FOOD!

I'll let the pictures do most of the talking (: though the quality in which i took them may not do them enough justice.

cheesecake! i made this for the second time a couple of weeks ago. thankfully the crust turned out much better this time round, and i borrowed joy's electric mixer for the cheese. but being my first time with the machine, it freaked me out quite a bit, and i mixed the cheese a bit too much in my attempts to control the mixer. haha. lots to learn in this baking thing. 

hubby2be cooked last night! (: i had bought him a saute pan, and he couldn't wait to use it. armed with recipes from Anthony Bourdain, he whipped up two dishes of cream fillet (green plate) and mashed potatoes. it was sooooo yummy. i'm still learning to taste the different spices that go into french and other european cooking. my tastebuds are so much sharper with chinese cooking but fails miserably when i try to tell what goes into a western/non-chinese dish. in fact, i can't even identify smells accurately! :P

here's me crushing oreo biscuits to make the base of a mudpie. 

vanilla & dark chocolate mudpie, topped with cocoa powder.

the dark chocolate's below the vanilla layer.

all ready for tuesday's staffbucks (:

and to top it off, i'll introduce a new friend. he's called mr brown, no relation to the 'famous' online icon of the same name. i was unable to upload a photo of him in my previous post. he's the new resident at my desk, huggable and ever ready for the kids to play with.

till the next post then! i'm gonna do the wedding guest list while the 'boys' of FR continue recording 'A Thousand Faces'. and yes, i'm in the office on a Sunday evening (:

24th birthday

this post is a week overdue, but finally, i'm blogging about my birthday, complete with photos. 

first up was dinner date with the bridesmaid, at Da Paolo's. loved the ambience there, and the food was sure yummy!

lobster pasta. as rach would say, 'delish!' ;)

on saturday morning, i was roused from my sleep as grandma entered the room bearing a surprise: a bouquet with a bear from evon, yvonne, amber and silin, delivered to my doorstep (: so sweet. and the funny thing was that they were plotting that right before my nose while in the office, and i had no clue! 

my birthday present from hubby2be came in different parts, and the first was him fixing my digi cam. 

the second, was a rose...

on birthday day itself, it was time spent worshipping in His House, followed by lunch with the worship team at SP (S'pore Poly), with a surprise birthday song by them. the third installment of hubby2be's prezzie came in the form of a 'camping' afternoon at changi. 'camping' cuz we spent a couple of hours (i think) by the beach in our tent, but it isn't exactly camping in the true sense of the word. hopefully we can do that next year, and with the kids in tow some years down the road (: nevertheless, we were blessed by cool weather and only a couple of planes flew overhead during that time. we had to pack up early though, when the rain started to set in. hubby2be was kinda disappointed, but that inspired him to wanna get a rain-proof tent in future. hee.

we trooped over to explore T3, and made good use of my starbucks voucher at T2. dinner was kept a mystery; i only knew it was "somewhere near here", when i bugged him to reveal his plans whilst we were at the airport. as we drove there along the roads of changi and pasir ris, he revealed that most places he had initially wanted to bring me to were closed on sundays. haha, so funny. but he was really sweet in putting so much thought into the day (:

we finally reached our destination, and i was pleasantly surprised to discover how pretty the place was that night, with the full moon hanging overhead, and beautifully lit lanterns all over in the park because of mid-autumn festival. and the mysterious destination was a restaurant called Beach Culture @ Watercross. we had a choice of dining indoors or al fresco (which we chose), and its service staff were real friendly, and there was a live band that completed the cosy and romantic ambience. 

thank you for the lovely night :)

incidentally, during both lunch and dinner, there was someone else there who had their brithday too (: dinner was really yummy, and the scallops oven baked with cheese was oh so delish!

a quiet stroll through the park in the cool breeze of the night completed a lovely evening with the hubby2be. and he coached me to learn how to sing on pitch, something which i fail to do most of the time when i sing. that's why i'm a dancer. hahaha...

anyhow, we made our way home, and i was guessing there was one more surprise that lay in wait for me near home. actually i was really hoping i would be right, cuz if i was wrong, i would have been quite diappointed :P and true enough, the cp bunch were waiting for me at the park near my home, and began marching round the area with the coloured lanterns, much to my amusement. and they presented me with a pomelo and a mooncake birthday cake! hahaha...

(:

thank you dear friends, for remembering, and sacrificing your blood as the mosquitoes lay siege while you waited for me at the park :P and i get to go scrapbook shopping! :D

my last but definitely not the least prezzie still awaits me, once we decide on the right bicycle for me (: i was given 3 choices: dance performance tickets, an oven, or bicycle. it was really tempting to choose one of the other two, but i decided the bicycle's something that would help us both in going cycling together...once i re-learn how to do it. 

thank You for my birthday. for these 24 years that testifies of Your miraculous life in me. i love You. 

with love, from the bridesmaid

i just saw this on the bridesmaid's blog, and it made me tear. and to celebrate her sweet sweet heart, i'm copying this off her blog...

and joey, i can actually see how we've 'aged' since nus days!! *gasp*

to the lovely bride to be...

Da Paolo Il Giardino at Cluny Court. bamboo. wood. candles. water. glass.

:: 'bridal' bouquet ::

lovely bride to be.yummy bread. fantabulously delicious pasta.

camomile tea. heart to heart. candle light. 

Dearest bride to be, 

In ten months, you shall be a queen to a wonderful boy. Thank you for being there through everything. I miss our nus days... and this photo sure brings back a whole load of memories. thank you for being there through every tear and every giggle. for every hug and every flower. for those painful times of loss and heartache. for those beautiful moments when our hearts are in sync in appreciation of all things beautiful. Thank you for being the warrior princess that you are. for trudging on in the face of trials. for doing what you're doing. for going forth and fighting for Him and walking with Him in faith and in grace. for being my inspiration. for loving me. you know what dearie... my world is definitely a prettier place because you're in it. I thank Daddy for you!!! Here's to your birthday! to our sneaky snaily days long gone and church bells ringing days to come.. cheers!

Happy birthday my friend

Here's to all the years we've shared together 

All the fun we've had

You're such a blessing

Such a joy in my life

May the good Lord bless you

And may all your dreams come true

this week

the week's gone by really fast. even though i know today's friday, it seems fast that tomrrow's saturday. if that makes any sense at all.

but this week has been so very precious to me.

sunday was the 24th anniversary of my hatchday (hmm...i didn't exactly hatch from an egg...) and it was so enjoyable! i wanna post photos of the day, so i'll leave that to another post, where i can ramble much longer about it (:

what's made my week so precious, is really divine, in the way it happened. now most of you reading this will probably already know things between me and my bro haven't been good all these years. not that we're warring or anything (no, not even cold war), but we just don't talk. why? we just don't. 

so on wednesday, i cabbed home from ikea cuz i bought like, a ton of stuff and hubby2be was at worship prac. and while on the way home, i spied bro walking in from the main road, and so got him to hop on. 

"how come you're taking a cab? haiks leh?" [he actually remembered his name!! hee]

my answer...and "how's school?"

"it's okay lah, mid terms coming..."

and we talked on the way home, and carried on the conversation till after we got home, mainly about him and his ex-girlfriend [the poor boy broke up a while ago :( ]

and that, was the longest (15-20min?) and most heart-to-heart talk we've had in years. it felt so surreal as i listened to him. but it made my eyes open. to see how he has physically grown so much (i don't actually see him that much, heh), to hear the tenderness in his voice masked by boyish pride as he shared his heart struggle, to still see that sentimental and emotional parts of him, to recognise how he's really so intelligent beyond words, with a good head on his shoulders, and to see that hey, this, this young man here has grown so much. and darn, i've missed out so much! (i sound like i'm his mother lor...faints)

and oh, what i wouldn't give to talk more to him if not for that stomachache that drove me to seek the relief of the bathroom. 

pray for us please; i hope to meet him for a meal soon and hopefully, this will be the start of rebuilding a lost relationship after so many years.

a couple of hours ago, i left the University Cultural Centre with k. after watching 'The Next Wave', by Dance Ensemble, NUS. it was thankfully not as abstract as Dance Synergy's performance, which by the way, left both of us at a loss in repeatedly having to decipher the incredibly cryptic and dark choreography laid before us.

but tonight, ah tonight...it left me inspired, in awe and satisfied. inspired by the dancers, in awe of the effort and creativity that is birthed through the choreographer. and satisfied that it was time well spent.

i was really awed tonight, by personal insight i gained about what must go on for a choreographer. having to incorporate various factors from exploration of a theme, weaving the message in the choreo, the people involved, formations, the music, tempo, to costumes (and how that works for or against the choreographic process) and lighting, it's a lot of work. and out of the 7 pieces i saw tonight, i liked almost all of them.

i've new found respect for choreographers. i think it's so easy to critique a piece of art (as i've so often been guilty of), but i've come to realise that addressing all these aspects and bringing them to levels of near perfection is an immense job. and as a sidenote, i think it takes a certain amount of being perfectionistic and needing high control levels to produce a discernibly good dance piece.

all that said, i think i'm still easily blown away by a ballet piece more than a contemporay or modern one, cuz of the beauty of ballet that's too in your face to dismiss. contemporay/abstract can at times be too abstract and/bizarre for me to absorb anything at all. but i'm learning to appreciate and embrace it more. 

dance dance dance, in the freedom we know! yay! :P

morning world! it's time to zzzz...and it's victor and candy's wedding today! (:

sleepy

i can't believe i'm falling asleep as i worked on the powerpoint needed for next week's teaching at NYP. the lack of proper sleep over the week and possible PMS must be really catching up on me. the worst thing is having to deal with my really weird appetite the whole week. i barely finish 80% of every meal :( such a waste of food.

but i must say this week has seen me eating quite a variety of yummy food. i've had korean on Mon, la mian & jiao zi @ crystal jade on Tue, nachos&cheese and plaster (prata) on Wed and Malay food @ adam road last night. man, where's the veg in all of that? hmm, that prob settles my lunch menu (:

DG later, and a dance/theatre thing @ substation. dance prac tmr, which i still need time to think through and fully choreo. meeting girlies tmr afternoon...yay! (:

24's coming soon. couple of days more. that sounds old...gosh. :P

wishes...

hubby2be asked me just now, 'what do you feel like eating on Sunday?'

i was surprised at my lack of being upset with his question. i know i would use to get upset. but now, i don't even know why i'd get upset. hmm...haha..

anyhow, recent birthday thoughts have led me to needing a decision between an oven (as suggested by mum due to my recent cake making interests) and my wanting a shopping spree at scrapbooking shops. ha.

oven may sound good but i'm wondering if it'll be utilized to the max, after negotiating where to place it in my space constrained kitchen. maybe it'll hafta stay outta kitchen. i've always wanted to be able to splurge in the scrapbooking shops. it's not a need, but it'll be fun. i'd have more use with the oven. hmm...what say you readers?

a few more birthday wishes that i wonder if they'll get fulfilled this year...

• picnic with hubby2be
• watch the sunrise
• cd shopping
• clothes shopping (after clearing my wardrobe, i realized i'm in serious need of a few basic colours and tops to match the more colorful bottoms i've neglected due to this reason)
• shoes/heels that won't cause my bunion pain

oh yes, i forgot to mention in 'surprises' a couple of posts back, that i've grown taller (: believe it or not, i did, and through prayer. hee. 

ok, time to hit the sack. i know, i wish i could sleep well tonight, without funny dreams or strained muscles in the neck or shoulders. make that every night (:

surprises

oh how You surprise me... (:

monday's dinner at a korean restaurant near m.'s place in bkt timah was good. the food was tasty; yummy food caused me to reminicise much about the land of kimchi as we tucked in to authentic korean cuisine. their generosity in replenishing our kimchi was certainly welcome. in fact, i think i overate. haha. of course, the company was enjoyable too :D

'uncle' p. drove home, m. walked home and we headed back...a walk to KAP to digest the excess carbohydrates and a bus ride to sunset way. as we walked in, i was both amazed and scared of the lightning that dazzled the sky every few minutes. i could almost hear my grandma recounting an incident in which a girl who used her handphone prior to a storm had her face burnt when the lightning hit her phone. bleah.

but we continued, picking up our pace a little as teeny drops began to dot out faces. singing to Daddy and he began to pray for me...and in the middle of his prayer, the skies opened up. to the opportunity of huddling under my a-bit-too-small umbrella as we continued walking home, praying and watching the sheets of rain drench the ground. it didn't matter that my birks were flooding and we were both getting wet, and the likelihood of falling tree branches (or trees) was high [anyway, i prayed that wouldn't happen]. it was romantic in a funny sort of way, and it was just the two of us.

we laughed when we finally reached my house carpark. a good memory stored in the love bank. it's funny how i've come to not hate being out in the rain.

what was really cool was that after fr's team prayer today (tue), i saw that d. had drawn a picture for hubby2b, and it depicted us walking from under stormy weather, towards home that was arched by a rainbow (biblically, it symbolises God's faithfulness & promise to Noah of His love).

 'hey that's like us last night'

'ya, that's what i said just now too'

(: i take it as a prophetic promise from You, for us. stormy weather but spiritual rain cleansing us. walking together towards building a home together, covered with Your faithfulness and promise of Love.

joined hubby2b at his worship prac just now, and had the chance to dance as the team rehearsed. felt so good to dance again, after the hiatus since COOS conference. i miss it so. 

'yay, felt so good to be able to dance just now.'

'good...dance more often.'

and with a tight squeeze on my hand, we continued walking to the pak-tor-mobile.

i hope i get to dance again soon. (:

healing

i think i never saw it as a problem, not till you made me ask myself, and to really question the heart issues. not just the cuts-on-my-heart kind of issues, but the really huge tumor inside kind of issues that i had amazingly allowed myself to think i had overcome.

i haven't. and to be honest, i may never want to.

until you spoke.

it's hard. and deeply, heart-wrenching, rip-my-guts-out-mash-them-up-and-stuff-them-back-to-my-body painful. i probably don''t quite understand the full extent of my wounds, but that's okay. You'll bring them to light, and heal them.

your very anointed and timely prayer, for me to face my fears of trusting because i'm afraid to be hurt again, by people, by situations. to not build any more walls. to overcome the wounds of having my world crash a decade ago because of my earthly father's choices. 

e. shared before how my submission issues with my earthly father may have effects in submission to others. very true. 

i don't know how You're gonna go about it, but Your peace i felt when hubby2b prayed for me, that's enough. to really wail my hurting heart out, was necessary. 

to not carry my baggages into marriage. to allow me to allow You to heal. to allow death so that resurrection can take place in me. to allow hope to arise again. to trust You because You will never fail me. to not be afraid to be hurt again.

healing. 

pampered

Last friday night saw me being pampered by the bridesmaid.

her secrecy of our dinner date heightened when i finally reached sixth avenue. "hello dearie!! ok, close your eyes!...don't open them ah..."

and out came a bouquet, and a bag that contained my birthday present.

we trooped away to Da Paolo's for dinner...it was lovely trotting down the wooden walkway lit by flickering candlelight, and to dine al fresco. the quaint ambience oddly reminded me of Survivor; maybe it was all the candlelight and wooden architecture.

dinner was a lobster pasta dish which was yummy and my pasta was surprisingly springy. handmade pasta! (: we exchanged going-ons over the meal, digressing ever so often and of course, with ideas thrown up for the wedding preparations ;) dessert was hot chocolate lava cake! and the after-meal chamomile tea helped to settle us almost a little too comfortably as we watched the waiters extinguish the flames in preparation for the night's end.

ah, and it was so fun opening the presents (: two lovely dresses for day and night occasions, 2 black and white tea-light holders (black for haiks, white for me. hee.), a handmade card and a necklace that proved tricky to wear. 

thank you joey dear, for the wonderful night there. it's definitely one of the highlights of the past few weeks. and when you brought to my attention that it's my last birthday as a single, it really brought home how marriage is going to change a lot of things. change...now that's another post altogether.

i had wanted to go for a short girlie getaway this month but unforseen circumstances disrupted that plan. and my birthday dinner more than made up for that. girlie heart to heart talk and sharing never fails to perk me up. and just to be blessed by you...priceless (:

you blessed me with 'enjoy your week okay? (:' you have no idea how prophetic that is turning out to be...

midnight ramblings

suddenly feel exhausted from attempts at designing the first wedding invite draft. feel handicapped with my inability (and non-ownership of) photoshop. ended up with a bit done on word, and the rest sketched out on paper. yet some of it will probably not make it as the final product, after approval from the hubby2b, and considering costs for the no. of colors needed. color crazy me will throw money out the window if i could in designing my ideal wedding invite. but *reminds myself* it's only a card, and i don't have to splurge. actually, i can't afford to splurge :P

came online for the first time in don't know how long (by online i mean msn). someone's nick said 'bye delirious', which prompted me to discover the sad news that they're taking an indefinite break. their music and creativity were a precious part of my NUS days, during which the chords of e-guit and bass jolted my brain as i attempted to concentrate on studying challenging bits of academics. yet it is not without respect at their decision to rest, especially with martin's desire to spend more time with his family. so sweet. (:

on a grimmer note, i discovered the controversial hoax of the man behind the song 'Healer'. i was highly encouraged as i listened to the circumstances surrounding the birth of the song. i was sadder still, to learn that it wasn't true, and the plight he and his wife must be in.

for all the anger and hurt people who gave to him felt when they heard the truth behind it, i hope they would also extend grace and forgiveness to a man who desperately needs prayer to recover from this. and even more strength for his wife as she journeys with him during such a painful season.

such is the power of trust, and such is the depth of hurt when that trust is broken and abused. only Your grace is sufficient for all of our failings.

anyhow, i'm thankful for a few things today...

a good catch up with K over lunch and brainstorming a bit about dance workshop
shopping for groceries for cheese cake making over the weekend
thoughts on how interesting it must be the way He weaves hearts and lives together, over a couple of conversations with girlfriends ;)
reminder that i'm loved when hubby2b msg-ed from m'sia

i'm real sleepy now. eager for tomorrow. cheesecake project2 starts, maybe a little swimming if the sun's friendly, craftwork, DG and joey. yay! (:

night night world.

so happy!

I'm so excited! I've been given the chance to hold a dance workshop for one of the campuses!!

It's so unplanned for and the opportunity arose from the heart of a brother for dance as a ministry (: pending some details that need to be worked out (which i hope will be ok), this is quite something!! *hops around in glee*

I'm also really glad that I've regained the use of my cam, many thanks to the hubby2b, who figured out what's wrong with it (after it's been MIA for almost a year) and promptly bought stuff to fix it :D he says that's part 1 of my birthday present. hee. now i can go shutter crazy! just need to have some time on my own to start my madness (:

yup, it's my birthday month!! so happy...i like september, cuz it's my birthday month. haha, silly reason, but yup.

and i've changed my phone...not the no., thanks to number porting without a fee. i terminated my singtel contract and switched to M1, bearing the load of the termination fee. BUT this was after some consideration that I'm being charged too much with the singtel's per minute billing and my bills often reach such an insane amount. the blessing is that i get a little 'income' cuz I'm selling my nokia, so it'll help to pay off the termination fee. I'm now using a sony ericsson, my first ever non-nokia phone. the interesting thing is that cuz I'm not used to its system of messaging (yet), I'm not messaging that much. Which would probably be good for my phone bill :P

2 dance concerts to watch this month!!

and I'm meeting the bridesmaid this Fri ;)

yippppppeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!