Families, Friends and Food

Ah Ma

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Sat morning baked 2 more banana cakes again with chocolate and raisins toppings:) One for my own family and one for The Loke family:)

Brought some for Ah Ma too! And she seems to like the raisins one more!:)

The beautiful violet flowers which only bloom once a year - LokeX2's favorite:) Sadly, there's only 2. Last year was full bloom, even prettier.

LokeX2 chatting with his beloved ah ma:) Always behave like a kid in front of his ah ma:)

Playing the zi-pai with Ah Ma:)

His number 1 gf:)

SPH Food Hunt with The Loke

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Sun was spent travelling around Singapore! The (early) day started off with Mac breakfast!

Waited for the briefing.

Then off we went for the food hunt!

LokeX2 our navigator:)
I love this photo! Unedited:)
:)

We solved the puzzles, found the 6 places, plan the routes, navigate, drove there, braced through the challenges, ate food, searched for answers, got stamps from the marshals and finally completed the entire hunt!:D

It was an exciting and fun experience with the Loke family! Though LokeX2 expected better food. I say the process and the fun are good bonuses:)

LokeX2 did something brave which I'm quite surprised! As part of the challenge, he actually hold the cold slimy fat frogs and even kissed them - all 4 of them! *clapX3!*

Though we didn't win, we had great fun travelling around and discovering some quite ulu places and new findings:)

Sheng Shiong actually owns food courts too!

Kim Joo Guan actually sells nice bak kwa!

There is only 1 frog farm in Singapore - the Jurong Frog Farm.

The day ended off with a delicious pampering meal at the famous Mr Chicken Rice@E!Hub:) Okie, actually it ended with a nice pampering nap:)

Bro's Treat@Xin Wang

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Went back home in the evening as my brother was treating us dinner!:) Cos he received his edusave scholarship:) It's been a tradition to treat the family whenever we receive scholarship or we gotten pay:)

Anyway, love the flash! Not as harsh as I thought:)

You see, our family is just like owls. Our common free time is usually night time - 8pm onwards. So Xin Wang becomes a great family place as it opens till late! Well-suited for our family night life:) That's why we love Shop& Save and Mustafa too!

Here's my naggy yet noble parents:)

The 3 of us!:)
Our (5 lian pai) times 2!:D Notice how my brother's smile evolves haha..





My owl family:)

Hope we can save enough to travel together one day:) I mean "we" as this includes my sister (take note xue hui)!

Run for Spring Chicken

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Ran 2.4km with Dawn and the Muay Thai gang after their Muay Thai-ing!

6 rounds on the track initially appeared monotonous, thanks to the nice weather, still managed to complete them comfortably (without stitches/excessive fatigue):) It was a comfortable run still:) I'm glad my stamina has not deteriorate too much since the Jan.

Love the shoots before and after the run!:) Apparently we were exhausted after the run as seen from our slower actions.

After that it was the Spring Chicken dinner!:) That's the motivating factor for joining them for the run actually:P

YumX3~ Having sinful dinner after the run is rewarding:)

But, campus run next? Next Tue??!!

Domesticated mid-week :)

Wonderful Wed

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Wonderful Wed starts off with a satisfying sleep from yesterday:) Together with the cooling weather, it is perfect:)

Disciplined myself to finish off my to-do list that includes revision, tutorials and projects in the afternoon before I have a late lunch:)

Cos I'm aiming to spend the rest of the day baking!:D

So after the much needed grocery+Watsons shopping, I'm all set to bake banana cake with the so-called easiest recipe trial and tested by Jaime Teo! Preparation work is easily accomplished in less than an hour, it's that easy!

The ingredients required and not forgetting bananas too!

The before. I still thought I would need to use a smaller pan/make small muffins instead as it looks so little until my mummy reminded me that it will rise -_- How forgetful.
After 40minutes of chemical reaction - "ding!" Omg! I was so excited! Feels so accomplished:D
And it's yummy! Soft, moist and delicious, not self praise alright, it's the recipe!:)
Half of it is already wiped out by me and my family! Leaving the rest for tomorrow and LokeX2!:) Feeling hungry already? Go try it! It will be such a morale booster for newbie like me:)

Ernest Quarter Century Bday Surprise

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FB is playing some tantrum, albums need to be uploaded a few times before it's successful. So I shall post some of them here since it's Ernest big day today (and I'm masking my face) :)

Lynn is really sweet to plan a (supposedly) big surprise with around 40 people! Imagine sms all of them and coordinating everything including the buffet.

Ernest ar, *shake head* on the other hand seems to find joy in uncovering all the surprises. He ended up surprising us. Either way, I'm sure he still enjoyed his bday celebration, in his own way:)

Not forgetting the promise 2 years ago, LokeX2 created this greeny Ernest-y bday card:) Ernest, you wasn't around when the rest saw this card. Everyone just burst into laughter!

Lynn and LokeX2 cracking their heads to foolproof the surprise. Look at the number of shoes that were originally in your living room. In the end, we figured out that it would be better for everyone to surprise you outside instead of trying to hide all the shoes (and the people) inside the house.
Having some shooting fun while waiting:)

With Dawn whose fringe is always so nicely swept to the left side and actually remains there! I have to resort to bangs to resolve the messy fringe issue. So now I can take photos on any sides!
Xu Wen inspecting the surrounding and checking for Ernest's zhong ying. Anw, I like this shot:) Purely personal judgement alright:)
Look at the number of people waiting on Level 9! Lined up so nicely! And there's another group on Level 7 which was unfortunately caught by the ever-suspicious Ernest.
Dawn and Xu xu! I just realized both of your fringe are on alternate sides!
LokeX2<3
Sweet (chocolate) photo!:)
Playing with Colour Accent:)
Joel and Joyce enlightened me with the super duper macro effect - I like!:)

Practicing for PFM grad trip photo taking:)

Carol-styled!

The crew behind the surprise!:D It was only until I saw this pic then I realized there was really ALOT of people! Like what Xiao Qian says, I like this photo cos it's super lovely:) Ernest better treasure Lynn ar! Next year, we may really sign petition not to celebrate your bday at all hor!

To Ernest,

Though we are not frequently in contact now, I'm still glad that I have the opportunity to work with you in MC and also know you personally as a friend:) Our paths may now be different, but I'm grateful that you have crossed my path and inspired me with your life story and your guidances. I wish you all the best and do what you are best at - being your own best!:)

From, Da Tou Wa Wa

P.S pls discount the size of head with my bangs!:)

Alright, hope to get the rest of the photos up soon!

I have had a fulfilling day today:) Nights!

Things that excite me!:D

Before my blog proper, I actually tweeted on my way to sch which somehow didn't manage to appear. So wanted to add this on to my list of happy exciting moments!:D

Influx of happy moments! New KOI outlet right next to Bishan Bus Interchange + zero waiting time for bus + rain only after I board the bus! Un-monday blues!:D

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Japan Grad Trip

The PFM gang has booked 8D7N tour packages to Japan Honshu:D Even Wei Juan and Fei Fei are coming! It's a pity that Val cnt join us, but still appreciate her advice about travelling to Japan:)

Can't wait can't wait!:D

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HK Grad Trip

And I just booked our HK grad trip too!:D Whee~ 7D6N! Gonna explore all the streets and the islands!:D

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G11

And and and, in view of the upcoming grad trips, I also finally bought my G11!:D

Of course, I still love my pinky Sony compact from LokeX2:) Just that I wanted to take better shots under low light, can zi pai better and try my hand on a semi-pro cam for their more atas image quality! And I'm simply in love with it solid structure! And the swivel LCD screen!!! Still exploring the different shooting modes! Sooo fun! Here's some test shots!

Having fun with the Colour Accent!:D

Self timer with customizable number of shots!:D Love using self-timer with the swivel screen as you can actually view yourself as it snaps!
Happy owner of G11:)

Canon - delighting me always!:D

One month later.

Some event highlights of the month of Feb

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Bangs!

Yes! As many have already seen it (or not seen my forehead), I have gotten bangs for my fringe:) Cos my fringe is curling back and I decided to re-rebond it and try bangs! I'm really happy with the outcome!

Here's the good things I like about having bangs!

Almost 50% forehead covered.

Totally save on my foundation cos now I don't even have to apply any make-up there, not even sunscreen actually.

I don't even need to blow dry my fringe in that particular direction. Just comb it straight down and let the gravity do the job.

Covers up my small eyes. So I can skip eye makeup on normal days too without looking too tired.

I just love it!:D

On the day where I got my fringe, I went Daiso and Candy Empire shopping for Vday present making! For PFMs and CHAOS:)

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CHAOS - Dawn's 23rd & Vday

Actually, it's more of Dawn's 23rd bday!:) Had a pre-actual-surprise for Dawn with the yu-sheng "cake"! Supposed to be a surprise but Iphone lets the cat out. It was actually LokeX2's intention to treat Xu Wen and Dawn. Xu Wen for being such a great thesis buddy, Dawn for her bday:) The couple suggested Werner's Oven and the food there is really exotic and meaty I would say. I like the beer though!:)

CHAOS also had a plan on her actual bday itself. We had planned it the reverse way.

Last year - surprised her outside her house at the strike of midnight of her bday:)

This year - surprised her while hiding inside her house before the end of her bday:)

Our 1st handmade major gift! Deon bought the main materials and Wanxin brought her BBQ mesh+hooks, I supplied my brother (as the spray-painter) and LengX2 did what she always do best - cardmaking:)

And we managed to finalize the concept and come up with the customized accessories hanger within less than like 4hours! :D

While waiting and taking our well-deserved dinner, the 3 of us then had steamboat dinner as it's the last day of CNY!

Then LokeX2 came to fetch us to Dawn's house for present hiding, cake preparing and strategy brainstorming.

We waited and waited and waited~ Till it was almost the end of her bday, in fact we celebrated slightly after her bday! Nevertheless, she was really surprised, not really cos of us, but cos she thought her house was on fire with us hiding with the candles that were lit up.

Glad that she loved it and was really surprised!:D Success to 1st CHAOS bday surprise of the yr!

Also, presented mini vday presents that I prepared for them:) Cos they have been the ones doing really sweet and nice handmade presents which I always wanted to do but didn't have the time to. Hope they like it and will use the box! Once again thanks for being the gems in my life:)

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Our 2nd Vday

Our official 2nd Vday:) We had a really belated celebration due to his dissertation, but it doesn't really matter as long as it's a day set aside for both of us to relax and enjoy each other company:)

This year no real flowers, but a pair of handmade ones!:D Love it soooo much!:D Really beautifully made and intricate details! Most important of all, it's handmade with his heart and hands:) I shall look forward to receiving more variety of flowers from him:)

And we finally went to the Toys Museum! After which we went Addidas warehouse sale where we both bought a jacket each:) Just nice for my Jap grad trip:) Then we also went to visit ah ma:) The rest of the day was spent relaxing our day away:)

May we celebrate many more vdays together:)

A Day Dedicated to my Body

Sorry for the long hiatus, life has been great since submission of dissertation, CNY and all:) If fact there's loads of photos to be edited and posted! As it's the do-projects-and-tutorials-and-revision period, that has to be put on hold for awhile more.

And here I am at home, resting and hoping for a speedy recover of my sorethroat-manifested cough. Can't talk too much and can't talk too excitedly , which I usually do. Quite a torture actually.

Really appreciate my group mates for granting me this rest day as they excused me from a meeting for our Thurs's tutorial presentation:) Thanks young and lively group mates!:)

Although there's nothing nice about being sick, I still do appreciate how my body signals to me, reminding me to take good care of it and directing my attention to my health:) Many a times we are so caught up with many external matters that require our attention and time that we sometimes, in fact most of the time, take our health for granted.

The priority is never on taking care of our health actually, unless they start to fail us. So I will do my best to heed my body's advice and pamper my health as soon as it is showing signs of breaking down. As experiences taught me, the best thing to do is to recuperate as soon as possible before it snow-balls and deteriorate even further. Otherwise, I may have to sacrifice more time for other equally important matters.

So today, I dedicate this day to my body, to let it rest awhile and slow down a bit. I'm glad that I can also afford a bit of time to do some reflection here:)

For everyone, do take care. Drink more water and rest well. Weather hasn't been too kind on us and our body has been working non-stop for as long as our age. Our body however has no warranty, so we have got to treasure it and take good care of it, for our future:)

I still need to learn to lead a healthier lifestyle while balancing the different priorities in my life. Life is a balancing act isn't it? That's one of the way we love ourselves and love our life. Only then, can we afford to spread the love around:)

So reminder of the day - let's keep everything in balance:)