Its Saturday!

Yippee........................ its finally the weekend. Sleep. Precious Sleep.. how i missed you!

Life Is

Life is.. being able to sit down alfresco-styled at any old cafe with an iced-cold coffee drink. With a book in your hands, reading and watching the world go by. Soaking in the late afternoon sun ray.

Pasta.. Again..(By the Dearie)

This is the dearie's version of pasta. With tomato and portobello mushroom and some fish. Yup, we woke up late yesterday.. had lunch (the pasta) before the dearie and mommie left for hair stylists. Moi, I waited with a cup of ice cold latte and a story book at the McDonald's nearby. Totally stuffed with food the entire day. Yah, we are quite homes people.. day offs are just for slacking.

Pasta for Dinner

The dearie is on afternoon shift and i din wanna pack dinner back. So i rustled up some pasta with portobello mushroom. Erm, the sauce came in a bottle lah..and we're out of spaghetti , but at least its half home-cooked..

Feels good to do abit of cooking in the kitchen. It made moi feel more domesticated. Off tomorrow.. feeling happy (despite the work piling up in the inbox at work.. aiz)

Just the Worker Bee

I had dinner with the ex-colleagues last friday. The ex-asst mgr gave a treat and he invited moi. Before some of them came, i had time for a quick catch up with the 2 dear colleagues. I so miss them, for they made staying at the old place fun!

I was also duly reminded of the very reasons why i left the work place and why i should be grateful that the new place provides moi with the very factors i was looking for. Like no or veri little customer interface, no operations with need to deploy loads of staff to man the counters. Being able to take long weekends without guilt and being able to eat out for lunch with the whole unit. Being able to go for training and no needing to do shift in the long run basis. Factors which were missing from the old job that I was so determined to find elsewhere. That were definitely push factors while the pull factors was a chance at doing a portfolio i've always wanted.

Yet, intrinsically i am at times nostalgic about the old organisation and the work which is a tad more dynamic in nature. But i've come to realise that there is no perfect workplace. Its a matter of adjusting your mentality and moving on if you believe there is a better organisation and culture out there.

The new workplace is indeed no where perfect. Errors in the handling of matters at the workplace, are reflective of the underlying problems of high attrition and lack of proper procedures and hand-over. I am only afraid of the implications of the errors when correlated with performance and rewards.

Yet, for me, the new workplace is not as bad as the old..as I have guessed. Its just that one has limited memories.. or rather, awareness fades with the passage of time. Hence, i dun wanna forgot the very factors which propelled the switch.. as one gets more familiar with the new place and the little bits starts to erode the old memories. The complacency and smugness sets in..

Anyways, i'm not looking for a promotion or anything on the radar.. my goal was to give myself 2 years to build up the CV..so i guess, just do the job like a true blue worker bee. Although there is no big honey pot at the end of the rainbow, at least the little pot of honey is good enough for daily living. For having that little pot, already is a blessing in itself yah.

Short Weekend Getaway with the Mommie

It was a last minute impromptu decision. The mommie had booked a room at Genting as her boss was going there with his family. So there was a free ride up. The dearie could not make it as he was working sun nite.

If i din go with mommie, she would be by herself..eating alone.. Plus, i've always felt a tad guilty that i din have alot of time for her since i moved out although she used to be the center of my life when i was growing up. So, it was off for a short weekend getaway with the mommie. I noe, she dotes on moi loads, splurging on moi for the weekend.. am blessed that my family, dearie and his family dotes on moi. We took the coach back and reached the little red dot at about 7 plus. Feels good, to go on short getaways.

Herbal Jelly (available in sgp), But i just like having it overseas

Plus the cruise trip earlier on, its 2 short trips and 1 long trip for this year, although all the trips were taken with family. Wonder if I could hope on a plane and do another short trip before this year ends.. * Grins*

My Shopping Loot.. Courtesy of the Mommie.. Yippee

Its back to work tomorrow.. *Big sign*

Bliss, Blessed

MIL's Home-made salad sans salad sauce

Home cooked pork chops set, courtesy of the MIL

The dearie is working late today, so i came home late as well. The dear Mum-In-Law, Dad-In-Law , Sis-In-Law, little Javen and Megan trooped over to our place at 8 plus. Just to deliver MIL's home-cooked.yummy-licious Western Food for us. I'm so blessed to have wonderful thoughtful in-laws.. bliss as I chomp on the food... the pseudo chinese-western styled pork chops with the old school fries made from real potaoes which i used to cook when i was younger.. Hummhh.....

Wonderful Drama

I confess.. i love my Korean, Hong Kong, Taiwanese and Japanese Dramas. Currently absorbed with the daily broadcast of Moonlight Resonance. Great fuzzy warmly drama at its best. Moi needs my daily dosage of the show manz.. :)

Celebrating One Year

We took leave today, in celebration of the day one year ago. We woke up late and wanted to go for a quick swim. That was aborted with the gloomy weather. The dearie cooked porridge with some steamed chicken and veg for lunch.

Geisha Blossom Tea

Celebration Set at TWG Tea

We headed to Ion for shopping and tea. Had glorious tea at TWG Tea. Very expensive, very chic tea (although I must say, its more packaging and marketing than anything else). We ordered the celebration tea set.. which comes with finger sandwiches, scones with cream and jelly and macaroons. The dearie had the Geisha Blossom Tea and I had the Bian de Rose Tea. Hee, the experience of having luxury afternoon tea was a rather grand one.. although too heffy to be done often.

Dinner

We walked around a fair bit and moi bought a pair of pretty pink havaianas and 2 dresses. Opps, no more shopping for the month. We ended with dinner at Watami. Quite good Japanese food, not too expensive.

Salt Caramel Swiss Roll

We even came back with Salt Caramel Japanese Swiss roll from Arinco King. At $18 for a small roll.. its no wonder there's no queue although the Swiss roll is great. The dearie got Bak Kwa from Lim Chee Guan.. so he's pretty happy. Its a simple day with the dear dearie.. am glad to be off work.. ha ha.. am i starting to hate going to work.. ? ;p

We are One..Dearie and Moi

12th Oct 2009.

We are one, one year into this new chapter of ours.

Five years ago, i asked: " who are you smsing?"

The cheeky one smsed instead: "you lor".

Thus started the series of SMSes, chats and dates.

We got together after a month, he says we only really got to know each other after we started dating.

Its true. And a blessing, because we are similar individuals. In our world views and many what nots.

We're also lazy peeps, although i am the more lazy and laid back one.

That explains for the surprise pressie i got today. A complete set of pearls.. starting from the bracelet and earrings, and the surprise pendent necklace. He splurges on moi, and makes me so guilty that i din get anything for him.. *Opps* Sheepish smile*

Happy One Year, of blissful married life.. dearie.

For being the wonderful hubby that you are.

For being my good friend and partner.

For understanding me.

For luving this lazy slacker wifey of yours.

My dried Flowers..

The lovely flowers from the dearie lasted about a week plus. I took a final picture of the half dried flowers..

Flowers, bloom in full glory for the shortest time.. just like a woman's beauty, I was thinking. At least it was sparklingly pretty in the short life span.

Gratitude

At the train, everyday, the message reads:

"There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude. A quiet joy"

I totally agree. So very simple, yet so difficult in actuality.

Wanna Travel

I so wanna travel the world.. so wanna pop by Bangkok, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, Penang for shopping and food. Japan, Switzerland, USA for scenery, shopping and food. The travel bug bits..

New Routine

The dearie is back on shift work..although he needs to do only 1 night shift per week. This has altered our established pattern. When he's on afternoon shift, i can stay longer at work because i dun have to eat at the in-laws. It also means less home-cooked food. Yeeepps.

Its actually straining to be putting long hours at the workplace. Especially when one knows that one has no career luck with the series of unfortunate incidents which leaves one feeling low on energy. The glass always seems greener from the other side.. whichever side you happen to be viewing from. * Sign* Nostalgic about the old work place. But, i guess its a blessing to be able to fret about such trivial issues. Not needing to worry for the basic necessities in life. One is never contented with one's lot in life.. that's why we are constantly unhappy complainey peeps. Learn to count our blessings on a daily basis... Yah!

Simply Hawker Fare

A well know foodie mentioned that one should not waste one's calories on yucky food. Its kinda true.. i luv my Korean, Japanese, Thai, Indonesian, Italian, Western and Chinese cuisine although i am quite a non fussy eater.

These days..i find myself not being able to stomach food thats too sweet and non too palatable. On the other hand.. i'm beginning to enjoy great hawker's food. Especially my Prawn mee, Minced Meat noodles, Fish slice noodle soup and Yong Tau Foo.. although i still don't fancy laksa, chicken rice much. Currently trawling the island for great hawker makan.. yummy!

Prawn Noodles from East Coast Road.. *Slurps*

Side dishes

Minced Meat Noodle from 'Seng Kee' at Changi Road (Near Eunos)

* Drools* for great homely heartlander cuisine from good hawkers.

Gifts from the Dearie

Advance 1 year anniversary gift from the dearie.. Classic pretty pearls. :)

Plus, my lovely pinky roses in full bloom. It's coming close to a year of wedded bliss. God bless, for many more wonderful years to come. He makes me think all's not lost even if moi career's a flop.. coz there's more to life than work, like family and luv. Its a choice, i guess, in taking a leisurely take on life from the onset..rather than to wait for sunset to reap the rewards of one's labours.

Sept 09 in Summary

Sept is a month whereby the newbie learns on the new job. Sept is a month for meet ups with the friends, with a few baby full months and a wedding dinner. Ouch! the poor wallet. Its a month of pay cut as well.. although its been a great month with moi's birthday to close off the month.

Dinning @ Togi's with Fen

Met up with Fen for my birthday meal.. at a restaurant i've been wanting to "share share" with her, coz she appreciates Korean Food way better than the dearie. Its one of my favourite hole-in-a-wall-hidden -out-of-the-way kinda restaurant which we happened to chance upon one day.

Kimchi Pancake

It lacks the gloss of major restaurants in terms of ambiance and service, but i quite like the friendly lady boss. Togi's is hidden in chinatown and serves up simple homely-styled Korean cuisine, complete with the requisite small side dishes. It does a rather good bbq grilled streaky pork with lettuce which the dearie like. *Yums*. Ahn-Nyong-Ha-Se-Yo.. Gahm-Sah-Hahm-Ni-Da without going to the land of Kimchi.

Spicy Bean Seafood Soup, Rice cake with Yellow noodle and dumpling

We had the kimchi pancake, spicy bean paste seafood soup, spicy yellow noodle with rice cake and dumplings and stone bowl mixed rice. *Glurp* Happie, with the great meal and great company. Life can be so simple, yah.

Every year this day..

Yupz, its a practise of mine not to work on my birthday. So, moi is off on 30th Sept, this birthday of mine. I hope to be able to uphold this practice. Happy Bithday to Moi.. :)

Its a simple day. Waking up to home delivered roses from the dear dearie. He's a man of few words, so the wordings on his card touched me loads. The roses were a tad expensive, but oh so pretty and lovely. Thanks my dearie.

Flowers from the dearie

Cake from the sis-in-law

It was lunch with the in-laws at Crystal Jade. Followed by shopping with the dearie at Tampines Mall and Ion. The day ended with a birthday feast at " The Line". Treat from the mummie.. a total indulgence and oh so very expensive that its gonna be just this once. (too bad the camera battery went flat, sobs) The bill was a heffy 400 bucks for the 4 of us.. for oysters, crabs,seafood, sashimi, sushi, indian station, asian cuisine, italian and a wide variety of other items. There was even rock melon with parma ham and sun-dried tomato. *blurp* totally used up the calories count the past few days. Hello 29! Goodbye 28 ;(