I was asked the other day how long I am married for. I told her “3 years” and she looked really surprised. I thought it was because I looked young to her (always a good thing). But she said it’s because when I talked about my husband, I had a twinkle in my eyes reserved for the newlyweds. I thought that’s a real nice thing to hear from a perfect stranger.

Tea for Two

It was such a lovely way to while away a wet afternoon. I know coffee is more popular in NY but I am always mad about tea.  Since the city empties out during the July 4th weekend, it seems like the perfect time to try the otherwise highly sought-after Lady Mendl’s.  Lady Mendl’s is really very lovely. Tucked away in an old brownstone, the tea salon resembles a cozy (but very luxurious) living room of someone fabulous and we were simply invited to take tea with her. Service was great, most of the time, we were not even allowed to pour our own tea (Now, that’s an establishment working for their tips). The place was rather quiet so I didn’t feel that self-conscious snapping away. The scones were the highlight for me but I was too excited to get started on them that by the time I remembered to take pictures, they were gone…

The Last Frontier

Yups, Ken and I are in Alaska! I got it into my head that I wanted to see glaciers and Alaskan huskies and that was how we ended up here. Ken had grander ideas of wildlife and mountains. Alaska is so painfully beautiful that we know that our photographs will hardly capture it all. Even for decidedly city people like ourselves, we can understand why people can give it all up and choose to settle down here. The evening sun (it sets after ten here) has cheated us of our dinner a few times cos we keep thinking it’s still early and only look for food after everything is closed!

Along the highway:

He’s going to gow up to be a great mushing dog:

Cheers to not working

I realised that drinking cheap wine in cheap plastic cups is still a decadent experience once it is done on a beautiful spring weekday afternoon under a cherry blossom tree in Central Park. The 3 of us, jobless and childless wives, didn’t even mind the cherry blossom petals falling all over our strawberries, cheese dips, salad. The Japanese eat these flowers too, we rationalised. More beautiful days like today please.

View from our tree:

I know this is a rather tall statement, but somehow, I know my life will be a little better if I have this:

I know I am not young anymore when I actually took this long to get over the trips back to Singapore and then DC. Granted that I am in no hurry to recover. I realise that I stop rushing through life anymore since, unlike before, my life does not just begin on weekends or public holidays or those 3 weeks of annual leave…

It’s really good to see family and friends and pets again. Some things just don’t change: Billie still pees when he gets excited (and perhaps a little more this time since we have not met for 7 months), parents are still as eager as before to feed us, we are still the last group to leave restaurants, goodbyes still take forever, we still like to dig up the hilarious past no matter how embarassingly painful it is (the only thing fair about such exercises is that no one is spared), I still lose handphones in cab (it’s a gift I know). But Singapore has moved ahead of us a little and sometimes I have to agree with Ken that it’s hard to feel nostalgic about a place that keeps changing.

There are hundreds of pictures to sort through and to be posted but I am wondering, what’s the hurry?

Speed up Spring

A huge plus of not working is never having to deal with Monday blues. Mondays, now, are really quite wonderful. I start off every Monday morning, bright and early, with the kitties at the cat shelter. Every week, the other volunteers and I, as we clean/feed/play with the cats, talk about how wonderful some of these cats are despite what they have gone through. Every week, before I leave, I say a little prayer that they would get themselves adopted over the week. There’s nothing sadder that to see a kitten grow up inside a metal cage, without a home.

This is an extra special Monday morning because I found out that I am going to have a niece! Finally, a baby girl to spoil and I have made sure I am the first one to get her something pinky and girly. A tad excited I know.

And if the colorful blooms at the Greenmarket are anything to go by, I think, despite the temperatures, spring is definitely coming.

Pearl, the perfect lapcat:

Greenmarket:

Old friends in new city are always nice. Especially one that I have known since I was 13. Any more old friends coming??

We are in the Caribbean baby!

We went straight from Savannah to warm, sunny Caribbean! Took the easy way out by taking a cruise…

First Stop: Mexico!

Met our guide for the Mayan ruins at Tulum. Ruins set next to sea and Ken took great shots of the view. After ruins, time to head back to ship but refused to leave Mexico without some tacos and margaritas. Had some Mexican beer, pina colada and mojitos as well. Shared with Ken, we are not alcoholics. Tacos were the best I ever had.

Next stop: Cayman Islands!

We went snorkeling at Stingray City where the waters are postcard blue and green. The stingrays just came right up to you and let you hold them! Kissing a stingray is fabled to give you 7 years of good luck so of course I had to kiss one a few times.
When we went back on the ship, decided to try the stingray legend and played a round of jackpot. Made US$1 on a 2-cent bet. Not too bad.

Ya Man, we are in Jamaica!

Land of Bob Marley! We arranged to do some horseback riding up in the mountains. I had a pretty white horse named Sasha that got a little moody so I was switched to the even-tempered Prancer. Ken said pretty white Sasha is like my pretty white Berrie at home, very bitchy. Ken’s just sore because Sasha made an attempt to bite his horse.

A super nice touch was the towel animals left on our bed every night:

Savannah, Georgia

This is so overdue I know. Ken and I made our way to Savannah in Jan for a bit of the famous southern hospitality. The town, with its 27 squares, is really really lovely.

Even the airport is pretty!

Our first dinner at the Pirates’ House:

Yah, it’s supposed to be haunted here:

Time Capsule:

Candy Store! There are days when i still miss the pralines…

He’s a good man:

Forest Gump was shot in thsi square:

We went for a ghost walking tour around the town:

Ken wanted to see an old fort…

More Pics!