royal baubles

What Supra and me made for this year’s Christmas tree decor ornaments. Purple baubles were stencilled with each family member’s name, ribbons added and then finally given a finishing spray of glitter.

leaves and lights

the reason for Christmas

saving my universe

Sometimes I wonder why we chose to highlight our differences rather than celebrate what we have in common. We were more alike than we were different and we understood each other more than we would admit to. Instead, we claimed our own universes and though they may run parallel, they can no longer converge despite the shared beginnings. It’s too tiring to teleport between different worlds and trying to compromise in between and lose myself in the end. All my strength couldn’t sustain my hope- that it’d be, no… that you’d be worth it.

I still don’t know what I can save you from.

pizza at two ante meridiem

When I leave Singapore, I’m gonna miss Yvonne like crazy. She’s the only woman I know besides Mama and Supra who would gladly teach me how to make pizza at midnight while she’s baking chocolate chip cookies! We made two scrumptious pizzas with the following toppings:
Top right: Mozzarella, hard-boiled egg slices, prawns & mushrooms
Bottom right: Mozzarella, chicken sausages, pineapple & green olives

Dear God, please bless Ah Tan many folds over… *grin*

earth from among

She looked at the photo, her eyes searching the image from corner to corner and top to bottom. Her mouth was agape in amazement. She didn’t squint her eyes which seemed to sparkle from behind the little pair of glasses. Her arms rested on the sides of the wheelchair. The other younger woman who was pointing at the image knelt beside her and explained more about the photo in front of them. She spoke in Cantonese, slowly and clearly, hands touching the arms of the old lady in the wheelchair. I think she is the old lady’s daughter. The old lady nodded and smiled at the explanations.

They went from photo to photo along the sidewalk, slow and steady. Each time, the younger woman will position the old lady in front of the photo and proceed to explain the photograph’s story to her. Sometimes she leaned against the wheelchair from behind with her hands resting gently on the old lady’s shoulders. At times she whispered into her ear and the old lady will break into a little chuckle. The old lady was always beaming. I love how the photo’s spotlight cast a beautiful glow on her face, so beautiful the strings of decorative lights draping the trees around her paled in comparison. I love how gentle, patient and loving the younger lady was with her.

I wanted to take a photo of them among the many photographs but I didn’t. The photo is in my mind though, permanently archived in memory like the one of the father in Brussels who waltzed with his baby son in the middle of the Grand Place to an outdoor opera one summer night. Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s The Earth from Above is simply amazing… earth from among however, stole my heart and mesmerized me in its warmth all night long.

in gleeful anticipation

I’ll be home for Christmas

to catch a setting sun

Yvonne felt that the skies over Kent Ridge this evening looked like hell’s portal had opened up and the ghouls are out. Dusk was fast giving way to night. I thought the overcast clouds and the fiery hues were like dragon’s breath. The dragon had swallowed up the sun. Poor dragon. We stood staring at the view for a while. The breeze was warm and the trees below rustled excitedly. It was magnificent…