Last post of 2009

Okay...this is it. We've now come to the end of 2009, and this would also mark the end of this blog. Well, I'm not gonna delete it, of course -- it'll remain part of my archived items cos I do cherish it! -- but a new year always symbolises a fresh start, and hence my decision to always begin a new blog for the year's records.

The link to my blog for 2010 is www.niles31610@blogspot.com. Bye bye, 2009 blog! Hello, 2010 blog!

Department 'outing'

Went to MJ's place for the second time yesterday for our department meeting-cum-lunch-cum-mini housewarming. She'd done up her house real good and was involved in every process, from making major decisions to considering the nitty gritties of everything. Not bad, cos her place is now so much nicer compared to what it was previously like. :)

Her house kinda follows a resort theme, and the furnishing's pretty much barang-barang style. Very zen indeed. My favourite spot would be this lovely heart-shaped pond that's right under the staircase and next to the dining area. I went to play with the fish in her pond with some other colleagues and our hands stayed long enough in it to let the fish nibble at our fingers. So ticklish...haha...

Lunch came once the proper business was all settled-- MJ got her faithful housekeeper to cook a range of delicious spicy items for us -- I especially loved the sambal chicken and garden salad, which went really well with the nasi briyani. There's also a cold fruit cocktail dessert which had an assortment of fruit swimming in cream and what tasted mildly like melted mozzarella cheese. Cool! Also tried the stuffed sour mango pickle for the first time...Sophia warned me saying that I wouldn't like it but I thought there wasn't harm in just trying it. Turned out I took a small bite and almost puked -- it's too sour and salty and there's too much Indian spice in it, I guess. I love the curries and sambal stuff and all, but now I know my palate's not too keen on connecting with so much spice all in one dish! :p

Heh, no matter how yummy the food was, it could never compare with the fantastic time I had playing with Bo, the large, handsome male golden retriever in the house! He's so affectionate! Bo was initially chained to his dog house at the back of the house, and Sophia and I started playing with him. Then upon being let out, he started running about joyfully, and leapt up at me a couple of times, leaning his whole weight on me as he stood on his two hind legs...my goodness, he's so strong he could even make me stagger backwards when he did that! Haha...so cute...and he seems to run and kick at the same time, throwing his butt in the air at regular intervals. Omg...so hilarious...and I also got whipped by his muscular tail several times...found out that it's a sign of his affection...haha...

Sigh...I went home with a lingering doggy smell on me and a longing for a furry companion of my own...

Potluck party on Boxing Day

It's been quite a while since a gathering for my secondary school gang was organised, and I was happy to be able to arrange one at home for everyone the day after Christmas. :)

Hubby and I had begun preparations for the little party a couple of days before that, getting the practical items and the gifts ready. That morning, half of our table tennis table was moved out to be used as the food table -- size was just right. :) We placed the snow globe in the centre to weigh down the table cloth and also as a little extra decoration. The bar stools and table from the kitchen was placed near the TV lounge so there're more options for seating. Then came the people and the food at 1pm plus... there were pizzas, loads of otah sticks, assorted nonya kuehs, chocolate eclairs, tiramisu, longan cocktail with almond jelly, chocolate sticks and balls, white wine and sparkling juice.

Heh, and there're the little presents that they took after drawing a number each before they left. Think each gift matches the person I thought most suitable to have it. Haha... :) Luckily, no one said anything about the haphazard style of wrapping. :p

We had quite a lively time, and I think it was absolutely great to see almost everyone hanging out together again after so long... sigh, now that we all hold different jobs and lead such different lives, it's more difficult to meet up as a complete group, but I know that we'd all try our best to make it happen if there's an opportunity. Everyone hasn't changed much in terms of personality, so the gathering brought back some funny memories of the times we shared back in school...I so miss those days!

Am looking forward to the next gathering, which would most probably be at Elmo's new apartment next year after renovation's done...so happy for her that she's finally getting her keys after four whole years of waiting! :D

Christmas :)

Talk about a sweaty Christmas... :p

It's been so long since our badminton bags and rackets saw the light of day ever since we took to playing table tennis at home, but they finally had the chance to go out on Christmas morning when Hubby and I met up with my colleague and her boyfriend for a game of doubles at Clementi Sports Hall.

Was a little worried that the game might be a bit too much for me to take cos they'd booked the court for two hours and I hadn't been playing for a while, plus just recovered from my cold, but it turned out to be okay, especially since after the first hour plus, we two girls left the guys to play singles while we sat chatting. Haha... (but my muscles still ached like crazy after that... even now! :p). The four of us also went for lunch at a kopitiam after the game. Overall, I quite enjoyed the session. :)

We also opened our presents early in the morning before the game. Beebee and Benne gave Hubby a Star Wars Christmas figurine, which is on display on top of our TV now. Pretty cute! And I got a nice pin board which I'll put at my desk at work. Stationery never fails to please me cos I'm such a stationery freak! ;D I got Hubby a WMF beer mug cos he's been drinking beer lately and I also got a surprise mini gift although Hubby'd already given me the DSi a few months ago (which he's still sore about cos it kinda spoilt the surprise he'd planned :p)...

TADA! Mini it is, indeed! So adorable! It's a TY Beanie Boo, a new series featuring plush babies with huge round eyes! This is Coconut, my new mini monkey... Heehee, I know I'm kinda past the stage where I wanna own plush toys, but this one immediately brightened up my mood...look at the sweet sweet smile...haha... :) Now it's just sitting on the couch next to me.

Now the word 'coconut' just sounds so cute. Haha. ^_^

Christmas eve meals and purchases

Met Beebee after her half-day of work (or rather, pre-Christmas fun in the office -- cos she didn't really do any work at all! :p) on Christmas eve last Thursday, but started my own fun shopping before I met her for lunch cos there were quite a few things I had to get! :)

Dropped by Kinokuniya first cos the watch book that Hubby had enquired about some time ago finally made it to the bookstores. Man! This book by the Singapore Clock & Watch Trade Association sure took a long time to reach the shelves, but I was so happy when I finally laid my hands on it, cos I'd made a few calls in hope of getting Hubby that for Christmas, but was disappointed by the lack of news about it. Though it didn't end up as a Christmas gift after all, I was just delighted to finally claim that hard-to-locate book. :p

Also bought a pair of Star Wars chopsticks (yes, can you believe it?!) for Hubby. He'd bought himself a pair that's blue recently (supposed to be associated with Luke Skywalker), but didn't feel shiok using it as he kept thinking of the red one (this one's linked to Darth Vader). To keep him from 'grumbling' further, I decided to just get him the red pair. Now he seems a lot happier using the Darth Vader chopsticks to pick up his food. Haha... :p

My next stop was the Christmas bazaar at Takashimaya -- so many cheap but lovely gifts to buy as simple tokens for friends! Since I was going to have the secondary school gang over for a potluck party on Boxing Day, I decided, upon Hubby's suggestion, to surprise them with little gifts that I would number and then get them to draw for the gift. :) I loved shopping around at the bazaar! Within a simple half an hour, I'd managed to pick up what I thought were cute yet practical buys at low sale prices. Also threw in a few extra buys for some colleagues as well... :)

Then Beebee came and we lunched at this Asian eatery named Central, I think. It's right opposite Ajisen Ramen. She had the trishaw noodles while I ordered the prawns fried rice. Then we shared the cold tofu layered with floss and some garlic cheese sticks. The noodles were normal, kinda like instant mee pok; the rice was okay, with quite a number of prawns, which was good; the tofu was nice; the garlic cheese sticks were -- hmm, quite bland and tasted like thin crisp dough, with hardly any filling. Overall, the food was ok -- nothing to rave about though -- but the service displeased us. So...uh-uh, that'll be the last time we step in there to eat.

We moved about to browse at more stuff -- Beebee also bought her Christmas gift for Benne and some other items. Then it was off to get her log cake and my dinner back from Ion. By then, the malls were utterly crowded and we were both starting to feel irritable cos we honestly hated such massive crowds! Anyway, I got dinner from this Korean chicken place -- they were handing out free chicken wings for passers-by to try and Beebee tasted one, saying it's good, so I thought to just give it a try. Ordered the tofu rice box and soy garlic chicken rice box with an additional caesar salad for some fibre. I was handed a device and told to return to the pick up spot to claim my food when the device lit up, but for it to work, I had to stay within 500m of the eatery. Well, that device never did light up, and I was running out of patience cos we wanted to check out other places for Beebee's log cake, so we just went and waited next to the pick up counter. Service could have been a little faster, but thank goodness the food was good. I enjoyed the kimchi coleslaw that came with the rice. Refreshing. :) But the electronic device idea? Innovative but not very efficient.

Spent the rest of the evening wrapping the purchases I'd made... think my gift-wrapping skills are still horrible but maybe it improved just a tad with all the practice I had that evening? After all, I'd never wrapped that many gifts at one go on my own! :p

Christmas parade in HDB estate

Last night, a surprise display of floats appeared along a road at our estate, which our kitchen window overlooks. Hubby first discovered it and hurriedly rushed me downstairs with him to check out the parade.

Turned out it's organised by a group of churches in Singapore. The floats were accompanied by volunteers dressed in lovely costumes that told the story of Christmas. There was also some choral singing. Apparently, the group had been cruising along many stretches of roads in Singapore, and came all the way from Orchard Road.

Pretty spectacular! It's a nice way to bring some Christmas cheer to the heartlands. :)

Reverie: Cirque on Ice

Hubby received a call last Friday, notifying him of his win in a lucky draw (which he didn't even know existed prior to that call :p) -- he had won four tickets to the performance Reverie: Cirque on Ice near the Indoor Stadium! All he had to do was print out an email and go collect the tickets with that printout and his Singapore Indoor Stadium Star Pass.

We were, of course, kinda thrilled by the pleasant surprise. After all, Hubby had voluntarily entered several lucky draws before, none of which presented him with any substantial win. And this one he won -- without even knowing he was part of the draw! :D Anyway, eventually we invited a couple, PS and Kenneth, to go with us to catch the show last Sunday. We had some time to catch up a while with them over a pizza lunch at our place before hopping into Kenneth's car for the ride to the stadium. Had a great time continuing our chat in the car -- it's been mighty long since the last time we met up at their place! :)

Hubby got a little bit of a shock when he went to collect his free tickets and was told that they'd been collected already. Luckily, he managed to clarify and resolve the mistake and so was able to still get his tickets. Haha. The show's staged on an ice platform and featured several acrobatic stunts and funny antics by a clownish character. It's supposed to take place in the form of a story but we wouldn't have understood the plot at all if we hadn't read the pamphlet description. :p Music and singing're both good, and we appreciated the various acts. But I guess since Hubby and I have watched Quidam before, our expectations were kinda raised, and this show didn't quite impress us as much as the former did back then.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed myself that day! :)

Take That!

Just watched this DVD at home... and am now officially won over by Take That. I've always liked their songs, but never declared myself a fan... till NOW.

The antics, the stunts, the setting, the props, the singing, the songs, the overall showmanship...oh man, WOW!!! This concert's gonna be so hard to beat.

I love these guys... this DVD's a must-watch for all Take That fans, and anyone who wants to view a spectacular show.

Ok, 'nuff said, lest I spoil the magic for would-be viewers. :p

Joy and satisfaction!

The N level examination results have been released at last, and yesterday saw me delighting in the success of my Sec 4N class for having done well at English Language, the best they'd ever performed to date as a class.

Though a few could not gain promotion to Secondary Five because they didn't do well at their other subjects, I know they've done their best and I think they know it too, so they calmly accepted their results. Those who were given a chance to take the O level examination next year were clearly ecstatic and displayed amusing acts such as jumping out of their seats and running around the hall screaming in joy or simply sitting there staring at their results slip while grinning in a silly fashion. Haha...

This class has been wonderful to teach, despite the times when they drove me up the wall during their 'off' days. :p I'm so gonna miss them too, cos I won't be teaching them next year, though I wish I would. Sigh.

Anyway, no matter where these kids go from now, I wish them all the best! :)

Food and happiness

Christmas is just around the corner, and it's always known that people eat more during festive periods. Though my appetite hasn't been very good for the past few days (am now nursing a bit of an uncomfortable throat), I must say that the week after returning from Perth saw me enjoying some good food still. Hopefully recounting these good eating times will help me improve my appetite!

First, there's the 313@Somerset that started operating not long ago. Hubby and I visited the mall last week on our way back-- I'm quite impressed by the stores there. Think the opening hours of some stores are also slightly longer than those at other major malls. In fact, at about 10pm, we decided to chill out a little at Blue Mountain Cafe. I'd heard of the famous Blue Mountain coffee and thought it might be worth a try, especially with the tantalising coffee aroma wafting into the nostrils!

It was Hubby who eventually ordered the famous coffee, poured from a small glass jug into a delicate porcelain cup right before our eyes. He's not so much of a gourmet when it comes to coffee, so he wasn't quite able to appreciate the difference between this coffee and that sold in kopitiams, but I thought it tasted fine -- not so thick, yet fragrant enough to want more. I ordered the recommended iced fruit tea, served in a tall pitcher glass with cut bits of apple, pineapple and orange. Not bad, though it'd go much better with a sandwich or something instead of on its own cos it's quite acidic in nature. Then there's the apple crumble with vanilla ice cream on the side. Just tasting the crumble on its own without the filling is enjoyable to me. Nice!

Service was, however, something that could have been improved, we felt. Guess the staff weren't very much experienced or trained, and we encountered a few hiccups when it came to the orders as well as the bill payment that caused us to leave less than happy, despite having enjoyed the food.

The next meal of good food I enjoyed was at Goodwood Park Hotel last Sunday evening. Elmo and I went to attend KH's wedding dinner there and had a great time, especially since we were so entertained by his antics in the video clips that showed how he and his best men endured the challenges given by the bridesmaids to get to his bride eventually. Hahaha... so hilarious! Too bad the rest couldn't make it to view this! Will also find it hard to forget the comical way KH spoke to us when he greeted us outside the ballroom: “怎么办, 怎么办？！我很紧张leh！”He's still the old secondary school innocent teen we knew back then! :D But we're so happy for him now that he's found his soulmate to spend the rest of his life with. We know he's honest to the core and he'd be a wonderful husband to his lady. :)

These days, table gifts for wedding guests are also more creative. Instead of your usual chocolate or fruit cake, you now get things like bottled honey and tea infuser! So cute... :) I especially like the tea infuser cos I'm a tea-drinker. Shall use it at home one of these days.

The food served was quite yummy too. In fact, I think it's one of the better wedding feasts I've enjoyed. Also like the fact that thick, gooey seafood and mushroom soup was served in place of sharks' fin soup. Spare the sharks and still taste soup that's of a similarly rich texture and goes well with your vinegar and pepper. Yum! The prawns, my favourite, were so fat and succulent as well. Also loved the dessert -- cold cream of mango and pomelo with sago. Mmmm...!

能吃是福; I wish my appetite would return soon! It's such a dread not wishing to eat anything! :S

'Breaking' of contract -- for good causes

Remember how Hubby signed a contract I created some time ago for him to curb his habit of shopping for watches? Well, he kinda 'broke' that contract recently, cos he initiated exactly that -- but all for good reason. :)

The first watch he wanted to get was for his dad as a birthday gift for his 60th birthday. He'd given one to FIL before but it might be a little too loud for his taste so Hubby decided to get one of more subtle class this time. We went to People's Park Complex last Thursday evening to hunt for good deals and finally settled on a Tissot men's classic design after going in and out of several stores and stepping back into the first store where we saw that watch. Am so pleased we chose that one out of the few watches recommended to us by the retailer cos it put a mighty big smile on FIL's face when he received it the next day:

Hehe, I love the feeling of being able to play a part in giving something to someone and seeing a glow on that person's face upon receiving it! Such is the ultimate joy of giving! ^_^ Think he's really delighted with the gift cos, according to him, it's exactly the kinda design he loves -- simply, thin and easy to read (thank goodness Hubby asked MIL for some tips beforehand :p).

The weekend following that, we went out to Bencoolen Street to get Hubby's student's older brother a gift for his 21st birthday. It was a watch (what else?!) cos it's for a significant event, and we're invited to join in the celebration at his home. Decided on a Casio G-shock that's pretty special -- black plastic case, white leather strap. Apparently, the recipient loves it too, based on the thank-you SMS he sent to Hubby after receiving it.

Hmmm...am starting to buy into the idea that watches make great gifts indeed, if you know how to choose the right ones!

Perth travelogue: Day 6 (6th Dec)

~It's the final day of our trip now; since no programme was planned for the entire morning before Dominic was to send us off to the airport, we decided to wake up early still and walk down to Harbour Town after breakfast ~ ended up a little disappointed cos we learnt that the stores weren't opened till past 11am ~ decided to take a train ride on a different route this time to enjoy the ride and see more things in the day; went to Kenwick and back ~ checked out of the hotel and left our luggage at the concierge then walked to Harbour Town again, determined to shop a bit ~ Beebee was the biggest winner -- she bought so many items! I didn't though, but it was fun browsing about despite the short amount of time we had there, some things were really cheap, but others weren't so ~ lunch was quickly settled by grabbing a sandwich from a snack bar along the way back to the hotel ~ Dominic picked us up and purposely went by the casino for us to see the outside before stopping at the airport ~ Home sweet home after that! (But I still miss the Aussie lifestyle.)

Ugh...I need another holiday!

Perth travelogue: Day 5 (5th Dec)

~After breakfast at hotel, we departed on the Australian Pinnacles tour on board a small bus with other tourists from other hotels ~ the coach guide who served us was Steve, an amiable and most helpful Australian guy ~ alighted first at Caversham Wildlife Park (again! Yippee!), this time for a shorter tour ~ interacted with the koalas and kangaroos again -- don't think I'll ever tire of it! ;P ~ stopped by the Indian Ocean and walked on the soft fine sand into the cold refreshing waters ~ lunch was a picnic buffet set by Steve, which I thoroughly enjoyed ~ then it was the stop at the Pinnacles ~ though it was close to 40 degrees Celsius, I didn't really feel as unbearably hot as I'd expected cos there was, again, a constant breeze blowing -- hardly perspired even ~ Beebee, Hubby and I wrote our names and signed our comments on the guest book at the souvenir store entrance, then went in to browse about ~ made our book purchases there too ~ Steve had cold juices awaiting us back at the coach -- how thoughtful!

~Sand dunes at Lancelin next! It's amazing how the sand built up over the years to become soft, yet solid grounds for roller coaster rides on the vehicles ~ tried sandboarding as well; scared of the tall dune for adults so got Beebee to try the smaller dunes with me; Mummy tried that too, surprisingly! ~ wasn't as breathtaking as it would have been along the steep slope of the tall large dune that Hubby tried FOUR times on, but I'm satisfied -- at least I can declare that I've tried sandboarding before! :p ~ Steve stopped by the road for us to take some lovely shots of beautiful orange-yellow plants that flourished on a piece of land that was burnt to ashes by arsonists a year ago ~ captured shots of the beautiful sunset on the ride back to the hotel ~ had dinner at a posh place named Matsuki Japanese Restaurant, just a few minutes' walk from our hotel, that captivated us cos of the large crowds and nice decor ~ service was excellent -- it was authentic Japanese food served by polite and smiling Japanese ladies in kimonos ~ quantity must have been catered for the huge Aussie appetites as each set meal was really filling!

:)

Perth travelogue: Day 4 (4th Dec)

~Had breakfast at hotel again -- it's the same range of items as before ~ Dominic came to pick us up to tour about King's Park, which kinda reminded me of our local Henderson Waves cos of the bridges and plants ~ took more pictures there ~ enjoyed the bird's eye view of the waters, buildings and plants ~ weather was getting hot (more than 30 degrees Celsius) but it was okay cos the breeze was cool still ~ went past the Parliament House later on; was told by Dominic that due to tradition, no air conditioning has been installed at all, and whoever lived there were willing to endure even the hottest temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius there!

~Next was a visit to the Perth Mint, where we witnessed for ourselves a live demonstration of how ultra-hot liquid gold was poured, cooled and solidified into a dense gold bar -- an eye-opener indeed! ~ walked about and examined gold exhibits ~ tried to pick up a gold bar but my goodness, it was so heavy that it could hardly be lifted at all with a single bend of the wrist ~ slipped $2 into a machine and bought my copper coin, stamped on the spot; the guy in charge of that machine was so comical as he joked about with us; Hubby left happily with his 金鼻屎 and postcards ~ next it was off to Lake Monger, home to the famous black swans and other birds like pelicans and mandarin ducks ~ the birds didn't seem afraid of humans at all, and we were able to get close up shots of and with the black swans too -- how beautiful! ~ after that, Dominic stopped at a beach for us to take in the sea breeze, and look at how the Australians spent their day having picnics, suntanning and swimming out there -- from the crowds we saw there, it must be a habit for Australians to spend their day at the beach in the hot summer sun ~ the cool sea breeze made it all the more comfortable to be there.

~Stopped at the famous Fremantle to take it the harbour scene and explore the fresh seafood markets there before lunch ~ the place was like a small European town with the narrow stretches of roads and the architecture of the buildings -- very nice! ~ lunch was at the Esplanade Hotel Fremantle, which boasts a great variety of items at its buffet meals; especially loved the creamy vegetable soup ~ next we were taken to the Old Round House, which used to be a place of punishment for prisoners ~ it was sweltering hot out there but pretty cool within the stone walls of the cells.

~Went about Fremantle marketplace but think it's kinda overrated as the prices of what used to be cheap goods have soared in recent years due to increase in rent, but it was still nice walking about and looking ~ bought much cheaper souvenirs at a place nearby that Dominic recommended, owned by Singaporeans -- must support! :) ~ also stopped at a large hypermart for some macadamia nuts shopping as well as a small Asian-owned convenience store for some nougats ~ dinner was at Jade Chinese Seafood Restaurant; dishes were tasty, especially the stir-fried vegetables and the preserved vegetable soup ~ returned to hotel after that and we all spent part of the evening in Mummy and Papa's room eating the fresh plums, peaches and nectarines that we'd bought at the orchard previously.

:)

Perth travelogue: Day 3 (3rd Dec)

~Awoke at 5 plus in the morning to catch the sunrise before dozing off for another couple of hours ~ had a hearty breakfast prepared by Anne, comprising fried vermicelli with cabbage and carrot strips, sunny side ups, thick bacon strips and toast with butter ~ then it was off to feed the chickens; saw the largest rooster I'd ever set my eyes on (so majestic-looking as it strutted about and made noise at the same time); witnessed the collection of eggs ~ enjoyed a longer ride on the truck again to check out the harvesting of canola plants which Robyn and her family would sell to processing companies for the manufacturing of canola oil ~ on the way back, she also stopped by a herd of cattle and demonstrated the feeding of this herd; I actually felt saddened as we left on the truck cos the cattle continued following us for some distance till the gates were shut on them -- they really did look so sad. :(

~Lunch was served close to noon and as usual, it was a filling homemade lunch of goodness; had tender drumsticks in dark gravy, battered fish with lemon sauce, fried veggies, refreshing cold lemonade and also some watermelon as dessert; everything was made entirely from scratch, right down to the gravy and sauce --Mmmm! ~ after bidding goodbye to our hosts, we left the farm ~ Dominic stopped to let us look around a dam and take some pictures, then we continued on the journey towards Raeburn Orchards, where we strolled about to look at the lovely fruits planted and harvested ~ went into the barn, a sort of mini market place, to check out the fresh produce as well as make some purchases; this was also where I bought the sauces to try out; also had some mango sorbet there and attempted to play with a friendly pet dog of the owner (yeah, it's not just the people that's friendly -- their animals are too!).

~Left the orchard and headed back to Citigate, where we checked in once again ~ took more shots along the way, capturing more activities and scenic views ~ left the hotel later in the evening to look for our own dinner ~ settled on this Italian restaurant called Valentino for a cool alfresco dining experience ~ temperature dropped to perhaps 20 degrees Celsius or slightly less and there was a steady cold wind blowing, but we were soon warmed by the food we all shared~ ordered prawn in garlic sauce and rice, pumpkin risotto, BBQ chicken pizza, mushroom and chicken pasta in cream sauce and Hubby had his gigantic steak and some apple cider ~ while we left the bill for the men to settle, Beebee, Mummy and I went to the ladies and saw this machine containing chewable toothpaste to provide some minty breath after meals; Beebee bought one for $2 as a keepsake ~ went back to hotel with parents but Beebee, Hubby and I went out again later on to catch a train ride just for the experience ~ rode to Fremantle and back with a young, burly Indian transit officer whom we'd approached back at our original Perth station; he was so friendly and he and a couple of other officers chatted with us on the way -- so nice!

:)

Perth travelogue: Day 2 (2nd Dec)

~Woke up to an early breakfast at the hotel; heaped those I preferred onto my plate (scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, heavenly seared tomatoes, bacon strips and braised mushrooms) ~ checked out from hotel and enjoyed more scenery along the way to our next stop ~ weather was great (again just slightly more than 20 degrees Celsius).

~Stopped for a guided tour at Caversham Wildlife Park ~ had the opportunity to view the beautiful birds and other creatures as well as interact with the koalas and kangaroos there; learnt how to stroke the koalas gently with the back of my hand and also fed the lively kangaroos with food pellets given to us; touched and took a picture with a huge wombat securely held in the arms of another employee of the park as well ~ I loved the close encounters with the animals!!! ^_^

~ Next up was a visit to Houghton Winery, which included some wine tasting; as usual, I preferred the white wine that I tasted to the red one, but boy was the white one so much more delicious than any other I'd tasted before (it was really sweet and champagne-like, minus the bubbles) ~ we bought a total of three bottles, one red that Papa wanted to take back to Singapore, one white for Hubby's parents and another white for all of us to enjoy that evening by ourselves ~ took plenty of photos there as well cos there were so many beautiful plants and vines to look admire.

~ Time for some yummy chocolates; stopped at the Margaret River Chocolate Company and sampled some fantastic chocolate bits; never saw so many different types of chocolates under one roof ~ all of us made some purchases there ~ besides chocolates, there were also some choc-related merchandise like T-shirts, mugs and aprons that declared the user as choc addicts -- fun! ~ Lunch was at this place called Valley View Garden Cafe & Restaurant, a stand-alone house amidst the greenery and by the road; loved the fresh garden salad, honey-glazed drumsticks, battered fish and the blueberry cheesecake (only thing I didn't wanna taste was the lamp chops -- that one's more for Hubby!).

~ Then came the farmstay, which was the main reason we decided to go to Perth; met Robyn, the tough female owner of the farm, and learnt that the farm had been passed down from generations that existed as far back as WWI and expanded till it reached the 5000 acres of land today -- that's about the size of 100 golf courses put together! ~ rode at the back of a truck and enjoyed the bumpy but cool ride to the pond to fish for yabbies, a mini lobster-like creature ~ played with and fed the farm pets (a couple of goats and sheep respectively) before dinner time.

~ Dinner by Robyn's friend, Anne, was fabulous! ~ There's oven baked chicken, lamb (which again, I didn't take), pasta, loads of salad greens, rice (to cater to the Chinese taste bud -- btw, it's Thai jasmine rice, very soft and fragrant), garlic bread, and dessert was a cool slice of lemon cheesecake with fruit cocktail and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side; ugh...listing these items is making me drool again! ~ After dinner, all of us, except for Mummy, sat at the porch on the second level just outside our rooms and sipped the wine as we enjoyed the darkening view of the landscape out there ~ the wind soon turned chilly and we were freezing like crazy (temperature fell to slightly more than 10 degrees Celsius!) but still refused to retire for the night; just continued sitting there and watching the night sky till it was time to shower ~ at night, even before sleep, we could still hear the baas of a couple of rams that refused to turn in. :p

Oh, I loved being on the farm! :)

Perth travelogue: Day 1 (1st Dec)

~Arrived at Changi International Airport way earlier than expected, at about slightly past 6am, cos everyone was punctual and traffic was smooth all the way ~ had a relaxing breakfast of eggs and toast at Wang Cafe and then proceeded to check in ~ strolled about a bit and browsed at some stores before boarding the plane ~ enjoyed the movie "Coco Avant Chanel" on board as well as a yummy filling lunch of pasta salad, oriental fish fillet rice set, bread and ice cream.

~Reached Perth with a bit of a hiccup at the arrival hall cos the traditional Po Chai pills that we usually pack in with our luggage had to be confiscated as it wasn't allowed in Australia (lady officer attending to us was very warm and friendly though, so we weren't intimidated at all during the seizing of the items -- basically just had to have some paperwork completed) ~ met our courteous coach driver cum tour guide, Dominic, and settled down on a comfortable ride all the way back to our hotel, Citigate Hotel ~ weather was cool (slightly more than 20 degrees Celsius only) and I thoroughly enjoyed the scenery along the way.

~There wasn't any planned programme for the rest of the evening so all of us rested for a while in our room before making our way out to explore the vicinity and get dinner on the way as well ~ our first stop was at a souvenir store where we spent quite some time browsing about for gifts ~ finally decided on grabbing dinner at a fast food outlet; all of us except Mummy shared a variety of Turkish gozlemes (prata-like stuff) with various fillings such as chicken, spinach and potatoes; Mummy chose to have a burger set meal at Hungry Jack's, which is like Burger King's twin, except that the meals are more expensive and the burgers and drinks actually smaller compared to BK's ~ after dinner, we continued strolling along the streets, but cos it's a Tuesday, the stores were closed early at about 6pm, so there wasn't any shopping we could do ~ had a good time just checking out the quiet mall streets and alleys and taking pics anyway (Christmas decorations were up too, making the sights even more appealing) ~ once back at the hotel, Beebee, Hubby and I washed up and just relaxed in front of the TV till we fell asleep.

:)

Back from Perth!

Hello, Singapore! We're back from our Perth holiday! Well, this hol's been pretty eventful -- I'm not just referring to the various places we visited and the activities we spent our energy on; there were also a few ups and downs we encountered during the trip, many to do with the people we were travelling with (both family members and the other family that was with us). From this experience, I guess the company you're with can either make or break a wonderful holiday. But I'm glad that in the end, everything sort of went well and still made a somewhat fabulous trip despite the downs, and I don't regret having gone on this Perth holiday at all! ^_^

Didn't manage to get bags and clothes as I'd hoped during the shopping, but we sure ended up with loads of goodies and souvenirs to give to others! Anyway, these were what we got for ourselves:

1. a handmade bracelet

2. costume jewellery made of iron ore

3. a set of postcards and gold nugget, plus a copper coin

4. two books about Pinnacles --one comprising facts, the other comprising pictures and poems

5. two Adidas pencil cases

6. one magnet

7. one mobile phone accessory

8. a thick memo pad

9. a jar of special pasta sauce -- pumpkin and blue cheese

10. a bottle of yellow chilli sauce

Actually, apart from the gold nugget and factual book about the Pinnacles, the rest are all mine...poor Hubby! Well, at least when I asked him, he declared that he was still pleased with his purchases, especially the gold nugget, which he proudly proclaimed was his '金鼻屎' -- "jin1 pi3 sai4" was what he announced it to be, which tickled all of us...haha...

We took loads of pictures cos this time, there were THREE cameras in action! Think all in all, we took more than 2000 photographs! It's gonna be tough trying to select the best ones to keep and the ones we like most to print in hard copy... can't imagine the process... *shudder* But again, no regrets! Looking at the pics just made me wanna go back for another Aussie experience... there's really nothing like travelling beyond Singapore, I say! :)

Okie, shall make some dinner now and then see if I can come back and post pics and each day's events while the feeling and memory's still fresh... ;P

Preparing for Perth trip...

Hubby and I finally managed to get most of our stuff packed for the upcoming Perth trip. Had a bit of a headache trying to think of the most efficient and cheapest way of getting everyone and everything loaded and whisked off to the airport at such an early hour on Tuesday morning, and were torn between booking a maxi cab in advance (the maxi cab ride would cost us $77 in all!!! @_@) and making our separate ways there. Even got MIL to help us check with her office to estimate the cab fares when we visited her yesterday evening.

Fortunately, Benne's aunt recommended her close friend, this uncle who drives a mini van, to Beebee, saying that he could go to both our home destinations and help to take us all to the airport at a flat fee of $45. So much cheaper in comparison with what the cab companies are charging! Of course we decided to take up that offer.

Also checked the weather forecast for Perth over the next few days. Think the first couple of days of our trip are best -- maximum temperature's only about 23 degrees celsius or so while lowest could be 11 or 12, but it could shoot up to 34 over the next few days. Oh well, we'll just make sure we've got both summer and a bit of cold wear packed in our luggage. :)

Still have to report for work tomorrow till about 5pm, but am hoping to complete my course assignment during that time. Must get it done before I go off on the trip. Then will just return home tomorrow evening to chill out and pack the rest of the stuff in before turning in early hopefully. Am so looking forward to getting away from Singapore and enjoying the trip, especially the farmstay! ^_^

It's a good Friday...

Hadn't met up with HZ and Jess for some time... we finally did so last Friday afternoon. Went out to town for lunch, followed by some jalan jalan, mainly to look around and perhaps settle some final purchases that they had to make for their upcoming holiday trip (so envious! Close to THREE weeks of holidaying in cool winter places! ^_^).

Lunch was at Food Republic @ Wisma Atria. Hubby and I had bought food from Waan Waan Thai Restaurant there on our previous visit and we thought it was not bad, so we recommended that to HZ and Jess. A set meal comprising a main course, clear but spicy tom yam seafood soup and sweet thai dessert costs only $8.50. Pretty good value for money, considering the quantity and taste! :)

The jalan-ing was also quite fun. Bought my latest DS Mario game at a special discount given by Jess's friend since Jess was buying some Wii games too. Cool! :) Haven't had time to start playing it though...think I bought too many games recently! :p We also browsed about at some luxury brand stores at DFS... since the moment he discovered some nice and 'cheap' Gucci bags, Hubby kept asking me to get one that day. I didn't okay! Am quite pleased with myself for being disciplined. Actually, I think after my latest Burberry purchase, I just didn't feel like splurging on another branded bag for the time being. In fact, I told Hubby that I might leave the Gucci till my next birthday to commemorate the day I step into my thirties... (maybe that'll comfort me a little and divert my attention from my increased age :p).

Oh ya, we also took some pictures of the new ginormous installation by LV right in front of Ngee Ann City. Just compare its size with that of the ice cream uncle's station in the background to see how huge it is. If not for the rain, loads of people would probably be hovering near it, taking pictures with or of it.

Hubby and I stayed on in Orchard for the evening. Hubby was also quite disciplined himself. He spotted a Tag Heuer bag that he thought might be a nice weekend bag to carry around (it actually costs more than the 'cheap' Gucci bag) and was toying with the idea of getting it. But after trying it on for a while, he decided against it cos he realised it might be more of a travel bag than messenger bag...

Dinner was settled back at Food Republic -- think we'd never stepped into that place so many times in a single day -- this time, we went for Japanese food at the stall where we had tried their Tokyo ramen before. The ramen didn't taste as flavourful or rich this time though, but at least Hubby had a nice bottle of beer to compensate for it. I decided to try the cheapest bento set they had -- chicken karaage, stir fried beansprouts with chilli and prawn bits and even chawanmushi and miso soup. Quite reasonable for about $10. :)

Well, the day ended with us not purchasing anything else, but I'm happy too cos it was quite relaxing just going out there without any aim or pressure to get anything. :)

Haircut and century egg tofu...

Went for a haircut at Jantzen @ Jurong Point last Wednesday... decided to trim it short again (for the second time in my entire life!) cos we'd be going on our Perth holiday soon and since it'll be the start of summer, I'd have a summer kinda hat on my head as long as I'm outdoors -- don't wanna have to deal with the hassle of having to tie my hair properly or tuck it in under the hat nicely. With short hair, there's less to deal with! :p Of course, the haircut also shaved years off my appearance...haha...think ladies usually look younger with shorter hair.

Hubby came to meet me so after the haircut, we had a nice dinner at the mall. Chose a Chinese meal this time at Lai Lai Casual Dining. Hubby had the mian xian soup set consisting of the mian xian, century egg tofu and iced bubble tea while I chose a bowl of plain rice with two other side dishes -- shredded cucumber and chicken and fried fish fillet. We shared the dishes and I loved the century egg tofu most! Think it'd be rather easy to conjure. Get tofu, century egg, bonito flakes, chicken floss and spring onion and put them together with perhaps some oyster sauce, I guess? Shall try that one day cos Hubby liked it too. :)

The two 'B's...

Two 'B's came over to our place last evening...Beebee and her now official boyfriend, Benne. :) Beebee had wanted to try her hand at decorating our Christmas tree so we invited her to come over yesterday and ask Benne along too.

Cooked some pasta in carbonara sauce and prepared sauteed sausages with broccoli, white button mushroom and some red capsicum for some savoury flavour. Also made some soup and tossed a salad to go with the meal. Soup wasn't fantastic, but I guess the rest were okay, or so I hope. :p

Had some Xbox entertainment in the form of Guitar Hero as well before proceeding to decorate the Christmas tree and putting up other forms of Christmas deco around in the apartment. Well, this year's slightly different -- Beebee and Benne did all the work of adding the pretty touches to the Christmas tree. Think it's so sweet looking at them doing that together. Hubby helped to take photos of them next to their completed creation as well after that. :) Aww...

After that was some icecream and TV before they left. Watching the two 'B's together made me smile cos I know that Beebee is happy where she is now, and I hope she stays like this for a long long time to come. :)

Overall, it was certainly a nice evening! ^_^

Farewell...

Thank you, 4E1 '09.
You have been such a wonderful class;
No words can ever define how good you are in truth.
You are champions in your own right,
each and every one of you.
Not because you perform the best academically as a class,
but because you are people of the best hearts --
Compassionate,
Generous,
Fun,
Humorous,
Loving,
Sincere...
and so much more.
Thank you for all the surprises you have given me over the past two years.
Thank you for being so well-disciplined and on task
that I never have to worry about you in that sense,
and can always look forward to teaching you in class.
Thank you for all the times you moved me to tears --
you have a gift when it comes to making me cry in public!
Thank you for blessing my teaching career with the most memorable moments ever.
It may be farewell for now,
and I won't ever see you, as a class, sitting, lounging around or playing your made-up games in my homeroom anymore,
or hear your jovial laughter and giggles,
and fall for all the tricks you have up your sleeves,
but believe me,
you kids will always stay in my memory.
Should I feel down any time as I continue down the journey in this career,
I know I'll always have the album you created for me,
the photographs we took together,
the beautiful and touching videos you created,
and all the little momentos you have given me over the years to cheer me up,
and remind me that my job is worth doing.
The next class I take will have some enormous shoes to fill,
but I will make sure I do my best
and help to mould them into people with hearts and attitude like yours.
Farewell for now, 4E1.
May your next journey in life reap even more rewards and meaning for you.

Work-cum-fun in the east

Just returned very late last night from a work retreat at Aloha Changi in one of the old colonial bungalows... it was supposed to be a three-day two-night thing, but couldn't stay the second night cos a snake appeared in the house but vanished upon being spotted and most didn't feel good about sleeping with the snake roaming about. :p But good also lah, cos some parts of the house could be pretty spooky...maybe it's cos it's been occupied by people from the past, and also cos it's pretty huge...

Despite that and another unexpected, ridiculous hiccup, everyone had a pretty good time. Plus, we got to enjoy the good food over in the east over the two days we were there. Yesterday was also the first time in my life that I visited White Sands twice in a day -- for lunch and then later, dinner. Haha...

Monday's dinner @ Changi Village:

Tuesday's lunch @ Sakae Sushi:

Awww...and besides the yummy food, there's also precious little Charlene, Mary's daughter, who stayed over with us. This darling really knows how to charm all the adults with her sweet girly voice, animated chatter, cheeky antics and kawaii poses! :) Sigh... I want one like her... :)

Tuesday's dinner @ The Manhattan Fish Market:

Fish-lovers will love this! Prices are reasonable, serving quantity's fine, quality of food's great! Yum! It's my first time trying their food and I walked out a satisfied customer. Will definitely be looking out for their outlets in town!

Sigh, went back to work early this morning a little stoned...but glad I quite enjoyed the food and the company the past couple of days. :)