Kibera Paper

I got a late Xmas Card at work in the mail this week. It may be the last, but it was definitely the best one. It was made for me by a woman called ElPhridah Ngori from Nairobi under this beautiful project called Kibera Paper.

I think receiving Christmas cards is already something really thoughtful and lovely in this day and age. On top of that, knowing that what I held in my hands has probably helped improve the life of another human being in poverty somehow just made it more sentimental.


From the website:

The project was started to assist the women who live in Kibera Slum, the largest slum in Nairobi; majority are widows. The women are engaged in making handmade cards from waste papers.They recycled the papers and produce cards, by selling the cards they earn some income.Helping them to escape from some of the extreme problems of urban poverty. The Project started with 6 women and now has grown to accomodate 24 women who make cards.

I will be sending my Christmas cards 2012 from them. Watch for it!

New year resolves

I am terrible at keeping resolutions but every year I do love looking back at the year gone by and cherishing the good times. So this is time to do both. 2011 was big for goodbyes... Goodbye to my single days, I swapped sipping soy lattes with the girls on Sunday for home cooked brunches with S on weekends.

Goodbye to my family in Malaysia as I made a commitment to S's family to be their daughter. Goodbye to my cute little first home and my meticulately styled rooms to now trying to fit the furniture from two homes into one that I now share with S that will become our collective style. Goodbye to Louis Vuitton purchases as we will from now on be (in the words of my most favourite single girl) "cheating on fashion with furniture".

                                       

If 2011 was the first movie, then 2012, it's the SATC movie part deux sans the kissing of exes. But you know what I mean. Married in 2012. My life is not just about me now and I now look forward to making beautiful meals for S at home instead of a quick cocktail with a girlfriend.

And going back to work in 2012, there's so much baby talk! 2011 was about the four brides in our division, but with the last of use wedded on the 31st December, the focus is now on the new mothers-to-be in the office. We have 5 ladies in the office about to go on maternity leave in 2012 and whilst I am not clucky, I know it is the next thing I would be looking to do.

 We aren't saying no, but I think I will not focus on it yet. Perhaps it is more important to get our finances and my health in order as priority. And whilst cultivating the garden, I should also be working on building my relationship with S and really developing mutual trust, dependancy and respect before we let the perpetual exhaustion that comes with having children kill our romance.

Anyways, I had meant to write out some New Year Resolutions and here they are:

1) Start taking some of Mum's advice and taking care of my health and stress levels

2) Cut back on the alcohol. Not every drinking event needs to be to the point of teetotalling

3) Really take charge of my career and start building the next step up in the path

4) Take more interest in my everyday dress, its about being elegant.

5) Be cheerier at home so that S doesn't get stressed unncessarily

6) Pray more.

I mean it. This time I really do.

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Happy New Year from Melbourne's Southbank

It's been a few hectic days on the great Melbourne Trip with a fair few friends and the husband.

What with the 33 degrees days... My brain is just not able to process words. So here's just pics of what we have been up to.






Heart my Cappucino...wait... somebody already did!







London Bridge



Fireworks from Southbank

My favourite Grafitti art in Melbourne

Happy 2012 all loved ones! May it be all you want it to be and thank you for sharing a lovely 2011 with me!

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Twas the day after Christmas

Twas the day after Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, except the female spouse.
She awoke in the bright sunshine peeping through the blinds,
In hopes that MrHappyeverafter if stirred, wouldn’t mind.

The street was quiet all still snug in their beds,
While visions of last night’s turkey dinner danced in her head.
And towards S’s Xbox she turned, heart full of resolve,
As she reached for the Kinect, for Your Shape: Fitness Evolved.

When S got out of bed, and came to see what I was doing
I was too absorbed, in the midst of Cardio Boxing.
Kicks and punches, I threw like a flash,
Burning away the excess butter that was put in that mash.

As the sweat drips down the well arched brow,
Gave the husband no desire to approach her now.
So he saunters to his study for some live NBA stream
The Christmas Special where the Lakers took on the Bulls team.

I finished the workout, and cooked brunch real quick,
Leftover turkey with angel hair pasta was a winning pick.
We finished the meal as they wrapped up the game,
And then got ready to go out which was the real aim.

As we pulled up to J and T’s place for a Boxing Day gathering,
we were greeted with pleasant wafts of Izakaya cooking.
We were whisked to the bar and presented with yakitoris,
edamame, gyozas all to be washed down with Asahis.

It was a wonderful effort and evoked much delight
And then to top it all off, T produced into sight,

A cast iron plate with concave circles abound,
Cooks these takoyakis by turning it round and round.

My eyes-how they twinkled! When she said I could try!
To master the art of cooking Japanese battered octopi!
I gingerly turned the batter, still sore from the workout
eagerly hoping my first batch will turn out.

The heat from the pan, I gritted my teeth,
And the smoke it encircled my head like a wreath.
but those golden balls were so worth it when we served,
with Japanese mayo and worchestire!

The takoyaki was perhaps not so good for your health,
But I could not stop eating them, in spite of myself!
A swig of a beer, a mouthful of food,
reminds me again why life is so good.

Hope you've all had a Jolly Holly Xmas and celebrated with as much good food and drink!

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Xmas bake

So what's a girl to do when there are heaps of family left to buy pressies for and you've got Xmas eve eve off work but am not game to brave the crowds at the shops?





I made stars, aspiring jingle bells, Christmas trees and holly. My little bro thinks they taste good and my friends squealed with delight when I produced them at Christmas eve eve dinner last night. Success!

Haha...





Feliz Navidad

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