Medicine*Music*Chocolate*Life

[MM6 x Opening Ceremony] dress...and more

Finally, a couple of seasons late and initially not in a size that I can even zip up. Beautifully balanced scarlet sleeves (a la sports coach), a tight bodice and waist rendered in black satin-like polyester, and a discrete little slit in front for walking.

I went a bit mad last week in town too. What did I score?

Nicely-military black wool trousers with a tux-line down the side, a dark blue angle-cut straight long boyfriend blazer to replace the Topshop one that had a brilliant shape but gawdawful fabric (which TORE), a pair of dull silver kitten-heeled buckle-toed work shoes, a pair of pointy dark blue and brown snakeskin flats to replace the ones that Bean stepped on (and killed) in a subway in Tokyo, a superbly-cut printed linen (linen!) off-white cheongsam with maroon flowers, a completely seamless slightly stretch black pencil skirt with a lovely thin brocade waistband, and (finally in stock!) Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer.

All this and the rest in the past month: a double-toned pink crew-neck slim-fit sweater, an ivory polyster pussy-bow blouse with carmine shoulders, red snakeskin pointy pumps, cross-strapped slightly rock n' roll platform stilettos, a dark marl grey cashmere twinset with white and seed-pearl trim, tea-green Herve Leger plunge-necked cocktail dress, asymmetrical Alexander Wang beige knitted dress.

I also threw out (gave away, not really threw out.....) perfectly wearable stuff that dated back from Uni days (which have been worn so many times in so many ways that they have gone negative in the price-per-wear logic of things). I kept a few items that have great sentimental value/emotional attachment, but by and large it was good to get old energy out of my wardrobe, and fill it with new zest.

Oh, did I mention the very large silver Balenciaga work tote that was on sale?

Welcome, 2012 - and hot on your heels, the Dragon

Belatedly, I need to relate my December activities before I start 2012.

As I had previously indicated, Hubby and I took Bean to Tokyo mid-December 2011. It was a great trip. We took a day to fly in, and a day to fly back out, technically-speaking, and so we had 4 full days in Tokyo. I'll do a proper descriptive on this soon.

At any rate, work was both full-on and full-stop near the end of December, as many people were on leave (as usual) but there were still deadlines to fulfill. Luckily for me, I have a great team above and below, and so things got done, albeit with a little bit of shoving.

We spent Christmas weekend with Hubby's parents and my little brother. There was a lot of food, and presents. Bean received a doll house, her 1st Sylvanian family, a Hello Kitty bag-making kit, and a WaWaYaYa, among other things.

For New Year's Eve, Hubby and I decided to do a 2-man degustation menu for both sets of parents, and all siblings. We were a table of 10 (minus one little brother who was at MBS livin' it large), and fed everyone til they could not move. The menu? It was ambitious, but just had to be done:

FIRST COURSE: Oysters on the half-shell, and a trio of salmon: salmon caviar and japanese butter-cream-cheese blinis, manuka-smoked salmon dressed with dill + balsamic + olive oil, salmon crusted with cracked black pepper. "Man Mountain" cold sake to go with.

SECOND COURSE: Cool japanese ham (from Tsukiji market) with nagaimo tororo + crispy-fried garlic, seared kurobuta bacon (from Tsukiji again) with sweet orange reduction. A crisp Reisling to go with.

THIRD COURSE: Boston lobster tails stir-fried with ginger + scallions + dark soy, a rich soup-broth with abalone + dried scallops. Finished off the Reisling.

FOURTH COURSE: Milk-and-dashi tamago to go with pan-seared foie gras + "secret" sauce. Opened the full-bodied Brunello that Dad bought.

FIFTH COURSE: Pan-fried Angus 200-day aged ribeye + bearnaise sauce, braised choysum. Finished off the red.

SIXTH COURSE: Liver sausage-flavoured claypot sushi rice

DESSERTS: Panna cotta tropicale, chocolate-chipped pavlova

We rang in 2012 with silly party hats (crowns) and party-poppers, while watching the festivities and fireworks at the Bay area.

......and in 3 weeks, we'll do it all again, to ring in the fiercest year in the chinese zodiac - the Year of the Dragon! (tempered by Water this year)

 

Friends, At The End of 2011

Thought of 2 old acquaintances in passing earlier today. One of them because I saw a Youtube video about my homeland that made my heart ache. The other because I was reminded of that friend.

Lo and behold. A series of photographs on Facebook just this evening. Both of them. And one more who is a colleague.

Just now, as I was driving Hubby to work (yes, at 11:30pm), I thought of the women I know as friends. The ones whom I truly understand, and whom I think understand a greater part of me than most can. Some because of shared experiences, and some because of common experiences.

There are a few with whom I hardly speak. I have not seen them in years. There are some I see very regularly. No matter how interspersed the intervals between meetings, there is always a sense of kinship. The sort of bond that no one can describe except to call it "friendship".

There are also some people I always think of at the end of the year. These are the ones that I will regret not having time for, or the courage to keep in my life, but I do so knowingly, and understand what must be paid.

Trend

My last entry made me think about a particular party question that Shay always ends up asking at dinners. It involves thinking about 5 members of the opposite sex that you think are hot. Brad Pitt appears to be a popular choice, as is Hugh Jackman.

Think mine would end up looking like this: Daniel Craig, Russell Crowe, Jeremy Renner, Ken Watanabe, Gerard Butler.

Do you see the trend? I didn't realise it until just now. I do like raisin-ey men, don't I? All hound-dog-faced. Certainly the antithesis of the pretty boy look. Hmm.

Jeremy Renner

This man reminds me so much of someone I know.

Met The Boss

Met the Boss for lunch. Wanted to talk to him about careers and all that.

He's a pretty generous guy, although he has a tendency to be dramatic. He dispensed some good coaching over the lunch table.

I have more to ponder. Sigh.

Bean Performs!

This morning was Bean's big performance. Her pre-school, a big one, had their annual graduation cum concert in a big auditorium filled with parents.

All the kids looked sweet as pie and cute as buttons, but of course everyone thinks their own child shines the brightest.

Certainly, we may have had one of the larger contingents - Hubby and I, Annie whooping in one corner, and my mum-in-law and sis-in-law waving furiously when the curtains opened to our little Bean.

Bean was a star. The tallest of her class, she was front and centre and all decked out. She had flowers in her hair, a pretty pink tulle-layered princess dress, and her self-chosen white shoes with diamante buckles (she dragged us round SIX children's shoe shops last weekend before she found a pair she was happy with, ye gads).

When the music started up, the kiddies started tapping their toes, then launched into a full dance.

We squealed with laughter, overcome by cuteness. It is always fantastic to feel renewed by little ones.

After her dance, and then the big finale, we hugged her tight and praised her for being "good". She was getting tired and tearfully demanded to be fed lunch. So we hurried out and changed her back into street clothes......and headed off for lunch.

After a hearty meal at Crystal Jade, we took her home to chill out. Then I went off to meet Ella....woo hoo, shopping in the flesh, at last! (we hit Suntec, but that's a tale for another entry.)

Too Sheltered

Today we met someone who has been so sheltered her entire life that she really thinks that life is that simple. Never had to think too hard, never had to go beyond petty conditioned "female" whininess. The best part? She wants us to take her bad idea and own it.

GAWD.

I lost it, for the 1st time in years. I think I scared a couple of people.

You ever seen a lioness go to town on some antelope? I felt like that for about 30 minutes. Had to sit somewhere quiet and remind myself to act professional.

Jap-Six

Hubs and I are finally getting a holiday. Our first one un-entangled with work stuff. Since our honeymoon. Ye gads, it's been a while.

Of course, Bean is coming along. She's a crucial member of the family, and a holiday wouldn't be "proper" without her.

We're going to spend six days in Tokyo in December.

Since Bean is a good little 3.5-year-old, we'll be spending a day at Disneyland, and at least another half-day at the Sanrio Puraland. Hubby was joking that he should just bring a pink wardrobe to match the girls.

Jokes aside, because of the fluctuant nature of the household ironing, I've packed.

In essence the bulk of my stuff is from *drumroll* - UNIQLO. Yeah, guess what. They make good stuff. And I'm adding a bit of sauce with three pairs of rock-sensible jeans. One pair from Aussie shop SportGirl which I've had for AGES, with a bronze phoenix running down one leg. The second pair from Cheap Monday - black and drainpipe with corset-laces running its length from hip to ankle. The third pair - most recently acquired - from Pull & Bear.....a dark blue distressed skintight pair slung low with two double-large riveted buttons. Shoes? One pair of flats with good soles, and one pair of booties - black and again, a little bit rock n' roll.

The topper is my cashmere-blend dark moss-green Aquascutum coat which has to have been the best thing I've ever bought from Harrods. To go with it, splashes of ochre and hot pink in the shape of cami's, tanks, and a large pashmina from our Bangalore adventure.

I will most likely be rockin' diamonds and silver. Or faux both. Would like to finish the look with a bright matt pink lip, but I haven't got one of those. Maybe it's time to spend those Bodyshop vouchers.

The only "ugh" point right now is my half-up half-down hair, which looks ridiculous in an Elvis quiff, too old if left limp, and too severe when sharply side-parted as I usually do for nights out. Perhaps the broad leather hairband should come along......with feline eyes. Hmm. That could be it.

Hubs has his Sinatra hat and overcoat. And under those, he'll likely be in a sweater, a polo tee, and jeans.

Bean will be in sweet dresses, baby tights, warm shoes, a zip-up jumper/hoodie, and her pale pink quilted Burberry coat. She has her own mittens, which she is awfully proud of, as she loves the nursey tale of the three kittens who lost their mittens. I can't wait to see her all bundled up in layers of pink pink pink......eeee.......

Nicki Minaj f. Rihanna - Fly

I came to win, to fight, to conquer, to thrive
I came to win, to survive, to prosper, to rise
to fly
to fly

I wish today it would rain all day
maybe that will kinda make the pain go away
trying to forgive you for abandoning me
praying but I think I’m still an angel away
angel away, yeah strange in a way
maybe that is why I chase strangers away
they got their guns out aiming at me
but I become near when they're aiming at me
me, me, me against them
me against enemies, me against friends
somehow they both seem to become one
A sea full of sharks and they all smell blood
they start coming and I start rising
must be surprising, I’m just surmising
win, thrive, soar, higher, higher, higher
more fire

I came to win, to fight, to conquer, to thrive
I came to win, to survive, to prosper, to rise
to fly
to fly

Everybody wanna try to box me in
suffocating everytime it locks me in
paint they own pictures than they crop me in
but I will remain where the top begins
cause I am not a word, I am not a line
I am not a girl that can ever be defined
I am not fly, I am levitation
I represent an entire generation
I hear the criticism loud and clear
that is how I know that the time is near
so we become alive in a time of fear
and I aint got no muthaf-cking time to spare
cry my eyes out for days upon days
such a heavy burden placed upon me
but when you go hard your nays become yays
Yankee Stadium with Jayz and Kanye

I came to win, to fight, to conquer, to thrive
I came to win, to survive, to prosper, to rise
to fly
to fly

Get ready for it
get ready for it
get ready for it
I came to win
get ready for it
get ready for it
I came to win

I came to win, to fight, to conquer, to thrive
I came to win, to survive, to prosper, to rise
to fly
to fly