Snow coming your way!!!

When I mentioned about having a snow-less Christmas in Singapore, a reader, Dutchie, sent me some photos she took during her stroll in her neighbourhood. Dutchie is a Singaporean staying in Holland where she is currently based.  Such beauty of winter and nature.... although I think it must have been freezing. Dreaming of a white Christmas this year....

Thanks, Dutchie, for the kind thought!!!

 

Remnants of the past holidays

Since it's the start of the new year, I'm doing housekeeping  for all my photos  which are in a mess in my laptop. So here are tons of my recent snaps for you, before I put them into cold storage.

Taken at the little countdown party we had, over wine, coffee and lots of snacks and kueh kueh. It was so dim at my uncle's house I didn't really snap alot of photos on my handphone. Morever, not the entire entourage was there. However, my uncle's handsome son is back for his school vacation from Melbourne, slimmer and more muscular.

 

Other earth-shattering happening news was my niece and nephew finally got their very own handphones. It was an overdue reward from their mommy for having done well for their exams.  I think Rascal likes to play the games rather than answer calls. Over dinner in a foodcourt one day, niece exclaimed, "look, Timberland!".  She did an art piece of the Timberland logo out of the remnants of her dinner plate. Thus, she became the new ambassador for Timberland, whereas nephew rather focus on his games.... yet again. :D

 

Hey, one day recently, I discovered Rascal finally have double eyelids! Forced him to pose for me. It used to be one eye double eyelids, the other eye single.  While Rascal is always bursting with energy, the mommy and sister are usually knocked out in the car from their outings. See the uncanny resemblance? LOL! Luckily sis said "quite artistic shot" instead of killing me.  The kids and parents had a smashing time in Hong Kong earlier last month, sponsored by the HK tourist promotion board, accompanied by a DJ. They appeared in a local magazine after that. Thanks to Old Beng, a fellow blogger, who alerted me  on Twitter and here when their photos came out on print. Such is the wonder of social media. The Donald Duck box was one of the souvenirs from niece for me, so that I can use it to keep my sweets or pills on the go. Nice purple prints on the box.    

 

Some random shots. If you know me by now, I usually take photos anytime, anywhere.  Just don't let me catch you digging your nose, hiak hiak!  From clockwise.... I thought Christmas is over?..... Water and flower offerings at the altar of a gompa, life-size motor bike and scooter made of cane, and Rascal told me this worm was Oscar The Grouch's pet. I learn something new every day.

 

More random shots, self explanatory. Trying to be artistic....

 

I won't be me without taking pictures of food. What we had one day at the foodcourt. I love my Ayam Penyet which came in a basket. The rest had rice with satay chicken and sauce, rice with BBQ chicken, ramen with chicken and kimchi, rice with saba fish and an extra side dish of Sayur Asam, a tangy soup which I like, to go with the Ayam Penyet.

 

On the last day of last year, I whipped up some home-cooked Chinese dishes and invited a few aunts and grandma over to join us. Reminds me of reunion dinner. From clockwise, my accidental Pork Patties with mustard chai sim, Honey-Glazed Pork Ribs, Nai Pak Choy with minced pork, Steamed Fish (was trying to emulate the sauce from restaurants cooked in a different manner), Gigantic Egg with Luncheon Meat & Onions, and Lettuce with Ham and Mushrooms. My grandma still can't believe I can cook! Ooolala.....

 

We are a typical Chinese family, hence we usually have chinese dishes with white rice at home. So whenever I am out, I would usually take fast food or other cuisines, or something different. Tried the Honey Bourbon Chicken from Quiznos recently, as well as Charbroiled BBQ Chicken from Carl's Junior. Over-rated, I feel. Also had craving for some fried chicken from McDonalds. Sinful, hor? At times when I eat alone at home, I will cook simple cheesy pasta, and that's about it!

I'm so happy with this dish, Pork Patties with Mustard Cai Sim, which looked delicious and nicely taken that I had to showcase it again!  I actually wanted to make my mom's soya sauce minced pork but I changed my mind the last minute. Instead, I marinated the minced pork with sesame oil, little soya sauce, corn flour and mixed it with chopped mustard cai sim (to give it an appetising crunchy bite). I  made lumps of the minced pork and pan-fried both sides till they were cooked. Then I added a little water (I wanted a slightly wet dish), both light and dark soya sauces with a pinch of sugar. The result was .... orgasmic!!!

LOL8 turned 5 !!!

No wonder this past week I have been feeling that something is amiss or I have forgotten  about something. I just realised my blog has already turned 5 years old on Christmas Day, and I forgot all about it. My blog is a Capricorn you know. Haha! Well, it may sound unimportant to you, as my blog is not as famous as Kenny Sia or Xiaxue. Nonetheless, I am still in awe that I have been consistently writing here for the past 5 years, and almost EVERYDAY.  I've never been that "faithful" to something or someone for such a long time. It's here that I rave and rant about everything anything on earth which left me stumped. It's here that I pour my heart out about some things (well, maybe not the whole heart lah...). Yes, LOL8 has become my diary.

When I first started this blog, it really was meant as my personal diary. I saw the need to document my thoughts and events that happened, so that  it can at least help me recall what happened in the past say, 20 years down the line. Then, there was no Facebook and no Twitter. God knows what else is coming in the next 5 years.  I had absolutely no intention of informing people whom I know about this blog. To this date, only a handful of trusted friends and my sis know about this blog, no one else. The rest are mostly strangers who do not know me personally. I had to let that handful of people know, in case if anything happens to me or if I go MIA, at least my loved ones will get to read about me and what has been happening to me for the past few years. This will be my memories for those people I love.  

Since the blog started 5 years ago, I had been using a dial-up modem to access the internet. It was only until about 2 years ago that I finally upgraded  and signed up for a broadband plan (I refused to pay for insanely expensive broadband plan  in those days when I was still in my old house). So now you know why my posts from the early days were attached with mostly tiny pictures or no pictures at all, because it would take helluva long time to upload files using a dial up modem!  Now with the  excellent internet speed, I can... ahem...  upload all the photos I want, and with mobile blogging, I can blog anywhere anytime I like.

I received quite a number of comments recently. Thank you to all my regular readers for dropping by everyday, and to all new readers, thank you for your compliments.  I just hope that those who signed off as Anonymous, at least you can leave your nick.  I promise I won't bite.  

Thanks again for supporting Life of Lopsided 8.  Stay around. Huat ah!!!

Reflections

Thought I had lost the inspiration to blog since Christmas. Did not really wrap up the past year. Did not even make any Christmas, New Year or whatever resolutions.... because I did not made any last year too. Been confined just to micro blogging (via Twitter), my snippets of thoughts, quotes and rants, and that was about it.

So, here it is. I just like to recollect some of my thoughts about certain stuff that I have been thinking of, here and there.

To me, 2007 was the year of job frustrations and struggling with decisions and funds management. I might have had it too good the previous years such that that year cultimated into many wake up calls. I was frequently forced made to resolve some issues with people, I wanted to find a new job, I was to move to a new house, I wanted to make more money, and at the same time, I was afraid to lose some things and people in my life. I wanted a new job. I was doing fine in that job but I was bored. I wanted a change. But at the same time, I did not want to lose that comfortable feeling, familiar environment. I kept asking myself "what do I really want?". That was the time where I lost hope in some people but some other real friends appeared. That was the Pig year. It was a panicky year that ended with mixed feelings.

2008, the Rat year, was the year of betrayals. It was the year I finally plucked up my courage to leave certain things behind. Even before I left my job, many others already left theirs. It was a year in which I encountered "petty people" or backstabbers. It was the year of going back to Square One. I shifted house, I changed job, I changed environment. It was the year of getting used to new beginnings, new people, new house, new office, new clients. I felt like I was back to those days of being a newbie sales person, lugging my laptop knocking on doors (not literally). It was hard work. Whilst I was optimistic and happy with my new outfit and performance (I did hit target, many times over), was relieved on a personal level (because I finally made the decision to take the risk), however I was also surrounded by smart alecs who were only interested in their own gains and very high handed in their dealings, always taking advantage of the lesser beings. I was betrayed. I wanted no connection with such people. I wanted to work with people who were professional, compassionate, kind and smart, and not scheming people. With that encounter, I became suspicious of a few others after that. I could not let go of 2 matters; one about work and the other, personal. The year ended with uncertainties but somewhat happily with a trip to Dubai to visit my buddy. Nonetheless I hate Water years (pig and rat belong to the water element and water is no good for me in terms of bazi).

2009 was a safe, quiet and smooth year although I saw a different side of people I know, and I came to terms with myself. By beginning 2009, the economic crisis had already set in. Maybe in times of a crisis, fortunes change, and thus people change. I see families being affected by the down times, loss of jobs and income, with increased anguish emotions. Yes, we were very concerned about those loved ones and friends who fell from riches to rags overnight. But on the same note, I wondered, what about those who had always been suffering in poverty? Shouldn't we be even more sympathetic to these people? In 2009, supposedly true friends lost touch and became not so close. I saw the good and the bad from that change in people. Perhaps we never really know a person because we only know our perceived idea of their reality. Time can withstand true friendship in this ever-changing world, I always remind myself. I got to know many interesting strangers too and thoroughly enjoy the friendship with a few of them. 2009 was the sleeping Ox to me, as I got ready to bounce back.

Other than the few hiccups of these few years, I think I have been blessed in more ways than I can imagine. Over the new year, one great lady told me "If you fall and hurt yourself, you should rejoice and be very thankful you did not die. This is called purification. You have overcome your obstacle". Yes, I have always subscribe to this optimistic thinking in times of trouble. Take for example, it is like when some people frequently ask me (knowing I am a fervent believer of fengshui), "how do you know if it works?". I would always reply them, "Well, I don't know if applying fengshui concepts at a certain spot will enhance the fengshui and make me very rich, but at least the bad fengshui of that spot has been corrected, and did not harm me in any way worse than I can imagine. At least I didn't die".

In Buddhist context, whenever I encounter obstacles, I try to be grateful and like to think that I have overcome it. Otherwise, something much worse could have happened, so we called this purification of our negative karma. At least the negative karma ripened in a smaller way than a full-blown one.

I only have one resolution for 2010 and that is to have the Midas touch. Yes, I want everything I touch to turn to gold. Haha. That is, to make lots and lots of money. I have never value money as an important asset/goal in life as I am just the poor scholar type. But I have awakened (albeit quite late). Without money, we may not die, but we cannot survive. Money is important as it is then it can enable our other pursuits. With money, I can donate to the poor, I can improve my living standards, I can make my parents' lives better, I can go travelling. In other words, having the Midas touch will make at least 90% of all necessary resolutions to materialise. And I had better make sure I learn how to save.

That 小龙女

While I was searching for something in my laptop folder, happened to chance upon this photo I took of Fann more than a decade ago. I was shopping in Courts and she was there promoting the period drama, The Return of The Condor Heroes 神雕侠侣.  

Do you know that even in those younger days, I have never ever been to any events or roadshows just to purposely catch celebrities? Nor have I queued up for their autographs either. I thought and still think it is... errr... silly.

Fann looked at me just when I was about to snap this photo. She said something to me but I  already forgot what. I think this is the one and only celeb photo I ever have. No wait, I think I have Coco Lee's too. I was walking passed Boat Quay one day when I saw Coco at an open-air stage performance. She just started out then and was before she became really famous.

Avatarized

Today, someone told me I must watch both the movies, 2012 and Avatar.  I know I must, but I don't have time to catch both yet. So in the meantime, this is me, avatarized. I think the one and only vast difference between the real McCoys and me is my big round nose. Haha!

Happy 2010!!!

Last night at my little countdown party, popping champagne and drinking wine. Moscato for the win!! The place was too dim to take any decent pixs. Then last night, my first dream of the year was to have toppled an unscrupulous businessman's plot to trick innocent people and that I was the heroine. This morning we received two big boxes of gifts from someone. Then I dialled a wrong number and hanged up immediately. The guy on the other line called back immediately and when I apologised, he wished me a very happy new year anyway! What a good start to the new year. Looking forward to CNY Tiger year, for Tiger is my friend. Haha. 

Happy 2010! Cheers to a fantastic year and decade ahead, everyone!