Christmas Come and Gone

The much-awaited first day of Christmas has come and gone in a haze of colours and festivities. So far, no partridge in a pear tree has appeared on my doorstep, not even a partridge in a pie, which will definitely be more welcomed than any pear trees! But I did receive some lovely presents in the form of a genuine double-strand pearl bracelet from my 6 year old student ( who incidentally won it -- the grand prize -- from a charity dinner with lucky draw sponsored by Vanessa Diamonds ), and also a bottle of Arden's Red Door, plus a big fat Metrojaya gift voucher to name a few. My wallet has also definitely been considerably flattened after this glorious season of giving. It is indeed nice to give ( gives you a warm feeling on your insides which has got absolutely nothing to do with drinking too much wine! ), but far be it for me to deny that it's also lovely to be at the the receiving end!

Santarina Kimi had a lovely time going to parties and posing for photographs like a celebrity. She basked in the oohs and aahs and had a great time. Schumi received lots of presents and had loads to eat. I think both of them put on weight round the tummy. Oh all right, the three of us!

Christmas Countdown

Christmas is in the air. You can feel it, touch it, and even taste it. Even those of us immersed in the deepest of slumbers wake up to the fact that the jolliest of festive seasons is peeking around the corner with the jingles from shopping malls, and gorgeous trees in practically every shop we enter. Soon, our wallets will flatten, and our credit cards will start to smoke from overuse. Our waistlines expand, together with our dress sizes.

And so, the countdown begins............

Beauty

So beautiful. And yet beauty is beheld but for a fleeting moment. We might grasp frantically at it, but it slips through our fingers. Like the flower with dew drops, so fresh and pure, we once had our moment. The one moment when our physical beauty shines, at the zenith of our youth. The flower of tomorrow will fade, but its beauty is forever preserved by the lense of the camera.

Red Dusk

Snapped this photo during a brief respite from continuous heavy rain. Nature was trying to paint various tones from one single shade into its canvas last week. The result : a breathtaking red dusk.

Batik Painting

I learnt something new yesterday. Batik painting. It was interesting and enjoyable, especially when it comes to mixing the powdered pigments to obtain different shades.

I have always thought that batik painting was very difficult. To be done only by those who received special training since their younger days. A traditional craft that's passed on from generation to generation.

I was wrong. That's the problem with us. What we do not know, we deem it too difficult to even try. In other words : Can't be bothered. But if we show some interest, put in a little effort, then we'll realise that it can easily be done. Like almost everything, it just takes a little know-how, and a lot of patience.

Painful Pleasure

Painful pleasure.

This is how I, a self-professed gourmet, describe my hobby.

A scrumptious treat for the eyes only.

Dependence ~ A poem

D ~ Daily tasks
E ~ Emotional shadow overcast
P ~ Pathetically padlocked
E ~ Entwined
N ~ Needlessly and ceaselessly
D ~ Dangling on a stronger human rock.
E ~ Eternally
N ~ Never makes decisions
C ~ Crumbles under burdens
E ~ Empty and lost.

Dependence. A word that signifies living a life without the will or capability to function as a solo act. Helplessness empowers the weak. By putting on an act of distress, normal chores and difficult situations are ironed out by those who love and care for them. The act gradually becomes a habit. And the habit is known as dependence.