lunch @ pandan valley

pandan valley was this place that i passed by on my way to primary school but i've never been inside the condominium until today.

sl and jeff had just moved in and is hosting jcgang for lunch. although it's one of the largest developments in singapore, it was still quite peaceful on a sunday afternoon. however, things were different when the little ones started to arrive. haha...

everyone turned up except for eric and tracy who couldn't make it. the kids enjoyed themselves as usual.

me too since i got an angpow from johann and diane. hehe...

lunch @ 自然海鲜

i suggested having lunch here to celebrate mum's birthday. it's crowded as expected since it's 人日, luckily i made reservations.

we had 鱼生 in addition to their signature tofu and beancurd prawn dishes. overall, mum and dad were satisfied with the dishes. dad quite like the pork ribs which is very tender although the vegetable with mixed waxed meats which mum wanted to try didn't turn out well. the preserved meats were a bit tough.

the 干炒海鲜拉面 was a good alternative to the usual noodles to round up the meal. a pity we didn't have room for desserts.

changeling

supposed to catch this with ml and amy but amy couldn't make it at the last minute.

thought that angelina jolie put in a powerful yet restrained performance of a mother going against the corrupt lapd in the 1920s. this movie wouldn't have been believeable if it wasn't a true story. life can indeed be stranger than art sometimes.

the sets and costumes were gorgeous, evoking a very real sense of the era.

a must-watch movie.

happy 牛 year

it's the year of the ox! may the new year brings you great prosperity and abundance. not forgetting good health too... 恭喜恭喜!

大吉大利

was at jurong point last night for dinner and chanced upon these discounted potted 'kumquats'. priced at $10 for 1 pot and only $18 for 2, it was such a good bargain that i couldn't resist and carted a pair home taking the train! :)

since we didn't buy any potted chrysanthemums this year, the pair now graces our door adding a very festive touch to welcome the new year.

badminton

when was the last time you played the game?

well, i had 2 games in less than a week. played last thursday and again today with my new colleagues. gave estee's racket a good workout. actually the racket hasn't seen the light of the day since eons ago... even the grip was disintegrating already.

my palm looked as if i was playing with a piece of charcoal at the end of last week's game at geylang west cc. haha... it was all black. had to replace the grip last night.

there were only 6 of us this evening, winnie's hubby couldn't make it while seeni is in kl so pearlyn dragged his boyfriend along. this time round she had booked 2 courts so jasmine and i had 1 court to ourselves. had fun... i think i need more practice. :)

老板娘

tony told me he can so empathise with people working for female bosses. :P

good luck to him. haha...

happy 2009

before i know it, time just zoomed past and we're now in 2009. happy new year to all!

although the last year has been marred by gloomy economic news and some pretty horrific disasters, natural and man-made, the economic repercussions from the fallout in the US is expected to be more deeply felt this year.

the cliched phrase now is 'looming clouds' to describe the coming year's state of economy so i think it's up to us to find the silver lining in every cloud. just make lemonade when life gives you lemons, right? :) as always, it's a matter of perspectives and attitudes.

i suggest finding time for your friends and family because at the end of the day, they're the ones who will be standing right beside you come what may. i like the saying 'to live each day as if it's your last' which i take to mean living a life with no regrets and with contentment.

lastly, 2008 has made me realised that i can't take good health for granted as i get older. hopefully, my new job will allow me to exercise regularly and keep myself in good shape.

let's all toast to good health in 2009! cheers!