Tuesday, December 31, 2013

.::. 2014 Resolutions .::.


2013

It has been a great year on many counts. After getting over with the wedding and honeymoon, we finally paid off our installments for our home appliances and whatever debts we had. We’ve finally settled into our new home and recovered financially. Both of us are doing great at work and saving up for a family. There’s not much to complain about really. Life has been kind. Compared to the upheavals and all that drama in 2011/2012, 2013 has indeed been a peaceful and great year where everything started to get back on track.

2014 Resolutions


1.       To stay healthy and fit.
Health is wealth! It’s something which I try to do as much as possible, although not as much as I’d like. I do believe that exercise is essential to be healthy and I feel sluggish without exercise. I’ve been cooking a lot in 2013 and have tried to incorporate whole grains and complex carbs into my diet although the husband is not a fan. He practically refuses to eat rice mixed with brown rice, so my mission to switch to brown rice has failed miserably. He complains about the quinoa that I mix into rice too, but at least he eats it anyway. He doesn’t seem to mind whole wheat bread for breakfast though. I pack lunch to eat in the office, and they are mostly quite healthy but I ain’t too disciplined when eating out or during gatherings. I struggle with portion control because I’m always hungry. It’s so easy to fall off the wagon and stop exercising for weeks when I’m really busy and tired. I suppose I should try to be more consistent and disciplined in the coming year!


2.       Creating passive income
Although I’m sashing a good portion of my earnings somewhere where I can’t see nor spend, I’m beginning to become acutely aware that time is running out and I need to start saving and investing more to build up my retirement funds, or even better, a constant flow of passive income. There’s so much to read up and learn and plan. It’s time to spend more time and get this done, including doing more reading and research. First thing first, to spend less and save more! I was quite inspired by this blog that I’ve been reading. Step one to creating passive income was to get full-time employment, something which made me see work in a different light.


3.       Finish ACCA already!
I’ve 2 more papers left! I’ve enrolled for classes and exams in June, and I’m hoping that I get this out of the way by June. Worst case scenario is to finish it by December if I fail any of the papers. *makes a mental note to study harder right from the beginning* On a side note, I’m thinking of going back to master Japanese or take CPSM to upgrade my skillset for work after I’m done with ACCA. The husband’s reaction was – huh?! still want to study?! Oh, and I’ve been wanting to learn violin!

Somehow, I can’t seem to idle.

Studies have proven that the human could not multi-task effectively and should only focus on a few goals at one time. I shall focus on these 3 goals and get them done in the new year ahead!

The forecast for next year is supposed to be great for Oxen! To another great year ahead ~

Sunday, December 29, 2013

.::. Our 9th Anniversary & 2nd Wedding Anniversary .::.

It was our 9th anniversary 2 weeks back, also our 2nd wedding anniversary and 12 years since we got to know each other. We went back to Morton’s for dinner as usual, our 4th time there. We love their steak and the onion loaf, the service and free photo for memento and warm chocolate cake. I love how they print you a customized menu with your name and occasion on it, and serve their signature warm chocolate cake to celebrate your occasion. For some reason, the steak didn't taste as nice this visit.

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He hand-made this beautiful frame for our bedroom. I had no clue when he did it though we're living together, perhaps when I was on my work trip. I'm ashamed to say that I haven't handmade anything for quite some time, and my lousy excuse is I do not have time and have run out of ideas over the years. I struggle to even think of gifts to get him these days, simply because he doesn't need nor want anything.

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It’s amazing and surreal. It’s been 9 years. 9 years sound like a very long time.  We went through our teenage years, his army days, university days, working life. It’s unbelievable how time goes by and here we are, 2 grown adults, married with a home to call our own. I’m really grateful, for not everyone could find someone to trust and to rely on even searching for a whole lifetime, yet we found each other so early in life.

Love to me means many things over the years. Some things have changed and evolved, and it’s no longer that heart-fluttering kind of romance. Sometimes love means sacrifice and swallowing some things which you would never have done if not to protect someone you love. And more often than not, love means trying not to hurt them because that will hurt you even more.

After living together for the past year, we haven’t encountered much issues. Occasionally I grumble about how he doesn’t seem notice the mess at home, or simply find the lazy easy way out. Like that day, when he took out Chikey’s bed and floor mats that were dripping wet from the washer (due to some error with the washer). He simply hung all of them up, dripping wet, without trying to squeeze them dry. He did put some pails to ‘catch’ the water, but I woke up to a huge puddle of water in the yard and everything was still really wet when I came home in the evening. I had to wash them again and mop the floor. Other days, I notice that he does things for our home when I’m not around, things like changing light bulbs and our TV connector, cleaning the ceiling fan. When I’m sick he cooks porridge for me and when I was mugging my life away he bought me food. Sometimes he’s really thoughtful, and I’m most happy when both of us get busy cleaning up the home together, laughing and complaining away.

What I cherish the most is how he truly loves me for who I am and support me in achieving all my goals instead of trying to change or suffocate me with boundaries. He never held me back, he helped me to think through my choices and to go further. That was something I learnt from him early in the relationship, something that I’m trying really hard to give him. During those early years, we quarreled. There were times that I got really angry with him and I never ever minced my words, I always said exactly what I thought. He always avoided conflict and kept quiet, but I recognize his anger. He would look away and blink a lot, press his lips together as if to stop himself from saying things he will regret and had a really stiff stance. It was pointless going on and trying to get any response from him, because he simply clamp up. I slowly learnt that and made myself leave when that happens. It made me mad, because I always preferred to trash things out and know what each other thoughts were. There was once, when he sounded really hurt. He told me that he wished that I could love him for who he is. I took heart, I reflected, and since then, tried really hard to give him what he has given me – unconditional love. 

These days, even when we get angry with each other, things usually get back to normal after a night’s sleep. Nothing much is important enough for us to waste a day’s happiness together. When I got angry, his way of appeasing me was to buy breakfast the next day as I slept in and all's forgotten. We don’t nag each other much, and there’s little negativity at home, which makes home a very comfortable and peaceful place. I really hope that our home will always stay this warm and happy, even when kids come along. I grew up with a lot of negativity at home, and was a very unhappy child. We were brought up comfortably and I know my parents have given their best, but someone was always unhappy and screaming. Everyone loved me, but perhaps it’s simply family culture, and I struggled to manage all that negativity. I never felt unconditional love, part of me never felt good enough and it always felt like I had to earn that love with good results and behavior. The husband, having grew up in a very different environment, longed for peaceful and a happy home too. And a happy home is what both of us will work really hard to protect.

他们都说最幸福的事就是每天一张开眼就能看到最心爱的人在身边。我这一年来最幸福的事。 这辈子就手牵手一起走咯。

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

.::. Already December?! .::.

I'm finally back. The past few weeks have been hectic, filled with work travels and a crazy workload. I spent the last week studying mugging for exams as if my life depended on it. It's bad, this last-minute studying thing. I suppose age is catching up and one simply can't cramp in as much as you used to nor write as much as you used to. I ended up feeling really overwhelmed and nearing desperation with a strained wrist that hurts. Thankfully it's over and I'm crossing my fingers to pass that paper. I'm so going to start studying for the June exams already.

After diving into getting everything done and ignoring everything else, I now realize that it's already mid-December. I have not gotten any Christmas shopping done. I feel like me myself needs a few presents. I used to like Christmas and celebrations, but I actually dread it now. I don't look forward to being preached to yet again and there's just simply a lot to do and prepare. I wonder if such festive seasons are for people with lots of time to actually enjoy doing Christmas shopping early (avoiding the crazy crowds) and having all the time to soak in the atmosphere. I'm just feeling overwhelmed and wished I had more time to do more for the people who matters.

December is also a very special time. We will be celebrating our 9th anniversary next week. *gasp* I've no idea where all the time went to, but we've spend 9 years together as a couple. December is also when I take stock of my year and plan what I'd like to accomplish the year ahead. Time is ticking by so quickly. I already have 7 weddings to attend in 2014 and have not found a time-slot for my annual holidays. I really feel like I need an adventure and to get lost somewhere.

This year was great, next year will be even better! =)

If you won't be better tomorrow than today, then why do you need tomorrow for? 

Friday, November 15, 2013

.::. My Loves .::.

I was clearing my iPhone album, and found this picture of us in the snow. It was taken during our honeymoon. We were in Switzerland and have just checked out of an attic room with slanted ceiling in a little quaint 'hotel'. We were walking to the train station in the snow to catch a train (and bus) to Munich to meet Alex and Julia. It was snowing, both of us were walking on snow-covered cobblestones and walked past a school with children playing with snow outside. He asked me to take a picture of us together, because we never had a picture together while it was snowing. I was in my thick jacket with a heavy backpack and didn't want to take out my DSLR, so i whipped out my trusty iPhone instead, to snap a picture of us using the lousy front camera. We were happy then, and then the train got delayed and all. I still remember that moment so vividly.

That's why I love photos - they tell stories.

Which reminds me, I've been wanting to write about our honeymoon! That was in January and it's already November. =/ *mental note to get it done before the year ends* I think our backpacking trips around Europe have been the most memorable ones for me, but the husband thinks it's Nepal - because, well, how can we forget how we puke and sh*t and seen the worst of each other on the trip?

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The other love of my life is definitely Chikey (and Chinook). Chikey is so loving these days, loving to cuddle and wanting to lie on me all the time.

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I cut his nails that day, and one nail bled. The husband wasn't too happy with me, and it was one of the rare times when I let him on the bed (he just had a bath) and cuddle him to keep him off his feet till the bleeding stopped.

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Other days he simply jump at you on the sofa till you carry him on your lap. He's a warm ball of fur.

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Other days, he just simply look cute and keep coming to me while I'm in bed.

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And when I'm studying, he keeps me company by sleeping.

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And here's 2 of my loves.

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I love this picture, snapped one night when the husband carried Chikey up the bed just before he's going to sleep. He doesn't think it's nice, but I love it. =)

Life's so short, and sometimes, the best things in life are these simplest moments.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

.::. Herbal Black Chicken Soup .::.

Today is one of those days when I feel like work has sucked all my energy from me and there's nothing left in me. Perhaps it's PMS, or maybe it's been a stressful period trying to juggle everything, but I simply feel so spent.

Luckily, there was herbal black chicken soup at home waiting for me on a rainy evening. I cooked it since morning in the slow cooker.

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And...it's yummy! I bought the herbs individually instead of buying those ready-packed ones. It tastes a lot nicer. There's quite a few versions of 'herbal black chicken soup', but I used the most common one. Black chicken soup is supposedly very nourishing and good for the body.

These are what I used with one small black chicken:

Chinese dates or red jujube - 红枣 (3-5 depending on size)
Chinese wolfberries or goji berries - 枸杞子 (a few teaspoons)
Polygonatum odoratum - 玉竹 (about half a palm-full)
Astragalus propinquus - 北芪 (3-4 pieces)
Angelica sinensis - 当归 (2-4 pieces)
Codonopsitis Pilosulae - 党参 (2-3 long sticks)
Dioscoreae Oppositae - 淮山 (about 3 stripes)

I simply threw a whole black chicken and all the herbs in the slow cooker and put the pot in the fridge. Just fill the pot with water in the morning before leaving house and on the slow cooker at low. By evening, the chicken would have been very soft and the soup yummy. I add in the red dates/wolfberries and a pinch of salt to taste when I'm back in the evening. You can add those chinese mushrooms, ginger slices or fresh wild chinese yam (淮山). Other variations includes things like white fungus, dried longan, peanuts/black beans, cordyceps, ginseng and even scallops.

This soup makes a simple and nourishing meal and is extremely simple to cook! I usually throw in some noodles - it goes well with rice too. And if you're too lazy to buy every herb individually, the packet ones will do too, though it doesn't taste as good. =)


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

.::. Get Moving .::.

The husband has been away for reservice and it's during times like that when I enjoy my me-time and to visit the gym more often instead of feeling guilty that I'm not home cooking for him or having dinner together. I still love my kickboxing classes and Zumba was surprisingly demanding!

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It's also when he's away that I do my shopping.

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The new outlet at Suntec is huge, so is the relatively new outlet at Harbor Front.

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I keep a ready supply of frozen vegetables in the fridge. Did you know that many studies have shown that frozen vegetables contains more vitamins than 'fresh' vegetables which are actually not that fresh? I love the Bird Eye's green beans and because I dislike peas, I never do get the mixed vegetables. They are surprisingly sweet and I usually stir-fry them with some olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and some oregano.

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My idea of a yummy but relatively healthy meal. Black pepper chicken chop with stir-fry vegetables topped with an egg.

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And this is what I pack for lunch very often. I pack my lunch to office daily and usually pan-fry a fish or chicken seasoned lightly with a pinch of salt and spices with stir-fry vegetables and fresh white button mushrooms (my favorite).

I've been a lot more conscious with my diet although I still indulge during weekends and sometimes dinner because I have dinner with my eat-whatever-no-exercise-but-still-stay-skinny husband. I try to eat as clean as possible when I'm alone and get some exercise consistently.

Not easy to stay in shape, but let's get moving.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

.::. Buying from Taobao II .::.

I wrote about Buying from Taobao some time back, and would like to add a few points since my PRC colleagues have been giving me lots of tips and pointers. I bought quite a few items from Taobao, not fully aware of discerning the quality of sellers. I was lucky that most of the stuff I got was pretty decent, but I've read of many who are disappointed with their purchases too.

According to them, the Chinese themselves buy extensively from Taobao - from fashion, to food, to air tickets and hotels. They take ratings and comments very seriously. Most of them only buy from top rated sellers and look at the comments.

How to know if sellers are good without having to read through many chinese comments? How to choose good sellers?

The short cut is to look at the seller's rating, which is accumulated over time and many reviews. The highest rating is "crowns" where you see lots of glittering crowns right below the seller's name. The maximum number of crowns should be 5 and any seller with crowns should be generally safe to buy from. The level before crowns are diamonds. The maximum number of diamonds is also 5 and will upgrade to one crown after 5 diamonds. The starting level should be stars.

These was what the Chinese themselves shared, and it was new to me, so I thought that I should share it with everyone else. They've been showing me how to buy authentic ZARA and branded apparels which are sold by factories directly though Taobao among many other things. *gasp* I've yet to try though I'm tempted to.

There's now Taobao Southeast Asia and it seems possible for us to buy directly from Taobao through an account with Alipay. I still haven't figured out how it works and still enjoy the convenience of buying through daigou65 who will settle my order and ship them over. I'm not quite sure how the shipping fees is if we buy direct from sellers and get them to arrange shipment - you may save the 5-7% commission but have to liase with sellers directly (in chinese!) and the shipment fee might be more expensive (as daigou has preferential rates and ship in bulk).

Will update again if I find out something new. =)

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

.::. Towards 'Success' .::.


I’ve been thinking a lot, about life in general and what I want out of life. You know how things get more and more complicated as you grow up? It’s like how I teach my tuitee addition and subtraction in primary school where there’s no negative numbers. Yet after a few years, I start teaching them addition and subtraction with negative numbers. I remembered how it felt like my world shifted when I realized that negative numbers exist. It’s just like the many other things in life that changes as our perspective and cognitive depth changed.

Life and success used to be one direct route for me, and perhaps many Asians. It’s always the traditional study hard, get good results and find a good job so that you can earn enough and start a family. That’s the kind of mindset I was brought up with – that success in life is seemingly a one-way street. I don’t think my parents would have taken it well if I took the unconventional way. Junior Colleges were preferred over Polytechnics – which resulted in 2 years of misery in my study life. I always wonder how I would have turned out if I pursued Mass Communications in a polytechnic instead of heading to Junior College. I suppose I would have landed myself in a job that I liked a lot more, albeit getting paid less.

My perspective changed that year when I took my Masters’ in Sweden. I suppose that’s what exposure does to you, opening up your mind into many different possibilities and perspectives. I love myself a lot more, gained a lot more confidence and sorted many things out. You suddenly realized that there are so many possibilities and people could be happy and fulfilled doing different things (without pursuing financial security and abundance). You don’t have to be married to be happy, neither do you need a high-paying job or car or house to be successful. Those people and things that used to bother you becomes so insignificant when you look at life as a big picture. It’s hard to describe, but they represented freedom – being free to do what they liked without being bounded by conservative societal norms.

I think the previous generation’s idea of success is financial freedom. It doesn’t matter that you liked your job or not, as long as it paid the bills. This, coming from their childhood where poverty were rampant and financial security generally meant success.

So here I am, somewhere around my quarter-life crisis and still searching for what I want in life and what success means to me. I don’t want a ‘secured’ job with a good income every month when I don’t feel fulfilled by what I do for 8 hours daily. I don’t want to be in the rat race with all the superficialities and unspoken rules in the corporate world. I don’t want to spend all my life dreading Monday and getting up to work every morning, hoping that life could pass by quickly and I can ‘get there’. My dad's advice is still to 'climb higher', but putting life in that narrow perspective makes me feel so trapped. Life is afterall, a journey and everything is transient. I'm learning and conditioning myself to be happy with less material needs these days.

I'm contented with what I have now although I'm still searching. No, I'm not ready for kids yet and I still think that my life ‘is pretty much over’ when I have kids (at least for a decade or so). I think young working mums would agree, while older mums who has been through it all have forgotten how it was like or find such self-sacrifice essential. Like it or not, children suck up all your time and energy and sacrifices have to be made. As much as I love children, I think I’m not ready yet and I should be thankful that the husband wants to wait. I don’t doubt that children will be fulfilling, but it’s like…getting a bikini body – you know it’ll be worth it when you look that great but you just don’t feel like putting in that effort and sacrifices to get there, yet.

This describes my state of mind at this point in life:

Success to me is not about money or status or fame. It’s about finding a livelihood that brings joy and self-sufficiency and a sense of contributing to the world.
-          Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop

Thursday, October 10, 2013

.::.What is the point of marriage? .::.

"結婚,到底是為了什麼" 越來越多的男人討不到老婆 因為越來越多女人不想結婚 女人說: 我想偶爾跟朋友出去,不想失去單身的自由; 我想高興吃什麼就吃什麼,不想變成理所當然的煮飯婆; 我想花錢打扮自己讓自己開心,不想每天想著要怎麼省來貼補家用; 我想當媽媽永遠的心肝寶貝,不想提心吊膽不知道婆婆什麼時候會嫌我; 我想當永遠的情人,不想在努力當個好老婆時,還要當老公的另一個媽。 

男人說: 結了婚,當然要以家庭為重,不能老是往外跑; 結了婚,當然要入得了廚房,洗手做羹湯; 結了婚,當然要為兩人的未來打拼,分擔家計; 結了婚,當然要把我的家人當作你的家人一樣; 結了婚,當然要做好老婆的本份 - 照顧好老公, 所以女人不懂... 

那我結婚到底是為了什麼? 

我愛你跟你說過的愛我一樣多, 可是結了婚,我卻要改變那麼多只為了當你的老婆, 我只能有你這一個朋友,還要當個抓住你的胃的煮飯婆, 你有工作,不一定會養我,只因為我也有自己的工作, 你娶了我只是身邊多一個人,我嫁給你身邊卻是多了一家子人, 你們都過著習慣的生活,我卻要捨棄我習慣過的生活。 

但是男人也抱怨: 為了娶老婆我也是很辛苦, 我要有車子,要養房子,還要準備聘金還有鑽石戒指, 我省吃儉用一輩子,為了娶老婆還要一直減少存款數字, 況且當人家老婆,本來就是這個樣子, 要認命的持家,還要相夫教子...... 因為雙方都這麼辛苦, 所以越來越多女人不想結婚。 既可以讓男人保有存款數字, 也不會讓女人變成像是花錢請來的保姆, 所以男人啊,當你有天想問女人為什麼不想結婚時, 請先幫女人想想,跟你結婚有什麼好的呢? 

女人因為婚姻 得拋下自己的父母,來照顧男人的父母。 但男人不用 女人因為婚姻 得挺個又重又大的球十個月, 只為了替男人生下一個跟男人姓的下一代; 還得承受生完小孩後的體質變差,身材變形的後遺症, 但男人不用 女人因為婚姻 得放棄一卡車追求他的好男人, 並埋沒了最美的青春; 但男人卻不為青春所懼,反而愈老愈值錢 女人因為婚姻 得放棄父母給她二十多年的姓, 被冠上某某'太太'二字; 但男人沒變。 女人因為婚姻 得早上上班,晚上煮飯做家事帶小孩, 有工作也有家事的壓力; 但男人沒差,反而多了個賺錢的人和不用給薪的女傭。 女人因為婚姻 得去適應一個完全不同的家庭和面對男人的親友團批評, 女人如果試圖尋求男人的保護時, 換來的是...男人不僅沒有保護他的女人, 反而一起落井下石...在一個女人孤力無援的環境裡。 

男人啊 若在您的身邊有這樣的一個傻女人時, 請當她的笨男人,好好的珍惜她,照顧她吧 別忘了,她不是天生就該來照顧你們全家大小的, 而是因為她愛你...... 她受傷的時候,好好傾聽她,支持她,保護她,為她拭淚, 她就會感動一輩子。 

Came across this article numerous times and it sends me into deep thought about marriage and what it means for a woman. Marriage used to be very much about security as women had to rely on men for the bacon among other things. Women nowadays contribute to the household finances equally, are independent and educated, but are still expected to play the many traditional roles. 

Many-a-times, women go through immense pressure while having to move in with in-laws and live under intense scrutiny. Things get worse when children comes along and most of the time, women have to swallow it all down and endure whatever rude comments that's being thrown at them. It seems like women is always at the losing end.

What is the point of marriage?

Marry only if you're very sure you've found the right one! Many have asked me, how do you know it's 'right'? 

You will know when the time comes. You may not know if it may last forever, but you will know that he's the right one whom you want to do this with.

Men, be nice to your wife and realize how much she has to give up for you. Some appreciation goes a long way. There's a saying that goes happy wife, happy family. An unhappy and bitter wife will bring all her unhappiness into the family.   

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

.::. Our Dream Home .::.

So it's been a year since we've moved in and I've finally found the time to do up a before-after and completed pictures of our dream home. It's been a long journey for us, and unlike most couples, being able to buy a HDB flat and building our love nest from scratch and finally getting hitched after dating since teenagers has been a very challenging task in so many ways. Those who has been following my renovation journey would have had a glimpse of the pain we had. Perhaps that makes it more sweet for us and makes us cherish each other more. And someday, maybe we will look back and laugh at all the horrible stuff that made us stronger.

It has been difficult to make before-after pictures because I realized that I did not take many pictures of the empty house. I mean, everything was white-washed and looked so similar!

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Here's the living room.

Kitchen

And here's the kitchen where I spend a lot of time in.

Common Toilet

The huge common toilet.

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The MBR.

MBR Toilet

Here's the tiny MBR toilet.

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Filling our living room up with things. I love our furniture that cost us an arm and a leg - all solid oak wood.

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The cozy living room.

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This is newly added and done up almost a year after renovation, after we've recovered financially. I sit here to enjoy the sunset often with music on. I guess it gives more sitting space for guests and makes the bay window more useful than it was.

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The Eames lounge chair was also newly added - it was the husband's birthday present. Something that he has been eyeing since before we started renovation. We were too broke to get everything then and he chose to get me my papa chair first.

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The huge mirror is also new. The small ikea one warped after like half a year. We got Mr K to customize one for us and it really expands the space visually. It's also supposedly good fengshui.


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Here's the dining area where our guests spend most of their time at.

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All my favorite things.

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View from the entrance. I'm not sure if it's obvious, but the concept was to have 2 similar borders - the entrance one and my bay window one.

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I love my open-concept kitchen. The husband can do his stuff on the dining table while I cook and we can still chat and see each other. And no, it's not an issue even though I cook often. I do not deep fry at home and only use very little olive oil for stir-fry though. Smells are also not a problem as the wind comes from either end of the kitchen and gets blown out quickly.

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The sideboard is our messy corner where we drop our wallets and coins and letters.

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This is our bedroom where we spend most of our time in. The bed was the most expensive piece of furniture at home and I love it! It's a Sealy hotel-series which I fell in love with at Four Seasons Hotel. We wanted to bedroom to be dark (dim-out curtains and grey walls) for sleeping and spacious. We also added a small cupboard on the bay window to block out an awkward small panel of
window. I think it'll be great storage when kids come along, and we actually hardly open the curtains as we like to sleep in the dark.

That about sums up the main areas of our dream home. It's not big really and I already have ideas for another renovation. I love how homes are a blank canvas which you could work your creativity upon and create a space and feel that best suits your taste and lifestyle. At the end of the day, it's the people who live together and whom you love that really matters and makes the home a homely place.

With that, we live in our dream home, happily ever after.

Dreams do come true! All of mine did.

Good luck people! =)

Dining table/sideboard - Commune at Millennia Walk
Papa Bear Chair/Eames Lounge Chair/TV console/Coffee table - Lorgan's the retro store
Sofa/bench/MBR drawers - Star Living
Bed: Sealy (frame from Sealy IMM)
Bedside tables/track lights/pendant lights/dining chairs: Taobao

Sunday, October 6, 2013

.::. His Birthday .::.


Celebrated the husband’s birthday a few weeks ago. The supposedly surprise staycation that I booked (from our wedding package) was exposed when my dear friends started asking about the staycation during dinner on Friday night. =_=” So, the surprise was no longer a surprise and all my efforts in secretly packing his clothes and stuff was no longer a need.

I headed for check-in after teaching tuition. I still love the hotel we got married in. Because our suite had club privileges, I was brought to the lounge for afternoon tea while they checked me in. The service was great as usual but it was a rush to get a shower before meeting the husband. We had a late lunch and a nap before getting up for dinner. We woke up at almost 8pm, and late for our dinner reservation! I wanted to doll up for dinner, but ended up hurriedly slapping on makeup and getting ready instead.

I brought him to an Italian Steak Restaurant. It’s one of the top recommended places for steak. The steak was really good – very fragrant, tender and tasty, but the sides were disappointing, especially the potatoes. And because of the sub-par sides, Morton’s is still our favorite steakhouse. Morton’s does everything well. The sides as well as service actually.

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We started with a salad, with parma ham and burrata cheese. It’s my favorite Italian starter because I love parma ham. The one we had at Changi was unforgettable. This one was alright, but the extremely sweet and juicy and fresh tomatoes stood out and scored.

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We had Tuscan potatoes and mushrooms as our sides. The potatoes were horrible – soggy and soft without much flavor. Mushroom was alright – fresh but oily and abit bland.

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The steak was the highlight of the night. The presentation itself was impressive and drool-worthy, with the biggest T-bone I’ve ever seen. The steak was soft and flavorful, a result of the Tuscan-style charcoal barbecue cooking. The fatty parts were oozing with juice and flavor. It was one of the best steak we’ve had (although Morton’s still ranks top albeit being a different style).

When we made the reservation, I told them that I was celebrating my husband’s birthday and requested for a nice corner table for 2. We were seated awkwardly right outside the kitchen and near the service area. They included a complimentary dessert with candle for the celebration during reservation, but this was totally forgotten when we were there. We were asked if we wanted dessert, but I would have rather they remembered to serve that complementary dessert with a candle as a surprise. I had to show the waiter the email that mentioned the complimentary dessert on my iPhone (which the waiter took a long time to read and looking really confused) with the husband looking on curiously and asking what's wrong repeatedly. It was exasperating to say the least, with all my ‘surprises’ being screwed up.

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Here's the husband with his birthday dessert finally served.
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Despite the great steak, I find that the service is not up-to-standard with that sort of price range. They weren't rude or anything though. How difficult is it to remember that the table is having a celebration and serve the dessert with candle after dinner? There was another customer who came as a group (probably family) and was in berms and tee-shirt with sneakers. The waiter at the service area right beside us were all staring and made comments about her dressing -  ‘machiam kopitiam’ (she was dressed as if this is a coffeeshop). I was amused, because I thought the same, but it just didn’t sound appropriate to make such comments about your customers openly when other customers could hear. That made me wonder what would they say about this customer who did not want to order dessert but showed them the email to ask for the complimentary dessert instead. I didn’t like how it feels as if customers weren’t good enough to dine there just because they weren’t dressed nice enough or didn’t order wine (most of them are expats who either dressed nicely or spent a lot on wine).

I suppose we’ll not be going back there anytime soon, unless I really miss their steak enough. I still miss Morton’s warm and homely service with a personalized menu and dessert with framed photo to help you celebrate an occasion.
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And here's a picture of us. This is the 10th year I've been celebrating his birthday with him. *gasps*

We really didn’t do much but spend time together and slept our weekend away, pretending that we were atas in our suite and the lounge. We watched live soccer matches while tucked in bed, had a great breakfast and coffee while reading newspapers. The breakfast at InterContinental was great! There was a good variety, including cheeses, juices, fruits, breads, hams and even smoked salmon. I was impressed that they had chocolate milk – it’s something I don’t see that often. The service was great, and I had my bubble bath in a huge bath tub.

We then went to get Lady M’s crepe cake and went home to have a mini-celebration with the neighbors.

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Love of my life. 

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Happy family.

Happy Birthday my dearest husbandy!

It has been a great weekend. =)

Monday, September 30, 2013

.::. When September ends... .::.


September has come to an end, ending the 3rd quarter of the year.

August was crazy. We joined the hordes of people leaving Singapore for the National Day long weekend, and after we got back, August just flew by. August was his nephew’s birthday – the special one - because he first brought me to meet his family at his nephew’s birthday as a friend 9 years ago. He was still a little boy then, but all grown up now. Then there was an old friend’s baby shower and another who has just given birth. Lots to celebrate and I’m overflowing with love for the people I care about.

September is the husband’s and brother’s birthday. I’ve got it all planned and ready! The past few years has been a blur. Last year’s September was during our difficult renovation period while the year before was the ballot for flats and subsequently planning our ROM. I can’t seem to remember what we’ve done, but I had it all planned this year. His birthday present was already shipped to our home some weeks ago – this indented Eames lounge chair in Oak which he has been eyeing since before renovation but budget did not allow us to get it.

September is also my tuitee’s PSLE exams. I’ve been contemplating to stop teaching tuition to focus on building a career and business instead. It’s extremely tiring to juggle work, teaching, ACCA classes and a new project. It’s a tough choice to make and part of me can’t bear to stop as I enjoy teaching and get a lot of satisfaction from the children I teach. It’s been almost 10 years since I’ve been teaching and I never stopped except for that year in Sweden. Part of me still wonders if I should teach for a living, simply because it’s something I enjoy doing. But after 6 MOE rejections despite my honors and a masters’ degree, a large part of me thinks that I shouldn’t force things and it isn’t meant to be. Afterall, teaching is a very small portion of a teacher’s job and I’m not too sure I will enjoy teaching with the politics and all.

September is also the month that I’ve finally finished paying for most of the installments for our household appliances! No more huge credit card bills even when I haven’t bought anything. I can’t remember the last time I shopped for myself. These days, I’m extra cautious about spending, because thinking of the future sends a shudder down my spine.  Cars are out of reach – we’re not sure about spending 2 grand every month. Children are ridiculously expensive with estimated cost at SGD$250,000 to rear a child in Singapore. The people around me ends up with hospital bills of between $8,000  - $18,000 just for giving birth at private hospitals. =_=” No wonder the husband insists on having more savings before we have kids.

Lastly, September is also a special month because we’ll launching a little dream, something which a few of us have been working on for the past weeks.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Lao Tzu

May this year end with a high-note! =)

Sunday, September 22, 2013

.::. Bundle With Love .::.

BundleWithLoveSoftLaunch


Do spread the word and share the love.. =)

Like and share on Facebook - HERE!
www.bundlewithlove.blogspot.com

Sunday, September 15, 2013

.::. Confinement 101 - Part 2 .::.


8 common questions of confinement

Is it true that one could make use of confinement to condition their body constitution? How could the body be conditioned and how to do confinement? How to nourish the body based on different body types? These are common questions which pregnant women ask and 8 common questions will be reviewed from a professional’s standpoint.

1. Why should one do confinement? What is the purpose? Can it really change the body’s constitution?


As the mother loses a lot of blood during labor, together with sweat, back aches, tummy pains – this is a very physically tiring process. Your tendons and bones and blood is weakened and makes it easy for the cold to invade the body. This requires a period of time to adjust and nourish your body. Thus, it makes confinement essential to restore health. During confinement, do suitable exercise and rest, including suitable food for and tonics to help the uterus contract to its natural size before birth. With proper conditioning, blood and stamina would slowly recover and become better than before. During this period, poor constitution would also improve.

2. What are the basic principles of confinement?


(a) Be mindful of temperature difference.

Due to different environments and change in weather and temperature, the mother should wear suitable clothes and prepare suitable electronic devices indoor to adjust the temperature and humidity. Indoor temperature should be kept at between 25-26 degrees with a 50-60% humidity. The mother should wear long sleeves, long pants and socks to prevent catching a cold. This also prevents the joints from ‘having wind’ and pain.

(b) Appropriate work and rest

To expel toxins and to recover the body and figure, suitable rest and exercise is necessary. During the initial stage, the mother will feel weak and tired with possible headaches and should rest in bed. One should not get out of bed for more than half-an-hour. Wait till your strength is restored, you can extend this time and keep it to an hour or two to prevent prolonged periods of standing or sitting that will cause backaches and back-pains, knee and joint pains.

(c) Keep clean

Hair and body should be cleaned regularly to stay fresh and prevent bacterial infection

(d) Adjust your diet

The previous steps are similar for everyone. However, for diet, there should be a distinction based on one’s constitution. Also, the expulsion of toxins and breastfeeding may be difficult for some, or when there’s cold, ulcers, itch, gastric etc. This is when diet and medication has to change.  In the past, due to less ideal environments and bad living conditions without electrical appliances, confinement rules were stricter, for example no showering and washing of hair for a month. However, in modern days, people do not need to go through these hardships, but diet plays the biggest role and it’s best to get a Chinese doctor to recommend accordingly based on body constitution.



3. Must alcohol be added in all confinement food?


Confinement food should be cooked with ginger as it warms the uterus and joints. The purpose of alcohol is for blood circulation and helps in the expulsion of toxins. If all toxins are expelled fully, cooking with alcohol may cause the uterus to not shrink.

4. Why is ginseng prohibited during initial confinement when it nourishes and increase strength?            


During confinement, the body starts to expel all toxins and fluids. Ginseng increases strength (补气) and stops the blood (止血). Ginseng causes blood to lessen (晕变少), making it difficult to expel the toxins and causes blood clots and pain the uterus. Thus, wait for 2-3 weeks before consuming ginseng.

5. The effect of different seasons on nourishment


The diet has to be adjusted based on the 4 seasons, otherwise there will be side effects. Traditional confinement food is heaty and suitable for winter. During summer and spring, ginger and alcohol can be reduced. If the weather is extremely hot, alcohol can be omitted but add 2-3 slices of ginger.

6. What are the principles of confinement for women with different body constitutions?



The different body constitutions and food analysis as follow:

Cold Constitution (寒性体)

Characteristic: Pale, afraid of the cold, pale mouth and seldom thirsty, urinate often with pale urine, clear pale tongue, liquid mucus, phlegm, get colds often.
Food: Weak tummy and intestines, cold hands and feet due to poor blood circulation. Eat more warm food such as sesame chicken but not too oily food to prevent diarrhea (如麻油鸡、烧酒鸡、四物汤、四物鸡或十全大补汤等) Warm food can aid blood circulation, nourishing the blood and strengthening the bones, preventing backaches.
Prohibited foods:  Cold fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, papaya, pomelo, grapefruit, pears, star fruits, oranges, tomatoes, melons, rock melon
To eat: Lychee, longan, apple, strawberry, cherries, grapes.


Hot Constitution (性体)

Characteristic:  Red face and eyes, heat intolerance, warm feet and hands, dry mouth, dry stools or constipation, thick yellow mucus, less urine but yellow, dry and red tongue, ulcers often, skin sores.
Food: Not to eat too much sesame chicken, When cooking sesame chicken, reduce ginger and amount of sesame oil and alcohol. Other recommended food for nourishment include herbal chicken, black glutinous rice, fish soup, pork ribs soup, vegetables like shark-fins melon, winter melon, lotus root to reduce heatines or vegetable-tofu soup. For those with backache, cook pork kidney soup after frying it with (杜仲五).
Prohibited foods: Lychee, longans, apples
Eat some: oranges, strawberries, cherries, grapes.

Neutral Constitution (中性体)

Characteristic:  Not too hot nor too cold, no dry mouth, seldom fall sick.
Foods: Easier choice of diet can nourish with herbs and food with no issues. If nourishing food causes dry mouth or pimples, stop nourishing food for a period and eat more cooling vegetables or fresh orange juice or grape juice without ice.

7. What are the common symptoms after birth?


Common symptoms are anemia, insufficient breast milk, mastitis, metritis, bodyahce, backache, diarrhea, headache, constipation.  High iron foods such as meat, black glutinous rice porridge, red bean soup could help anemia. For constipation, eat bananas, sesame paste with honey. For engorgement (可用1两麦芽糖、3钱蒲公英、3钱王不留行,共同炖煮食物吃,可促进排乳。)

8. Reasons for aches after birth?


As the baby feeds as they sleep for a long time and the mother sits for too long with sometimes long nights of carrying the baby, backaches and pain in the elbow and wrists. To avoid such pains, the mother has to be mindful of posture, have support at the back, rest more, walk less and do not get out of bed for more than an hour. 可炖煮杜仲猪腰汤,恶露干净后可吃十全大补汤(内含杜仲、续断),对解除筋骨酸痛都有不错的效果。



 Hsio S Confinement recipe

No fruits for first and second week to prevent water retention.

First day after birth (5 meals a day):

Breakfast: Fish with ginger soup, sesame mee sua, green vegetables
Lunch: Sesame pork liver, 5-grained rice, mixed vegetables.
Tea: Sweet corn porridge
Dinner: Herbal chicken leg, salmon fried rice
Supper: Sweet potatoes with brown sugar

Next 3 weeks:

Week 1:
Seabass fish soup, pork liver to expel toxins

Week 2:
Pork kidney and nourishing soups to replenish calcium and minerals.

Week 3:
Sesame chicken