Life.

Believe it or not, it's all up to us, our perceptions.

I like to complain about assignments, our endless submissions, projects, commitments, work and even money matters.

No doubt, these are times when we feel really tired of our life and that's the way we vent our frustrations.

Now that I think back, I actually feel disgraced of myself for what I say sometimes.

I believe that most of us Singaporeans, have heard about the recent Sabah quake which have costed the lives of approximately 6 primary school students, a teacher and a expedition guide.

It came as a shocking, yet devastating news.

It made the human nature of ours awaken, to feel the heartaches of the parents.

Not to mention the primary school kids who had to embrace the tremor, fear, pains and their fight for survival.

It is during such moments that even strangers like us, start to understand the vulnerability of life.

Have we been taking every breath that we have for granted?

Do we take each morning that we wake up to for granted?

I'm no saint, so I definitely did before.

Before self-actualisation hits me hard on my head that every day is a blessing.

Every breath is a blessing.

I had a chat with a friend of mine a few days ago.

He loves travelling, the nature, cultures, photography and not forgetting the people.

Living the life we have to the fullest,

contributing to the lives of the others,

cherishing every moment with loved ones,

being self-contented.

He is admirable.

To all the moments, things and people around me,

thank you for staying in my life & I hope you continue staying.

Being able to wake up to a brand new morning is not a daily routine,

it is a blessing.

Let us take a moment to pray for the kids who have suffered and perished from the Sabah Quake.

#PrayForSabah

May they rest in peace and my deepest condolences.

cyn.

Lim's Family Staycation!

What a way to spend my Sunday morning:

clearing my desk,

organising my memory box,

looking through old photographs,

grocery shopping for dinner tonight,

cleaning up the house,

& finally settling myself to blog.

Listening to my favourite playlist, with the sound of raindrops pitter-pattering against the windows,

snuggling under the warmth of my blanket,

I can't define a better environment for me to blog in.

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Just a couple of weeks back, Lim family finally had our first ever staycation!

There was too much excitement to be contained within us, and you can definitely witness that when we seem to be grinning from ear to ear in the photos.

We checked in at approximately 8pm at Hotel Michael.

I was in awe upon entering the hotel room.

Spacious with lightly dimmed lightings,

so much for all that cosy and snuggly feels.

& my mum who loved the comfy bed.

Ding Tai Fung for our really late dinner.

and we woke up in a mess.

Buffet breakfast over at Palio restaurant.

Despite the limited variety, nothing beats the right company, right?

:)

Travel trip buddy: my graduation Pooh!

Adventure at USS begins!

With my Monkey boyfriend on the Carousel.

The new Puss in Boots ride!

No USS trip is complete without visiting some of my ex-colleagues.

And this lady here, is someone whom I have admired and always loved her like she is my granny.

She never fails to think for the others.

Showering us with snacks when work gets mundane,

gifts during festive occasions,

giving me a birthday treat.

All these were moments that are deeply etched in my heart & something that I would never want to forget.

She will always remain the bubbly, elegant and generous lady that I've known since 4 years ago.

Thank you Auntie Jennifer :)

Ended our day over at Insadong Korean Town @ RWS.

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We woke up early the next day to take the Luge.

My first time taking it and wow am I impressed by it.

Besides the Luge, our family went for the 4D Desperados, lunch at Nam Nam, before ending our day at the pool in Hotel Michael.

We ended up at the airport and my family sent me off as I took off for my Seoul trip.

It was a short staycation, but the time spent was well-spent.

During this trip, we became more concerned towards one another,

we understood one another better.

Moments; are times that we cherish knowing that they do not stay.

Happiness; is when we are satisfied with what we have around us.

Family; is a bond that tied us together, to create these moments and embrace the happiness ahead of us.

Thank you for being such a wonderful family.

Have a great week guys,

cynnie.

It's time to entice your tastebuds with a whole new Earle Swensen's experience!

My parents and I have this huge fetish over Swensens.

Our usuals would always be: 

a "Topless 5" (5 scoops of ice cream with your choice of flavours)

And not forgetting their U.S. Fries which is one of their best sellers!

But besides all the family restaurant outlets that they have in the neighbourhoods, have any of you tried Earle Swensen's before?

Well I did, and I was certainly tempted to revisit there again.

Thanks to Celine, I tagged along with her for a food-tasting session at Vivocity's Earle Swensen's! 

The session was to introduce some of their new menu items, and just so you know, the menu changes a couple of times annually!

Definitely aroused my curiosity to go back and try those new menu items.

Seated in the restaurant, we were accompanied by a beautiful sight overlooking the exterior view of Sentosa.

Personally, ambience is one of the most important factors that I feel makes the dining experience more enjoyable.

define drinks; 

a liquid to quench your thirst

To give our tastebuds some warm-up, we started off with the Lychee Glacier.

Ice blended into a smooth yet icy texture was sure a tough job, but Earle Swensen's definitely did it right.

Beautiful violet color topped with lychee fruit, I can feel my throat drying up already.

define appetizers; 

food to stimulate your appetite

If you love eating chicken drumlets,

the new Oven Roasted Drumlets are right for you!

Available in Teriyaki & Sriracha glaze, whether you're a sweet or spicy food eater,

this is one that I recommend not to miss it!

appetizers; Breaded Scallops.

Doesn't sound interesting enough?

Best paired together with their whole new Salted Egg Yolk Dip!

Crispy on the outside, soft & pipin' hot on the inside.

It was pretty much a 7/10 rating for me though, as I pretty much prefer a stronger taste for the dip.

appetizers; Popcorn Squid

With Salted Egg Yolk Dip again!

This was the bomb, in fact I liked this more than the scallops!

The baby squids were well coated, every bite is filled with a crunchy texture.

And since it's popcorn-sized, it doesn't hurt to have more than one..right? ;)

define mains; 

the highlight of all the dishes.

Smoked Salmon Pasta

If you've ever dined out with me before, you would know that I am never a fan of cream based pasta.

It kind of makes me feel sick of the taste within a short period of time.

So to play safe, it's Aglio Olio or tomato-based.

But this definitely got me blown away.

With a slight saltiness from the smoked salmon, a light cream sauce, smooth linguine pasta and mushrooms, it definitely made me want more of it.

The tinge of saltiness from the smoked salmon made the cream sauce much more flavorful, without making the entire dish over creamy-like.

I finished everything, including the sauce.

This shows how good it is!

A must-try!

define desserts;

a sweet treat to end the flavorful meal.

Stylo Milo Sundae

Are you a malt fan or not?

I am someone who will always look forward to the desserts at the end.

No matter how stuffed I am.

I guess this is what they mean by all females have 2 different stomachs for savoury and sweet treats.

Not all, but I definitely am :p

All Swensen's ice cream are now changed to gelato, making it a healthier option for all of you sweet-tooth people out there.

The texture of the gelato was so smooth and has a slight creamy texture, glides through your throat when you swallow it.

I love how all the sundaes always looks so pretty and appetizing *heart flutters*

Together with the cereal crunch sandwiched between the scoops of ice cream, a creamy and crunchy texture made this dessert a pleasant one.

The con of the gelato, was that the milo taste was not strong and distinctive enough to taste it, unless it goes together with the cereal toppings.

Nevertheless, I finished it too as the milo taste gets stronger till you reach the bottom of that sundae :P

Earle Swensen's still never fails to surprise me with their new dishes and the same old favorites that I have.

A big thank you to Celine and Earle Swensen's for this amazing food tasting session!

& not forgetting;

my readers who have to endure my lengthy descriptions.

goodbye & have a slurpin' good time,

cynnie.