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I haven't disappeared!
It's just so convenient to blog on the go with the new Dayre app!

here!

I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross

I have so much to say, so much to share. So much so that I don't know where to start from anymore. So I shall put off the sharing and blog random thoughts. It's been one long hectic weekend, this weekend and the previous. Ended my last run of the year today with the Standard Chartered Marathon 2013 and surprisingly, I don't feel that tired, my legs aren't really aching, yet. I think yet is the word! Surely they'll ache tomorrow. It was my first time participating in SCMS and I really think that it's one of the more organized runs, despite my grumbles that race pack collection is so last minute. I collected it less than 24 hours before the race itself so that is kind of last minute right? But I guess it's necessary this way, considering its scale, and having to accommodate the overseas runners. Understandable. Apart from that, the race pack collection was really good. No queues (when I went on a Saturday afternoon), and I managed to sign up for next year's Sundown too! Baggage deposit and collection was fast and fuss free. I was impressed and kept telling Steph that they are so efficient. And I've completed yet another race, not my best timing today and I'm a little disappointed. I was hoping for a better timing today, but I ran without looking at my watch because I wanted to see how I would fare without looking at the timing. I guess I should have checked and paced myself for a better timing. But the important thing is that I finished it safely, and it's all God's grace and His providence. There were a few times, before the 5km mark that I felt like I couldn't do it, but I was reminded of some lyrics from a few praise and worship songs. Trying very hard to recall which lyrics, but I can't remember. I then found the strength to press on. Went for a kind of well deserved brunch at Namnam's at Raffles City. Steph and I scoured the entire basement for healthy food, eschewed Macs, KFC, Mos burger, and even Subway. We settled for Namnam's because they have the baguette sandwich which looked healthy, and felt healthy too. And I saw my running inspiration too so it's a happy day!

It's a month to the end of the year, and it's going to be such a busy month with meetings and celebrations. I'm actually looking forward to them. It's going to be my first Christmas as a church going Christian and I'm quite excited! In the previous years, Christmas was just another public holiday, just another occasion to eat good food. I'm looking forward to giving blessings this year.

I was immensely enlightened about forgiveness this week by Ps Benny Ho and his seminar on the book of Philemon. I always thought that for me to forgive, the person has to know his/her mistake and change first. But forgive is made up of fore-give, meaning to give before, so how can it still be called forgiving when you wait for the person to change? That would be justice and not forgiving. So forgiving a person of the offence against me is possible. I just need to make the decision to forgive.

Been eating all sorts of good food lately and I don't even know the occasion for them. I need to eat healthily before my trip to Bangkok again! Yes I'm scooting off to Bangkok next week with my family and I can't wait for the much needed getaway from work, although I already had a short week this week when I took leave to visit the zoo. It was a very fun experience! And I feel that it really depends on the company that you're with. The last time I was at the zoo was in 2010 for a school field trip for a biodiversity module, and needless to say, I was bored to death throughout the trip because I was with a group of people I didn't even know and was not even close to. I couldn't wait for it to end. I admit that I'm not exactly someone you'll call an animal lover, but while I was at the zoo this week, I could see the beauty of the animals. It's just amazing how many different animals there are, and one really can wonder how these animals came about.

Feeling all sorts of depressed because of my major breakout. My skin condition is so bad that I feel self conscious whenever I go out or while I'm outside. I can only blame it on my own vanity. I just really hope that it'll recover soon)):

Going to end this abruptly because I want to watch Running man!

Truly blessed

I know I've always been using the word blessed and I lack creativity, but there is no way else I can describe all that I've received this year. By God's grace, I've been water baptised, holy spirit baptised, I found J2, found a friend at work, learnt to love my mother more, learnt to love others more, loving my neighbour as myself.

Never have I found it easier to talk to a person the first time I met her. I often thought that I was imagining it and that we'd actually run out of topics to talk about that things would turn awkward with empty heavy silences some day but there was none of those at all. I was initially to broach sensitive topics, only to realize that I had nothing to worry about at all because we felt the same way about the same issues. I was just amazed to no end at how similar we were in our thinking and mindset. It's funny how I thought of her first when I saw something that I knew she'd like. How we laughed when we both thought of each other first. The length of time we've known each other may not be long but I'm sure that there'll be more to come. Thank you Liza(:

 For favourite cake of mine that I knew you'd like.

Cafe hopping days (IV)

Part four of my cafe hopping days! And this time it's Symmetry cafe with Steph! Symmetry is quite a popular cafe, I tried calling in advance to make a reservation for seats on a Saturday and was told that they were fully booked. But we decided that we'd just walk in and hope to get seats, although we had alternatives haha! We've planned in advance like that cos we have so many cafes to try.
They've got quite a sophisticated reservation system where you can just enter your number and group size, and then they'll call you when they've got seats for you, so we decided to wait it out since they had seats for people waiting outside. It wasn't quite a long wait, I must say.

I guess if you opt for bar seats the wait might be shorter since not many people would be keen on those (not us, anyway, haha)

I loved the quaint and mismatched decor. There is beauty in mismatched furniture and appliances, but sadly that doesn't apply to dressing up. Sometimes when I find that my clothes are matched weirdly I'd feel ill at ease the entire day and can't wait to go home. Okay digressing, on to what we ordered.

We really wanted to try their all day breakfast but we got tempted by their other items. And as you know, two of us don't want to eat too much, so we gave the breakfast a miss. We love truffle fries so we couldn't pass this up.
It came in a really huge bucket! Tasted really nice, and there was a side dip of truffle mayo (I'm guessing cos I didn't use that dip much). I seldom eat fries anymore because of the fact that it's unhealthy, unless it's truffle fries. Double standard much, haha!

And next up, another of our favourites, waffles! It came topped with whipped cream so we swept it off. I realize we do that for everything we order that has cream on top. Steph commented that it's not four whole quarters of waffle but more like three and a half. I loved the waffles, it was crispy on the outside, and topped with the ice cream, it was just awesome.

We saw people at other tables ordering their all day breakfast sets which looked so nice too, but we had no more stomach for that so it'll have to wait for the next time we're there.

Instagrammed it, one or two months back.

Lesson learnt

No one is perfect, lean not on man but on God, for man will fail but God never fails.

This is a fact that I've heard for some time now. My pastor always says that he will fail us, but God will never fail.

Somehow this fact hit me really hard this week. Because I had unknowingly put a lot of faith/trust in this sister of mine, and I just got very disappointed in her, although I wasn't in any position to judge anything. I was just reminded of this fact that people will definitely fail us, even though they may try very hard not to. Even for me, as much as I do not wish to fail n others' eyes, I will fail. Not even a 'might fail', but a 'will fail'.

Simply because we are not perfect.

I've neglected this space for some time, and today I'm back here to share about being touched by the Holy Spirit. All along, I always thought that it was the lyrics of the praise and worship songs that touch me, but last week, I found myself tearing even when I didn't know the lyrics. Thank you Jesus. For all the constant reminders that my worth is in nothing else but You, not what I look like, not what I achieve or even what I do. To keep trusting You for Romans 8:28 says that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.

Not because of who I am, but because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done, but because of who You are.

Yes Lord, everything that I am is given by Your grace. I am not to boast about anything because it is not my position to do so.

Kind of looking forward to serving in church this weekend yet there is this teeny weeny bit of apprehension because it's my first time. But I know I will do fine and it will turn out alright!

I don't know if anyone feels like this sometimes, but I do. Like settling into some kind of familiarity and getting too comfortable in life. I don't know why, but I don't really like this feeling because then things would remain status quo yet we should always be striving to improve each time. That said, I'm 'enjoying' this familiarity and I've been happier at work thanks to my two colleagues who make me laugh daily while facing the screen. So glad to have found them, and right now I'm really amazed and astounded by the greatness of His plans. A year ago, I accepted this job because of various reasons such as distance, nature of the job and simply gut feeling and would never have expected NEMO to come this far. I'm heartened to see reports on what we've been doing the past one (or two, for some of us) year. So motivated to work harder to make a difference for more of these patients!

I guess stress makes me shop more, okay those are just excuses. My eyes are very bad, they're spoilt, like my grandma would say whenever she sees things that catch her eye and make her want to buy them. I've been shopping on Love, bonito quite a bit. And I've moved away from the fit and flare dresses that I used to favour towards shift dresses which look more formal. Will share some of them soon!

This entry is such a mish-mash of random ideas in my head, I will get down to proper posts soon, just a matter of when now! Hahaha.

Cafe hopping days (III)

Here's part three of my cafe hopping journey, and this time with my dearest Mummy!

Since we both work in the west (sort of, not the extreme west though), I decided on D' Good Cafe, since I'd heard of it recently, and TTR had their photoshoot there as well, and it was in a location convenient for both of us. It's just a short walk from Holland Village station, a little further up from Hatched, if you've been there before. It's a very interesting cafe! It's located on the second floor, and there is a very special lift to take you up, where the lift is just a platform for you to step on. Well you can just climb the stairs up but my mum insisted on taking the lift, haha.

And we could just sit anywhere we liked, provided that it has not been taken up by anyone else. There're seats at the third level as well, but we didn't want to go up. My guess that it must be as pretty as the second level.

There are lovely seats at the swing, but it was occupied by the time we arrived.

We ordered and paid at the counter, so there wasn't any service charge or GST. We lingered at the counter for quite a while because we couldn't decide on what to order. We're so fickle minded like that. My mum always leaves it to me to decide when we go out, and you know I'm always undecided when it comes to ordering. We decided to just get one waffle and a breakfast dish, 'cause I like waffles. I know right, so much for being healthy. But at least I balanced it out with fruits! I love bananas to the moon and back hahaha. I can't remember how much both cost, but the prices were reasonable.

They gave us this, reminiscent of Rooftop Prince. Hahaha. I always remember Lee Gak buying this and pestering Park Ha by giving her this device and making it beep constantly.

And it wasn't long before it beeped and I exchanged this for our food.

Waffle with fruits and maple syrup

All day breakfast set. Loved the mushrooms and the bread.

We shared the above and the portion size was just right. We didn't feel too bloated or full and still had space for desserts after. Since I treated my mum to dinner, she said she'd treat me to a dessert! Totally didn't expect that and it was a pleasant surprise(:

And we found ourselves at Island Creamery! It was my mum's first time there and I was quite surprised that she didn't order or want to try their unique flavours like pulut hitam or chendol, since she liked them as desserts.  After a round of trying the flavours, we settled on burnt caramel and black forest! I always get to try something new each time I visit and this time, it was the black forest for me. I kept telling my mum that the love for burnt caramel is an acquired taste and made her try it first to see if she liked it before we ordered.

And I was tempted to order this mudpie instead of the baked alaska my mum kept suggesting. So needless to say my gracious mum gave in to me.
Very #fatdieme night but it's not always so its okayyy right?
I bought the chocolate peanut butter flavour home and it's still sitting in my fridge right now. My mum got the black forest flavour.

Instagrammed it! I love how Instagram allows me to post memories almost instantly.

More nights like this to come!

D' Good Cafe
273 Holland Ave  278992

Land of Dim sum Day 2 part 2

Finally getting down to blogging about Disneyland after about 3 months. But honestly, there isn't much to say about Disneyland. In fact, I was a little tiny bit disappointed. I expected it to be more magical, not sure how to describe it but it was just so commercialized with all the shops and merchandise shops.
So we took the MTR to Disneyland resort. Travelling in Hong Kong is relatively easy because the MTR is really convenient and directions are clear as to where to change train and where to walk. It's like Singapore but on a bigger scale, similar to Korea actually!

Us on the train that takes us to Disneyland! We were already egg-cited because it was Disney yo! Although it meant squeezing with the crowds and queuing up for a loooonnnngggg time for rides, I was still really excited because it was going to be our first time entering Disneyland!

Not going to post many photos of Disneyland because many others have already done so using their professional DSLRs and taken so much better than mine. Suffice to say that I really enjoyed Disneyland, although there was intermittent rain like how it was when we went to Everland. It didn't stop us from any of the rides. Also, I've got to say that the Disneyland management has better queue control. We didn't have to queue for a very long time as compared to Everland. The longest time we had to queue was probably less than 30 minutes to an hour, so thumbs up for that! 

One of my favourite characters, Woody from Toy Story!

Took quite a few rides, since I mentioned that the queues were not ridiculously long. We took the rollercoasters. I'm not actually a fan of rollercoasters or scary rides, but my mentality when at theme parks is that since I'm already here, just take everything and not regret not taking. Like we've already paid so much for the tickets to enter, and you don't want to take? Haha not referring to those who cannot take because of existing medical conditions. What else is there to do in theme parks apart from the rides, shopping and eating?

Also, I had the misfortune (not because of having to buy, but because I didn't manage to buy it) of having to help a colleague (whom I'm not that close to) buy a souvenir. She actually wanted a tin of biscuits, and well, that got me running into every souvenir shop to check if it was available. It was sadly not available at all. I was just so stressed, like what would she think of me because I didn't manage to buy it. Perhaps she would have thought that I didn't put effort into looking for it when I actually did! I walked into every shop to look for it. That was something I was quite upset about, although to others it might have just been a small issue. 

The nicest part was probably the fireworks. I don't know why, but I just got so emotional during the fireworks that I teared, like seeing something I haven't seen in a long time. I was just very touched, and it was so beautiful and it lasted for a long time. I'm really happy that we stayed for the fireworks although Amanda was not so well that day. 

And also, I actually really expected much more from Disneyland. I didn't exactly get sucked into the consumerism born out of the love for Disneyland. I didn't get a single souvenir at all and I don't regret it at all. Watching the other tourists snapping up so many souvenirs, I just thought, 'What's the point?' Perhaps I have reached the point where I don't need souvenirs to remind me of the beautiful experiences. I keep them all in my head or heart. I will always remember the feeling I felt when I was watching the fireworks.

I've been procrastinating this entry for such a long time all because I didn't feel like posting photos of Disneyland although I took a lot of photos on that day. So here is an unexpected wordy post that I haven't blogged in a long time. I'm more interested in talking about the food haha. Disneyland food isn't really worth talking about because it was overpriced and not nice at all. We had nicer food in the next few days.

Just wondering

If it is weird that my main source of motivation for running is to fit into clothes nicely. Literally, when I run, I really think of my clothes hanging in my wardrobe.

At other times, I think of the (unhealthy) food I've had the past week and cholesterol and fats being burnt, thinking burn, burn burn.

So sometimes when I've been eating healthily the entire week, the motivation would be at an all time low.

But thinking about the Magnum Black that is in my happy tummy now, I better put on my running shoes and get running.

And for someone like me who loses control when it comes to snacking (even on healthier choices like nuts and raisins), I have come to the conclusion that I better not buy any so that I cannot lose control. 

There's a first for everything

So here's my first bodycon skirt-dress? I say skirt-dress because it's not entirely bodycon and many have told me that it looks like a top and a skirt. So which dress is it?

None other than Smooch's Camilla and Belle dress!
Again, there is quite a long story with this dress.
I saw this dress when they launched it in January or February this year, but I was too slow during the launch and also, the price held me back. I didn't join the backorders as well because I don't really like waiting for backorders.

Then came the extras from backorders which they launched in July. I just happened to see it on the site when I was browsing randomly. I couldn't decide on which colour as I felt like all colours were nice. I particularly liked grey but I think at that time it wasn't on the site. I also liked white. And it was in my cart for a few days, until I realized that it was the last piece, then I got flustered and hurriedly checked out. I decided on size S because the ptp was 15"-16" and the measurement from size M would be too huge. It fits just right at the hips, another dress not suitable for buffets or huge meals.

It's a really pretty dress, although I was kind of surprised at how the nude/brown contrasting colour turned out. It's darker than the photos online. I thought it was nude when I saw it online. And the floral appliques sewn on are very intricate and not flimsy. And the double straps do not sit very well on my shoulders but that isn't a problem to me. Perhaps black would be much more flattering and give a slimming effect like it always does, but I wouldn't know because I'm the one always choosing white. It doesn't exactly crease easily but it does crease when you sit for a while.

I wore it casually with flats but I think it can be dressed up with accessories and wedges or heels. A versatile dress!

Hello Talia

After much hassle, I finally received The velvet dolls' Talia Eyelet cut out romper, mostly because of my own decisions. Here comes the long story. I tried the romper in size S at Kissjane one day and decided that it's too fitting for my liking. I already decided that I would get it in mint because it's the nicest (probably my own biasedness towards mint colour as well), and since S is fitting, M would be good. So I happily joined the backorder for the romper in mint size M. And I was really really looking forward to receiving it because well, I really really liked it.

This is how it looked when I tried it at kissjane. I really felt uncomfortable in it, likely because I just had a heavy meal.

And then while I was happily awaiting the arrival of the romper, I received an email from them instead, informing me that they did not have enough stocks for mint size M, and I was given the option to either opt for a refund or choose another colour. I really wanted a piece of the romper, so I was again stuck in a dilemma as to which colour to choose, and I decided on white in the end. And even as I was taking the white romper out, I knew that it was too huge and would not fit well. I don't think I took a photo. So I decided to try my luck and email them to ask if they have extras for mint size S, and I was :D when they replied that they did! So I waited for it happily, although I was a little afraid that I might not be able to fit into it. (I think I've gained weight since the previous time)

And here, this is the one I received from the backorder. It actually fits nicely, no weird stretch lines at the sides like you see in the above photo, and it didn't feel tight at all. I'm guessing its due to mass manufacturing, I couldn't have lost weight right? Hahahaha. And pardon the un-ironed romper.
So I conclude that I would not have faced any problem with the backorder at all if I had just ordered size S. But well, this is how it turned out, and I got my desired colour in the end(: It's a really nice piece and in my favourite colour! The only problem would be the length which is a little too short for my height of 1.66m, but nothing that cannot be solved by being more careful when out.

Favourite colour and style

I love white and I love ruches, so I was absolutely attracted to TTR's Waldorf ruched front maxi. I have a top from Mango that has so many ruches but I seldom wear it because it's black.

Thanks to both Singpost and TTR's super efficient service, I received this in my mailbox just 2 days after the launch. The material (cotton spandex) is really thick and of good quality, similar to lycra, in my own opinion since I'm no professional about materials and cloth.

I didn't really notice that it's the figure hugging kind of dress until I tried it on. Size M is kind of loose at the top but fitting at the hips, then loose at the legs. Seamless undergarments definitely needed. Oh the woes of a pear. I kind of like the padding at the shoulders since my shoulders aren't that broad and doesn't emphasize them. Overall, it's a dress that is suitable for both formal and casual days depending on how you accessorize and what shoes you choose to wear. I guess black is the popular choice because it's most flattering but no! No black colour for me because I don't exactly look good in black. I was actually deliberating between the very nice pastel blue and the white. Perhaps I'm just weird like that.

Cafe hopping days (II)

Here's part two of my cafe hopping journey! This time with my grandma haha!
Accompanied my grandma for her routine checkup at Novena, and I wanted to bring her to a cafe for a nicer meal instead of having lunch at the hospital, so we visited La Ristrettos which is located in Novena Medical Centre. Thanks to Ting for telling me about this cafe, for I wouldn't know where else to go for nicer food apart from my favourite restaurant chain TCC at Velocity.

Well it was quite funny, my grandma kept asking me as we were making our way to the cafe, how can there be a cafe among all these private clinics? And lo and behold, it appeared right in front of us. It was rather hidden and you really wouldn't have known of it if you hadn't passed by it before or making a special trip there like us. It was around 1pm when we arrived and it was really packed. I can't remember if they allow reservations, but it was mostly filled with healthcare staff on their lunch break, and the staff asked us if we wanted to sit outside, if not we would have to wait. So we took the outdoor seats first, and she told us that we could sit indoors when the other patrons leave. We got the indoor seats rather quickly so it wasn't an issue.

Next was deciding what to order. Even though I often look through menus before visiting, I don't actually decide what I want to order until I arrive. I guess it's dependent on my mood and tummy that day hahaha. We were trying to catch the attention of the waiters only to be told that ordering and payment has to be done at the counter. I think that's good, so that when you're done you don't have to be awkward and try to catch the attention of the staff to ask for the bill. Ordered a cappuccino or latte (I really cannot recall) for my grandma and it came with pretty art on top.

Which was quickly destroyed because my grandma likes her coffee sweet.

Mushroom Frittata which I ordered for my grandma. I read that it's an omelette, so I was quite surprised that it came like that. I always had the impression that an omelette has the fillings wrapped up. I tried a little bit and I was kind of disappointed. This is really a dish that is not bad, not good enough. Haha I don't downplay the dish. I'm sure the sour dough bread is nice! My own set also came with sour dough.

Tostino E Arrosto which I ordered for myself! Because it's chicken breast and cherry tomatoes. I started liking sour dough bread after eating the toast at Maison Ikkoku. The chicken was really well done. It didn't taste like chicken breast at all. The portion looks a little small like that but I was full from it.

We enjoyed our meal there. Wouldn't say that it's quiet because there was quite a crowd throughout the time we were there. Also, there is only one large table in the middle of the cafe so there's quite a high chance that you'd have to share the table with many others, unless you don't mind the 'bar seats' facing the window. A nice cafe to visit with reasonable prices really.

Asked my grandma to pose outside the cafe(: I'm so thankful that she is healthy and youthful looking and that she loves western food as well to come with me on cafe hopping trips.

And a grainy photo of us using the front iphone camera.

Oceans (Where feet may fail)

"So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine"

This song reminded me of how much I have to grow as a believer. I didn't understand the meaning of the lyrics initially and was thinking about the lyrics and how it added up. But soon after, the pastor kind of explained it to us. When we have little faith even though God has always been faithful, God does not berate us or punish us. He even forgives us. So I will keep my eyes above the waves and rest in my unchanging Lord, ever faithful, who is the same every day.

Today's lesson

"Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him"

Instead of trying harder, you trust more. You also know you've surrendered when you don't react to criticism and rush to defend yourself. Surrendered hearts show up best in relationships. You don't edge others out, you don't demand your rights, and you aren't self-serving when you're surrendered.

Reflecting on this, I know I've not truly surrendered. I still feel indignant and quick to anger when accused. Today I surrender this again. Like Ps mentioned, how many times have I repented for the same sin. I have lost count of the number of times that I've repented for the same sin, knowing fully well that I will fall again.

But God is faithful. He has faith in me even when I don't have that same faith in myself.

"The greatness of a man's power is in the measure of his surrender"
William Booth

Confession time

I love anything with ruches so I'm guilty of online shopping again. Review coming up soon!

First time ever

I think I can declare The Tinsel Rack's good girl flare skirt my favouritest skirt of all time because of this.

It's my first purple skirt, well, blurple as they call it, even though I feel that purple is a colour that is really difficult to match. I was just attracted to the purple colour the first time I saw all the colours they had for this skirt in denim. And I guess I got the last piece in size M becuase it was out of stock after I carted it out so yay! I think purple denim is harder to come by anyway and I'm glad that I got it eventually because it's my favourite skirt. I like that it's not sheer at all and it's also longer by half an inch.

I got it in size M and it fits well. I don't actually wear it super high waist but a little bit lower so the measurement of 13" across fits well. It felt more fitting after a meal so it can act as a control when going for buffets right? Hahaha. And I guess it's more flare compared to the chiffon polyester ones because of the material. But I really really like it! The back has a lot of pleats which I didn't really notice from the chiffon ones since those are flowy so it looks quite 'pong' from the back. And I tried to be more careful so as not to crumple it when I wore it out and I feel that it's do-able! Haha! My skirt wasn't that crumpled when I got home. Oh and an interesting thing to note is that when ironing the skirt, the purple changed to a different shade, and I was quite alarmed at first but it became the normal colour after it cooled down. If you ask me, I feel that the version one in brick one creases the easiest.

Haven't worn my salmon pink and white ones out. It's time to wear them out! Awesome skirt that skirt lovers should own in at least one colour or material. I just realized that I've got them in all 3 versions, the first toyland gold buttons skirt in brick made of cotton polyester, the chiffon polyester ones in mint, salmon and white and the denim version in blurple. I was actually tempted to buy the chiffon ones in all colours. I still like the cobalt blue one a lot but I guess I won't have much tops to match it with because most of my tops are dark colours.

Must change my new habit of buying the same item in multiple colours, something my mum taught me, no joke, hahaha.

Cafe hopping days (I)

This cafe has got to be the one the serves the nicest brunch around, according to my standards. It's one cafe that I want to go and try every single item on the menu, but yet I'd be tempted to stick to my favourite all the time because it's really that good.
My friends introduced me to this cafe and I brought Steph there on a chilly Saturday afternoon and met my friends there again. Reservations recommended though! Steph and I were really lucky to be able to get a small table that wasn't reserved at all. So we could sit until we wanted to leave.

We decided to share so that we wouldn't be so full and so that we can try the french toast that was sold out previously. Also, the portions are quite huge so I say share if you aren't feeling that hungry.

Twisted french omelette
I try not to take too many eggs because it's not good for the health but I just had to tell Steph that we had to order this. My friend Cheryl ordered this previously and it looked too good. Tasted awesome as well. Don't think it's just any ordinary omelette like it looks. Hidden within is melted cheddar cheese that flows out when you cut it open. The cherry tomatoes, or maybe it's just small tomatoes were larger than usual. A really nice omelette that I would order again, but I definitely cannot finish one on my own. The bread that came with is not the usual store bought kind. I think they get their bread from a bakery since I saw the bread being delivered while I was there.

French toast with berries and vanilla flavoured mascarpone cheese
Well, I don't usually fancy french toast because I like my bread plain, but since my friends told me that it's good, it was worth a try. And yes! It was so good! The bread they used was sour dough. I'm really starting to like sour dough bread that I might go and buy sour dough bread for my breakfast. The berries  together with the french toast and maple syrup made for a great combination, not forgetting the cheese. Definitely very sweet, but since it's not an everyday thing and that it was shared, it isn't too bad, right? They have two flavours for french toast, the other being caramelized bananas and walnuts. I suppose that would be nice too but berries are more natural and healthy compared to bananas that have been caramelized right? Hahaha. Steph is the only one who would listen carefully to my grumblings about calories and healthiness in food. I know my other friends totally go 'ahhhhhh you, thinking so much again' and have to wish to listen to all those. But it's true that whenever I order something, I try to weigh the nutritional benefits and choose the healthier one even though it might not turn out to be healthier.

Hot chocolate with low fat milk

The best hot chocolate I've ever had. The low fat version definitely pales in comparison to the full cream milk  version that I had previously, but one has to give allowances for healthier choices right? It still turned out very chocolatey. I'd say chocolate gao gao. Steph didn't agree that it's the best hot chocolate initially but towards the end she agreed because of the thick chocolate at the bottom.

They serve cakes and cupcakes too but we were too stuffed to stomach any more. I tried the strawberry shortcake previously but it's not really my type of cake because I prefer the chocolatey or cheese cakes. That is not to say that it is not nice! Hahaha, but as always, cakes are best shared to divide the calories and I always feel happier sharing and eating it together with a friend.

Steph would agree that this is a cafe worth visiting because she told me that she wanted to come back again. Really glad that she liked it!

Maison Ikkoku
20 Kandahar Street 
Singapore 198885

I'm always torn between going back to cafes I've been to and visiting new ones, but I saw that Maison Ikkoku is only serving eggs benedict for the month of September.. Time to visit other cafes then cos' I'm not a fan of eggs benedict.

A photo with pretty Steph! We headed to Kissjane to try clothes after that with a full tummy. Certainly, we've come a long way. More to come, surely!

I spend my life to know and I'm far from close to all You are
The greatness of our God.

Adios

I'm so excited! Leaving on a plane to the Land of smiles that is Bangkok tomorrow!
My first spontaneous trip with a colleague.
I'm already thinking of the pad thai and beef noodles!

Blessed

Really blessed by God this week, by His smiling face upon me. Thank you Lord!

I thank God for giving me the courage to do what is right, really! The old me of the past would simply walk away, feeling bad about that issue yet do nothing about it. Thank you Holy Spirit!

And thank you Holy Spirit for just watching over me every moment, saving me from mistakes.
Words cannot express my thanks enough.

The tongue

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Proverbs 12:18 (NIV)
The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Matthew 15:10-11 (NIV)
10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

I've read many bible verses that teach me to hold my tongue, but I couldn't pin point the exact one, so I did a search and realised there are so many. This tells us the importance of the things we say. Let our words only serve to build and give strength. No hurtful words. No I am not perfect but I am trying. 

The golden rule

Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

I like this verse so much. I like how it is so active. It tells me to take the initiative to help others instead of just living life by the bare minimum of not doing evil. Instead, it tells me to do Good. And it's so true. In exams and tests, we often aim to get an A or even an A+. So why not in life as well? Let's not just aim to not offend people, but help others when you would appreciate help in their situations. 
Instead of a 己所不欲，勿施于人, do good!

Why do I always feel awkward?

Stepping out

Matthew 28:19-20

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

To quote something a friend from church said, we are so filled up with love from God that we need to give out the overflowing love. We don't just keep on receiving, because we need to fulfill the Great Commission. 
Not just because it is from the bible, but because I truly want to, and today I took a small baby step towards it. More to come surely! Thank you Lord, for giving me this courage to do Your work. 

Brokenness Aside by All Sons & Daughters


I am a sinner if it's not one thing it's another, caught up in words tangled in lies
But You are a Saviour and You take brokenness aside and make it beautiful

You make me beautiful

Glorious ruins

My failure is lost in the light of Your glorious grace

Taste of home

My favourite dessert of all time, or should I say the only hot dessert that I eat, cooked with love by my dearest grandma! It was the perfect start to National day as it was a long day ahead. I always thought that the tau suan she cooked was very sweet, until I tried the one sold outside in food courts. Wow those are really kind of inedible, heaps of sugar in them. But if you don't have the luxury of having it home cooked, moderation is always the key!

Land of Dim sum Day 2 part 1

Got up bright and early and excited! Because we were going to head to Disneyland that day! But before that, breakfast at Australian Dairy company! Since I started doing research for the trip two months before we left, it has been in my list of breakfast places to visit. Initially, we booked a guesthouse in Jordan, if I recall correctly, and Australian dairy company was within walking distance. But we cancelled and booked a hotel in the end, so we took a train there instead.

Tong Mi road, where our hotel was located. Got to love how they number their road signs, so you know whether to walk up or walk down depending on where you're headed, like 12 Tong Mi Road. At least you know you're headed in the right direction. Very useful for us tourists who don't know the landmarks.

Amanda and I in front of the hotel. Quite a small hotel but I liked it. And they had rooms for us though we booked super last minute. Wi fi was only limited to the lobby so at night many people would sit at the lobby to whatsapp and facebook/instagram.

Oriental Lander Hotel, Kowloon
206 Tong Mi Road, Mongkok, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Nearest MTR station: Prince Edward

I was so excited to be going to Australian Dairy company!! I did not have high expectations of the staff working there, and I also expected to have to queue to enter because everyone mentioned that they had to queue, but surprise! Guess who didn't need to queue? It was probably because it was drizzling very slightly. Also, the staff didn't treat us as badly as I had expected, so thumbs up for that as well.

Their menu wedged under the glass piece.

Desserts.

We ordered two breakfast sets. Each set consists of eggs with bread, macaroni and a drink of your choice. Do they really expect one person to finish the entire set? Well we definitely couldn't. So three of us shared two sets. And even that was a little too much.

I read that the egg sandwich is quite a popular choice, but I wanted it separate so it's nice that it came separately. And yes, the eggs were good! Definitely heading back whenever I travel to Hong Kong!

And this!! Almond with egg pudding! So eggy and yummy. I'm not sure if they serve it cold but I liked it hot, albeit burning my tongue because I was too anxious to try it. I was also tempted to order the egg white pudding but I had no more stomach for it. HKD$23 for this bowl of eggy goodness. About S$4, quite expensive compared to our breakfast meal but so worth it! Need to go back to try the egg white pudding!

Really got to hand it to the waiters. I have no idea how they can remember what we ordered and how much it costs. When we decided to get up to leave, one of the waiters simply wrote the amount to pay on a piece of paper for us. How did they know?

And after we finished our breakfast, the queue had already started to form. Crumbs the frozen yoghurt shop is located just beside it. Wanted to try their yoghurt but obviously not so early in the morning, and it's also not open at such a timing, so I'll have to leave it for the next trip. No idea why I'm posing with the umbrella like that. Left the cha chaan teng with happy tummies, that explains Amanda's pose right?(:

Australian Dairy company
G/F 47-49 Parkes Street, Jordan
Nearest MTR station, Jordan exit C2

At Jordan MTR station, we saw this umbrella vending machine. The umbrellas have really nice prints so I got one in houndstooth prints. I was actually hesitant to buy it but I wasn't sure if I would see the same machine again elsewhere so I just fed the machine, not literally since they only accept the octopus card. Hahaha.

I'm going to end this post here, I know I've only covered like what, the breakfast part but it already has so many photos so I'm not about to squeeze more photos of Disneyland in here. Till the next!

A heart of gratitude

Father Lord, I just cannot thank You enough for today. Thank you for such a great gift, such a great blessing.

It all happened during a time of prayer. Jacq, who I just got to know today prayed for me, and that prayer also ministered to me, because it dawned on me that while I know that God loves me, I have been seeking solace and holding on to material things like online shopping, clothes to fill myself up, thinking that they can make me happy and feel good. Yes, dressing well can make one feel good, but it cannot go overboard. And it was a reminder that I only God can fill me up. Not food, not worldly desires like clothes, money or anything else. It is only God who can fill the hole in my heart. Not only does God fill up the emptiness in my heart, He will hold my heart in His hands because that is the safest place where it will be.

Then she started praying for me to receive the Holy Spirit because she felt God speaking to her to pray for me, including those she prayed earlier. Jill, who was beside me, also started praying for me. I felt kind of nervous, like what if I cannot receive it? What if my faith is not enough? Then they said to focus on God, and think of God, so after I calmed my nervous heart, I thought of God, of Jesus, of the times that God stood by me, forever faithful. And after a while, I felt like there was something I wanted to speak, not in English, not in words, but I was afraid that I wouldn't know how to continue after the initial burst of that one word. So I was like a baby, wanting to speak but unable to. I confided in them and Jacq said that it's like that, that it's normal, so we started again. This time round, I thanked God for the gift and then I spoke out in faith. And at that moment, I started crying. I mean, I've always known God is real, that God is always with me and with us but at that moment, I could really really feel God's presence and that God is SO real. And then after that, Jill said that actually she also felt it, and when Jacq spoke to me about it then she knew it was time. So yes, thank you Lord!! I am also thankful to Jacq and Jill for their prayers. Somehow, everything was not planned at all but things turned out so well. Really, it's divine. I sat beside Jill by chance and before that we were talking about tongues when we prayed. Never did I expect to be Holy spirit baptized today. God's ways are always higher than mine.

And during prayers, Jill gave me a vision, that I am a seed. A hand picked up a seed and held it close to His heart, then planted it into the ground. That seed grows into a strong plant. Yes, that hand belongs to my Heavenly Father God. The thing that spoke to me most during the conference was self worth. Try as hard as I might, I still cannot help but define my self worth based on what I do, how people view me. And that is such a wrong view. My worth is based on nothing else but my Father's love for me.

Last week

Because I've got so much backlog, I decided to blog photos I took using my iphone throughout the week. I'm not even a food blogger so I shouldn't be blogging with restaurant names as my blog titles. My phone has about 2500 photos. I realized that I take a lot of photos and refuse to delete them from my phone, the reason being because I want to keep them in my phone to look back on.

Last Monday, I visited my hair stylist at Jurong point to cut my hair, went back to bangs again after a year. I got tired of looking tired everyday with messy and unruly hair. With three inches off, my head felt so much lighter. Hair will always grow again so I'll say hi to longer hair a few months later. For now I'm happy with shoulder length hair!

Had dinner with my Mum at this claypot restaurant just across from the salon. Can't remember the name but it's beside Lai Lai kitchen. It's always quite crowded so I guess it's rather popular with the crowd.

Hong kong style porridge with you tiao! I like you tiao, but not when its alone. I only like it in tau suan and porridge. It was served really hot, and I guess two people can share this. Not too salty so it's a good choice.

Claypot chicken rice. Wow this was so flavourful. Alternative wording: Wow this was so so so salty. Hahaha. It was nice because it was so fragrant, mostly because of the sweet dark soya sauce. Also served really hot. I like food served hot, it's important to me, like just freshly cooked and  that it's not cooked long ago and just heated up.

Ordered this 3 egg spinach as well. 3 egg means century egg, salted egg and normal egg. My mum says this is quite a common dish but I've never tried it before. Anyone has had this before? It's like just ordinary soup with the vegetables and eggs. Not something I want to eat often. You know, like I always say, high cholesterol.

And for those who don't know, 1st of August is Nurses day! Our clinic had a mini celebration during lunch time. Though I didn't participate in performing, I enjoyed the videos made by the other departments. It was really hilarious.

It was a day of unhealthy food for my tummy, you'll see why.

Nasi lemak for lunch

Then a macaron made by one of the doctors.

Chewy junior donut from one of the nurses.

Chocolate cake from our boss.

Mini peanut butter cupcake from twelve cupcakes from the nurses.

I am really blessed and taken care of by the nurses who always look out for me, not just because of all these sweet treats but also in other aspects as well. I'm not good at expressing how I feel so I guess they feel that I'm really quiet but I'm thankful that my circumstances is different from my colleagues in the other clinics. I believe God put me there for a reason and I am just thankful, really. Every day I wonder why I am so blessed, then I remember that God loves me unconditionally.

Met Cynthia for dinner after that for an appointment that she had. Dinner at Kim Gary! Tried something that I never tried before, beef with vegetables rice. The beef was tender and flavourful, and reasonably priced for a restaurant located at Ion as well. Planned our bangkok itinerary and got carried away. Our Bangkok trip is just 24 days away, time really flies! Can't wait for it!

Fish crackers that my colleague at Jurong sent to our group chat. I'm always torn between eating crackers like these and fruits. I like fruits any time but I finish my apple so fast. I think I shall buy grapes next time!

Had an awesome service in church last Satuday. It was an evangelical service titled 'Keep calm and look up' and I was touched by so many people who accepted Christ that day. The bible always addresses worrying and stress to me but it was nice to look at it through a fresh perspective. Dinner was at Golden mile complex as (almost) usual. My favourite place for good cheap Thai food.

My Mum whatsapped me this photo while I was on the way home. It's my favourite cinnamon rolls! Because I kept talking about it and my Mum wanted to bake bread, she baked these for me. No photos of it because I was too anxious to eat it the next morning. I'm going to try to make it some time. Some time = no promises about when I will get down to it! Hahaha.

Before I left for service, I mixed the dough for my grandma to make pau, so I had pau and cinnamon roll for breakfast the next morning. I am thankful, blessed and love. I thank God for my mum and grandma(:

And look what finally came in the mail! November is comingggg!(:

Tried on and fell in love with this skirt from Forever New on Sunday when my grand-aunt treated us to lunch at Jpot again at Vivocity. Sadly I cannot become the owner of this very pretty skirt because it comes at a very hefty price tag of $99. It's like even more than the price of three of my good girl flare skirts from the tinsel rack. That is not to say that I wasn't tempted, but my mum dragged me back to reality. I was really really almost on the verge of paying for it. Then I found an alternative online! I guess I'll only receive it next week, considering the long weekend.

And I'm done with the photos from last week! I'll blog about the past weeks soon. So looking forward to 5:30pm tomorrow because that'll mark the start of my long weekend! Exciting plans ahead and I can't wait! Tomorrow is going to be such a busy day but I know I will get through it even if it means over time!!