and love is a panacea

Top 10 from 2011

2012-01-02T12:14:00.003+08:00

Wow, how can 2011 be over already? This past year has truly flown. I feel so grateful that each year in the recent past seems to have been even better than the one before it. 2011 is no different!
To say that 2011 was an amazing year would be a major understatement. It was full of memories that I will hold onto for the rest of my life!

In chronological order, here are my top 10 from 2011:

Mocca's family visited us and we had an awesome time traveling around the States for almost 2 weeks.
Celebrated our 1 year of engagement bliss with a date at a french restaurant
Went for the Airshow in the US for the first time
Had my first gown fitting experience
Went on a sponsored trip to london alone for 3 weeks
Saw Mocca shoot rounds and drop bombs up close and personal
Got fitted for my ping clubs and got my golf handicap
Had our engagement shoot over 3 sessions after meeting an awesome photographer friend
Went diving in lake pleasant
Had the best birthday ever as Mocca surprised me with a picnic at botanical gardens

Here's to a new year, full of more adventures and precious memories!
Happy 2012 everyone!!!

random, but this is my dream home!!!

Oh oh oh Christmas...

2011-12-23T01:40:00.001+08:00

Just done packing. =D
My long-awaited holiday is finally here!!!!

The christmas tree in my office =DDD

Light me up with me on top lets fa lalalala lala LET'S GO!

The only place you wanna be is underneath my Christmas Tree =P

some christmas presents I've received so far...

stick around...I'll be back! =P

Christmas gathering!

2011-12-18T18:11:00.000+08:00

This year, we had the honour of holding our Xmas gathering at John's bachelor pad =D

To my wushu mates, cheers to 8 years of friendship and many more to come!!!

just being together

2011-12-14T22:14:00.001+08:00

Love such simple couple moments

You never awaken to the same day twice...

Our favourite hangout

2011-12-12T22:16:00.000+08:00

East Coast Park =)

The "welcome home" surprise

2011-12-11T21:18:00.002+08:00

while he was away for deployment, I spent my free time folding these:

PAPER CRANES!!!! =D

My initial plan was to hang the cranes all over the room, just imagine that!!!! It would definitely be quite a sight huh!??!?!! But I had difficulty hanging them on the ceiling without damaging the paint work etc...so, my end product.....

TADAAAAAA!!!!!!!

lovely cranes by the window... pretty right?

love the look on his face when he stepped into the room and saw this!!! hahahaha....

All the time spent preparing this is soooo worth it =D

I am so glad he is back by my side =)

tomorrow!

2011-12-08T22:49:00.002+08:00

Like finally =)

5 more days

2011-12-04T17:13:00.000+08:00

Here I am in Mocca's house,

I stayed up the whole night to prepare a little present to welcome him home. That boy, did well in India and I am very proud of him. =))))) Now...I'm deliriously excited because the boy is finally coming home!!!! 5 MORE DAYSSSSS!!! =DDDDDD

9

2011-11-30T21:58:00.001+08:00

"Missing someone isn't about how long it has been since you last saw them, or the amount of time it has been since you last spoke. It is about the very moments when you are doing something and you wish that they were right there with you!"

9 more days...

Woohoooo....

2011-11-28T22:34:00.001+08:00

Finally done booking all the flight sectors for both of us. =D I've booked for Mocca to travel on business class for one of the sectors! kekekekee It's gonna be a cool cool Christmas!!! I can't wait! yayyyyy

When brunch became lunch

2011-11-27T22:07:00.000+08:00

We planned to have brunch at Marmalade Pantry, but ended up having lunch instead.

because we are just not the morning people. ....but at least we tried...=)

The Salmon & soba, Crabmeat linguine, Sticky date pudding were yummy!!! =)

But the hotcakes was nasty =(

Holiday Mood already...

2011-11-24T21:55:00.004+08:00

I can't believe Christmas is right around the corner! The thought of it freaks me out!!!! =DDD
I mean, sheessshhh...where did the year go?

Have I mentioned this before - this is my favourite time of the year!!!!!!! How I wish I could slow down the turning of the calendar. Seriously....there's so much to do and enjoy. Nice cool weather, Christmas songs, Christmas shopping, presents, boots, turkey....awwwwwww!! =)))

I'm totally dancing in the holiday mood already!

Just look at my Christmassy-glittery nails:

Mocca and I are planning a trip to somewhere cool this Christmas. Massages, hot springs, golf....
Wanna guess where? heheheheee

Back from my run!

2011-11-22T21:20:00.002+08:00

I love how my face turns chilli-red after a run, and when I'm totally drenched in my own perspiration.

Pardon this very unflattering photo but I feel good!!! lalalalalaaa

While jogging/running just now, I saw the jets flew over me (again)! I thought of him, and I miss him so much...
16 more days =D

Spilt, Jump, Kick!

2011-11-21T21:41:00.003+08:00

Catching up with my wushu pals yesterday at Bern's wedding brought back a lot of wushu memories, coupled with the longing to return to this sport I left behind. Simply writing about it now gives me joy, as it allows me to mix 2 of my biggest loves in life together: writing and wushu. (but Mocca still top my list la!)

I didn't realise that deep down inside, I still miss doing all the splits and jumps, and I especially miss that sense of achievement whenever I managed to master a difficult stunt. Those days were difficult, as we were pushed to do moves beyond what we thought we were capable of. But since, I have developed a weird addiction to protracted pain. I still enjoy such sick pleasure. LOL!

But, the energy sappers aka work, is draining every ounce of the energy I have!! Despite that, I still make it a point to jog and stretch after work every day (if weather permits). Once I get the momentum going, I'll probably start kicking ass again!!! =))))

17 more days and Mocca will be back from India!

Technology is our best friend =)

I'm planning to give him a pleasant surprise when he returns....yeah!!!!

=DDDDD

My best wushu sister is getting married!

2011-11-17T21:01:00.003+08:00

Bern's big day is fast approaching...
This Sunday 20.11.2011, she will be officially married! =D

And I'll be there to witness the entire affair as one of her bridesmaids!
I'm really excited, and am very honoured to be part of it all. It will be my first time carrying out the role of a bridesmaid, and it seems fitting that the first time would be for one of my closest friends. =)

Our friendship dates all the way back to our wushu training days. Then... we went through a great deal. We cried together, sweat together, laughed together, trained together day and night, got ourselves injured and bruised, and encouraged each other during competitions...

These memories I will never forget.

So last week, I went with the bride to the bridal studio to choose my dress. They showed me an entire rack of "overly dramatic" dresses - I rejected every single piece almost immediately. In desperation, the lady took out a dress from a "hidden wardrobe" and...

BINGO!!! I decided on that after trying it on. =) It fits so well, as if it has been specially tailored for me.

I'm already so excited when it's just my friend's wedding, just imagine when it's my turn!!! *gasp*

Back!

2011-11-16T00:26:00.000+08:00

Work's crazy.

Well, after a long hiatus I guess..maybe it's time to dust off my blogging boots and give my blog a fresh new "facelift"??? I realised how much I've missed writing here...and taking photographs of the things that make me happy.

If you are my FB friend, you'll notice how I'm kinda getting used to documenting everything on facebook instead...But I think I still enjoy writing and I wanna make it a point to write as often as I can for now.

So I'm back..=)

You can expect a lot of wedding prep entries in time to come.
** I'm gonna be a bridesmaid for the first time this weekend!!!! Photos soon!

a cup of love

2011-10-22T17:41:00.000+08:00

I'm so gonna do this for my wedding!

it has been a while...huh?

2011-10-15T13:41:00.001+08:00

I have been so swamped with work, and at times, I feel like putting everything away and just go on a looonnnnngggg holiday. But then again, I have been holidaying since 2007, so I reallllyy shouldn't be complaining and whining at all.

So I have been reminding myself, I have had wonderful things happen to me. Twists and turns of fate had sent me off on adventures I could not have anticipated.

Now, I chose this path and I should make the best out of it. =D

Mocca gave this poster to me and I have stuck it on my desk in office.

It serves as a daily reminder that I should explore my potential in everything I do.

heeee and I LOVEEEE dolphins! so this is like how appropriate =P

Apart from work, there's also play.
Wedding prep, looking for our future home, holiday plans, usual dating days - these are the simple things that make me smile.

2 weeks back, I was invited to the Topshop/Topman Fashion Show:

The cocktail reception was absolutely great especially after a long day at work. =)

Last Sat was my company's Dinner and Dance, my department had a table paid for by our CEO =)

some of my colleagues at pump room after the event

Mocca and I celebrated our monthsary at Brazil Churrasco (Sixth Avenue branch) last week

he had a total of 12 chicken hearts =/

Wedding updates:

Chanced upon this on the internet...such a lovely way to complete the fairy tale huh??? *grins*

We have been looking at some hotels and finally decided to settle for Fullerton. =)
Will update more soon!

all smiles

2011-09-18T22:41:00.000+08:00

Hope your weekend was as great as ours!

another step forward

2011-09-12T21:11:00.000+08:00

Over the weekend, we went out to prep for our ROM.
Lovely cooling weather despite the haze...

It's not easy planning for our big day when we are both so busy at work.
But, glad that we are getting things going...slow and steady!

Gonna end this post with a very random thought:
Not many things can stand the ravages of time; but those that can...
are pretty special.

which is why I cherish our relationship a lot. =)

What are words

2011-09-03T19:03:00.001+08:00

What are words
If you really don't mean them when you say them
What are words
If they're only for good times then they're done
When it's love
Yeah you say them out loud, those words they never go away
They live on, even when we're gone

Anywhere you are, I am near
Anywhere you go, I'll be there
And I'm gonna be here forever more

Every single promise I'll keep
Cos what kind of guy would I be
If I were to leave when you need me most

I'm forever keeping my angel close

Saturday at East Coast Park

2011-08-24T14:39:00.000+08:00

We wanted to take advantage of any precious time we have, to just chill and relax.

So we ended up at East coast park.

where time stood still...

we sat by the breakwaters

enjoy the breeze

It was my first time riding a tandem bicycle:

Such lovely weather to soak up the sun, and relax with a cuppa coffee at Starbucks. *grins*

When we set aside work, find peace and just look beyond the disarray of human constructions and spend time to experience the abundance of loving miracles that have been surrounding us.

Such bliss is priceless. =)

grins

2011-08-22T22:39:00.000+08:00

Today, dearie and I left for work together.
He drove me to my workplace and we had breakfast together.

What a lovely way to kickstart the wk! =P

Surprise Picnic at Botanical Gardens

2011-08-14T21:45:00.002+08:00

I am blessed with all the good things in life.

I have a supportive family, wonderful friends, a good job, and a husband-to-be who loves me with all his heart.

2 more days to my birthday, and today, the silly boy planned and organized a surprise picnic for me at Botanical Gardens. =D How cute right?!?!?

So my day started with brunch at Em By The River with Lian and Rong.

(and I found out later that my 2 gfs were actually involved in the boy's surprise plan... still cannot figure out how he managed to rope my friends in)

After brunch, the girls managed to convince me to go for dessert at Botanical Gardens.

We spent about an hour there and we ordered 3 slices of cake!! If I knew there's gonna be a picnic after that, I'll definitely not eat so much! damn! hahaa

We decided to "walk around" after.

And from a distance, I saw this group of people picnic-ing in the middle of a huge grass patch (apparently known as the "Garden for Friends") and then I thought to myself "who in the right mind would wanna picnic there?" LOL

Then, I saw 1-2 familiar faces and I looked closely and.....

saw my silly husband-to-be sitting right in the middle of the mat, enjoying the food.

*SURPRISEEEE.....!!!!*

How silly but....sweet =)

So here are the friends who 'sacrificed' their Sunday just so as to attend my surprise picnic party. =)

My birthday cake from "Awfully Chocolate":

Awfully sinful, super yummy!

My 2 gf's since sec sch! Shuilian and Lirong:

JC classmate Melvin and Gf Jaymie:

Chongwai and Annabelle:

Mocca and I:

Standard Group Photo =) :

I love all the presents!!! Thank you all =P

Dear, thank you for coming into my life, for always providing me with words of wisdom, for being there for me whenever I needed you, and despite all my mood swings and tantrums, you'll still smile at me and tell me that you love me.

(screen shot from a video clip)

You know I love you too,

and I'm looking forward to spending both our birthdays together, for the rest of our lives:

MUACKS!

"Father of Singapore"

2011-08-09T21:38:00.001+08:00

Sir Stamford Raffles at Raffles Hotel =)

You never awaken to the same day twice

2011-08-08T15:31:00.000+08:00

The chatter in my brain quiets down and in this sacred realm - the moment beyond thought - there are no longer contradictions, opinions, or preferences.

The darkened air settles around me, embracing me with comfort, expecting nothing in return.

And then, when all is perfectly still, a voice whispers:

"Will you let me love you"

oh! durianssss

2011-08-03T22:52:00.000+08:00

Mocca and I were planning our activities for this weekend....

Him: we'll leave Sun for hotels hunting part 2
Me: okay! Shall we go look for yummy durian puffs and have some this weekend?
Him: sure! How bout let's go eat durians?
Me: Nah...heaty
Him: what's the difference? durian puffs also heaty!
Me: Not so heaty...haha
Him: ok! Then we'll have durian puffs.

1.5hours later....

Him: You wanna open your door?
Me: MY house?? are you outside my house?
Him: yeap!!!
Me: *super excited, ran all the way to the door but didn't take the keys*

That silly boy drove out in the middle of the night just to buy durian puffs for me (and my family) =P

ssssoooooooo LOVE!!!!! =))))

Today is monday

2011-08-01T23:05:00.000+08:00

Mocca drove to my house after work today just so we could have dinner together =)

Nothing fanciful, but I appreciate how he makes effort to spend time with me whenever possible.

It's simple gestures like this that makes me treasure him more.

I just saw him a few hours ago and I'm already missing him badly.

Can't wait for Friday to come!!

I feel like playing some golf this weekend, and we are gonna embark on our first mini project together! =) heeee so exciting!

ok, this is random because today is monday.

Wedding dinner

2011-07-31T22:38:00.000+08:00

We attended Lynn's wedding dinner on Saturday.
It was a very beautiful night at Capella, Sentosa.
I love how the entire dinner was so westernised.

and I absolutely love the dance by the bride and groom =)

Lynn is a fighter pilot and she looked so gorgeous that night.

A few pictures of us at the hotel =)

blisssssssssssss

curls

2011-07-26T20:43:00.000+08:00

My hair today:

recesses of my mind

2011-07-25T00:54:00.000+08:00

At Scottsdale, Arizona a month back...
This photo was taken during one of the few weekends we had left in Arizona before we officially returned to Singapore.

Such good memories.
Pardon my eye bags. Because we were so consumed by endless nights of packing (then), we didn't sleep much.

That day, we drove to a park in Scottsdale and just...relax.
We has no plans, we just wanted to be spontaneous and random.
Weather was insane but we sat there, took in the heat and people watched! LOL

Random but blissful because it is the simplicity that makes it all so pleasurable.

I can't help but miss those days. Damn, such an irony.
When I was in Arizona, there was a period when I wanted to find a job and work badly. I wanted to conduct my rat race and be like a typical Singaporean working lady. I wanted to wake up early, squeeze in the MRT and whine about the crowd and the delayed train service. I wanted to be able to seek excitement in the mundane.

** Disclaimer: not that I didn't enjoy being in Arizona. I DID!!!
Just that you know, you are never always completely satisfied/contented with what you have until you lose it. In this case, My "eng eng ceng ceng" lifestyle back there!!!

Now that I'm back, I got a job. A job so ideal in almost all aspects (pay, job scope, working environment, colleagues). A job I know I would enjoy and on top of it all, pays me well. But, here I am, missing my shake-leg-do-absolutely-nothing days.

SIGHS! The grass is always greener on the other side. right?

Forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest...
like how Ben & Jerrys tastes even better when you've an inflamed throat.

Temptation exists to lull the mind and to succor the heart.
It is resisting and waiting that makes everything taste better!

No pain, no gain huh!

OK, absolutely no link!
Actually, I'm being random and nothing makes any sense here.
Cos it's pretty late now and I am sleepy.
I wanna sleep at 10pm and be awake by 7am.
This was my plan, in preparation for my first day of work THIS WEDNESDAY!!!
But obviously it failed!
I wanna adopt good sleeping habits and have enough sleep to look my best for my first day.
But, now I'm just a walking zombie with absolutely bad skin and terrible eye bags. crap.

So I just wanna whine about how I'm craving for Ben & Jerrys badly now.
and I remember I used to have at least 3 pints of them in my fridge back in Arizona. DAMN.

I'm feeling so crappy from being an insomniac. Even ice cream cannot save the day.
Hmm..but then again, maybe B&J can. *gasps*

That same day in Scottsdale, we took this photo at the LOVE sign.
hehe such cliche pose! But I like it so much cos we both look so SILLY HAPPY.

Feeling grumpy because there's no ice cream! But can't help smiling at this silly photo of us.
hahaha. I think I'm crazy!

ok, I need to sleep! tata

Yes, this is me =)

2011-07-20T22:56:00.001+08:00

a candid shot of me staring at something while they were adjusting the lights

so much to update

2011-07-19T17:07:00.001+08:00

Sorry I disappeared!
There are just endless things to do since we came back 2 weeks ago.
We managed to settle a lot of admin/housekeeping stuff, and everything is almost on-track now. *phew*

A few good news to share:

1) We got our new ride =D

2) I got a job and I am starting work next week =P

3) We went house viewing and shortlisted a few potential places we might be keen
4) I extracted all 4 of my wisdom teeth!

I shall end this post with some photos from Baby's fini flight in the States:

The boy all ready for his flight!

Landed...

Photo of us on the jet =)

Poor boy got 'captured' by the guys...

Poor boy =( BADLY THRASHED!

A moment of us-time in the 'cage':

Finally...the torture is over!

hehe..I didnt dare to stand too close to him because the smell was just .... unbearable! LOL

Till the next time, take care guys!

with love, jo

Hello Singapore!

2011-07-03T10:47:00.000+08:00

I am back!!!!

Sold

2011-06-19T19:07:00.001+08:00

We sold our second car (aka my car) today =(
The moment we put it up for sale, we received like 20 over phone calls this morning.
Mocca sold it early this morning before I could even catch a last glimpse of it =/

Well, here's us, in my humble little car, probably the last shot of us in it before it became somebody else's:

I'm thankful because my car has kept me safe and has served me well.

Hope you are in good hands now =P

2011-06-18T19:11:00.000+08:00

The world's pleasures are fleeting and vain
so what in this world is lasting and true?

Oh, let the tiny ray shine on me...

14 more days

2011-06-16T11:55:00.002+08:00

If everything goes well, Mocca would complete his upgrade tomorrow!!!
Then he will be able to take leave to do some last minute packing (our packing is more or less done!), and we can use the remaining time to enjoy the last bits of Arizona. =P

To most, Arizona is one of the most boring states in the US, but we have so much memories here.
I flew here once in Sept 2009 after our hawaii trip, then I was here again last winter in Jan 2010.
Finally I moved here permanently last summer in May 2010. Now, it's already June 2011- my 2nd official summer here! Gosh, where did all the time go?

Witnessing how our house slowly morph into a much emptier space (now that our furniture is gone) kinda pains my heart. I know I'm gonna miss this place a lot.

But but but, there are more exciting things waiting for us back home!
Like our families, friends, my new job, our wedding, and...hawker food!!!!
Mocca and I have already planned our Ang Mo Kio chilli/butter/salted crab dinner once we are back in Singapore!!! *drools*omggg...I'm so hungry now.

Cya back home 30 June =D

The Apple of my Eye

2011-06-14T11:04:00.001+08:00

Our toys! All "ghost-armored" and ready to go home =P
OMG, we are finally going back to Singapore!

**Ghost Armor is a guaranteed scratch proof protection, with LIFE TIME warranty!
Installing it on a 13.3" macbook pro would cost about USD$100. Learn more about Ghost Armor here.

2011-06-12T14:44:00.003+08:00

Gastrics acting up and there's no food =(

Hot!!!

2011-06-06T14:33:00.001+08:00

105°F today!

Survived the crazy summer heat, and I am lovin' it!

Our Wedding Band =)

2011-06-03T06:19:00.001+08:00

Yay, strike off another item from our wedding checklist =)

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

2011-06-01T14:43:00.002+08:00

Memorial Day Weekend is just the promise of so many warm, fabulous days ahead...after what seemed like the longest winter/spring of all time! But then again, I'm heading back to sunny Singapore end of this month, so the cold weather doesn't matter anymore! heee

We decided to visit Las Vegas again. =) Mainly cos we wanted to catch a show, and then also because Las Vegas is a place that means alot to us. Vegas is the first city in the States where we visited together, where we saw our first fireworks together, where we sat our first roller coaster ride together etc etc
Basically, it's a place where we shared alot of good memories 2 years back.

We stopped by Lake Mead on the way there to enjoy the beautiful weather:

Hello Las Vegas!

That's Newyork Newyork hotel and its famous roller coaster ride! =D

We caught the Lion King musical:

Very amazing musical. Must watch!

We went shopping:

We had lunch at Memphis BBQ right outside Nellis Airforce Base:

The strip at night:

Inside Bellagio:

and of cos, stuck in a traffic jam (nothing new hehe):

hehe Mocca attempting a cross-eyed look.

We had a fabulous long weekend, hope you did too!

2011-05-27T18:03:00.002+08:00

I received a whole bunch of beautiful photos, and I have been looking through them for hours already!
We are so damn fortunate. Thank you =)

and and and, I bought 5 dresses today! kekeke

We went Diving!

2011-05-23T12:55:00.003+08:00

It was one of my most interesting dive trips thus far.

1) Visibility was bad: I lost my dive buddy (i.e. Mocca) a couple of times =/ I was all alone on the sea bed once when the rest had already surfaced. I just waited because I knew someone would come and get me soon enough. Thank god, I remained calm and I didn't freak out =P

2) We were too heavy: Dive master gave all of us too much weight, so we all had a hard time controlling our buoyancy, and we were freaking tired at the end of the dive!!

3) Thermal Cross Over: My first time experiencing a "thermal cross-over". The temperature dropped so suddenly and I was freezing and shivering for a good 10-15 minutes.

Other than that, it was a good and challenging dive trip. I have definitely enjoyed myself a lot =)

All right, photos!!! =)

The guys

My dive buddy =)

Dive buddies =)

That's my tank =) and Mocca was helping me carry it back up.

He said I am the laziest diver in the world! keke

The guys, after the first dive.

That's me, after the first dive =)

I'm sun burnt now! but it's all worth it =D

This is my ideal study room

2011-05-19T13:07:00.000+08:00

*drools*

YAY!

2011-05-17T14:48:00.000+08:00

I am so HAPPY because 2 minutes ago, Davin Huang said this
"How about I give you one walk-in wardrobe?"

I immediately went "DEAL!!!" =D
MAD HAPPY!

Little accomplishments, Little smiles...

2011-05-16T14:47:00.002+08:00

I've got my golf handicap! yipee!!!!!

My United States Golf Association Handicap is provided by AWGA:

A little present from the Arizona Women's Golf Association =)

Mocca finally received his certificate for his "Hole in One":

Last year I returned my "licence to fly" to SQ. So Mocca got me a new pair of wings:

I love the long nights leading up to summer with the birds still chirping away.

and if everything turns out right, it seems we might be going on a scuba diving trip soon =)

YAY! I'm so excited!

Jo can cook, so can you

2011-05-12T01:12:00.001+08:00

I was a terrible cook.
In the past, I had problems even if it's just cooking rice and frying an egg.
I'll make a mess in the kitchen whenever I decide I wanna whip up a (simple)meal.
My mum eventually forbids me to step into her kitchen =(

Then when I moved to Arizona, I figured that this is a skill I could work on.
My motivation was that, if I were to be cooking almost every day, I had better improve
and be goddamn good at it at the end of the day.
After all, "practice makes perfect". =)

I wasn't confident but I was very hardworking and motivated.
I read recipes, and I followed them closely, step by step.
I would spend hours just to prepare the ingredients.

This went on for months, a year, and now, finally, I'm proud to say that I can cook without looking at recipes! Well, this is really something to me! There were even times when I conjured up dishes with whatever I have left in the fridge!

Here are some of my 拿手好菜 (favourite/specialty dishes):

Hainanese Chicken Rice and Winter Melon Soup

Cereal Prawns - Mocca's Favourite!

Sweet and Sour Pork

Thai Chilli Back Ribs

Beans with Minced Meat

Mee Hoon Kueh - I made the "kueh" from scratch

Corn and Potato Soup

Bubur Pulut Hitam

Tau Suan Chinese Dessert

Thai Minced Meat Omelette - Khai Jiao Mu Sup

Ba Chor Mee

Roasted Chicken - made it from scratch, from deboning to slowly roasting

Chicken Feet, Mushroom and Peanut Soup

Chicken Katsu Curry Rice

Claypot Lup Chong Rice

Lor Bak

Oyster Sauce Mushroom and Green Vegetables

Fried Fish Bee Hoon Soup with Milk

It might not be anything impressive but at least to me, it is a little resolution I have set for myself and I've achieved it.
I feel very accomplished. =)

Now, who says I am not wife material? *beams*

Happy Anniversary!

2011-05-10T05:58:00.001+08:00

Yet another amazing year together! =)

Everything is so amazing, our love is amazing, you are amazing.

Today is a happy pink day

2011-05-09T18:00:00.001+08:00

Today,
I painted my nails pink
I bought a pink lip stick
I wore a pink hair clip

and this morning, I received this bouquet of pink roses from Mocca:

Today,
we both held hands and walked in the river.
We removed our shoes, and he rolled up his pants.
He held on to my long dress that got soaked eventually.
It was hilarious!

I have enjoyed myself a lot =)

White by Vera Wang

2011-05-06T01:46:00.001+08:00

2 more days

2011-05-05T00:00:00.014+08:00

GE 2011 is overly hyped up. seriously.

You know it has gone beyond the stage of people-being-genuinely-concern when some people are taking the chance to make money out if it.

I remember I did a news broadcast back in school during GE 2006, and we went around interviewing students to find out if young people are politically apathetic. Then, students generally are not that bothered with the Elections. This time round, we see young people attending rallies and even voicing out their thoughts on facebook.

Twitters messages are pouring in every single day.
Facebook newsfeed is blowing up with all sorts of information/comments related to the elections.

Such, is the influence and magic of the social media!
I'm not saying this is a bad thing.

Even when I'm so far away from the actual location, I can sense the tension as the date draws closer to voting day.

I have already engaged in a few political debates with Mocca's colleagues over lunch/dinner here in Arizona.
It's not funny.

There's so much I wanna say about the manifestos presented by the parties, my views on certain candidates, basically my thoughts in general about this entire election episode, but I think it's best if things are left unsaid.
for obvious reasons =X

So, I would just say
"May the best man win" =)

who doesn't love a happy ending?

2011-05-04T02:35:00.002+08:00

290411 - The Royal Wedding, was a day little girl's dreams are made of.
That day is just proof of my theory that real life fairy tales do come true.
Cheers to the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!

I absolutely loved that she went classic with her own twist.
I loved the page boys and flower girls.

*** pictures are taken from some online news website, I can't rem which.

Weddings, are such beautiful events.
I'm totally looking forward to mine =)

Osama is dead

2011-05-03T20:15:00.000+08:00

I was enjoying my dinner with Mocca at Buffalo Wild Wings when suddenly the news broke.
It was like "BREAKING NEWS: OSAMA IS DEAD" flashing on the huge TV screen.
Then they said the president would be addressing the nation shortly.

It was one of those moments, when everyone just stopped what they were doing, and all the heads were turned to the screens around, and for a good 5-10 minutes, everyone just glued their faces and focused all their attention on those screens.

Falcon Dunes Golf Course

2011-05-02T15:14:00.001+08:00

Our golf game together:

When we got home:

Golf and Godiva = a very Happy girl:

There were times when I felt like this

2011-05-01T12:37:00.001+08:00

awful, so awful I don't know what to do.

My man dropped bombs and strafed today!

2011-04-30T14:01:00.002+08:00

I am glad that Mocca signed me up for this "Range Day" event:

We get to enter the range and see the fighter pilots "do their thing" from a very close yet safe distance.

Today, I saw my man in action!!!
Dropping bombs and shooting rounds.
Freakin' awesome!!!
I'm so happy I managed to capture this shot of him in his jet =)

I was so close to him when his jet flew over me.
Then he strafed, and the sound of it was LOUD but super cool.

super super awesome stuff I'll never ever get to see if I were back in Singapore

Briefing at Barry M. Goldwater Range
(where it was established to train U.S. Army Air Corps pilots for World War II) :

Thank you widow warriors for organising this!

There's always time for golf...

2011-04-25T10:49:00.000+08:00

We drove to Sun City for golf at Union Hills Country Club.

Mocca played incredibly well today! =P

Happy Easter y'all =)

Weekly Golf

2011-04-24T15:03:00.002+08:00

Golf has become part of our weekly routine.

Mocca and his instructor - analyzing his swing on video

He signed himself up for lessons to correct and improve his swing.

and here's yours truly...resting!!! hehehe

went to hit some balls during his 1-hr lesson.

Then we headed to the pool in the evening. Sucha healthy lifestyle. Me likey!!!

I am home =)

2011-04-23T07:20:00.001+08:00

Mocca texted me
"your hall pass is over, back to reality!!!"

LOL sucha silly boy! he should know better than anyone else that I would never require anything like a hall pass and I have always been living in reality!!! Just that being with him feels too good to be true sometimes. kekeke...

He told me he fell asleep after work yesterday and when he woke up and realised that I was landing soon, he flew to the airport! I walked out of the gate and I saw him sitting there almost dozing off!! =P
I landed close to midnight. heh

It feels good to be back, to be around him again.
I missed him so much.

Got home and I saw this new pink accessory hanging on my golf bag:

Mocca got it for me!!! to "scrub" my irons =)

Guardsman of London:

Ain't this guy cute?

I couldn't resist when I saw him sitting on the shelves, I knew I gotta bring him home =)

Oh my hair is growing out of proportion!!! keke

Time for a hair cut or maybe I should wait until after my photoshoot =D

No jet lag! I slept 8 hours straight. In his arms. =)

Mocca told me this morning while I was sleeping like a baby, I was speaking in my dreams...

I went "so scary, so scary...so scary"

Seriously, I can't remember anything that I have dreamt!

YAY WEEKENDS with my boy! like finally... 2 weeks away felt like forever...

omg...why am I so in love? sheeesssshhhhhhhhhhhhh

=) 可能从此以后学会珍惜天长和地久

2011-04-21T07:29:00.003+08:00

有时候有时候我会相信一切有尽头
相聚离开都有时候没有什麽会永垂不朽
可是我有时候宁愿选择留恋不放手
等到风景都看透也许你会陪我看细水长流

Borough Market

2011-04-20T04:27:00.000+08:00

Aitee and I at Borough Market =)

Scallops!

Roast Pork Bun!

London Bridge!

2011-04-16T22:37:00.000+08:00

Spent a few hours strolling along River Thames, and admiring the "London Bridge":

With Aitee, my sec school friend, who is doing her Masters in London now =)

and this is the nicer "Tower Bridge":

Such great weather to embrace life. Everything would be perfect if you were here with me =)

Happy Feet!!!

2011-04-15T07:50:00.000+08:00

cute shoes for every day casual wear =)

Got the 2 cutesy bow ones for my sister and the leopard-print pair for me!! wahahahahhaaha

pretty right?

I have moved from Surrey to Richmond.

Tmr I'll be heading to Borough Market (London Bridge). Weather's great, life's good!

Happy and missing the boy loads!

I flew all the way to London for this...

2011-04-12T06:26:00.000+08:00

The Best Roast Duck in the World!! No kidding!!!

I have been craving for this for the longest time!

and I'm so thankful Mocca is willing to sponsor my trip =)

Yummiest Roast Duck ever!! I swear!

Every time I visit London, this is the first place I'll go when I touch down =)

Please try it if you ever visit London! Four Seasons at Bayswater!

You will never look at roast duck the same way again keke

2011-04-10T08:11:00.001+08:00

Hello, I am in London =)

2011-04-08T10:39:00.002+08:00

My golf is improving =)

2011-04-06T18:23:00.000+08:00

If __________, Would you be happier?

Budget for ROM?

2011-04-05T16:58:00.000+08:00

Just wondering.... how much do couples normally spend on ROM?
Cause I don't wanna overspend.

The countdown

2011-04-01T05:58:00.003+08:00

In 3 months, we would be heading back to Sunny Singapore!!!!
I'm terribly excited and am looking forward to going home! yeahhh....

With the limited time we have here now, every single moment is very precious, and it ought to be spent wisely. *grins*

Highlights of the past few weeks:
(sorry for all the low quality photos, cos I captured screen shot of the photos instead of using the original ones)

1) Airshow

That's me and Mocca in front of the fighter jet

Mocca and Riley

Riley and her sister in flight suits! Pilots for a day =)

2) More Gown Fitting:

One of Ian Stuart's gowns. Retailing at USD$6000 =D

3) I got fitted by Ping for my golf clubs!

and Mocca has ordered my irons and a putter for me already! Can't wait for them to arrive =)

4) I'm gonna miss seeing such huge cactus along the streets:

Me and HUGE cactus, see the little bird on top?

5) I made Mee Hoon Kueh from scratch:

3 more months and I don't have to cook to satisfy my cravings anymore =P

2011-03-23T13:31:00.000+08:00

There's so much I wanna blog about...but I. am. so. LAZY!!!

wedding prep, golf, Airshow, photoshoot...one whole never-ending list!!!
oh wells! hehe

White

2011-03-18T16:50:00.001+08:00

I'm growing to love white

1 year of engaged bliss...

2011-03-15T12:46:00.001+08:00

ONE year, since I put on the ring, since he popped the question.
Times flies! It's crazy how we have been engaged for a year already... =) *gasp*

I prepared my little gift for him while he was away in Florida. It's a cute little drawing of us =)
Him, in his flight suit, and me in a little pink dress.

So, here's the final product:

and we spent a romantic evening together at a romantic French restaurant:

Sauteed Foie Gras with Roasted Pear

My Spicy Tomato and Lobster Bisque soup

My Fiance =)

This is the menu for 28 Feb 2011. They change their menu every day!

See? the silly boy loves my present:

One year of engaged bliss =D

i can feel it!

2011-03-09T03:35:00.000+08:00

summer is coming. =)

I am so looking forward because summer = beach, swimming, bikini !!!

Loves!

2011-03-04T18:41:00.000+08:00

source: ofspeedosandchivas

and so the man returns...

2011-03-03T05:34:00.000+08:00

My "welcome home" present for him:

His presents for me:

That silly boy went to the beach and picked 5 seashells. Then he bought 14 postcards, and wrote one postcard to me every day. At the end of deployment (the 14th day), he put them all together and TADAAA...my present! Which I appreciate and love dearly =)

Adding to my collection:

another dolphin snowglobe =)

and a dolphin magnet from Florida:

I shall write about our 1 year of engagement celebration soon.

and guess what? I actually went for my first gown fitting session already =) stay tuned!

The ugliness of...people

2011-02-26T15:03:00.000+08:00

When I listen to certain people talk with false objectivity and yet audible disdain about somebody else, it bothers me a lot. Worse when they camouflage their behavior and remain cordial to the said person.

At some point in our lives, we would all encounter people who have a "nice" side, and they make us believe that they are genuine in their dealing with us or they really care about us. But sadly enough, the opposite is true.

Why is it that this certain group of people enjoy creating a vortex of drama, as if there's not enough sadness around already?

Clearly, this is some real ugliness of people in general.
Maybe in varying degrees, we are all pretentious in some way.

Life is simple, really. It is us, who make things so much more complicated.
sighhhssss!!!!
___________________________________________________________________________________
On a happier note,
I'm glad Mocca is finally returning home tomorrow!
This 3 weeks has been the longest ever.
I miss everything about him, especially his presence in our apartment.

I know for sure that tomorrow is gonna be a beautiful day =)
* oh! did I mention that I bought a stalk of rose and I'm gonna bring it into base and welcome him with it when he lands? * hehe

Good Hair Days

2011-02-23T14:00:00.000+08:00

I love how my hair falls nicely into place when I wake up every morning

*beams*

Presidents' Day Weekend

2011-02-22T08:03:00.002+08:00

Best excuse/reason to go shopping!
SALES SALES SALESSSS

In the car on our way there:

Camwhoring with cute Elisa

She made me take a picture with her in our shades:

We snatched up some really awesome deals at Kate spade, UGG, pretty shoes from Dior,

and I also got Mocca and myself matching Ed Hardy T-shirts =)

Super Loves!!!!

5 days to his return! like FINALLY....=P yay!

Things that made me smile

2011-02-19T18:56:00.001+08:00

From the boy =)

Ben&Jerry's / Haagen Dazs (14oz) for just 1.99 !!!!!!!!!

The Loot:

Curls:

The celebration of love

2011-02-17T12:33:00.004+08:00

Firstly, Happy Valentine's Day to all.
I know by saying the above 3 words, I would have probably caused every single reader to groan in frustration. But you know, whether you are single/in a relationship/it's complicated, this is a day worth celebrating! Since you cannot escape the mayhem that surrounds this day, and you cannot pretend it doesn't exist, you might as well embrace it! Right?

Look at it this way, it's a perfect occasion to express your love and let people around you know that you care.

Well, my Valentine's Day celebration this year will be a belated one, in conjunction with our ONE year of being engaged!(when he returns) Time flies aint it? We are (almost) engaged for a year already.

When my Valentine returns, we'll have 3 days all to ourselves.

For now, our presents:

I made him a card and got Bob (his colleague) to send it over to Florida for him.

He got me this Body Pillow from Tempur-pedic, and I call it the "Davin Bolster".

He said he wanted me to have this so I can hug it to sleep whenever he is away =P

Then I wouldn't feel so lonely =)

However way you all celebrated it (or not), I hope you all had a kick ass Valentine's Day!

xoxo jo

My skin care regime

2011-02-16T15:07:00.003+08:00

Well, a few girls have requested for me to blog about my skin care regime, and I know I have been sleeping on this for awhile. That's cos I am really not the best person to ask when it comes to skincare and cosmetics products. I'm still figuring out myself what is best for my skin, but just for those who have asked and who are interested to know, here's my very lazy skincare regime:

I'm currently using Toner, Essence and Moisturiser from DHC:

Platinum Silver Nanocolloid - this is a gift and I have a few sets of it.

I have been using these for almost a year already.

Sometimes, when my skin feels too dry, I'll use the Olive virgin oil from DHC:

Then, once in a while, I'll use Creme De La Mer Moisturising cream:

For my eyes:

Im using these eye masks from TheFaceShop.

I got these in bulk from Korea and it's very cheap in Korea as compared to Singapore.

So, I'll use these twice to 3 times a week.

I'm not using any eye cream for now, still searching for a more suitable one.

Feel free to recommend a good one to me. =P

Lastly, before I sleep...

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack

I use this twice a week or whenever my skin feels dry.

Personally, I think your diet is more important than the products you use.

For myself:

1) I drink at least 8 - 10 glasses of water a day

2) Cut down on fried food as much as possible

3) Fruits!

4) There was a period of time I took Bird's Nest once every 2 days.

5) Cut down on alcohol

Finally, EXERCISE! and ample sleep =)

2011-02-15T12:29:00.003+08:00

Too many nights of bad dreams, a scratch in my eye and I'm feeling under the weather.

I'm praying for a good friend's mum's recovery.
Too much sadness around me recently.

I'm feeling so miserable, and I hate it especially so because it's Valentine's Day.

I need some hope, faith and love. really badly.

The Rascals at home!

2011-02-13T16:22:00.000+08:00

we all miss the man of the house, hurry come back soon Mocca!

2011-02-12T12:19:00.001+08:00

Gonna hit the gym now! Byebye Fats

Love is in the air

2011-02-11T16:30:00.002+08:00

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and I've already picked up the sweatpants I'm going to wear and the tub of ice cream I'm gonna eat.

Clearly, we'll do a belated celebration this year when my valentine returns.
Afterall, every day is Valentine's Day right?

I'm perfectly fine with eating ice cream and watching movies in bed anyway.

For now:

Happy monthsary baby and I love you. You know that. =)

Ok, I'm gonna digress a bit...
this is soooooo awfully romantic! An outdoor snowy dinner???? goshhh

Love this!

Missing the boy so much

2011-02-09T04:19:00.000+08:00

There's something desolate in this cold, empty house. I need to feel the warmth, badly.
Maybe I should just nap away the winter chill in my bones.

So, when I'm finally awake, spring would come, and you'll be back.
Then, there will be life again.

Happy Rabbit Year!

2011-02-08T02:49:00.000+08:00

It feels weird to celebrate Chinese New Year in an Angmoh Country.
But kudos to the sqn for putting in great effort to prepare a feast for us to at least feel at home.

We had Yusheng and Steamboat:

On top of that, there were also games, lucky draws and orange eating competition. =)

Gong Xi Gong Xi!!!

Here's wishing everyone an awesome Rabbit Year!

Happy February!

2011-02-02T09:32:00.002+08:00

This is gonna be an exciting month!

1) Chinese New Year
2) Valentines Day
3) Our 1 year of being engaged

We are leaving for Vancouver tomorrow!
Spending our CNY there =)

and while Mocca leaves for his deployment to Florida next week, one of my gfs is coming over to Arizona to visit!

I'm so excited! It's my first time visiting Canada and we would be going snowboarding at Mt Whistler.

=D =D =D =D =D happy girl!!!

Here's wishing all of u a very happy CNY Eve!!!

HUAT AH!

The new A&F model?

2011-01-27T11:15:00.000+08:00

Mocca's creation:

me-time!

2011-01-25T09:07:00.000+08:00

What a whirlwind holiday! We are finally settled back home in the burbs after driving all over with the family. I am attempting to get a million things done, but finding I have energy for little else other than some much needed couch time. So instead of feeling like I'm getting behind on everything, I've decided to try and embrace it.

At least, Im done cleaning the house and washing the bedsheets!

I shall end this random post with a picture of our pretty sunflower that is finally blooming after 3 months!

Our happy sunflower =)

2011 is off to a busy albeit amazing start...

2011-01-20T16:45:00.000+08:00

Sorry for the long hiatus!!!
Mocca's Mum and Bro are currently in town. =P

We have been away on a longggg roadtrip and returned only a couple of days back.

We drove a total of 2600 miles!
That's almost like driving from Singapore to China.
haaa...so imagine the amount of photos we took...well well...give me some time to sort them out.

Meanwhile, here are some highlights of the trip:

The weather was beautiful, and we all enjoyed ourselves alot. More photos to come!

My Twenty Eleven

2011-01-04T16:38:00.000+08:00

Im glad I fulfilled my resolutions last year.

This is my 2011's:

2011-01-03T04:13:00.000+08:00

I am waiting for my chance to shine.

1.1.11

2011-01-01T14:55:00.057+08:00

My, oh my...where has the year gone?

I’ve had a lot of fun reminiscing about 2010.
2010 was the year when I quit my job and moved to the States, also the year when I got engaged.
It was a crazy year in which I accomplished the impossible with plenty of laughs, tears, frustration, and joy. I feel so incredibly blessed to have found true love, to have such a supportive and loving family, and to live a fortunate lifestyle.

2011 is shaping up to be even better for me and I hope it’s turning out the same for you.

This was how we spent our last day of 2010:

We went for Dimsum Lunch, then we went grocery shopping to prepare for our hotpot dinner, we had a Satay soup Hotpot dinner, we made tiramisu cake, then we drove to downtown Phoenix for the countdown and fireworks! We spent our first few moments of 2011 eating pizza for supper at a nearby pizza joint after the countdown!

[Super huge box of fireworksss!!]


*[Our very yummy Satay Steamboat Dinner =P]*

[rabbit face to welcome a rabbit year]

Happy New Year, my friends!

I hope you’re safe and that 2011 brings you everything you wish for.

To my readers, I hope to have wonderful things to share with you in this new year. Thank you so much for following along our journeys. It means so much to have you all here. You are the most supportive, inspiring group of readers I could ask for. - xoxo, jo

Snowiest Christmas

2010-12-29T08:01:00.003+08:00

We are back!

It was such an amazing roadtrip, it's hard to believe it ended all too quickly.
The weather was crazy cold but we know that our hearts are all warm and fuzzy. We had such a great time, good food, fun snowboarding, awesome company, and beautiful memories =)

After 10 hours on the road, our first scenic stop at Sequoia National Forest:


[I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery, air, mountains, lake, snow, people...]

Snowboarding at Mammoth Mountain:

[7 of us in the gondola, going up to the highest slope]

[brrrrr....freezing cold]

[aching body but a happy heart]

[sumi and i]

[the eagle stunt]

Mono Lake:

MERRY CHRISTMAS my friends =)

and here's wishing all of u a magical 2011!!!

xoxo

All set for snowboarding!

2010-12-22T08:02:00.001+08:00

Mocca got this Burton Snowboarding Jacket for me this Christmas!

I felt it was too expensive but he claimed it is reasonable for a jacket from Burton and moreover, I can wear this everytime I go ski or snowboard =P so yeap...

and also a pair of snowboarding pants!! Now I'm all set for snowboarding!!! =)

Weekend Snaps

2010-12-21T03:05:00.001+08:00

[Some of the presents I have wrapped!]

[Micky gave this to me! Thank you so much!]

[Saw these at Walmart! Pretty!!]

Attended Desiree's Princess Party at Sqn:

[Some of the wives]

[Bob and Mocca]

[Tri Foam Car Wash!! heeee]

Fantasy Friday

2010-12-17T17:40:00.001+08:00

"being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections..."

I am so excited to take on the holidays with bliss, joy and happiness!

What I love most about Christmas:

Christmas lights

Christmas smell (candles, pine trees etc)

Christmas songs!

Candy Canes

Hot Chocolate

Christmas Trees!

Playing in the snow

Comfy socks

Wrapping and unwrapping presents!!

I can't wait for my white Christmas Holiday next week =D

**The weather has been great!

Tmr, I'm just gonna drive out, drive around the neighbourhood and play christmas songs in my car! yipeeee!!!

2010-12-16T15:23:00.002+08:00

I'm speechless because I'm so disappointed I don't know what to say.