A (close to) Mid Year update

Oh dear, I'm almost blogging on a quarterly basis nowadays. But for good reasons!

I've been pretty occupied with a number of things and I have to say, 2013 looks set to be yet another exciting year :) Right, I'm saying that in the middle of the year, HAH. 

So far, our new place have given us the space and opportunities to experiment with things that have not been possible when we were not staying alone. Like cooking, baking, having fresh cut flowers all over the house and embarking on mini home projects to make our little abode all cozy and personal!

They may seem like the normal daily stuff, but they form so much lovely memories for this initial part of our married life. And we're thankful everyday for the ability to indulge in the process.

And so to note down all these beautiful moments (and of course, sometimes frustrating ones, like when my soufflé failed to rise :( ) we're working on a food/cooking/baking blog that documents down (very casually) our foodie moments in the kitchen (or wherever food leads us) - the Poppykitchenblog!

I have a ton of photos and material to post, but so far, many of these posts are still in draft stage (and some still in my head). But I hope I'll be able to have the discipline to go at it in full swing really soon!

Besides our couple time, I'm playing wedding coordinator for my brother's wedding!!

Yes, it IS more exciting to plan someone else's wedding (hey, I'm not the one coming out with the money right)!

Look how ravishing my SIL is!! I can never carry lace as well as her. In fact, I think not many ppl can ;)

And the wedding is in Jan next year so we're running on pretty tight timeline. But I'm so so so happy and excited!!! Totally not complaining :D

Another exciting piece of news....

In case u were guessing, nth to do with babies. Far from that actually.

Well, I've been going back for some dance lessons with my girlfriends recently.

And we tried out for a recital happening in Sep, and managed to get into an item!

So yes, after what, 4 years? I'll going to be back on stage again!! Yes, I told you this year will be exciting. And I haven't talked about my honeymoon yet :D

Besides all the fun stuff, it's gonna be a pretty interesting year at work too.

After 3 years of recruitment work, I'll be posted to another team to handle HR development work. 

Looking back, I have so much to be thankful for. I can't say it's a dream job, but I've always wanted to be in HR. And it's definitely an awesome experience for a first job. So many interesting experiences and every interview sessions I have and every career fair I attended made me learn so much. Moving on to the new team is pretty exciting because it's going to be a rather different scope of work. But I'm thankful that all the wonderful people will still be around me :)

And so I thought, after a year of grad trip, a year of entering the workforce, a year of proposal and wedding, this year will be a quiet and peaceful one - I'm wrong again!

I'm so thankful to have pops ard the whole time, supporting me in all the things I do - from baking (he has to finish all my bakes, whether it's nice or not), to the wedding planning (oh yes, he sits with us at the bridal studios for hours, w/o a single complaint), to dance (he chauffeurs me home at 11.30pm every Thurs, aft practice, or sponsors my cab fare :p) and work (for always being so encouraging). 

And in the midst of all the excitement, I'm soooooo looking forward to our long-awaited honeymoon in the UK!

For now, I pray for strength, wisdom and a heart full of gratitude to bring me through this whirlwind 2013 :)

Travel Diary - Minimoon in Koh Samui

I'm back from my mini-moon and back to dust the spider webs off my blog!

Been so busy clearing rushing work, running last min errands and finishing last min projects for the wedding I've completely no time to even drop a sentence at this space. 

Soooo glad that all is over and good! I can't say it went perfectly well, but I'm really happy to say that I enjoyed myself and it felt like a really personal and emotionally charged ceremony for me :) More on the wedding another time.

Back to my mini moon trip.

When pops and I booked our trip to Koh Samui at Mantra Samui Resort (a resort up in the hills and not along the beach), we wanted it to be a no frills, no distraction, plain and simple retreat for us to shut ourselves down and rest. 

And we're glad to say, it was everything we wanted and more! Almost. Because I requested for a room at a higher level to enjoy the view but was given one just above the roof of the lobby. Still, good enough for us because we had privacy :)

For me, the trip was like an 'Eat. Pray. Love" moment of revelation. Not to the extent, but it had that effect. 

There was nowhere for crazy shopping, no places that you die-die have to go for sight-seeing, and the resort was so nice and comfortable and the pace so relaxed, you just want to stay in everyday and not do anything.

Except for tanning, soaking in the jacuzzi, drinking beer, eating fruits, reading books, try out yoga classes. And you get to do all these, without feeling like you're wasting time. 

It has been such a long time since I read till I refuse to put the book down. As I typed, my mind is still thinking about Julie in her book, "You had me at Woof". It was one of the books which the resort left in the room for their guests to bring along their tanning sessions. And I know it's my kind of book the moment I saw it on the shelf. 

I was reading "The Introvert's Way" as well. And I think it played a huge part in the revelation I experienced. Sophia Dembling, the author, seemed to not just understand how the introverts think, but speak our very mind! Of course, that's because she's an introvert too. 

I may seem like I'm digressing, but really, this book helped me to appreciate the mini-moon experience better because I know that enjoying the quiet moments are my cup of tea and I'm not obliged to get into all sorts of action and hubbub "just in case" I miss out on sth while I'm there. 

Reading a book in the jacuzzi, chatting with pops over beer at the pier, strolling aimlessly at the beach. Those are moments so priceless and unforgettable, they get imprinted in my mind like the day we enjoyed a hot coffee in London's Pret-a-Manger, watching the hustle and bustle go by along Oxford Street.

Ok, the part about London, I digress.

My main point, is that this whole experience had been amazing. Not in a lavish, grandeur, awe-struck way, but in a subtle, quiet and rejuvenating way that is inspiring in its own manner. 

For 2013, I hope that I get to spend more time reading, writing, developing myself and sharing those quiet moments of beauty with people who may miss it in a wink.

And my most comforting take-away, is that my extroverted husband is able to appreciate those quiet moments of beauty with me :)

Travel Diary - Valentine's Day in the clouds

** This post has been in draft status since the day I returned from KK, so here's my KK trip in a nutshell!
_______________________

I'm finally back from RG and my Mt. K expedition!! 

With less than 4 hours of sleep since day 1, I'm SO glad to have a full 8-hr slp at the resort aft the climb!

Since RG is an official event, I shall not say too much abt it. But I have got lots to say abt the KK climb!!

Let's do The List again to summarize :p

Top 5 crazy things about the Climb:

1) Walking and walking and climbing and climbing for 9 freaking hours (Day 1)

2) Having to climb through rocks and steps for 200+ meters to reach the bunk aft dinner

3) Waking up at 1.30am for the summit climb after 3 hrs of extremely disturbed sleep

4) Getting so dirty u don't care about moss on your gloves, mud on your butt, sweat on your face, and rain  in your hair

5) FREEZING cold water for shower at the rest house. If you still have water to shower when u get there

Top 5 wonderful things about the Climb:

1) Growing closer with the clique

2) Overcoming a personal challenge 

3) Experiencing Pop's unyielding love, care and patience

4) Fresh air, gorgeous view, being completely surrounded by God's beautiful creation

5) Spending our first Valentine's Day as fiancé and fiancee amidst the clouds 

Top 5 amazing things I learnt during the Climb:

1) When I acknowledge that I have no control abt the situation and cannot depend on my own strengths, I prayed through the night for God to grant me strength and endurance. God is always there and He always answers prayers 

2) You never try, you'll never know what you can achieve

3) I get altitude sickness at about 4000m

4) I'm ok with climbing up but I suck at climbing down. 

5) I now understand what is true fatigue - when you feel like your legs are abt to give way any moment and you can just drop to the ground and fall asleep

Honestly, I'm very very thankful that I made it through the climb. I'm never an outdoor person much less hiking! But I'm thankful that Pops encouraged me to try and it's really a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I'll never forget. And probably never try again. And I thank God for watching over me, for telling me that I can do it, for giving me the strength.