Month: June 2013

Man of Steel

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It’s opened around the world for a couple of weeks now but in Australia, where I am right now, it’s just opened and I was there with my Daddy and Mummy 🙂  My Dad enjoyed it but Mum thought it could be shorter.

My take – I did like it.  Then again I also liked Lee Ang’s interpretation of The Hulk.  I’m also a tad more in team DC than I am in team Marvel.  Yes, honestly  Robert Downey Junior made Ironman before that, Ironman was a lamer version of Batman.  And who can forget Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight.  That’s why I’m still rooting for a Justice League movie.  With The Dark Knight and Man of Steel, hopefully we’re seeing the building the great franchise.

Meanwhile, I could watch Man of Steel again.  It is different from all other Superman movies and Henry Cavill is a very decent Superman and I have a soft spot for Amy Adams.  There’s a cuteness about her that just makes me smile.  Wasn’t sure about the Christian references though?  Likening Superman to Jesus Christ seems a little out of place but I did ask myself this, if Superman really existed would there be room for Jesus?  So I guess, the technic worked to provoke me to think about something I normally wouldn’t and that to me is usually a successful film 🙂

A tad of a spoiler so if you haven’t seen it, stop now.

I do like this tormented Superman, not that he wasn’t before.  He always was but this time, the internal struggle of having been the chosen one versus having no real choice of his own came across more genuine … … and in some way reminded me of what Jesus may have had to go through – having the responsibility of being the chosen one bestowed on him.  So maybe that’s why Zack Synder had the Christian references to begin with 🙂  More than that, I’ve always been drawn to men who struggled with the hard choices.  Now I know why superheros and talking robots are my thing.

Being a Vegetarian in Perth

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Save from my husband and my sister-in-law, my family isn’t vegetarian.  Initially, I think they all didn’t think I was all that serious but after 11 years, they’ve become the most supportive cheerleaders who understand why I still choose to be vegetarian.

And you know it’s love when my parents bring me to a completely vegetarian restaurant for dinner.  A Taiwanese vegetarian restaurant at that too 🙂  I love Taiwanese vegetarian food!!  Except the cooking isn’t very authentic Taiwanese cuisine, in fact they have South East Asian curries and tom yam too.  So it was not bad, not bad at all for a vegetarian place.  Better than the food, was the company, it was nice to share vegetarian food with my Mummy and Daddy and have them enjoy it the food too!!

Simply said, we will be back for sure 🙂

What a Difference a Month Makes

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My very first Godson turned one month old on Father’s Day that makes him one month and one week old.  What a wonderful gift for his Dad too who also celebrated a birthday on Saturday before Father’s Day.  On the 16th, they all got together with family and friends to celebrate how this little boy is changing the world.

Maybe it’s just my world that he’s changing and one day, I’ll share with him how his presence makes everyone laugh little more, share a little more and be kinder.  Why?  Simply because, that’s what he’s been like in the last month.  He came into a world where he’s had to share his home with Bailey, a cute equally loving corgi who’s been in the house a little more than over 2 years before him.  Bailey can bark and he doesn’t mind it one bit.  In fact, he breaks into a smile when she barks.  He sleeps quietly while a party is rocking in the house.  If that isn’t sharing, I’m not quite sure what else is.  He’s definitely made me all warm and fuzzy that I am kinder after he and I have hung out for a while.  So yes, he is changing my world coz that’s what Godkids do to Godmas 🙂  I’m looking forward to him sharing his life with me.  The ups, the downs, the laughter and the tears.  A lifetime of memories awaiting us and I can’t wait.

For now, in the last month, I’ll remember how quick he’s growing 🙂

He is too too cute, right?

Haze-a-pore

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I know I’ve been blessed all my life and in case I forget, God reminded me again by letting the haze envelop Singapore just as I got on a plane to head to Perth.  Ok ok ok, that doesn’t mean God doesn’t love my sister who’s had to battle the crazy haze with the rest of Singapore.  I know I just got lucky this time around.  Very lucky as I read and kept in touch with daily PSI readings till it went into the hazardous stages.

Here’s a picture my friend sent me where the Singapore Flyer is completely shrouded by the haze earlier today.  I truly don’t know what can be done because I don’t know enough about what’s happening in Indonesia to have a seriously considered comment about how they do things.  I have been busy in Perth :p  However, I bet I have a teenage neighbour who smokes from his bedroom window because it faces mine so occasionally I smell cigarette smoke in my room.  I may not have satellite images revealing the fire and the smoke from his bedroom and even if I did, I do understand the need for a diplomacy dance.  We live side by side and everyday we’re going to have to share other common areas and air being one of them.  Fortunately there are things I can do, close the window, switch on the fan and blow it in his direction, politely let them know and hope they react positively.

The haze, on the other hand, isn’t quite within Singapore’s control but each and every one of us can also do our level best.  Close the windows, share what we can afford to those who cannot and be part of the solution rather than be part of the problem.  Easy for me to say, I’m not home.  I’d like to think I could be that way if I was home too and not hoard masks, blame everyone else and use the haze as an excuse to laze.  I’m sure I’ll be put to the test when I’m back home … according to everything I’ve read, it’s likely to stay for a couple of months.

I’m not the only lucky one though.  I think for the first time ever, my friends, Cherry, Gerie, Claire, Lynn and I are not in Singapore at the EXACT same time.  Over this crazy haze weekend, we were in different parts of the world.

Ah got to love these 6 kids 🙂  Aren’t they adorable?  If there was a good time for being in different parts of the world at the same time, this would have been it.

See everyone back in Singapore in July!!

Happy Father’s Day

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Like I mentioned in a previous post, my sister was in Perth for Mother’s Day and this year, I’m in Perth for Father’s Day 🙂  Note to parents, this is why you have 2 children, they can divide and conquer!!  I arrived in Perth Friday afternoon to a wonderfully brisk winter afternoon.  It isn’t as cold as I expected and actually quite lovely.  I am not a winter chick but I have to say, it’s been a lovely and enjoyable winter.

When Sunday rolled around and became Father’s Day, the sun was still shining beautifully.  I was thinking of maybe a brunch at a restaurant serving Australian cuisine but what does a Chinese family eat in Perth?  Not sure about your family but in mine, it’s dim sum 🙂

Besides celebrating the day with my Daddy, we celebrated the day with my cousin who has been a father for 10 years now.  As with any dim sum session, you over order, eat a lot, drink loads of tea and hang out.  All in all a lovely start to a day to celebrate fathers, especially fathers to daughters 🙂

As a daughter myself, I know how hard it is to a father to one.  I do empathise with all my Daddy friends who have daughters.  You guys truly have know idea what you’re up against and Dads to two or more daughters, they should be given a medal 🙂  My sister and I are as different as chalk and cheese and my parents truly had their work cut out for them.  Methods that work for me didn’t necessarily work for my sister and most definitely, vice versa.  What my Daddy had to argue with my sister about was also very different with what he had to argue with me about.  Needless to say, during our teen years, there was quite a bit of arguing.  Especially since my Daddy likes us to be able to articulate our thoughts coherently.  There were many “discussions”.

Now looking back, through those many discussions, the key thing my Daddy taught me was to respect myself first and if your partner didn’t love you for who you are but for who they want you to be, they ain’t worth your time.

I didn’t always get that right.  Growing up is a process … and most days I still feel like a work-in-progress but my Daddy showed by example what kind of love I should look for because that’s the kind of love he surrounded my sister and I.  He loves us both for exactly who we are and I’m happy to say other than my Daddy, my husband does too!!

I’ve learnt well 🙂

Happy Father’s Day to all Daddies and if you need any help, take a page from my Daddy’s book – truly, children don’t need anything more than you loving them for exactly what they are!!

Not So Little Saffy

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Today a little friend of mine turns 10 and I still remember going to her first month celebrations.  It’s amazing how fast time flies and how quickly the little ones in our lives grow.  Due to her family and friends being everywhere around the world today, we all got together a little earlier to celebrate in style with the birthday girl.

The neon theme party threw me for a slight loop till I remembered my very bright neon yellow sandals my sister bought me for Christmas.  I also forgot I actually have a neon pink top somewhere in my closet.  Oh well, there I was decked out in black with my neon sandals with my munchkins who will miss Saffy when she moves to New York.  They had a whale of a time.  For my nephew in particular, he usually finds himself in the minority with more girls than boys.  This time, he played rough, didn’t have to watch out for anyone because he was one of the boys and they were in the majority.

My niece had fun too and enjoyed hanging out with girls and of course, Renn.  It’s so nice to watch them grow up together.  Maybe they’ll stay friends and maybe they won’t but I do hope they get as lucky as I’ve been with friends.  It wasn’t always this way and in the past, I’ve had a couple of toxic friends myself.  Learnt the hard way and while they aren’t bad people themselves, I now know I can choose not to allow people to treat me badly.  Here’s 3 women, sans Lynn who we miss dearly (thank goodness for Whatsapp and FaceTime) and living it up in Maui.  So it’s actually 4 women who have showed me what real friendships mean.

In some ways we’re so different and yet in others so very similar.  I don’t know if they realise how much they’ve each inspire me to be better and that’s what real friendship means.  Supporting you when you need it most and being genuinely happy at your successes.  They’ve done it for me so often and for each other, showing that it is possible to put people who you aren’t related to before yourself. I’m so thankful for our seemingly inane conversations to quiet times when we lean on each other for strength.  Each time they make the difficult but right choices in life, they give me the courage to make the same hard choices in mine.  Our friendship always makes me think of this Dad’s advice to his children “Never ever let a friend down. I would bury bodies for my friends, if they asked me to . . . which is why I have chosen them carefully.”

So today on your 10th birthday dearest Saffy, I wish you a lifetime of wonderful friendships.  Happy Birthday angel!!

A Good Fracture

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A week ago today, my husband went for a run in the nature trails of MacRitchie Reservoir.  I’ve always been very grateful to live so close to it but not as much as my husband was last week.  You see, he usually runs in the evenings and last week he left a little later than usual, went in further than usual and all that means is that he was running back in the dark.  That’s because after sun down, it’s hard to see on the trails. I know because I run in the mornings and have left my house a little earlier than usual before the sun rises and told myself never do it again because it was really hard to see.

As the story goes for my husband, it’s all dark and getting spooky on the trails, he starts to run quicker, misses his footing, twists his ankle and hears a snap!!  Then he hobbles all the way home and was probably more grateful than ever that we live close by.  At first he doesn’t think he broke anything because he’s had experience with a broken toe and it felt nothing like that.  We go to bed but wake up the next day to his ankle really swollen and him not being able to put ANY pressure on it.  Off to the hospital we go!!

And it’s confirmed.  He did fracture his ankle but apparently according to the orthopaedic surgeon it’s the best kind to have, meaning it should heal well.  I also learnt that bones heal better than ligaments or muscles or tissues.  You heard it here, if you’ve injured your ligament or muscles or tissue, you should rest up more and longer than if you’ve had a fracture.  *looking straight at my sister and my Mummy*  Right now my husband is suppose to stay off his right foot for 2 weeks and keep it in his high tech Aircast boot for 6, which means I’m playing nurse 🙂  It’s alright by me though.  I much rather give care than receive it :p

Meanwhile, on a stranger note, my husband fractures his right ankle a week after my sister incurred a deep tissue injury on her right ankle while wakeboarding who followed a week after my Mummy sprains her right ankle too.  Too much of a coincidence?  I’m not sure what it all means.  I’m just glad they are all ok and are healing well 🙂

How has your last week been?