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!

CNY eve is really here!

CNY mood is prevalent in office since the start of the week.

despite having things to do, the mood is just not there!

we have another business unit lo hei in house yesterday and there was a mini lucky draw for all of us.

16 prizes for 30+ pax - odds pretty favourable huh?

I guess 2014 is really a lucky year for rooster for I got the 4th prize - bird nest! *wee*

gonna pass it to mum as I don't know how to prepare that. :P

 

its officially off day for the office today and everyone is free to go from 12 noon!

easier said than done with all the pre month-end closing tasks. @_@

still I managed to scoot off at 1230pm.

with the elder son at mum's place, ah long and me took the chance to bring the younger son to tampines for some quality time alone..

 

at 5+pm, we fetched my parents and YZ from ubi and made our way to my big uncle house for reunion dinner.

I really miss the reunion dinners last time when gramps was still around,

all the uncles and cousins etc were all present.

it was only 3 families tonight - 10 adults and 2 kids - but its still good company nevertheless.

 

traditional food fare - but I like!

whipped up by my aunties!

 

outfits for the week: 

left: dress from zara - my get-up for tonight

middle: shirt from zara, pants from Al & Alicia

right: romper from forever new

weekend - gone in a jiffy as usual!

met up with the gang for zm & pff's birthday dinner!

venue was at tomi restaurant @ parco.

it is really a ghost town there during the weekend... the crowd is just not coming to millenia walk & parco side no matter... @_@

the food was pretty good. we adjourned to coffee club for more chit-chatting and desserts after that.

as usual, crazy hooting from us.

ahh, I love my buddies for the past 20 years + of friendship and more to come!

the next gathering will be CNY gathering in 2 weeks time! *wee*

cant wait for the MJ & blackjack! :P

 

went taka to collect all the CNY goodies today! *yum*
got my fav. kueh lapis from rasa saying, prawn rolls and crackers checked and cheese pineapples from 2 brands which were heavenly yummy.
I miss the prawn rolls from home favorites though. all sold out! *wail*

I think the dieting can start after the festive season for there is no way I can muster the willpower to refrain from all these stuff!!

bought SKII eye cream today. hope its good.
the fine lines under my eyes are getting atrocious.
fillers may be happening in the nearer future than I thought if I don't put in more effort now!!

hope the coming working week will be over soon.
the mood to work is just not there!

holiday mood!

CNY is next friday! OMG.

the ang bao has been packed and the goodies ordered to be collected soon.

new clothings more or less settled for the kids and myself.

and work? not much mood! lol.

 

today was a happy day at work for I have my first lou hei for this CNY!

the company arranged for lou hei - imagine 20+ tables set up and people shouting huat! as they tossed the yu sheng and all. good start!

after that, we adjourned to beng hiang, a teochew restaurant, at amoy street for team lunch.

the food was really good and very reasonable pricing! :)

I especially love the desserts - or ni!! *yum*

 

gonna be a busy weekend for m the next 2 days.

birthday dinner for zm & grace tomorrow.

early reunion dinner with the in-laws on sunday.

 

some outfits for the week:

left: top from seoul, skirt from zara

right: cardi & dress from zara

YR 4YO bday celebration - staycation!

we celebrated the younger boy's 4YO bday over the weekend!

it was a pretty relaxing and refreshing experience, especially for the boys.

after YZ's enrichment class on saturday morning, we made our way to science centre!

it has been eons since the last time that the husband and I have been here.

this time, we wanted to bring the boys to see the dinosaurs!

 

dinos!

 

the exhibition was pretty small for the pricing I thought.

but I guess it was a good size for the kids before their interest and attention start to wane.

there were activity booths for kids too so they had fun painting their unique version of dinosaurs. ha.

 

science centre was pretty old and run down to me but it still serves its purpose well.

showing what science is to the masses through interactive intuitive sets.

but I cant find the funny mirrors that distort your reflections...

can these still be found in science centre?

 

we departed for our staycation hotel in the afternoon!

and we, or rather I, make a boo boo.

i booked a room at holiday inn and happily we made our way to the one near paragon.

ONLY to find out upon trying to check in THAT the one I booked is actually near starhub building!

gosh. cannot be more blur.

 

we drove over in a jiffy and luckily checking in is a breeze.

and we got a free upgrade to a suite! *yeah*

 

nice suite! the whole family spent most time in the living room watching tv...

 

dinner was at this restaurant in cuppage centre

 

dinner was pretty good.

I do recommend this restaurant which i tried with my hall peeps for Theresa's hen party last year!

the omu rice for the kids was especially nice!

 

and the husband and I ended the night with chips while the boys slept.

ahhhhh... this is life!

but I ended up with super sore throat and is on MC today.... @_@

 

oh well.

better rest before the next feasting round during CNY!

YR's bday celebration at his childcare

both the husband and I took the afternoon off to celebrate YR's bday with his friends at the childcare. :)

we have already bought all the necessary stuff for the party packs and the birthday boy chose the design and flavor of the cake himself last weekend.

the elder son has to miss the celebration as he was in school....*oops*

 

 

very happy with his spidey cake!

 

after having the cake and handing out the party packs to his little friends, we made our way to bugis junction.

it was rare for us to spend time with the younger son alone so we were glad to do so.

knowing how he enjoy his food, we let him choose his afternoon snacks - French fries and ice cream (no surprise!) which made him a super happy boy!

 

it was really a nice afternoon with our baobei who will be turning 4 officially tomorrow!

CNY is creeping up!

gosh, how time flies.
the first month of the new year is already half way gone.
in another 2 weeks will be CNY!

anyway glad to know that rooster will be having another good year.
but the worrying bit is I have been having good years for the last 2 years as well....
what goes up must come down right?
*gulp*
lets worry about that when it comes I guess....:P

time to change the notes and start the angbao packing!

some outfits for the week:

left: top from axara, skirt from zara

right: top from gg5, skirt from zara

good weekend!

the weekend is not officially over but im feeling all the happiness already!
half year reporting is more or less done with all the major deliverables submitted yesterday!
went for a short drinks and nibbles at harry's after work yesterday and it was a happy hour long of yakking non stop!
what a great way to end Friday workday!

and today it was my belated bday lunch treat to the husband!
we invited the boys along too! how nice of us. LOL
venue was at gyu kaku at UE square!
good feedback from the colls about the wagyu beef so off we go!
and the food was really good!
the wagyu beef is juicy and tender (subject to own's cooking so I must be pretty good in grilling. :P)!
we tried pork collar and quail meat as well.
and everyone should order the mushroom and corn - super yummy when grilled!
the price is not exactly cheap but sure value for money!

and after the *burp* lunch, we headed to taka where the CNY fair is already on!
of cos I made orders for the usual rasa sayang kueh lapis and pineapple tarts!!!
but the crowd is really @_@_@_@

and zara is up to 50% off!
I got myself a very functional down jacket at a steal. :D

happy happy Friday and Saturday so far.

waiting for food to be served.

gyu kaku is really good! for once the hard to please hb gives thumbs up to the food!

even claiming the salad is the best he ever had... LOL

 

some outfits for the week;

left: top from topshop, skirt from gg5

middle: top from HK, shorts from zara

right: dress from seoul

hectic day

today is the last day where parents can visit the P1 kiddos.
as I was tied up with closing last week, only the husband took leave to see the elder son in action for the first 2 school days.
I took PM leave for today to see with my very own eyes the key activities and it was totally draining. @_@

working from home is a mad rush as it's half year reporting for me.
cant wait for Friday to come for by hook or by crook, the deadlines will be here and gone!
I was in yz's school at around 2pm for his recess.
very proud to see the son buy his own food, finish everything and return the plate/utensils. :D
and then it was back home to continue working before rushing to the school again at 6+pm JUST to see him board the school bus.
and then rushed to mum's place to pick up YR and waited for YZ to ALIGHT from his school bus at 645pm. LOL.
super bo liao but I thought its important to "review" all these activities myself even though hubbi and mum have already informed me before.

lets hope the boy will settle into the P1 routine soon
with earlier sleeping time at night, I hope the complaints of fatigue (with tear @_@) will slowly ceased....

some outfits from last week:

left: romper from topshop

middle: dress from BKK

right: top from gg5, shorts from zara

belated bday lunch @ one of my fav. restaurants!



met up with the gang (sans gb & grace who were absent for the wrong reasons - sick/work.. @_@) for jx & my belated bday lunch!

venue is at one of my fav. restaurants in SG - Valentino!

soo good to dine here with a big group for I get to taste all my favorite dishes at 1 go:

- snapper fillet

- squid ink crabmeat linguine

- pizza!

 

oh, and not to mention their uber tasty moscato!

we polished off 2 bottles effortlessly. :D

 

me & the peeps!

 

already looking forward to the bday dinner for zm & grace 3 weeks down the road!

Japanese cuisine it will be!

a first for everything

start of a new year.

start of a new school year!

yes, YZ is starting his first year in primary school!

 

so far so good.

he seems pretty happy to go to school for now.

he knows how to buy food, finish up all the food and return the tray to the stalls after that.

he has already made some new friends. :D

the only drawback of the new arrangement is that as my mum's place is the pick up/drop off point for the school bus, YZ is the first to board and last to alight everyday. :(

he will need to board the bus by 11am, meaning that his lunch is way early at 10.30am..

I just hope that he will continue to have hearty meals during recess time...

 

left: can you spot him eating?

right: waiting to be "ushered" to the classroom

 

how time flies. he was just a baby not too long ago.

now I have this little boy who behave like an mini adult at times.

strangely independent sometimes and slowly forming his own thinking (resulting in talking back and tantrums thrown at times.. @_@).

i do miss the little toddler who cuddles up to me every now and then...

ahhh.. getting nostalgic.

 

and no thanks to closing, I cant be around for the first 2 days of his school. :(

the husband took leave and sent photos to me "live".. lol.

my turn to visit him in school this Monday. after that, no more visiting by parents allowed....

 

and it's an "uneventful" closing for us this month again!

which is a good thing for we got to scoot off by 7pm! :D

the coming new week will be a busy one - half year reporting. *eeks*

but you can do it, ecookie!

work hard now and enjoy during the CNY break. yeah!