Babies? *shivers*

I've been married for a year and the next question will be, "When are you having kids?". Hmm...when I'm ready?

And the ultimate question is...when will I ever be ready? I've promised the husband we'll try when I hit 30. But truthfully, will I be ready when I hit 30? What if I'm not?

My sister told me no books or preparation will ever make me prepared for motherhood, it just happen. I'm not convinced. Many of my friends already have kids or gotten pregnant. Comparing to marriage, I seriously don't feel pushed to have kids even my Facebook has become a wall of baby photos.

Probably from all the horror stories I heard from mothers around, it just creeps me out with all the gory details. The pain, the changes and let's not start about the sleepless nights. Sleep is like oxygen to me, interrupted sleeps will turn me into a Godzilla. With my cranky mood, I may blow up at the husband and it will strain our relationship. What if it got so bad we have to divorce? *pulls hair* Don't try to shake off this fact because it's indeed the truth. Do you have any idea what is the rate of divorce after having kids?

Let me list down the cons:
No more sleeping in during the weekend.
No more lounging around with the husband.
No more hanging out with friends.
No more holiday trips.
No more time.
No more freedom.

Geez...sounds like the end of life.

Yayaya, I'm sure you're going to say that the joy children bring is worth all the sacrifices. It's a whole different story when your kids roll on the floor in public kicking their legs in the air in the shopping mall just because you refuse to buy them toys *shivers*

I've seen parents with their babies crying the lungs out in shopping mall. No matter what the parents do, the baby just cry and cry and cry until everyone in the mall were looking at them. I'm not sure if I should feel pity or embarrassed for the parents. And some kids threw tantrum at the parents calling them stupid in public. All worth the sacrifices you make? I know it's the matter of teaching and guidance. But looking at the rate of my motherhood skill, I HIGHLY doubt myself.

Getting up early for work everyday after sleepless nights to wailing babies *shivers* I think I will end up with depression. Quit working? I will end up with depression too because I'm trapped inside the house with the baby all day and night looking all haywire. Messy hair, lifeless skin, baggy t-shirt and pants because you don't bother to look nice and dress up at home *shivers*

Dear Fairy Godmother,
Can I have a baby who doesn't know how to cry and just smile and giggle all the time? (Fat chance)

But having no kids, I might end up in the old folks home, lonely and sad. Dim suen?!

Let's sum up my year of 2013!

2013 is coming to an end. Another year is gone. I realized that as we grow older, time seriously slip by like a bolt. It makes me cherish each and every moment even more. Most of all, my denial in getting old. Can we slow that down just a bit?

Well, like what I did last year. Let's summarize my achievement for this year. It's good to do a sum up of the year, so you can see where you're at and set new goals for the new year! Let's begin!

• I traveled to 6 countries in Europe!

NETHERLANDS

GERMANY

SWITZERLAND

PARIS

LONDON

VENICE

• I traveled to other countries without the husband, twice!

SINGAPORE

BANGKOK

•  I finally moved my lazy ass and started yoga!

•  Bought myself a foldable bicycle and started cycling!

•  Got a pay raise!

•  Started reading again and I knocked out more than 20 books in about 6 months!

And the biggest achievement of the year 2013....

• A house of my own.

It has been a ridiculously long time since my last update about the house, I'll talk about it in some other post in the future. I find it ridiculous too. But for now let's just be merry and jolly.

CHRISTMAS! I've always love Christmas, who doesn't? With all the lights, heart warming songs and presents! It makes us feel warm and close to each other. What's missing is obviously...snow!

And Christmas will be so blah without these people!

Presents exchange and look what I got! Cute!

Presents from my colleagues with personal messages, so sweet =)

Nothing beats this gift from my Manager. Some encouragement gives me the oomph to brace the new year =)

Christmas present and advance Birthday present from my childhood BFF!

I don't get to see her often since she's in Singapore. Thanks for the advance gift =)

I had Christmas present hunting with my friends on Christmas day itself. It was so fun! We wrote down whatever we want (of course within a budget) in a piece of paper and we randomly pick without knowing what we have to buy and for whom. Our timing was 30-60 minutes to run around the shopping mall to hunt for that present. I walked so fast I was perspiring in the shopping mall!

I was expecting everyone to write some silly stuff to trick the pickers so I wrote something stupid! But everyone was so normal! GAH!!!!!!

The husband and I got it real bad =____= But at least we had a good laugh!

I love Christmas so much I decked my work desk in the office for the occasion! 

Love all the photos on the dashboard. Reminds me of how happy I am of where I am now =) The McD Hello Kitty and the carousel are gifts from the husband. The paper Santa and the button badge are from Dominic, I wonder if that's what he thinks of me =_= Oh, I bought the Santa shoe and tiny Christmas tree myself. It's important to decorate your work desk a bit so it feels more personal and yourself, that is very important so you can comfortably!

I even painted my nails looking all Christmasy!

It's so fun to paint your nails for special occasion. You can do any elements you like according to the theme. Here are some tutorial videos which I find super cute!

Before signing off 2013, I will like to conclude that this year hasn't been as great as last year, it was good, just not as great. 2012 was an exciting year. 2013 is a year of learning and growing. I learned a lot this year (I think), from the way I should deal with people in general (work related or personal). To have a happy life is to ditch all the negative people around you. Sometimes there are no hard feelings, we just change and move on. Spread the good energy for a happier YOU!

Though it wasn't an awesome year comparing to 2012 which might be the best year of my life (so far). But I'm thankful for whatever that came my way. And guess what! 2014 will be a great year with a lot of new exciting things installed! Can't wait to tell you guys!

2014!

Here's my dedication to all of you to bid 2013 goodbye and say a big fat HEEEEEEEEELLLOOOOOOOOO to 2014! Get your ass up! Kick off your shoes! Shake your booties and dance!!!!!

The Fault in Our Stars.

I was browsing through goodreads.com (a reliable source for book lovers) and found this interesting book called "The Fault in Our Stars". The rating was tremendous with 4.5 stars. I downloaded the e-book for a preview and was instantly touched! I read up to chapter 8 and decided that I must get the book! The real book! I went to the bookstore and asked the counter for it. While I was waiting for the staff to look for the book, a boy approached the counter and looked for the same book. When he said the title, I thought my brain was talking. What are the odds, such a coincidence. 2 strangers looking for the same book at the same place and at the same time. It must be a real good book.

Here is the synopsis:

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

The first half of the book was so heart wrenching. I could literally feel the pain that Hazel had to fight everyday. Struggling everyday just to stay alive and couldn't afford a normal life despite such a young age. I felt how cancer patients felt at that moment. Then I stopped for nearly 2 weeks because I was waiting for the book to be launched in the bookstore. Maybe that was the problem, the ache I was feeling was gone. I felt the last half of the book wasn't that "into the spot". It just couldn't pinpoint my sad spot. It was OK, but very far from Jojo Moyes' "Me Before You". I thought I have found a contender for Me Before You, but no. The ending gave me so many question marks. I think the author, John Green was pulling a "An Infliction Affair" by Peter Van Houten which he raved about in "The Fault in Our Stars" itself. What happened to Hazel after the letter? How long did she lived? Probably John Green wanted his fans to act like Hazel, fly all the way to wherever he lives and knock on his door to ask for answers. Just like what Hazel did for "An Infliction Affair" in the book.

Nonetheless it is a good book with quite a few quotes worth pondering upon. It gave you a food for thought to love and live to the fullest. Even cancer patients live and love hard, leave alone people who is healthy and normal. What excuse do you have?

This particular quote touched me so badly. A relationship isn't judged by the span of time we spend together. But the things we do, the words we say and the love we give. 

Some readers even made some fan arts which I find super sentimental.

Here's my verdict:

1st Wedding Anniversary.

I am officially married for a year. Can you believe it? I certainly don't. My wedding day is still so fresh in my memory I can hardly accept the fact that a year has passed by. The first year anniversary is very important, simply because it is THE FIRST. Our wedding rings are not similar. His is a band while mine is a solitaire diamond ring with a line of small diamonds at both sides.

So the husband got me an anniversary ring, the female version of his ring from the same range.

With engraving marking our first year together.

After ring shopping, we went to book ourselves a trip to Korea for next year Chinese New Year. Another huge KA-CHING!

You can see how stressed out the husband was from the way he devoured the chicken wings during our dinner, LOL!

We should have gone for a weekend getaway because our anniversary fell on Sunday. But instead, we just went out with friends till late on the eve of our anniversary and slept through Sunday morning. Nothing extra special for the rest of the day, just a nice simple dinner at Blu Med, The Gardens.

The place was almost empty and all ours!

Delicious chicken wings!

Braised whole chicken leg.

Spaghetti Bolognese.

The husband checking my newly polished wedding ring.

Us. After a year of marriage, and hopefully more to come.

Never let go.

And of course, last but not least my outfit of the special day. Love this dress from Viris Zamara, an aspiring designer from Bangkok. Bag from Michael Kors. Shoes from Vincci.

A day in my life.

After sharing with you my beauty regime, let's go more in depth and share with you my daily routine during the weekday which I usually wake up in the morning unwillingly to work. If you think your days are mundane, you are not alone. Ordinary people going through ordinary lives, this is just part of life. Let me humor you with a day of my equally mundane life.

Wake up in the morning feeling like P.Diddy....NOT!!!

Skincare and make up in the morning is a must, or shall I say mandatory. Going to work with a bare naked face is like...going out to the street naked.

Can't live without my trusty Cellnique Pro Sebum Gel.

After making up and dressing up, it's time to get into my car for a dreadful drive to work. The husband made me wear the seat belt for my bags. So it doesn't risk getting robbed and fall off the seat.

Hello kitty! Buckle up!

Morning traffic is not something that I look forward to.

Reached Uptown and went into the parking lot. I usually park at level 8 and every level has 2 floors. Everyday I need to turn 15 times to reach my parking spot =_= I wonder if I should pity myself or my tires.

Inside the parking lot.

I park at Uptown 7 and my office is at Uptown 2. That is like the other side of the square which is a 10 minutes walk. I wanted to walk in the morning as a small exercise but the sun isn't co-operating. So I usually take the shuttle van that takes people who go around Uptown.

Sneakily snapped a photo with sleepy people sitting quietly in the van.

Finally reached the office and the first thing I usually do isn't work. It's breakfast!

My healthy breakfast! Bananas and a gigantic burger!

Inside the gigantic burger are papayas! Ah-ha! The burger is just a container, cute right?!

Time to work! I have 2 computers. The iMac for design work.

The Windows computer for emails.

After a few hours of computer tapping, brain straining and drama fighting, it's lunch time! Sometimes I go out lunch with my colleagues nearby. Some other time when I feel fat I'll eat oats. 

Today is my fat day, so it's an Oat day.

 The company has recently started to implement breakfast and tea time catering in our office pantry. After another few hours of work, it's tea time!

Fresh Code is fruit juice without artificial sugar.

After another few hours, time to go home! I usually don't wait for the shuttle van to take me to the parking lot because the sun is not so glaring anymore and sometimes we have to wait like forever for the shuttle van because the driver snake at the parking lot, smoking and chatting. One day I shall take a photo of them snaking and send to the management!

That's me. Dressed prettily carrying a Hello Kitty backpack. So not age appropriate LOL.

Don't make me start about the traffic back home. Blood draining!

Salary day! Bills bills bills and more bills $_______$

Dinner prepared by mother in law.

A little bit of TV time with the husband before he goes off for his night jog.

When the husband is gone, laundry time. I'm a good wife.

Laundry and painting, I scored No.1 in the boring people list.

Painting accompanied by music is so....inspiring.

I always wait for the husband to get back before I sleep. I can't sleep in peace if I know he is not back. More cookie points for me! 12 something and he is finally back, time to hit the bed to prepare myself for another equally mundane day tomorrow.

Zzzzzzz.......