Congratulations, It's a BOY!

Matt & Karen did not check the sex of the baby (they love surprises), and everyone including I was expecting it to be a girl.

Turned out it is a Boy!
So they did not have a name yet for 2 days and finally named him OLIVER ...What a cute name!













So here he is, Matt & Karen's first son Oliver 3 days old.

New Year's BBQ @ Prindi & Dave's

Prindi & Dave, our neighbor and friends hosted the first BBQ party of 2009.









Most of the guys are Dave's rugby friends from Jakarta and now they live in Singapore, so it was a reunion plus a new opportunity for rugby in Singapore.


The women are also active bunch, involving in gym, yoga, flower arrangements etc.

Prindi also started work as a relationship management of Australian school aand is rubbing shoulders with the power ones.


Matt as the secretary of a rugby team in Singapore also enjoyed meeting new people to join the Wanderers, as players or in the social context.

2008 X'mas & New Year BALI trip!

It was a nice and relaxing 11 day holiday in Nusa Dua & Ubud Bali.
Initial plan was to go to Bali via Jakarta but flights were full. So it'll have to be next time.

Here are some photos from the trip. The photos are backwards (latest photos first and then older photos. So scroll all the way down and go upwards!)

http://olearysbali.blogspot.com/

Christmas Dinner (Brunch) @ Fullerton

Matt's mum & dad came to Singapore on X'mas eve and on X'mas day, we went for X'mas dinner (they call it Dinner but it's actually Brunch).








It was a bit risky to go to for all you can drink Champagne and attempt to fly to Bali after that, but we managed.


As usual, we started our holiday during brunch then continued in Harry's bar at Terminal2.

Cheers~!

Paintings and such

A crystal vase is an engagement gift from Matt's mum and dad.
It's very delicate and... looks expensive for our place now.



This messy room is supposed to be Matt's room (study and dressing. yes, he needs one, not me).

And I realized Matt is sleeping again, in the same t-shirts as the previous photos... hi hi

furnished house

My next mission is to put the paintings up the walls and set up the fish tank!

under the weather

I caught cold first.
After a night in the bath where I was too excited and waited for the water to get hot and to fill the tub, with me in it already.

During the long weekend, we had friends (from Matt's side) over and Matt did most of the hosting.
He cooked his number one dish Chili Con Carne with rice + guacamole + parmesan cheese and garlic bread. Yummy!

Now it's the weekend again and Matt's down with cold.

I guess I will be the hostess with the most-ess this time.

Moving to a new place

Matt and I terminated the least early and moved to a bigger place.
Arthur 118 was nice but it was more a bachelor pad (which Matt didn't enjoy for long). And both of our 'buying stuff' habit made us feel like we were on top of something, if not each other!

Well, after months of fishing, we finally found a nice cozy place within our budget.
It came unfurnished but I think it's a good catch.
It's also 1omin walk to Eunos MRT so that's convenient.
Here are some pictures of the house before the furniture came.
This is a water bed specialist pumping the water in.

Need a Change

As a true Gemini, I've always dived into changes (voluntarily and involuntarily).
Changing hairstyles, changing hobbies, changing jobs or changing homes.

Thank goodness I've settled with a partner who does not protest it, rather he scrums into doing things and makes me the party pooper, rolling my eyes.
My wish to have a fun and exciting partner came true, and I think I've lost the solidarity of my own thoughts, actions and madness. (not complaining my life though)

I am boring, and I can smell it over me.

For the longest time, I did not do much, anything.
(Besides getting married. oh, and moving house next week!)
But yes, I kept my original hair color, didn't take up any hobbies, stayed with the current job for astonishing 9 months! and bunked into Matt's bachelor pad for almost 1 year now.
My blogs are all very everyday events, shallow hallow stuff.
I don't hang out with my girlfriends as much, but that's not just my problem.

And then the job. me? IT what? but it's actually challenging and I feel empowered, that's why 9 months passed before I knew. And what a heck, I'm paid more than I ever did.
So that's surprising and disturbing why my creativity has dropped despite of it.

Am I more fun and creative when I'm broke and desperate?

Like... where's the Alannis Morissett I loved so much? Is she 1 step ahead of me again?

2 Nights of Concert!

Monday - 'Manic Street Preacher' at Fort Canning Park Obviously Matt's choice and although I only know few songs, I enjoyed the atmosphere.

Tuesday - 'Kylie Minogue' at Indoor Stadium If it wasn't my choice, that'll be a bit weird... but Matt enjoyed the show.

Both tickets were about $100 each but Kylie looked 1/10 smaller.

Kylie's sang for 2 hours, looking ever so gorgeous with her ever so girlie cute voice. She closed the night with "I should be so lucky lucky lucky lucky...."

Post Card from Singapore.

Carol is back! for a drink!

Carol came back to Singapore for the first time since they moved to England in April.

This time though, Simon decided not to come, as he thinks he has no will power to go back to England again....

Carol treated us for a very very nice Japanese food (田舎屋:inakaya) - totally recommended!

Treat was in return for hanging out at Orchard Towers afterwards.

It was a weekday and we were trying to reserve not to go overboard, so Matt and I left first, coz otherwise, we can really loose it and have fun with this woman Carol.

Dave, Prindi & Ciaira

Prindi is my Indonesian girl friend who introduced the Reiki master in Jakarta.
She's fun, smart and very kind (too kind sometimes). She married to a New Zealand guy Dave.
She has a cute daughter from her previous marriage.

They moved to a really nice house (also in the East side) which makes us a neighbor. Dave is also into Rugby and true to the NZ blood, does a great BBQ!
I think there's more of Prindi and Dave to come in our life.

Singapore 7s

I never would have even made myself to go down to a Rugby game if it wasn't for Matt.
But that's how it is isn't it? being married to a rugby boy?
So I brought my friends to watch it with me, as Matt will be busy with his mates, drinking beer from the afternoon, watching the game.
Of course, we are not complaining. It was different way to spend a Saturday.

There were 2 Japanese team and 1 Indonesian team among the many international teams, but all 3 teams lost big time. Well...

Avenue Q

Went to watch this 'uncensored and uncut', 'above 16' musical of muppets for grown ups.

It originated in the broadway of New York and they formed a special team (mostly Phillippinos) to cast for the Asia shows. Still, they were good and delivered it well in my opinion.

Some of the songs include "If you are gay it'd be okay", "The Internet Is For Porn", "It Sucks to Be Me" to name the few, are all hilarious and upbeat, the kind of songs that stay in your head.

My boom these days...

I'm into making BENTO almost everyday, for Matt and for myself. Matt got a new nice thermal bento box from Isetan here, and I use my cute bento box I got from Tokyo.

Usually I cook/prepare the night before and pack in the morning. Yayoi-san got us a bag of Swiss meat balls from IKEA which is really convenient and tasty. When I'm in the mood, there are about 3 main items such as meat, vegie, and egg cooking. Sometimes I just have 1 main dish like curry rice or pasta bolognese - and an apple for Matt.

Matt also started contributing his cooking into the bento. He made his famous chilli the night before and we had it with brown rice for lunch, which was soooooo nice.

I have forgotten how enjoyable Lunch time at work is. (I know, even in this so called Singapore's food paradise, it can get boring and sickening when it's every day). I don't mean to be arrogant but it's far better than eating at hawker center, for obvious reasons, but one thing I didn't know which i realized, is how effective presentation of food is. ... or is it just a Japanese thing?

Anyway, Matt can't wait and usually has lunch before noon time :) - that should be a good sign!

Here's a good site for Bento making in English : http://justbento.com/

Dad's stroke

What was lurking around in back of our minds, has happened.
Dad had a stroke.

Again, I was not there to experience and share the ordeal that Mum, Emi and Daichan went through.

But, if any consolation, it was a mild stroke and that he is determined to get better.

And the change in life style isn't all a bad thing.
Like vanishing alcohol from his life.


And from the bottom of my heart, I thank God for Rique's existence.

Little innocent Rique has no idea what an enormous support he has been to Dad, and consequently to all of us.

HONEYMOON in Tokyo and Hokkaido!

Why JAPAN? - Why not?

It was our first time being in Japan together.
We've covered Matt's home town and my second home town.... so it's almost a mission to visit my place of birth registration.




















Also, it was cheap to fly to Japan. Thanks to air miles - so romantic.
In fact, it was cheaper than the inbound (Tokyo - Chitose - Tokyo)




And it's nice to meet friends
of course.











Here's the special blog on our 10days trip in Tokyo and Hokkaido (Sapporo area).
http://hokkaidotokyohoneymoon.blogspot.com














There's lot about food - so it may look like a remake of Japan Hour or a food program... well.... but it's a pleasure.
Hope you leave a comment if you have time! Thanks!

よろしくね！

Happy Birthday to Matt

One celebration to another, Matt quietly turned 31st on September 1.
His closest friends in Singapore (George, Calven, Monty) treated him (us) for dinner at Tanglin Club.