Friday, February 19, 2010

happy tiger year! CNY Eve

one week, i've neglected my blog for a week! heehee so many things happened i duno how to start blogging. feeling lazy again. okay i shall start on CNY first.

this year's CNY was awesome! very fun and totally passed in a flash. i love chinese new year, not because of the angbaos, or the most natural excuse to gorge on delicious CNY snacks, but because we get to meet and recognise relatives, and we get the opportunity to catch up on each other's lives (relatives whom we are closer to of course). if not for CNY, i think we might just walk past a certain uncle, auntie, or young man or woman and not know we're related. however, despite all that was said, what is CNY without angbaos, pineapple tarts, ba gua, endless supply of drinks, mahjong and poker?! haaa. so they are still important. :)

starting from chinese new year eve, woke up about noon and found my mum working around the house, doing some last minute housekeeping, cleaning and preparing food for the reunion dinner. helped her dabao lunch from the coffeeshop and to my surprise almost all stalls are wiped clean and preparing to close already! what, closing and wiped out by 12pm?! my brother said he heard someone da bao-ing $60 worth of chicken rice. haha. that was insane.

then helped to decorate the house by hanging those red and green plastic pineapples, pasted CNY deco on the walls; those that have a glittery and gold '發' and '财' in an again gold and glittering pineapple. haha. then started preparing and organising goodies and drinks and placed them nicely on the coffee table. sounds like an easy task yea, but man it took us almost 2H. just looking for the right container, washing them and putting stuff in. and tearing/cutting ba gua into a container feels like a chore that takes forever. just how many pieces of ba gua are there in the box?! jinjia!

after that its pretty much just waiting for my relatives to come, and all the aunties are helping out in the kitchen to prepare for the reunion steamboat dinner. everything started passing in a flash from there, all i remembered was more and more people started arriving, me disturbing shuang shuang when she's doing her P6 english and chinese revision paper (and P6 eng and chi are wayy harder than i remembered them to be! i feel for the children these days. *phew im glad im over those stuff haaa.) then cutsie pie vivian and justin arrived, so wii was played and the reunion dinner started. we had the normal soup base steamboat and another separate barbeque plate for barbequing stuff. garlic tiger prawn's nice!











i remembered wii and the blasting TV with a volume of 60 (when our normal TV volume at home is 18-20, you can imagine how noisy the place must have been) to be the main activities around the house. mario kart and raving rabbids were played (super fun). OHH and xiao tong started helping me tie french plaits on my head. so nice lah, but i know i can never master the art of french plaits. me and my clumsy hands.

later that night qikai celebrated his 21st birthday with a chocolate cake from Four Leaves. and it was so funny because i think all of us were so high that night we started cheering, whistling and clapping our hands while standing around him, making him the only highlight in the middle of the semi-circle. make him feel so awkward haha. nicee, that's the purpose.

oh and my third uncle was super funny and high throughout the entire celebration, totally made me laughed out loud for i duno how long. HAHAHA he was like waving around and making waves while singing the birthday song, in between still switched role to conducting us. HAHA he's the funniest uncle man seriously. a super mega family portrait was taken after that, check out The Lims! :)













the reunion dinner ended close to midnight and everyone's off preparing for next day's visiting.

as for me, i was doing some last minute mani and pedicure later that night, and had to wait till about 3plus close to 4am for the nails to dry up before i can sleep. zzz.


happy tiger year! to be continued...

Thursday, February 11, 2010

my birth chart

kelsey told me about this website called astrology cafe, where you can enter your particulars like birth date, time and so on to get your own personalised birth chart report. its some horoscope thing, dun really know the meaning of what sun, mecury and all. but its okay they'll explain to you. shall share my report here, and you can see if that's me they're talking about! haha. (but beware! its very long, this report.)


This birth chart report shows the positions of the planets for Lin Yumin.

The Sun represents vitality, a sense of individuality and outward-shining creative energy.

Sun in Sagittarius

Restless, cheerful, and friendly, Sun in Sagittarius people are generally on the go. They have a love of freedom, and a disdain for routine. Generally quite easygoing, Sagittarians make friends with people from all walks of life. They love to laugh and tease, and get along well with both sexes. Sagittarians have an often blind faith in people, and in the world. Their optimism is infectious, although it can get them into trouble from time to time. These are curious people who love to learn. Their idealistic nature is hard to miss.

Although generally easygoing, Sagittarius is a fire sign. This gives natives a generally quick temper. Fortunately, they're usually as quick to forget what got them angry in the first place. The need for escape is generally strong, and some Solar Sagittarians come across as a little irresponsible. They're generally easy to forgive, however. After all, their direct, honest approach in life is admirable.

Short description: She is good, idealistic, enthusiastic and warm-hearted. She is independent, has a taste for travel and freedom. She is curious and fair-minded.

Weaknesses: She is too adventurous and leaves things to chance: takes risks which cause problems: she is rebellious and sometimes tactless when offering opinions.

Sagittarius ascendant Aquarius

Sun in X

The urge to work toward a goal, for success and accomplishment, and/or for power is part of your make-up. You are uncomfortable in any position in which you must "take orders" from someone else. Recognize your ambitions and your need for authority without going overboard. Seek out a career that allows you to manage, rather than be managed, if possible. It is crucial that you accept the part of you that is ambitious, but take pains not to over-identify with an image that is not really you! Successful career is guaranteed, but may sometimes come late.

42 Conjunction Sun - Mercury

Because your ego and your mind are aligned, you possess much mental energy. You are always in a position to think about what you want, and in many ways, this is an interruption of the will. You are highly intelligent with a great drive to communicate with other. You invest a lot of pride in your intellectual capacities. You may not always listen as well as you speak, however! You might be too busy thinking about what to say next. But you are very curious and although you enjoy expressing yourself, you usually don't dominate conversations completely. As far as studying or learning goes, you are better off reading the material than listening to a teacher. These traits come from a strong need to take an active role in communications. It is very hard for you to passively listen and absorb information.

Your opinions are usually strong and you are an independent thinker. You tend to be proud of your opinions and thoughts, and might easily get a bruised ego if you are not "heard", if your opinions are pushed aside or ignored, or if your opinions are criticized. You are expressive and possibly a very animated speaker. You are also very witty and others enjoy your playful and sometimes mischievous sense of humor.

The Moon represents the emotional responses, unconscious pre-destination, and the self-image.

Moon in Scorpio

While others may find security and comfort in material things, Moon in Scorpio people seek out emotional intensity. No matter what, there is something very intense about Lunar Scorpios. They are diggers when it comes to the world of emotion--they can see beyond facades and cut right to the core of a person. This ability to "see" what isn't obvious to the rest of the world can be intimidating to others or wildly attractive, depending on the audience.

Doing things halfway or having meaningless relationships simply doesn't fulfill them. Lunar Scorpios want all or nothing. Moon in Scorpio people often have a strong fear of betrayal. They seek out commitment, and feel the need for a partner to give up something for them. Some will put the people they love through a series of tests, and these are not always conscious. Their apparent suspicion can be trying for the people who love them. However, once committed, Moon in Scorpio people can be the most loyal and protective partners around. Even the shy ones have enormous presence. Their lives are emotion-driven, yet many Moon in Scorpio natives spend a lot of time controlling and mastering their emotions. Their intuition is enormous, although it is sometimes self-serving.

Moon in Scorpio people radiate strength. Even in the absence of experience, they seem to "just know" things. It would be difficult to shock or scare away Lunar Scorpios in the face of emotional honesty and power. Some people instinctively want to lean on them, and other less brave folk run a little scared. Lunar Scorpios have exceptional "radar" that allows them to size up a situation--and a person--quickly and expertly. This ability to understand human motivation and nature can be too close for comfort for some, and enormously comforting for others. Many Lunar Scorpios are intelligent and astute. Those that use their enormous powers for intimacy and honesty are the happiest, and they make the most interesting and rewarding friends and lovers.

Short description: Courageous, brave, independent, not a fearful nature. A very sensual and progressive woman.

Weaknesses: excesses of pleasures of the flesh, sensual delights and sensuality. Difficulty letting go.

Moon in X

Changes of situation. She is frightened of getting old and tends to hark back to the past. Influenced by the father. Success due to help from women.

131 Sextile Moon - Venus

You are generally amiable and project a soft and yielding manner. You possess natural charm and you are highly imaginative and sympathetic. You can make an excellent mediator and go-between. You are keenly aware of your need for relationships and for intimacy. You have a well-developed respect for qualities typically associated with the feminine.

People appreciate you for your tender heart and friendly, diplomatic disposition. You should enjoy a good measure of personal popularity and success in your life. Although generally considered "lucky" with relationships and with money, this is less about luck than it is about a certain level of inner peace and positive energy that attracts pleasant situations.

At times you can be complacent, downright lazy, and over-indulgent in the "pleasures" of life. However, you are a peace-maker at heart and have an unusual ability to help and heal others. You are gracious and warm.

59 Conjunction Moon - Mars

You are a passionate person who loves life. Although your emotions are powerful and immediate, your passion is generally controlled and directed. You are a sexual person who nevertheless doesn't get too carried away or controlled by your passions. Because your emotions are strong and you know how to channel them into constructive channels, you don't easily understand such things as "crimes of passion", impulsive behaviors, or emotional excitability in others. You're generally open, accepting, and natural in your sexual expression. You need an emotional connection in order to feel complete on a physical level. You may have an affection and talent for sports, but other factors in the natal chart are necessary to provide the motivation and commitment.

Short description: She is frank, honest, full of vigor and ambition. She is strong-willed and powerful at work. She is a little hard on herself but, above all, on others whose capacity for action is not as great.

171 Conjunction Moon - Midheaven

She has a sense of family, profound feelings and especially likes children. If there are changes in her professional life, they are for the better.

Mercury represents communication, Cartesian and logical spirit.

Mercury in Sagittarius

Enthusiastic, humorous, and sometimes moralistic. She has strong opinions, and often shares them! Democrat, philosopher, tolerant, respectful of laws. Interested in foreign places and learning more languages. Believes that everything teaches you something.

75 Sextile Mercury - Ascendant

She is intelligent, with quick and lively reflexes. She is preoccupied by her circle, likes to exchange ideas with her friends, but also with strangers. Of an open nature, she goes out to others.

Venus represents an interest for emotions and values, exchange and sharing with others.

Venus in Capricorn

Venus in Capricorn people will try to win your heart by displaying self-control, presence of mind, and responsible behavior. These lovers want you to know they are goal-oriented, witty, savvy, and controlled. Nobody can get the best of them. They want you to see just how competent they are. They like some measure of predictability in their relationships as they are cautious in love.

Venus in Capricorn men and women project an aura of competency and their loner-like behavior can be attractive, in a cool way. They don't go gaa-gaa over love, or at least they don't express as much. Their lovers may complain that Venus in Capricorns are a little too practical and deliberate. Certainly, they can come across as lacking in warmth and spontaneity. Truth is, they can be rather romantic souls who yearn for a partner to share their lives with. Others' image of their relationship matters to them. They are conservative and willing to commit.

Venus in Capricorn people are attracted to serious, goal-oriented lovers. They are a little shy in matters of the heart, but they don't want you to know it. If you like knowing where your relationship is headed, you'll be mighty pleased with Venus in Capricorn. These people plan ahead in love, and, unlike Venus in Pisces, they will let you know exactly where they (and the relationship) are headed. Pleasing Venus in Capricorn involves showing them you are practical and realistic. They want to impress you with the things they do. Appreciate their "saving for a rainy day" attitude, and be aware that they want to show you off in a quiet way.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

madam's 52!

hahaha the title made my lol.

celebrated mdm's 52nd birthday last sunday at peach garden 33, a cantonese restaurant on the 33rd floor of OCBC centre. her birthday is actually on 27 Feb but because of CNY and us going back to aussie, the celebration had to be carried forward.

left the house earlier with uhu, uxin and maxim to get either a cake or flowers for mdm and guess what? never buy a cake that last minute! we were like speeding around Central at Clark Quay to find a bakery that sells a decent cake. finally found one bakery that sells only TWO cakes. we decided on carrot cake since the other one, sweet cherry sounds and looked abit dubious. haha. speeded to ocbc centre after a whole string of phonecalls from mdm and bala saying they have reached.

was quite disappointed that we didnt get the window table, missed the night view we could have enjoyed if we sat by the window. anyways the restaurant was almost full that night, with most families there to lao yu sheng. the restaurant manager gave us complimentary 寿包s after learning its madam boh's birthday that night, hahaha.












anyways then we gave her the present we chose together at robinsons, the braun buffel white leather wallet. and she liked it alot! all of us liked it alot. very nice and classy. :) check out mdm and her present. haha.













the food was relatively good, but very pricey. ordered roasted duck, lotus with peanut soup, fried fish soon hock, tofu with vege and crabmeat sauce, brocolli and lastly 寿面. i think the shou mian is very nice, but being the last dish we were all full to the throat to enjoy all of it. should have come first lah! i would have sucked everything in.

and then came the surprise birthday cake for mdm. she very cute lor, still thought its the restaurant's complimentary birthday cake cause the waitress served it for us and told her its specially for her. lol.












oh another funny thing! before we left house that day i was disturbing mdm, told her birthday girl must give everyone an angbao each. then uxin still say, 'yarh, must give $50 somemore'. what the heck! haaa she got contribute in disturbing mdm too hor. then after the cake cutting session, mdm secretly took out a bundle of angbaos and handed each of us one! hahaha! she's super cute lah! i was joking only and she really went to prepare angbaos. uxin still scold me so loudly. im gonna declare here that you were part of it too. you helped me in disturbing her too hor! dun try to push the blame to me you bella (one vanilla latte please).













hope mdm enjoyed her early birthday celebration! love my mummy. :) mdm boh, chwee kim's sister (hahaha).

Sunday, February 7, 2010

unwritten

introducing, my favourite drink in the world...












MILK TEA WITH JELLY! awesome-ness is it (even though it always gives me extreme hunger after drinking). :)

val dropped by the house yesterday after her company's paintball session at bottletree park. haha. the visit was totally random. caught up with some stories and we were facebooking away, trying to fit the faces to the characters in val's stories.












caught up with dear geoky geok tonight and shopped for our CNY clothes too! haaa. i realise we are always shopping for CNY clothes together. oh and it was so nice of her to come pick me and send me home. thanks a million geok! <3

we talked like we haven seen each other in years, haha, all the way throughout the night. and had a htht after dinner. other than catching up on ourselves, we conveniently caught up with the rest by discussing about them too. haaa. we're not gossiping okay! dont misunderstand. we're just, catching up. lol.

had my favourite curry soft shell crab at Thai Express. awesome-ness again. i can eat that for dinner everyday seriously. feel so satisfied and contented today, with two new dresses, an old friend, my favourite food for dinner, what more do i need to ask for? :)














'feel the love in the air~ no one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in, no one else~ no one else can speak the words on your lips~ change yourself in words unspoken~ live your life with arms wide open~ today is, where your book begins~ the rest is still unwritten~'

Friday, February 5, 2010

of a present, airport and burger shop!

hellos world! how are you today? :)

went present hunting with uxin and bala today for mdm boh's 52nd birthday! we've decided to buy her a new wallet after her obvious hint on how old and tattered her wallet is. hahaha. and to my surprise we only took like less than an hour to decide on what to buy (since we're restricted to only choose from within robinsons because of the $80 vouchers. but the vouchers came just in time! saved us $80 haha). bought her a nice and classy white braun buffel leather wallet! :)












that's all i can show at the moment since its all packed up. anyways then we decided to shop around raffles city since we're already there. and then! *drumrolls* i found the dress for this CNY at topshop. haha! Chinese New Year, the perfect excuse to allow new entrants to my wardrobe. heehee.

after shopping, we went to the airport to welcome maxim home from KL, and then we had dinner together at Killiney Kopitiam. we (bala and i, uxin is too cool for these nonsenses haha) almost didnt shock the hell out of him with our enthusiatic and warm handwave on the other side of the panel plus the 'welcome home' cheer.

"WELCOME! *clap clap clap* WELCOME! *clap clap clap* WE WELCOME YOU HOME!"

we're just short of a banner to the ideal welcome home party. haha so thoughtful right. after a day of hard work at KL, he got to receive such a warm welcome home present. :)











and then he shared with us some interview skills which bala and i nodded vigorously to like some students in class listening to the teacher. haha. omg im so worried for my future job interviews. they sound so scary! sighs really do not want to work at all.

anyways uxin introduced me to this very fun game called burger shop 2! haha! its super fun lah! make burgers (chicken, beef, cheese), fries, onion rings, curly fries, waffles, icecream and so on. okay this may sound lame and brainless, but, FINE its lame and brainless. so what?! huh?! haha i so guilty for what. okay i shall go and play now. teeheehee.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

the last weekend

i duno what got into me recently, im actually enjoying blogging more and more (irregardless of whether anyone is reading, i just feel like blogging haha), at this point in time when the wave of blogging had died down. but anyways, keep this up yumin! rainbow-lifex you rock. for letting me share my little boring life and allow for the occasional rantings and insignificant thoughts. :)

here's a post on the last weekend that just passed.

went for our usual weekend mahjong game at xiu's place on saturday, possibly our last game this hols since CNY's approaching and with xiuhui's sister's homecoming. i will miss you junior. you are the cutest dog i've ever laid my hands on (haha). and possibly the laziest too. why are you always sleeping? and i will miss playing mahjong with all of you! jason, xiuhui and ziyi. best mahjong partnars (since we've played together since what, end of J1?) to improve and upgrade my skills with. :) but beware, i'll continue honing my skills in all departments, with special focus on the winning and building department. haha.












sunday was well spent with the control freak uhu glue (jjjust kidding uhu, haha. i can almost hear your 'excuse me?!'), wanying and kelsey who joined us in the evening. had the superlicious prata again at The Prata House for brunch, before heading to a Charity Fair at Pasir Ris.

it was totally out of the plan, that Charity Fair. but madam boh has got a hundred dollars worth of vouchers for that fair, so we just went to check out what we can exchange the vouchers for. and luckily we went, the fair turned out to be quite interesting and highly organised for a charity fair. oh and did i mention? the weather was extremely warm that day, we almost self combusted. crazy afternoon it was. we exchanged the vouchers for many CNY goodies and snacks.












the volunteers tending the booths and helping out were really nice and kind. i think they're all from the Tzu Chi Foundation that organised this fair. and i cant help but feel people who are very devoted to a religion all tend to be really nice and kind. like they are always so willing to help and volunteer their time and money for a good cause, be it buddhists, taoists, christians or catholics.

but the best part of this fair is still on their stall names. hahaha so cute lah. can see they really put in some effort on their stalls.















热情 laksa? 我的热情 (hey!) 好像一把火! anyways we exchanged the vouchers for a whole lot of goodies. so much that we cant squeeze everything into the already overfilled grocery bag.












and we got pineapple tarts too. but to our surprise and amuse, the pineapple tarts came with it teachings on the cover of the bottle! haha. check it out.











oh my this post is taking forever. especially with all these photos.

anyways then we went prawning for an hour and only caught TWO prawns! yes TWO. really. no more prawning, EVER (haha pissed off). decided to go home and play mahjong. so called kelsey if she wanted to play but we ended up cooking dinner together.

minced meat pasta with brocolli's on the menu that night, and wanying brought her chocolate fondue equipment over, so we had chocolate fondue for dessert. it was awesome! to prepare your own fruits and chocolate at your own likings. heehee. everything's nice except the thai mango. really, can it get any more sour that mango? jinjia! its more sour than sourbelt!















when madam boh came to check on us. haha. it was a long day, but fun one. hope everyone had as much fun as i did! :)

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

the kite runner

'Theft, the one unforgivable sin, the common denominator of all sins. When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal a right to fairness. There is no act more wretched than stealing.'

The Kite Runner, a powerful novel that lives up to all its review - haunting, moving, unexpected, unforgettable, evocative, genuine, extraordinary, astonishing...

i am one third through this novel, and already im terribly moved and haunted by it. great style and a very special plot it has got. luckily i've read it this hols. if not, i might just have missed reading this intriguing book for good.

Monday, February 1, 2010

chomp chilli chomp II

since the previous post didnt quite go the direction i wanted it to, here'a a part two to it on a happier note. :)

since the opening of part of the circle line, i've never been anywhere near it. serangoon can be considered the nearest experience i've ever had with the circle line (i took purple line that day). and its kinda weird to see directional signs in train stations to have orange colour in it. looking forward to the opening of the rest of circle line next year, it'll be so much more convenient in future for dinners at holland v and more picnics at the botanic garden. met may and huishan at serangoon to share a cab to chomp chomp.




it was a beautiful night. the moon was so round and bright i wanted to capture that night of beauty, but the moon's one thing you can never capture on a camera. tested and failed many times. it'll always turn out blur or not sharp enough. renee and audrey went to get stocks for their online blogshop, zigzagzey.livejournal.com (do visit if you like to shop online!), so the rest of us went ahead to order first. we got 40 satays, stingray, vege, carrot cakes, hokkien mee, sugarcane and soya milk. what a feast it was, we were all super full after the meal.














and here's some unglam candid shots that im still considering if i should upload onto fb or not. haha. but for you my privileged blog viewers, enjoy these while they last. haha.












given the greedy nature in us, we went on for dessert, frozen yoghurt at Frolicks even though we were full to the throat. ferlin and huishan have got free voucher for toppings, how can we miss it! oreo with frozen yoghurt is the best combi ever. the sour yoghurt with a tinge of sweetness from the oreo toppings, just about the right taste! heehee.










and as always our meetup is always that enjoyable and comfortable with endless topics and laughters. love you girls! but the night ended sort of abruptly cause ferlin needed to be home early (okay it wasnt really early then). looking forward to our next meetup to continue with the unfinished conversation. oh and almost forgot, thanks ferlin and huishan for the handy souvenirs from HK and the US. thanks for remembering us even when you are having fun overseas! :)

chomp chilli chomp

"chop chilli chop, chop chilli chop,
chomp chilli chomp chilli chomp chilli chomp!"


haha! super lame. met up with the humdingers last friday night and what a night full of obstacles it was. from Holland V's xlb buffet to Essential Brew to Chomp Chomp, changed the venue several times but as short as the meetup feels, luckily we still managed to meet, to catch up. the meeting place was never an issue to me, what's more important is the effort from everyone, to still want to keep in touch and still stay interested in everyone else's life. and that's the least we can do isn't it? with lesser and lesser common experience and identities to bond us together, the least we can do is try make time out of our busy lives for each other. and dun say 'go ahead without me', for what's the point of meeting anymore without you. we can always work something out can't we. furthermore given our friendship, there is no need to worry about 'troubling everyone else or scared the meetup will be cancelled because of you etc'. and even if that's the case, i'd love to be troubled by you.

if the heart is willing, it will found a thousand ways.

i know this is inevitable, and will probably be worst in future when we start working. but this is pro-ly one of the best reason why people at the age of 20plus 30, find themselves losing all their friends - busy, tired, don't feel like. amidst all the important, major things you have to attend to at the moment, i hope our friendship, our meetup, is among one of those important things in your priority list. please, don't let our friendship die off. it always start like this.


ps. i'm not arrowing, not blaming, just a reminder to my temporarily distracted friends. i know they care big time about our friendship. i know they love us as much as i do.

and to those who are temporarily too carried away with their busy lives, take a break, turn around and take a look at the friends you left behind. it's not too late, yet.

its all in the heart

if the heart is willing, it will find a thousand ways. if the heart is unwilling, it will find a thousand excuses.

sometimes it is so hard, to be the one who care so much.