Quiet Confidence

It’s about our culture, heritage and roots

2012-02-04T19:27:00.002+08:00

新年快乐! Before the 15th day of the Chinese New Year approaches, let me wish you all 心想事成, 事事顺心! If you do not know what those words mean, time to brush up on your Chinese! Hahah!

I read a tweet that said that CNY isn’t about buying new clothes, munching on goodies or even exchanging ang paos! It’s about celebrating our culture, our heritage and our roots! So true! But of course, part of our CNY culture includes those aforementioned customs that we practice year after year! :) And I think, one of the best customs of the CNY is gathering with family and loved ones! Thinking back on the CNY week filled with home visitations at our dearest family and frens’ homes, my heart is filled with so much gratitude for dear ones I have in my life! Although the time spent together may be short, but the sense of belonging and the feeling of family togetherness warms my heart! :)

Having 面线together! As my mother-in-law says, having this traditional dish (which I love so much, my bowl is always wiped clean!) is a wish for us all to 长命百岁!

Yet another bowl at my granny’s! Yum yum yum!!!

Exchanging kum and 新年贺词are also important customs to the Chinese! This year, I decided to make a point to really memorise some auspicious 贺词to greet my elders and they were really happy! If you think about it, saying such 吉祥话is having positive affirmation and confessing the best for others! :)

Steamboat and yu sheng are also must-haves during CNY! Makes all of us come together! 团团圆圆!

It’s a wonder I din put on much weight over the New Year! :)

Other than these usual customs, my family shares some special customs that must be practiced on 初一! Like having my Auntie’s delicious curry chicken and chap chye!

And after years of “leaving out” my Auntie, cousin & family from our 初一late night movie, we got tickets for all of them and it was a blast watching “We Not Naughty” together! This must be a new annual affair!!!

Till my next post, 我祝大家身体健康, 龙马精神! :)

The Office Lady Style

2012-01-26T23:36:00.001+08:00

I love reading blogs, especially style blogs (refer to my previous post here). But most of the style blogs are skewed towards casual style, yet I spend most of my week and waking hours at work. So I have always been hoping to find blogs featuring formal workwear. And thankfully, I stumbled upon some really good ones that I can’t wait to share with all of you.

Extrapetite

Came across this when my fellow petite fren, Liping, liked this blog on her Facebook wall and I decided to check it out. Immediately, my eyes were opened to a whole new genre of style blogs – petite-size! Which suits me just fine since I am only slightly over 5 feet tall! I really like Jean’s style – professional, feminine and classy. I also love how she constantly mixes and matches items in her wardrobe to come out with fresh new looks. One of my fav sites!

Wendy’s Lookbook

Ok, so this blog isn’t really on formal wear, more like smart casual, great for dress-down Fridays. But Wendy is really really stylish and she has really great style videos as well, such as the very popular “25 Ways to Wear a Scarf in 4.5 Minutes!”.

Shentonista

The catchy name definitely got my attention! It features stylish people caught around the Central Business District. (Btw, read my previous post about working in Raffles Place here!) I really love how they zoom into the details of each person’s outfit as well! Yours sincerely will be featured on the site soon, I hope! :)

All pics from respective sites

I’ve been doing it wrong all this while!

2012-01-04T22:09:00.000+08:00

My love affair with BB cream started after I bought a tube in Korea. Read my previous post of BB cream here. I really love using BB cream as it acts as a foundation, but with built-in skin care! However, recently when I was in the search for a new BB cream to try out (after The ODBO one, I bought The Face Shop Face It HD Perfect BB Cream), I realised I had been applying it wrongly all this while! Since it provides coverage, I thought it should be applied on the face by spreading it over your skin. Apparently not! I seriously flipped when I watched the video below! And it really makes a difference when I applied it correctly! Sigh… well, better late than never! Please look and learn!

And also introducing, my latest BB cream haul – the Rachel K CC cream. I chanced upon it when I went to Watson’s and it was after researching on it online that I found the video above! It’s called CC (for Colour Control) cream but it really works the same way as a BB cream. Best of all, it’s mineral-based with lots of additional ingredients like white tea extract, green tea leaf extract, deep sea water, and macadamia nut oil to nourish your skin! It comes in 3 shades – fair, neutral and sun-kissed and I got the neutral one. It’s very light on the skin, yet giving a smooth finish and considerably good coverage. I really love it! It’s retailing for $35 at all Watson’s outlets. =)

Heels that DO NOT Hurt (that much)

2012-01-02T18:22:00.001+08:00

High heels and hurt toes are almost synonymous! And that’s bad news for a petite working gal like me (with a tall hubby)! After constantly abusing my feet with a certain local brand, I decided enough is enough! I had to get better made shoes that were comfortable, yet not compromising on style. And on a fren’s recommendation (thanks Hsu!), I decided to get a pair of Heatwave shoes. Although the styles are very basic and simple, they fit so well and seriously, how flashy do you want your shoes to be? I feel that the classic styles give me more mileage, especially at work. My feet hurt a lot less and they are thanking me every day for that! =)

Heatwave has also recently launched their online store (click here) and delivery is now free for a limited time only! I ordered a pair – easy-peasy one rainy evening and I received it the next afternoon (hand-delivered by Speedpost)! What’s more, they have a daily promo of 15% off a selected shoe style right now! I really hope one of the shoes below will be on promo soon! =) My shoe size is 37 btw if any of you feel led to bless me! Did I also mention that the prices are very reasonable? =)

Images above from Heatwave Shoes

2011 Reflections

2011-12-31T22:26:00.002+08:00

On this last day of the year, I just want to pen down my reflections for the year that has just passed. It was one tough year, the toughest I have experienced all my life. I wondered many times if I would ever make it through. But I am glad to say that I did, growing stronger and wiser, tapping inner strength that I never knew I possessed. Also, for the family members and loved ones who were there supporting Joe and me, praying for us and standing by us, THANK YOU!

I am really thankful for a new start in 2012 yet also grateful for the various highlights of 2011.

Definitely blogged a lot more in 2011, so one of my resolutions got fulfilled!
Promoted to an Ah Yi with the birth of Baby Nate, my darling nephew!
Church moved into Suntec, which is a momentous milestone!
Finally rebonded my hair, after resisting for many many years, a new look to welcome the new year!

What will 2012 hold? As the saying goes, I do not know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future and I know He holds my hand :)

One resolution I have made for the new year is to improve my Chinese and I even bought myself a Chinese book today! I really hope to fulfill this resolution so if you have any tips or ideas, do let me know! And maybe the next time you see me, speak to me in Chinese instead! Haha!

Happy New Year! :)

Family Christmas Party 2011

2011-12-31T12:43:00.002+08:00

Thanks to Charles and Aileen for hosting the annual Family Christmas party! :) Their place was all decked up for the celebration!

Goodie bags for all the kiddos!

Superhero Super Boy made a guest appearance too!

But had to take a nap cos he was so tired saving the world!

Lots of toys and games to occupy the young and the young at heart!

Presents Time!

What a great way to celebrate Christmas! :)

Christmas Lightings 2011

2011-12-30T18:29:00.002+08:00

True to our promise to make this a yearly affair, Joe and me made a trip to Orchard Road once again to capture the Christmas lightings! Felt that this year’s light-up faded in comparison to last year’s, but here goes the pics!

Started at Plaza Singapura and made our way down Orchard Road

Just outside Istana

The same blue and white lighting all along the stretch of Orchard Road

Orchard Central

Loved the Paragon one! Very edgy!

TANGS’ one always has an apt verse from the Bible!

Orchard ION

Till next year’s!

The Angry Bird Brothers

2011-12-26T18:05:00.000+08:00

Calvin and Henry in Angry Birds’ T-shirts playing with Angry Birds’ plushies!

Lighting Up Suntec

2011-12-24T22:54:00.000+08:00

Light shines the brightest in darkness. When all around you is bleak and dark, remember the light shining ever so brightly inside of you.

One of the most highly anticipated services every year is the Candlelight Service and this year is extra special as it is our church’s very first Candlelight Service at Suntec!

I LOVE CHRISTMAS! :)

Christmas Party Time!

2011-12-24T15:27:00.002+08:00

Every year without fail (though we sometimes feel lazy to do so!), we will “resurrect” our trusty Christmas tree and decorate it for the upcoming festivities!

This year’s theme is red and silver – nice? :)

And the best part of having a Christmas tree? Having lots and lots of presents under it! :)

Love it when the whole cellgroup comes together for a fun time of Christmas celebrations! With lots of yummy food to fill the tummies!

Truffle Royale Log Cake from Pat’s Pastry! Delicious!

Time for gift exchange!

Everyone (generally) happy with the gift they got! Hee!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! :)

Live Colorfully: Multi-Color is for November

2011-12-13T22:05:00.003+08:00

The festive season is here and I’m sure many of you must be busy with gift-buying, gift-wrapping and gift-giving! It can be tiring at times but it always feels good to get a good gift that you know the recipient will appreciate! :) Be inspired by the colorful video below and inject a bit of color into your gift-giving this year! And also ending off with my pics for the month!

More Live Colorfully posts can be found here

Rasa Sentosa Staycation

2011-11-28T22:39:00.000+08:00

Had a mini get-away with my Mum, Nis and Baby Nate at Rasa Sentosa. Bringing Baby along means that most of the attention would be on him so lots of the pics you see are of darling Baby Nate!

The hotel has a dedicated play area for kids, and what’s best, a playroom for little toddlers!

Doing what he loves most – putting things in his mouth!

Having fun with colourful plastic balls!

We booked a Seaview Room so the view was awesome!

The moment Baby Nate was placed on the bed, he didn’t want to get up!

He sure knows how to enjoy life!

Doing his fav activity – with his hands! See how happy he is!

After a nice leisurely swim, we went to Vivo for dinner and shop shop! Then we made our way back to Sentosa.

Preppy baby!

Playing with water!

When Baby Nate was sound asleep, we were enjoying the Crane Dance!

Then it was time to call it a night! Till the next!

Always There

2011-11-25T23:01:00.000+08:00

Been a while since I blogged! =) Hope everyone is well!

Recently I bought myself a small little Carebear that now “resides” in my bag. Love it cos it’s such a cutie with its hot pink colour and intertwined hearts on its belly. It’s the “Always There” Carebear and I guess it serves as a reminder to myself.

That when I feel all alone, that I really am not.
That when all is bleak and dark, God is always there to shine a light for me.
That even when I don’t sense it, I have loved ones who think about me, who worry for me, who care for me.

Take care everyone and know that there is indeed One who is always there for you!

I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:20

Live Colorfully: Chocolate is for October

2011-11-07T23:13:00.000+08:00

Warm, rich, melt-in-your mouth, comforting chocolate

More Live Colorfully posts can be found here

Streets of Malacca [Malacca]

2011-11-02T22:50:00.000+08:00

We walked up and down Jonker Street many times and even had time to explore the adjoining streets! It’s fun to explore!

And that marks the end of my Malacca posts! :)

Attractions [Malacca]

2011-10-31T22:41:00.000+08:00

Malacca is relatively a small town so there aren’t many tourist attractions to speak of. Still, there are some iconic buildings that you can immediately identify as attractions of Malacca!

Christ Church

Saw a pretty fountain there!

St Paul’s Church

A Famosa Fort

With lots of time to spare, we also checked out some less famous attractions!

Malacca River

Beautiful yah? Next time I go back to Malacca, shall sit on the River Cruise!

Water Wheel

Maritime Museum

San Su Gong [Malacca]

2011-10-29T17:00:00.000+08:00

San Su Gong is almost a landmark in Malacca and is located just to the right of the main entrance of Jonker Walk.

It’s where you can buy lots of goodies and snacks back home as souvenirs!

There’s a cafe on the first floor and I recommend you try the Ice Cold White Coffee. You can give the Chendol a miss cos it’s expensive and not as nice as Jonker 88’s! Joe will never fail to buy packets of White Coffee back from here!

Lots of stuff to buy!

Durian jam!

Lian’s!

And lots of other good stuff!

Jonker 88 [Malacca]

2011-10-27T22:53:00.000+08:00

Another must-try food in Malacca is Chendol which is shaved rice with sweet gula melaka swirled over it! And what better place to try it than the popular Jonker 88?

We went on Monday morning when the queue wasn’t that crazy! There are stalls selling different food and you have to order, pay and wait for the food to be prepared before you can sit down. It would be good to go in and get some seats first before ordering.

Some pics of the inside of the shophouse! The shophouses in Malacca are narrow in length but long in depth!

We ordered Assam Laksa – which Joe said was very good! I am not into too sour stuff so I ordered Baba Laksa instead.

I loved the Baba Laksa that I ordered! The tofu pieces soaked up the gravy and it was simply delicious just biting into them! There were even thinly sliced cucumber and tuna pieces in the laksa – very unique!

The chendol was not bad but there should be more gula melaka!

Joe ordered mango ice kacang, the mango pieces should be bigger!

All in all, an enjoyable meal and worth a visit for the amazing laksa!

Jonker 88
88 Jalan Hang Jebat (also known as Jonker Street)
Just keep walking down along Jonker Street and you will see it on your right hand side!
You can’t miss it cos there will be a long queue outside!

Thai food in the neighbourhood

2011-10-25T23:19:00.000+08:00

Stumbled upon a cosy Thai restaurant in a neighbouring neighbourhood ;P and gave it a try. We liked it so much we went a second time and planning to visit it more often in time to come!

A really nice place actually for a neighbourhood food outlet!

Tom Yam Seafood soup – full of ingredients, sotong, prawns, fish! Very very nice! We ordered this both times!

Stir-fried Basil Minced Pork, love it, tasty and spicy!

Stuffed Chicken Wing, stuffed with fish cake which was different from the usual Thai stuffed chicken wings.

Thai Style Sweet & Sour Pork, not your typical Chinese style! The pork pieces were not coated with flour and fried, more like stir-fried.

Kai Lan with Shrimp Paste Chilli, spicy!

Pineapple Rice, with raisins to add sweetness to the rice!

Not only was the food good, the prices were very reasonable too! Both times we ordered around 3 dishes and we paid less than $30.

SakonThai Authentic Thai Cuisine
Blk 152 Serangoon North Ave 1
#01-304
Singapore 550152
Tel: 6288 8225

Teo Soon Loong Chan Teochew Restaurant [Malacca]

2011-10-22T21:56:00.004+08:00

I never knew about this popular Teochew restaurant in Malacca till I asked my colleague for food recommendations and she mentioned a certain “Teochew” restaurant that was very crowded. She had long forgotten its name but trusty Tripadvisor soon showed me that this restaurant was probably the #7 on its list – Teo Soon Loong Chan (not Tee!) We followed its advice and made reservations in the morning for dinner. Kiasu us even went to find out its exact location earlier in the day so that we won’t be late for our reservation!

Looks kinda rundown from the outside with its kitchen at the entrance! The staff were preparing food, cooking and even washing dishes in full view!

A very small restaurant with space for only around 6 tables! No wonder reservations are necessary! The friendly boss will take your orders at the left hand side where you get to choose the food items you want.

A simple set-up

I guess the food must be quite renowned as the chef was invited to cook for the late President Ong Teng Cheong when he visited Malacca!

Now on to the food! The specialty – Oyster Noodles! Very unique and not seen in Singapore at all. The oysters were fresh and the noodles full of flavour!

The pork rolls (Ngoh Hiang) were very nice, chockfull with meat!

The sweet potato leaves was very good too cos the veg was so fresh!

And that was all we were allowed to order by the boss!! We have to bring more people with us the next time so that we get to order more dishes!! But it was all good and our tummies were satisfied! :) And not forgetting desserts!

The yam paste (Orh Nee) was really smooth and not jelat at all! The mango was very fresh and sweet as well!

Loved the fruit juice we ordered! Watermelon with lime and it was so refreshing!

RM47 for our meal. Really enjoyed the meal – we will definitely be back!

Check out the website! If you wish to try out only the yam paste dessert and the fruit juice, check out the sister outlet, eha!

Handmade with love

2011-10-20T23:52:00.000+08:00

My dearest hubby surprised me with 3 lovely cupcakes from Twelve Cupcakes (after several hints on my part)!

Love the hot pink packaging!

The three pretty cupcakes – all in a row!

PB Chocolate - Fluffy Peanut Butter on a Moist Chocolate Cupcake

Red Velvet - Vanilla Cream Cheese on a Classic Red Velvet Cupcake

Cookies N Cream - Oreos Crumbles Infused Buttercream on a Moist Chocolate Cupcake

They dun come cheap, at $3 a pop! Though they seem small, they are quite filling! My fav is the Red Velvet! Love the cream cheese topping which has a hint of lemon and the moist cupcake! :) Thanks dear!

Have also been receiving much love from my Mum-in-law whose cooking is just the BEST! You can really sense her love when you tuck into the sumptuous dishes she whips up! :) Mmmmm… Thanks Mum!

Nancy’s Kitchen [Malacca]

2011-10-18T22:22:00.003+08:00

Another die-die-must-try food in Malacca is Peranakan food. From what I heard, there are 3 places with lots of Peranakans and they are Singapore, Malacca and Penang. They are all ports-of-call with lots of trade going on and with Chinese traders staying long periods at those areas, inter-racial marriages were bound to occur!

There are many popular Peranakan restaurants in Malacca and we decided to try out the one rated #13 on Tripadvisor’s list of restaurants in Malacca – Nancy’s Kitchen. It’s not difficult to find, just walk down Jonker Walk on the left hand side till you see Geographer Cafe. Then turn left in, walk a short distance down that street (Jalan Hang Lekir) and you will find Nancy’s Kitchen on your right hand side. But do keep your eyes peeled for it as it’s so nondescript you may just miss it!

The main entrance to the restaurant

Very cosy old-fashioned feel

Now check out the food!

I love the otak! So fresh and tasty!

The pork pongteh was my favourite dish! The pork was so tender with just the right amount of fat. The potatoes were so soft and filled with flavour! The sauce was so delicious I couldn’t stop scooping it over my rice!

The cinchalok omelette was not bad too!

The only disappointing dish was the belachan kang kong.

All four dishes with rice and two drinks cost RM45. Cheap and good!

Our tummies were too full for anything else but I heard the kuehs and changs are nice too. Maybe next time! :)

P.S. Ooh.. I think there's a typo on the namecard.. we were there for dinner around 6:30pm so I would think that their normal business hours are from 11am - 9:30pm!

Chung Hwa Chicken Rice Balls [Malacca]

2011-10-15T12:32:00.002+08:00

When you think of Malacca, you think of chicken rice balls. Apparently, the chicken rice balls were created as they were easier to bring around as lunch for those working by the harbor or at the plantations.

Chung Hwa is located just at the entrance of Jonker Walk and there’s always a long queue so you can’t miss it! We went there immediately after checking in as we heard it usually closes by 3pm when everything is sold out.

Looks like a long queue but thankfully we waited only around 15 minutes for seats.

The coffee shop seems to have been frozen in time!

I like the chicken rice balls cos they were very moist and tasty. The chili was nice too.

The chicken paled in comparison as it was oily and not very tender. The chicken rice balls were definitely the main highlight.

Only RM12 for two plates of chicken rice balls, one cup of barley and half a chicken. Quite worth it, I must say!

Casa del Rio [Malacca]

2011-10-12T22:36:00.002+08:00

Joe and I went for a short getaway at Malacca over the weekend. We have been there before with a group of frens so the place was not new to us. But we made sure to try out food places we missed out the last time!

The hotel we stayed at was Casa del Rio, a newly opened hotel since May this year. It’s pricier than Equatorial Hotel which we stayed at previously but it’s located by the river, just a stroll away from all the major sights and most importantly, Jonker Street where all the good food were! :)

We booked a coach cum hotel package from Luxury Tours and it was really hassle-free! Just board the coach, clear customs and you get sent all the way to your hotel!

Ginger sherbet as a welcome treat during check-in! Refreshing!

Another treat welcomed us in our hotel room! Appreciate little touches like these, they make all the difference!

Now, to show you around our extremely spacious hotel room! There is a separate area for the wardrobe, and then as you peak into the bathroom… you see the bedroom!

Here’s a view of the bedroom from the bathroom!

And to enter the bedroom, you walk some steps down…

Such an inviting bed!

I feel instantly relaxed already, just looking at these pictures!

And at the balcony, you get to chill at your own leisure!

Here’s the view from the balcony!

We still managed to get a view of the river although ours was a Deluxe Lago room :)

And not forgetting one of the highlights of the hotel – the infinity pool! Want to know what lies beyond the edge? You got to see it for yourself! Heh!

The “lago” area on the ground floor (meaning “lake” in Spanish) for more chilling!

The hotel at night!

I highly recommend this hotel for a weekend getaway at Malacca! Love it lots and we plan to come back again, next time with our family members! :)

Live Colorfully: Ruby is for September

2011-10-11T23:18:00.002+08:00

Kinda late but here goes!

Ruby: is it red, purple or pink? Maybe it’s a mix of all three?

More Live Colorfully posts can be found here