Luck ran dry

We had 2 piece of good news at the start of the year.

#1: We've sold our flat for a decent price! Offer came in when we were travelling in Bangkok in early Feb. Although I must say, we never expected a middle age lady to appreciate our house reno. But still, we're glad that we're going to handover our nest to a nice lady. I felt a momentary loss when I accepted the cheque. After all, we have stayed in this home for the past 5 years. I didn't know we can experience seperation anxiety at this age too. Hahaha.

#2: We've bought our new place when I was travelling in Taipei!!! All happened in a span of less than a month. We spent a few months of deliberating on where our next place should be - priority was the Son's future school. But after reading all the possibilities and non-possibilities of trying to secure a school purely using distance, we decided to play safe and just put Jayden at either one of our school. No need to lose hair anymore. Heh.
So choosing a home become no boundaries. We wanted somewhere near in-laws but anywhere near Bishan is very very expensive. :( My only bottom line is I do not wish to stretch the dollar and stress ourselves over mortgage. So we shelved finding a private condo and decided to go for EC. After all, it is our last chance to get a subsidized house from HDB.

So we went around to look at a few current launches. The only EC that caught our eyes was Twin Waterfalls from Frasers. We love their layout and location was very near future Watertown - the next Centerpoint in a suburb. So we took our chances and went for the balloting. And bless our souls, we got it! :D Very high floor, the layout we wanted - everything penned out nicely!

So everything went well and smooth in Feb and early Mar. But our luck suddenly ran out in mid-Mar.

Dylan got into a minor car accident - thankfully unharmed but the car is disfigured. :(
A series of unlucky things happend on me too.

I am hoping it is just a temporary 'suayness'. After all, the biggest contentment is that we've found our new place but only ready in 2015!!! We'll take this 3 years to save up and hopefully can invest in another small unit for future investment. :)

As for now, we'll be busy busy busy in moving to a temporary shelter.

Let's hope April will be a good month for us!

Foodie trip 2 - Taipei

WARNING: The following entry will be mainly on food and shopping. If you have a weak stomach or compulsive buying disorder, please note that I will not be liable for any impulsive decision to fly to Taipei. Although I will be very delighted to share with you the locations =)

So after what seemed like 2 years from my 30th birthday wish, I finally got onto a girly trip with Liv and 2x Irene. The only agenda on the trip was - FUN. We couldn't even care if we came back a few kilos heavier or maxed out a credit card. Ok I lied. I was VERY VERY concerned I gained a good 2kg!!! =(

When I meant girly trip. It was a lie too. Girls are young and poor. We matured ladies have the power to spend. So of course even airline must be the best. :p We came to Taipei prepared - biggest luggage, enough warm clothes and a mind set to just spend, spend, spend! :D

Day 1

Arrived at Howard Hotel with a very angry stomach. So Irene brought us to her favourite "yi-mian" store near the hotel. The food was YUM-MEH and super super cheap!!! Of course, always end the meal washed down with a cup of bubble tea.

Come nightfall, we went to Tonghua night market for some street food and shopping. Was that just our dinner??! Nah. We went for supper at a nearby teahouse. I am guilty to acknowledge that I have broken my "no meals after 8pm" rule on my 1st night in Taipei.

Day 2

Irene wanted to bring us to try BBQ. Unfortunately, the one we wanted to try was closed so we settled for a random restaurant. Turned out the choice wasn't so bad. BBQ on a cool day never tasted so good!

Another must try dessert. You pick your main - either grass jelly or bean curd and then add 3 more ingredients. I picked yam balls, pumpkin balls and barley. Ultimate shiokness!

Very random shot of me posing with my pumps. Shoes are madness cheap in Taiwan!! Everytime I hesistated to buy a pair of shoes, the evil voices from the girls rang in my head "It's just $20 nia....." Gone case. I succumb to the voices eventually... ...

Day 3

Ok. Come to Taipei must do some touristy thing. Like patronize their Toilet Theme restaurant. Everything is toilet related! From the bowls, cups, table, seat - yes we were literally sitting on a toilet bowl while eating! Food wasn't so bad either.

After lunch, still got space to finish a bowl of "Ah Zhong mee sua". Recipe for a good bowl of mee sua on a cool day = Lots of garlic, chilli oil!

Don't be mistaken, the dumpling fest was during dinner time. After all the feasting, what rewarding way to work out the calories than shopping in the night markets!

Super love the pumps! It is so comfy and uber uber cheap! Each of us got a pair and a color of our favourite choice!

Day 4

We skipped breakfast just to have this for brunch. It is a Sichuan restaurant opened by a few Taiwanese celebrities. The restaurant was at some random street that you would hardly notice. But the food was fabulous! We even had to make a booking a day prior in case we meet the lunch crowd.

And off to Danshui - almost the end of Taipei to get some local goodies!
Disclaimer: Notice that most of the photos were just Irene and me? We're the buddy partner for the trip. Liv brought her partner along. So Irene and I, sleep, eat and take pictures together most of the time. The only thing we didn't do is bathe together la.

Come nightfall, we went to the famous Shilin Market. I must say, even Tonghua and Shida beats Shilin hands-down.

Day 5

After 4 days of combing night streets, we decided to pamper ourselves with a good meal. When I meant GOOD, it was a 5 course meal with a decent size portion at only $60/pax! Where to find this price in Singa-exhorbitant-pore!!!

This is also the day Dylan and I got our 2nd piece of good news for the house! :) More on that later.

For the past 2 consecutive nights, both Irene and Liv had their own plans to do. But both of them took turns to keep me company. To reward ourselves, also at the expense of making Liv salivate while she was at a concert, Irene and I tried shabu shabu! $20 for free flow of 五花肉! Tell me worth it or not!

Day 6

Finally, our trip came to an end. By the last day, all of us were living by the last dollar in our pocket. We almost had problem having our last meal. Hahahah. It is alarming to know all that we have stashed on the ground is a 4 figure sum!

We went back Singapore with everything expanded - expanded luggage, expanded waistline and an expanded credit card statement.

Suddenly, holiday trips with the husband seem so lacklustre. :p

Feb is all about foodie trips

So this is where we went at the start of Feb for a quick getaway. The last time we went to Bangkok, it was in 2006. 6 YEARS AGO... *gasp*

So to "re-live" the moment, we decided to go back to Siam Novotel, where we stayed then. But this time, we took the premier club room. What is the difference?

You get a kinky see-through bathroom!!! A touch of a switch, you can see the room from inside the toilet!

It's pure raw honey!!! You cut the honeycomb with your knife and you get pure awesomeness honey for your waffles/pancakes!!!

Very random photo of myself. Just want to show the sharpness of my normal digital camera. Hehehehe....

And the eating fest begins!!!!!

This is a very random shot but I assure you it was no easy task. Especially with a 慢三排 hubby, we failed to take a decent photo with the water fountain until like xxxxx-th time.

Tom yum goong - Checked

Pad Thai - Checked

Mango Sticky Rice - Checked

EQUALS VERY SATISFIED ME!!! :D

I am ashamed to witness that 50% of the time and photos, my mouth is open.... Heh. Not a very nice sight but who can resists good drool-worthy food at drop-pants price!!! Of course, other than eating, eating and more eating, we also did what every tourists would do - massages, combing The Platinum Mall, Chatuchak, making tailor shirts, joining the Naraya frenzy.

There were also 2 significant things that happened twice when we were overseas. While we were in Bangkok, we had an offer to our house, the buyer was so eager, they came to our house the moment we touched down!!! Count our blessings, we sold our place with a reasonably good offer. :)

Perhaps that explains the severe shopping damage below...

All that happened in January

It is disturbing to know that a month of 2012 has passed. The Yips again were kept busy with celebrations after celebrations. Not breaking the tradition, we toasted to another year at Level 33 MBFC with C and her family.

The food was nothing to rave about and so we indulge ourselves in the scenary and the company of everyone. And yes, the boys have grown up and don't fight anymore.

Both C and I admitted that 2011 has been a fantastic year for us. C's got her new house, we both got our promotion, everyone's well and good. Cheers to another great year for us!

And whoosh whoosh whoosh! We enter into the Dragon year! Everything came in so compact that we didn't even had time to arrange for get-togethers with friends.

As usual, we did the routine - reunion dinners, family visitings. We "Lo-Hei" like xxx-th times that I seriously hope we huat this year!

I am also devasted to announce that I didn't even had a hand at BJ! The perks about gambling in CNY is not about winning the money (I'm actually lying) but seeing if one has the luck for the new year. Thankfully, I managed to have a few rounds of MJ to sedate my itchy hands. :)

I think the biggest winner is Jayden. I don't recall receiving THIS much ang baos when I was a kid. The boy was very pleased with the CNY goodies and endless flow of packet drinks.

2011 has been a smooth-sailing year for all of us. I hope 2012 will be a MUCH better year for us. (It doesn't hurt to be greedy right?) Stay safe and be well!

So we went to the zoo for the N-th time

This has got to be one of the most peculiar child-caring arrangment with the Son. To cut the long story short, we were 'conned' to go to the Zoo - ON OUR OWN - Just the two of us.

But seeing how enthusiastic the son was, I managed to convince every skin cell in my body that the sweltering heat will be worth it. (Mental note: Have to double up the skincare dosage when I go back!)

Jayden is determined to cover every nook and corner of the zoo. He made sure we visited all the animals that he could recognize on the map.

So being a happy kid that day also meant photo perfect for me. *snap snap snap*

To be honest, this is Jayden's first official time in the waterplay. For those who have been to the Zoo with him before would know that the most he would do is get his knees wet. Nothing/nobody touches the hair.

So I'm actually glad that, at the age of 4, he had finally overcome his phobia of water splashing over his head and just be a normal kid and have lots of fun! Next, will be to make him sit on the slide.

We started off the day with me cursing under the sun. But by the end of the day, with the son sleeping peacefully in the car after all the fun, it's evident that spending some family time is immeasurable. :)

On a rather random note, here's wishing everyone a Happy Dragon year in 2012 in abundance of health, wealth and happiness!

Bye bye 2011

So 2011 came and gone. It whizzed by so fast that I didn't have the time to blog about what had happened for the past 2 months. I am also ashamed to look at the number of posts I had done in 2011 as compared to 2010.

We had alot of "First time" experiences as well so let's re-cap.

Thanks to Adrian, we got a night stay at the renowned MBS. Of course, we had to take a dip at the "must-go" Sky pool regardless of how cold the water was at 8am in the morning! Like tourists, we also walked around the mall for the first time. I know, very suaku.

We celebrated Rene's birthday together with a new addition to the group - baby Mabel! Finally Jayden gets a playmate. Welcome to the world baby Mabel!

And I finally get to go to Universal Studios for the first time! Another suaku moment. All thanks to our company team building event - imagine tonnes of fun at ZERO cost! Sweet.

And for the first time, I muster enough courage to take up the challenge to sit on ALL THE RIDES. Talk about good team spirit. I have no idea where I managed to find the guts to even convince myself to walk up the stairs to The Cylone. But I did and our team won the "Amazing Race"! Prize is free meal ticket to ANY restaurants in Singapore! :D I am thinking Cut, Les Amis, Kunio! Anything to bring a smile to my stomach!

For the past 3 years, it has almost become a ritual to host the X'mas party at our place. This year, we got to make merry at our friends' new houses instead. And for the first time in 5 years at our place, we actually did not bring the X'mas tree out. Dylan is very pleased with the arrangements as it saved up alot of his house-keeping. -_-

First stop, the Tan's abode. Lots of yum-meh food painstakingly cooked by chef Rachel, pressies and alot of blues in the house! A very heartwarming event indeed. Hopefully, we keep this tradition going on for years...

And my two boys opening up their pressies on X'mas day itself. I have intentionally hidden my self-bought gift(s). Tsk tsk. Note the plural form. All I can say is, I'm very satisfied with the purchases. :)

2nd round of merry making at Bon and Trav's new place. Another round of feasting and gift exchanges. I am almost certain that dieting should be shelved up in the month of December.

And finally, we wrapped up the year counting down at the 25th floor with an excellent view of the fireworks! How awesome is that! :D Another "First", this is Jayden's first time counting down with us since the boy is old enough to stay up till 12.

A walk down memory lane in 2011: -

• Holiday trips - Went HCM, Europe, Hong Kong and Club Med Bali!



• Baby boom - 5 friends popped - 3 boys and 2 girls!



• Career - Got double promotion with an excellent remuneration (stayed on the current job for > 3 years. Broke my record) and Dylan changed to a better job



• Health - Finally got the clean bill after a year of doubts



• Family - Spent a staycation with my family on Jayden's 4th birthday



• Indulgence - Spent a 5 figure sum in Europe (something which I would never EVER do), made my 2nd timepiece investment in Aug - a whopping $7.4 grand (after severely influenced by Dylan), bought 2 pairs of extravagant shoes at $400+ each (after laughing at Cel that spending that kind of money on shoes is like stepping on your money. Note to oneself: Never laugh at a friend again). I have come to realize that this kind of indulgence (within my limits) is a necessity in "Living life to the fullest" (even if you don't agree to my methodology)

I am exceptionally glad that 2011 had been fulfilling with so many great things going on. What used to be an uncertainty in my career is finally taking flight, everyone's healthy (minus Dylan's slipped disc) and we visted so many new places in a year.

I hope in the year 2012,

• Finding a new home - After 5 years in our nest, it is time to move to greener pastures, hopefully a place near Jayden's prospective primary school.


• More holiday trips - Booked BKK in Feb, going on girls trip to Taiwan in Mar, HK Disneyland in July and hopefully States in Dec!


• Career - Hope to move on to new roles to move up the ladder. Stay in the same company for the next 2 years. Likewise for Dylan for a smooth sailing career.


• Health - Everyone to be in the pink


• Family - Hopefully Jayden to stay in the new school for the next 2 years. Be patient and kind to family members.


• Bonding - Despite everyone having their own family now, make a point to stay in contact and never stop our traditional celebrations - birthdays, anniversaries, festivals.


• Indulgence - I am still trying to keep the wallet tight but having bought 10 pieces of clothes for Chinese New Year is not a good sign.

And certainly, to live life to the fullest!

That once a year family trip

I've tried to adhere to my minimum once-a-year trip for the son. And undeniably, Club Med has been our unanimous choice over the years - food and activties all taken care of.

This time, we were more excited because Jayden has come to realized the concept of going for a holiday = lots of milkshake, sand, play and basically no school!

When you fly budget, there is no such thing as in-flight entertainment, so please bring your own. This trip has made me re-think the idea of getting an iPad - it is more lightweight, has all movies integrated in one source (don't need to bring multiple CDs and worry about being caught for buying pirated), can play games, etc. I think I've just made my point.

The best thing about Club Med is that, food and drinks are perpetually available from as early as 6am to as late as 2am. I confessed my 1kg weight gain reflected during the medical check-up to this sinful trip.

Jayden trying to fake a very excited smile

So after all the calorie-infused junk food, it is time to tour around the resort. Another bonus point for the trip was that the son had just turned the minimal age to join the mini club.

Finally!!! Dylan and I can have some US time to try out other activities in the resort. Another plus point to be in Thailand - massage palours are EVERYWHERE - every nook and corner. I managed to sneak out near the resort and get my daily dose of muscle kneading. :)

Ahhh...bliss. Let's enjoy the sunset for a while...

Well, the following day didn't turn out as what we had planned. Jayden had a fever on the 1st night and so we decided to bring him along while we cabbed down to Patong.

And to bring a restless 12.5kg child along is certainly no joke. We never knew exerting eye power to keep watch on the boy can turn out to be so tiring.

But of course, he knocked out first...

So while the boy is soundly asleep, we had to reward ourselves with authentic Thai food! I was slightly disappointed that Club Med served only international buffet as their guests were mainly Caucasians. But how can one come to Thailand and not have a taste of their cuisine?!?

Where is my Pad Thai, Tom Yum Goong, Green Curry and Mango Sticky Rice!!!!!! Cannot do injustice to my stomach right!

It is not long before the terror is up to his tricks again. We stumbled upon Hard Rock and Jayden caught me by surprise this time. "Mummy! Look!"

And there, I took a photo of him posing spontaneously like the mannequin.

Not bad huh. Even know how to close his eyes

And when we thought his silly tricks were over, Jayden insisted on taking a photo with the DSLR. As you can see from the photo, I am not smiling. *breaks into a cold sweat*

One of the activities at the Mini Club

And the highlight of the trip - SNORKELING! This would not have been possible if Jayden didn't stayed at the Mini Club. We were out at the sea of half a day and I even had time to go for a massage session before picking him up! Ultimate shiokness!

And that pretty much sums up our family trip for the year. I have also exhausted almost all of the Club Med options - Bintan, Bali, Phuket.

Son, we hoped you have enjoyed yourself with us so far. We have tried to create many happy memories for you and certainly hope you can remember them as your grow up. But even if you forget, fret not, we still have the photos, videos and not forgetting the credit card bill to remind you. Just kidding.

Looking forward to your next trip!