So I kinda lied about traveling

As I sit in our living room sorting photos and planning the upcoming long weekends, I realize I should never speak too soon. Chances are, I will be using my passport quite a bit these next few months. Oh well.

Despite the excessive need to flee the country, I'm pretty excited to be diving back into my daily routine of taking the train to work, sipping morning coffee and attempting evening jogs. Imagine that!

Before I do, I'd like to tell you about the most amazing week I had. I was away in San Francisco for a little while catching up with old friends. This was followed by a few awesome days at our Global Sales Conference in Burlingame. Each day I'm at this company, I can't help but feel inspired and extremely grateful.

My previous MD, now a good friend, and I were just reminiscing how I had once expressed during an interview, my desire to work on a subject I could relate to. Back then I had thought, I just need something that I care about and would be happy immersing in. Something I'd want to live and breathe.

And here I am, living and breathing all of this. Good times.

Job aside, there are lotsa other things that make me happy. Meyer lemon meringue tart for one. This one from Boulette's Larder is the best. Neither too tart nor too sweet. Perfection in a slice

Meeting up with a long-time (not old) friend over coffee. Trung, you're so spontaneously awesome


Spending a day at wine country with a girlfriend. PS: Borina, on hindsight I should've snuck a few more bottles of wine back!


Rockstar photobooth shots

And coming home to the bf of course :)

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Just a taste

Raspberry macaron I made at Le Cordon Bleu

I have a gazillion photos of Paris and Barcelona, though we'll have to settle with these from my phone cause poor PC is dying and can't handle the load. Come on Dell Inspiron circa twenty 07. You can do it!

This recent trip was a short yet eventful one. It's like taking the smallest sliver from a gigantic wheel of European cheese and savoring every moment of its pungent deliciousness. Slowly disintegrating the rind between your teeth and letting the creaminess melt into your tongue.

If you're a cheese lover, you'll know what I mean.

The highlights of my travel didn't just end at Charles de Gaulle (pronounced Shahl-duh-gool) but rather continued with my visit to Facebook's HQ in Palo Alto. Every second in the building kept me drunk with optimism and excitement for what we do on a daily basis. It's hard to feel anything but in love so I've included shots from Silicon Valley as well :)

Taken during my Frenchiest lunch ever, and I say this with much affection

Here at Chez George, an obscure restaurant recommended by Alexander Lobrano, everyone is chattering over lunch in fluent French. There is no doubt I was the only non-local in there attempting to hide my flaws with even more flawed French. Tables are kept apart by a mere inch of air. The room was dimly lit, and the decor was mostly paintings, pans and mirrored walls.

I was placed next to 4 well-heeled men who were sitting at a table for four; though in the oddest arrangement ever! 3 to one side and 1 on the other ??? Halfway through his meal of simple pasta with freshly-shaved truffles (I checked the menu and it was 60 Euros a pop!) one of the gents looked over and poured me a glass of Pinot Noir. It was hard not to eavesdrop as this same gent kept pestering his companion to order le fromage. "Pascal loves cheeeese" he explained after asking if I liked traditional French food.

Across from where I sat was a group of theatrical-looking people. It's probably not clear from the picture above, but the lady in the back had a face I've only ever seen in French cartoons! It was really small and shaped like a heart with even bangs lining the forehead. Atop, was an oversized black bow. To complement the look, she had painted her cheeks with shocking pink macaron-sized circles. One on each side. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail that looked like it was snipped at the end, while still held up with a rubberband. She was skinny and fully clothed from head to toe in black. It wowed me to no end. I couldn't help but feel that she could be someone famous I just don't know.

The view from my humble hotel on Valentine's eve. I missed you hon!


Having fun at Miu Miu


What I covet but couldn't bring myself to buy

Cruella deville on her way to Denver

I spy with my little eye...

Day trip to Mont Saint Michel. It was beautiful with so much history behind it. To think monks used to risk their lives making their way there. I'd reveal more, though I'll just ruin it for you. Wiki does it better :)

Fluffy omelet that deflates in your mouth, a Normandy favorite


Seriously, the room I want to have meetings in everyday


$25 worth of fluffiness


At the Google campus

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Quick update

Remember those travel plans I had? Well, I'm back and won't be traveling for a bit now. At least not till April. I'll write more about Paris and Barcelona when I can though you must know, because I feel compelled to share, that I post most updates on Facebook now cause it's just soooo much easier.

What do you mean you haven't signed up for Facebook??! More than 600 million people are already on it! What are you waiting for? I'm talking to you Viv. Lol. I have to admit. This obsession is what led to a recent change in career. Naturally.

Thanks Stephen, Joe and Laura for being so supportive and the best references I could ever ask for. Here's to week 3!

Wowee!

Busy, busy, busy.

We haven't relaxed at all since we got back from Cambodia, and now the bf's leaving for the States in 5 hrs (!) locking down reservations on where we're gonna stay in Vancouver. He's such a man-of-the-house, it makes me smile just looking at him go.

This past month has been tough on the bf who pretty much worked all through the days, weekends and public holidays as well. Then there was my team at work, striving to meet deadlines for everyone and everything. Typical for the industry, though awfully tiring nonetheless.

I've slept less than 6hrs every night for as long as I remember trying to juggle work and fun, and I must say it takes effort. Are we supposed to choose one over the other in the life? Surely not! Am wishing my parents a safe flight home from Eastern Europe where they spent 3 whole weeks traveling.

Looking forward to the day we get to do the same.

Can you tell who these folks are?

Love mom's ruffled silk top.

Dad looking dashing in his yay days

Mom at 21. Why do they look so much taller then? I don't understand how we grew up with steaks while mom grew up with just eggs, and she's still taller than all of us girls


And while I'm at it, guess who?

Spoiled silly

...then tortured silly by the Google Analytics IQ Test I had to take for work.

Having enjoyed a lovely weekend with the family, I was going to start this post with a sunnier disposition. Though after reviewing Conversion University's video-after-video and spending much time deliberating over questions (70 to be exact - eep!), I can only be described by 2 words: utterly exhausted. Thank God I passed! Did I tell you I wasn't the technical sort?

Sporadically captioned photos from our time at home because I need to hit the sack for an early AM meeting:

Here's our lovely Lola who wakes everyone with her playful licks. She's so fluffy - I miss her!


I'm bored. Should I wake him?


...ah heck. Why not?


The bf: Yaaargh! Slobber!!!
Lola dear: Smoooochies#!!


In addition to Lola's licks, we also woke up to freshly squeezed OJ thanks to mommy dearest.

Even better, that morning the bf and I woke up to a bonus: Dad's abalone wanton noodle breakfast. Super yum! Viv coined the term yau chin lo wan tan mee for this, having tried the Rich Man's Fried Rice at Gu Yue Tien

Here's food photography at its best. Credits to the bf and dad for staging the scene. No one brings food alive like you guys do! Check out those dragon abalone eyes!


After breakfast, the boys played pool...


...while the girls sang karaoke


We received some exciting news at home. Littlest sis is a probationary prefect just as I was! How cool is that? Keep it up kiddo!


Dim sum at Gu Yue Tien where we started off with choi sam juice and a dash of lemon juice. Refreshing, though I don't quite know how to say choi sam in English, and therefore can't recreate this myself :(


Something super light followed by soft boiled egg with foie gras. The Chinese is all about balance right?


This one's for you Sandhya!


The 4 sisters. I was actually on the phone with Freda :P


Little sis with her new IC! Berlin shades


Shy littlest sis with dear yee ma


Do we look alike?


Bunny in a bow


♥ The Chong family portrait ♥


Mini reunion with the high school friends. That's me petting Amar on the head - kinda like in a petting zoo. Just kidding Amar!


Catching up with Freda's always good fun. The last time we met was in Shanghai


Group shot that ended the night

More photos later. Gotta catch my Zzzs before I catch the bf's flu...

An ad hoc meal

Lately I've been working notably long hours. Project launch after launch has kept my team up for hours at an end, programming, testing, tweaking, designing and pausing only ever so often to hyperventilate. Not surprisingly, the weekends involve unglamorous moments huddling with coworkers hunched over laptops and discussing quotes during cigarette breaks.

Ahh... The lovely world of advertising =.=

That's really what got me planning a home-cooked meal for Sunday. It was my only attempt to 'comfort the soul.' And what's more comforting than fried chicken with good ol-fashioned sides like creamed corn and chilled coleslaw I ask you? Very few things.

While there may seem to be an element of Southern-ness to this meal, it wasn't the original intention. I was mostly inspired by the ad hoc fried chicken kit we got from Williams-Sonoma during our last trip to the States and my new ABSOLUTE FAVORITE BOOK, Thomas Keller's ad hoc At Home.

The book's super fun with handy tips and tricks from the chef. And because I've never been to The French Laundry or Per Se, this was my first real experience with Thomas Keller. I love every part of it from the chalked writings to the simple recipes. It's so down-to-earth!


Though disappointingly so, everyone agreed that the fried chicken was underwhelming. I'm not sure if it's because the brine and coating kit was a little old (we got it last Aug?) or if it's because we're just so used to tasty local fried delicacies that are often flavorful and heavily spiced.

The creamed corn was good with a refreshing kick from lime and cayenne, and the biscuits were buttery, though nicer served warm. Everyone commented that the coleslaw was a little too tangy but I liked the simplicity of it. Plus you're hearing this from a girl who eats lemons. Raw


Regardless, everyone had a great time cooking and eating :)


The part of the meal that excited me the most was Deb at Smitten Kitchen's St Louis gooey butter cake. The cake was as the name suggests, gooey, buttery, and super yummy! I love how it's part bread and part cake

Nothing like a beer to wash it all down. Monday, here I come!

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Breathe...

I will not let you bother me.
I will not let you bother me.
I will not let you bother me.
I will not let you bother me.
I will not let you bother me.
I will not let you bother me.
I will not let you bother me.
I will not let you bother me.
I will not let you bother me.
I will not let you bother me.
I will not let you bother me.
I will not let you bother me.

I am hardly breathing now cause I'm furious. Enough to rant but not enough to throw anything (lucky bf). Checking out cause it's about time.

Friday humor

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