Month: January 2010

A Good Dinner Place

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Tiong Bahru Market.  Yes, we know it’s a good breakfast place and as I’ve recently found out, it’s good for dinner too 🙂  And all because Jules had a chwee kueh craving!!  Yes, Julia is back from Japan!!  Alas, it’s only for a holiday and not for good … not yet anyway 😉

If someone told me that Jules and I were actually meant to be twins that got split into two different mummies tummies, I’d believe them.  We aren’t exactly the same but have so many similar philosophies that it never eases to surprise me how completely comfortable I am with her 🙂  Thanks you so much Jujules for sharing your time with me when you’re home.

Guess who else joined us for dinner?  My favourite other little Tan, Kayla 🙂  Her Daddy, is the big cheese CW and he spends quality dinner together during the week with her and they decided to join us.

I still remember her Daddy, Mr CW and me in Cannes when she was just a little over a year old and we were shopping for stuff he could bring home for her and what I could bring home for my nephew.  Now, she’s in Primary 1, articulate, funny and sweet, finding her own in life and basically growing into a fine young lady 🙂

These was what memories are made of – good times shared with good friends 🙂

34 going on 35

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In a months time, I’ll officially be in my mid 30s …  I’m not quite sure how I feel about that yet … I’m enjoying this growing older thing but I remember when mid 30s seemed really far far away :p  Not so anymore, one month is a quick time and before I know it, by golly, mid 30s I’ll be 🙂

Before I get wished Happy Birthday, a warm warm wish goes out to my dear Shob-sie in London.  Happy 26th Sweetie 😉  We know you’re living it up in London and filling the cold dreary place with your warm sunshine but we miss you!!

It seems, not so long ago, she was back in Singapore … …

and we were in Little India having dinner 🙂  Hmmm … now I’m craving for some serious thosai … …

Invictus

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My first movie of the year is Clint Eastwood’s Oscar attempt for 2010, Invictus.  I’m pretty sure that it’ll win a couple as well.  Like most of Mr Eastwood’s other films, it had dramatic moments, funny moments, music swelling to crescendos to tug at heartstrings moments but some reason it left me wanting more.  I can’t quite put my finger on it but I think it’s because in my world Mr Nelson Mandela affected more change than the movie was incline to show.

So while I walked out of the cinema moved by the hope that this movie may help everyone realise we may look different on the outside, on the inside we all want the same thing … love, I’m not quite sure if it’ll happen in my lifetime.

It’s strange that despite all Mr Mandela did for discrimination, we still live in a world where fundamentalists blow up other people’s places of worship. For us lately, it’s a lot closer to home than we would like … even if you don’t believe in God or religion, that just ain’t right.  I may not know much about the specifics of all the religions in the world but I do know that it’s all suppose to be about love.

God, in whatever form or word you choose, is always simple, it’s Man that complicates it all.

With the first movie of the year out of the way, I pray that in our darkest moments, all our hearts will always manage to find love and forgiveness.

Christmas in January

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After 7 long weeks, my dear husband is back!!  We’ve been apart longer than that before but since we’ve been married, this is the longest ever.  The great thing about love ones going away is when they come home and the best bit are the pressies, they bring home 🙂

A big THANK YOU *with hugs and kisses* to my Canadian family for all the lovely pressies 🙂  I can’t wait to eat/use/wear them!!!  And an even bigger thanks to my dear husband who had a slight airport debacle with the lovely moisturizer my Mum-in-law bought me.  You see the bottle with the purple top in the background?  What happen was that the lovely pressie was all wrapped up and he had no clue what was in it so he didn’t pack it in his check in luggage but in his carry on.

We all know now that airport security, especially those in North America is insane about liquids so as he went through security, they made him unwrap the pressie and told him nope, no exception for the Singapore wife.  He had to ditch it or check it in.  The thing was he had already checked in his luggage.  So for a split second, my husband was going to ditch the lovely moisturizer but the thoughtful person he is, made him repack his carry on, go back out and check it in.  So the moisturizer made it all the way from Kelowna to Singapore 🙂  And I can’t wait to use it.

Not only did my husband carry all my pressies, he bought me vegan desserts!!!

Lovingly hand carried all the way back from Canada 🙂  I already had one cookie on the way back in the car … complete bliss and total yummers!!!  I love vegan desserts!!!  Wonder if I can open and run a vegan bakery in Singapore?  The only problem with that is I may eat them all the desserts before I can even sell them :p

My Munchkins

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A couple of weeks ago, my one and only nephew started primary 1.  My cousin lives in the West but sent his son to a school in the North, since the daily commute would drive them all crazy, they’ve moved to the North!!!  That means they are only a 3min drive or 12min walk away from me 🙂  I can see them a lot more often, on the way back from work and whenever I basically feel like it.

It can’t just be me, right?  It is fun, spending the night with a 6 year old, a 3 year old and a 6 month old.  Just hanging out, doing the regular thing you do with kids … blowing bubbles into the rain, playing Transformers on the Wii, getting ready for bed, reading a story.  Yes, I had fun, a lot of fun and can’t wait for my next drop by … if my husband wasn’t coming home tomorrow, it’d be tomorrow.

Cycling Cronies

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I don’t know what’s up with the alliteration but I’m in a silly sort of poetic mood 😉  Think it’s coz my husband is back this Thursday.  Yes, you’ve read it right, after 7 weeks, he’s finally going to find himself back home 🙂

Meanwhile, the wife that he has abandoned in Singapore keeps herself busy with her other 30something non-parent friends and an activity that isn’t quite typical of us. The truth of it is that as Resh and I turn 35 this year and we’re PLANNING for us to be the fittest we’ve ever been in our lives.  So check in at the end of this year to see if we’ve succeeded.

As a start we decided to try out cycling and on a lazy Sunday evening, we found ourselves at the Pasir Ris Park.  The plan – to cycle 7km to Changi Village and back 🙂  It’s been a while since I hung out in the east and I was pleasantly surprised.  There’s even like a horse stable thingie you can bring kids to … so that’s the next place I might go with my parent friends with my niece and nephew 🙂  Once we got our bikes with little baskets for our little bags, we were raring to go.

We even stumbled on a field where there were numerous kites flying in the sky.  It was really quite pretty … ‘cept there was nearly a slight collision between me and a flyaway kite :p

There was more stumbling as we came along a little restaurant/bar place called Lava Edge.  It’s a quiet chill spot for one of those if-you-can’t-go-to-Bali-but-want-Bali moments.  We made a pit stop for some drinks and at $2 for a soft drink, it’s not too bad.  The food seemed interesting enough but with Changi Village around the corner, all we did was drink and then it was dinner at Changi Village 😉

There’s something about cycling in the dark … I’ve never done it before but I really enjoyed it and so we’re looking forward to the next time.  So Miss Chan, if you’re reading, you should come join us too!!!

Cable Ski

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That’s wakeboarding without a boat and like I mentioned in my last post, my cousin has been into it for the last year or so.  Which is why a couple of crazy Tans got up early on a Saturday morning, which is pretty much a feat for most of them, yes, most of us would rather spend a lazy Saturday morning curled up in bed …

… last Saturday was anything but lazy though … so that’s us before getting on the ferry.

I really do enjoy boat rides.  There’s something about the sea air blowing in your face that it quite rejuvenating and contemplative at the same time.  It didn’t take us long at all to get to Batam, about an hour or so and then it was like a quick 5min ride to Cable Ski.  It’s a little rustic but there’s everything you need there.  More importantly, if my sister can be happy there, most other Singaporeans would be 🙂  The true test is if my Mummy can be happy there too :p

If it’s your first time, you start off with a knee board.  That pretty much means you kneel on a board.  It’s a lot easier for balance but when the cable snaps, it’s still just as tough.  So while I made a couple of rounds on the knee board, I never got that far standing … let’s just say, even standing was something I didn’t quite accomplish by the end of the day.

That’s the place where I spent most of the day in a queue just trying to stand on the board :p  Yes, I fell more than I stood but I’m game for it again because I want to be able to do this one day.

Yes, that’s my cousin showing us how it’s done 🙂  Hopefully, I’ll get there some day.  The verdict is that it’s a really good work out for your arms.  At the end of the day, we were tired.

The pain didn’t quite sink in till the next day and that’s when I received an SMS from one of my cousins, “I feel like I’m paralyzed.”

Yes, we are still so looking forward to the next time!!!

Crazy Cousins Cableski

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My cousin is into cable skiing and has been at it for the last year. So over Christmas when she suggested to make a day out of it, we went, sure why not? I’m always game for any kind of water sport.

Here’s a quick update and I’ll post more once my arms don’t ache as much. We woke up early on Saturday, found ourselves on a ferry to Batam for a day of cable skiing 🙂

It was fun and the verdict is yes, we’re going to do it again 🙂

1 Week Down, 52 To Go

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This week was pretty much about jumping into the deep end, especially after the slow down during the Christmas period.  The work week flew by with planning for what we’re going to do in 2010, which reminded me on a personal level what my life’s goal is – to be more of the solution rather than problem.  Lately, I keep forgetting and it took a rainbow in the middle of an arduous session of settling work plans to give me a swift kick.

With the first rainbow for 2010, I’m reminded me that while it is often simpler to just stay the problem, at the end of the day, I truly rather be part of the solution and so the hard choices have to be made :p  Why?  Striving to be part of the solution is mostly why I reckon I sleep like I do.  It’s true, when you’re mostly the problem, sleep seems to escape you.

So thank you Rachael, the Rainbow.  Yes, I’ve christen her after my little Goddaughter 😉  She’s inspired me to maybe write a story about her too.  Both the rainbow and my baby Goddaughter.  Think it’ll be about a little girl and a rainbow … …

Anyway, here’s to the next 52 weeks being just as inspiring 😉

Hello 2010

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It doesn’t quite feel like the new year has started until you’re back at school or work, does it?

With the first official day back at work being today, I guess 2010 has started for real … … … yes, most of us were hit with a serious bout of Monday blues and guess what we found out?  We all had the same idea of a Monday blue pick-me-up, picking out an outfit that would give our gait that extra bounce 🙂

With the 20somethings flanking the 30somethings, I guess girls of all ages are pretty much the same.  Some of us may be the princess sort and other are a little more rough around the edges but there’s nothing like a pretty outfit that kicks the Monday blues away.  Now what will I wear to get rid of the Tuesday blues :p

Happy New Year everyone!!!  Hope my nephew and my other little friends, all 6 of them enjoyed their new uniforms and their first day of Primary 1 🙂