Blog-silence

It's like I almost forgot this blog existed until a church friend commented that she stumbled on this blog while trying to search about The Canopy at Bishan Park!

A "bomb" exploded at work in Mar 2011. I can't go into details, but let's just say I was the one most suited in the office to pick up the pieces and try to restore things back to order. Multiply the complicated job with the evasive, dishonest "bomber" that was still in office all the way till July, I was left with little appetite for food, sleepless nights, and found myself on an involuntary weight-loss program.

By Sep 2011, things were 90% cleaned and I'm back to putting on weight again! Yay for things that are now clean, but no yay for the weight-gain.

Kyushu

Every year, we go on a holiday with my family. We had originally planned to self-drive around Tohoku, but because of the tsunami, we changed plans and went to Kyushu instead.

Steph's wedding

We went taken care of by the same baby-sitter when we were in kindy.

We played many imaginary games as kids whenever we met at our grandparents' place at Jurong West.

They are why I look forward to extended family gatherings!

I'm blessed with great cousins!

February's dessert

I didn't manage to cook a meal in February because the weekends were so packed. However, I did succeed at cooking Pulut Hitam twice!

It's a no-brainer dish, but at least I cooked something. Better than nothing la!

Belated V-day Dinner

Edmund is a lot more romantic than me. I don't fancy flowers and I dislike eating at poorly-lit restaurants.

Ever since Grace brought me to Osia for my birthday dinner treat last year, I've been wanting to go back again. Edmund was game for it so we went to Osia using V-day as an excuse for an occasion.


While I thoroughly enjoyed my set dinner selection of foie gras, beef and chocolate soup, Edmund found a local-hawker dish description for what he tasted in each item in his set. Let’s just say he enjoyed the touristy feel of RWS a lot more!


It was a nice quiet night out. We like.

What I love about CNY

To me, CNY is all about family. I look forward to meeting up with cousins, aunties and uncles!

Going to miss Steph at future CNY gatherings!

I'm super blessed to have wonderful extended families that make CNY something I look forward to.


Edmund is still trying to get used to having to make 7 different stops on the 1st day of CNY. It's 6 more stops than before he married me.

Animal Toys

I love collecting small stuffed toys. But because of my sinus, most of my animal toys are tied up in a huge plastic bag at my mum’s place.

Over at our place, we only have 2 animal stuffed toys. Here’s a little introduction of the 2:

Gucci, the Rat


This is Gucci (pronounced as ‘ku-chee’). Gucci is a rat. Gucci was a Christmas gift from Cynthia in 2009. Gucci’s tail is a powerful tickling tool that Sue Ern uses to disturb Edmund with.

Edmund tortures Gucci by putting him in the wash once a month. Thanks to the horrendous wash cycle Gucci gets thrown into with the bedsheets, Gucci’s neck has become floppy much to Sue Ern’s dismay.

Spunky, the Rabbit
Since this is the year of the Rabbit, Spunky made a guest appearance in the living room during Chinese New Year.


Spunky was Sue Ern’s first present to Edmund on Good Friday in 2007. Spunky was named after Edmund’s old pet rabbit, Punky.

Edmund also threw poor Spunky into the Feb wash cycle so that it would be presentable for Chinese New Year.

Cooking

Cooking is unfortunately not my forte. I tell everyone that I wash dishes better than I cook.

I have a few resolutions made for 2011. One of them is to cook simple dishes once a month for starters.

January's attempt was edible... Edmund was most encouraging by finishing everything up!

Ear-holes

One of my resolutions for 2011 is to get my ears pierced. The last time I pierced my ears was when I was 4 years-old.

Back then, my ears got badly infected and dad had to use 2 pairs of pliers to remove my earrings. I was told I screamed the whole apartment block down and traumatised my dad for life through the earring-removal process.

One week before I got married, I was still hunting high and low for clip-on earrings, which are terribly hard to find!

This ear-piercing resolution of mine hasn't any significance. I just decided I would get it done once and for all!

I kinda regret it because of the pain and care involved, but since I've done it, let's try to keep the holes open!

Edmund has been very sweet to help me clean my ears with hydrogen peroxide at night.

Daiso

Edmund and I always enjoy our visits to Daiso. There are so many pretty, cute, interesting, clever things to buy there. And because everything is only $2, you're willing to buy it for fun, or just to try it out!

After a lovely meal with Seb & Steph at Pete's Place at Hyatt Hotel, and an unfruitful query made at JTB, we happily walked into Daiso at Ion Orchard.

Some bo liao things I ended up with:

* Japanese 4-stones (child-hood game)


I always envied a primary school friend who came to school with 4 stones bought from Japan. They were so pretty (although I found it too fat for the game compared to my smaller stones).

Anyway, I fulfilled my childhood wish of getting myself a set of pretty 4 stones whose design probably originated from Japan but was now made in China.

I came home and started playing with my pretty stones immediately. After 2 decades, I’d forgotten quite a few levels!

* a rolling pin for my feet (physiotherapist's recommendation)


I’ve been having plantar fasciitis where my left heel hurts especially when I’m barefooted. I went to see a physiotherapist and he recommended that I roll my feet on something cylindrical.

I went to the baking section in Daiso looking high and low for some rolling pins and found 1 rolling pin sticking out from a pile of non-rolling pin stuff. It was just the buy-me sign I needed. It was meant just for me! Haha!

Spruce

Sometime in 2010, we borrowed the electric steamboat pot we bought for Matthias and Cynthia for a sukiyaki party we were having. This was even before they had their own "opening ceremony" of the pot! *paiseh*

Edmund and I were having breakfast at MacDonalds while Matt & Thia were on the way somewhere. They brought the pot to us at MacDonalds and we caught up for a good 30mins in MacDonald's standing around the table we were at.

I thought it would be nice for us to catch up properly over a meal seated down! We finally did at a really nice place recommended by Matthias!

Dinner at MELT

Dad & Mum had dining vouchers that were expiring on 31 Dec 2010. They offered it to us and we decided to use it.

I made a reservation on the day itself and was surprised to be told that I could only get a table for 2 at 8pm on a Tuesday night!

We arrived early and decided to just try for an earlier sitting. The main buffet area was packed, but we were able to sit outside by the mini garden. It was lovely cos it was a cool night and hardly anyone wanted to sit outside. (Honestly, the indoor buffet sitting area was soooo noisy!)


I generally just attacked the sashimi, prawns and belgium waffles. There were tons of other stuff, but I had to be very selective for my not-made-for-buffet tummy! It was nice to slowly have dinner from 7.30pm to 10pm!

On the way out, we found out that the buffet was $68++ per pax! Singaporeans really DO love buffets!

Christmas Day

We usually have Christmas day lunch as a family. This year, we decided to try a new dim sum place instead of our regular Crystal Jade Palace.


Qiang made a booking at Taste Paradise at Ion and it definitely lived up to the good reviews we've heard/read. Special mention must be given to the 'char siew soh'. If Qiang, the 'char siew soh' connoisseur, says it is good, IT IS GOOD!


Almost everything we ordered was nice. Pity we didn't have room for dessert!

Super early Christmas party

Our 1st Christmas party of the year was held on 9 Dec! It forced me to start on my Christmas presents early which helped lessen the stress near Christmas.


The whole party actually came together in 4 days and we packed the house at the Pinnacle! This is what happens when you have a very friendly CG! :)

Cinderel-lah!

I love going for musicals and I had not seen 1 in Singapore all year!

Gurmit Singh was hilarious! Emma Yong and Sebastian Tan's singing was superb!

I was hoping it would be like the last Dim Sum Dollies show I watched and thoroughly enjoyed. However, Cinderel-lah! was more family-friendly and catered for children. Edmund enjoyed it tons! ;p

Hong Kong 2010

Edmund loves Hong Kong. If there was no Singapore and he could choose, he would like to live in Hong Kong. It was a real treat for him to be able to join the family in Hong Kong at the last minute. You should have seen how happy he was when he found out he could actually go!


The weather was lovely in Hong Kong although the skies were always hazy. We spent most of the trip meeting up with family friends. Edmund's only request was that we go to Ocean Park and so we did.


At Ocean Park

The trip was too short and we ate ourselves silly as usual.

Kowloon, Hong Kong

Ever since Edmund found out that he could now join the family in Hong Kong, he has been singing refrains from this old song...



It's so terribly catchy, I find myself humming the refrain in my head every now and then!

Oriental Night

Event: LSBC’s staff family night

Venue: Quality Hotel

Theme: Oriental


It was sort of a mini dinner and dance, and it was the most fun one I’ve ever attended! Everyone was participative and that made it most enjoyable! The program was so well-planned, the night flew by without a boring moment!


Edmund’s “calligraphy” shirt from Malacca came in handy again! It even won him the ‘Male Orient of the Night’ contest! Actually, I think it was his niang-niang poses that won him the title!

Truly a Proverbs 31 woman

A Wife of Noble Character

Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.

Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.

She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

She finds wool and flax and busily spins it.

She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing her food from afar.

She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.

She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She is energetic and strong, a hard worker.

She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night.

Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.

She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.

She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes.

She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.

Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders.

She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants.

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.

When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.

She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.

Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her:
“There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!”

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.

Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

I always thought Proverbs 31 was asking the impossible. Looks like I've been proven wrong by this amazing lady!


I feel terribly sad because I can't imagine the feelings of loss her husband must be going through now. They spent 63 years of their lives together deeply in love with each other, supporting each other.

MM not only had foresight in building up a nation, but he had great foresight in choosing a wife. Not many men would marry a lady smarter or older than them. Most men are intimidated by that, but not MM.

MM looking really handsome in this photo

1st stayover guest

Our Thai friend we met in Dallas is the 1st person to stayover at our place.

Edmund must be pleased I was forced to clear the tornado-struck room (which is usually my "overflow" room) for our guest.

Comment from our 1st stayover guest: Edmund is the cleanest guy he's met.

God knows Edmund needs some balancing up. That's why He placed me with Edmund. I am one messy dudette!

It's a pity it took me only 15 mins for the room to start looking like a war-zone again after our guest left.