The Christmas That Wasn't White

MANCHESTER Y U NO SNOW? As much as I love dry land a part of me somehow wishes that it will snow on Christmas. The snowflakes look like dandruff falling from the sky hahaha. Disgusting or not? 

This entry is on the Christmas of 2012 (after The Doomsday That Never Was)...

Dinner on Christmas Eve with The Gang,

Cocktail sausages, mashed potatoes, garlic bread, yorkshire pudding, brussel sprouts, chantenay carrots, pigs in a blanket, salmon, carrots with sweet potatoes and celery

The stuffed turkey. 

And the person who ate the wings also ate the turkey's ketiak HAHAHAHA. Then to make things worse someone had to add on that any feathers still attached to that area is ketiak hair HAHAHAHA. 

POOR TURKEY! Why do people have to make fun of your carcass?! 

Been looking forward to Christmas this year. The season of giving *heart*

On Christmas Day, 

 Chef Corrinne's kickass pepperoni pizza

This time the base was perfect cuz I followed the recipe properly. (I had 2 friends coming over) It's a good enough motivation to get me to actually put some effort into measuring out the flour rather than estimating it.

Fran's cheese cake that was finger-lickin good

The last time I made a cheese cake it didn't set :'(  I ended up scooping gooey cheese from the baking tray and eating it like that -___- 

Christmas cards from The Gang

Fran's gift- A Moroccan rose home diffuser 

 Secret santa gift- Bath and Body Works' Carried Away body cream

(from an earlier Christmas dinner with my course mates)

HA! I tend to always get very girly things *heart* *heart* *heart*

Portugal

Holidayed in the Algarve region of Portugal to bask in its warmth and to indulge in its seafood. The UK weather is getting me depressed and I really needed the sun and its vitamin D.

Lagos, Portugal

Igreja de Santa Maria

Igreja de Santo Antonio

The Lagos Castle

The Algarve coast,

A Herculean task- Lifting a rock

Went to Praia Dona Ana and Praia Do Pinhao. The pics are a jumble hahaha. The praias (beaches) all look the same ok. You tell me you can differentiate one rock from another meh? #Not a geologist

Praia Dona Ana

Praia Do Pinhao 

The sculpture of Dom Sebastiao

Vain pics in Faro,

The art of azulejos (tiles) seen in a church

Capela de Ossos (Chapel of Bones)

Real skulls from dead monks

The Faro marina

And Portuguese food...

Rosalos (I think)

Bracalhua a bras

Dunno?

Calammares

Grilled mackerel

And the Portuguese egg tart

Fire, Fire, Fire It Up

I'm a technophobe so I've got no wants for gadgets until I came under the iPad influence. Someone I know stubbornly refused to leave his iPad 2 behind for me so I got a Kindle Fire instead. I was deciding between a Fire and a Nexus 4 and everyone I know told me to get a Nexus. But me being me I went and got a Fire instead. This is called being opinionated ok. HAHAHA.

I was so so so disappointed when I first got it cuz the first thing I did when I took it out of the box was to look for the camera. And there was none zzz. I couldn't look at it. I thought of chucking it inside my wardrobe and never ever take it out again. You can't imagine the disappointment I experienced. You won't understand. I travelled a total of 2 hours (return) to get it, in the rain and storm. Plus it was cold and I was starving #miserable #exaggerating #pathetic

After 1 week of bonding with my baby, surprisingly I'm beginning to adore it. Just like how I exalt my Blackberry :') The graphics are good and I get free (paid) apps every other day. The internet speed is reasonably fast. Youtube loads without any problems. Basically all my needs are fulfilled except for the fact that there isn't a camera on it. REALLY?! What gadget doesn't come with a camera?! Even my sister said the same thing.

I was showing it off to my mum, showing her the touch screen *furiously swipes finger across the screen*. But she didn't even at least try to pretend that she was impressed with my new toy :3 Until I told her that I have a menstrual calendar on it that can record and calculate everything eg, when the hormones peak, when my next period is due, heavy/light flow etc. Too much details hahaha. Only then did she show any interest   -___- fml

The 7 inch tablet

I live in a bubble

Sometimes I can be really shallow. I qualify to be a dumb black (my hair is black). If you still don't get it, I derived that from 'dumb blonde'.

I was telling the whole world (even my mum knows wth) of my wedding plans... about how lavish I want it to be so I'm starting to save now WTH. Eh hello, it's a once in a lifetime event ok. So next time please bao big big angpows for me hahahahaha. Help me cover a bit of cost ma if not I can't go honeymoon T__T - I'm thinking Dubai cuz I fell in love with the place after watching Sex and the City 2 plus they've got a nice musical fountain.

During a pillow talk session with a friend, I went on and on about how I want to have the poofy gowns. The bigger the poof, the better even if it hinders my walking. Talk about impracticality. But yeah you don't get to wear poofy gowns everyday, people will think you're mad so let me wear it once in my life? *gains sympathy* And I want to change evening gowns many many many many many times during the dinner reception, so many times that I don't get to sit and eat. It's the only time I get to model dresses. Thinking of my wedding really makes me happy hahahaha.

More examples on my pea-sized brain...

Before I got my Kindle Fire I first looked for tablet casings. I chose nice ones ignoring the dimensions. Then only I got a tablet that fits the casing. This is how things work around here. In the reverse. Honestly I sometimes think I should be slapped. (I got scolded la so it didn't work out that way)

Then I bought pretty clothes. So now I want a pretty house to keep my pretty clothes. PLUS I've already got a design for my future bedroom *evil grin* and I intend to make that come true. The only thing between me and my bedroom is a house. My OWN house not my parents'. Maaaaannn I need a lot of money to live.

Oh and there's this video circulating on facebook- "what if money didn't matter". If money didn't matter, I'd be an interior designer lololol. You know I love Ikea from the bottom of my heart. Who shares my #Ikealove.

And yes, my mum thinks I'm being very impractical, unrealistic and absurd.

How to lose weight

When I was in my first year of university in the UK, my body had to adapt to the cold weather so it stored fats. Yeah... fats in the most annoying places ie, my face, arms and tummy. I really wouldn't have minded it if they went to my hips and thighs but no, they obviously have a mind of their own. I suppose it's the body's way of keeping one warm takkan you want me to die from the cold meh. This is called self preservation ok. Dunno if this theory is true but the birds in colder climate countries are fatter so I guess it is.

Having been skinny all along, when I went back home, everyone's first comment when they saw me was, "Hey long time no see. You must have had a good life overseas", or the more direct hurtful ones, "Omg you've put on weight". Family, friends and friends' mums said the same thing. Pfft. I was 48kg ok. BMI-wise, for my height, that was normal. But appearance-wise, I was a fatty boom boom. The F word. There, I said it.

Can you see the big, fat arm with 'bye bye' flesh. I want to be skinny again #vain

So, being the determined person that I can sometimes be (when I put my head to it), I started dieting. In a good way. It's not like I stopped eating. Duh. And it worked. I went back down to 44kg. And up till now I'm still maintaining that weight although I eat ALL the food. I guess my body has adapted to the weather?

Nah, share with you my petua. Don't say I never share:

1. Eat healthily.
2. I changed all white rice and white bread to brown.
3. Eat smaller meals but more frequently.
4. I usually have carbs for lunch and a salad for dinner cuz you don't use as much energy at night.
5. Although I have salads at night I still take my portion of protein eg; chicken, eggs and dairy products. Apparently they increase your metabolic rate.
6. Exercise. I hate exercising so I just do it whenever I feel like it. The diet alone works for me so yay! LOL

It's pretty much everything you can find on the internet.

I was on this diet for about a month if I'm not mistaken. My housemates thought I was anorexic wth. Anyway I started eating all the globally-labelled 'unhealthy' whites again once I achieved my target. Hehehe.

Excuse me I didn't take the shortcut in losing weight. Hmph. I know people who chose to gag themselves (bulimic). Easier whatttt. With almost immediate results. Plus you can still eat everything you want although technically, you're starving your body. I'M NOT ENDORSING IT! But oh well, all's fair in love and war so all's fair in diet and size hahahahaha.

Turning 21

Before I went back to Malaysia (in June) I told myself I'd write a lot of blog posts so that I reach at least 100 entries this year but my target is a little unreachable cuz I conveniently forget everything I promised. Hahahaha. I'm your typical hangat hangat tahi ayam kind of girl ok. I super beh tahan the vast difference between entry numbers from month to month ie; zero entries in July, August etc maybe one day I'll write sooo many entries and backdate them #playcheat. I was supposed to do it over summer holidays but I ended up shaking my legs the whole time. (I got leg muscles now!)

My 21st birthday! (21 October!!! Take your pens out and mark it on your calendar!!!)

P.S.: I stopped growing at 21...

P.P.S: There was another dinner at Slug and Lettuce too but no pics here cuz I forgot my camera. So please don't get offended ok? *kiss kiss* I show no favouritism.

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Dinner at Radisson Blu Hotel. I had grilled lobsterrrrr. Yums. Although it wasn't as good as the one at Burger and Lobster, London, but still, I love shellfish. Lobsters are the best cuz they're bigger than prawns and consumer-friendly compared to crabs. 

Continued with a karaoke session at K2 - the must-do event for every birthday celebration... 

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And my birthday pressie... Although I chose it myself hahaha.

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Prettiest purse ever. 

Psst... I only chose it because of the bow just so you know.