Odyssey to the centre of Europe 1 - Pretty Prague

Quarter of my trip down and just discovered live-blogging from European trains. Better late than never. Sometimes it's cathartic, at other times, strangely poignant, recalling our travels as we zoomed pass giant wind-farms & golden fields of rural Austria. 

Marvelous European railways

Our first day was a seemingly endless day of cruising at 35,000 ft above sea level as we tried to sleep on the huge Lufthansa Airbus. Thankfully, we drifted off into a dreamless sleep as we were fatigued from 2 weeks of wedding prep & festivities. Frankfurt airport was ruthlessly functional but forgettable. At least I managed to clear customs (always a few minutes delayed compared to Singaporeans that I am traveling with). Don't these people know where is Malaysia?

The cathedral in centre of Prague Castle

Quoting from our guidebooks, these fertile soil is also sites of famous battlegrounds since medieval times. Blood had been shed defending the glorious Austro-Hungarian empire. But mostly, the empire blossomed from the times of the Spanish Hapsburg to the First World War. 

Beautiful vista of Prague

Before my mind began to wander back in history, maybe I should record down the chronicles of our recent foray eastward across the plains of the Donau Valley (Danube River).

This is Vltava River, not the Danube..with Charles Bridge in the distance

On our second day, a quick connecting flight brought us to the ancient capital of Czech Republic..Prague or Praha. Weather was sunny, with brisk chilly wind reminding us that it's autumn after all. Apparently the town is always brimming with tourists from all over the world, eager to explore the castle, the bridge and the clock. 

Elegant houses of Prague

Prague castle looms large over the city's skyline with the spires and buttresses of St Vitus cathedral piercing the blue sky. This is the largest medieval castle in the world according to lonely planet if you count the entire corner of Hradcany as part of the castle. To me, the abandoned castle with no actual inhabitant or a royal family is such a melancholic relic. 

Smaller bridges of Prague

Charles bridge across the Vltava river, on the other hand, seems so lively and functional as it spans the giant question-shaped waterway that is the lifeline of Prague since it's foundation by princess Libuse.

View from the riverbanks of Vltava River, Prague

Steamers, ferries, paddleboats gently sailed from the riverbanks as we strolled slowly pass the meandering waters. Alas, the inevitable jet lag overtook us and we retired early into our hotel on the Katerinska in the Nove mesto.

Malostranska subway station, Prague

After all, we were looking forward to our first time on European trains. So, bright and early on the third day of our sojourn, we say hi to stately, proud Vienna with majestic Habsburg castles, museums and pretty parks bathed in stunning autumnal colours.... 

Habsburg Castle complex, Vienna, Austria

to be continued...

Haze Myth: PSI vs Visibility vs PM2.5

Rumours abound in times of trouble...and its' human nature to 'panic' and fear the unknown or unnatural. As a medical doctor and recent public health graduate, sometimes we see things differently through broader lenses. Rational, educated mind is a good defense against irrational feelings and emotions. Despite what our eyes tell us, let us focus on creating solutions and calming those around us, instead of creating more anger and fear. That's why I was quite impressed with what PM Lee said recently regarding this crisis - no megaphone diplomacy for this statesman.

Firstly, the PSI has been adopted in Singapore to give the public an up-to-date information on the air quality in this country, as opposed to the different indices used in US, Malaysia, etc. It's a composite of various substances in the air which may cause harm to the human body if we are exposed to it in significant concentration, depending on what is your health status. A normal healthy adult obviously could tolerate the pollutants a bit better than a sickly person, the young and the old. However, if you are exposed to it in significant amounts over a prolonged duration, there may be both short and long-term effects.

Secondly, I would say of all the pollutants being reported, the most insidious and hardest to clear from our body is the PM2.5 particulate which is lodged in our alveoli. These particulates are suspended in the air, but invisible to the naked eye and odourless. When its consistently high (as reported by various authorities), it can cause long-term lung damages, especially lung fibrosis in the future. Not now. What's happening now is the sequelae of direct irritants in the air, to our airway - sore throat, cough, asthma attacks, shortness of breath, conjunctivitis, headache etc. It's usually a brief episode unless the hazy condition persists.

Thirdly, staying indoors is a good advice, provided that you have air purifier or a good working air-conditioner with functional air filter. Indoor air quality can be worsened if u open the doors/windows intermittently and trap the haze within the closed compound. Especially for those susceptible to the effects of haze, please take precautions - wear a well-fitted N95 mask properly whenever u are exposed to hazy outdoor air but do not hoard. There are more than enough masks around - just be patient and resourceful. Visibility is not equivalent to high PSI. Check the official results regularly to be well-informed.

Lastly, public health problems require public health solutions...it has be long-term sustainable solutions, tackling the root causes and not just a one-off assistance. Short term measures like creating rain artificially or fighting the fire are temporary measures. We have to work together to tackle the root causes of why these fires are started at the first place. Eradicate poverty, improve on peat-fire surveillance, tighten legislations and change this burning practice. This is a man-made calamity, which means, we can work together to eradicate the cause and not point fingers. Empty vessels are of no help now. Human behaviour may be hard to change, but it's not impossible. The collaborative task-force should be sustained long-term and not hastily convened at the sight of trouble. Prevention is better than cure....

Meanwhile, continue to keep calm, drink lotsa water and pray on.

Caveat: This article is purely personal opinion and doesn't amount of professional medical advice. Please seek a doctor's consultation if you are suffering from the effects of haze. Thank u.

Rediscovering the famous noodles of Malaysia Part 1



Sometimes I feel that I kinda neglect talking about the wonderful food I grew up with. Short of making atonement (i.e. constructing the dish myself), I've decided to dedicate this entire post (in all its' brief glory) to the wonderful heritage of hawker food in Malaysia. Starting with my beloved hometown/city, KL.

Go Google Imbi Pork... and immediately this foodstall (Imbi Pork Ball Noodle) at Win Heng Seng corner coffee shop pops up. Numerous posts have been dedicated to this scrumptious concoction. How I even begin to describe this delicacy - the soft, smooth rice noodle bathed in dark, savoury gravy to the robust, flavoursome minced-pork laced with plenty of fiery Sarawakian white pepper and finely-chopped spring onions...ah, my mouth still salivates at the thought of this Michelin-star worthy dish. IMHO, it ranks quite high up the top 10 food in Malaysia, sitting up there among the Penang CKT at Lorong Selamat, Hokkien Mee, etc.

The perfect accompaniment to the white ribbons of delicious kway teow is usually this bowl of peppery soup made from some secret-broth. Especially if you order the 'dry' bowl. It's not easy to find this springy, dense near-perfect chu-yok-yun (pork ball) and Chinese sausage gently floating in the amazing broth. Therefore, it's unsurprising that the crowd is often-time huge despite the fierce heat and lack of proper seats/ventilation. Go and experience this heritage-food before another huge corporation gobbles up this recipe or company & ended up having (inferior) franchises in malls and airports, ok? YY said that he would drive 400+ km from Singapore just to have this for lunch and then go back. Sort of a foodies' mini-pilgrimage in lieu of even further distance to another food-mecca (Penang).

There was also another kind of noodles I grow up with. Along the North-South Expressway, there lies a small town called Tangkak. To most people, this one-lane settlement is famous for Mount Ophir but I've recently discovered that this town is equally well-known for its myriad of emporiums selling all sorts of fabrics, especially curtains. And a type of noodles called herbal beef soup noodles popularized by Kuang Fei off the main road of Tangkak.



It's probably true that we Chinese can probably eat anything with the back facing the sun. Each part of the cow's anatomy could be used for multi-purpose cooking and this bowl of perfectly-balanced meehoon soup is the prime example of it. What amazes me most is that there is the extremely juicy beef meat-cubes mixed with all sorts of 'innards' that resembled something I took out in the OT the other day. Stuff of legend. If you are yearning for a hearty bowl of beef noodles and wouldn't taking a detour on the NSE, do drop by this flagship store at Jalan Solok, Tangkak for the most yummy, value-for-money noodles this side of the country. You'll love it!

This is being grateful...my Phuket escapade

"What do you mean by you cannot check us in? We have a flight to catch!"

And there goes my vacation...actually, the end of my vacation. Being stuck on the dreamy vacation touristy island of Phuket ain't too bad, just that the airport was abysmal and I need to get back to Singapore (there is always some life-saving business to attend to, u see)...

Anyway, the extremely hectic month of April (yes, the duo terror of exams and research report) was interspersed with this gift from our hotel in KL. We flew to Phuket for a pre-wedding photoshoot with one of the most eminent photographer in the wedding circle in Malaysia, remarkably un-prepared and casual for 2 OCDs. Needless to say, being spontaneous means we thoroughly enjoyed our care-free, unpretentious cheerful photo-session -  with major credits to the ever-professional Jim Liaw and team.

I suspected I may have sabotaged myself by getting an outfit totally unsuitable for my shape/size but who cares when you are actually enjoying a photoshoot - and to be truthful...it has been a long, long time since I've gotten so much of fun in front of the camera (normally we're the ones behind it!). Of course there was this fleeting sense of envy when I saw how the other beautiful brides looked in their long, flowing bridal dress but all sense of inadequacy was washed away on the remarkably warm, clear seas of Kata beach as we jumped into the water during our final shot; totally splashed sand all over the semi-formal attire. Ah, the bliss of thrashing a dress in the sea. Hahaha!

Thailand is of course well known for flowers and upon arrival to Hilton Arcadia Phuket, we noticed there were fresh flowers everywhere. We asked for some as accessories and we were immediately given some. Thumbs-up to Hilton hospitality!

The flight to the island was extremely pleasant and we were the first couple to arrive as we travelled on an earlier flight from Singapore. Weather seemed excellent in early April. Only rained on the last day as we leave the island.

We were armed with not one but TWO lonely planet book on Islands & Beaches of Thailand, and a special laminated map of Phuket for the remaining part of the trip. Highly-recommend the map. The books aren't that helpful, to be fair.

This is the (in)famous Patong beach - sun, surf and sex(trade) all souped-up in a heady haven of hedonism. This is where I learnt the phrase ping-pong but didn't see the show. We also noticed the amount of male tourists outnumbering everyone else in this town.

It was also the Phuket Motorcycle week so the whole town was jam-packed with tourists, bikers and their accompaniments (read:hot bikes & gals).

In the meanwhile, i also took one whole day off to settle some work - sounded crazy - but I was supposed to hand-in some assignments right during the vacation. The mysteries of life as a hyperactive cilipadidoctor ain't easy :-P

As a reward, we went to Phang-Nga bay. Initially, we thought we could do some sea-kayaking. Turned out that the majority of the arm-work was done by the Thai guides while we lounge about in the kayak. At least we managed to do some canoeing at the end of the 'cruise' but it is not the same as Halong Bay, I can assure you. I was mildly disappointed. I guess I missed how we travelled from one mini-island to another in Vietnam.

IMHO, Halong Bay is a lot larger than Phang-Nga and somehow more authentic. If you come from a land far-away, I would suggest going to Halong rather than this area. I think there are a lot more hawkers in Phang-Nga as well and the food at the Muslim sea-village sucks.

James Bond Island. More famous for its' appearance in the movie rather than anything else. Not much to do here except take a picture of the island, sit back and observe the tourists.

More islands to gawk at on the way back at the end of the day. This is after we swam on a tiny island. As we leave this really nice island, I would say the airport was a real let-down but everything else was quite good for a short break. I guess I will come again in the future once I get my PADI license refreshed. Apparently, i heard the diving off Phi Phi Island is really good. Anyone's been there?

Caught this aerial view of one the islands in the beautiful Andaman Sea on the way back to Singapore. Time to say goodbye...to a wonderful island escapade in the midst of a crazy month!

Will 'UBAH' sweep through the land?

"You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." - A Lincoln.


Change is inevitable. When there is a clarion call for change, a chain of action is unleashed, whether for the better or for worse. In a way, change can be more devastating to a mammoth organization that is unwilling or unable to embrace change, forever mired in the status quo.

Events of the past 1 week in Malaysia has strongly indicated that the behemoth called National Front (BN) has been rejected by the majority of the urban population, heralding a wave of change across the nation. From black 505, to the inspirational black Wednesday, emotions are running high on how best to dethrone a government supported by the minority.

However, we must put on our thinking cap and reflect on both side of the political divide. BN has a big armamentarium of national resources due to 56 years of uninterrupted rule over a blessed, resourceful land. Is the People's Alliance (PR) ready to challenge the 'Death Star', a juggernaut firmly entrenched in the ideologies of yesteryears, the ideology of divide-and-rule? Until and unless the evil doctrine left behind by our so-called colonial masters half a century ago is firmly eradicated, we cannot move forward. According to the principles of root cause analysis, we cannot improve unless we look into the system and eradicate the root causes. Otherwise, we are only treating the symptoms and not the disease, the root issues.

 Is the opposition without it's faults and fallacy too? We are all human with feet of clay, fallible and humble creatures. Of course the vast majority of their supporters know that too, but from the events in KJ Stadium, where the unity of all people are on show, PR is on the way to unite, instead of divide-and-rule. Their leaders ain't perfect, and as human, we will never be.

Yet, we are firmly behind them because of the hope they represent. Normal reticent Malaysians are no longer waiting patiently at the backstage. We are ready to take on the juggernaut at a higher level. We are ready to be a beacon of hope and change in a region filled with entrenched monopoly of power in various countries. We are ready to be a mature democracy, with a clean electoral commissions and fair judiciary. We are ready to experience sound, transparent governance and eradication of the silent apartheid.

How about the other root causes? I would say it's economic and social development. If our rural friends are in different stages of development, both socially and economically, who are we to blame? We can only blame ourselves for years of apathy, for letting our fellow Malaysians struggle in making daily living. We can only blame ourselves for electing the current government into power over the past 12 elections. The political divide is only reflective of the social divide we have let ourselves drift into over the years. Public outcry and demonstrations are the loudspeakers, but empty vessels make the loudest sounds. Action speaks louder than words. Action needs to be translated into tangible results.

My dear fellow Malaysians, go into every corner of the country and reconcile. Not only to reconcile the political differences but tackle the root causes. The government may be illegitimate in the eyes of many, but long periods of instability would only make our country weaker and exposed to external danger. I plead to the leaders on both side of the political divide to decide maturely, wisely, peacefully and for the good of the people. For in the end, what we hope for is the peace, freedom and prosperity of our country.

"Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth."  - A Lincoln.

The article began and ended with quotes from President Abraham Lincoln, one of my favourite leaders of all time. Let the change to a better government begin, from the hearts of the people, the cries on the streets to the mightiest palaces of the land.

DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING?

This is really an out-of the blue post. Probably not gonna put any pictures. I'm not sure when I'll have the courage to post this up. Maybe today is the day. I mean, why wait another 5 years?

I spent 90% of my life in KL, another 5% in Perak and another 5% in Singapore. My entire biological family is still in Malaysia. Although I'm not residing in Malaysia now, I'm definitely coming back to stand in the queue on 5th May 2013 in my polling station and exercise my rights as a citizen. Yes, INI KALILAH!

My appeal is for those of you who are registered Malaysian voter - please make arrangements to come back to vote. There is so much of fraud and intimidation ongoing that we need to make the voice of truth be heard. We don't want to go the way of violence or chaos. We want a peaceful, clean elections.

Civilizations rise and fall. A government ruling in a hegemony that lasted for more than 5 decades has bogged itself down with internal and external strife, corruption and divisive policies. From a promising country endowed with natural resources and beautiful people, we now have questionable governance and policy, leading to massive financial losses, security breaches, rising crime rate and pathetic brain drains.

International spotlight will be cast upon this Southeast Asian nation this Sunday. Is hope still alive? Looking at some unbiased report online, it seems so. Hope is alive. Hope for the future. Hope against the archaic, divisive policies akin to silent apartheid in Asia. Hope rings eternal.

Of course, a promise made must eventually turn to a promise kept. As this final, rousing theme song from Les Miserables keep on ringing in my head, let the song of angry men be the song of righteous men in the hallowed halls of Putrajaya, come 6th May 2013.

Let us humble ourselves and pray for the right decisions to be made by the 13 million people. Godspeed, leaders with integrity and honour!

Hakka Yong Tau Foo: Lost and found in SG!

Yes, I found it...real tasty YTF in Singapore. All the way in the East though.

The raw fish (first dish shown) was awesome - better than any sashimi u could find if u are into funky Chinese-style sashimi seasoned with bountiful amount of sesame oil and chinese parsley.

Basically, growing up with home-made YTF of the highest quality (thanx to my lovely nanny) means that I'm very picky when it comes to the fish paste used as stuffing. Sometimes, it's just too flat, and other times, too flour-y. So far, the hawker centres here are just barely passing the grade. Therefore, I have been yearning for a place with good-quality fish paste for the past few years.

I've found it! This store Goldhill Hakka Yong Tau Foo at Changi Road is situated next to the Simpang Yong Tau Foo which was formerly of Simpang Bedok fame. When we arrived, this store was jam-packed with customers compared to the latter, hence the obvious choice. 

What I love about the food is that not only it's tasty, it's quite nutritious too. We didn't order any rice but satisfied our carbs craving by the Hakka Yam Abacus, which is my comfort food while growing up. The fish paste was tasty but still not 100% up to mark as they over-processed the paste, thus making it taste slightly 'flat'. Nevertheless, I appreciated the authentic taste and don't mind having this again (Having found my heritage-food after such a long search, I'm a happy bunny now haha!) 

Anyway, my favourite dish in this restaurant? Has to be the yam-abacus dish that reminded me of my childhood. Next top recommendation is the yu sheng (raw fish)....looking forward to trying more dishes here (the clams, seafood, mixed vegetable, etc) in this fuss-free restaurant. Hardly any service but a lot of good food indeed!

Address: Goldhill Hakka Restaurant 299A Changi Road Singapore 419777. 11.30am-4pm daily (Closed Mondays).

Bonjour, Au Petit Salut

My purported other life in cyberspace is supposedly a food-blogger. I've not found great fame & fortune in this line of 'work'; in fact, out of so many doctor-foodies that blog about food, I'm probably languishing in the bottom few positions. I'd lament about my lack of time till the cows come home, but the actual excuse is that, I'm often time too hungry by the time I reach a restaurant...thus the official explanation is that mua gobbled up the food before I could capture any photographs of it. The mortal sin of food-blogging? Yup. Tsk, tsk..I know.

Nevertheless, I managed to repent recently. Amidst my colleagues' chagrin (or embarassment), I managed to take photographs of food at this famous French restaurant called Au Petit Salut (APS). I think it's also partly due to the nature of French fine-dining - a lot of time chatting and absorbing the ambience while awaiting the arrival of good food. So, in tribute of fresh beginnings (it's Easter Sunday, a day of resurrection!), I've decided to be a lot more regular in my food blogging habits.

Back to APS. We went there to throw a farewell party for a much-cherished colleague who is about to return to KL as a 'tai-tai'. Of course, we will miss you J! Please come by to visit us in this little red spot! We'll surely bring you eat good food not available in KL one.

The 3-course set lunch in APS is priced at an affordable SGD36, with an appetizer, main and dessert (drinks & GST not included). Lunch-time business was brisk, judging by the almost-full house by 1pm. I suspected the clientele to be mostly groups of superbly-dressed housewives (from the nearby Orchard/Coronation area?) and sprinkled in some professional-looking lunch partners.

As I scrutinized the menu, I quickly decided for a coronary-clogging Burgundy snails with garlic butter and marrow - even the 'tulang' was kept as base/decor for the scrumptious escargots. This is by far the most popular appetizer among the 8 of us.Some of us literally took the plunge - mopping up the garlicky buttery sauce with the free-flow bread.  For once, I was 'disciplined/boring' enough not to do the same.

The other appetizer that caught my eye (but I didn't try) was this very pleasant-looking dish. J took this Spinach & Feta quiche, which is so huge that she was quite full by the time her mains arrived. From the satisfied grin on her face, I knew it was good.

My main dish was Roast Chicken cooked 'piperade a la Basquaise',a typical Basque dish available in many French restaurants. I like the 'healthy' sounding sauce and red/green peppers accompanying the dish. The chicken is, however, slightly bland and nondescript. I wouldn't order this again, once is enough. As compared to my previous poultry in APS, which is the duck confit, I think I much preferred the duck despite the calories+cholesterol.

One of my neighbours ordered the lamb shoulder and it was hearty & tasty. Each dish looks pretty 'small' in contrast to the huge plates, but the reality is that by the time we are halfway through the mains, most of us looked immensely post-prandial.

Thank God for light desserts..mine was fresh fruit salad infused with mint and served with mango-passion sorbet. It was the perfect ending for a really good meal for me.

The other neighbour ordered this pretty looking dessert that I frankly craved but had no guts to try (in view of the upcoming photoshoot sessions). I think it was the lemon-chocolate torte with sorbet. I'll probably try this the next time I'm here - b'coz apparently it tasted as good as it looks!

My verdict for the lunch is: 4/5 for ambience, 4/5 for affordability and 3.5/5 for taste - I guess I wasn't a fan of their poultry (chicken was ok, duck was a bit nicer when I had dinner there)

Address: Au Petit Salut, 40C Harding Road, Singapore 249548. Tel: 64751976. Online reservations available. I suggest calling ahead to book if you intend to drop by, as the crowd seemed to be picking up... 

Satisfying my right-brain

Return of the photographs.

Firstly, it was an eventful week. After a bout of food poisoning (no thanx to a certain Western food outlet in Holland, which I have banned from my list of eating-joints) and a day out of action, I've gotten my first rest day in ages (thoroughly away from the hospital for once).

Secondly, we decided to indulge on a bit of artsy-fartsy adventure. For the first time, we stepped into the sparkling clean art-gallery cum science museum nicknamed the "Welcoming Hand of Singapore". This hybrid of a lotus flower+human palm is also formally known as the ArtScience Museum, located strategically by the Marina Bay Sands. The price is ok for 2 adults (similar to the price of a movie ticket on a weekend). The entertainment and learning value: priceless.

One of the most evocative and philosophical piece is this grey sculpture greeting us near the entrance. Entitled "Hands", it's literally every artist (and surgeons) nightmare.

On the other hand, the vibrant "Yellow" screamed out "look at me! I'm pouring my heart out in all that I do. Can't you see that I'm trying my best." It's one of Nathan Sawaya's most famous pieces, highly featured in magazines, news portal, etc.

"Swimmer" is only seen above water thus we are free to interpret whatever goes beneath the water level. Although replica of a human form, it looks strangely like a blue Lego-alien.

This is a very good 'collaborative' piece as it's made from thousands of donated Lego bricks forming a multicoloured "Peace". I would say this is a very cheerful, hopeful piece.

More human-inspired sculptures greeted us as we walked deeper into the exhibition hall. Does this "Thinker" remind you guys of something in London Tate? Yes, you are gazing at a pixelated tribute to Rodin

And one more cutesy "Ladder" to sum up the various art forms inspired by human body.

Aside from 3D sculptures, Mr Sawaya also made 2D portrait from Lego bricks. This is a picture of B Dylan entitled Bob. Notice the resemblance? It's in this section whereby we can also made 2D portraits of ourselves. Interactive displays for children of all ages, u see...

This "pencil" sculpture is taller the artist. Not only the bricks are wonderful art pieces when put into a genius' hands, what's also quite amazing is that post-construction, he uses special glue to keep the bricks in place. Somehow the Lego remained in position through it all - cranky lorry drivers, air turbulence, cargo planes, children's hands. Yup, has to be once special secret glue to keep it altogether.

Another quirky piece inspired by a musician friend of the artist. Notice the perfectly spherical globe behind? Astounding! Creating a globe out of rectangular bricks is indeed spectacular!

AH, and the final piece-de-resistance, the sculpture that occupied one entire hall by itself..the Tyrannosaurus made out of 80,020 Lego pieces. Mr Sawaya spent one whole summer concocting this marvellous piece and we really sat down and feasted our eyes upon this piece for some time in tribute to his masterpiece.

And finally, my verdict on "The Art of The Brick" : catch it in Singapore before it's gone by mid May 2013! You'll definitely enjoy it if you are a Lego devotee like yours truly...

For more information, go to  http://www.brickartist.com or http://www.marinabaysands.com. 

As the countdown ticks on

One of the best part about getting married? Preparing for the actual day. The countdown began last year and now we are at the halfway point..another 6-7 months to go before DTTK (Docs Tie the Knot) in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. I've been enjoying the preparation so far even since we've started executing plan DTTK in Sep 2012. 2 OCDs(obsessive-compulsive doctors) made quite a good team, as long as we are willing to compromise and work together towards a common goal (ahem)

I love looking at pretty pictures on Pinterest and various websites on the Internet, as I don't think I have the funds to hire a planner...every single penny counts as 2013 is a watershed year. Therefore, out comes all the library books on wedding planning, websites-searches, forums, interview sessions with newlyweds and honeymoon itinerary. I feel really blessed as YY definitely rocks when it comes to logistics and planning...as for me, I adore projections and grand overviews but when it comes to the nitty-gritty (small stuff), I can be a bit forgetful. Anyone shares the same trait?

As for DTTK, I thought of this tagline spontaneously while I was sending out save-the-date e-cards on FB. It's a play of words, esp since we both tie knots for a living...I mean, if we are not good at tying knots, a few litres of blood later and there goes a patient. On the other hand, the most important knot in our personal lives is a 'figurative' knot, a covenant made before God and man marking an important milestone in our lives together.

I'm very grateful for every single help I could get and so far, the people we've met are really lovely and kind in our dealings with them. After multiple formal classes in church (I strongly recommend the Before You Say Yes course and the PREPARE-ENRICH questionaire/counselling for engaged couples) and another few sessions of 'one-on-two' counselling session, I felt a bit more 'prepared'. This commitment is a work-in-progress and just like our journey on earth, we'll never know how will the Lord greet us once we see Him again. Neverthelss, stepping into a new role soon is both exciting and challenging and being the CPD, of course I'm enthralled at upcoming challenges and changes!

Project 2013

The ambitious year has begun with a big bang! 2013 is a year of big strategic moves. Multiple fronts are bombarded with decisions and more big decisions. What caught me as a huge surprise was this big decision 15 hours into the new year. Is it true, Lord?

Our God is amazingly steadfast and faithful throughout the generations. The watchnight service was power-packed with various testimonies (including an unforgettable account of healing from leukemia from one apek who was candid, funny and touching at the same time) and a good sermon. I'm glad that I ushered in the new year with the right battle-ready mindset.

In the next few months, I'll chat more about preparing for a new home, planning a wedding/honeymoon and most importantly, entering into one of the most sacred of all institution and it's for life!