ON A ROLL!!

finally picked out some photos taken over the past six months and let them do the talking.

in april, we were in PENANG!


we ladies made a trip to penang and stopped by BM to visit pa and ma.
they cooked up a feast for us - pig trotters, assam fish, indonesian chicken...and this was lunch!

later, we swung over to E&O Hotel on the island to live it up. took two rooms with sea view.


trying in vain to squeeze my bum onto a very narrow space meant for a gnat.


our spacious room had a separate sitting room. enough room for us to set up our travel MJ set.

yes, you guessed it. it was a M&M trip, mahjong and makan trip.
(Supposed to be M&M&M, the third being margarita. but the margaritas at E&O were yukky!)


with sis and family at a seafood restaurant
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then, in May, oz had a meeting in LONDON so wei and i tagged along. xru had school.


along crowded portobello street.

see that desperate face at the back? die die also wanted her face in the peektur.


father and daughter waiting for a taxi at notting hill.


our picnic grub at hyde park on a lovely afternoon.


others came prepared with mats and books


we used newspapers that we had finished reading


found a new friend


it was totally friendly and greedy
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in july, it was wei's 20th BIRTHDAY.


my lovely daughter with her trademark orange lipstick
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in september, we were invited to HANGZHOU & SHANGHAI.


am a lousy photographer. west lake in hangzhou is a gazillion times more beautiful.


took a morning walk along the lake and caught sight of this group, executing graceful moves to the music.


these barges are actually teahouses on water. will never step into one cos sure mabuk.


then our hosts then got us to the world expo at shanghai. the red structure behind is the china pavilion


and look at the queue! we were told that the minimum waiting time is 5 hours.


we were lucky; we even had the buggy to take us around.


they still need to work on their english


at the singapore pavilion which was a disappointment, to be honest.

of course, being a bad photographer, i don't have many pictures of the other pavilions. they were either cropped off or blur.


the last day in shanghai happened to be the mid autumn festival. we saw this long queue along huaihai lu. apparently, they were all rushing to buy roast duck, a must for the festival.
i learnt something new.

AM BACK!!

don't ask me where the months went. my last post was in april and though this blog was at the back of my mind whenever i reviewed my photos, it remained where it was - at the back of my mind.

not a very scintillating start for a comeback post, i'm afraid.

and i am supposed to be one year wiser!



yes, last month i turned 49!! one year shy of the big five Oh. 50 is the new 40, 40 the new 30 so that makes me...25??


oz took me out for a lovely dinner at waku ghin, the new tetsuya ( yes, THAT sydney tetsuya) restaurant in marina bay sands. the above cake was a delightful surprise. oz conspired with captain la.

a pity the photo couldn't capture the F1 lights outside the window.


in case you can't read this, it says "wiser and younger"
for the celebration with the family the next day, i ordered my own birthday cake.

that's being practical, i tell you. otherwise, the family might buy a last minute bengawan solo cake which everyone would be obliged to eat. a sure waste of calories.

i like Flor Patisserie cakes. fresh, not so sweet and oh so light.

so anyway when that japanese girl over the phone asked me for a message for the cake, i gave her the perfunctory Happy Birthday one. a split second later, i was, like, HEY, it's my birthday cake and i can write whatever i want. so i came up with such pearls of wisdom.


with that big blue box, one would have thought that Flor Patisserie paid me to advertise for them.

wiser? maybe
younger? it's all in the mind
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saner? i don't think so.


the third celebration was held at senso, club street. close friends from KL came down for the F1. after a sweaty night, we trooped off to the restaurant where oz had made special arrangements for a late dinner.

the cake came with the desserts. again, it was an oz-captain conspiracy. but this time i forgot to take pictures.

i was slightly high, on alcohol as well as on happiness.

the feel-good post

this is a feel-good post for many reasons:

1. renovations are FINALLY over!!! 2 months of mess, inconvenience, running around buying related paraphenalia, packed lunches ... of strange men taking over my home and my life, sometimes esp when they fail to turn up as promised and you wait for a call, a roar of the engine while putting your life on hold.

2. the home is in order again and i am happiest that way. i had to rein in the control freak in me during these two months cos things didn't always work out. like cutting the granite too big for the sink though you had warned them before. or messing up your designs cos of miscommunication.

3. managed to go away to hanoi amidst the renovations. good break too. material for another post if i am so inclined. one day.

4. also made a trip to penang with MJ kakis a few weeks ago  and had a great time. didn't think we would end up spending so much time with the folks back home so it was a real bonus. might just post about the unbridled joy of seeing my healthy parents... 

5. passed the five year mark since i was first diagnosed with endrometrium cancer!! while i hesitate popping the champagne cos i know there's no letting my guard down, i am still thankful and count my blessings for passing this crucial point.

6. really grateful for an indulgent husband who gave me my dream kitchen. 

one with plenty of storage space, free of clutter, good ovens and an island!!!

and here are the pictures:-

                                                                          BEFORE

                                                                              AFTER

yes! the island is the hub of the kitchen now.

the bosch wine cooler (taller of the two) and fisher & paykel fridge

two bar stools from ikea

opted for a bosch double heater induction hob. fast, clean and space-saving.

                                                now you see them.....

                                                now you don't.

a steam oven and a built-in oven from bosch

and a stainless steel sink from franke

the pillar next to this hidden larder prevented drawers from being installed. so had to settle for shelves and got the contractor to put in LED lights so that the dark corners can be accessed easily.

a push button mechanism instead of a handle hides the larder.

plenty of storage space on the other side of the kitchen

pull out drawers make this pantry very user-friendly and spacious.

left the last compartment for the vacuum cleaner and bottles of cleaning agents

the toilet next to the kitchen was also razed and a new shower area incorporated. 

opted for a wall hung WC this time and a table-top wash basin atop a granite surface.

other changes around the house:-

removed the wooden railings and installed new wrought iron ones. 

gave a new lease of life to grandfather's SINGER machine.

 we have had this antique wash basin stand for more than ten years but not knowing what to do with it because of its fragility, had it relegated to a corner. almost wanted to ditch it but couldn't bring myself to do it so it had a new lease of life, too.

decided to give two walls a brighter look and no regrets here. cos it really transformed the whole living space and gave it a somewhat mediterranean feel, esp when coupled with the wrought iron stairs.

gongxigongxi!

the baking's done, the shopping's almost completed and the house is, well, clean. 

we are all ready to usher in the year of the tiger. 

this year, as with the last two years, we are cutting down on excesses. no ordering of kuih lapis from bengawan solo to be given away, no tidbits buying, no extra cans of abalone sitting around waiting for another year to go by before being eaten...

just good old handmade cookies.

made with love and care,

with a handwritten note.

it was therapeutic, baking a few hours a day. 

the last batch of pineapple tarts were baked on wednesday, placed in containers, sealed and labelled "NOT TO BE EATEN UNTIL CNY".  hahaha, otherwise, they would be gone fast.

the year of the tiger will be a good one, can feel it in my bones.

i ask not for more wealth as the usual CNY greeting does but for good health.

for all my loved ones and for myself.