simple serendipity: February 2012

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Busy Busy Busy Bee

Last week was a busy week....

Tuesday night VDay dinner organized by C at an Italian restaurant at Fort Canning Hotel called Gattopardo:

A Thursday night Fish & Chips dinner with some colleagues from work; a night we've been planning for weeks and my first taste of English mushy peas (think... baby food):

A Friday lunch with a visiting (hopefully moving!) friend:

A Friday dinner with the old crew of some colleagues; my first time to try steamboat (which I realized is thesame thing as shabushabu and hotpot):

A weekend movie marathon sleepover:

A Saturday lunch at a neighbor's (and colleagues!):

And finally (brace yourself for a gazillion photos to follow)... a Saturday night home-cooked birthday feast and taboo showdown at the home of a friend:

Between the start of 2012 and today, I've had one free weekend. To those who know me, you would know that a weekend ain't a weekend for me if I don't get a full day of just rolling about at home. Being a homebody and a closeted introvert, I really have no idea how I've managed to lock up the first 1.5 quarters of 2012. I don't recall myself being this busy in Manila, and I definitely had a bigger group of friends (plus my family) back home.

Don't get me wrong - all of the things that have preoccupied my weekday evenings and weekends are all things I want to do. I'm thinking the easy of mobility in SG has something to do with it? I'm also thinking that someone needs to finally enforce a 3 day weekend yes?

Monday, February 20, 2012

Mom & Tima Visit!

After almost a year abroad, finally had my first FAMILY visitors!

Mom and Tima arrived about 3 weeks back; Tima stayed for a week and Mom stayed for two weeks.

Quite excited about having them over. As much as I'm sure Mom wanted to see what my life was like here Singapore, I was very much excited to show her.

Mom's been to Singapore dozens and dozens of times but I think was the first time she REALLY got to experience the REAL Singapore, Singapore beyond Orchard Road. Very proud that her and Tima patiently made their way, on their own, through the itinerary I prepared for them - hopping on and off MRTs and walking the streets.

Having just had the opportunity to travel with my sisters, I'm also really glad that Mom got the opportunity (again!) to travel with her only sister.

Being an advocate of vacations (who isn't), especially those vacations where you actually get to rest instead of ending up needing a vacation from your vacation.. I'm ultimately glad that Mom and Tima got a break, and got a chance to relax without having to think (too much) about the responsibilities of their everyday life.

Looking forward to their next visit already!

This is before I banished Mom downstairs to smoke!

First night: hawker food!

Having Teh Tarik in Kampong Glam

Black pepper AND chili crab! yum

With my 2 moms. Thanks for taking the picture J!

Brunch with N & K - 2 besties mom watched grow up with me

Exploring Botanic Gardens - first time for me (I think) & 2nd time for mom, whose
last time here was during her & pops' honeymoon 31 year ago!

Mom and I both love flowers

Botanic Gardens! Mom posing with her bag for her shopping bags, coz "you never know"
right? Needless to say, she managed to buy something EVERYTIME

Happy to be eating Rojak again for the first time in years!

An unexpected buy - something Mom has wanted for YEARS! Her own personal shredder

Japanese with Crissy

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Beautiful Bohol

This trip to Bohol was originally booked for July last year. But with my move and engagements that came up for my sisters, we had to forgo our tickets.

It would've been real easy to forever forgo the trip. Everyone gets busy, other financial commitments take priority.. list of excuses would have naturally popped up. Thankfully, this wasn't the case for my sisters and I, and we rebooked the trip for sooner rather than later.

It was the first time we three traveled without our parents - though come to think of it, I don't even remember the last time us 5 traveled together! Anywho - while I thought my sisters and I would end up strangling each other in between moments of great fun, I was surprised to find that traveling together felt like the most natural thing in the world to do.

I was quite excited to see Bohol as I've heard nothing but lovely things about this Philippine must see destination. Thankfully it wasn't as crazy or as commercial as the likes of Boracay, and hopefully it stays that way. The place certainly has it's own quaint charm and does a great job of balancing accessiblity for foreigners without completely loosing it's realness.

Would love to make a yearly tradition of traveling with my sisters (and no girls, visiting me in SG does not count as a travel trip together!). Definitely looking forward to the next one!

Pics below come from myself as well as my sisters

2011 In Review: Quarter 3 & 4

Yups - quarters 3 & 4 compressed in one entry. Not a sign of a boring 2nd half of the year as on the contrary, it was a great 6 months! Rather... tinatamad na ako!

So a quick visual wrap up of the rest of 2011 which brought on more life experiences through work, travel, everyday life, family and friends.