I-Love-Yous

I love you.

We don't say it enough do we? I don't mean just to your partners, but to family members and to friends whom we loved as well. In an asian society such as the one that I lived in, it is rare to hear it in households. We are almost embarrassed to show affection towards one another. It has never been in the culture. I love my family, and I hope that they feel it. I do stuff to show them that I care and that I love them. Maybe I don't show it enough.

It would be nice to hear it from friends and family don't you think? Especially when you are down and feeling so blue and lonely. Those are the times when you just need to know that someone out there loves you. Knowing purely just that will ease my pain immediately. That is why I think of my husband and my family when I don't feel so good. Thinking and talking about the people I love always gets me teary. Thinking about how much these people love me gets me teary too!

I feel truly blessed, to have so many people who love me even without them telling me that they do. Just the other day, I was thinking about this dear dear friend of mine, and I was thinking how much he means to me. So, there I was in my living room thinking that I should let him know how grateful I am to have him in my life, then the next day, he text-ed me saying how thankful he was to have me as a friend. AAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He beat me to it! It was such a sweet message and I do feel so touched.

Just to let these people know, I love you too! With all my heart :) You know who you guys are, I don't have to be so blatant right. After all we are asians.

Suits me to a Tea

I have too much tea at home. I just bought some more this evening from Isetan. I have English teas - English Toffee, Earl Grey and Russian Caravan. Chinese teas, - I am not sure about the names, I think I have some Pu Er and some other stuff. Japanese teas - I have the usual green tea in sachets as well as green tea mixed with brown rice. Matcha, recently acquired on my trip to Japan, and also Mugicha, which I bought today. I think I will start to permanently have cold Mugicha in my fridge from now on. Perfect for the weather here. Oh and I have a packet of tea that is supposed to detox your body.

All I need now is the prefect tea set. I am still looking for one. The ones that I adore are so expensive, maybe for now, instead of a set from Whittard, I will have to make do with Hario. Not that Hario is not nice, just not "tea party" material. More like a "watch tele and drink tea" and "having tea alone" kind of set. I doubt anyone understand what I am trying to say. I guess I will get a "watch tele" set first before getting the "tea party worthy" set.

Which reminds me, we should have a tea party, the kind in Alice in Wonderland. Complete with outrageous hats for everyone! I was talking about this with Elaine and we really should do this when she comes back from NYC! Too bad that Daing will not be here when she's back. I am really really happy for him though, new job, in another country! How exciting! Maybe we should move the tea party to HCMC instead. That is such a brilliant idea! And that will give us ample time to plan!

Japan Hangover

It is been a while since I last wrote here. I just came out from a hangover from my trip to Japan. It had been heady. There is so much that I want to write about the trip, it is hard to know where to begin.

The food is divine, the people are wonderful, the TV shows are ridiculous, the streets are clean, the shopping is great (no, didn't buy plenty, remember I am not a shoppy shoppy person, especially with my husband, he is a real dampener when it comes to shopping.), the weather is fantastic, albeit that it rained for a couple of days in Tokyo - There was a typhoon! It was called typhoon number 20. I guess there are so many of them in Japan that they have resigned to calling them numbers instead of having the exhausting task of naming all of them. Maybe they just name the big bad ones. Simply put, we had a whole lot of fun.

I will miss Japan, and I would definitely be back again. Somehow, it doesn't seemed like it will take me a long while to head up again. It isn't as expensive as we thought it would be. A great meal for 2 cost about 60 Singapore dollars. That is reasonable don't you think? We did indulge a little on some occasions and had really good beef and tempura. We had really really cheap Udon once in Osaka - like 200 yen - for breakfast. That is how cheap it can get, of course, don't expect to get full on just that. We went across to a cafe to have toast after. Hahahaha.

We went to an onsen too! Twas a cold rainy evening when we went, just perfect for a hot dip. I was a little apprehensive when I went into the changing room. I didn't think that I could be walking around stark naked in front of so many people, but when I see how everyone was going around with much nonchalance, I too begin to lose my inhibitions. And I thoroughly enjoyed the affair. I am now officially a fan of onsens.
I heart Japan.

Hols and Festivities

I finally finally got my Japan stuff all straightened out. After some procrastination, I have came up with a rough plan for the upcoming trip. I read up about the place, bought the necessary stuff and now I am ready to go.

Somehow this trip feels different. I am surprised how much interest I had when I started reading up about the country. I was hugely curious about the history and so I bought a book about Japan's history and I am halfway through the book. I never had any interests in history when I was in school. I was so bad they had to put me in a Geography class. Somehow as I grew older, I had a interest that I never had in History. History finally I find, can be interesting.

Anyhow......

After hearing many many horror stories about how I could get lost in that huge metropolis that is Tokyo and how difficult it is to navigate your way around, not just because of the lack (or very bad) of city planning, I took up a Japanese as well. I always wanted to take up a third language. I can't decide between French, Spanish and Japanese. This became sort of the decisive factor I suppose. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I will continue when I am back from Japan. Maybe if I were to go to South America one day, I may pick up Spanish again. It seems easier than the other two. I tried learning a little on my own, I seem to pick up quite a bit. But French sounds better leh. I love how it sounds. But French is tough, like Japanese. Japanese has wacky wacky grammar. I need to go memorise those Katakana characters before I go.

I am so looking forward to seeing Kyoto!
I guess I will need to start looking for tour packages for the next trip soon. Next trip's going to be in February, during Chinese New Year. I am hoping there are still vacancies since it is a hot time to travel. This will be my first time travelling during CNY. I like being at home during that time of the year. Isn't it about being with the family and loved ones? I suppose in Singapore, it isn't much of the issue, especially in my family, since everybody is home and not overseas, and we do see each other very often, there isn't much fuss. But I do do do miss having the reunion dinner with them! As long as I see them often, I am happy.

I was just at my friend's place for Hari Raya last Saturday and he broke such a happy piece of news! That was the happiest thing that I heard from him so far! I am thrilled and so so excited for him! Perhaps happily-sad. Since it may also mark the end of a decade old tradition. But we can always carry out the tradition somewhere else!

In 2 months, it will be Christmas! I missed Christmas at home last year, since I was in China, high up on a mountain, stuck with a chinese Santa Claus. So this year, we will have dinner at home. Maybe I should plan a dinner at home for everyone, thought mum will have to roast the turkey... I can buy the bird though!
The last leg of the year are always abuzz with dinners and holidays and parties and what nots.There are especially a lot more weddings too! Why do people like getting married end of the year? I got married in December too. But it was more of a timing thing than anything. We got married on the day we met, and that was some kind of coincidence. So far, I have 3 weddings to attend. Not a lot, some of my friends have more invites! Ouch for the wallet!

First Year

It has been a year since I moved in on my own. No maid to clean after me, no mother to brew me coffee. I guess despite that, I think I am doing pretty fine.

It is as though it wasn't long ago that I just did my renovation. Somehow, the place still seems pretty new to me. Maybe it is because there are still empty shelves in the kitchen, and shelves that are taken up, they are not choked full of stuff yet. The shelves in the study though, that is a different story. They are all full! That is one reason why I am not buying as many books as before and that has prevented me from renewing my kinokuniya member card. I wanted full length custom made book shelves but decided against it, since we might use it for someone else in the future.

The place still feels a little sparse, with not a lot of stuff lying around. These things take time you know, filling up a place TAKES TIME and patience. I want to buy things that reflects a little of us (so so so cliche!) or at least things that we really really love. Usually things that we really really love, cost an obscene amount of mola, so have to save up and buy, or just fantasize!
I am happy with how most things went. I might have changed a thing or two, like being fussy with the soddy, poor excuse of a window job, the curtains - I would very much want black iron wrought railings. The towel racks were a disaster.

I am still pushing and pulling my furniture about trying to get them looking prefect. I am glad that I didn't have much things fixed permanently since I can be so fickle! Apart from the kitchen cabinets and the bedroom wardrobe, nothing much is unmovable.

So after a year, I am still thinking about how to make things look better, I am still trying to keep the place as spanking clean as my mum's (an almost impossible task, since she mops the freaking executive flat TWICE a day! Executive leh, how the hell she do it? And what the heck for? Once a day not enough meh?). This is like my never ending task for me to organise and reorganise stuff. As strange as it sounds, I love to organise! Basically, I love working with my hands, crafts to fix- its to cleaning to DIYs.

My flat is one big project.

Bakes

I can't remember the last time I really bake something sweet. I mean, I bake quite a bit, using the oven more for dinners than sweets. The last time was just last week, baking a little pumpkin. Love roasted pumpkins! They are packed with super duper stuff like antioxidants and vitamin A. Such an awfullly wholesome thing it is. Makes me feel like it is fall, jumping into glorious amber coloured piles of leaves. Yeah, I know, there is only 2 seasons in Singapore, nonetheless let me just pretend and indulge in my overactive imagination ok?

Anyway, as I was just saying, I can't remember the last time I baked something sweet. So this evening, was in the mood. Nice cool and windy, the husband is out meeting his cuz, so the place is nice and quiet, just perfect for baking.

I like baking at night. When all is still and quiet. There is something really comforting in that. Well, it wasn't all that still and quiet since I started at 8pm. At least I was alone. I have a habit of baking alone when my husband's out with friends. It is my downtime. I enjoyed the baking session thoroughly, I almost forgot how nice it is to be baking alone. Must do it again soon!

Donuts

I never really indulge in the nation's favourite past time - queuing. Ok, second favourite past time next to shopping. Ok ok, third favourite past time next to shopping and makaning.
Donut factory has all those things. It is located in a SHOPPING MALL. It has ridiculously LONG QUEUES. Donuts are FOOD.

How more Singaporean can you get? By offering sambal donuts is it?

Anyway, I love donuts. My family adores donuts. And as much as I adore my family, I can't bring myself to queue for them. The queues centipedes its way all the way to Gloria Jean's, which is a good 15 meters at least. It is ludicrous!

But admittedly, I have always been curious about those donuts. One fine saturday afternoon, my sister and my brother decided to go down to and get them bloody donuts.
I tell you, they are great! Especially the glazed ones! I still have some of those at home. Thank you guys!