Nitez out.

Went to check out Chinatown with hubby after work just now.

Was supposed to go tomorrow instead but my facial salon can only offer me a slot for tomorrow, so swop plans and went to Chinatown instead.

If you are there for lights, quite disappointing. Not nice lei. No signs of THE pig. If you are there for food, also equally disappointing. Maybe it's the crowd, I'm not sure. But the "Tian Qi porridge" that we shared was expensive and the porridge not nice the frog was nice though. So we paid $19 for a frog's leg each, a char siew bao, a pork bun, fish slices and a pot of BLAND, tastLESS white smooth, waterly porridge. =(

Walked around and if you are there for the CNY goodies, also be prepared to be disappointed. I don't think it's too early to start buying and keeping, yeah, the prices are not down yet. But hey... need to be so expensive not? And also the variety is not much!

The most stalls that we saw? "Taiwan Muah Chee & Jelly" I have been craving the muah chees for a long time, so we are the proud owners of $10 worth of muah chees and another $7 worth of square, sweet lookalike cuttlefish! Since, really nothing catches our eyes anymore, we decided to head for home.

Pass by the branch of "Ling Zhi Yuan", popped in and came out $50 poorer but armed with their famous "Bak Kua" and also 2 packs of pork floss. Our loot for the night. Muah Chees and cuttlefish. The jelly are FOC and came with the muah chees. Doesn't it look pretty? So colourful right? And the famous "Ling Zhi Yuan" who will be sold out weeks before CNY. Wonder what's so good about their "Bak Kua"? Anway, it's not for us. "Bak Kua" for my parents, pork floss for my PIL.

Din buy much just snacks and we are almost $100 poorer. But I feel darn shiok when spending money lei!

Must be a woman's thing!

Who is whose cross?

Is hubby my cross to bear or I am hubby's cross to bear?

I've heard the same thing being said in RCIA... marriage is a cross for both parties to bear. But does marriage have to be in such 'agony'? Granted that most times, I claim that it's hubby whose making me irriated and pissed off. But as I sit down now to reflect, am I being a cross to hubby too? Just that his way of showing is different from me?

Hubby after making an entry, asked me to read and tell him what I think and feel.

I did.

I felt stumped at what he wrote. Cause, I suddenly felt that our life together seems to be in 'misery' and 'agony' rather than the 'enjoying married life'. I do feel a little guilt at treating hubby the way I did.

Hubby was quite sweet, having seen my reaction and hearing me out, he added, "must be because, he had been eating too much recently, hence his weight is more than I can bear."

This really brought a smile to my lips. Trust him to say the funniest and heart warming things at this moment.

But still, I still do feel slightly bad, for making him feel lousy. Making him feel that he is the cause of all my unhappiness (though he's the indirect cause), that he got to behave himself like a little boy who is told "unless you behave, I don't love you".

I do! I do love you, Darling. I guess, I'm too much of a FCB to back down during the situation. Please forgive me too. =(

I am Her Cross

When we were in RCIA, I think I heard people say that in marriage, we are each others cross to bear, and it is a cross that God have given us so that we can learn and grow.

It is on the cross that Jesus die and save us from sin.

I think I am really my wife's cross. I think sometime she is really really mad at me. I have really do things which test her almost beyond her limit. But like I say earlier, all this is for her to grow. I am her big cross to bear, and I was thinking to myself why did I do what I did. One reason I could think of is because I am her cross and God have place me here to test her. I hope I don't give her so much trouble from now.

What a busy busy day...

*phew* What a busy busy day I had.

Early in the morning, hubby and I had a wedding to attend. Luckily, it's a church wedding held at Risen Christ in Toa Payoh, which is thankfully near and we even have a direct bus to the church! Really thank God!

Erm... I'm not sure if it's me or what, but I thought the ceremony was much slower than usual and sounds so much more solemn than the most solemn mass ever held in church.

The hymns were of those that I've never heard off (that is nothing out of the ordinary coz I'm only a catholic for like 2 years plus) but hey... wedding ma, should'nt the hymns be more cheerful sounding?

And the hymns were so difficult to sing. The cantor made some mistakes along the way too... unfortuntely for the couple. If it was my wedding, I think I will be slightly disappointed.

But nevertheless, the couple did come out with some ingenious ways to liven up the wedding ceremony. We had to dress 'retro' for the wedding and during lunch reception, there were singers entertaining us with lively songs and the couple even put up some dances for us! haha... that was different from the usual weddings we had attended! And I do like their wedding favour. A cute keychain!

Godma and me then made a really fast change OUT of our 'retro' clothes into something casual and we made a dash to the rocher market to grab our CNY suppplies. Hubby was so sweet, he carried all our clothes home so that we can have both hands free to do our shopping!

Our first stop? To hit the shops selling clothings and shoes. I need some pairs of shoes for CNY and last year, we each got like 3 pairs and thus we went back. Soooo disappointing! Can't find any at all!!! =(

We decided that we will go shopping for shoes at another time, so we went on with our quest for CNY goodies. Passed by another shop where we both got plenty of skirts last year as well. Of course we went in. This year.... sigh... we each walked out with only 1 skirt.

But further down the road, as Godma was looking at lao ah ma clothings for her mom, something caught my eyes too. A pair of shorts! Realising that I've not bought any since 2,3 years ago. I went ahead and got it.

Nice?

I think it is. Bubbles and stripes are so 'in' now. I can wear this to the reunion dinner at my PIL's place. Just need some tanks or racers or spaghettis now. And my casual bit of the wardrobe is done. =)

After satisfying our own vanity, proper shopping is in order. But first, let us see to our rumbling stomachs. Hmmm... we did not eat much at the lunch reception earlier so had to see to our energy level now.

We both had fish hor fun. Hm.. not nice. Very bland. But food is food and we really needed the energy... so be it. And it was sooo hot and hard to get seats at the market!

Finally, Shopping for CNY proper! We squeeze thru the throngs of ppl, sampling the foodstuffs along the way and then finally went back to our usual store to grap our supplies. And this was what I got...

Lots hor?

But not all for myself la. There's enough for my own parents, PIL and also some for hubby and me. There's like dried mushrooms, dried oysters for soup, scallops, my mom's favourite "fa-chai", shrip and pork floss rolls and also my cravings, mochi from Taiwan. All these items costs us close to $110 lor. But not that bad lar coz once a year and we don't actually give additional $$$ to the parents after this, so it's still quite ok.

Hopped onto the bus and got on the way home happy with our loot.

Just after we both arrived home, the skies opened and it started pouring... wah... hengz man. Else we would be caught at the bus stop and can't go home, carring all these heavy things.

Hubby was at PIL's place and I got ready for our dinner date with Clement, Wisely and BB. Bathed and then rested while waiting for hubby to come back. He needed to bring some PC stuff back so that he can too use his PC to surf net.

We left home at 6pm to meet our dinner kakis and then I got an sms saying that they already arrived! Woah!! So early. But we were kind of in a jam and cannot reach any earlier even if we wanted to. But we were on time lar.

Had dinner at Lao Bei Jing in Novena. Food is nice. I especially like the beking duck, the pork in garlic sauce and even the french beans was good! I think if hubby and I are feeling rich, we will go back. It's nice food but a tad pricy if we were to eat it often. As usual, when the 4 of us are together, we yak nineteen to the dozens! We chatted about anything and everything.

Clement said his ex-colleague had a brand new shop opened today and we went too. It's at Noveva square 2, the other side of the MRT station from the Novena square. Smoothies and new flavoured beancurds. Hubby and I feeling full, shared the "MangoBbengo". Nice. I can taste the richness of the mango fruit. Not like others where they used mango flavours. Nice and rich. But also can be pricy if I were to drink it on a daily basis. Clement had the "Banapina" and Wise + BB had "Grape beancurd" we were given a huge discount but I'm not sure how much ours costs in the end.

Healthy and wholesome drinks. Do go and try it out if you like smoothies and they are having promotions now! A dollar off for every smoothies. The location??

Well, here it is.
Tofu King. smoothie & fruit beancurd.
10 Sinaran Drive
#B1-94
Square 2 (the other side of the Novena MRT station from the usual Novena Square).

And being chatterboxes, we spent at least another 30 mins there before we all called it a night.

Off to the bus stop, hubby and I went and the Choong family went to hail a cab. Nice ending to a nice day. Somemore, the rain had stopped! Yay!!!

Off to bed now. Tomorrow will be another day.

It's the nth day.

Ever since the last time when my family in law came over during Christmas and my YBIL irked me so much, I've not seen my family in law. None of them.

I told hubby that I will not want to step foot into my PIL's hse for the next 2 months then I reduce to a month coz I figured 2 months is simply too long and I have no valid reason to not go for so long.

So, yeah. Since Christmas, I've not seen any of them. And I've not been to PIL's hse for 27 days (and counting). But, according to hubby, FIL is begining to question why I've not been there. Blame me for my stubborness, but I still refused to go.

My reasons for not gng are simple. These few days, weeks, I've been so bogged down with the mad house that I've been knocking off late. Like 7pm or so. And hubby recently is so "happening" meetings with his $$ mastery, MLM and goodness knows who, he's out almost everynight. So cannot be I go to PIL's plc and hubby not there right?

Ok, bottom line is that these are still excuses. Excuses for my stubbornness in not going.

But after so many people have been advising me to go and see the parents, I guess, I have no other choice but to move my ass down. swallow my stubborness. Hubby said that almost everyday, FIL will asked if I'm going for dinner. I don't think he miss me so much la. I think the old folk just find it weird that how come their son come alone without the wife. The most funny thing was that FIL asked hubby if we are all right. I think he must have been worried that we argued and all.

So, no choice, I got to move my butt over soon. One of these week nights for dinner. And hubby picked Thursday.

Nothing on for that night for himself and me. Just that how fanastic. Instead of just seeing YBIL, I may get to meet OBILL too! -_-"

Great isn't it?!

We have more responsbilities now.

Besides the usual, housework, maintaining our marriage, siblings relationships, parents and parents and parents in law relationships, juggling work and my impending studies, we have 1 more responsibilities now.

Clement and Wiselyn asked us to be their little one's Godparents!

Woo Hoo!!! I'm so excited for them and for us too!! I can't wait to see the little one. Though it's only about 6 wks in mommy's stomach, I do so wish to know the gender of the BB so I can start my shopping for our little Godchild!

Mommy and Daddy are of course excited as well but momsy is great friends with Ms Plastic Bag and Ms Toilet Bowl now. Poor momsy. But I guess it's a stage that momsy will have to go thru...

The Little one is growing well and good. Hubby and me are praying for the well being of the little one and of course momsy.

So happy and excited.

This year is a good year for babies. Already, we know of 3 babies coming to meet us! One in Feb, another in June and our little godchild in Aug/Sep! Wow!

I'm so excited, I can't wait to meet all of them!

Hubby and I are honoured that Clement and Wise want us to be their firstborn's godparents. Of course we agreed! Now, pray and wait for the arrival of this special BB! =)

CNY is on the way.

After shopping with Godma for almost the whole afternoon, hubby and I arranged to go to Audio House to collect our free gift from Citibank.

Reached there and shopped around. Nothing to buy at all. Liang Court is really quite a pathetic place to be in. But the weather was sooo good today. No rain, no sun but plenty of wind! Hubby was feeling hungry and we had Mac outdoors. Quite a good time to people watch and just enjoy the breeze. In fact, it was so comfortable that we both almost nodded off to sleep!

Hubby suggested that we go Chinatown since CNY is round the corner and we assume that the decorations should be up by now, since it's about a month away to CNY.

Being the sua ku me, I did not even know that can walk over to Chinatown from Clarke Quay! So, hubby walked me there.

Quite disappointing lei. Chinatown is not ready to receive CNY yet. Not much decorations are up. But the crowd is already there. Not to mention, there's alot of foreigners too as well.

Feeling hungry, we stoped at the Food Street for dinner. I think it's a mistake to have dinner there. Gosh! 1)The food takes forever. 2) It's expensive. 3) Not nice! Maybe the tourists find it interesting. But as locals... hmm... I don't want to wait that long, morever, it's self service. Then so expensive as compared to other food courts or coffeeshops and worse! After going thru all the hassle of queueing and paying more, the food is not nice!

This will be my first and last time that I eat in this Food Street again lor.

Din get anything much except for 5 CNY kind of stickers for our house to hang. Which, we shall keep 2 for ourselves, one or 2 for my mom and the rest for PIL. Other than that, nothing. Anway, I was also feeling tired from the morning bout of shopping and we decided to head for home.

I'm not sure what hubby had been doing, I know he did the chores and he appeared to be very tired lor coz he feel asleep on the bus. While I, though tired can't sleep. =(

Rainy rainy day.

What a wet wet morning! This rain has been pouring since yesterday with just some brief moments of stopping and then the floodgates opened once again and the waters came down even heavier!

Wet and cold was the weather but so was I for the past 2 days!

Anyway, I like this kind of weather and very strangely, of all days, hubby and me decided to hit the towns after work. I know hubby wanted to go to John Little to get some shirts since they were having some sort of promotion. But! We went a day too late! The promotion ended yesterday!!

I was soo looking forward to the end of the work day and immediately when the clock shows 5.30pm, I dashed out of the office to meet hubby.

*DANG!* Hubby late lor.. for at least 10 mins. I kena sit at the MRT station and wait for him with a rumbling stomach. Finally when he reached, we caught the next train and went on our way. Was thinking of what to eat and I finally decided that I want Manhattan Fish. But don't know for whatever reason, we ended up in MOS. My favourite fastfood for the moment.

We spent a long time in MOS not coz we were eating slowly but our food took forever to come. After gobbling down our food, we went to JL. Hubby began his "touch touch here, touch touch there" regime. I just followed him around and comment on the colour.

Then the 'trying' regime began. I've lost count of the number of times he went in and out of the fitting room and myself. He went in to try taking like 1 piece each time and I had to walk in and out to take other sizes or colours for him.

How come men shop like tat wan? Not very effective lei. Should be like us, women ma, take ALL that we fancy and then try all at one shot ma!

Anyway, after a good 1 hour in JL, hubby finally decided on 2 long sleeves shirts. Not bad. It's strippy and in a colour that I've never seen hubby in so far. One is white and blue, rather boring and the other is black and purple! Ha... I think he looks quite cool in it though. hahaha

Can't wait for CNY to see him in his new clothes!

Not a bad evening =) Got not bad dinner, new clothes and also a good time with hubby. Somemore got a pack of Ang Pow packets free coz we spent more than $50. And it's cute lei. Winne the Pooh and his friends.. haha.. Total of 8 pieces, 2 of each design.

Cute right? My favourite is Piglet!

The only thing that irked us was we spent about 30 mins waiting for 162! argg!!!

I need some comforting!

Was so super duper swarmed with work that I need some comfort food. And sweet hubby tapowed this for me. From Botak Jones in AMK.

It's "Giant Beef Dog Set" but I guess you cannot see the sausage from here... The set actually comes with PLENTY of fries, THE sausage in a bun with lots and lots of onions. But the sausage is being burried under all the 'accessories' so.... So here IS the sausage!
Looks very big hor?! It is!!!

Coz it's tapowed so the fries turned kind of soggy. But nevertheless it's still good. I love sausages. I think I'm just begining to get hooked onto it already!

Everywhere I go, I'm being drawn to the smell of freshly grilled sausagges!!!

We are boring ppl.

U know I had to go to Uni SIM for Orientation today right? Well, I've blog about that in my other blog which you can click here and here to read it.

After which hubby and me went to Holland Village for dinner. I wanted to pick a nice place to relax and enjoy dinner with hubby but the whole day's events kept coming back to me and I was honestly too bothered to have a good evening out with hubby.

After walking up and down the streets for like twice? We still cannot decide on a place and guess where we went? The market! Chey! I was still thinking of a nice lomantic dinner lei!

*bleh*

Anway, we din want to overspend, so the market is fine. I was joking with hubby that we can actually order a whole tableful of food and yet pay like 50% of wat we paid in any of those restaurants. And I was almost right!

We had char keow teow, chicken chop with grilled fish with fried rice completed with a sunny side up egg and satays. Wanted to go for dessert but too thirsty, so end up we bought chin chow. Just the 2 of us and we had quite a mountain of food! The table was not totally full but we were so stuffed out. Can't finish the food too.

Being the super boring people that we were. Know where we go?

Bus stop to go home.

HEH! And it was only slightly after 8pm!

There's so many places, restaurants and pups and don't know what we can choose to go for dinner, but we choose the market. Holland V is know for it's night life and we choose to go home?!

What can I say? B-O-R-I-N-G.

Completed study room.

Got this drill set from Home Fix at a reasonable $59, at Velocity before the Thanksgiving mass and we lugged it around with us. I was quite excited to get to work setting up the itmes but then we lack some of the important itmes.. and also, hungry men and women are ANGRY people too. So we went for lunch and after buying the necessary drill, screws and the plastic holder to hold the screws in, we set to work.

After countless times of me holding vaccumm cleaner tube to the drilling point, with hubby drilling in... we finally made progress! I will say it's not bad in our 1st attempt in DIY-ing these blinds. I like our new improved study room look even better now!

I don't have to worry about others walking past and peering in and giving me a fright!

But hor, must say this, cheap drills come at a price too lar, the drill bit became smoothen out by the 4th hole we made.. =(

First day of 2007

What were you doing today? On the first day of the new year???

Hubby and I went to a few places. First, we head out to AMK, coz Emma has made arrangements for her girl friend to come fetch all of us to a faraway place, a place where I will not normally go without transport. Know where yet?

TAMPINES!!!

We went to the MEGA Courts, coz Emma want to get a TV and also some furniture. While, hubby and me want to go to the new Ikea. So just nice, since we all heading for the same way. Reached Courts at close to 1pm and went for lunch first thing. We were all famished having just woke up and went out immediately we are ready.

OMGoodness! The queue was horrible!! We waited at least 20 mins in the queue before we were able to get anything ok! The service is very very slow. The concept is slightly of that if Ikea's where you take your tray and go to various counter to get your food. But somehow, since Courts are serving hot food, the concept does not work as well as Ikea's.

But their menu looks good la... hahaha... Or it could be coz I was very V-E-R-Y hungry... But hor, after waiting for so long, the food was indeed disappointing la... erm... Not nice lor... just 'can eat' kind only.

The crowd there is horrible, could be coz it's a PH today. Everywhere we go, throngs of people! And the building is very strange. You can go up to ONLY level 3 if you take the escalator. Level 2 is TOTALLY not acessiable! unless you take the lift.

Then within the floors, you will find that it's easy to go up, but to go down... you must take lift. And they have a "Mr Lift" there to help you go to the various levels. Funny 1. So while you are there. Better PRAY darn hard that there is no fire, no anything coz chances are cannot get out of the building lor!!!

Emma finally got her TV, coffee table and also side table. While she was doing that, hubby and me went to racki digital cameras. After all the comparisons in looks, models, weight, usage, blah, blah, I think I will go for Sony T10 after all. Coz it's must easier to use even WITHOUT the manual!!! So what if Canon is better. I go for the usability!

Hubby and I walked over to Ikea first before Emma and her friend and while shopping and waiting, we got these.

3 blinds for our current study room. So that we can open our windows and yet, not be afraid of people walking past us and looking in.

The frame is for Godma. She mentioned over dinner last nite that, she aimmed this photoframe for 4 years but coz of the price, she 'bu se de' buy. Wah Lau... $13, Ok la, I buy for her. Since her Bday coming soon lor. hahahah..

When the 2 ladies came over to join us, we decided that it's time for tea. What else to have???

Of course THE swiss meatballs and chicken wings!!! Off we went to queue again... Gosh...

Another 20 mins or so of standing in line and by this time, my spine and legs was killing me!!! My first present from my good friend, to welcome in the new year with me! *Faint*

Anyway, Jeffrey told us that we ain't see anything like Ikea Tampines where the people push a trolly holding 3 trays. We thought he was joking... and when we saw it today... OH!!! It's TRUE!!! Almost everyone buys soooooooooo much that, each is pushing a 3 tray tier trolly! Same for us la. Between the 4 of us, we had 6 pcs of wings, 20 meatballs & 3 hotdog buns. Not a lot actually but it was still very filling.

Crowd @ Ikea. EVERYTHING also must queue!!!

Finally after all the eating, drinking, resting and chatting, we decided to make a move. Another reason was also there was another family standing close to us, aiming for our seats. Another more pushing factor was that Emma and her gal friend want to go to Tampines mall for some shopping. Same for me! Same for ME!!! hahaha... Since we had the car, hubby just went along. He din complain of tiredness or anything.

And see what I've got within 2 hours of walking around in Tampines?

Nice???

I like! Spent only about 2.5 hours but can buy things. Happy happy. Hubby was real sporting today. Throughout the whole day, he did not mention tired at all. Not even when I was going into EVERY SINGLE store that catches my eye and he waited while I tried on pieces after pieces!

But in one of the shops, I kind of got irriated at hubby. I asked him to bring me a skirt and he brought me shorts! DUH!!!! But now as I think back, cannot blame him la.. He's bored and tired.

And guess what? While I was shopping, I completely forgot my sore spine and tired legs. It was only when it's close to our appointed meeting time then I found myself getting tired.

Happy day! Got things for the house and clothes for myself. Nice!!!

But I'm really beat now. Will go rest.

First Minute of 2007!

What were you doing on this First Day of the New Year??

For hubby and me, we were in Novena Church celebrating a Thanksgiving mass. Thanking and reflecting on what God has bless us with for the pass year. After the mass, we had a countdown, ushering in the brand new, hot-from-the-oven 2007.

So, yups. My FIRST minute was with my loved ones and friends, surrounded by God's people in Novena church.

There was a HUGE life size Nativity being erected just beside the church. Very nice and very big!!

Blame my sucky HP camera for not capturing a nicer shot! Argg!!!

Before mass, we met up early and had dinner at Velocity aka Novena Square. Went to this restaurant called the "Magic Wok" or something at level 3. Cheap and not bad. Total of 9 of us and we only spent less than $74!! And we had so much food, Thai Pineapple rice, veg, prawns, sotong, tom yam soup. So stuffed out after that!!

Best of all, we were given a little cozy corner where we can see the whole of the restaurant. It was made to look like a cottage kind of feeling. Nice and comfortable!

We had the whole corner to ourselves and we all just sat there and yakked and laughed. Think we made the most noice!! hahaa.. But it felt good to be catching up with each other. Though we see each other in church often but it's not the same coz there isn't time to do the same kind of fellowship before or after mass.

Isn't it nice and peaceful looking? There were even 'grapevines' and 'lantern' hanging down from the structure. Quite nice hor?

Also went for coffee after mass at the kopitiam opp the church with the same bunch of people.

Luckily, we still managed to get a bus home even though it was soooo late. I must say our transport system is good, they extend the working hours. Poor drivers and all.. got to work so much harder because of us!

Managed to reach home at close to 2am. Settled down and blog this.

What were you doing when 2007 crept in? And who were you with?

Ours was a peaceful, blessful and holy countdown. Spent with loved ones in the house of God. =)