hikari*: 2009

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Just Pictured!

I downloaded loads of photography apps for my phone while waiting for the installation of The Sims!

Yeah an exciting new year for me.

Shiro's the best model. He never takes a bad picture.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Just Pictured!

Had a surprise birthday from friends at 12 a.m. on the dot!

Seems like the first celebration of my birthday every years sees me on my pajama!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Just Pictured!

Looking at this . . .

. . And this . . .

Where's my Baby Shiro?

Just Pictured!

Was feeling a bit kooky, hence the strips on floral! And I curled my short hair for the first time, hence the messy outcome!

My way in welcoming the New Year.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Just pictured!

I'm going for karaoke wearing my $5 Forever New hairband and $15 Novo flats!

Singing and bargains, my two loves in life.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Just Pictured!

See what I told you about a fine day turning into a nightmare in moments?

Just the same way a nightmare can turn into a beautiful day within moments.

Maybe this is what matters most - the process.

"Wow you two have been together for four years already?"

Honestly, what is there to 'wow' about?

From my humble perspective, the length of a relationship does not signify anything at all. If only length means good. Which creates another question, what is 'good' when it comes to relationships?

No arguments or fights?
No conflict in interest?
No external issues like finance?

Hardly. Both in terms of it ever happening or ever leading to a healthy relationship.

If there is one thing I can be certain about relationships, that will be it is highly 'uncertain'.

One happy moment can turn into a sour spat in a few minutes and the issue can be as small as who eats the cupcake first. One fine day can turn into a nightmare and end a 10-year relationship.

Even if your love is strong, there are a million other factors out of your control that can break you up. In this materialistic and overly-realistic day and age, we want everything. Money, freedom, technology, social status, material, luxury - can you really live on just 'true love'?

To be more extreme, what does marriage signify? Can a mere piece of certificate or ceremony, really warrant a happy ending? You can still wake up one day to find yourself out of love.

But I don't want to let relationships equate to 'uncertainty'.

It indirectly means that I am either waiting for my relationship to end or waiting for someone to marry me (and then continue on to wait for either a divorce?). I don't want it to mean this at all. For it means that I am forever waiting for an answer, something certain to happen and thus, miss the process of being in a relationship.

Isn't all we want just a person to laugh with, cry with and live life with?
Isnt't all we need just a person to laugh with, cry with and live life with?

In a realistic sense, I would say no, that is not enough.
In my personal opinion, I would like to believe in yes, that alone is enough.

We like to use some sort of parameter to measure the quality/quantity of things. But this is not a kilogram of sugar or 3 baby elephants. It is the dynamic or chemistry resulted from the emotional and physical journey of two different people. Tell me how do you measure that?

Definitely not in years on relationship, that is just too naive and lazy.

So tell me, what says a good relationship to you?

Just Pictured!

Look what I Box-Ed today!! I love Boxing Day :)

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Christmas Cheer All The Way

The Xmas mood started early for us this year. Two weeks before Christmas, we went on a road trip to Mornington Peninsula for cherry picking. Cherries are great additions to desserts and the kinda look like mistletoes.

All I want for Christmas is a mistletoe above me and Peter Petrelli.

On the way, we visited the Santa's Place. It is a packed little place filled with all sorts of decorations for Christmas. From huge artifical Christmas trees to Christmas Town models to baubles of all sorts to life sized Santa Claus figures!

There is also a small cafe overlooking a small plantation of young Christmas trees. Well, to someone like me who has always seen Christmas tree in white/snowy settings (from children books and gossip magazines haha, did you really think that all my previous Christmases were in the States or something?), it was pretty NEW to see small Christmas trees among the dry grassy lands.

Mel was definitely in a festive mood - well too ahead of time perhaps!

It was a pretty hot day so yeah, there were flies. And the picture below, the biggest flies of the day.

We went to the Red Hill Cherry Farm. I love going to orchards and picking my own fruits! What more when you can eat while you pick muahaha. I remember the last time I went to Beerenberg Strawberry Farm in Adelaide, we ate so much strawberries while picking that the strawberries we ended up paying for were . . . erm given away as 'gifts' because we were too jelak. Blergh.

Mistletoe.

Some of us worked hard for our loot. The shorter one ones aimed for the lower ones.

The week before Christmas, we organised a Christmas dinner at home (we will be moving out of Marshall soon *sniff*). It was an intimate dinner where all 10 guests exchanged presents. In total we had 90 presents! The reason it was so early is because Amy and Wenji would be leaving soon for Christmas holidays!

We had roasted turkey with cranberry sauce, legs of ham, roasted vegetables and Christmas pudding to name a few. We even hid rings, buttons and silver coins in the pudding. You know, when rings symbolise good luck in love or marriage while buttons symbolise good luck and silver coins symbolise wealth?

I got a silver coin! Ray got a button! Daniel for the ring hohoho.

The best part of the whole night was opening up all the presents together! The whole living room was filled with wrapping paper of all colours. I also realised that Amy and I are the fastes or maybe most impatient gift receiver. We were done opening up and examining all our presents while Yiki was just on her third gift.

Before we left, we gave John a surprise birthday party. Hmm who else's birthday is coming up??

Last night, we had another Christmas party at Daniel, Yiki and Sam's place. A tradition of these three little Christmas lovers! Look at the Christmas decorations! Yiki even got that reindeer!

The presents below were Kris Kringle gifts!

The theme of the party was Jolly White, hence all guests were decked out in perfect whiteness.

Me and Santa.

I think Yiki received this cupcake stand from one of us during the Christmas dinner at our place. Nice!

Someone-I-forgot-who: Are you bringing Shiro along?

Me: Nah, I don't think so.

Someone-I-forgot-who: But it is a Jolly White Party!

Thus.

Heavyweight champion of the night.

You know what I love most?

Giving and receiving presents! Year end is the jolliest time for me. Christmas and then birthday (31 Dec *disregard the year* for those who are unaware) (And no, I am so not rubbing it in) (Nor am I reminding) (Nor hinting).

Here are the presents I received:

Tamagotchi! My absolute favourite! I used to collect electronic pets - Dog, Cat, Digimons, Human, Mermaid, Penguin, Angel! Haven't grown out of the phase yet!

This little hat, is it a bit too cutesy-wutsy for me?

I love Mimco but always it is a bit too expensive for me. But I lurve this.

How sweet is this?

Another cutesy stuff for me, I love dogs!

I have been going bracelet and hair accesories crazy lately.

Didn't I just mention hair accessories! Santa heard me! Or Mel did hehe!

When I asked him what he got me, he answered "something small but nice". I was thinking of something along the lines of a diamond ring.

Oh and facial masks - what is he trying to say?!

I also got hair spray and clay from WooHsian but I am already using it haha so no pictures!

My favourite - skincare!

I got this as my Kris Kringle present. Hmmm :-(

I know it was meant to be a prank but it was kinda disheartening at first. Kinda rubbed off my mood for a while there. After all, I love choosing gfts and really put in effort whenever it comes to buying something for others. So it was a bit blah when I got this.

But good humour with the Chanel there! And lotsa toilet rolls for my old house. But definitely not something I would pull on another person. Le sigh.

Oh and birthday update! (Again, I am not rubbing it in) (Nor hinting) (Nor reminding) (Why do I have explain myself all the time!)

I received my first birthday gift from WenJi!

You know what I love to do every birthday? I love gathering all my birthday gifts and open everything up altogether on that day itself! Am I a kid or what!

With all the Christmas presents and Birthday presents rolling in lately (The Japanese Restaurant Zen even gave us a present when we had dinner there), it seems like it is a trend to give Loretta presents!

So jump on the bandwagon if you want to become popular or cool!