Dec 2013: it was a month where temperatures started to dip. Arv and I went to a yakuza photo exhibition in NT. It was very fun as we both posed in the artsy lift with two wooden chairs. We had yummy Indian fare at TST after. (Arv had to return to Bangalore shortly in Jan 2014.) I miss him ! My face was noticeably narrower due to my gum and bone alignment from the braces. Nice to hear positive feedback that my face profile was improving. Saw a trumpet jazz duo performing along the cobbled Pottinger steps...they reminded me of the beauty in life and we should all be happy. For that reminder, my heart smiled and left them a tip. The nose op had turned out to be a good thing. It taught me to love myself and that I should enjoy my life. Work is but a mere portion of what constitutes who we are and how we live our lives. Friends, family , a good body, great diet, exercise and good positive thinking, good humour and a smile go a long way and are essentials to make me a more balanced person.
'Do what makes you happy
Be with who makes you smile
Laugh as much as you breathe
Love as long as you live'
Attended the Macau handover anniversary concert. It was a dazzling display of dance and theatre. Truly worth the one hour ferry across! Finally we ushered in Xmas with a buffet gathering with the sg / hk clan art get verandah. None too impressive as we preferred the more humble Bostonian. On whim, I flew to Tainan to meet Pris for a weekend trip up to Alishan. It was refreshing being amidst the thousand year old trees, and waking up at the crack of down to catch the elusive sunrise. After which I was in Bangkok for Zan & G's wedding ceremony. I missed the secondary mates I have known for over two decades. I then went to Siam Reap with Aud and hubby. Easy to say, we ushered in the new year with plenty of sunrises, sunsets, laughter, food, photographs and great Cambodian hospitality! It was an excellent trip to wrap up an eventful 2013.
Monday, March 03, 2014
Jun to Nov 2013
It has been insanely long since I last blogged. That was a good nine months ago.
So let me list some updates in chronological order.
2013
Mar: Wai Yi and Leng Yi in Hk. attended Esperanza Spalding's concert. Bought a baby bliss hair curler for my longer hair. Owen has left the company. 10s.
April: Was in SG to pack as parents were ready to sell their apartment. Went to new place in Msia and had seafood there. Experimented with cooking seafood. Been to Sai Kung many weekends with Chris. First ever trip to Taipei. Put on braces.
May: Attended David Guetta's concert. Met Mandy at bun climbing festival. Baked a lot of chocolate cake this month. Made belacan for sting ray bought in Sai Kung. Yx & Von visited.
Jun: attended the dragon races at Stanley. Made lor bak. Jie & Des visited. We went Ocean Park & Disney in the same weekend. Scorching but lots of fun!
Jul: Made bread! Went for a concert with Pi. Went to Bath & Bodyworks at Kwun Tong. Still going Sai Kung with Chris.
Aug: went hiking at tai O in search of the infinity pool with H & K. It was a treacherous hike! But great waterfall! Attended our country's national Day celebration at city garden hotel with D&R. Food was simply divine! Ate way too much. J's farewell drinks with the boys. They are such funny and gay people ... A joy to be around. Playing squash with C every week! Attended Msia ball with T&S - Food was great and entertainment was even better!
Sep: perfected my sour cream banana nut cake! Aunts and Ah Ma came to visit me! Attended mid-autumn festival at park along Aberdeen Rd. Had my birthday dinner at good O' Lin Heung with Arv, Pi, Steve, Jas, Flo, Chris. Got a brownie pressie from Arv! Bro came to Hk. I had endoscopic sinus surgery, septoplasty and turbinectomy to treat my sinusitis. Discharged in two days and bro cooked a delicious spread of yummy pasta, bread, eggs and tomatoes for me every day! Doc gave a month's medical leave.
Oct: bought a torch for bro to flame salmon and desserts. Also bought a blender for soups and juices! Walked up the peak to catch the beautiful sunset and kites flying in the sky. Bro loves Mak's noodles. Watched bro's collection of chefs, the art of seduction / behavioural documentaries , movies. While I recovered, bro experimented with cooking techniques and I learnt from him the essential value of exercise and eating well. We made crazy huge chewy cookies filled with cheddar! He overworked my Ac and microwave simultaneously and my landlord had to get them fixed. I needed to exercise so we went Tai Long Sai Wan and this time we went in search of the cliff jump. We found it and the dare-devil did not miss the chance to leap. Jackie gave birth!
Nov: as I got stronger, bro conjured more sweets like cheesecake, chocolate tart, garlic focaccia. It was inspiring and I could feel his intense passion and creativity. We decided to go Spoon for a taste of a Michelin Star quality food in a hotel. We tried truffle on soup and beef won the thumbs up. We didn't stop the exploring. We went to cyber port during sunset and caught a glimpse of the orange purple sky. It was breath-taking. He found a job opening at a restaurant and we decided to try. They served beef steaks only. Excellent fare. We OD ed on the desserts only to discover it wasn't part of the set meal price. We also explored a new Ramen shop at Cwb. This and Jiro Sushi show gave us the inspiration to visit Japan. The perfect plan came together when HK airline express launched a cheap fare. I booked a ticket for two for a weekend in Tokyo. We didn't plan much. Only knew we had to see Jiro, Robot, Shibuya, Shinjuku and maybe check out the love hotels ( I was on a budget...). We ended up visiting all of that plus playing baseball at an amusement centre, ate fresh and reasonably priced Sushi at Tsujiki market, had ramen and udon, walked the malls and were in awe of the culture , skyscrapers and bright lights. It was an eye-opener as our first time and definitely not the last... to land of the rising son. Jie and Avr came towards the end of Nov for us to all hang out, shop, eat at La Vache, Mak's, cook together and laugh together.... I love these people so much. Those were very precious days that I felt blessed, very happy and appreciative of the gem of a family I have. I rounded Nov up with the very brilliant music festival that is Clockenflap. 1975 , Nile Rogers, performed amongst many others. It was a great night with the happy bunch : Ch, Ja, ki, mand ... We danced our Sat night away together with tens of thousands of revellers ..... Kowloon waterfront park was magical that night.
So let me list some updates in chronological order.
2013
Mar: Wai Yi and Leng Yi in Hk. attended Esperanza Spalding's concert. Bought a baby bliss hair curler for my longer hair. Owen has left the company. 10s.
April: Was in SG to pack as parents were ready to sell their apartment. Went to new place in Msia and had seafood there. Experimented with cooking seafood. Been to Sai Kung many weekends with Chris. First ever trip to Taipei. Put on braces.
May: Attended David Guetta's concert. Met Mandy at bun climbing festival. Baked a lot of chocolate cake this month. Made belacan for sting ray bought in Sai Kung. Yx & Von visited.
Jun: attended the dragon races at Stanley. Made lor bak. Jie & Des visited. We went Ocean Park & Disney in the same weekend. Scorching but lots of fun!
Jul: Made bread! Went for a concert with Pi. Went to Bath & Bodyworks at Kwun Tong. Still going Sai Kung with Chris.
Aug: went hiking at tai O in search of the infinity pool with H & K. It was a treacherous hike! But great waterfall! Attended our country's national Day celebration at city garden hotel with D&R. Food was simply divine! Ate way too much. J's farewell drinks with the boys. They are such funny and gay people ... A joy to be around. Playing squash with C every week! Attended Msia ball with T&S - Food was great and entertainment was even better!
Sep: perfected my sour cream banana nut cake! Aunts and Ah Ma came to visit me! Attended mid-autumn festival at park along Aberdeen Rd. Had my birthday dinner at good O' Lin Heung with Arv, Pi, Steve, Jas, Flo, Chris. Got a brownie pressie from Arv! Bro came to Hk. I had endoscopic sinus surgery, septoplasty and turbinectomy to treat my sinusitis. Discharged in two days and bro cooked a delicious spread of yummy pasta, bread, eggs and tomatoes for me every day! Doc gave a month's medical leave.
Oct: bought a torch for bro to flame salmon and desserts. Also bought a blender for soups and juices! Walked up the peak to catch the beautiful sunset and kites flying in the sky. Bro loves Mak's noodles. Watched bro's collection of chefs, the art of seduction / behavioural documentaries , movies. While I recovered, bro experimented with cooking techniques and I learnt from him the essential value of exercise and eating well. We made crazy huge chewy cookies filled with cheddar! He overworked my Ac and microwave simultaneously and my landlord had to get them fixed. I needed to exercise so we went Tai Long Sai Wan and this time we went in search of the cliff jump. We found it and the dare-devil did not miss the chance to leap. Jackie gave birth!
Nov: as I got stronger, bro conjured more sweets like cheesecake, chocolate tart, garlic focaccia. It was inspiring and I could feel his intense passion and creativity. We decided to go Spoon for a taste of a Michelin Star quality food in a hotel. We tried truffle on soup and beef won the thumbs up. We didn't stop the exploring. We went to cyber port during sunset and caught a glimpse of the orange purple sky. It was breath-taking. He found a job opening at a restaurant and we decided to try. They served beef steaks only. Excellent fare. We OD ed on the desserts only to discover it wasn't part of the set meal price. We also explored a new Ramen shop at Cwb. This and Jiro Sushi show gave us the inspiration to visit Japan. The perfect plan came together when HK airline express launched a cheap fare. I booked a ticket for two for a weekend in Tokyo. We didn't plan much. Only knew we had to see Jiro, Robot, Shibuya, Shinjuku and maybe check out the love hotels ( I was on a budget...). We ended up visiting all of that plus playing baseball at an amusement centre, ate fresh and reasonably priced Sushi at Tsujiki market, had ramen and udon, walked the malls and were in awe of the culture , skyscrapers and bright lights. It was an eye-opener as our first time and definitely not the last... to land of the rising son. Jie and Avr came towards the end of Nov for us to all hang out, shop, eat at La Vache, Mak's, cook together and laugh together.... I love these people so much. Those were very precious days that I felt blessed, very happy and appreciative of the gem of a family I have. I rounded Nov up with the very brilliant music festival that is Clockenflap. 1975 , Nile Rogers, performed amongst many others. It was a great night with the happy bunch : Ch, Ja, ki, mand ... We danced our Sat night away together with tens of thousands of revellers ..... Kowloon waterfront park was magical that night.
Sunday, May 05, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Prayer for Guidance and Help
Dear Lord, I am calling upon you today for
your divine guidance and help. I am in crisis
and need a supporting hand to keep me on the
right and just path. My heart is troubled but I will
strive to keep it set on you, as your infinite wisdom
will show me the right way to a just and right resolution.
Thank you for hearing my prayer and for staying by my side.
Amen!
Read more: http://www.prayers-for-special-help.com/Prayer-for-Strength.html#ixzz2R7LrYc2m
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Mar to Apr 2013 Adventures
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| Curry Chicken (Complete with Cinnamon, Cardamom, Fennel, Curry Leaves and a host of Idian Spices) and Roti Prata |
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| I made Mushroom Soup and Garlic Spread for the 1st time |
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| Peking Duck and a Smoking Charcoal Steamboat! |
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| Veg, Razor Clams, Drunken Prawns and Rice (Clockwise) |
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| Tapas Restaurant to celebrate a Colleague's Bday |
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| The Greatest Rugby 7s player of all time, Waisale Serevi |
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| A true Jazz Legend - Miss Spalding |
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| Quaint shops littered all over Taiwan |
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| Pretty Awesome Niu Nan Niu Jin Mian in Taiwan |
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| Hotel Room in Taiwan |
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| Posh Jap Restaurant in Taipei |
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| Very awesome hidden restaurant in HK |
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| My Favourite Dish of the Night. Vinegar with Black Sugar Fish |
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| I really liked this Udon with Ikan BIlis and Spring Water Egg |
Am Back!
From the month of March to April, I think I had a few things going on.
Probably resting, looking out for a job, clearing out my flat for unwanted things, church, getting my skin back on track by eating well and cooking for myself. Many things were a first: Making garlic spread, steamed razor clams, drunken prawns.
In March, the hightlights were watching the HK Arts Fest and HK Film Festival, Russell Peters. I actually saw Esperanza Spalding at her concert, Momix, and Italian Opera during the HK Arts Fest! Also enjoyed Rugby Tens Live and Sevens on TV. Saw Serevi in the flesh!
In April, notably was a trip to Taiwan and a trip back home to help my parents move. My new home is now in JB. Of course my brother's birthday dinner at Etna. And signing up for a personal development course which my friend raved about. Been more active exploring the social media on my smartphone. Things like Twitter, Line, reading news and searching for jobs via Apps is a great way to surf!
I have been thinking my game plan for this year and spending a lot of time by myself to figure that out these two months.
Top of the list is to be working in something which I totally enjoy. This has been on my mind a lot and I've been looking out almost daily. That aside, I have been researching on a couple of ideas that I could do that makes me happy (but I probably only have time to do one or two of those):
- Volunteer with Hands on Hong Kong, or back to Kids 4 Kids (Waiting for HOHK to revert to me. If they don't I will go back to K4K)
- Pick up the Flute and Keyboard (Am already doing)
- Distance learning web design course so I could help my dad with a new website and maintain it: http://www.ouhk.edu.hk/WCM/?FUELAP_TEMPLATENAME=tcGenericPage2010&ITEMID=CC_COURSE_GUI_898296&BODY=tcGenericPage2010
- Travel to either Egypt, Sri Lanka, Tibet this year. This really depends on finances and time constraints
- Fitting braces as I want to improve the way my side profile looks
- Learn Driving (Not top priority)
I really have to either Climb, Learn Dance, Continue Squash and run on a more regular basis. Pictures to follow!
Probably resting, looking out for a job, clearing out my flat for unwanted things, church, getting my skin back on track by eating well and cooking for myself. Many things were a first: Making garlic spread, steamed razor clams, drunken prawns.
In March, the hightlights were watching the HK Arts Fest and HK Film Festival, Russell Peters. I actually saw Esperanza Spalding at her concert, Momix, and Italian Opera during the HK Arts Fest! Also enjoyed Rugby Tens Live and Sevens on TV. Saw Serevi in the flesh!
In April, notably was a trip to Taiwan and a trip back home to help my parents move. My new home is now in JB. Of course my brother's birthday dinner at Etna. And signing up for a personal development course which my friend raved about. Been more active exploring the social media on my smartphone. Things like Twitter, Line, reading news and searching for jobs via Apps is a great way to surf!
I have been thinking my game plan for this year and spending a lot of time by myself to figure that out these two months.
Top of the list is to be working in something which I totally enjoy. This has been on my mind a lot and I've been looking out almost daily. That aside, I have been researching on a couple of ideas that I could do that makes me happy (but I probably only have time to do one or two of those):
- Volunteer with Hands on Hong Kong, or back to Kids 4 Kids (Waiting for HOHK to revert to me. If they don't I will go back to K4K)
- Pick up the Flute and Keyboard (Am already doing)
- Distance learning web design course so I could help my dad with a new website and maintain it: http://www.ouhk.edu.hk/WCM/?FUELAP_TEMPLATENAME=tcGenericPage2010&ITEMID=CC_COURSE_GUI_898296&BODY=tcGenericPage2010
- Travel to either Egypt, Sri Lanka, Tibet this year. This really depends on finances and time constraints
- Fitting braces as I want to improve the way my side profile looks
- Learn Driving (Not top priority)
I really have to either Climb, Learn Dance, Continue Squash and run on a more regular basis. Pictures to follow!