Wow.

For buying 18 single serving tubs of yoghurt, I got a little nagging from the lady at the cashier. And this was how the conversation went (after translation from Mandarin to English):

Cashier: Wah, you buy so many! You eat this everyday?
Me: Yup!
Cashier: Only yoghurt everyday huh?
Me: (Stunned) No, I have them for breakfast only, and I add cereals to the yoghurt.
Cashier: Not healthy you know? You should have a variety of food for breakfast, like rice. Don't like also have to eat a bit of rice.
Me: (Double stunned) Er... I do have a variety of things that I eat, don't worry!
Cashier: Aunty was once young too, and very beauty conscious, but you're still young, so do nourish yourself well.
Me: (Speechless)... Okay, will do. (Smile)

What totally surprised me was how someone can show such concern to a total stranger. The conversation with the cashier left me thinking about a lot of things. Totally mind-boggling.

The last few days have been emotionally and physically taxing on the whole family. 2 departures in 2009, but the closures were nice, for we all know there are 2 extra Angels looking over us.

May 2010 be a happier and healthier one for all. KL, here I come.

In June 2009, my Grandmother sent her husband, my beloved Dada off. Today, my Grandmother sent her eldest son off, that is, my Father's eldest brother, my eldest uncle, my Aunt's husband, and my cousin's Father.

My condolences goes out to the Chan Yiptong family, especially so to my Grandmother, cousin and Aunt. Rest in peace Uncle Peter.

Christmas Parties.

So, Christmas came and went. Lots of food were involved, and I really enjoyed them, though I wasn't as ravenous as last year.

On Christmas day itself, dinner party was with my family, as well as Kor Kor and Dao Sao's friends. Appetizers, turkey, ham, cheese, salad, pineapple, pasta, desserts, drinks and booze. You name it, we got it.


Super bad pictures taken that night because my camera lens had this annoying oil spot on it which I didn't realise until the pictures were uploaded. Got it cleaned up, so all is fine and dandy now.

And then on boxing day, it was a gathering with the girls and their boyfriends.





After crazily over stuffing ourselves, it was time for gift exchange!

NJ4 got chocolates for the girls when he got back from Sydney, so here's Sugar Daddy Jay and the Angels:


And then it was time for the girls to pose with our presents from one another and eagerly rip the wrapping paper apart!



Fastest hands first!

"Be patient. There's more!"

Gifts revealed!
And even though we were stuffed beyond words, what is Christmas without having a slice a log cake right?


Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas.

Christmas Eve Insanity.

On the eve of Christmas, 2 very bored people made their way to a certain reservoir on the small island of Singapore. Everything started out very sane...





And then it got crazy, slowly, but surely...


The photographer almost had a heart attack when I started running on the ledge. I scared myself when I tripped over my sandals slightly too. But, I'm a risk-taker like that.

A pity the photographer himself had to handle the monster equipment, and taking self shots with it is not an impossible task, but just not an easy one. My Ixus will need to come out to play once again. =)

Believe.

If 3 days in a row is achievable with almost no obstacles, I believe I can stretch it longer. Somehow, it feels very strange because this is not the norm for me for the past 5 years. I want this, I know I want this. So just a little push is what I need. I will play by ear, as always.

Budak Pantai's concert at Esplanade last night was a blast! Second time I'm seeing them perform and I have fallen in love with this group all over again. Awesomely talented bunch of 5.

On a totally irrelevant note, we have hurt each other and it really isn't pretty. We have to stop this, it's getting way too unhealthy.

Delta!

16 December 2009 marked the 6th year since we passed out from NPCC CIBTC D03. Every year, we would try to organise a gathering to celebrate our Anniversary. Of late, we have had squadmates whom we have not seen since graduation joining us for the gatherings and it is really awesome.

Let's take a walk down memory lane...






We are teeth-showing people!
We missed 2006 and 2008 Christmas gathering but there were a couple of gatherings during both years. So there you have it, the changes in each and every one of us over the last 6 years!

Delta, you people are one of the best groups I've met! =)

Collected my biometric passport at ICA earlier. I almost received a "picture reject" again. Good thing they accepted it on reason being "picture insisted".

I can't help it that my fringe tends to fall over my left eyebrow and cover it partially. And it is not feasible to take a picture with my fringe pinned up, because then I would always have to hold my fringe up at custom checks, no?

So now I can book my trip to Bangkok for next year!

MacRitchie Trails.

Either my laptop is seriously giving up on me really soon, or that the pictures are freaking huge, which made uploading and getting them ready for posting a chore. It is very likely that it's the combination of both conditions.

So anyway, the weather yesterday was scorching hot, which caused me to transform my hairstyle as NJ4 and I walked the different trails.


The more we walked, the lesser the amount of hair can be found around the nape of my neck.

We walked till we came to this awesome leaning tree. There were a couple of supports built to support the tree, allowing it to lean across the path, over the waters.




During the 2 hours walk, we entertained ourselves with monkeys and with NJ4 snapping away.


Mom & child. Awww...
And the last 2 friends we saw before emerging from the "forest" were:


I do not like lizards of any sorts, so no, this creature didn't make me want to go hug it whatsoever. If not for my blistered ankles and for the fear of soaking my shoes with more blood, I would have scurried off from those 2.

NJ4, Hort Park next week? I promise to wear my track shoes! =)

Oh and happy news for me! If I'm not mistaken, Popeye's will be opening at AMK Jubilee!!!!!

After 2 hours of walking the different trails in MacRitchie, both my ankles are blistered and it bloodied my shoes. Some pictures will be up soon, when NJ4 becomes less lazy and uploads the pictures from his DSLR and pass them to me.

NJ4's New Toy.

My boyfriend has a one week old new toy.


At SITEX last week, he bought the Canon EOS 7D to replace his current Canon EOS 30D. Being the excited boy he is, I know he couldn't wait to play with his new toy, but he refrained himself because he wanted me to be the first image captured on his brand new baby. And over the weekend, he finally got to fiddle with his new toy.

Because he couldn't wait anymore, he made me drive to Padang, so he could snap away crazily. 100+ pictures captured over a span of under 2 hours. Boy, you're overly hyped.

Hey Kiddo.

Michael, the Caucasian who helps us with any problems regarding the Accounting system just made me feel like a kid. He greeted me by ruffling my bangs. In the office. -_-

Sense Of Accomplishment!

I am over the moon, because I have gotten my Zara coat after running around so many outlets to get my size! What I bought wasn't what I initially eyed, but it is of similar cutting and design, only nicer.

Coupled with the orange beanie I bought yesterday, I feel so excited about heading over to Sydney next winter! I need gloves and boots to complete my pre-trip shopping and I'm good to go!

In order for the trip to materialise, I have set myself an ultimatum: 3 consecutive weeks of purple smileys. I want the numbness in my right ribs to go away, and I want to visit Jay-Jay in Sydney, so I must accomplish this. I must.

2 days ago, I spilled my melon milk. Yesterday, I spilled my cereals. This morning, my persimmon rolled out of my hand. But people always say, "there's no point crying over spilled milk", or cereal, or fallen persimmon for that matter of fact.

I feel like a sinner for wasting food, whichever method the wastage was made. I must be the biggest sinner on Earth.

All The Oomph!

1 week since NJ4's return and it has been good. Some people say that 'absence makes the heart fonder', while others say that 'absence makes the heart wander'. I'm glad we belong to the former category.

Anyway, NJ4 brought back a whole load of snacks for me and I have been busy snacking on them so much that I can practically see myself expanding sideways.


krispy Kreme donuts!


Chocolates, nougats & Go Natural bars!
Thank you love, for all the lovely snacks and for bringing back the awesome Go Natural bars.

Anyway, because my love commenced his internship the following Monday after he touched down, we didn't manage to have a proper dinner together until last night.

Off to Alice in Wonderland Oomphatico we went, and once again I was delighted by the mad awesome food there! =)


Australian oysters.
These fresh, succulent oysters were sheer delight to savour! I'm not much of an oyster fan because of some odd reason that I don't quite know myself, but these babies didn't make me cringe as I ate them, so thumbs up!


L: Spinach Feta Pie
R: Duck Confit Risotto
I love spinach and I love feta cheese, so this dish was divine! Fiber-filled dish to aid constipation! LOL! My love enjoyed his risotto so much that he kept commenting on how delicious it was. I had a bite and although I found it nice, I personally do not eat rice, so I cannot say I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Today was spent squeezing with the massive crowd at Expo for SITEX, and I still hate such crowds. I always end up cursing out loud at some people, and today was no exception. I need to hold back my fire.

It has been a blissful 4 days with my love, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming long weekend. 3 months will fly past faster than we know it, so quality time is important.

I cannot wait to visit him in Sydney next June, and I know it's rather crazy, but I have already started window shopping for winter wear. I'm going to get that Zara coat which I so love! Heh!

And Look Who's Back!

Since the beginning of last month, Jay-Jay told me that he'd be back on 21 November morning, and I have been anticipating tomorrow ever since then. About half an hour ago, we had this conversation:

[1O] CMA says:
*hahah i just came out of the shower
[1O] CMA says:
*brb!
[may anne] nj4*ilu [O.F.M Addict] says:
*kk
[1O] CMA says:
*back!
[1O] CMA says:
*was checking if i had everything
[1O] CMA says:
*and i change already!
[may anne] nj4*ilu [O.F.M Addict] says:
*ready to leave hm?
[1O] CMA says:
*yups!
[1O] CMA says:
*u makan already?
[may anne] nj4*ilu [O.F.M Addict] says:
*yes
[1O] CMA says:
*okok
[1O] CMA says:
*i brb again!
[may anne] nj4*ilu [O.F.M Addict] says:
*kk
[may anne] nj4*ilu [O.F.M Addict] says:
*ure supposed to leave hm now
[may anne] nj4*ilu [O.F.M Addict] says:
*it's almost 11
[may anne] nj4*ilu [O.F.M Addict] says:
*and i thought u have to be at airport at 11?

From my bedroom door, I heard, "How much do you miss me?", and I thought it was my brother fooling around with me until I looked up and saw my one and only.


This boy here gave me a crazy surprise, all the while with me thinking that he'd only be back tomorrow morning. OMG OMG OMG. This isn't real. I'm off to cuddle my love!

As it gets harder each day, I feel more dejected but I know giving up isn't the solution. I just have to hold it up for another couple of days before Jay-Jay returns from Sydney. Just a couple of days.

HNF Charity Walk 09

So, Home Nursing Foundation's Charity Walk 09 came and went, and the staffs at HNF are all glad that it was a great success. Despite the gloomy and wet weather the day and night before, the morning of our event was blessed with good weather. Sure, the grounds were wet and muddy, and we all had some form of "feet mud spa", but that didn't bring our spirits down a single bit.

Our Guest of Honor was Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, and I had the honor to assist him in the cow painting. What I did (as what my other colleagues who assisted the other 3 VIPs did) was to hand Minister Khaw the paint and brush, and indicate the section which required touching-up for the cow to be deemed completely painted.



So there, this article was reported on The Sunday Times, 15 Nov '09. And I was caught on camera, in full glory with Minister Khaw, the cow, and our purple t-shirts. Thank goodness I don't look retarded. Hah.

Best Father In The World.

I must be the luckiest girl to have the best Daddy on Earth! I need to be at the MRT station at 5.45am tomorrow morning where I'll be picked by my colleague, and because the MRT is a good 15 minutes walk from my house, my Dad said he'd send me to the station.

I am actually very used to walking that path, but due to the fact that it's so early in the morning and that I "can be settled with one hand" as Dad termed it, he refused to let me walk by myself and kept reminding me to wake him up when it is time to leave.

Now tell me, what have I done to deserve a father like that? I am really very blessed. ♥

Taxed On My Free Time.

Giving up so much for (external) work is not worth it at all. I'm giving up a pedicure session with my girlfriends later this evening because of a briefing I have to attend at ECP which we were told only yesterday.

And like that isn't already enough, I need to get up at an unearthly hour of 4.45am tomorrow morning and make my way to ECP for the company event. I feel super grumpy today. I need a rainbow.

Mom, Di Di and I went down to Ikea Tampines today and it was one heck of a fruitful trip! 1 high back office arm chair, 1 mid back office arm chair, 1 laptop rest and a few assorted items later, we went home as happy people.

Just last week I mentioned to my parents about wanting to have a cactus, so when Mom saw it at the plant section of Ikea today, we bought a couple! Orange cactus is mine (obviously), and the red one is for Mom. So pretty! =)

So, my friends and I were at DblO last night but no, we didn't party hard. Not at all. I was so busy being Nanny Chan to my dear friend who got so stressed out over issues that are not within our control that she KO-ed earlier than expected.

And the loo was filled with girls merlion-ing all over the place. I pity those girls who got puked on by their friends. Don't they know that looking at others puke is a catalyst to making oneself puke as well? Good thing I'm immune. Hah.

Hello party. Goodbye party.

The new MO I saw today was a very assertive man, and I understand that it is due to his professionalism, but he really scared me out of my wits. Daddy was worried that the MO's forcefulness would scare me off and not want to return anymore, but he explained it to be necessary.

I always thought I was very much less critical than most. Little did I know it was that serious. Blah.

Oh by the way, I know I'm lagging like crazy, but I finally got myself a Twitter account, so let's tweet! =)

In less than 3 weeks, 18 days to be exact, I get to see NJ4 again. Not that we don't see enough of each other on webcam almost every night already, but it's just different.

Don't get yourself too hyped up love, you still have your exams to concentrate on, and that prevails everything and anything at the moment. Study hard and all the best for your upcoming papers! See you really soon! =)

Bars, Bars, Bars.

The past week I haven't reviewed any of the bars I've eaten, simply because I've had a grey week. So, I'm going to spam this post with 18 pictures of 8 bars I've eaten. Technically, I ate 9, but Luna S'mores was plain and boring so I'm not going to feature it.

Here goes the major spam...



Clif Nectar Cacao - Dark Chocolate Walnut
This was super indulgent! Rich dark chocolate with fragrant crunchy walnuts is a match made in heaven! The bittersweet chocolate was so good, and it's a healthy alternative to chocolate bars and chocolate brownies! I'm definitely going to bring some Clif Nectar in soon!



Clif Bar - Chocolate Chip
Chewy oaty body sprinkled with a generous amount of chocolate chips, seriously, nothing can go wrong here, unless of course you're someone who abhors chocolates. =)



Clif Mojo - Peanut Butter Pretzel
This bar was THE BOMB! Heavenly indulgently good! I absolutely love the marriage of sweet and salty. The PB chips were sweet and savoury at the same time, and the pretzels added a wonderful crunch to every bite! The other variations of Clif Mojo will definitely be present in my next shipment!



Clif Bar - Chocolate Brownie
All I remember about this bar was it being very black, very chewy, very chocolatey and very dense. Despite being so chocolate-rich, it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet which was perfect.




Clif Bar -Spiced Pumpkin Pie
Now now, this is a seasonal flavour and I'm so glad I got it. Sweet spicy pumpkin and a sweet yoghurt-y base totally made me feel it's Christmas already. =) Pear Apple Strudel, Iced Gingerbread and Cran Orange Nut Bread, all you seasonal flavours are going to be mine!



Luna - Chocolate Raspberry
First up, this bar was a visual delight. With its rich bittersweet cocoa layer covering the mild tangy crispy innards, it was such a joy to eat. However, the raspberry flavour could have been stronger though, and it would have made this bar even better than it already is.



Luna Cookies 'n Cream Delight
Again, another visual delight. Taste wise, it was how you'd expect a cookies and cream biscuit to be. Nice but not fantastically so, maybe because this is a common flavour.

I was at ION Orchard yesterday and got myself a couple of Springhill bars which I've eyed ever since ION opened a few months back.


Top: Springhill Bar - Dark Chocolate Oat Finger Biscuit
Bottom: Springhill Bar - Milk Chocolate Oat Finger Biscuit
As I had a light dinner of a Double Taste Bun (custard & chocolate cream) from Sun Moulin and a can of Diet 7-up Lemon Lime (which was freaking delicious), I was hungry when I got home so I attacked my first ever Springhill bar!



Springhill Bar - Dark Chocolate Oat Finger Biscuit
Obviously, this bar is not photo-friendly, but it was extremely and amazingly tastebud-friendly! Crumbly, bisuit-like and cake-like center encased within smooth creamy dark chocolate, absolutely divine!

Boyfriend, please try to find these babies in Australia since they originate from there and bring some home for me. Oh, and thank you in advance for offering to buy back some Go Natural bars for me! =) 20 more days!