I'M BACK!!!

The reason I have't updated my blog is because we had been away the entire summer...we spent 2 months in Singapore and 2 weeks in Ireland. Now that we are back....there's much unpacking to do, a very empty refrigerator/pantry to stock up, we also need to get over our jetlag and a slight flu that we had picked up in Ireland and basically, we need to get back to the routine as RG has just started his new school term.

At least this time round we needn't have to find another rental in a rush as we have moved back to the same seaside cottage as before. The decision to do so did save us a hell lot of headaches and anxieties.

Once we have unpacked and more settled down...I hope to blog more about the time we spent in Singapore and Ireland and to share with you some photos. I hope your summer had been as good as mine and I wish that we'll have a great fall to come.

I'm happy to be back in the blogsphere and I have so much catching up to do - reading all your past postings over the last 2-3 months!

Shopping is great in US of A!

For me, there are 5 reasons why I find shopping to be such a wonderful experience here in the states.

SIZE
For a big gal like me (size L12/XL14), there are so much more options available here as compared to back home in SG where sizes tend to run small. I always felt like a big fat clown trying to fit into those ridiculously dainty little tight clothes that seem to work only for runway models when shopping in SG. However, over here, for once I actually feel like a regular size person....and it's so easy to find clothes and lingerie that fit me. I could even find stuffs that fit from the girls' clothing section!

PRICE
I've kinda gotten used to the low prices here that I always baulk at the prices when I try to shop in SG. A fifty-dollar bill will probably get me 1 top in SG but here, I can easily use it to buy 2 pairs of denim jeans, 1 scarf and like 3-4 tops. I used to spend more than SGD100 on a pair of jeans in SG but now, every single pair of the jeans that I've gotten from here cost less than USD10 each....can you believe that? In case you are wondering if the quality is lousy for such low priced items.....I can confidently tell you that they are not. The key to good inexpensive shopping here in the states is to know where to go and what to buy when.

COMFORT
I love the sprawling malls, wide shopping aisles, plentiful and HUGE fitting rooms. One of the reasons why I hated shopping in SG was having to queue for the fitting rooms...especially during sale periods.

EASE OF ONLINE SHOPPING
If you are in no mood to hit the malls.....you can still shop at the click of your mouse! You can find almost anything and everything (new or used) online for purchase 24/7. Your orders can be easily placed online, payment made via credit cards/paypal and the items would arrive on your doorstep within days of your order. I don't understand why online shopping is not a big thing in SG. Considering how expensive SG rents are....running an online store makes so much more financial sense than having a physical store with exorbitant rent that would seriously eat into the profits (end of the day, consumers suffer 'cos the costs would inevitably be passed on).

RETURN POLICY
Ok....I complained about it before....that the return policy in SG sucks. In the states, returning your purchases is like part and parcel of the entire shopping experience. If you had bought something and changed your mind (for whatever reason that you can think of!) and wanna return the item for cash/credit....NO QUESTIONS ASKED!

Like I just bought this top online....it didn't fit so I had to return it. All I had to do was to print a free return shipping label online....fill up a short form to let them know why I'm returning the product....stick the return shipping label on the original packaging....place the item to be returned in the packaging together with the return form and reseal the packaging and send it back to where it came from. Once the returned item has been received, the money gets credited back into my account. Easy does it!

The original packaging that the item was shipped in is reusable and resealable. I think it's really convenient and very thoughtful.

So now you know why I've stopped shopping when I go back home to SG - it's TOO EXPENSIVE and no fun.

Tihonet Village Market

We headed down to the Tihonet Village Market last Saturday for our regular supply of cranberry chocolates. They are our absolute favorite chocolates....the cranberries are grown locally and the chocolates locally made and packed. Sometimes, fresh farm fruits/vegetables are also available for purchase at the market. It was truly a beautiful day to be out at the cranberry bogs.

Some information about cranberry bog.

We couldn't resist the chocolate bomb at the market cafe....it was awesomely delicious!

Check out the moussey inside..... :P~~~~

These chocolates are our dietary staple.....muahahaha

We are looking forward to the Cranberry Harvest Festival to be held at Tihonet on the 8 & 9 Oct 2011. We attended the one in 2009 and had loads of fun. If you are around the area during the celebration period.....do join in the fun!!

Our 10th!!!!

Yesterday was our 10th wedding anniversary. I was so glad that RG didn't have to go to work and we could spend the entire day together :)

Here's a photo of us taken 10 years ago on our wedding day at the Raffles Hotel. It seems like just yesterday when we exchanged vows at the Registry of Marriage.
We may be different in race, skin color and personality....but I think we complement each other really well and I believe we have both become much better persons because of each other :)

Both of us aren't perfect.....we each have our flaws.....we have our occasional fights and squabbles.... as individuals, we can't accomplish much but as a couple, I feel that we've got a great synergy (defined as two or more things functioning together to produce a result not independently obtainable).

So yesterday, we celebrated the 10th year of our union.

He got me a card and a book in which he penned down some of his thoughts of me.....

It's such a cute book.....one of the bestEST presents I have ever received from him! In the book are questions like this....amongst many others...

There are also multiple choice questions....hahaha......

I on the other hand got him a heart shape decorative wall piece which was made out of recycled tin ceiling. You see.....tin is the traditional gift for 10th anniversary.

Of course, what's a anniversary celebration without a nice homecooked meal by ME! :PPP

I made healthy oven baked chicken chop served with chicken rice and sambal chilli.

Dessert was red bean with glutinous rice balls.....think it signifies "togetherness"?

Well that was it....a simple little celebration of our 10 wonderful years together. Wishing us many many many more 10 years to come my love! :**

xxxoooxxx

Busy as a bee.....

We are having great weather these days.....warm sunny days with nice sea breezes...and the days are long too with the sun rising before 6am and setting after 8pm. With nice days like these....it just seems a waste to be couped up at home. We have been out enjoying the sunshine quite abit. We have our meals outdoor, have coffee outdoor and even our laptops have moved outdoor with us all thanks to WIFI.

And we can finally open the windows, doors and sliders to let the sea breezes in. It's an amazing feeling....just sitting on the couch or lying in bed and feeling the sea breezes' gentle carasses and smelling the freshness of the ocean. Occasionally, I'd just doze off on the rocking chair to the lullaby of the wind chimes.....ahhhhhhh, life is good.

The Sippican Harbor has been bustling with activities. We see countless sailboats, yachts & kayaks.....everyone is out trying to get a piece of the beautiful sunshine.

The floating docks are back in the water and we've been down there numerous times over the past weeks.

We've been having many friends over for some partying too.

Many shops and eateries have re-opened for spring/summer. Long queues have been seen at the creameries and the fish-and-chips places. Little vegetable/fruit stands have also sprung up.

After so many months of "hibernation".....we are starting to hit the malls (both physical malls as well as online shops!!) again to stock up on summer clothings and accessories :P Love this straw bag that I got from TJMaxx for 12 bucks....it just screams summer to me!

I finally gotten down to altering RG's jeans.....kekeke.....they too have been hibernating in the closet for the last 2 years. I'm a bad wife..... :P

Our air tickets back home to Singapore have been booked (mad expensive!!!). We'll be spending 2 months in SG and another 2 weeks in Ireland on our way back. We are so excited and looking forward to the trips.

Right now.....I have to start packing all our stuffs for storage before we leave here.

Spring 2011

It has been raining a lot lately.....the plants are all happy. Each time the rain stops....I'd venture out into our yard to take some photos of the rain drenched leaves and flowers.

No matter where you are and which season you are in right now.....I hope my photos will bring you the beauty and freshness of spring!

Bambis in my backyard

I have been seeing this group of 4 bambis feeding in my backyard. The other day, they came in the late afternoon just before sunset but today, they were here early in the morning for their breakfast feed.

I usually try not to startle them by avoiding big sudden movements or loud noises...otherwise, they'd start darting away very fast.

Today, I opened the sliders and started coo-ing like I usually do at little dogs and kitties. The bambis heard me, looked at me and then went back to eating whatever they were eating without moving an inch. It seemed like my coo-ing worked in making the bambis less nervous around me :)

On a side note, the temperatures have been inching up everyday. New leaves are starting to sprout, the forsythias are looking beautiful and the lawn is looking greener. Soon, it'll be time to open up all the windows and sliders to let the seabreeze into the house. I can't wait!

Exchange students

I was asked to join RG and his colleagues in hosting a bunch of exchange students from Shanghai for lunch yesterday. RG drove all the 9 of us in the school's van to Boston Chinatown. It was raining but we were all looking forward to some yummy dim sum. The chinese kids have not had a decent chinese meal since they've arrived in the states a couple of months ago.

We brought them to the very popular China Pearl restaurant at Tyler Street. The place was PACKED with asians as well as americans at lunch hour. The kids looked like they could eat a lot so we just grabbed a few plates of everything off the dim sum carts that came by our table. There was so much food and we all got to try a little of everything.

I took a photo of them totally engrossed in the food! :P

After lunch, we brought them to a nearby chinese grocery shop where they shopped to their hearts' content. I noticed that they were buying all sorts of tidbits, cookies and candies. Of course, I also took the opportunity to do my own grocery shopping. I bought vegetables, noodles, sauces, dried goods, century eggs and a whole lot of other stuffs. Everything came up to 2 big bags full! I also popped by the chinese bakery to pick up some lotus paste & red bean mooncakes and char siew polo buns for RG.

On our way back from Boston, we stopped over in Plymouth for some nice coffees at Panera. We had a really nice chat with the kids. They were telling us about the education system, work opportunities and life in general in China. The kids are all 20 years of age....while they do appear quite mature, they are afterall still quite young and would occasionally say the darndest things to crack us up. Everyone had a great time.