2017

it's the crowd that matters

New year is always associated with resolutions and fireworks.

As per 2016, I spent new year eve at home.
It's not the most exciting thing to do on 31st Dec but it sure was quiet, peaceful, and lots of time to reflect on the year to pass.

2016 was very eventful - the tough old job, 4 overseas trips, 'maid' for two weddings, moving home, interview, new job (worked 60 hours a week, including some weekends); that when it got to the xmas break, I finally have 10 days to slow down, reflect, recharge, and relaunch.

All I wanted to do was stay home for a quiet night and spend the last hours of 2016 with families and friends who hoped to spend the same with me. Though just virtually, it's better than none.

While my flatmate watched TV and I chatted to people over Whatsapp, we had cider and talked about 2016 in general.
What happened, what could be done better, what hasn't happened, what we want to see happen, what would 12 months of 2017 be like, what should we be working towards?

When the clock ticked into 2017, my sisters watched the Sydney fireworks 'with' me. Lol.
Thanks Sydney for the free broadcast.

It was a great closing to 2016 and opening to 2017.

Spent the next two days 'visualising' how 2017 should be.
The conclusion was career advancement, more quality me-time, and self-improvement.

in memory

time does not wait, does it

On Boxing Day...

Just when everyone's in the jingly and merry mood of Christmas, I received news that my school mate SL's mum has passed away.

She had been ill for the last one year, diagnosed with leukaemia.

Each time I make a trip home, we barely have chance to meet as SL is based interstate.
In my last trip home in November - to attend a friend's wedding - we finally met but I didn't manage to visit her mum.
I asked about her mum. In an optimistic tone, she said her mum's recovering.
She also told me about how they almost lost her early this year.

I reminded myself that I shall bring aunty some Australian fig when I go back in January (assuming all elderly loves fig and assuming she's on the path of recovery).
*For the last decade, I didn't realise Australia is famous for fig. It's time to repay what I've missed.

I remember sending this to SL.

Aunty saw it, laughed and said 'siaopo wy'.
She then told us to 'take some leaves, meet more guys. Everyday work work work....'
I thought since she could laugh at jokes and advise on how to meet guys, she should be genki.

The news of her passing came to me as a shock.
For a moment, I couldn't figure if the news was real or it's something which runs in my subconscious mind.

I thought of the figs which never will make it to her.
I thought of the last joke.
I thought of how she spoke my name.
I thought of how she might have suffered.
I thought of who should I pass on the news to.
I wondered if SL's fine.

I went to bed with these lingering in my head.

The next day, I wrote SL a text.
As usual, she sounded 'fine'.
I don't know how else I can help apart from feeling sorry.

Memories flashed back.

When we were in Form 4, we once had to bring chopsticks to school. I can't recall what was it for.
SL brought a pair of beautiful shiny silver chopsticks while everyone else had the cheap-looking plastic/wooden ones.
Right before the school bell rings, aunty arrived to pick SL up.
I saw her.
I put my hand out the window, waved to her while holding the pair of silver chopsticks.
She saw me first and then the chopsticks. Lol.
SL was given a long lecture at home after, because she took the chopsticks without permission.
It was all my fault as I flashed them in front of aunty's eyes. Lol.

After finishing high school, I came to Sydney and SL went to Ukraine for university.
Our summer breaks were 6 months apart from each other. We barely met anymore.
On one of her birthdays in Klang, I got my sis to buy some roti canai's and deliver to her house as a surprise.
It was more of a surprise for aunty to find the roti hanging on the gate.

These are some of the few memories made with her.

I'm blessed to have you in my journey.
Thanks for having me in yours too.
May you be in a better place, watching after us.

As much as I'll remember your cheerful face and voice,
I'll also remember this, 'take some leaves, meet more guys'.

Love,
wy

money vs friend

only lend money to friends if you don't mind not getting it back

Money is a sensitive issue.
It has the ability to ruin, rock or make relationships complicated.
That's why people often say we shouldn't make money an agenda when it comes to relationship with people - be it family, friends, or your significant other.

How much do you have?
How much do you make?
Would you lend me some money?
You still owe me 50 cents.

Also because of its complicated nature, money can be used to gauge how strong is your relationship with another person or how much you trust each other. The stronger the relationship, the more you won't see money as an issue between the two of you. You're more willing to reveal/sacrifice without a second thought.

Recently, I have a friend who asked if he could borrow $600 from me.

$600 is a fairly small amount to borrow for 'emergency'.

$600 can also be easily cashed out from a credit card or overdrawn from a debit card.

Why would a professional with a permanent full time job not have $600 in his bank account?

Why just $600? And why me?

What if I didn't lend it to him and he ends up in a bad situation?

What if he really needed this badly?

When asked what happened, he refused to elaborate.
'Something came up suddenly, but nothing serious.'

I respect his privacy but don't I deserve to know what my $600 is for?

I asked a couple of trusted common friends about what they think about borrowing $600 to this friend of ours.

One said he doesn't mind borrowing but he wants to know what is it for.
One said no, because of past bad experiences of lending money to people.
Fair enough.

I could have asked a few more friends but I decided it might be bad for his reputation. It should be between the two of us to start with.

Eventually, I lent it to him.
I also prepared myself for the worst, that I might not be getting the $600 back.
If the worst happens, it's a $600 lesson of Don't Borrow Money to Anyone. Once and for all.

Someone who has the courage to ask for $600 without the slightest thought/respect that people ought to know what their money is gonna be used for - is quite a disrespectful person, in my opinion.
Just because I know better to respect you, doesn't mean you can take advantage of it and put me at a disadvantaged position. It's like taking a friend for granted.

On the other hand, I offered to help a friend who's been behind on credit card payment.
=_="
No, I'm not filthy rich.
I just wanted to help a friend pay less on credit card interest.
Although the amount is more than $600, I didn't need a second thought as I'm certain I'll get my money back. I've got nothing to lose.
This friend also has nothing to hide so I'm clear of what I'm paying for.

For the one who took the $600, this will be the first and last time.
Besides teaching me not to lend money to anyone, it also taught me that it's hard to trust someone who doesn't trust you in the first place.
Never ask for help if you're not ready to be naked with your stories; it only leaves people with more doubt about you and your personal values - that you aren't an honest person.

Before borrowing money from a friend, decide which you need more. The money or the friend.

So, he who borrows money from a friend and doesn't bother explaining himself, must have valued the money more than the friend?

I'm glad that I'm at a position which allows me to help them financially.
It's a blessing to be able to help.

awanmulan

deep conversation brings you closer to one another

Spent a night with my girl friend at Awanmulan in Negeri Sembilan during my short trip back to Malaysia.

Why Awanmulan?

So my dear friend threw me a list of 9 retreat places in Malaysia, and told me to pick one.

There are all over the peninsular. Pahang, Penang, Selangor, KL, Negeri Sembilan. 

Selangor and KL are out because that's too close to home. Lol. 

Pahang and Penang are kinda too far. 

Out of the 3 options left for N.Sembilan, I randomly chose Awanmulan. 

She went like, 'Ok. I'll book it tomorrow.'

We are similar in a way where we dislike being dilly dally on our decisions. We tend to decide promptly and let 'come what may' take care of the rest. 

So when the owner Mr.Teng asked how did we come about Awanmulan, did we hear from family/friends/news/blog?

I said we saw online and picked it randomly. Haha.

entrance which looks kinda dodgy.

The road leading to the estate is narrow and seems to fit only one (non-standard) traffic lane at a time. Fret not, cos Malaysians are known to be able to survive any road/traffic conditions - especially traffic jams and flooded roads. Lol. One-lane road is just a small potato.

It's only about 1.5 hours drive from Klang Valley area. 

We arrived about 2.30pm at the gate. 

The gate was locked. The 'guard house' was empty and looked creepy. Haha.

After a few missed calls, Mrs.Teng finally picked up the call. 

Apparently, you would be asked to describe the 3 signs on your right before they come down to unlock the gate for you. 

3 signs - Dusun, Cabinz, and Shorea.

Being a Tuesday, we were the only guests that day.

Mr.Teng happily showed us around the different cabins in the estate. 

He is one proud father whose architect-son designed all the cabins in the estate. 

We didn't have our phones with us during the introductory 'tour' so no photos were taken. What a shame.

We booked the Sasterawan for RM550 a night.

There was supposed to be wifi provided but I couldn't locate any during our stay.

But it's ok. 

Wifi isn't one of the reasons we came here for. 

Phone network was pretty unstable too - duh otherwise it wouldn't be called a forest right. Haha.

Room wasn't air-conditioned but ceiling fan was provided.

Being in the middle of a forest, the night air was cool so you don't really need an aircond.

I wouldn't even use the ceiling fan if I were on my own - but I guess my friend would suffocate without it. Lol.

the bed

Very clean toilet and shower.
Towel, sarung, and shower gel were provided.

For ladies especially: no hairdryer.

the toilet. wallpapers are from magazine/newspaper cuttings.

open-roof outdoor shower.

This is where we chill, cook, eat, and dance with the insects after dusk.

the verandah

Forgot my swimmers!

Since there were only us that day, Mr.Teng allowed me to go into the pool with sarung. 

He also humorously said, 'Make sure your sarung don't float up when you jump in.'

Hahaha. Ok noted, uncle. 

Please make sure you have your swimmers with you if you intend to swim.

Alternatively, you could join the hiking trip (at some costs) provided by the 'locals' of the forest. 

Of course, you'll need sneakers for that which we don't.

We dipped in the pools for about 3 hours until sunset. 

Dip. Not swim. Haha. The sarung will be floating everywhere if I swam.

There were mosquitoes everywhere, even when we were in the pool. 

Involuntary blood donation of some kind.

the smaller pool

the bigger pool. hardly any blue sky in Msia.

the bigger pool

sunset from the pool

one of the cabins

garden outside the owners' home.

The cooking facilities were quite complete - induction cooker, kettle, microwave over, steamer, fridge, etc.
And also a mini BBQ pit, charcoals, fire starter, and matches!

The only things missing were the ingredients - BYO please.

Clean drinking water was also provided.

There were only two sets of everything - two bowls, two spoons, two forks, etc etc.

No chance of sneaking in an extra guest.

We were not supposed to move the furniture around. *woops*

But we wanted to have dinner the 'steamboat' way. So we shifted the table a little but also 'carried' it back to its original spot after. 

Yes. To protect the flooring, carry the furniture. Don't drag them. 

Don't expect 5-star housekeeping or whatsoever. Wash after yourselves.

Thanks to the dedicated housewife who thinks instant noodle is too saddening on its own.

Our supposedly camping-style instant noodle dinner turned out to be a luxurious korean noodle with kimchi, mussels, octopus, enoki, and oyster mushroom.

our dinner

After sunset, the insects come out to play.
They come in all shapes, forms, and colours. At least they don't bite nor sting.

Initially, we were busy shooing them away.
After a while, we got accustomed to it.
The insects are 'calmer' if you don't try to flag them off. So I decided to sit still and be treated like part of the nature. Lol.

  

   

The iron-housewife didn't forget fruits from the to-bring-list. Must salute her!

vitamin C booze

The surroundings were pitch black except for the light from our verandah.
In other words, you can't do much here.
You're partially disconnected from the outside world, with no wifi, and surrounded by nothing.
The only 'thing' that could possibly entertain you is the person in front of you - that's if you went there with a company.
We actually joked that if we spent longer time there, we might get too bored and end up fighting.

We spent the night talking and talking, sharing stories and views on life while the insects accompanied us through.

Breakfast was provided and delivered at 8am - nasi lemak with instant coffee, boil your own water.
Rice was too wet but we're not fussy on food. So it's ok.

breakfast

We checked out before 12pm.
Had a little chat with Mrs.Teng before we left.
She's nice and friendly.
She told us to visit each time I'm back in Msia.
Hmm. Need to do some budgeting before that. Lol. It's not the cheapest place for a short getaway.
But I must admit, we did spend quality time there.

The first thing we did when we were out of the forest was to head to a saloon and have our hair washed and blown dry.
It's totally the housewife's idea though I'm starting to feel uneasy with my not-so-fluffy hair too.

Then we headed to Seremban for some beef noodles.
Nothing so special about it, except for the price.

RM8 for a bowl of clear soup noodle with beef.
RM8 for 10 beef balls which didn't taste beefy at all.
RM6.50 for a mini pre-packed coconut!!!

RM33 for this meal.
OMG!!!

And I thought bahkuteh was the most expensive meal. I was so freaking wrong.
I had to demand for a receipt with the breakdown of prices to be sure that we pay for the right items.

Seremban clear soup beef noodle - just noodles with beef slices, some shallots, and chilli sauce.
I repeat.
Clear soup with noodles, beef slices, shallots and chilli sauce.
RM8.
And not tasty.
You made my jaw drop.
Not coming back and not recommending it to anyone.

quinn seremban beef noodles

Coin meter parking still exists these days - at where a bowl of clear soup noodle costs RM8.
Technology isn't picking up with inflation.

Then we went to get some siewbaos and egg tarts.

Apparently, the egg puff was the famous one. But the wait was too long so we decided to ditch it.

We then stopped by at the Majestic Hotel KL for hi-tea before going home.
Luckily, we had our hair washed and blown prior! Hahaha.
Can't imagine us walking in with greasy and sticky hair.

It was indeed a 2D1N well-spent.
We don't need it often.
Just need to do it once in a blue moon with the right person.
Thanks for your time and company!

at a random gallery

friends you can be silly with

We stumbled across this gallery while on our way to Central Park. 

From outside the glass door,

Me: What's this about? Oh no, the 6th guy has a broken penis!

L: Omg...eww....

Me: Let's go in and have a look.

L: Ok.

After a close look,

Me: Ok. It's not just the 6th guy, they all seem to have broken penis for some reasons. Lol!
L: Haha.

After a closer look,

Me: Oh no, actually they broke their own penis. What the hell...
L: Huh?!
Me: See the 2nd guy...he's holding the broken part. It seems like it fits just right.
L: ..........

L: Eh, nola. The 6th guy's is not broken, it's just short. Haha.
Me: Not broken? Hahaha. Oh ya...how come so short? Ok. Only the 2nd one is broken.

We were too carried away by the 'short' stuff and forgot to behave.
We also spoke at very audible volume. Woops...

Luckily, it was almost closing time so there weren't many people around.

If the statues were real, the guys must be real sad and embarrassed. Lol.

flu season

if only there is one less selfish person

I've always heard stories from colleagues about how often they fall sick because their kids fall sick because someone from their daycare/school was sick.

One even told me that someone from school passed the virus to his boys, who then passed the virus to him, who then shared it with his team at work. One by one, the team members fell sick. My first thought was 'you shouldn't even have come in when you're sick', let alone spreading viruses to a quarter of the people at work.

Just a week or two ago, a friend's daughter contracted the Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) which started from someone from the next class. And who knows where this 'someone' contracted the disease from. Why did the parents even send him/her to school knowing that he/she is carrying and has the potential of spreading some kind of viruses?

A friend told me she's having sorethroat and headache, but she stressed that her nose isn't runny so she doesn't think it was caused by virus. She thinks the sorethroat and headache were developed from her body internally. Sorethroat and headache are flu-like symptoms to start with. It's unlikely that it's not a viral infection (in my 'non-medical-background' opinion).

This is only one of the many times that she fell sick with sorethroat, headache, flu or fever symptoms. Sigh. Either she has weak antibody. Or she is surrounded by virus-carriers all the time. Or she is negligent to the causes of flu-transmittal. Or all the above.

Each time my toddler niece is sick, my sister will keep her away from the two nephews (or vice versa) to avoid spreading the virus to them. Virus could be passed on by just touching the same toys, sharing the same food/drinks, or coming in contact with saliva/mucus. Even during healthy times, saliva-passing should be kept minimal.

I know of a friend who falls sick every month. It's not just her, it seems like her colleagues fall sick frequently too. This is an obvious sign that the viruses are spread amongst themselves. Sick people should just stay home for a day or two or five!

Sigh.

The most recent conversation I had on viruses:

A: I can't eat ice-cream as my cough will get worse.
D: It's good. So you can officially take a sick leave tomorrow.
A: No. I'll still go to work.
Me: *zzzz*
A: I haven't taken any sick leave before.
Me: What?! But you've been sick so frequently. From memory, you have flu every now and then. You never taken a day off at all?! *wth?*
D: Wahlao.......you'll spread to other people leh.
Me: (exactly what I thought)
A: Hahaha. Ya I think so. I was coughing for a week and this morning my boss started coughing too. Hehe.
Me: (It's not funny, Hello???) Why don't you ever take a day off?
A: I'm doing them good. Giving them free flu vaccination. So they can fight greater viruses next time. 
Me: *it's getting too ridiculous, I don't even want to discuss it any further*
D: It's not just your colleague you're harming lor. Think about their kids, their family.
Me: Just take a day off and rest at home.
A: It's boring at home. That's why I'll still go to work regardless. 

I gave up trying to convince people like this.

People who think sick leave exists only for the sake of sick people.
People who think taking or not taking sick leave is solely for their own good.
People who have no consideration for other people in terms of spreading illnesses.
People who think viruses never spread.
People who think it's not their fault if other people contracted the virus from them.

The harder I try to 'educate' them, it only makes me seem like a paranoid and un-compassionate person.

No amount of brainwashing or nagging is comparable to self-awareness.
In the end of the day, only they can change their own mindset.
It's scary to know that there are plenty of 'unaware' people like this around me.
Haven't even taken into consideration, the ones who aren't around me.

Everyone needs to be considerate and educated about how not to spread diseases/viruses to innocent healthy people.
People don't need to fall sick just because you are sick.
Stay home, recover.
Spare the virus from spreading to others.
Or at least wear a mask, cover up when sneezing/coughing, sanitise.

This is just 'domestic' flu we're talking about.
I can't imagine if they have swine flu, bird flu, or ebola.
Would they still think it's okay for them to walk freely in public spaces?

monday mess

life gets messy sometimes,
in order to stay interesting

Decided to not 'race' to work today.
Left home at 8.40am for the 'walking meditation' to the station. Lol.
Stopped by Macq Centre to recharge the Opal.
Got in to work at 9.40am.

1. When I was making coffee, one engineer came in, asked about my weekend, thanked me for sharing the 'Better Place' to them, followed by 'I've completed A and B, when you're ready can you come around my desk to explain the next task to me.' I said Ok (but let me have my brekky, read some news and articles, and check my emails first? Haha).

2. As I sat down and checked my phone, I saw texts from the housemate who's moving out this Friday. She's moving out on Friday but only paid till Thursday. I was giving her kind reminder on the rent. She let go at me and called me RIDICULOUS. I hesitated on whether I should point out to her that there is something called 'courteous' in the English dictionary which we should use when dealing with issues and talking to people. In the end, I told her not to be cranky and be more calm and professional. Hahaha.

Halfway through, I decided to stop dealing with her as it starts to affect my mood for the day. Only got back to her after the day has wound down a little and I'm mentally ready to deal with her shit.

She gave up replying. Maybe I had too much facts which she can't win over. Lol. 

When she got home, we discussed in a peaceful manner, and she said sorry for being mean and harsh, and I'm not the only person she's mean to today. Well okay, not that I take your 'barking' seriously anyway. Thanks for training and putting my patience to test. I think I passed the test again.

3. I'm supposed to review some drawings and designs for issue by lunchtime. Found so many funny notes in the drawings, by the ex-team leader. Now that my name is going to be on the drawings, I need to make sure I don't look like a clown. The designer is working in another office which makes communication more difficult and slow.

4. Then this email came in, Subject: ACTION REQUIRED: EXPENSE CLAIM REJECTED.
The email shows that the sender is the accountant in the UK office. UK? What the hell?
So I hit forward to the accountant in Sydney and the IT guy who designed this crippled accounting system, and CC the Operations Manager of Sydney office.

As I was typing the email, the Sydney accountant turned up beside me and went 'Hahaha'.
Like wtf? Sitting next to me, laughing at my screen?
I looked at her and said 'Sorry, I'm pissed now, give me a minute I need to type this email.'

My email went "Can someone tell me what is happening here? Expense claims often get stuck in the cloud for ages and only to be informed that it hasn't been processed. Let me know where do I go from here. Thanks and Regards."

When I turned to the accountant,
Me: Yes? What are you here for?
Her: 'I rejected your 10 dollars claim.'
Zzzzz.
Me: Why? And why did the email has to come from the UK? *looking calm on the outside, but eyes rolling on the inside*
Her: I thought it was mistake. So I declined. But I ask M, he said it was right. So maybe you want to submit it again. That's not from UK, it's by the system.
Me: Why did you think it was wrong?
Her: I didn't know. I thought you shouldn't charge it to a Project.
Me: (that's the dumbest thing to say and do) *screaming in my lungsssssss* 
Her: Can you resubmit?
Me: Ok. I'll do that when I'm free. *roll eyes for the millionth time*
Her: Are you still pissed?
Me: Ya, kinda. It's a freaking crap system. Why does one claim have to go through 4 diff people, back and forth? That's the only thing he is paid to do here, and he can't even get it right. What is he here for?

Honestly, they should have paid whatever price for a 'healthy' system than paying this IT guy some ongoing salary for a crap system. Why does accountant have the right to reject claims which were approved by the Project Manager? It should be as simple as 3 steps: Submit. Approve. Pay.
And not Submit. Send On. Approve-1. Approve-2. Finalise. Pay. Shit system.

5. The engineer came back again cos I forgot to drop by her desk to explain her next task. In fact, I didn't forget, I haven't stopped since I got in. Ok. There goes 20 mins. And then another person came. And another one. I wonder why they can't pick up things on their own. If I managed to do it, I don't see why they can't. Not angry, just tired of repeating. :(

6. Because the admin did not come in today, I had to answer every freaking call and every freaking garage buzz for her. How many things can I handle at a time man? I was so annoyed with it that I sent out emails asking everyone to inform me if they are expecting guests to come through the garage. I will now ignore all uninformed buzz's.

7. A friend is visiting this week and I'm kinda packed. Thought I could use a little help from another friend to accompany this friend. But the first thing she told me was, I can only do Fri dinner or Sat dinner or Sun brunch. OR??? Ok. Not very helpful but that's okay. I'll put this aside for today cos my brain is getting too overwhelmed by now.

8. Then, the sampat girl in Msia text me to see if she could use my aussie address to get some swimming trunks delivered. It's for her husband's cousin's sons. BOYSsss. I was like what kind of trunks have to be specially bought from Aus? She said Funky Trunks.

So I had these funky men in funky trunks on my wide screen monitor while I typed the delivery address to her. Suddenly, the engineering manager came behind me. And went....'C, do you know where's Ann.............oh wow! What's that?'

=_=""""""

Me: Hahahahaha. Woops.
Him: Hahaha. *paiseh face*
Me: Hahaha. My friend's asking me to buy some trunks. (Omg. The dumbest reply ever! My 'friend' is a female, and the trunks are for BOYS, website shows MEN. I'm not actually shopping for trunks for a male. zzZZzzz)
Him: *trying to continue talking but keep getting distracted by the funky stuff*. Hahaha I'll pretend like I never saw it. *close his eyes*

I quickly minimised the browser while he talks. Lol.

9. And then, the unibuds club president text me to see if I can attend a meeting this Sunday morning, to share some experiences/knowledge or anything. Ahhhhhhhhhh. Can the day get any more exciting? Thankfully, I have a roommate who has met almost all of my friends. Lol. She agreed to accompany my visiting-friend on Sunday morning so I'm able to 'help' attend the meeting.

Left work at 5.30pm. Goal achieved!

Despite a longgggggg and somewhat taxing Monday, I believe the week will only get better. Hehe.

instafeel

friends who are connected by heart

Miss Petite texted me out of the blue today because of the photo above which I posted on instagram.

We don't normally text each other but she asked a random question which kinda caught me off-guard and by surprise - her 6th sense is creepy. Hahaha. The question was triggered by the photo but was unrelated to the photo at all. Wonder how that happens...

Hopefully she's the first and last to ask this, for now. Haha.

Months ago when I posted this, she texted me too.

Funny how her senses are connected to mine through photos. She does 'feel' me well. Haha. Ladies and their 6th sense are no joke.

happiness is...

...to love and be loved 

When all you need is name the food... 

And you get them fresh out of the kitchen.

Baking is patience, hobby, passion, time, skill, luck, courage (to fail), and love in a mixing bowl.

And so much hassle to wash and clean after that! Feel so sorry.

I have to be careful with what I wish for next time around. 

choc chip cookies

matcha pineapple tart

matcha souffle

Sometimes being single also means that friends will shower you with more love to the extent that you don't need a prince to be treated like a princess. 

Thank you for loving me. 

baking for the happiness of others

cookies are made of flour, butter, and love

matcha shortbread cookies

I never liked baking.

Because baking is a complicated thing.

For a successful product, you have to get the measurements, temperature, timing, sequence, ingredients, and everything else right.

There are too many ways to fail. 

Even if the recipe was followed 100%, there would still be chance for failure.

Engineers hate risks.

I guess the root of it is, I can't stand rigidity. Hahaha.

I like to be able to bend rules as I wish, add flavours as I go, and still end up with a yummy dish.

The only things I've baked for the last 10 years were:

- Shepherd's pie

- Banana bread (pre-mixed from the shelf)

The reasons I baked this time around were:

- Because Miss petite said the recipe is easy to follow (means less room for failure)

- For the sake of friends who love food and matcha, and can't be back home for CNY

- Because my sis baked and failed twice, and blamed me for giving her the recipe. Lol. I'm the best candidate to prove that the recipe is noob-proof.

in the making

the burnt batch. still yummy.

Though the outcome was successful, I need a break from baking!
Lol.
So much standing, washing, cleaning...and worrying from start to end.
And oily hands the whole time!
Went to bed with backache.
Woke up with backache.
Told the admin I have backache, and she said, 'Ok, I'll buy you a back support.'
Few mins later, she told me she has placed the order online.
Sometimes, she's just like a mum (when she's not mad or grumpy). Hehe.

I found the happiest and most satisfying thing about baking is not the outcome, it is knowing that it'll make people's day in one way or another.

#behappy

Recipe here: Matcha Shortbread Cookies

#bestchristmasever

it's not anything but the company that matters.

I always dread going to Melbourne due to various reasons - the harsh weather, the hook-turns, the unfamiliarity, etc. It's about time I pay Melbourne a visit as it has been 2 years since my last trip there for Miss Petite's wedding.

One day, out of a random conversation, I told Miss Petite that I shall pay her a visit if she's around during xmas. After months of thinking, she decided to stay in town for xmas.

So I immediately got my tickets booked (1.5 month before the trip) at about $200 via Jetstar. A pretty decent price for a festive season (in my opinion). The most expensive Melbourne tickets I've paid before were $400 return (plus $70 for missing the flight back because we went to Miss Marple's for scones and couldn't get to the airport in time). Lol.

This xmas was one of the most memorable things that happened in 2015.
People say when you're happy, time passes quickly. It sure does.
I needed a couple of days to recollect my memories as I lost track of time over the xmas weekend. Hehe.

On Christmas day...

Brunch by Miss Petite and husband.

Coconut chia seed pudding with blueberry, strawberry, and roasted almond by Miss Petite

It's my first time trying chia seed pudding. 

A simple combination, beautifully presented, and healthy too.

Though I'm not a fan of almond, coconut, and strawberry, they kinda compliment one another that the ingredients don't stand out on their own. They mixed well.
It's probably the healthiest food for the rest of the weekend. Haha.

Next is the savoury crepe.

It's so juicy and yummy!!!

Crepe in the making

Traditional crepe with egg, spinach, ham. and cheese by Petite's Husband.

And then, we had some matcha shortbread cookies by Miss Petite.

Irresistibly tasty with slight hint of bitterness. 

Recipe here >>> Matcha Shortbread Cookies by Miss Petite

After that, off we packed and went to the Chua's.

The huge and overly-friendly Miss Zoe

First thing at the Chua's is always to get pass the Zoe Test.

She welcomes literally anyone to her house and loves jumping at people, it's kinda scary considering she's at the height of my thighs and she weighs 20 kg.

Her tail is like a whip and it hurts if she happens to step on you. The weight on each foot is probably 5 kg?

Her face is bigger than Miss Petite's! Lol.

They say 'she's huge but she doesn't know she's huge'. Hence, she thinks it's okay to jump on people.

She's like the desperate friend at school who everyone avoids. Haha.

She tends to get emo after being ignored by people. 

Poor girl. 

After all, she just wanted to be friends. 

After freaking out a few times, I got used to her friendliness and appreciated her presence. 

Kinda miss her now.

We spent the whole afternoon sipping wine and helping Ann out with the cooking and preparation.

2 bottles down before dinner time.

Table setting designed by Ann

Menu for the night - took 3 days to prepare the food.
All thanks to Ann, the head chef.

The entrée

The mains and sides.
#bestturkeyever

The dinner was so scrumptious that everyone over-ate and had no room for dessert.

We took a break for present-exchange while allowing digestion.

3 out of 10 presents involved whiskey glasses - what an alcoholic bunch of people (in a good way I mean). 

It simply means they know each other too well.

I'd say all the presents are pretty practical, useful, and thoughtful. Bought with much thought and consideration.

Warm xmas tree

After present-exchange, back to more food, followed by dessert.

Raspberry and cream ice-cream with chocolate truffle-coated popcorn, and
freeze dried and fresh raspberries by Miss Petite's husband.
All ingredients from Burch and Purchese except fresh berries.

There were much leftovers so we had the same feast for dinner the next day.

Not forgetting wine, wine, wine, and more wine.

Thanks to Ann for all her effort despite suffering from sore wrists. Rest well and hope they get better and better.

Thanks for the wine too. My next trip over, I shall bring some Sydney wines along.

And the feasting continues...Belle's Hot Chicken

Belle's was the last meal before heading back to Sydney.

I guess I gained 2 kilos in 4 days - compensating for the losses I had over the past couple of months. 

Out of this trip I found that...

- Melb can be warm despite it's uncooperative weather.

- No matter what you do and where you are, it's the company that matters.

- What used to be bad could become good, and vice versa.

- It's great to know there's a 2nd home in Australia, 10 hours drive or 1 hour flight away.

- Common interests play a big role in bringing people close together.

- Being in the same stage of life makes it easier to connect with people. It explains why sometimes, you may not be able to click with people you've known for years but able to click with strangers you just met. 

- I learned some new terminologies: Flambé, Chimichurri, and Chimichanga.

- Friends are the closest 'family' when families aren't around.

For who-knows-how-long, I've been telling Miss Petite that I shall visit Melb 'soon' but it didn't happen - not for once. I finally fulfilled my 'promises'. Haha. 

Thanks for having me over, giving me a cozy bedroom - new carpet, nicely-made bed, and even towel! Not forgetting Miss Michie who always welcomes us at the entrance, so awwwwwwww.

My second bedroom in Australia

This is by far the #bestchristmasever as agreed by all of us.
What a tremendous closure to 2015.
I'm truly blessed.