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

Our New Home

We've more or less settled in & are enjoying our new home for more than a week.

No pictures yet as the novelty is kept for quite a few who'll be visiting us during CNY ;)

We didn't invite any but guess as we moved in just before CNY so everyone coincides with the occasion to visit.

The Month of January

Last month got a lil crazy.

After the New Year holiday, hubby went for his 2-week In-Camp Training (ICT) on 4 Jan. That's also the time when our renovation neared finalising.

The weekend before hubby left, he bought me this watch to cheer me on:)

Thank God I was on this contract job that allowed me to take leave as & when needed to attend to the matters concerning our new home. On an average, I only worked 5 days out of the 10 working days in those 2 weeks.

Had planned some activities for the nights without hubby - catching up with friends, watching DVDs, going online.... But I nearly did none of the above. Only managed to meet up with a couple of friends - MS & a few ex colleagues from PwC:

1) MS also took the chance to visit our new home & glad we'd some professional advice, we got to rectify a serious problem with our designer. He's been such a great aid... helped to source for some accessories & also helped me to transport some boxes back to Bishan, to the doorstep even. Should have considered engaging MS to do our new place...his company does mostly high-end projects so thought we couldn't afford. But when we got the final bill from our designer, the amount was of no difference to what MS told me. He then told me he'd given me a "friendship price" (友情价) with no hidden costs whereas others quoted cheap would come with a list of additional expenses upon completion. Hmmm......

2) Met up with the 5 ladies & we'd steamboat dinner in Chinatown. Not easy to find a common date & time to meet... which is why I really appreciate lots that they always give in to my schedule. After so many months, they still kept close contact with me.. updated me with the happenings & hoped that I could join them again, for the 3rd time. Well... I wouldn't want to do so though.

Almost every night, I got home (Bishan) not before 9. I've just got so many things to do. Then after settling down & the usual 30-min chat with hubby, my energy level would start beeping. The running around was indeed tiring.

Thank God hubby completed his ICT safe & sound & even booked out 1 day earlier due to good performance :) The off day came so timely.. we'd a full day on Fri (15Jan) to clean up our new home before moving in on sat (16Jan). We scheduled our move right after hubby's ICT which explains the mad rush in those 2 weeks.

There're more rectification works done during the first week we moved in (one of them was the changing of some floor tiles) which led to lots of inconvenience & lots of cleaning up whilst unpacking. Just recollecting the situation now sends me chills.

For the next 2 weeks, we worked in the day & unpacked at night... only turned in around 2am (or even 3am!) every 'morning' & woke up before 7am. Why the rush? We were having a Home Blessing session on 30 Jan by my old friend's Reverend hubby. And dear mum wanted to invite some siblings of hers & dad's over on the same day. We're initially against the idea as we'd no intention at all to have a housewarming. But she insisted of having one.. so in order not to disappoint her, we gave in... just those she mentioned.. no one else.

We got so stressed that both of us lost about 2kg each at the end of the move & all the hassles thereafter! It's an effective way of shedding some fats before CNY huh? But meeting all the relatives & friends with a haggard & lacklustre face is definitely the last thing I want :(

Though the whole process was exhausting, we're so glad to have our new home committed to God & blessed by Him.

Hello 2Ö1Ö !

Dec - a joyous yet exhausting month. More so this year as we're in the heat of our renovation.

This Christmas, presents were only bought for our families. No budget & no time. So comparing to wrapping 40 over pieces last year (& I always make sure that every present we give out is nicely wrapped), this was quite a breeze.

Sis & my niece went on a 9-day holiday in mid Dec so hubby & I were a lil busy shuttling between our temp home & sis' to spend more time with mum. Also stayed over @ sis' that weekend. On 21 Dec, the whole family had the annual reunion dinner for winter solstice, a day in advance as mum had cell group gathering on actual day. On 23 Dec, we brought mum to attend the wake service of SIL's (bro's wife) dad.

Christmas Eve, hubby & I went back to my ex-church with mum in the evening... the first time after all these years. I've never ever thought I'd go back again. But I did, and with hubby. Thank God:) We guessed mum's happy. Many years ago, she had her family (except bro & family) around in church especially daddy who attended all church events with her. Then months before dad was sick, I wasn't there anymore... shortly after, so were sis & family. When daddy became very ill, mum started to go to church on her own & till now. So this Christmas, she had one of her daughters & son-in-law with her again:) And I saw many familiar & welcoming faces... they said: "you're finally back....".
Hubby & I feel very happy that finally I'm able to overcome this hurdle. This Christmas has sure given a new meaning in our lives & our walk with God and was in fact the best Christmas that I've had in the past 20 years. My heart was literally filled with love, peace and joy:)

Christmas Day morning I finished with the rest of the gift wrapping, then had dim sum lunch with my inlaws. We brought them to Tampines. This year's Christmas party was in the evening, without bro & family & no one cooked. We bought lots of good food, all from different parts of Toa Payoh, so much that we couldn't finish! Hubby & I even went back the next day to have the leftovers for dinner & we nearly couldn't finish. Ha!

The week following Christmas, there's a slight change in plan. I didn't take the whole week off, as intended. Just 1.5 day (30th & 31st). Participated in hubby's company team building event. We went Sentosa's Palawan Beach in the afternoon & we had lots of fun.

New Year's Eve we're busy with housing matters for almost the whole day & also met our banker. Then past 8pm, we left for City Hall with our car parked @ hubby's office. Nope, we're not going for any countdown party... but to Robinson's to take a look at the beddings. Seemed like it's become a tradition for us every 2 or 3 years.. remembering the New Year's Eve in 2007 we braved the crowd in Orchard after buying close to $1,000 worth of beddings & pillows from Taka... haha. Not intentionally to make it a practice though. But glad we made the trip as we bought 2 sets of bedsheets... 1 for mum & 1 for ourselves. I love what we bought... been looking for similar fabric & color for so long! And it's cheap after a 50% off.. even cheaper than what I got from Taka just a few days ago which consisted of only a quilt cover & 2 pillow shams.

New Year's Day was a day without agenda. We went wherever we felt like including Ikea (again) to return some items we bought ...

So the start of Year 2010 for us is still all about our new place ;)

A Year of Events & Thanksgiving

Sembawang's 白米粉

We discovered this eating place beginning of this year, just before CNY. We happened to park our car near the coffeeshop one night as it's just opposite Sembawang Shopping Centre & were curious that it's so crowded. So we tried it out soon after.

Since then, there's no turning back hehe. We love the white bee hoon which is also their specialty.

Even now, though we're staying in Bishan, we'll eat the white bee hoon at least once every other week.

Don't be deceived by its appearance. The first time when we saw it, we thought "what's so great about it?"... Then we're pleasantly surprised that it tasted sooo good.. & light!
And on every single table, you'll definitely see a plate of this :)

Another of our fav dish to go with the white bee hoon ~ spinach with silver fish. Yummy!

The place looked quite JB ;)

That day, we reached early @ 5ish on a weekday. By the time we left was only slightly past 6 but diners already started flowing in. During peak hours, the wait could be really long. But the flexible part is that, for tapao which we sometimes do, we can call & order in advance.

Soon.... we'll be really close (to it) to enjoy it more frequently :)

New Saturday Routine

This is developed about 3 months ago ~ we will leave for hubby's office together. I keep myself entertained with my lappy while hubby works. Then we have american breakfast @ Novena Square's Hans (well-done beacon for us please). We've gone there so often that the waiter now knows our preference and automatically serves us extra butter without us asking:)

Hubby will then wrap up the rest of his work & we will leave for the day.

It's a "honeymoon" period for us these few months, ever since we moved out of our own home, as we don't need to do housework;) Everything's done by Uncle CH's maid, we just take care of our own laundry. So we've more time & most of it is spent on housing stuff as lately the focus is our new place, of course.

Last Fri ~ Sun

Last Fri after work we went to Vivo's Howards Storage World as I love their acrylic range.. expensive though. Also shopped @ Daiso. Had a nice evening walking around... looking out for stuff for the household & also for Christmas. As we'd planned for a late dinner elsewhere, we enjoyed a session of Ya Kun toast & tea at HarbourFront in the midst of shopping as "downpayment" for our growling tummy, hehe.

@ Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant(瑞春点心餐厅) along Jalan Besar (opp New World Centre). Hubby rinsing our tea cups:)

Seated in the alley behind the restaurant & it's so crowded @ 11pm.

Our fav is the 小笼包... Yummy! & not ex... The bill was $18 including tea & wet tissues.

I've been there a couple of times about 8 or 9 years ago for breakfast. I guess at that time , it's too early (@ 7am+!) for me to appreciate the food. The only impression I had of the restaurant then was that it's a traditional dim sum place. Then recently we visited New World Centre for our housing stuff & went opposite to Swee Choon to get some snacks. They tasted good! So we decided to go there for some dim sum. It's an ideal supper venue for the late nighters... Opening hrs: 6pm-10am.

So now, we've 2 options for dim sum supper... 1 in Tampines (which opens 24hours) for nice & cheap dim sum & the other, gotta be Swee Choon which is a lil more expensive ;)

Sat morning, I went for treatment @ hubby's followed by hydrotherapy. It's so good to know that hubby was working hard in the next room while I soaked myself in the hot water (it's REALLY hot ok) & a refreshing shower thereafter :) Besides making a trip to this particular Christian bookstore in Chinatown (but were disappointed by the variety available), the entire afternoon was spent in Ikea & IMM.

On Sun, after attending service we visited our new place. Sorted out a few things & then had dinner with mum. Sis would be away on holidays the whole week... left mum alone at home... so we gonna see her more often the coming week.

That's it, another busy but great weekend:)

@ Singapore Expo now ...

Hubby's having a booth @ the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon exhibition. So I spend the day here too ;) And been feeding myself with junk food while being with hubby these 3 days, haha.

Happened to see TM just now... he's running the 21km tomorrow.

Day Trip

Last Tue, we made a trip to JB. We used to drive there so often 5 years ago... so regularly that on some evenings we would just get in to have dinner after work.

What triggered this visit was the intention to replenish my skincare products.

I've switched to Vichy Normaderm after our last trip to KL. One of them was running out & I thought of replenishing & getting other products of the same range. Since I bought it more than 35% cheaper in KL, thought we could get the same in JB.

As we didn't dare to drive in, we took a bus. The new JB checkpoint is much more convenient & the walk to City Square is a hassle-free one.

For this trip, since it's a short 1, we just moved around within City Square. Had lunch at Kinsahi Japanese Restaurant which used to be our favourite restaurant as it's cheap & good. Previously it's only in Pelangi but now they've got quite a few outlets including 1 in City Square. But standard has dropped, except for their grape smoothie was still as good, & the prices increased, so guess that would be the last time we patronised them should we go in again.

After lunch, we had dessert. Always treat ourselves to Baskin Robbins ice cream (pistachio almond is our fav!) whenever we're in Malaysia:)

Vichy products are only sold at 2 locations in JB & thankfully, 1 of them is City Square's Watsons. However, the range I was looking for was mostly sold out & seemed like the prices had increased too though still cheaper than in Spore. Good that there's a 20% discount storewide so we paid almost the same price as in KL. But sadly, I only managed to grab 2 products:( Saved a good S$30+ on these 2....

Glad to see quite a few new stores there (new to us as we haven't been there for years) like Etude House, Skin Food,...

Replenished my Tea Tree Emulsion cleanser which is much cheaper there (savings of S$6!). Also bought a Peach Sake BB Cream which isn't even selling in Spore yet. I've asked when back & was told it'd only be sold here in mid Dec. I guess it's also cheaper, @ S$18+, than in Spore.


Had an early dinner @ Kim Gary Restaurant. It's funny that we've never dined in there before given that we've been to KL many times. Not in Spore too.

This shall be our regular restaurant when we go to JB:) Cheap... approx S$7 for a generous set meal.

Hubby's set meal - sausages + fried chicken & spaghetti with garlic sauce. His egg was without yolk!

His yolk's actually in my bowl of mushroom rice! Hubby gave it to me... hee!

Though only a 3-quarter day trip, it's a fruitful one for us (yes, esp for me:P).

Hubby is happy with his only purchase, a pair of shoes from Seeds @ S$20+ after a 70% discount.
As for me, on top of those skincare & cosmetics products, hubby bought me 3 pairs of shoes! :D

We shall go in again. Not sure when though as we've been really busy settling stuff regarding our new place.

It's Christmas Time in the City

Yesterday we went shopping in Orchard. Also bought some small decors for where we're staying now to make the place more Christmassy. :)