A. Party #1

 I celebrate my first Appreciation Party by being appreciative for my cleaning husband :)

Words!

Yesterday, I stumbled across this video on youtube.



If you're too lazy to check it out, here's the gist:

Gratitude means:
1. The state of being grateful; thankfulness.

Appreciation means: 

1. Recognition of the quality, value, significance, or magnitude of people and things.

2. An expression of gratitude.

3. Awareness or delicate perception, especially of aesthetic qualities or values.

4. A rise in value or price, especially over time.

I'm changing my Gratitude Parties to Appreciation Parties :)

 Pic from: HERE

I feel sick

This is the bill of our internet usage this month.

250 freaking euros. For the month of October.
When we signed up with them 4 months ago, we had asked for an unlimited package (which only costs 60 euro per month), but only just realised that they gave us the basic package and we've been paying and will continue to need to pay for every single MB used.
They won't change our package until our year is up.
I blame hubby for being too busy to call and check on our bills for the past few months (despite my incessant nagging) because I had already felt was too high at 175 euros.
I double blame myself for not speaking French and not being vigilant about the contract and initial agreement and triple checking our monthly bills.

I wish I could scream at them properly. Oh! If I could "telecomms speak" with them, they'd see the wrath of a former telco woman scorned.
I hate P&T Luxembourg. Bloody Bloodsuckers.

I am though screaming at myself internally now.

I need to go on an internet fast.

I need more money.

And today, I hate living in Luxembourg.

The First Snowfall

Today, I woke up to:

G. Party #8

Today I am grateful for sights like this:

Your optimistic eyes seem like paradise, to someone like me - Depeche Mode

Roasted Garlic Chicken and Pumpkin

It's so easy to cook for a my chef. Our friends always get nervous when they invite us for dinner cos they are scared that he'd be hard to cook for.

Little do they know that while his dishes in the restaurant are 'fine' and all, when he gets off work and actually eats, as long as there's at least a bulb of garlic (and mind you, European garlic is 10 times more 'power' than Asian garlic), lots of olive oil and butter, he's a very happy man.

Which makes him think I'm an awesome cook cos whenever I decide to make something for him, those are the three main ingredients I rely on.

Anyway. Back to the point of my post. I made lunch today. And am naming my dish Garlic Chicken cos garlic is the main ingredient in this dish. Much more important than even the chicken.

Ingredients:

-2 bulbs garlic

1 bulb unpeeled and sliced in half to be roasted with chicken. 

The other bulb peeled and chopped.

-1 chicken (this time I remembered to pluck the feathers)

Rub salt and chopped garlic on chicken. 

Also insert garlic slices inside chicken skin and in the thighs and wings. 

-1 Pumpkin

Peeled and sliced into pieces.

Toss raw pieces in a bowl with garlic, olive oil and salt.

-Some butter

This is to be placed on chicken breasts so they remain tender while roasting. 

Lends the breast some juices.

  

Then you heat the oven to 220°.
Then you place chicken and pumpkin together.
Then you sprinkle some salt and drizzle some olive oil on it before popping into the oven.

45 minutes later,

Voila!

It was very delicious, my chef said.

Paopei, make for you when you come, k?

G. Party #7

Today I am grateful for the hands that keep me safe and warm.

 

Thank you.

G. Party #6 - Yum yum tom yum

Today I am grateful for my mostest favouritest instant noodles in the world.

Slurpy sour and spice and all things nice.

Thank you sooooo much for being available in Luxembourg.

G. Party #5

Today, I am grateful for a husband who can handle piggies.

Thank you for letting me have gruesome pictures to put up on this blog.

G. Party #4 - Here comes the sun

Today I am grateful for my pretty walk to school.

 

Thank you so much for the sun.

G. Party #3

Today, I am grateful for happy Sunday cookouts.

 

Thank you wild duck. You were very very very very yummy. 

G. Party #2

Today, I'm grateful for far away smiles.

So many years, so many miles, we still love and laugh.

Super Megs.

Super Paopei.

Thank you so so so much Skype. 

G. Party #1

So, lately I've been throwing myself countless pity parties.

I had plenty of reasons excuses to. Bad weather la, bored la, lazy la, fat la, not enough money la, tired la, neglected la, feel ugly la, hungry la, ate too much la, too busy la, nothing to do la, everybody's busybody la, nobody cares la... You know, the usual. 

So today, I pledge to begin a new chapter called gratitude parties.

And for this inaugral party, I celebrate with a gift I just received.

Thank you for these beautiful roses from Mdm M. 

Thank you for the reminder that I have good friends and that there's always something bright, beautiful and happy even in the grey winter.

Heather's (kiasu) guide to Le Louvre

Get there EARLY in the morning so you can line up at the very front and beat the crowds. Our time, 8.15am. Louvre opens at 9am. There were more kiasus ahead of us. Kiasu fail.

Tips to beating the waiting boredom: 

Stand very still, very quiet, and eavesdrop on other tourists conversations.
*Super loud Americans are the best entertainment. :)

Once you get in, run like mad in line with the map's guidance to desired world's most famous painting. Ignore the others who are slowly perusing the very beautiful exhibits near the entrance. 

(*In Heather's opinion, near the entrance = not so important works of not so important artists).

When there is no one around you because you have walked so quickly ahead of the pack, you are allowed to stop for a photo. 

Or two, cos the empty hallways make you look like you're on a private tour.

 With your diligence, you should have arrived to the world famous painting in record breaking 8.2 minutes or less. Once there, proceed to take pictures of you and your group immediately, because the others are starting to arrive and form crowds of disturbances. You are encouraged to force ask your sister to pose like the subject because you're cute and original like that. 

After that, it's up to you. Do whatever. Here's what we did.

Jakun cos the paintings were so big.

Force Mummy to take pictures with inanimate objects.

Mummy in turn forcing us to take pictures with inanimate objects.

 I is Sphinxy. Kesh refused to comply with pose.

Sit and stare in awe.

You see where I get my vanity from?