My play-hard weekend

I’ve been working pretty hard with the running & rushing around meeting clients as well as completing projects the whole week. This weekend, I managed to “play” as hard too.

My weekend started on Friday, 18th Dec; right after rushing to collect our company chop/stamp & meeting a client for a short meeting. I met up with my lovely ladies at Raffles Hotel Longbar Steakhouse. It was only when I sat down & May asked that I realized I had forgotten to take my camera in all my rush. Thankfully, May’s colleague had a camera in the office. We’re saved!

I love catching up with the ladies. As the years go by, our topics matured. I’m glad for Stef that she has completed her final exams to her part-time degree. So it was kind of double celebration at the dinner. We also did our yearly traditional gift-exchange, though I’m so ashamed to say that my presents for them were not exactly complete. Oh, did I mention that I bought my very first LBD (and a darn sexy one at that) especially for this dinner with them?

Althou it's a steakhouse, I had a medium-rare tuna. yum!

Ann had lobster

Only May had steak

While Stef had cod fish

I love the colors of this photo!

From Raffles Hotel, I rushed up to Marsiling Rise for Nadrah’s henna night. Helped her out with her henna and we sat & talked till about 2am. I finally got home at 3. Then we woke up early on Saturday, 19th Dec, to attend Nadrah’s solemnization at An-Nur Mosque at 10am.

Nadrah & Zaihan

As soon as the Solemnization was over, we headed down to Illuma at Bugis for the launch of Six Rocket. Thank God we made it to the launch.During their Q&A session, they actually gave away HUGE prizes. Guess what? I was the first to answer a question and I got to bring back a Sony Digital Photo Frame/Printer! The Wan went on to answer another question and he brought home this Panasonic Lumix GH1 baby! We also got a $20 Cathay Photo voucher during their lucky draw. But we had to miss the free movie screening of Avatar after the launch cos we had to rush back to Nadrah’s wedding ceremony.

with Six Rocket CEO, Pete

the Wan with his prize

Six Rocket's textured notebook packaging

With all our prizes, we had to make a pit-stop back home to leave the bulky items. We finally arrived back at Woodlands at about 4.30pm. The newly weds were already going to change into their Javanese outfit.

the Javanese royalty? hehe

Saturday night ended close to midnight after the newly weds offered to drive us home. hah! So sweet of them =D

In conjunction with her 5th Anniversary, my eldest sister had informed us that she made reservation for our family at Causeway Point’s Seoul Garden for lunch. Just before heading out to Causeway Point, our cousin Lyn had initiated an impromptu day out. So we actually suggested to fly kite at the Barrage again. The best thing for this time’s Barrage, my whole family tagged along. We arrived at the Barrage around 5pm and headed to the Roof Garden directly to fly our kites.

Me fly kite with Dad while Nadia's fiance Imran flying one

As we were all so excited flying our kites, the rain poured! It can only mean one thing – head down to the Water Playground!

Asfa's best swimming "pool" ever!

After the kids had been washed up, another impromptu decision was made for dinner. For the first time ever, my family headed down to Badoque Cafe together. This time, my whole family, plus the 2 in-laws and 1 future-in-law, together with Dino & Lyn with Nardyne – 13 in all! I was so excited that I called for reservation right away! It was also to surprise my brother-in-law whose birthday falls on the next day, 21st Dec 09.

the Birthday Man

All 13 of us at Badoque

And with a very sumptuous Badoque dinner, we ended our Sunday. It was definitely a great weekend of hard “play” for me. It’s been a long while since our family went out for lunch AND dinner together like this.

I love how the weekend was filled with love from the closest friends & my family. It’s a nice end to a long week for me. Definitely.

When true friends are loved

I wrote a whole long post and somehow, just somehow, instead of updating my blog, the whole entry disappeared when I clicked on the “Publish” button. It felt like I’ve just lost a whole load of my friends cos I wrote a whole entry for all of them.

Bummer.

What I had wanted to say was, I learnt it the hard way that I should not neglect my friends, penalizing them with my disappearance for something I’ve experienced which they do not know of.

I’ve had my heart broken and I sort of had a change of heart with friendships. While I go into recluse, I only met a certain group of friends because they are the ones who were as affected as I was. I thought it was good to hide away and not hurt the others with the pain I felt.

How wrong I am. Now, I am reflecting the wrongs I have done to renew myself.

I thank you, all of my friends, who have let me “disappear” for awhile. I miss each and every one of you and am trying to catch up with lost times.

I guess, the year end always make it easier for us to reflect and say, “hey, let’s get together and be merry”.

I love you.

When you win some and lost a whole lot more

I have made the decision to work with Shegar in Malaysia. His studio is in Petaling Jaya, where we (the Wan and I) will be at most of our time there, too.  A whole of significant things happened in the past months and has left a huge impact in me. When it comes to family and friends, it hits the heart the most.

The group of my heart has shattered somehow. I wanted to sit on the fence for the longest time I could. But this fat ass seem to shake and gave way. God knows which side of the fence I’m at now. My faith in friendship shook. I just wish things didn’t happen the way they did. But it did and I cannot turn back the clock, nor do I feel obligated to conform to what seemed to be of my advantage.

Taking up something which I thought was a dream come true couldn’t have tested me more in any way. I am now challenged financially, emotionally and physically. I just pray that Allah showered a lil bit more of love and show me the way to escape from this ruthless fall. Some signs will definitely be helpful.

I never wanted to leave G. Never. The Wan twittered yes, one was about G but the leaving part, wasn’t about him at all.

In life, I guess every one of us has a soft spot for something. We tend to lick our wounds and say, “hush hush, it’s just a small cut” when we know the cut couldn’t have happened if someone hadn’t pushed us down. We tend to give a million 2nd chances, trying not to be uncouth to others, yet, we forget that it is ourselves that hurt the deepest.

Venturing in this own business is not easy. You get asked unconsciously, or rather sometimes, consciously, if you should return to the rat race. But I take the words of a very tough girlfriend who says, “times are tough but only the toughest survives”, like a mantra. I hope I can be of a sturdy pillar for the Wan, and we can both emerge from this rut stronger, better, richer in experience and wealth. And InsyaAllah, that Allah will always send us his Angels to remind us not to forget those who put us where we are and where we were before the triumph.

Here’s to triumph! WE CAN SO DO IT!!!!

Amin!

When the weekend got too long

Initially, I was worried that we might get bored out of our heads in ghost-town Toa Payoh during the Chinese New Year holidays. But thanks to our impromptu plans with friends and planned meeting with the family covered the 4 days well. 

This year started out good. For one, we made way from the typical chill out session at Starbucks/Spinellis/any other coffee joints. There was Henderson Waves to begin with. And on Friday night after a whole lot of walking (from City Hall to Plaza Singapura, then off to Hereen and finally settling at Paragon) and ending up at Ngee Ann City’s square, we decided to meet up the next day for picnic at Botanic Gardens.

So on late Saturday afternoon, we found ourselves a spot at J which was very near this huge tree where people seem to hoard for photos. We didn’t realise the tree is famous as it is on the Singapore Five dollars note until Fadhil found out. 

Team A - Fadhil & Suhana, and Imran

Team B - Shamez, Hussain and Naif

Ourselves =D

Collectively; taken at the famous tree

star jumpers

When evening came, we agreed to pack ourselves in a sedan (all 8 of us!) and head down to Leisure Park, Kallang. While we waited around for our 9.45pm Bride Wars, we got hooked on this Stacker Game which Shamez was so good at and Fadhil almost winning the PSP of his choice. After Bride Wars, Imran, Roze and ourselves decided to chill kueh - at the Stadium Waterfront, facing the Tanjong Rhu bridge – while the others went on a midnight bowling session.

Tanjong Rhu Bridge off Indoor Stadium

I swear I didn’t know it was Tanjong Rhu bridge until Imran mentioned it in his blog. I never knew that part of Singapore even exist!

The next day, which was the eve of Chinese New Year, the Mini Family had another meeting. This time it was at Uncle Wahab’s in Choa Chu Kang. It turned out pretty well with our eldest cousin officially joining the team. 

Mr Chairman with eldest cousin

My mom called me early on the 1st day of CNY, asking me to come along for their impromptu picnic at Sembawang Park. I couldn’t make a decision as the Wan was out early for soccer. We finally joined the rest of of my family in the late afternoon. We managed to witness the eclipse of the sun. I’ve cropped the photos to focus on the eclipse. It was so cloudy that day and I just snapped while changing the settings of the camera as quickly. These are my lucky shots. 

the eclipse of the sun - 26th Jan 09

The rest of the Sembawang Park picnic photos

The last day of the Public Holiday on Tuesday, we were home for most of the day and decided to meet up with friends for dinner at Badoque. We also managed to squeeze in some time to have our quick-meeting on some pressing issues with the Boss. Photos of dinner with friends here.

It was my first ever fully-packed Chinese New Year holidays ever. Although 2 years ago was a little more crazy but that was because we got married on the eve of CNY 2007, so that doesn’t quite count lah.