Somebody stop me!!... Or maybe not.

Been eating mindlessly for the past 2 weeks. I just inhaled 2 pieces of cheesecake in like 5 seconds. And this is after having chocolates and cookies together with my lunch 2 hours ago. And dinner last night... I don't even want to go there. Christmas is still 3 weeks away and then there is Chinese New Year. If I continue to eat like this, who knows what will become of me by Valentine's Day. I may get invited to take part in the 'Biggest Loser'.

There are only 2 possibilities to my bingeing - either I'm happy or I'm not. I guess I'm not. My hubby has been doing his disappearing acts more frequency these few weeks and there is the prospect of having a new domestic maid before Christmas. Plus, work has not exactly been a breeze. But I gotta stop this senseless carnage. Get a grip on yourself, girl, and snap out of it!

If you've never failed, you've never lived.

Famous Failures

Don't be afraid of failures. Don't go through life with trepidation. And don't let anyone tell you that you are not good enough.

Arriving at destination...

Recently, my hubby decided to outsource his job of directing me to places to a Garmin GPS for a low low price of $169. I guess it's worth its salt if it means lesser arguments about unclear instructions and exploring more places in his absence.

We tried it out the first few days and the princes were tickled by the GPS going 'recalculating' or 'u-turn when possible' whenever we took a different route from what the GPS recommended. We joked that the GPS some times kept very quiet because she was having her tantrums or PMS and that maybe we should change it to a male voice which may be less talkative.

I have mixed feelings about the GPS. When my hubby is overseas, I feel more secure going to places with it but some times, the direction it gives is different from what seems to be the correct route and it can be frustrating because I can't scold this damn thing or ask it questions. In such situations, I have to re-activate it to re-direct. According to a friend, Singapore is very small, so it's impossible to get lost. I disagree. Anyway, what I love about this machine is that I can save some favourite locations and there is an icon that that says 'Go home'. I feel safe knowing that even if I got lost, I will somehow find my way home. I hope.

A piece of our past

It's strange how we form emotional attachment to inanimate objects. Our coffee table had been with us since we got married and moved into our first house. It was a simple square table made of low quality wood. Yet it weathered our daily abuse over the past 14 years and still stood strong on the day it was abandoned.

The day before the new coffee table was due to arrive, I told my hubby that maybe we should keep our old coffee table after all. Ok, stupid suggestion. Then, I suggested that maybe we saw off a leg of the table and keep it as a momento. Stupider. So, we just took a picture of the old fellow, in its usual form, with remote controls, toys, cups and anything our 2 princes put on it.

The day the new coffee table arrived, I received it without any emotion. Unlike the old coffee table, this one is more elegant and is made of good quality Indonesian wood but lacks character and a certain charm that the old table had.

I guess human beings are nostalgic suckers. We associate anything, from an old coffee table to Michael Jackson with our youth and time lost. We grieve for MJ not because we love him. Come on, we don't even know him. We mourn the lost youth and freedom that we had during the times we listened to his music and watched his rebellious crotch-grabbing dance moves. In the same way, the coffee table held many many memories of our early married and parenthood years. It witnessed our fights and hugs, held our TV dinners, heard our stories and grew with us as a couple and young family. It has stopped becoming a furniture but a part of our lives.

I tapped into the logical part of my brain and told it to let go of the old fellow. Maybe it will serve a purpose for its next owner. For now, I have to get used to the new coffee table - the smell, the shape, the texture and move on. Like the slogan in the movie 'Meet the Robinsons', 'Just Keep Moving Forward', we cannot be stuck in the past. And we shouldn't. So I guess the new coffee table has to earn its keep and hopefully last long enough to bond with us and become part of our children's memories too. When they have their own homes and coffee tables, I hope they will remember the happy times they had in our home and around our coffee table.

The perfect apology

From the movie 'Fireproof''.

It takes humility and commitment to apologise whole-heartedly to someone, especially someone you love. Feeling contrite can come naturally but expressing it is one of the toughest thing to do. Some people even choose to end a relationship than say sorry! A sincere apology and asking for forgiveness will melt away hatred and hard feelings and improve relationships. Why don't we do it more often?

Human beings are strange creatures. We value our pride and ego much more than we should. Is keeping our pride and ego intact really worth the sacrifice of a relationship? I believe a lot of people lost relationships this way. Why can't we eat the humble pie once in a while when it really matters? Jesus Christ is the embodiment of love, humility and forgiveness. For God so loved the world that He sacrificed His only begotten son to die for us so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16) and God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we are still sinners, Christ died for us (Roman 5:8). Why would someone go through torture and humilation and die for us when we have proven to be unworthy? Even as Christ took his last breathe on the cross, He said, 'Father, forgive them.' Love conquers all pride and hatred, only if we allow it.

The Love Dare

Caleb's father challenges his son to commit to a 40-day experiment he calls 'The Love Dare.' Wondering if it's even worth the effort, Caleb agrees, but more for his father's sake more than for his marriage. When Caleb discovers the books daily challenges are tied into his parents' newfound faith, his already limited interest is further dampened. While trying to stay true to his promise, Caleb becomes frustrated time and again. He finally asks his father,'How am I supposed to show love to somebody who constantly rejects me?' When his father explains that this is the love God shows to us, Caleb makes a life-changing commitment to love God. And--with God's help--he begins to understand what it means to truly love his wife. But is it too late to fireproof his marriage? His job is to rescue others. Now Caleb Holt is ready to face his toughest job ever--rescuing his wife's heart.

Watch this movie! It will help many people in their relationships! This is by the same people who brought us 'Facing the Giants'. Very touching and meaningful. Never leave your partner behind.

Date: 11th Sept 2009 (Fri)
Time: 7.45pm
Venue: BBTC Hall 1 (Level 1) Bethesda Bedok Tampines Church,
300 Bedok North Ave 3, Singapore 469717
Admission: By complimentary tickets (550 only).
Ticket Reservation: Email events@bbtc.com.sg

Got 'hung!'

Can't believe I'm saying this but wholemeal bread tastes good. Especially when eaten with egg and tuna mayo (just half a teaspoon) and some cut up lettuce. I watched as older prince bit into the healthful egg mayo wholemeal sandwich I made for him. No violent protests. No dagger stares. Score!

This is significant as older prince is one of those who rolls his eyes at me when I grab a multi-grain loaf or bought some purportly health food. He doesn't care for this healthy eating crap. He just wants real food that makes his taste buds happy. Ditto for the rest of the family.

But the 'brain' of the family recently got 'hung' (scared in hokkien) by a medical report on the sorry state of her health - high blood pressure, high sugar level and low iron and low healthy red blood cells, and a weight that is not exactly Kate Moss category (actually more like Jennifer Hudson category). So begins the quest for healthy living. Goodbye to my beloved oreo cheese cake and sticky chewy chocolate ice-cream and hello spinach and wholemeal.

As I journey through this squeaky clean, semi-sweet land, my beloved friends and dear ones, please bear with my grumpiness and my inevitable hatred for you as you munch on your chocolate donut. I'm, afterall, just human. A miserable sugar-deprived human...

A celebration of unions

A friend and ex-colleague got married to her long-time boyfriend on 1 August. It was a simple wedding with gathering of family and friends and 2 of our mutuals friends' kids were the page boy and flower girl. I was the guardian for the flower girl. I was a little worried to be given such a delicate task. But all turned out alright. The ceremony began at Lady of Our Perpetual Succour Church followed by a reception at the SAF Yacht Club.

It was good to meet up with friends, old and current, to celebrate the new couple and to catch up on one another's lives. We discovered that no one had changed much over the years or perhaps when we got together, we just behaved like we used to in the past. We laughed and shared stories with one another freely. Somehow, the colleagues in FED during the early years are the best I have. Many of us feel the same way. It was a new department then and we sort of journeyed through the ups and downs together. Even though the six of us (Hui San, Karen, Sharol, Meng Yee and Pei Shang) only see one another monthly, the connection is still good. I wish we could all work in the same place again one day.

The bride, Meng Yee, in her beautiful gown, walking down the aisle with her father and the page boy, Lucas and flower girl, Anne, aka, son of Hui San and daughter of Karen.

The new couple after the ceremony.

Anne and her sister, Andrea. Aren't they such angels? Aw...

All FED staff, at some point in time. Front row from left: Hui San, Eunice, Karen & Guek Ee. Back row from left: Sharol, Richard, Pei Shang & Mindy.

Me & flower girl.

Hui San and baby Lyra.

At the SAF Yacht Club. SAF Yacht Club is a beautiful place for romance - deserted location and near the sea. I think I will go back there with my hubby for dinner some day.

At end of reception. Meng Yee's purple and fuchsia gown was gorgeous.

Three of Karen's 4 lovely kids and she wants to produce more!!.But then who can blame her for falling in love with such lovely creatures.

Control freak? Who? Me?

I've been accused of being many kinds of freaks - clean freak is the most common one. Recently, I have been accused of being a control freak. What the ?! How am I a control freak huh? Just because I plan my travel itinery months ahead and have a packing list that wows many and prefers to know every single damn thing in advance doesn't make me a control freak!! Or that I like my laundry hang a certain way and my children to be in bed by 9.30pm. These are normal expectations right? I'm in no way freakish. Insecure maybe. And paranoid. But a control freak I am not.

So those people who think I am a control freak, stop it right now!

Diamonds in the rough

Last evening, when I was sweating it out on the treadmill at the gym and not entirely feeling on top of the world, something beautiful happened that warmed my heart. My older prince entered the gym and gestured to an umbrella that he placed at the door, knowing that I wouldn't talk to him because I was plugged to the MP3. Then he left. I saw him walking home in the dark rainy night with his own tiny green umbrella. He had given me the bigger umbrella. At that moment, I felt so much love for him.

When I reached home, I told him how much I appreciated his gesture. The prince, of course, just brushed it off with his usual laid-back manner. My hubby confirmed that he did not ask the older prince to bring me the umbrella. I could have guessed as much. It just wasn't my hubby's style. I shared with him my pride in older prince and related another incident where little prince told me, "You're a good mom." while we snuggled up before bedtime one day. Four little simple words but what impact it made on me. Hubby listened in silence but I could sense just a little tinge of jealousy on his face.

We always complained about how naughty and lazy our children are but hardly 'catch' them doing the right thing. Our children's thoughtful efforts can easily be overlooked, like blindspots, if we don't take time to notice them. Once we allow ourselves to enter into the world of these little people, we will be pleasantly surprised to see diamonds in the rough. I was dazzled by one last evening.

Let the mane thing be the main thing

I have a full head of long thick hair. Many people have told me that they envied me for having so much hair and never having to worry about going bald. I always tell them that being hairy has its woes, like how incredibly hot it is to walk under the Singapore sun. It's like wearing a sweater on my head in summer. Unlike girls with tamed, nicely-coifed do, I always found it a challenge to style my wavy thick blob of mess. So I end up tying it half-way. This has been my hairdo for years. It's safe and fuss-free. In fact, I've taken such a nonchalant attitude to my hair that I simply couldn't be bothered to blow dry or comb it. In short, I took my hair for granted.

Last Friday, after coming home from a night out with my girlfriends, I washed my hair (although I neglect my hair, I'm still a clean freak!) and went to bed. The next morning, I woke up with a pounding headache. I call it the 'mother of all headaches' as it refused to leave me alone for the entire weekend. At first I thought my lack of sleep could be the cause of it but upon some reflection, I realised that I have been sleeping with wet hair quite frequently. Maybe it wasn't an old wives tale afterall. Maybe we really shouldn't sleep with wet hair. Anyhow, I've decided that in order to prevent myself from future pains in the head, henceforth, I shall take good care of my hair. Making sure it's dry before I go to bed would be the first step. But don't expect me to comb or dye or do anything glamorous with my hair (except for glamorous occasions which, thankfully, hardly ever happens). I intend to keep my hair the way God has intended it to be - beautifully untamed.

To be 17 again...

Caught the zac efron show last night with my 11 year old prince. Why did I spend good money on a lame teen flick? Well, the appropriate answer would be that I was being a good parent acceding to a son's request. But actually a part of me wanted to watch that show. Plus, it doesn't hurt that zac efron is super cute.

I wanted to see if the movie could address my curiosity on the 'second life'. Don't all of us at some point in our lives wished that we could start over again; be given a second chance to lead a different life? If only I had studied harder and got a masters or phd and be a psychologist like I always wanted to. If only I had parents and siblings who gave good advice and guided me through life instead of letting me fall again and again. And would I lead a more exciting life if I had not married or had children? I wish I had cooler friends, a cooler job and a cooler me.

The protagonist in the movie, Mike, led his life full of regrets and bitterness because he felt that life had shortchanged him through missed opportunities. Through some warped encounter, he became 17 again and realised that because of his self-absorption, he failed to see his son's struggle with self-esteem, his daughter's desperate need for love and acceptance and his wife's unhappiness with an emotionally absent husband. As with all family movie with a moral message, Mike had an epiphany - he didn't want another chance to live his life over. He needed a second chance to restore his passion for and dedication to his marriage and family. It's a lesson on wanting what you have, not having what you want. If only all of us could reach such enlightenment.

Another thing that struck me about the story is that Mike's desires and fears are so similar to our own. His fear is the fear of most middle-aged adults - mediocrity. Most of us want to experience greatness in our lives. We are afraid of being invisible, forgotten, insignificant. Sometimes, I do wonder: could I have been successful if I had chosen a different path? I guess I could but would I be happy? It's hard to tell. Not many people can handle greatness. Look at Britney Spears and George Michael. They are icons but they are such a mess.

The movie is not a hit but it does make me think deeper about life, so I supposed the $16 is money well-spent afterall. I tried to analyse the movie with older prince as I always like to do but I guess to a pre-teen, life ain't worth analysing. Wait till he's 37. He will understand some day that youth does not last forever and that life ain't simple.

An old friend visits...

Mel is an old friend from way back in the uni days. When I first met her, I thought she looked like a very pretty Malay girl. We met through a mutual friend, Huixian. She was studying for her secretary course then. We clicked right away and that was the beginning of a string of saturday night partying, which also led to her meeting her husband.

Melinda has always been a fun-loving girl and our laughter has what you might call a 'stereo surround sound effect'. We had our first boyfriends together. Our boyfriends also knew each other. My relationship didn't last but hers did. She and her husband moved to Canada about 9 years ago, much to my dismay. She was back only once about 6 or 7 years ago, so in March when she came back for a month with her son, whom I have never met, I was estatic.

Together with Huixian and their sons, we went to the zoo, buffets, shopping, stayed overnight at rasa sentosa and had long chats. Mel has changed quite a bit and so have I. I think motherhood has made us more mellow and mature, yet we still find common things to talk and laugh about. Although we have not seen each other for years, the bond is still strong. Friends whom we grow up with will always have a special place in our hearts no matter how many new friends we make along the way or how long we have been apart. I look forward to more good times when you visit next year, Mel.

The farewell dinner at Tunglok Nobel House.

Mel still maintains her youthful figure and looks. Must be the Canada weather.

She loves this blue dress I bought for her.

Building sandcastles on the sentoa beach.

The little boys of Huixian and Melinda. Fate has it that all 3 of us have boys to torture us.

Torturing captured on camera.

Mel at the Toa Payoh foodcourt. She had cravings for beef noodles and bak chor mee and any Singaporean and Malaysian food.

Why God made little boys

I had always thought that I would be one of those stratford moms - calm and always so sophisticated, never yelling at my children, who, by the way, would always be clean and well-behaved. I also imagined that I would have dainty daughters to go high-tea and shopping with and share all the girly secrets with. When my princes were babies, they were oh-so-cute and sweet.

In recent years, they suddenly grew out of their baby-cuteness and became... gasp! Boys! To the uninitiated, esteemed mom of boys need to be tough. Not just tough in a physical sense, but tough as in I-don't-buy-your-s**t tough. And you must learn to take in all kinds of nonsense (such as gruesome jokes of s**t, violent display of 'boy play', dramatic phoney bambi-eye moments) without batting an eyelid. It's crucial for survival in this testosterone-jungle.

I was recently hit with a giddy aura of smelly shirts and loud noises at my older prince's birthday. At 11, he only wanted to invite boys to his birthday party as 'girls were silly and annoying'. In the short span of 3 hours, I witnessed shouting, laughter, quarelling, wrestling, teasing, vomitting, messy food area and dirty faces and feet. At some point during the party, I told my friend that if this had been a girl's party, it would have been a lot neater, quieter and saner. She looked at me sympathetically and agreed whole-hearted as she also has a boy.

But then during the party, I also saw my older prince standing up for my friend's 6-year boy who was trying hard to snatch the basketball from the bigger boys. I saw him passing the ball to the little fellow and hoisting him close to the net to score a point. His little friend was grinning happily when everyone cheered for him. My heart exploded with pride. I never thought much about how lovable boys can be.

I began to count all the ways that having boys is good for mothers and felt blessed and lucky to be the mother of my princes.

There is a poem entitled 'Why God Made Little Boys' which really describes how boys should be appreciated - as they are - funny and courageous.

God made a world out of His dreams,
Of magic mountains, oceans and streams;
Prairies and plains and wooded land.
He then paused and thought,
"I need someone to stand on top of the mountains,
To conquer the sea,
Explore the plains and climb the trees,
Someone to start out small and grow sturdy,
And strong like a tree"
And so... He created boys,
Full of spirit and fun to explore and conquer,
To romp and run
With dirty faces, banged up chins,
With courageous hearts and boyish grins.
When He had completed the task He'd begun,
He surely said, "That's a job well done."

God's wonderful creation - boys. Older prince with his 'ya ya' brotherhood.

Little prince with his little friends

Older prince wrote this in his school student handbook... Hope the teacher is not a detailed reader.

Being 'zen'

Recently, in my office, there is this joke about being 'zen' when the going gets tough. I had read a work-related email that was suppossed to be worrying and stressful but for some (sick) reasons, it tickled me so much I couldn't stop laughing. My colleagues thought I had gone bonkers.

In the past, when things got stressful, I would have been irritated and blown my top. Now, I am not so bothered any more. At first, I thought that must be a good thing but then on second thoughts, I might be repressing the negative emotions within me cos I still had problems sleeping at night. I guess for that particular incident, I had looked at the the picture from the outside, like a third party and somehow found it ridiculous yet funny.

Anyway, there is really no point getting stressed over things that are beyond my control. There is a theory that we all have our small sphere of influence. Beyond that sphere, we have no control and if we try, we get frustrated and unduly stressed.

'Zening' is not necessarily a bad thing. It's different from being apathetic though. 'Zening' by my definition, simply means ' don't sweat the stuff you can't control'. So, I'm going to try to 'zen'. ohm...

Rogue hawker

Last weekend, my family went to simpang bedok for breakfast. My hubby and younger prince ate the roti prata while I had some dim sum. My elder prince was craving for fishball noodles, so we ordered a bowl for him from the supposedly famous store in one of the coffee shops.

After about 20 min, we had all finished our breakfast and the fishball noodles was still nowhere to be seen. After the elder prince went to remind the hawker about his order, we waited another 10 min. Then I went to the hawker and asked if my order was ready as the whole family had finished our breakfast. The woman assistant raised her voice at me, 'how can you talk like that? What is your table no.? You got to wait. Everyone is waiting." Then I asked how long it would take, to which she replied, "5 bowls." I repeated my question. She repeated her answer and then added, "about 10 min la."

When the noodles finally arrived, I took out a $2 note and started to count some spare change slowly and left them on the table. She was so agitated that she snatched the money from the table and stalked off. And she was telling me that I gotta wait for my food, which took about 30 min to come. I took all of 10 sec to give her the money.

Bottomline is: If you want to eat good food served by rude hawkers, be prepared to wait and be insulted. For me? No thanks. I'd rather have instant noodles.

The value of breathing properly

I read some where that 9 out of 10 people breathe improperly. All babies and animals breathe in the right way but somehow as we grow older, we lose that instinct. Most people tend to breathe in a shallow manner, inhaling air up to the chest instead of all the way to their lungs. I am one big culprit. I'm a bad owner of my lungs and of my body, for that matter. When I'm focused on doing something, especially when I'm rushing for something, I forget to breathe. This is very damaging to my sleep and my health because all the breathes I forget to take during the day catch up with me at night, leaving me breathless and tensed when I hit the bed.

This is how I know I am not breathing properly:

Lie down on a flat surface and place the palms of hands on abdomen, just below ribs.

Breathe normally.

If the hand on the abdomen rises while chest is flat, that means you are breathing properly. If it’s the chest that rises while the abdomen barely moves at all, that means you are breathing improperly.

Even if we are not breathing properly, we can still correct it with daily exercises.

Here’s what I TRY to do on a daily basis:

Lie down flat your back with my knees bent so that your feet are flat on the floor. This can be done while sitting or standing up straight, too.

Place hands on abdomen, just below ribs, palms flat against stomach.

Breathe slowly and gradually through the nose, counting up to five. Imagine you are inflating a balloon in your stomach while you are inhaling. Your hands should rise with the abdomen as you breathe in. Make sure that your shoulders do not rise up while you are inhaling.

Hold your breath for a few seconds, but don’t prolong it.

Exhale as slowly and gradually as you have inhaled, counting to five. Imagine the inflated balloon in the stomach slowly deflating while you are exhaling. Your hands should also go down as your abdomen deflates.

We should practice proper breathing for around five minutes at a time, two or three times a day. We can do it the first thing in the morning, while taking a break from work, and before we go to sleep.

Having a proper breathing method may seem like a small thing, but it takes effort to remember and practice. I did a pretty good job when I was in Switzerland and at home but now that I'm at work, it's extremely challenging. But I will continue to try. I want to live life fully and for that to happen I must unlearn the bad habits and re-learn how to take life one full breathe at a time.

http://monsterguide.net/how-to-breathe-properly

New Year Resolutions

The initial New Year Days have come and gone and I have not come up with any new year resolutions this year. People have been telling me that making new year resolutions are a waste of time and effort because 1) you won't remember them, and 2) you won't keep them. That is mostly true. Every year, I have resolved to lose weight. Look at me. I probably lose like 2 kg in total in the last 10 years. So ya, new year resolution may not be worthy of my efforts but it will give me some focus and purpose for the year ahead. Without a road map at hand, we end up walking in all sorts of directions.

I have searched the web for some popular new year resolutions for inspiration. Here are some:

- Wear sunscreen - Protects the skin from frying and developing wrinkles.

- Pick up a sport/start an exercise regime - As we age, our metabolism will drop and our muscles will deteriorate, so without exercise, we are asking for trouble.

- Maintain a healthy weight - Enough said.

- Live to a budget - Do we really need that crystal hair clip or another pair of black shoes? I discover that usually if you wait a week, you don't really want the thing anymore. But if you still want it, get it!

- Make a date with my sweetheart regularly - My hubby started this ritual 10 years ago when my elder prince was born. Every Friday, he would bring me out without the princes. We may not be doing anything exciting all the time, but it gives us some space for couple time. It takes effort to maintain this ritual though.

- Choose a role model & then think, “What Would ____ Do?” - Make sure you choose the right one though.

- Every day, pay someone a compliment or do something that makes someone happy - This one is not easy to do in Singapore. But there is always someone doing something worth applauding - whether it’s the bus driver who is polite & smiley, or your kid trying to cheer you up. Tell them how much you appreciate it.

- Read - I'm not an NLB ambassador but I believe that reading feeds the soul. There is a Chinese saying that goes something like, "one day of not reading makes your appearance hateful." I guess it's saying that if you do not cultivate your inner being , your attitudes and behaviour just shows.

- Pray/ Self-reflect - It makes no sense to go through a wonderful life journey without assessing how you are faring and how you can make it better. For me, praying and self-reflecting are important things that I need to do. But having said that, too much inner-searching can be harmful when we become self-critical. So...

- Cut myself some slack - We all make boos boos and sometimes huge ones but we should get up, dust ourselves off, repair/ contain the damage and let's just move on.

Hong Kong 29 - 31 December 08

First Day - 29 Dec

I figured this would be my last chance to travel in 2008, so despite the protests and emotional blackmail from the princes about being away on New Year Eve, I flew happily to Hong Kong on 29 Dec.

We arrived at the 'fragrant harbour' around 3pm, took the airport MTR to Tsing Yi before hopping on a cab to Tsuen Wan. The hotel that we stayed in was called Dorset Far East and very near to the Tsuen Wan MTR. When we entered the room, I got the shock of my life. It's like the tiniest room I'd ever set foot on. I could almost touch both the bed and the room door with both my feet spread out. As for the bathroom, all I can say is that I kissed the walls several times whenever I took a shower. For a room rate of US$97, it is definitely over-priced.

On the MTR to Tsing Yi.

The tiniest hotel room.

And the tiniest bathroom.

After putting down our luggage, we headed out to look for some wanton mee, like everyone said we should. The concierge directed us to one nearby. Our first meal in Hong Kong turned out to be a disappoinment. The wanton mee was soup-based and the noodles were tough. Luckily, being one who likes variety, I also ordered a pork chop bun, which turned out to be yummy. The tea was also good.

Our first wanton mee in Hong Kong.

Then we explored the nearby shopping malls like City Landmark Shopping Centre I and II which have clothes that were relatively reasonable. I bought a pink shimmering cardigan that came with a tank top for HK$120 (about S$24) in one of the shops. We took pictures of some prime residential area in Tsuen Wan and were accosted and questioned by the security guard there. We pretended we did not understand a word he said and moved on.

The residential flats looked very tiny and hardly had any space to hang laundry. The windows were also very small. A little too claustrophobic for me...

After a quick shower, we were driven to an outskirt area (I think it's called sam jing) by some friends in Hong Kong to a famous roast goose restaurant for dinner. My first roast goose meal, which I have anticipated for so long. If nothing else, roast goose would be my main purpose for this Hong Kong trip. And man, it was so worth it! The fats and crispy skin that hit the mouth just made me go limp. The other dish worth mentioning is the ku lu yoke (sweet sour pork). Damn good. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

The restaurant name (and mascot?).

Ooh... the fat yummy goose. Come to mama...

The spread included fried calamari, scallop and brocolli, ku lu yoke and some herbal soup with noodles.

Second Day - 30 Dec

The second day, I was on my own. I went to Tung Chung Citigate Outlet to take a look although some people told me it was not worth the long trip. I went anyway just because I thought I had a lot of time. There were a lot of designer and luxury shops having sale. I bought a black Esprit dress, which I really love and a hair clip from Evita Peroni, which is also something I have been looking for. So I am a happy woman.

Then I took the MTR to Prince Edward to meet the famous bo lo bao and egg tart. Man, the restauarant that sells the stuff is like a trading market, with people shouting their take-away orders and the staff shouting back, sometimes in not so friendly manner. Being a polite Singaporean, I stood and waited for my turn, which never came. So I told the staff I wanted an egg tart, repeatedly, cos I was ignored and my voice was drowned by the hollering around me. Finally I got my precious egg tart and munched along as I trailed Fa Yuen Market Street.

Most of the stuff in Fa Yuen looked pretty unimpressive to me until I chanced upon a shop called 'Mirror' that sold only black clothes. When I saw the clothes and the prices, I was excited. Finally something decent that were priced reasonably. Each piece of clothing was about HK$49-HK59 (about S$10-12). I bought 2 tops from there. The staff were super efficient. They came to me and recorded the item numers of the clothing I wanted on a slip of paper while informing her colleague on a walkie-talkie to get the clothes from the storeroom. I just needed to take the piece of paper, go to the cashier, collect my items and pay for them. Hong Kong people thrive on pressure, I figured somehow. They seem to be very fast and very impatient. And they don't stop for you when you ask for help. Makes me appreciate Singapore and Singaporeans more.

This is the famous restaurant that sells bo lo bao and egg tart.

Fa Yuen Market.

I drank a lot of this stuff - mango jelly drink. When the gooby mix of jelly and mango cubes glides down your throat, it felt disturbingly good. I wished this would make its way to Singapore soon. Costs about HK$22 (about S$4). Not cheap for a dessert drink but will buy again if given the chance :)

The tops I bought from 'Mirror' in Fa Yuen. Costs HK$49 (S$9) each.

The clothes I bought from a shop near Tsuen Wan MTR. Each costs about HK$59 (S$11).

The pink cardigan I bought from City Landmark (set costs HK$120 or S$24).

My beloved Esprit dress that costs HK$299 (S$55).

The street in front of our hotel.

In the evening, we decided to venture out to Tsim Sha Zui to have our dinner. We went to Chee Kei in Langham Place to have some crab porridge, beef stew and braised chicken wings. This meal was rather cheap - HK$130 (about S$25).

Beef brisket and tendons - so tender and flavourful.

The crab porridge didn't have a chance to meet the camera before its demise.

I introduced my hubby to the disturbingly good mango jelly drink. He liked it too. Hoi Lau Shan seemed to be everywhere, so we could get a fix anytime we wanted. Then, deciding that we still needed more food, we took a MTR to Mong Kok. We sampled some very good and cheap shui jing bao (chrystal bao) in some dingy shop and a skewer of curry fishballs (too much flour) along the roadside.

Then we trailed the delicious smell of claypot rice to a stall where a man was cooking like 20 claypots outside a small restaurant along the road. We ordered a chicken claypot rice (bo zai fun) with sausage and duck egg. We had to wait for like 30 minutes as the rice was cooked from scratch. We saw him taking raw rice from a bucket and raw meat from a container -everything from scratch, so it was a long wait but it was so worth it. My hubby and I practically scrapped out every morsel of rice in the pot.

The trick to fragrant delicious bo zai fun is to pour the soya sauce into the pot, cover it and let it simmer for 5 minutes before eating.

Doesn't look impressive until you taste it. The claypot rice is light colour, unlike the ones sold in Singapore.

We also sampled some potato skins from Ireland's Potato, a franchise found everywhere in Hong Kong. I still prefer the ones in Tony Romas.

A Christmas castle in Langham Place.

Christmas deco in Langham Place, which has a H & M.

Last Day - 30 Dec

I decided to check out Causeway Bay in the morning but found nothing interesting. Seemed to be a place for the rich people. When I travel, I like to go where the locals go, shop where the locals shop and eat where the locals eat. To me, that's the best way to truly experience a place. So, I headed back to hotel to meet hubby and we went to Mong Kok to search for lunch. We chanced upon this coffee shop that had some roast goose dangling temptingly, so we decided to satisfy our roast goose fix one more time. We ordered a goose thigh, a plate of fried rice and fried hot fun. Mmm... did I mention how much I like roast goose?

This plate of fried rice is 'power', with lots of shrimps, ham, sausage and egg.

This roast goose is not as good as the one in Yu Kei but still good.

After lunch, we took the MTR to Prince Edward again to see if we could try our luck at the chaotic place that sells the famous bo lo bao since I only tried the egg tart the last time. Before that, we walked around a bit and saw a huge crowd in front of a traditional biscuit stall that sells gai zai beng and kok zai. We bought some and tried on the spot. I'm not a gai zai beng and kok zai person, but these ones were good.

When we reached the restaurant with the famous bo lo bao, it was unsurprisingly crowded. The staff asked us to go in and wait. It was a restaurant but felt more like a foodcourt or a hawker centre. We had to share a table with another couple. This is very common in Hong Kong. There is no such thing as personal space. We ordered 2 bo lo yau (a buttered version), an egg tart and tea and observed the scene in the restaurant. It was chaotic. The staff were shouting orders and people were standing around waiting for seats and trays of bo lo bao were constantly being brought out. Not exactly a place to have tea, relax and catch up on a book.

The bo lo yau and egg tart were very good, so I guess the chaos was worth it but I don't think I would go there again. In fact, I don't think I would go Hong Kong again. It was a nice first time experience, especially with the food but it's not exactly an ideal holiday destination for me. I like to have space. When I get out of Singapore, I like to take it easy and experience nice scenery, good food and nice culture with a spot of shopping. Hong Kong is too much like Singapore or perhaps more hectic. So thanks for the experience but I'm not coming back.

The egg tart was piping hot and soft yet crispy.

The bo lo yau needed another slice of butter, I thought.