At the End of the First ...

..day of the Lunar Year.

A walk on the seafront, letting the wind whip our hair into a very unbecoming look, and soaking in the negative ions. *Happy as clams*

Fellow beachgoers, waiting for a spectacular sunset. Or maybe they were just waiting for a fish to chomp on the bait. :)

New decor near the reservoir, infusing the air with cheer, as we MOOve into the Year of the Ox. Hopefully, it'll will bring with it much less gloom than what we're told to expect. Gong Xi Fa Cai, y'all!

Happy 牛 Year!

The family reunion dinner was done early, at V's home. We had the Hokkien favourite of steamboat (a phenomenon which has swept the nation in the name of convenience. Anything to avoid slaving over a hot stove for HOURS, cooking up a storm...). Naturally, we stuffed our faces, leaving no room for dessert whatsoever... No pics were taken as we were too busy stuffing our faces...Harhar.

On the eve of the Lunar New Year, to usher in the (hopefully) Oxpicious year, we had a mini reunion dinner of our own. After googling various recipes and consulting several 师傅s near and far, et voila!

A rather decent effort, if I may say so myself! :D 

Some were hoping for more luck in the "prosperity" aspect, and getting ready in all departments...

Sunday

Ok, so we wasted part of the morning sleeping in...then we finally got off our asses and made our way to the Eastern tip of the island for a dose of dim sum. Yummers! Not the most delicately made dim sum I've had before, but better than quite a lot of the imposters out there. Worth recommending, if just for the steamed carrot cake!

A walk along the beach after the binge to burn off some calories. Maybe squinting into the bright sunshine burnt some calories too...*hopeful*
As part of our New Year's resolution to stay fit (and stave off the advancing years and its damaging effect on our being), M and I went back to our weekly walks, going back to the Southern Ridges Treetop Walk this week. On our way back, the setting sun's rays were peeking through the clouds, giving us an awe-inspiring moment right at the end of the walk. Perhaps that was Someone's idea of a reward for getting off our asses. :)

Down Under

On the recent whirlwind tour Down Under recently, WC took me on a beach walk, from Bronte to Tamarama (@ "Glamarama"). The walk in the cool summery air at the end of the day, with other more serious joggers and walkers, against the breathtaking backdrop, was exhilarating. I now know why the Aussies spend so much time on the beach!
A view of The Gap, where people regularly leap off to their deaths. All very morbid (but fascinating, nonetheless :D).
The obligatory visit to Watson's Bay for the famous fish and chips, fighting tooth and nail with the gulls and pigeons who're hungry predators of what we were feasting on...
Our Lady of Sacred Hearts in Randwick.  The church my parents got married in! What a walk down nostalgia lane!

Impressive

Peirce

It being the holidays towards the end of last year, we took the opportunity to visit an old friend after a long hiatus. Check out the ominous rainclouds blowing in just above the reservoir. Long-tailed macaques were the order of the day, providing endless photo ops for our first-time visitor.

A little shot of colour, overlooking lower Peirce.

After a long morning, we rewarded ourselves with some food from the nearby food centre. The vongole was as good as I remembered it to be. *burp* All in, a most satisfactory day out. :)

En route to our favourite Orchard Road eatery last night, we chanced upon a "bookfair" of sorts. Picked this up. 101 ways with pork belly! Geez! 2009 is going to be a busy culinary adventure for me! :P *busy clogging up the arteries*