Happy Mother's Day

A very Happy Mother's Day goes out to all mums and mums-to-be out there!!

Today is a day where mother's around the world get to feel extra special.

In fact, everyday should be a special day.
A day where our loved ones get the reassurance of our constant love and care.

What I'm trying to say is this...

We really shouldn't wait till such special occasions to celebrate love.

I remember back when grandma was still alive, we ever only went back to visit her during Sundays..or special occassions.

Why didn't we make more effort to drop by her place?

Why didn't I do more when I simply could?

Can I really blame it on the fact that I was busy? Or was I too absorbed in my own world that I neglected my loved ones? Having no time is not an excuse.

From this year onwards, we no longer go back to grandma's place to celebrate Mother's Day. Cos she's no longer around.

:(

I still remember...

It's a tradition for us to buy her favourite pandan + yam layer cake from Golden Bake Bakery in SS2.

We'll feast on the yummilicious cake in the afternoon <--this was the part where we kids loved most!

And later in the evening, we'll either go out to a Chinese Restaurant for dinner or grandma will cook up a storm for us.

It used to be a very big thing.

There'll be at least 2 huge tables for the adults, and 1 table for kids.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sorry the whole thing started out so depressing..

I just miss my grandma so so much.

Anyway, on a brighter note, we had a fantastic time with the queen today. :)

First I treated her and my sisters to lunch at Delicious, Bangsar Village 2. Then we went around boutique-hopping, where the queen bought heaps of clothings from almost every single store we went to. *faint*

Claudine posing with a Delicious coaster

Caryn and mum

Me and Caryn picking out mum's fave food. Or rather our fave food. :P



Thai seafood spaghetti, duck confit spaghettini, duck red curry with lychee and rice



Mum loves the duck red curry dish



The lychees complemented the curry so well. It was such a perfect combination. The pomelo salad was totally refreshing.




My fave ~ duck confit spaghettini~




Caryn's fave ~ Thai seafood spaghetti





My all time favourite Delicious desserts ~ Banoffee Pie and Berrilicious Pavlova.





My love for Pavlova started back in uni days in Melb. Eating this always bring back fond memories of Australia.




Savouring every single bite. :)




Delicious Cafe gave us a complimentary pack of 3 mini cupcakes for spending above RM100. It's a pack of 'I-Love-Mum' cupcakes. :)

After stuffing ourselves, we did a bit of boutique-hopping to rid those kilojoules.

Mum's shopping frenzy was so infectious that I too couldn't help but shopped quite a bit myself :P

*I blame it on genes. Like, really.

I bought a pretty white lacy dress with eyelets + tube, and a cute envelope clutch from Tea & Sympathy.

And square neck dress from Goss:ps

After shopping around Jalan Telawi, we headed off to Mid Valley where more shopping ensues.

*faint*

We headed off to Dragon-i for Xiao Long Baos.

Eggplant in spicy bean sauce.

Our favourite fried chicken pieces in dried chillies. A must-have every time!

Mum, we just want you to know that you're always on our minds. We love you, always and forever.

xoxo,
Your princesses

Still alive...

Hi peeps,

Sorry for the perpetual lack of blogging presence here.

I've been kidnapped by an alien and have just been released a couple of days ago.

Okie okie, lame joke aside.

In truth, I was having a hell of a time at the new place.

Day One saw me working till 10pm. Things were moving so fast that I was already on my way to PWTC for 2 technicals meetings on that day. Meeting adjourned at 7pm and I rushed back to the office to look up on the files to learn more about the upcoming annual event my dept is organising for over 5000 delegates.

Subsequently, Day 2 onwards I've been staying back till 2am.

Not that I wanted to as I've completed my tasks by 10pm everyday, but I had to stay back cos my superior said, "Erm..you can't go, cos the other 2 girls have not finished their work, so it's not fair".

Yups, I've finished my tasks but I had to stay back longer just to give them extra 'moral support'. I've taken up whatever tasks they've passed to me, as for the rest of their tasks, it was up to their own time management.

I was like a walking zombie by the 4th day.

I personally don't think it's very healthy and most of us were pretty unproductive by the end of day. Some of them were simply wasting the company's resources.

I do not agree with staying back just to claim the luxurious overtime/subsistence allowance. I rather trade it for a balance lifestyle.

A typical day goes like this: reach office at 9am, work till 2am, sleep like a baby ~ totally 'zong off'.

Heck, I was even working on Labour Day till late. The girls were even planning to work through weekends. Basically, the plan was to work till at least 1 or 2am everyday.

This will go on for at least 3-4 more weeks.

I wouldn't mind the workload if it was a one-off thing leading to the big event. However, it was the lack of planning and leadership that I wasn't impressed with...

So, I've resigned...

And i took up an offer that was offered to me by a Senior Mgr from the Corp Office prior to me leaving.

She told me this, “Carrie, I’ve been in the banking industry, it’s not easy. Do consider my offer for this position and call me if you are not happy working there.”

And I'm glad i did.

Now, I'm back for good. :)

Yes i know i know, you're probably confused...I'll tell you more, give me a tinkle.

A day to remember...

Friday, 25 April 2008 marked my last day at work.

I was having mixed feelings about this very day.

Truly, there are many things I'll miss here.

Many fond memories have been created here, most of which I'll cherish for life.

That fateful Friday, I left with a heavy heart. It was kinda emo when Sue-Ann and Alice sent me off. Nearly burst out crying as I knew I'm no longer able to do stuff I do with them on a daily basis.

~*~*~*A different kind of celebration*~*~*~

Had a belated birthday celebration with my ex-colleagues from TOA. It was a birthday cum congratulatory dinner, in-conjunction with me starting a new job.

Dinner at Zen, Sunway Pyramid.

My close bud CS gave me a CASIO EXILIM digicam and he especially bought me a Shanghai map (cos he knew I was going to Shanghai this coming June). Thanks boy! The camera is really timely seeing that I have lost my camera. I am extremely elated!!

*muaks*

Bee, Yong Yee, me.

The 3 of us were in Pyramid much earlier. And we decided to shop in Topshop, which eventually took us forever to get outta the shop. Poor CS was left waiting in Zen, thinking he was late. LOL.

We we arrived, I harassed the poor fellow by showing him all our goods, including those cutesy Topshop underwears. LOL!!

I ordered my favourite dish - Sakura Chirashi don!




Sakura chirashi don, Beef enoki, unagi don.




CS' fave - agedashi tofu




Chicken katsu don





There were 3 bloggers in this group..all busy taking pictures. The non-blogger was left waiting and drooling over the food. So bored was she.






CS just returned from Shanghai the day before. He was wearing this cool City Hunter t-shirt.


After dinner, I had to rush off to Neway in One Utama for a karaoke/bonding session with my new colleagues from the bank.

Yes, more drinking. -_-

It was an intoxicate-ful day! It was.

Farewell dear friends...

Had a series of farewell luncheons and dinner do's with different groups of colleagues..

These are some of the many ppl I'll miss heaps

Lunch @ Allegro Cafe with the caring ppl at I.O and Career Centre *muaks*

Elaine, Tung, Stacey and Alicia.

Both Elaine and Alicia are part of Thunder Butt Sistas (my buddies for the previous annual dinner dance performance).

Elaine, I hope to bump into you at the gym more often. Sounds good?

Lunch with the wonderful ladies from 1st floor @ Coca

Gerri, Jan, Vin, and Ms Yong.

Both Gerri and Jan are also part of the Thunder Butt Sistas. Jan wrote me a card, in it she said, "Oh no! What are we gonna do without you this year?".

You Thunder Butt girls will do fine. Go get that trophy again this year, k!

My new found love ~ Coca's stuffed prawn. It's much better than stuffed crab.

Dinner with Rahul and Theresa @ Cafe Flam's, Sunway.

Theresa wanted to take me out as a belated bday cum farewell dinner. She's so so sweet la that woman.

As for Rahul, I can't recall how many (so called) farewell lunches we've had together with Alice, Sue-Ann and Christine already.

A lot i reckon...a lottttt...

Rahul the vegan digging into his mushroom pizza, whereas carnivorous Carrie and Theresa feasted on lamb shank and cheesilicious chicken fillet.

We had a great time catching up and doing some people analysis. ;)

Theresa aka Ah Soh got me a beautiful pair of earrings. Thanks babe!

Lunch with a group of lovelies @ Peppercorn.

Susie, Kat, Esh, Anne, and Clarissa.

Dinner with my tailo, Elvin @ Sakae Sushi.

Elvin has been my mentor throughout my tenure here. He's an extraordinary and very capable fellow.

Missing1: Pix of me and my regular kakis (Christine, Mulan, and Alice) having Bubbletea at H2O during lunch. Funny how we can take some things for granted..

Missing2: Dr Irene. I have had numerous breakfasts with Dr Irene and Christine days approaching my departure. But it never occur to us to take any pictures. I guess nobody really camwhore in the early morning.

I like this picture a lot..

This was taken on the last day of work, at my work station. Alice and Sue-Ann came over to send me off. We took this picture using Zihah's super glam pink Cybershot camera (i likes~ and I want! :P).

Zihah has been my neighbour (her workstation's next to mine) for nearly 2 years now.

Christine had a farewell lunch with me 2 days earlier. She was on study leave on my last day.

Love you gals!!

This is not the end ppl..

To me, it's just the beginning of many more happy memories to come..

love n kisses~Carrie

Farewell cupcakes

I was deeply touched by the loving kindness shown by my close colleagues.

I couldn't think of a better way to thank them but to personally bake some cupcakes as a parting gift to them.

Baked over 50 odd cupcakes for each of my lovely friend. Actually, I wanted to bake more (as some colleagues requested for 2-4 pieces the last time I baked some for them, but it was already very late and I needed to start on the decoration already.

Extra moist decadent choc cuppacakes in mini and regular sizes..

My labour of love


The flowers...

The swirlies...

The tic tac toes...







The 'drop stars' and hearts...

I was finally done with cupcake decorating and packing them into individual boxes at 3am.

Yups, I cut/made the cupcake holders (+ placed in the box) myself so that my cupcakes don't get smudged during transportation.






A box of 16 mini cupcakes for my colleagues on ground floor (my floor).

Those individually packed ones were for my colleagues from different campuses/floors.






Made this special box for my ex-colleagues in JM. Since I'm leaving Subang area for good, i wanted to say goodbye as well..






My lil msg on the box. :)



Saying goodbye is hard to do...