Annual New Year's Brunch 2014

Since a couple years ago, my poly mates and I started this tradition of having brunch on New Year's day. 2013 was the best turn-out, and of course some years the group is smaller. We meet early and some are still hungover from the night before, some escape Singapore for the festivities, some overseas join us through Face Time moments. No matter the group size, I'm sure everyone was with us in spirit. I love how even though I only see some of them once a year, conversations still take off from where we left.

This year we whacked it to the far east to Chock Full of Beans. I'd been there once for my birthday in March, and was blown away by the latte art. I had wanted a 3D hello kitty, but well, due to the cafe being damn crowded they did not have time (or foam) to make it for me. Not sure if I would make a 3rd trip down just for it, but we'll see.

After brunch, we paid a visit to Lennel's new house at Prive. Bought a Chocolate Origins cake from Changi Village as a housewarming gift, and it was indeed VERY GOOD. Moist, rich and definitely better than Awfully Chocolate. Though 1 slice is enough for the diet conscious. According to one of my friends, "the best kept eastie secret for the longest time", though now it has expanded out and also available at 313 Somerset.

2014

As I write, it's the 1st of January of a brand new year, and I'm on a familiar bus winding roads of old, to meet the school mates for our annual brunch. Some things never change.

The bus is rather slow and crowded, but I managed to get a seat by the window and watch the world go by. And I think that everyday should be a reflection, not just the start of the year, but today I find myself with more time to do so.

2013 was uneventful yet exciting.

Work wise, I got a promotion and bigger responsibilities. I may whine about work sometimes, but I know Booking is where my heart is. The culture, the friends I have here, the pros still outweigh the cons to move on.

Travel wise, I went to India and Japan for the first time. I also took a family trip, we haven't been one in almost 10 years. 

Speaking about family, the weekly family dinners are also so much more quality based, and I'm blessed to have such understanding parents. My brother has also amazingly become 19 in an instant, becoming more of a friend than a sibling. 

Love wise, I still have the most loving girlfriend after 4 years, to the envy of most, and whom I love back equally much after 4 years. I can still stare at her sweet face when she sleeps, pinching myself to see if this luck I feel at having her is real. She no doubt is the giver in this relationship and I thank my stars everyday for that. As we work towards our own place and our future together, I am grateful that it is her beside me and no other. 

As I approach my destination, so my thoughts can end here as I raise my coffee cup (approximately 20 minutes later) and make a toast to 2014, for it to be a fulfilling year of good friends, good food, good moods and good loving.

Wanderlust: Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto

Back to Japan this December, barely 2 months from my first step into the sacred land of Hello Kitty and Udon. This time with my family in tow, seeing scenes from a different era, enchanted by the remnants of an age not forgotten.

In between

The last 3 weeks - I dropped my favorite Pen Lite after the big party in Amsterdam and broke my lens...

I bought a new DSLR on impulse in Tokyo (but I love it!!)...

I woke up to the most amazing views ever...

I went butt naked in -1 degrees celsius to soak in an outdoor onsen in Hakone...

I took lots of eye-expanding purikura...

I watched an amazing dolphin show and laughed at cute penguins, unplanned and spontaneously discovered next to our hotel in Shinagawa...

I bought cool boots which got me through the snow at only EUR 29 and JPY 2900 (cheap deals FTW!) ...

I shopped with the view of Mt Fuji...

I feel like I need another break to recover from this long break. 

With over a 1000 photos in my memory card, stay tuned for more photos (after my break). Ta!

Sinterklaas Weekend in Eindhoven

Last weekend the Kamphuis family very warmly welcomed us into their home at Eindhoven, and we celebrated Sinterklaas (a Dutch tradition) together! It was all very exciting to consume so much sugar in one day (!!) and learn about their culture, so many cute songs to learn! Though there was quite a big hoohah over Sinterklaas being racist this year, I say that it's all in the perception, most people just celebrate it as a tradition, not linking it at all to slavery, so I say let the Dutch keep their traditions!

Plus we went to a REAL farm to buy a REAL Christmas tree, no fake plastic trees like those in Singapore hurhur. And after, we got to decorate the tree wheehoo!

Then it was time for dinner!! Traditional Sinterklaas meals are like our steamboat grill, just that everyone has an individual little pan instead of everyone cooking on the same big pan. Yummy yummy! We brought a bit of Asia with us, dressing up in our Onesies!

After dinner, it's time for the gift exchange! In Sinterklaas, there's a twist, as the presents are usually random things around the house that have never been used. There's usually a whole stack of them, and the first round we roll dice to see which presents are in our pile. After unwrapping the presents, we roll dice again to take/exchange those presents (e.g. I got a toilet brush and passed it to someone else hahaha). Real fun!

Went to sleep real early that night as we had flown the whole night before from Singapore (yawnnnnn). But the next morning we were in for a real treat with breakfast and a surprise early birthday celebration for Irene!! *Pops confetti!!*



And it's time to....go shopping!!! Papa drove us downtown to the new Primark and to Roermond outlet. Didn't buy much, but got to catch the loveliest sunset ever!

Though we were only there for 1 day, the warmth and love we felt was real and fuzzy! Hope to see you again soon Papa and Mama Kamphuis!