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An Unlikely Conversation

15 Aug

It was a hot Sunday and we were home because M2 had to study for her exams. So best to stay put for her to be focused. I was trying to garner steam again for my virtual games whilst hubby was outside gardening.

Suddenly we heard a long conversation and thought he was talking to Rooney, who was also out being a busybody in the garden. Both M2 and I thought it was rather long and muted. A lecture for the pooch for meddling in the gardening activity? M2 looked up from her books and realized it wasn’t the case. Hubby was actually talking to the neighbor, who showed up out of the blue! Chortle…

We have never seen much of our neighbor ever since they moved in, what more having a conversation. I thought it was funny that we assumed he was talking to official pet number one…

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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! 

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My Bathroom Scale Hates Me

27 May

The past two nights, I have been eating out instead of at home. When friends invite, we must be polite and don’t decline if we can make it, right? I had a golf game on Wednesday, followed by dinner after the game. Then on Thursday, another game and another dinner.

Tonight, yet another big feast awaits. A friend is buying dinner because she played well in a golf tournament recently. And as if these nightly dinners are not enough, a 21st birthday celebration dinner was slotted in unexpectedly for Saturday night! Four days in a row and this is culminated with yet another dinner on Sunday night to conclude my Club’s Annual Championship tournament which I participated two weeks ago.

With such frequent hearty intakes, I reluctantly stand on my bathroom scale and I can feel its disapproval. It hates me to no end. I have let it down by succumbing to all these feast. And I don’t even eat a lot. Then again if every morsel is tried in moderation, it’s still a lot and subconsciously, I can feel my waistline expanding. Not good. My personal trainer will most like have a field day grinding me to a pulp next week if she sees any change in my contours. Gulp!

We mortals are weaklings when it comes to food. A girlfriend said to me, she is on a ‘see food diet’ which is exactly what it is. Whenever she sees food, she eats because that’s her diet. I laughed so hard at her matter-of-fact explanation and wished if only my bathroom scale shared her sentiments. Sigh… my bathroom scale hates me.

 

The Wednesday feast

  

Highlight of Thursday’s dinner

  

The Thursday spread

 

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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!

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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!

 

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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!

  

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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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Squeals of Delight

1 Feb

Saturday night was such a trip down memory lane. I met up with old high school friends after so long. Arrangements were made several weeks ago to gather as many as possible as one of them was coming back from Hong Kong for a visit and requested for a reunion of sorts.

It took some effort but it happened. Thanks to Facebook and WhatsApp, within days most whom I reconnected with agreed to come.

When one by one walked into the restaurant on Saturday night, there were repeated squeals of joy and delight, followed by hugs and laughter. It was indeed a delight to see old friends again after 30 years. Yes, I admit, we are dinosaurs, 30 years.

Thank goodness, the restaurant was pretty noisy, so our squeals, giggles and chatter did not make heads turn nor bring the roof down. So many questions, so much changes (physically especially) yet we all still looked the same. For a brief moment, we seemed to have been transported back in time to our boisterous and giggly teen selves of the good old high school days. It was nostalgic.

In that four hours, much was exchanged amongst us, updates on life, pictures of family and all.

I am glad those who showed up did. As we are not getting younger, such occasions are moments to cherish. My only wish is we could do this more often, get together over dinner or drinks to continue to shape this beautiful thing we call friendship.

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