Carpe Diem

Look well to this day. Yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow is only a vision. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well therefore to this day. - Francis Gray


Too often, one assumes there'd be time enough, ahead of us, to do all the things we want to do, say all the things we want to say, tell all the stories we want to tell, laugh at all the jokes we should laugh at, and sing all the songs we would like to sing. There're always reasons to hold back. Circumspection, awkwardness, shyness, being "adult" about it, being "careful" about things, pride. Sadly, one realises, too late, that time is finite, afterall.

Hidden

A detour from the usual route brought an unexpected discovery - a little gem of nature, tucked away behind thick undergrowth, a torn fence and a muddy path. A lone fly fisherman whipping the water smiled sheepishly at us when we intruded upon his privacy. The water was clear, and there was no wind to crease up the surface of the water with ripples, doubling the pleasure of the surrounding peace and tranquility for us.
Life will find a way. Some seeds I picked up from my usual cycling route have sprouted! *beaming smiles all round* Will re-pot them into bigger pots if they survive me!

上海滩

On the pretext of an offsite meeting, we were packed off to the humming city of Shanghai. An exciting and very modern city, reminding me in many ways of Hong Kong， albeit more spacious and less crowded. We certainly had plenty of chance to brush up on our 普通话！

Sunrise over the Bund - this was the view that greeted us on our first morning in the city

A classic silhouette of Chinese architecture - the rising eave of the roofs

At 新天地, even the ceramic shop looks achingly hip and trendy!

西湖, 杭州. Beautiful gardens surrounding a huge lake.

Beautiful 西湖，杭州. A classic view of the beautiful gardens surrounding the lake.

Picking the tenderest leaves of the famous 龙井茶 to flog off to tourists like us

Backstreet stalls filled with old curios that is endlessly exciting for the shopper in me

One Night in Bangkok...

...two, actually. :P

After a long spell of wallowing in self-pity and forgetting how to enjoy my own company (well, it'd be tough to enjoy it when one's a miserable sod!), I've finally rediscovered the "itchy backside" of my old self, taking off to Bangkok for a weekend of indulgence.

Crossing the bridge from Platinum Mall, laden with shopping, we came upon a different aspect of the infamous Bangkok traffic jam

Street food, tempting us all the way

Something a little extra in the "mini bar", exclusive to Bangkok hotels, I suppose! :D

The new Zen Central World - a hive of activities!