Butterfly Kisses

Winter Wonderland 2011

2011-11-28T19:33:00.002Z

It's the time of the year again. With the advent of winter and Christmas, ice rinks have popped up in different parts of London. So have Christmas markets.

We made our way to Hyde Park yesterday to get into some festive spirit and cheer. At Winter Wonderland, an outdoor family event, you will find food stalls, Christmas shops and many rides and attractions. A truly enjoyable day out for everyone, young and old.

Last year, we saw the Zippo circus which was good. But it was so cold we didn't stay as long as we did this year. Both girls had a whale of a time, which means daddy's pocket is much lighter too!

Checking in

2011-11-22T21:07:00.000Z

My apology for not blogging. I've been kept busy with some things and also, I find it easier to upload photos over at Facebook. Something exciting is in the works and I'll share that when I'm ready. Meanwhile, I'll try to blog more often.

Autumn, a truly beautiful time of the year.

The Notebook

2011-10-03T13:27:00.000+01:00

Last night I watched the DVD 'The Notebook' with hub. It's a romantic movie and not something most men would want to watch. But I made him.

I must admit I've never heard of this movie before and it was part of a box set of three movies. I'd bought it because of the other two - 'The Time Traveller's Wife' and 'My Sister's Keeper'.

So why I'm blogging about this? The pace of the movie was a little slow. Hub kept falling asleep and I had to wake him up, saying 'You're not allowed to fall asleep!' Haha! But I was very moved by the characters. No, that's not the point of this entry. Halfway through watching, I exclaimed to hub 'I've seen this scene somewhere!'. It took me about 5 seconds to recall where I've seen it. Here. I wonder why I hadn't realised when I bought the DVDs or when I popped the disc into the player.

After the movie had ended, I put the disc back into the box and read the back of it. Then something caught my eye. 'Based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks'. Hang on a minute, I think I've got that book! Yes, I'm sure I have it! So I went upstairs to my study and indeed I was right! My sister gave that book to me the last time she visited. You must have guessed by now I haven't read it. In actual fact, I'd read a couple of pages but I wasn't drawn to the story then. So it's been sitting on my bookshelf since then. I happily showed it to hub and he asked 'So are you going to read it now?' I said 'yes' and surprisingly he said he'll read it too so 'I can discuss the story with you'.

It was indeed a beautiful love story. Noah couldn't be more sweet and romantic than he was.

Something which I find very poignant....

.....'Can you ever escape your past?'.

Simple pleasures

2011-09-23T22:32:00.000+01:00

Living in a foreign country, I always lament about missing all the different varieties of green vegetables. No doubt most are readily available at the Chinese supermarkets, I don't go often enough. I make the trip only when I need my bag of 10kg Thai fragrant rice or the usual condiments. These days, the local supermarkets also stock Choi Sum and Pak Choi but compared to the usual vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, celery etc, they are rather expensive. Two paltry stalks of Pak Choi cost roughly £1.20 (approximately S$2.40).

I'm very happy to announce I'll be serving more of the Chinese vegetables on my dining table from now on. The local supermarket where I buy most of my groceries from had recently undergone a refurbishment. The fresh produce section is pretty impressive. Everything is displayed in such an appealing way - woven baskets (not the old plastic ones), tags displaying country of origin, fresh herb bunches dipped in shallow trays of water for shoppers to pick. Very modern and shall I say more upmarket? Now the thing that got me really excited is they now stock plenty of exotic produce. Besides the vegetables you see above which I just bought today, they also sell lotus roots (my family's favourite ingredient for soup), Chinese chives, Gai Choi, Kailan, bittergourd(!!!), fresh tumeric amongst many other fresh spices, rambutans and whole coconuts. Furthermore, they are not pre-packed. I get to pick what I want and bag them myself. Pretty much like shopping at a wet market except the stall holders at the market bag the items for you.

You do know I'm an obasan if you've been following my blog long enough, don't you?

Have a good day!

2011-09-17T12:02:00.000+01:00

I was at M&S's ordering counter when the shop assistant bid farewell to this elderly lady in front of me and wished her 'have a good day!'. The lady said 'no'. I could see the surprised look on the face of the young man. He asked 'no?'. Lady replied, 'I don't want to have a good day!'. Young man then asked, 'You don't want to have a good day? Why not?' Lady said, 'That's because you asked me to have one and and I don't want it. Even if you wish me a day day, it doesn't mean I will have a one.' Poor man looked at me, then said to her 'Alright, ok' before quickly reverting his attention to me 'May I help you madam?' while the lady was still standing there.

Some people are strange.

Manual vs Auto Focus

2011-09-14T11:31:00.001+01:00

I finally bought my first DSLR a few months ago. It had been a long consideration before I took the plunge. Have I looked back since? Not at all.

My first photos using this camera was taken using 'Auto focus' mode. But I couldn't achieve the look I want and at times they were not in focus (I know, ironic) but perhaps that's because I didn't set the speed properly.

Anyhow, I am now shooting in 'Manual focus' mode. A few days ago at a wedding, the official photographer took my camera to take a photo of my family with the bride and groom. He had a look and asked me 'You shoot in manual focus ah?'. He sounded as if I'm silly to do so.

It's true I have to be really quick in adjusting the focus but I get better photos more often than not. Well, that's my own experience with my camera. My preference may change in the future, who knows.

The new term begins

2011-09-06T22:05:00.001+01:00

It's been a whirlwind few weeks in our household. I don't even know where to begin. We had a 6-week summer holiday and the new school term starts today for the girls. It's hard to believe Louisa is already in YR5 and Lavigne's in YR2.

For the first time in 3 years, we have no family wedding to attend in Singapore. Hence we spent the summer here in UK. I said summer but the weather wasn't quite like it. We had a few warm days but that was about it. My colleagues were just saying today that they felt cheated. I have decided that it's probably better to spend our summer break in Singapore as we are guaranteed more sunshine.

Having said that, we were so blessed to have good weather when we went away last week. OK, it wasn't hot hot but there were plenty of sunshine and it was nice and cool. More importantly, it stayed dry most of the time.

I'm feeling a little swarmed at the moment for my boss had given me a few tasks which she expects me to complete in a day or two and that's on top of several projects I'm juggling. Dear Boss (bless her, she truly is) sent me an email promptly on Saturday, knowing that's the day I'll be back. But I got home only in the evening and after the long drive and what with unpacking to do, I didn't check my email until Sunday. So even with some pressing jobs on hand, I unwilling put them aside in order to fulfil my job responsibility. Hang on a minute, it's not even within my job scope. One's completed and she was really pleased with the product (Hallelujah!). One more to go.

I'm T.I.R.E.D.
I need to get back into momentum again.
I wish there are more hours in a day.

I shall end this scatty post with a picture of Louisa who'd just turned 9 recently. Oh my! NINE!

I like my chilli

2011-08-17T22:29:00.002+01:00

Photo of the day

2011-08-14T18:52:00.000+01:00

I need to get a macro lens.

Peaceful Saturday

2011-08-13T22:34:00.001+01:00

Louisa went to watch the World Badminton Championships today with her dad and the extended family. I stayed home with Lavigne because it's an all-day event and she has no patience for it.

We're midway through the summer holiday and the girls have been spending too much time together, so much so it's causing lots of conflicts. There were days when I wish they could stop fighting and give me some peace. Actually not some days, everyday thank you.

I was looking forward to some peace at home today and I did get it and more. My younger child is going through yet another difficult phase. Rude, disobedient and just not being nice. But I was really surprised that she was sweet as an angel today. She spoke nicely and politely, said 'ok' to whatever I asked her to do and even tidied up the lounge and her room which had been totally messed up after our neighbour's visit. She was just pleasant to be with and we ended the evening by watching Harry Potter together.

How long will this good behaviour last I wonder?

The colour of this flower is growing on me. I bought it thinking the plant will bloom pink flowers (at least that's what's been shown on the tag) but see what it's giving me instead.

New additions

2011-08-13T13:46:00.000+01:00

I've got 2 new plants in the house. Thanks to my dear fashionista friend, V.

Homemade strawberry conserve

2011-08-12T17:28:00.003+01:00

I've never in my life made jam or conserve before. But inspired by a friend's mother-in-law and my haul of strawberries, I decide to have a go at it! Previously, I'd thought this process of preserving fruits takes a long time, just like stirring the mixture when making kaya. But I was wrong. V's mother-in-law used the microwave and she said it didn't take long for her to make it.

After checking out a few recipes (all very similar) which looks straightforward enough, I set about making my first ever jar of strawberry conserve (I prefer this to jam as I like to eat chunks of berries on my toast).

As my friends know, I don't really measure my ingredients (except for baking cakes or bread which is crucial) when I'm cooking. I'm sure they get frustrated when they ask me how much of this to put and how much of that to add and I'll tell them I don't really know as I go by the agak-agak (estimation) and 'looking' method. On this rare occasion, I did!

Ingredients:

800g fresh strawberries
300g granulated sugar (adjust according to your taste, I don't like mine too sweet)
Peel of 1 lime/lemon
Juice of 1 lime
1 sachet of pectin (optional, you will get a more runny consistency by omitting it)

Ok, before I start, I have to say I didn't follow the proper steps as stated on the packet of silverspoon's pectin. I took out the strawberries before bringing the syrup to a boil before pouring the latter onto the fruits which means I got pieces of strawberry jelly. However, I kept stirring and mixing the mixture before pouring it into a jar and it seems to do the trick! So if you want to get properly set conserve, I think you should leave the berries inside and just pour everything into the jar after it has boiled.

So....let's get to business....

Wash these darlings and leave them to dry.

Hull and cut them into pieces according to the size you like (I like mine really chunky).

I have to admit I was tempted to eat these after chopping them up.

Next, cut the skin off the lime or lemon and remember not to throw them away! They will add a nice flavour to the final product.

Finally, put all the ingredients (except the pectin) into a big, heavy pot. Squeeze the juice of lime/lemon into the mixture and stir well.

Mix well and let it sit for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

This is what you will get when the time's up. Pour the pectin into the mixture and stir well.

Move pot to stove and simmer on medium heat till it starts to bubble. Cook for a further 2 minutes or so (I told you I'm all about agak-agak) before dishing out the glorious berries. I do this because I don't want them to become too mushy. Don't eat them no matter how tempting they may look. They are HOT!

Transfer just the strawberries on a dish for them to cool, leave the syrup in the pot.

Turn up the heat and stir non-stop. When it starts to bubble and thicken, turn off the fire and remove pot from stove, then pour the syrup immediately onto the strawberries and mix everything up. Spoon this into a sterilised jar, cap and put it in the fridge.

This is what will happen to the syrup if you don't mix it quickly enough with the berries.

800g of strawberries became one jar of berry goodness.

Put it on your toast, waffles or ice-cream. Anything you wish, really. My verdict? YUM!

Great tip!

2011-08-12T14:06:00.000+01:00

Country Homes & Interiors (Sept '11 issue)

I only read this after our PYO trip. No wonder the raspberries rot very quickly. The rest were not too bad.

PYO

2011-08-08T20:56:00.001+01:00

When we moved away from Surrey, one thing we really missed was picking fruits at Garsons. Then a friend of mine told me there's one in Enfield, North London which is not too far from us. Hence last Saturday when we woke, A asked what were we doing that day, I said 'let's go pick fruits!'. A quick check with the weather forecast and I decided it was indeed a good day for it. It's partly sunny and dry. Huh! Just as we were leaving, it started to drizzle. But we went ahead.

For many months, we'd driven the girls to their Chinese School on every Saturday and we didn't realise there's one 'Best Pick-Your-Own Farm in UK' along the way. Now I know where to go while the girls are having their lessons.

Thankfully, the rain stopped when we reached the farm. There were quite a lot of people. Fruit/vegetable picking is always fun for all! You can't get anything fresher than picking your own. As we arrived after lunchtime, the morning crowd must have picked the crops nearer to the entrance.

We also walked past many rows of strawberries which are not ready for picking. But I could see many ripe ones. As we walked on, there were more and more strawberries but not many big ones left.

Later on, they opened up some rows of strawberries for picking. My! There were rows after rows of gigantic strawberries! If we'd carried on picking, we would have spent a small fortune on it. I overheard some Singaporean/Malaysian saying,'Aiyah, shouldn't have lunch earlier. Now after eating a couple, I'm so full already!'

Look at the strawberries! Aren't they cute?!

Oh they don't just look good! They are so sweet and juicy.

Who would follow the rule of 'no sampling'? I saw everyone eating. The owners turn a blind eye for there're no people lurking around saying 'Heh! No eating!'

Next was raspberries. Unfortunately, the season is coming to an end and there were not many of the berries left.

The girls tasted their first blackcurrants but didn't like them.

I have to agree with them. They taste rather sharp.

On our way to where the blackberries are, we passed by these. My eyes literally popped when I saw the amount of plums on the trees. We'll definitely come back soon.

Louisa and I had a way to choose the blackberries. We sampled one from each plant and whichever's nice, we picked from them.

As the girls don't like courgettes, we didn't get any.

Onions!

We went home very happy with freshly picked raspberries, strawberries and blackberries.

You see how big the strawberry is on my palm? In case you're wondering about my choice of clothing, I was wearing an apron.

Learn Cantonese

2011-08-07T22:34:00.001+01:00

This Canadian man probably speaks better Cantonese than I do. His videos are really funny! Check it out.

My glossies

2011-08-05T01:13:00.000+01:00

So I do love photo frames. I love my magazines too. Nope, I no longer buy women's glossies like Glamour or Marie Claire. These days I pop home interior or lifestyle mags into my supermarket trolley when I do my grocery shopping. Celeb gossips interest me less even though I still buy the odd OK mag when there's a big story like the Royal Wedding. But I'll rather be reading up on garden landscaping, getting ideas about transforming a room or learn how to clean a house with less hassle. Am I really an obasan now?

How do I choose my magazines? I have my regular reads. But when I'm standing in front of the magazine shelf, I'll scan through and see what catches my eye.

The cover of this magazine is so bright and cheery or should I say pretty. Yes, I'm such a sucker for these things. But more importantly, I like the articles in it. 'Get ready for summer', yes(!), bring it on! I'd just come home from TBFT and was feeling excited about spending summer in the UK this year.

Next, I'll scan through the headings. Anything interesting or relevant?

Hmm....I like the sound of this - 'Dreamy Summer Days'. A quick browse revealed plenty of pretty pictures inside. I did say I like pretty things, didn't I?

So which magazines do I buy regularly? I LOVE, simply love Real Simple.

You see the tagline there? 'Life Made Easier'. Just what I like and need. In each issue, many topics are covered.

I particularly like the 'Solutions' section. Many tips are shared here.

There's also the very interesting 'Life Lessons'.

See, it does cover everything under the sun.

Of course, there's always things to read from the 'Features' section.

This is one section I enjoy reading the most. From techniques and tips in the kitchen to simple and yummy-looking recipes. It helps when the pictures look great too!

Lastly, there's the 'Clip and Save' pages where you can cut out concise articles and file them away. But I'll rather keep the whole magazine.

The other magazine I like is Martha Stewart's Living magazine. But hers is more of a themed magazine. She covers something different every month like in the month of October, it'll be all about Halloween and everything red, gold and tinsels for the December issue. Therefore, I don't buy it every month because not everything interests me.

Like Real Simple, I like the styling of the pictures in Living too. The latter can be found in my local WhSmith. But I've only ever seen Real Simple at Luton Airport. My friend, V, who introduced both magazines to me(thank you!), sometimes buy it for me from Waterloo Station. A managed to get the newsagent near his office to bring in the magazine but he's been working away at clients' offices so he's not been able to pick up the magazine for me. I'll have to either rely on V or open a subscription account with my local WhSmith for them to bring it in. But that'll mean I have to purchase every single issue. So far all issues have been good and informative. I'll probably start a subscription soon.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I'm simply sharing which magazines I like to buy and read.

A love of mine

2011-08-04T14:26:00.001+01:00

Or obsession if you wish. I love photo frames. My husband can vouch for that. So much so that he has asked me on many occasions to stop buying them. It's not the only thing he'd asked me not to buy but that's another matter altogether. Actually I don't have that many stored away. Just a couple. I remember going to a friend's beautiful home years ago and I found lots (and I mean LOTS) of photo frames which have no photos in them lying in a corner. She told me she has no time to put photos in and hang them up and but would do so in time to come. I moved away from the area and have never been back so I don't know what's happened to those frames.

I have photo frames dotted around my home. Hallway, kitchen, lounge, stairwell, bedrooms, on window ledges, coffee tables and walls. If strangers come into my house, oh yes, they will know who reside here.

When you have a great photo you want to frame up, you may not necessarily have the right frame. So whenever I see frames which suit the style of my home (especially if they are a bargain!), I will get them.

I bought these two frames sometime back because the colour matches the girls' room and they were really cheap. I have lots of photos which are not developed so I was confident they would eventually end up on their bedroom wall. When my last batch of developed photos came through the post, I saw these two photos and immediately thought of the frames. I think the colour of the photos goes well with the frames. They have a dreamy, vintage look.

Scrapbooking on canvas

2011-08-02T16:34:00.000+01:00

I was actually going to just frame the photos but I realised I didn't have enough frames. A quick look at my stash of craft items and I came up with the idea of simple scrapbooking. These pictures had been developed with the kitchen theme in mind. The girls were wearing spotty clothes and so was Minnie. I guess I could put in more thought and effort to it but nevermind.

Canvas print

2011-08-02T12:32:00.000+01:00

This is my first ever canvas print, newly arrived this morning. The photo was taken at Picadilly Circus on a busy, sunny Sunday. It really goes well with the colour scheme of my kitchen - red and blue.

Pretty roses

2011-08-01T15:03:00.002+01:00

I bought this bunch of pretty artificial roses from a big flower shop along Hong Kong's Flower Market Road. No, I didn't go away with just this one. In fact, I bought enough stuff to fill a big carrier bag. They are so much cheaper than the ones in UK. Yes, real or artificial plants, I love them both!

Bridal bouquet

2011-07-07T22:02:00.002+01:00

My favourite flower used to be the sunflower. But I think it's got to take a backseat because I've decided I like peony more now. My new sister-in-law requested for this flower in her bridal bouquet. Her brief was a pastel coloured bouquet with peonies and roses. We were in luck. Peonies were in season, in fact it was coming to an end. I managed to find these beauties in the sweetest pink from a local florist. The roses were from Marks and Spencer and foliage FOC courtesy of my school's back garden. I'm not sure what it's called but the leaves were in the perfect pale shade which complemented nicely with the rest of the flowers. I recall the day when I was out there cutting in the garden. There was torrential rain. I didn't have a raincoat or an umbrella. But it was all worth it!

I nearly had a disaster with the flowers. As I'd bought them in advance so that they would bloom in time, I left them in the coolest room - the cloakroom. Strangely, I found the heating on on the morning before the wedding (it had been switched off since before Easter). That can be the coldest room AND the hottest (when the heating's on). I nearly died of an heart attack when I got woken up by the sound of the boiler. God knows how long it had been on for. A quick dash downstairs and I found all the peonies in full bloom and the roses wilting! Hence I hurriedly brought all the flowers out to cool. What a shame! The roses were really gorgeous when I bought them. Some of them had not bloomed yet. Thankfully, I was able to use most of them. But I'm not entirely satisfied with the final product due to the roses.

This bouquet is very different from the one I did for my other sister-in-law. It's a round posy while the other is a cascading bouquet. Both posed different challenges but equally fun to put together.

Laksa and me

2011-07-06T20:16:00.000+01:00

Today's one of those days when I ran out of inspiration and didn't know what to cook for dinner. So I went looking at my favourite website when my eyes were suddenly drawn to one picture. It was one of my favourite food - laksa! The last time I had this was nearly one whole year ago! I certainly miss our favourite food stall at Kovan Food Centre.

Friends

2011-06-15T21:31:00.000+01:00

Thank you my dear friends.

Pink Peony

2011-06-08T15:02:00.001+01:00

Intruder

2011-06-06T14:33:00.000+01:00

I spotted two flying dragonflies attached together at Wisley and they landed on the leaf. Who knows.....along came a.....

....housefly which inched slowly towards the two. Who was being 'kaypo' (busybody)?

Garden 2011

2011-06-02T22:29:00.000+01:00

It's half-term this week and the weather has improved. While the girls ride on their bikes outside and play with their neighbour, I'd potter around the garden. New additions this year are 2 new beddings (one's not shown in the above pic). I've also been moving plants around and replacing a few I had sadly lost over the hot Easter holiday. Can't wait for the petunias to fill up all the empty space along the path. I've always wanted to have a flower-lined pathway leading to my house but somehow I never got round to doing it. However, after watching an episode of Desperate Housewives a few weeks back, I'd been inspired by Bree and hence I went digging! Still can't decide whether I prefer my garden from last year though. Let's wait and see the flowers in full bloom.

Louisa

2011-06-01T09:59:00.001+01:00

My firstborn, who is fast heading towards becoming a teen. *shudders* She said she 'can't wait' but for me, that 'can wait'.

My love affair with books

2011-05-31T21:19:00.001+01:00

I've always loved books since I was young. One of my cousins gave me a humongous fairytale book when I was about eight. The illustration was beautiful. I remember lending it to my neighbour and her little sister scribbled in it. I was pretty upset by it.

Then there were book sale days at my primary school tuckshop. I would go through the booklist that was given out a few days before and then ask my dad for money to buy. Without fail, my choice was always Enid Blyton books. The Magic Faraway Tree....The Enchanted Wood....love, love them!

These days, I buy mostly recipe books and home interior ones. When I went to Taiwan last month, Elite Bookstore was on my hit list. Similar to Kinokuniya, I could spend hours in there. One of my sisters didn't understand how I could spend such a long time browsing books. Too bad I had only about 2 hours to spare.

Regretfully, I didn't have time to go to the Lifestyle section. But I did get to read lots of landscaping and gardening books at the B&B I stayed at in Hualien though.

Hail on a late spring day

2011-05-31T20:04:00.000+01:00

No, I didn't sprinkle salt on my flower bed. In fact, the white stuff you see are hail stones. It had been raining on and off this morning when all of a sudden, I heard loud 'pitter patter' outside. It's almost summer and this phenomenon is definitely not what you'll usually get on a normal spring day.

The view

2011-05-30T21:25:00.001+01:00

This is the view I get when I sit on my bed and look out of the window. It's also what I see when I look out of my study. We're very lucky to live right next to a green belt. Every time I look out there, I can forget about all stress and worries, even if it's just for those few moments. This view is something I'll be very sad to leave behind should we leave one day.

Whenever I look out there, I can't help but wonder if I'll be used to life back in Singapore. Not that we are moving back in the foreseeable future but just a thought. Having lived here for 6.5 years, I've settled down to a simple and quiet life of looking after my own little family while holding down a part-time job and doing things I enjoy doing like gardening. Living my life, living our lives as a family unit. Will these remain the same when we move back? I very much doubt it. All the hustle bustle; all the commitments of who to see and meet every so often that I have no time to do what I really want; having my private space invaded; feeling claustrophobic - all that of city living.

I think I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Meanwhile I'll just enjoy what I have now and be thankful for it.

Hong Kong street hawkers

2011-05-28T21:57:00.001+01:00

I heart you

2011-05-27T19:18:00.000+01:00

The other day I was going to make salsa and when I opened the packet of tomatoes, I found this!

Me and my music

2011-05-26T21:54:00.000+01:00

I like to listen to music while working on the computer. Living away from home, I prefer Chinese songs to English. I do listen to the local radio station in my kitchen and the girls like Michael Bublé in the car. But here in my study, I may tune in to Yes933 Live Radio or my favourite station, Chinamerica Hit Radio. Not only do I get to listen to Chinese songs but Cantonese ones as well.

He's another one

2011-05-17T21:11:00.000+01:00

This big-eyed boy has lashes so long I wonder if they get in the way when he blinks.

Those eyes too

2011-05-17T19:47:00.000+01:00

The boy has a sister who has equally beautiful eyes, if not more so. Did you notice those lashes? Aren't they gorgeous? I'm so jealous!

Of course, all credit goes to their mother. I'm sure you see the resemblance.

Such a sweetie! Her name had been aptly chosen by her parents.

She's going to break many men's hearts in years to come.

Those eyes

2011-05-17T16:57:00.000+01:00

This is the very good-looking son of a friend of mine. Look at those eyes of his. Huge envy! For some reasons, most of my friends' boys have eyes like marbles. I can't say so for my girls.

Sisters

2011-05-14T17:09:00.001+01:00

Due to the number of pictures I'd taken, I realise I'm never going to complete my trip log so I shall randomly post pictures henceforth.

The above picture was taken during our Edinburgh trip at the Edinburgh Royal Botanical Garden. The weather was lovely and we spent a whole day there.

Louisa and Lavigne stopped in their tracks and must have been having a chat to each other when I snapped this photo. Both girls squabble all the time and I have to remind them they are sisters and friends for life. I remember my sisters and I used to fight too when we were young but now, we love and respect one another very much.

TBFT

2011-05-03T14:49:00.000+01:00

...aka The Big Family Trip.

Thanks to the Royal Wedding and the 2 long weekends, we managed to go away for a good 2 1/2 weeks to Taiwan and Hong Kong. The girls and I spent a week with my family in Taiwan before the Hong Kong's leg with the Leungs. It was so wonderful to catch up with family and friends, some we have not seen in years.

I also fulfilled my dream of going to Taiwan's 花蓮. The place is just so scenic and beautiful. But tragically, both my legs (strangely not anywhere else) were savaged by mosquitos the size of houseflies. Now I have to hide them under leggings and long pants for they look hideous with many red welts everywhere.

As my father-in-law's birthday falls on the same day as mine, we had a joint celebration with the whole extended clan in Hong Kong. That was a really joyous day.

I have yet to download all the photos (more than 2000!). Yes, I haven't even finished my Edinburgh trip and now there's this one to do.

Many thanks for a wonderful trip, all of you who were involved. Thank you, all you cousins who accompanied us around and kept the girls entertained. Thanks, Jason and Jackie, for helping me with the 'task'. I can now begin the pursuit of my interest. For all those whom I did not mention, you are not forgotten. Thank you for making both legs of my trip a very memorable one.

Spring's here

2011-03-22T11:30:00.000Z

Edinburgh Trip - Day 2

2011-03-16T21:18:00.000Z

Yes, I'm finally logging Day 2 of our trip. Like I'd said, it was a R&R break so we didn't cram too many activities or see too many things each day which worked out really well for all of us.

Each morning after A left for work, the girls and I would have a leisurely breakfast in the room. Then I will get the girls to do their Kumon worksheet for the day before venturing out. That's right, get the not-so-fun stuff out of the way first.

The weather looked rather promising for the day. I was happy there was no rain so the sunshine was a bonus! When we stepped out of the hotel, a crowd was gathering at the square.

The office block next door was having a fire drill. So the square was fast filling with people who took the opportunity to bask in the sunshine.

Today, I'd planned to bring the girls to the Castle and Museum of Childhood. We walked everywhere except the day when we went to Royal Botanical Gardens which was further away. The reason why I chose to travel by foot was because there's more to see. I can always stop to take pictures. The girls were brilliant! They didn't complain about having to walk.

The Royal Lyceum Theatre right across the hotel.

Starting our trek up to Castle Hill.

At the foot of the castle.

I got distracted along the way.

Looking down to Grass Market.

We're getting closer to the castle.

Ops! Let's tackle those steep flight of steps first.

Ahhh! *Huff and puff* We're finally there!

View of Princes Street from up the hill.

Castle entrance.

Another view of Princes Street from within the castle grounds.

We began our walk down to High Street towards the Museum.

St Giles Cathedral.

'Witches' who conduct Witchery Tours?

An alleyway.

Our destination. An excellent place to go to especially those with kids. It was very educational and interesting. All those toys from the past. Entry's free too!

Look at all those dollhouses!

Inside a dollhouse.

This doll was a little eerie looking.

I'll have these dolls than Barbie.

S, the moment Lavigne saw this doll (11), she said, 'Mummy! She looks like D___'. What do you think?

The good cheh-cheh tying shoe lace for meh-meh.

North Bridge.

Very elaborate and ornate - the Scott Monument.

Afternoon swimming for kids runs from 3-5pm. We went back to the hotel so that the girls could have a dip.

A returned from work and we went out for dinner. No cooking for one whole week. What bliss!

Hmmm.......Dick didn't like bathing during those days?

Castle view in the evening.

Coming up: Day 3 - a wet and cloudy day.

Time waits for no man

2011-03-12T22:10:00.000Z

I was supposed to be doing our Edinburgh trip log but got distracted along the way. Part 2 photos were uploaded to my flickr account a while ago but as I had been spending time away from my computer, I haven't had the chance to blog about it yet. Before I know it, it's been 2 weeks since my late update. So my apology if you'd been waiting. The sun's been out more often and it would be such a waste to be spending my time here in front of the screen.

Anyhow, it's my dear (youngest) sis's birthday today and I can't believe it's been a year since I wrote this entry. I know I'm always talking about how time flies but when you seriously think about it, it does! The rate of progress seems to accelerate with age. My second sis posted this on FB recently 'Live your life to the fullest as time waits for no one' and asked me to 'Carpe diem'. Yes, I should make that my motto and you should too. Have a good weekend, everyone!

Edinburgh Trip - Day 1

2011-02-28T23:13:00.000Z

We took the first flight to Edinburgh and arrived just before 10am in the morning. This is my second time to the city, the first being 13 years ago. I don't remember much of it apart from the castle because it was a very short trip then.

The bus ride to the hotel was rather depressing. Not only did the sky look so gloomy, most of the buildings are so grey, dull and dirty too. My mood was however lifted by a kind soul who directed us to our hotel (A had gone off to work) when he overheard me telling the bus driver where we were going.

As it was still early, I wasn't sure if we would be able to check-in. A quick enquiry at the front desk after, I was told the room's available and ready. The girls and I were so relieved. We were so tired having woken up at 5am. The account manager took us up to our room (castle view!) and the girls were eager to explore around. Before we unpacked, I quickly took pictures of the still-tidy-and-nice room.

The rooms were refurbished recently and everything looked so new and clean! I was very impressed by how polite and helpful the hotel staff were and this is definitely a bonus.

I love the bath, walk-in shower and toilet cubicle. Very well designed and so spacious. It seems like this is the trend now for a lot of hotels.

Love these pull-out drawers!

Lavigne on the enormous bed. Evidently very pleased and thrilled.

Stuff which helped keep the girls entertained.

Louisa playing with 'Rush Hour'. Trust me, this is highly addictive!

Lavigne was so excited when she discovered the mood lighting. She called out to Louisa, 'Chehcheh! Look what I found!' Their favourite colour? Turquoise.

View from our room - Edinburgh Castle and Lyceum Theatre.

The girls always play with these whenever we leave and return to the hotel.

Now you see what I was talking about? The sky and buildings.

A nice playground at Princess Park.

The famous shopping thoroughfare - Princess Street. We were going to Marks and Spencer to get some lunch. The store was right at the end of the street. It sure worked up our appetite.

Why didn't I think of going up the departmental store to take pictures of the castle until I came home and started editing the photos? But I'm rather certain it's not allowed. More on that later.

We didn't do much on this day. Had lunch in our room, rest and relaxed before going for a swim at the very nice pool, an activity we did almost everyday. It's nice not to have to rush around during a holiday. We really enjoyed the leisurely break, good for the girls.

Next up - Day 2 of our trip. Better weather and proper sightseeing.

Half-term holiday

2011-02-28T13:49:00.000Z

We went away to Edinburgh, Scotland last week. A's working there and we sort of tagged along since it's the school holiday. Having read in the news that there was going to be snow, I thought we would be stuck in the hotel. Just before take-off, the pilot had mentioned that snow was on its way but we didn't encounter any during our 6-days' stay, not even a flurry. On the contrary, there was plenty of sunshine and the weather was really mild. When I spoke to friends upon coming back, they told me it had been wet and cold in England. So we were lucky. In fact when we got back on Saturday, it felt really cold. Like a friend had said 'the irony of it'. Anyhow, it was a really nice getaway. More on that later with pics coming up! Check back later.

Men in Pics

2011-02-18T22:35:00.000Z

Have you ever encountered this? You focus your camera somewhere and just as you're about to press the button to snap the photo, someone walks right pass you or worse, stand right in front of you.

Come on! I may be on the petite side but definitely big enough to be seen. What more I was holding my camera and looking into the viewfinder, happily snapping away when this man (above) came along and stood right in front of me! How can someone be so 'buay zhi dong'? I'm not Harry Potter. I ain't got the invisible cloak. Why?!

Then later, another man walked right across my path while I was taking the picture below. He himself is a photographer. I had seen him taking pictures with his very big camera earlier.

Do all these people do this on purpose? I wonder.

But of course there are those who will stop in their tracks when they see someone taking photos. Sadly, not many people are this gracious.

Another London day out

2011-02-17T20:27:00.001Z

A couple of weeks back, both girls were invited to a play date. That means I have an extra few hours on my own. I'd always wanted to make a trip to London just for photography. Even though I have 2 free days every week, I feel I don't have enough time to play around with. By the time I drop the girls off at school and wait for the first off-peak train into Kings Cross, I'll probably have around 3+hours before I hopping on a train back to pick the girls. As the train ticket is not cheap, it's not worth paying that kind of money and be in London for just a few hours.

Even on that morning itself, I was contemplating if I should make the trip. Especially since the weather didn't look promising. But in the end, I went and there were no regrets whatsoever. It didn't rain so that was good.

Come walk through parts of London with me.

Picadilly Circus

After Japan Centre, I also dropped by Mitsukoshi to browse at the bookstore. How I miss Kinokuniya!

Caffe Concerto - these Italian cakes are really yummy!

Regent Street - I had to make a trip to Hamley's

No matter where you go, the Apple Shops are always packed full of people.

Shoppers' heaven - Oxford Circus

The seats are so small!

Trafalgar Square

London Eye - I haven't been up there.

Rental bikes

My trip ended in Chinatown to 'dabao' dinner home, buy some stuff for Chinese New Year and get some bread from the bakery for the girls. I still didn't manage to get to Tower Bridge. After all these years in UK! Not one photo of that bridge. Can you believe it? There's also a few other places on my list which I didn't have enough time to go. Yes, I made a list the day before and planned my trip just so I wouldn't waste time travelling about.

There's just so many things to see in London. Such a vibrant and cosmopolitan city. I definitely need a few more days like that. But I always say this to my friend. It's nice to go there for a day out but I can't see myself living there. Too busy for my liking.

For the complete set of photos, please click here.

Did they do it?

2011-02-16T21:58:00.000Z

Yes, they did!

However, they didn't go to bed at 7.30pm last night but at 8pm instead. Nevertheless, I was woken up this morning by the two girls chatting in their room before my alarm went off.

It is not quite Spring yet but we're having more sunshine (and rain too!). Then the weatherman says that snow is on its way to parts of England and Scotland. Not good! So I'm posting this bluebell photo to cheer myself up and any of you who's feeling the blues too.

My 'Home'

2011-02-15T16:12:00.001Z

A good morning

2011-02-15T14:41:00.000Z

One of the things the girls have to do at home is to make their beds in the morning. However, they don't do it everyday. Sometimes I have to remind them. Other times I have to nag. But on weekdays, I tend to turn a blind eye and do it for them.

Lavigne surprised me this morning by not only waking up early but also making her bed and folding her PJ and socks very nicely before I even asked her. Louisa, upon seeing what her sister had done, also followed suit.

Maybe I should print the photo and frame it up in their room as a reminder to them. I should also print one which is very messy so they can see which is nicer.

Whatever it is, I'll definitely make sure they go to bed by 7.30pm like yesterday and let's see if the same thing happens tomorrow.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T13:17:00.000Z

Hope all you readers have a lovely day!

Let's talk 'LOVE'

2011-02-13T21:36:00.000Z

No, I'm not writing something romantic because it's Valentines' Day tomorrow. In fact, it's about something else altogether.

You see, the English are an affectionate lot of people. Why do I say that? It's because wherever you go, you are called 'love', 'darling', 'sweetheart', 'sweetie' etc. Words of affection. You get the picture. Be it the vegetable seller from the market or a cashier at the supermarket. I've been here long enough but can never quite get used to it. Or should I say feel comfortable about it. Come on. They are all strangers. Why would they want to call me 'love'? I don't know you, ok?

It's the local culture.

Yesterday I was at Asda. The cashier at the till has to be the most affectionate person I'd ever met. 'Hello, my love', 'How are you today, my darling', 'Do you need help with your packing, love', 'It's £__ my love', 'Thank you, my love', 'Goodbye, darling and have a nice day sweetheart'. Every sentences she said all ends with words of adoration. She gave me the goosebumps alright. Even my own hubby doesn't say those things to me so frequently. I know we Asians are more reserved but I think it can get a bit too much sometimes. I don't love these people. I don't even know them. Why would I want to call them my darlings or sweethearts?

Hmm.....but I can get used to hub calling me that though. Happy Anniversary. Like you said 'Wah Kow! It's been 14 years already?!'

Mondays

2011-02-08T11:59:00.001Z

I have said before I am no domestic goddess. I don't don an apron and go round the house with a duster in my hand all day, everyday. Mondays and Tuesdays are what I call 'chore days'. These are the days I don't work and after the weekend which leaves the house pretty much in a mess because the whole family has spent more time at home, I will do a big tidy/clean-up. That is if I don't give myself a day off and go out or I have to cover for a colleague. In fact I had to this week but my colleague was feeling better and could work.

Surfaces will be wiped and floor hoovered. Toilets washed and I strive to fold and put away the laundry I'd done and try very hard to ignore the mountain of clothes calling out to me to be ironed. Ironing is my pet peeve. I'm really terrible with it! A can vouch for it. I will procrastinate and procrastinate until I can no longer stand the sight of the basket of clothes. Then I will reluctantly put the ironing board in front of the telly and get on with the ultra boring chore. I'm not one who enjoys seeing the creases being ironed out.

Come 3.15pm before the school run, I'll be as pleased as can be. No cushions or throw on the floor. No lego bricks or toys littered around. No coloured pencils and paper lying here and there. No crumbs on the carpet. No stray socks in the bedroom.

A home which is spick and span, albeit just for a while before the girls come back. Everytime we get back from school and step into the house, I will tell them I'd just tidied up the whole place and plead them to co-operate and not to mess up. Most times they will comply, for the rest of the day.

Of course my home doesn't look like this every single day. I will use the portable hoover (it's in the picture above) for spot cleaning everyday and pick things up from the floor at the end of each day but as the week progresses, my willpower to do that will be like my energy level. It depletes everyday. So come weekend (unless we have guests), the house will be far from what it looks like in the pictures here. A doesn't understand why I have to tidy up before guests arrive. He thinks I'm putting on a front. I don't know many people who will not do that when they're expecting visitors. It's only polite to welcome people into a tidy home, not a messy one even if it doesn't look like that everyday. But we've improved a lot I must say. Unlike the house we used to live in in Surrey when the girls were much younger and there were more toys, it's not that bad now.

Here's my little effort to create some Chinese New Year atmosphere in the house.

Tuesday in the kitchen (Part 2)

2011-02-07T21:01:00.000Z

So I was talking about making charsiew. I've tried many recipes before. None turned out as good as the latest recipe I used. Surprisingly, this adapted hawker home recipe calls for very simple ingredients unlike some others I had encountered.

To make good charsiew, you have to use either pork shoulder or collar. I'd used other parts before and they became rather dry and tough after roasting. No good!

One thing about making something from scratch, you'll know exactly what goes into it. I was shocked by the amount of sugar required for making this charsiew. I guess it's alright to eat everything in moderation.

It's always best to marinade the meat overnight in the fridge but I did mine in the morning and roasted it in the late afternoon. It was still very flavourful but too salty to my liking even though I had reduced the amount of oyster sauce.

To get a good glaze on the meat and nice caramelisation, after roasting the pork for about 30min in the oven, I took the tray out every 5min or so to bast the meat with the leftover marinade until they were a little charred.

Overall, I think it's a good attempt. I will definitely use this recipe again but will further reduce the amount of oyster sauce and soya sauce.

I had so much marinade left I used it to cook more pork for charsiew buns filling.

Winter Wear

2011-02-01T17:30:00.000Z

Source: Zara

Since Autumn, I've been liking clothes in all shades of brown/camel/nude. I used to think the colours are so dull. But not anymore. A sign of me maturing perhaps? Zara has lots of nice Autumn/Winter wear in those colours. I have to refrain myself from walking into one of its stores.

Tuesday in the kitchen (Part 1)

2011-01-25T22:27:00.001Z

It's about a week from Chinese New Year and I've only started baking today. Not that we're expecting many visitors but I do like to create the festive mood in the house. Some simple decorations and of course the CNY goodies. Yesterday at Chinatown, I was so tempted to get a few stems of pussy willow. In the end, I didn't.

I've yet to make the pineapple tarts. Hadn't planned to do any baking today as I was making charsiew. As I flipped through my recipes, I saw the Peanut Cookies printout. I remember there's some salted peanuts in the cupboard enough for one batch so I started getting everything ready.

Though A loves peanut cookies, I only started making them a few months ago after I stumbled upon this recipe. I've always thought they are quite complicating to make. But it can't be any more simple.

Someone mentioned buying ready roasted and salted peanuts from Asda which cost close to nothing. I didn't know about this the first time I made the cookies. Imagine the amount of time I had spent on roasting and peeling the skin of the peanuts. It was such a hassle I thought I wasn't going to do it again. Until I learnt about the cheap peanuts from the supermarket of course.

Basically, you just pour the peanuts into the food processor and let it do all the work, the grinding that is. Look at the shape when I took off the lid. Isn't it adorable?

I did some experimenting today. I adapted the recipe using one which was given to me by a friend. So instead of just using vegetable oil (peanut oil is recommended), I used 50g of melted butter and reduce the amount of oil to about 100ml. Also, I changed the amount of flour from 250g to 300g plain flour + 50g cornflour. The amount of sugar was also reduced from 200g to 150g.

You see the dough? It's now ready to be rolled into balls for baking. Very simple, isn't it? (Just realised the author of the recipe took a similar photo as the one above in his video. I don't remember seeing it until I watched it again to check his recommended temperature to write on my blog).

The balls of peanut dough are glazed and ready for the oven which is now nice and hot from roasting the charsiew. Oh yes, I used cashew nuts instead of peanuts as the topping. A request by A.

By increasing the amount of flour, I wanted to see if I can achieve the 'crumbly-melt-in-the-mouth' consistency. A had commented the cookies made from my previous attempts didn't have it. He's a fan, not me. So if he say so, it must be true.

Piping hot straight from the oven. Did they crack because my oven was too hot? But I'd baked them at 175 degrees C instead of 200. Perhaps it was because I left them in the oven for another minute or so as they weren't golden enough. Must remember.....at this point, Singapore's national anthem is being played (I'm listening to 933fm) and I started singing it. Haha! How strange to be able to remember it still. All those years of singing it at school. It's something you'll never forget I guess.

I had digressed. Yes, I must remember to be more generous with the glazing next time and make the balls smaller. Are they of the right consistency? You'll have to ask A then. But they pass according to my standard.

Something to look forward to

2011-01-22T21:43:00.000Z

We have no plans to visit Singapore this year because the girls and I were fortunate enough to go back 3 times in the last 17 months. Furthermore, we made 2 of the trips because of weddings in the family. Unless someone decides to walk down the aisle this year, we have no intention to go back.

Therefore, I thought I won't get the opportunity to see my family this year. Then A decided he wanted to go to Hong Kong. To cut the long story short, the girls and I are going to have a holiday in Taiwan with my parents, sisters and new brother-in-law before visiting Hong Kong. I really appreciate all of them taking time off their busy schedules to meet us there. We are all very excited about the trip. A proper holiday, just like my friends had said. It's good to have something to look forward to.

See you guys soon! Yet another birthday to celebrate this time. ;)

I shall be disciplined, NOT!

2011-01-21T15:02:00.001Z

How often do you walk into a supermarket meaning to grab just a handful of items but come out with a big bagful instead? Does it happen to you too? I am guilty of that.

I usually do a big food shop a week. However, I may suddenly have the inspiration to create something and realise I don't have certain ingredients at home. Usually I'll try to save it for the following week but sometimes, I'll be naughty and pop into the shop. This is when it all goes downhill.

To prevent myself from buying the unnecessary stuff, I'll carry a basket instead of pushing a trolley. Not only is it smaller, the basket will become too heavy to lug round if I try to pop too many things in so that's definitely a deterrence. Even then, most often than not, I always buy more than what I'd intended to.

Take for example today. It's the end of the week. I'm running out of ideas as to what to cook. *Ding* I recalled the packets of udon sitting in the cupboard. So I decided to have stir fry udon this evening. You guessed it! I'm missing some ingredients. Since I'll be passing by my usual supermarket after work, I thought of just popping in for a bunch of spring onions, one packet of beansprouts and a bag of clementines. There, just 3 items. One of my colleagues asked me if I'm heading home after work. I told her I'll be going to Morrisons for a bit. (Yah right! A bit. Who am I fooling?) In my head, I kept reminding myself 'Be disciplined! Be disciplined!' since I'll be doing my big shop tomorrow.

After witnessing a near collision at the carpark which I had to press on my horn to alert the drivers (2 cars were reversing into each other), I walked into the supermarket feeling rather smug that I'll be good. The moment I walked through the door, I knew my plan had gone pear shape. Right next to the baskets were some baguettes on offer. I thought they'll be good for lunch tomorrow since what remains of the loaf of bread I made will not be enough for the 4 of us. I comforted myself that I'm thinking ahead. (We always make excuses for all that we do, don't we?)

Ok I got my packet of sprouts but then something is calling out to me. A punnet of cherry tomatoes costing a mere 45p. Hmm, I've just run out of that so I'll have one, thank you! Then I walked by a shelf of celery. Half price (45p) for a bunch! We'd just finished ours last night. Another item in the basket. Then I recalled I'd been wanting to get some gourmet cheese. It'll go well with the baguette. Brilliant! Yet another item.

Before long I saw a lady held up something familiar looking from a chiller fridge. Activia yogurt! I've run out of that sometime ago and it's less than half price! I was tempted to put 2 packs into my basket since I consume 2 pots everyday. But I talked myself out of it. *A pat on the back* Got to the fruit section and went straight for the clementines. I'd been good, I didn't look at anything else.

I walked on and something else caught my eyes (what else?!). Pork loin steak on offer. *Ding* We can have tonkatsu for dinner tomorrow. Fab! I'm good, aren't I? Planning meals ahead. I dislike rummaging my head for meal ideas. But hey! There's no more fresh salad in the fridge. I need a packet to go with the tonkatsu. Back to the vegetable section. Chose what I want and I suddenly 'woke up'. What have I done, I wondered. At that point of time, the basket had become a little too heavy for me to carry around comfortably. So I didn't venture further and walked straight to the tills. I only covered 1/3 of the supermarket. Thank goodness but bad enough! But really I should have just stayed at the veg/fruit section to the front of the shop. The only comforting thought is that I can buy less tomorrow. That is if the other supermarket does not have any offers that are too tempting to resist again! *I shall be disciplined! I shall be disciplined!*

She knows it too!

2011-01-20T23:52:00.002Z

A day on after I posted Adele's song here, I heard Lavigne singing it earlier this evening. I asked her where she learnt the lyrics from. She replied, 'It's always on the radio and you kept listening to it in the kitchen.' Hahaha! Told you the radio station is over-playing the song.

HDR with Photomatix

2011-01-20T21:45:00.000Z

Just downloaded the free trial for Photomatix, a software to convert photos into HDR images. I am amazed by how powerful this software is! So far, I've only played around using the images provided at the site and it's really fun!

Basically, you have to capture an image at different exposures. The software will do the post-processing but of course, you have to adjust the controls according to your liking.

Below is the final image I'd created using this software.

HDR photography is certainly not for everyone. Some people will say it's fake. Others prefer original images straight out from the camera. To each his own. There's no right or wrong. It all boils down to individual preferences. But don't you think the final post-processed image is more interesting than the original ones?

I'm not saying the above 'after-image' is a good representation of an HDR image. It's the first one I've done using the software afterall, unlike what I'd experimented before. But I was pretty excited with what I was able to achieve. Shall try using single photos to see if they are as effective as multiples.

Make you feel my love

2011-01-19T23:31:00.001Z

I first heard this song many weeks back when Rebecca Ferguson sang it on X-factor and fell in love with it. Since then it's been played regularly over the radio it's become a bit of an overkill. Just like the Titanic's theme song 'My Heart Will Go On'.

Bread recipe

2011-01-19T21:10:00.001Z

This is for Tsu Lin and other readers who are interested in the bread recipe. For basic bread dough, I use the ingredients suggested by this recipe. You can then shape the dough in all manners and add any kind of fillings. However, to make the milk loaf, I shape the dough following this other recipe. To get very soft and fluffy bread, it is essential to knead the dough for at least half an hour (I knead by hand). Time may differ if you're using a mixer. Happy baking!

The child in me

2011-01-18T21:49:00.001Z

My busy oven

2011-01-18T16:34:00.000Z

Shopping at Costco

2011-01-17T23:00:00.001Z

We finally made a trip to Costco yesterday, thanks to B.

Costco is a chain of membership warehouses that sell an array of stuff at lower prices. From electrical and electronic products to designer clothes (such as Calvin Klein jeans and Timberland jackets) and groceries. I was overwhelmed when I stepped into the warehouse. It was like the Ikea version of a hypermarket. I even played around with several digital cameras.

I can guess your reaction when you see the photo. Is someone in the family having a bad tummy, you may wonder. Hahah! Thank goodness no! There's a promotion going on and the toilet paper's really cheap! They sell them in 10packs of 4. So yes, I now have 80 rolls of toilet paper in storage. Most people buy at least 3 big packs. A said these will last us quite a while.

The downside of shopping there is if you want to buy household items and food, you'll have to buy in bulk. Hence the low cost. Look at the trash bags. I usually buy 20 in a roll from the usual supermarket. That's 100 in the picture. You are able to buy items in ones but they come in family size. Just look at the can of pineapple chunks, dishwashing tablets, peanut butter and laundry detergent. Baked goods are very cheap. Not only do the croissants, baguettes, cupcakes and muffins cost cheaper but they are huge in size and come packaged in bulk too. So unless one has a big family or those with ferocious appetites, they are hard to be consumed by the best before date.

Talking about the can of pineapple. I was telling B over lunch that I use only fresh pineapples to make pineapple tarts because the cans of pineapple that the supermarkets stock are so small. I have to buy quite a couple to yield a decent amount of jam. At Costco, I spied a (what else) huge pineapple and happily placed it in the trolley until I came across this huge can! Never in my life have I seen such a big can of pineapple! Now I know where to get my pineapple fix too! I announced to B and J that I shall eat my words and use the canned ones instead. They laughed!

Look at the sheer size of it!

Sadly, the CP wanton soup I was so eager to get my hands on was out of stock. Oh they also stock Kikkoman soy sauce, Thai sweet chilli and Jasmine rice (£6 cheaper than the Chinese supermarket)! I was like a kid in a candy shop. Have you forgotten I'm an oba-san?

Alignment

2011-01-14T23:58:00.000Z

Is the alignment of this new template off on your screen?

Break

2011-01-14T14:50:00.000Z

It's been nearly one whole month since I last posted. Possibly the longest hiatus?

I'm also not sure why. Every now and then I will lose the inspiration to blog. The new template must play a part too. I don't really like it and should do something to it so that I can get back to 'business'!

Hope you all had a good Christmas and this comes a little late but 'Happy New Year to all'!

Virus, virus go away!

2010-12-16T20:05:00.000Z

I'm having a terrible cold at the moment and it's the 7th day and counting. It started on the morning of our annual Christmas Lunch but the runny nose hadn't developed yet so I was able to taste the food. However after that, it was downhill all the way. I had way too much food and plus my dairy intake, I was so uncomfortable for the rest of the day. I wonder how people can stomach 3 course-meals on a regular basis. I couldn't even finish my pudding.

Anyhow, I spent the whole of last weekend in bed except to make meals for the family and attend a children party on Sunday. Temperature soared and I rummaged through my medicine box for miracle pills. The one that worked best for me was Actifast Panadol. That had since run out and I'm relying on Ibuprofen for the time being.

I've lost count the number of tissues I'd used. Thankfully, A gave me packs of wonder tissue which don't irritate the skin and make it sore. I forgot to bring it with me to work yesterday and had to rely on what was available. After a few blows, my nose became really red and sore. Yes, there's really a difference. Anyone needs to hire a red-nose reindeer?

Since last Friday, my best mates had been my bed and tissues. I'd never slept so much in a week. With the head pounding and feeling drowsy and so unwell, all I wanted to do was to be in bed. The coughing is keeping me up at night. I can't breathe through my bunked up nose so I have to breathe through my mouth instead. In doing so, my throat gets really dry and irritated and I start to cough. It goes in circles throughout the night until the medication kicks in and the nose gets decongested and I can breathe normally again.

We're one day away from a Christmas party. I want to be well enough to join in all the revelry. That is if we don't get snowed in. That, is another matter altogether.

Human vs animal

2010-12-14T18:29:00.000Z

Louisa told me today she's glad she's a human and not an animal. I asked her why. She replied, 'because there's so much more to do in life. Being an animal must be very boring!'

Feedback

2010-12-09T00:21:00.000Z

Dear readers,

As you can see, I've changed the template (again!). It wasn't deliberate and planned. To cut the long story short, I had switched to an old X'mas template I created some years ago out of whim without realising I hadn't saved a copy of the current codes previously. After a frantic search, I decided against spending ages recreating it again and instead chose one which I could just tweak a little to fit all the pictures.

I'll like to find out if the layout looks alright on your browser. I'm no expert with HTML and CSS. Haven't got a clue if what I've done looks the same universally. So please drop a comment if the layout is all over the place with your browser.

Thanks!
Roslyn

Frosty morning

2010-12-07T10:27:00.000Z

Here in England, weather is a perennial topic of discussion. But it's become a daily subject matter not just on the radio and TV but everyone. The DJ will lament about how cold it is; there'll be news about airport/school closures, train disruptions and travel chaos. People have died because of the cold and snow. One man lost his life while clearing snow outside his house. Very sad indeed. Drivers had been stuck in their cars, so on and so forth. Everyone you bump into during the school run, it'll be 'Hi! It's so cold!' or 'It's freezing! Bye!'.

We are more fortunate at where we are. Scotland and north England are boring the brunt of the adverse weather. Temperature dropped as low as -18C. I can't imagine that. The lowest we've had was around -5C and that was pretty hard going. I have been bundling up like a rice dumpling I must be waddling around like a penguin. But it's not all doom and gloom. With the snow, frost and wintry weather, the outdoors' looking very pretty and magical. We had fog the whole of yesterday. Combine that with the white and glistening branches on trees, it's looking alot like scenes out of Narnia. The trees look as though they had been sprinkled with dustings of icing sugar and glitter. Very enchanting indeed.

So if you don't think about the heating cost incurred, water bills (you will want to stay under the hot shower for as long as possible), scrapping your windscreen every morning, going through a box of teabags everyday (ok, that I exaggerate but you know what I mean), skin becoming as dry as the witch from Snow White, winter is actually not that bad afterall.

First snow

2010-12-01T19:58:00.000Z

For the past few weeks, we have been experiencing very cold weather with sub-zero temperatures. In some parts of the UK, more than 10cm of snow fell but luckily for us, we didn't get as much. Driving on icy roads is no fun, if you remember!

We woke up yesterday morning to a snowscape. The first snow of the season had fallen overnight but it wasn't as bad as what we had encountered early this year.

Either I am getting old or it's seriously cold. I don't remember feeling this cold, ever. On days that I work, I wear up to 4 layers! It doesn't help that the heating system at my workplace has gone kaput. Let's see when we will get a reprieve from the arctic temperatures.

Cooking and baking

2010-11-29T13:10:00.000Z

I'd been busy in the kitchen making things that A had asked me to stop for the time being. Reason? Our waistlines are expanding and the trousers are getting a little snug. For the past couple of weeks, I'd baked my first ever banana cake (there's a story behind it), a butter cake, Fried Carrot Cake and Char Siew/Red Bean Paste 'Pao' (also my first attempt) and sambal chilli.

Now to the story of banana cake. A's a big fan but unfortunately, not me. When I was in primary school, I once bought a piece of banana cake from the tuck-shop during recess. It had gone bad. Since then I couldn't go near any banana cake. The rancid taste forever etched in my mind. Then a few weeks back, there were quite a few bananas left over from Lavigne's birthday party. Eventually I had over-riped bananas in the kitchen and I thought what better use than to bake a banana cake! So I googled for a recipe and came across one which looks really simple. A was a happy bunny. I took my first bite after nearly 3 decades. It was alright. It won't be something I will choose to eat if I have a choice but I'm no longer scared of it.
Then the carrot cake. Louisa's been asking me to make her some. When I went to the Korean Supermarket, I saw some really fresh and nice looking radish. So I bought one and tried to replicate the type which the dim sum restaurants sell - with beansprouts and spring onions. I'd tried a few recipes so far but everytime the 'kuay' turn out to be a tad too wet. More tweaking I guess.
Finally Chinese 'paos'. Again, my family enjoys eating them - both sweet and savoury. I stumbled upon a recipe and remembered I have some Hong Kong flour in my kitchen cupboard. My mum called me just as I was about to start and when she heard that I was going to make some 'paos', she chuckled. Living abroad, we don't have easy access to all the Chinese and local food. Unlike back home, one can just pop into a kopitiam or foodcourt to get anything. So for people like me, it's either to stock up on the frozen ones when we do go to a Chinese supermarket or make ourselves. I'd always thought 'pao' making is quite difficult but on the contrary, it's actually not that hard. For me, it's the pleating of the dough that's the most tough. I made both charsiew and red bean paste. The latter filling which was store bought tasted overly sweet. No more shortcut for me next time. Homemade red bean paste definitely tastes better. Now every morning, Lavigne's been asking me to steam 'pao' for her.
I'm itching to bake a cake this week. But my muffin top's saying 'NO'!

Short like mum

2010-11-23T20:18:00.000Z

We were having dinner and Lavigne told me she doesn't like the cabbages. I said to her, 'Cabbages are my favourite! Don't you want to be like mum?' She quickly replied, 'But I don't want to be so short!' I burst out laughing! Luckily I didn't have food in my mouth.

Yesterdays

2010-11-23T11:45:00.001Z

Lavigne saw these pictures of herself and asked, 'Why do my hands have so many lines?'

Making themselves helpful

2010-11-23T10:29:00.000Z

Walking down memory lane

2010-11-20T22:49:00.000Z

It was more than a decade ago when we first arrived in this town. I remember we would spend most of our weekends there buying fruits and vegetables from the market and window shopping. Ahhh....uni life was so carefree then.

The town still looks pretty much the same. Except that there are more interesting shops and when shopping was good here then, it is even better now. It's got all the shops I like - H&M, TKMaxx, Cath Kidston etc etc. Surprise! Surprise! There's also the presence of Primark in this posh town.

A had always loved this place. Coming back here, he said we shouldn't have moved away from Surrey. But I guess you lose some, you gain some.

Guildford will always be close to our hearts, no doubt about that. We had spent 3 years together there.

Unlucky fate

2010-11-08T00:12:00.000Z

I took down this light bulb in A's study to check the wattage and voltage as I was going to order it online. This is what I found. A toasted ladybird with a teensy ant perched on it. How unfortunate of them to land there.

Advice to a woman

2010-11-07T17:34:00.000Z

I have found out recently of a person who actually records everything whenever he and his partner quarrels. Sometimes he will spite that person, confront the poor woman when the situation has calmed down a little just so she would blow up and then he could record it. For what purpose? Use it as evidence? To broadcast on Youtube/FB/spread around? Despicable? Definitely. But I'll say that man is downright insecure and totally childish. My advice to that woman is to ignore him. There's nothing you can do to change the man. Don't let your life be ruined by him and never ever stoop as low as him because if you do, you'll be no better than him. Enough said.

Blogosphere

2010-11-07T17:22:00.000Z

I find it rather amusing that some people actually believe everything that I write in this blog word for word. I'm not saying I make up stories or incidents. What I mean is that even though this is a documentation of my life, some things I wrote (for eg. being a 'domestic goddess') are not 100% true. I was just trying to be humorous and witty. But I guess I have failed. So please if you will, don't believe everything that I say here. I am NOT a domestic goddess and far from being one. I can also be the most untidy and disorganised human being around. But trust me, this is not a fictitious blog and never will be.

Around my house 5

2010-11-04T12:03:00.000Z

My attempt at being a somewhat domestic goddess continues. Actually it's more of an attempt to be better organised and tidy. I find that having baskets and containers do help to keep clutter away. But because of that, A has been calling me a 'basket lady'.

I found this really neat box for makeup from Ikea. My makeup used to be stored in another Ikea box from Singapore. It is much cheaper but it had 5 big compartments instead of my new one which is made specially for makeup.

I really like the slots for makeup brushes, eyeliners, mascaras etc. Everything is so accessible and within reach. Now who dare says I'm untidy and disorganised?

2010-11-03T21:16:00.000Z

It's the third day since I first felt unwell. This morning, I was sent back home by my boss because I had told her I wasn't feeling all that well. I should have kept quiet. But apparently all my colleagues had said I didn't look myself.

I thought the fever's gone. But it spiked again this morning and the headache came back. Since I was going to be working half day, I thought I'll be able to tahan till then. It was not to be. My boss said I should nurse my health back and told me to go back to bed with a hot water bottle.

Ever since becoming a mother, taking a nap seems almost wrong. The girls are at school. I'm poorly so it doesn't really matter if I slip back into my PJ and get under the duvet. But I felt I should be doing something. Anything. Even sitting in front of the computer like now, blogging, photo retouching or just surfing. At least I'm doing something rather than be in bed. But I gave up the emotional struggle and tried to get some rest. I only managed an hour of sleep and ended up cooking in the kitchen all afternoon.

Earlier, I had lamented at FB if I should feel happy or sad that I was sent home. Some of you may think it's nice not to work. What's the fuss? Trouble is if I don't work, I don't get paid. So there's no income for me today. I'm still having a temperature. Called my boss to ask how well must I get before I can return to work. She said the very fact that I'm having a fever is my body is fighting against something. So she advised that I stay home tomorrow. Sigh! I'm not sure what I've got. Just a temperature, tickly throat and I feel out of sort.

I wish I can just let things be and get myself well. Life is too short. But then again, I have to worry about lost income.

The love affair continues.....

2010-11-02T19:52:00.000Z

I'm so loving the colours of the season. More photos to share.

Ddukbokkie

2010-11-02T19:41:00.001Z

What I eat depends on who I'm hanging out with and what I have been recently introduced to. When I was at uni, I went throught phases of eating Thai, Italian and Taiwanese food, depending on who my housemates were then.

Lately, I'm into eating Korean food. It's strange I'm only hooked recently because I'd been watching Korean dramas for years. My first memory of eating Korean was at Seoul Garden. But that was forever years ago. Then my sisters brought me to an authentic Korean BBQ restaurant back in 2007. I remember once we placed an order, many complimentary side dishes were brought to the table. No wonder the items in the menu weren't cheap.

Anyhow, my friend V, prepared a Korean BBQ lunch when we went over to hers one weekend. She lives near a big Korean supermarket and had bought the store seasoned LA Beef ribs. I was hooked! They were so delicious! Last week, she brought me there and I bought the seasoned ribs, chicken and pork for A's birthday lunch over the weekend. I wished I live near the supermarket too but I don't. Then I found out they've got a branch in North London which is more accessible to me. Yay!

The above dish was very simple to make. Just boil some water with anchovies (I used ikan bilis powder instead), stir in some hot pepper paste and hot pepper flakes, add in a handful of rice cakes and boil. Finally, throw in some julienne spring onions and boil further (I added some cooked chicken). Voila! A hearty meal to warm the soul in this cold weather. Mine's more soupy instead of saucy. I think I added too much water. That's the problem with me. I cook by intuition. But I'm sure loving the chewy rice cakes and the soup was very tasty.

Fall

2010-11-02T11:39:00.000Z

Having lived in the UK for nearly 6 years (has it been that long already?!), I have to say I'm loving Autumn this year. It's never been a favourite season of mine. I had preferred Spring. The days are short (it starts to get dark at 4pm) and I never know how to dress fashionably for it's neither too cold nor is it warm. Then I discovered layering after observing the mannequins in the window displays and of course in magazines. I used to just wear coat over a jumper or long-sleeve T. It was so boring then. But now, I have more fun dressing for fall.

Fashion aside, my eyes have 'opened' to the surroundings due to my increased interest in photography. I'm always on the lookout for something to snap. For example, the girls and my friends were wondering why on earth would I take pictures of horse poo when we were having a walk in the forest last week. Remember my last post? You never know when a picture may come in handy.

Yesterday was the first day back at school after the one-week break. The colours of leaves on the trees were amazing! Even though I was unwell, I was still thinking of photo opportunities! I wished I had my camera with me. So this morning, I brought it with me on the school run. Just a day and the trees look so different. They are balder compared to yesterday. That's why we should 'make hay while the sun shines'. I should take my camera with me wherever I go.

Miserable Monday

2010-11-01T15:06:00.000Z

I feel like........(look away if you're eating. Revolting photo coming up)

.
.
.
.
.

S**T!
Here I am having a fever with a head that weighs a ton. My grand plan of tidying and cleaning the house today had to take a backseat. I'm surprised it took so long for me to fall sick. Almost every child in the school were having runny nose and lots were coughing badly. I had to throw away so many snotty tissues but I made sure I cleaned my hands with a sanitiser afterwards. Alas! Gimmy Germs caught up with me.
My throat started feeling funny last Friday. A sure sign that a viral attack is on its way. I made myself a cup of ginseng drink and drank loads of homemade honey Chrysanthemum tea yesterday which gave me a bad tummy. Sigh!

Queue

2010-11-01T11:45:00.001Z

Any idea what are these people queueing up for?

(Answer in comment folder)

London City Airport

2010-10-30T17:17:00.001+01:00

I wasn't flying off to anywhere. We were having dinner with some family friends at a Chinese restaurant opposite the airport. The view was absolutely stunning!

London's Borough Market

2010-10-26T20:38:00.003+01:00

I've heard about this market for ages but didn't get the chance to go there until one fine day in June. We made the mistake of arriving there at lunch time on a Saturday, the busiest time of the week.

I had no idea what to expect but soon realised it's a place to explore, a haven for photographers. But it wasn't easy to jostle against the hungry crowd.

The place is just so interesting. I would like to go back when it's less crowded. The girls love the market too! They've been asking 'when can we go to Borough Market again?'.

Not only can you find fresh produce from all over UK but also products from other parts of Europe. Most people were drawn to the cooked food and snack stalls.

There were simply too many choices. In the end, I had one very big and fresh oyster and shared a chorizo sandwich with A. Louisa also had a giant slice of watermelon. I had been trying to replicate the chorizo sandwich at home because all of us love it so much.

The cakes look so delicious and tempting! But we were all full and were going to be out the whole day so didn't buy any to bring home.

Look at that sandwich. Such simple ingredients but absolutely divine! Just looking at it makes my mouth water.

As a flower lover, how can I not snap any picture of such beauties?

Oh I can't wait to make another trip to the market.

Summer Garden 2010

2010-10-26T09:35:00.000+01:00

I wish my garden is looking like that now but it's not. I'd already cleared away the faded annuals and planted some evergreens. The nights are really cold lately. One of my dahlias was flowering nicely when the cold frost came and blackened the plant. It's time I lift the tuber and replant it next year. It's half-term now (hence the regular posting). I hope the weather will be good enough for me to change the layout of the beddings a little.

Eat Tokyo

2010-10-25T20:47:00.002+01:00

After a trip to Ikea to get some stuff for the girls, we had dinner at Eat Tokyo which was near the flat-pack giant. I ate at the Soho branch a week ago. Knowing the girls had been wanting to eat sushi, I was keen to try this other branch. The food is good value for money and the menu seems endless (which can be a headache). Personally, I prefer the Golders Green branch. The decor is nicer and cosier and more importantly, food is fresher and comes in bigger portions. There's also a small Japanese supermarket 2 doors away. Definitely a bonus!

The only reason we took a family picture was because one of the waiters saw me snapping photos and asked if we would like him to take one for us.

If you happen to be in North London, do visit this little restaurant for your Japanese food fix.

The dog

2010-10-25T16:52:00.002+01:00

I'm never a fan of dogs. In fact, I'm afraid of them. When I was little and living in the kampong, I was bitten by one. Since then whenever one gets near me, I'll get jittery.

You must be wondering how I managed to take this photo. The dog was across the river from me. Therefore I was safe.

Daddy's birthday card

2010-10-22T22:23:00.001+01:00

Louisa obviously adores her dad. She made him a birthday card and that's what she came up with using his name.

The countryside

2010-10-22T21:59:00.002+01:00

We went on a country walk one Saturday. The weather wasn't that fantastic but we were rewarded with picturesque scenery and stunning views. From flower meadows to lakes and woodlands. It provided a fantastic opportunity for some serious photography.

It's autumn now. I should get out there for this is the best time to capture the wonderful colours of the change of season.

Canary Wharf

2010-10-22T00:44:00.004+01:00

I was experimenting with HDR imaging. The proper method is to take multiple photographs at varying exposure levels and merge them using a photographic software. But I don't have the proper software and used different actions to try to achieve images that seem to have a high dynamic range instead.

There's still lots to learn though. I shall try the proper method one day.

Cold cold cold!

2010-10-21T18:16:00.003+01:00

The girls woke up this morning and started having an argument. Lavigne said it had snowed and Louisa said it was just frost. Louisa was right even though it looked like snow had arrived early. Most things were white and I had to defrost the car.

The temperature has taken a nosedive and barely goes above freezing point at night. Time to get the electric blanket out. The bed needs warming up before I get in. BRRrrrrrrr.......

Therapy

2010-10-20T16:00:00.003+01:00

Last week I was on a course and we were asked a question, 'What do you do when you're sad?'. People gave answers like 'cry', 'chocolates', 'food' and 'sulk'. For me, I need distractions. I need to do things. Things I enjoy doing. So chores are not counted.

Yesterday the sun was shining brightly. I had 2 choices - wash the car (bleh!) or do something I like. You guessed it. I chose the latter. It was a lovely day to make a trip to the garden centre. Not just any local garden centre but one which is about 20min drive away. If you'd been following my blog, I'd written about it being a super garden centre for it sells all kinds of things apart from food. So not only was I able to check out some plants, I could do some photography too. That's killing two birds with one stone. Perfect! That's my therapy.

I know in Singapore, many stores frown upon photography. I'd taken photographs at the centre before and no one bat an eyelid then. Still, I was a little apprehensive about whipping my camera out.

Nevertheless, I still snapped quite alot of photos. No one stopped me. I just got some curious looks from shoppers.

It's called a garden centre no doubt but the household department is really amazing. The range is just fabulous. From French Design to modern, vintage to shabby chic. I can do my Christmas shopping here.

There were so many temptations but I resisted them all. Well done me! Why? I planned to get a few plants so I just had to stop myself from putting things into my trolley.

When I stepped outside to the main plant area, the sky turned dark. Shortly after, the heavens opened and it poured!

The shops are selling Christmas' stuff! I'm not ready for it. In my mind, Christmas came and past not too long ago. For some reasons, unlike previous years, I'm not looking forward to all the festivities. But still, looking at those unbelievably pretty and gorgeous ornaments, I couldn't help but smile.

Despite the downpour, I got my photos and my plants. I am a happy bunny. Now, time for some serious digging!

Life Journey

2010-10-19T10:30:00.001+01:00

Mummies' Day Out

2010-10-18T21:49:00.005+01:00

E and C had been planning this trip for months. Or rather, we were supposed to go to London for a day sometime in June. But due to all sorts of reasons, it didn't happen until yesterday.

So E, C, V and I got together and we spent a whole day in London - eating, shopping and gossiping *ahem* no no.... catching up. C hasn't been on a girly outing ever since becoming a mummy and it was very liberating for her. We plan to do this regularly. Whoever says mummies can't have a life?

Moments like this...

2010-10-09T16:23:00.004+01:00

.....are hard to come by. Lavigne likes to read but gets distracted easily. I went to the library to borrow my favourite childhood books, the Enid Blyton series, for the girls. She seemed interested. I hope she'll spend more time reading.

New Look

2010-10-08T22:48:00.002+01:00

No, I haven't privatised my blog. Neither have I become reclusive and excluded my readers.

I had temporarily 'shut down' my blog while I did some maintenance work.

I got bored with the look of my blog and was playing around with some new templates when I unknowingly changed it. A friend informed me the 'new template' wasn't properly done. It was then when I realised it had been changed by mistake.

So before the whole thing is completed, I decided to close-shop in case the blog looks strange.

Friends started to call/email/message me asking me why I had privatised my blog and asked for permission to read. I take it as they're my faithful readers and didn't want to be left out. Thank you for your interest and support! I'm flattered.

Neglect

2010-10-01T14:30:00.007+01:00

As I had mentioned in the previous post that this blog is beginning to collect dust and is somewhat neglected of late. Since I started this online documentation of my life, many things distracted me from updating regularly. Baking, cooking, decorating, gardening, scrapbooking etc etc etc. It all depends.

So what's keeping me from blogging these days?

The arrival of our sofa.

I find myself gravitating to the lounge at the end of each day.

You see, we used to have a sofabed bought second-hand from A's friend who was leaving the country not long after we arrived. It was in excellent condition and very comfortable to sleep on. But it's not meant for lounging. The sofabed has a low back and no armrest. Nonetheless we had it for nearly 6 years. It doubled up as a bed for our guests. Well, we still have it. It's waiting for a new owner. When I get to selling it.

Back to the story. It was a nice change. A proper sofa to sit on finally. The velvety material makes it warm and so cosy. Especially now that it's getting rather chilly.

So A and I now like to spend our evenings on it watching the telly. Most times he'll fall asleep first which is good because I get to watch my cooking shows, heh! But I often find myself struggling to stay awake too. It is that comfortable.

Our Lounge

Before coming to UK, I had liked the modern and sleek look. Time and age must have caught up with me. I find myself appreciating the more classic style or what my friend calls as 'mature look'. Yes, I'm getting more mature.

Not a fan of stark white walls, I went for neutral shades. The photos look dark because they were taken on a miserable wet day.

A self-confessed non-minimalist, I'm still on a search for the right picture to be hung above the sofa, waiting to acquire a mirror and plenty of photo frames waiting for me to be put up.

I love ambient lighting. I'll rather have the table lamps switched on than the overhead lights. The harsh bright lights hurt my eyes. This drives A nuts! He likes everything bright! You'll know which room he's been in because he'll switch the light on but never off. He calls me Queen of Darkness. Even in our bedroom, we have a blackout blind.

The colour scheme is a little mismatch at the moment. We're still searching for the right cushions. Don't ask me why we have a Union Jack cushion and some cheena ones currently. They were not my choice. The rug had been with us for several years too. Give us some time and we'll make it nicer and more homely.

So if you don't find any new updates here, most likely I've not parked my bottom here in the study but on the sofa downstairs in the lounge.