Bleedy heartache

Withered roses that was once stuck to my wall. I'm quite a sentimental person. I'm the sort who keeps every single card, note, letter and even flowers I've received. But these roses that Jotham gave me are growing mouldy in my aircon room and so, it's time to say goodbye. ): 

Can't believe Jan is over and we're approaching Feb... Wasn't it just "Hello 2012!" a little while ago?

For reasons unknown

We are two silly people and I like it that way! :)

Anyhow, I went down to the office to sign my letter of appointment this afternoon and I am officially a writer for Expat Living! So exciting, I have a couple of story ideas to pitch when I start work on Wed. The indefinite holidays are (finally!) coming to an end and I'm not yet sad to see it go. Must be because I think they have the coolest office ever. They have kettlebell classes twice a week in the office! I will never have to go gym after work ever again. Plus, they're getting me a new imac! All that aside, the only thing I'm worried about is adapting to this new environment. Working alongside expats definitely isn't going to be easy. I really believe God has planned my life out so perfectly and landed me in this job precisely at this time for a good reason. Need to quit worrying so much!

Something gold

I haven't posted anything else besides my life but sorry, I gotta break that. How perfect are the Michael Kors oversized watch and buckle bracelet? In gold, no less. Why do beautiful things have to cost a bomb? Ok, they're not suuuuper expensive but still, too expensive for my penniless just-found-a-job situation to afford. Thank God that is about to change come 1 Feb and whenever my first paycheck comes in!

Found an alternative buckle bangle on ASOS on sale but meh, it's so different. 

Food brings people together

Chinese New Year reunion dinner this year was pretty special because my Uncle & Aunty who lives in the States were back to visit. I don't really remember the last time they had reunion dinner with us so it should be a pretty looooong time ago. Anyway, everyone was in good spirits and I was kind of the appointed photographer of the day so I went around snapping pictures and ended up with close to 250 pictures to choose from. 

Bowling has got to be my family's favourite pastime, right behind watching movies. This time, some of my cousins joined in too. Way too cold in there to function so I gave up after a while and Ben/Melissa/someone else happily took my place.

Last 2 pictures were from another reunion dinner with my Mom's side. Amazing homecooked meal enough to feed an army (I exaggerate) which left all of us stuffed to the brim. And of course, cute Pri 3 nephew of mine who is growing up so quickly. The days when he was still tiny and barely walking and stuffing all kinds of nonsense food into his mouth because he was "hungry", actually just greedy. 

Had family buffet dinner at Hotel Rendezvous with Jotham's family and pow wow wow, received so many ang pows that it got embarrassing. :')

Balloons make everything prettier

The title for this post is absolutely true! So last Sunday, we organised a surprise brunch/tea party for our first birthday girl of the year. It was truly a hassle trying to confirm guest list and a location that wouldn't make us penniless and haaaay, we ended up at Picotin. A plus point: I knew Mich Lo always wanted to go there since we went to the gym that was right beside it. We had a whole corner and we shamelessly made ourselves at home with the decorations and balloons lol.

Menu of the day: pizza. I told ya it was a tradition.
Renee and Evan were both shaking their heads furiously when I said I was going to bring a pizza to their birthdays hahaha!

Tiffany & Co necklace that I picked out for her and we all shared (cause we're peasants). I always seem to buy necklaces for her anyway. There was, of course, a round of photo spams. I love people who just go trigger-happy and keep clicking the shutter so I have like 10 candid pictures to choose from instead of the "1, 2, 3, Smiiiile" and we have like 1 ugly forced smile picture (see above group shot). You geddit? It's a digital camera, for goodness sake, not a film camera.

Hi ML, you're always worth my time and effort!! <3

Less than ordinary

No pictures today, just words. Partially because I'm writing this in Jotham's house using his com. The boy has been having high fever since Saturday and only manage to book in for 1 hour at scs before he was sent home and subsequently, TTS hospital. Last night was his second visit to there and he had to do some blood test, x-rays and was put on a drip for a while. Even coffee couldn't keep me awake and I was practically falling asleep sitting in my chair at a corner of the waiting area, since only 1 person could accompany him and his mom was there as well.

It's really so tiring trying to juggle helping my parents at work, coming over to visit/take care/make this sick boy laugh and everything else in between. Feels like I'm suddenly thrown into this whirlwind of confusion that's entirely beyond my control. Right now, Jotham is snoring like a baby on the bed beside me and I'm relishing in this quiet moment of peace.

For all that I can't, God can and I will trust in Him.

Hollow

This was the first picture I saw on tumblr today. I really do need to slow down and rest. It's been a busy few days helping my dad and I'm falling sick. Jotham is already sick and I'm beyond worried for him. Praying so hard for a miracle. Chinese New Year is coming but I'm not looking forward to it; I just want to get over it so my dad's business will be less busy and we can all lead normal lives.

I have a throbbing headache now and it's killing me. Waking up at 7am tomorrow for a commercial beauty shoot I'm helping Clifford with. I hope it'll be fun. I hope everyone reading this is feeling ok and not under the weather like I am.

Positive things: 1. Mich Lo's surprise 21st birthday tea party yesterday was a success; the birthday girl was caught off guard. 2. Officially employed and starting work on 1st Feb!!

Mini pancakes stack

Number 1 reason why I should get an iphone: It would take a nicer picture of my mini pancakes stack than this Blackberry.

I would love to own a small dainty camera that I can bring everywhere to record my day but instead I'm (still) using a Blackberry and a small-but-still-bulky Canon 550D. But I shall not complain, I must learn to be content. 

Lazed around with J the past 2 days. Kinda feels like we're not making the most out of his one week block leave but there's really nothing much we can/want to do anyway. Will be helping my dad at work again tomorrow and over the weekends! I have so much respect for the man. The unconditional love and sacrifices he made for this family far exceeds what is expected of him. And still, he keeps on giving... I love you, Daddy.

Last day

Long overdued pictures of our dear friend Calista who is a year-end baby (31st dec!!) so our last meal of the year was her impromtu (therefore only 4 of us, sorry Cal!) 20th birthday dinner! Which was... pizza. What's new? I foresee it to be a tradition for us. 
Just a simple dinner but she was so touched by all the other people who couldn't make it but still sent her gifts, cakes and their blessings through other ways. :)

Simple birthdays are always the best. Now that it's 2012, there's going to be a bombard of 21st birthday celebrations and parties (one coming right up this Sun though I can't write much about it yet...)!! So exciting to transit into official adulthood!

P.S I've always thought army as a tougher version of OBS but I've never put much thought into what they actually do there or the conditions that they train in until I saw the Every Singaporean Son videos on youtube yesterday. And I felt so bad for J and kept sayang-ing him but he already pass out from bmt lol I am a failure of a girlfriend. Respect to this boy who still wants ocs and even if he don't, he is still my hero.

Soldier Boy

1. So proud of this soldier boy. Tried so hard to use my lousy dslr to zoom in to find him throughout the parade omg before finally going down to take pictures (the smell of sweaty boys... was intense.) 3. Proud mommy. 4-5. Cutest little girl alive that I'm going to kidnap. 6. Congrats boys!!!

More blessed to give than to receive

I don't know how I feel about going to church tomorrow, knowing that my lifegroup is no more. Me of little faith ):

Social Media

Been up since 5.30am in the morning to help my dad at work so my brain is a little woozy now so pardon me if I sound crazy here.

Anyhow, I was randomly surfing Facebook (quite rare for me, honestly) and I've come to the conclusion that I really (sort of) dislike Facebook. Actually not just Facebook, maybe even Twitter and all forms of social media. You poking into other people's business, seeing what sort of plans they have, what they're engaging in at the moment and all... If you think about it, everybody's private life is now public. Where's the privacy and the whole "getting to know you face to face" thing rather than "let's go read your wall to get updates on your life"? It's ridiculous that some people write out their daily happenings everywhere on their walls and twitter updates etc. People are dumping too much shit on the internet. I wonder how much more it can take before it explodes and vomits back on us.

The irony I know, me writing about this on my blog which essentially is a social media as well. I don't hate social media or think we should abandon it entirely because we can't. It's too big a part of our lives (even my own) now to just cut it out entirely.

It's just that I realised how much happier (and maybe appreciative?) I was when my Blackberry died on me a week back. I went almost 1.5 weeks without a proper working phone and surprisingly, it was bearable and almost enjoyable. I had my work phone (thanks Em!) for emergency purposes, I can memorise phone numbers of my family and friends (those that I might actually contact) and I have a Macbook I can use at night before I sleep. I was pretty much covered. Maybe a little anti-social but it's ok, I like it. And for the first time ever, when I'm having a meal with someone, I don't bother to check my phone. I don't reply bbms, whatsapp or texts. I don't scroll through Twitter (addicted, I admit) while my friend is talking to me. I actually listen, I actually notice new/interesting things around me that I didn't. Example: this retail shop near the bus interchange in JP has a A3 poster at the side of the shop with my friend's face in it. I've walked past it a zillion times every time I take bus (almost everyday) but I just missed it because I was too busy checking the bus timings, or listening to my ipod or Twittering. (Ok just re-read that and that might not be true but anyway, I think I made my point.)

I guess that's why I was in no rush to get my phone fixed though people were rushing me and giving me advices on what to do with my phone/what new phone to buy. Now that my phone is fixed... I gotta figure a way to deal with it somehow? Ok this lengthy post has to stop here, I don't know where this is going. I just needed an avenue to rant. Normal posts about silly details of my life will resume tomorrow, bye xoxo

May I never lose of the wonder of the Cross

Whoever built that is truly a genius. I want to lie on fluffy white sheets in my own mini greenhouse basking in the warm sunlight, taking in fresh smell of morning dew and marvel at how small and tiny I am compared to this universe that God had created.

Skype

Today 9pm was Jotham's last book in into Tekong. Can't believe 8 weeks flew past so quickly and it's his POP next Saturday. I mean, weeks prior to his enlistment I was so scared and worried mainly because I kept thinking he's going to die in army or get injured. Seriously, newspaper reports of NS men having heart attacks and whatever nonsense isn't helping. Sigh, my stupid negative thoughts, I know.

Ok I shouldn't talk like it'll be a breeze from now on. It only gets tougher from here onwards. I'll be frank and say that it hasn't been easy at all, especially the first week when he enlisted and was confined. I was so emotional and weak that even I was annoyed at myself. But it got better as weeks went by. He kept reminding me to be strong, to be independent and I did. I guess I should be proud of myself.

His one week block leave is coming up soon and he is so eager to make plans with me. It makes me want to tear in thankfulness and cup his face to calm him down when this boy goes into a little frenzy trying to think of new places to bring me, new activities to do and trying his very best to make me happy every single day no matter how tired and drained out he is. Though he is what people would consider to be "unromantic" (cause I'm his first girlfriend, he would protest), he shows his affection in quiet gestures and acts and keeps me firmly rooted when I get all drama mama. 

That was us last year in 2010 in our initial honeymoon stage where we spent most of our time skyping and talking to each other about pointless things for hours on end. We don't ever do that anymore because of army but he still calls me every night to talk before we sleep. Even if it's 20 minutes on a good day or just 2 minutes on nights when it's already lights out time just to tell me he loves me and to have a good day tomorrow. :')

Goodbye, hello

How is it possible that 2011 has past us by so quickly? ): Not the worst year of my life, but there were some bittersweet moments. Recapping my year:

Graduated from Mass Comm

The most amazing and drama-filled 3 years of my life. Relieved to graduate but sad for various reasons. I miss this group of friends the most because we kinda meet the least since graduation. ): Has to be one of my biggest regrets in 2011.

1st Anniversary

Some of the little moments we spent together throughout the year.

Family

 

What I'm most thankful for year after year. <3

How do I even group all of this?

Friends who stuck with me through the ups and downs, listened to my rants and cheered me up. And who'll continue to do so year after year.

God was so good to me even though I wasn't thaaaat faithful. But it's time to drop the past and move ahead. No major new year resolutions... only "Live big, dream bigger". 2012, I am ready.