another season finale of my favourite show - walking dead... :(



with a heavy heart, i finished the last episode of walking dead season 4.

so sad.

another long wait till end of the year before the premiere of season 5.

season 4 was pretty tight and impressive for the first 8 eps.

though after the mid-season break, the "on-the-road" episodes of the different small groups were a little trying..

still, ep15 & 16 were good especially the finale one which ended with an exciting cliffhanger - rick saying:" they are going to feel so stupid when they find out.... that they are screwing with the wrong  people."!

 

awesome!

im starting to like rick as a character finally after 4 long seasons. lol.

we are starting to see him losing his humanity in order to survive and protect what he loves in this world that he slowly starts to understand more.

took him a little long but so glad that he eventually gets to that.

i still miss my favorite character - shane- who couldnt be more realistic and humane as anyone can be in such apocalyptic world.

 

some outfits for the week:

left: top from gg5, skirt from zara

middle: top & pants from gg5

right: top and pants from zara.

ok, I know. boring.

hong kong with the peeps - part 3

 

day 3 was pretty short...

all of us lazed in bed until 12 noon since there were heavy downpour and our old bodies all need time to recover from the past 2 late nights... @_@

we were out to search for lunch and after that, the group split again (maybe we are not very close afterall.. haha).

shopping, napping, dance class etc..

 

it was dinner time when we met again.

simple one at tsui wah before the girls adjourned to causeway bay for last minute shopping!

it was a good thing that shops close at 10pm in HK!

 

the crazy guys went for drinking again!!

either really good stamina or just like torturing their well-beings!

 

the girls went back hotel for chatting and i rewarded myself with late night mac supper.

:D

 

and before we know it, the trip is coming to an end!

our flight was at 420pm on sunday and so we left for the airport after lunch for last minute shopping of foodstuff at130pm.

 

the husband was complaining that my luggage (the middle one) was an overkill for such a short trip.

but look at mine compared to dd & gb's one!!!

tsk tsk.

and theirs were packed to the brim too!

 

and as usual, we always need another holiday after a holiday.

all of us were so drained when waiting for the flight at HK airport.. lol.

vacant looks and all.



this picture of dd slumming over his luggage sums it all up...

 

the flight back was pretty terrible at the start.

thunderstorms looming when we took off and the plane was shaking like nobody's business.

I ended up with clammy palms. :(

luckily the second half of the flight was smooth and we had a great landing at T1.

good to be back home!
especially with the husband and boys waiting for me at the arrival gates!!

 

and we are very very lucky.

the every evening that we departed from hk, it was hit by hailstorm (with roof of festival shopping mall collapsing due to the hail stones), flights were delayed and thunderstorms forecasted for the rest of the week!



it was a lucky thing that we were blessed with good weather during our time there and we were back just in time before the hailstorm came!

shopping

and I found some of my shopping passion back this trip..
lol. I thought I don't fancy anything anymore.. :P
stuff for
myself: 8x clothings, 2x shoes, eye masks, skincare
boys: 6x clothings, lego set, frames
hb: 2x clothings
perfume for mum and lots of foodstuff for everyone.

normally I don't buy much foodstuff back but this time round, everyone in the group has a his/her own highly recommended food stuff..
and we ended up buying everything that we recommend to each other. lol.

the boys love the frames that I got for them to put up in their room.

I like the toy story one the most!

 

it was a crazy short, packed trip but a super fun-filled one nevertheless.

though i think we need another few years to recuperate from each other before attempting another group trip. :P

Hong Kong with the peeps - Part 2

it was such a luxury to laze around and sleep back in the morning!

it was well past 10pm when I finally dragged myself out of bed to bath for the new day!

lunch (or rather brunch for who has time for breakfast!) reservations was 1130am at 富聲海鮮酒 @ wanchai.

and i've to conclude that this is officially the best dim sum place in HK for me.

yes, it has replace maxim palace! *wee*

everything is so yummy and pipping hot!!

 

look at the sumptuous char siew!!

 

after lunch, it was a slow walk (we welcomed it after the cant-be-fuller lunch) to causeway bay for shopping!

 

but of cos we made a pit stop at yee shun milk company for their 燉奶!

 



 it was shopping and more shopping for us.

 

only tanny and I continued strong for shopping.

the rest split from us for tea break and made their way back to hotel to laze.. *tsk tsk*

tanny and i were finally back at 5+pm and totally drained from all the walking and shopping hehe.

 

before long, its time to get ready for our dinner!

reservations was 7.30pm at this Sichuan restaurant 四川菜大平伙 @ central.

this is my first time trying Sichuan dishes and I must say they are really not for those who cant take dishes spicy!

but though spicy, the food is so shiok that you just keep having seconds!

 

I especially  love the ma po tofu! so good with rice!

*yum* swimming in spices though.

the place was like an art galley with oil paintings done by the restaurant owner himself.

and strictly by reservations for the place was pretty small with around 5-6 tables at most!

as usual monkeying around, creating a din and disturbing other diners. :P

 



then, its off to LKF for some serious drinking!!
brrr.... I think im going to swear off drinking for the rest of the year!!

its a crazy night and I think now I know how much we love each other in the group.
the nonsense we have to take from each other is crazy!

it was the sevens and lots of crazy people dressing up and photo bombing everywhere..

 

it was a long and tiring day 2 and we took much longer to recuperate on day 3...

the photos dwindled and we had less zest as the days passed... LOL

hong kong 2014 with the peeps - Part 1

finally back from the crazy short 4D3N HK trip with the peeps.

air tickets were booked long ago in Dec'13 to take advantage of cathay ridiculously low prices - $280 nett!

the 2 months after were planning on accommodation and itinerary by zm & gb mainly...

this is the first time im so hands-off in planning for a trip and its a good change. :P

 

so on last Thursday we met at T1 at 5.30am!! gosh! super early but our flight was crazy early at 650am so....

hubbi and the elder son were very nice to send me to the airport!

yz was so excited at going to the airport that he had trouble falling asleep the night before! but both of us finally managed to at 10+pm..

still, it was only a short 6 hours+ sleep for us @_@ before we woke up at 430am...

 

I had brekkie with hubbi and yz before going in to look for the rest at 6pm..

  

the happy lot! ser was travelling solo since she redeemed her krisflyer miles...

look at my bloated 面包臉! gosh!

 

the flight to HK was smooth and over in a jiffy! the way I like it.

and having crazy banter with the peeps helped to ease my flying jitters a wee bit!

 

we took 2 cabs to our service apartment/hotel - 99 Bonham- at 上环.

dd & gb's cabbie took them for roberts and charged them atrociously high fees!! super sway!

we checked in and were out searching for lunch in record time.. lol.

start of many many walking in HK island.

thanks to gb who is a walking GPS...

 

we chanced upon 九記牛腩  and decided to lunch there.

so glad we did!

I always miss this everytime im in HK due to its slightly far flung location at 上环.

the beef is super good and tender and im not even a beef person to start with! *yums*

easily one of the best meals for this trip!

 

and then its onwards in search of more food!!
we walked and walked (my poor legs) to hunt down the famous egg tarts in hong kong island.
not one but 2 outlets! - 泰昌 and 檀島咖啡 (Honolulu coffee shop)

after that, all of us were bursting at our seams! *burp*

fooling around and eating egg tarts on the go!

 

and from central we walked... (yes again) to IFC!

where we met up with ser who was on a flight 2 hours later than us.

some of us got our zara fix there and then it was more food in the form of macarons from Perre Herme at IFC!

not exactly cheap but the salted butter caramel ones are total worth the price!

 

by then, most of us (notice I didn't say all..) were pretty cui and super in need of a nap!

so all of us headed back to hotel where half the party went to nap (I belong to this group...) while the rest continued to sevva for pre-dinner drinks. @_@

 

it was a good 1.5hr nap for me and we were all good to head out to the dinner place for the night!

reservations were made at this place called 东宝小馆 @ 北角.

the food was good especially the claypot stewed fish and lotus leaf rice!

though I don't really fancy the ambience and set-up of the place.. a little too run down. :P



drinking beer from bowls! like back to old time wuxia show.. lol

 



after a crazy full dinner, we adjourned to a chill out bar at central - quinary.

it supposedly boost an interesting array of cocktails.

but guess what, the one that impressed me the most is actually their mocktail! an interesting blend of coconut, pandan & nata de coco jellies! lol.

one of my friend was not very impressed with my non-alcoholic choice. :P

 

it was a long day.. and by 11+pm, the girls left for the hotel while the guys struggled to stay up a little longer (like 30mins? lol).

and that was our long crazy foodie day1 in HK.

escaping the room is super fun!

it's team building for finance accounting team today and we had a hoot of a time!

around 50-60 of us were ferried to bugis+ at 2+ for the activity for today - escape from rooms!

we were divided into 6 teams and got to try 2 rooms for each team.

this is my first time trying such an activity though I've heard about it and wanting to try it for the longest time.

after today, im even more convinced i should do it with my friends the next time!!

it will be crazy fun!

 

for my team today, we managed to escape the first room but not the second one (only left solving the passcode for the last door to escape....).

but I guess we did ok, for we came in 2nd overall. :P

$10 taka voucher for each of us. LOL.

 

anyway, if any of you is trying the "Freeing SG" @ bugis+, be sure to try the "Freeing Dragon" room. it is really entertaining and good fun!

 

after that, it was to loof @ odeon towers for finger food and of cos drinks!

i discovered whiskey + coke is even nicer than whiskey+green tea.. haha.

since ive only just recovered, I didn't drink a lot... @_@

 

still, it was good fun laughing and chatting with the team until 11-ish when all of us old fogies started yawning and making our way home...

 

some outfits for the week:

 

left: top from bysi, cropped pants from gg5
right: top from zara, pants from gg5

spending time with the boys

was on PM leave today since its the march holidays for the elder son.
the husband went to pick up the boys before fetching me at my workplace at around noon time.
wanted to watch the lego movie initially but I read good reviews for my Peabody & Sherman and decided to watch it on a whim.
hubbi was not too impressed with the storyline of an adventure of a super genius dog and his adopted human boy. LOL.
but the show proves that it is indeed a good one!

the show is surprisingly entertaining for both kids and adults alike.
the action will no doubt keep the young ones at the edge of their seats for the action on the WABAC machine that takes them travelling back in time.
adults will surely be tickled by all the funny dialogue and puns so bad they are hilarious!
even the usual hard to please husband gives thumbs up to this show!

we reached home around 5ish after the show and we spent time doing some arts and craft with the boys (ok, mostly the husband)...
we had this dino clay painting gift set from xmas last year and the boys have been cajoling for the longest time (without much success of cos..) to play with it.
pretty interesting: you got to mix the clay powder with water, set it in moulds (the usual t-rex, triceratops etc), an hour for it to harden, paint it, another hour to dry, another coat of glow paint and *tada* all set to glow in the dark!

another PM leave coming up this Friday.
it's always good to spend time with the boys!

again, can you guess which is done by who?

top left: YZ
top right: YR
bottom: hubbi *LOL*

being sick is horrible!

 

not sure if it's old age or just plain bad constitution.

nowadays, when i fall sick, I take such a long time to recover!

yes! since falling sick with flu and cough LAST LAST sunday, im still unwell now!

after finishing a course of antibitotics and polishing off the flu and cough meds, im still nursing a hacking cough + lotsa phlegm + perpetually blocked nose + asthma at risk of being triggered anytime!

argh!

went to see doc for the second time and got a new course of antibiotics and more meds..

*sigh*

i really hope i can recover soon and in the pink of health for the upcoming trip 2 weeks later. :(

it sucks to recover only to fall sick again overseas (which I tend to do so especially in countries with bad air....).

 

and sick+closing is the worst combi ever.

bleh.

 

some outfits for the week:

 

left: top from I.T., pants from gg5

right: top from MNG, skirt from gg5

eason concert + KTV = falling sick

 

 met up with gb, ser & pff for pre-drinks and dinner at brewerkz at stadium.
we were all ready to head to the concert with the lightsticks & clappers! lol.

 

happy quartet!

 

this is my first time at his concert and I have only 1 word: 赞!

his voice live is really the same as listening from CDs!

 

and i think my 哭点 has continued to lower over the years.

now I teared at concerts too.

so sad when I heard his live renditions of 多少 and 背包. :'{



 

awesome concert!

 

after the concert and feeling in the mood for more singing, we headed to KTV @ bedok point.

needless to say for an old fogey like me, singing K and drinking whiskey until 3am = falling sick with cold & cough today.

ARGH!

is late night + drinking combi no longer doable for me?!

*sob*

 

i wonder how the upcoming HK trip will turn out.

perhaps its better for me to buy chips to munch on in the hotel room rather than hitting the drinking scene.. :(

 

ending the post with one of my fav. song of eason's!

chasing the K-drama

of cos, I have never cease doing so!
and of cos im on the hot bandwagon just like everyone else chasing the super popular K-drama of the moment - 來自星星的你!
finally caught the last 2 episodes of the series this week.
it is a good series indeed and it may, im saying, it MAY be in my top 5 K-drama list of all times.
but again, I need to re-look at my top 5 list ha.
and it was indeed a teeny weeny bit draggy from ep 11-15...

oh well, true to my 喜新厌旧 character, I've started chasing and getting hooked to another show even before the stars show has ended. :P
急诊男女 that is!
if you like the only female MC from running man and the elder brother in "Heirs", then this show is for you!
essentially a rom-com but the premise makes you think.
plot is simple enough: a couple who divorced 6 years ago ended up in the same intern team of an emergency department of a hospital.
so obviously the plot line going to evolve from the 2 leads not seeing eye-to-eye and eventually falling in love again.

depending on the ending, but somehow I find myself liking this show more than stars despite the staggering popularity of the latter.
somewhat more realistic and sets you thinking about love and marriage in its more naked form.
after all the magic has dispersed and reality sets in, how to keep a marriage going?
is it possible to fall in love with a same person twice?
when you look back at a relationship, do you remember the good times or just hung up on the bad stuff? this mentality makes a difference.

this "emergency couple" show is going to keep my weekends very happy for the next 5 weeks. :D

the right person at the wrong timing aint gonna work out.
the wrong person at the right timing aint gonna work out too.
so love and marriage to me is always about the timing and never about THE ONE.

aging body

after a hiatus of 3 weeks from yoga, Tuesday session just kills my old joints!
ended up with stiff and sore neck and shoulders yesterday which didn't ease up by this morning.
in fact, the aching got worse!
so much so that I have to be on medical leave today and seek some massage to ease out the tight knots.
gosh. old age indeed. @_@

bin bin's bday @ &made

met up with the gang for gb's belated bday dinner yesterday.

we tried &made this time round.

a concept restaurant opened by a 3 michelin star chef...

the food is nothing of Michelin standard but is pretty decent for its pricing.

though you can probably skip the house wine - tasted like water. *blech*

 

B burger for me - beef patty with cheese & caramelized onion

truffle fries

appetizers: pate & escargots for us

and of cos, there are always the desserts.
we adjourned to marmalade pantry for yummy ones - sticky date pudding!! my fav!

top: with the birthday boy

bottom: with zm!

it's been so long since i've a shopping post....

can it be the case of a jaded me emerging or subconsciously im just saving up for the upcoming HK trip??

I feel a little unbalanced not having new clothings but nothing really catch my fancy when I browse the stores.

what is happening!?

 

for 2014 so far, I've only bought like a down jacket + a top!!

that is like incredibly little for me!

oh well, the mystery is why aint my savings balance going up..

where did the moolahs go!?

 

we are fast forwarding to Mar and im still trying to grasp what am I trying to get out of 2014.

not good.

maybe I should just learn to go with the flow..

 

some outfits for the week:

left: long sleeve denim shirt from uniqlo, cropped pants from  gg5

middle: top and cropped pants from zara

right: top from seoul, cropped pants from gg5

 

yes, same pants worn twice in a week.

all good to be thrown in the washer now. :D

has it been 11 years?

well, almost.
10.5 years since I first laid my eyes on a Bernini's sculpture in aug'03. :(
I think the time is long enough that I dun sound like a spoilt brat when I shout ITS time for me to go back to rome no?
I must be responsible for that coin that I tossed in trevi fountain.

ive been thinking recently what is important.
like what is really important in life.
and the only answer I can think of is the answers are always changing.
apart from the no-brainer health, family & love ones, you will realize what is important in life is really sum of many small parts.
and you do realize those who eventually ended up unhappy in life are usually those who anchor too much of their time and attention solely to few or one aspect of their life - say work or kids.

I think to have a good career that gives you financial stability as well as some sense of work satisfaction is important.
I think to have a good network of friends is important.
I think to have a good portfolio of investment or similar and retirement plan of some sort is important.
I think to be physically, emotionally and mentally present for the kids is important.
I think to take care of the partner's needs is important.
I think to hang on to that one passion in your life, be it running or just drawing, and not let life's other demands snuff it out is important.
and there are many more areas that are just as important.

and I do realize by now, at the young or old age of 33, that success does not equate happiness.
successful people may not be happy and happy people may not be successful.
and of cos, the fluid definition of success really hinges on one's expectation.

so I have been answering my own question with more questions recently.
do I want to be successful or happy - which is a stupid question.
but you will realize success is a subset of happiness for many and for myself too.
and there lies the complication.
to remove success from the equation requires zen and nirvana that eludes me for the time being...

and so!
whats the link between a Bernini sculpture in rome has to do with happiness for me?
im sure the link is direct but I need to come up with a more elaborated and convincing manner to convey it.
to the husband at least.

I have a project for 2014/15.
and it involves a still life painting of Caravaggio, sloped marble floor of pantheon and gelato that melts slow.
and maybe, just maybe, Italian blokes with curly black hair.

arrivederci, Borghese.

another working week passed!

this is quite scary for half of feb is gone.

gosh, im still getting used to the idea of 2014...

 

the team dropped by my house today for a spot of MJ!

guess my luck is still ok for I won SMALL. :P

 

it has been a quiet weekend for the ng family.

all of us except the husband are sick...nursing flus and coughs.

zzzz.

 

some outfits for the week:

 

left: top from gg5, skirt from topshop

right: top from gg5, pants from bysi

12 years anniversary with the man

today marks the 12th year anniversary with the husband.

yes. I started dating mr ng on 12.02.02!

just 2 months past my 20th birthday and I was tricked into a relationship with him!

ok, it seems to be the other way round if you ask the man...

 

we used to celebrate the occasion on a monthly basis.

yes, you hear me right. monthsary it was...

until we got married and it became a yearly affair much to the relief of hubbi.

 

so for today, both of us took PM leave.

nothing special planned but just some time off for ourselves without the boys. :P

 

the husband came fetch me around 12+ and we made our way for lunch @ au petit salut at Dempsey.

we had good memories of our last time here - when I was preggy with YR.

yup, 4 years back!

 

but sad to say, standard seems to drop compared to the last time...

 

my appetizer - escargots aint too bad though culina serves nicer ones

my trout could be juicer....

 

after lunch, we went for my favorite activity - movie! 

American hustle @ vivo gold class!

gold class is really not for us.. our old bodies were actually aching after the whole lying down experience... @_@

 

and the movie!

it was without subtitles which can be such a pain for im accustomed to reading lines off the screen. :(

still, it was good.

and J.law is a hoot inside.

totally believing with the dolly parton's hair.

she was so good as the sneering wife with all the poisonous traits.

ahhh... Im being biased here huh?

she has to be one of my favorite actresses of all times.

 

and I just have to say it here.
there is an endearing trait of the husband that stands the test of time:
falling back at times waiting for his arm to be taken up by me.
I feel needed.
and its a good feeling to have in any relationship.
:)

some traditions are meant to be followed

some traditions are just meant to be followed, don't you think.

i am pretty surprised why some people just do away with traditions when they didn't strike me particularly as very forward-thinking or modern people.

no new clothings for CNY? not even day 1?! that I really cant fathom.

 

at least for me when im growing up, buying new clothings excites me (now, still do :P) and it was great bonding time with my parents hunting down the perfect clothes, shoes and even bags for the few days of celebration.

and it symbolizes a new beginning and in some sense, it helps to cultivate a good mentality of looking back at the past year, summarizing the ups & downs, learning from the year and then looking ahead to the new year with good aspirations and feeling hopeful.

and its our Chinese roots. if you strip away all these symbolism, then perhaps its really no different a CNY day to you as compared to any other day.

but its the meaning behind the festive season that forms our Chinese culture and history.

 

but of cos sometimes, it really depend on one's perspective.

if you choose to see the meaningless in everything then well, a day is a day.

that's your choice.

 

and so in the good spirit of upholding traditions, the gang did our annual CNY gathering at dd & grace's house!

and it was a whole day affair of get-together (gambling)!

 

some of us met up at dd's house at 11am and after the bai-nian "ceremony" to his mum and gramps, we started our MJ session without further ado! *hiaks*

it was 1 round of MJ before we adjourned to grace's house at 1+pm.

 

and from there, we continued another 2 rounds of MJ!!

we had zi char dinner & lohei with a lot of crazy "auspicious" phrases thrown in when tossing the yusheng. LOL.

 

 

the 2 preggies were missed. one is waiting for delivery anytime, the other has family dinner.

self-portrait shot with zm's S4 @ grace's house

4 of us continue our 3rd round of MJ after dinner while the rest transformed to couch potato to watch Ameizing concert.

but we were all singing her good old songs out loud the whole time.

ahh... revealing our age. :P

 

AND then, its the customary BJ session which lasted all the way until 1am... @_@

i was so tired out by the time I reached home yesterday.....

and i lost money from all the gambling. *pui*

first time for so many years running.

evil monkey zm won from all 3 of us roosters at the MJ table!

isn't it a good year for roosters rather than monkeys??

 

oh well, it was good fun with the peeps!

next gathering: gb's bday!

yet another closing is over!

as we have an extra day of holiday on monday, it doesn't mean all deliverables got pushed back automatically by another day. @_@

so Tuesday was pretty much a mad rush to churn out reports that are normally due in 1.5 days...

plus, i was down with a pretty bad flu.

sigh, it really suck being sick during closing days..

 

but the whole closing process was still pretty smooth.

we stayed late till around 8+pm on tues and were pretty back to normal pace for rest of week.

going to work these few weeks is like going through some emotional turmoil...

too many things going on, too much emotions surging (from others and myself) and too much speculation going on.

i just hope everything will settle down soon.

 

outfits for the week:

left: top from MNG, jeans from guess by Marciano

right: top from topshop, pants from zara

CNY 2014 is a quiet affair for us

CNY is getting quieter and quieter as the years passed.

what the boys are experiencing now is nowhere near what I enjoyed in the past.

i still remember CNY day 1 is such a fanfare for me last time.

by 9am+, my family + 2 other uncles' (2nd & 3rd) families will moved out of ubi together (by lorry or public bus) and make our way ever so slowly to my big auntie's house at yishun.

so 6 adults + 7 kids will chit-chatty non-stop during the almost 1 hour journey to the north!

 

and over there, we will meet up with the 6th uncle at my big auntie house.

snacking on all the new year goodies and having early lunch there.

from there, the whole group will adjourned to bendemeer road to visit my mum's uncle house (my granduncle).

the group will split up by either public transport or cabs (my uncle are taxi drivers.. ha).

and of cos, young ones like us have to take the public transport which is another hour from yishun to bendemeer!!

but it was so much fun, chatting with all the cousins.

 

and after some time at the granduncle house, we will finally make our way to the final stop of the day - my gramps/big uncle house at geylang bahru.

by then it would be almost 3pm.. and we were all feeling dead beat..

but the visiting hadn't stop yet! my mum's cousins will come visiting so the small 3bedrm flat was always super crowded and my cousins and I have to settle in the bedroom to make space for the visitors where we will play blackjack/dai di non stop! :P

 

and after dinner, without fail, I will went to catch late night movies with the cousins so that by the time CNY day 1 is over, it would have been a long crazy day for me!

 

now the routine with the husband and boys is much simpler and boring if you ask me..

late morning is to my in-laws house at the west. simple lunch and some catching-up then its directly to my big uncle place.

then early dinner and we will leave by 6+pm...

and that is it for CNY day 1....

 

still, the boys seem to have fun yesterday.

though yz and me are feeling a little under the weather...

and for today, no house visiting at all.... @_@

so just rest at home.

 

indeed, a quiet CNY....

 

ready to start our limited house-visiting!