Dinner meet up.

I had a dinner meet up with my friend to celebrate her belated B’day. We suppose to arrange to go JB for dinner last weekend but she can’t make it due to another dinner commitment with her boss. Thus the postpone till to today.

 

We went Rong Guan BBQ Seafood @ Alexandra village. http://www.sbestfood.com/rongguang for their BBQ since she said she had craving for BBQ. There are so much good food there. I tried the Satay, crystal dumplings, Ang Ku Kueh, Claypot Laksa (I feel it taste so so but HUb said good) and the famous Avocado milkshake. Here’s the link http://sparklette.net/archives/tag/alexandra-village/ .

 

After the our dinner, we went to Mount Faber Park to walk and help digestion and also we wanted to try out the Henderson Waves since we did the Forest Walk and Alexandra Arch near the HortPark. We have our guide (Carine) to led the way as she done the hike twice with her Scout’s unit 1 was done in the day while the other was on the night.  

 

One of this day… We will do a long hike from the Canopy Walk @ Kent Ridge Park that links to Hort park then hike all the way to Marang Trail just behind the Harbourfront MRT Station to have our dinner at Seah Imm Hawker Centre.

 

Anyone want to join in for this hike? Maybe can park your car at our place then take bus to & fro.

 

Need more infor goto Npark site:

http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_visitorsguide&task=attractions&id=62&Itemid=73

 

Kueh Bangkit

This is one of my favourite CNY cookies, a must have during Chinese New Year. I have been going crazy abt it this few week. I had been busy baking it and nothing else. Batch after batch but all were getting worse. The best batch was given to my friend M. It was for her to thanks her for the Jam she did it for me. Other than that it’s either taste it had a too much floury taste or something was missing. I change the brand of coconut milk/cream, the flour and even the receipt… still the same problem, there is always something missing.

I’ll try to prefect it and post the idea recipes for you. But at the meantime try out Baking mum’s one. http://bakingmum.blogspot.com/2008/01/kueh-bangkit.html

 

I just got my new toy…

Yes, I just got myself a new toy on last Monday night. It’s a Nikon camera P50. Yes it’s not my dream DSLR camera. But it’s within my budget of $200. I brought it 2nd hand still w a 11mth warranty @ $220 to replace my 4+yr old 3 mega pixels Olympus cos it have a higher ISO up to 2000, with VR (Vibration Reduction), manual mode to do adjustment on shutter speed & aperture, wide angle and noise reduction compare to my old camera with a CMI shoot. I’m scared of spending too much on a camera and end up it’s not what I expected then it’s a waste of $ cos I may need to get another.

I have 2 SLR cameras at home sitting in the dry box. I only take it out to use when I’m able to bring it with me during travel and w an extra hand to carry. One is so manual… a Nikon FE4 w a Tokina len of 28-210mm and the other a semi auto also a Nikon F65 kit.

I’m getting to familiarize myself with it so that I can possible bring it along for our Hokkaido trip. At the same time maybe I can delay a bit to get my hand on the D60 or D80 or D90 cos I can’t make up my mine to get which of them and also wait for the price to drop.

The 1st model I used was Little Izzy and I tried it out doing some close up shot (using macro) on my chilli plants that started flowering and my neighbor Hibiscus plant and the effect was so shock. WOW! I’m won over cos my old point n shoot camera wouldn’t have such effects.

Take a look! But maybe can’t compare to a DSLR as I haven’t have the chance to give a DSLR a try.

 

What to do?

I’m in the cross road now. I’m thinking abt going back to school. I’m looking at upgrading myself to be a Dental Hygienist @ NYP for their Diploma in Dental Hygiene & Therapy.

It’s a 3 years course and that’s the problem. My worries are

1.    Will it be too long for this family? Can we able to handle while I’m not around?

2.    The whole family will have some “Big Wind Blow 大风吹!” with lots of rearrangement to deal with. Not only affect me but another too.

3.    Am I able to handle the school work n pressure n stress? Cos I’m not the usual student leh. I’m also a mother of 4 and a wife. I need to make sure my family is well then I can have some peace of mind to concentrate right?

4.    Glen will be Sec2 next year and will he turn bad to worse or will he work harder when he see me also in school?

5.    Carine will be taking her PSLE next year also.

6.    By the 2^nd year the twins will be in P1 and can they able to handle?

7.    My helper will she half way throw the white kitchen towel and said don’t want to continue cos too many stuffs to handle instead of my occasional help now?

8.    The cost fee though is the least of the worries b’cos I can use my CPF to pay.

So it’s worth for me to try and give myself a chance to go back to school? I still can’t even give myself an answer now. I want to do it but the above fear are stopping me. This have be pondering me since last week or so after my work at the clinic when my boss told me abt this course and how can I upgrade myself instead of being a DSA (Dental Surgeon Assistant).

Hub said if not take up Safety course cos firstly its only take me 1year, 2^nd he can back me up on the study/projects, 3rd I may able to help him next time and lastly is nearby only at SP instead of NYP. Anything I can just walk back even for lunch.

Though I’m also interested but compare to the above this one score 70% only. Why? Cos I’m afraid of conflict in opinions cos hub is super strict in enforcement like at time when we were in discussion regards his work I’ll told him to give way cos it is other people rice bowl while he’ll insist it will save a life. But can’t blame him lah, he’s in this line for 10 over yrs. He saw lots of mistake and at time it really took a life away. He saw the parents, wife or kids suffering he just hate it. Thus he is always so strict with his safety rules. And yes I’m always worried on the days when he said he had inspection on. I’m not sure will he be safe… *touch wood*

So which course should I take? Cos some said is best to help him out but I hate paper works with reports to do or to do something I’ll enjoy like looking at other people mouth? Sigh… this is my biggest stress now.

My new hair style.

 Me b4 the cut.  My hair!!

I went for my hair cut today and colour. The colour my stylist choose is violet red. It looks like red dragon fruit after blended. The 1^st choice I chose was a bob style  but in the end I change my mind cos I’m afraid that I may not able to take it. Thus I choose the 2^nd style which is a mix of a bob but still with a length of hair. 

 

My hair loss was so bad. I took a B4 and after picture it looked scary. After the colour treatment at least the loss is kind of cover up. My stylist was so shocked to see my hair condition. She keeps asking me what I have done to my hair. I told her I didn’t do any besides going swimming with the twins. So now swimming is out cos she asked me to wear those silly caps over my head which I’ll be looking weird with it. But that’s to protect my scalp leh. Sigh…

 

 B4   After

 

So these are the end result. I’m quite happy with it.

 My Bob style.

  The final product

The twins saw me the next day commented that I look like my niece Jerilyn. Read her feedback here. http://elementjerilyn.blogspot.com/2008/10/spot-differences.html

I miss my long hair….

 

 

Cut my hair short???

Have been having this thought for these few weeks but yet to do. Why? Cos I have the fear of looking fatter with my short hair and also it took me so long to get this length. But why do I feel like cutting it short? Cos I’m getting “botak” at the centre of my crown. I have very little hair and they are also so fine. That doesn’t help me if I grow them too long and weight them down and cos more hair loss.  So do I want to cut it? I’m not prepared yet. My mind said cut to cut hair loss but my heart haven’t cut already feel the pain so how??? How to handle a 2 head monster?

I did some packing few days ago and found some old photos. I can’t help but took it down. They were me when I’m in young till 5 years back before I gave birth to the twins. I looked at it and see not much changes in me beside the slimmer me and “BA BA” me and age that catch up on my face loh. Can’t deny that one will age, but I do hope that I’ll age in grace lah. So at the same time look at my hair style and give it a second thought on a hair cut.

My Birthday celebration…

We went Vivo as it’s the nearest Shopping with lots of food outlets for us to choose.

While driving on the way there we decided on Swensen as they have the kids and mine favorite item… that’s ice-cream loh.

 

This year Bday was my best.

 

1.    I had 4 celebrations, 1^st one was with my friends, 2^nd with the family. These two are the usual one. 3^rd one was done over at Redang (the place I keep wanted to visit since I got my diving license) but lastly was the one just with Hub, it was the best and nicest. Even though I do have usual surprised meal with him but this is just special.

2.    Glen auto brought for me a small cake using his pocket money. He even planned to surprise me as he kept it in the fridge without me knowing. But he forgot that I usually do check on the food or fruits for the kids, so I’m often open the fridge.

3.    Carine help the twins to do their card. Yes they shared a card but end up Jad was the one colour and pass me the card 1^st things in the morning. That’s why he’s my Darling.

4.    Ossdon gave me 2 flowers. He drew, colored it then cut it out. Then he pass it to me b4 we leaved the house for our dinner.

5.    Carine fold a paper red flower (look like a Rose) and did a card for me. The wording inside make me wanted to cry after reading it.

She wrote:  “You are my best mummy even though you scolded and caned me! I love you. Thank you for everything that you had done for me and help me on.” That show that she has grown up as she understand what we do is for her own good. (I’m still waiting for Glen to do that. Sigh… Do boy take a longer time?)

6.    No present from my helper but she planned & cooked Mee Suan for lunch thus mean specially done for me too. That’s good cos is the thought that count. I cooked for her with an egg last year thus I’m going to do that this year again. She seems to embrace our custom rather then hers. Cos sometime she can be more pantang then me.

7.    The twins do another card each after dinner today again. So these 2 more cards is an add on to be kept into my “SafeBox”. (A used beautiful moon cakes box, that I use it to keep all the cards they made.)

 

  

   

Sept… another year older.

Yesterday hub told me to tell my helper not to cook our share as we’re not having dinner. He said his company has a dinner date for the staffs and spouse is allowed to be bring along. I don’t feel like going so I keep asking him why are they celebrating and where are we having the dinner. He gave me short answers again, which is sound like something up his sleeves. Cos usually he will explain to me or let me know. But this time same as the Jurong Hill surprise date, same kind of short answers.

E.g on the questions I ask him: What to wear – anything. Where are we eating – Orchard road. Jean? – can lah. T-shirt – ok. Celebrate what occasion? – Nothing just company dinner w colleagues

Since I can’t get much answer from him, I just don’t care much. When the time and day arrival then see how.

Thus this evening, he pick me up and we head towards Orchard road and went to HRC. My last dinner over there was like Glen was abt the twin’s age maybe? We walk in I expect to show to a seat with a big group but no it’s only 2 of us. I pull his hand and ask where his colleagues are? He just smile at me and said only 2 of us lah. So we seated and order our orders, after the waitress took our order he stand up and search for his HP. It was not in his pocket. The last time he used it was sending smses to his manager in the car. So I thought he must be telling them he’s on the way. Thus he went to the car to pick up his hp.

I smell something fishy cos he took slightly longer time to come back as this is not the 1^st time he forgot his HP. When he returns… he was carrying a bouquet of pink roses and a present for me. I took it over happily and over the moon. By looking at the present I told him I’m able to guess what’s in the box. It’s must be a Baby-G watch, but is not the one black one I like but another one that I had in mind at 1^st. Wow! wow! Maybe great mind do think alike?! But he forgot that I need a wallet more than a watch lol. And I do hope to get a DSLR camera (D60 or better D90 if possible) instead. Haha… Greedy woman!  

I asked him why are we celebrating today as tmr is my actual day and we are also celebrating with the kids. He said today is only for the 2 of us. Tomorrow is for me with the family so is different thus he need to date me one day earlier. So sweet of him to think of that loh. I’m greatly appreciated of his thought and I do hope I will still get surprise day as years goes by (The truth is I’m keep getting it since day 1 we became steady). I really can’t don’t love this man… it’s love till the end (I hope).

Grands Amis gather time

What does Grands Amis means… its means Great Friends in France! This is the name I gave to this group of great pals.

 

I would like to thanks every one of you (you know who you are) to be stuck as great friends for the past 10 over years. It’s so difficult to be stuck as a group as old friends are like gold (maybe Oil as now) while new are like silver.

I hereby wish that our FRIENDSHIP will continue to GROW strongly and stay in contact always if possible as mostly are busy building up their Career and love life. I do hope our group will grow with more good friends to be added in too.

We had a Chinese buffet last night as a birthday celebration with D at Excelsior Hotel River City Restaurant. We all had a bloated stomach full with food!

After dinner, they decided to go Party World to Sing K but me and Hub are usually the listener cos I don’t like or I can’t  really sing. As for him, he’s thinks he’s not good unless some Hokkien song. But after he drank his beer… Oops! Hub started to sing and even sing a song for me. LOL! Everyone had a good laugh as he change the lyrics of the song. Me so touch.

The fun part was our Spice Gals concert. We girls sang songs from the Spice gals and dance with the music. We had so much fun. Think there are lots of first timer beside me and hub who seldom sing. Another friend M must had a wonderful night too cos we all also 1st timer, we keep singing we 1st time heard her too. We had a crazy and funny fun time till 3am.

Maybe we can do it again!

My niece Kerine’s wedding

We were tired after the Redang Trip yesterday but no choice if not for my niece wedding, we would had extended the Redang trip to one more day. But cos most of us as elders, we needed to attend her wedding lunch thus we just had to return a day early. As hers was at lunch we must be there early for the tea ceremony.

Here’s the picture we took at her lunch. Place was held at Hilton. Great place but food ok lah. Love most is the big family gather then the food.

After that we went shopping at Orchard Road and had Jap dinner to celebrates my 9th sis birthday as today was the actual day.

Me wearing like that (Shake head). It’s my last time to do it cos I must be looking so out of place & funny cos lot of people kept giving me a 2nd look. I must be looking weird and crazy to wear that with my 4″ heel walking down Orchard instead of my usual t-shirt & jean!