My life in Bali...

i miss

2010-02-19T16:36:00.005+08:00

what i miss most about being away from home:
... family gatherings and the moments we share
... friend's company and their birthdays
... missing out on watching little emma grow up!
... Chinese new year and all the gambling !
... and last but not least... food.. especially craving for "fatt choi" at the moment

*sob sob*

feels like there be another war around the corner

2010-01-25T13:25:00.002+08:00

the inlaws have done it again... i guess they are just not used to the fact that their word is not the be it end all. i am trying not to tremble at what is going to happen. their unprofessionalism and the consequence of their actions and inactions. i can't wait for that day when we move our business FAR away from them. even if it's only 100 metres away, it will be bliss. i pity the staff who works for them as they are the ones that have to pass on their little petty messages. i must try to remember not to lose it with them. oh dear lord, help me to find the strength to keep my hands down from slapping some particular being and to never ever behave like they do. Lord help me to hold back what i might say in a fit of anger and show me the way that i should be! In Jesus name, Amen!

is it still january?? ...

2010-01-19T16:39:00.002+08:00

it feels like more than a month since we arrived back in Bali! but it's only been 16 days! it's great to be busy and getting bookings and more bookings the minute we got back home. we work 7 days a week and though it's not always intense all 9-10 hours at work, it does take toll on us after a while. The hubby and i got the flu bug. That brings me to the story of him being all brave and chivalrous.

I think he has a lung infection from trying to be a hero few days back. He was on his way back from diving on the traditional jukung boat and saw some 9 divers floating not too far away. the rain and wind started and the sea got really choppy that if you were standing where i am, you cannot see the islands at all! and they are less than 1 km away from shore. I was with a friend whose partner was out at sea with hubby and i think we both started praying and saying the hail mary under our breath. You see : we didn't know that the boys were out there helping the stranded divers out. We only know they have been out and due back a while ago.

So to cut a long story short, hub drank quite a bit of sea water trying to help the non-english speaking japanese from one boat to another when the other fishing boats heard the horn and came to help.

The lord definitely heard our prayers that day! in less then 5 minutes which felt like forever, the wind stop, the sky clear up though the boat was still not in sight... it feels like forever before we saw them plodding along from the corner.. relief came to us all...

As 2nd in command in the company, you just got to keep cool and think positive and think of plan B if they don't turn up. Mother nature is something you just respect and not take for granted. I am soooooo relieved when i saw hubby and the boat and all guests and boat guy onboard...

... oooh it's 5pm. time to go see the doc now!

2010 1st blog :)

2010-01-05T15:41:00.003+08:00

Am back from my 17 days trip to Singapore which is just too short! I ate and drank and met with friends and family and the whole cycle repeats again which is great but definitely tiring! LOL... if i had another week at home when everyone has probably got back to work and the usual..i thought i could at least R.E.S.T! :)... ... oops i shouldn't really be complaining being the 1st blog of the year! LOL.. :)

Highlights of my trip:

Reunion with good, old friends, able to take off where you last left a conversation, taking silly pictures with friends of 20 years and still wanting to take more pictures, pigging out at the hawker centre, whipping up a roast dinner for my family (it was the full works! yorkshire pudding and stuffing and all!), sleeping till noon and of course last but not least, meeting my beautiful little niece, Emma. She is such an intriguing little being. So beautiful (have i mentioned that already? heehehee), so engaging and very endearing :). I am missing her already!

I have not really made much reflection or resolution for the year. Hubby and i have plans which are still Work-In-Progress... :) .. We are right back ready to work again actually having these dreams and goals in mind. It isn't always easy working and living and breathing the same air all the time with your partner.. but at this point, i must admit, i wouldn't have it any other way. :)...

To our dreams, to our goals and to always know that nothing is impossible. AND don't forget to Pray ! :).

So what would my post be without a pictures right? :) here they are.. enjoy.. to more beautiful moments to come :)

Wish i was there!

2009-11-02T15:34:00.002+08:00

Pictures from Little Emma's 1st month party. She is just so princess! can't wait to hold my little pretty niece. :)

my little sweet niece! :)

2009-10-05T11:30:00.004+08:00

pictures of Emma! :) still feeling the thrills of being an auntie! and my sister is a MUM! :)

welcome dear emma! :)

2009-10-03T09:38:00.002+08:00

I am a proud auntie as of 1 plus this morning :). My dear eldest sister delivered her baby today. she was in the hospitable since yesterday morning and i have just been super anxious and excited! Was praying the whole day while i was running around denpasar shopping for stuff for the office. Couldn't sleep last night either and was praying till i fell asleep! We are so glad both my sister and Emma are fine. Couldn't help but felt teary after the phone call from my sister this morning. It's a mixture of joy, relief, thankfulness and the fact that i am not there with her and to see my niece for the 1st time. so i am counting on my dear nicolas to post lots of them sometime today! :) .

at times like this, you are reminded how precious life is and what a miracle life is in itself.

welcome onboard Emma! Can't wait to hold you in my arms :) . xxx

To Angie & Richard...

2009-08-21T09:34:00.002+08:00

Wishing the two of you many, many great moments together! the wedding pictures (http://patricklovephotography.com/blog/?p=548) say so much! after seeing the pictures cannot stop grinning you know! :) .. hugs and xxx to the both of you! :)

long time no write :)

2009-08-07T10:12:00.005+08:00

yes we have been really busy at the dive shop! :) I have been studying for my divemaster, helping the hubby with the dive business and trying to sort myself out :). And this facebook thing has just taken over my blog time! with the facebook you get instant gratification, instant replies (chats), you know what your friends are doing and of course there are the word games that i love playing! .. the blog slows you down and make one retrospective which it's a good thing i reckon. :)

life is pretty great at the moment though i sometimes wish i was as certain as some who knew exactly what they want to make out of themselves.. you know the big A word - "ambition". i recall i wanted to be a scientist when i was young LOL.. then i think i want to be in the police force but i didn't want to die too early LOL.. then my dad thought i was going to be a nun! hahahaha.. THAT is funny. The holy moly me when i was back in school. I believe and have great faith in God, BUT i don't think i was nun material you know? :) ..

i have just pretty much taken on what life has thrown at me and i think i have done pretty ok. I am enjoying the diving, i have a good working relationship with hubby, i like the lifestyle (have you seen the view from my rented house!), i get to do my yoga regularly and i have a great hubby who works his butt off for us and so we can build us a home. I am a simple girl. I am content and feel blessed and when i look around me and what i have compared to those who have less, i know I have a lot. Not money lah but i have a great family back in Singapore who cares a lot for me (they are still trying to get me to move home!), a bunch of long time friends that visit me and write to me all the time and a hubby that i am so in love with though he is just absolutely messy which drives me nuts all the time :)..

so yes, i am counting my little blessings today... so should you :)..

PS: looking forward to visitors from singapore this month... :)

PPS: Trivial update.. NOT! .. Got to know french guy who is a hairstylist here! now i get my hair cut for free! in return for yummy chocolates :) LOL..

My Sista & KH - Wedding 250409

2009-04-25T18:45:00.002+08:00

our lucylam is getting married!

2009-04-20T09:25:00.001+08:00

am so excited our dear cousin rachel aka lucy lam is getting married next may! :) i can only imagine her looking like a fairy princess :) ... can't wait! must start saving for the perth trip next year!

.. be back sing on the 22/4 :) .. can't wait! :)

3rd year wedding anniverary part II

2009-04-15T18:00:00.000+08:00

ok, i was told that i was being lazy about not blogging my photos! :) found a short cut way to do it so here's the pictures cindy! :)

our 3rd year wedding anniversary :)

2009-04-15T09:27:00.003+08:00

it's been a really great weekend. :) .. having friends fly all the way just to attend our anniversary party. i mean, who throws a 3rd year anniversary party right? :) i miss them loads and though they were here only for a few days, i had a really great time and graeme and i both felt really important *giggle* and very loved :). it's been a while since we both felt relaxed and just let our hair down... it's definitely great knowing that i be home in a week's time to catch up some more. :) and to stuff my face with hawker food and to catch up on some much needed sleep... *eye bags are atrocious!* counting down to the 22nd April! (corrinne's birthday!!!) .. perhaps i might entertain her by wearing an orange top :)

happy anniversary hubby :) i heart you :)

photos on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=106576&id=661584965&l=d647ee5909

I am freeeeeee....

2009-03-12T18:27:00.003+08:00

dear friends and family
i am sooooo happy to announce that i have quit my job at the resort :). not sure why i waited so long but ah well. I DID IT! i will be helping hubby with his dive business full time; going to get my divemaster license of course and the one thing that i won't stop doing is weddings of course!!! :)
so bring it all.. to new adventures ! I am sooo happy :)

Hubby's 36th!

2009-03-07T15:03:00.000+08:00

we managed to sneak in an impromptu birthday celebration at the watergarden for hubby. it was a nice evening despite all that has happened recently... i am glad to see him smile tonight ... happy birthday hubby! xxx

to DT

2009-03-04T14:40:00.002+08:00

a very dear friend passed away this morning. he was only 53. he was a good man with a big heart. he had a great sense of humour and he loves his doof doof (rave) music. he will be missed dearly. Dear God, i hope you have him with you now and that you have a doggie for him where you are as he will miss his Deejay very much...

Mum-in-law Visiting! 8 Feb - 27 Feb'09

2009-02-28T15:09:00.000+08:00

Valentine's day in Bali!

2009-02-14T15:01:00.000+08:00

MY FIRST WASHINE MACHINE!

2009-01-04T13:04:00.002+08:00

My brother Paul text me yesterday morning and told me a Washing Machine was on the way! :) He was visiting for 2 days with Caren and it was great having family here over the New Year, though we were all falling asleep at countdown watching E! entertainment :).

Sitting right at the corner of my bathroom now, is a light grey coloured LG washing machine with fuzzy logic capability (well not too sure what it means but that's what they called it!) and ability to do up to 8 Kg of clothes at one go. We carried the box upstairs to the bedroom, tore off the box and took the machine out and admired it for a while. We read the manual and tried to fix the hose etc but it was a bit short. So this morning, hubby went off to work and obviously visited the neighbourhood hardware store and brough home a new tap and a longer hose. :) after a good hour of fixing the hose and taps together, we were ready for the first wash! :) I must add we were like kids playing with a brand new toy for the first time LOL.

We threw in a few trousers, a few t-shirts, poured the washing powder in the designated box and pressed the start button. The machine rumbled for a second and down came the water! :) The machine tells me exactly how long the wash was going to take and what it is doing at the moment etc. We sat through the entire wash-rinse-spin cycle before we came back to work LOL . It's brilliant. :) I think there is a tumble dry option and i will investigate that tonight :) . (is it obvious enough i don't own one and have not use one before?!? LOL

We are thrilled and very very thankful and appreciative of our washing machine! I must admit i got a bit teary when i got the SMS as well. Thanks so much my dear paula and caren for the very very thoughtful Christmas gift :)... and all the M&S biscuit and my pretty MNG top :) ... the cranberry scrub makes me smell so yummy after each use :). I wonder if i can try to use some on Charlie :)...

Hope yo see you all soon! xxx n hugs.

2008-12-31T17:10:00.001+08:00

To my dearest friends and family, hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and best wishes for the new year! ... may all our dreams come true!

Chinese food!

2008-12-18T12:44:00.003+08:00

Telaga Naga, a Chinese restaurant in Sanur. We often drive past this restaurant wondering what the food is like especially when i am craving for chinese food. They only opened at certain times of the days so most of the time when we drive past, it is deserted. I found out later it only opens from 6.30pm to 10.30pm and that it actually belongs to Hyatt Hotel which is just across the road! (no wonder the beer was so costly!)

There are big tall red flags lining the walk way with bamboo poles litted up. Red lanterns are hung up everywhere like a typical chinese restaurant. The restaurant is set back about 20 metres away from the main road, into a tropical garden with a lotus pond surrounding it. A very tranquil setting. You can hear each other talk which is a plus point.

The restaurant has a pretty big menu, serving mainly Cantonese (yeah!) and Szechuan dishes. Serving size is just one standard size which is not typical for a chinese restaurant i thought. Hubby asked me to order whatever i wanted :). So i went for the 8 course dinner for 2!

It included:

1. starter: duck spring roll

2. soup: asparagus & mushroom eggy like soup

3. 2 meat dishes: stir fried beef with onion & pepper & spare ribs which tasted like char siew!

4. 1 vegetable dish: bok-choy with oyster sauce

5. fried rice, and

6. dessert was watermelon with sago in coconut milk.

they tasted so home-made! except for the texture of the beef which was quite chewy, we both thought everything was pretty good. we both felt we committed gluttony after LOL. the 8 course dinner cost RP. 140,000 nett per person. Given that the restaurant was part of the hyatt hotel, i thought the price was rather reasonable. What was obviously more important was that the food tasted good. I will definitely return to Telaga Naga. Maybe CNY?

As you can tell there are no pictures taken at all as i was too busy stuffing my face.

So here's the website if you like to make a booking:

http://bali.resort.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/entertainment/restaurants/index.jsp

Christmas arrived in a box today! :)

2008-12-17T12:10:00.004+08:00

Thank you no. 1 :) . my sister sent me this M&S care pack with Spinelli coffee! Everything i loved! christmas has arrived! :) Thank you thank you thank you!

my sunday project :)

2008-12-15T10:30:00.001+08:00

I made my own christmas tree! :)

christmas shopping :)

2008-12-11T10:44:00.005+08:00

Hubby and i went downtown yesterday. Oh, downtown refers to denpasar, where there are shops, more shops, cafes, restaurants, book shops which i miss very much and people! LOL. We wanted to do some christmas shopping and we probably picked a good time to do so as well as there were sale going on everywhere! how strange i thought but i didn't waste time wondering why of course :). i had 1 hour and 1/2 to myself whilst he was in the dentist and i had ball actually taking my time picking, choosing, taking my time over the christmas decoration stuff and zipping in and out of probably every single store in Matahari!. I am finally going to admit that i MISS SHOPPING and WINDOW SHOPPING! my eyes were having a great feasts! Hubby and I walked through every single aisle at the hypermart that was next to MATAHARI and i was taking down notes on how much those worldly possessions that we wish to get for the new home we are building! 37" to 42" tvs (we do not know the difference between plasma or HD tvs. they all looked good to us), nice big huge fridges, microwaves and washing machine (i hand wash all our clothes at the moment!) and plastic plates and cups that hubby feels strongly about given that i am so bloody clumsy :).

We drove to Carrefour after and finally after all this time, i bought Hubby his first ipod. an ipod nano! :)

the nano is super light and so very thin! i bought a JBL speaker as well and as we speak, hubby is playing with his new toys in his office :). Merry Christmas hubby. I hope you like your gift! :)

if it's anything we are deprived of it's music! music in the car, music at home, music at work. the radio stations here are not brilliant and when you finally get a channel that plays an english song you get someone talking non-stop and it feels like eternity before the next song is played. Other times you get no signal whilst driving through the kampung areas. so if you are one of those that just cannot live without music, you will understand our grief and deprivation :).

We ended the day at Cat&Fiddle, a restaurant in Sanur which was on our way back home. The restaurant actually belongs to the british consulate here. If you like a nice big english or irish breakfast or pies and grills, this is the place to try out. The food is great here and i think we were both craving for that draft San Miguel that they serve as well :). it was raining and they had a local band playing. A very entertaining and lively band and they knew a wide range of songs. The liveliness made up for their mis-pronounciation which use to hurt my ears but now makes me laugh. I guess i am slowly fitting in and taking things in my stride.

I had a great day... it almost feel like a "normal" day out. i don't go out often lah! so it means a lot :)

homecook food, good company and music!

2008-12-05T09:59:00.007+08:00

Gary & Theo are owners of Ari homestay which is right next door to us and they are great neighbours i must add :). Ari Homestay is a simple basic place for backpackers. Rooms are clean and you have the option of hot or cold shower. Tables and chairs are set up right by the verandah where you get the best view in Candidasa. Their big breakfast and great hospitality is something to look forward to and the icy cold beers of course .

We were invited to their place for dinner last night. Theo is fantastic cook! i never say no to an invite from them and especially home cooked dinner LOL. Ian & Julie were there. (it was their last night in Candi). And there were John & Linda, a dutch couple who are owners of another resort down the street whom we have have never met before! (yes after living here for 3 years!). Trixie arrived shortly with a flat tire.She is our South African friend who lives down the street. (The poor lady is having problem with jealous village people. Her tires get slashed every week!)

The Blues Brothers were blasting at the background when we arrived. I must admit to this: The name was completely unknown to me but i found myself singing to the blues! i grab the cover of the CD and i went oh! :)

i think my dad probably know their music pretty well. (well now i know what i am getting him for christmas present!). i loved the music and we started dancing to it after dinner! We moved the tables and chairs when the rain came and there were leaks from the roof over the verandah. But the music was so good we all started dancing on the verandah! :) The wet floor, the humid night,the smell of the rain and the half cresent moon made it almost like a tribal night, minus the bright florescent lights ;).

We were all very full from dinner and i think the dancing went on for a while :). dinner was grilled tuna in banana leaves, eggplant with sambal, gado gado with home made peanut sauce! i think most of us had two helpings. it was yummy!

time flies when you are having a good time.. i had a great time dancing. something i haven't done for a long time! :) even hubby was on the dance floor today and it was great! i think we have made the homestay verandah our unofficial dance floor for christmas party too :). 19 days to go !

occasions...

2008-12-02T11:33:00.005+08:00

my sister received the flowers (in a teapot!) last night. its her birthday today and i thought i send her something :). we both think it's the first time i have sent her flowers LOL. i think we do so much for everyone sometimes and forget those closest to us.

We chatted on the MSN just a while ago and i am feeling all these emotions at the moment. I miss her and my family very much. I miss hanging out with them and having them close by. I am feeling depressed that i won't be seeing them soon. But i also feel very blessed and thankful to have siblings like mine and a mum and dad who in their own ways made sure we were ok and taken care of. I appreciate occasions like birthdays, christmas and anniversaries. It gives me a chance to show them i love them without going aboard with the mushiness LOL..

been to Manado and back

2008-10-11T09:21:00.003+08:00

after the crazy week at work we went to Manado (i think it was 2 weeks ago) with our neighbour Kevin & partner. Had lots of good laugh, lots of beer (was too hot to drink anything else), waking up to catch the last call for the big breakfast buffet, went for a dive at bunaken - very relaxing dive, just what we needed - and ate a lot. they had this particular porridge (congee) with green veg, long beans, egg yolk... was very yummy. not too sure if its local specialty it was such a comfort food. there were lots of beautiful churches and christianity makes up 75% of the community there. we didn't see a lot of the the place as it was just a short trip. we will be back. it was such a welcome change to not have anyone barking across the street "transport?" or "sunglasses?" :)... no one asked us to buy anything! its our first time visiting another island in Indonesia and i believe we will be doing a lot more such trips :).

i had my brother and jim over when i came back to bali which was great. he came with his care-pack always which i never take for granted. i missed my family. it was really good to see at least one of them! (SB: the retin-A is doing its thing! it's fantastic!!! my skin looks so clean and is glowing :) ) the best part of having bb & jim around was that they like to order lots of food and share. :) i love the communal feeling at meal times :)

i don't feel i have rested, been feeling exhausted all the time. am hoping to have my chinese lunch tomorrow and have an early rest in the evening chilling out and reading the rest of the magazines from my care pack :)...

have a lovely weekend my peng yous :)

2008-09-22T09:51:00.002+08:00

i am losing it. with staff, hubby, in laws... patience tested. hormones sky high. not a good combination. been here since 7.30am and i can't wait for the day to be over.

changes

2008-09-11T17:16:00.002+08:00

i am one for changes if its for the better... so i keep telling myself let's not be judgemental!

am working with new people and trying to stay objective and professional.
am working with old comer and trying to put my foot down with them and STILL be professional.
am moving to a space twice the one i am working in right now (just next door!) and i still get my sea-view, my own space and my own office equipments to do my work!

hubby and i going to have our own little abode and it's all very exciting though the land is still bare except with the coconut trees and weeds :) and banana trees and papaya trees! i am trying to think GREEN and try to not cut down the trees unnecessarily and also to make sure i use every bit of it. we are considering a bio-septic tank if it's not too expensive and maybe even have a solar panel since there is so much sun in bali... or in the name of being environmental friendly IF it doesn't cost us an arm or leg :)

we are going to have new friends moving over next year. all came for a holiday and fell in love with yes with this oh so quiet candidasa haha... and one used to be a chef and loves chinese!!! what can i say.. i already made myself one of his best mates here! :) another who is erm.. 20 years older but she is like a big sister that i miss having whilst i am here on my own in the jungle :).

it's going to be quite an eventful rest of the year i reckon and the best thing is we are booked for a short holiday end of the month to manado (yes still in indo but at least out of bali!!!) for a break with our neighbour and my new best local girlfriend whom i can girltalk with! :) i think we all need it to manage what is to come.

ooh.. got a call from DBS to confirm i used my credit card earlier.. hee hee.. they must be thrown by the millions and zeros haha...

long time :)

2008-09-07T11:27:00.004+08:00

hey all :)

sorry for missing in action. was just busy with work, helping graeme with his dives, washing up gears (staff - one sick, one on annual leave. erm... why do we have staff for??), spending time with sister in law and her 3 kids who were here for 6 weeks! i wonder how any mums cope with 3 growing child! :) kudos to you all! dive business has been busy and we are getting ready for a big group coming in two weeks time! it will help pay for the land lease for sure! Yes we bought a 4.5 are land (about 460m2) for a 3o year lease! Am very very excited and tired at the same time. Been looking through magazines, websites and just taking much interest in structures, buildings, roofs, taps, tiles.. the usual first time home owner sort of a thing i guess :)... am so excited to be able to design everything and buy every single piece of furniture ... of course i want everything which the lack of money forbids.. wish my rockstar wannabe brothers would hurry up make themselves rich and they might generously lend a little hand! :) We have up to April to build a roof over our heads so i think it should be enough time!

So all that said, it means there will be no trip home to singapore this year.. am trying to gather the family over in January and hopefully my brother can bear to leave his moby with a trusted friend for the weekend! dogs are like your sons and daughter... i do understand! for us to leave charlie behind with a well stocked fridge was not enough i know.

the resort... hmmm... there's someone that i work with closely is about to leave today. it was a hard but a decision that was needed to be made for himself especially. he already looked happier and actually relieved that it's all said and done. It's probably his best birthday present for himself ;). Changes, its the most constant thing but we still need the time to get use to it... will miss him but am sure he will be back for the weekends to CHILL OUT! :)... in the meanwhile, i will watch the space and see all those who has been eyeing his position and yes i sound a tad negative but they happened to be all a bit slimy and alcoholic... its hard to be objective.

i was given a bottle of Ya Kun kaya today! had toast with butter and kaya and it was very yummy and made me think of home a lot! ... if only i could have that kopi-tiam kopi with it as well... the same lady gave me the instant satchets her last visit.. :) i still got LOADS at home. i am craving for char kway teow, bah chuo mee and sun kuey and my mum's homemade beef rendang right now! anyone popping over soon? very hungry right now..

oh latest klutz episode: oil splattered on the top of hand 5 days ago while i was cooking, got a whacking big blister which has now subsided! with SB help and advise, lets home it's not another big scar that i will have to live with! at least it's not on my face right? :)... catch u all on the email or msn soon!

oh, the bed...

2008-06-27T15:58:00.001+08:00

i thought i should announce that the bed and our bodies are finally agreeing with each other... had a few fitful sleeps despite the chickens and the dogs and the monkeys... sigh.. we will never win!

tgif

2008-06-27T15:50:00.002+08:00

haven't said that or feel that for a long long time. it's a been a few busy weeks and graeme and i are both exhausted. we are looking forward to this weekend that has finally arrived. hopefully a rest tomorrow and just a little bit of work and then a sleep in on sunday and go for a housewarming party at john's! (about a 100 m from the resort).

i miss my sleep in, tv surfing sundays and drinking my cuppa coffee and having a nice late breakfast...

we have both been busy working hard to get more ching ching of course and house hunting at the same time... am excited about it all and hopefully we will find something soon and have something that we can call our own for the next 10 to 20 years! it's been fun trying to draw up house plans etc.. i think i am actually quite good! haha...... say tune for more news :)...

congrats pua and pauline!!!

2008-06-20T09:33:00.002+08:00

my dear friends, am sure the two of you are high on seeing your son Zayne finally after 9 months!! :) ... congrats! and keep updating your blog and more pictures!!! xxx and hugs... :) reading your thoughts of becoming a papa was really touching! :)...

my birthday update :)

2008-06-18T18:05:00.003+08:00

thank you thank you thank you :)
to all the smses i received from my sisters, SB and my peng yous
the wishes on my blog & fb :)
the beautiful navy blue floppy hat from my sisters
the yummy baileys from caren
my favourite M&S almond biscuits that my dearest mummy had to search the entire orchard road just to get them to me on my birthday!
(very very gan dong)
the sexy grey abercrombie top from mok,jo, jade, ade
(i need to go lose some weight before i wear it!)
the pretty bangles from lynnett (navy blue with white poka dot, limegreen and a nice bronzy yellow all different shapes!) which matched exactly what i was wearing on the day i received it! how about that!
and just yesterday when i thought my birthday was over, i received a parcel from amazon! :) thanks ammes :).. i love the cook book! makes me feel inspired to cook again! :)
and of course my hubby who melted over the bbq pit and cooked all the food on my birthday party!!! :)

here's the pictures from the day :) ...

exhausted....

2008-05-17T10:53:00.002+08:00

i have not had a good night sleep for probably a year and i am not kidding when i say that! the stray dogs going off in the middle of the night, charlie barking his heart out at bats, monkeys, my neighbour's cat, gekos ...just to protect his home! the rooster waking us up at 4am when we are just about to fall asleep... it's all part of leaving in a village i know .... but the real root of the problem was our bed. the spring pokes at every part of my body and recently being a good wife, i insisted my hubby sleeps on my side of the bed where the spring is still pretty comfortable. i don't know how he managed to sleep on HIS side of the bed for so long! What's worse is that every turn my hubby makes just wakes me up! so i finally had enough and my eye bags need taking care off as well! i ordered a new queen size bed yesterday and it Just arrived 10 minutes ago. The bed ONLY cost me 2,300,000 RP ( SGD339!). Why i waited so long i don't know! .. I am soooooooo looking forward to a good night sleep! Dogs, cats, motorbikes.. do whatever you do...i am going to sleep fitfully tonight! :)...

my crowning glory...

2008-04-21T11:49:00.000+08:00

ok.. so it turned out ok. i am not thrilled about it nor was it a disaster. hence no upload of photo... :)... it was hard to explain what i wanted cos for starters i didn't know what i want! i didnt dare to be too adventurous nor was the hair-dresser (who was gay which i must add made me a little more confident when i sat down on the chair.) it's a shorter version of what i had, more layers. i guess it will do till it grows out and hopefully a visit to singapore... a good reason for a trip home i say!

me and my obsession :)... and i sometimes think boy am i shallow but it's not going to stop me from checking how i look at all angles before i head out of the house tomorrow(no matter how late i am!!!) ... it just give me that "spunk" for the day which you never know when you might need or have to deal with!

i just had a salad and it's upsetting my stomach upset.. it's annoying when you can't even get a decent salad over here!

thought i drop a note to say hi :)

2008-04-18T16:41:00.002+08:00

sorry for missing in action on the blog front my dear friends :) its a combination of being busy and a lack of inspiration to blog my mundane life in the office. i should be out there in the sun, in the waters, getting a nice healthy tan! but i am not!!!... sigh...

the inlaws are away for 3 months which seems to bring about a certain sense of peace around here. i might be shot for feeling this way. but i am only being honest.

hubby has been quite swarmed and so have i but we made the effort to take our anniversary off on the 15th and decided to stay home and spent quiet time with each other and dear old charlie who seems to have recently grew a beard :). he is 7 this year... for doggie years, he is much older than graeme and i but seems to have much more energy than the two of us! We slept in, made a big breakfast, veg out infront of the TV, watched about 3 strange movies, stuffed our face with a nice beef stew that i made the whole afternoon. It was indeed the best stew that i have made to-date!!! the beef just melted in our mouth and we even had nice brown bread to go with it. living here makes you appreciate the small convenience in life like getting a loaf of yummilicious fresh bread! it's been a while since we actually took a proper break and it was nice. just hanging out with each other and being quiet... i miss my hubby though he is always around but we are never really together. i do wonder if living in Candidasa has made me boring too! haha.. but i don't think i miss city too much either.. though a wonder to the shops would be nice now and then...

the most exciting thing i am looking forward to is having a hair cut this sunday!!! i am taking the first brave step to check out a local hairdresser in Sanur who apparently does a lot of cuts for the Japs according to a friend here. She and i will be checking out the place together this sunday! ...a girl's day out. will keep all of you posted haha...

like i say, don't take the simple convenience for granted... :)...

PS: i am trying to go on a alcohol free week. its day 2 today and boy i must say its hard in this absolutely humid weather.. i will hang in there!!!

letting someone go

2008-04-03T11:47:00.002+08:00

i know it was one of the most difficult thing for him to do. And i suppose you never know how it is until you have to do it.

my hubby has to let go of a staff today. probably one of the inevitable things you have to do when you have your own business. And i know it was a very difficult decision for him. he was someone he taught and groomed to become very incredibly good underwater. EXCEPT that the minute he is above waters, he is a completely different person. Almost like Jackal & Hyde. Well he is not evil, just pure lazy, has the worst attitude, zero initiative, big ego, insensible and immature for someone who is to be a father very soon too. my heart goes out to his wife whom i know dearly. let's hope when the child is born perhaps the little one might change his world and make him perhaps just a little more considerate and sensible than he is now.

it was a difficult night last night.

it was a nerve-wrecking morning too...

but it's all done now, it's over.

we learn from it and we move on.

i believe.

2008-04-02T20:10:00.001+08:00

we were just heading home from the resort about 7ish when we thought we heard someone wailing away but we couldn't see where it was coming from. then just before i got into the car, i saw some commotion at the staff canteen. i walked over and realised that the young staff (who i dont even know his name!!!) was hanging tightly onto the GM with his eyes closed and he seems to be in some sort of a trance. i asked the frightened faces and yet no one dare speak up. Graeme grabbed one of his arms and started checking his pulse. He said his heartbeat was completely erratic. He later told me that a sharp pain went through him all the way to his feet.

For some strange reason, i got hold of the free hand, held on to it and started praying. A darkness encompassed me almost immediately. A great sense of despair and sadness swept through me and i almost thought i might start crying. I kept on praying until his dad arrived. I think he is a priest or holy man. As soon as he prayed over his child,the boy passed out.

We forget how the devil works sometimes.. he lurks around the corner to take a simple thing like hope away from you, that moment where you choose to believe or not. i felt that tonight and i was frightened but thankful for these reminders...

we went home that night and i found my hubby holding onto the rosary i gave him. he never knew how to use it or pray with it but he held it close to his heart which was feeling strange from the experience. I took out the copy of how to say the rosary that i received from my cousin brenda and he took the time to read through it...

in jesus name.. amen.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MULCSTER!

2008-03-25T11:12:00.003+08:00

sending you lots of love and hugs from Bali!

my first this year!

2008-03-23T14:43:00.003+08:00

today is the first proper break we had since we came back from Singapore. Here's me diving at Gili Biaha - shark cave just about 20 minutes from our resort. The photo was taken by hubby. :)

and THIS one, is taken by me :). my first time using his lumix camera! it's a whole new different ball game taking pictures under the sea!!!

Mama's 90th birthday -by cousin wei wei

2008-02-29T19:21:00.000+08:00

2008-02-25T13:38:00.000+08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CINDY!!! :) XXX

(you really shouldn't be working today!!!)

TO ALL MY FAVOURITE PEOPLE :)

2008-02-14T09:15:00.002+08:00

to my family, cousins and best buddies :).. happy valentine's day!!! :) ...

love n hugs, the duchess e. :)

GONG XI FA CAI!

2008-02-07T10:42:00.000+08:00

Hey everone, sorry have been absolutely caught up with work and preparing for a wedding in two weeks time since i came back! I miss all of you!!! and that yummy reunion steamboat dinner that my mum does!

Enjoy the Looooooooooooooooooooooooong weekend and good luck on the gambling den and mahjong tables!!! :)

BIG HUGS & LOVE to all!

happy birthday again!

2008-01-10T19:20:00.000+08:00

before

after

our happy birthday boy and girls.

good old sponge cake with healthy berries ... my sis couldn't believe we (sb,caren and i) actually made it from scratch haha..

2008-01-10T14:22:00.000+08:00

my hubby is back! :)

catching up over a cuppa...

2008-01-06T19:13:00.000+08:00

hanging out at parkway parade starbucks... (very expensive kopi ah...)

oh i finally had my chee kuey and ba cuo mee at the hawker centre just around the corner. had a bit of cor's chicken rice and oh yes sugar cane juice too.. all very authentic... no where in the world beats singapore for her food i say!

BBQ BASH !

2008-01-05T23:12:00.000+08:00

we had everything! crabs, scallops, prawns, pork chops, lamb, sausages, chicken wings, squid, sweet corn, home-made curry and home-made kong ba with the bun and oh yes, my greek salad! ammes was a big fan of the salad, chris was just focusing on the curry, cons loves the veg-filled chao noodles that my mum made, and they all love the kong ba... :)... i must have forgot to tell them that it was a bbq hahah.. they had little room left for the actual bbq but i think they were all very satisfied by the end of the night :).

i think the birthday boy and girls - SB, my mum and sis were all happily filled up and content to see that all the guests were content :)...

hmm... what else have i not have yet?!? ....

true love! :)

2008-01-05T13:34:00.000+08:00

awwww............................................................ ;)

i want a new camera!

2008-01-05T11:20:00.000+08:00

now .. these pictures were taken with my brother's camera which is a Canon Ixus 7.1 mega pixel. for someone like myself who loves taking camera i actually own a 3.2 mega pixel which i just love and especially so as it was a present from my sisters and my brother in law! i recently found out about this new feature in ixus 5.0 and above from ammes on christmas day! and so, i got hold of my brother's camera and have been playing with it since. am sooooo tempted to get a new one.. but i know i don't need one! so... here i am just relishing and cherishing what moments i have with this Canon Ixus 7.1... there is that geek in me yes there is ... :o)

just hanging out...

2008-01-04T17:08:00.000+08:00

got me best friend over for a swim and it was all about girl talk, and yes we swam like we said we would and we had to stop cos it started to rain! we had SB around too which was great fun always. cons obliged to trying out our super sweet carrot cake too! the frosting was just way way too sweet! but the carrot cake on its own was just delicious, of the right consistency all efforts go to SB's arm power since we didn't have an electric whisk! :)...) we chatted non-stop with the help of choya (LIMITED EDITION THAT CONTAINS ROYAL JELLY TOO!) which is one of our favourite drink :). the few hours passed really quickly and consie had to go pick hubby up and we were both heading out to meet no. 1:). these are the things i do miss.. hanging out with girlfriends and talking randomly with just about anything that comes to mind in our very own slang.

midnight domestic goddesses!

2008-01-04T00:52:00.000+08:00

it was past midnight and we found ourselves doing....

while waiting for the carrot cake to bake....

and the results...

very pretty right? :)... the carrot cake tasted really good whilst the frosting was wa-liao super sweet ah! (SB bought the frosting too from the states... we figure that's why everyone is over-size over there! )

Jap food r us :)

2008-01-03T18:29:00.000+08:00

my dearest friends, j's mum and crankygal introduced me to this lovely japanese buffet at the sky terrace at suntec tower 1,2. if i remember correctly it's called kushini-bo. the variety is 5 star, the quality and freshness is 5 star! and ooh the mini chocolate cream puffs which were the first thing i pop in my mouth was very yummy too. :) i love the soup, the cold soba which was my first ever! and i think everything that we managed to put on our plates. we went for 1,2,3 servings hee hee and another pot of soup... and i wished i had a bigger stomach to try every single desert they had! come with an empty stomach crankgal text me and i wished i heeded her advise :). thanks for the treat j's mummy and for the great girlfriends company the two of you. i had a lot of fun and wish you both didn't have to go back to work *wink wink* :)... i only managed to take a few pictures because we simply got busy enjoying our food after. :) looking forward to another session :) love to the both of you xxx

2008 "first"

2008-01-02T21:09:00.000+08:00

first time(s) today:
1. my hubby and i are in two different countries at the same time and i miss him soooo much.
2. sleeping on my own since i moved to bali.
3. having the best facial and the first facial in my 32 years! (thank you xiao lin for the treat!)
4.found out today that my right shoulder blade is more portruding than the left!

how big can a mall get!

2007-12-28T23:06:00.000+08:00

we decided to check out vivocity today since we were going into sentosa to watch our friend perform at the italian restaurant called ilido at the sentosa golf club. boy was i taken away by the sheer size of the mega mall! i love the space, the ability to walk around without squeezing or dodging people and prams wheels that seem to never fail to victimise my toes. one can get totally lost in that mall! we only managed to cover a few shops in that short 3 hours and i got the best buy ever from gap (finally got pressies all covered!) which totally thrilled me haha... i mean i have not shopped for a year after all :)... my hubby can tell you that if his feet could carry him further, i would have walked in and out of every single store there is in any shopping centre. that's how deprived i am. it's not about the buying is really about feeding my hungry eyes haha... i did find a shop that sold really cute dresses and found one green checkered like short dress. i saw a black and white striped one which would look great with a red belt and another yellow one with black prints but i guess discipline got the better of me though hubby was very encouraging about getting all 3 if i wanted! i think i be back to that place next week when the 5 million people in singapore goes back to work and school :).

oh btw, our friend dawn has a bloody good voice and anyone who might need her for a event, let me know! :) ... if you don't believe me go check her out at Ilido. she performs 4 times a week from 8 to 11pm :).

sports day at kensington park 27 Dec'07...

2007-12-28T12:46:00.000+08:00

is anyone aching?... i am!!! here' some shots i managed to capture on our "sports day" :)

Christmas 2007 :)

2007-12-26T12:00:00.000+08:00

waking up to a cold christmas late morning (courtesy of the powerful aircon in my bro's room!) and feeling all ready to play dress up, i decided to put on mascara for probably the first time in 2007 haha... i don on a simple mango almost lime-green top with jeans and my new antique-blue coloured heels and found a pair of black and another electric blue shimmering plastic ear-rings which paired up well without anyone ever knowing that they are not a pair :)... i was looking forward to seeing granny and my cousins.

i forgot my camera but joan sumomo my cousin was happily clicking away which i am sure the pictures will turn up in facebook. we walked in to the usual : my aunties on the mahjong table, a big spread of buffet, well-stocked up fridge and my cousins in the living room all on the floor playing our favourite board game TABOO :). (my aunt description of "parachute" = umbrella in the sky!...haha...)... it was a warm familiar scene for me and to see my granny still recognising our faces. she looked tiny but well... did i mention she has the softest skin in the world? :) she does!

we didn't stay long as we had another party at Mr & Mrs M :). hubby and i went home to collect the drinks, presents and "the" roast pork. i OD on the salt i must say sorry about that guys! haha... it was an attempt to make crackling for our english boys who missed their english food. i promise to use less salt next round :)... ammes' healthy choice: tofu was excellent, then there was the yummy duck (not sure who bought it but it was delicious!) and pototoes from lynn, the polar puffs and ooooh swiss rolls (jackie love) and our favourite cheese cake (from Mr n Mrs lee and Master reuben and daniel :)...)...

Everyone loves presents! we were all excited (or probably more excited) about opening presents like the 3 year old with us haha.. here's the slide show from the evening party...

Gathering at SK :)

2007-12-23T00:55:00.000+08:00

It was great meeting all my long time girlfriends (we call ourselves WTB once upon a time :)... everyone still looks fantastic and no one could guess how old any of us are! :) it feels great to settle right in and have conversations and to use slang that can be understood! It's always a feast wherever singaporeans gather :). we had chicken wings from bedok, the host's yummy top shell dish and a very yummy clam chowder soup which we all had more than one helping. There was polar puffs and the best swiss rolls in the world - it was a unanimous agreement on that one. oh yes, there was chickadees! :) ... And then there was the easy peasey quiche from yours truly. Except for that one strand of hair ade found (sorry about that!), the comments were good! phew! ...

we had a great night and i probably went home quite intoxicated but i had a bloody great time :)... girlpower is something that just cannot be explained too much or to be belittled at all. :) ... these are the bunch of friends that i know i will grow old with no matter where i go and i absolutely treasure them.

to being home and girlpower and to my dearest bunch of friends, love you all deep deep :)

overwhelmed!

2007-12-21T21:55:00.000+08:00

He was the first thing that i saw as i entered the house when i arrived home on wednesday and i just couldn't stop laughing at how big my brother's bulldog was! we finally met my brother's beloved Moby! the picture does no justice at all at how big he is! We have been highly entertained by moby's very cute antics and clumsiness and how he plops around and uses his head and big behind to block the door or bump the furniture around in the house haha... in 2 days hubby and i have actually grown attached to this adorable being in the house which drives my mum nuts and occupied throughout the day :). they have a way of growing on you animals!...

AND THIS WAS BREAKFAST THIS MORNING ALL FOR ME! my dear mum bought all my favourite breakfast this morning! Kuai chap, peng kuai, the white sticky thing which is called pak tong gou in cantonese and o-nei o-nei! ... i know there is still the luo-mee and the wanton mee at gardens which i am supposed to try as well and the famous chicken rice restaurant and oh yes the hokkien noodles at chomp chomp :). i wished i could stomach all the food but i just couldn't!

so what did we decided to do today after that yummy breakfast? to brave the streets once again! first to get hubby's new toy (his christmas pressie!) and then to do the usual christmas rush! We finally got him a Song PSP and must say the graphics are quite good... but then when we came across the PS 3 we were both drooling at the incredible graphics! i looked at him and said, next year's christmas present! i never thought i say this but the graphics are so amazing that you would want to have a go at the games! and i really don't mind having a set at home!

i think i need to soak my feet in a warm tub now.. christmas shopping is just nuts... i don't think i have ever gotten a swollen ankle before from walking the streets!

Its good to be home :)

2007-12-19T14:11:00.000+08:00

just arrived about 2 hours ago, just thought i say it's good to be home! :)... we charged straight for the duty free shop almost forgetting about our luggages and it was great to see dear jas and cor standing by the glass window :). my first meeting with moby - my brother's bulldog and the only express i can think of that described his sheer size is WA-LIAO! hahaha.. we were all amused by the gigantic size 4 legged animal that sits to drink his water and wobbles rather than walks. i have never met a bull dog that big before... come to think of it, charlie seems sooooo tiny right now :). We miss charlie already! hope he will be looked after properly while we are gone!

looking forward to home cooked food tonight! cantonese soup (lin gao tong), beef rendang, steam-fish, stir fry veges and lots of good friends over! :) cannot wait.

to be continued... :)

All ready :)

2007-12-18T14:29:00.000+08:00

We are both packed and have handed over our respective work responsibilities to others and i actually feel butterflies in my stomach just thinking about flying on the plane haha... OR it could be the two cappucinos i drank this morning. Whatever it is i am feeling great despite the bloated stomach. I don't think i have pined for something so bad for a while. This is indeed a much needed trip and break for the both of us.

Crankygal mentioned about "year-end" emotions in her recent blog. i feel like i am almost ready for the new year :).. no regrets, no point beating myself up for things i have not accomplished, all ready to go and glad i have that time still to do what i want to do and accomplish what i want to accomplish.

wa... am i in a bloody good mood or what? hee hee...

2 sleeps

2007-12-17T13:29:00.000+08:00

it's great to know your friends are counting down with you on your own home coming :) and people telling you that they missed you lots. we are still nursing our bali belly or whatever we both caught, and prepping ourselves for wednesday now :). we have stuffed our fridge with Charlie's essentials for the month, each day's supply packed in resealable bags. i be going home tonight and hopefully be sensible and not pack too much as after all we will be doing a lot of shopping :). I don't think we have shopped for a single piece of garment this year between us so yes we are highly deprived and need new clothes! one year away from home is too long!

2007-12-02T11:09:00.000+08:00

happy birthday no. 1! :)

may we drink to aging gracefully! :)

hee hee..

hugs and xxx

be home in 17 days!

see you when you get back from japan!

18 more sleeps! hiak hiak ...

2007-12-01T09:16:00.000+08:00

happy birthday janet-to

2007-11-28T16:21:00.001+08:00

to my long time friend. happy birthday! hope you are having a good time with your 3 boys! :)

almost there...

2007-11-26T17:07:00.000+08:00

i had a super busy day today. Despite everyone walking in and out of my office asking me ke-zillion question in between and wanting other information, having pms, feeling absolutely exhausted, occupying my dying and unchallenged brain cells with mundane stuff, i find myself just smiling knowing that i be home soon. i am glad i am a woman and able to multi-task so well! :) .. i will finally get to rest,have proper sleep, spend time with the ones that i want to spend time with and vege out for while AND check out what i have missed for the past one year in Singapore :). must be a lot :).

i am usually short fuse this time of the month. its good to feel differently even if it's just today.

(PS: crankygal, sorry for not responding to your msn. i will definitely check out the websites . xxx )

fried rice

2007-11-25T20:18:00.000+08:00

it was the first time hubby cooked me something asian! and it was my all time favourite - chao fan! (fried rice). i watched him as he washed and cook the rice in the rice cooker (it was good for 4 persons! hee hee). I watch how religious he stirs everything around and was totally amused at how he cracks the eggs like our mums would (your know, right into the wok and not first cracking it in a bowl).. it was funny and very heart-warming altogether. :). he doesn't go into the kitchen often claiming that i am a better cook and that he is a "microwave-chef" :)..

it was a yummilicious fried rice by the way. we parked ourselves infront of the tv eating our dinner, watching tears of the sun. Me drinking my cheap hatten rose and hubby, his bintang :).

jason mraz - i'm yours.

2007-11-19T15:05:00.001+08:00

cin cin.. think you like this song :)

ONE MORE MONTH to...

2007-11-19T14:00:00.000+08:00

sushi-tei in bali!

2007-11-16T21:31:00.000+08:00

that was the only picture i take after we settle our bill and about to leave hee hee.. i was too excited when i saw the food infront of us. :)

sushi-tei is located just before Carrefour. the place was huge, they had a big menu, the price is actually not cheaper but the same as Singapore. it had a really high ceiling and lots of pillars that were not very japanese i thought. but the food! it was as good as the ones in singapore :).

we had scallop, tuna, yellow-tail fish, salmon sashimi, unagi, ebi, agedashi tofu (yum!), salmon maki, chicken curry and lots of wasabi! hubby enjoyed everything but the unagi which often has a fishy taste. it was sooooo difficult to choose and there were more we wanted to try and it has to wait when we next go down town with an empty stomach :)

I am so happeeeeeee that sushi-tei is here! hee hee

beautiful quiet.

2007-11-13T14:48:00.001+08:00

i just arrive at work about an hour ago. everyone has gone off to our lawyer for a director meeting. yes we need our lawyer to chair the meeting. how sad is that. i was supposed to be there but i avoided it. my inlaws would think because hubby is tied up with diving today so therefore by default i won't go. whatever they think, i avoided having to explain anything or to kiss and hug them goodbye which would be totally hypocritical as they are leaving for australia tonight till january. I avoided by sleeping in, switching off my phone and taking my time to yoga, wash clothes, drink my coffee and then come to work. i think i have been giving hubby a hard time lately. it's one of those difficult times and i think the best thing for me to do is to be quiet and go about my own things.

it's so quiet as i walked in to the resort today. the silence is almost blissful.

another saga

2007-11-08T23:38:00.000+08:00

it wasn't about the stupid bamboo musical instrument laying right outside my office walkway. it was about power and who wins at the end of the day. all i asked for was to take those 2 sets of bamboo away from the walk way because i for one kept tripping over it and everyone else and it is a walkway and not an exhibition area. I asked the staff to put it away when not in use. the very next day the bamboo was right where they did not belong again! i asked the staff to remove them, and then i was told they couldn't and knew who was the mastermind. You would think he would have some decency to explain what he has DECIDED to do. I was simply kidding myself i guess to think he had any brain. i tried being nice and explained to him. But when he kept interrupting me and gave an incredulous reason for placing at least one set of bamboo right where the walk way is, i completely lost it. i raised my voice and i just went "whatever!" in the end because the frustrating thing is his word means everything at this place and he has been empowered to behave like a king...

my heart was bursting with rage and i was ranting away on the msn with hubby as his dad was in the office and i couldn't talk to him face to face. the next time i walked back to the shop, i was a told a big saga happened and all because of a bamboo... or i should say power and winning.

apparently FIL asked POOPface nicely to remove the bamboo too cos he has tripped on it a few times and Poopface probably think i complained and his tone of voice didn't go down well with FIL according to hubby. i did complain but only to my hubby because complaining about poopface to FIL is pointless. My inlaws think he is flawless and perfect and ever so wonderful. All i know, was poopface went to complain to my MIL and that's when all the screaming and name calling happened.

I am once again, the daughter in law that was rude and psychotic perhaps? but the truth is I really don't care. the locals always will back up their own people irregardless of who is right or wrong. It is not the first time i have experience a situation like this. My MIL chose to listen to Poopface rather than asking me what happened. It's just a complete waste of time trying to explain anything at the end of the day.

how do two people whose age makes up a century be so gullible where they place their trust?

It was a difficult night for hubby and I and even my FIL who pretty much had the door slammed in his face by his own wife. What the hell are we doing here hubby said and i quietly wonder to myself too. Sleep escaped us for a while and the last i remember was hubby slow deep breathing...

hurry up 6 weeks!

2007-11-07T08:58:00.000+08:00

Its amazing how in 24 hours a lot of things can happen to reinforce what you believe. i can't wait for 19 dec to come and we can pack our bags and get away from here for a while. we are not running away. we just need a break and perhaps step away from everything and everyone and think quietly.

i know it sounds almost snobbish but i can't stand stupidity, dishonesty of any kind and the know-it-all. 3 different instances and 3 different action or inaction. It's not worth the emotional toll and angst but i feel what i feel and won't try to pretend all is nice and dandy. Yes i might be short fused but only for good reasons :).

I know these 6 weeks to come will pass slow. the waiting days always do don't they? I will just focus on getting myself, get nicely toned up so SB will be proud hehe.. well.. i will try SB :).Can't wait to hang out by the pool, watch nonsense, eat our favourite titibits and get intoxicated together :).

Hubby needs a break big time and i can't wait to make him sleep lots. Rest his aching back. Eat 4 times a day (well it's singapore we are going after all!) and do whatever we want to do.

I know we are all waiting for next day, month or year to come but it is always the "now" that we need to learn to live well. so i will try to bear that in mind.

catching up... :)

2007-11-06T14:15:00.000+08:00

hi hi everyone. sorry for mia-ing for weeks. been just absolutely busy work wise and trying to get things sorted out before i go away for a nice long one month break! (i HAVE been counting down as you can see! :)...)

I don't think i have ever ever taken a one month break from work and am just looking forward to it :)... waking up when i am ready to wake up. take my time to eat and not just gobble up food infront of the computer. have time to space out, be quiet, read, watch tv, window shop, catch up with my friends and my family. :)... i might not want to go back after! :) ...

hubby and i have had talks about living somewhere else.. perhaps after next year... we just renewed the rent for our house till end of October 08. Hubby was considering being a commercial diver where he can earn big bucks.. i guess we want to make some real proper money and then come back to bali at some stage maybe. Not sure where we will be living, we were thinking singapore, australia.. in the meanwhile, the duchess plans are to get my dive master license and get on with my yoga and hopefully get to plan more weddings next year. I am not good with routines. So to be able to stretch myself in different directions :).. that keeps me going and excited.

I don't think i will miss this computer, this administrative role.. but i am going miss my brother nyoman, his sons, the sun, the sea, the chicken .. erm.. no not the chicken :)

Mother-in-laws birthdays :)

2007-11-05T23:26:00.000+08:00

it's ketut's birthday today.. and it's also graeme's mum, judy's birthday :). too much of a coincidence isn't it?

my favourite time of the day

2007-11-02T18:21:00.000+08:00

to good times and 5* company :)

2007-10-28T15:39:00.000+08:00

for the past two weeks, i had access to what we called "the bunker room!" We had keryn - one of our members, bunking in with another member, who happened to be ex-brother and sister in-laws (that's ian & julie) and joshy -dave's son! btw, we don't do this to just any member! we were full and had no choice. but they boys and girls were happy just having a bed or couch to sleep on :).

they had the one bedroom on the ground floor and i had access to their couch, to the titbits in their fridge and to the tv every time i felt like a break. and i took a lot of break whilst they were here hee hee.. it was like a happy family room! i miss them already and had a lot of laughs with them. It was keryn's birthday on the 21st Oct and we had a good laugh, nice dinner at vincents. it was really difficult trying to behave between us as you can see from the photos!

looking forward to having them back soon!

happy birthday mrs mulcs :)

2007-10-26T09:21:00.000+08:00

have a wonderful wonderful birthday weekend and big hugs from lord birchy :)

i feel like that today...

2007-10-18T08:57:00.000+08:00

wedding in bali :)

2007-10-17T15:31:00.000+08:00

weddings! we almost have to attend a wedding every other month over here. verymuch like in Singapore i guess.This one wedding was blog-worthy as its our divemaster Gusti and my little sister Putu's wedding... the dramatic makeup i thought went really well with her wedding gears and the colours were just beautiful and totally coordinated! hee hee.. i am a sucker for being coordinated i know... hubby and i both wish the young couple a great love and life together. they are expecting a little one... how anyone can squeeze another human being out of a small teeny weeny body like Putu's just amaze me! :)

BIRTHDAY AGAIN!

2007-10-16T14:13:00.001+08:00

Dearest Muffin mum :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY! hope you are having a lovely time. PS: my hubby is now a ba-gua fan!

Dear Mother Blonde :)... happeeee birthday to you! Will be back soon to have the blonde reunion :).

69! :)

2007-10-14T14:08:00.000+08:00

birthday at John's place on sunday. Celebrating Alex's 69! :) ... lots of wine, lots of bbq food :).. lots of gossips :) ... (oh, the young looking chap in the group picture behind me, that's the boy that cut my hair :)...)

happy birthday brenda!!! :)

2007-10-13T18:12:00.000+08:00

hope you had a lovely lovely time with the kids :) ..Pssst.. i can't wait to have jelly hearts and that chocolate fudge cake! am sure aloysius won't mind you baking again too! :)

I CUT MY HAIR!

2007-10-10T15:31:00.001+08:00

yipppeeeeee... :) .. all bob and a slanted fringe :). josh - dave's son did the hairdo. my first hair cut by an ang-mo must say was a bit scared. he did an amazing job on the back but er.. can't shoot lah. ... think might have a different hairdo every 2 weeks! i feel like a different woman now ha ha

i got ba-gua & more digestive biscuit :)

2007-10-05T15:59:00.000+08:00

thank you morgan & eileen :) it was really nice to see the both of you. eileen, don't forget to send me picture of chao - ta morgan ok? :) hee hee

Hubby discovered technology :)

2007-10-01T11:46:00.000+08:00

he got his first USB flash disk and wanted me to take a picture of it. :)

Girl power Sunday :)

2007-09-30T18:22:00.000+08:00

Girl power, sun, sea, deck chairs, pressies and xiao ding dang wrapper hee hee..i got some yummy M&S digestive chocolate biscuits and a good book (wrapped in xiao ding dang wrapper!) from corrinne. :)

Thank you for coming up for the day and hanging out the two of you :) hugs

It's another Sunday!

2007-09-30T11:05:00.000+08:00

;) just finished my brekkie and cappucino and waiting patiently for corrinne & karen (cor's sis in law) to arrive!!! ;)

i am having a good day :)

2007-09-23T15:51:00.000+08:00

massage at 9.30am,sun-bathe,snorkelling in crystal clear water, fish and chips for lunch, sunbathe some more...swam in the pool and finally decided to get out before i get burnt and chao-ta ;). having a chandy right now (bintang and 7-up)... ah...it's refreshing...and i am thinking perhaps a siesta before we go to toke restaurant (right next to my house) for their grand opening...

(FIL just walked over and grumbled about the boat crew... and i just letting it go pass my head ... it WILL be a good day... PEACE... out)...

how does it all work?

2007-09-21T09:11:00.000+08:00

I watched Evan's Almighty some weeks back and Morgan Freeman who played God in the movie said if you pray for patience, your patience will be tested. If you pray for love, God will bring someone in your life for you to love but it won't be easy... and so on...

I asked God then... is that how things work?

The past week has been absolutely trying for me. My patience has been tested by he-whose-name-i-will-not-name as it makes my heart boil and he has the same name as my dad! I am not sure when i will snap as that will lead to world war 3 in my so called peaceful paradise.. well no more. Avoidance is what i do and to me that's not a cowardly act but my attempt to keep my sanity and to prevent me from saying anything that has consequences that will not just affect me but hubby too.

Jackie gave me a book sometime back called Captivating... and there was something in that book that came to mind when i watched he-whose-name-i-will-not-name talking to hubby... i watched how my hubby is being emotionally abused and felt necessary to stand up at the moment to tell that person that if he is incapable of being nice and to love unconditionally, he should not talk to him until he knows how. And then that moment past.... i told myself if it happens again, i pray that god will give me the strength to stand up for my hubby.

i made quiche!

2007-09-18T09:46:00.000+08:00

corrinne!!! i finally found a easy quiche recipe and made it for dinner last night! since ocean park days of going to your place and tasting your mum's yummy quiche i been mad about quiche! :)

we had it with english heinz baked beans (hubby just seems to like everything with baked beans!) it tasted good too! :) so happeeee it turned out alright!

i found the recipe from www.allrecipes.com here it is :

INGREDIENTS
2 cups milk
4 eggs
3/4 cup biscuit baking mix (i used cream crackers and basically crushed them into teeny weeny bits)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (10 ounce) package chopped frozen broccoli, thawed and drained (i ran out of broccoli and used spinach instead)1 cup cubed cooked ham (i used luncheon meat and it tasted good!)
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 10 inch quiche dish.
2. In a large bowl, beat together milk, eggs, baking mix, butter and parmesan cheese. Batter will be lumpy. Stir in broccoli, ham and Cheddar cheese. Pour into prepared quiche dish.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes, until eggs are set and top is golden brown.

male bonding sunday :)

2007-09-16T16:33:00.000+08:00

Just past my rescue diver course! YEAH! :)

2007-09-16T11:58:00.000+08:00

Water :cold and strong current

Victim : FIL!!!

Am poof from saving my FIL who was the victim! :) am glad it's over. maybe i should think about getting the Dive master certification next!

We pretty much got drifted from the sea in front of where i live all the way to the resort! there were plentiful of corals and the dive was brilliant. i guess its not knowing what you see next or what you bump into next that makes it really nice. :)

time to head to super market to plan dinner for tonight! have a good weekend everyone!

taken right here in bali :)

2007-09-14T11:14:00.000+08:00

beautiful shots aren't they ?

I bought my tickets!

2007-09-14T11:10:00.000+08:00

I be home on the 19th Dec!!! :) I can't wait!!! count down time!

Happy birthday AMMES!!!

2007-09-14T11:02:00.000+08:00

hope you like the pressie and have a yummy good time!

tiramisu cake in the morning. boy you are having a ball lor! :)

HAPPY 30TH AH PAUL!

2007-09-09T10:14:00.000+08:00

your present will arrive on sat. so just look out for it. may u always be so bai bai and muscular! hee hee

Me Hubby is a Master Scuba Diver Trainer :)

2007-09-07T22:31:00.000+08:00

we celebrated over curry at Raja's and with our favourite people Alex & Marcia :)

Congrats Dancing Queen!!! :)

2007-09-07T09:21:00.000+08:00

To the little dancing queen! welcome to planet earth! i am sure it was a lot more comfy in mummy's stomach but i have no doubt you going to have loads of fun and laughs and love from your mum and dad! :) hugs hugs...

i will await cranky gal to take lots of pictures of you :)

auntie