Life lesson #1.

Life lesson #1:

Surround yourself only with good friends and great company.





















I've done a bit of spring cleaning in my personal life, keeping my close ones closer and those I deem bad energy further. I've always been non-confrontational, but that's slowly changing. As my girlfriend K would say: "Give it to them man!" So no more silent fuming for me for I have begun to make my displeasure known.

I've been blessed with the bestest of friends who have stood by me through this difficult period with their unique brand of humor and junk food, and for that I am truly blessed.

It's been an awesome Chinese New Year in light of all that's happened, including three back-to-back karaoke/gyrating sessions with good friends. I don't remember ktv being this fun, and I plan to do it all over again once I get my voice back!

Happy Lunar New Year everybody!

Hurrah to sleeping in.

Hurrah to sleeping in.

I love having people over for the New Year. The laughing, the eating, the noise, and even my tradition of losing at the blackjack table. The exhaustion of my 11-hour-entertaining has sunk in now that I'm finally slouched in my favourite rattan chair. Aren't I glad I don't start work tomorrow!

Noisy dinners and crowded streets.

Noisy dinners and crowded streets.





It's been my most traditional Lunar New Year to date because... I went jostling with the crowds at Chinatown last night! The initial plan was to head down at late 10ish when the hawkers start slashing the prices and to usher in the new year at midnight, but my mom informed me that the new year actually starts at 11pm. I've always been told not to wash my hair on the first day of the new year as it signified washing away bad luck, but I've never practised it because it makes me feel unclean. However, since I've already gone all out with the new clothes and red undies this year, I figured that I'd might as well go all the way this year. That meant that I had to be home with my hair washed before 11pm.

So CH and I squeezed our way into the packed alleys at 9ish after our individual reunions dinners, and I had lots of fun soaking in the festive atmosphere. The air was cool, the crowds were happy, and the hawkers were going all out with their sales rhymes. “一块，一块， 通通都卖一块。 一块， 一块，连我也卖一块！” That last bit had the aunties giggling. I went a tad overboard with the mochi buying, and ended up lugging home two boxes plus a huge plastic bag of assorted flavors. A huge bowl of them will be the centerpiece tomorrow at our annual open house.

Earlier this evening after morning visitings and my afternoon nap, E and I headed down to Vivo to catch The Wedding Game. Apart from having to crane my neck from our second row seats, I also had to endure Erwin Nah's incessant groanings. Okay, the show had its cheesy bits but it honestly wasn't that bad! But I have to admit it wasn't that good either... haha.

The highlight of my day (or of my sister's entertainment) however would have to be the beyond mortifying act I did before I headed home. I honestly don't know why I did something so rude and... weird. Oh God, I am strange!

恭喜发财 everybody!

Peranakan pride

Peranakan pride

Every year's reunion dinner would be characterized by my aunt and uncle's argument about whose achar (pickled vegetables) tasted better.
Uncle: You cannot follow the recipe exactly, you must taste and change it here and there. Then it won't be so thick/bland/sweet.
Auntie: How can you not follow the recipe. I always follow the recipe. Where got thick? You ask them. I prefer mine to yours.

My uncle dropped by early one morning last week, bearing a huge pot of achar, and my aunt informed me that she was preparing a vegetarian version of the side-dish this year. I was surprised. Has the unbroken tradition come to an unresolved standstill?

Several more of our usual festive preparations have altered over the years. My family apparently didn't go visiting on the first day of the last Lunar New Year as my uncle and I were both abroad. My mom also altered the arrangements of our yearly open-house party on the second day. The dishes will now be presented buffet style so people no longer have to queue to sit at the dining table. One of our relatives who always sends us pots of flowers in return for traditional Peranakan achar will also not be doing so this year (because my aunt's not making any!) and my folks will be going down to the nursery tomorrow to stock up on festive blooms. No more anticipating the 5pm call on Chinese New Year's eve to go downstairs to lug the flowers up. The clincher however has to be that this year's reunion dinner would not be held at home, but at my brother's restaurant. Some changes are undeniably for the better (like mom's buffet idea), but some (like the change of venue) I'm sure I'll miss.

The festive feeling is still very much in the air though. The women of the house (excluding me haha) have been up early scrubbing and baking the past few weeks - new curtains are hung, containers of homemade cookies crowd the coffee table, and unpacked boxes are shoved under beds. I suppose it is a reminder that things are never written in stone, and that I should enjoy the Khoo way of ushering in the New Year, whatever the favored method.

The holiday mood has also been evident in the office these past few days. Pineapple tarts and other New Year goodies are passed around, and oranges have been distributed for good luck. I've been going for proper lunches now that the magazine's gone to print, and Yaya and I have taken to visiting the Arab Street area during our break. Shaun also popped by yesterday and his penchant for Peranakan food made him the perfect companion to check out the bar/Peranakan café across the street with. I think we've finally regained the firm footing in our friendship after our cute but seemingly unwise decision to date a couple of years ago, and I'm very glad to have my SOS back.

And this has been my third consecutive happy week, since 2009 started actually. I always seem to find something to laugh and smile about everyday, despite inconsequential glitches like E (no, not Erwin) the bitch and my wobbly work-life balance.

Three weeknights out are still a little taxing and I must admit that downing mojitos with my sis after watching Cinderella last night wasn't my smartest move this week. I honestly lost track of time, while she naively thought I didn't have to work today. The thought of heading straight to bed after work was extremely tempting, but I'm glad I dragged myself down to the extremely noisy steamboat reunion dinner with the PR babes.

Oh my, it's Chinese New Year in less than three days! Guess I gotta dedicate part of my Saturday to finally spring cleaning. Now why am I even feeling happy about that...

Winter's last spurt before the spring.

Winter's last spurt before the spring.



My fingers are shaking so much that it ain't easy hitting the right keys. It feels like it's -15 degrees right now, but I'm exaggerating of course. Maybe zero...

Happy lunar new year to all who tagged, and everybody else.

Mister Beasley.

Mister Beasley.



It's been a long while, that I know, but what with waking up at 6 a.m. for a heritage walk in the old city and going to bed at 8 a.m. after a campus party, sunset frisbee and night badminton sessions, blogging has stopped being a priority.

I'll work the best of my recollection skills, and document the happening happenings here in India.

The heritage walk we (four Singaporeans and two French) went for on Saturday morning was awesome for I saw a part of the city which I actually liked, and the lunch we had at Schocolatery after was Eden here in Ahmedabad hell.

That very night was the MICA Alumni meet, where the MICA alumni return for food and dancing. The dance party was held at Chhota, this little outdoor tea stall on campus, but laser lights and pounding music made it seem less like the rundown tea stall it was and more like a mini-Zoukout minus the sand and bikinis.

There was no alcohol, but we all had our mini pre-party in Bertie's room before hitting the dance floor. I'm no dancer, yet despite that and the lack of good music, I had a really good (but exhausting time) shaking it on the dance floor. Could have been the rum, or maybe it's my body's natural reaction to Bhangra music... hahaha!

Yesterday was MICA's 17th birthday, and we were treated to a getai-ish performance put up by mostly MICA faculty, as well as a couple of the MICA students. Come evening, the French-Singapore alliance started a game of ultimate frisbee on the football field, and my heart had one heck of a good workout from both the running as well as the constant mini-heart attacks each time Roxy the campus dog came bounding and leaping after us. Frisbee seems to turn the lazy dog on.

When darkness fell, we moved it to the courts for over two hours of badminton. That essentially was a session where French expletives were at an all-time high, and I had a whale of a time watching Bertie and Erwin do gymnastics on the slippery court floors while diving after the shuttlecock, as well as Romain's absurd sense of humor.

And today's Chinese New Year eve. It doesn't feel like it here in India (naturally), but receiving HM's package of Chinese New Year goodies made me grin. We're headed out to the city for a kebab reunion dinner with our international family, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the badminton tournaments aren't tonight. Flopping around with a belly full of kebabs does not equal a graceful defeat. Did I mention that my partner and I have yet to play together? Haha.

Gong xi fa cai everybody. :)