Back to (sewing) school

Ok, I suppose you can't exactly consider it sewing, more like "Dummy's guide to teddy bear making". But well, with much anticipation over my goddaughter's impending visit (yes, I've missed her so much since the last time I saw her in Sep!), I decided to give, or make, her something that she will like, and her mummy suggested a teddy bear (why not?).

I made a trip to Spotlight, when they sell all sorts of stuff for arts and craft, but no luck. No ready-packed DIY teddy bear kit there.

It was with much delight when I chanced upon it at Toys R Us a few weeks later, when I was there with Pi for his usual toy hunt. It seems easy enough, and with my handicraft and sewing experience, it should not be a daunting task for me.

And indeed, it wasn't. I only realized, when I got home, that the kit was meant for children above 3 years old - well, that's me alright.

And after a few hours of intensive work in front of the telly one night, here is the result!

Ta da!




Notice the customized bits? Well, I'm proud to say that these were not in the instructions, but I wanted to make it "Kayla's bear", so there!

Oh yes, before I get "bashed" by Pi for forgetting him, he did contribute to the bear-making process - by helping me sort out the wool for stuffing into the bear. Better something than nothing, right?

When you can live forever, what do you live for?

After all the hype and rave reviews about the show end of last year, I finally found out for myself what it was all about.

Yes, I'm talking about the ultra big hit, Twilight, the movie based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer.

I watched it without much expectation - I was bored and had watched almost all the other movies on SIA's in-flight entertainment system en-route from Shanghai back to Singapore - and boy, was I blown away!

It's a simple love story, but touches my heart deeply. It speaks of true love, and what you would give to protect that someone you love, especially after you have waited for that special someone all your life (or many lives, in Edward's case).

Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen was suave and charming. Though not commonly regarded as handsome at first sight (that was one of the reasons I put off watching the movie - I was thinking to myself, who is this male lead?), I was sold at his applaudable performance and his excellent portrayal of Edward Cullen. I mean, this guy single-handedly brought Edward Cullen - and the whole show - to life, and he is now my No. 1 idol of all times.

And so started my collecting frenzy of all things Twilight. I'm reading the book right now (there are so much more details in the book that are not portrayed in the movie), and Pi has got me my very own Edward Cullen figure! That I'm really eagerly anticipating, thanks Pi!

And of course, on top of it all, I am so thankful that I have found my very own Edward Cullen in real life - someone who will go to great lengths to protect me and make me happy. You know who you are, and I can never say it enough, but once again, thanks Pi!

Ok, I'm going all mushy and lovey-dovey again, but it seems like ages ago when I was all obsessed with romance novels and dreamt of meeting my very own Prince Charming who would sweep me off my feet. That's the stuff teenage dreams were made of. Although I'm no longer a teenager (for a long while now), this epic love story really touched my heart and made me once again thankful for everything that I've got.

Amidst a time when divorces and break-ups are as common as bread and cheese, it is truly not easy to meet that someone whom you know is the one person you want to spend the rest of your life with, and it is even harder to let that magical feeling last.

Love can be so simple, instead of complicated, if all you truly wish for is to be happy and for that special someone to be happy as well.

Blinding lights, busy city, but no soul?

If you're wondering why I went MIA for a while and am only reporting in now, well, I was sent to China recently for a business trip. Altogether, I spent 8 whole days in Beijing and Shanghai.

It was not exactly my first time to China, but given that my last trip to Beijing one year ago was a touch-and-go (I departed the very next day), I kind of took the opportunity this time to explore the city (or cities) a little when I had the time.

My impression? Frankly, I was not impressed. Both cities were sprawled with skyscrapers, so many that they were almost identical.

Then there was the great (and in my opinion, gross) divide between the upper and lower classes of society. Being a shopaholic, I of course checked out the shopping malls first, and found, disturbingly, that these either sold really high end luxury brands (and at marked-up prices way higher than Singapore!) or very cheap imitation stuff (like our pasar malams in a way). There was nowhere I could go to find quality local brands, which then explained why I came back empty handed, except for some fridge magnets and a teapot set.

I asked my Beijing colleague about this strange phenomenon, and she confirmed that the majority of the locals could not afford to shop at the shopping malls, simply because the prices of the merchandise there were usually more than that of their monthly salaries.

Checking out the next interest on my list - food! - I was also not greatly impressed. Granted, I had the most delicious Beijing Kao Ya (Peking roast duck) I have ever tasted in my life, but that was about it. The rest was passable, edible, but nothing to shout about.

Other interesting observations from the trip:

- It was my first time seeing and touching snow! The snow had passed when I touched down in Beijing, but to my delight, my colleague pointed out some remnants of snow in the bushes as we walked by. So I went back that very evening to take a picture and touch the snow. Strangely enough (or maybe rightly so), it felt exactly like the shaved ice from ice kacang. I was like a little girl, so amazed by this creation of nature, as the security guard nearby looked at me strangely.

- I wonder whether it was the perpetual haze that clouded the city or the bitter cold, but the people there looked absolutely lifeless. They went about their daily errands with no expression on their face whatsoever, so much so that they kind of resembled robots. Is this what urbanization is costing us - even in a city so rich with cultural heritage and history such as China? I am definitely not relishing the thought that this could be what we will become in another few years.

- Civility, or the lack of. Enough said, I think the lack of common manners has been well documented enough. It is something that I can never get used to, however, no matter how many times I visit. Thank god we're not like that yet, but it's not hard to see that we are treading down this path.

And so ends my boring (in many ways) but interesting (in some ways) business trip. Let's just say that it will never be a holiday destination of my choice.

Next up, I'm going down under to visit the Empress Dowager and the rest of the Fam. Now, that is one trip I'm truly looking forward to!