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.

Home sweet home

The past few days have been glorious. I'm starting to notice a few factors that almost guarantee holiday and home bliss:

1) Meals with the family, with great funny conversation and great Penang food. Also, and very importantly so, making sure I visit my grandmother who raised me for many years. Sadly, she is in a home for the aged now.

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2) Putting aside the grimness for next year, and instead, reading my gifted Calvin and Hobbes collection (my all time favourite comic strip) in bed.

3) Morning walks around the lovely hilly area my parents live in. They're lucky that their condo sits right beside a water catchment area = verdant jungle = cool and quiet. There's even a waterfall that can be seen from their balcony. My walks are my time with nature and myself. How I wish I lived with these surroundings every single day!

4) Great end of the year sale finds :) These comfy flats with unexpected tie details were 70% off at Vincci+, a more upmarket sister to the cheapo brand that's been around forever

Merry Christmas

Tis the most wonderful time of the year.

December Nowness

Currently reading:

1) More Terrible Than Death: Violence, Drugs, and America's War in Columbia.
I have taken a great interest in current affairs lately, and have finished From the Land of Green Ghosts: A Burmese Odyssey, a powerful story about the triumph of human spirit, about spiritual and political awakening, in Burma. The story of a young tribesman who survived through an uprising and deadly crackdown, fighting in malaria-infested jungles to study English Lit in Cambridge, juxtaposed against the hauntingly beautiful descriptions of the Burmese landscape, tribal traditions and spirituality, and unimaginable horrors of human shields, landmines and just pure, plain fear and despair. I was left awed, disgusted, depressed, respectful. Next read is this one on Columbia. I have thus far found this book sometimes downright disturbing to read, especially with no happy ending in sight, but I push on anyway. I want to get my hands on Anna Politkovskaya's works next.

2) Christmas-themed reads: Donna Hay magazine, Nigella Christmas. Both 'zine and book boast truly exquisite styling and photography.

On the iPad:

1) Martha Stewart Living, December and January issues (I just could not resist January's kitchen designs cover story) - everyone needs a dose of frivolity every now and then. Ideas for home decor and care, entertaining, quick suppers and gorgeously taken photos.
2) George Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm
3) Conrad Thomas's Heart of Darkness

Glimpses of Andalusia - Cordoba

Blazing sun and cloudless sky. Sandy terrains dotted with palm trees that make me think of Palm Spring. Except Palm spring doesn't have a 14th century castle towering imposingly in the background.



In the Mezquita, traces of Christianity in what was a predominantly Muslim (and gloriously so) structures. It almost seems as if, with the original Muslim/Ottoman structure of the Mezquita so glorious and grand, the re-conquerors (the takeover of Spain by the Christians from the Muslim rulers) only managed to "Christian-ize" only a part of the structure. They did do a spectacular job of it though, and the white-plastered, gold-trimmed area of the Mezquita they altered now sticks out like a sore, but heavily jeweled thumb.





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Amazing wrought iron details that cast the most spectacular shadows.



Whitewashed walls, blue pots and greenery in courtyard gardens, amongst narrow alleyways once meant for pedestrians and one-horse carriages. Every turn a surprise and yet echoes of the familiar white-green, accented with bursts of colours from the blooms painstakingly cultivated by the Cordobans.








Cordoba, Andalusia - October 2011.