Binge Buying

If you're thinking that I've been very 'kwai' on the shopping front of late because you didn't see any postings on new purchases, then sorry to burst your bubble!

I've spent a small fortune from March till now actually, the bulk in the last 2 weeks. Some of these items have arrived, some are on the way…I have conveniently forgotten my new year resolution to buy less dresses!

Here’s a summary of the recent purchases, all from eBay except for the diaper bag:

1) My love affair with Trina Turk continues with 3 items – a pair of pre-owned shorts at US$17, a new swim / cover-up tunic top at US$25 (too loose for me though it’s S), as well as a kimono dress I have been eyeing for several weeks for US$90...love the print!. The seller kept re-listing and lowering the prices by a bit each time but there were no takers. Is it wrong to buy something just because you feel sorry for it? In the end though, I bought from another seller who was offering it slightly lower than the other seller.




2) Next are 2 dresses from Ann Taylor. A Dutch Blue shift dress for US$26 that claimed to be in excellent pre-owned condition, however it had lots of yellow age stains when I received it, which was a disappointment. I did score this other sundress that was new for a steal at US$23 though! A tad loose, need to alter.



3) I am also a fan of dresses from London Times and bought a pre-owned polka dot dress for US$16 and a NWT sundress for US$40. Love this second dress, and it fit perfectly, just nice for a church wedding!



4) This next dress is from Elie Tahari, new without tags for US$60. A tad pricey I know, but Elie Tahari dresses retail in the hundreds range so relatively cheap in comparison. A perfect fit, useful pockets on the front and oh-so-silky lining…quality stuff!


5) The most expensive dress is this gently used DVF one-shoulder for US$147. I know, very expensive but I was taken by the print, very tribal and the owner had only worn it once or twice.


6) The cheapest dress is this kimono dress by Dina-be Francesca…never heard of this brand, think it’s a regular retail type label but at US$11 for a new dress, how to resist?


7) Here is a dress that may look familiar, I already have 2 versions of it. A silk made-in-China rip-off that cost me more than I care to mention, plus a cotton lycra knock-off from a Thai-based eBay seller. But I think I may have stumbled on the original. I never knew who made it till now, and came across this new Chetta B tunic dress during a random search on eBay for ¾ sleeve dresses. At US$35 and in my size too, I was determined to win the bid and was euphoric when I did…still waiting to receive it, hope it fits!


8) That’s 8 dresses so far, time for a romper. Liked the polka dot print and one-shoulderness, not too expensive at US$23.


9) And finally 2 Marc by Marc Jacobs bags. First is a medium NWT Pretty Nylon Tate tote in black multi-lace garden print, a steal at US$88, usual retail price is US$178 for this size. Second, I’ve been wanting a MBMJ diaper bag for a while but was waiting for the right print or colour to come along.

When I saw Shopbop was offering a US$50 discount for purchases above US$250, I decided to get this purple one at US$228, with free international shipping. Though I would have preferred something printed, I think the bright purple is fun too, Nat totally loves her new diaper bag!



Oh fiaks, I just summed up the total of the above purchases...ouch.

Birthday tapas

Germaine's birthday is this Friday but we met for an early celebration this evening. And for once we had the card all written before the birthday person arrived!


She was in a tapas mood and we had decided to check out the Spanish al fresco restaurant at Club Hotel on Ann Siang. I somehow had an impression it was a rooftop place from the web photos but it turned out to be an alcove on level 1.




We had the whole place to ourselves, wonder how they make money! We ordered an assortment of cold and hot tapas, including a frittata, calamari, chicken croquette, grilled pork loin, chorizo in red wine and octopus. We also shared a mixed paella of chicken, seafood and vegetables plus a salt-baked fish.




At $23, the salt-baked sea bass was a bargain. We had anticipated a small fillet but instead got a whole fish, which was almost a foot long. It was stuffed with herbs and lemon and baked with a thick salt crust and the fish was fresh too.

I thought the food was ok, the rest weren't so forgiving. Presentation was good, the grilled pork was nice, paella not too bad and the fish portion value for money.

After dinner we headed to the rooftop bar Ying Yang to check the place out, it's not as big as I expected and not much of a view. I have it on my list for the 'Y' date but I think maybe I should consider some alternatives.


We took a quick group picture before calling it a night and proceeding to South Bridge Road to pick up some pastries from a shop called Tong Heng. I didn't buy anything but am told they have good stuff, so maybe next time I'm in the area I'll pick something up.

Red, red moon

There was a lovely sunset yesterday, couldn't resist taking some shots...have I mentioned I LOVE my balcony view? Nick would sell our house in an instant to make a quick buck but I am sentimentally attached to it, can't get a house this close to the city at the price we paid for it anymore, so I don't see any reason to move.


There was a lovely full moon tonight, maybe that explains why I saw so many wild animals today! In the morning as I was walking to the main road, I saw a squirrel skipping along the covered walkway. When I reached the junction at Kampong Bahru, I spotted a monkey crossing the road and subsequently climbing the railing towards SGH.

After work as I was walking to the UIC bus stop, I saw a giant grasshopper (or maybe it was a locust) on a hedge. It was about 5 inches long and stood out amongst the green.

When I alighted from the bus and walked in via the railway station, I saw another monkey! That's 2 in day at different times, though I don't discount the possibility that it was the same monkey from the morning, but the distance would be 1 km from the first sighting.


Check out the red moon as it was rising, Nat was super excited and called everyone to the window to look.




The reason it's commonly red at moonrise is because moonlight which is scattered sunlight, has to pass through a larger amount of atmosphere when it's near the horizon, and red light is less easily scattered thus giving it a red glow. There, learned something new didn't you? I did!

Bubba Brunch

We had a bubba brunch outing this morning, trying out The Tanglin Tree which is owned by my friend and ex-colleague Jason, from the VOC days. However he wasn’t around so I didn’t manage to say hi.




It’s a very kid-friendly place with a playground just outside the restaurant so parents can eat and keep an eye on their little ones at the same time.

Sasha was nursing a cold so I left her with Pops and Wendy and only brought Nat with me, Nick had to work.



Almost everyone had stuff from the breakfast menu but I opted for the fish and chips, which I think was a safer bet, because the general comment was that the food was average. I was happy with my fish and chips though and I think some of the other menu items are worth exploring next time.


Bobo a.k.a Reagan can hold her head upright already and Jayna who sat next to me kept playfully pushing me. Her birthday party is next.


The ladies shared a bottle of rose moscato, which was not expensive at $50 for a bottle. Above the restaurant was a Swiss Butchery, I bought some minced beef which was much cheaper than Cold Storage’s.

Swana, Kevin, Gigi, Kavi, Ananya and Kaelash & co came over to our place after but Kavi left after feeding Ananya.


We just chilled in the purple room while some of the kids napped and I made a bolognaise sauce with the beef purchased. In the evening, Kaelash and I brought Riley, Nat and Gigi down to the playground where they expended their energy climbing up and down the ladders, rock wall and going down the slides.




Overall it was a great day, glad Nat had as much fun with her cousins as I did with mine!

Sarkars in town

Samir and family are in town for an extended visit following Uncle Patel’s passing on 2 April and we had them over for dinner this evening.


Uncle Kalu seems to have aged, it’s been several years since we had seen him and he’s 74 now! Aunty Anjana has been busy grandmothering Sahana and Arjav, who are both very close in age to Gigi and Sasha.



Sahana is about a month younger than Gigi while Arjav is 6 weeks older than Sasha. It took a while for the kids to warm up to each other but they readily posed for photos and we were like the paparazzi snapping away.



Swana was amazed by the smallness of Jasmin’s diaper bag, all she carried was a milk bottle and 2 diapers I think. The kids share one bottle i.e. they each drink half of one feed!


With everyone preoccupied with the kids, it was tough to catch up properly. But Samir is doing well professionally, currently working on an Ang Lee film and his production company in India also does a lot of car ads. He’s attending the same screening festival in June that Tom Hanks will be in town for, coolness!

The Gallery @ Hyatt

Had a work event at the Hyatt today, at a new function space called The Gallery.



It's a really nice place, perfect for a wedding for 200. Ours was a customer briefing followed by a cocktail reception, everything went smoothly but the turnout was disappointing as many who had RSVPed did not turn up! But still it looked crowded because there was so many staff around.




The service from the hotel was excellent however there were some minor hiccups. We did not have the space exclusively and when the other group was having their coffee break, we could hear them a mile away whenever the ballroom doors opened. Plus because it was a sensor sliding door, each time someone entered or left the ballroom, we'd have to wait ages for the door to slide close, which was a distraction to our presenters.

Midway we locked the doors and used a small side service door for access. There was also some renovation work going on directly below us and while they were supposed to stop work during our event, there was some banging during our final presentation!


There was so much food left over during the cocktail, a few of us tapau-ed home. I was disappointed with the crab cakes I ordered, I remember them being better at a previous event I attended.


With this event out of the way, we can rest easy for the next couple of months because there are no more events in the pipeline till we start planning for the next FY. But I think I will be busier next FY, for my counterpart in China has resigned and they are not likely to fill the headcount anytime soon, so more work for me!

But if means some trips to North Asia, I'm not complaining! For the moment though, I can start planning for June's holiday...only 2 months to go, can hardly wait!

Nat and Sasha meet Noel and Rachel

Kevin's brother Gavin is in town with his family and they held a baptism for their daughter Rachel this evening.

She's only a couple of months older than Sasha but looks more mature. I was busy setting up for an event at Hyatt tomorrow so I missed the baptism but managed to join them for dinner at Riverwalk Tandoor.



Sasha didn't want anyone to carry her once she saw me, Wendy had to follow me to the buffet line and help me carry my plate while I scooped food! I didn't eat much because everyone was already onto their dessert by the time I reached. I did have some freshly baked garlic naan, it was hot and crispy and hit the spot.



Nat and Gigi ran around the restaurant as if they owned it and Noel joined them. His eyes are still so big! Rachel reminds me of Pocohontas somehow, or maybe I'm thinking of Mowgli?