Going-ons in Sydney

Anytime now.....

2009-10-11T22:36:00.002+11:00

I am almost into my 34th week now. After spending a month away on holidays, it seems time just flew by, and my tummy grew larger by the minute. I have had heaps of people (random people on the streets!) coming up to tell me I look like I am about to pop! Not something I'd like to hear especially when those comments started about 4 weeks ago. In any case, I am trying to keep my head on, and take it easy. These things are out of my control.

My little man is growing up rapidly. Every day is a new challenge, and every other day, I see new developments and milestones. Very exciting times. I am very nervous about how Mathieu will feel and react when the little one arrives. He is my little prince now, and he knows it. I hope he won't get too jealous.

Here is a video of him indulging in his latest hobby - drawing!

Scribbles....doodles.....

Such a terrible blogger.....

2009-07-20T21:00:00.004+10:00

....I am!

Time just flies by. I am now in my 22th week!
Everything is going well. I've started feeling little fluttering movements, particularly at night. I hope that is not an indication that this little one is active at night!

Here is an interesting ultrasound photo of our second little thing scratching his ear - like Mathieu did at his ultrasound. I know the pictures here just look a mess - you will just have to trust me on this one ;-)

Mathieu at 18 weeks

2nd little one at 18 weeks

On another note, my baby has falling ill quite frequently these last couple of months. Other than catching all sorts of bugs from daycare, the cold, and often rainy winter conditions aren't helping. I only hope that with each bout of illness, his immunity gets stronger, "as they all say". It pains me so much to see him sick every single time.
Here is a recent shot of him - he'll be 17 months in a week's time. My baby is growing into a little man!

Surprise!!

2009-05-13T17:53:00.004+10:00

Yes, I am 12 weeks preggers. Mathieu will have a little sibling in Nov! Here is little bubs showing off its flexibility.
First trimester this time around has been really different. I seriously felt the pregnancy - nausea, headache, fatigue, etc, etc.

Am happy to be in the second trimester now. Phew! Hopefully this will really be, as they say, the "honeymoon" phase of my pregnancy. I am sick of spewing!

This is for you, Stephan

2009-03-29T15:56:00.002+11:00

Today I dedicate my blog to our very dear friend who has left us this week. The news hit us like a tornado without warning. Mathieu and I were in Brisbane with Brice on his business trip when we found out. We were in shock, and are totally devastated. Until today, I am still at a loss for words for this tragic loss. Our heart goes out to his family he left behind. I cannot begin to imagine how they feel.

As we sat around to overcome our loss, we dug out some old pictures and videos of our friend. At this point, I couldn’t believe I had so few.....and then I realised: our older photos of him are all printed ones. It was Stephan who had given us our first digital camera when we left Singapore in 2002.

Stephan, you will be sorely missed. We will treasure all our precious memories of you - of your humour, your friendship, your joie de vivre, etc. I deeply regret that Mathieu will not be able to get to know his godfather.....but we will tell him all about you.

Remembering Stephan

First steps!!

2009-02-23T22:18:00.003+11:00

Exactly 2 weeks before his first birthday, Mathieu took his first steps on 14 Feb. Yup, V day too! Wonderful gift for mum and dad. Yippee!!

Here he is stumbling along...

Click here

...and a day later, stumbling some more and terrorizing the cat - which is now his favourite past time.

Click for video

Gong Xi Fa Cai! Here's to a financially sound Year of the Ox!

2009-02-06T22:30:00.002+11:00

I know. This is long overdue. We have so much going on here. Mathieu started daycare, a little procedure....and now, Mathieu has gastro. Poor baby is not keeping anything in - he spews it all our, and has the runs too! Poor little baby.

Mathieu turns one in 3 weeks. How fast did that go by?!? On the other hand, it felt like the longest year ever.

Anyway, I wish everyone financial stability this year. No point being too ambitious and talk about winning the lottery and all. I think we will be happy with being stable, and enjoying good health.

On the move!

2008-10-21T22:05:00.003+11:00

After a one-month holiday in Paris and Singapore, we are back at home and have quickly settled back into our routine. I can't believe one month went by just like that....and Mathieu has grown up so fast!
Here are the pictures.
And some more....

Back to reality. We are moving! After 2 years in this marvellous place, we are reluctantly moving away. The stairway has become too tough for me and bubba. Mostly for me really, lugging 9kgs up and down everyday just isn't funny anymore. I refuse to develop Madonna-like forearms.

Anyway, the new place is a townhouse across the bridge in the north shore. This is a big move. The last one was just a couple of streets down. This time, it's into a completely different neighbourhood, in an entirely different district! We'll be just 15 minutes away from Brice's office! Here's a preview - furnitures not included.
The move is scheduled for next Thurs. Wish us luck! The last move went horribly wrong. Hope this one will go as planned.

Happy Birthday, Mummy!!

2008-08-01T21:02:00.003+10:00

First birthday as a mum felt somewhat odd. On the one hand, I wanted to drop all my mummy duties and just enjoy the day, as I've always made it a point to do all my adult life. On the other, I couldn't bring myself to be away from Mathieu for too long! Fortunately everything fell into place when Mathieu's nurse told me she could only work for half a day. I pampered myself with a massage, then lunch with a girlfriend. Second half of the day was spent with my baby - who wasn't quite as well-behaved as I'd hoped, unfortunately. In the evening, Brice came home with a huge chocolate cake, and a lovely gift! All in all, a pretty good day. Stark contrast to the poolside birthday party I had last year. Oh my god, I'm a mum!
And here Baby M shows how much he loves my cake. We simply could not get him to look up....

On another note, check out these programmes Mathieu loves. His eyes are glued to the telly whenever they are on! Should I worry? ;-)
Sex & the City
So You Think You Can Dance
Australia's (and America's) Next Top Model

Where did the time go?

2008-07-15T09:57:00.006+10:00

In a flash, Mathieu has turned 20 weeks (5 months). We are slowly getting our social life back. We've started catching up with friends for brekkies/lunch and even managed to watch a movie! Dining out is still a bit tricky though.

For me, thanks to Corinne, I have a nanny come in to watch Mathieu twice a week while I catch up with my friends, play some tennis, shopping, run errands, etc. It can be a nightmare trying to do all that stuff with a baby in tow.

Mathieu's habits are changing constantly. Just when I think I've got his habits/routine figured out, they change again. Recently I thought his reflux seem to be under better control, he got cranky again - this time with teething or so I suspect. Poor bugger!

On the other hand, it is awesome watching him grow everyday. 3 months ago, I'd never have imagined him less cranky and becoming the little person that he has become.

We are currently at a gorgeous beach house in the south of NSW for a one-week holiday. This is Mathieu's first road trip, and almost a practice run for our trip back to Singapore and France in Sept. So far, we are managing ok. Can't practise those flights though. We don't even want to think about that yet.

Here are some pictures.....more to follow - probably in Facebook...

Whoa!

2008-06-04T09:52:00.000+10:00

Mathieu turned 14 weeks yesterday. Yay! He's crossed the 3-month mark. According to "them" or "everyone" (a term loosely used by so many - which to me, increasingly seem to mean "according to old wives' tales/someone's friend's friend's friend's x 2000/myth/urban legend), upon passing the 3-month mark, it gets easier to care for a baby.

Hmm....my experience? It doesn't get easier. You just get used to it. Mathieu isn't as difficult now - but he still fusses a lot, and is inconsistent. In fact, we were referred by our local sister (nurse) to a day stay centre recently so they can "figure him out". I'm proud to say that although Mathieu was the smallest size baby, he had the strongest set of lungs and outcried every other baby there. Well done, my boy!

So the day stay wasn't quite enough for the nurses to help me sort him out. We have now been referred to the residential stay where a group of nurses and docs will observe and monitor us (me and baby) for 4-5 days. Not sure when we are doing that but recent happenings, etc are enough to confirm that Mathieu is a healthy baby - nothing physically wrong. He just has a nasty temper. Plus his reflux certainly doesn't help.

On another note, he has the cutest smile (as all parents will say of their own babies:-), and has recently started cooing, which more often than not makes me forget about those tantrums he throws - or at least until the next show of temper...Here he is smiling, and cooing..... Yup, he can't stop putting his fists into his mouth!

Changing the subject altogether, what would you do if you had won $58 million tax-free? And this person hasn't even showed up with his/her winning ticket? I'd be there before the shop opens!

Forget Baby Einstein

2008-04-11T10:07:00.004+10:00

....Mathieu's favourite tune/s are the white noises from hairdryers and vacuum cleaners. I haven't tried the washer nor dryer but apparently they work too. We discovered this a few weeks ago when Mathieu was in an uncontrollable crying episode. For some reason I recalled reading that white noises are calming for babies. Fresh out of ideas, I gave it a shot and it worked!

It doesn't work every single time but enough for me to buy a CD of white noises (specifically hairdryer) and made copies for each of our stereos at home and in the car. Who'd have thought? Now what will I do with my Baby Einstein CDs ;-)

Anyhow, I don't mean to be one of those mummies who talk of nothing else but babies but at the moment, the baby takes up 95% of my time so that's pretty much all I have to talk about! Check back with me in another month or so. I hope to make things "better" then.

Here's a short vid of M cracking a smile from a couple of weeks ago. I haven't taken any new pix of him......

ETA: Sorry, the vid upload didn't work, and I can't be bothered to do it again....here are 2 screen grabs from that vid. My baby is smiling!!

(Almost) one month on.....

2008-03-25T13:59:00.004+11:00

Mathieu will be a month old in 3 days. I can't believe my 1st month of life as mummy has gone by so quickly - and I still haven't had a chance to properly digest and savour those moments. In a way, motherhood is almost a rude shock. No one and nothing can prepare you for it, I suppose. Plus when hormones take over, it can all get very wacky. Anyhow, Mathieu has gotten bigger! Here are some pictures of our first real outing over the Easter weekend. He was quite cooperative that day. No major crying episode when we were out......

Mum has been great help since she arrived. She is very keen on doing the "one-month" thingie for Mathieu on Friday....I'll put up more pictures of our red eggs, and cake then. Till then....here's a picture of happy granny with Mathieu...

He's Here!!

2008-03-11T11:47:00.003+11:00

This is slightly overdue but obviously I've been too caught up with playing mummy. It's true what they say...with a baby at home, new mums and dads don't even have time to scratch an itch. So let's make this short and sweet.....

Mathieu Pinoncely-Lim arrived on 28 Feb 2008 at 9.54am at Prince of Wales private hospital in Sydney. He arrived exactly 2 weeks early, but safely - weighing 2.8kg and measuring 46cm....Here are pictures of proud mummy and papa!!

Thanks to all for your kind words of encouragement, and concern!!

Disappearing Toes and all......

2008-02-04T09:56:00.000+11:00

Get ready, folks! I'm about 5 weeks away from my due date! On one hand, I can't believe I'm so close now. On the other, the pregnancy feels like it's been forever.

In any case, it's definitely getting exciting. I finished up work last week, and am getting into preparation mode now. Getting baby furniture and everything else ready ......no more mucking around. It isn't just about cutesy baby stuff anymore!

The thing that bugs me though is how fast bubs has been growing in the last few weeks. It's now more than 2kg....and definitely weighing me down. I can't imagine bubs stretching my tums anymore. How is that even possible?

For all you who have asked to see how big I am....here's a piccie. And yes, that's all baby in front!

P/S: I broke my finger about 3 weeks ago, therefore the clumsy-looking splint. Hurt like hell, but getting better now......

Cheers 2008!!!

2008-01-01T07:43:00.000+11:00

Happy New Year, everyone!!

Phew! The holiday season certainly flew by as quickly as it came. And here we are, in 2008. Undoubtedly this will be a big year for us - Brice taking up his new role in work, and both of us facing new responsibilities at home!! I wonder what I will be (or if I will be at all!) writing in here at the end of 2008. It is going to be a challenge for sure but hey, we all need to move on to the next stage in life, heh?

So here's wishing everyone a fantastic 2008! Hope you all had a wonderful time ushering in the year......and we'll all have lots to toast to in the new year!
Here are 2 amazing pictures of the magnificent fireworks over Sydney skyline on New Year's eve to end off my post. Cheers!

Photo credit: smh.com.au

Been a while

2007-12-11T18:19:00.000+11:00

Almost a month!
Well, everything is going well. It's just that time of the year once again when everything happens all at once - and everything seem to need attention all at the same time too! Not complaining though. So far, am happy with the way things are progressing so far.

I've popped out quite a bit in the last 2 weeks. After missing last week's pilates class, my friends told me today that my tum's really popped. And this is amongst a class of preggy bellies. So now I know for sure that extra weight constantly threatening to tip me over isn't imaginary.

Phoebe fell sick yesterday. Poor thing came home slightly wet from the rain and went straight to bed without dinner, and skipping brekkie this morning too. I think she's slightly better now but I can still see that she isn't 100%. Poor baby.
Here's a piccie of her in better times, trying to get a 'tan' on our deck chairs.

Happy Birthday, Bricey!!!

2007-11-19T07:20:00.000+11:00

It was Brice's birthday over the weekend, and we made it a quiet one this time. Dinner at Bilson's on Saturday was great, despite a tiff I had with the reservations lady 2 days ago. We had dined there with Corinne and Anne when they came to Sydney a few months ago and had such an amazing time, I decided to take Brice there again. In fact, one of the waiters remembered Brice and I when we walked in!! I guess our silly behaviour the last time made an impression - we couldn't stop laughing by the end of dinner, thanks to a silly joke that wasn't even funny. It was the wine! Check out the yummy menu. Oh, and Brice made friends with the sommelier who recommended the best wine to go with each dish. He was a happy camper at the end of the night. Thankfully we weren't quite as silly by the end this time.

On Sunday, we spent the day leisurely - brekkie by the beach, a massage...then home for the evening. I surprised Brice with a little birthday cake and song since Bilson's forgot to make him one despite my early notice! Hmph!!

Before dinner

During dinner

After dinner - Brice was a happy camper!!

Mini birthday cake

Introducing Le Bubba......

2007-11-05T13:42:00.000+11:00

Where have I been??

Well, ask le bubba...he/she has been keeping me so occupied over the last few months. Other than work, I've been busy reading up/researching online, going to doctors, tests, etc afterall this is my first time! Can I just say there is so much to learn??!?

Yup, Brice and I are happy to announce that we are expecting our first baby. We have shared this news with many of you during our recent trip home, but I suppose I now feel ready to make it 'public' knowledge. We also know its gender but would like to keep most people guessing! Yes, some of you also know (sshhh!!!) but we've kinda limited that to close friends and family - plus strictly not in Sydney. In any case, we've decided to call it le bubba to avoid using too many he/she, his/her, etc....

Le bubba is currently 22 weeks or 5.5 months (due in mid March) and will be born in Sydney...if everything goes as planned. Above is a first glimpse. Yes, it's all a mass of black and white. Even i have trouble making things out without doc's help. In this one, le bubba has placed his/her feet directly in front of his/her face which amuses me. Quite the acrobat. I wonder if that flexibility will stick 'cos neither Papa nor Mama are near that level of agility!!

Impressive....but an update perhaps?

2007-10-12T17:17:00.000+10:00

While testing our my new MacBook (super!!!) and allegedly faster internet connection (by a fraction ;-( today, I decided to give Google Map a shot. I've always been fascinated with this and use it for all the right and wrong reasons.
Anyway, after looking up my place in Sydney and Corinne's place in Paris, I searched for our place in SG (Fernvale Road). Now this is what came up (????????)

Erm....folks at Google may be doing a great job, but an update is way overdue! Sure, Fernvale is a relatively new area and i always claim it's far from civilisation but the block of flats (plus LRT, schools, etc) have been around for at least 3 years now! Thanks, now the ang mohs are going to think we live in some kampong....as they always did.

Another insight into i do with my free time around here!!

P/S: Last weekend's RWC results were pretty shocking, I shall not presume it'll be the same this weekend. But Brice and I will be getting up at 5am on Sunday morning to watch the game.....so allez Les Bleus!!

MIA?

2007-10-07T22:25:00.000+10:00

I've gone MIA for a bit. Well, i was on holidays in France, then back home in SG. Came back last week but there is so much to do! Anyway, the next few weeks are shaping up to be busy, busy, busy as well. But i'll still have time to write a bit or two.....when i have interesting stuff to update, that is....

Here are 2 pictures i took in Paris. I know, i know....cliche but these are probably the best shots i've taken of Eiffel Tower and Arc du Triomphe. It's never easy with all those tourists, and cloudy skies......
Oh, on that note, France beat NZ in the RWC!!! I can't believe it. Allez les Bleus!!

Whoa Ellie!!

2007-09-05T10:36:00.000+10:00

While having brunch at our favourite Bronte beach cafe over the weekend, Brice and I came face to face with Elle MacPherson! Funny thing, I was just reading about her in the papers attending some fashion thing...looked up, and there she was.
Do I need to say she looks marvellous? Smiley in a polite way, and quiet...keeping to her group of friends. Not flashy nor attention-grabbing. So there you go. My bit of celebrity-sighting last week.

The APEC summit is being held in Sydney this week. Lots of hoo-ha about it. Heaps of road closures. Brice's office is right in the middle of town so he's quite affected by it. Oh, and President Bush arrived last night to a lot of publicity and fanfare. More road closures today, thanks to him too. And everyone knows he's staying at the InterContinental (isn't that weird? Shouldn't that be a closely guarded secret?). There are meant to be lots of protests/demonstrations going on from today onwards too. ICan't imagine the traffic in the city. Our PM Lee should be here too. No mention of him. In fact, no specific world leader has received much media attention other than Mr Bush. Oh well.....

I'm really looking forward to our holidays. Two more sleeps and off we go! Everything is such a bore before a holiday. I love that moment when the plane takes off, and I doze off....the next time I open my eyes, my holiday would've officially begun.

Where have I been?

2007-08-31T17:58:00.000+10:00

Crap, it's been 2 weeks. I don't know what i've been doing with my time. Going on holidays next week for almost a month so there's an unbelievable amount of organising to do.
Plus, the US Open is on!!

Anyway there isn't much to update. I can't wait to get to France, and then home to Singapore. It's only been a while but it feels like months. Where has the time gone?

Why??

2007-08-16T13:11:00.000+10:00

I try not talk politics - esp not here but this article really grabbed my attention as i logged out of my hotmail account this morning. In fact, it makes me angry!

Sure, this is hardly respected or in-depth journalism but it certainly is mainstream. Why are we giving Pauline Hanson space and attention for her rantings once again? Can't people tell this is her way of getting media attention, and notoriety? Having a radical view is the best way to grab headlines. First the Asians, now the Muslims. Isn't it obvious that she's just picking easy targets? It's the same formula all over again.....like Avril Lavigne with her albums!

Don't even talk to me about the poll results at the end of that article. I don't think this deserves any more of my time and blog space.

Eighty one seconds

2007-08-14T16:32:00.000+10:00

So Brice broke his record!! He completed the whole run this year at 81.14 minutes.Yay!! So well done!!
If you go here, and type in his full name, you can see his result plus a video of him running past the finish line. It is pretty neat!

P/S: He's wearing a red shirt, and blue cap....appears about 3 seconds after the video starts...Oh, and Camera 3 is the best angle.

City to Surf

2007-08-10T18:01:00.000+10:00

Sydney's annual City to Surf marathon is on Sunday. Brice is going to do it again this year. This is a 14-kim run from the city, up the Vaucluse slopes (affectionately called Heartbreak Hill....er so you can imagine the steepness) and ending down at Bondi Beach. He has been training quite hard for the last couple of months so I hope he breaks his last record. I think he did it in 93 (or is it 97) minutes 2 years ago.

As for me, I'm going to park myself at home and watch it on telly (Hee hee!)...Well, maybe I'll walk up the road to watch him sprint through before heading down Bondi Beach....
Here's a pic that charts the run....crap, this map is so deceptive.

Courtesy of http://city2surf.sunherald.com.au

My friend is now a mummy!

2007-08-07T17:33:00.000+10:00

I'm not sure if my friend wants me to announce this on my blog but i just want to congratulate her on becoming a mum yesterday. How cute! And I can't wait to see the baby!! I'm sure she is as beautiful as my friend.

On another note altogether, i have a strong craving for Mee Robus, Mee Siam and anything along those lines - all thanks to my food conversation on msn (thanks, Sash!) Now, what am i going to do? Oh, and curry-flavoured twisties too. i wonder why they don't have that flavour here. I ate an entire pack by myself (the BIG one, not the baby pack)the last time i was in SG. Next time, i'm bringing a few bags back with me - provided Quarantine (and the beagles) allows me to.

I've joined the club....

2007-07-31T07:20:00.000+10:00

Today I officially move up the next age bracket. Yeah, I've heard the jokes, the justifications, the never-minds, etc. Truth is, it doesn't feel any different. When I look back at all the experiences I've been through, turning 30 makes it all worthwhile. The 20s were great, but I'm sure a whole different set of experiences are waiting for me round the corner.

We had a fabulous party on Saturday to celebrate. Actually my birthday celebrations started on Friday for me when Brice flew mum in as a surprise! That was great. Didn't see that one coming. Thanks Nick! And to my sister who helped Brice plan it....and those who couldn't make it but wanted to come.

On Saturday we had about 50 people over for a party by the pool. It was awesome. The food was yummy, the music Brice put together was great (despite a few who have no ear for good music ;-), the drinks kept flowing and the company for the night, absolutely fabulous. I even got a free lapdance! I had such a wonderful time. Thanks everyone who came and made it such an unforgettable night. And for those who woke up with horrible headaches the next day....c'mon it was worth it. Esp when we have to clean your puke on the stairs!!

As usual, I left my camera in my bag the whole time. Thank God mum took some pictures. Hopefully I'll get some more from the few cameras I saw that night.
Cheers 30!

This is for you

2007-07-20T12:03:00.000+10:00

Today, I dedicate this entry to a very dear friend who shared some news with me yesterday. I know you read this sometimes. I spent an almost sleepless night thinking and worrying about you.
I want you to know that I am here for you...and i mean everything i said. Whatever i can do, just ask. You are so strong for going through this, and you are not alone. *Hugs*

xoxo

The Big Freeze

2007-07-17T07:38:00.000+10:00

Today is the coldest day in Sydney in 21 years....brrrr. I can't imagine being anywhere else other than snuggling under the doona. Well, I had the luxury of doing that in the late afternoon. Errands and hair appointment in the morning...Brr.....

Article courtesy of smh.com.au

J'ai fait du pain (I made some bread)!!

2007-07-12T18:09:00.000+10:00

We bought a breadmaker over the weekend. I've experimented with making bread the traditional way a few times now - a couple of times with success but getting the timing right is such a pain. The kneading, rising, second knead, etc, etc.....so here we are - a breadmaker.

This is a really neat appliance. Just put in all the ingredients, and it does everything else. Getting the sequence and accurate measurement of ingredients is crucial though. My first loaf didn't make it b'cos i added too much flour. I'm getting better at it now ;-)

Here's my new toy, and my latest creation- chocolate and raisin loaf. As Rachael Ray would say: Yummo!!

5 years on....

2007-07-07T18:46:00.000+10:00

Today (plus/minus a few days) marks our 5-year anniversary in Sydney. 5 years - half a decade. Phew!! I'm speechless. Never thought I'd be here so long...
Here we are taking funny piccies of ourselves on our first road trip in Oct that year - to the Hunter Valley. Hmm...I still drank wine then.
We will be celebrating the occasion at the end of this month in a combined party with my birthday. Yay!

Baby "Bak Zang"(Dumpling)

2007-07-03T11:42:00.000+10:00

Went to Chinatown over the weekend. HUGE mistake. The uni term starts in a couple of weeks and half of Asia's population were in town. Orientation and general buying frenzy. But I was glad to have walked around the supermarket. Lookie here.....frozen baby bak zang (leave wrapper included!) That's a SG 50cent coin next to it. Do they have this at home or am i just swa-ku? Bad news is, I may end up eating the whole pack in one seating. They are tiny!

And here's another random shot of Phoebe. She was sitting right across me at dinner and propped her chin on the table....which I translated to "Look, i'm so adorable, now can you give me some of your dinner?". Awww....

Wild, Wild weather

2007-06-18T17:42:00.000+10:00

Sydney's been hit by some scary storms over the last 2 weekends. Severe damage reported all over the state, particularly the coast and Hunter Valley region. Here are some pictures I found online....intense stuff. The power of Mother Nature really unleashing here....

Huge waves off Bronte beach

Ferry service battling the waves on its way from Manly to the city. Phew!!

A tanker being forced to anchor at Noddy's beach due to the huge waves.

Photos credit: thedailytelegraph.com.au

We haven't done anything interesting in a while with all the storms still hitting us. Sydney is such an 'outdoor-sy' city. I'm sure 99% of the population agree that we miss the sunshine! My tennis lesson this evening just got cancelled due to rain. Brice hasn't played in like, 2 weeks now. I really sympathise with folks whose work are weather dependant. I imagine my colleagues (the coaches) being really affected by this, income-wise. Poor things.

I guess the only good thing going for us is that dam levels are finally up!

Another One?

2007-06-04T18:23:00.001+10:00

Two posts in a day??

Well, this one's much happier so I think it deserves a post on its own. It's our two-year wedding anniversary this weekend (and it's a long weekend here). Brice had gotten me an awesome gift last weekend. It's the first time he's beaten me to it. Now I gotta rack my brains and come up with a cool gift too. Can you believe it's been 2 years? Well, that's 2 years since our civil ceremony in Sydney. The SG and France ones aren't due till Sept. Here's a picture of us taken after the ceremony.....awww......

Will I ever be sporty?!?

2007-06-04T18:03:00.000+10:00

It's official. I suck at tennis. My coach told me the other day that I am "inconsistent". I've peaked at one point and have since gone downhill at some sessions or just plateau-ed. Man! I'm trying my darnest here! The way I see it, I can either take the easy way out and just give up now (like I do with Maths ;-) or just keep trying. For now, I think i'll go with the latter option till I get some sign to suggest otherwise. This sucks.

Brr.....winter is here....

2007-06-01T17:49:00.000+10:00

Winter has arrived in Sydney. Of course, it isn't as cold as the winters in many other parts of the world but "tropical" girls like moi still need some time to get used to it. It averages at about 18 degrees in the day which is great as long as I stay in the sun......

Here's Phoebe snuggling up beside Brice while we watched telly. She's such a little tart...she never does this to me, only to Brice!!

Erm....erm....oh...right!

2007-05-23T17:35:00.000+10:00

Had a MAJOR foot in mouth situation yesterday. Was talking to my boss and he was telling me about his sister's partner. He used "she" and a few other hints, but i completely missed the point. I struggled with the conversation for a few seconds before it clicked. I think I must've left my brain at home. Very embarrassing. What the f--- was I thinking??

Winter's fast approaching over here. It's a bit chilly these days which I don't mind at all but I hate that the days are so short. It's 5.30pm now and completely dark outside. It can be so depressing.

Anyway, sorry for sending out that 'virus' today, people-on-my-contact-list. My brain's taken a few days off and I don't know what i'm doing anymore. But it was fun to know who deleted you from their contact list, wasn't it? C'mon, admit it....you WANTED to know! 'Cos I did too!!

Crocs - yes, those ones...

2007-05-18T09:44:00.000+10:00

Never thought I'd buy myself a pair of crocs..no offense to people who wear them but IMO, they look erm.....sloppy amongst other adjectives. But last week, i walked into the shop at Vivo city with Su and saw a new model Sassari which had a wedge heel. I thought they were cute. Su agreed with me...and I always trust Su's taste :-)
Stalked the shop till i finally got a pair in my size. Wore it to work that day, and it feels great! Survived 7 hours on my feet, plus the walk home uphill!
Here's what mine looks like. I think I'll try and get a pair online in black/white too!

Pic courtesy of crocs.com

I'm back!

2007-05-15T09:24:00.000+10:00

Maybe b'cos of that list in that entry below. I made it a mission to eat as much as I could last week - and only stuff I can't get in Sydney. Did quite well, here's a list of what I had eaten.

Soon kweh, Chicken congee, mee goreng, nasi lemak, chicken rice, beef kweh teow, kweh kweh, twisties curry flavour, beef rendang, chilli kang kong, sago pudding with gula melaka, roti prata, chin chow, chendol, olio dome ice coffee (no olio here, only in perth), malaysian coffee, teh tarik, fried wanton, shanghai dumplings, double-boiled soup, goreng pisang, deep fried baby squids and Fried mantou.

Felt so guilty that i had 2 tennis lessons back to back to try and burn off those calories. Phew! I realise now that SG is such a food paradise. Despite what they say, it's just not the same here.
Of course, I enjoyed catching up with everyone. Didn't do my usual marathons so it's great to be able to really chat instead of rushing through.
Special thanks to Lisa for your hospitality and taking time off.

Only took one pic from my trip: a view of M'sia before we went on the Causeway.....not magnificent but not bad lah!

Guess that wasn't a real sign-off

2007-05-04T12:03:00.000+10:00

Today I got to thinking about the food I'd eat when i get back to SG (and in KL).....And here's a list:

Ang Ku Kueh, Bak Chang, Bak Kut Teh, Beef Hor Fun, Beef Kway Teow, Beef Noodles, Biryani, Char Siew Rice, Char Kway Teow, Chee Cheong Fun, Chwee Kueh, Claypot Rice, Duck Rice, Fishball Noodles, Fried Bee Hoon, Fried Carrot Cake, Fried Hokkien Mee, Fried Kway Teow, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Kaya Toast, Kway Chap, Lotus Root Soup, Mee Goreng, Mee Rebus, Mee Siam, Mee Soto, Nasi Goreng, Nasi Lemak, Ngoh Hiang, Otah, Oyster Omelette (just the omelette bit), Pig's Organ Soup, Prata, Prawn Noodles, Rojak, Salted Vegetable Soup, Satay, Satay Bee Hoon, Wanton Noodles, Watercress Soup, Yong Tau Foo, Yu Char Kway, Yu Sheng

......think I can squeeze it all in??

Actually I got those off some site, minus all the seafood. Pretty good list huh? And in alpha order too. Man, this is making me hungry. Guess I'll go make some pasta for lunch...until i get my hands on one of those dishes above tmr.
Here's signing off again -until i come back broke and a couple of kg heavier :-) *Love it!*

Have you googled yourself before?

2007-05-03T15:02:00.000+10:00

Today at work, I couldn't remember the url to my blogger log-in so I tried googling our page. I thought "Brice Rachel" was a fairly good start. Turns out Rachel Brice is a popular belly dancer. Who'd have thought? Well, at least it didn't turn out to be someone on the FBI Most Wanted List....or a porn star (!!?!)
Another bit of useless info you didn't need to know.

Anyway, my work week is over! Hooray! Brice and I are off to SG this weekend! Then it's off to KL for me (while poor Bricey comes back to work in Syd). Look out KLCC and all the other malls!! Here I come!!
So i'm signing off here till I get back - probably broke.

And here's a piccie of Phoebs from last week when it poured mercilessly for 3 days......just for fun.

Full time work......

2007-05-01T19:54:00.000+10:00

My boss isn't well, and another colleague is on holidays so i'm filling in quite a bit this week. Feels like I'm back to full time work again. It isn't bad. When there are no abusive clients, working isn't a dread. Let's just say it isn't uninteresting (confused yet?). Seriously, at least it doesn't make me feel down. Recently, I've had a few clients having a go at me. It really sucks........I guess i need to learn to focus on the positive feedback instead of the one or two unhappy ones. Hey, i didn't use one #%&* in that para. Guess that's a start to looking at the positive.

I'm tired. Going away now. This is a boring post.

Marley & me

2007-04-30T18:25:00.000+10:00

I'm reading this book now. Pretty good, plus I couldn't resist the cover (can you?). Made me laugh out loud a few times too. All about this beautiful Lab Retriever. I want one of those....you think Phoebe will allow it?

Next on my list will be Jodi Picoult's new book, Nineteen Minutes. My colleague says it's a great read. Here's more about Jodi Picoult and her books. I think she's amazing. Her books always make me cry.......

One of those days

2007-04-18T17:39:00.000+10:00

You know those ones where you can't imagine being back at work again the next day? Today's one of those days for me. Actually it wasn't all bad, but the last hour was particularly horrible. Isn't it funny how we always focus on the negative and forget the positives?

On a happier note, Corinne sent us the dvd containing all the pictures she took from her trip. Very nice! And I also got a pressie from George. A new book. Yippee....
Here are a couple of those piccies....some more can be found here.

Back to work....

2007-04-11T16:35:00.000+10:00

Back to work this week. Nothing particularly exciting. Just the usual parent-child interaction which still never cease to amaze me.

A lady came in the other day with her son - i'm guessing about 9 years old. When she realised she didn't have cash to pay for something he wanted (it was too small an amount to use a CC), he glared at her...eyes almost out of its sockets and shouted "You are KIDDING me!?!"...in the kinda tone where in a couple of years, an obscenity will be appropriately added. To my surprise, she mildly replied, "Don't talk like that." And it wasn't as if she said that b'cos I was there. It sounded like that was her normal reaction.
If I ever spoke to my mum this way, even now, I think I can expect more than a slap.

Sometimes "kids these days...." just doesn't reflect how I feel anymore.

Rain rain rain

2007-04-08T09:36:00.000+10:00

It's been raining buckets over the last 2 days since Corinne and Anne left. And all we've been doing is lounging at home in our jammies, watching DVDs. It's a 4-day weekend for us. I hope the sun comes out soon. We need to move our arses a little after all that good food and wine last week....
Here, the storm clouds moving into the city skyline. Impressive stuff...compare this to the picture at the top...

Switch them off!!

2007-04-06T09:40:00.000+10:00

If she could speak, I reckon that's what she'd be saying.....

Diner à chez Rachel

2007-04-03T10:53:00.000+10:00

I made Chinese dinner that night for Corinne and Anne - and got some pretty good reviews. Yippee!! Here's what I made: Chicken in Red Stock (that's Lu Ji for Chinese folks), Steamed King Prawns with Ginger and Spring Onion, and Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce. Simple, home-cooked dinner. Glad we loved it. Here's a piccie.

Dinner in the dark.....

2007-03-31T17:08:00.000+10:00

My mother-in-law, Corinne and stepsister-in-law Anne arrived on Thurs for a one-week visit from Paris....so we've been doing lots - the beach, harbour cruises, and of course, great food!
Here we are on Saturday, catching the seaplane to Cottage Point Inn for lunch. Beautiful weather, excellent food, great company...what else can one ask for?
In fact, it was such a clear day we could see the Blue Mountains outline from home....Incroyable! Here are some pics taken from the plane.....

To show our support for Earth Hour, we turned off our lights for an hour that night from 7.30-8.30pm. It was dinner and chat in the dark for us. Didn't take much effort and it was quite an experience, all in good fun although cooking in the dark wasn't....
My attempt at taking a photo in the dark, sans flash. At least the tealights look good :-)

P/S: More info on Earth Hour here.

Can you tell I'm pissed off?

2007-03-22T11:43:00.000+11:00

Some people need to get over themselves...It is ridiculous how worked up people get about having to pay cancellation fees. Doesn't it make sense that if one doesn't cancel a booking of any sort by a certain time, cancellation fees will apply? Is there any instituition that doesn't impose those rules? I'll bet they are in the red. I got yelled at today by a lady on the phone who bailed out on her tennis lesson 2 hours before. Yup, I understand she's got the flu and all, but yelling surely isn't going to help. Policies are policies. I'm just glad my boss is usually happy to sort out these difficult clients. All I have to say is "sorry, it's our policy".
I used to think prying ad dollars out of clients is a b****. Try asking for late cancellation fees. My friend who listens to my gripes says people shouldn't sign up for this if they can't afford it. Harsh, but it is so true.

On another note, I wish it'd just rain already. It's been so humid this week. Feels like I'm in Singapore all over again. The forecast says....possible thunderstorm, possible showers, but it never happens! The humidity just hangs around and frizzes the hell out of our hair!! Actually it should rain this arvo, not tomorrow morning. I've got tennis tmr!! At least that's something I can look forward to!!
I gotta stop whinging. The flu lady's grumpiness is rubbing off me....and I'm still at work.
Hope everyone else is having a better day than me!

The verdict is in

2007-03-14T19:46:00.000+11:00

so lunch went well today....the overall comment was "nice", so i guess i did alright. well, passed anyway. if anything it helped me get my cooking bug back. since mum left, i haven't tried any new recipes or cooked anything adventurous. i may just make something yummy next week!

here are some random pictures of brice -evidence that he's addicted to his blackberry. i have more of these. i'm afraid i'd exceed the upload limit if i show them all!

I made lunch!!

2007-03-13T19:37:00.000+11:00

So a couple of weeks ago, a colleague made us some lunch and we decided to take turns at showing off our culinary skills.

Tomorrow's my turn. I made Boeuf Bourguignon with Couscous - which really is beef in wine (lots of it) marinated with herbs and other stuff. It taste quite good (if I may say so myself ;-) Now it's up to my colleagues to judge. Fingers crossed. Here's a piccie. Excuse the plastic containers.....how else am i suppose to pack lunch to the office??

I haven't made this dish in a long time and while making it this arvo, I remembered why. The alcohol fumes overwhelms the entire house when it's baking in the oven! I swear i was tipsy just from the fumes.

OK, fingers crossed for the taste test tomorrow!

All my bags are packed....

2007-03-12T19:24:00.000+11:00

well, not quite but i've booked my flight to KL in May!! Woo-hoo!!
Lisa, watch out 'cos here I come!!

Oh, and we've decided to head to Shanghai and Beijing to see Stephan and Lily in July. Very exciting plans. I can hardly wait. Now I just need to work a few extra days, if i can....and save up for the shopping!! No new bags for the next few months. That's going to be tough.

Wild night

2007-03-06T18:10:00.000+11:00

An impressive lightning storm a couple of nights ago. Apparently up to 65 lightning bolts a minute. Helluva lot of lightning.....Here's an amazing shot.
Photo credit: smh.com.au

Zai Jian!!

2007-03-05T18:13:00.000+11:00

After two weeks in Sydney, mum went home to Singapore a couple of days ago. I'm going to miss coming home to the smell of home-cooked food...
Well at least I still have Phoebe to come home to. Oh, she's going to miss Mum feeding her bits of chicken too, I'm sure...

All Hail the Queen(s)!!

2007-02-26T07:49:00.000+11:00

Haven't been writing 'cos mum is here visiting with my sister and her bf. Much of last week was spent taking them around. They were lucky with the weather 'cos since my sister left on Saturday night, it's been grey and rainy until now. Mum's due back from Melbourne today.....I think the weather isn't looking too positive but at least we've seen most of the sights.

Anyway, last week, Sydney saw the arrival of the two Queens - Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Mary II. We first heard about them while on a harbour cruise and didn't even know what the fuss was about until we saw the fanfare and all to welcome the two ships. And of course, a beautiful fireworks display that night. How lucky are my mum and sis to catch this!!
Here are some photos taken from home....and click here to read about the 2 cruise ships.

Happy Birthday Phoebs!

2007-02-15T16:53:00.000+11:00

It's Phoebe's 4th birthday today..that's 32 human years according to this. Older than I am. Haha!! Oh...she's still my baby. Tonight, she's going to get bits of chocolate for dessert. Gotta love that. That's her barely two months old....

Last night at 3.30am, we were (actually Brice was) awoken at 3.30am by a loud crash in our frontyard. Our neighbours - a bunch of boys on holidays from the US renting part of the house next door, were having a party and someone had thrown over 2 deck chairs and a table. Can you believe that? This isn't the first time they've caused trouble since they got here. Couple of months ago, they had another outrageous pool party which got them into trouble with my landlord. Can't believe they've done it again. Why do they bother renting in this area if they wanted to party so much. We don't exactly live in party central here.
Oh, and this afternoon, just as i was about to holler over the fence to one of the boys to collect their furniture all over my frontyard, i realised he was sunbathing completely naked. Erm....in his vulnerable state, i thought it wasn't very polite to shout at him so i left it. Isn't it kinda risky to leave his bits out in the strong afternoon sun? Are those really in need of a tan? Does he apply sunscreen in that area? Hmm.......I guess an all over tan is very important to some.

Anyway, here's their handy work. The latest I heard, they are probably going to lose their bond. Ouch!

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!

2007-02-13T09:08:00.000+11:00

Went to Chinatown over the weekend to buy some CNY goodies. Thought I'd better get my place spruced up a tad for my mum and sister's visit later this week.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find any pineapple tarts which is one of my favourite CNY snacks. But I managed to grab some 'kok zai', peanut cookies, some other peanut cake thingie, and black melon seeds (especially for mum!). Oh, and my sister managed to get some lotus biscuits mailed over from Singapore!! It arrived with "QUARANTINE APPROVED" stickers all over it. Quite an achievement!

Queen of our garden.....

2007-02-12T08:10:00.000+11:00

There she is...sitting like she owns the place..

Calm before a storm

2007-02-08T08:06:00.000+11:00

A storm was brewing the other day at sunset. Incredible view. It was a rare occasion - Brice was home in time that day to watch this.....

Happy Dancing People

2007-02-06T10:11:00.000+11:00

Scissor Sisters are awesome!! And everything you'd expect...Flamboyant, energetic and spectacular. Love it. Unbelievable audience too - wigs, hats, suspenders, tanks, loud colours all on display. Smiling faces everywhere.
They had a DJ spin some excellent tunes while we waited. Really sets the mood, i reckon.
The opening act was Sneaky Sound System. Hmm....Not a big fan, but fun nevertheless.

Some pics taken with my phone. Atrocious quality - can't even differentiate the drummer from the guitarist. You'll just have to take my word for it.
Oh, and a pic of Brice on his blackberry thrown in. I think I'll start collecting shots of him in all sorts of places using his blackberry.

Plastic cutlery and cups

2007-02-04T12:53:00.000+11:00

Brice invited some of his friends over for a pool party. The owners of our house have kindly let us use the pool area in exchange for the garage.....a more than fair deal for me.
A lot less mischief than I expected. I thought Brice meant it when he said there'll be skinny dipping and all at the end of the night :-p.....Still, a good night, and we all had fun....
Thankfully someone took pics on my behalf....i left the camera on the table most of the night.

Tennis ah!

2007-01-28T13:45:00.000+11:00

Tennis is my new 'thing'. I don't know how long i can keep it up, neither am i any good at it...but at the moment, i bloody love it. Brice has been taking lessons from March last year, and I started in Oct after recovering from surgery. I was terrible....i think my colleagues were too kind to mention the tennis balls that have ended up everywhere else but on the court I was playing in. That is kinda under control now. One or two stray tennis balls on other courts is acceptable, right??? :-p

Anyway, we went to the Australian Open this year for the first time! I think we did pretty good for a couple of non-sports fans. We didn't have the beers and chips but we enjoyed the game all the same. Thanks Frederick for getting us those tickets!
This is the men's semi-finals - Gonzalez vs Haas. Excuse the poor quality shots. I didn't want to appear too 'swah-ku' by snapping at everything, so a couple of quick shots and camera was back into the bag......
Me in a stadium! The last time this happened, I was performing at the NDP!!

The referee explaining the rules...as if they didn't already know...

Hiding places

2007-01-20T14:17:00.000+11:00

Phoebe loves to find new hiding places. I found her on top of our CD cupboard today. Didn't have the heart to tell her off, so I took a picture instead...

Welcome to Sydney!!

2007-01-10T14:04:00.000+11:00

My mum, sister and her boyfriend are coming to Sydney for Chinese New Year in Feb!! This will be their first time here, and sorta my first time spending CNY in Sydney. Exciting..

Oh, and Corinne - Brice's mum, and Anne - his stepsister will be here in April too.

Better keep up the cleaning of the house...

Happy New Year!!

2007-01-04T13:37:00.000+11:00

Made it back to Sydney from GOR to welcome in the new year. We had some people over to watch the fireworks. Maybe it's just me, the fireworks appeared more spectacular than all other years. Happy 2007, folks!!

Finally.....we were on the road

2006-12-31T13:36:00.000+11:00

..the Great Ocean Road, that is.
We've been wanting to do this forever. After months of procrastination, and mismatched schedules, we finally made it over Christmas. Alas, the weather wasn't as cooperative. Grey skies, chilling wind and constant drizzles followed us throughout the drive. Ain't complaining though. At least it kept the hordes of tourists away over this popular summer hol season.

Breathtaking view, as you can see from the pix....

For the full album, go here.

Bye Onslow Place.....

2006-09-15T13:12:00.000+10:00

After 4 years of living in Rose Bay, we are moving house. Not far, just about 5 minutes from Onslow Place. Nothing really wrong with the old place, really. Just wanted a change in scenery, I guess. Plus, i fell in love with the kitchen of our new place.....

All our stuff packed up and ready to go.....
Phoebe says her goodbyes.

Living room and kitchen