「おくりびと」 予告編

Winner of 81st Academy Award, International Language Film.

Little. Big. Boy #1

Sometimes, it is the little things that your family says that makes you feel so touched and loved. R knows that I went to school today for my meeting with my supervisor. And judging from the way I was reading my notes the previous night, he knows that he better not disturb mommy. Today he asked me after school, "How's your day today, Mommy? How did it go?"

I was so touched by my little. big. boy. He is so old already, but to me, he is still my little boy. I think I am having some identity issues here haha!

P.S: The photograph is out of context here but I am trying to show that he is really quite a big boy now, his feet is like almost the size of mine, I recently realised!?!

Food for thought

Had craving for some Japanese Yakitori today so we headed to Shokudo at City Hall. It is like Marche, kind of like a food bazaar of everything Japanese. The food isn't that great but I like the flexibility of ordering what I like. And most importantly, this is one of the few places we don't have to queue or wait to get a seat. Good news for me, but not too good for them I guess. The waffles here are very nice, so I usually eat something light for my main and reserve tummy space for their waffles with ice cream.

On a second note, I suddenly have this feeling today that I am really going to miss the food here. I think about the Bak Ku Teh at Keppel, my all-time favourite chicken rice at Clementi (the same stall since I was young till now), Claypot Chicken Rice at Queensway and Chilli/ Pepper Crab and I know I will feel disgruntled somehow when we are in Sydney.

Please slap me if I drink again, thanks.

Okay, I am really stubborn, I admit it. I know I have an alcohol allergy since I was 18 years old (my first drink) and more than 10 years on, I still wish to defy that. This is what happens to me just 1 hour after my Lychee Liquour yesterday at Timbre. It was much worse, my whole hand was stiff and as if all my vessels are frozen. TS wanted me to go emergency. I got a tick off from him. It was like an elephant's limb yesterday, even had problems changing gears on my way back home. It subsided this morning though. And I noticed the symptoms seemed to have changed. It used to be rash all over and my fingernails would turn purple. But now, the symptoms are all confined to my left hand only. Okay, this is the last time, please slap me if I drink again. I will thank you.

Cheers @ Timbre Arts House

It was a girls' night out at Timbre Arts House, it is a very nice place to just chill, against the backdrop of Singapore's CBD skyline. The food here is surprisingly very good. I was pleasantly surprised cos most pubs serve really underrated food. Their drinks were great too, but I cannot say the same for the band that played yesterday. We missed those days (10 years ago) when we would go to Europa ANA hotel for drinks and the band then was fantastic. Dawn showed us a photo of the group of us 10 years ago, and look how far we have gone? So many changes to our lives, and well, our appearance too. Cheers to 2009 and to friendship...and to the next ten years!

Life is not all about "You"

I haven't blogged for a long time...been really busy catching up with work and completing my project that I was paid to do before I leave. As my boss puts it, "She can't go, till she finishes this!" Haha. Thank goodness it is joke. But seriously, I have like thousand and one things on my mind! The project, my publications, the moving, the clearing...

But this aside, I am looking forward to going to Aussie Land. Though a little uncertain about things, but well, life is all about uncertainty and how you unknot them, isn't it? My main goal is to "Find myself", I think at this point, I need to know who I am. Some people think I am mad to be still studying at this point, some think it is a great opportunity, but I know that a Phd without purpose is like a leaf that do not know the tree that it grows on. It is gog to be a long journey of self-identity...I know. Also, there are people in my life that I must not neglect in this process. With this mindset, I hope that I can get through this intact and sane! And at the end of the day, you can have gold and silver, paper and career, but what matters most is we are loved, and we love others.

Dawn: You might find that piece of object on Ryan's nose very familiar???

Goodbye 2008, Welcome 2009!

Wishing all a great and blessed year ahead, may all your dreams come true and good health to all!

We are happy to see the flares from the ships, it would be too crowded to be at the Marina to watch the fireworks.

The Good Old Days

Tiong Bahru, Singapore holds a special place in my heart. It is one the "unspoiled" neighbourhood where some of the authentic architecture of the good old days still remains. It is also the place where I spent the first 5 years of my life. Still remember those days where we live in a little apartment with grandparents and neighbours with open doors mingling. It is very different these days.

This is also where I can find good authentic cantonese cuisine. Next year, Meredith and Ryan will meet up in Australia. They look like a pair going on their first date. Who knows? Maybe this photo will come in handy a decade or two later? For now, they look absolutely so sweet together!

Christmas is Here #2 - It is all in that Little Blue Box

As in previous years, my dear hubby has no idea when it comes to buying gifts. He just simply has no clue. He blames it on my fussiness. And I have long learnt that it is not possible to instill romanticism if you do not have it. Or it is just his engineered mind that believes that practicality is what matters, so you won't get to receive gifts that are of "no use" - like flowers. Anyway, so this year, he asked me again the same question.

"What do you want for Christmas...and anniversary?"

Okay, I don't blame you for lumping the two events together in one bundle, afterall they are a day apart. But can you for once think of ideas yourself?

"Why don't I bring you to the shop and you can choose anything you like?"

Then it won't be anything like a surprise!

"But you cannot take surprises, I know you."

Okay, I am inquisitive ok, if you put a packaged gift in front of me, I won't stop thinking what it could be. I will guess it till I got it right. But am I being punished for that?

To cut the long story short, I gave up. So instead of going to the shop, I gave him a riddle to solve. I remembered doing this last year too. The riddle goes like this:

"The key to unlocking the mystery lies in a Little Blue Box"

Tell me, which guy doesn't know the answer?! I cannot believe my guy doesn't know it. He asked the little man, who said:

"Mommy, is it something you can eat?"

You mean Chocolates? NOPE.

So I gave him another hint.

"The little blue box is in Takashimaya."

To cut the long story short again, he insisted the little blue box is in Lucky Plaza. He just wants to see me mad (Actually, he already knew what the LLB is cos he has searched the net apparently - okay, quite smart).

And when he and Ryan went into the LLB, I received a call.

"We found the LLB, and we BOTH have the same taste. But when we wanted to buy it, our jaws dropped."

So in the end, there is no Little Blue Box for me. But this is an important lesson for the two men. They have learnt three things:

1) It is no secret, the Little Blue Box never fails to win a woman's heart.
2) The Little Blue Box is NOT in Lucky Plaza (it never is, and never will).
3) You need to be prepared ($$$) before walking into the Little Blue Box.

Christmas Is Here...

The Christmas season is here again. Each year, when I hear the Christmassy songs in the malls and feel the December breeze, I just kind of feel nostalgic. It makes me look back and reflect what happened through the year, and what's to come. And when I hear the carols, I really miss those days when I was carolling with my Church friends. Those memories of the good old days...

It is strange that no other festival makes me feel this way, not Chinese New Year, or the New Year whatsoever. Christmas gives me a special feeling. It is that feeling of being around friends, exchanging gifts, and also the celebration of Christ's birth.

I was in town today with Ryan to buy some gifts. I told Ryan that it is time for him to think about others and buy something small for loved ones. He was really excited about it. He has been saving some money and today was a good chance because TS has a friend's gathering. So we headed for City Hall. I was shocked when I found out that Ryan brought along...$100! We were on the escalator when he took out the big note and looked at it. To that dear boy, it is aaaaalot of money and it was so sweet that he is willing to spend it away on his parents.

I asked him if he wants to share TS's gift with me and when we were in the shop, he was shocked to see that all the items were like $200 and above. The look on his face was indescribable. He said worriedly, "Can we choose something cheaper?" And the salesgirl brought others for us to see and he kept looking at the price tags. The sales girl was laughing away. It was the first time I see him reacting this way. He is so grown up! He was looking around the shop for nice designs. He has a good eye actually, a good taste (just like his mommy haha!)

Ryan wasn't expecting any Christmas present because he said the Bionicle we bought him some months back will be his Christmas present. But how can I not buy my dear boy a gift? So I went to the toys department and I asked him to choose a nice toy for a friend's nephew. When I went to pay for it, he looked a little disappointed. I thought he is really magnanimous but he is in for a surprise, I cannot wait to give him the gift.