Good one

It's a nice weekend. Relaxed & satiated with simple but good food :)

The usual yummy Hans american breakfast to start with.

Guess where & what we had our late lunch, with so many crab shells in the background?

Our favourite dim sum in Tampines!

Freshly made dim sum, which is why we love it (the man who's sitting down was making siew mai).
常来香港点心 @ Blk 820 Tampines Street 81.

Lunch at Cafeteria Il Lido with mum & sis today

We like the Vongole

Had dessert & hot matcha @ MOF after lunch

Yep... It's a great weekend.......... :)

Weekend before my Birthday

I wanted no celebration this year. Wasn't in a mood to do so mainly because of my career issue... & since it fell on a MONDAY......

Sun night went to Ivan's new house for an unofficial housewarming. Finally got to visit his place after talking about it for months:)

Ivan's 2-bedroom, partial seaview, apartment at The Bayshore

After dinner, we played Monopoly Deal till it's time to go home. Just before we're preparing to leave, I had a very pleasant surprise when Con 'presented' a cake to me. I was touched:) We joked that she's trying to compensate the boo boo she made for hubby's birthday, haha. But I know she & the rest were sincere in wanting to celebrate my birthday with me.

My first birthday celebration with hubby's family

I wanted no present too but hubby insisted, so ......

My stylish Sony Ericsson W995!
Now I can take more beautiful pix with my 8.1 megapixel phone cam!:D

My weakness. His Kindness.

The last 2 weeks had been mainly about work.

God has been very kind to me indeed. Last July, I took a long break because of the move. After we got everything settled, a contract job came knocking on my door. It didn't come too early nor too late.. so wonderful how He worked - I supposed to start to look for a temp job once we moved out in end Aug but the first week was very unsettled @ Aunt GS' & the 2nd week was spent on getting ready the room in Bishan before we could move in. Then the following Fri, we went for our KL trip. Just 2 days after we're back, one of my ex-colleagues looked for me as someone she knew had a temp job offer. Supposed to be a 2-month job but they extended for another 2 months.

Thank God for the timely provision... to keep me active mentally & physically while earning a lil income. During this period I'd to be away frenquently to settle our housing matters. Would not be able to do so if I were employed permanently.

Completed the contact job end Jan & then busied myself with CNY preparations. Started to send in applications a week after CNY. Gone for 2 job interviews the following week & at the 2nd, got an offer.

I actually didn't want to accept it after a very stressful night of consideration. Undoubtedly it gives very good prospect in a 600+ staff strength French company with good pay - mainly regional corporate marketing & event organising. But the workload is overwhelming & as we're working very closely with the US office, there're frequent video conferences & conference calls. And it's worst when we've to include the UK office.. There's 1 monthly VC I know starts @5.30am as 3 time zones need to be match (US, UK & Spore)... meaning I gotta wake up 3ish so I could reach office at about 5am! And many of the con calls start @ 7am .....

So I turned down the offer. They wanted to pay me more but it's no longer a monetary issue (not that we're rich!).. higher pay would come with higher expectation. But the GM was apparently upset. He called personally & asked why didn't I give it a try before saying no. He said he'd big plans for me... he hoped I could eventually take charge of events & the next one's actually a tradeshow in Dubai. He then proposed a 3-month contract placement. I could leave even earlier than the stated period if I really find it unsuitable; it could also be converted to permanent if I want to stay. So I agreed to take on the job as I felt that God wanted me to learn something out if it, be it in long or short term.

2 weeks into the job. I'm already sure I wont't be in it for long... this type of lifestyle is just not suitable for me. Initially I was disappointed with myself... many would have jumped at such a career opportunity. Perhaps I've passed my prime? I do not know... I've let a few good opportunities pass me by in the past & this gonna be the biggest (yet also the toughest job).

When everything has been so unstable due to my loss of direction, God has given me light & hope through the constant support & love I always find in hubby dearest. I can't thank God enough...

This recent mental upheaval has set me thinking & helped me come to terms with my priorities. Guess one can't have the best of both worlds. God has been really really good to me. Like Gin said, I got almost every job that I wanted to get (which I'd give up in the end!), God is so patient with me.. gives me so many chances of trial & error...

I just pray that I can graduate from this 'course' soon.

His Birthday Dinner

Celebrated hubby's birthday last Sat at The Pump Room.

It's meant to be a surprise dinner, planned very last minute (like on Wed night when his birthday was on Sat?) with the siblings instead of just the two of us but Con was blur to the max. Back in AMK for dinner a couple of days before his birthday, Con asked "so how?". I knew it's coming so gave her a slight wink. June attempted to help by diverting topic. But instead of getting the cue, she thought I didn't get her question and blurted out another - "this saturday?". Then hubby who's next to me asked "what, Sat?" So that's it...!!

Timbre at The Art House was my first choice but too late to make reservation and we tried to walk in on Sat but full house! :/

Everyone's favourite - Yam cake from Angie The Choice :)

More like a friends gathering than family. But it's always fun & enjoyable:)
Quite sadly, meeting up with friends can be quite difficult nowadays as not easy to match everyone's schedule especially since many are married with kids.

Shopping Trip

Last Sat, we made another trip to JB to 'replenish stock'. Hee.

The 1st thing we did upon arrival was to treat our tummies @ Kim Gary Restaurant as we're so hungry. Wanted to restock my Vichy skincare products but sadly, there wasn't many items left.. many were already out of stock... there's no 20% discount too:(

Despite the disappointment, it wasn't a trip in vain ;)

Bought more items from Skinfood. Enjoyed a good saving of S$51 (which is 50% of the total amount spent), the biggest being the Rice White Mochi Pact (S$24.40 saved on this alone!). Seems like I might be a Skinfood convert if the products prove to be good for my skin.



The pair of blue shorts costs only S$6.30 (RM15)! & the top @ S$8.40 (RM20).. So cheeeap! But no trying.. thank God that not only do they fit, but also look nice:)

Hubby also bought a pair of sneakers @ S$16.70 (RM39.90) that could easily cost S$30 in Singapore.

And I claimed my ice-cream treat which hubby had promised me a few days before.

I love Baskin Robbins!
Our all time fav, Pistachio Almond, & now also Nutty Coconut..
Salivating now.........

We ended our shopping trip with a slightly early dinner at Sushi King:)

What Is Your Celebrity Style?

95% accurate.

CNY Celebrations & A Roaring Year Ahead

LNY celebration started a week earlier, on 6 Feb, when we had reunion dinner @ Kitchener Road's Pu Tien Restaurant with hubby's family & his paternal relatives. A total of 4 tables . It's a joyous affair... 喜气洋洋!:) After dinner, Con & boyfriend, June & family & the both of us adjourned to Canelé in Shaw Center for drinks/cakes & the post-dinner session only ended past 1am. Woopz... It'd been a long Sat for us both.. Went for my gel-nail appointment in FEP @ 11am while hubby's working. Had no intention to do gel nails tis year till all my nails became brittle due to the frequent contact with water (cleaning our new place) & the last day for doing gel nails was actually that Sat as the following week they'd only do classic mani/pedi.

The Thurs before CNY was a shopping day slotted last minute. Long story: I'd bought a very nice black-laced Cheongsam which I've been trying to find for a few years. The type of design & color I wanted exactly & much to my delight, it's not ex, @ $60 only. Then my dear hubby washed it, together with all other new clothes, with the washing machine. So you know the consequence even before I say it... my lovely fitting Cheongsam had become a fishtail Cheongsam. :_(

Hubby felt so bad that he's willing to get me another dress at all costs. But it's just 3 days before CNY....... So at the end of that day, I got a striking blue dress (the only piece I'd my eyes on after shopping for hours & it's cheap!) + a short skirt from FEP + a pair of jeans from Bershka. A fruitful shopping trip indeed ;)

Nobody seemed to be working on Fri (the day before CNY Eve).. Hee... Square 2 was crowded with last minute shoppers. We're in a festive mood too! In the evening, after hubby finished work, we rushed to sis' place for our Reunion Dinner. Sis prepped some sumptuous & traditional CNY food that filled the whole table....

On CNY Eve, hubby wasn't working so we could wrap up those household chores that we would only do on the eve every year - changing bedsheets & washing toilets. We thought this year would be much lax as all cleaning & packing were already done when we moved in but turned out that the nitty-gritty took almost half of the day to finish. In the evening, back to inlaws' for reunion dinner (steamboat) :) We left for home before 11pm & we only slept @4am! It's all because of ME. Hubby took care of the outstanding chores for the night like ironing our clothes, preparing the ang paos & getting ready CNY goodies while all I did was doing a bit of alteration to the dress I was gonna wear the next day & DIYing my pedicure. I took more than 2 hours just painting my toe nails as (I don't know why!) I kept messing them so had to remove & paint again, remove & paint again, remove & paint again! Grrr! Think I'll have my toe nails done by experts next year as my back & our time certainly worth more...

大年初一. We reached AMK slightly before 1pm... we're getting later & later.. oops. Had lunch & the usual photo taking session, bantering with siblings, mingling with the aunts/uncles, idling around.. hehe.

Taking "refuge" in the coolest & quietest place in the house --> MIL's bedroom:P

Some serious business going on before the family pic ...

We left about 4pm & went to Daddy's. Then got home for a rest & had dinner at home (mum cooked porridge... something light amidst the feasting) before meeting everyone again @8pm for movie (大兵小将) in AMK Hub. This year, lil Rylie joined us & he's such a good boy in the cinema:) After movie, FIL & MIL left & the rest of us went to Upper Thomson's Hans for supper.

大年初二. We enjoyed a slightly extended slumber & woke up just in time for lunch (开年饭). Mum cooked shark's fin.. Yummy!

Soon after lunch, PY & Brian came. Much time was spent on 'touring' our place & both parties shared experience in the making of our home sweet home. Glad they liked ours;) Also finally managed to see their wedding pix after more than half a year!

After they left, took some pix with sis & niece...

Amusing ourselves in our Walk-in Wardrobe:)


A nice one (纱龙照? haha!).. that's because we've a nice walk-in :P:P

Before aunt & family & sis left, I needed to excuse myself to get ready as we're going to meet June & family, Con & Ivan. A busy day indeed, with a chain of activities...

Before leaving home;)

We all met in McDonald's at Marina Sq for dinner then to River Hongbao. Know what? This is the very first time both hubby & I went for such carnival.. Hee... This year we wouldn't have gone as well if June didn't suggest it.

Prints, prints & more prints.. besides having a floral background, ha!

Spent about 1.5hour there & then to Evans Road's Mr Prata (24hours)... nice;) Again, we only headed home past 1am.

大年初三. The annual lunch @ 5th aunt's. She has also shifted about the same time... even later than us, just 1 week before CNY! And nearer.. only 1 train station away, in Yishun. Mum must be happy:)

After the 2nd stop @ another aunt's place, hubby & I returned home as inlaws & family would be visiting us in the evening. Con & Ivan tapao-ed dinner from Bedok hawker centre for all of us... it's a nice & casual dinner:) And our walk-in wardrobe has been a phototaking spot for our visitors;)

Look... someone's more than a Couch Potato! Haha!

The night ended early @ 9pm as the following day was a working day. So soon, the CNY holidays ended.

@ June's on Sunday (年初八). Nice pic they have from Cambodia.

Lo Hei @ sis' on 年初九 evening. We bought the Yu Sheng from The Soup Restaurant(三盅两件).. it's nice.

We supposed to celebrate Yuan Xiao with the sisters & their family as Sara's only back from a business trip to the US on that day morning. But Gin's mum is diagnosed with cancer so she wants to spend time with her mum. Totally understand how she feels.. we shall give her the moral support that she needs now. Talking about this, was texting Gin yesterday & got to to know that her mum's doing BRT treatment for her condition & turns out that she's a patient at hubby's centre. It's such a small world! Let's pray for God's healing according to His Will