Good like that

Even though my parents were out of town during the festive season, I had an awesome break filled with friends, food, random dancing and just enough alone time to feel rested.  

My mother is adamant about new clothes during Chinese New Year even if I'm hanging out alone at home, so I started the season with a breezy owl tank I bought in Krabi.  It doesn't quite match up to the Wallace and Gromit crew neck of 2007, but then, nothing really beats Claymation.  Cheeeeese.

I packed my little neon crossbody from Victoria's Secret and took a walk in the rain to get coffee.  (Thank you MacDonaldisation.  Even as the streets are silent, we can count on the Western joints to be open.)  

I am digging travelling light - the less you carry, the less you realise you need.  This pouch comes with handy compartments and was just big enough to stuff a rolled up scarf in.  Also packed: Starbucks card (duh), cards, money, delicious Coconut Grove Bath and Body Works hand sanitiser, EOS lip balm in Summer Fruit, Pure Seduction Eau De Toilette, keys and my phone.

         

Some cool houses on my walk. The area is filled with old shophouses that have been turned into residences or shops and I love how the moulding often looks like icing on a garishly-coloured cake.

After a very cheerful walk in the rain (not being sarcastic), I went over to my friend, N's home for dinner.  We started the evening off with cheese, hummus and Serpico, Al Pacino's first huge film.  It was tense and funny in equal measure and slightly strange in the way that movies from the seventies tend to be.  I highly recommend it!

At some point, there was a debate about the merits of heading out for the rest of the evening, and I suddenly found myself in Clarke Quay, dancing like it was 1999.  (I can attest to the fact that nobody really danced that year.  We all sat round the TV watching the celebrations, waiting for Y2K to get us and for everything to shut down violently, leaving us shivering by candlelight.  Of course, that never happened apart from a few fireworks going off.  We said, "Is that it?" and were all in bed by 12:02.)

We had an awesome time fist-bumping and singing "We Are Young" to bad live bands before finishing off with an early morning McDonald's breakfast, as you do.  

On the second day, I met with E and S for a very pretty high tea and a walk in the Botanic Gardens.  Like a dolt, I forgot my camera so iPhone pictures and overwrought instagrams will have to suffice.

I've never had tiered high tea before and I was really excited to be served three layers of sweet and savoury doodads that looked worthy of Downton Abbey.   Some of the desserts were slightly strange and as S pointed out, fruitcake is nobody's friend, but overall, it was a very well-balanced and filling selection.

My favourite kind of dessert: a heart-shaped macaron with chilli-chocolate ganache.

We had a very intense conversation about raising children, smacking and psychopaths (there was a link, I promise you).  A couple had brought their toddler son for tea and he was running wildly around, dragging himself along the carpet as children are wont to do.  Things came to a head when he knocked over a lamp and dented the lampshade while his mother was busy on her phone. 

"You little monster," she sighed indulgently as he crawled behind the curtain.  "Come here.  I said, come here.  Do you hear me?"

Tongues were clicked and judgements were made.  (I'm not suggesting the boy was a psychopath, mind.  S just suddenly piped up, "What if you had a child and suddenly realised they were a psychopath?!" and we stared at each other in mute horror.)

To walk off our fullness, we headed to the Botanic Gardens and took a stroll in the drizzle, talking in English accents.

When I was a kid, the Botanic Gardens was one large, well-manicured path winding through swan lake and topiaries.  Over time, they've expanded and put in lots of sculptures and now it feels more like Central Park - quiet, slightly overgrown and full of mysterious crannies.  I loved the secret wooden walkways and plan to go back with a proper camera sometime soon.

It's back to work tomorrow, but I plan to fully enjoy the last cool hours of the evening - probably with some scented candles and writing.  I leave you with this picture of a bonzai, because nothing says Gong Xi Fa Cai like an elaborately stunted plant.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!