新年快乐

祝大家

身体健康，万事如意，龙年行大运！

And so there goes another year...

To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am.

- Bernard Baruch

It's almost impossible to try to "forget" your own birthday these days. With Facebook, all your friends will know it's your birthday, and though it's heart warming to receive the well wishes, they are also reminders that age is catching up. 

But so far, I'm still not dreading the arrival of my birthday, so I guess it isn't that bad yet. ;p

Who's following?

It's been more than 4 months since I updated this blog. Actually, it's not that my life was that boring these few months. I'm just being L.A.Z.Y. I admit it. ;p

So, I was pleasantly surprised when my sister pointed out that I haven't done any blogging for some time. I didn't think I had many readers, much less a follower!! Heh.

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011

Yes, yes... I know. I haven't been 'faithfully' updating this blog for ages. And I even missed the yearly "trend" of doing a write-up at the end of the year. I'm sorely tempted to blame it on the new job, but that's just the lazy side of me trying to find excuses.

So, I've been thinking about significant thing(s) happening in 2010, and there was only one : me getting a new job.

Or make it 2 significant things : me getting a new job, and gaining some new friends. :)

And, those were about the more exciting happenings in 2010 for me. Yup... plain, old boring me. Or maybe that was just the beginning of things to come. I can't help but keep feeling that something major is about to happen in 2011. Today is just the first workday of 2011, and I'm already feeling restless...

Universal Studios Singapore

A good friend of ours decided to invite us along to Universal Studios Singapore as her company was having a family day there and the weekend tickets are going at the price of a weekday ticket.

As expected with new tourist attraction, it was quite crowded and queues for the popular rides were long. But we did managed to take the rides recommended. I couldn't remember when was the last time I took an amusement park ride. I got to admit that my legs did feel kind of shaky after the "Revenge of the Mummy" ride, which we concluded was the most fun of all.

The "Rapids Adventure" ride in Jurassic Park, the one where everybody will get wet, was quite disappointing. We spent almost an hour queuing for it, only to experience a few seconds of thrill.

However, some of the featured shows were quite good, like the Shrek 4D movie and the Steven Spielberg special effects theatre. And then there were the random performances on the streets, and the occassional meeting of movie characters, like Shrek and Fiona, Frankenstien, Po, etc. Even though we all knew that some were only costumes with people in it, something about these characters that bring out the child in us. I wouldn't mind spending a whole day there just to wait for these characters to come out and take photos with them. ;p

Incident for thought (6)

It was a typical workday morning, on the MRT to work. There was a couple, maybe in their late 30s, with the wife sitting and the husband standing right beside her. When the train stopped at a station and the passenger besides the wife alighted, the husband moved to take the seat. But at the same time, another auntie came out of nowhere at lightning speed and was going for that seat too. They bumped into each other, and after each giving the other a "how-dare-you-snatch-my-seat" look without a word, the husband sat down, conveniently ignoring the auntie's deadly stare.

I didn't know why this incident bothered me. Maybe it was the way that the guy still took the seat when he knew that the auntie was going for it too. Or maybe it was just the traditional me, still believing in the "gentleman spirit".

Natalie is 1!

My dear niece is one today. Time really flies... She had "changed" from this ...

... to this...

Cute as she may be at times, she can be one bossy, fussy and demanding little kid too... haha...

In memory of HW

No love, no friendship, can cross the path of our destiny

without leaving some mark on it forever

~ Francois Mocuriac

Rest in peace, my dear friend. You will always remain, in our hearts, a great friend, a wonderful and loving husband, father and son. 

Been quite busy since starting on the new job at the end of June. Can't believe one month passed by so fast! Hadn't had time to blog for the whole of July. And I realised I kind of missed cooking...

Plus one (I mean, the age...)

I guess I don't so much mind being old, as I mind being fat and old.

~ Peter Gabriel ~

This is one of the much quieter birthdays I had compared to previous years... since I've been at home for the past few months, looking for another job. I'm not very particular about big birthday celebrations and such. I'll be happy to just spend some time with the family, or husband, or just as a "me, myself and I" day.

Also, as time goes by, (I'm sure some will agree), we would rather not be reminded of our birthdays, coz it means that we are getting older. It's a totally different feeling when you think of yourself being 32 years old, and when someone else reminds you that you are 32. Although the number is the same, it always sounds much older when other people talk about it, compared to just thinking about it in my mind. Or is it just me that feels this way...

The Sound of Music

I was so so glad that my mother introduced us to this show, The Sound of Music, many years ago. Has it been 20 years already? Thinking back now, it was kind of strange how my younger sister and I, as kids, had the patience in the first place to sit through this very long (3 - 4 hours?) show. Maybe it was the songs that got to us then. But as I grew older, I realised that it was not only the songs that attracted me so much to this show, it was also the simple yet heartwarming storyline, the message of the importance of family, the relationships among the people.

Happy Lunar New Year

新年快乐!

恭喜发财!

Natalie - 3-4 months old

doesn't look quite happy to be sitting in the stroller

other than her fingers, her shirt is her next favourite food

.

trying hard to find a way to watch the TV

A look back

Two major issues that had happened in 2009. First is the decision to quit my 4-year full-of-fun-but-going-nowhere job, and second, was the arrival of my niece, Natalie. Of course there were other issues, but they were not as important as these two, or are too personal to share. And since I couldn't think of anything more to write up about 2009, I shall leave you with this short note that Ray, my fellow colleague and good friend, had summarised about our 4-year journey together with our other 2 colleagues, in the same workplace.

The story of the bus driver and his passengers

I guess it all got started about 4 years ago? The journey of a bus driver and his passengers.

I can still remember there was once this bus driver….determined and driven, looking for the right passengers to board his bus……

The destination? The journey bounding for the Promised Land; or so it was promised.

He found 4 passengers of different character and skills and for a short time, the journey through the scenic meadow was both beautiful and glorious but good time, like roses, didn’t last. The bus driver lost his direction and motivation soon after and begun taking a back seat, leaving the passengers in utter astonishment. Forced to take over the reign, the 4 passengers tried to steer the bus back to its original path but were met with frustrating obstacles. There were suddenly many bus stops, slowing the journey to a snail pace and many drivers started to board the bus, demanding different pit stops and destinations. Shortly after, one passenger got pulled out of the bus, promised a better transport (a merc cab?) to a better destination, The Nirvana. He was promised of a more comfortable and professional journey in his merc cab. But the rest of the passengers knew, the poor guy was actually been transferred onboard a lorry filled with blanghras and was heading towards the black hole.

Nevertheless the 3 remaining passengers trudged on…. Struggling through the bumpy, cloudy desert road.

Time flew and like what time can do to everything, things got numb – the millions of last minute pit stops, trillions of empty promises, zillions of conflicting directions from various bus drivers and most importantly, the journey with no ending in sight, did not matter anymore. The stand-in passengers were tired.

And so finally, they decided to press the bell. They have decided..... to take the MRT.

Inside-joke story.

Looking back, the 4 passengers believe in efficiency. They kept the ultimate destination in mind all the time. They tried to steer the bus back on route with all their might. They tried to sound out when things go wrong, tried to standardize correct practices and even tried to find alternative to problems but their voices were often sniffled, deem to be complain~y or critical.

Looking back, maybe the bus never did left the bus station in the first place ya?

hahaha

Anyway, the journey had been a rewarding one. The passengers bonded together, became close friends and companions and no hard grudges were bear since bus drivers and passengers all got their own objectives, goals and ways of handling a bus. :)

Luncheon meat and egg sandwich

There is something about the canned luncheon meat that I will not get tired of. The slight saltiness and the crispiness of it when fried, is forever so addictive. Yes, I know about healthy living and all that stuff. Don't worry. Luncheon meat is not something we eat all the time. We, or rather, I, have it once in a while when the craving sets in.

I can't remember the last time I had a luncheon meat and egg sandwich. But I remembered my mother used to make it for me whenever I went for school excursions during the primary school days. There was this one trip to Sentosa, when it started to rain heavily as we were heading back to the school bus. Since none of us had umbrellas with us, we had to brave through the rain. By the time we got on the bus, my classmates and I were nearly drenched and cold, no thanks to the air-con. At that moment, I remembered the packed luncheon meat and egg sandwiches my mother made for me. And though they were already somewhat soggy, they still tasted wonderful to me. I ate everything while my classmates watched with envy.

Ad attraction

Once in a while, a song from some advertisement will grab my attention and I would start to Google or go to YouTube to look for it. It's like a new song that "clicked" with you the moment you hear it, and you wouldn't mind it circling in your head for the whole day. And by whatever means, I'll have to get it as my handphone ringtone. And the lastest one is this :



The previous commercial song that got my attention, and is still my SMS ringtone was this :

And so it ends...

Yes. It has finally come to an end, a certain chapter of my life will be closed from this day on. It was certainly a strange feeling. How is it possible that a person can feel un-burdened and free, but also at the same time, a little sad and lost?

One-month old Natalie

In a pretty pink outfit bought by the her Papa

A few unexpected times when her eyes were opened this big


Relaxing on Mama's thighs... is the hairstyle stylo or what...


with great-grandmother

with grandpa

with grandma

and the first boy (the husband's nephew) to ever hug her

The Buns

Happy children's day... to me...

People often said childhood is the one of the best time in a lifetime, and I have to agree. Ok, maybe minus the studying, homework and exams, other than that, there is nothing much to worry about as kids. And I have to admit that my sisters and I were very lucky and blessed to have a fun and memorable childhood...

- When we were very young, my sister who was 3 years younger than I am, was still learning to walk, I would, once in a while, felt impulsive and just snatched her hand over and bit her fingers. Then, I would warn her not to tell anybody.

- As both my parents were working, I spent most of my times with my grandparents. My grandfather would play masak-masak with me all the time, and brought me to drink Milo at a coffeeshop, where he would poured it onto the plastic saucer to cool, while we waited for my grandma to do marketing.

- When I was in Primary 1, my form teacher made us line up according to our register numbers and I was paired up with this very fat and disgustingly dirty boy with sweaty palms. To further scar my young innocent life, the teacher made it compulsory that we had to hold hands whenever we lined up to go out as a class.

- My sister and I would try to finish up our Chinese writing homework as fast as possible because our father, being a Chinese teacher, is very strict when it comes to our Chinese character writing. More often than not, he would find our writings not to his liking, took up an eraser and clear the whole page that we had spent the past 30 minutes writing, and made us re-write all over again.

- One day, I forgot to bring my English writing book and the teacher made me call home to get my Grandma to bring it to school. I tried my very best to describe the cover of the book to her, and in then end, she arrived in school with my Math workbook.

- My mother used to cut our hair, up till our secondary school days. There was once (when I was about 7 or 8) when my mother accidentally cut my ear. I didn't feel anything until drops of blood dripped onto a magazine I was reading.



- I was one of the last few to finish a Math test. My classmates were all handing up the papers and leaving the classroom. In the end, I managed to finish the story sums while trying to prevent my tears and snot from dripping onto the test paper.

- My father used to pick me up from school after lessons everyday and most of the times, I was the last to leave (right before the school attendant) because he was always late. So, one day, I felt rebellious (I was having a cough then) enough to buy an ice-cream and was confident that I would finish it before he arrived. He was unexpectedly early on that day.

- We used to stay in Bedok North, right opposite a stadium. One day, I followed my older cousins to the stadium and while they were playing on the tracks, I found myself wondering if my tiny head could fit through the gaps between the railings. And the next thing I knew, I was crying while my father and cousins tried to pull out my head which was stuck between the railings.

So, here's to a happy 1st October to all of us... especially to the child that is living in our hearts.