Overjoyed Cake

I admit, it's not in my nature to follow recipes to a t. I can't help myself, even after a few slip ups and lessons leaent here and there.

And sometimes you hit the bulls eye.

I have made three batches of this already, and they're all gone. Dad, upon seeing the rather homely looking too of the cake, declared my Mandarin Orange Cake with a Streusel Topping 'overjoyed'. After a good guffaw I decided to stick with it. It is, after all, a joybringer.

What it is is basically a butter cake filled with mandarin orange segments, and topped with a nutty, crunchy streusel topping.

When segmenting the oranges, do try to remove as much of the pith as possible, in fact remove the papery membrane if you can. Do this over a bowl to catch any juices. It's ok if the segments fall apart, reserve them all. They will moisten and perfume the final product.

Those Not-So Little Things

I love......

1) You bringing the house down with your crazy jokes. You are the lifeblood of this household! This little house is so quiet without you.

2) Your unwavering support during all those times I was sulky and petulant and felt that the world was against me.

3) Us fighting over who gets the lounge side of the sofa, as we settle down to watch Glee and How I Met Your Mother.

4) Our nightly ritual where you would bring me water and a hug and kiss.

5) You happily playing guinea pig in my kitchen alchemy adventures. How I would wake up in the morning and find evidence of cookies/burgers/soup saved up for the next day mysteriously depleted :)

6) Watching you be a daddy to our beloved BooBoo, teaching him to sit , jogging around the house, making him jump barriers, coming up with all kinds of creative punishment for his naughtiness. And how he adores you - following you around the house, insisting on climbing onto your lap/pillow.

Needless to say, we miss you.

Sweetest

Yesterday I stayed home, thanks to a rather magnificent bout of food poisoning and gastritis.

I spent the entire day in bed accompanied by this cutie pie, who was content to lie beside me, never making any of his usual demands (to be let out, food). He even made sure that his head was against me while I slept.

Guaranteed sweet dreams:)

Step One

Saying goodbye.

But we'll be together again soon enough.

Seville Snaps

Plaze de Espana

Cathedral

Seville, the most Spanish of Spanish cities.

Where the Plaza de Espana shines in all its teracotta-coloured, blue-and-yellow glazed tile glory.

Where ceiling and gates of the imposing Cathedral de Sevilla are so intricately textured and coloured.

Where the people are all seemingly so drop-dead gorgeous. I swear, Eva Longoria or even Penelope Cruz would just look common here. And people, they were happy. When our plane landed in Seville from London, people clapped. While we walked around the ancient city (Seville tourists are mostly local Spaniards, we think), people were spontaneously breaking out into songs, danced the flamenco at the steps of the Plaza de Espana, laughed and chattered nonstop at the circus intervals. Seriously, what crisis????!!

Home of the ancient gardens of Jardines de Alcazar with its maze of shrubbery, ducks and peacocks.

Where the sun shines so bright and the River Guadalquivir sparkles back, with its rowers and kayakers.

Sevilla, magic.

Giving thanks and starting (not so) fresh

What I am thankful for:

1) AK's decision to sign us up for an Investment seminar, albeit with much doubt and hesitation (from both of us) due to its unorthodox pricetag. We got to know some pretty cool people, and most importantly we're DOING OK. More than OK, in fact. Most of all, I know I am a lucky girl :)

2) All the wonderful family time. I met up with my family in KL and came back to Penang for CNY, a cousin's wedding, and for Christmas. Such good times, especially with my two brothers, whose company I have come to truly enjoy. The biggest con to where I work is not being able to come home, or meet my family on a whim. So I really soaked in everything I could, whether when back in Penang, or in KL. I look forward to more of this.

3) My decision to just sock my doubts and laziness, and hit the road. Unsurpassable experiences with my cousin in India, loads of frivolous fun with an old friend in Bangkok, as well as soaking in the likes Seville, Venice, Seminyak and Ubud with AK.

4) Most of all, the opportunities in Two Thousand Twelve. I still have so much to look forward to, especially a golden one looming so CLOSE BY. A pretty huge decision, but I look forward to making it, really. For once, I really am in the driver's seat in the car of my life. Or steering the course in the ship of my path. OK, enough lameness. Pure blessings brought me to where I am today, but the next course of action will be all of MY doing. Most of all, I am grateful for the upcoming change(s), whatever they may be.

Dear God, I thank you so much for this. I know I have not been the most chaste or humble or faithful of disciples, that I have been spoilt, ungrateful and a downright *beeyatch* at times, but I truly am grateful. It took me a long time of stewing in my own self-pity and anger and indignance, but I did TAKE ACTION for once. I rest in the fact that You always know what's best for me, and have helped me to see things for what they really are (Why not two years ago??? - sorry).

Well, one can't really usher in the new year without making a few resolutions, right?? Here we gooooooo.............:-

To continue:

- Re-reading excellent books like Nouriel Roubini's Crisis Economics and Ben Graham's The Intelligent Investor. This time, make a summary of things I learnt and write it down, for goodness' sake. Continue learning and investing.

- Exercising and weight training. I will need to increase my elliptical training sessions to more than the standard thirty minutes. Do more thigh muscle exercises to keep my ridiculously loose kneecaps in place and stop hurting me.

- Practicing confidence and self-affirmation. To keep the big picture in my head. To smile and hold my head high and shoulders straight. To constructively confront. To keep negativity to myself.

- Exploring cooking and baking. Because they keep me sane.

- Travelling. Because I must.

To Reduce:

- Impulse online purchases.

- Emotional outbursts and taking advantage of AK's patience. To keep an open mind and heart when disputing domestic issues (like household tidiness).

To Start:

- Inviting people out for lunch or dinner or just a drink.

- Imbibing. I need to learn to be able to hold my drink!

Two brothers and sister, circa 1990

Halocene & Hoppipola

I watched We Bought A Zoo because I thought it boasted a splendid cast - Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Elle Fanning.

I spent a good few minutes crying occasionally throughout the movie, but the most beautiful thing about this movie was the magnificent music.

Especially this number by Bon Iver, an Indie musician that I have never heard of before. So haunting and poetic.

And this one, I have NO IDEA what he is singing (OK just Googled it, there is nothing wrong with my hearing - apparently it's part Icelandic, peppered with some "nonsensical phrases, a "language" the band calls Vonlenska or "Hopelandic" - how very Lord of the Rings). Something about this number uplifts my very heart. No wonder it was used in the video below, which begs viewing especially at minute 1:22 - the penguins march and 3:45 the emergence of the polar bear. Please watch this.