03 December, 2007

Cold Cold Winter


I'm having a terrible cold now. Just can't stop sneezing, practically waking up the whole neighbourhood when I had my bouts a few minutes ago. The Niagara Falls make the inside of my nose hurt terribly, my nose-bridge (whatever bit there is) throb constantly, and my ears StuffTFU.

Dear came by earlier this evening and commented that I should put on more/warmer clothes (Im wearing a tank top w/shorts). I was like.. zzz... a cold isnt neccesarily due to being c-o-l-d.... A-n-y-w-a-y... Cant even kiss him gdbye cos I dun wanna spread the nasty little germs to him. He's having an exam tomoro.. erm.. today. And I totally agree, studying is a pain, no matter what age you are.

Surfing for some recipes to incite my other senses... Prolly will make some cookies, choc chip agn?, soon. Not now though. Sticky chewy choc chip is not in my list at the moment, thank you.

Will check in when I feel less lousy.

Adios.

01 December, 2007

Shu Shu's Lips


Here are baby ZhengYong's latest pics..

im 2 months old!




And I juz realised he has Andy ShuShu's Lips! rofl



17 November, 2007

Life's A Song


After searching high and low, I've found the perfect song for our wedding! Well actually, Dear found it eventually for me... I know the title and have seen the video but I couldn't locate it.

He kinda laughed at me initially when I told him I shed a tear or two when I first heard it... and told me it's still some time to go before the dinner itself... But, he still helped me search for it... zhOots! to him... lol...





I was watching Oprah the other day, and she started off by asking the audience to write down 5 words that describe the relationship between ourself and our partner.

These are what i wrote down



After which, Oprah told her viewers to evaluate what we wrote down. Are these what we want in the/a relationship?

I did not write down "romantic", which many of her audience did. Oprah said romance should not be in the equation. It is true that we all long for romance, and many a time have heard; "romance keeps the relationship alive". But it is not realistic to have constant EXPECTATIONS of romance in a relationship, neither does the existence of romance equals a healthy soulful relationship. Maybe, "romance" had just been misused in the modern times. A loving word, a tight hug, have often been taken for granted. Contrary to Jerry McGuire, no one "completes you". you have to bring a 'complete self' to a relationship.

If we yearn for romance as a reassurance of our importance to our partner, then what actually lies beneath it is fear, and what causes fear is insecurity. The root of it will be we need someone to make us feel better or feel worthy of ourself.

I don't know if I've reached this stage whereby I'm so at peace with myself. Many a times when things happened, I always felt I can't go on, but I each time I did. Perhaps what I heard is true: we ARE stronger than we THINK we are. I would be devastated if I do not have Dear in my life. But I know I do not live my life FOR him. I live for myself, and when with him, we can build another life together. I have my goals, but I also have our goals, in that order.

Marriage is a journey, not a destination. I hope our journey will always be loving, warm, supportive, complementary, and hopeful in our adventures.

15 November, 2007

万事俱备,只欠东风


My birthday is just over. Though somewhere at the back of my mind, an echo reminds me :" Girl, don't count your chickens b4 they hatch"... Suddenly life offers a ray of hope again.

I need to do well... I need to do very well... *Cross my fingers*

Chocolaty Hearts




Pray hard and hope for the best!

01 October, 2007

Coming & Going


What a weird day I had today. I saw a life being taken away, and welcomed a new life into this world.

We were woken up at 6am by Dear's mum, with the news that his sis-in-law has gone into labour. Later on in the day as I was on my way to Dear's place, I witness death for the 2nd time in my life. A couple of cats were playing with their litter in the carpark. For some reason, one of the cat leaped across the carpark as a red car was speeding across. In that split second, there was a thud, the car seemed to hit the cat across its body in midair, and it disappeared beneath the car.

I turned around, and it was lying motionless on the ground, the car was no longer in sight. I was shocked immobile. I stood there with my mouth open. The poor thing started convulsing vigorously as a stream of cars stopped, seeing the 'obstruction' on the road. An uncle on a bicycle alighted and went towards the cat. I couldnt look. I kept on walking. The images stuck to my mind. Of it disappearing under the wheels, of it reappearing many metres behind, of remembering there was no blood, of hearing the thud, the damn dreaded thud.

I wish now that I had gone to help the cat. Though there is probably nothing I can do, and I don't even know SPCA's number, I shouldn't have walked on. I may not like strays, but I witness an agonising moment and did nothing. Im so ashamed. It saddens me.

We set off for Gleneagles soon after I reached Dear's place. His sister-in-law had given birth to a healthy, rosy, huge 3.8kg baby boy. With his thick head of hair and pouty lips, he is so adorable. He loves to be carried and cooed at. When u put him down in his crib, he makes protesting noises, but stops as soon as he is picked up again.

He is such a bundle of joy. As I look at him drifting in and out of sleep, and the other womenfolk chatted on about babies and childbirth, my heart still felt heavy, but not as bad as before.

little cutiepie


What message was God trying to send me, by allowing me to witness life's 2 most fragile moments in a matter of hours? I still don't know.

Just that it left a bitter-sweet note words can't describe.

26 September, 2007

Lights, Candles, Lanterns!


It's the annual Mooncake Festival again, our Chinese version of the "Festival of Lights".

Being the Big Kids we are, how can we miss out on the fun? =D

my doraemon lantern


Vandalism in the act


a disgruntled Dear being forced to pose w my lantern


the only day they could play w fire


bubble boy!


auntie me


dun keep looking at bubble boy lah


what u do with bendy candles


and the real star of the show


27 August, 2007

Pink of Health?


Something I did today - went for my health check. Everything seems to be in working order :P.

Body Mass Index: 17.4 [<18.5, considered underweight]
Body Fat Analysis: 20.4% [norm = 17% - 24%]
Waist Hip Ratio: 0.70 [norm = < 0.8]
Pee tests: pH value 8 [can't really tell, but nurse said it's norm]
Blood Pressure: 111/67 [norm = <120/<80]
Blood Cholestorol: 177mg/dl [desirable = <200]
Blood Glucose: 87mg/dl [ desirable = <140]

Since my body fat is right smack in the normal range, it is concluded the low BMI might be due to me having bone density problems (further tests required). If not now, then as i A-G-E. Supplements are suggested...

Hmpf. Osteoporosis, here I come!

21 August, 2007

Reflections


Anyone who have been at the receiving end of my tales of relationship ups and downs would probably think that by now, I would have experienced every joy and every hurt possible. Well, they would at most be half right.

When you get hurt, people would tell u a)time will heal, and if they are not so kind, then b)you should be used to it and can handle it. I had friends, and those I thought were good friends, tell me all sorts of things when I was down. I am grateful, for the time they put in, for the words they still say even though they know it will fall on deaf ears.

Only after some time, that I realised that when your life is constantly on the spiral down, you will eventually lose friends who had hoped you will get better. Seriously, who am I to judge, when in my worst times, how much of a friend have I been? I leaned on them, but have I been well long enough to let anyone lean on me?

I have had much time to reflect on why my life in the past 10 years had gone so awry. Some of it, I think are very much out of my control. But most of it was because I was never comfortable in my own skin. I never outgrew my teenage self-consciousness, which over the years developed into major inferiority complex. That affected me in every aspect of my life. My jobs, my interaction with friends and new acquaintances, and of course my relationships. I always felt I would be judged, and I always do get judged, because my insecurity made me act out in ways that would make me cringe now.

No one is obliged to be nice to you. But if they are, accept, and reciprocate. I wasn't able to accept, thus I never did reciprocate. Not that I consciously did it. I always thought I 'gave my all'. In my past relationships, I always prided myself in being the "giver" instead of the "taker". But it wasn't true. I met much struggles because I was trying so hard to be in the driver's seat, but I didn't like being one. I thought I had to keep everything intact, keep everything going, or else all hell will break lose.

Why was I such a control freak? Because I always felt "different", not snootily different, but misfit-different. I wanted to keep everything and everyone close, so that they won't stray so far that I would end up with nothing.

Realisation did not come overnight. Late it was, but better than never. I did not do it alone. Someone came into my life, with much patience, with much love, and also ever-increasing understanding, and helped me finally be at peace with myself. Whether he did it consciously, or unknowingly, I do not know. Some things words cannot express. He somehow knew where I hurt, how I hurt, and he nursed it well. At first I retaliated, furiously. Eventually, bit by bit, I learnt to let go.

When I was 19, a friend told me I was holding on to a knife by the blade, refusing to let go because it hurts too much to move a muscle. When someone tried to pull it away, I screamed and kicked, not understanding that if I don't let go, I will bleed to death. I thought I understood that analogy then, but didn't accept it. Now 10 years later, I finally knew what it means.

Despite the lost years and the lost friends, I am so blessed. If the clouds had not lifted, I would probably lose a very good partner. He indulges me in my every whim; wherever I wanna go, whatever I wanna do, no day is a bad day. He hugs me, kisses me, just because he feels like it. Whenever we are abroad, it's so cute the way he behaves like a bodyguard, with his eyes "bing!" wide open always on the lookout for danger, like I always tease him. He rubs my feet whenever they are tired due to my weakness for heels.

Don't be mistaken though. He takes no shit from me. If I unload a ton of insecurity like a brat without restraint, he never fails to tell me off. And he doesn't mince words.

People say, love makes two person seem like one. Now I know, two can never be one, so please don't try =). Instead, when two persons feel as one, perhaps now, this is finally the road leading home.



19 August, 2007

Bursts of Joy


Even though there are fireworks displays every year during the National Day celebrations, this is the first time i'm seeing fireworks up close. It was literally breath-taking. Bringing you the fireworks on both 17th & 18th Aug, from One Fullerton, next to Marina Bay.




















Touristy Pics -.-








Not very touristy -.-'''




It was a mix of festivity, sardined-packed chaos, child-like wonder, and joy. Yeah it was fun =)

15 August, 2007

Sweetie Pie


Home-Made Apple Pie - Our Latest Experiment

Ingredients
200gm Plain Flour
50gm Self Raising Flour
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 stick salted butter

4 red apples, 4 green apples
3 cups sugar (or to taste)
1 egg yolk for glazing
cold / ice water

Apple-Filling
1) Peel and cut the apples into thin slices of abt 0.5cm thick. Soak in water with a tablespoon of salt.
2) Put sugar into pot and place just enough water to cover the sugar. Heat until sugar has caramelized and turned very lightly transparent brown.
3) Drain apples and pour into pot. Stir well to ensure they are coated with sugar.
4) Leave to boil. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
5) The apples are ready when they have turned a dark translucent yellow. Remove from heat.

Preparing the Dough
1) Stir salt into flour mixture.
2) Cut butter into small pieces and drop into flour.
3) Rub the butter into the flour until resemble breadcrumbs.
4) Add in ice water slowly and knead to form a dough.
5) Cover dough and set aside to let it rise for at least 30 mins.

Making the Pie
1) Half the dough
2) Knead slightly and roll into sheet of thickness not more than 0.5cm.
3) Grease pie pan lightly with butter and transfer pastry sheet onto it.
4) Press the pastry along the edges of the pan and use a fork to poke some holes on it.
5) Leave it to bake at 180 degC until the edges start to turn slightly brown.

6) Remove from oven. Pour the cooked apples into pan.
7) Make the top pastry the same way as before, and cover the pie with it.
8) Pinch and fold the edges of the pastry together, trimming away any excess pastry with a knife. Poke holes on the top pastry as before.
9) Place in oven to bake for 30 mins or until the edges start to turn slightly brown.
10) Glaze with egg yolk and bake for another 15 mins.

End Product

Taa DaAaa!!



12 August, 2007

National Holiday & Celebrations


I have the pics from our latest spree! Photoshop has gone nutz on me.. so i cant edit them =(((

now going u noe?


Mercure's room




My Sleep Partner


okok.. dinner time.. let's go


WallArt at Godiva Cafe


World's Best Donuts




Heavenly Body Scrub


..and sOmE of our loot




a very tired darling


Oops forgot to update. Dear's mum's birthday was on 29th Jul. Here's some pics and of her cutting her fav durian cake =D


Dear & his dad lighting the candles


Smile!


Jin Happy! LOL!