One Thing I Miss From Pre-Covid Days...

... is definitely traveling. 

Ever since I began earning my own money, I don't think I have ever stayed in the same country for more than 365 days at a stretch. Even a day trip out hiking in nearby Malaysia is able to satisfy that wanderlust in me. 

Today marks exactly 11 months since I last traveled. That was quite the adventure with awesome discoveries in my underwater dives and a volcano eruption too! Just realized I have not even crossed the sea to Sentosa this past 330 days...

We had plans to visit Axel's family in April and other diving trips but of course all of that went "poof" when Covid happened. Even traveling next April seems highly unlikely.. we have not met his family since becoming husband and wife! 

Just keeping the fingers crossed that the wanderlust need not be suppressed that long anymore. 

The first group I met when Phase 2 started

.. is my family! 

Pre-Covid days we meet at least once a week for a family meal as I do not stay as close to them as I used to.. the long period of absence really made the heart grow fonder even though we managed a few sessions of video calls to stay in touch...

It was wonderful to be able to get together again and just in time to celebrate Father's Day too! Ordered two special "cakes" for the occasion so we had great food and amazing company! 

Family is really everything.

"You go through life wondering what is it all about but at the end of the day, it's all about family. " ~Rod Stewart~

My Favorite Mask

Huge Hello Kitty fan here. So when I searched for reusable masks to buy the search phrase was "hello kitty reusable masks" As I am pretty particular about the quality and standard of the hello kitty products I purchase, it actually took me some time to find designs I deem acceptable. This one is one of only two designs I ultimately found. The only drawback is that it doesn't come with filter but that makes it super breathable and comfortable! I bought the last two from the Carousell seller and gifted the second one to a fellow Hello Kitty lover. 😍

My favorite meme this year

Need i say more? 🤣

One photo I took during CB

 

very appropriate isn't it? a masked face to represent the CB period. But but but I took this selfie because it is a Hello Kitty mask!! So much more breathable than the government issued ones and ten times more aesthically pleasing 😍

PS: couldn't resist including a second photo while reviewing my album. check out this odd-shaped egg! Took a photo (and ate the egg) but forgot about posting it so ta-da! Not all eggs are egg-shaped.

One recipe I tried during CB

Wow. I tried so many. Probably cooked more during Circuit Breaker than I ever did in the first 40 years of my life. 🤣 Thus all the dishes warrant an album on its own!

The one recipe that I would keep using (which I already re-used once when my parents came over!) would be the Oven Baked Chicken and Rice. I was sold upon reading "completely hands off" 😂 which goes to show what kind of a cook I am. (Read: not much of a cook) 

I was slightly deterred by the onion and garlic required as this was one of the earliest dishes I made and I still had a dislike for both of these aromatics then. But yes, I have come around as long as I am allowed to cook them to death 😝

It is an added bonus to me to be able to cook the rice with the chicken as I do not have a rice cooker! Yes, apparently a shocker to many of my Asian friends. But I generally dislike plain rice so rice cooker 👎 and any type of flavoured rice 👍 

So it really is as easy to make as stated. Both attempts so far had been well-received so will be on the lookout for more of such one pan meal where I can put our new Bosch oven to good use!

A new song I discovered

I heard this one while in a Grab... moved me enough for me to Soundhound it (thank god for the history tab!) and imagine my surprise to find out the singer is Harry Styles.. 

Didn't recognise it (why should I since I am not even a fan when he was part of One Direction) and certainly didn't expect to be touched by his songs.. 

The song is arresting. Coupled with the music video, it is wow.

 

What am I now? What am I now?
What if I'm someone I don't want around?
I'm falling again, I'm falling again, I'm falling
What if I'm down?
What if I'm out?
What if I'm someone you won't talk about?
I'm falling again, I'm falling again, I'm falling