Soulbaring

To be perfectly honest I like living here in the UK. The perks are endless - cheap journeys to continental Europe for travelling, an established and accountable government and systems, interesting people, a variety of places to hang out, eat, shop and explore and working here is not too shabby at all. Good friends and colleagues, and a great church family.

However I can't help wishing that I had more here - am I being greedy? I wished my family and friends from home were here. I wished Orchard Road was here. I miss Malaysian / Sgian conversations, my family and my boyfriend. Now to add to the confusion, Boyfriend is in sunny California.

I have been praying for an answer, a clear direction which is God's and not solely mine. Because Lord knows (literally) how confused I am. Should I/ Will I / Can I stay? Or should I go back to Sg/Msia?

Dear God,

You know the desires of my heart and that I long for a training contract here in the UK. My search has so far been futile and you know the disappointment I feel with each rejection that comes. I pray for your authority over my career, and that you will guide me to choose the right job and contract, and that I will succeed. I thank you Father for blessing me with my current job which I prayed for, for the experience has helped me grow in confidence and knowledge of the legal industry by leaps and bounds.

But most of all, I pray Father for you to show me where I should go, and grant me the patience, security and faith to wait upon You and seek You first.

In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Back from Italy

I'm back from Italy which was absolutely beautiful. I travelled with E, an old girl friend who I used to go to junior college with. Travelling with her, even if it was for just five days, made me miss my old life a lot, and I LOST WEIGHT JUST HANGING OUT WITH HER! Granted I was walking loads but my eating habits have evidently changed. I used to eat like she does, and every one else back home - healthy, and now I am this pudgy girl!

I am resolved to be my old self, a high achiever both inside and out!

Just because someone doesn't love you
in the way you want them to,
doesn't mean that they don't love you
with all they've got.

Hiatus

I am so sorry I've been away for so long! Sorry to the grand total of two people who read my poor journal.

Anyway the reason for my recent no-show is that I have too much work to do and after-work meet-ups to engage in. My poor home laptop has been severely neglected and I can't exactly blog from work... the horror!

Another reason is that I am trying to tie up loose ends as I am going to Italy this Bank Holiday weekend! Yes my dears, Rome, Milan and Florence here I come!!!! I am so excited everytime I think of it my tummy does a happy joyful jig of delight. This is something I am definitely blogging about when I get back. Come to think of it I am yet to blog about Wales. It's not entirely my fault though, everytime I try to upload even one measly photo, my computer freezes. It's past its time and should have retired a long time ago.

5 essentials

The five condiments/ingredients I must have in my kitchen at all times are:

1. Soy sauce
2. Wine
3. Garlic
4. Olive Oil
5. Rice

What are yours?

Bug eyed

If you know me personally, or even if you look back at my previous posts, you would have figured out that I adore cooking and food in general. I love making meals, baking, entertaining, thinking up new ideas and at this stage of my life I just wish I made more money to be able to buy quality ingredients!

As a fresh graduate in a graduate job, my hours are a tad long and the wages are reasonable but I am pretty much confined to shopping Asda Smartprice and Tesco Value.

Nothing wrong with value stuff really, sugar is sugar.

I do occasionally browse through Harvey Nichols' Food Market, farmer's markets in various towns across the UK or Marks and Spencer's Food Hall but my favourite ingredients like scallops, crab, pomfrets and tilapia are extremely pricey here in the UK.

Harvey Nick's Food Market - It's all very pretty but a little pretentious and a lot overpriced.

For instance, I saw 10 scallops - DEAD, clingwrapped scallops in a tray - being sold for 5.89 GBP at M&S a few days ago. How is that ever justified when the scallops, crabs and huge tiger prawns you have ever bought were sold in huge bags, still squirming and hopping and opening and closing, for the same price from the local fishermen back in Malaysia? My father and I are both huge surf fans whilst my mother is more a turf person - her favourite meat is lamb. I used to tag along with Pa (who himself grew up in a fishing village) to his old fishermen friends (lol!) who have been at sea since before the break of dawn. We would be one of the first to be there and if you have got fishermen friends or are just crazy about seafood you would understand why. Their van would be parked underneath a tree and wooden foldable tables would be brought out, unfolded and crates of hopping flapping fish, shellfish and crustaceans caught from the day before or early morning would be laid out. The fishermen are jolly people with smiles on their wind and sun weathered faces. I guess you just take a different perspective on life when your job takes you out to the sea and nature's elements every day, as opposed to sitting on a chair at a desk facing a PC.

Selfridges food hall, London - do you see the fish floppity flopping? I don't think so! They're still and probably a few days dead - yucky.