✈✈✈ allium ✈✈

Love, like rain, can nourish from above, drenching couples with soaking joy. But sometimes, under the angry heat of life, love dries on the surface and must nourish from below, tending to its roots, keeping itself alive.

Lost love, is still love, it takes a different form, that's all. You can't see their smile or bring them food or tousle their hair or move them around a dance floor. But when those senses weaken, another heightens. Memory. Memory becomes your partner. You nurture it. You hold it. You dance with it. Life has come to an end. Love doesn't.

The above's two paragraphs I have extracted from this book, THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN, I read a moment ago. On his 83rd birthday, Eddie, a lonely war veteran, dies in a tragic accident trying to save a little girl from a falling cart. Yes! He fell to his death! He awakens in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a lush Garden of Eden but a place where your earthly life is explained to you by five people who were in it. These people may have been loved ones or distant strangers. Yet each of them changed your path for ever.

Back to Love & Lost Love... he met his wife, Marguerite, in Heaven. From this encounter, he learned what Love & Lost Love are. And I concur with her.. and find it meaningful.

This makes me think of a close friend's mother-in-law. She has lost her husband few years ago. He death was too sudden. He collapsed at the airport, returning from a business trip, while his yearning-for-his-return wife waited anxiously to see him at the arrival hall. She was devastated & his death was grievous! It was hell for her & I could imagine what hell is like.

2.5 months ago, I engaged in a casual conversation with her in her living room. I was told it's her husband's death anniversary that day. I believe her son couldn't take time off from work, as much as he wants to. Thus she gets to pay respect to her late husband only, on the following day. She left for her room & returned with a photo album, one she had shown me before, without noticing. Watching her doleful eyes, I can sense strongly she still loves him dearly & I am sure fond memories of him, become her partner now. She talks about him every now & then. Yes, it is painful & I believe it's not easy letting go. Hope auntie will be happy again..

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Do you know Havaianas is originated from Brazil, not Australia? Have always thought it's a product of Australia as it's ubiquitous there. A Brazilian who chanced upon my blog provided me with this piece of information.

Havaianas was created in 1962 in Brazil and in 2001, they began to export it. Was told a pair of Havaianas range from US$2-US$20. You can visit the website @ www.havaianas.com.br & you will be amazed with the wide range of varieties you can find there! Hmmmm.. that explaines why a pair costs A$30 in Australia.

Here's the brief history ~
1962
Inspired by Japanes Zori flip-flop sandals. The plant begins to produce a Brazilian version with a big difference: rubber. A 100% domestic product is born. Which is durable, comfortable & inexpensive.

1965
Named Havaianas. 1000 pairs of these sandals are sold per day. Consumers find them in neighbourhood stores & small establishments.

1970
A publicity campaign starring the comedian Chico Anysio nicknames Havaianas "the genuine ones" to distinguish them from the large number of imitations that has been launched in the market by competitors.

1994
To overcome a crisis caused by a sales & profit downturn, Havaianas brand launches a single color sandal : Havaianas top. Supported by some well-structured marketing strategies, this product wins over the upper classes. Making this a banner year in the life of Havainaas.

1996
A new advertising campaign revives the band & classifies Havaianas as an elegant & unique product. Magazine ads reach a previously unexplored segment of the public.

1998
Havaianas Brazil are launched on the occasion of the soccer world cup in France. New lines & styles keep expanding the family.


2000
Morale is high at Havainas. The world's top celebrities get photographed wearing Havaianas.

2001
Export of the sandals literally took off.

2002-2005
Havaianas cover the pages of the top international fashion magazines & turn into a worldwide craze. They appear in the planet's most coveted display windows. They become a fashion icon & are standard accessories at fashion shows & large events such as the Sao Paulo Fashion Week & the Oscars.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Out for lunch. Another hot day!


The restaurant on Katella Avenue, Anaheim.


My table.


The waitress will come by once they see this sign.


The beverage menu.


View from my table.


Mahi mahi fish & chips.




This is absolutely delicious!!!!


Crispy crust! It's light & fresh!

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

USD 9.90


USD 9.90


USD 9.90



USD 14.50



USD 11.90

Here's little shopping in LA with no intentions to shop at all. Chanced upon the store when I was walking back to hotel from lunch. The new shopping & dining area, Anaheim Garden Walk is opening. Many stores are still in the making. Picked about ten pieces, from the SALE corner, to the fitting room but left the store with 5 pieces. The price tag is simply irresistible!!

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

I was out shopping with JoAnne & she needed to get new swimming costume. I ended up getting myself one, when I already have a dozen of them in my closet!! "O But none of them is one piece, so I told myself it's okay to get this one since it's slashed to half price. Bought the goggle some time back as my last one was really old.

With the new swim gear, I hope I am more motivated to swim now!

I must go for a dip tomorrow!!

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

I'm glad to be back in Los Angeles. I love the resort-feel hotel. It's so relaxing, unlike staying in big cities. No hustle bustle here. The Disneyland is in the vicinity, so I see more holiday-makers than businessmen in the lobby.

It's 5am now & I am feeling peckish again.. although I had a bowl of instant ramen 4hrs ago. Wait, my water is boiling & I am going to make myself a hot cup of milo.


Telling myself I have to increase my intake of water. Thus got 3l of water from Target yesterday.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Her hair is getting frizzy & out of control!! Hence, I tried to soften it using hair conditioner & it gets really soft now. Haha.

To my disappointment, I didn't manage to remove the stain on her legs. Can anyone out there help me? Any tips on getting rid of the stains? SOS!!!!

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

1. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Sleep for 7 hours.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Play more games.
6. Read more books than you did in previous years.
7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer. They provide us
with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is
manufactured in plants.
11. Drink plenty of water.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
14. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her
mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
15. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead
invest your energy in the positive present moment.
16. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are
simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class
but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
17. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a
beggar.
18. Smile and laugh more.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their
journey is all about. Don't compare your partner with others.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Forgive everyone for everything.
26. What other people think of you is none of your business.
27. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
28. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will.
Stay in touch.
29. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
30. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
31. The best is yet to come.
32. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
33. Do the right thing!
34. Call your family often.
35. Your inner most is always happy. So be happy.
36. Each day give something good to others.
37. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
38. Please Forward this to everyone you care about.

' IF ONE CAN DO IT U TOO CAN DO IT, IF NONE CAN DO IT THEN U MUST DO IT '

This is an e-mail I receive from Siang Ling today, it says

To the people who have touched my life,
have a wonderful weekend!

Thank you Siang Ling!!

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Rockets burger.




Papadum (Indian wafer) with salad.


$9 Chap chai minestrone


$18 Pasta with tiger prawns.


I had lion's share of this!! Wahaha!



Chocolate Lava Gateau with vanilla ice cream. Warm, rich chocolate oozes out when you break the choc cake & it goes perfectly well with the ice cream. I give it 5 stars ^0^



Signature dessert ~ Kueh Boloh Tiramisu. This is heaven!! It was chilled when served.


I am neither a foodie person nor am I a food critic. I don't usually travel to different parts of Singapore hunting down all the good eats on the island. I am basically pretty easy with food as long as they don't taste too horrible.

Knowing the menu at Wild Rocket is appealing visually, being a enthusiast photographer, I decided to make a trip to uncover personally. The whole dining experience was delightful, in the company of my friends (that goes without saying) although the server didn't return to take a group photograph, when he brought us our desserts. Humpf....I shall deduct 10 points from the score card. Besides that, they were totally clueless who's eating what. Bad! Sadly, good service is seriously lacking in my country. I feel the efforts from creating fabulous menu to perfecting it have gone down the drain when the service delivery pale in comparison.

• 
• 
• 
• 
•