Updates Updates Updates

Contrary to one person's belief, my blog has not died.

I've just been busy, then lazy, then preoccupied, then lazy some more and then finally, finally got down to syncing my handphone pictures to this computer... it's been a while.

So, here's a picture update on what's been happenning.... since you know, my pics are kinda grainy and not rotated properly... but hey, at least the blog's alive :D

In no particular order ....




Ok. dunno what happened, but if you see a picture of a cake with purple rosettes on it, it's the cake I baked for my brother (#2) who FINALLY FINALLY got registered. It's his "You're FINALLY married, legally too! cake". Red Velvet with Vanilla Buttercream (cause cream cheese doesn't hold up that well in our weather, and this cake had to travel a bit).



And there are some wedding cupcakes too.... for firstly, my sister in law's mother insisted on a wedding dinner, which, when MY mum got wind of (my brother HAD to invite her to this one) had a lightbulb moment and *TING!* in turn, she TOO insisted on a wedding dinner, so we ended up having 2.

For my brother's luncheon (for it was so last minute, all the dinner slots were taken - ok, it may not ALL have been taken, but since he left it to me, my mum and my sis to plan this, I decided we'd try ONE restaurant (cause I liked the food there) and THEY were fully booked for dinner, hence the Sunday wedding luncheon.

And for the lunch, I made these babies... 113 of them, in 4 different flavours. Luck of the draw, even I couldnt tell which was which.... a hotch potch of Rum & Raisin cupcakes, Orange Poppyseed, Guinness Chocolate and Lemon Lavender.

(ok will try to post pics here.... they may of course pop up at any random spot on this post, but help me out here and pretend I posted them directly below this sentence k?)

(ok, am thinking they got plonked right at the beginning of the post, but like I said... help me out here.... )

Besides baking, other things happened too... but that's another conversation, for another time.

Till then, live happy everyone!



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Hanoi - "Oh My Buddha!"

Just got back from Hanoi.

With 3 of the bestest travel buddies anyone could ask for! Thanks guys!

So part of the itinerary was a day trip to a place of great historical significance, with 2 temples, a big lake, and some truly picturesque landscape (ok, you guessed it, I’ve forgotten what that place is called… Hoa Le or Thuam Loc or something like that.....)

It was very pretty, and the weather was a cool low 20ies.

It also had a 40 min bicycle ride in the kampungan areas, surrounded by paddy fields and duck ponds....
(Can you imagine how happy Eric, the great RPM Master was?) I swear, I heard a sigh of contentment when he put himself on that bicycle seat...

Bicycles were basic and old but functional. And the ride around the kampongs, cool fresh early evening air and the pretty paddy fields and occasional cow and duck made for a very very “The Hills are Aliiiiiiiiiiive” moment.

And then of COURSE, (cause it could ONLY happen to me) during the bike ride...I.broke.my.bike.

Really, the bicycle served me fine, until Eric and I decided it would be fun to race. BAD IDEA! Especially when one thinks of the size of the average Vietnamese person, who stands at 5’ 2” tall and weighs at the most, 50kgs (and I’m talking about the men here... the women don’t weigh anything above 35kgs and are mostly 4’ something.... barely 5’ tall)... and then there’s us, on their bicycles.

Sigh.

“Let’s race!”
“Ok!”

*happy giggles all around*

Not 2 revolutions of the wheel did I feel all resistance disappear.......
Which was exhilarating, for all of 2 nanoseconds, and then Eric did a U-turn, whizzed by me.... LAUGHING HIS HEAD OFF! WHILE.TAKING.A.VIDEO!!!!!!!!

So much for a friend indeed in my moment of need!

So I had to holler for the tourguide. Who was 100% Vietnamese (See general description of average Vietnamese above).

Hats off to him, he very gallantly offered to give me a ride on his bike.

I stood there and laughed for a minute.

All 3 travel buddies joining in mirth (No doubt already picturing the poor bicycle and more amusingly, the poor tour guide)....

Until we all realised he was serious.

So I shrugged my shoulders, said a little prayer and hopped on. He held on to my broken bike, and away we went.

v.e.r.y.....

s.l.o.w.l.y.....

Poor thing. he struggled on the flat plains, and I didn't make it any easier by laughing half the time and shooing Eric away the rest.... the rest of my beloved travel buddies were too busy laughing and taking pics to be of any help.....

And then (of COURSE) the landscape got slightly hilly. and it's just a gentle slope, not even a bonggol kinda slope, and we were almost at a standstill....

Poor thing huffed and puffed (seriously, the bike hardly moved, I was very close to doing a Fred Flinstone) and then, almost out of breath, my heroic tour guide yelled "OH MY BUDDHA! YOU ARE HEAVY!"

Basket...... *curses and scowls*

I’m sure he said other things (happily and thankfully, he was laughing too) but I couldn’t hear anything except the huge explosion of laughter from all sides (think dolby surround sound) of my dearest travel buddies.... you guys WAIT!

Tipped him and gave him accolades in the comment form.

Had such a fabulously fun fun time, even if it was really and truly a “shy only” moment.

:D

Growing Old....

How many of us have received forwarded emails containing the following joke :-

Aging:
Eventually you will reach a point
When you stop lying about your age
And start bragging about it...

We read it, laugh and enjoy a few seconds of lightheartedness.

I've received this joke several times before.

BUT, the last time I read it (just earlier today), my heart skipped a beat.

Why?

Because I just realised that that was EXACTLY what I was doing, just 2 days ago... in the gym.... talking to a bunch of Generation Y youngbies.

To their credit, they feigned disbelief (such proper upbringing these people had) and told me (as if in utter disbelief) that I looked at least 10 years younger (how I wanted to pinch their cheeks and pat the top of their heads!).

But yeah... I guess I have reached yet another stage in life.... (you know besides the permanent wobbles, aching joints, failing eyesight, thinning hair, stubborn fat and early nights) I've begun to well, not so much BRAG (ok, maybe a little) but more, I'm no longer ashamed, about my age.

Until a few weeks ago, my cheeks would burn in shame, I'd feel slightly embarrassment, and I'd look away when anyone mentions anything that pointed out my age...

Yet today, I'm ALMOST bragging.

Ok... gotta go. Time to get this triple-botox-action-anti-wrinkle-age-defying-youthful-suppleness-guaranteed mask off :D

Live young.... think wise :D



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New Year, New Nugget....

Nugget has arrived!!!

Yeay!

Just mumbling....

It's been an age since I've written anything worth putting your hands Nigella-esque-ishly into.

And today, I feel like it.

So write I shall. For a bit. To say... a little of this and a little of that.

Buttercup's getting better. For those in the know, she's been sufferring from a very very bad case of sarcoptic mange. I'm trying everything, from medically sound injections and treatments to earth clinic certified borax baths and energized water and bracelets... and now, she's FINALLY growing some fur on her back, tuft by tuft, slowly but surely. Thank heavens!

For brekkie, had my ultimate favourite weekend brekkie of puri and potato dhall with coconut chutney with pasupal teh - sini vena besar :D. It was a weekend ritual for me and my beloved father, a ritual which I've resolutely* carried on since his passing more than a year ago. Resolutely, cause I really REALLY hate eating alone! I miss you so much Pappy!

But company's back. Sis is home. Finally! So no more dragging my mom out to weekend brekkies (Mummy is endearing in many MANY wonderful ways, but suffice to say :- she.is.NOT.a.morning.person!).

Oh! My past ran into me a couple of weeks back. And it was a pleasant run in. Bumped into someone I practically watched growing up, and found out certain somethings which left me tickled pink and flooded with a warm sense of glee... at what could have been, if not for HIS incredible shyness coupled with MY incredible blurness. (For who in their right mind would look at me then? Seriously, you guys should see the photos, and NO, none will be posted here).

But, the past shall remain in its rightful place, in the past, and shall serve to put a smile on this face when I choose to reminisce. We had a GREAT, GREAT time laughing about it :D

And...... No, I have NOT booked my car. Apparently, it's not a very wise thing to do so close to the end of the year. Something about losing a year in terms of registration and depreciation....... lost me at "Just wait till Jan 2011". So I will. Wait. Unless Mr Toyota comes up with some fantastic deal.... then I'll get Nugget sooner than later.

(I've chosen to call my car Nugget) <-- since we're being random today.

And one last thing.... ice blended dry ginger ale with a splash of dark rum is FABULOUS! I love my new blender....

And....(ok so maybe the cocktail thing wasn't the last thing...) Jesus kitchen is in the final stages of planning... YEAYY!!!! Am hoping to get it done by Dec 2010 :D

After that goes up, I guess everyone's welcome :D

Till then, see you guys on LLABBB! :D




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Chocolate Blueberry.....

Baked this morning.

Chocolate Blueberry Cake.

Which received a very uninspiring "Ok-lah".

Sigh.

And cause it's got chocolate in it, I can't even give any of it to Prince or Cup-Cup.

Cheesecake next time.

Wanna watch a movie???

8 years ago, we watched a movie.

Well not so much watch as cower behind our shawls and cardigans whacking each other repeatedly and crying :-

"I can't BELIEVE I let you talk me into watching this!!!!!"
"But YOU booked and bought the tickets! And you said it got good reviews!"
"I'm soooooo not watching any movie with you again... EVER!!!!!"
"You said YES! NOBODY forced you into this!!!!!"
"I'm never talking to you again.... EVER!!!!"

From this experience....

I've learnt to appreciate sleeping with the lights on. Did it for 3 years running after the movie.

I've learnt to avoid empty lifts. It took me awhile not to freak out when a lift opens at an unchosen floor, to an empty hallway.

I've learnt to not look too long at the roasted pork and bbq-ed meats at the local chicken rice stall.

I've learnt to respect horror movies at a level I never imagined they deserved.

So this was in 2002. The movie in question? "The Eye" by the Pang brothers.

8 years on.

She asks me again.

"Wanna watch a movie? "Child's Eye" from the same people who made "The Eye""

Of course memories of everything we went through 8 years ago, the many many months it took me to finally sleep with the lights off again came flooding back to me.

A split second later I answered :-

"Sure!"

Sigh. Humans. We never learn!





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