I just came to leave this, in case I forget:

I promised you the world again
Everything within my hands
All the riches one could dream
They will come from me

I hoped that you could understand
That this is not what I had planned
Please don’t worry now
It will turn around

Cause I need more time
Just a few more months and we’ll be fine
So say what’s on your mind
Cause I can’t figure out just what’s inside

I hoped that you could understand
That this is not what I had planned
Please don’t worry now
It will turn around

Cause I need more time
Just a few more months and we’ll be fine
So say what’s on your mind
Cause I can’t figure out just what’s inside
So say alright
Cause I know we can make it if we try
Cause I need more time
Just a few more months and we’ll be fine

We’re off to new lands
So hold on to my hands
It’s gonna be alright
It’s a whole lot brighter
So stand by the fire
It’s gonna be alright
Yeah, the road gets harder
But it’s not much farther
It’s gonna be alright
You know that it ain’t easy
Please believe me
It’s gonna be alright

Please don’t worry now
It will turn around

Cause I need more time
Just a few more months and we’ll be fine
So say what’s on your mind
Cause I can’t figure out just what’s inside
So say alright
Cause I know we can make it if we try
Cause I need more time
Just a few more months and we’ll be fine”

- More Time, Need to Breathe

Picture from here.

It has been a rather disconcerting two days for various reasons. My body’s feeling a tad out of sync despite all the sleep that I’m getting and I feel a bit out of touch with everything. It’s like my consciousness and my being is in two separate places, could be due to all the running about that I’ve been doing though.

Thankfully, though it’s only about four days since last weekend but I’ve been blessed enough for sit-downs (FINALLY!) with friends over great coffee (and food at my favourite place!), comparable to melbourne desserts and tea. Very much like old times. very much.

Yesterday, whilst ogling food pictures, I chanced upon a picture of tiramisu and was suddenly filled with much peace. ahha. I wonder why. It wasn’t the exact picture above, but it’s close.

It’s the kind of feeling where all of a sudden, all the rush and the madness come to a standstill and all of it, EVERYTHING that you’ve been doing, making sacrifices for, all the fighting makes sense. Yea. I really haven’t figured out why, maybe it’s because even though tiramisu ain’t my most favourite type of cake around, it contains all the elements of my favourite things – soggy sponge figures, alcohol, chocolate, marscapone cream and if done right, an amazing sense of satisfaction.

I haven’t had the opportunity to take time out and bake much since returning from home of 6 years. It used to be very much my weekend rite of passage. Wake up, run, groceries, shoopping, bake and have the pretty things that I’ve made for tea and/or dessert. Yes I do have things twice, especially when I’ve made those things myself.

It is a bit of a rarity these days. With trying to juggle additional responsibilities (self-inflicted. ahha.), errands, gym, sleeping in more and just planning for the week ahead. I suppose it could be also because it takes too damn long to simply get home, much less even stop on the way back to buy groceries.

oh well. that’s life I suppose.

It hit off home too when found this quote in Madison by the Governor-General of Australia, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, who probably is now rank #1 on the list of people that I admire.

She said:

“I’d like young women to understand that they can have it all, BUT NOT ALL AT THE SAME TIME. It’s so important to take good care of yourself, of your mental and physical and spiritual well-being, but it’s hard to do. IT’S EASIER TO BE A WORKAHOLIC THAN TO HAVE A TRULY BALANCED LIFE.”

Wise words indeed.

In my ideal future, I would be living in an apartment overlooking the city, sunrise in the mornings and breathtaking views of the sun setting over it in the evenings. There’ll be coffee runs to a cafe with amazing breakfast every single morning. and endless strawberry tarts. All with B.

Yes. I think that will be enough. Enough for me.

I can’t believe it’s been slightly over a month since you’ve flew off to the land that is what we call down under. But, I suppose it is nice to have unlimited access to dairy farmers milk, great steak at affordable prices and great coffee (not that you drink any to begin with!rawr!).

I am counting down the days till I see you next. Hopefully by then, cookie will become the dog that I’ve always imagined her to be. ahha. if not, we’ll just have to get another – since by the time you get back, Cookie would be all grown up!

Anyway, till i next see you next (which would approximately be in about 3 months!!)… Happy Birthday to you and me!!

I picture you across the oceans
In your corner of the world
I pray the wind will blow my voice
And gently whisper in your ear
Your night may be my day
And though the seasons change

It’s still the same side of the moon
That we’ll be looking on when the world turns blue
And know that time and space
can’t come between me and you
We share the same side of the moon
And though you’ll never see all my tears shine through
I know I can’t be that far from you
If we’re both looking on the same side of the moon
I know I can’t be that far from you
If we’re both looking on the same side of the moon
- Same Side of The Moon, Corrine May

You remembered how much it means to me, when you make the effort to say hello. Sending me a message, at approximately the same time tow days in a row, neat. and just as I was about to hit “dial” on my phone too.

I really miss you B, and your friends do too.

The stars lean down to kiss you,
And I lie awake and miss you.
Pour me a heavy dose of atmosphere.
‘Cause I’ll doze off safe and soundly,
But I’ll miss your arms around me.
I’d send a postcard to you dear,
‘Cause I wish you were here.

I’ll watch the night turn light blue.
But it’s not the same without you,
Because it takes two to whisper quietly,
The silence isn’t so bad,
Till I look at my hands and feel sad,
‘Cause the spaces between my fingers
Are right where yours fit perfectly.
- Vanilla Lights, Owl City

Dear Jamie,

2010 would officially be the year that would have made us friends for 10 years. Yes, an entire decade of friendship!! So I must say, once again, as I write every year, thanks for another year of friendship, another year of bearing with my nonsense and my (sometimes) rather nonsensical opinions. ha. (yes, this includes the strange things that I am always doing!)

Happy Birthday dear friend! may your day be filled with much joy, laughter, love and lots of other fantablu-osy good things. Like cake and heaps of whipped cream!! I wish you good health and happiness and that all your dreams will come true!!

So I guess, it could be good that it is Monday and that we are finally in March (i’m not pleased that I have to stretch my salary for 5 weeks though!). This means that I am T-4 months to heading back to Melbourne for alot of coffee, alot of beef and alot of lemon tart. Sometimes, I think it could be a little sad that I only see Melbourne that way, along with the copious amount of shopping that I can do there – but hey, there’s no better way to entertain me than good, glorious food, decent weather, good company and sho-oping. yipppe.

I so cannot wait for that.

Anyway, back to my really random post title. Those are all the current things that excite me at the moment, alongside with Jones’ strawberry tarts and their iced-latte. It is a perfect breakfast I tell you. Closest to Laurent’s strawberry tart that I would ever find. You know, that the thing about Singapore, and just desserts here. There’s always something close enough but it is never good enough to beat what there back there. I suppose it could be because Melbourne has been doing it for a while now and well, having coffee with a strawberry tart in Singapore wasn’t considered tea typ-ish food till very recently. So here are the reasons why the following things excite me: -

Lululemon Athletica – A Canadian brand of gear that started out in a yoga studio and has expanded all over the world (alas, only a very small range is available in Singapore). They stock very well designed and comfortable exercise gear – from yoga and pilates wear to running shorts, work out mats, gym bags. Their stuff is amazing and really, oh-so-cool. You know, like nice cool, not the tacky sort.

Besides, all these really amazing things, I think the fact that the brand has a culture of contributing back to the community is also really commendable in this day and age when corporate social responsibility is something that is often forced upon the conglomerates. And with a manifesto that is chockful with inspiring phrases such as ”Successful people replace the words “wish”, “should” and “try” with “I WILL”", what’s there not to like?? Perfect eye candy I tell you, see more here.

Coffee Culture – Well the world over knows that the city that I spent the last 6 years of my life, has got a rich coffee culture. I mean, we even had a documentary made about the culture in the city and we invented our own type of coffee. Flat Whites are clearly Australian things!!!

Cafes line the street. They can be found at the end everywhere and anywhere. These cafes were enough to “almost” chase Starbucks out of the city. In Melbourne, having someone say”let’s go for coffee” is arguably as commonplace as “let’s go for a smoke”. It’s really hard to not love coffee in the city. It is also really hard to not become really picky about your coffee – re-steaming milk (flop!), burning milk (flop!), coffee like drain water (flop!), coffee too thin (also flop!). So, it was really interesting for me to read in the NYtimes today that London’s gonna have its own. The news made me really excited (it is such a caffeine-addict type like symptom) and suddenly want to visit London again and hunt down all these recommended coffee places. English barrista did win the World Barrista Championships three times you know!! Coffee and amazing pastries…bliss I tell you. Bliss.

Read about coffee culture here.

Adams Peanut Butter – oooh yah. The joy that is peanut butter. hee heee. I’ve always been a Kraft kid. Kraft smooth peanut butter. Always and forever. Unfortunately though, I had to break off this relationship since coming home and make new friends with the new wonder that is Adams Peanut Butter.

I have no idea why (someone care to explain?) but our weather makes the Kraft peanut butter go-o sticky. Not gooey and sticky in a good way but rather, gooey and clunky. Nutella suffers from the same fate. Putting it in the fridge doesn’t help either because it just makes it really hard.

So anyway, Adams is smooth, very smoooth. It does not turn or change its state even when left outside. In our weather. It’s really yummy too. It’s consistency was sufficient to make my maid remark, “Wah, this peanut butter is really different!!”

Want to learn more about Adams? Click here.

Many happy things. Life ought to be this good every day.

Usually, B’s pretty ok with all things girly. Like you know having to help me pick up lip gloss, carrying flowers and sometimes even buying those things that you need when your auntie comes to visit from the supermarket. BUT THIS, B! I thought more of you. ahhha. (but i must mention at this point, this does not amount to falling short of my expectations of you!)

Still, I will keep my promise and you will never have to go through the experience alone again. hee heee.

But that’s why I love you

Do you catch your breath when I look at you
Are you holding back like the way I do?
Cause I’ve tried and tried to walk away
But I know this crush ain’t going away-ay-ay
Going away-ay-ay
- David Archuleta, Crush

Pictures taken off here, read more about this there too!! 

I know, I know. My last two posts have been about bags – but I can’t help it. New York Fashion Week has just/is in the midst of ending and there has been a flurry of posts about all that is new in Fashion. Bags, shoes, clothes. It’s quite an overwhelming influx of eye candy. Not that I am complaining though

It may be a bit ignorant of me but this is the first time I’ve come across the Be&D range of bags, but they are apparently really popular with the well-heeled in New York. Seen on the arms of Bryan Boy, Olivia Palermo and Mena Suvari in different versions of colours and leathers, it is going to be/already is one of the new IT-bags this season.

It is pretty much similar-ish to the PS1, the Mulberry Alexa, Miu Miu’s range of satchel like bags that have appeared in the bag-world this season, but one can use another one of these any day I suppose. I love the fact that it is superbly affordable – the black bag above in lamb washed leather is retailing for $1095 – it is hard to get an all leather bag for less than $1500 these days, much less a versatile, handy keep-all, in fashion one for less than $1, 500.

It is soo pretty. ha. Well apparently, according to the PurseBlog that did a great write up on it, enough to pique my interest to go googling all over the place, it’ll be available on shopbop soon and Bloomingdale’s come March 5th. Bloomingdale’s might be a little hard to get to for some, but Shopbop’s easy and they are having free international deliveries for three days I think

Now, I think I’m going to go and drool for a bit more )

From mulberry online

Ah. nothing like some chirpy yellow to brighten up this snot and work filled day. Nothing like a bit of yellow mixed with the smell of leather

If you haven’t heard of the Mulberry Alexa, it is one of the IT-bags of the moment – a collaborative effort between Mulberry and Alexa Chung. There’s not only yellow now (which if you search on Net-a-porter, is completely sold out!), but there’s blue, brown and it comes in a whole array of different skins. Ostrich, crocodile. You name it, they might have it.

It is also amazingly reasonably priced – at about $656 pounds for a full leather bag – you can’t really complain can you?