revelation of 28 april twenty12: painting sucks.

instead of giving me the zen & patience painting ought to offer, it brought me angst instead. for different reasons: birthday celebration WITHOUT the birthday girl (epic, eh?), noisy neighbours, pressure from completing the masterpiece within the 3-hour slot, coming-to-the-end-of-the-world ridiculous heat, whatever reasons i can think of basically when im angsty.

despite all these, i must say im happy enough with the final outcome - after i completed the marker outline at home last night. since it was impossible to get sharp outlines with lousy paint brushes.

here, i present to you, "love at first sight", and the making of.

im writing this last entry of the year with a slight bump in my right cheek. it feels really weird, like half of my face is almost feeling-less, even when i scratched it! haha. but now, im definitely wiser, and pretty like a proud fishball :)

twenty11 for me can be described as a rollercoaster year, i guess. there were ups, there were downs, i can't decide whether it was a happy one, a sad one, or a neutral one like most years. but i do think, it is definitely a happier moment for me now (despite the physical discomfort im in right now), as compared to this time last year when i penned my thoughts in this private space.

work. the struggles of an OL continued this year. i started twenty11 in a new full-time job in the private sector, with a little apprehension and uncertainty, but game for new challenges that came my way. but well, things didn't happen the way i expected, and i called it quits after a mere 4 months. im now where i consider myself lucky to escape to; im not sure if it's really good for me, but im just thankful for this second home for now.


life. this year, i lost two old friends. the first one was a devastating one 'cause she meant so much to me in my life, one of those from the old workplace whom i kept in touch with after so many years, despite our differences in age, race, beliefs. i may have gotten over the grief of losing a true friend with a big, selfless heart, but the regret of not seeing her in person for the last time before she left will always be there. It's been 9 months since she left, but i still think of her all the time, of us in our happier days, of her positivity in those last days we spent time together. and each time i do, i still want to cry. her number remains in my phone, so does a picture of her looking her cute & cheerful self in her healthier days... it's like G never left me - she's always in my heart, and i hope she's happier in her other 'home' now.

friendship. ah.. how shall i even start? it may seem like a joke, but such is reality. during the year, i reunited with 3 former school mates. they are really old friends, from close to 20 years ago. you can imagine the joy, the disbelief of finally finding these lost friends over the powers of FB. but as cruel as reality is, things change over the years. apparently friendships do too, no matter how long it has been, how deep they go. there were probably some issues among them i could never apprehend, some bonds i could never be part of. i chose to let go once again, and take things in my stride - just as how fate miraculously let us meet again, despite all odds. that said, i continue to treasure friends around me - especially friends who had stuck with me for.. as long as i remember; i just try not to question anymore when they choose to go.
 

love. continues to be a big part of me, and i continue to hold that big dream of mine. im thankful for everything, for the miracle in my life. i want gratitude to be a constant part of my life - to be thankful for everything that happened, to be thankful for everything that will come my way.


with that, i end off with some new year resolutions for twenty12 :) new hopes for the new year, i call them.
1) more reunions with my BFF! this year, i visited her after... 5 years? since her marriage, it's unbelievable! i had such a good time visiting my dearest friend at her lovely home during BEAUTIFUL autumn (absolute loves!), i promised her it wouldn't be another 5 years before i go back again.
  


2) continue to exercise regularly! this year, i aspired *ahem* to be healthier, for the sake of my ballooning size. it's driving me crazy how weight and size is such a BIG (oh, irony!) part of my life, but well, life is unfair like that. and it's either i swallow the hard facts and work hard, or give up. it has to be the former obviously, as i work hard to pay off my gym instalments, fml.


3) treasure my friends, that i never forget.


4) treasure my family, that i always take for granted.


5) always have love in my life, and continue to hold high hopes of my dream.


6) grumble less! like seriously. whether it's towards work or generally things in life. i want to be a better person, not a bitter one.


carpe diem. sieze the day.

xx

 
 
 


isn't the transformation amazing? nature is truly awesome in the most incredible ways.

never loved red so much before. i love autumn. best ever ♥ 

did i say it already? CAN'T. WAIT.

(seriously, the wait is killing me! arghhhh)

just a few couple of posts down, it was celebrating july 2010. and this, already is july 2011. wah piangz. 

anyway, im doing this for who else? - but miss yong ♥ 

july this year has been a fun one. FINALLY (not too late for much regret yet), exploring the boutique hotels i have always heard of, and lusted for. who wouldn't? there's just this unrivalled charm that boutique hotels offer: the genius combo of modern art and extravagant indulgence in rich, expensive furniture; set against the vintage/rustic charm of shophouses in which most of these boutique hotels are housed - how not to love? the attraction is almost fatal! 

okay, maybe i exaggerate. but let these pics speak for themselves. the retro beauty of wanderlust (just the name is much to love for, no?) vs the mysterious, seductive beauty of scarlet. two of different draws of attraction, but two of the same charm i fell for. what's next, i wonder? ♥


 

as fate would have it, something unexpected, awesomely incredible happened to me. i call it fate, i attribute it to good karma. i found three people who had been a brief but such important part of my secondary school days just very recently. (thanks to my fb addiction, ha!)

it must have been close to 20 years, maybe less, but thereabouts. we couldn't remember how it exactly happened; how we lost touch, that is. but whatever it is, as pey told me when i gave her a long goodbye hug on our first day of reunion - it's back to the good old times :)

it is. you are an awesome bunch! i still love y'all as much as i loved you before, if not more ♥

honestly, i really meant to write one for the year before it ends. so much happened since the purple days. it's as if my life this year truly started only after august (ironic, 'cause august has always been my favourite month... just not this year). but everyday passes by, just like that. when i thought i was very free. and now, it's finally come down to the last week, my last week of freedom. i wanted so badly to relish my last week of freedom so i guess other things or people took precedence over writing.

for now, these will have to do.






finally, a brand new year awaits. im so ready - goodbye, twenty10.

it might just be the first time we celebrated one of our birthdays in a neighbourhood, but seriously the idea wasn't too bad. the birthday girl came up with the venue herself - canopy (also linked to its vegetarian sister, green room cafe), hidden right in the midst of bishan park. coincidentally, it was pretty near to kim kim's parents' place, which i used to frequent before she got married off.

the downside? there was nothing else to do after din since, well, bishan park is just a park, unless we chose to go for some late night spa treatment, which was very near the eateries.

   outside

  inside


  

food isnt to die for, but still, rather yummy considering i was famished. the sides were delish though! (okay, biased 'cause we ordered my 2 must-have favourite veggies, 'shrooms & broccoli!)

just don't bother wasting money on drinks though, particularly the smoothie. TRUST ME.

for "birthday cakes", yong chose old-time fav, tiramisu; kim her current fav, honey date pudding; me, the bloody looking panna cotta. 
 

  

for you, yong ❤ happy times :)