2014, Year of the Horse

Happy Chinese/Lunar New Year everyone especially to those who celebrates it!! I wish you all the very best and may you prosper, be happy and most of all, be in the pink of health. Have a great celebration with your loved ones. 

Already heard the fireworks that the neighbours set off at 12 am to usher in the Chinese/Lunar New Year. Stay safe and have a joyous day. 

~*~* Happy Chinese/Lunar New Year, Gong Xi Fa Cai *~*~

~*~* 新年快乐, 恭喜发财, 马年行大运 *~*~

~*~* 새해 복 많이 받으세요 *~*~

Love,

Hannah :)

p.s. Remember to drink more water to avoid falling ill during this festive season. I'm already suffering from an irritated/itchy throat. Hopefully, a sore throat wouldn't follow. ><

Chinese New Year's Eve 2014

How has everyone been? Lacking on updates because life has been really busy and hectic for me. This year, 2014, has not been all that well to me. It has been a challenging and mentally exhausting path so far...and I thought that time would pass by quickly because I'm not enjoying my time of 2014 really. However, it's only the 30th day of the first month. 

Food for thought: Why do time always pass so quickly when you're enjoying every single second of whatever-that-is-going-on but goes by so slowly when you're least liking whatever-that-is-smacked-into-your-face-without-you-asking-for-it?

Anyway, I'm able to just post this little entry up because..... it's CHINESE NEW YEAR'S EVE!! So, I'm back in my hometown, celebrating this festive season with my paternal family and missing the family members that are not able to come home this year. This also means, no university, no classes to attend hence, spare time!! Well, I did take one day off from my university classes. Would be hating it when I get back, having to catch up with whatever work or assignments or lectures that I've missed today...

It's good to be back seeing the long-time-no-see relatives whom we only see once a year and that's Chinese New Year. It's good to soak in and enjoy the Chinese New Year atmosphere that's more abundant than back home. It's good to feast on the Chinese New Year meals and goodies prepared by my aunt who's an amazing cook. 

But.. not so good when people or strangers bombard you with questions that you wouldn't want/like to answer. What are you studying? How's your grades? You working yet? Married yet? If not, when are you getting married? How many kids do you have? If there's no kids, when are you having one? If there's already kids, how many more do you want to have? Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend? How much do you earn? Why like this? Why like that? Or even hearing statements like... wah, you've grown skinnier/fatter huh? Eh, why you still so short, not growing any taller? How come got so many pimples on your face? etc etc etc... 

Lucky this period of time only comes once a year. I'll enjoy this festive season while it lasts. Hope you all will have a nice reunion dinner with your families. I sure had a nice reunion dinner with my family. Had Lai Niao (literally translated as "Peeing") Prawns, Pork-Yam Kou Rou, Buddha Jumps Over The Wall (with lots of amazing ingredients inside such as abalones, fish maw, sea cucumber, oysters) and a few other dishes. I love reunion dinners!!

Have a Happy Chinese/Lunar New Year to all of you!! 新年快乐, 恭喜发财, 马年行大运!! 새해 복 많이 받으세요~~ :)

Best wishes,

Hannah

Boxing Day 2013

As I have said in my ultra short Christmas post that I'm going to write a new post soon right? Here it is!! (I do try my best to keep my promises :D)

It's Boxing Day today, the day after Christmas. In Brunei there's rarely the Christmas feel unless you make it yourself. Oh well. I'm looking forward to the next Christmas already just so you know but there's 364 more days to go...

So... how has everything been for everyone? Good I hope. As for me, I think I'm doing well here except that I've been sick for the past week which hasn't been fun at all. I caught the sick bug on the second last day of my family vacation in Singapore which left me running a fever, coughs, runny nose and I even broke out into hives for like 2 and a 1/2 days! No worries though, I'm clear from my hives and fever. What's left with me are just the runny nose and coughs. Bummer... (can you imagine having these symptoms for Christmas? I couldn't enjoy my Christmas meal to the full but I still enjoyed it nonetheless.)

I've pretty much disappeared from the blog for the most of December... or pretty much the whole of this year. There are less posts as compared to last year but there were reasons behind this. I've had to go through many new experiences and to put it simply, they were not all easy. I'll expound all these further in another post that I'll do to wrap up my 2013. So look out for the new posts to come!! :)

Just a short story that I'd like to share. Pretty interesting, this one below. Hmmmm......

Mwehehe, just an update and a heads up,

Hannah

Merry Christmas 2013

Have a Blessed Christmas everybody!! Best wishes to all!!

From me to you,
Hannah :)


p.s. I promise to update the blog with a new post soon ;)

Mother's Day 2013

It has come to this time of the year again. MOTHER'S DAY!! Even though everyday should be a day where you honour your parents but today is more special especially to all the mothers. I want to wish all the mums all around the world and especially my mummy a very Blessed Mother's Day!!

I'm so thankful that I have a mum (and dad too! But today, I'm dedicating this to mummy) who works so hard to provide for the family so that all of us in the family can lead a comfortable and a fortunate life. [My family has a dual parent income and I hail from a middle-class family for those of you who are curious. It's just enough for us to lead a nice and comfy life.]

Thank you mummy for all the sacrifices that you've made so that we can have the best. Thank you for being there, being our chauffeur driving us around when we need it and for buying us yummy snacks and foods which dad sometimes disapprove of :P Thank you for providing me with such a blessed lifestyle. Just thank you for everything.

I know that I may not be the best daughter ever, nor the most obedient and submissive kid, but I just want to thank you for being so patient with me and tolerating me and all my nonsense and my silly, idiotic antics. :)

Hehe... I know I'm not a person who regularly profess my feelings but today I just want to say that - Thank you so much mummy and I love you! <3

Not only to my own mum but to all the women - the many aunties in my life whom have been like a mother-like figure to me. Even though some of you are not mothers but to me, you're just like my mama. :)

Just to name a few whom I'm very grateful to like:- 

• My 2 grandmas and my god-grandma, 
• my mum's 2 sisters - Auntie Pheng and Auntie Shim, 
• my dad's 7 sisters - Da Gu, Er Gu, Fun Gugu, Phyllis Gugu, Ha Gugu, Fei Gugu and Ling Gugu especially to Fei Gugu and Fun Gugu for taking such good care of me when I had my long vacation back in KK and also to Phyllis Gugu for taking care of me when my parents are not around and all,
• and also to Auntie Rosemary, Auntie Rachel, Auntie Jeanne, Auntie A.Wah and many, many more!!

All of you have been such an encouragement and an inspiration to me. I just can't fully proclaim how grateful and thankful I have to have my mum and all these aunties all around to look after me. You guys are the bomb!! :D

Enjoy this wonderful day and enjoy your glorious moments fit for a queen :)

Many love and hugs to all of you,

Hannah

Happy Lunar New Year

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR everyone!!! It's the time of the year again. Many of us would be celebrating this festive season in our respective hometowns or wherever you might be, with our families and friends. This is an occasion where most of the family, from near and from afar, unite together as one. 

This year of 2013 would be the Year of the Snake. I would like to wish all of you a  HAPPY, HEALTHY, PROSPEROUS and SUCCESSFUL year ahead of you.

This is a time where you get to bond with people whom you've not seen for a long time, create new memories and to mediate the ties with one another. Also, there would be many red packets to receive, snacks and goodies to snack on, fireworks and lion dances to up the festive cheer. 

Remember to be good to one another, to drink plenty of water after the many yummy snacks and foods available while house visiting and be thankful. :)

May you all have a wonderful Lunar New Year,

Hannah

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013

I just want to wish everybody a HAPPY NEW YEAR!! A new year has dawn! A new year, a new beginning. Here's to the year ahead. Have a great day and a wonderful year ahead full of beautiful moments and memories to treasure.

2013, please be good to me. :)

Hannah

Last day of 2012

After me being missing in action for this past half-month, I'm back!! :D Well, I've been back in Brunei a week ago and things have been great. I missed posting on Christmas, so even though it's a little late (better late than never right?), I just want to wish everybody a MERRY CHRISTMAS!! :)

I came back the day before Christmas eve to spend my Christmas back here in Brunei with family and friends. I had a wonderful Christmas dinner at Uncle Alex's and Auntie Jo's residence on Christmas eve with a few other families. You know, just to catch up with one another and to have fellowship. I, as well as all the others I'm sure, are all very well fed that night with all the delicious food that Auntie Jo prepared. Turkey, salmon, lasagna, salad, sushi, cakes... a delicious spread. :) 

I had a nice Christmas day as well. Had a Christmas service and I saw many of my friends being back in Brunei from their studies, winter break or just a nice short holiday. My family and I even went for a movie outing that Christmas night. We went to watch "Ah Boys to Men". Another Jack Neo's masterpiece. I love how the movie is hilarious, heartwarming and educating at the same time. I briefly tweeted after the movie and tagged Irene Ang (an actress from the movie whom I like since the Phua Chu Kang days), and never would I have expected, Irene Ang tweeted me back!! What a nice lady she is. Anyway, it's a really good movie to watch. My family and I love it a lot! It's almost a week since we last saw the movie... and we're still talking about it. Can't wait for the Part 2 of "Ah Boys to Men" to be out next February of 2013.

I've been spending my days back in Brunei well. Had many family moments and even went out to catch up with a couple of close friends. Little did I realise that THE LAST DAY OF THE YEAR IS TODAY!! Can you believe it?!?! I'm not sure if I'm ignorant or rather, living my days a little too well, that I didn't catch on soon enough that today is NEW YEAR'S EVE!! It wasn't that long ago since the last new year's eve right?? 

WOW!! What a year!! For the past 365 days (well, there's 366 days this year since it's a leap year :P), I've been on what-others-might-call-it, a roller coaster ride. I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one experiencing it this year. There have been many ups as well as the many downs that I've faced. Trials and challenges, happiness and blessings, I've seen a lot this year. But, I'm very grateful to have come to where I am now. There has been many times where I would feel like giving up, especially this year for me, I've been having exams for THE PAST 11 MONTHS!! Yeah, you read it. 11 months of school based exams and public exams. Thank goodness it's over and done with.

I'm never one who has always excelled in my studies but I do try my best in whatever that I was doing. It was hard but thankfully, through prayers and support from many of my friends and family, I finished what I had to. It was really a challenging path. Oh boy... I can still remember doing maths until the wee hours of the night, crying so much because the maths was so hard and I couldn't do them. Haha.. what an embarassing moment to share but it's now a memory. Hopefully, my results would be satisfying so that I wouldn't need to retake my exams. *prayingeverydayforsatisfyingresults*

Anyway, there's just a BIG part in me that's just SO RELIEVED that this year is finally over!! 2012 has been a challenging year, I have no idea what 2013 holds for me. I'm praying and hoping that 2013 would be a year full of blessings and thanksgiving for me and everyone else. 23 hours more to the new year. So, just enjoy the rest of the day, have fun, raise your glass and ring in the new year! HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013 EVERYONE!! :)

Big love,

Hannah

Last week of the school holidays

This week is the very last week of the school holiday for us students in Brunei. Even the international school students are finishing up their summer holidays and getting ready to get back at school. This last week of holiday for me is the last week for me to do my revisions for my upcoming school-based exam before the BIG ONE in October! This freaks me out a little. You can ask almost everybody whom I know, they will say that they're not ready for the exam too. Oh bummer...

So, as yesterday was the 1st day of raya, I went to Sophia's open-house, so to pay a visit to her family, to have a look-see at her house, and most of it all, to catch up with each other! The both of us haven't seen each other in more than a week. Yesterday was definitely a great catch-up session for the both of us. How us girls can talk on and on and on, I don't know but it was all great and I appreciate the bonding time. :)

It was my first time to Sophia's house, though I've met her parents before, it was he first time meeting the rest of her family. Her parents were so ever hospitable and they were so nice! When I first stepped into the house, I greeted and wished her mum, and her mum asked Sophia to usher me to the Dining Room to eat. Eating was practically what I did aside from chatting with Sophia and playing with her nephew. Sophia's mum is a really good cook who cooks really nice Soto (a type of Malay soup noodle dish) and the chicken curry was great! Yums~ No worries, I've been fed well the entire time I was there.

Playing with Sophia's nephew reminds me of having younger cousins. He's just so adorable. Have you met a 2 year-old who can sing the National Anthem by heart? Brunei's National Anthem of course. He's a smiley and happy boy. I can see that he has been the joy of Sophia's family. Active and a little naught of course, but aren't most little boys like that? Because I stayed for a couple of hours at Sophia's house, her nephew and I got along well, and the 3 of us including Sophia's brother-in-law who is also her nephew's father played with sparklers. What a night! I enjoyed every bit of it. :)

My parents were urged into Sophia's house when they came to pick me up together with my youngest brother. Haha! My family was invited as well but they didn't manage to come together with me. It was all great. My parents love Sophia's mum's chicken curry the best whereas my brother love the Soto. He had 3 big bowls of it! Now, you can imagine how nice it was. It was also wonderful for my parents to be able to meet Sophia's parents and family because Sophia has been such a great friend to me.

So, after all the talking and eating at Sophia's house, it was time to depart to another open-house. My mum's friend's house. Even though I was too full, I still manage to stuff a little more food down in me out of politeness. They have great food too! Haha! Bruneians and their love for food. Food makes us all unite eh? It was a wonderful day full of celebrations and food. I love food and one of the things in my bucket-list is to try the food of all the different countries around the world. ;)

Happy 2nd day of Raya!

Hannah

Disclaimer: All photos are not mine unless stated so. Credits to the original photo uploader. :)

Selamat Hari Raya, Brunei!!

Today is the first day of the Muslim New Year in Brunei, so to all my Muslim friends, SELAMAT HARI RAYA!! May all of you have a nice celebration with your family and friends. :) 

Since it's raya, everybody (if not, most of the people) in Brunei gets a 3-days break! Isn't that wonderful? I'm enjoying my morning and I'm looking forward to going to a couple of open houses later in the day. I haven't been visiting houses during the festive season for a few years already, since this could be the last year that we're all going to be together, might as well go visit friends and enjoy this festive season with them. :D

Enjoy your day!

Hannah