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.
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.
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. :)
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.
diane suggested checking out this new ice-cream parlour at 10 raeburn park. that's where my secondary school used to be.
due to a mis-com over sms with diane, i had not ask janet or doris along last night. had lunch with diane and jarad at coffee club at tiong bahru plaza. doris joined us too since she happened to be in town having lunch with thomas. janet and jeff couldn't make it at such late notice.
jarad is still mostly shy and not very vocal yet. the only thing that could get him excited is ice-cream! and that's the only word that i hear him say out loud.
but alas, seventh heaven was not meant to be. it's closed till 29th. :(
but i took the opportunity to show diane and doris around my old school compound. racking my brains trying to remember what used to be where. somehow, the place feels so much smaller than what i remember.
but our mission for ice-cream is still not accomplished so off we went to ben & jerry's at great world to satisfy jarad's need for ice-cream.
it's our traditional jcgang christmas eve dinner. something which we had going for at least 5 years but we still can't pinpoint exactly when it all started. maybe we're getting old. :P since the little ones have so much fun each year, i think it's something they very much look forward to each christmas.
we have settled into a routine on who gets what for the potluck dinner over the years. janet will get the basics like the staples and drinks. this year, jason and her had outdone themselves by making curry chicken, jelly and tiramisu! wow...
lynn has become the expert on mushrooms with herbs. she made something new this year, baked scallops with mayonnaise and cheese which everybody loved. the nigella fan had also made a very yummy spiced peach. delicious!
johann and diane are the de-facto providers of baked ham. and i'm the go-to person for salads. i tried my hand at making a roasted vegetables with salad greens. roasted yam, japanese sweet potatoes, pumpkin, baby carrots, baby corn, egg plants and capsicum. had lots of leftovers so i guess it's not well-received. :(
doris is the supplier of the highlight of the dinner - the christmas log cake. tracy and eric skipped our less than healthful dinner this year because of eric's current diet restrictions. siew leng and jeff also joined us after dinner.
the decibel levels has definitely gone up over the years as doris had remarked. i guess that's expected as the little ones become good friends and develop greater lung powers. from what i know, johann's and john's family are going to tokyo disneyland because janine and janelle said so.
amidst the festivities, more good news were announced... janet is pregnant! cayden is going to be big brother soon. guess whether he prefers to have a baby brother or sister?
and his answer is a sister! surprised? janet says that's because he doesn't want to share his clothes and toys with a younger brother. :) haha...
another good news of sorts came from me, i'm now gainfully employed since the 9th. that means i can't wake up whatever time i want or have late night online gaming sessions anymore. but adjusting to a working routine wasn't difficult, think i had enough rest and relaxation already. ;)
supposed to catch this with ml and amy but amy couldn't make it at the last minute.
