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Back to Normal?

15 Feb

The long stretch of the Chinese New Year holiday is over as we go back to work today. Are things back to normal? Yes and no.

The weekday routine remains the same; M2 is back in school with her extra curricular hours as before the break and work in the office continues where we had left off. It is only up to here that things seem normal. 

Beyond this, my pants feel tighter as I am pretty sure my waistline have expanded, what with all that eating or should I say excessive eating, and there are several more Yee Sang tossing lunch/dinner sessions lined up, so how can this be back to normal?

I guess I just have to face it until Chap Goh Meh, then it’s really back to normal.

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The Eating Continues

12 Feb

It is the fifth day of Chinese New Year and today, we will eat the traditional ‘Mee Sua’ when we see my Mom shortly. This traditional noodle dish that she cooks every year during this festivity as well as during birthdays, comes with two hard boiled eggs, some meat and served with soup signifies the person being a year older, upon consumption, and wiser to face the new year. It is nice when tradition is still kept alive. Bless Mom for this.

Today we will also visit some relatives and I foresee more eating, if not a hearty meal, at least munching on cookies and sweet offerings, typically found during this time. I have not stepped on my scale in the bathroom. Maybe after Chap Goh Meh… Then the workouts will begin but until then, the eating continues.

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It’s All About Eating

11 Feb

Chinese New Year is all about eating. Traffic was not that bad when we traveled on Monday. And when we arrived, we had a late lunch. Then an early dinner.

The next day, it was a full three meals, starting with Roti Canai for breakfast and lunch, a home-cooked spread at an aunty’s place. As for dinner, we drove to Kuala Kedah to enjoy a sunset before having dinner at the seafood restaurant nearby the coast. Burp.

Thank goodness by Wednesday, the third day of Chinese New Year, we went off to play golf at Darulaman Golf Club. I should say a necessity so that I don’t feel so guilty with all these intake; burnt some calories I sure did. Lunch and dinner were again meals at home.

Today we head on home, after a meal of course. Hopefully traffic will be smooth. All in all, it has been all about eating more than catching up with family. 

Seafood galore at Kuala Kedah

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Happy Monkey Year!

8 Feb

Today is the beginning of the Fire Monkey year and it is our first Chinese New Year without M1. Feels funny. Last night, we had the Reunion Dinner with my Mom and my sibling and his family at his home. And as always, the home-cooked food spread is the highlight (save for the purchased roast duck and Siew Yoke) and the family bonding time precious. Tossing the Yee Sang was fun.

Later today, we will head on up North to hubby’s hometown. I hope traffic will be kind because I have read about people taking nine hours on the road for a typical three and a half hour journey!

Then again, the exodus began last Friday and Saturday for the Reunion Dinner on Sunday night; it is Monday today and we shouldn’t be facing heavy traffic. Technically shouldn’t… We shall see.

Nonetheless, being on the road, we will drive safe and be there when we get there. Here’s wishing everyone a safe, peaceful and more positive year ahead. Gong Xi Fa Cai!

   
 

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I Could Get Used to This

26 Jan

It was another three-day weekend (the first being the New Year stretch) as yesterday was a replacement holiday for Thaipusam which was celebrated on Sunday. But going somewhere is just not viable especially when it is only two weeks away to Chinese New Year. So we went about doing our stuff over the three days.

I got most of my Chinese New Year preparation done, played a round of golf, had a massage, went shopping and basically enjoyed the three day break with hubby and M2. M2 completed her art assignment, reproducing an existing packaging and I think she did a good job!

I also caught up with my virtual games, bull-dozing my way from Level 1460 (Divine Diner, Episode 98) into Dessert Desert for Candy Crush and 844 for Monster Blasters. However, still stuck at Level 854 for Farm Heroes, 603 for Soda and 56 for Jelly. But I’m not worried. 

Come next week, we will be having yet another three-day weekend because Monday is another public holiday. Back-to-back three-day breaks! I could get used to this. Am pretty sure those stuck levels will be a thing of the past by the time next weekend comes along.

 

We get to eat the Kit-Kat after this!

  
 

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A Quiet Start

1 Jan

Happy New Year! It’s a brand new year and a quiet one. Yes, I am still down with laryngitis and totally drained of energy to even talk. So we had a quiet unfancy dinner at home and quietly ushered in the new year at the stroke of midnight. Hopefully when the weekend is over, I will be back to normal.

Not quite the start to a new year that I had envisioned…

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2015 in Summary

31 Dec

As 2015 draws to an end, this is a good time to reflect back and evaluate what the year meant to me. There were a lot of changes for me. The big one being my first born, M1 leaving home for university in the US. It was hard to let go but we had to. Sigh…

On the personal front, I stopped reading after my last book, Genghis Khan; his story was just too intense to digest with me constantly having visual overloads of vast lands and sky-high mountains. It was too epic and nothing else could top that. So I stopped reading. 

Maybe come 2016, I should get back to reading and realign my visual senses. Have a pile of books of other genres by my bedside to entice me so that I will go back to reading, something that I honestly enjoy. Perhaps this will also cut down my addiction to my virtual games.

2015 had me constantly crushing candies, popping sodas, saving farm animals and being a zookeeper to keep myself challenged and aggravated. And as if this was not enough, I started blasting monsters and flowers too. Hubby thinks these activities take up too much of my time. I don’t think it is time-consuming but rather, it keeps the mind alert. Yes, I am not being apologetic about this I must admit. Oh… I recently downloaded Piano Tiles 2, just to keep my reflexes agile. Maybe more virtual addiction in 2016?

We played just as much golf in 2015 too, locally and abroad with friends whenever we have the opportunity. I think this is good for our soul and friendship; it is also good to rejuvenate our spirits for a day or a few days and come back fresh to face the daily challenges. 

Work-wise, it has been busy and not so busy. Writing on my blog keeps me busier as it is still on-going daily except for Wednesdays and more when I travel. 

On health matters, there were issues. Last year, I had major tinnitus and sinus problems and had to visit the ENT several times to cure it. Besides this, I had to manage a recurring injury on my left wrist from golf. This year, the injury persisted somewhat. On top of this, my pre-molar tooth gave way and ended up being extracted. There was also my constant (but unspoken of) chronic back pain. Not forgetting my annual laryngitis. Ouch. Thank goodness, the list ends here! I hope 2016 will be healthier and better health management. Cross fingers.

Family wise, M1 is back on campus and has registered for classes already. She will continue as a Sophomore when the new year kicks in. M2 is suddenly all grown up (with M1 away), behaving more matured than the 14 years old that she actually is and will start the year as a Form 3 student. Official pet number one, Rooney being official pet number one, remains demanding for snacks and scratches always and hubby, well, he continues being hubby – strong, understanding and steadfast by my side.

Sometimes I wonder why I do this, write and share my experiences and inner thoughts with strangers. Well, for one, I would like to leave something for my girls to gain an insight (and understanding) into what makes me tick. I am a sentimental person, every moment and single piece of object is important and has a story. But I feel objects kept over the years just do not tell the real story as well as words. So I write about them, randomly and frequently.

All the experiences I had in my life and especially with the girls growing up are only in my mind to remember. The girls cannot see or even remember some of it. Rehashing these memories are wonderful for me because it jogs my thoughts to rewind back as far as I can and I find this very invigorating. 

By journaling especially here since the beginning of my blog in mid-2013, I hope my girls and others will read and visualise the moment, experience the occasion and perhaps appreciate the story-teller in me. Sometimes the topic can be mundane (like my Candy Crush battles) or delicious (with the food trails) and even insightful (on my travels). At that moment in time, it was significant to earn a mention and I truly enjoyed the experiences and want to share.

Yes, 2015 has indeed been quite a year for me. Am I a better person? We can only know in the years ahead. I have long since stopped making resolutions for the New Year but I do hope I will continue to live my life to the fullest and whatever I embark upon, I will do with passion and commitment.

Thanks 2015, we did good. 2016 will be better! Here’s wishing everyone a very Happy and better 2016!

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Too Much Happening

28 Dec

It was an intense two weeks with M1 back; there was so much eating and traveling. And suddenly, it’s all over. She left for the States yesterday night via Changi Airport, Singapore. Although there was an hour delay from KLIA2, the 5 hour buffer is sufficient for her to catch her connecting this morning, unlike her 50-minute gap the other day. 

That one, all legs of the flight were delayed (from the US-inbound to outbound) and she had 10-minutes to run to the gate at Narita. But thankfully, it worked out fine then.

By the time this gets posted, she would have flown only a few minutes to Narita International and a long way more to go.

Yes, I am tracking her flight on flightaware.com. And it was a restless night in between anxiety and fits of cough. It will be a restless next 24 hours until I know she’s arrived safely. Unfortunately, it has been several restless nights for me with this awful infection that I am having that has caused me to lose my voice.

I thought my record of getting laryngitis would be broken this year (three years in a row I had it) but no, it struck the week after we returned from Penang. So now, I am into my second week of this suffering. The inflammation in the throat has gone but so has the voice!

I guess it didn’t help that during the Christmas Eve dinner, I bravely downed red wine, white wine, coffee and whiskey. I didn’t overeat, I just drank a variety of drinks. I thought heck, why not? Alcohol kills germs. Plus, we were celebrating a happy occasion and let’s be merry about it!

Then on Christmas night, we went for steamboat, to complete M1’s ‘to eat’ list. Golly, by Boxing Day, I was rendered speechless. I am not even hoarse, just totally speechless. It takes a lot of energy to muster up even a tiny bit of strength to speak and even then, I cannot be heard by all three of them. (Silent sigh)…

So when M1 left, whatever that has to be said has been spoken (thankfully much earlier before my illness struck); whatever else that still needs to be spoken was left unspoken as a result of my inability. It’s tiring to aggravate the vocals.

Maybe less words spoken at this juncture is better. It was a quick emotional goodbye, a hug and again, some tears and she went through the gate. Hubby and M2 held up much better.

Unlike her first time leaving home in March, this time I take relief in knowing she’s going off to university as a Sophomore and being more exposed, I shouldn’t worry too much and should focus on getting my voice back. It has been too intense for me. 

(Silent sigh)…

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What a Feast!

25 Dec

Merry Christmas! The pictures say it all; the Christmas spread was all homemade-save for the two cold cuts-and prepared with love. Pre-dinner was red wine with salami and chocolates. 

For dinner, we had the traditional turkey, mash potatoes with bacon bits, salad, dinner rolls and a cake and lots of wine. And after dinner, out came the coffee and more dessert, pumpkin spiced Oreos and whiskey! It was a good time with everyone feted and happy moments forever in our memory banks now. 

When present wrappers were shredded, many squeals of delight and joy could be heard along with the oohs and aahs. The joy of giving and the joy of receiving is indeed priceless.

Sigh. Another year has gone by so quickly.

Merry Christmas again to everyone and thank you to the readers/followers of my blog. May your year end on a high!

 

Christmas Eve Dinner 2015

  

Toblerone cheesecake

   

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Christmas Eve

24 Dec

I cannot believe it’s Christmas Eve already and tonight’s the big family Christmas dinner at my only sibling’s house. This also means we have three days left with M1 before she returns to university.

Every year over at the Lee household, they would roast a turkey which has become a tradition in our family to dine on during Christmas, and I would supply the sides, the salad and hams, along with the wine. Mom would bake dinner rolls.

It will be a merry time with everyone around – the boisterous eating, chatting and laughing; followed by the present opening occasion and you can see everyone ooh-ing and ahh-ing at their presents. But it will also be a special time as M1 spends time with the whole family when she was not supposed to be back now but Summer next year. Oh well, plans change. 

Three more days… let’s make it memorable.

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