sunday brunch

sunday brunch

Homemade pancakes drowned in maple syrup with fresh strawberries for a 3pm Sunday brunch. Bliss!

Every week, I must have a day to not do ANYTHING. Wake up only when I’m squinting to the sunlight. Have a huge and yummy brunch. Laze around. No meeting anyone. No dressing up. No school work. Just some housey things, so I’d have a great start to the next week.

And everyone should remember this is why we have Sundays. (:

twenty one

twenty one

So this year I turn 21, and I become an adult! I've had the most wonderful and amazing childhood/teenhood/lateteenhood so far. Here're 21 lessons learnt and to share in life, perhaps one for each year. (:

1. Breathe, and stay alive.

2. Laugh whenever.

3. Cry whenever.

4. Say I love you.

5. You are the only one who can pick yourself up from a fall.

6. Fall in love, even if you don't understand it yet.

7. Enjoy your food.

8. Love your family, because they love you like no one else does.

9. Break some rules (and don't get caught).

10. Read good books.

11. Daydream.

12. Mend old/broken friendships. They're waiting.

13. There's no camaraderie like that found on the courts or field.

14. Beauty is attractive, but don't let it be an imperative.

15. Some boys are good for falling in love, but not for loving.

16. Always wear pretty shoes.

17. Kiss the boy (or the girl) you love.

18. Believe in a God, even if you don't have a religion.

19. Fall in love (again), even if you know it might hurt.

20. Play with small animals and/or little kids.

21. See the world, simply because it's so beautiful.

the party scene

the party scene

Before you think I'm a weird, anti-social psycho who stalks kissing couples and eats egg tarts in between doors and then goes home to sweep the floor all the time, I need to clarify that I actually have a social life here! I've been to hottest Mexican restaurant in town and even the famous Club 737! So there, I'm not ALWAYS that sad soul who pumps her own toilet and then cleans it up Cinderella-style afterwards.

So, anyway! Here's what makes up the rest of life in Montréal! I'd like to say I'm totally living it up and unleashing the wildest party animal in me, but meeeh, it's too cold for that. I went clubbing ONCE when there was an international students' party, and I felt like a total dork because I didn't bring anything dressy. ): The local girls were showing off cleavages and belly buttons and love handles, and just baring so much skin! In winter! How do they do it! It's -19 outside!

Here's the trick: they wear their party gear beneath a thick coat, and bring heels to change into. The temperature indoors is just pretty much aircon temperature.

Ooh and the party scene here is fun. It's lotsa fun. You get space to dance. You get boys who want to dance with you and who can actually dance. You can get one-dollar drinks. You get pretty good music. And you get an awesome night view of the city!

Aside from that, you also get a great deal of "action" going on all around you, all pretty sexy. ;) Wait till I report back from the strip clubs.

First party at Club 737.

I've also been going out for dinners and house parties, and I met tons of new people. Most of them are international students, and everyone is just SO fun! We speak Singlish with our Indonesian/Australian friend, we learn the sexiest dance moves from our Mexican friends, we gush over Korean TV with our Korean friends and we feel like we've known our Thai friends for the longest time! Very exciting. The multiculturalism here makes Singapore's CMIO look plain sad.

So far, we've checked out the best Mexican restaurant, the best Korean restaurant, the best dessert place and the best Chinese restaurants in town! All thanks to Ben, who does his research very thoroughly. Thanks to him and Sengyew and everyone who turns up, we always have the best time. I love this life in Montreal!

First dinner get-together with a huge turnout at the best Mexican restaurant in town.

Oh, and have I mentioned? I ALSO THROW DINNER PARTIES! Yes, I actually invite people over to share my possibly toxic cooking, and they love it! Naturally, I love people who love my food. We've had so many dinner parties that we even found a resident dishes' person - TianXing! Brilliant, I get to bask in everyone's praises and I don't even have to clean up my own mess!

My first successful dinner party at home!

There's basically something on every other night - movies, dinners, random get-togethers, drinks, it's all really, really fun. I'm having the best time! Ah, on nights like that, I get completely torn between wanting to go home and well, staying here in this life for good.

Drinks night, no reason needed. :D

a little sunshine

a little sunshine

Nothing celebrates life like a little sunshine.

Lucky. We all are, really.

best memory: february

best memory: february

Walking home drunk at 3am after the best "Never Ever Have I" game, screaming at the top of my lungs and throwing myself down in the middle of nowhere and making my first snow angel. It was so much fun. Then I woke up to you breaking my heart.

my grandparents' love

my grandparents' love

My grandparents.

These are grandparents, coming to 70 and madly in love. I've always adored them, and I've been wanting to go see them since last year, but I ended up saving up for Canada and Europe. I promise myself I will go and see them by next summer. I've missed them.

I remember them bringing me MacDonald's breakfast during recess when I was 12. I remember earlier pictures of a 3yo me at the beach with my grandma. I remember hearing my grandpa wake up at 5am for his daily exercise the last time I visited them. I remember being their little princess. And I want to have more memories with them.

My grandparents are amazing people. They brought up 3 lovely women, and 4 wonderful grandchildren. They are all I ever want in life. They are how I want to grow old. With you.

newest hobby

newest hobby

This country has done something to me, friends. Because my newest hobby... is cleaning the house! The other day, when I got bored studying, I actually found sweeping the floor mildly therapeutic. A month ago, I swore they named that red thing a broomstick because everything just sticks to it. I could never get the floor clean! And now, I take 3 minutes to sweep my room, and actually get it clean! Hmm, I think I make Vietnamese brides look bad now.

happy valentine's!

happy valentine's!

something new

something new

I'm not abandoning this, but the tumblr bug has really gotten to me, so here's something new. (:

best memory: january

best memory: january

We were too busy eating to take proper photo!

So this one will do - that's Chinatown.

Standing between the double doors of a bakery in Chinatown, hiding from the cold and eating freshly bought egg tarts with Pui and Robert, laughing as people stared at us and we excused them. Literally and physically. Oh, it was so fun. And yummy too!