I was instantly blown away by the decor once I stepped foot into the restaurant. An eclectic mix of picture frames and mirrors of different shapes and sizes were scattered artistically on the wall, occasionally reflecting an interesting array of hanging lamps on the adjacent ceiling.

He secretly bought a navy blue vintage dress from Dustbunny Vintage that I was eying and gave it to me in a box, just like how it’s done in reel life. 😉 I wasn’t expecting a gift exchange, much less a present like this, hence it definitely came as a huge surprise to me!

We get along fabulously and he claims he is always entertained by my mischievous antics. Yes, beneath that straight face, I am a joker in his eyes. This is about as unromantic as he can get. LOL!

We haven’t met in a long time but like good old friends, we just picked up from where we left off. It was quite amazing because our conversation just flowed for hours on end while the food and drinks kept coming.

Have a pleasant weekend ahead!

His name is Keith. He is only 4 years old but I’m sure he will grow up to be a real heartbreaker. Mark my words. All the xiao mei meis out there, don’t say I didn’t warn you! LOL.

This particular dress, which I wore for the first day of CNY, caught my eye because of its origami inspired design and the cute embroidered sparrows sprinkled all over. It looks almost like a painting, don’t you think? The well cut silhouette accentuates the female form, making this the perfect alternative to a cheongsam.

Her hard work and resilience paid off. She stayed true to her art for the decades that followed and became a common fixture in the media and the Peking opera scene in Singapore till she retired some years ago. I remember that one of her proudest moments was when she received the Cultural Medallion award in 1992. For years thereafter, she would beam with pride whenever anyone made mention of the award.

I was surprised to find a clip of her interview for the award on the internet. If you’re interested to find out more, here it is for your viewing pleasure:

credits: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1364_2009-09-14.html

Now, my grandmother has mellowed with age, in tandem with gradual memory loss. Her memory has deteriorated to the extent that she tends to repeat herself several times during a conversation. Sometimes, she can’t recall if I am already married and on other occasions, she would be urging me to procreate and respond to the government’s plea for a higher birth rate. Nonetheless, the one thing that remains unchanged is that child-like sparkle in her eyes which continues to express her relentless zest for opera and life.

It may be a scary thought to depart from this earth, but to die without having lived is much worse than one can imagine. To follow in my grandmother’s footsteps literally is no mean feat, but I can at least try to abide by her mantra and embark on a path that passion takes me.

Thank you grandma, for being my inspiration.

Two days ago, I had my reunion dinner with my in-laws at Dian Xiao Er, one of my favourite mid-tier Chinese restaurants. In line with the festive cheer, I threw on a tangerine ruffled dress to partake in the season’s festivities!

If you ever head down to Dian Xiao Er, be sure to try the flavourful duck and crispy cod fish as these are highly raved dishes that you won’t want to miss.