.::. 6th Anniversary .::.

Has it really been 6 years?



He made this for me for our 6th anniversary. It's similar to those beautiful (and very expensive) photo frames we saw in Norway. He bought the individual frames from IKEA and glued them together instead. It isn't worth that much - cost price $16.90, but it means alot to me. I gave him a 'Q&A' 'Love' book with many interesting questions which records all the memorable moments and events in the relationship. He's supposed to fill them up with his answers too.

We didn't even celebrate our anniversary this year. I was in China. We didn't celebrate our anniversary last year too. I was in Sweden. And the year before? We didn't celebrate it on the actual day because he was busy working on his racing car through the night and I didn't even get to talk to him!

As time passes, our focus and things we find important changes. I reckon all we care for now is to work hard, save up and buy an apartment so that we can build our future together soon. I don't seem to mind that we don't really go all out to celebrate special occasions anymore, and I'd rather stay home and snuggle up. Is this a sign of ageing too?!

The only thing which I look forward to is having the chance to travel together again. We have had many memorable memories traveling together and I love exploring new things and sharing those moments with him. He's my best traveling companion.

I'm glad to have found my soulmate and best friend in him. He's always so supportive and I know I can depend on him no matter what happens. Despite many more obstacles ahead and many issues which appear impossible to be resolved, I'm going to have faith and hope that love with lead the way.

P.S. You know I love you.

.::. Retainers! .::.

I left my retainers in a hotel in China when we changed hotel. They were together with my toothbrush and toothpaste which my sisters helped to pack. Apparently, they didn't notice my set of 'transparent teeth' and I did not double check the toilet thinking that there's nothing important in the toilet.

I only realized that I left it behind when I can't find it at night, in another town. No more chances of finding it back, and I mourned its lost. Retainers ain't cheap!

To my horror, I couldn't sleep well without retainers. I keep getting up at night for the past week, and it's extremely annoying when I'm really tired. I'm really surprised how much retainers have become a part of me.



The first thing I did when I got back was to order my retainers! Luckily the orthodontist still has my old mould and I waited a week in agony.

Now, I've brand new, shiny retainers! *beams! And it only cost me $85 instead of the $300 that I expected. My teeth has shifted and they feel tight now. But I'm happy. My teeth is moving back to where they are supposed to be.

My colleague got me the mask and yummy gum from Korea. The mask feels so cooling and smells nice while the gum tastes really special with pretty packaging.

On a random note, the budget terminal totally looks like a hospital. Doesn't it?

Moreover, Tiger airlines is the worse airline I ever sat. The seats were so cramped, worse than Jetstar's. There were so many seats which could not be inclined. The stewardess were so unprofessional and rude too! I was so uncomfortable throughout the 3-hour flight and she kept asking me to make my seat upright when we were about to touch down - in both english and mandarin. I just stared at her since my seat was totally upright. When I told her, my seat is not working at all, she actually said "Okay, it's fine. I'm just asking!' in a less-than-polite tone. Goodness!

.::. Year End .::.

December flashed passed in a blink of the eye. I was mugging for exams, buying X'mas presents, meeting up with the girls before Jo leaves for U.S. for a year. Then exams were over, met up with Jo for a last time before packing and flying to Hainan. By the time I'm back, it was already X'mas. And now, X'mas is over.

The exam didn't go that well, though I'm crossing my fingers. My dear Jo's having a white X'mas with her husband! The Hainan trip was filled with village visits, crystal shops visits, fire crackers, oily and salty food, bad traffic and an overdose of second-hand smoke. Not much of sight-seeing at all, apart from one Guan Yin on the sea.

There's one week left before a new year starts. How do I feel? Empty. Am I happy? I'm not sure.

I'm struggling with myself to let go of all the negative things and start the new year with postive feelings.

.::. X'mas .::.

X'mas is usually spent with his family. I mostly enjoy the X'mas meanls and present exchanges. It's also his nephew, Glenn's birthday.

This year's X'mas, it's somewhat different. It's the first time both sides of his family came together on X'mas day. And his mother invited her church friends to come over for X'mas carolling.

It's my first experience and I didn't look forward to it at all. I know I hated people preaching to me. He simply told me that many people are coming to 'sing songs'. A bus load and 2 more car loads of them came. Everyone had to 'join in' and sit together. It wasn't only singing, the stories came after the singing and prayers. The kids had to be separated from the adults, both listening to different stories.

I hated it. As much as I tried to ignore the stories, what I heard pissed me off real bad. For some reason, my blood boils everytime people try to preach to me. The classic line today?

"Chinese believe in 'god' with a small 'g' which they created themselves. But it's not the real 'God' with the big 'G'"

He even gave an analogy. It's like people being locked up in jail. Those who accept god's sacrifice for them will gain salvation and freedom while those who refuse to accept god's gift to them choose to continue to spend their lives in jail. And he said that all human beings were borned in sin for like 20 times.

There were many more ridiculous stuff which I found plain bias and resented having to sit through it all. To me, religion is created by man. It's something which people like to believe in to give them faith and strength.

Personally, only Christians have been preaching to me relentlessly. No other religions have ever even tried preaching to me. It turns me off just like a persistent sales person.

I hate it that they imply that you're stupid just because you did not believe in 'God'. It's like you'll find life less fulfilling or find less happiness just because you weren't a Christian and praised 'God'.

It doesn't matter even if you told these people that you were a buddhist or free-thinker. They would still try to 'sell' you your religion, and they don't find it rude to imply things like 'your' god is created by man while 'my' god is the one true God. I don't mind joining services now and then, when I feel like it. But it's one thing praising your god and another denouncing other peoples' gods. What I even hated more was that I had no choice - I could not choose not to sit through today's session or leave.

Today, I decided that I can't have a church wedding. I'll be a damn pissed off bride. I really don't foresee a day which I could stomach all these down.

Having said that, I know that not all Christians are like that. I've relatives and friends who are pretty religious, but they leave me alone. But one can't deny that Christians are the most active in 'recruiting' people. Even walking on the streets in Lourdes, people were trying to preach to us.

One thing I always wondered - By believing that your god is the one and only true god, doesn't that mean that other gods which others believe in is not the 'real' god? Yet there are so many religions around and they only believe that their god is the only real one.

I reckon it's difficult to get people to understand that different people have different opinions and believe in different things.

It's just like there are people who believe that couples who do not have kids are always less happy and it's because they are unable to have kids. Or those people who believe that it's a must and normal thing to get married and have kids to find happiness in life.

Is it really so difficult to understand and accept that different people are simply...different?

.::. Lovely Sisters .::.

They were the highlight of the whole trip.

*loves.

.::. X'mas Celebration .::.

We had our annual X'mas celebration last Saturday since Jo will be leaving for the States this Friday.

This year, Jo's dad cooked for us! *yumms!



Look at the spread - all cooked by Jojo's dad. Alone! My favourite was the salted-egg prawns. Delicious.

A group picture of all of us.

J4.

We celebrated Jojo's mum's birthday too. =)

Many thanks to Jo and her family for hosting us, and cooking such great food for us!

Every year, we draw lots among 4 of us to buy a present for one selected person. All of us will only know who we are buying for, without knowing who is buying it for us. It has been a ritual since a long time ago - I bet it must be Jo who came up with that idea.

This year's sequence is Qi --> Chye --> Ju --> Jo -->Qi

Jo got me an Estee Lauder's advance night recovery eye cream and I think it works! It might be an illusion but I observe improvements despite my lack of sleep and poor quality of rest these days. =D I got Chye a 'Goal' book which I really like from Kikki.K, Chye got Ju a Crabtree and Evelyn's La Source set while Jo got an apron and hand warmers from Ju. =)

So, Jo's leaving soon. I'm gonna miss her and her crazy ideas.

.::. Family .::.

Huge family lunch last Saturday.

My mother's brother and sisters (and spouse) visited from China, Hainan. And no, my mother is not borned in China, but my grandmother is and she has children in both China and Singapore.



And, more family action while we visit our hometown - Hainan, China later this week.

I'm sure it's gonna be an 'interesting' trip. Much could happen with my whole family with my uncles and aunts and cousin from Malaysia visiting our China's relatives?

.::. Annoyed .::.

I told my mum that I was on MC today because my neck hurts and the doctor said that my thyroid glands are inflammed. Her first reaction? 'Who ask you to go and bleach your teeth?! It's very harmful.' I haven't even have the chance to tell her that doctor thinks it's due to my previous stomach flu and viral infection.

My family has got to be the most judgmental people in my life.

What's wrong with wanting white teeth? Is it so difficult to understand that people have different wants in their life? They'll never understand because they choose not to yet believe that they do.

I'll always be judged using their narrow yardstick.

I'd better not tell them anything to protect myself from all these negative energy.

.::. Korean .::.

Had Korean food with the girls at Katong a few weeks back.



Beautiful fresh vegetables.

MANY side dishes.

Korean kimchi pancake - my favourite dish of the night.

A huge pot of pork and squid.

I guess Korean food is my least favourite crusine. I simply do not like the taste of it somehow, everything seem to taste sweet or sourish. Even the BBQ meat was too sweet for my liking - does not taste like meat at all. My favourite side dish was probably the toufu and kimchi.

So yea, if a guy were to bring me to a Korean restaurant on our first date, he'll definitely fail.

That probably explains why I do not have any urge to visit Korea. Nothing seems to excite me there.