.::. Q1 in photos .::.

Luckily I uploaded most of the pictures before my phone dropped into the toilet bowl and stopped working!

There was our 2nd and last free stay cation at Intercontinental, 2 nights with Cheer Chen's concert.

We had our meals nearby, Purvis Street. It has one of my favorite hainanese chicken rice and thai food. The hainanese chicken rice is one of the most authentic places left as all of them actually do speak hainanese, with food that tastes my like childhood.

First Thai, I love the kang kong but the standard seems to have dropped.

And of course...bubble baths!


Cheer Chen's concert! I love her, she has the voice of an angel and he got tickets for my birthday - emailed to me when he was overseas on my birthday.

And I try to cook as often as possible, though it's getting challenging these days due to my ridiculous schedule.

I usually jog on Wednesdays by the lake, because tuition starts at 7.30pm. I've time to squeeze in a jog and dinner before teaching.

This was dinner alone at Suntec's soup spoon after gym. The husband was attending a wedding. I love the new concept.

And I dug out my old iPod. The 8-year-old iPod that's still working and was my birthday present.

And this year's the year of weddings.

I think this was CNY dinner at our place.

One of the rare evenings when I'm home and can witness the twilight by the bay window.

The husband took leave and we went dating. Mondays are usually forced leave for me instead of off-in-lieu for those public holidays that fall on Saturday.

I love the Interlace, the unique design and how it's near and integrates into nature. 

My belated birthday celebration on Duxton Hill, and my huge Christmas present at home that I didn't realize.

Birthday celebration with the girls. It's been a good 15 years.

The dog, my ever-loyal companion.

Chinatown and birthday dinner with the neighbors when the husband wasn't around.

My best tom-yum soup attempt.

Celebrating Ju's birthday.

CNY hair.

I'm crazy about black chicken soup these days. *yums!

Cute Chikey, with his BFF Rugby.

One of the rare nights we went back to our old dating places. And he's tired before it's even 10pm!

Home-cooked meals.

Many steamboats gatherings.

Sometime, BBQ.

Bits of pieces of Q1, not in chronological order because I'm lazy but still wish to remember what was 2014 Q1 like.

Q2 might be a potential change in direction, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

To a great Q2! =)

.::. Christmas 2012 .::.

Christmas is always a time filled with joy, a time to reflect on the year just before it ends, a time to be thankful for the good and to let go of the bad before starting a new year afresh.

This Christmas has been a hectic one, I didn’t even get to do my Christmas shopping at Orchard Road!  We only dropped by Tangs to grab a present before leaving Orchard Road for home as it’s too crowded on the last weekend before Christmas.  Most of the presents were bought online or at heartland malls.  I love Christmas shopping (not just before Christmas though).  I love it that the malls are all nicely decorated and playing Christmas songs.  Most of all, I love taking my time to choose gifts, trying to find the right one for everyone.  It’s the whole process of buying your loved one a gift that he/she likes that is meaningful.

I’ve hosted 3 Christmas/housewarming parties in our new home, and it has been really tiring to cook for 20 people in a row.  There’s so much food, so much preparation, so much cleaning!  We had parties on Friday dinner for his boss and colleagues, Saturday lunch with the neighbors, Saturday wedding dinner, Sunday lunch for his nephew’s birthday, Monday dinner for my friends, Tuesday lunch for his family and dinner at the lovely home of our contractor Mr K’s customers (and Mr K with family) whom we’ve got to know as friends. 

My favorite Christmas present this year is my new DSLR from the husband – great for capturing more beautiful memories together.  It's the 3rd camera he has got for me.  My new 60D makes my 4-year-old 450D look like a toy.  I love how much sharper the images are and the swivel screen!  His sister also got us a Nespresso machine.  Although I’ve been eyeing the Illy’s machine for the longest time but haven’t got the budget to get it, I’m still happy for a Nespresso.  I love Italian coffee, but Nespresso will do for now.  And we now have 4 vacuums at home and lots of NTUC vouchers.

Haven’t took as many pictures as I would have liked this Christmas.  Haven’t had enough time for Christmas shopping and getting down to writing cards to people I care about.  Simply haven’t been doing enough for everyone (including myself) these days.

I'm most thankful for building a cosy home from scratch with the husband and having so many great people around us this year.  Life has been kind.

Friends.  For the past 10 years. =O

Luke, the really cute 17-month-old.