singapore

in less than 18hrs... gals and i will be back..!

cant wait..! =)

latch-key for a day

will be going to the gotemba premium outlets with wen and mark tmrw... both hubby and i will be leaving the house before the gals do...

they will lock up and go to school together... and come back together... when back... they are to call me using the guard's phone to let me know that they are home...

when home... they have a schedule to follow... when to bathe... homework and stuff...

dinner has been prepared... taught hubby how to warm up the curry... while the rice will be timed to be ready at 6pm for them...

praying protection over them... =)

packing day

i am to pack today... it's almost 4pm... and my luggage is still in the store room... =P

but... i have been busy... busy food planning...

as i will be going shopping with wen and mark tmrw... i need to think of the gals' and hubby's dinner... and also that i will not be home to cook for hubby for the next 5 days... i prepared one batch of 糯米饭 to be stored in the fridge... so that he can warm it up for breakfast... or anytime he is hungry... especially in the nights...

right now... i am steaming the 糯米饭... then i'll prepare tonight's dinner... after dinner... i can start cooking tmrw night's dinner for the 3 of them...

planned to cook curry rice... put in the fridge... single serve... gals are capable of warming up food... so they can help themselves to dinner when they are hungry...

so before i leave tmrw morning... i'll start the rice cooker... set it to complete cooking rice at 6pm... so clever is my rice cooker... =)

think i'll finally get to pack when hubby is at home... he is the packer... i need him to be around... i will just take out what we need... and let the expert place everything nicely into the luggages... =P

Weekend With Wen

we finally met in tokyo..! =)

met up at roppongi... and decided to go with her planner's recommendation of black ramen... it was not easy locating the shop... but we found it... and it was worth it..!

it's actually the last shop at the end of the street... we were about to turn back... and probably thinking of what to have for dinner... but when we double checked the address... we realised that we were standing right in front of the shop..!

the adults ordered their famous 'black ramen'... which actually is called Kogashi Ramen... you could choose a shoyu (soy sauce) or a miso soup base... amongst the 4 of us... we had both types...

when our food came... it didnt look at all appetising... it smelt only of shoyu... a little apprehensive to take the first sip actually...

but when we did... woah... it was so good..! so yummy..! so fragrant..! actually... indescribable..!

we finished every single drop of soup in our bowls... *slurp*

then we headed for a nearby park... happy to note that oktoberfest was still going on there... and we had a great time jus talking... eating and drinking... and taking in the great weather that night...

we had the next day all planned out... starting with a visit to the hair salon...

wen had loved how my hair looked... and we made an appointment jus before we had our black ramen... =P

at the hair salon... she was extremely pleased and happy with the services rendered her... and of course... how her hair was cut... jus the way she wanted it to be...

then from harajuku... we headed to omotesando... and had ramen again..! =P

this time... ramen served in a hot stone bowl... great in such a cool weather..! it was delicious... rachelle just couldnt telling us how good the ramen was...

we just did a lot of walking yesterday... from harajuku... to omotesando... to shibuya... then a train to shinjuku to buy some bus and train tickets... then ending the day at tsukishima...

went to have monjayaki again... gals totally enjoyed the dinner... especially when they were given the responsibility to cook one of the dishes of us... though wen and i had the most horrid drink... dinner was fun and good...

after dinner... we wanted to look for some confectionery that sold some buns... which looked like large por lor bun... earlier... a few gals walked past us and were each carrying a green bag with the bun in it... raving how good it was...

the shop was just a couple of shops away...

didnt think too much of it initially... so we just bought one to try... and we ended up buying another 4 more..! =P

it's called a melon bun... crispy and sweet on the outside... moist and fluffy on the inside... yumz..! it was really sooo gooood..!

happy and satisfied... we all got home... really tired from the 12hrs out... but i must say one thing about my gals... they were FANTASTIC too... not a single whine from them... =)

going with wen and mark tmrw to some premium outlets... means shopping..!
looking forward...! =)

new colour

when i said that i was nervous about today's visit to the hair salon... i really meant it...

for almost 18yrs... other than my hair stylist... no one else had laid their hands on my hair... either to cut... or colour... so being here... and not speaking the language... is really scary...

thank God i had my host with me... so i explained to her how i would like my hair done... keeping the length cos i wanted to wear my hair long... dun like that it is so messy and thick... wanted it layered... thinned... and i oso wanted to colour my hair... not one colour... but highlights in my hair...

but by looking at her facial expression... i knew that she didnt understand me 100%...

anyways... she then told the hair stylist wad i had wanted... and all i could do was to trust that my hair will turn out ok... *fingers crossed*

first step was to choose a colour for my hair... after spending some time understanding each other... about base colour and highlight colour... instead of the usual browns and reds... she suggested something different for me... a colour from the green family... =P

it looked ok on the sample... and so i said ok...

unlike the process in spore... where they jus apply the cream... wait 20min... wash... and there... done...

here... it took a total of 3 persons... using more than twice the amount of cream compared to spore... over 2hrs... being left alone for 5min at most... using at least 2 machines... the colouring was finally completed...

by then... i needed the loo urgently...

as i entered the loo... and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror... i liked wad i saw... the colour was nice..! =)

wad followed after was the trimming part... almost similar techniques were used...

but the end result was great..! i loved the way my hair looked... definitely much neater than before... my host said i looked younger too..! =P

and cos my host and the hair stylist's parents are friends... we enjoyed a 50% discount...! which meant that i had saved a lot more money by doing my hair here..!

made me happy the whole of today... =)

preparation

doing my hair tmrw... going out with ribena and kayabun sat and sun... then doing my nails on monday... go outlet shopping on tues with ribena and kayabun...

and off we fly to spore... then to perth...

many friends would think that i am dolling myself up for the return trip and perth... actually... it's all jus good timing... =)

i had planned to do something about this untidy mop of hair when i am back in spore... but then... my host family had asked if she and i could go to a hair salon together... she'd take me... maybe my hair so in such a terrible state that she had to ask..! =P

anyways... i agreed... esp when japan seemed to be so advance in this field... have heard ppl rave about how good the cut is in japan... and also that a japanese is taking me... and shop belongs to her friend's daughter... why not..? =)

as for the nails... have always liked painted nails... if not for the fact that i have to cook and wash everyday here... i'd be spotted with different coloured nails each week..!

so having the luxury of not having to cook and wash for a whole week... i decided that i should pamper myself to a manicure...

dun think that i only prepare physically and logistically for the trip... i oso prepare spiritually and mentally hor...

actually that's the most exciting part... =)

initially was required to share my sermon that i used 2 years back on worship... and oso at a women's cell... then it changed to sharing about how a worship team should work together...

i got really excited to do the 'team' sharing... cos i had so much to share... and it was a practical topic... and it was about dealing with people... my favourite topic to talk about...

then 2 days ago... some changes in the plan... now i have to talk about the heart of worship... the character of a worshiper... and wad was so amazing was... i had earlier started out reading a new book by Andy Park... on cultivating the heart of a worship leader...

so when i received the topic... i was thrilled..! not only do i have notes... now i have a book to glean from..! how good is God..?!?! =)

really looking forward to teaching... sharing and leading again... it's been a long while... but i thank God that He has initially put this desire of wanting to learn more in me since a few months back... that's when i embarked on an online worship conference...

and all that i have learnt from the conference... kept me passionate about worship... and now this... i am jus amazed at how God works...

cant wait to meet the team from Oops... and minister together with them..! =)

drastic

just yesterday... we were complaining how hot it was... had to switch on the air-conditioning in the house... and we had ざるそば... cold soba...

yesterday's high was 32deg... low was maybe 26deg...

then weather forecast revealed that today would be a high of 26deg... no one believed... not even i... how possible..? a drop of 6deg..? ridiculous... shouldnt it go down gradually..?

and the weather forecast was correct... we woke up feeling the chills...

for the rest of today... the highest temp recorded was 23deg... that's a drop of 9deg from yesterday's highest..!

it's 18deg now... raining... and the real feel is 13deg...

now i truly understand the phrase... as unpredictable as the weather...

but i am enjoying the cooler weather now... =)

new song

during church service last sunday... i felt inspired to write a new song... a song that tells God's faithfulness... to our family... in this one year... here in japan...

we actually have an amazing story to tell... from how we couldnt agree on bringing the entire family here... to agreeing... to renting out our place... to uprooting the family to be away from home... into a year of rest... a year of blessings...

then i thought to myself... actually... there is already a song that speaks of how i am feeling... it's 'more than' by hillsong... but i wasnt satisfied... cos it isnt MY song...

i have never written a song... poems maybe... but not a song...

the more i thought... the more daunting the task seemed to be... i do not play any instrument... except the tambourine... so getting the melody is gonna be a huge task...of course i could jus sing it into a recorder... but then... i'd need someone to translate it into a score sheet for me...

guess like wad a friend said... i jus need to take the first step... guess i had better begin to worship a song out from me... out from the gratitude of my heart... let my soul sing..! =)

so loved... so blessed...

wondered if i should blog this... of fear that others may read it as pride... or even boastful...

but really... i wanna boast... of how the Lord has shown his love for us... and how he has blessed us with family and friends...

being superbly excited over our 1 day stay over before heading to perth... i shouted it out to the world (aka FB)... of our return to sunny island...

in order to get the most out of our 24hr stop over... i needed an itinerary... yes... that's me... i needed a run sheet... a schedule... =P

as i was planning the itinerary... which is already very packed with lots of errands... like visit to the hairdresser's... supermarket... clothes... shoes... pick up laptop... requests to meet up kept popping in...

asking for coffee together... dinner... lunch... one even offered to cook us chicken curry... and when i told him that we were on a very tight schedule... he said 'jus come and pick up'... *melt*

but one by one i had to turn down... if i had the luxury of time... i would gladly meet all of them... really... i miss them so much...

then jus last week... my aunts and grandma said they want to meet up for dinner... i have time only 2 dinners in spore... and i have already made plans where to eat and what to eat for the 2 dinners...

but you cant say 'no' to your grandma rite... so we are having dinner together... at a seafood restaurant... really wasnt keen on having a restaurant dinner... had wanted stuff like zhi char... or hawker centre kind... but cant do that... cos there will be 20 of us at the dinner... =P

my in-laws have been asking when is our return... wad flight... wad time flight... i have the idea that they wanna come receive us... but that would mean more logistics planning...so we planned that we'll visit the next day at their house instead... but had requested that they dun cook... as we needed to run some more errands after the visitation...

but i believe they will make something for us... especially for the gals... you jus cant stop them from loving us... =)

many others have asked to meet up... to catch up... but really... i am already planning to the minutes...

the most touching of all... was that i jus learnt from dad that bro and sis-in-law will be taking leave jus to be with us... and when i asked about SIL's 3 month probation at new job..? dad told me that she said 'the most take no pay leave lor'...

wah... that really swept me off my feet...

feeling immensely loved... and so blessed... =)

first-timers

a friend was jus sharing with me... his wife's and his first experience at an onsen in japan... hilarious...

" we were given a towel as big as a prata... to cover our vital parts... for us men... it was easier... but my wife had a problem... she din noe wad to cover... so i told her...COVER YOUR FACE..."

wahahahaha...

it's finally autumn..!

after enduring the scorching heat... the wait is finally over...
autumn is here..! YIPPEE..! =)

you know autumn's here when...

you can put the fan back into the store room...
when sweeping and vacuuming do not leave you sticky and sweaty...
walks to and fro the groceries store are enjoyable and cool...
there are no mozzies and noisy bugs irritating you...
when you start spotting patches of deep orange and yellows... among the shrubs and trees...

oh... think i love this season the best..!

fifteen

15 more days...
15 more sleeps...

to crabs... seafood... chai tau kway... chicken rice... orh luak... prata... curry fish head... mee siam... mee rebus... durians...

to my favourite nephews... family... laptop... shopping...

to ministry while in perth... sights... new friends... shopping...

wahahaha... shopping..!

looking forward... cos japanese are all so petite... i cant seem to buy anything nice here... even their largest sized shoes are a half size too small for me...

it's gonna be good..!
sooo goood..! =)

6.5 hours

that's how long we left the gals at home...

rachelle was not feeling too well... a little cough... lethargic... but basically... i jus think that she was jus looking for an excuse to stay home...

the gals always preferred to stay home... so... hubby and i decided to go church... and then shopping after the service...

we really had a great time... not that we do not like having the gals with us... but it was jus different without them... we could walk longer distances... without having to think of a place to rest... jus so that the gals do not begin to whine...

walked all the way from harajuku... to omotesando... then walked on to shibuya... had spicy ramen served in a hot stone bowl... not very smart in this weather... but loved it anyway... think i'd go again...

bought myself a jacket... something i could wear in autumn... happy cos... it's not the usual black or grey... or even beige... it was a dull green... nicely fitted at the waist...... loved it..! =)

though hubby and i were having fun... we kept calling back... maybe about 3 times... to check if the gals and eaten... and also to check if rachelle was feeling alright...

happy and proud to note that rachelle had prepared lunch... not only for themselves... but also their 2 korean friends... she warmed up the leftover curry rice from last night's dinner... warmed a couple of 'an pan' pau... and also some 糯米饭...

if not for the fact that we specifically said 'no cooking'... i think she would have cooked..! =)

i'm really thankful for today... assured me that the gals are capable of taking care of themselves... and also for the precious time spent with hubby...

though we enjoyed ourselves... all 4 of us... i am not ready to turn this into a regular thing... don't think it's healthy for the family... once in a while... it's precious... but when done to often... it can be detrimental to family life...

classic

comprehension...

a story about a man going to be released from prison... writing back to his family... asking them to tie a yellow ribbon on the tree... so that when the man arrives home... he will know that he has indeed been forgiven... when he returned... the man saw that the tree was full of yellow ribbons...

so the question asked...
how did the man feel when he saw the tree full of yellow ribbons..?

answer...

sad... because it means that he has committed MANY MISTAKES..!

wahahahahaha...

at the same time

things are getting so exciting...

as it gets nearer to the end of the month... i'm getting a little bit more nervous... getting a little bit more confused...

my schedules seem to be all mixed up...

i have a schedule with ribena... an itinerary for our short transit in spore... a schedule for the 4 days in perth... a schedule with me coussie who is coming with my aunt... and finally... a 14-day itinerary for my dad and relatives...

cant seem to remember when i am doing what... and with whom..?!

and my online courses start again tomorrow... back to readings and MP3s...

but i'm happy... sure beats having nothing to do..! =)

friend

1. a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.
2. a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter: friends of the Boston Symphony.
3. a person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile.
4. a member of the same nation, party, etc.
~dictionary.com~

was jus thinking about the topic... being away from home... your family is all you have physically... makes me realise... not that i did not know already... but come to a realisation... that there are in fact many different types of acquaintances... but all commonly know as 'friends'...

since today is rainy... after so long... i'll jus use the seasons to describe some of the people who are in my life right now...

Spring
like spring flowers... they cheer when they are in bloom... people actually yearn for spring to come... especially in the cold of winter... but these flowers will soon wither when the heat of summer begins to be felt...

these people are like the spring flowers... colourful... cheerful... by jus being with them... makes you happy already... you look forward to meeting them when you feel lousy... or jus need someone to talk to...

but the down side of this is... they are rather temperamental... their cheerfulness does not last long... so you gotta know when to approach them... and when to stay away...

Summer
hot... hot... hot..! an occasional rain is always appreciated in summer... but when it comes to doing the laundry... i jus love summer... the clothes dry to a crisp quickly... and you can do more than 2 loads in a day..!

passionate people fall into this category... they seem to have boundless energy... everything they do is always exciting... and it gets the people around them all motivated to jump onto the band-wagon too...

when i am feeling lethargic... i love being near these people... they jus seem to have the power to energise you... jus seem to be able to rub off that extra zest onto you...

but summer burns too...

sometimes a period of time away from them is appreciated... to recuperate... cos you simply cannot catch up with them...

Autumn
ah... autumn... something i am so looking froward to now...

this season seems the most calming... when leaves turn orange... and the weather's cool... not too warm... and not cold yet... jus right... a time when long walks are really pleasant... outdoors are great...

calm is the greatest characteristic of such people... the world may be in a rush... but these people take everything in their own stride... they are not frazzled with unforeseen circumstances...

i love sharing my problems with such people... they make you feel that the problem can be solved... it can be conquered... it's no the end of the world yet... there is hope... jus relax...

but sometimes... they can make your problem look so small... that you feel plain silly worrying over it... and that it's like they dun understand what you are going through... every problem to them is small...

and it's more frustrating when they bring 'God' into the conversation... not that it is no good... jus that it's not the right time... of course God knows all... and all things will be made beautiful in his time... we know that... but at the moment... a quiet listening ear gives more comfort than words...

Winter
a season that almost everyone would like to experience...at least once... the beauty of snow... the pretty clothes... the boots...

people here are like celebs... i have friends who are famous in their own rights... would really love to spend some time with them... that is if they have the time for you in their busy schedule...

and if you are able to meet that person... more time naturally would be spent on deciding what to wear... knowing that you dun get to do this much... so had better leave a pleasant impression...

then when you really do meet... conversations are superficial... nothing deep... nothing close to the heart... maybe jus reminiscing the past shared together... a good laugh over ourselves... and that's about it... till the next time you meet again...

All-Weather
only have a couple of friends who are like this... and i count myself privileged... =)

besides my family... these are the people in my life that matters the most... we are not in contact all the time... not even on a regular basis... but you jus know that they are there for you all the time... regardless of time... regardless of weather...

when you run to them... either to share good news... or bad... they are always there to share your joys... half your sorrows... and make your load feel a little lighter...

i feel secure with these people... cos i know they love me for who i am... they dun judge me... they jus love me...

these people know how to give space too... they dun intrude... when you are not ready to share... they jus wait patiently for you... standing by...

these are also the ones who will tell you exactly what they think of you... not what you want to hear them say of you... they are not afraid to tell you when you are wrong...

the relationship i share with such people is almost magical... a tad bit scary sometimes... cos we seem to be able to tell what each other will say next... even before the other party speaks... it's like telepathy...


so many different types... jus so that life is that much more interesting... and exciting... =)

cheap thrill

was reading in the room... then kept hearing fluttering noises... sounded like a flock of birds has jus landed on my veranda...

i looked out... and saw so many pigeons flying from branch to branch in that 1 single tree jus next to the veranda... there were at least 20 of them...

observed for a while what they were trying to do... no idea...

then thought of chasing them away... dun wan pigeon poo on my veranda... so i got myself 3 small plastic bags...

filled 1 bag up... and popped it...

that made a few birds fly away... only circling to settle in the same tree again...

so i popped the 2nd bag... this time... none of them moved... they all stood very still in the tree...

then i decided to pop the last bag...
this time... all the pigeons flew away... and did not return...

haha... dunno who are they annoying now... =P

糯米饭 {lor mai fan}

joanna doesn't like bread... so breakfast can be boring... so i asked her what does she like for breakfast... and she said 糯米鸡...

haiyo... where i find this here for her nei..?

so i started to search for the simplest recipe on the net... and this was the closest 糯米-anything i can find... the rest were too tedious...

this is so good that we had it for 2 consecutive days... and i made extra to store in the fridge... or freezer... to be served when the gals return hungry from school... =)

ingredients
3/4 tbsp chopped garlic
1/2 tbsp chopped ginger
400g glutinous rice
200g chicken (cubed)
2 shitake mushroom (cubed)
1 chinese sausage (lap cheong)... didnt add this cos dun have.. =(
2 tbsp dried shrimp (soak 5min and drain)
1 tbsp sesame seed oil

seasoning:
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
3/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp chinese cooking wine
250ml water
salt and pepper to taste

1. Drain rice after soaking overnight or for at least 4hrs.
2. Heat sesame seed oil. Fry garlic and ginger till fragrant.
3. Add chicken, dried shrimp and mushroom.
4. Add seasoning and toss well.
5. Add rice and allow it to soak up all the sauce in the pan.
6. Fill bowl with rice and press slightly.
7. Steam for 30-45min.

the above is the lazy way of doing this... you can actually dish up the ingredients after step 4... before you add the rice...

use the dished up ingredients to line the bottom of your bowl... before topping it up with rice...

i cling wrap the rice and store... so there is instant food when the gals need it..! =)

親子丼 {oyako-don}

have used this recipe many times... a huge success each time... so decided to put it here for me to recall whenever i need it... =)


ingredients
340g chicken (bite size)
1 onion (sliced)
420ml stock (jus add a third cube to hot water)
7 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp mirin
4 tbsp sugar
4 eggs (lightly beaten)

1. Heat stock. Add soy sauce, mirin and sugar.
2. As it begins to boil, add chicken and simmer on low.
3. When chicken is thoroughly cooked and shrunk a little, add onions.
4. Simmer on low till onions turn translucent.
5. Bring soup to a boil. Stir in eggs with a pair of chopsticks.
6. Lower heat to low. Cover lid.
7. Turn off heat after 1min.
8. Serve hot over rice.

you may add strips of seaweed (nori) on top for a nicer finish..!

never fails to satisfy the family..! jus had this last night... yum..!

steps closer

visa to australia... checked..!

print e-tickets for both flights... checked..!

food itinerary... checked..!

permission to resign while on no-pay leave... checked..!

prepare heart... in progress... =)