Holiday Day 12 - Goodbye 2010

Day 151

Last day of 2010

Last dinner of 2010

First and last time Gin is cooking for everyone in 2010!

What's for dinner tonight?

莲藕排骨汤

咖喱鸡

冬菇西兰花

黑酱油虾

辣椒啦啦

麦片鱼
蒸鱼

I even bought thank-you gifts for everyone to thank them for eating the food I cooked. Haha. Wanted them to bring the gifts home but none of them wanted to! Thank you everyone for coming to dinner! :))

Holiday Day 11- ZY, Shopping and Oasis

Day 150

Didn't blog yesterday as I wasn't well. Sore throat, fever, cough and body aches. :(

Fight the virus!!

Went to meet ZY today for lunch at Vivocity. Still not feeling good but I need to make the most out of my stay here. Not many days left. :( Had ramen at Aoba Hokkaido Ramen. It was lousy ramen. I only ate half and gave up. Had a great time catching up with ZY and I'm glad that he's doing very well. Guess where he's working now? ANZ! Lol.

Did some shopping at Vivo after lunch and bought stuff from Forever 21. Clothes are cheap there and of course, one can't expect much in the quality department. It was really crowded. Many were having sale and everywhere was crowded. I hate to shop during sale as stuff are messy and there is absolutely no service to speak of. I gave up after a while and headed to Far East, hoping for better luck. Bought hair protein cream for Sabrina and saw that many shops in Far East have closed, especially those at LevelOne. Guess I am too old for the Far East culture and I left empty-handed. I wanted to check out Uniqlo's heatwear and though the largest Uniqlo store is at Somerset, I opted for TampinesOne as it was nearer to home. They have this legging pants and I quite like them. But still, I didn't buy them. Wanted to wait for Mr Tan to go Uniqlo with me and buy everything that we need together. :)

Went Oasis - our childhood fave porridge place which has now moved to Toa Payoh for dinner. Bro headed there from hall and reached there earlier than us as Papa and Guma went to see the sinseh. It was crowded when we reached, maybe because it was already 930pm. Bro was famished. Bro and I quite like the food but Guma, Xiaogu, Papa and Mama felt that the standard has dippped significantly. Worse, halfway through the meal, Papa had "big emergency". Papa had nothing good to say about the place. Haha. I doubt they will ever return for another meal.

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday Day 9 - My Birthday Angbaos!

Day 148

Went IMM with Mama after sending Mr Tan home. Thought of meeting Bro but he was asleep when I called. Mama didn't go to work today as she went to see the doctor about her knees. Sigh. She hasn't been well and has been seeing many doctors. Migraines, knee problems, feeling faint, etc. Hope that she will get well soon and feel much better in 2011!

I got all my birthday angbaos today!! Thank you Mama, Papa, Guma, Xiaogu, Ah Jie and Jiefu for their well-wishes! :)) Happy Happy Happy!

 

Holiday Day 8 - Chauffeur For The Day

Day 147

This is the 8th day back in SG and time really flies. I don't want to leave so soon, I want to spend more time here! 

Bro and I planned to go Queensway today as he needed to get new boots and I needed to get my skipping rope. I didn't plan to meet Mr Tan today but somehow he was under the impression that I would be meeting him. So I went to fetch him before heading to Queensway. Lunch was the famous 328 Katong Laksa which was totally crap. The portion was so small and the laksa gravy was so watery. I made my new spects too. Why is it so expensive to make spects nowadays? A simple black frame spects cost $45 and with the lens, it came up to $100! SUPER expensive! Bro's friend told him that it would be cheaper to get his boots at Penisula and being the wonderful sister, I drove him there to search for them. In the end, they cost $8 more than Queensway! Waste of time and petrol.

The screen protector of my phone is kinda spoilt and we went to Clementi to look for Bro-in-law's friend who replaced Mr Tan's screen protector. The anti-glare screen protector is awesome! I like how it feels when I glide my finger over it. ") After dropping Mr Tan off, I sent Bro back to hall before making my way home. Time to rest my tired right foot! (I drive an auto car. hehe)

No more excuses not to skip!

Holiday Day 7 - Dim Sum & Family Gathering

Day 146

Ever since I came back, I have been talking about having dim sum and finally we had it today. Mama had a $25 Tung Lok voucher and we headed to Central - the current fave for Papa and Mama. It was packed when we reached and because we didn't make any reservations, we had to join in the queue. We were told by the not-so-friendly receptionist that we had to wait until about 230pm for a table. As Papa and Mama know one of the captains there, Papa asked the recep if that captain was working today. She simply said yes and turned away. Papa then asked her if the last order was at 230pm as we were told on the phone. She ignored Papa's question and that left Papa very "buay song". Luckily the captain saw us and came forward to meet Papa and Mama. With her help, our wait was shortened from 45 minutes to a mere 15 minutes. Sweet. We had the usual fare, 烧卖，虾饺，叉烧酥，XO 萝卜糕. My fave 虾仁肠粉 was sold out. :( The food was good but certainly not the best.

Compliments from the captain

Guess what we did when we came home? Everyone slept! Except Mr Tan. The hours were too precious for him to sleep. He was busy playing WOW. We met Jiejie(Huiyan) and family for dinner at Crystal Jade. Papa initially wanted to bring a bottle of wine there to drink with 姑丈 but Crystal Jade doesn't have a liquor license so no liquor is allowed and anyway, 姑丈 had prior engagement (游干泳) so he wasn't able to join us for dinner too. It was great chatting and catching up with everyone. Ah Boy (my cousin) is getting married next year in November and they were asking if I will be back for his wedding. Well, I can't be sure, if I can get cheap air ticket and I am not working, why not? 到时再说吧. Thank you Jiejie and Jiefu for the dinner!

Bro didn't join us as he was still on a porridge diet. He bought me a surprise though! My first Koi since I touched down! I am a happy girl! :))) Best bro in the world!

I have been spending lots of time with Papa and Mama and it has really been wonderful. Papa is so chatty and Mama is smiling more than before. I will certainly miss them when 7 Jan comes. It's so difficult to say goodbye again.

Holiday Day 6 - 鼎泰丰 & Seafood Feast

Day 145

Today is a public holiday and Mama didn't go to work. Papa came home especially early today, at 1230pm! We waited for Bro to be ready to go for lunch. Wanted to go Ion for Dim Sum but Orchard Road is closed to vehicles for Christmas celebrations so we ended up going to Nex, the new shopping centre in Serangoon.

It was super crowded and the noise and chatter gave everyone a headache. We headed to 鼎泰丰 for lunch as I miss their 小笼包 and 小菜! Bro couldn't eat anything but it was sweet of him to accompany us there. I think he is recovering very well, I can hear him talking loud and clear to Mr Tan in my room. They are playing PES2011 on PS3. The power of soccer.

Dinner was at East Coast and it was a seafood feast! Chilli crab, deep fried fish and my fave mini mantous! YUMMMMMMMMMY! My godpapa is the best cook! I love the deep fried fish, super crispy on the outside but so tender on the inside. The sauce is THE best! Chilli crabs with mini mantous = HEAVEN! Godpapa never fails to cook chilli crab for me when I visit him at East Coast. He always cook one specially for me to pack home so that I will be able to eat it again tomorrow. He knows I love crabs. I am so blessed to have a godpapa like him! :)))

Oh, I got a mail today from my twin!

Merry Christmas, Zhi! I miss you so much..wish you were here in SG with me..Hope that you are enjoying yourself in Tokyo! :)

P/S: I am putting on so much weight from all these feasting!! I must get my skipping rope tomorrow!!

Holiday Day 5 - Hair Treatment & 興化面

Day 144

Police Cantonment Complex was my first stop today. I had to obtain the Certificate of Clearance as part of the registration requirements stated by the Victoria Teaching Institute. Proof that I am clean, with no criminal conviction. It would take 2 weeks for it to be ready and I requested for it to be posted. Now, I need to fill in the 25-page VTI registration form and I need my principal to sign it and my school's stamp. Stupid and ridiculous. Am I expected to do this before I leave the school??

Facial - checked

Massage - partially checked (useless and painful slimming massage)

It's time for my hair to get some attention so I went for hair treatment. It's the first time I am doing treatment in neighbourhood salon and I hope it is good as it cost $70! I also decided to trim my hair and I cut my fringe again. Bro said I don't look good with bangs coz my face is too big. No more bangs!

We went to visit Ting Ting and she's so cute! I will miss her so much. She is now starting to talk and although we can't understand what she is saying, it is always fun to see her make funny faces and try to tell us stuff. I'm so going to miss her....

Last night I suggested to Papa and Mama to have 興化面 for dinner tonight. We used to eat at this 興化 place during my childhood years when we had our old shop at Jalan Besar. It is always packed and you have to wait at least an hour for a seat. Luckily for us, we reached there at about 9pm and had no problem getting a table for 5 (Papa, Mama, Guma, Xiaogu and Moi!).

The food was served quickly and it has been years since I last ate there. The lor mee was still as delicious and I love it! All of them avoided eating it so that I can have more of it. So sweet of them. Everyone was especially chatty tonight, especially Papa. He couldn't stop talking. Haha. It was really like going back to the old times. Sweet memories. :) Will go again before I head back to Aussie!

Holiday Day 4 - Goodbye Camera, Goodbye Slimming Massage!

Day 143

Today's Agenda

1) Canon Service Centre

2) Slimming Massage

My Canon Ixus 850 gave up on me 6 months ago. Not entirely, partially. I was having problems with the Macro function. Somehow the lens is unable to focus on the object and I have been using iPhone to take close up shots. I went to Canon, hoping to solve the problem. The solution? $209 to replace the lens. Should I replace the lens or should I get a new camera instead? Sigh. I am undecided. Perhaps I should head down to Megatex at Expo to see if I can snag a deal there. Bro just said he can help to top up the balance as part of my birthday present. I shall buy a DSLR then. Hohoho...

Moving on to the next item on the agenda, full body slimming massage.
$110, 120 mins = a painful but useless thing! I will NEVER go for it again.

After sending Mr Tan home, I went East Coast for my massage. I reached the place at 5pm sharp but waited till 515 for the therapists. Using her limited command of English, the therapist tried to explain to me the differences between Lymphatic Massage and Full Body Slimming Massage. I couldn't really understand what she was trying to say and decided to try the full body slimming massage. It was a mistake. HUGE mistake.

First, my measurements were taken. Then, I sat in the steaming box for 20 mins and immediately, my weight dropped. It was simply water loss. Then I was hooked up to a machine and this is where the pain started. She told me that these vibrations will help to loosen the fats. Initially it was bearable then it became so hot and painful that I was screaming inside! When it finally ended, I was wrapped up and put into the steaming box again. After 10 minutes, I called for time out. It was too painful. This is crap. I should have known better. Stop dreaming and start working. I am sticking to my skipping rope. Will be shopping for it tomorrow.

Holiday Day 3 - Bro's Super Painful Ordeal

Day 142

Wakeup call at 830am

Make our way to Camden Medical Centre at 910am

Reached Clinic at 940am

Ordeal started at 10am

Bro went for his operation this morning to extract 8 teeth. EIGHT. His teeth has been growing all over the place and with his wisdom tooth making their appearances, there just isn't enough space in his small mouth to house all of them.

He had to be put under GA for his teeth extraction and just the thought of extracting 8 teeth sent a shiver down my spine. As he was in the room, Mama and I waited and waited. It was a 2 hour wait.

The sight that greeted us was horrifying. He was biting on the gauze and they were all red. Filled with blood. The first 2 words he uttered were, Fucking Pain. I could see his eyes welling up with tears. I cannot imgaine the pain. I only had 2 of my wisdom tooth extracted and I refused to extract the other 2 as I don't wish to go through the pain ever again. You can't eat, you can't drink, you can't talk and you can't even swallow your saliva properly. When I had mine extracted, I could still use the other side of my mouth to chew my food but for him, the extractions are EVERYWHERE. I salute Bro. He's the MAN.

Hopefully the ice packs will help to reduce the swelling and the pain. This is only the first part of his ordeal. He will be putting on braces a few weeks from now and he will be going through the pain all over again. The price to pay to look good.

Holiday Day 2 - Shopping and 搓汤圆

Day 141

Shopping at Bugis Street was a letdown. They seem to be selling the same clothes I saw four months ago and nothing really caught my eye. In the end, I only bought a skirt and a shirt. I headed over to Bugis to continue shopping but didn't manage to buy a single thing there. Shopping is tiring when I don't buy stuff. Time for tea break!

 

 

After filling my stomach, I am ready for the Round 2 of shopping. Tampines! It seems like everyone is our shopping and everywhere is crowded. I still can't find anything that i like. Boo-hoo-hoo..Is it me or is it the clothes? Walk, pause, look, nope, walk, pause, look, nope. This cycle carried on for dono how long when I managed to buy something! Ta-dah~ My shopping mission isn't going too well. I think I should find a tailor instead. Haha.

As I was having dinner with Mama and Papa, Papa made a few really sweet comments. First he said that ever since I came home, the house seems to be livelier. Then he told Mama, 女儿才回来两天，我就胖了. Yes, I am his little princess. :)

Tomorrow is 冬至, so tonight we are going to 搓汤圆. As usual, Mama will kneed the dough while Papa and I will help her to make them into 汤圆. Bro was supposed to be back to do it with us but he had a hot date and of course, girls are more important than us. Papa was really proud of the 汤圆 that he made, he said they are big and round. Mama told him that they are too big and they will expand even more after cooking but Papa said, 一家人团圆，当然要大粒啦. I love to eat 汤圆, especially these tradtional ones that have no filling. I will dip them in 花生粉, super yummy!

 

 

Holiday Day 1

Day 140

I couldn't sleep last night, not sure if it was because I slept too much on the plane or I was just too excited to be back. I finished watching all 9 episodes of White Collar and only managed to fall asleep at 7am but guess what? I woke up at 9am! Gosh! I forced myself to go back to bed and finally got up at 1030am.

I had booked my facial appointment before flying back to ensure that I will be able to get all the clogged pores and dirt out asap. Haha. We wanted to have Lor Mee at Amoy Food Centre but the stall was closed and we went to Maxwell instead. I think the one I cooked tasted better. Haha.

It is always painful during facial but I was happy to get all the dirt out! I had booked another appointment on the 5th before I fly back. Next on the list, massage! I saw this slimming massage and I am thinking of checking it out. If it really works, it will be heaven!

My dinner!