Tea at Old Town White Coffee

Well, to be precise, it's teh tarik at Old Town White Coffee...We talked about work life balance today during a meeting at my workplace, was kinda curious about the definition of this. Despite the emphasis on it in the recent years, are we having different perceptions of it? Thought I just wanted to find out, got a definition from greatworksolutions.com/work-life-balance.html (Work Life Solutions Singapore) ... Work-life balance is rooted in our need to strike a healthy balance between our desires to partcipate fully in the labour market while giving the best of ourselves to our loved ones, in essence, between our job and personal responsibilities. The notion of work-life balance acknowledges the fact that all employees (inclusive of managers) have to balance between their work and personal lives, regardless whether they have family reponsibilities.

I wonder if I have achieved that...Well, you know, it's my life, my responsibility. Anyway, was just glad that I left my workplace earlier today, just in time to enjoy a cup of afternoon tea. Well, to be precise, it's teh tarik :P

Tea at MBS

It was a cup of lemon camomile but could hardly taste the lemon. Tea wasn't strong enough for my taste buds but had certainly enjoyed those moments lazing around, having tea while waiting for Evie and Benson trying their luck at the casino :P

Where am I?

Guess where am I...no idea?...Reflecting on that bridge

Evie and Benson came over to Singapore for a short weekend trip. The last time we met was in Taiwan, hmm, probably about two years ago I guess. I remember they were great hosts over in Taiwan then. Ha, love to hear them talk too, marvel at their fluency of Mandarin and have always been impressed by how much they can share about the happenings in their lives. Pretty simple and nice folks :) ...After a dinner of bak ku teh last Saturday, both of them went on the Singapore flyer while the rest of us had ice cream and went silly gaga with our apps on our iphone :P That evening, I kinda felt like a tourist myself too...*shameful*...it was my first time walking across Helix Bridge and went over to Marina Bay Sands. Well, at least I did :P

Success

Glad that I took time to prepare packed lunch today. Well, you could say it's my satisfaction for the week or should I say accomplishment? Oh well, anyway, it's always good to find time to do things that we like because they do matter. Selecting the ingredients in the supermarket, preparing the ingredients or even hearing the sizzling of garlic in the pan do bring little joys and satisfaction. Feels great to see and enjoy the end product too :) Hmm, we don't always need numbers to determine or measure our success or achievements, do we?

"If your success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all." ~ Anna Quindlen

The reward for the day

Sunset today was kinda interesting, stood at the gate for a while when I reached home. Those clouds were really like cotton wool, hmm...scattered cotton wool, soft and fluffy, nice and warm. Felt like reaching out to touch and feel them. Smiled and took a few shots of that beautiful sight, well, maybe one of the rewards of a simple life...

The last decade

Once in a while, I like to take a look at the content of my black folder. I was going through the newspaper articles that I had cut out the past two years just now (Ha, yes, I am that kind who will cut out articles and keep them :P). Took time to read a few (yes, I am that kind who can read articles a few times or for years but not get tired of them :P) and took interest in one, it's a piece of reflection by Ignatius Low. A part of his reflection got me reading it a few times. He wrote...

I was being partly serious when I said it would be my last. For some reason, the new year has been marked by news of the sudden death of several people who were friends of friends. One drowned while swimming in Sentosa and another collapsed at a New Year's Eve party. The latter's Facebook page is still up and has been flooded with friends from all over the world sending him final farewells and YouTube video clips of their favourite songs.

One of the characters in a United States drama series I am watching has just been hit with cancer. She's not much older than me, and it made me think of the physical and emotional vulnerabilities that the 10s will expose to someone my age.

This is why I want to live the coming decade as if it will be my last. If I survive it, the following decade may well be my last. After three decades of struggling with life and learning to get it right, the next 10 years will be ones to enjoy. I want to go to places I have never been before and take on challenges I had earlier been afraid to try. I want to work on things that really matter to me, like friendships, family and building a home. I want to hug the people in my life that I love - not just with the eyes.

Maybe you have taken a less circuitous route to self-awareness, or maybe you are en route, but you should think about what the next 10 years should bring you. And if, like me, you find yourself thinking about the decades gone by, then make the most of this one - whether it is switching to that dream job or taking the plunge with that long-distance relationship with an old flame.

Happy 2010, everyone. Or should I say, happy 2010 - 19.

~ Ignatius Low (The Sunday Times, 17 January 2010)

You know, sometimes, I just got this feeling that I might not live past 40...Well, I might not have a decade then. But you know, sometimes the fear of losing a loved one seems greater than the fear of the end of my own life. Hmm, maybe instead of focusing on these fears, let's really work on things in our lives that really matter and not waste a day, an hour, a minute or even a second of that last decade.

Angeline's birthday

Hers's the birthday gal! :P

Half mushroom and half seafood

Oglio olio...hmm, can be better

Squid ink pasta...yummy!

We celebrated Angeline's birthday at Peperoni Pizzeria (Greenwood Ave). It's recommended to make a reservation in advance as it was really crowded on a Friday night. Nice little place, felt like I was in a part of Europe, maybe Italy :P I was kinda fascinated by the huge 22-inch pizza that was served at a table near ours :P The crust was pretty thin so I think a group of four wouldn't have problem finishing that. The three of us had a 12-inch pizza, crust was nice and crispy, with a slight hint of wood smoke. The ingredients were fresh too, both mushroom and the seadfood. I kinda like the squid ink pasta too, luscious but not too rich for me, could taste the freshness of the squid. The oglio olio was a little disappointing though. It was tasty but I think they should have cooked the pasta a little longer coz it was kinda a little tough to chew on. We had a cake so didn't try the dessert. Well, I would certainly love to try the tiramisu the next time :P

Slacker at home

My dear good old Slacker at home with all his friends :)

Slacker at Takashimaya

Went shopping, it's so good to get away from the weekend crowd :P I went to the gifts section of Takashimaya and a familiar face caught my attention immediately! It's Slacker! Went over and gave him a little squeeze. He's chubbier as compared to my Slacker at home but he still has got that same pair of silly eyes, big nose and round tummy :) I didn't know they are still selling Slacker :P

The rescue

Such a little darling...

When I woke up this morning, my father told me that he suspected that a kitten was trapped in between two walls at our backyard. It seemed to have kept mewing since the previous day. That kinda got me worried. Oh no, trapped for two days?? There's actually a narrow gap between the wall of my backyard and the wall of the carpark at the condo. There's lots of ferns growing in between the two walls. Forgotten that I had not had my breakfast, I quickly took a ladder and used a pole to search for the little kitten. The wall at my backyard was way too high for me, I couldn't reach the thick growth of ferns and couldn't see the kitten at all. But I could hear clearly the continuous mewing of the kitten from amongst the ferns. I was helpless. I knew I gotta get help from SPCA. Reported the case and informed them of the details. They took no chance although I told them I really could not see the kitten. They sent an officer down to check things out. While waiting for the officer, I looked at the sky, it was getting dark and cloudy. Oh no, it's gonna rain! I was hoping the officer would come quickly, was waiting at the main door...Within half an hour, the officer came. He seemed cool and calm :P He climbed over to the wall at the condo and tried to use his pole with a special loop at the end to get the kitten. Wow, he was fast! Within minutes, he got the kitten! At that moment, he was really a hero to me :P Goodness, that was such a tiny kitten, probably just days old. It was still mewing and was very active. When I held it in my hand, it was no bigger than my palm. I was really happy and glad to know that it's not hurt. Brave little sweetie! Hmm, wondering where its mother was...

I asked the officer if I could take a photo of that little sweetie and he patiently waited for me to take a few shots. He must have found it amusing to see a silly gal getting so excited and thrilled over a little kitten. I couldn't stop thanking him and it was as if that was my kitten :P He asked me if I would like to keep it...I paused for a while, my mother gave a glare...I politely declined the offer...As the officer took the little sweetie to the van, I wished and hoped that it will grow up well and fine.

Rain

"Rain rain, go away, come again another day...". I probably loved singing this song when I was a little girl. I wished the rain would stop so that I could go out and play. Rain to me at that age would just be kinda like a huge wet blanket that dampened all spirits. Mummy did not like us to get wet in the rain lest we might catch a cold and fall sick. At times, the flash of lightning and the clap of thunder would bring a shudder down my spine...

I was wondering about the title of the musical "December Rains" before I watched the musical that Friday evening. Why "December Rains"? ...Hmm, not quite sure if this musical had struck a chord in my heart but I think it did lead to many more questions after watching the musical...

What is happiness? What is our personal belief about happiness? Happiness is...

What is love? How do we see it or perceive it?

Is there a relationship between love and happiness?

What are we pursuing for in each of our lives?

At the end of the day or even our life journey, what really matters?

Would there be a distinct difference answering these questions at different stages of one's life?

You know, as I grow older, I seem to start loving the rain...pitter patter, pitter patter...the sound of rain, the rhythm of rain. Have you ever looked at those raindrops making their way to the ground or even how they would land on those leaves? Have you ever listened to the rain? Does the rain bring back memories or does it wash away some?... I looked out of the window in my bedroom and wondered when it would rain again...

That half-filled glass of water again

...but with a different coaster

The MRT ride

It's Udders once again

Udders at Siglap...It's big and oh my, there were really many people when we went there for dessert after dinner at Big Fish Grill Restaurant. There were four of us but we had eight scoops of ice cream! We must have been very hungry after cycling but that was really abit too much for dessert :P Love some flavours but dun really fancy some too. I thought some flavours were not rich enough. Earl grey was still my favourite, green tea lacked that kinda bitterness that one would probably find in authentic green tea. As for the rest, they did not kinda leave much impression. Hmm, kinda miss Ice Cream Chef, I think I need to make a visit there one of these days :P

Baby in a basket

It was a beautiful day to be out, went cycling at East Coast Park. Sunny baby also came along! The guys took turns to give him a ride on the bicycle. He was sitting in a basket in front of the bicycle. Hmm, not quite sure if Sunny baby was enjoying the ride but I thought he was quite well-behaved during those rides. Good boy, baby! ...Have not really cycled for quite some time but still love the feeling of the sea breeze carassing my cheeks and the sight of those huge trees lining the cycling track. They are so huge that I felt like I was cycling through a tunnel of trees at times. It really felt good to go through this beautiful tunnel :)

Home

I was sharing with Angeline that I love this song "Home" which is sung by Kit Chan and that we must all sing this song. Have always looked forward to singing this song every National Day. It's all about having a place we can call home and being home, no matter where we may be. It's about the lovely people we have around us when we are home. It's about being thankful for the little things we have in our home...It's great to be home, isn't it?

Whenever I am feeling low

I look around me and I know

There's a place that will stay within me

Wherever I may choose to go

I will always recall the city

Know every street and shore

Sail down the river which brings us life

Winding through my Singapore

This is HOME, truly

Where I know I must be

Where my dreams wait for me

Where that river always flows

This is home, surely

As my senses tell me

This is where I won't be alone

For this is where I know it's home

When there are troubles to go through

We'll find a way to start anew

There is comfort in the knowledge

That home about its people too

So we'll build our dreams together

Just like we've done before

Just like the river which brings us life

There'll always be Singapore

This is HOME, truly

Where I know I must be

Where my dreams wait for me

Where that river always flows

This is home, surely

As my senses tell me

This is where I won't be alone

For this is where I know it's home

Aftershock

How many of us really understand, fully understand the meaning of sacrifice (be it a verb or a noun)? How many of us really know and understand the feeling of a loss? We probably wouldn't until we really have gone through one... I don't think the scenes that were presented in front of me were in any way tramatising or disturbing when I watched that movie because I know that that was really what happened in Tangshan in 1976. Many thoughts went through my mind but somehow, I couldn't really string them together...Making the most painful and difficult decision in your life, seeing your loved ones suffering and in great pain, living in your past, living with painful memories embedded in your mind, filial piety, finding forgiveness and what it takes to forgive...I shed lotsa tears watching that movie but I am certain that those were not tears of sadness. I was more moved and touched by the great strength, courage and love that were demonstrated when faced with devastating situations like a natural disaster. We definitely have simple things to be thankful for, don't we? This movie left me wanting to give my family and those lovely people around me a great big hug, lotsa hugz...left me wanting to tell them how much I really treasure them, how much I really love them...

Elvis

Well, at least there's what they call that little cupcake at Marmalade Pantry, wonder why though... Anyway, the important thing is I got to taste Elvis (for the first time)! Sold out for those few times I was there. For a simple reason why it had delighted me so much, well, coz it has got peanut butter! Darn, told myself I would refrain from peanut butter for three months but guess what, it's less than probably a week :P Goodness, this is really defiance. Hmm, maybe the comforting thing about that tea time was that I only got to eat a quarter of it coz it was shared amongst four of us. Well, it's good enough for me :P

The last sunset

I was driving along CTE on my way home in the evening. It was a beautiful sunset, wished I could stop by the highway and take some time to just stand there and see sunset. I did something which I should not have done. I took out my phone and very quickly took a picture of it all. But nothing beats seeing it with my own eyes. I was just thinking...No matter what our age might be, we will never know when we will see our last sunset. I seemed to find myself savouring that particular moment with a deeper sense of attentiveness. Maybe every sunset is indeed beautiful and with that, maybe our moments of joy could really doubled...

Bringing out the best in each other

Sometimes, I just wonder about why I do whatever that I am doing...couldn't find answers most of the times so I guess just do whatever I feel like doing. Miss Tan suggested to me to take a shot of the napkin (knowing that I probably like the design and the colours :P). Looked at the long spoon placed on the napkins. Whipped out my phone, using lomo, without arranging anything on the table, just took a shot of it all. I feel that the spoon and the napkin needed each other in that shot to bring out the best in each. What do you think?

That half-filled glass of water

While having our drinks at TCC and most busy chatting about work and life, Rene and I were trying to take shots of the glass of ice water. Rene suggested using lomo and I thought it's a good suggestion. I have always enjoyed looking at the designs of the coasters that TCC has. For this one, I like the contrast in the colours, have worked well with the curves, forming an abstract design which I like. It seems to have a retro feel too. You know, I just feel that the picture wouldn't be that good without that glass of iced water, that half-filled glass of iced water. What do you think?

Smiles and laughter

Good listeners...

Engaging in a serious conversation...silly me just snapping pics

A person whom I have always considered as one of my elder sisters. Can never forget her advice...do what you can and accept what you must.

From our dear Rene, baked and designed especially for Cons and us :) So sweet of her!

I thought this was a good starter, a good selection of roasted meat, very well done!

I ate so many prawns...these were prawns coated with salted egg, real rich. There were also prawns in our seafood claypot tofu. Goodness, we better watch our cholesterol level! :P

The ribs were good, real tender. But I thought it was a little too salty for me.

It's really a little sweet cupcake, isn't it? I am sure it left a smile on everyone's face after the meal :)

Finally got to meet up with Cons, great to see her again and to know that she's back in town for good. We gathered last evening at Imperial Treasure Cantonese Cuisine (Crowne Plaza Hotel) to celebrate her belated birthday, glad to see smiles and hear all those laughter. Not to forget, all the hugs that were received and given :)

Tea...the HK style

A cup of hot milk tea with the really gigantic peanut butter with condensed milk spread on a thick slice of toasted bread...what a real luxurious way to spend the afternoon. Oh well, was feeling really guilty about it though :P Hmm, okie, stay away from peanut butter for three months?