New Year... New Beginning...

2010-03-27T13:45:00.003+08:00

Officially 1/3 through the Pregnancy journey which was filled with joy, anticipation & uncertainty...

http://new-year-new-beginning-gift.blogspot.com/

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2009-12-25T14:53:00.003+08:00

Christmas 2009
We did a homecooked dinner on Christmas eve this year. My fav caesar salad, cream penne with prawn (both PS cafe style), black pepper steak, cod fish & prawns and salsa dip with nachos.. It was simple but yet heart warming.

In fact, I would say it's one of the best Christmas eve countdown I had for a while.

For the third year, we "maintained" the tradition of taking a photo beside the nicely decorated Christmas tree.

Since we were flying off on Christmas day, boxing day came early! We started opening all our presents on the eve itself. Thoughtful Ivy got us a manual musical box with our special song!

We did our yearly Christmas Kettling. This time round in Suntec. 2 hours of our time, but it's time well-spent!

This year, I did the kettling not once but twice, at Habourfront as well. SMS a few friends to inform them of the Salvation Army Kettle so that more could donate. Was so pleasantly surprised where SiewChoo popped by as I was yawning away to drop a $50 note . It certainly perked up my spirits!

Lots of Christmas photos this year.

Several Christmas gatherings with friends & unfortunately some without pictures taken.

2009-12-22T01:33:00.014+08:00

Today by Faith, I can do what yesterday seem impossible

An simple idea from me became a dream come true for WJ, touched the hearts of many, leaving a heartwarming story to share for a lifetime... only made possible with true friendship!

It's amazing how quickly bonds were made as we were struggling "pedaling until our tongue sweep the floor" to draft in a pack while remaining safe at ~40km/h. One of the best things I did this year was to join the JRs. The euphoria from those 3 times a week rides and the friendships made were priceless.

6 persons (Al, E, DS, DR, I, JY) roped in and everything went into place.

WJ is a special girl.. ultra sweet & kind-hearted. 24 year old girl drew & published KiteSong and have a second book in the works.. amazing!

A simple home-cooked dinner by WJ but everyone at the table could feel the sincerity as she gave THANKS.

FAITH brought us closer! A last minute idea to visit Fung has everyone "ONZ" in full force at a simple Kopitam at 9pm on a weekday night. A few SMS & phone calls with several offers for a ride from home. Yes, we are not just crazy when riding. =)

With love from WJ.

Christmas present from WJ was not a typical Christmas present, but a goodie bag consisting of a photo album containing our good memories from OSIM, JRs & SCM, a photo frame with one of the nicest photo of all time, my fav GODIVA dark chocolate, a FAITH cup, a FAITH magnet and a nicely self-drawn card.

I love the card the best!

2009-12-22T01:32:00.001+08:00

Christmas Presents 2009
"... the value of a timeless gift lies in the thought put into it. What really matters is its ability to linger forever in our memories."

X'mas present for myself... My first Kate Spade item!

This is the first year we chose our own X'mas present. In the past years, I always like to receive something nice & impractical for Xmas... a pleasant surprise.
This time round, I saw something at Kate Spade which is nice & yet impractical. So I snapped a photo & MMS Gerald "Dear, can I choose my own present this year? Please!" and he immediately replied "Sure =)"

In return, Gerald choose his own X'mas present too.. iPhone 3GS

Started getting presents for good friends early this year... presents I'm confident they will like it. =)

2009-12-19T18:30:00.001+08:00

Saw this on a poster along Somerset MRT & thought it would be a good X'mas present for Eric (my cycling mentor). So Gerald & I head to HMV on 3rd floor.

So many nice CDs on my dream list! Jason Mraz, Adam Lambert (no worries he's a gay, I still like him!), Norah Jones, Emo Love & many many more!

Was trying hard to refrain from buying! Haven't been buying CDs for a while expect when buying as gifts. Prefer using the cheaper option.. Aka U-Tube :)
Was drooling at the LOTR DVDs too. Had wanted to watch it before our NZ trip but couldn't find time to download online & it's sooo expensive to buy!

(Afternote: Luckily managed to get LOTR blueray version from David. Woohoo!)

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X'mas Gathering

2009-12-14T01:52:00.000+08:00

Haven't met Siew Choo, Shirley & Seah for a while but when we do meet up, there's always so much to chat about! Had japanese food for dinner at Vivocity & took the opportunity to celebrate Shirley's birthday.
4 of us actually managed to finish an Awfully Chocolate cake after having our own main course & sharing some starters!

Very happy that both ladies are taking up running as a sports & progressing well. :)

Walked past this on my way to meet Seah & Shirley and without hesitation, I grab my iPhone for a quick snap & mms this to Gerald "Woohoo! Max Brenner is coming to Vivocity!"

Blogging on the GO!

2009-12-13T12:07:00.001+08:00

iPhone is really great! There's apps for anything under the sun. From Facebook, instant messaging, cooking & baking receipes, to track running distance & pace, and Twitter & blogging within a few clicks of the button.

In fact, this posting was drafted as I was walking towards office on Tue morning.
Recently i started taking photos of interesting things using my iPhone & sending mms to either Gerald or frens.
It's really nice! Hopefully I can find another app soon that allows posting pics on the go!

2009-12-08T02:29:00.000+08:00

Looking forward to NZ

Christmas is approaching & I'm getting excited. Not just with the usual X'mas get-togethers with friends, the yummy X'mas logcakes & relaxed year-end atmosphere, but also the upcoming holiday to NZ with a stopover in Sydney.
<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.countdownr.com"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Countdownr&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Decided to head for Southern Island since it's reputed for the scenic sights. Haven't done much planning for the trip yet. Only booked the flights, hotel accommodation & car rental in NZ as well as the ice glacier hike. This time round, I don't intent to plan too much.. just wanna relax & explore whatever our hearts & maps bring us.

Super happy when I went to the NZ Tourism Office @ Faber House last week. Managed to get plenty of informative brochure, maps & a mega thick & up-to-date guide book. In the next few weeks, would at least work on booking the glow-worm cave & jet-boating to avoid disappointment & finalise the accomodation in Sydney.

2009-12-08T01:48:00.000+08:00

The results are out!

It's official, Chip timing is 2hr 11 mins. Average 6mins 13 sec per KM.
Next target would be how to reduce it to below 2hr.

2009-12-06T20:25:00.002+08:00

SCM 2009
Did my 3rd half marathon today and achieved my personal best timing @ 2 hours 11 mins (based on own stopwatch). 14mins faster than my 1st & 2nd attempts (both 2hours 25mins) and within my target.
I'm happy with the new record but definitely more happy that WJ was able to complete her 1st 21km. Definitely sooo proud of her for not just completing the race on her own but also finishing with such excellent spirits. We run together about 2 times a week mostly in the morning over the past months, not just to train but also to chat & spend time together. In fact, I was the one "psycho-ing" her to sign up & I know this race really meant a BIG deal to her.
Well done dear!

Jennifer did well too for her first half marathon. She's definitely happy =)

Delicious Apple crumble from WJ, a great pre-race indulgence!

Preparing for the race

My dream list...

2009-12-02T01:18:00.001+08:00

Live to Eat & never eat to LIVE...
Very into Caesar Salad right now... 2 of my favourite dining outlets

Prive @ Keppel Bay
We loved to go there for Saturday brunch. It's not crowded, pretty laid back & food are served piping hot from the oven... yummy!

PS Cafe

Went to the Dempsey outlet on Thurs night for dinner with a gf and it was so packed we were almost shouting at each other just to chat. In contrast, Gerald & I went to the Paragon outlet on Sat night & it was sooo peaceful. The caesar salad tasted as good but was disappointed they had a smaller menu & didn't serve the cream pasta with giant prawns which I was craving for.

Deco was similar to the Dempsey outlet.

Since I was craving for cream pasta with prawns, decided to whip up the dish myself & it tasted yummy. Was so motivated, I tried making caesar salad too. =)

Also started baking as a form of showing love to good friends. Started with chocolate cake with kiwi stuffing in the middle..

Just made Hersey's brownie as well. My first "test run" for Christmas & it turned out to be quite a success. It was chewy & quick presentable after some "packaging".

Received some yummy treats from Waijia too. Started with almond & orange cake, followed by banana muffin & banana cinnamon cake this week. Such a sweet gal!

Due to my budding interest to bake, started to browse supermarkets too. Always loved Bakerzin as they used Valrhona chocolate so decided to check out ThreeSixty Supermarket @ Ion. 66% dark chocolate with hazelnut @ $13... expensive but yummy! Service was also fantastic we got to try different types of chocolate before deciding.

2009-12-02T00:43:00.001+08:00

Victor Victoria
Despite the lukewarm review, I actually loved it. The costume & stage set was elaborate, Laura Fygi's voice was great & the male lead Jake Macapagal was absolutely charming.

Chillout at Esplanade rooftop prior to the show.

Got the compliation CD @ $19.95.

It came with 2 CD with personalised autographed by Laura herself... 2 thumbs up!

Love it partly also because it reminded me of beautiful Paris...

2009-12-01T23:05:00.003+08:00

Countdown to X'mas...

Yeah, my favourite time of the year is just round the corner!
Did some early planning this year. Started thinking about presents, cards, catch-up with friends for Christmas dinners and even started taking Christmas pictures early. =)

Couldn't help but want to put up the X'mas tree at home.. tis the season to be jolly!

Plenty of stuffs on my plate now.. work is hectic, haven't really got time to plan the details on our upcoming NZ trip, countless items on my to-do list & definitely still sleep deprived... wished I had more time! Who doesn't?!! Just hope December doesn't zip passed too quickly...

2009-11-22T00:57:00.000+08:00

Get-together

Celebrated Chingway's birthday @ Fullerton Hotel. Not only did we have chocolate dessert buffet, we order 2 savoury food to share. Nice & relaxing place to chat...

Steamboat dinner followed by chocolate fondue.. we were all thrilled.

Janice wedding!

2009-11-17T23:29:00.001+08:00

In love with COVA
pasticceria-confetteria of course! Really loved the ambience. Reminds me of Italy, especially Milan.

Yummy appetizer.. Piping hot mushroom soup

Anti-pasta starter was also delicious & we enjoyed our main course.

Of course, dessert was highlight of the night. 4 course set dinner includes dessert.. choose between a slice of cake or 4 petite tartlets.. nicely served on a silver platter...

2009-11-15T23:34:00.002+08:00

Biking gives me wings =)

Been wanting to do a triathlon so biking was the logical next step after 3 years of running (from 2006) & completing my first full marathon last year (2008).

In fact, the $2K investment on my roadbike & joining JoyRiders was one of the best thing I did this year. Never thought I'll be such a fanatic, waking up at 4am on Wed & Fri morning for a ride! Would roll off from home at 4.15am, head to Thomson Longhouse to join the group before going towards Mandai, Clementi, Amoy & home via Nicoll Highway, a total of 65KM! By the time I reach home at 7.15am, I would be very HIGH from the adrenaline rush, excitedly sharing with Gerald how fast & far the group went.

Best thing is, cycling people are very friendly & extremely helpful! Made plenty of good friends along the way, many of them have done multiple triathlon both locally & overseas.. so motivated!

Waijia & Alvin after the OSIM Trialthon 2009
- WJ, a sincere & extremely kind-hearted gal who really touched my heart. "Contentment" so much to learn from her!
- Big A, the leader of the East who really takes good care of us newbies.

Eric & Looi after a typical Saturday morning ride
-E, my Shifu who soooo patiently taught me how to change gears, use cleats, drink on the bike, draft & pull and waited for me as I struggled to keep up with the group. Without his help & guidance, I'll never be as good a rider now.
- L, very gentlemanly & helpful. Will always remember my first huge fall along Coastal Road & how they stopped to help me.

Fungus & Anne during Tri Factor
- F, the number 7 never fails to bring F to my mind. My heart goes out to him. We wanna help where possible, just to chip in & show that we care... WJ, A, K & I as Air marshall.
- A, always filled with energy & never pretentious...everyone appreciate such frank attitude.

My biggest challenge so far.. the 100KM ride to Desaru over the Hari Raya Puasa long weekend.

Really improved a lot over the last 6 months. Still remember how I struggled during the Saturday Eastern ride. Now, Saturday rides are the most satisfying! Able to stay in the front of the front pack & if we are lucky, catch a huge group & draft! Hit my maximum speed of 51.1km/h on a flat road last Saturday... woohooo!

In fact, could feel my stamina improving. During long runs on ECP, could almost feel the wings on my back. Did my best timing so far of 10KM within 1 hour during the REAL Run. 4KM Trail, 0.6KM Sand, 10.4KM Taxiway/Road @ 91 mins, 29 secs
Year 2009
6 Dec 2009: 21KM - Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (TBD)
28 Oct 2007: 15KM - Real Run (1hr 31mins 29secs*)
16 Aug 2009: 21KM - SAFRA Singapore Bay Run & AHM (2hr 25mins 55secs)
1 Aug 2009: Cycle 20KM - OSIM Corporate Triathlon (Mini Mixed Relay, 20mins 41secs)
19 Jul 2009: 10KM - Shape Run (1hr 2mins 11 secs*)
14 Jun 2009: Cycle 40KM - Tri Factor (1hr 51mins 33secs)
24 May 2009: 15KM - Saucony Passion Run (1hr 43mins 20secs)
22 Feb 2009: Cycle 20KM - OCBC Cycling

Year 2008
7 Dec 2008: 42KM - Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (5hr 5mins 19secs*)

1 Nov 2008: Cycle 20KM - OSIM Corporate Triathlon (Sprint Mixed Relay, 1hr 12mins, 4secs)

24 Aug 2008: 21KM - SAFRA Singapore Bay Run & AHM (2hr 25mins 33secs)

20 Jul 2008: 10KM - Shape Run (1hr 12mins 26secs)
8 Jun 2008: 15KM - Saucony Passion Run (1hr 38mins 46secs)
31 May 2008: 10.5KM - Adidas Sundown Marathon (Team Relay, 1hr 8mins 1secs)

Year 2007
28 Oct 2007: 15KM - Real Run (1hr 39mins 13secs)
21 Oct 2007: 10KM - Great Eastern Women (1hr 2mins 39secs)
3 Nov 2007: 5KM - OSIM Corporate Triathlon (Sprint Mixed Relay, Run 30mins 15secs)

Year 2006
3 Dec 2006: 10KM - Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (1hr 7mins 44secs)
27 Aug 2006: 10KM - SAFRA Singapore Bay Run & AHM

2009-11-15T00:40:00.000+08:00

Sporting events with Gerald

Bukit Timah trekking (15 Nov 2009)

Bukit Timah trekking (1 Nov 2009)

Long walk & chit chat @ Bedok Reservoir (11 Oct 2009)

Relaxing ride at Safra Runway Cycling @Paya Lebar Runway on 21 Jul 2009.

It's a cycle cum roller-blading event and hence they are many different types of bicycles as well as the pro figure skaters.

2009-08-13T23:17:00.000+08:00

10 Years Anniversary...

A lovely bouquet of white lily & I'm still pleasantly surprised after a decade. =)

2009-07-08T00:25:00.000+08:00

2009 Birthday @ Bali

I'm always coming up with SMART Ideas.. This time round, I used my KrisFlyer miles to redeem a pair of tickets to Bali & this trip is going to be Gerald's Birthday present. The best part is, we are departing on my birthday... hehe, kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

http://www.i-love-travelling.blogspot.com

2009-06-30T23:01:00.000+08:00

Gerald's Birthday

We decided to take leave to celebrate Gerald's Bday & to enjoy a long weekend. Had sumptuous lunch at Bar & Billard Room Restaurant @ Raffles Hotel. Totally enjoyed the good quality food & sumptuous spread. Yummy desserts!
The whitewashed colonial style hotel is a perfect photo-taking spot!
Met up with Adrian, Michelle & Leong and Darryl for dinner at Central. Karen & Sharon joined us at Helipad where Robin spins. Quite a nice club (I loved the chillout area at the roof top!) and the music is great. We haven't club for a while so everyone let loose & really enjoyed the night.

2009-06-28T22:46:00.000+08:00

I'm a JoyRider! http://www.joyriders.sg

Got my personal road bike on 2 May 2008 & was searching online for a cycling groups that rides in the East. Chance upon the Joyrider website on Thurs night and decided to drop them an email enquiring about their Saturday morning newbie ride. They were extremely prompt & friendly in their reply and I joined them on Sat (15 May) and never looked back since.

Saturday morning 48KM newbie ride starts at 6.40am @ ECP, Carl Jr carpark. Group leader Alvin is super nice & friendly. Never fails to take care of the newbies. Was surprise to find out from Facebook that Alvin was actually a triathlete (Aviva Ironman!).
Have been riding with Joyrider almost every Saturday morning since then. Made some good friends along the way. Dr WaiJia (a super sweet young doctor-to-be), Eric (super helpful & happening uncle), and many many super onz cyclists.

Had my first HUGE fall on my 3rd Saturday ride with JR. Was riding along Changi Coast Road when my front wheel hit the back wheel of Eric who was riding in front of me. They call it "Wheel rub", common with group riding. I was inexperience and fell big time while the more experienced riders escaped unscathed. Ended with HUGE cuts on the right knee, elbow & arm. The experienced riders says "It's ok, now you are baptised!". I must admit it was pretty dangerous when there's a crash. Could have ended up in the hospital if not for the helmet!

Officially became in Joyrider when Waijia helped me get the JR Jersey. Amazing thing is Joyriders are so friendly, helpful & onzz. Group leader Joyce & Alvin takes pictures for every ride & upload them on Picasa soooooo promptly with personalised comments.
Now the Saturday group is growning soooo big.
Went a notch up when I "upgraded" to Cleats on 23 June! Thanks to a great master, it was easier & less painful than expected. About 1 hour of practice with a handful of minor falls, now I'm confident to ride with cleats and it certainly helped to bring the speed up.
Joined the Longhouse group for the Western route through Kranji, West Coast, Bouna Vista, Holland Rd & Botanical Garden on 28 June (Sun). It was a hard workout with lotsa of slopes throughout the approx 65KM ride. The group was also much faster than the East Coast Sat ride.
New challenges brings good satisfaction. =)

More pictures available here ==> http://picasaweb.google.com/Joyriders09A

2009-05-06T01:21:00.006+08:00

Caught on the Cycling Bug

Got hooked on cycling recently. It all started with the Safra Runway cycling last June where we had a good time on the super straight & flat Paya Lebar runway.

So when we were knew that OCBC was organising a cycling event on 22 Feb 2009, we promptly signed up for it. We rented the bikes from the organisers but didn't know helmets would be provided. Got this cycling helmet from Giant at only SGD $4! Looks almost like a turban.
The Start & End point was at the F1 Pit Building.
We did the 20KM community run. A huge crowd at the starting point, awaiting for the flag off. Despite the crowd, it was a very well organised event and the T-shirt looks great.
Jennifer & her friends joined us as well.
Completed the 20KM quite effortlessly and we were still looking fresh after the ride.
Subsequently Gerald & I regularly cycle from our place through the Eastern Park Connector. We'll stop for yummy Chicken chop noodle at Changi Village Food Centre before heading back which usually takes up almost the whole sunday afternoon. On several ocassions, it started raining on our way back. Cycling in the rain was great to drench the heat & bring back the childhood memories.

Recalled the first time we tried cycling this same route. Gerald was so exhausted that he had cramps on both legs and was so mad at me for the endless long distance cycling. Now, he's the one suggesting that we cycle to Changi Village for makan... haha

I organised a "Go for a Spin" session with my Colleagues on 19 Apr 2009. We started from ECP, near MacDonalds. Since some of them have not done cycling for ages, I was planning to cover 25km & U-turn along Changi Coast Road.

As pleasantly surprised that everyone was so on and we continued till Changi Beach (opposite Changi Village).

This poster was there at the junction outside Changi Airfreight Centre. Feels like it was there especially for us. A perfect photo taking opportunity. Everyone was so happy at the finishing point after cycling 32KM.

Was crazy enough to really get my personal road bike after contemplating for months. It's a Scott Speedster Contenssa 2009 model. Simply loved the colour. It's like buying an LV bag but I felt the pinch more than ever. And yes, I'll make sure it's kept safely at all times so it found residence in the Study Room.
Maiden ride.. from the Bicycle shop @ East Coast Road back home via the Siglap park connector.First weekend ride was estimated 40KM from home to Changi Village & back. Could feel the strong wind against my face as I race down the Changi Coast Road & bypassing other riders.

I need to beef up my riding skills though. Need to gain confidence to hop on & off the bike with the seat at waist high & ride on the road. *horrors* More immediate task should be to get cycling short asap! =)

2009-05-06T00:24:00.004+08:00

Just realised I haven't blog for the longest time. Haven't even started on my fav Switzerland trip last year in my travel blog. I'm always guilty of packing too much activities in my life in my attempt to make it less mundane. Time to prioritise...

2nd Wedding Anniversary

Recently downloaded these pics taken during our 2nd Wedding Anniversary from my camera. Gerald got a bouquet of white roses (my fav colour) delivered to our house on 1st Jan 2009. No wonder he purposely wanted to delay leaving the house.
As part of the celebration, he also bought the Millennium & Corpothorn Ala Carte membership card which entitles to us to a 1 night stay at any of the M&C hotels. We were promptly welcome at Orchard Hotel.
We didn't stay in the room for long but instead, went out for coffee. Delicious chocolate & durian cake from the Big O Cafe @ Wheelock Place. 2 thumbs up!

We had a quiet dinner at one of my fav eating place, PS Cafe. It's our first time at the Palais outlet and the ambiance is better than both the Paragon & Harding Road branches. The food is delicious but also pretty pricey. The outdoor sitting area would be perfect for a lazy weekend brunch... we'll definitely be back!

As I was archiving my personal email inbox recently, was reminded of the tremendous effort we put in to prepare for the wedding and to make the marriage work. We certainly shouldn't take things for granted at all time. I'm thankful that Gerald is supportive in every way & I'm like a gem too for being so understanding at all times. =)

2008-12-26T11:38:00.003+08:00

Merry Christmas 2008

We put up our Christmas tree at home since end Oct! Used the same ornaments as last year since I didn't have much time to do shopping unlike last year.
Christmas Eve - Lunch at TCC
Met Sharon at the Airport for X'mas gift exchange. Took the opportunity to have coffee at Terminal 3, one of my fav coffee chillout place. Was updating my travel blog, slipping coffee & enjoying a slice of Chocolate X'mas log cake while waiting for Gerald to knock off from work & join me for lunch. Taking pics with my iBook.
Christmas Eve - Potluck @ Leong's House.
Had our usual potluck, played Bingo followed by X'mas present exchange with newbies to the group.
Christmas Day - Overnight Camping @ ECP
Gerald & I went camping and yes, we did stay throughout the night till sunrise.
We checked out 3 locations before settling down at a nice grass patch near Area G carpark. It was breezy and nice. The 4-men tent I got from Carrefour at about $25 was spacious & easy to setup. We started for small BBQ dinner around 11pm. Bacon & Cheese, Chicken & Beef steak, hotdog, peanut pancake & sweet potato... yummy!

2008-12-26T10:34:00.003+08:00

Jes is in LOVE again...
Was relaxing in the garden when Lynn Lynn bounce & hop over from afar. She looked like her old self, young, playful & active. How I missed staying with her!

Went to Pet Safari @ Vivocity on Christmas Day and saw a "Ham Ham lookalike" i.e. Shih Tzu.
I miss him too!
My doggie dream list:
(1) Wire Fox Terrier(2) Miniature Schnauzer

2008-12-20T11:15:00.001+08:00

Merry Christmas 2008

After the Batam trip, I resolved to do more good & therefore volunteered to man the Christmas Kettle for the Salvation Army. It was really hassle free and simple. Just sacrifice 2 hours of your time, choose your preferred date, time & venue and if it's available, the Salvation Army would allocate the slot to you. Chingway & I therefore manned the kettle outside Wisma Atria on Saturday afternoon from 3 - 5pm.
We were amazed & happy that many has come forward to donate. Many doners were also very encouraging with their smiles. This boy & his mum came to take over the kettle after our 2 hours stint. So heartwarming to see some parents teaching their young kids the goodness of sharing.

2008-12-07T22:33:00.004+08:00

Believe you can, and you will..

Completed my first 42KM marathon this morning and I'm truly happy. The weather was good, my pace & morale all the way till about 38km was great. I was on track for my 5h target with no cramp at all. I was also jogging throughout, nil walking except for walking through all the water point as recommended by experienced runners.
Most painful stretch was at the F1 pitstop which seems never ending and the sun was blazing. Jennifer & Gerald were there to share my glorious moment at the finishing line. =)
Finisher T-shirt & souvenir medal, in exchange for the sweat, blisters & lactic acid.
Feeling fresh after changing into dry clothes.

2008-12-07T21:46:00.000+08:00

F1 (28 Sep 2008) - First night race

Super belated posting on my first F1 experience...

Despite the fact that I never had the patience to watch through a complete race where the cars just went round & round until I lost count, I emptied my pocket to get 3 three day passes to bring my dear Daddy who was soooo excited that the F1 is finally coming to SG.

Started getting into the F1 craze with a close encounter with Lewis Hamilton & Heikki Kovalainen when they came to my office on Wed & Thurs prior to the race. Lewis is cute & more approachable in person. I'm proud he eventually won the F1 title. =)
Cool Daddy with the Ferrari flag.
Dear dear who also enjoyed the action.Our seats were at the grandstand facing the floating platform. Nice & cooling.
Everyone was so shock when there's a crash at the Bayfront just below where we were sitted.
Our tickets also allow us to walk-around various areas along the circuit so we explored various "elevated platforms" near turns & along straight stretches. Rather worth it as there were also many live telecast screens so we would stay connected while "experiencing" all the action. Despite being an "F1 idiot", I actually enjoyed the 3 days of action. =)

2008-10-27T01:24:00.002+08:00

http://i-love-travelling.blogspot.com

Finally updated my travel blog. 1 full day to complete the part on Greece so guess I'll need much more time before I complete Italy & Switzerland. Enjoyed the vacation & loved the Greek Islands! =)

2008-06-23T01:58:00.000+08:00

Working in Tokyo..

It's my first time travelling alone. Luckily, so far so good. =) Flight was comfortable and I was in Tokyo after a short nap & Haagen Dazs ice-cream.

It's extremely easy to navigate in Tokyo because they're so systematic and there's lots of signages & colour-coding. Enjoying the cool weather while waiting for the Limo bus to transfer to the hotel. Impossible to take a cab as it'll cost SGD $350... ooh!

Here's my office building, Roppongi First Building.

Hotel is about 5 minutes away from office. Nearest train station is Tameiko-sanno Metro Station (Exit 13). About 5 stations away from Shibuya via Metro. Nice and cosy so I enjoyed the stay. =)

There's an open area is just beside my hotel. Always enjoy passing by this area on my way to work. Weather is sooo nice. Sunrise is very early at about 4.30am and sunset is similar to S'pore s the day feels very long.
Stalls are setup every Wednesday morning at the open area, selling fruits & veggie. Good place to buy fruits. Fruits can be sooo expensive here. Saw grapes & cherries that cost SGD $100++! Even bananas sold at 7-11 cost me $1.50 each.
Went to Shibuya for shopping & dinner right after check-in to hotel. As usual, the crossing was so full of buzz. Yoshinoya is very unpopular here in Tokyo. Heard from my colleague that no one will eat there and the shop looks very cheapo too.

After work on weekdays is usually dinner or shopping followed by dinner. Went to Shunjuku 2 consecutive nights and Roppongi on Friday.

Was looking forward to the weekend... no need to work. =) Woke up early than the weekdays so to head to Tsukiji for sashimi breakfast. Some of the shops had sooo long queue.. about 30-40 people waiting in the line.Very delicious and it's so fresh! Premium chirashi @ SGD $45. It comes with 2 slices of Torro (Tuna belly) which is soo expensive in S'pore.
Very interesting to walk around Tsukiji. The different grades of Tuna & Salmon.
The debone the fishes so it makes grilled fish so easy.
This is the transport used by the locals working in the Tsukiji market.
This is edamame.

My favourite, Wasabi! They grind this and mix with water to form the green wasabi paste.

Sea Urchin

Didn't know that Bonito (the flakely thing that is served with fried tofu) is actually fish flakes. The locals buy them in big paper bags.

The different variety of Tamago.

Their desserts looks sooo pretty. Can't resist to buy them. Unfortunately they've to be eaten fresh so can't huy them back.

This is taken in a shrine near to Tsukiji market.

We walked from Tsukiji to Ginza. Lotsa shopping. =)

Met up with Renhao who's studying music here in Tokyo. He bought us to Asakusa after Ueno. My second visit to this shrine and I still like this place. Highly recommended for first timers to Tokyo.

They're making the rice crackers on the spot.. using CHARCOAL.

My colleague and I had Kobe beef sukiyi & grilled beef on Sat night @ Roppongi. It started raining on Sat so it was comforting to have something soupy. My most expensive meal in Tokyo so far... Cost us SGD $180 / person. It's worth every cent though we gotta start eating bread next week liao...

Sun was rainy the whole day so we went shopping. Didn't take any pictures because hands were already very full. =)

2008-06-10T00:38:00.008+08:00

Sporty events..

Safra Runway Cycling - 25 May 2008

15Km cycling on the Paya Lebar airport runway on a nice cooling sunday morning.. very nice! Particularly nice because Gerald accompanied me and he actually enjoyed himself as well. =)

Sundown Marathon - 31 May 2008

Obviously I didn't do the ultra-marathon (84KM). It's way beyond my league and I truely admire their courage. Since it's the first night marathon in Singapore, I round up 3 colleague to sign-up under the team category. So inspiring to see the ultra-marathoners in action...

Passion Run - 8 June 2008

The cheapest & most worthwhile running event so far. I only paid $18 for 15Km. It's quite well organised, there's distance signage every 1km and water point every 2km with lots of 100 plus. Best timing so far @ 98mins.

2008-05-01T00:21:00.000+08:00

May Day Long Weekend

Have an excellent long weekend, starting with the chance to drive home a Cabriolet CLK 280 from office. Simply loved the car! It was sleek and easy to drive. Not to mention it was truly a head-turner especially when topless. How I wished I could keep the car.. hehe

On Thur, Gerald & I visited Labrador Park for the first time. It was nice and sunny, a great way to enjoy the public holiday! Had lunch @ Olive Ristorante and I would highly recommend the place for it's serenity and yummy menu. Can't to go back to try the warm chocolate cake *hint hint*

Thur was quite a fun-filled day.
Had another cycling expedition in the late afternoon. Tried some parts of the Eastern Coastal PCN and the section leading up to Bedok reservoir was very siong with plenty of tough slopes. Went down memory lane when we visited our old house & the neighbourhood where we grew up. It's been about 20 years and everything looks sooo different now...

After about 4 hours of cycling, went home to shower before heading to dempsey for late night drinks with a friend from german class as well as 2 colleagues. Finally had the chance to try out Quarubar by Pool Junction (next to Harry's bar). Nice jazzy live music though their sandwich is nothing fantastic (i think I can make something better =P). Nice chill out place and great company plus the fact the I took leave on Friday was certainly reasons to stay out till late.

Played badminton on Friday morning, followed by massage at Spa Elements @ Cathay before meeting some friends for dinner at Shoduko. Thereafter we went Crew Room for drinks and I was already high by 12 midnight. Went Indochine @ Clark Quay where Robin is spinning to dance and more merry-making. Tired but its was truly a satisfying weekend! )

2008-04-25T23:45:00.003+08:00

First Blood Donation

Successfully donated my blood for the first time and it's not as painful as imagined! First, there's a small little staple-like poke at the index finger to test whether the iron level in your blood is sufficient. Next will be a small anesthesia jab and the rest is really nothing to worry about because the area where they insert the thick tube to draw the blood is already numb.

The whole blood donation activity took about 20mins including the paperwork & short rest. I think the Blood Bank @ HSA did a great job! They sent a mini bus to pick us to and fro. Throughout the whole process, the staffs were extremely courteous and appreciative of our courage.

Best of all, the sense of satisfaction knowing that someone would eventually benefit from this priceless donation was well worth the effort. Will certainly do it again and I hope everyone would chip in soon. =)

2008-04-13T22:50:00.002+08:00

Heavenly indulgence..

Had an enjoyable all-girls night out on Friday, feasting on a wide selection of delectable chocolate desserts... Simply yummy! Had a good time catching up w Jac, YYY & Lifeng and we chat till we were asked to leave cos the Courtyard was closing.

Two thumbs up for the Chocolate Buffet @ Fullerton... I just can't wait to go back there again *waistline horrors*

Can't wait to meet the gals again, and hopefully we'll make it for night cycling expedition before Jac leaves. *wink*

2008-03-31T23:58:00.003+08:00

Rock Weekend!

Gerald and I caught "We Will Rock You" on Saturday. Nice and it's amazing to see everyone standing, clapping and shaking their bods at the Esplanade theatre. Simply loved Bohemian Rhapsody!

Coincidentally we enjoyed good rock music on Friday at Bar One (the formal bar none at Marriot Hotel). They've updated the deco and changed the band, all for the better.

2008-03-22T23:45:00.001+08:00

Good old friends..

Attended Jac's wedding at Oriental hotel today. It was a pretty unique wedding. Dinner was 5 course in a cosy ballroom and thereafter, we adjourned to the poolside for dessert buffet. There's where the couple did a cool waltz dance for all the guests. Jac looked absolutely radiant and in total bliss. I'm glad she finally found her true love. =)

The soleminzation was before the dinner and it reminds me of the time when Gerald and I said our wedding vows. It's a pity Gerald couldn't come for the wedding with me. That's one of the moments where I really wished he was there with me.

Managed to catch up with another 2 old secondary school friends due to Jac's wedding. YYY & Lifeng are still very much the same. We calculated and realised we've known each other for 15 years! *horrors* Amazing because prior to Jac's wedding, we first met up for brunch at PS Cafe to catch up.

Couldn't get enough of each other and we met up the following week. Tried out Mimolette, a small private restaurant housed in an old bungalow within the Bukit Timah Saddle Club. Nice ambience and with great companions, the weekday dinner was priceless!

Now we're planning for a next meetup.. choco buffet @ Fullerton. Yummy!

2008-01-31T03:17:00.000+08:00

We miss HamHam..

One super bad news.. Hamham passed away unexpectedly last Sunday evening due to old age. About a month ago, the vet diagnosed that he's got arthritis and was actually amazed that HamHam was already so old.. about 80+ years old.

I was shopping at Orchard when my sis called. Rushed home immediately and found HamHam pretty much liveless with pale face and cold body. Very sad to see him like this as he is usually very lively and always resisting when we try to carry him.

His breathing became lighter and lighter. Very upseting to see him take his last breathe before his face collapsed to the floor and his tongue was sticking out. I believed he waited for me before dropping dead as I go home every sun evening for dinner. If it had been any other day, I probably wouldn't get to see him for the last time.

Everyone in the family was very upset over the loss and we'll definitely be missing HamHam..

2007-12-28T10:20:00.000+08:00

I love Christmas!

This period is my favourite time of the year. Last Wed was my last working day of the year 2007 and I was enjoying my break. Simply loved the Christmas goodies & deco everywhere. Had great fun shopping & enjoyed the giving spirit of Christmas.

Time passes really fast though. Christmas went passed so quickly. We got our first Christmas tree this year and now I can't bear to bring to bring the glittery deco down.

Christmas eve was spent at our house where we had potluck and gift exchange. Had the deja vu feeling becos we celebrated christmas the same way last year and the people are mostly the same except for some new faces and of cos some missing faces.

Love my christmas present! Gerald got me the limited edition mont blanc business card holder. There's only 1906 pieces in the world and it's in my fav white colour. Almost thought he didn't get me anything and was beginning to sulk. Haha. Very happy because I always wanted impractical and dreamy christmas present. =)

2007-12-02T20:15:00.000+08:00

My first half M..

Completed my first 21KM in the Standard Chartered half marathon on 2 Dec 2007. It was my goal to complete one since the SA OBS experience in year 2005. Slowly I worked towards it.. participated in two 10KM runs in year 2006, and quite a few runs this year to increase the milleage. It was certainly an accomplishment since I started developing knee pains 3 weeks before the run. Saw a sport doc and luckily there wasn't a major injury. Just overworked knees which were swelling even the day before the run. Cliche but it brings new meaning to the Adidas tagline "Impossible is nothing"...

OSIM Corporate Triathlon (3 Nov 2007) - 5KM

We formed 4 teams to represent the company. 3 in a team and it's relay style i.e. swim 750m, cycle 20km & run 5km. Contrary to common belief of triathlon, it was certainly not tough or competitive.. just some fun with colleagues.

Here's my SL Team with Claudia & Bernard. Real Run (28 Oct 2007) - 15KM

My best running experience this year. Very tough route at the Changi Coast Road area (12km road, 1km sand, 1km trail, 1km runway) with minimal trees providing shelter. Glad I did it in 1h 39mins.

Great Eastern Women Run (21 Oct 2007) - 10KM

Did this with Jennifer. Particularly like the pic on this cert. Very focus... hehe

Bull Run (12 Oct 2007) - 3.2KM

Another fun run with colleagues. We left office early on Friday to join this and it's foc! Many other companies do it for fun too and every year they have the bosses challenges where bosses will run in shirt, tie & pants.. what a sight!

2007-11-27T23:33:00.000+08:00

Linkin Park Concert (13 Nov 2007)

This was the best concert I've attended so far! Although the concert was on a Tuesday night, the crowd was so hyperactive, everyone was basically standing and dancing throughout the night with arms high in the air.. haha real rock & cool. Simply loved their music =)

2007-11-26T23:45:00.000+08:00

HK Holiday (8 - 12 Nov 2007)

Decided to go for a short holiday over the Deepavali long weekend to spend some quality time tog with Gerald. It was a pretty last minute decision and we were deciding between Bali & HK. We only departed Singapore on thurs afternoon as I wanted to attend my company DnD on Wed. Turned out to be a good move as I won the 17th lucky draw prize.. hehe not too bad =)

Reached HK around evening time and we stayed at the Kowloon Hotel which is just next to the Peninsula Hotel and above the MTR. Real accessible! Day 1 was spent walking around Nathan Road, enjoying the cool weather while sourcing for a decent dinner place. Finally had wanton noodle at a HK cafe, followed by hot red bean soup at a nearby dessert shop.. yummy!

Woke up early on Friday and we walked to the HK Cultural Centre for tim sum. Food was delicious all thanks to KM's recommendations. I particularly loved carrot cake from HK.. so tasty unlike those in SG. Loved the sunny but cooling weather in HK..

After breakfast, we took the train to HK Island to checkout Central. There's H&M in HK and the accessories are nice and not expensive. We then took the tram up to the peak to rest and enjoy the scenary while waiting for the sunset to catch the nightview.

Terence & Jennifer who are currently based in HK then brought us to a local eating place at Happy Valley for dinner. Yummy food especially the cantonese soup. Spent the rest of the night at LKF for drinking and supper. We went to 3 drinking places and I particularly like this chic place at LKF hotel (a boutiqute hotel). Cosy with contempary deco and a good night view of HK island.

Sat was spent feasting on roast goose at Yung Kee, followed by shopping at Causeway Bay. Also tried roast pigeon for dinner before heading for ladies market to experience the night streets.

On Sun, we headed to Macau with Terence & Jennifer after tim sum breakfast. It's about 1 hour away so I just knockout on the ferry after taking the seasick pill. Nothing much in Macau except casinos so we visited Wynn, Venetian & Sands. Here's some pics taken at the newly opened Venetian.

We spent our last day in HK feasting again. Gerald & I went to the same tim sum place Terence brought us the day before cos the food is really good! This was the 3rd tim sum we had within 5 days in HK.. hehe. After checking out and some shopping around the hotel, we ate again at Peninsula Hotel where their high tea was highly recommended. Basically had a good time feasting on chinese food and enjoying the weather during this short holiday.

2007-11-15T03:03:00.000+08:00

Busy busy lately and just realised I haven't updated this blog for 2 months! Basically here's some recommendations on great dining places I've visited lately..

Great Places to Dine..

Joner at Dempsey Road is great! We had a good time chatting while enjoying the cheese platter & red wine. Loved their concept where you can sample the different types of cheese before making a choice.

Their wagyu beef steak is the best I've tasted locally and the alfresco dining area is perfect for a romantic dinner. Loved their gingerbread man cookie too! Didn't buy it though because I certainly wouldn't bear to eat it.

Carnivore Brazilian Churrascaria

I loved beef & BBQ food so I think it's delicious! Can't wait to eat there again though it's pretty expensive. There's salad bar & dessert (chocolate fountain & fruits) on top of the knife-welding passadors (meat waiters) moving around the tables, carving the succulent meats from large skewers onto your plates. Certainly not for the faint-hearted but I'm already drooling as I'm writing this.

Flutes at Fort Canning

Had a company event here 2 weeks back. Basically we spent a day at fort canning park for team building activities followed by dinner at Flutes. Very nice & exclusive place.. I think it's a perfect place for proposal (aiya, too late liao! *wink*)
Dinner was organised by the ang-mos so it was free-flow of finger-food & drinks for chillout till late.

PS Cafe @ Dempsey

This place is perpetually full all weekend. Loved their outdoor sitting area.. perfect for after dinner drinks & dessert (the chocolate cake is almost 15cm high i think!) Haven't had chance to eat it yet because we were usually too full by then. Can't wait to try it.. hehe

2007-09-16T23:44:00.000+08:00

Terry Fox Run

Woke up at 6am this morning though it was raining cats & dogs to participate in the Terry Fox Run at Sentosa. The rain didn't dampen everyone's mood and it was still jam packed. In fact, we started the run 30mins late because of the shuttle bus queue.

Nonetheless we completed the 8km route. It was certainly a marathon of hope. Along the way, I saw 2 individuals with prosthetic leg covering the distance on crutches. The first one looked confident and strong. The second person looked like he's in pain and struggling... but he persevered on. ®un your own race...

2007-09-14T11:54:00.000+08:00

Oktoberfest 2007

Basically Oktoberfest is a two-week festival held each year in Munich, Bavaria, Germany during late Sept & early Oct. It is one of the most famous events in Germany where beer plays a central role and are served in a Bierzelt, a beer tent which is large enough for thousands. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modeled after the Munich event. In S'pore, Oktoberfest was held over 4 days at The Swiss Club, in a similar tent & long bench setting.

Attended my first Oktoberfest on Friday night with colleagues and Gerald came along too since all staffs and spouse are given free tiks. Simply loved the atmosphere.. people standing on tables & benches to sing and dance along with the band.. Especially good to see some colleagues (who are usually pretty stony in office) let their hair down and party.

There's free flow of food.. simply loved the crispy but sinful pork knuckles and the rich chocolate pudding. Yummy! We were also given drinks coupon so we had 2 mugs of Erindger beer each. As usual, my face turned red after all the drinking so pictures have been censored.. hehe

2007-09-09T18:10:00.000+08:00

Fulfilling Weekend..

Had lotsa fun over the weekend =)
Gerald and I watched a play on Friday evening. Venue was the Action Theatre at Waterloo Street.. very small place with a pretty nice & cosy courtyard. Since we've 2 extra tiks, Felice & Janice joined us too. We also bump into Joey & his fren at the theatre.. such a small world!

I quite like the concept of using white markers to draw on the black background to illustrate their thoughts. It only lasted about an hour. Basically its a low budget production.. a "2 men" show but it was pretty interesting and something different.. a refreshing change from catching movies on the big screen.

Had a good dinner after the play.. basically pig out at our fav supper spot again! =) Thereafter, we joined some frens for fishing near Tanah Merah terminal. Cheap thrill.. we only used a fishing line, attach a hook at the end of the line with some prawns as bait. As the fishes nibble on the bait, we could feel the fishing line vibrate in our hand! Hehe.. I actually caught a fish for the first time in my life! It was a very small silver fish.. smaller than a palm size. hee

On Saturday, Gerald & I had high tea at Equinox. Haven't been there with him for ages! Our first high tea there was about 8 years ago, when we first started dating. Could even remember the exact spot where we took pictures! I always loved high tea.. plenty of variety and good ambience to chat. =)

In the evening, we drove into Sentosa for pinic by the beach. No elaborate feast.. basically just 2 mats and drinks to enjoy the breeze and the company. Weather was good and we had a good time relaxing. Timing was amazingly good too cos we managed to catch fireworks from the Songs of the Sea effortlessly as we walked towards the beach.

2007-09-01T23:59:00.000+08:00

A flower never fails to bring a smile to a gal's heart...

Thanks Jac! =)

2007-08-31T23:59:00.000+08:00

Long awaited date..

Was looking forward to today for the entire week! To unwind after work, enjoy a good dinner and to catch Ratatouille on the big screen. The movie was certainly good.. so cute, it reminds me of the American Tale! I particularly like the Paris night scene. It looks so magical and dream... even more romantic than the real thing! The charm of Disney =)

After the movie, Gerald & I went for a drink at Balaclava. We both enjoyed the live band performance, In fact, I'm sooo motivated to start learning rock guitar.. something always on my to-do list but haven't put enough effort to make it happen. Okie, soon... very soon...

2007-08-31T13:58:00.000+08:00

Already 2 months..
Time flies and by the end of today, I've joined DC for 2 months! Slowly getting used to the environment, the culture and even the lunches at Marina Sq / Millenia Walk foodcourt.

Working in town has its merits. It's a breeze to walk over to Marina Sq or Suntec to meet friends for lunch / dinner or to catch a movie. Shopping is also convenient.. I've basically forgotten when was the last time I went to Orchard??!! The cons would be the expensive food and coffee.

Definitely no regrets for the move.. and looking forward to the challenges ahead. =)

2007-08-28T01:44:00.000+08:00

A brand new start..

2007-07-09T23:26:00.000+08:00

Spread the joy...

Knock off early today so I went to check out the queue at the new Donut Factory in Suntec City (near Carrefour). Ended up I joined the queue and was feeling very happy since the queue was pretty short and moving. Shortly after I stood in line, the queue quickly extended towards the toilet area so I was feeling really excited. *cheap thrill*

I've always told myself that if I were to ever join in the queue, I would get the maximum 2 dozens and probably share them. So started calling my sister and Weiling knowing they would wanna try them too and got them pretty excited. Then I checked my wallet and realised that I didn't have enough $$$! They didn't accept NETS or VISA so I was starting to kick myself. =(

Not wanting to *waste the chance*, I eventually asked the person in front if he could lend me some $$ and I'll withdraw $$ from the ATM just round the corner. Luckily he was pretty helpful and he helped to keep my "position" in the queue while I quickly pop over to the ATM.

To cut the story short, managed to really buy 24 donuts and shared them with Weiling and my sister. The donuts sure tasted good and fresh.. But more importantly, I'm glad to share the joy and happy to see the smiles on their faces when they got the donuts.

2007-07-02T23:45:00.000+08:00

Very Happy Birthday...

It's my birthday today and i felt particularly happy and contented this year.. all my loved ones and friends are around and things are smooth sailing which is all that i could ever ask for.

Since I've moved out from my parents house, we've grown closer and made more effort to be nicer to one another. Celebrated my birthday in advance with my family on Sunday. My sister bought me an awfully chocolate cake while my nephews & niece sung the birthday song & handmade some cards and presents. Mum as usual fed me with good food by cooking my favourite salted vegetable duck soup. Dad who is usually stoney & MCP called to wish me happy birthday and gave me a kiss over the phone! Even Gerald's parents gave me birthday ang paos.

Today also happened to be my first day of work at DC. I'm glad that culture seems pretty good and they do not advocate working OT which is great! Working environment is good too! Got a window seat with pretty good view except that the workstations are smaller.

And of course, there's Gerald. He got me a tiffany bracelet, from my favourite Atlas range. *nice* My first little blue box from Gerald and I hope there's more to come in future... hehe =)

Also got many birthday greeting from friends, especialy some longtime friends which was heartwarming. Ivy & Adrian were so sweet too. They got me a bouquet of flowers and turned up at Coca while Gerald & I were having dinner to wish me happy birthday... hehe a truly satisfying birthday.

2007-06-29T18:06:00.000+08:00

Jes on Vacation..

Tired, dead tired from playing too much...
Knowing that this is my last week of vacation before a new and probably hectic working schedule kicks in, I packed my whole week with events! Instead of lazing in bed till midday, i woke up early from Monday morning till Friday and went out the whole day. *horror* Went for daily workout at the gym in the morning, meet up with friends for lunches, followed by some shopping (Zara started their sale yesterday!), coffee / high tea appointments, dinner appointments and on certain days, late night coffee and movie.

By friday, was surprised that the week passed so quickly and I'm gonna start work on Monday! Sianz.. It's a pity too that Gerald started working late (it's only his 2nd week of work!) so didn't managed to spend much time with him. Looking forward to Sat & Sun where we can finally slip coffee and catch a movie tog =)

2007-06-22T23:43:00.000+08:00

Last day of work..

Today's my last day in ICA. I joined them in July 2002 right after graduation so it's been 5 long years! Most people would be in ROD mood on their last day of work, But for me, i was still attending meetings in the morning, handing over files in the afternoon, shredding docs at 5.30pm and packing stuffs till 7pm++. It's because I was clearing leave since I tendered my resignation on 1st June and there was only 6 workings days to handover the tons of work.

Had several farewell lunches with colleagues since news of me leaving got around. In particular, I like the buffet lunch at Carousel, located in the recently refurnished Royal Plaza Hotel along Scotts Road on Thurs. The selection is great, food is pretty fresh, the deco is pretty glam and most importantly, it's not overly expensive. =)

Final farewell lunch on Friday was Patrick and Seah at Sakae, Bugis. They were sooo sweet! They got me a swatch watch and wrote me a pretty touching card. Even my boss got me a farewell gift! Indeed I felt a tint of mixed feelings as I read the farewell cards from colleagues.. a bit sad to leave the good friends that I've made along the way, sad to leave my comfort zone.. and yet, I'm excited with anticipation for the road ahead..

2007-06-18T23:32:00.000+08:00

Holiday in BKK (14-18 June 07)

Gerald & I went for a 5D 4N holiday in Bangkok last Thurs with 6 friends. There's a total of 3 couple & 2 additional guys. We had a good time shopping and eating. In fact, shopping started from DFS in S'pore airport. Bought my first La Mer product, their Refining Facial which is a miraculous scrub with pure diamond powder as ingredient... haha it reinforces the fact that diamonds are a girl's best friend.. Also bought the limited edition Guerlain Meteorites powder.. simply couldn't resist the pretty packaging. Had a good time shopping with the gals (Ivy & Jean) and I'm glad to know that I'm not the only spendthrift.. it's a women's nature to shop, shop & shop =PBKK never fails to satisfy us.. we tailored shirts / pants, enjoy massage sessions, stock up on lingerie.. basically eat, sleep then shop again. Simply loved the shark fin soup served in claypot and the boiled bird nest with coconut at Chinatown... we ate it twice and it made us real happy! Clubbing in Bkk is good too! The clubs are happening, the live band is good, the toilets are clean and huge and there's even foc masseur at the gents and a live band in the ladies.

2007-06-10T23:51:00.000+08:00

Relax...

Had a good time bumming around for the last few days. I was on leave the whole week while Gerald is now taking a break before he starts his new job later this month. It was real nice that we could sleep late, shop around in the afternoon without the crowd, slip coffee and catch movies in the afternoon. Also had the time to meet up with friends for coffee & chill out and watch plenty of DVDs (we just finished Season 2 of Prison Break and it's really good!), and spent a big bomb on retail therapy..

Just a few weeks ago, I was feeling jaded from almost 5 years of working life and now, I'm happy and refreshed.. hehe. Looking forward to our Bangkok trip next week and another week of vacation in end June. =)

We also did our PC test on thurs morning. Arrived at the golf course for an early tee-off at 6.45am! The scenary is great and it's more exciting than playing at the range. Golf is a interesting game though.. almost like a roller-coaster. Still didn't play well and when we go practice at the range, always feel frustrated that my ball didn't fly so morale will hit rock bottom, and yet there's always the urge to play esp when we chance upon any golf related gear or magazines.

2007-06-02T23:35:00.000+08:00

Yummy...

We had BBQ at our place today with a group of frens.. our first BBQ since we moved in about 5 months ago. Adrian recommended BBQ Wholesale Centre at Frankel Ave.. they offer a complete menu of BBQ essentials.. black pepper steak, marinated chicken wings, sambal stingray & sotong, even popcorn for BBQ! Two thumbs up for the convenience and taste!

It was very breezy downstairs so the bbq was enjoyable. Here's all our tired faces after the bbq.

Finally had the chance to taste donuts from the Donut Factory at Raffles City today. It's really fresh and soft.. absolutely divine.
My fav favour is the strawberry one on the bottom left. =)

2007-05-30T23:53:00.000+08:00

Dinner Celebration at The Line

Gerald gave me a treat at The Line today. There's plenty of selection.. japanese, indian, western, chinese, etc.. yummy! Ate 2 portions of my fav salmon sashimi, sinful chocolate cake and choco fondue. Wish I had a much bigger stomache. I quite like their deco too.. modern and pretty chic.

I like it buffets cos of the variety and unlike ala carte, you don't end up kicking yourself if you choose the wrong dish.. anyway everything is on the table so what you see is what you get. More importantly, it gives us the opportunity to sit down and chat as we slowly enjoy a long nice meal... yummy!

2007-05-19T23:37:00.000+08:00

Beautiful memories would last a lifetime..

Watched the Phantom of the Opera at Esplanade with Gerald, Adrian, Ivy, Kok Min & Chloe on Sat night . I managed to psycho Geald to watch it with me and was looking forward to today.

I first watched the Phantom at the Kallang Theater about 10 years back and it was so nice then. The beautiful memories of the stage prop & the touching songs stayed vivid in my mind till today. I was so crazy over it then that I bought several of their souvenirs including the T-shirt, the mask necklace, the programme and CD so that I could sing along to the tunes.

However, this remake turned out to be pretty disappointing.. If given a choice, I would rather not watch it again so that the beautiful memories of the phantom would not be ruined... arrgh

2007-05-11T23:56:00.000+08:00

Delicious Lunch Treat..

Patrick gave us a lunch treat today at Kuriya Japanese Restuarant @ City Hall. When we enter the restaurant, we passed by a counter displaying the "delicacy of the day". The manager promptly introduced the freshly flown in miniature crab which was still crawling in the bowl until customers make an order and they'll be made into fried soft shell crab.. yeez...

Their food is delicious and the best thing is, they're in small portions so there's plenty of variety and the food presentation is pretty good too!

Haven't had lunch with Patrick for a while and was surprised he's been through quite a lot lately. Nonetheless, he's still had a positive outlook. Shared with us about his experience on Past Life Regression which I found very intriguing.. apparently it was believed that what we encounter / experience today have roots in the unresolved past. With the aid of a hypnotherapist, he managed to see his past lives and was able to discover himself and hopefully create a better tomorrow. Hmm.. interesting and I might just try it one day when I pluck out enough courage =)

2007-05-06T21:18:00.000+08:00

Weekend with Lynn Lynn

After golf lessons on Sat morning, Gerald and I went to my parent's place to pick up Lynn Lynn so that she could stay with us over the weekend. =) It's the 2nd time we're bringing her home and she seems to remember our place and is not as panicky as the 1st time.

Bought her along when I went downstairs for a swim and she obediently waited for me by the poolside. Thereafter Gerald and I bought her for a stroll and she seems to be enjoying the breeze and the greenery.

On Sunday afternoon, we bought Lynn Lynn to East Coast Park. We had picnic by the beach and ate my favourite Subway Sandwich. The weather was so hot that she couldn't stop panting. Nonetheless, she still looks super cute and several onlookers came up to ask what's her breed. hehe...

I love my Lynn Lynn and I'm so proud to have her by my side. =)

2007-05-01T22:22:00.000+08:00

Very busy lately so haven't been posting my entries faithfully...

A tiring but fun labour day

Woke up real early today for Tim Sum at Hong Xin with Gerald & 2 friends. It was real crowded but we had a good time gorging ourselves =) They still have push carts and the selection is great. Really a good place to yum cha! Plus I'm trying to learn cantonese so the atmosphere and crowd gets me in the mood to practice.

After the breakfast, we decided to go shopping at Orchard. Was there the whole afternoon until another 2 friends joined us. Thereafter a friend suggested fishing and we ended up in Pasir Ris park.

I think fishing really hurts... we were fishing for 2 hours and caught no fish at all. Even "upgraded" our bait from dead fish to fresh prawns but the fishes were too smart for us! There were others who caught big fishes.. not one or two.. but a whole bag of fishes!... hmm.. thought we were supposed to have beginner's luck??!!...

Recalled my very first fishing experience in university where a friend rented a boat and brought us out to sea. It was another "fishless" experience but it was a truly unforgetable experience! We went to a neighbouring island for BBQ but it started to rain shortly after we setup the pit... we ended up BBQing in the rain with umbrella on a desserted island... what a sight! After the rain stopped, we were shocked to realise that our boat was stuck on the shore as the high tide has subsided. Haha.. truly memorable =)

2007-04-26T23:11:00.000+08:00

New notebook... New beginning..
Yeah.. just upgraded our office notebook yesterday. Looking forward to the change cos the new T60 is almost 1kg lighter.. carrying it around is now a breeze =) There's also built-in wireless capability. Plus I actually did some housekeeping & archival of my files so everything is a lot neater now.. hehe

2007-04-23T11:40:00.000+08:00

A romantic evening..

I've been wanting to go to a nice place for dinner so Gerald took me to Oosh on Friday night. When we reached the place at around 8pm, the dining area at Oosh was fully packed. Not wanting to disappoint me, we went ahead to try the japanese restuarant Yen ¥ Dining.

The deco is very modern and nice.. we were sitted in small dark enclaves which makes dining more cosy and intimate. It's the only japanese restuarant I've visited which lay out the chopsticks correctly.. horizontally across the table in true authentic japanese style so I was pretty impressed. The food was nice but very expensive.. $100 for a small plate of wagyu beef!

After dinner, we continued to stay on at Oosh for drinks. The live band was good and I like it that we chat for hours without distraction such as TV at home. Really enjoyed the night out and I miss the dating feeling.. nice! =)

2007-04-04T00:41:00.000+08:00

New Challenges Ahead...

Invested in a new pair of running shoes over the weekend. I'm always buying Nike shoes cos the design is so nice! But since I'm aiming to "upgrade" my distance & speed, I got ASICS instead ... Heard it's the best running shoe & apparently been worn by many pros. With the new purchase, it's my driving force to cover a lot more distance this year...

Picked up a new hobby with Gerald recently... We started weekly golf lessons with my colleagues. Being diligent students, we also practice on our own at Marina Bay Driving Range. The new driving range is so nice and clean. 4 storey of lanes which means we could practice on the 4th floor where it's al fresco and less crowded.. not so malu mah.
Great place for practice =)

2007-03-26T22:30:00.000+08:00

STOIC

The heavy rain this morning reminded me of a new word I learnt few weeks back from an article in "Mind Your Body" which I thought was interesting and truly enlightening.

Stoic - a disciple of a school of philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium in 3BC

According to Zeno, if we are wise, we must learn to bow to the inevitable and cultivate indifference to circumstances outside our control... find peace of mind amid the most trying circumstances. Based on his theory, though we cannot always control our circumstances, we can control how we react to those circumstances. However, this does not mean that the stoic should resign himself to circumstances that he has the power to change.

I particularly like the following which was extracted from the article..

Why fret when stuck in traffic?
Why curse the heat or the rain?
Why not adopt an attitude of stoic indifference.
After all, what cannot be cured must be endured.

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things
I cannot change;
Courage to change
the things I can; and wisdom
to know the difference

Next time there's an overwhelming urge to complain and whine over circumstances not within our control, why not adopt an attitude of stoic indifference..

2007-03-14T15:17:00.000+08:00

Full of Cravings...

Went to Prestat in City Hall with Weiling after lunch yesterday cos she needed to buy a gift. Their packaging is so nice! Very english style which reminds me of London.. lovely place! Thanks to Weiling, I've the privilege of tasting their chocolate and it's yummy! =) Their pralines are sooo expensive.. doubt it'll ever buy it for myself. Hmm.. if I receive it as a gift, think i can't bear to eat it too... haha

After Prestat, we went to check out the Donut Factory. Was hoping that the queue would be short since it's a weekday. But as usual, the queue is still super long so we didn't wait. Unfortunately, the craving was still lingering within me after a day.... urrggh!

2007-03-13T02:54:00.000+08:00

Absence makes the heart fonder...

Gerald was finally back last night. I picked him up from the airport though his flight was pretty late and he was pleasently surprised. He bought a Gucci wristlet from HK for me and I'm so touched! It's so expensive plus he didn't buy anything for himself except chocolate cookies and roasted goose.. which was also for me. Thanks dear =)

2007-03-11T23:40:00.000+08:00

Lost for the weekend...

Gerald was away for holiday in HK over the weekend! He left on Fri early morning and will be back on Mon night. I didn't go because it was an "all-guys" holiday.. 7 guys & they're visiting Terence who is currently based in HK.

In fact, I was the one who encouraged Gerald to go when he was apprehensive since he didn't have much leave balance for the year. It was mainly because I didn't want him to feel leftout with the guys. Also thought it'll be good to give each other some freedom though we were married. Besides, it'll be a great chance for me to have some private time on my own.

I was busy the whole weekend doing things I normally loved to do but didn't have time for. Also managed to check out a new place.. Cafe Del Mar, the latest hotspot in Sentosa. I quite like the alfresco chill out place except that the DJ for the night wasn't fantasic. Besides, I think it'll be nicer to hang out there during daytime.

Highlight of the night was supper instead... Felice & I tried out Charcoal at St James Power Station. The food was yummy! Something different for supper... not super filling but enough to bring us to sweet slumber.

Despite the eventful weekend, still felt a bit lost knowing that Gerald was sooo far away. He called twice a day on Fri & Sat so was eagerly waiting for his phone calls. Dear, I hope you bought enough presents for me ya =P Also, bring me along next time okies?

2007-02-26T00:30:00.000+08:00

Oosh..

Over the weekend, found a new chill out place which is absolutely hip and nice. It's located at secluded Dempsey Road, now know as "Tanglin Village". The deco is modern resort and mainly alfresco dining/drinking.. almost like Villa Bali but more upclass and cosy.. It's my fav chill out place now and I can't wait to go back there again! =)

Also went to St James Power Station after Oosh. It's my first time there *feeling like a mountain turtle liao* I must say it's really not bad. Luckily we didn't manage to go into Dragonfly since the queue was too long. Heard it's a real beng place and those in the queue explains it all. The big group of us settled for Power House instead. Quite good music and it's really packed. Guess, it's the current most happening place besides Clark Quay.

I particularly like their dining concept.. "Charcoal" which remind me of Japan. Hope we could eat there real soon...

2007-02-23T02:15:00.000+08:00

Dear, this is for you =)

2007-02-15T13:48:00.000+08:00

A different Valentine's Day...

Celebrated vday with Gerald for the 8th year!

This year is different though.. instead of spending a bomb on overpriced dinner in a restuarant, we prepared our own dinner. He cooked fried rice while I prepared black pepper beef for teppanyaki. It was delicious & cosy.

We also took effort to buy presents for each other. Gerald got me a beautiful Swarovski necklace & a bouquet of roses. Very nice! My gift for him was good too... got him a Braun Buffel luggage which could come handy when he goes for his guys only HK holiday next mth =(

Essentially it wasn't just about the gifts, flowers & food.. it's making the effort to make each other feel special, making effort to inject more lovey dovey feeling in the relationship... guess everyday could be vday in that sense..

2007-01-22T03:40:00.000+08:00

Honeymoon @ Maldives

16 Jan 07 (Tue)- Arrival @ Vabbinfaru (Banyan Tree Resort)

Maldives is actually quite near to S'pore (SW of Sri Lanka to be exact). our SQ flight to Male Airport only took 4.5hrs so we reached at about 10pm Male time (which is GMT +5). Right outside the Airport (which is rarely 2 mins walk), and it's the sea! The boat ride to our Banyan Tree resort, Vabbinfaru Island (North Male Atoll) took about 30mins. Their service staff was real good! We felt like VIPs starting from the boat transfer where we're given refreshing aroma hand-towels and water.

Shortly after, we were shown to our villa (Farutholhi) and it's beautiful with a sun deck & personal jacuzzi in the backyard and a pavilion at the front that extends to the sea.

Our private pavilion that extends to the sea...

17 Jan 07 (Wed)- Relax & Snorkelling

Since the sea was pitch black when we arrived at Maldives the night before, plus we were quite excited, we woke up early to catch the sun rise. The place is truly beautiful with the crystal clear water & fine white sand.

It's quite beyond words and pictures to describe the beauty of nature... that's me in the pic! Amazing rite?!

This is how our villa looks from the front.

Since our package is full-board, all our meals are taken care of, which is certainly worth it! Breakfast & lunch are buffet style and I particularly loved the part where we can choose from a cart full of tropical fruits and the waiter will cut them nicely for us. Dinner is a sit down fine-dining style menu with an extremely romantic candle light setting. =)

Since I'm an ardent fan of alfresco dining, the place suits me well esp since the climate is sunny but breezy all day. Drinks are expensive though. Even their drinking water cost USD $3.50 (just for house water while evian water cost USD $8!).

18 Jan 07 (Thur) - Canoeing & Visit to Angsana Resort

We also canoe around the island and here's how the island looks from afar.

We also played table tennis cos it's FOC! It was rather fun even though I've hardly played table tennis... haha

We also visited Banyan Tree sister resort (Angsana) by boat. Their jetty looks good but other than that, we were glad we didn't choose to stay at their resort cos their villas are chalet style and not as luxurious =P

Sunset in Maldives is really beautiful =)

We had a complementary In-Villa Dining as part of the honeymooners' perks.. USD $65 / pax. There was a butler preparing our steak using a portable bbq pit and serving us outside our villa... nice!

19 Jan 07 (Thur) - Catamaran Sailing to Sandbank & Stingray Watching

We also paid USD $60 / pax to try out catamaran sailing to a sandbank. The sandbank is magnificant.. nothing we've seen before! It's a small piece of land (solely pure sand) which is formed naturally and could get shifted over time depending on the climate & tide.

We also snorkel around the sandbank and since it's the open sea, it's really deep with plenty of fishes.

Back at the resort, the stingray would come to the beach EVERYDAY at 4pm sharp to be fed... amazing cos they're sooo punctual and they would leave right after having their fill

19 Jan 07 (Fri) - Massage & Relax

As part of the honeymooners' perks, the spa also gave us massage lessons so that after the honeymoon, the couple could massage for each other to unwind.. very nice idea.

Since it was our very last day and our flight was at 11pm, we spent the rest of the day relaxing, taking pics and enjoying the last glimpse of the beautiful sunset.

Our last dinner...

Rather sad when we have to leave this beautiful place... but at least we have a great vacation and we still think it's the ideal honeymoon venue =)

2007-01-12T23:58:00.000+08:00

The Life After...

The 2 weeks of break after the wedding before the honeymoon was great! It gave us time to get used to each other's habits & lifestyle, gave us time to rest and move our stuffs to the new place, time to do household chores and do a bit of cooking too =)

Gerald is quite sweet. He took effort to cook for me or do all the washing up when I cook.. even though back at home, he didn't used to even bring the plate back to the kitchen after eating... haha

Here's a breakfast Gerald painstakingly prepared for me =) Though it's a simple maggie mee style breakfast similar to what those Hong Kong cafe sells, it's looks and taste delicious to me and it certainly warmed my heart.

2007-01-01T23:51:00.000+08:00

1st Jan 2007.. A perfect and truly memorable wedding.. a day my heart melted..

Tea Ceremony in the morning...

Woke up at 5.30am to get ready. Surprised I managed to sleep soundly throughout the night without any pre-wedding jitters. Started doing my makeup at 6.30am when the VG (Alex), MUA (Dana) and PG (Chris) arrived. I like the makeup and hair styling by the MUA... mei mei =) Dad & mum were pretty excited too.. I would sense their nervousness when they put on the veil for me.

The jiemeis arrived at 7.30am++ all pretty in pink, to prepare the tekan materials.

Gerald came at about 8.30am and the tekan session started. Couldn't quite make out what was happening downstairs except there's plentiful of laughter from Peiwen which was so contagious. =P After Gerald & his 10 Bros passed the first barrier, June & Felice came into my room.. the 2nd line of defence. Was told that one of the bros (i.e. Mark) was like a rubbish bin.. swallowed the whole pack of worms Peiwen bought from London and lots of other concoction .. haha, I was sooo amused.

Outside my room door, Gerald sang "Have I told you lately", "You're the Sunshine of my Life" and "Grow Old with You" which was so sweet. =) All the 6 jiemeis, 10 bros and Gerald were so nice! Throughout the day, I felt soo princess-like.. just smile and be pretty... hehe

Dinner Reception at Fullerton Hotel

The wedding dinner was perfect! The ambience at the Straits Room was so cosy with the live jazz and piano playing. It was particularly nice to have our immediate family and close friends around to share our joy and to give their blessings. June did a story on how Gerald and I met and got together which was nice and personalised. Thanks June!

Gerald was sooo nice and sincere. He surprised me by singing "Can't take my eyes off you" on stage! it was particularly nice with his 10 bros singing in the background... having the blessings of so many friends was truly touching. Obviously my heart melted and I knew for sure Gerald was the PERFECT husband for me. =)

I'm glad the wedding turned out to be so nice esp after I've put so much effort to plan for it. Particularly happy that Gerald made special effort to make our wedding so unique, so touching.. I always remember this day.. a truly unforgetable moment!

2006-12-31T23:36:00.000+08:00

All ready for the BIG day...

Tomorrow's the big day and I'm real excited! To ensure I look mei mei on the big day...I had a relaxing massage session with all the jiemeis yesterday, went for manicure / pedicure, eyebrow shaping and brazilian waxing this afternoon. So now I'm all ready.. except for a final SKII mask before I turn in.. hee!

I've know Gerald for 8.5years and we've been together for 7.5 years! Certainly a long time and we understand each other well, our likes and dislikes. Love and marriage means a strong commitment to try to make it work down the road - come what may, and I'm ready to make the effort hand-in-hand with Gerald. =)

2006-12-30T00:31:00.000+08:00

Christmas, gone in a flash..

This X'mas is really hectic. Even though I was on leave since last Friday and rarely slept more than 6 hours a day, time was never enough and the list of to-do tasks kept growing. Yet, this Christmas holds special meaning for me. Burnt a hole in the wallet buying presents for everyone in the family and people close to me and I was happy to do so to show appreciation for their love. =)

Initially we planned for BBQ on X'mas eve (I simply loved BBQ food!). Bought all the BBQ food and did the marination. Unfortunately, it rained non-stop the whole day so we had to cook the food in the oven instead. Gerald was very nice. He made me entertain my friends in the living room while he did all the cooking alone in the kitchen. I had wanted to help him cos it didn't seem like an easy feat but he promptly sent me out the kitchen. He cooked and washed everything and did all these with a smiley face, insisting that it wasn't too tough. Something I'm sure I don't be able to do..

Though the weather was a disappointment, everyone had a good time chatting and I'm glad they loved our cosy place.

We entertained another group of friends on X'mas day. 20++ people came and they stayed till 3+ in the morning so we were dead tired. Yet it was nice to see so many friends and have fun together.

Some of them were particularly nice! Got us meaningful wedding gifts, enthusiastically helped us with the wedding programme & emcee script and some flew back from overseas to attend our wedding. I'm sure 1st Jan will be very nice cos so many friends would be around to share our joy and excitements. =)

2006-12-18T02:45:00.000+08:00

2 more weeks to go...

2 more weeks to the wedding... Glad that I diligently did the preparations early so now I can finally relax and let Gerald & his buddies take over. A bit of mixed feelings at this point. On one hand, I'm very excited! But on the other hand, I'm gonna miss being busy planning all the wedding stuffs. Funny thing is, I was never a fanatic for weddings and the first time I flipped a wedding magazine was when I started planning my own wedding. Yet, last few months of wedding prep was a beautiful experience for me.

Always loved doing handicraft stuffs so I did my own ang bao box and ring pillow. Not exactly professional looking but they looked quite nice =)

Went to Fullerton twice over the weekend. On friday, Gerald's buddies did mic test and run thru the programme with us. On Sat, we finalised the flowers & table deco, favours, etc with the coordinator. Saw the Straits Room done up on both occasions and it looked beautiful.. small but cosy.

I was particularly touched when Gerald said that for the past week, he has been visualising how the actual day will turn out. Hmm.. I haven't thought of that and I'm surprise he's so enthusiastic. We'll be super busy next 2 weeks due to X'mas gatherings.. before we knew it, 1st Jan will be here in a flash...

2006-12-10T01:33:00.000+08:00

Tis the season to be jolly...

Simply loved the X'mas period! Mall are beautifully decorated, everyone is more relaxed and most importantly, the long holidays is just round the corner...

Had our first house-warming last Friday. Initially we were planning for steamboat and teppanyaki but as the refrigerator could not be delivered in time, we ordered food from Sakae sushi and Golden Pillow instead. Of course, we had choco fondue for dessert. Yummy!

It's really nice to invite friends over for dinner and chill out. They were so sweet.. helping to prepare fruits for the fondue and did the washing up for us. Looking forward to more home parties in future =)

2006-11-27T23:18:00.000+08:00

Family ties are sooo important..

Finally decided on our invitation card design and content! Here's a sample of the card. Luckily we only have 10 tables and since the bulk of our guests are close friends, most of them have reverted on their availability =)

2 invaluable lessons learnt from the invitation cards though..

1) expensive hotel get their cards from expensive suppliers;

The shop that supplied cards to Fullerton is located at Palai Renaissance.. obviously expensive! And since the hotel only provide 60% of the cards plus we have to pay for the so called "high-class" printing, the invites cost us quite a bit. Arrgghh..

2) always consult parents on invites since it's a face thing to them

Initially I had wanted to keep the invites simple since it's solely for friends. Thought we could do without the chinese invites and parents' names =P Ended up my parents were upset becos no acknowledgement were given to them.. After giving me the cold shoulder for a few days, we decided to give in to them. Obviously they became very happie liao and well it didn't take too much effort for us to compromise.. So luckily we made the change. =) Was so touched today when my usually stony Daddy actually said he can't bear to marry me off.. so sweet!

2006-11-24T00:44:00.000+08:00

Photoshoot pics are finally out..

2006-11-19T21:32:00.000+08:00

We always want the best for ourselves...

Always thought it's rather boring to shop for beds becos after a while, we're just plain confused. But since we settled all the house stuffs so no more excuses... Last weekend was therefore dedicated for bed shopping especially since Robinsons was having 20% storewide discount.

Finally decided on our matrimonial bed.. it's the infamous Westin Heavenly bed from Simmons =) It was way beyond our budget but since all our married friends recommended getting a good bed, we thought we had better to heed their advice and invest. Another way to look at it.. divided it by 10 years and it cost us less than $1 per pax for each night of beauty sleep.. guess it should be worth it ya =) Anyway it's really comfortable plus the bed linen we bought were beautiful, so can't wait for it to be delivered...

Come to think of it.. everything we got, from the proposal ring to the house, banquet and honeymoon was the best that we could get.. partly because wedding is once in a lifetime.. partly because I have expensive taste.. but mainly because Gerald was accomodating and he wanted to give us a good quality of life as much as he could.. so sweet ya =)

2006-11-07T21:23:00.000+08:00

Jes under virus attack..

Had a heated argument with Gerald on Sat =( Women are always like that.. we always say / do something expecting the guy to say something on the contary to comfort us.. Just like in the movie "The Breakup", the argument however tend to escalate beyond imagination. Eventually we did talk things thru & patch up but ended up missing our appointment with the invitation card supplier. The only good thing was, I was reminded of the sweet things Gerald has done for me, many of which I've long taken for granted.. no wonder they say couples quarrel to understand each other better..

Maybe it's my bad karma, I felt really sick from Sat nite onwards.. felt like puking & had diarrhoea =( Consulted the doc twice was told I'm under VIRUS attack... was given a jab and tons of pills. Too bad there's something at work which I would like to follow thru afer working sooo hard.. so wasted the 3 days mc the doc has prescribed.

Hopefully I'll get well soon and be back to my usual active & greedy self =P

2006-11-03T02:48:00.000+08:00

I'm truly blessed..

As the wedding date draws nearer, everyone around me seems to be soo much nicer...

My parents showed more concern for me and I'm kinda starting to miss staying with them! Will certainly miss Daddy's nagging and Mummy's nightly supper and herbal drinks. Miss my protective sister.. my beautiful dog Lynn Lynn and Ham Ham... even the domestic helper since I'll have to do the housework in future... haha

Gerald is a lot more concerned about the wedding preparations too.. He wanted to quickly arrange for a meetup with our Fullerton coordinator to finalise the invitation cards design, etc as well as quickly finalise the remaining house stuffs so that we can close that part and focus on the wedding programme preparations... He's also making more effort than before to reassure me and to understand my thoughts and concerns.

Heard of many horror stories about unreasonable & demanding MIL but Gerald's mum is not like that at all. She's so nice to us! In fact, she's buying a rolex watch for me as wedding present. =) I like their latest Rose Gold collection n thought it's beautiful n classy but it's so expensive so I felt really paiseh.

I shall make an effort to remember all these sweet things they've done for me.. and to repay their kindness when the chance arises =)

2006-10-31T02:18:00.000+08:00

Heartache...

Just saw our photoshoot pics on Sunday.. all of them looked sooo nice, esp those taken at Prints =) Obviously we can't choose all since it cost $65 per additional pic so we really had to prioritise. Before we knew it, we actually spent 5 hrs at the bridal shop!

I kinda expected topping up quite a lot based on comments from friends & family.. Luckily we were quite "disciplined".. after all it's all abt quality rather than quantity so we chose a few "super nice" pics for each location / setting / outfit.. Heartache that the rest of the pics will go into the TRASHBIN.. Arrggh

Looking forward to collect the actual album... =)

2006-10-23T16:58:00.000+08:00

I luv Bkk =)

It's a fruitful trip! Managed to buy a lot of beautiful house deco stuffs. Their stuffs are sooo beautiful.. unlikely to find similar stuffs in S'pore, esp at their price. =) In fact, we went with 2 baggage and came back with 9! Sounds drama but we actually had to take 2 seperate cab to the airport since we can't possibly fit into one... haha!

Also went to my fav Siam Paragon.. simply loved the deco there. We tried their Cream & Fudge outlet and it's delicious. The best ice-cream I ever had! Choco ice-cream, brownie & nuts are mixed together on their special frozen marble stone and serve in a cone & finally topped with choco fudge.. sinful but absolutely heavenly.

What a great way to leave behind sweet memories...

2006-10-15T23:40:00.000+08:00

What a ride!

Extremely busy lately.. both at work and during weekends! Busy is good though.. so no complaints. Work is extremely challenging lately because of a new project I'm embarking on. The project is interesting and I'm sure there's plenty to learn.. so I'm looking forward to the challenges ahead!

Two more days and we're off to BKK for holiday!
Sooo exciting because we're going there to shop for house stuffs =) When Gerald and I last went BKK in Apr this year, we saw so many beautiful house deco stuffs. But we couldn't buy any at that time becos we haven't bought our place yet. So when we found out that there's an International Houseware Fair coming up over the long weekend, it was a must-go for us.
Looking forward to going crazy in BKK.... ;P

2006-10-12T18:39:00.000+08:00

Blessed with good luck..

Yes, our PS is finally over. We did studio and greenery shots at Portsdown Road, followed by Prints at Raffles City, our new place, Changi Boardwalk and finally Fullerton. Almost 12 hours of walking, smiling, walking, smiling.. it sure was tiring! Though it was still hazy, the weather was rather good so I didn't feel like I was melting away. =)

I'm amazed I felt nervous in the morning while on the way to the studio. I'm sure when the actual day comes, it'll be a nerve-wreaking experience.. haha! The best experience during the PS was our visit to Prints. Their staff were really nice! They were sincere and I thought they really went an extra mile to make our day. =)

We also collected our wedding band liao and we loved it!

2006-10-11T00:18:00.000+08:00

Gerald is so Sweet!

Tomorrow is our photoshoot! Gerald and I have been so busy over the weekend doing all the cleaning so that we can have the PS at our new place. Gerald is so sweet! He did all the washing today while I went gym and manicure/pedicure. He said he wanted me to be a happy bride so he actually encouraged me to go for a spa session so that I'll feel mei mei for tomorrow! =) I'm sooo touched when he waited at our new place for me even though he's tired from a whole day of washing plus the fact that he gotta rush home to iron shirts for our PS tmr.

I'm glad he's so supportive of all my weird ideas.. to rush our reno and furniture delivery so that we can have PS at our place, to have our PS at Prints cos I loved their stuffs, to design and wear our own matching polo tee for PS at our place tmr, to get fresh roses to decorate our place for the PS, etc. Small little gestures but they meant so much =)

2006-10-06T01:01:00.000+08:00

I'm sooo excited..

The house is going to be ready soon! =) Here's a little snapshot. There's lotsa cleaning up to do over the weekend and the furniture is coming in on Monday, just in time for our photoshoot on Wed.. hee!

2006-10-02T01:45:00.000+08:00

Dreams come true..

So happy! Managed to accumulate enough vouchers from credit card bonus points to buy the Aalst chocolate fountain during Isetan Sale on Thurs. Yippy!

Been wanting to get it for a long time but found it too expensive. So it's like my dreams come true.. it'll be ideal for our house warming and future get-together during X'mas, CNY, etc =)

We had an efficient weekend! Managed to book our honeymoon package during the Natas Fair and got a fair bit of freebies. Yes, we'll be going to Maldives! It's my dream honeymoon venue so it's another dream come true for me. =)

Also helped Gerald fulfill his childhood dream of getting a Bose system.. I can imagine relaxing on the sofa and listening to jazz CDs.. nice!

Guess marriage is about helping each other realise your dreams and to stand by each other in times of good or bad..

2006-09-26T01:57:00.000+08:00

Little pleasures in life..

Last weekend, Gerald and I took a break from home shopping and we spent a day at Sentosa instead. We tried the sentosa luge and skyride for the first time. The luge ride down was thrilling while skyride up was simply beautiful. =) Cost us $8/person but it's really fun! Reminds me of the good old days when we were dating.. hehe

On Fri, I took a break from work to indulge in tea high with June. Haven't had high tea for a long time... felt really nice! Except that time seems to pass soooo fast.. it didn't seems enough! Before I knew it.. the weekend is over again.. arrgghh

2006-09-12T23:27:00.000+08:00

Ordinary People

Simply loved this song =)

Just started looking out for nice songs as part of the wedding reception prep.. less than 4 mths to go! So many things to do.. so little time.. *panic*

Finally started our home renovations 2 weeks back.. busy busy!! It should be ready by end Sept 06. Considering the time, effort and $$$ we've invested on the house.. we're real excited to see the end product =) For many many months (ever since we bought the place), we spent EVERY weekend shopping for house stuffs.. lightings, sanitary accessories, furniture, electrical appliances, etc. We scout so many places all over S'pore to find the stuffs that we like. Tiring at first.. but now we're so addicted.. we couldn't help but wanna shop more... haha

This phase is most exciting! Our first home and it's gonna be PERFECT!

2006-08-27T22:58:00.000+08:00

Victory belongs to those who perserve...

Yippy,I achieved my first target.. the Shears Bridge Run!
Managed to complete the 10km run this morning despite the heavy downpour =) Except that it's super crowded, the experience was great.. esp the jog along the ECP stretch. Since this is my first attempt, the sense of satisfaction upon reaching the finishing line is beyond imagination...

Gerald was kinda sweet too. He was there waiting at the finishing point to render his support. I was soaking wet by then and luckily he was around to drive me home for a hot shower. =)

2006-08-24T17:44:00.000+08:00

Daydreaming again...

Not feeling well today.. Had a terrible sore throat and has been feeling feverish all day =( Probably I ate too little during lunchtime cos of the burning throat.. ended up I'm CRAVING for tiramisu!
If only........

2006-08-18T14:00:00.000+08:00

Bridal fitting and trial makeup..

We did our bridal fitting and trial makeup last sat. So far, I'm pleased with the result and service rendered by the bridal shop. =) The designer Kim has been very accomodating to my requests and most importantly, she's not the pushy type.

On top of the WG, EG and tea dress for the actual day, I get to change to a second EG for the actual day. In addition, I could use my other fav WG for the photoshoot... hehe what a good deal!

Now I'm excited about the upcoming photoshoot on 25th Sept 06. =P

Wedding Band..

We confirmed the design of our wedding band last night. Yes, it's from Fairy's Inc! Their design is beautiful & unique plus two thumbs up for their service. Mine is an eternity band (with blink blink all round.. hehe) and there's black finish on the sides so it matches with the band Gerald chose.

2006-08-03T09:04:00.000+08:00

Our first time..

Last weekend, Gerald & I cleaned our house for the first time. We merely washed the floor but it sure was tiring! Since neither of us does housework at home, we're both novice. Haha! But it's nice that we're both learning and working hard for our new home. =)

NDP Preview

We went to NDP preview on 29 Jul 06 (Sat). It was a refreshing change and since it's our first time watching the NDP live, I thought it was real fun. My fav part is the Fighter Planes showcase as well as the FIREWORKS!

I Luv Dempsey

On National Day itself, Gerald and I went shopping for bow tie and tux shirt for our bridal fitting this coming sat. It's great we found what we like and I must say.. he looks real cute in bow tie. =P Thereafter we went to try out "The Wine Company" at Dempsey Road. I simply loved the place!! It's laidback and cosy.. Can't wait to go back there again!!

2006-07-27T03:51:00.000+08:00

Always cherish what you have...

I'm glad Gerald is putting effort to prep for our wedding.. he's the one arranging for videographer demo, asking friends to help out as emcees, liasing with the ID, doing market comparison of electronic appliances for our house... all despite his busy schedule. Today we managed to secure a Justice of Peace (JP) to soleminise our wedding on 1st Jan 07. I search through Singaporebrides.com forum for recommended JPs while Gerald did the hard work of calling. Fortunately we managed to "book" a highly recommended JP without much difficulty. =)

Hmm.. i tend to remember the bad things in life better.. taking the good things that happen for granted.. lamenting on why certain unpleasant event occur.. I hope that I can quit this bad habit soon! I shall make a point to remember the special things that Gerald has done for me.. his love & patience throughout our 7 years relationship, his efforts to give me a special wedding proposal, his tolerance to my "pamperness" and many more..

I shall cherish the people around me better.. my parents, sisters, friends, colleagues.. even Lynn Lynn & Ham Ham! Because I'm soooo blessed to have all of them in my life =)

2006-07-18T02:02:00.000+08:00

Busy weekends but all worth the trouble =)

Renovating our apartment..

We finally collected the keys to our apartment on 3rd July 06.
It was real exciting! That weekend, the ID and contractor came onsite to take measurements. Thereafter we went tiles & lightings shopping with the ID. Last Sat, we shopped for sanitary fittings & lightings with the ID again and on Sun, we spent 4 hrs discussing details of the design with the ID & contractor.

It sure was tiring but we're happy seeing our dream home taking shape. The ID (YC) was great! He's taste is similar to mine so I loved his design. The contractor (Mr & Mrs Liang) were hilarious so it was nice working with them too. But everything is soooo expensive! It didn't helped that I have expensive taste (quartz tiles & square taps cost a lot more).. sigh!

Most likely we can start the reno works in early Aug and do up everything by mid Sept in time for the photoshoot. It's our first home so we were hoping to capture it in our bridal album for future reference. Sooo exciting..

Bridal Gown..

On Sun, I finally decided on my choice of WG & EG. They were beautiful, especially the WG ;o)

Before today, I gave myself so much stress wanting to look PERFECT on the big day. Went to the bridal shop for 5 rounds of fitting and basically tried all of their gowns... luckily I got Chingway & Jarene to help in the selection process. I also went through numerous bridal mags and deliberated for a long time on the design. Even quarrelled with my Gerald several times over the selection.. but luckily now he's been more supportive.

It's all about managing expectations I guess... and I felt a lot happier now. ;o)

2006-07-07T03:00:00.000+08:00

Jes~ 27th Birthday...

Andana Spa.. simply heaven! Tai-tai treatment for a day..

Last Friday, I took a well-deserved break from work and indulged myself with a massage session at Andana Spa. It was simply heaven.. the best spa I've been so far! The place was ideal for friends and couples to relax and chill out. ;o) In the end, I signed up a package with them, intending to give my wedding helpers a luxurious treat by having my hens party there. Besides, their couple room looks great so was intending to celebrate our coming anniversary there.

Sat was great too.. It was the eve of my birthday so I had good time eating and shopping for my present in the afternoon. It was particularly nice because my family (everyone including my nephews and niece) celebrated my birthday for me. We had BBQ at home with lots of yummy food. Gerald even got me a chocolate cake from Awfully Chocolate @ Katong. It was my first time trying it and indeed it tasted delicious!

Gerald surprised me by getting the new LG Chocolate HP for me. It looks great and the touch screen is really easy to use. It's the ideal present because I'll never bear to buy it myself. But in a way, I'm feeling kinda heartache because it's rather expensive... so it's really an extravagence considering that my motorola V3 is still working fine.

However, my actual birthday (Sunday) turned out to be disasterous. Something unexpected cropped up and I was really upset. In fact, it was one of the worst days I ever had. :o( But guess we would better appreciate the good things in life only if we go through a rough patch.

2006-06-28T03:51:00.000+08:00

World Cup 2006.. the season where women take a backseat..

It's 3 weeks into World Cup, so it's coming to an end soon!! I'm counting down to "THE DAY" i.e. 9 July 06 when all the madness will finally end. Haha.. not that I hated soccer. In fact, I do enjoy the euphoria of the game and the fun of hanging out with frens to watch the matches.

But we all know too much of something is bad.
For the past 3 weeks.. everything is about the World Cup! From the time I wake up to Morning Express (Class 95) in the am, to small talk during breaks or lunch time. Dinner appointment were deliberately shorten to rush home to catch the 10am match. Finally I reach home to the arms of World Cup (becos my dad watches it too) and even in the wee hours.. I do hear my neighbours shouting GOAL!

Needless to say.. Gerald was "smitten" by the World Cup mania. Luckily the World Cup comes only every 4 years so it isn't that bad ;o) but then again.. there's alway's EPL, Italian League, etc..