April 2012
2 posts
first date(s)
It struck me sometime today, while browsing through their blogs and instagram photos, that while most other people would spend their first few dates out at a nice dinner, a picnic, or a movie; Ant and Rachel have decided to spend theirs across London, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Paris. And yes, if I am correct, these would technically be still their first dates, considering the amount of time...
daylesford
We took opportunity of the long weekend and got away to Daylesford during this Easter break. For some reason I can’t quite put a finger on, Daylesford is my favourite country town to get away to. It must have been its first autumn impression which lasted on me. That or its quaint little shops lined up neatly in town. Or perhaps it was its lush and undulating landscape. Whatever it was, it...
February 2012
3 posts
a malaysian breakfast
It has been just over four weeks since we got back from our holidays, but the lag of a free afternoon and the scent of chlorine from the pool still beckons. It has been four weeks since we got back to work, and still the ability to fully function on the ball is now only slowly picking itself up from the pieces it broke into since Bangkok. The family, friends, the shopping and the food are still...
home
2012 marks a decade since I left Malaysia to start life anew here. In November 2002, I bid my friends goodbye and opened up a new chapter in Melbourne. It had not even occurred to me to realise its significance until Iris mentioned it one afternoon while we were driving around Kuala Lumpur; when she had to attend a 10th year high school reunion. And in that moment, I began to marvel at the...
oh, lazy days
On some lazy afternoons, foregoing the shopping and catching up for some R&R, we dipped our feet (and a bit more) into the blue waters of our pool. There was no better remedy to a hot tropical afternoon than to basically immerse ourselves in the pool; drowning out all noise and distraction, the busyness of our agendas, and remind ourselves of the joy of being in the present, all whilst in good...
January 2012
4 posts
malaysia, differently
Our trip back to Malaysia this time round felt split into two parts. One of discovery - a part I enjoy every time I head back - where we head out and explore what’s new in this ever-changing facade that is KL city. The other was more of an actual holiday, where we basically found our selah. We stayed in during the afternoons, invited some friends over, and soaked in the nice waters of the...
singapore, in a snapshot
On the last night in Bangkok, just before we began our journey southbound to Singapore, I found myself struck by a terrible fever. Doused with rounds of Panadol and gallons of water, I was stretching myself thin as I gung-ho’ed my way, spending practically the entire day between planes and airports until Lily and I found ourselves in Singapore that evening. And possibly thanks to the 4th...
scenes from chao phraya
We took a boat from the Saphan Thanksin Station, up the Chao Phraya River towards the Grand Palace.
Traveling the murky river is as if watching history unfold, as old architecture blends in with the modern contemporary, and landmarks progress with the punctuations of time. Nuanced with rich cultural influences - from Chinese villages to British colonial mansions, right down to the uniquely...
bangkok, in a glance
Descending into Bangkok is as if submerging into a sea. Up in the air, the view below twists the order of nature as a massive cloud spanning across horizons rests upon the surface of the city landscape while the sky above a clear blue. As the plane lands, the haze becomes more evident as buildings are filtered by a blanket of creamy air, its dirty colour only slightly betrayed by the spectrum of...
December 2011
2 posts
late night conversations (iv)
Me: ZzZzZzzz...
Her: Yay!
Me: ?!
Her: ZzZzZzzz...
Me: .......
time, fleeting
In just a blink of an eye, two months have passed.
And in another, a year.
Since the last time I’ve blogged, I’ve finished two books, started a new book, completed my CPA exam (and hopefully, my last), got back in to the routine of cycling, lost the routine of cycling, grown and shaved a mo twice, flown to Brisbane and back twice, and celebrated my first wedding anniversary.
...
September 2011
1 post
home
I’ve been tired.
It hasn’t even been two years since I’ve moved into Epping, and already I’m restless enough to almost have bought another house last week, that despite being a dream home in itself, would’ve been the wrong decision to make. I’m not sure if it’s just the distance and time spent on the road that’s wearing me down - it takes me forty...
August 2011
3 posts
.
I think I take some things too lightly or for granted. For instance, good coffee. Good coffee is, coming from a non-connoisseur’s point of view, littered everywhere across Melbourne. So common and easy it is to find such good coffee, that many take it upon themselves to be “snobs” about it; myself included (despite being less than qualified to judge). Coffee is such a...
further up north
Splitscreen: A Love Story
Splitscreen: A Love Story from JW Griffiths on Vimeo.
Shot entirely on the Nokia N8 mobile phone. Winner of the Nokia Shorts competition 2011 - a clear example of the power of a story, triumphing across medium.
July 2011
2 posts
food, food & wine
I think it’s a given that it is the people that make the dining table; not the food. And this weekend was no exception.
In just a few more days which would go by quicker than we could expect, another good friend is set to pack his bags to venture a new life abroad. And to celebrate our friendships, a few of us decided to buy him dinner in a restaurant in town which name shall remain...
the light house
Sounds sad, but it’s been a while since I walked the streets of Melbourne at night just for the sake of walking - to take in the city lights, breathe the cold, crisp air of winter, and bask in the noise of a bustling city once again. Tonight, almost out of desperation, I finally found myself roaming through Fed Square after a birthday party. With camera at hand, I managed to take a few...
June 2011
5 posts
a homely breakfast
So Lily has been busy in the kitchen again.
Starting on Friday night, she began marinating chicken while cooking glutinous rice, in preparation for a Malaysian breakfast in the morning with some of her Urbies who were kind enough to take the train all the way up here to join us.
With some (kind of) assistance from Sher and myself, Lily spent most of last night prepping the ingredients and...
in the still of the night
new life
a quick update
I’m still alive!
We steamed the frozen pau’s this morning for brekky and while the char siew filling was delightfully delicious, the bun itself was a little odd tasting, owing probably to the pre-mixed flour we purchased. That aside, the texture and portions were spot on and I live another day to tell another tale!
In the mean time, here are a few more shots of what went down my...
a messy table
Is a table made out of love.
I’ve been absent, yes. The past month has been a crazy ride of ups and downs. From my CPA exam, to the sudden sense of freedom post-exam, I was first greeted with a confusion with what to do with so much spare time, but only quickly to be rebutted by an influx of work, a few overdue catch-ups and a pleasant visit from an old friend overseas. I was hit with a...
May 2011
3 posts
late night conversations (iii)
Me: ZzZzZzzz...
Her: Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! *Stretches hand out in the air*
Me: Zz-WHAT?!?
Her: Oh, nevermind *Retracts hand*
Me: ?!?!?
Her: ZzZzZzzz...
Me: ?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!
late night conversations (ii)
Me: ZzZzZzzz...
Her: Hun!
Me: Zz-Huh, what?!
Her: You know that guy?
Me: Wha-??
Her: He has a Hummer!
Me: What??!
Her: Unbelievable, right?
Me: ...
Her: ZzZzZzzz...
Me: ........
late night conversations (i)
Me: ZzZzZzzz...
Her: Oh no!
Me: Zz-Huh, what??
Her: Oh no! We forgot to pay our bills!
Me: What?? What bills?!
Her: You know, like the council rates but not.
Me: No, I don't.
Her: There, the one you get in your e-mails!
Me: I don't get council rates bills in my e-mails.
Her: No, not council rates, but something like that!
Me: ...
Her: ZzZzZzzz...
Me: .........
April 2011
2 posts
the grampians (ii)
Day 2 was not as welcoming as our first evening. The sky held its weight till early afternoon before it poured down on us - but not before we did some climbing, at least.
Hollow Mountain was one of the only sites that remained open at the Grampians, after a horrible flood swept through a big part of the region. When we got there, many roads and attractions were still closed due to either being...
the grampians (i)
It’s been a crazy one month since New Zealand, and I have barely had the time to recuperate since. It was as if the work conference was the tip of an iceberg - a sweet prelude to what came to be some of my busiest weeks yet as I juggled new work, changes in my office environment, and studying for my CPA which is due in four weeks altogether. I’ve seen better days. Which was why it...
March 2011
7 posts
new zealand (v)
So it finally came that it was our last day in New Zealand. It was a mixed feeling of relief that it was time to head home, as well as a sadness that was an unrequited feeling of not being able to wander further than where we’ve been for the past week in this beautiful country. Driving through the tall, canopying trees, I couldn’t help but think how breathtaking this whole scene...
new zealand (iv)
Early Thursday morning, after the last night of the gala dinner at the company conference, we headed to the Eastern fringe of the city to pick up our rental car and began a two day intensive roadtrip from Auckland to Waitomo, Lake Taupo where we stayed a night, Rotorua, and back.
The drive didn’t start off too well as the rental service promised us a free GPS unit to guide us along the...
new zealand (iii)
Day 2
Sometimes I feel as though I have ants in my pants. Like a child, I can not sit still. I know what I’ll be doing after doing what i’m doing now. Yes. I am that sort of girl and it drives Dave up the wall. Dave has a colleague who stayed back after the conference. When we asked what his plans were, he said that he had no plans and just smiled. Dave turned to me and said,...
new zealand (ii)
While Dave was busy attending seminars and talking business, I was busy catching the next bus/ferry to my next destination! :) I absolutely loved the fact that I could explore places, have a good meal and catch public transport in a foreign country by myself. That alone is such a rare opportunity and that made this trip very precious to me.
I cannot stop gushing about how beautiful New...
new zealand (i)
Quite honestly, I don’t know what to make of my week in New Zealand’s North Island, which makes it even harder knowing where to begin. I was offered an opportunity mid last year to join the team at work this year at our annual conference, which was meant to be in Christchurch in the South Island. But as you would know now, with the Christchurch disaster, our plans were quickly moved...
getting even
She cooks more, yes. But that in no way means I don’t do anything in the kitchen. While she reigns as heiress to the Asian heritage in this household and serves up some mean oriental chop sui’s, I on the other hand, like to dabble in a little bit of the Western palette.
Mixing two of Jamie Oliver’s recipes (and some ad hoc improvisation fails), tonight for dinner, I served up...
as of lately
1) I’ve been loving some Japanese tunes Rachel dropped off before she left and abusing it with the repeat button on iTunes,
2) Looking into properties, shares, and money matters in deciding on what happens in 2012 for this household,
3) Experiencing ‘post-New York syndrome’, otherwise known as P-NYS (hah!),
4) Spending an undesirable amount of time studying again for my CPA,...
February 2011
5 posts
live the language
EF - Live The Language - Paris from Albin Holmqvist on Vimeo.
Lovely typeface & colours.
Thanks, James, for the heads up.
staying home
I love my wife for many reasons.
But today, I’ll highlight just one; being her love interest in food. Not only do I get to benefit from all her experiments in the kitchen, I also get to help! Staying home for as much as possible this week had been an aim for us both so we may cook and rest up from the big weeks we’ve had before. And so this week, after one productive afternoon in...
pelawat
It is good to have friends come over and visit, better still stay with us. Especially those who come every few months. Those are the ones most welcome.
It’s great, I guess, to have the roles reversed for once; in contrast to us being the ones ‘going back’ all the time to see friends. We get to play host, gain a housemate, and more importantly, share a facet of our lives with...
klang bkt
Lily’s ah kong reckons this little piece of historical site - as inconspicuous as it may seem - serves the best bah kut teh in Klang. And being in Klang, that is a statement one will be held accountable at for voicing. Its walls are part made of concrete, slightly exposed, and part tiles. A huge stained Chinese mirror, aged by its scathed reflections, bears cobwebs where ajar from the...
pasar pagi
I remember as a young boy heading out in the mornings, when I’m not at school, with my mother to the morning markets. I hated the wet markets because what made up to be their sense of hygiene was simply appalling. Vegetables and meat were placed on wet and torn newspaper by the floor, covered sometimes in residue of soil or grime, from where I don’t want to know. Every once in a...
January 2011
10 posts
27th November, 2010
There’s something about posting our wedding photos that I just tend to feel funny about.
Well, not just our wedding photos, but any other thing ‘showcasing’ us in general. I think it really all boils down to ‘just shy la’ being the reason. But this is one for those who couldn’t make it to the wedding in Melbourne. The ones whom we wished to squeeze in, and...
new york city (v)
It has been a bit over three weeks since we left New York, but it feels much longer. The surreality of being back in Melbourne, back in the motions of life, work, church and heck, groceries, is a daunting one. But like just with any book, it is time to put a close to that chapter of our lives. From the top of the Empire, to the white slopes of Central Park, across the glitz and glamour of Fifth...
in black & white
new york city (iv)
The Crossroads of the World that is Times Square is always lit and buzzing with activity. Day and night, relentlessly pumping blood through the veins of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, down to the Theatre District; it really is the heart of New York. What amazes me is how it is constantly ablaze with light from all the billboards plastered on every square inch of a wall you can find along the...
the food of NYC
The food of New York is something to revel about. Maybe it’s the fact that it is so densely populated with such diverse cultures and it shows on the plate. Or maybe it’s just a product of history and years of well-preserved passed down recipes. Or maybe this is all just bull and the simple fact is that Americans really know how to make good and greasy, guilty-ridden food and we...
new york city (iii)
On Christmas day, we caught a Knicks game with the Chicago Bulls at the Madison Square Garden. I have always wanted to watch an NBA game live, and now I am glad I am able to cross one point off my checklist of things to do before I die.
To be seated in an actual game was beyond everything I expected it to be. The atmosphere was alive and relentlessly buzzing with energy. From the pre-game...
spew on my screen
I just realised the iMac I work on now has not had its screen properly colour-calibrated. So while I’m happy with my photos here when I’m editing at night, they are looking like spew on my old laptop screen running on Windows.
There is work to be done!
new york city (ii)
When the storm hit us that Boxing Day night, snow started pelting on us sideways, and it did not stop till the morning. In a span of less than 24 hours, New York was covered in a blanket of white of just up to 20 inches high. Above-ground vehicles were buried, trapped, and going nowhere. Some were lucky to free themselves (after much shovelling) before the snow turned to ice, but only to risk...
new york city (i)
To say that New York City is magical has become such an easy roll off the tongue.
Nevermind its neon lights at Times Square, where millions of wattage of advertisements make it the brightest place on the Earth at night. Put aside the 8.5 million hustlin’ and bustlin’ New Yorkers crossing roads in their coats, moving in a chaotic unity like an organism through the veins of its...
December 2010
3 posts
the merch
Two weeks have settled in much faster than I thought. In a blink of an eye, we are back at work, friends are back overseas and have returned from their quick getaway, Christmas is chugging merrily along, a good friend is leaving Australia for good, and just last night we celebrated yet another friend’s wedding altogether. It’s amazing just how much can happen in such little time....