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The First Time

5 Aug

Ever since I got my iPad Mini, we have been inseparable. Every where I go, it comes with me – to the office, for my trips and all. But yesterday was the first time, I made the decision to leave it at home when I made an impromptu overnight golf trip with friends.

We drove up to Ipoh for a round of golf followed by a surprise birthday dinner for our good friend. Indeed she was surprised. The golf course was hot but bearable, the food good and the company as always, boisterous and lively.

The group will play their second game today while I take the train back, to see another good friend,  who has come back from overseas for dinner. It feels good that we go to such lengths to maintain the friendships that we have.

It looks like I can survive a day without crushing any candies, zapping any monsters or harvesting any fruits. And it will another first for me, taking the local and much improved train service home alone.

A leisure breakfast awaits before they send me off to the train station! 

Another Break

5 Jul

M2 just had her school holidays not too long ago and here we are this week, having another week long break. It is the Aidil Fitri (Eid ul-Fitr) celebration this time and like Chinese New Year, it is typical of schools to take a week off so that families can travel back to their hometown or spend time with family. Businesses will not close for a week but on the gazetted days.

We are not traveling anywhere this time because we didn’t want to join the exodus and be stuck on the highway. Toilet breaks would be a bane especially for us girls. So it is an easy week at work and at home with lots of sleeping in and golf during the two-day break (for us) on Wednesday and Thursday.

Belated Treat

4 Jul

My M2 turned 15 last Thursday and I was not here to celebrate with her as I was in Ho Chi Minh City. I reached home slightly after midnight on that night and managed to wish her because she waited for my return. 

Where did time go? My goodness, 15 years old. Didn’t I plan a Lego-themed birthday party for her not too long ago? Wait a minute… that was when she turned ten! My goodness, 15 years old now.

Over the weekend, we made it up to her and gave her a belated treat, starting off with a movie, ‘Finding Dory’ and a fancy Japanese dinner, followed by another movie the next day, ‘Independence Day Resurgence’. We had a good time.

My dear M2, you may be 15 and all grown up but you are still my baby. Kisses.

 

My baby

  

My kindy-going baby

  

All grown up!

 

Third Anniversary 

10 Jun

Come Sunday, 12th June, it marks yet another milestone as I reach three years of writing and keeping my blog going. Wow. Three years. Amazing. Never knew I had so much to write and share…

I can’t put into words what this means. All I can say is thank you and keep on reading as I will keep on writing! 

Happy anniversary my blog.

A Surprise

28 Apr

It is nice when some games you play remembers it’s your birthday and surprises you with a little present! Both Monster Busters and Hexa Blast gave me some coins and more importantly, a week of free play to bust some monsters. Yes, a week! How cool is that? Anyway, yay to it, I am a monster buster this whole week, forget them candies and farm animals.

The power of technology was at its best on this special day. There were wishes from friends and family, near and far in WhatsApp and Facebook, likes and loves for the Facebook birthday postings, SMSes from services and people in my life and even my district politician (how significant he is in my life I don’t know!) and phone calls from family. Don’t forget the wishes in person that comes with bear hugs! I felt like a celebrity short of signing autographs. I think I would have added an extra wrinkle or two if I grinned anymore that I already had!

But closer to the heart, the significant day was filled with doing things I enjoy – golf with friends, followed by my virtual games as I couldn’t nap upon reaching home (being Queen for the day does not necessitate one to go in the office), then being with true friends and family for dinner, and receiving a lovely and poignant birthday card in the mail from my M1, halfway across the world.

Sometimes there are no words that can describe the depths of these actions but simply being in the moment – absorbing, remembering and being thankful for such wonderfulness that I am surrounded with. Thank you all, you know who you are to make this another bookmark in my memory bank. Maybe I don’t have to stay forever 38!

Love you all!   

  

Drinks for dinner!

  

Don’t count the candles!

At a Crossroad

26 Apr

Lately I have been contemplating getting another tattoo. I don’t know why but it’s been on my mind. Perhaps the impending birthday being the trigger? Age catching up? Facing the fact that I am not forever 38

I am pondering what suitable graphics to go on me, seeing that it will be a permanent thing. Hmm…

My current tattoo on my right shoulder blade is fine and happy but I feel it needs a companion. So the new tattoo shouldn’t just be a motif or pattern but another animal.

Hmm again. At a crossroad in my life now…

A Different Kind of Celebration

12 Apr

April is a special month. Not only it is the month of my birthday, it is also Mom’s and the twins’ birthdays. Dad was also an April baby.

Typically every year, it would just be a sit down dinner around town especially for Mom’s birthday followed by coffee and dessert at home. This year, we opted for a different kind of celebration. Combining all three birthdays for a one-day celebration, we had a really enjoyable time.

The evening started off with a Japanese buffet with a slight twist. We had to grill our own order which was quite time consuming but fun. The grill setup was smoke free, the choices pretty good and we chose what we fancied. I felt like a lion that night, consuming all that protein.

After the sumptuous meal, we were all ready… for bowling! Told you it would be different.

And you know what? I am terrible at it! I was consistently getting a dash for one of the two bowl attempts in each and every frame, it was almost embarrassing. Even Mom chuckled at my ability or should I say, inability. 

After two rounds of bowling, everyone was pumped from the excitement but tired plus it was getting late. We then headed to my sibling’s for the birthday cake.

This year, we all shared a cake. My niece took pains to bake a four colored cheese cake until the wee hours of the morning. She said each color was to represent each of us, which was really sweet and thoughtful.

The zesty lemon cheesecake was good. Not only I had seconds, I had three helpings. Burp…

Today is Mom’s actual special day, so Happy birthday Mom, happy belated birthday twins and happy advanced birthday me!

 

Beef? Bacon? Prawns? No problem!

  

Colorful bowling balls

  

Pink, Orange, Green and Blue, one color for each!

 

Pre-Chap Goh Meh Dinner

22 Feb

The family actually had the Chap Goh Meh dinner last night instead of tonight, calling it the Pre-Chap Goh Meh dinner. A simple family get together for another hearty meal.

Having the dinner yesterday was a good decision as it was a Sunday and plenty of time for preparation. If dinner was held tonight, being a work and school day, preparations may not be so smooth and we would all end up having a late dinner and a long day.

As always with family occasions, it turned out well despite a lesser spread than the Reunion Dinner menu but this was not important. More important is the fact that with this occasion complete, and today being the 15th day of Chinese New Year, it marks the last day for celebrating. No more monkeying around the Year of the Monkey, pun intended.

I need a break from all this eating!

  

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.

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.