Because it's my Daddy's Birthday

What better way to restart this blog than to celebrate the special day of one of my biggest fans? You see, this has always been a place where I could be as unabashedly mushy as I wanted openly to my beloveds. Not one to show overt physical public displays of affection, I always preferred the use of words and pictures. Superlatives I love, like 'love', 'awesome', 'best', 'super', 'wonderful' et all might sound cliched to some, but to me, they mean exactly what I feel. And these words I string together last forever, and you can read them over and over, because when distance makes hugs impossible, and time makes wonderful experiences just far-away memories, the written word and photos that captured a special moment shared can make you relive a time when everything was absolutely perfect.
So, today, because it's my super-est beloved-est awesome-st Daddy's birthday, we take a tour in the house of memories that we built together in 2012. And we relive how loved and lucky I felt every single time we were together. And we see this as an auspicious start to the foundation of more and more memories we will be building together in 2013.

Here's to us, daddy dearest.

My trip back home. This is our fave japanese restaurant. 

Our family doing what we love best. Eating. Together. 

You must be able to tell why I love this picture. Two of the most amazing people in the world, who I love soooooooooo much. Looking absolutely beautiful, contented and happy. In my hometown. 

This is bliss.

I write to show my love. Daddy cooks for us to show his. 

And his cooking is phenomenal. Lip smacking, thumb curling, yummy yummy, filled with love.

A prelude to one of the most beautiful holidays we've had together. And I love how we looked as we anticipated fun, but not realizing just how much joy we would have. 

 Ah. Here we are. Somewhere in between Turkey and Greece. My entire birthday week. With my most loved ones in the world. Me, lucky? Yes. Very.

Looking at this picture, I realize I don't remember us ever swimming together before. 

It's thankfully never too late, and I'm grateful that despite us 'knowing each other' for more than 33 years, we still get to experience plenty of firsts together.

 My birthday foot massage. On a boat in the Aegean sea. 

I couldn't have asked for a better present.

Meet Sophia. Our family's newest love. The new girl in Daddy's life. :D

Ahhhh. And here we are. All your kids and grandkid. In Hanoi. 

Reminiscent of yet another superbly awesome year-end family holiday together. 

 And this, is recently. And perfectly signifies what Daddy's always, always, always been like. He surprise-visited me when I was visiting Luxembourg. Taking almost 6 hour long train rides from Amsterdam for the first time in his life. For just one night.

Thank you daddy, for always being there when we need you. 

Thank you daddy, for loving us the way you do. 

Thank you daddy, for showing us, with your actions, what generosity and kindness of heart means. 

And thank you daddy, for letting us be who we are exactly. 

Happy birthday today, and decades to come.

Free to be

The vain one

Good things must be shared

Hihihihihi. I'm blushing and giggling as I'm reading this blog post.

Also literally laughed out loud at No.24 (Peter Mankoc). Hihihihihihihi.

Shy giggles. Here you go girls, and some boys. Click here, sit back and enjoy.

Recap: Day 7 of GM Diet

Updates from yesterday, the last day of the diet (vege, fruits and rice day).

Ate: 2 bowls soup, 1 bowl rice, 2 apples, half a watermelon, 5 apricots, 4 peaches, some cabbage, some onions.

Drank: 3 mugs black coffee, 2.5 litres of water.

Activities: 20 minutes walk to and from yoga, 90 minutes yin yoga, 90 minutes vinyasa yoga.

How I felt: Very, very, very good. So full of energy that I decided to do two sessions of yoga. Granted, yin is very relaxing, and not at all taxing.

When I woke up this morning, I weighed: 61.3kg (Sunday's nonsense finally caught up with me today)

So, in all, I've only lost 1.7kg, which tells you that cheating is a very, very, very bad idea!

Though as I said before, my weight is really of not too much consequence, because my tummy has subsided (albeit slightly), and in the past few days, I've been sweating twice as much during yoga classes - which I guess means that my toxins are being flushed away in greater amounts. So it's all good.

Here's a picture of the new tummy. Much better than here, no?

 Oh, guess what I ate to 'break my fast' today?
*drum roll for the meals i have been looking forward to the entire week please*
Spinach omelet for brunch and soy sauce chicken on noodles for dinner.
Some cheese and peanut butter and crackers for lunch, an apple before my Ashtanga class, and chips for dinner. Why?!?!? Because the electricity of my entire neighbourhood was off for 8 whole hours!!! In 36°c heat!!! And my stove depends on the electricity to be alive!!! Grrrrr. And of course, the electricity just had to come back up at 9 freaking 30 PM, just as I stuff the last piece of the SECOND packet of chips in my mouth. *___* 

Click here for Day 1 and Day 2 and Day 3 and Day 4 and Day 5 and Day 6

Recap: Day 6 of GM Diet

Updates from yesterday, also known as the day I caved in to peer pressure at dinner and killed the diet.

Ate: 2 bowls soup (for breakfast & lunch). Then went stark crazy at dinner. Some turkish mezze, some olives, some bread (they came right out of the oven!) dipped in olive oil, a piece of cheese, beef carpaccio, sauteed prawns, some fries (THEY WERE FRESHLY MADE AND TOSSED IN TRUFFLE OIL, PARSLEY AND GARLIC!!! HOW TO SAY NO???).

Drank: 3 mugs black coffee, 2 litres of water, a flute of champagne (I know, I know, hopeless), a vodka tonic (it looks like water, no?!).

Activities: 30 minutes of own style yoga - stretching and sun salutations.

How I felt: Absolutely awesome. Though I must say the oily food didn't sit too well in my detox-ed system, and the alcohol worked it's way into my head a little bit quicker than usual. But I ate and drank what I did, had an incredibly joyful night, so no regrets there.

When I woke up this morning, I weighed: 60.3kg

I must say I'm happy to be back to healthier food today though. Mode: continue on diet plan, swish hair and pretend yesterday's transgressions didn't happen.

 Click here for Day 1 and Day 2 and Day 3 and Day 4 and Day 5 .

Recap: Day 5 of GM Diet

Updates from yesterday, the dreaded tomato and rice day.

Ate: 6 tomatoes, a cup of rice (uncooked, which equals to three small bowls of cooked rice), almost an entire pot of soup.

Drank: 3 mugs black coffee, 3 litres of water. 

Activities: 20 minutes walk to and from yoga, 90 minutes Hatha yoga, 45 minutes ironing, 60 minutes wiping, vacuuming, mopping.

How I felt: Was about to give up, but persevered. That's it. Gritted my teeth and said "I can do it!" and proceeded to lie down for the rest of the evening and night.

When I woke up this morning, I weighed: 60.5kg

Tonight at dinner, I will need to deviate from the original plan because of social obligations. But will make an effort to order only salad and steak, thus following this version of the diet. Also will refrain from gulping down wine. THAT will be hard.

 Click here for Day 1 and Day 2 and Day 3 and Day 4

 

Recap: Day 4 of GM Diet

Listless updates from yesterday, which was bananas and milk day.

Ate: 5 bananas, a bowl of soup.

Drank: 3 mugs milk coffee, 2 banana milkshakes, 2 litres of water. 

Activities: 20 minutes walk to and from yoga, 60 minutes Vinyasa yoga.

How I felt: Waning, waning. Crazy ass hunger pangs. Hallucinated about pizza and pasta and french fries and fried chicken. Stared at a bag of chips in the pantry like a parched warrior. Dragged myself to yoga, felt a little better, then went home and continued to torture myself with pictures of food on pinterest. I just want a simple omelet, dammit! I never want to eat another banana, ever. Tried to sleep at midnight but tossed and turned till 2am because my stomach was screaming too loudly.

When I woke up this morning, I weighed: 61.4kgs. WTH?!?!? All that pain for 0.5kg gain????

Today is tomato and rice day. I hope I don't faint.

Click here for Day 1 and Day 2 and Day 3.