After Black Friday...

Poor YG and Bryan.....after suffering in the cold (-14 degree C), queuing at "BestBuy" and "Staples" for >2 hours...

The result : -

19" TFT LCD Flat Panel Monitor

Bryan bought me a LCD. (heehee....)

我好幸福哦...

Thanksgiving Dinner

It was really really cold on Thanksgiving Day. The temperature was beyond freezing (-14 to -16 degree C).

This year, we gather for the first time with our friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. There were turkey, ham, chicken pot pie, pork cutlet, fruit cocktail and wine...etc on the dinner table. I call them -- My first real, solid thanksgiving food....

At the dinner table, I was suddenly very touched just by being there at that very moment, missing my families, but luckily we're surrounded by friends.

I was thankful to the Lord, once again, to have brought us all together. This past week was tough. With the tension building up each day, waiting for Bryan's qualifier/exam results...

God has answered our prayers. I thank God for listening to me.

Not just only for this, we're thankful too, to have known a bunch of really nice friends here. Some of them are returning to Singapore in just a few weeks, and I've been wanting to say this ---

Specially to Boon, YG, MC & Jane...

From the very beginning, the moving in, settling down... from all the potlucks, outings and gatherings, to "stripping" together (grocery shopping) and to the road trips we've all taken together, oh, and not forgetting our weekly badminton sessions... Thanks for sharing those times with us. We're sad that you guys are leaving, but at the same time we're so thankful for this newfound friendship. Promise that we'll all keep in touch and that we'll once again gather in Singapore.

From Bryan & Cocoa

Well. We'll definitely, certainly, unquestionably, going to miss you guys a great deal..

After dinner, we had a round of game (7Up) and a round of very fun group photo-taking session. Oh, a few interesting notes to add,

• First dish to run out b4 dinner even started : Pork Cutlet. (It became our appetizer...many of us are too hungry while waiting for the turkey to come out. Apologies : I shd have made more!!)
• Geok Wah : She beats anyone in "Blood Circulation" (see photo);
• XXX : Merely took a few sips of Chardonnay (okie, more than a few sips...) and the evil alcohol went straight into her head to take effect. Next thing we know she's lying flat on the floor liaoz... (okie, sad to admit, that's me.)
• Winner of the 7up-game : Adrian! (came as a surprise to me, thought either YG or Tianlin will win)
• No Sportsmanship in funnyface-phototaking : Mr Lihao, ZJ and GW (hahaha. Their punishment is a re-take!)

Well, It was a short Thanksgiving dinner cos we all have to leave early to catch some sleep for the Black Friday Shopping on next day (or rather, in the next few hours..) Leaving in 2 batches, taking off at 2:15am and 4:30am in the morning... (Are we crazy or what??)

kekekeke....

Do not worry

Why do we worry so much abt things?

One shd really not worry when there is just no point in worrying. Yet, strangely, everyone is worrying on something lately...

One worrying for his qualifier/exam results, cos things are not looking good.
One worrying for her husband, worrying over his qualifier/exam result.
A friend worrying over the rest of her life story, worrying whether she'll still be alone.
Another friend worrying over some issues that I dun even know how to describe here.

I've once read from the Bible that there is nothing good coming out from worrying abt things...

Matthew 6:25-27

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.

Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ...

Still, some ppl kept worrying for the most part of their life. From simple matter to complicated things, they can just go on worrying every minute and wasting their time just by worrying. But isn't that what I've been doing too for most of my time? When I tell ppl that it is meaningless to worry, and yet I am the one worrying abt everything in life? Is that really me? Why can't I simply devote the energy and turn them into something else?

We often worry abt things when a problem arises, yet not thinking the part on how to solve it.
Since we cannot predict what will happen next, why do we already worrying abt the possibilities? And negatively? Is that for preparing for the worst to come? Is that human nature?

ONe thing I am always telling myself, is to learn to accept the truth about life. It is always never a smooth path. Happily ever after is simply a fairy tale. It did not just end there too. It is followed by three dots (...) So, life goes on.

Everyone has happy and sad moments. Some ppl are simply more blessed in their life with fewer disasters. We cannot pursuit wisdom only by intellectual means, only those who've suffered gained valuable lessons from it, and with disasters gained wisdom, and is able to deal with it much better. When there are no bad times, you will never appreciate what is good in your life. When a crisis happens before you, it is a time where you learn how to accept it and then learn how to deal with it. When you open up your heart, there is nothing you cannot face.

Cocoa's philosophy : There are good times and bad times, one after another. It's a cycle. Good times always come after the bad. No one has the power to take charge in life. So make yourself stronger.

Playing Badminton

Today we've missed a badminton session.... (too bad, hubby too busy...)

I cldn't remember when we first started playing Badminton regularly every Friday....but it soon became an event I really look forward to every week.

Towards the end of my last visit back home in June-Aug, my mom surprised me with a farewell gift -- A brand new badminton racket (package complete with casing, shuttlecock and it comes with a bag too!) Needless to say, I was very very touched, and almost to "tears level". And;

Bryan was feeling guilty... (heeheehee)

Well, we've been shopping around for a racket for quite some time. We didn't buy it in the end becos cheaper rackets are too heavy for me, and I didn't like it... and then the good ones are way too expensive. Sigh..

Actually I know that Bryan really wouldn't mind paying for it. His only worry is on the fate of that racket, whether it is going to be like my pair of roller blading shoes. (I hardly uses them.)Well, it is definitely not me to blame... He seldom took me blading anymore... He's afraid that I'll get injured, he said no injuries before coming to the states.... (excuse, excuses...)

Well, lets focus on badminton instead. The last time I am ever seriously participating in sports is during schooldays.... (we call them ECA.) I was only Primary 4 when I joined the badminton club. I remember that we used to play outdoor, sharing half the court with basketball players under the sun. Thus, every week, I prayed for rain so that we can use the hall to play.

I'm never really a sport fanatic. I especially hate events under the sun. (even at the age of 10)

So naturally, I dun mind playing it now (cos we're playing it indoor) No need to share with others... Most of the players are new friends we've known in the states, but mostly Singaporean. They're all a bunch of very nice ppl. I dun meet a lot of nice ppl in my life, maybe I was really a bad kid growing up... so I especially treasure this newfound friendship. I've been laughing my head off lately... We've one joker player here who always likes to perform his "leaping stunt" , trying to save the ball. (hahahaha) he is really funny, trying to leap for the ball all the time ..... can really salute him. As for me, I really couldn't be bothered so much, no point risking my life just to save a ball knowing I could never reach. In other words, you gotta use some common sense here too... shd know what is possible and what's not, right?

Whatever it is... I'm really loving badminton now, so long I'm not playing against expert players....heez.

Here are some photos
to share...

Bryan "warming-up" or "cheering"???

I love teaming up with Bryan..

And here's the joker....

Travelling

I must say, I've never been to many countries in my life. Eversince I'm out from school, I've always been working, and non-stop for >10 years, and out of which, I've spent 5 years struggling with a part-time course. So, by the time I reach the age of 29, I've only visited Malaysia (name me a Sporean that has never been to Malaysia....), Thailand (2 times-Company trips) and HongKong (3 times-family outings). My first long flight was to Italy, where Bryan took me along while attending a conference. That was how I became acquainted with the term "jet-lag", where I once spelled it as "jet-lacked".

Like most ppl, I like to travel too. Within the last 7 months, Bryan has taken me to several roadtrips, together with some new friends here.

Visited Washington D.C. in April, its the perfect time to see the full cherry blossoms... In May, we drove up to Canada to see the Niagara Falls, went further up to Toronto just to eat DimSum...

Last month, we took another trip down to Virginia, just to see the vibrant Fall colours...Coming December, we'll be visiting San Diego, California. Yes, finally, I get to go to the beach and see the ocean again. It will be snowing here in Pittsburgh.... so getting a holiday somewhere much warmer is just so comforting.

Why I want a cellphone2.

Today, received a call from a friend.

Told me that he finally realised why he wants to get a HP so much. (I had wanted to tell him, "me too", I also want one and then I will force bryan to carry it with him.) Here is why...

Everyday I will ask Bryan what time he comes back from school. Then there is this one day, only recently, where he is suppose to come home around 4pm... So by 6pm and he is still not back, I began to panic. There is no way I can contact him. (I can only contact him via email or msn while he's in school) so when there are no email...and no calls... by 7pm, I began pacing up and down the apt, and keeping close lookouts at the window waiting for no bryan... there is nothing to do, could do... I began praying so hard that nothing bad will come to him... Oh, and I remembered eating dinner, and crying at the same time... so i couldn't eat. I logged on into msn, messaged a friend and asked him why is Bryan not home yet... (and my poor friend has to console me for that half an hour) Actually I knew it was pointless and stupid asking him cos I'm sure he has no idea where Bryan is..but I really need some comforting words.

And then a hundred years later, I heard the elevator, and then the sound of an inserting key. It was Bryan, standing in shock while I burst into tears almost immediately. I cried for a full 5 min, and those was a total release of worries accumulated in the past few hours. So, he has been held up by a discussion, and also forgotten to inform me that he'll be home late.

From that day onwards, I've been wanting to get a cellphone.

(PS : Bryan still thinks we dun need one, and he also promise to call if he's ever going to be home late again. So, if he does it again, I'm going shopping for a brand new Nokia the very next day.)

Storm.Movies.Sunday

Our only alarm clock at home no longer works. My only hope is to sms whoever is still online to wake me up the next day via Skype. Yet I hv forgotten to unplug my earpiece off the speaker this morning. sigh. goondoo ME. Luckily my frds responded my SOS and called me via phone to wake me up. Thanks to HoNL for waking me up at 0830 and YG, my snoozer, woke me up at 0900 (heeheez...).

The Weather Channel forecasted "scattered thunderstorm" and it was boxed up in red ink. I always use to think that a scattered thunderstorm is less likely to hit me on my 20-min walk to the church. But as soon as I stepped out of the apt main entrance, it started pouring very heavily. This was the second time I walk to church on my own, but it was the first time I walked in heavy rain all by myself, and into a street with no ppl in sight and only a few vehicles. Actually I got kinda worried and scared as the rain gets heavier. I wasn't even sure that I can make it to church without getting wet. The wind is very strong. I have to position my umbrella against the wind to avoid it getting "flipped over". I hold on really tight to my umbrella, afraid that my "only hope" gets blown away. Amazingly, after I've braved abt a hundred metres walk, the rain stopped suddenly, and a scorching hot sun appeared. Now, do I call this a miracle? Or is this the behavior of a scattered storm?

Back at home at almost 2pm. Bryan was watching movies then, and also doing his work at the same time...or in btw commercial breaks. It is now 1030pm, the TV is still showing movies... My husband's been watching channels from TNT to TBS...and movies after movies... apparently..someone cannot do his work in peace... (hahahaha...)

Arrgg... I'm so sick of "The Matrix".....(whether reloaded or not....)

MyfirstBlog

My first blog. (Actually I still do not understand why I created it...Maybe got inspired by HoNL...)

Today, Bryan created "Google Desktop" for me. This is really cool stuff. I saw it on his laptop, and demanded one for myself too. When come to the "Todo" section, I then realise that I have "nothing" to do.... :( sigh. So, in the end I put a few things like "Visit the Cathedral of Learning", "buy lancome", and listed out some other things on my shopping list.. Bryan saw it and he had a good laugh.

For those who are looking for the muffin recipe, I've moved it to a new blog. You can still access it by clicking on the "Recipes" in this blog, or http://whatbryaneats.blogspot.com/