The year 2008 was one filled with many shocks and challenges. For most Rats, this year of the Ox symbolises a change.
Career
Rats can expect things to pick career wise. Work hard and diligently, but be mindful that your success this year will bring about jealously among your peers. Adopt a humble and helpful attitude if you want to avoid squabbles or ill feelings at the work place.
Love
As for Rats who are married. This is the year could test your marriage. There would be temptations in the form of a third party and proceed only if you wish to court trouble. For single Rats or those who are in relationships, the second half of the year is when things will start to heat up. Single Rats should attend more social functions after July as it is likely that a potential love interest would appear. Rats who are dating would solidify their commitments this year as well.
Family
For harmonious family relationships, Rats must learn to control their emotions especially anger. There would be extra demands from elderly family members and it is advisable to be patient when dealing with these requests. Also, Rats with in-laws are in store for some surprising improvements in relations.
Health
While the year of the Rat uncovered many new ailments and health problems to Rats, the year of the Ox would see Rats learning to cope with these conditions. It is important to avoid hard liquor and to exercise regularly to improve one's blood circulation. If no efforts are made to improve one's health it is likely that new problems would emerge by the end of the year.
Lucky colours: White, Red and Green
Lucky dates: 8, 27 and 3
Lucky day: Monday
Help Me For I Have Sinned
Went to gym during lunch. Had a great workout with some light weights and was coached by Ms Boey. Had bihun for breakfast and a garden salad with grilled chicken breast for lunch. Low-fat milk for tea. It was all going great....until dinner came that is!
What I had for dinner:
One roast chicken drumstick + thigh
Two steamed dumplings (vegetarian filling)
Three sticks of chicken satey
and
Four squares (perhaps 4cm x 4cm) of FRIED SMELLY TOFU or 'chau tau fu'!
I am now stuffed beyond words and feeling every bit like a guilty girl who ate too many Kit Kats at one go.
Sigh. I hope I pull through the CNY season. I already weigh half a cow.
Goodnight y'all.
What I had for dinner:
One roast chicken drumstick + thigh
Two steamed dumplings (vegetarian filling)
Three sticks of chicken satey
and
Four squares (perhaps 4cm x 4cm) of FRIED SMELLY TOFU or 'chau tau fu'!
I am now stuffed beyond words and feeling every bit like a guilty girl who ate too many Kit Kats at one go.
Sigh. I hope I pull through the CNY season. I already weigh half a cow.
Goodnight y'all.
Bar None @ Marriott Singapore
A night of laid back fun
Some corny jokes by the live band
Awesome music
Gross tasting cranberry juice mixer
Gross tasting cranberry juice mixer
and
Going home with clean smelling hair
Loves it that Singaporean clubs are smoke-free
Crystal Jade @ Vivo
One thing that I look forward to when on holiday... is food. Somehow, being on holiday sorta gives you a guilt-free attitude when it comes to food and you are more than willing to munch on some crispy chicken skin or indulge in sinful desserts. In Bangkok, I loved buying dubious looking deep-fried-until-very-brown food that were being sold by the street. I still remember loving every bite of my pisang goreng, which was cooked in a batter of flour, egg and sesame seeds. Yummy. Ah, I must make plans to visit Bangkok this year. The allure of cheap shopping, delicious food and body pampering spa treatments - who could say no?
Anyway, why am I turning this into a post on Bangkok? I'm still on my Singapore trip! Here's some photos at Crystal Jade@Vivo City.
Glorious SIEW YOKE! Long live the pigs!
Served with English mustard dip. Hot.
Lotus Leaf Rice
Some small fried fry. LOL. Okay, some fried fish that were not very large.
Pumpkin Cheese Tart - A weird combo >.<
Spinach Har Gow
Er.. Normal Har Gow
Above: Wan Tan Mee
Below: Pau
Shame on you if you don't already know! Tsk tsk
Bonus pictures: Pretty little Maya
Wow Egg tarts. I wouldn't mind more of those.
ARGH! I am hungry now. Can't wait for dinner. Bye.
Can't Wait for March!
Because I will be going to Tioman!
With two of my best-est friends since primary school - Lin and Lydia. Well, I actually know Lydia waay back in kindergarten, but we lost touch until I came to SRK SS19.
We will be staying at the Tioman Paya Resort. In itinerary includes snorkeling (me finally doing it), a Birthday BBQ and at least 1 (one) drunken night spent reminiscing about the good old times, when we were young and skinny. What to do? We have aged. 25 this year plus some unwanted kilos. But you know what? Heck the love handles, I just want to be healthy! Okay. I digress.
I'm really excited about this trip because this will be the first ever that I've gone on hols with any of the 'sisters'. The bunch of us have been planning and talking about going on a trip for years, but due to differing schedules ... we never got to it. Although this round would be just the us three girls and the boyfriends, but its a big step to making the Sisters Trip happen. :D
So, please please please... let time go on superduperfastforward! Let it be tomorrow!
With two of my best-est friends since primary school - Lin and Lydia. Well, I actually know Lydia waay back in kindergarten, but we lost touch until I came to SRK SS19.
We will be staying at the Tioman Paya Resort. In itinerary includes snorkeling (me finally doing it), a Birthday BBQ and at least 1 (one) drunken night spent reminiscing about the good old times, when we were young and skinny. What to do? We have aged. 25 this year plus some unwanted kilos. But you know what? Heck the love handles, I just want to be healthy! Okay. I digress.
I'm really excited about this trip because this will be the first ever that I've gone on hols with any of the 'sisters'. The bunch of us have been planning and talking about going on a trip for years, but due to differing schedules ... we never got to it. Although this round would be just the us three girls and the boyfriends, but its a big step to making the Sisters Trip happen. :D
So, please please please... let time go on superduperfastforward! Let it be tomorrow!
Christmas@Jeff's
Ever since the spirit of Christmas was introduced to me many years back, I've grown to love and look forward to this festive occasion. I love Christmas. The presents. The food. The happiness. And, the spirit of togetherness. Thank you for making Christmas mean so much to me.
Something to munch on before a hearty Christmas eve dinner. We spent XMAS in Singapore at Jeff's and it was blast!
Something to munch on before a hearty Christmas eve dinner. We spent XMAS in Singapore at Jeff's and it was blast!
Homemade guacamole dip to go with the celery and carrots.
Super smart and adorable Amber
and Lauren the sweetheart
Chef Jeff's roast beef!
Baked potatoes
The tree and the many many presents
Some post dinner fun with Lumy
Sylvia's apple pie. Yummy!
Christmas Day!
The hall was filled with torn wrappers, discarded ribbons and a lot of new toys for the kids. *cough cough* I got some good presents too! :P
Princess Amber gets her gown.Christmas lunch was another great feast.
The men hard at work, while the ladies waited patiently in the comfort of air-con and ginger ale.
*sigh* I want one of those! I'd be having BBQs every weekend!More SG pictures to follow in the next posts. :)
p/s: I'm feeling better today. *hugs* to everyone.
My Achy Breaky Knees
2009 feels pretty much like 2008. I ushered in the new year with a rather neutral heart. I wasn't happy that 2008 was over and neither was I unhappy that another year had gone by. Apart on pursuing my masters, another priority for the year would be my health. After falling sick two months in a row (last September and November), I was determined not to spend my December hols nursing a runny nose and sore throat. And I broke the curse *touch wood* by sailing through the month healthy as a horse. I guess... more sleep and vitamins helped. Not to mention, I dropped the hardcore early morning gym regime. Instead, I try to make it after work and optimise my weekends with workouts.
However, a new year has also brought in a new health worry. Osteoarthritis. Yes. You heard me right. Osteoarthritis. Last Friday night as I was sleeping and dreaming of owning a new iPHONE *hinthint*, I felt a pain in my knee as I tried to turn and curl to sleep on my side. The pain was pretty bad as it woke me up. In my half-asleep daze, I remember thinking, "WTF? Why so pain!". And no, it was not cramps. I can differentiate between the pins-and-needles sorta sensation and the numbing pain I felt that night. Anyhow, this is not the first time that I've been feeling this pain in my knee... usually it happens when I bend my knees or squat too fast. But never before when in sleep and now... every night for the past five days. *sigh*
To cut the long story short, I went to Dr Julie and she said it could be Osteoarthritis. Was sent home with a month's supply of Glucosamine (4 pills a day), Calcium ( 1 pill daily) and some anti-inflammatory pain killers (when needed). I am to return in one month to see whether the meds are working. But, I may go back sooner for a referral to a specialist.
I'm still young, but I get an old person's disease! I try to laugh it off and say that I am getting older, but inside...I am depressed. I bought a knee guard for myself and its the same brand as the one my dad uses. Those who are close to me would know that I absolutely hate taking meds. I'd stand the pain/fever and forgo the pills. I just hate the fact that I'm drugging myself. It feels unnatural to be swallowing so many pills!
This also means I would have to go slow on the gyming. Aih. Habis la! I'll be drinking more milk to strenghten my bones and I will get fat. Plus, won't be able to gym. Gone la! My 'Fit for Perhentian 2009' plan might as well be feed to the pigs! I was happy during Christmas and now... it is a bloody emotional u-turn and I feel like crap. Possibly one of my lowest moments ever. I pray that the meds will start to work ASAP!
However, a new year has also brought in a new health worry. Osteoarthritis. Yes. You heard me right. Osteoarthritis. Last Friday night as I was sleeping and dreaming of owning a new iPHONE *hinthint*, I felt a pain in my knee as I tried to turn and curl to sleep on my side. The pain was pretty bad as it woke me up. In my half-asleep daze, I remember thinking, "WTF? Why so pain!". And no, it was not cramps. I can differentiate between the pins-and-needles sorta sensation and the numbing pain I felt that night. Anyhow, this is not the first time that I've been feeling this pain in my knee... usually it happens when I bend my knees or squat too fast. But never before when in sleep and now... every night for the past five days. *sigh*
To cut the long story short, I went to Dr Julie and she said it could be Osteoarthritis. Was sent home with a month's supply of Glucosamine (4 pills a day), Calcium ( 1 pill daily) and some anti-inflammatory pain killers (when needed). I am to return in one month to see whether the meds are working. But, I may go back sooner for a referral to a specialist.
I'm still young, but I get an old person's disease! I try to laugh it off and say that I am getting older, but inside...I am depressed. I bought a knee guard for myself and its the same brand as the one my dad uses. Those who are close to me would know that I absolutely hate taking meds. I'd stand the pain/fever and forgo the pills. I just hate the fact that I'm drugging myself. It feels unnatural to be swallowing so many pills!
This also means I would have to go slow on the gyming. Aih. Habis la! I'll be drinking more milk to strenghten my bones and I will get fat. Plus, won't be able to gym. Gone la! My 'Fit for Perhentian 2009' plan might as well be feed to the pigs! I was happy during Christmas and now... it is a bloody emotional u-turn and I feel like crap. Possibly one of my lowest moments ever. I pray that the meds will start to work ASAP!
Gobo Upstairs Lounge & Grill, Traders Hotel
One special Saturday night, not too long ago... Vic brought me to... the Gobo Upstairs Lounge & Grilland we had:
Eggplant Soup. But what's that on top? Foam?! Bubbles?
Anyway, I really enjoyed this soup, but could not bring myself to finish it because I knew that more good food was on the way.
Angel Hair Scallop Pasta Infused with Lobster Juice
What a terror name!
After having this, I developed some sorta pasta craving... wanting to eat seafood pasta. The Thai Seafood pasta in ZEN, is not too bad... and Pasta de Gohan's Unagi and Egg spaghetti is oh-so yummy.
Eggplant Soup. But what's that on top? Foam?! Bubbles?Anyway, I really enjoyed this soup, but could not bring myself to finish it because I knew that more good food was on the way.
Angel Hair Scallop Pasta Infused with Lobster JuiceWhat a terror name!
After having this, I developed some sorta pasta craving... wanting to eat seafood pasta. The Thai Seafood pasta in ZEN, is not too bad... and Pasta de Gohan's Unagi and Egg spaghetti is oh-so yummy.
Picture above and below: King Prawns and Wagyu Beef in Red Wine Sauce.
*sigh* it tasted so good! 
I totally forgot the name of the dessert, but as you can see... it is chocolate and there's GOLD on it! *sighsigh*
I totally forgot the name of the dessert, but as you can see... it is chocolate and there's GOLD on it! *sighsigh*Our cocktails for the night:
These yet-to-be-named cocktails were specially created for us by the bartender. *sighsighsigh*
Thanks to the very thoughtful Vic for bringing me here
and also hats off to Chef Irwin for a superb dinner.
and also hats off to Chef Irwin for a superb dinner.
Office Xmas Partay!
Ivy - the cutest elf ever!
With the reddest man of the night - Nova
Sook Ting and moi
Post-holiday Blues!
Happy 2009 y'all! It is a brand spanking new year and I'm feeling great after a wonderful break over Christmas. I've got tons of emails to go through and even more photos to edit and post. But right now, I'm going to pretend that I'm still on holiday and continue smiling like a goofy idiot.
