Choices

Tignes

2012-01-05T07:45:00.001+08:00

Vodka tonic x2. Rum and Baileys. Hoegarden. Nuff said.

Plenty of snow!!!! :D
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Manila

2011-11-28T14:33:00.001+08:00

This must be one of my longest stays in Manila: Thursday morning to Tuesday night. SIX DAYS. Been working on the weekdays, work dinners then a channel surfing session on the weeknights, and keeping busy with a boxing gym on the weekend! It hasn't been as bad a stay as I expected, actually, but most of that probably has to do with the boxing gym. Haha.

I had to go and buy shoes and exercise clothes for the two days of gym. It's probably the most comfortable gym I've been to, plenty of space, new and fresh (most gyms have a rank sweaty smell), with air-conditioning, no less. I enjoyed mastering the speedball - it's not as easy as I thought it was, and I still can't do it very fast, but I improved over the two days. My shoulders are still aching - boxing is all hands and no kicks - and I'm not used to working my arms so hard. Best part is, everyone gets their own instructor, so it is a one-on-one training with the trainer. Well worth the money! Stamina was a let-down though...four rounds and I'm dead. Sometimes three. Must train more. Oh, and on Sunday, I even managed to get one of my colleagues here to join me, so possibly another female convert to boxing hehe.

I've just been told I need to make a presentation to the Board tomorrow, as well as to the Shareholders. STRESSED! Presentations are not my forte. At all.

Alright, back to work now! Need to prepare.

she melts my heart

2011-10-25T23:37:00.000+08:00

Natalie, my cute niece!

2011-10-17T13:40:00.000+08:00

Its amazing how the moment babies are added to the picture, to any room, they steal all the attention and all conversation centers around them! :) Natalie is super adorable! And she has the most interesting expressions.

She's going to be a fighter, I tell you -- look at those hands fly! Your Aunty Vicky can give you some pointers :)

Natalie copying her mother's expression.

Jon trying his hand at feeding, although Roger the new dad needs to help clean up. I still can't get over the fact that my younger brother is a father! Haha.

Ours

2011-10-13T00:42:00.000+08:00

Since we got the keys, I've been to our new (well, it's an old development, but new for us) place almost everyday. We're still finalizing renovation details with the contractor, so at the moment, it's just a shell of a home. There's no TV, no internet, drab furniture and dim lights, but I go there to work, or to read. And just chill. It's quiet. It's privacy again. And it's also nice to be able to walk out the back gate to grab a coffee at Kith, or meet Jay for lunch down by the river, or visit STPI to check out their new artist. Methinks I will like it there very much! Fingers crossed renovations can be completed by December. But of course, once reno starts, I won't be able to go there to hang out anymore. I had quite a lot of work to do today, so here's where I worked, in the bedroom by the windows, complete with oreos :)

RUE MAG

2011-10-06T23:55:00.000+08:00

I am really loving this magazine: http://www.ruemag.com/

Some great ideas and pretty pictures.

We get our keys this Saturday! We'll also be talking over the renovation options with the contractor this weekend and hopefully it won't be too long before we move in. Can't wait!

Beautiful Bali

2011-10-03T19:15:00.003+08:00

PRIVATE POOL VILLA. Beautiful compound, with excellent staff service. Had breakfast by the pool everyday. We never even used the pool, although did a little lounging in the sun.

MASSAGES. Jay got a massage every day, and I had two in our five days.

OLD FRIENDS. Had the wonderful chance to catch up with some friends from New York, Sammy and Matt; I know Sammy from HKIS/1998. As well as Lizzie and John from Sydney; I know Lizzie from BIS/1990 - she was my first best friend, when we were 7 or 8.

(with Sammy & Matt)

(with Lizzie and John)

FABULOUS FOOD. We had such delicious dinners every night. Warung Made, Chandi and Metis, and we discovered this roadside pizzeria along Jl. Drupadi, where we had our first and last meals in Bali. Warung Made has great local food, Chandi's has good fusion dishes, and Metis has the best ambiance with to-die-for chocolate soufflés.

BIR BINTANG AND MANDARIN MARTINIS. Managed to catch the sunset every evening, with bintangs on the beach, refreshing mojitos, yummy martinis and delicious cocktails.

AMAZING SUNSETS. What is it about Bali sunsets that make them so beautiful? The deep yellow and orange hues, watching dogs frolicking on the beach, and even sunset horse riding. Not to mention the many games of soccer by the local boys. Jay did join in twice, and got injured twice!

SURFING. Spent a couple of hours of the last two days surfing. Waves are pretty massive and not too ideal, but its such a rush when you get up on the board. Love it.

One of my more challenging drawings

2011-09-26T21:17:00.001+08:00

Stone Lithography at STPI

2011-09-10T22:10:00.003+08:00

Stone lithography workshop over two Saturdays at STPI. Was really fun, and a lot more complicated than I initially thought! Here are some of my prints, as well as Junie's and Savannah's.

MY ZEBRA PRINTS

JUNIE'S GIN PRINTS

SAVANNAH'S OCTOPUS PRINTS

Masterpieces!! Haha

2011-09-06T22:41:00.001+08:00

What we got up to on a laid-back Tuesday afternoon. So fun!
Just so happened that we're in height order because we wanted to split up the two reds/oranges.
This was at Arteastique at Mandarin Gallery. Great idea - social painting - three hours of no-pressure art with all materials provided plus a free drink. $28 with my groupon deal, but $48 usually!

Art + Music

2011-08-28T09:55:00.001+08:00

15 Minutes Cafe.
Met JP and Jon for lunch here. Nice vibe, decent coffee and good affordable food.

Lasalle Art Galleries.
Spacious. Cold. Some interesting (textile/wallpaper prints) which were pretty cool. Other galleries were only so-so.

Violin Masterclass at Nafa.
(En route to checking out the Nafa galleries, we saw a poster on a violin masterclass, which was scheduled to start right then, so we made our way to the recital room.) Leo Philips was critiquing and giving lots of useful and amazingly insightful (or at least it seemed so to me) suggestions to the four violin performances. It was a fabulously fun impromptu way to spend. two hours, and it fed my interest in music. Its really amazing how different the same instrument can sound in two different hands...and its not like one of them is a beginner violinist.

A great day!

Back to nature

2011-08-23T10:33:00.002+08:00

Local writers write

2011-08-21T14:57:00.002+08:00

This phrase by Stephanie Ye struck a chord with me as I read Ceriph, a Singapore book publication of prose, poetry, social commentaries, photography and visual art.

Here's another of her poetic explanations.

Always keep your words soft and sweet. Just in case you have to eat them.

2011-08-20T21:52:00.007+08:00

[Found these on Rhordan's blog]

* Accept that some days you’re the pigeon, And some days you’re the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet. Just in case you have to eat them.
* Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
* If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.
* Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
* The second mouse gets the cheese.
* When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* We could learn a lot from crayons… Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colours, but they all have to live in the same box.
*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

2011-08-18T23:43:00.001+08:00

How every morning should start...

2011-08-18T14:56:00.000+08:00

Highlights

2011-08-17T17:16:00.000+08:00

1. Ice-cream on a hot day. Feels heavenly.

2. Good coffee (and a cute sign to boot). Jewel Coffee at One Shenton. The Plain is another yummy one.

3. Shopping! (okay I sound très shallow) I bought all these this week from GG5, my favorite brand primarily because almost all their XS clothes fit me, and they were all on sale. Loving the back zip and ruched details on the grey dress. Notice my wardrobe getting more colorful lately?

4. Constant learning. I smile: (i) when I remember how to write Chinese characters correctly, even if my writing is ugly, (ii) at the impossibility of realistically living the logic of Galen Strawsen (philosophy class).

5. My watch. It makes me feel good.

Fundamentally, Galen Strawson's argument boils down to...

2011-08-16T15:33:00.001+08:00

1) You do what you do--in the circumstances in which you find yourself--because of the way you are.

2) So if you're going to be ultimately responsible for what you do, you're going to have to be ultimately responsible for the way you are--at least in certain mental respects.

3) But you can't be ultimately responsible for the way you are (genetic inheritance and upbringing that you had no say in).

4) So you can't be ultimately responsible for what you do.

When MMA is useful. Love it!

2011-08-15T15:29:00.002+08:00

63-year-old holds off robber with rear naked choke
By Maggie Hendricks

A robber messed with the wrong man in Florida on Thursday night. 63-year-old, 5-foot-7 Fred Kemp used a foot sweep and a rear naked choke to disarm a robber who pointed a gun at Kemp and his wife.

The couple was getting into their car in Boynton Beach when a man came out of the darkness and approached them with what turned out to be a pellet gun. Wanting to keep his wife safe, Kemp returned to the skills that he learned as a wrestler for Hofstra University.

"He started to hit me, so I reacted from there," a bruised but smiling Kemp said Friday. "I got him out into the street and held his arm. I foot-sweeped him down and I was trying to get a hold of the gun. He banged me up a little bit but my main concern was the gun."

Kemp's quick thinking led him to apply a rear-naked choke, then when the robber was weakened, he took the gun from him. The police report mentioned that Kemp held the robber down until the police arrived.

"He asked me to let him go when I had him down," Kemp said. "I said, 'No, I'm not going to do that.'"

Fighters who started as wrestlers often go back to rely on their wrestling skills when they get in trouble in a fight. Clearly, that instinct sticks with them, because Kemp was smart enough to rely on his sport when danger found him.

Joe DeMeo, a friend of Kemp's through wrestling, was not surprised to hear that Kemp took out the criminal. "Fred Kemp's the last guy I would rob," DeMeo said. "He'll go down fighting. … He does have a lot of physical ability. He's a no-nonsense, get-the-job-done kind of guy."

Remember that the next time you approach a diminutive 63-year-old. It's probably not a good idea to mess with him.

(http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/63-year-old-holds-off-robber-with-rear-naked-cho?urn=mma-wp5794)

if it were my last week...

2011-08-14T15:27:00.002+08:00

this would be my perfect week

waking up with the sun on my face
taking my time to snooze, shower and be pretty for the day
a delicious latte makes me smile
poached eggs on brioche with hollandaise sauce and smoked salmon make me salivate
topped off with OJ for my daily dose of vitamin c (or so i like to think)
enjoying the non-pretentious company of the close
acceptance and absolute comfort
those who have been with you through your darkest days
there really is no substitute for your girlfriends

seeing the boundless energy and simple joy of children
taking pleasure in their serious work
of building sandcastles at the beach
we sit back in the shade, under a slow-moving ceiling fan
with barbecued chicken wings and a cold beer in hand
laughing together as a family

that sweet spot
where your forehand kills the ball and shoots past your opponent
that sweet sweet spot
of a well-executed double backhand
the exhilarating adrenalin of throwing a punch
the sadistic pain of being kicked
pure fun
the delicious after-exercise ache in your shoulders, legs, back, everywhere
no wonder exercise is addictive

the struggle of creativity
as i fill the white blankness
but oh the freedom of making a mess
multi-colored, complementary, clashing
slashing the brush across the canvas
and calling it your abstract masterpiece
even as i walk through the galleries
admiring the true masters of their art

and at the end of the day i come home
into the comforting warmth of the one i love
where one and one make more than two
because we make each other better not whole
to him who cherishes me just as i am
who makes me laugh and cry
with whom spending another day is like opening presents on christmas day
the anticipation of unwrapping
the gift

if it were my last week on earth, this would be my perfect week

Ordered art prints, can't wait!

2011-08-07T12:51:00.015+08:00

I perhaps went slightly overboard this week...once I started buying, I couldn't stop! Ordered these prints online in various sizes. Can't wait for them to arrive! I hope Jay likes them.

Artist: Gustav Klimt [Faggeto]

Artist: Laurie Maitland [Tobacco & Chocolate II]

Artist: Tadahiro Uesugi [Tree House]

[This is one of my favorites of the lot - really nice colors and composition.]

Artist: Yoko Tanji [Birds Nest]

Artist: Kazu Kibuishi [Ninja in the Snow]

[This is my other favorite print - always makes me smile. A black ninja sneaking through the white terrain. So funny.]

Artist: Khang Le [Nucleus Ninja]

Artist: John Wu [My Wing Chun Diary]

[I actually got this one for Jay. Seeing as how he is a "wing chun master" and all.]

And because I've always wanted one, I also ordered an antique world map:

Don't know how they are all going to fit into our new place! Maybe we'll just put these up and not have to touch up the paint on the walls haha. Anyone know a good and affordable framer? I also need to start framing up some of my art work.

Images to take you through a gray rainy day

2011-08-04T13:14:00.000+08:00

An array of handmade brushes.
Inspiration for my doorway.
Sexy Jake.
Meat & Bread, my kind of food.
Perfect view in a perfect apartment. Paris, je t'aime.
To display my travel photos.

Monoprinting on Plastic

2011-08-02T16:51:00.002+08:00

I did a workshop at STPI last week and learned how to do monoprints from plastic plates. I really struggled with the creative part of it - how do I decide what to put on the blank slate, what colors to use, what lines to paint? But I really had fun once I started, even if some of it turned out ugly. I comfort myself by the saying that art is subjective, and what's incomprehensible to one person may move another to tears, and what's simple to someone may be profound to another. So here's my art.

We used oil paints on a plastic plate, and transferred it onto paper using a hydraulic press. There is usually only enough ink to do one print (hence, a MONOprint), and you will have to touch up or re-draw if you want to do another.

In A Field.

[This one was handprinted, and not much of the paint got transferred because I guess I wasn't strong enough.]

Night Gallops.

[This was inspired by Danish artist Anja Blinkenberg.]

Splattered Oxidation.

[My attempt at abstract. Used a toothbrush to create the spotting.]

Line Series.

Koala Bear.

[Its actually a bird in the corner, but one of my friends thought it was a koala, hence the title. The top print is the first one on dry paper, and the bottom print was done again (hence, lighter colored) on damp paper.]

Sinking Well.

Like The Wind.

[Trying it out in black and white. I think it's a little flat though.]

I Miss You.

[Not that easy to write backwards (bear in mind that monoprinting is a mirror image). I'm not in love with the colors.]

House in the woods

2011-08-02T13:54:00.001+08:00

I like the idea of living here...

Come nightfall though, I will probably be freaking out! Imagining murder scenarios, wild animals and the like. But oh what a quaint retreat for the day.

MEMORIES ARE SO PRECIOUS

2011-08-01T13:24:00.004+08:00

They definitely bring a smile to my face and my day is automatically better!

BABY - the naughtier half of my dogs (I don't have a picture of Max unfortunately. She's cuter!). Jakarta 1996.
Unfortunately we had to leave them with some friends when we evacuated out of Jakarta in May 1998. Not sure if either one is still alive, but I highly doubt it.

10th grade hut in JIS with my crew. Jakarta 1997.
David Paroissien, Steven Martinot, me, Ria Carlos, Nick Kasli. Loved our little corner of the hut!

Prom with my girls. Hong Kong 2000.
Krystle Sarkissian, Sarah Chou, me, Vicki Li, Samatha Goh. We had our 10-year reunion at Sammy's wedding in New York last year (November 2010). It was awesomely fun!

A much-skinnier Jonathan. Shenzhen 1999.
How much Jon has changed since he was 11!

My first New Year's in Singapore at Hooters. Singapore 2000.
Suni, Renee, me. Thanks for being my first friends in Singapore! haha. Although you did make fun of me at first. My accent and all.

My family came down to celebrate Christmas with me this year. Singapore 2001.
I think this may have been the only Christmas spent in Singapore as a family...! Not sure why the boys look so grumpy...maybe it's their cool look? haha.

When we first got together. Kuala Lumpur 2002.
Also when we had our first major argument!! I actually cried. But how far we've come :) 9 years + 2 months + 22 days on.

Skimpies forever. Singapore 2002.
Serene Leong, Helen Lui, me, Renee Leong. Serene's 6th DA just passed. We will always miss you, thank you for the years of laughter and love together.

Family holiday. Sydney 2002.
This year we just had our first Ti family (just the six of us, without spouses or partners, in Paris) holiday since this Sydney trip ten years ago!

SRC field after my soccer game. Singapore 2003.
Fun soccer days in my oversized jersey!

August

2011-07-29T11:18:00.000+08:00

August is creeping up on me. I realize how much I have accomplished this year, and how little.

One of the more meaningful project I've taken up is volunteering for a program called Letter Friend at the Family Services Centre, where I teach a seven-year old (from a low-income family, where English is not spoken, and who was retained in kindergarten) the alphabet - just enough to recognize the letter and sound it makes so that she can move on to Primary 1. It is a 6-month to one-year program, depending on how fast she learns. It was very challenging at first and I wasn't making much progress so I was getting a little frustrated, but now that we have more of a rapport, it is becoming easier and I feel like she is understanding more. It's hard to tell her that "Cow" or "Castle" start with "C" when she doesn't know what a cow or castle is, even in her native Mandarin. If she doesn't know what the verb "spell" means, how do I ask her to spell "Cat"? When I try to teach or explain things to her, she tells me that I talk too much. BUT it is getting better and I am beginning to enjoy it :) And here are some stickers she stuck on me when I saw her this week:

We've sold our home and moved in with my in-laws. This is a temporary situation and I am grateful to them for letting us stay with them, and being so gracious about it. While they are easy to live with, I find myself feeling...bad...for not doing the housework (I help out once or twice a week, but they do housework on a daily basis), for staying in my room whenever I am home (there's nothing for me to achieve outside in the hall, as they watch tv for hours there), for not ironing Jay's shirts (which I never do anyway because he doesn't like me to as I'm not very good at it), for not being what I feel they expect me to be as a good daughter-in-law. A lot of this could just be in my head (or maybe not!) and I'll probably never know because they won't say it out to me, but I just don't feel that great about myself when I'm at home. Which would explain why I've been going out almost every day to the coffee shop or food court to do my work or read or just to do nothing. However, we are moving out in mid-October, so that's just 2.5 months away!

My birthday is just around the corner and I will be turning 29. I generally like to keep things low-key and simple, perhaps just dinner with the people that mean the most to me. This year won't be any different, and I think my parents are coming down from KL to have dinner with us. But they've been challenging to deal with in the last couple of months (long story) and I hope that all will go smoothly. The stresses of coping with ageing parents! Haha.

Off to my Mandarin class now! X

Castles in the sky

2011-07-22T23:20:00.000+08:00

When I looked out the window today, I saw this.
Okay, not exactly a castle, just Bishan Park Condo :)
It just caught my eye - a bit of whimsical, a bit of darkness.

The Invitation by Oriah

2011-07-18T21:49:00.000+08:00

It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon...

I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.

It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.

I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.

If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.

And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.

I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.

I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.

I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.

Another of my charcoal drawings

2011-07-17T20:33:00.000+08:00

Les moments passent // Friendship

2011-07-15T17:43:00.000+08:00

Vagues qui se fracassent, les promenades crépuscules
Skips and jumps in the cold
Pissenlits soufflés
Windy to the point of being blown away
Les trajets en voiture sans but
Three meals and fireworks
Mélodies qui va ramener ces moments
Original macarons and last-resort granola bars
Les conversations faciles, des opinions et inspirations partagés
Bedtime heart-to-hearts
Moments drôles, regards tendres
Laughing at trips and falls
Légèreté de cœur
Changed hearts and amazing encounters
Rires
Youthful bantering
Unité
One team
Le frisson d'anticipation
The thrill of experience
Les fantasies qui ne mènent nulle part
New hopes for the future
Amitié reste
Friendship remains

My first best friend!

2011-07-14T13:49:00.000+08:00

On my recent trip to Sydney, I met up with Lizzie, my first best friend whom I haven't seen (nor really kept in touch with) in 17 years! We were more or less inseparable when we met in BIS at 8 years of age, and had endless sleepovers, the Fabulous 4 club, exhilarating Dunia Fantasi outings, immeasurably fun pellet wars, house parties and the awkward slow-dancing thing that inevitably followed, and many many more moments in our journey towards teenager-hood. It was amazing to catch up on our lives of the last 17 years and get to know each other again, as adults. We have diverged so much in our life paths and are now living so differently! She grew up in Sydney, lived in Pakistan, Palestine, Afghanistan doing NGO work, is currently pursuing her PhD and will spend the next nine months in Jakarta doing research on corruption, married young and divorced young. But the heart remains the same, and the friendship will still grow if nurtured. It was just a real highlight to catch up with someone so integral in my past. Awesomeness.

Just gotta hold on tight

2011-07-13T19:44:00.001+08:00

I think some bus drivers get a sort of perverse pleasure by driving recklessly at high speeds and jam braking when the bus is at full capacity!! It is so annoying.

Some brave soul should tell them off. But no one spoke up. I was at the back of the bus so I have an excuse, haha.

2011-07-13T13:48:00.000+08:00

Some of my favorites from my recent trip to Europe: Gaudi's genius architecture; fight shots in front of the Louvre with my wonderful siblings--who else can I do this with, really?; Seine at twilight; striking red door at Castell de Sant Ferran; chocolates at La Boqueria.

Some more loves: dark eerie trees; bright red pants; vintage clocks; dandelion at sunset on a random field walk; industrial-feel dining area; the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge from the ferry.

Currently inspired by

2011-07-12T17:40:00.001+08:00

-Kozyndan prints (American husband-and-wife illustrator team - Kozue and Dan)

-Industrial coffee table (for my next house)

-Jentezen Franklin (Senior Pastor of Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia)

-Junichiro Sekino (Japanese print artist)

There are so many things I want to do over the next few months. My year of glorious traveling has come to an end and its time to settle down to real life. I'm hoping to get a dog when we move back out on our own. I can't wait to decorate a new place and start with a blank slate, so I've been accumulating interior design magazines from Australia and UK. I'm looking forward to starting my charcoal drawing class again (they've been on hold as I've been traveling). Oh, here are some pics of what I've achieved so far:
-Boxes

-Curves

And one last thought to leave with you: GOD LOVES YOU.
-Saw it at the back of a toilet door where there was a box for syringe disposal (in Darling Harbour, Sydney):

Look at what I made!

2011-03-09T18:19:00.001+08:00

My Kindle cover that I sewed by hand.

1st and 2nd attempts with the oven (a Christmas present from the in-laws)

2011-01-18T23:14:00.000+08:00

#1 I baked a pasta with chicken and broccoli today - Jay says it tastes like hostel food!! It was too bland, the chicken was tough and overall not good. Oops...

#2 After that, I made banana cake for dessert. It smelt really good while it was baking. It doesn't taste half bad either, although it doesn't look good! Haha. Don't know why there's a big gash down the middle.

Practice will make perfect.

Heading to Jakarta end of the week for work.

Christmas and New Year's in France

2011-01-14T16:13:00.000+08:00

OMG 2010 is over!

2011-01-14T15:56:00.000+08:00

TIME FLIES and my year of 'Pre-Motherhood Travels' is officially over! That doesn't mean that I am not going to ever travel again - don't think I could survive like that! - but it does mean an end to month after month of traveling. Which means an adjustment in lifestyle.

What do I feel like I achieved last year?
-Extended travels around France -- this was one of my childhood dreams and I'm glad I did it.
-Bungee jumping (off Vic Falls, no less) -- another one of my dreams
-Safari in Botswana -- another tick off something I've always wanted to do
-SNOWBOARDING in the Alps -- big tick off one of my must-dos in my life
-Passed my DELF B2 exams (barely...but hey, I did pass!)

Yes I know it was a selfish year (and we can add Ireland, New York, Australia, Bali, South Africa/World Cup to the above list), but it was my year of being selfish and of indulging myself. Must I really get down to real life now and do the 'responsible' things? Sigh. YES.

Hmm I wonder what I am going to do this year...
Oh that's right - trying to get pregnant! Okay, that means I need to schedule a visit to the gynae. TMI?

Also, I need to get serious about my part-time job and actually do some work.

Have been neglecting Jay a little.
Let's start small -- one special date a month.
Learn how to use the oven and make a few simple dishes with it.
Be a better housekeeper -- should I stop the part-time help and clean the house myself?? HMMM. Oh the menial decisions I've been reduced to...

Church -- have also been neglecting church. Kind of hard to do stuff when I'm not physically here. Needs a little more thought and a lot more prayer! Feeling-wise, I feel like I want to take a step back though.

Continue with my French, if only the Alliance Francaise could have more classes for the Advanced level.

And next week, I will be starting once a week art classes at NAFA! This is also something I've always wanted to do.

Okay, enough thinking for now. My brain is not used to all this hard work ;)

Melbourne

2010-11-08T14:11:00.001+08:00

I've really been blessed with some wonderful sunny Melbourne days. Of course, the occasional random rainshowers happen, as do gusty winds and freezing mornings, but on the whole, good strong sun which makes for enjoyable strolls around the city.

Highlights: St. Kilda, Camberwell market, Dandenong Ranges, muay thai.

I've been going for a few sessions of muay thai here in Melbourne, just to keep fit. Supafight Gym: www.supafightgym.com.au
I mostly work on the hanging punching bags by myself, and if I'm lucky I'll get a couple of pad rounds in with the trainers. It feels good to work out without soaking in sweat by the end of it! Feels less tiring too.

Meeting up with friends has been fantastic! Lots of quality time with bestie SL, good meals and fellowship with FS and JS (and meeting little Lily), and ET and PK, caught up with DP and MJ.

Also, I really like the girl I'm staying with, LL. She's a friend's sister, met her for the first time when I showed up at her front door. Plus, did I mention the great location of her place-right by Crown Casino!

Haven't gotten any studying (French) done although I had hoped to have more discipline. Please God don't let me fail!

Before Melbourne was Sydney. We stayed with HS and his brother's family, who had an adorable pretty little girl, Chloe. Wish I'd taken a picture of her...maybe Jay has one on his phone. Highlights: Bondi beach, The Rocks market and DFO (where I bought a pair of children's Converse sneakers for $35 and CK underwear for $10 each-a steal!).

I'm really enjoying my holidays! It feels so good (I'm sure I've repeated this enough times already) to not have any responsibilities and be free to do anything and everything, without a list of things-to-do (especially ministry stuff). Jay has been great through it all.

Am on my way to meet Sam now, then head for muay thai. Will be back on Wednesday night!

Acting grown up

2010-10-23T12:52:00.000+08:00

So, I walked into a kids shoe shop in New York and started browsing, and this nice sales lady comes up to me and asks, "How old is the little girls you are shopping for? Can I get her shoe size?"

UMMM "Oh, I'm shopping for myself!"

Embarrassed giggles. I walked out with two pairs of calf-length boots that fit really well! :D Frankly, I was surprised that boots are supposed to be tight around your calf and fit to your feet that nicely...I've never had that before! So I was even considering getting the larger size that was too big, because that's my norm.

Browsing at another children's clothes store and saw a pair of ski pants (which I need for snowboarding in December). Sales lady: "How old is the child? I'll check for size."

Again, I had to explain they were for me. Nice conversation about how much cheaper it is to shop in kid's sizes. And I got the pair of ski pants for US$30 (vs. US$80 in the women's department!). Score!

Sometimes there are perks to being small-sized. Well, one perk: its cheaper!

Before I sleep...

2010-10-20T15:00:00.000+08:00

I leave NYC in less than 12 hours. I can't believe how fast this trip has gone by! I feel like I only just got here, and there is so much more to discover and unearth, and people to meet up with and get to know. Its been so great and I will be nostalgic replaying the memories for the next couple of months.

1) 10-year reunion with my girls at Sammy and Matt's beautiful wedding in NYC/Connecticut. One of the most touching and enjoyable weddings I've attended so far.

2) Random hilarious moments with Vicki and Krystle - the beeping security tag, late night liquor runs and big guns, silly photograph moments.

3) Checking out Suni's work on her journey to becoming a famous designer.
4) Billy Elliott and Wicked (LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!).

5) Taking in the famous sights of Central Park, NYSE, the Bull, lady of Liberty, riding the Staten Island Ferry, visiting museums.

6) Walking, walking and more walking around NYC! I've never walked so much in my life before!!
7) Making a new (secondary) friend Jonathan while my (primary) friend Suni was busy slogging. (j/k!)
8) Shopping. Fifth Avenue, Woodbury Commons.
9) Running at Hudson River Park.
10) Desserts and snacks. Doughnut Plant, Levain, Magnolia Bakery.

Bright lights of Times Square New York

2010-10-11T13:38:00.000+08:00

It is like day time with the many lights of Times Square brightening the night! I wonder how much electricity is used up by Times Square alone. There were thousands of people on a Sunday evening, more NYPD than I expected - officers, cars and horses - due to the bomb scare a couple of weeks ago I guess.

Bustling and vibrant!

Teenage crushes

2010-10-08T14:29:00.000+08:00

I just found a mixed CD made for me by a guy who used to have a crush on me, but the feeling was not reciprocated. So on the front of the CD, he had the following diagram:

So cute! And the songs are all French.

The first song: En Apesanteur

J'arrive à me glisser
Juste avant que les portes ne se referment
Elle me dit "quel étage"
Et sa voix me fait quitter la terre ferme

Alors
Les chiffres dansent
Tout se mélange
Je suis en tête-à-tête avec un ange

En apesanteur
Pourvu que les secondes soient des heures
En apesanteur
Pourvu qu'on soit les seuls
Dans cet ascenseur

Elle arrange ses cheveux
J'ai le coeur juste au bord des yeux
Et sans la regarder je sens la chaleur
D'un autre langage

Alors
Les yeux rivés
Sur les étages
Pourvu que rien n'arrête le voyage
En apesanteur

Pourvu que les secondes soient des heures
En apesanteur
Pourvu qu'on soit les seuls
Dans cet ascenseur
Dans cet ascenseur

[Translation: Weightlessness

I manage to slip in
Just before the doors close
She says to me "Which stage"
And her voice makes me leave the terra ferma

So
Numbers dance
Everything gets mixed up
I'm in face-to-face with an angel

Weightlessness
May the seconds be hours
Weightlessness
May we be the only ones, alone
In this elevator

She tidies up her hair
My heart is on the edge of my eyes
and without looking at her I feel the warmth
Of another language

So
My eyes are riveted
On stages
May nothing stop the journey
Weightlessness
May the seconds be hours

Weightlessness
May the seconds be hours
Weightlessness
May we be the only ones, alone
In this elevator
In this elevator]

The second song: Le Grand Secret

Laisse-moi être comme toi
Laisse-moi être toi
Laisse-moi être ton sang
Laisse-moi un peu de temps

Je rougirai quand je te verrai
Et quand je te parlerai
Mais quand les lumires seront éteintes
Je te dirigerai sans crainte

Laisse-moi faire comme un garçon
Laisse-moi cette illusion
Laisse-moi être ton roi
Laisse-moi le faire comme toi

Je te montrerai comment on fait
Et puis je te remplacerai
Je ferai comme une fille qui se défend
Une fille qui perd son sang

Laisse-moi être comme toi
Laisse-moi plusieurs fois
Laisse-moi être tes yeux
Laisse-moi faire l'amoureux

Et si un jour tu devais t'en aller
Est-ce que tu pourrais bien m'emporter
Et si un jour tu pouvais tout quitter
Est-ce que tu pourrais garder notre secret

Laisse-moi être ta croix
Laisse-moi essayer
Laisse-moi être juste toi
Laisse-moi être comme toi

Je te laisserai trouver la voie
Et puis je penserai comme toi
Comme une fille qui voudra prendre son temps
Comme si c'était la dernière fois

Si tu devais un soir
Est-ce que tu m'emmnerais?
Et t'envoler sans moi
Est-ce que tu m'emmneras
Et si un jour on pouvait s'en aller
On pourrait bien enfin s'envoler
Et si un jour on pouvait se quitter
On pourrait bien encore se retrouver

[Translation: The Big Secret
Let me be like you
Let me be you
Let me be your blood
Leave me some time

I will blush when I see you
and when I talk to you
But when the lights go down
I'll guide you without doubt

Let me act like a boy
Leave me this illusion
Let me be your king
Let me do it like you

I'll show you
how it's done
And I'll replace you
I'll act like a girl who fights
A bleeding girl

Let me be like you
Let me several times
Let me be your eyes
Let me make love

But if one day
You should leave
Could you take me with you?
But if one day you could
Leave everything behind
Could you guard our secret?

Let me be your cross
Let me try
Let me be you
Let me be like you

I will let you find your path
And I'll think like you
As if I were a girl who'd like to take her time
As if it was the last time

If you should one night...
Would you take me with you?
Fly away without me
Will you take me with you?

But if one day
We could leave
We might finally take each other
But if someday we could
Leave each other
We might finally
Find each other]

How come so emo??
Will post further songs later, when I figure them out!

From: http://lyricstranslate.com

9 jours plus!

2010-09-29T19:14:00.000+08:00

Je ne peux pas croire qu'il n'y a que 9 jours jusqu'à mon depart pour New York! Y, je veux visiter:

-Statue of Liberty
-Ferry to Staten Island
-The Met
-Empire State
-Walk Carnegie Hall
-MoMA
-St. Patrick's Cathedral
-Broadway
-Walk Brooklyn Bridge
-Ice-skating at Rockefeller or Central Park
-Top of the Rock
-Jog at Central Park
-Greenwich Village
-Harlem church service
-Woodbury Commons
-PS1 museum
-Soho
-Southstreet Seaport
-Union Square (Farmers Market)
-Meatpacking district
-Nolita
-Wall Street

Malheureusement, je n'aurai que deux semaines - trop court pour visiter toutes les places. Je vais essayer! Et pendant un week-end j'irai à Rye, Connecticut, pour le mariage de mon amie, Sammy. Je suis excitée. Je n'ai pas rencontré mes amies (Sammy, Vicki et Krystle) de Hong Kong depuis l'année 2000! Ça ira notre réunion de 10 ans :)

Je dois practiquer mon français; alors j'écris en français. Mon examen de DELF est 9 decembre. Je ne suis pas confiant du tout. Je vais étudier pendant mes vacances.

Honesty's not good?

2010-09-28T22:16:00.000+08:00

Watched "The Invention of Lying" the other night. In a world where people don't know how to lie (their brains just can't process lying or imagine that it is possible), people speak the truth all the time. This should be a good thing, shouldn't it? But in the show, the fact is that if you've got it all (looks, money, body), then you'll get encouraging comments all the time - "You're so hot" "I love your money" "You've got a great smile". But if you don't have any of the above, the world gets pretty depressing because you'll hear the truth about your shortcomings from everyone -- "You're ugly" "You don't know how to dress" "I'd never be caught out in public with you" "You may be nice but I could do much better" and the days are filled with discouragement.

I've never really thought about it, but this world where everyone speaks the truth all the time may not be a very nice place to live in. Which is a little surprising because instinctively you'd think that a truthfully honest world would be better than what it is today. I guess honesty needs to be tempered with wisdom--you also need to know what NOT to say. Is that still honesty though?

Ma belle vie

2010-09-22T19:17:00.000+08:00

Seeing as I've been MIA for so long, here are a few of my favorite pictures from March to September.

Bali with the family

With my mom and sister on Seminyak beach

Ubud rice paddies

Shangri-La Hotel, Kota Kinabalu with Esther

Sunset drinks

Wakeboarding

All over France

Of course, the iconic Tour d'Eiffel

Old bridge leading to Carcasonne, sunset

The beautiful Hyeres, Cote d'Azur, where I spent one week at

Ireland

Pearly and David, Dublin

Africa

Sunset at Robben Island, Cape Town, looking across to Table Mountain

Never-ending rainbows at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Love the awkward grace of giraffes, Chobe, Botswana

One of my favorite pictures: Lioness stretching before a hunt, Botswana

More family time

My brother's wedding: Sarah and Roger, KL, 7 August 2010

Cherating, Malaysia. My kungfu fighting family!

Jay's 30th birthday

At Oriole Cafe, Singapore*

Funniest shot of the day: hungry Joel!*

Joyful Shane and Nalinee*

The special bond between mother and son*

Sun and Moon Dining, Central Clarke Quay, with Jay's family

Nathan and Daniel make me laugh

And to end off, a series of the two funny boys: I think they were trying to act like cats! For real.

*Photos courtesy of Grace Wong
Helen and Kenneth's Wedding

The beautiful Helen on her wedding day, POD at NLB, Singapore

I've known Helen and Renee since my first days in Singapore, a decade ago! We've been through a lot together, and I'm glad we are still close. Congrats to Helen - 18 September 2010. Renee's big day is a month away - 23 October 2010. LOVE YOU GIRLS!

2010-09-22T18:16:00.001+08:00

I've been filling my days with meeting up with fellow tai-tais and friends :) Its so relaxing to have a cup of unrushed coffee with dessert cakes, catch up on life, talk about God, parenting styles, traveling and everything under the sun, and end of the day with a good session of muay thai! And then head back home at night to see my husband. Its a good life!

Another thing I have going on is trying to study for my French exam. I'm taking the DELF B2 exam in December, and have preparatory classes at Alliance Française every Friday, which I'm finding very difficult at the moment! Seriously challenging, and I'm very behind the rest of the class :( so I'm trying to make an effort to spend 1-2 hours everyday studying and catching up...its only happened once this week so far! But I'm confident my discipline will improve - motivated by panic and wanting to be good at whatever I do!

Leading Lifegroup is taking up some time and effort. Although it only happens every two weeks, the preparation takes time. The responsibility of it is heavy. Same with Worship ministry. I guess we rarely feel good enough, but there's no choice but to take a deep breath and take the plunge, whatever it brings. The other option is to be beaten by the fear of failure...which I try not to take, ever. Its interesting that I'm blogging about this now, without meaning to. The last LG session was about 'seeing the wind' - the challenges and difficulties in our endeavors that may make you take your eyes off God or the aims, which may discourage you - and I had shared that I felt I didn't have any real challenges. And this week we'll be talking about 'crying out in fear' - isn't it interesting that the most common command in scripture, that occurs more often than any other, is 'Fear not.' Perhaps He says it so often because fear is the number one reason we are tempted to avoid doing what God asks us to do (John Ortberg). Something to think about.

Time flies! And so well :)

2010-09-21T00:09:00.000+08:00

I just read my last post back in February this year, when I said I think I need to push back France to 2011. Yet two months later, in April, I left for France for one month! And I'm going again in December for Christmas and New Years!

This is an awesome year for traveling. Not working has been the best thing for me, because I got to fulfill a couple of my dreams: (i) backpack France for an extended period of time and improve my French; (ii) bungy jump - and at the Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe/Zambia, no less!; (iii) attend the World Cup (in South Africa); (iv) go on a safari (in Chobe, Botswana)...and there will be a fifth at the end of the year - snowboarding in the Alps! That's a lot of dreams come true in half a year, don't you think? God has really been blessing me. Not to say that it just falls in my lap, because I've had to work for it, but He did provide me with a good job the past few years, so I could save up enough to travel, and I also have a fantastic husband who is supportive and understanding of, if not ecstatic with, all I want to do (because he does tend to get left behind in Singapore on many of the trips..!).

In between traveling, when I was back in Singapore, I felt very aimless and purposeless, with no structure to my days. I felt like I was wasting time and you know how I like to be a productive person, on the go all the time. Well, after a couple of days/weeks thinking about this, an ex-client called me up and offered me a job: part time and flexi hours, working from home, project-based, and best of all, I could still stick to my travel plans. So I just have to say that God knows best what we need, and He likes to take care of us and He wants to bless us, if we will let Him. I know I am so fortunate, and that is not something I take for granted or lightly.

I can't believe it's almost October and before we know it, 2010 will come to an end. This year has passed by incredibly quickly - I think I say that every year, but it has truly zipped by! Oh, and we also got a new church home at Playfair, which is really good.

I'll leave you with a few pictures of April - July 2010. Will be headed to New York in October and Australia in November. More updates to follow.

Notre Dame, Paris

Toulon

Argentina vs. Mexico, Soccer City, Johannesburg

Ghana vs Uruguay, Soccer City

Kiss my...never mind. Chobe, Botswana

Church group in Zimbabwe

The sprays at Vic Falls, Zimbabwe. We got drenched!

Guarding the kill - a suffocating buffalo calf

111m bungy jump, at the bridge between Zambia/Zimbabwe

When I want to stop blogging exciting things happen!

2010-02-08T09:55:00.000+08:00

WEDDINGS 2010 (SO FAR)

•27 March: Ben and Melody (SG)

•7 August: Roger and Sarah (KL)

•18 September: Helen and Ken (SG)

•16 October: Sam and Matt (New York)

•22 October: Junie and Derby (Sydney)

•23 October: Renee and Bryan (SG)

So far. A lot more 2010 weddings unconfirmed as yet but happening for sure! Super duper happy for all my friends.

TRAVELLING (SO FAR)

•6-9 March: Sandakan

•19-23 March: KL

•26-30 March: Bali

•26 June-10 July: World Cup!!

»26-28 June: Joburg (R16 match)

»28 June-2 July: Cape Town

»2-3 July: Joburg (QF match)

»3-6 July: Victoria Falls/Zimbabwe

»6-9 July: Chobe National Park/Botswana

»9-10 July: Joburg

Victoria Falls

•15-18 July: Batam (okay, not really a holiday here)

•4-14 August: KL

•New York?

•Sydney?

•France - I've decided I need to push this trip to March 2011...I simply don't have enough time this year!

[BREAK]

2010-02-02T10:58:00.000+08:00

Hey, just a quick note to say that I am going to take a break from blogging and updating online! Let you guys know when and if I start again! :) Its been fun, but I need to focus my time more wisely for now. 2010 is challenging! Haha.

Much love xx

Goodbye 2009, Helloooo 2010!

2010-01-04T17:14:00.000+08:00

Have been lazy to blog (and besides, I've been sick and still am), so here's a little photo diary instead.

FITNESS MOI!

2009-12-20T12:49:00.000+08:00

MY INAUGURAL HALF-MARATHON 21KM, STANCHART

The hardest thing I've ever had to do, both mentally and physically. The hardest I've ever pushed myself. The most painful my knees have ever been. Not sure whether I'll do it again...maybe when the memory of the pain fades. But I'm proud of myself for completing it. 2:40:22. My plan was actually to walk a fair bit of the route...walk, then run, walk, then run. But after the 14th kilometer, it got too painful to restart the running after the walking, so I more or less ran the whole thing, SLOWLY, interspersed with one-minute stretching to avoid cramps. I also forgot my energy gels (left them in the car!) and was running on reserves. Thank goodness for the banana station, which was supposed to be at the 12km mark (that was the one thing I was pushing on to from 10km), but didn't show up til the freaking 13km mark! I kept praying for the banana stand! HAHA. I considered quitting so many times throughout the run, but I'm glad I didn't.

The day after the 21km, I left for Phuket for two weeks of muay thai! Yes, I was incredibly sore!

SUWIT MUAY THAI

Two trainings a day. A 20- to 30-minute run to the beach. Skipping (I did manage to work my way up from five minutes to 15 minutes!) with weighted ropes...my arms gave way before my stamina / legs, each time. Three to five three-minute rounds of one-on-one pad work with the trainers (I know this doesn't sound like much, but you get so exhausted by the second or third round!). Battling the heat of Phuket as well...much hotter than Singapore. Bag work the rest of the time, or jumping on tyres, or sparring, or sit ups and push ups. Whatever motivates you. Your time, your target, your goals.

I hope I improved, but I felt very slow (compared to the trainers) most of the time. It was never fast or strong enough. Constant shoutings at you of "POWER! POWERRRR!" and "MORE!" as you fought for energy and strength to last you the round. Knowing that they would end with 10 sets of jabs / punches / uppercuts / hooks and 10 - 30 kicks to each leg after the first buzzer went, and therefore having to conserve the last reserve. I didn't stop aching the entire two weeks, first from the half-marathon then from the continuous trainings!

Better than the perversely enjoyable punishing trainings were the people and friendships made. Diverse nationalities came together and built friendships. Junie, Sacha and I were practically the only Asians there, other than the local Thais. Denmark, Norway, Spain (and Canary Islands), England, USA, Canada, Lithuania, NZ...it was great. We can now speak random words of Danish. HAHA.

Another highlight is Jay visiting me over the weekend. It was great to talk things out, sleep on a nice soft bed with a pillow (at the gym, the pillows are ridiculously high and hard, so I didn't sleep on a pillow and instead risked a sore neck), have nice hot showers (the heater at the gym room didn't work either!)...and have someone to cuddle up to at night! :) It was also good that he got a glimpse of the sport that is my hobby, and what is involved at trainings, etc. If not sharing my enjoyment then at least understanding it.

Other pleasures included Patong (both in the day - in the form of aimless walking under the scorching sun, compliments of Bang! - and at night...with the vibrant night life and dancing til 4.30am), the beautiful beaches and mellow waters, eating at our favorite haunts (and learning the Thai words for our favorite dishes and drinks - we had to, since we went to roadside stalls which didn't understand English!), reading by the pool and the great second-hand bookstore where I got five books (fantasy is my current genre of choice), being entertained by Buddy the adorable black dog which kinda looks like a rottweiler and loves water and kept jumping into the pool to play with us, late night talks over Bacardi Breezers, wine and Chang beer, massages...

All in all, something I'm eager to do again next year! Here are some pics.

Party in Patong

One of the beaches

"Patong fight girls!"

Dinner on my last night, Phuket Town.

Training with the maniacally grinning Mood.

Ruben's fight night at Nabon Stadium.

After training at Suwit.

Biz

2009-12-01T11:36:00.000+08:00

What a waste of a business trip. Was told yesterday afternoon that I need to be in Jakarta today, so I woke up early this morning to catch the first flight out. Touched down at 8.30am local time, and am now told that the meeting won't be til 12pm!! UGH. So I'll be waiting around and wasting my time til then. Surfing the net now (haha)...planning my ski trip for February to Japan! It'll be my first time skiing or snowboarding, and my second time seeing snow for real!

I can't believe the Stanchart 21km is THIS SUNDAY!! Feel unprepared, as I've only clocked up to 11km...I still have double that distance to go! I'm also very excited about the muaythai camp, I leave NEXT MONDAY!! There are a million and one things I need to do before that, including Christmas caroling stuff, putting up our Christmas tree, etc. And I'm not even in Singapore to take care of the things now. Sigh. OH WELL. Okay, got to go and pretend to be working on something now ;)

Family Portraits

2009-11-24T16:00:00.000+08:00

We recently did some Tan family portraits with Lawrence of the Peepshow Machine. Here's a peep preview:

Photos turned out really nice! For more, you can go here.

Children are a blessing from God

2009-11-24T09:40:00.000+08:00

All taken at Isabella's 2nd Birthday Party on 22 November 2009.

SO FUNNY

2009-11-23T12:47:00.001+08:00

This is the post-wedding party version of the dance in, slightly more boisterous, slightly more drunken. Good laughs!

Let's live it up

2009-11-23T12:19:00.000+08:00

SUPERHEROES BOWLING!!!

2009-11-22T12:20:00.000+08:00

What a fun night! Started out with a yummy Indian dinner at Sakunthala's, with the grand entrance by Jedi and Princess Leia. We capped it off with bowling at CSC...Jon a.k.a. Apu was ahead by miles (he only lost his concentration when he had to bowl with his 'fro on). Random people came up to us to ask for photographs. Others just stared or pointed excitedly. It was like we were celebrities! HAHA. If only it were for the right reasons...sigh.

All the world is waiting for the sun

2009-11-21T09:41:00.000+08:00

While we're on the subject of rain, these lyrics came across my ipod today when I was running. Breaking Benjamin puts it much better than me:
"Rain, rain, go away,
Come again another day.
All the world is waiting for the sun.
All the world is waiting for the sun.
All the world is waiting for the sun."
I ran for 90 minutes today. Broke the 10km mark :) Not sure how far it was, but it wasn't over 12km. Since it was at Macritchie though, there were LOTS of uphills! I may get muscular legs at the end of this.

Its Raining Outside

2009-11-19T17:39:00.000+08:00

Rain, rain, go away

Come again another day

You're ruining my plans

To go for evening runs

Rain, rain, go away

Come again another day

I need to train and I haven't done so

Because you've come everyday!

Proud of myself!

2009-11-13T16:21:00.000+08:00

I'm so proud of myself this week! :) I'm not usually this boastful, but my running training this week was awesome, by my standards, because I actually ran four days in a row (and I don't run, nor do I like to)! Most of the credit goes to ANGIE who started me going. I'm feeling *a little* more confident of the half-marathon coming up in THREE WEEKS! I still haven't run more than 10km in one go though...and the 10km runs I've done were for races / events. But let me tell you what I've done:
-Monday 48 minutes / 6.5km on the treadmill (but I did have to walk for a couple of minutes in between)
-Tuesday 60 mins / 8.5km at East Cost Park with Angie (again, a couple of short walks in between)
-Wednesday 32 mins at Botanic Gardens with Angie (too many slopes! very tiring)
-Thursday 60 mins / 8.5km from my condo (at Yio Chu Kang) to Sommerville Road, Bradell...Jay was at his sister's place for dinner, so I ran there from home, knowing I'd have a free ride back :) Was aided by my trusty blackberry for GPS directions, as it was only my second time going to Celine's place, and that time it was by car.

Tonight we are having SUPERHEROES BOWLING for our lifegroup! I'm going as Catwoman, meowww. Pics to follow.

PS. I won't be looking quite this sexy, don't worry!

S$23 Mac & Cheese Brunch

2009-11-11T13:08:00.000+08:00

Enjoyed my $23 (before 17% gst and service charge!) macaroni and cheese brunch at PS Cafe on Sunday. At that price, at least it looks good. Haha. Liming had a Caesar salad...can't fathom that! ;)
The sticky date pudding (which i always always have at PS Cafe) was so delish! Didn't have time to get a picture of it before we dug in.

UPDATE: Here's the signature sticky date pudding which I never miss! Absolutely yummylicious and sinful!

Sheraton Laguna, Phuket

2009-11-10T11:12:00.000+08:00

Happy Birthday T!

2009-11-05T17:11:00.000+08:00

Thank you for being a PRECIOUS part of my life.

Update: I'd written "previous" instead of "precious" by accident...smart Tiff managed to work it out that she's not a previous part of my life! HAHA.

Sunday

2009-11-02T01:21:00.000+08:00

67 minutes of pain, struggle, stitches, thirst, tiredness and perseverance over 10 km of long hard road, with a sprained toe. Isn't it (breathing, stamina, etc.) supposed to get easier????? How come it's getting more difficult!?! :(

PS. The winner was about twice as fast as me! Leah Malot from Kenya, with 00:33:54!!

PPS. Luckily, I got lovely dates with my girlfriends (first at Graze, then at Verve). While waiting for T at Ikea, I fell asleep on the couch in one of the showrooms. Then I went to meet Jay at the airport at 10pm to welcome him home. He's been in Sydney since Wednesday.

Follow up: Sat&Brenda's wedding

2009-10-31T15:28:00.000+08:00

2009-10-30T17:31:00.000+08:00

A guy walks into a bar...
"OW."

What did the fish say when he swam into a wall?
"DAM."

Holidays Recap?

2009-10-29T15:41:00.000+08:00

Someone asked me how many holidays I've been on this year. Hmmm....excluding trips to KL to visit my family, I covered in 2009:
1) Mt. Kinabalu, Malaysia, in April
2) Banaue, Philippines, in June
3) Penang, Malaysia, in July
4) Lombok, Indonesia, in August
5) Hong Kong in October
6) Phuket, Thailand, in October

And I will be in Phuket again in December for two weeks to train for muaythai. Many short regional trips this year. Next year's the international long-haul flights! :) CAN'T WAIT!

Experimental

2009-10-29T11:25:00.000+08:00

I got a lomo camera from Sacha some time back and I finally used it, first time using a lomo! Wasn't quite sure how it worked or how the pictures would turn out, and because it feels like such a rudimentary instrument (using springs and the like instead of batteries or modern technology) in a plastic container, with a 'made in China' tag, I wasn't sure whether it was a toy or the real thing! HAHA. Here they are, taken in Phuket.

Fooling around...it felt pretty silly to do this!

The sandy white beaches and endless blues. Beautiful.

James and Jay bonding?

What's a holiday without table-tennis? :)

Adorable baby elephant playing on the beach. I was in love.

Us.

Being silly again.

More baby elephant bonding with the kids.

The Little Things...then and now

2009-10-23T03:00:00.000+08:00

Remembering the little things which brought me joy when I was younger:
• PRANK CALLS! We used to do this at girlie sleepovers.
• Squeezing four or five people in the small (passport) photo booths and taking silly pictures.
• Fabulous Four and Awesome Foursome exclusive clubs :)
• Girls vs. Boys pellet wars! This used to get us into trouble with teachers all the time. Our way of puppy flirtation.
• My adorable dogs.
• Going to late night movies at Pondok Indah Mall in our t-shirts and boxers.
• Lollipops – the oval flat rainbow-colored ones you get in Malaysia. I can still picture the square paper packaging. Not sure whether they still make these today.

These fond memories make me smile as I’m writing this. I had a great childhood. It was privileged, I must admit, but when I look back at the list above, I realize that neither money, nor international schools, nor maids or drivers, nor big houses, have anything to do with what made me happy.

What brings me joy now that I’m older?
• Enjoying a bottle (or two) of red wine with close friends.

• Meeting up with old friends – this is different from the above; because I grew up in several countries, all my friendships which are ‘older’ than nine years are not in Singapore. Only two are here with me: Amanda and Karen.

• Date night with Jay. Spending a quiet movie night at home together. Cuddling. Our nightly talks in bed.

• A good session of muay thai and sparring.

• GOD. Knowing I have served well.

• A satisfying shopping spree.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2009-10-22T12:23:00.000+08:00

A big hug and kiss to my precious sister, Pearly, on her milestone THIRTIETH birthday! :D Besides my sister, she is also my close friend and confidante. Although we live in separate continents (she's been in Dublin since I moved to HK in 1998!) and sometimes we only see each other every 1.5 years, irregular (haha) phone calls and a strong sibling bond keeps us thisclose at heart. She is the uber smart, independent and responsible one...it wasn't always easy growing up with someone so close to perfect, but she never flaunted it. She just worked hard. And in that, I had to push myself in school and sports so I wouldn't get left behind :) On her way to being a specialist consultant (in radiology), she has also found her ONE in David. Here's the happy couple on their wedding day:

LOVE YOU LOTS SIS! See you next year!

Food, food and more food

2009-10-20T22:40:00.000+08:00

It was a good getaway, with LOTS of food! Delicious dim sum, late night noodles and beef brisket, roast goose, peking duck dinners, quaint and old school cafés...it was a feast every meal! I was perpetually full. Honestly, I’d still be full from breakfast when I have lunch, and feeling the effects of lunch as I ordered dinner. Haha. Good thing it was only four days. It cannot be good for my body, although great for my taste buds! :) Not much shopping...somehow wasn’t in the mood to do so. Example: I spent 1.5 hours in H&M trying on clothes (that fit), but didn’t buy one single item! It was also nice to spend so much time with my mom.

DIM SUM Happy Valley.
Abalone siew mai, har kow with golden flakes and sharksfin, baked char siew tarts. It was so delicious.

LIN HEUNG tea house. A step-back into 'old' Hong Kong. Loud patrons, old men reading papers, dim sum trolleys, fighting for your food, sharing tables, attentive old waiters who refill your tea.

YUNG KEE at Wellington Street. Roast goose. Mmm...

The best thing was catching up with friends though. Nicky, Rene and Ryan from the good old JAM days, Steven from JIS and HKIS, and new friend Ben, Nicky’s boyfriend. Some things never change, and it is so good to know that friendships last through the years and distance, without really staying in touch. It was nice to see how everyone grew up, how they are getting on in life, how we all went in different directions. How God is still a part, big or small, of our lives. How He makes everything work and puts the pieces together.

R&B

2009-10-20T20:00:00.000+08:00

One more engagement! Renee and Bryan, congrats! I'm really happy for you guys... you're so cute together!

Renee is my oldest friend in Singapore. She was my first, second and last neighbor in Temasek Hall throughout my three years there. She was housemate after graduation, my colleague in my first job, and the bridesmaid at my wedding. It has been a nine-year journey, full of the laughter and tears that make us stronger. THANK YOU.

F.O.U.R.

2009-10-14T16:52:00.000+08:00

Two of my good friends just got engaged! HAPPINESS.

Sammy and Krystle are friends from my two years in Hong Kong. The last time I saw them was in June 2000. We were the new kids in school and banded together, along with Vicki. All from diverse backgrounds, with different interests and personalities, sharing silly moments, feel-like-you’re-going-to-die laughter and lamenting puppy loves. FRIENDSHIP.

Sammy found her one and only in Matt, and Krystle found her dreams in Beto. I found my best friend and lover in Jay, and Vicki is close to finding everything with Eddy (I think). LOVE.

Picture of Sam and Matt in Warren, NJ.

In our first week in Hong Kong (Krystle, Sammy and I had just moved there), and citizen Vicki was showing us around. The four of us crossed the big big road in Causeway Bay, in front of Times Square, along with the rest of the world – if you know Hong Kong, you know how packed and crowded this road crossing is – and somehow, we got stopped by the police! For jaywalking on the road with hundreds of other jaywalkers! Did we look that young and clueless and helpless in the big real world?? The three newbies didn’t have our IDs yet, and only Vicki could produce any sort of identification. They let us off with a warning. RANDOM MEMORY.

When we all went our separate ways after graduation, we agreed to meet up again after ten years, if not before then. That’s next year, 2010. Time really flies. And now it seems like we may meet at the wedding(s)! But we’ve been excitedly throwing up reunion location options prior to the engagements. I’m the furthest away from everyone...they’re in California, New York and Texas. Other options have included the beaches of Mexico and the Caribbean, Europe and the US. REUNION.

Running and the Ties that Bind

2009-10-12T11:07:00.000+08:00

I've started training for my 21km run on 6 December 2009! I ran the last two weekends with Angie at Macritchie...first run for 30 minutes (about 4km maybe?) and the second run for 45 minutes (about 6.5km maybe?). Its still not that far, but it's a start! Not quite sure of the distances, but those are my best guesses. Every step I run is still a struggle...I feel so tired and need to be just thinking of the next step, the next minute, the next landmark, to keep going. Is it supposed to be like this? The first 15 minutes are the most tiring and where I feel most out of breath (!!!)...then it doesn't exactly get easier, but I get more used to the pain of it. I don't know what people mean when they say their mind goes blank or relaxed when they run, or they feel they can think more clearly...I did try to meditate or just think of verses when I ran, but I couldn't focus. I could only think of the next step and summon the energy to keep going. Even when I did the 10km Yellow Ribbon run, I kept thinking "just the next drink stop...just the next kilometre...just ten more steps...just fifty more steps" when what I really wanted to do was to think of verses of God giving me strength and how "they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint..." Is this normal??? Will I get past this constant pain and struggle?? I really hope so...but so far, this is why I've disliked running all my life.

The next two weeks I'll be kind of taking a break, as I'll be in HK this week (16-19 Oct) and Phuket next week (23-27 Oct).

We had a greeeat weekend!
(i) Worship Leading Workshop by Melissa - this was so gooood! Mel is a great teacher, she imparts such wisdom and teachings in a simple way, in a personal way, in a way which makes you feel like you can achieve it. I am looking forward to the rest of it!

(ii) Dinner at Robertson Quay with Terence and Grace Wong (so great to catch up with them!), Ming and Jong Ee and adorable Shane (he really stole our hearts), Joshua, Lin, Dawn and Suni (it was just so nice to see everyone chatting and laughing over delicious Taiwanese food). Lovely relaxing night.

(iii) Running with Angie - okay, didn't enjoy this so much, but I know its a good thing to do! So I did feel a sense of achievement at the end of it.

(iv) Sathish and Brenda's wedding at The Sentosa Resort and Spa - fun! Surprisingly so, considering we didn't know a single person on our table, and I barely know Sat and Bren (and Jay doesn't know them at all!), haha. Brenda and I share a special common friend from five to six years back, and I've probably only met her about 2 - 3 times briefly / in passing, and only once with a proper sit down coffee and chat. Amazing, isn't it, the ties that bind through the years?

(500) Days of Summer

2009-10-08T17:37:00.000+08:00

So I did manage to watch (500) Days of Summer this afternoon...that makes FOUR movies in SIX days! Woohoo. I'm on a roll here! Romantic comedy starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (I remember him from 10 Things I Hate About You, a decade ago! which had Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger) and Zooey Deschanel. Its a romantic comedy, with a sort of quirkiness that comes from it portraying the truthfulness of life and breaking up. ("Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl doesn't.") I didn't quite connect with the characters though, so something was missing for me, but it was pretty enjoyable and fun.

THREE MOVIES IN FIVE DAYS!

2009-10-08T12:18:00.000+08:00

Woohoo! It must be a record...I managed to watched three movies in the last five days. As in, at a theatre. Unfortunately, I can't be bothered to really review them, but here's a short summary:

1) L'Heure Zero: french movie based on an Agatha Christie novel, a good old-fashioned 'who done it' which was quite enjoyable. Murders, motives, framing, beautiful but unstable women, the quiet ones (still waters run deep), and the handsome murderer.

2) Surrogate: I found the concept of people living through surrogates very interesting, living in a perfectly safe world where you can take all the risks you want, but without the physical hurt. It was fun to see how everyone would look in an idealized world, where everyone is beautiful and good-looking, flawless.

3) La tête de Maman: une jeune fille, Lulu, decouvre un photo de sa maman, où elle est sourit et heureuse. Mais Lulu ne peut pas se rapeller un temps quand sa mere est joyeuse…elle était toujours déprimée. Lulu commence une journée de raporter le sourire de sa mère. Excuse my french, if there are mistakes. The movie was a little slow, but appearances by Jane Birkin were a bonus :) Plus, her songs were playing throughout.

I hope to catch (500) days of Summer this afternoon as well. Will let you know how that goes, if I watch it!

A touching wedding, among others

2009-10-05T15:21:00.001+08:00

Congrats to Liyu (or Basia, as she is now known...although I still call her by her pre-baptism name) and Jia Jun! They are such a genuine and loving couple, who tied the knot on 03 October 2009 at FCBC. Everyone was touched by the love, honesty and sincerity they shared towards each other and towards everyone. A truly blessed wedding. Even Jay teared ;)

A haircut, which makes me look really young (but it doesn't bug me). Amusing incident on Saturday, which Tiff suggested I recount. So, Angie was sending me back home after our morning run, and we had to tell the security guard at the condo that she was just dropping me off. The guard looked at me and enquired, "Going for tuition ah, girl?" WHAT?!?!? I guess I looked.........12 years old??! HAHA. And Angie was like, "I look like your mother?!" Hmm...I wonder what people think of Jay all the time!

Went for dinner last night to celebrate Celine's birthday. Super yummy Thai food, which is affordable and, dare I say, cheap? It was packed. Luckily we booked. Nathan and Daniel were cute as usual. They spit saliva all over the delicious and fattening durian cake when they blew out the candles. Will post pictures later, hopefully.

"If you aren't living on the edge, you are taking up too much space." (Jim Whittaker)

Lizard killer

2009-10-01T23:21:00.000+08:00

I dislike lizards. I'm not exactly freaked out by them, but they do scare me a little because they move so fast. And I hate finding them around the house. Which we do.
This one in the picture unfortunately died with half a bottle of Baygon ("all insect killer: fast knockdown, long lasting action!") sprayed on it! It wasn't easy, mind you, because it ran under the piano, behind the door, in between the amp...but I could see its oily Baygon trail so I could follow it.
I'm now sitting near it as it wiggles and dies (its making intermittent little squeaky sounds - do all lizards do that as they are dying, I wonder), and waiting for Jay to come home to clean it up. I don't really want to leave it alone in case it finds the energy to crawl off somewhere. Besides, the floors in both bedrooms are slick with Baygon so I don't really want to be walking around. Jay should be home in ten. Til then, I'll sit here and blog about lizard killing.
The other way I kill lizards - but only baby ones - is to smack it with newspaper. I'm not brave enough to do this with adult lizards though.
I used to have kill creatures myself when I lived alone. I was always armed with Baygon - for freaky cockroaches (now, I AM really scared of these smelly winged insects!) as well as lizards. I think that's a major major advantage of having a husband and living together - HE can take care of all the killings now! Except when he's not home.
Jay's preferred method of killing lizards is to throw boiling water on it. Although effective, the major faults are that the lizard may have run off by the time the water boils and also you don't want to be getting your cupboards and books wet when they run and hide.
What's your method?
PS. Its still making little hiccup squeaks now, and waving its feet in the air. But slowly and surely, it is ebbing.
PPS. I really don't like to kill things. But I prefer killing them to wondering whether they will shit on my clothes or dirty my plates and utensils. And having baby lizards. That may spring out at me and shock me when I reach in to get stuff. So don't think too badly of me please.

My Husband the Hero

2009-09-28T10:13:00.000+08:00

Last night, past midnight, we were on our way home from a wedding. JH was nice enough to give us a lift in his Jaguar. We come upon a street brawl in the middle of the road (on Ang Mo Kio Ave 8, outside YCK MRT), between two middle aged men. They were quite aggressive, shouting at each other and throwing punches and kicks; I saw a few connect quite hard. A short discussion ensued in the car as we pulled to the side of the road, "Should we help? ... Do you think we should break them up? ... Should we call the police? ..." But when one of the men ended up on the ground, in the way of oncoming cars, and the other jumped on top of him and started strangling him, Jay and JH jumped out of the car and sprinted to the brawling men and tried to pull them apart (JH was on the phone calling the police at this point as well). So hero! I watched from the car (in my high heels and silk dress - otherwise you know I'd have gotten out to help too...any chance to kick some butt!), adrenalin pumping. A police van happened to be passing by on the road - very timely - and a few policemen jumped out of the van and broke up the fight for good. We never did find out what the fight was about, and what happened after that. We just got back in the car and drove home peacefully.

What an exciting end to the night!

PS. Jay's my hero! ;)

Those closest

2009-09-24T23:36:00.000+08:00

Spent the long weekend in KL with my family. Celebrated my mom's 5-th birthday (she would not be happy if I told everyone her age!), and it was pretty good because we got my siblings in Dublin on Skype and we all shared in the slightly offkey rendition of Happy Birthday :) I think she was happy and felt loved.

Roger and Jay had a good time watching soccer for hours. It was quite funny: Jon, Pearly and David were on Skype and D was watching an exciting match of gaelic football (with his home team, I think) on tv. The Chelsea match was also on at the same time, but Jon (who supports Chelsea) couldn't watch that match with D not budging from the tv, so he was running back and forth to his room to check the score online and whether there were any goals. In KL, we also had the Chelsea match on tv, and Jay and R kept shouting out fake scores and goals and fake commentaries (remember we're on Skype), and poor Jon kept saying, "WHAT??! Oh no!!!" I was the nice older sis who told him the truth each time! haha.

It was also great to spend some time with my endearing grandparents. We were supposed to meet them for dinner before heading to the airport for our flight, but we were running late and ended up taking them with us to the airport and having dinner there. So it was an real outing for them (they don't go out that much anymore, with mobility issues and what not), and an experience for me trying to walk from one end of the airport to another with geriatrics who need to walk V E R Y S L O W L Y . . . You don't realize how big a distance is until you see the discomfort of someone you love trying to walk it. But I think they enjoyed it, and it was great to sit with them and treasure them. Yes, my wa-gong had his cap on sideways because my dad told him it looks better (why he would do that, I don't know..!) and my wa-ma always smiles like in those old black and white Chinese family portraits. They are so cute!

And what's a trip home without sports? :) And of course, massages, seeing as my mom now owns a Spa. It was lovely to be home.

J's 29th with the family

2009-09-24T12:18:00.001+08:00

2009-09-24T12:16:00.001+08:00

Another bruise to add to the collection...

2009-09-14T23:52:00.000+08:00

I've started sparring again, after a 3-year break. I feel clumsy and slow, unable to read opponents and defend or block quickly enough. I know I'll get better though, and right now, I'm enjoying every moment of it, despite the bruises, despite being kicked and punched in the face. Adrenalin rush!

The Fat Controller and the Thin Controller [Thomas the Train]

2009-09-14T11:18:00.000+08:00

Adorable cuties. Daniel uses his big tum tum to shove into things and into Nathan (to irritate him), and when you call him the Fat Controller, he smacks his round stomach and does a little jig. Its so cute. Nathan, on the other hand, needs to put on a little weight. And learn how to share with his little brother. And stop smacking him. But he's still a good boy most of the time :)

(At Celine and Stephen's new place)

September babies at Au Jardin, Botanical Gardens. One-year old Samantha was asleep, but still posed with Uncle Jay, who turned 29. A pity we had to rush off from that party. Thanks Terence and Grace for inviting us! We'll come visit another time and play with Samantha properly :)

Jay celebrating with his friends at Holland V. YUMMY chocolate ice-cream cake!

PS. He liked the Bally wallet I got for him, and the lovingly made card, of course :))

Been a little uninspired to blog these days

2009-09-11T17:52:00.000+08:00

Jay's birthday is TOMORROW. 12 September. Turning 29. I bought him his present over lunch time today. I hope he likes it! And I made him a card. I regularly make him these amateurish cards which have crooked edges, laser printed pictures on regular A4 paper stuck clumsily on whatever cardboard surfaces I can find (sometimes I cut out the cardboard from a box, or tear out the covers of notebooks!) and cute quotes and words scribbled across.

Been watching Australia's Next Top Model at work when I'm free and bored. Which has been quite often this and last week. It passes the time :) Better than going (window) shopping right?

Spoke to my sister yesterday. Sadly, we speak only twice a month or so. Timezones (Dublin) and work (radiologist in training - she takes her BIG BIG BIG exams in November, if she passes she gets to be a specialist consultant, woohoo!) and all make it a little difficult to schedule in more regular conversations, but even so, we are very close. I always feel really happy when we talk. I don't have to explain my whys and why nots, or justify anything. She just gets it without the explanations.

Jay and I have gotten a cleaning lady to come in once a week to do the big household chores, like bathrooms and floors. Money well spent, I say! Its such a relief not to have to come home and worry about the dust building up on the floor or putting aside the extra 20 minutes to clean the bathroom. Instead, I can actually enjoy some couch time these days instead of my mind finding slots of time to schedule in house work. Sigh.

I wish I had more time to meet up with my friends. Not just church friends. Whom I see every week haha. But my non-church friends, who we are supposed to be showing Christ to.

I had my second French class yesterday at Alliance Francaise. Its amazing how much you remember, and how much you've forgotten. Its quite fun. I've moved up a level, as the first class was too easy. This second class is pretty easy too, but I'll stay. (PS. Everyone in class thinks I'm really good! But I don't care about that - I've actually done all this before so it's quite embarrassing, its like repeating a class. But I don't want to stress myself out or push myself too hard for what is supposed to be a fun refresher course.)

Off to Muay Thai now. Au revoir!

WE DID IT!

2009-09-07T00:17:00.000+08:00

God blessed us with excellent weather (even though I was praying for rain, so I could have an excuse not to run), with overcast greys, slightly chilly wind and even a short light drizzle (like those cooling mist fans). The heavens opened and it poured shortly after everyone finished the race. Awesome!
10km: Jay (~00:57) , Josh, Angie, me (~01:06).
5.8km: Winston, Meiling, Kiat Siong, Tiffany (~00:38), Henry.
Great job everyone!

Yellow Ribbon Prison Run

2009-09-01T09:00:00.000+08:00

I've been so lazy its not even funny.

The Yellow Ribbon Prison Run is this Sunday 6 September 2009. I signed up for the 10km run six weeks ago, and since then, I haven't trained. I did a single 3km run last week, on the treadmill. There will be nine slopes: three major and six minor. I am so dead.

Good on the rest of the people who have been training: Angie, Tiffany, Winston, Meiling...even Jay :) Proud of you!

"The inaugural Yellow Ribbon Prison Run 2009 is an iconic run that offers participants an opportunity to run through the Changi Prison Complex while passing through historical sites such as the Johore Battery, Changi Chapel Museum and Old Changi Prison Wall. Finishing off at the new Changi Prison Complex, participants will see the development of a new generation prison designed to cater to the security and rehabilitation needs of the prisoners. Going Beyond the Run, it is about giving ex-offenders a second chance to start afresh and conveying the message that what matters most is not about the fall, but how one gets up that counts."

Kimberly Ovitz

2009-08-31T14:17:00.000+08:00

I can totally see myself wearing this stuff: effortless, slouchy, nonchalant. That's ideally what I aim for in my daily clothes. Love it. Ovitz says, “You should be able to throw something on in five or 10 minutes and be done...Less is more for me.” I get ready in 20 minutes every morning...from jumping out of bed into the shower, to pulling my clothes on, minimal make up and running out the front door!

There is a world out there...

2009-08-25T15:46:00.004+08:00

Reza is an Iranian award-winning photojournalist. While Reza makes his home in Paris, he is often traveling throughout the world documenting the horrors of war. He compares the various worlds that he lives in-Paris and Washington, D.C.-to the sinking of the Titanic. "We're living on a big ship during the best of times. We're enjoying grand parties, great food and wonderful friends. But this ship is surrounded by blood and famine and disaster. I feel like I'm one of those people living on that ship and from time to time, I slip out into the water. After a while I return and try to explain, 'Hey, there are people out there who are dying. We should do something about it.' And when I see that people aren't taking me seriously, I remind them of what happened on the Titanic. One day, if we don't take care of those in the deep, dark, icy waters, it could happen to us."

Pictures from National Geographic. Photos and captions by Reza.

2009-08-25T15:46:00.003+08:00

"To escape the firing squad, Gulag prisoners would get the portraits of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin tattooed on their chest. Who would have dared shoot at one of Socialism's heroes? Gennadi Vassilievich had done his military service in the '50s. He had traveled all the way to the Chinese border under Stalin's order. After the collapse of Socialist ideology, Gennadi added a cross.

On the Russian bank of the Amur River, I observed him, staggering along, lost and dressed in rags. Through his half-opened shirt, I saw his tattoo. I came near him and greeted him. I detected fear in his eyes. I introduced myself and asked his name. With difficulty, as though he were scouring his memory, he announced, 'Gennadi Vassilievich,' and started to weep. Then he apologized. "You know, nobody has asked me my name in ten years. Nobody. Ever since the day I was thrown out of the plant where I worked, out of the house I lived in. I have roamed the streets for ten years.'"

2009-08-25T15:46:00.001+08:00

"This photograph went around the world. Other countries in Africa used it to deliver a message: 'Look, you can erase dictatorship.'

Ahmed Sekou Touré ruled over Guinea for 25 years. His unexplained death while he was traveling abroad left a vacuum favorable to confrontations over power. We were about a hundred journalists authorized to cover his funerals, after which we had to depart the country leaving the struggle for power succession to the darkness of misinformation. I pleaded a physical ailment to stay a few more days. Three days later, a military coup d'etat got the better of the claimants to the dictatorial throne. In the streets, the freed population sang and danced to the rhythms of Bob Marley and drums. Any reminder of the man who had ruled in terror was erased."

2009-08-25T15:45:00.001+08:00

"'Your house, your country, your story are within you if you let them enter. Wherever you are they follow you,' he told me.

Then with a sigh, his eyes gazing at the Afghan mountains, he admitted that he would not be able to survive without seeing his land every day. He had fled the war, leaving his village and his past behind, and had settled with his loved-ones not far from the border. He had waved the caravan to stop in this place. He said he would go no further, that they would make camp, and his decision was final. Nobody dared contradict the elder, the wise man, and life was organized accordingly. He spent his days reading the Koran or poetry."

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"As he is about to leave the orphanage Chang tells his roommates that he has to avenge his father. Chang is twelve. A little soldier from an armed squadron, he stops people, checks them out and questions them. Sometimes he kills without any qualms. 'I was ten, I was following my dad, a soldier, near the front that separated the zone controlled by Pol Pot's Red Khmers, between the Thai border and the city of Poipet. I led the same life as his troop. One day I was walking behind him, my head bowed down. I heard a very loud noise. The ground was lifted up into thousands of particles. When the smoke cleared I saw my father. I sat down next to him, close to his torn up body, his earth-stained body. I stayed there for a very long time, motionless, and promised to avenge him. I have been a soldier since.' Chang was taken in by an orphanage for street children. I had given him a harmonica as a present to replace the rifle he had left. Within hours melodies resonated like complaints from the instrument. After he removed his uniform, the little soldier became a child again. He played and made drawings happily. Two days later Chang had shriveled up. He found shelter in silence. Agitated or prostrate, he was no longer at peace. The dark circles under his eyes betrayed his sleepless nights. Nothing and nobody could stop the devastating madness of his internal imprisonment. The next day Chang ran away."

I feel PINK today

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Pictures from flickr, calikartel

Have a fairytale weekend!

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By Rebecca Wetzler for Madison Magazine

Because its Thursday.

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Because its Alexa Chung.

Source: various

Highlights and/or Lowlights

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Saturday: stayed til closing time (4am) at Butter Factory. Got blisters from all the boogeying in my heels.

Sunday: attended a wedding at One Rochester. Got into an argument with J. Worked it out. (Thoughts - sometimes, even when both sides try their best, it still isn't enough to meet the other's expectations. And I guess I understand a little of when marriages fail, even when both parties have tried to make it work. That's where grace comes in. That's where putting the other person first comes in. That's where you say that your relationship is more important than being right, than being disappointed, than your wants and expectations. That's where love comes in. Love-the verb, not the feeling.)

Monday: tried out a muay thai gym recommended by a friend! Good workout. Aching. May fight again..? Apparently there's a fighter who's about my weight (<40kg) who's looking for opponents. Exciting thought!

Tuesday: surfed the web for S. Africa/Kruger Park/safari research, in between work. I love planning holidays. Had a sweet little do at home celebrating my birthday belatedly with J. He got me CDs of my favorite instrument (cello) and tiramisu from TCC, and we sat on the floor listening to Yoyo-Ma. Its the simple moments like these that make it count.

Random picture of us back in 2002 or 2003!

Lombok & Gilis

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It was a wonderful holiday for the both of us, from the private villas, to the relaxing meals in the gazebos, to the wandering animals, to the beautiful diving and to the friendly and warm people of Lombok! It was a much needed break (other than the food poisoning on the last day!). Definitely an island we would go back to...love it.

Runway where we landed in the evening, with the beautiful pink and blue hues against the hilly skyline.

In our morning breakfast gazebo at PURI MAS VILLAGE.

Surrounded by the pond and lilies. Uber relaxing and chill. You can't help but feel loosened coming from the city life!

Taking a walk by Senggigi beach.

Saying hi to one of the resident dogs, a gorgeous and huge collie!

At our second villa/resort: IMAJ VILLA. Jay posing by the big bathtub in the room. However, we were only here in the Honeymoon Villa for awhile, until they got our (normal) room ready :)

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Peacocks roaming the grounds of Puri Mas...very charming!

Relaxing on the boat ride out to the dive. I think that's Gili Trawangan behind me.

Jay after a dive.

By the Blue Marlin Cafe at Gili T on our lunch break.

Getting ready, final ok!

On our last evening, before heading out for dinner.

Sunset view during dinner at Warung Menegah.