedroom in my tattered tee and shorts, I feel extremely contented and more blessed than (I feel) I deserve.

This year, I learnt to appreciate my family a lot more and as a result, we became a lot closer. What can I say that hasn’t already been said about them? They are my pillars, my rocks, especially my mum who loves and gives so unconditionally and guilelessly. My dad, who works so hard for the family; whose happy-go-lucky attitude and magnanimity are lessons on their own (even though he likes to be right and repeat his ‘heroic’ stories a thousand times over which gets on my nerves). My sisters, who don’t realise that sometimes after a long, discouraging day at work, the childish and silly things they do or say can make me laugh and feel better.

Outside of the family, I am also immensely grateful for my friends whom I know I can count on. I’m grateful to have been able to share their joys this year. Some got married, others welcomed new additions to their families, a few others got new jobs and started new relationships. It was a fruitful year for many.

For all these events, I try to journal them in this space I call my blog. In August, I registered this domain and bought this theme (which I so love). I also got acquainted with a few wonderful bloggers. We are friends now and I feel glad to have known them, and to learn from them.

I’ve also had the chance to travel a fair bit this year, both for work and personal vacations. I visited Genting, Taipei, Hong Kong, Penang, Melbourne, Bali, Sydney, Perth and Malacca. I spent my birthday at a country restaurant in Perth with L and the M Tans, wolfing down steak and fries and boogying to cowboy music.

On the work front, I got promoted and with the guidance of my boss, grew markedly in my role. Sure, there were days when I felt so highly strung and unappreciated (and even once where my presentation was completely shredded into pieces), but on the whole, I’m grateful for being given the opportunity to prove myself and will continue to do my best.

The cherry on top of 2011? Getting engaged to this funny, sweet, magnanimous, fart-machine of a guy who makes me laugh every single day. Through the years we have learnt to understand each other and to love unconditionally. We’re still learning about each other everyday. Really, I cannot be happier that it’s him I’ll be spending the rest of my days with.