Where did the weekend go?

Fluffy scrambled eggs with cracked black pepper; Burgers, Hashbrowns, milo and premium brewed coffee.

What a lovely beginning to the day!

Yes, it's Sunday! Finally! I'm beginning to treasure my Sundays more as it seemingly get shorter. Today, I took the effort to wake up early (getting up before 10 on a Sunday is definitely early!) to go for breakie at Macs @ Vivocity with sweetie. Letting the aroma of freshly brewed coffee drift into our nostrils whilst perusing the papers and tabloids, is definitely a perk-me-up. After the comfort food breakfast, we walked around. Surprisingly, Sweetie was in the mood to shop. I, on the other hand, was still disturbed by our finances and wasn't in the mood. However, it was mommy's bday and I had to get her a decent cake.

Here r some pics, not in full chronological order:

Unable to get a new phone just yet (I WANT MY E71!!), I can only make do with an improved phone! LOVE THE BLINGS TO THE MAX!

Along the way to Vivocity, we spotted this truck.....Polo Horses?

Did some random shopping. Sweetie was contemplating to get himself some shoes (so much for budgeting). Popped into Timberland and was pleasantly surprised by their service. The usual salesman "breathing down your neck" was inevitable but what delighted me was that he gave us two complimentary bottles of mineral water! Hmm..wonder if they've drugged the thing. Guess not! Coz we ended up not buying shoes from him, but instead crossed over to Geox and sweetie got himself a pair of sneakers! There was even a 15% discount! Ended up payin only $130. NIce. Wish I could get myself a decent pair of shoes. Just the other day, my shoes gave way (AGAIN). Wore it once only! Sad coz it's a cute pair of shoes. Perhaps I can salvage it with some glue. Shall try. Saw a pair o lovely faux snake skin heels. The height is perfect and interestingly, my feet didn't look bloated and wide in those heels! I wanted to get it badly (though I didn't see much use of it), but held back upon seeing the price -- $293! Why must lady's shoes be so damn ex! Guess I'm back to my Charles and Keith and Vincci. Sweetie obviously understood how therapeutic shopping can be. So happy over the "breathable" shoes. Yes, apparently, that's the selling point of GEOX.

I had my share of therapy, but in a much smaller scale. Saw these items at MINI TOONS and could not resist!

Adorable isn't it??! Seriously, the creator is a genius! I was totally overwhelmed by it's witty design and had to get it though it cost $12+! Well, at least it's useful. *wink*

For those of u who are still wondering what that is, it's not a giant Nissin Cup noodles....but coin bank which doubles up as a toilet roll holder!

Was intrigued by this display and went in to have a peek. The stuff there are amazingly priced! Sweetie saw a jacket that cost $294 and was yearning to buy. Insanity! There was even this room where you can pay to experience what it is like to have -40 degrees celsius winds blowing at u! It only cost $1, but no one tried. Sweetie made a rather cute comment -- he wanna buy smth in support of National Geographic so that they can continue to make good shows for him to watch! Duhhhh....

It's mummy's bday. Knowing her, she'll run amok should I forget her bday! Thus, last night, at midnite, sweetie and I went to 7-11 and got her this stylishly thin Samsung mobile. C170. cost- $80! Unbelievable right? Chio too. Comes in both jet black and scarlet red. The red is simply irrisistable! Can't believe that mom has a new phone and I had to bling my own phone to delude myself into thinking that I've got a new phone!

A cake was a must, though mom's always telling me she's not a cake person. However, imagine the exasperation on her face should I not present her with a cake! She called whilst i was shopping for a cake. Thankfully, I missed that call. She could only call me for one reason on a Sunday. And that was, to be her faithful AHMAD! She's always ever so pampered that she needs someone to fetch her home from church! For crying out loud! it's a Sunday! Give me a break! Needless to say, I was not foolish enough to chauffeur her. She ended up taking the bus home but still wanted someone to pick her up from Chomp Chomp. Too lazy to walk home.

Back to the cake spree. Saw some miniature cakes going at $18 at Swiss bake. Was tempted to buy but checked out Bakerzin and settled for that instead. Chocolate Amer was going at half price. I was diliberating between Chocolate Amer and Mango Mousse. Mom's not a big fan of chocs, thus, I settle for Mango, despite sweetie's suggestion to go on budget (asshole, after spending $130 on a pair of shoes, the least u can do is to buy mom a cake and not stinge on it!)

ooooo.........nice right? The exquisite taste and unbelievably smooth texture rendered me helpless in this gastronomical heaven. Ok, seriously, the cake wasn't that great at all! The mousse was sour and not to my liking. Thankfully, mommy liked it. Dad as usual was a spoil sport and did not try or even take pictures with us. :-(...The moment we went home, he cooped himself in the room, sewing his shirt! Totally ignoring me! Nagged him, but he was obviously oblivious to my feelings. Somehow, I feel neglected each time I visit him. He is a man of few words but still, he should seriously engage in more small talks with me and sweetie!

Mummy was really happy. She was initially sore coz since this morning, I did not even wish her. Thinking that her only daughter had forgotten her bday, she got engulfed in an overwhelming feeling of distraught and not to mention, became a little pyscho. She actually demanded a new phone from me over lunch! Was a little pissed over her attitude. It's like I owe her the world.

There. Happy? A simple phone for a simple person.

Sweetie did good today. Patiently teaching my mom how to use the phone. Trust me, that requires loads of patience! I took months to teach her how to use her old phone! Though I must say, it was all worthwhile to see how happy she is.

After all the excitement, it was then time for sweetie to go for his usual game of soccer. Today was a match agst the church team..hmm wonder if they'd bring on 30 ppl to the field again!haha what a sight! At home, i entertained the thought of sleeping, but felt a little guilty that I had not accomplish more..Thus, I did a little packing (Oh did I mentioned? I put aside 3 big bags of clothes yesterday! Spruced up my wardrobe again..there's much more to put aside, but that will just have to wait!). Had a deep craving for a good read, thus after doing my chores, I plopped onto bed with the latest tabloids!haha...Then a sudden relaxation washed over me. The effect of the bed was almost immediate. Within half an hour, I was off to dreamland! Guilty as I am, it was undeniably a good treat. Made up for lost time by doing some marking whilst watching news of Swine Flu (scary and pray that all will be over soon). Books were accumulating and screaming for me to do something about them. After clearing more than half of the pile, I took a break and washed a lame show -- STEP BROTHERS with sweetie. didn't quite understand why he found it so hilarious. The lame jokes just didn't connect with me. N the part when the guy took out his nuts and rub it on the drums certainly adds to its lamity. It's not supposed to be RA, so what's with that scene! Geez.

Now, sitting in the comfort of my air-conditioned room, enjoying the cool breeze emitting from the vents, I can't help thinking -- Where did the wkend go?

Happiness is growth

It's one of those late night musings -- I'm no longer sur eif I have a lot ot say/ a lot to tell, but I realised that my previous post was a little disturbing and needed some reconciliation. After 3 days of escape, I was ready to face the music. Someone had to play the Devil's Advocate and that person was ME. We had a good talk and spat it out. It felt good. The fundamentals are strong (needless to say after more than 10 years!), but the ideals and frequency at times can be warped. Especially so, when I'm a planner and he's not. I'm someone who if I can't see $6k (just a random number we conjured during our 'discussion), I'll freak out. He's someone who claims he can get $6k anytime (through cashlines and parents perhaps?) When will this viscious cycle end, I asked him. There's simply no security in our future and it seems that I'm the one working my arse out for the sake of my own insecurity. Sad to say, everything around us revolve around money and without it, we'd probably can't do much planning. Eventually, he gave in to my concerns. Whether or not he truly understood where I was coming from doesn't matter anymore coz he just wanted life to go on as usual and he wanted me to be happy. For me, he'd do anything.

Happiness is neither virtue or pleasure but simply growth. We are happy that we are growing day by day. In the past, he'd probably fling the chair and curse and swear, but now, he'd be the one wanting to talk. He used to be hopelessly inarticulate but is improving as we move along. As for me, learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace. That should be my motto since his rationale is "whats the use of worrying? It's never worthwhile. Wish i can be so happy-go-lucky. Happiness is man's greatest aim in life. Tranquility and rationality are hte cornerstones of happiness. We must try to give each other support and wisdom and make the journey ahead a happier one.

Life is like drawing without an eraser

Life seems like drawing without an eraser. What's been done cannot be undone and vice versa. It wasn't a pleasant day yesterday morning. Bickered over certain matters and I expressed a blatant display of sadness. Am I not entitled to it? I used to be able to say:

You are my life
You are my faith
You give me hope everyday

ok that sounds cliche, like some lyrics off my mind. Anyway, yesterday, the vicious cycle was back and I could not suppress my emotions. The future is unpredictable just as how we are now. Live for today and not plan for tomorrow is his resolution. Throughout the whole process, I observed a lot, though he beg to defer. In his eyes, I'm just a childish unreasonable bitch whilst he, I quote: "have so many alternatives" and have been giving up a whole lot and I'm taking things for granted. Am I a hindrance? I really wonder who's taking who for granted. Perhaps denial is playing punk. However, close friends assured that I'm doing alright. It's a different ball game altogether now that we are married, but he doesn't realise. To give him credit, I'm definitely one factor in the things he undertake. However, mostly, he'd be indulging in life's luxury and lead a life of individualism. How else would u explain that he left without a word and not eat the $6 porridge I cooked! Each time I try to reason it out, I'd be on the verge of absolute insanity, often losing the battle coz of my weak soul. Thus I choose not ignore. He treats the house like a hotel, come and go as he wish. As for me, perhpas I'm just a toy. Play when u are bored, send to the museum when u are done. I have an irrational fear creeping up on me each day. Somehow I live in oblivion and hope that all this nonsense will just dissipate into thin air. I don't wana end up being like mom...so filled with angst over her relationship and be engulfed by overwhelming frustration each day. I'd like to think that I'm at least more rational than her, else I would not have survived till today. Relationships must endure the test of time. After more than 10 yrs, I think the test is quite enough. I don't know how long I'm able to survive this game. I devote my time to working hard, earning my greens, for fear that the future is shaky, and whenever there's pockets of time, I'd sacrifice other things in lieu of him. I feel so weak at times and wish someone can hold my hand. More TLC without feeling a sense of grudge perhaps? More consideration without feeling sore? Even my students show more concern for little details in my life. Not your nature u say? then LEARN. stop being so resilient and think that the world is only about u. Seeked F's advice last night....sat by Seletar dam enjoying the rejuvenating breeze which failed at clearing my thoughts. Saw a shooting star but was too late in making a wish. F could give me no concrete advice coz he said he will never say/ do such things to his love one. Pehaps expectation breeds disappointment and unneccssary heartbreak could have been avoided by being stronger. Yes. Stronger. that's probably what I need to do (as if i'm not strong enough..I'm woman afterall...what's wrong with yearning for attn, pampering, respect and love?).

I have an impulse to run away from it all. Talk will lead to nowhere. I'll ultimately give in to emotional persuasion. Take a step back and breathe. That's probably the best thing to do for now.

A not so simple dinner

The wkend came and left. It's been a while since I've displayed my culinary skills. Been up to my neck with things but I do crave for some homecook meal. Sweetie is my catalyst in cooking too as they say the way to a man's heart is his stomach. However, it's apparently not workin too well, coz he's too lazy to do the washing and would rather go out for meals. I can't do much washing as the eczema on my fingers are acting up. Doctor's advice -- EXCUSE WASHING! hhaha. Nevertheless, I think I need to treat myself a little better by pampering myself with some nutritious food. Thus the simple dinner (which turned out to be not so simple again):

This was what we had last wkend. Canadian Pizza!

This was my lunch last Wednesday.....Needed a break from chicken rice and beehoon...thus some comfort food -- NISSIN CUP NOODLES! Guilt is now written all over my face!

A myraid of dinner provisions! Now this is more like it. I planned a simple meal for 6. However, 6 became 7 and then 9 at the eleventh hour! Thankfully, I'm always well prepared and buy more than required!

Sharks Fin Melon soup. They lied. The melon didn't disintegrate nicely into shreds as expected. I had to smash it as it boiled. Effort worth coz my customers loved the sweetness of it. The melon didn't come cheap though. Cost me $7 for 3/4 of a melon! Not forgetting all the scallops and secret ingredients. hmmm....BUt for such a big pot, it's soo worth it!

BBQ Squid on banana leaf (ok, it's not BBQ) This is becoming a specialty of mine. Squid compliments of CY was cut a little too big by his wifey..hehe....nevertheless, it's still great tasting! Asthetically pleasing too!

Mouth-watering Sweet and sour pork. Taste wise was fine but lacked sauce. If you are wondering why there's potatoes in it...hmm...I'm wondering too. Ask Gwakie!

This is my first time cooking this. Stir Fried 生鱼 with wolfberries. NIce! The trick to making the fish nice and smooth is to dip it in egg white before frying.

This was a last minute tantalising entrant. Wanted steamed prawns but those little sea creatures were calling out for pepper and salt!

Insulted

Call it PMS or sheer sensitivity, I've been INSULTED!

The day started great. Woke up to a cold, rainy Tuesday. Was mentioning to AP that I did a mass giveaway of clothes previously and the girls were so happy. In fact, we are even planning to have a mass clothes exchange soon(if i start organising that is). That beats buying clothes, though I seriously don't think that would help in my blatant shopping sprees. Anyway, noting that budget is on his itinerary in times like these, I thought having such exchange would be a lovely idea. However, my proposal was somehow trashed when AP said his other half would not be able to fit into my clothes! Not wanting to admit defeat, I went on by saying that I'm an XS for MNG tees but was punctuated when he said that SHE was an XXS (is there even XXS to begin with?). So much for being Ms Nice. G was really nice the moment I posted my feelings on Facebook. He said "u could tell the other person "but you're ugly and I can diet". Haha".....I could, but I'll probably be shot in my feet once more coz the other party isn't exactly ugly and there's something called plastic surgery in any case. Anyway, I'm undeniably fed up with this mass consumerism and obsession with skinny girls! I'm not fat, am I? Denial does funny things to you at times. I feel PMS looking over me like an ominous menacing dark cloud. Just had to let it out here before it spoils my day. Perhaps I should seriously consider accompanying/ motivating (how, i don't really know) cousin P for night jogs/ brisk walks on Wednesday nights.

Episodes happened and emotions stirred

Marley and Me

Had a lovely little guest at my house on Saturday. Ah pek's daughter's (Elvy Chee)finally in SINGAPORE! We are all extremely elated for him:

The little one obviously knows what she's looking for. A financial analyst or the next Alan Greenspan?
HEY! Hands up! that's my milk money!Sneeky little thing, thought no one was looking!
That night, we went for steamboat at Golden Mile Tower. The raw stuff were really pricey. We took up a $60 package since there were 7 of us at that table. On top of that, a chicken. Total bill for two tables -- a whopping $198! Not very economical considering the amount of food was just an ant hill and the soup wasn't palatable too (the soup was totally tasteless! had to put several rounds of soya sauce)! Sweetie agreed that I cook up a meaner kickass soup than them!

Uncle Wenjie trying his hands at fatherhood?

Not an easy feat to get the little one to smile, but Sweeite did it! Isn't he a natural?
Still, the terrible weight of responsibility that parenthood brings along, the pain of childbirth (for the wife needless to say), the loss of freedom, the sleepless nights, the destruction of career prospects (for the wife once again), the loss of power...and the list goes on, terrifies most of us.
Why is this uncle making me inhale his bad breath?The real daddy's finally in the picture! Little Elvy isn't too happy coz the uncles were prowling over her! oh oh..look at that Hello Kitty...that's my Janice jie jie! (Yours truly)...She took an instant liking to it. thank goodness she didn't take my Conrad bears!

Saturday night, after steamy dinner at Golden Mile, friends adjourned to our house. All were staring and devoting their attention to......................
PLAYSTATION -- WINNING 11!
It was a lazy Sunday aka ME TIME. ME time for those who don't understand, means doing things that ME enjoy and No work, just time for Me, myself and I! Went for breakie with sweetie and friends @ Telok Kurau before heading to Audio House to get a 32inch LG TV for father-in-law. It was marked a reasonable $899 Cash and carry. I think it's time I bought my daddy a TV too! The one in his room has sad resolution. In fact, sad is an understatement! The picture's so grainy and it's perpetually showing warm colours only! I could never see the blues! Ok. I'm sold. I need to save hard and get daddy a TV for his bday! I've got 3 mths to go!

Had the compulsion to sleep the whole time today. Finally drifted off to sleep after sweetie went for his game. Was pleased with my achievement as prior to that, I did a 1.5km run for 20mins on my MIL's threadmill whilst sweetie was assembling the new 32inch. That must have accounted for some burnt calories! Dinner wasn't too sinful too. Used my little over and made honey baked wings (as above). The midjoints have been freezing in my fridge for the past mth! Was a good first attempt. perhpas folks should try marinating it this way for BBQ! It's really simple! G however commented that it tasted a little like dog's pee! DOG's PEE?! Sheez. sweetie and big brother liked it though. :-)

The wkend's almost over. Thankfully I spent it well. Was subjected to a very depressing moment when I watched Marley & Me this evening. I'm not a big fan of dogs, in fact, I embrace a slight phobia as I was chased by a charcoal black dog when I was young -- Stupid dog snarled and me balefully and chased me till I bumped my head against a pillar. What could a P3 kid have done to garner such a menacing attitude? Yet, the moment the Marley died, the tears just welled up in my eyes. Somehow, grief knew no bounds and my tears eventually streaked my eyes. Not a very glamourous sight since I was watching with a whole bunch of guys!

Jennifer Aniston's an absolute babe!! I would die for that figure of hers!

In some ways, I see some resemblence between Jen and I. She wants to have a baby but isn't sure if she can handle since she can't even take care of a plant -- I killed a plant too (totally forgotten to water it) when sweetie was on a overseas trip! haha... I see bits of sweetie in John too. Only difference, John's open to the idea of having a family and is willing to sacrifice and is really patient towards Jen. He's really sweet too (under the guidance of his superior)-- got a necklace for Jen, when he knows she's stressed over pregnancy, to dissipate the anger. Ok, i shan't go on as I tend to get oddly sentimental when it comes to this topic.

Update: OMG, as soon as this entry went live, 2 hrs later I have smth really exciting to blog about again! There's finally gonna be a plan! I'm fleeting with happiness! I finally know the reason! I must keep my calm but it's truly an aesthetic experience! Delirious! I'm on the verge of absolute intoxication! Intoxicated by the plan! Life suddenly has more meaning. Now I'm more motivated! What's the plan?hahaha....not gonna tell u..it's for me to know and for you to find out!

Lost in translation

Marking the below compo was excruciatingly painful. Despite being trained previously by some other gurus (i've taken him in only 1 mth ago), it amazes me how this new entrant survived his last 4 yrs of primary education. Whilst marking, I plunged into infuriation (some sentences were simply direct translated from Chinese) but later, when I took a step back, I was compelled to burst into laughter (SO SORRY!!!)

The below is totally unedited. Read on and you'll understand what I mean:

My sister and I were watching blank on the television in front of us as. We looked like a squid without bones as we sat on the sofa in the living room, thinking things to do. We were as bored as hell as our parents had went to a wedding dinner. Boredness was written all over our faces. Just then, I had thought of a wonderful plan which suddenly entered my mind.

My heart was palpitating with joy and I was jubilant as I told my sister the wonderful. Her face suddenly was plastered with a smile and she was delirious. I went to the kitchen to get some matches and candles and my sister went to get some paper. We both were in high spirits as we were finding things to burn. We sat on the living room floor as I start up fire for the candles from the matches. The fire is up, but because the wind from the fans on the ceiling was too strong, it blew the fire to the other side, then disaster!

The curtain had caught on fire! We were paralyseed by the sight of our eyes. the fire had grew stronger and bigger as the fire spread through the whole room at a alarming rate. We quickly ran out of the room and called for help. The house was engulfed by the bright orange flame. Our neighbours were alerted by the fire and quickly called the fire brigade at lighting speed. They also took buckets of water and sprag into action as we went to safety. After five minutes, the firemen had arrived and quickly sprang into action at lighting speed.

After half a hour, the fire was put out but the whold apartment was burnt, and unlucky, our parents and just came back from the wedding dinner. I knew my sister and I would be scolded severly by them as I can see their faces were crimson red and nostrilsn were flaring wide. My parents thanked our neighbours copiously as they were scolding us. After this indecent we had never played with fire anymore.