Love 101

Day 17

Kiss on the hand
I adore you

Kiss on the cheek
I just want to be friends

Kiss on the neck
I want you

Kiss on the lips
I love you

Kiss on the ears
I am just playing

Kiss anywhere else
let's not get carried away

Look in your eyes
kiss me

Playing with your hair
I can't live without you

Hand on your waist
I love you to much to let you go

I think there is no greater expression in life than Love. So today, I am grateful to love and to be loved.

P.S. No sign of my goodies basket. Instead, a price list of things that used to be in the complimentary welcome basket was left on the kitchen counter. I guess the basket is not coming afterall!

For that One of a Kind experiments

Victim of Circumstances

Day 16

The nice thing about returning to my serviced apartment in Shanghai is the toiletries. So, I am here practically without bringing my own bath toiletries.

This time around...to my dismay, I found that the previously 75ml bottles were shrunk to tiny 30ml bottles. This would last me about a week, or less and will not replenished. Even, the regular welcome basket filled with many goodies was reduced to a plate of fresh fruits...the lychees were good, though!

All was not lost. Found larger bottles in the bathroom when I returned from work.

Today, I am grateful for those lovely big bottles. I wonder whether my food basket will come today...

For that One of a Kind experiments

On the Road Again

Day 15

Fell asleep while watching "Monster" starring Charlize Theron on the plane. I think the movie played over twice in my sleep. I hope there were no subliminal serial killer-like messages transmitted to my sub-conscious mind while I was asleep wearing the headphones.

The next thing I knew, I got a rude, shockingly loud voice in my ear saying "Good Morning ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls...". This literally JOLTED me out of dreamland and out of my seat, at six in the morning.

Back in the rat race in Shanghai. Feeling a little groggy due to lack of sleep. My body is currently on caffeine-support machine.

Today, I am grateful for Hai Peng Kopi!

For that One of a Kind experiments

Hai Peng kopi is a local coffee (kopi in Malay) brand from Kemaman, Terengganu in the East Coast of Malaysia.

My Succulent Love Affair

Day 14

I have been in solitude for 2 weeks.

My vacation has come to a satisfying end. How time flies.... and how quickly these delicious lychees disappear from the fridge!


Click on Beeworks Directory for details.

Today, I am grateful for all things sewn, painted, baked and cooked during my glorious vacation. 86 days to go!

For that One of a Kind experiments

Through the Looking Glass

Day 13

Epilogue to Through The Looking Glass
by Lewis Carroll

A boat, beneath a sunny sky
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening of July

Children three that nestle near,
Eager eye and willing ear
Pleased a simple tale to hear

Long has paled that sunny sky:
Echoes fade and memories die:
Autumn frosts have slain July.

Still she haunts me, phantomwise
Alice moving under skies
Never seen by waking eyes.

Children yet, the tale to hear,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Lovingly shall nestle near.

In a Wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die:

Ever drifting down the stream
Lingering in the golden gleam
Life what is it but a dream?

Click on Beeworks Directory for details.

Every now and then, it's nice to spend the time reading poetry. So today, I am grateful for the beauty of poetry.

For that One of a Kind experiments

Going Solo

Day 12

"A life is made up of a great number of small incidents and a small number of great ones."

~Roald Dahl~


Bookwraps. See Beeworks Directory for details.

Today, I am grateful for my love for books.

For that One of a Kind experiments

Lilies, Wild Berries and the Man

Day 11 and three quarters...

I came home from lunch with my gal pals to find my favourite flowers waiting for me. How wonderful they smell!

Today, I am grateful too for the recent visitations from the flower delivery man.




For that One of a Kind experiments

Raindrops on Roses

Day 11

Crisp apple streudels may be Maria von Trapp's favourite things. One of my favourite things is chilled vanilla cream puffs.


Cream Puffs. Click on Beeworks Directory for details.

Today, I am grateful for having my favourite things around me.

For that One of the Kind experiments

Losing My Marbles

Day 10

Spending time in solitary confinement makes me see things and do the dumbest things.

Yesterday, I realised that I have been bathing my body with shampoo instead of shower gel. I found this out by chance. For the past week, I only noticed the words "Moisture Cream" on the bottle. I happened to turn the bottle to the other side last night. To my horror, it read "Shampoo"!

Today, I am grateful that my body hair are so well-conditioned that I don't need to worry about split ends.

For that One of a Kind experiments

Speaking in Knotted Tongues

9 and a half days....

Have you ever wondered why men can sometimes be such expert "bush-beaters"?

This is one of the reasons why I am in solitude myself. You never know when to coax a person to talk and when to shut up.

To take my mind off things, I went to bake. I guess some frustration showed in today's experiment!


What on earth is this?

Take a guess. Click here for answer.

Men are not GOD....

.... and neither am I.

Day 9

You may be wondering why I have been doing all this diligent blogging, painting, baking, sewing and cooking lately. Am I a bored tai-tai with too much time on her hands? Well, it's no and yes ...in that order. I used to be an aspiring tai-tai until I dropped out for being unconventional. Now, I am just on vacation.... in solitary confinement.

"I am not even a kitchen goddess."

In solitude, I have been passionately creative and acutely in touch with my senses. But, it has also turned me a little forgetful.

Last evening, we went to watch the Count Basie Orchestra in full swing. My "swing" started much earlier. You see, I had a full dressed rehearsal the day before... literally. Only I could have mixed up the performance date and was all dressed up to go, the night before. Luckily, I realised the mistake before I got to the concert hall!

"I am only human."


No photography in the concert hall

Today, I am grateful for the musical indulgence, girly talk and good friends who still apppreciate the same ideals in life as me. It lifts my spirits.

For that One of a Kind experiments

Moving to Greener Patches...

Day 8

One week of solitude and I have already broken some rules of the game. Time to reassess and take action.

"Deliberately seeking solitude - quality time spent away from family and friends may seem selfish. It is not."

I always start my baking by enlisting willing and hungry people to finish the food later. Yesterday was no different. But after 3 consecutive days of scones, I think they are starting to be sick of it. Reminds me of the time I dreamt of having my very own vegetable garden in the backyard. The only thing that survived were the cucumbers. We had cucumbers in every possible style for weeks.

So, I will be moving on to greener "vegetable patches". Watch this space!


Cheese-crusty scones. For more details, click on Beeworks directory.

Today, I am grateful for leftover gouda cheese, put into good use.

Explore One of a Kind experiments

Recklessly Domesticated

Day 7

You wouldn't believe what I did.....
In the morning, I baked scones. Afternoon, I baked a cake. By evening, I had sewn a simple tote bag!


Citrus Almond cake by Beeworks

"Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon."
~Dalai Lama~

Today, I am grateful for a well-risen cake and sewing straight lines on the sewing machine.

Seize the Day!

Day 6

When you hit a wall, do you just see the wall or wonder what lies behind that wall?

Last April, one book that caught my eye by chance (or destiny) as I was walking along the aisles in the local bookstore. It was Anyone can do it, written by Coffee Republic's founders Sahar and Bobby Hashemi. It was inspirational... that ordinary people could make it big. I guess successful people were once-upon-a-time just ordinary people like you and me. What I found amazing was they all took chances and opportunities that came their way.

I think I have come to a point in my life when I am done worrying about the "What if"s.....because somewhere down the line, I have to deal with the "If only"s. Nowadays, I think I look at relationships, career and life differently... approaching matters from the point of view of "What I can do about it?" and taking calculated risks, rather than worrying about the unknown.

The future is too unpredictable. I do not want to miss any chances to make my dreams a reality.

If you risk nothing, you risk everything.

Today is Father's Day. I am grateful for my dad and taking some risks on baking scones again.


Father's day wheatgerm scones
Served on handpainted Butterfly square plate by Beeworks

As Old as it Gets!

Day 5

I never thought I looked any different from 5 or more years ago. I guess it takes another to tell me so. How time flies?

My travel agent rang to inform me that my Chinese visa had been rejected. I asked why. It was because of the photo.

Was I supposed to send 1 or 2 photographs?

No, only one is required.

Then?

She answered that I looked too young in the photo.

What??

Apparently, the visa officer compares the photo with the one on my passport and found that they looked different. The truth of the matter was that I found a passport-sized photo taken some years back when I was spring cleaning my room last Sunday. First-in-first-out, I reckon, and enclosed the old photo with my visa application.

I re-submitted a newer photo ....or rather, an older-looking photo, since then.

"Look at yourself lovingly and begin to appreciate what you see. I hope it's the beautiful woman you truly are."

~Sarah Ban Breathnach~

Today, I am grateful being thirty-something. I think it is by far, the most exciting age to be in.

A Summer Day Dream

Day 4

I found the most perfect reward when I complete my 100 days of solitude!

I have been thinking of it since I first laid eyes on one in a magazine. Finally, yesterday I walked into her shop to have a look. Though the bags were really nice, I didn't feel that love at first and second sight feeling.

After some enquiry about her "Be a Bag" option, I found out that it was pricy ..... but not as expensive as I thought. So, it was not an impossible dream to own one!

It takes about a 4-month waiting period to get your very own personalised bag. What perfect timing! It will come just after the 100th day to cheer me up.

Now, all I need is to find that perfect photograph. A photo taken by me.
something creative
something unique
something with a quirky edge
something that is about ME!

Anxiously, I went digging into my old collections.
Nothing really stood out screaming "YOU'VE GOT TO PUT ME ON YOUR BAG!"

So, the quest continues....

Meanwhile (after a photo reshoot), here are some summer drinks to refresh one's life.

Today, I am grateful that I am living my life the best I know how. Hoping for better days ahead....

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade

Day 3

Some gerberas had unexpectedly arrived at my doorstep yesterday.

I had been a customer of these flowers while living in Hong Kong several years ago. These flowers don't take the hot and humid weather too well. My past experience landed me with drooping flowerheads by the next day.

This time around, each flower was cunningly wrapped with paper. Imagine a dog wearing a "cone" neck brace (not sure what they are actually called).

Even so, I didn't want to leave anything to chance. There is a sense of urgency to complete my photoshoot asap.

I went rummaging in my home refrigerator ala Macgyver style, since I hadn't done any grocery shopping yet.

What I made use in the photoshoot?
For the secret concoction called "Three citruses" - Plan A
juice of 1 orange
juice of 2 limes
juice of half a lemon-gone-mouldy
few tablespoons of Scott's Emulsion (orange flavour) for colouring

pineapple juice (expired last April) - Plan B
when diluted looks awfully like homemade apple juice!

Mains...
4 handpainted glasses and a jug

Props...
1 checkered table cloth
my pine desk
my latest olive tree oil painting
1 bunch of gerberas
serving bowl for displaying fruits
whatever I could dig out from the fridge - few apples, oranges and pears

Equipment...
IXUS 400 digicam and COMPAQ notebook

What I did ...
First, I made my secret concoction.
Didn't really care how it tasted, only how it looked.
I was rather lazy to squeeze all the oranges for juice (Anyway, one needs a lot of oranges for a jugful. Didn't think I had enough fruits.). So, it was water plus Scott's Emulsion to "colour" (not taste!) and the juice of 1 fresh orange and 2 limes.
Sliced 1 orange to get 2 orange rings. Reminder squeezed for juice into jug.
Sliced 2 limes to get 2 lime rings. Reminder squeezed for juice into jug.
Cut off the mouldy bits of lemon. Then, sliced lemon for half a lemon ring. Reminder squeezed for juice into jug.

Table set against an olive tree backdrop.
Apples, oranges and pears arranged in the bowl.
Glassware lined up.
I am ready to go!

*Shoot-shoot-shoot*

What didn't work?
Plan A - Three Citruses drink
... the colour was just not appetising. It looked rather artificial like the colour of Fanta Orange. This was despite desperate efforts to enrich and thicken it with more Scott's emulsion. So, I had to go for Plan B - Pineapple juice!
Ice
.... for the cool and refreshing effect. But it was a hot day, I risked staining the tablecloth in the process.

Why you don't eat what you shoot?
At first, my citrus rings didn't "show up" through the pineapple juice. The juice was too concentrated. So, murky liquid was watered down with tap water.
Minor tweeking of the fruit rings floating in the glasses by sticking my fingers inside got them in position.
Anyway, the juice has expired. No harm done.

Like American Idol show, photo results will be published tomorrow.

Today, I am grateful for my thirst-quenching secret concoction and the pineapple juice which became my pineapple bath for the ulimate cool and refreshing feeling at the end.

Dear Diary Blog

Day 2

You may be wondering why I started a new blog as soon as I terminated the last one.

I am feeling melancholy. Some divine power always pays me a visit whenever this happens. Some inner spirit is talking to me constantly....and I am just taking down notes for her. In some ways, I do feel blessed. The result....I find myself writing incessantly.

Last year, I found myself writing poems when I was in that melancholy mood. Definitely can recycle this one this year!

Something drastic
to realise things in me
to shake things inside
to re-evaluate
what is important
and what is not
to unlock my feelings
to look deep inside
to see what I am really made of

As I was cleaning my room the other day, I found something I wrote when I was 22. Here are some excerpts:

24 February 1993
A shocking and most unexpected thing happened today. My exam results came in the mail. I was really nervous about opening it. Honestly, I was expecting to see how badly I failed. Ripped the evelope and looked inside.

Oh my God! Pass-Pass-Pass-Pass. Hey! where's the "Fail"? I really thought my eyes were playing tricks on me or that I got someone else's results. No, it's got my name on it......

25 February 1993
....Still can't believe that I passed. I check my results every so often to see whether there was a misprint. Sometimes , I think that all this is just a wonderful dream.....

I thought I remembered that fateful days vividly. But reading my diary brought back some intimate memories of how I really felt.

Today, I am grateful about my writing and being able to share them with someone. With hope, I will do this for the next 99 days.

P.S.
Earlier, Mum came home and said there was goreng pisang downstairs. I was busy in my room. A bit later, Dad was shouting to me to come downstairs. I am thinking... "Yes, I know...I know...there is goreng pisang."
Only this morning, I was thinking that I needed flowers for my new glassware photoshoot. In my mind, I was wondering..."How does one get flowers when in solitary confinement?". By afternoon, a bunch of yellow gerberas arrived at my doorstep. How lovely! What a surprise!

I am truly grateful for guardian angels too. Thank you. :D

P.P.S Took the gerberas and passed on the goreng pisang. :>

Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.

Today is Day 1.

I did a quick calculation that the 100th day will be on Wednesday September 22, 2004. It's a whole long way away. I wonder where and what I will be by then...

Today, I am grateful that I finished painting my glassware for sister's birthday this weekend. It is also Father's Day over the weekend. Mum said to paint something for him too. This means a visit to Ikea tomorrow.

In the background, my favourite Vanessa Mae's piece called Bach Street Prelude.

P.S. If you think the title is odd, perhaps it is. It's from Lewis Caroll's Alice in the Wonderland.