The Year End Letter

Dear readers

As we come to leaving 2011 behind, I wish that your 2011 was well spent. I hope it has opened many wonderful doors for you, opened your eyes to things you’ve never seen before, made you look into yourself first before judging others and mostly that it has brought you tremendous stories that one day you can tell forth to your loved & little ones.

Like many am sure, my 2011 was filled with many lemons being thrown my way from suicidal and depressing episodes to happy and joyous moments – be it seeing friends on the other side of the globe or hearing of happy news of a relationship going in the right direction or of love for art and much more……….

As B, N and I (planned and) look forward to 2012, we’ll never know what surprises is in store for us but we keep our fingers and toes crossed for a very good year ahead and if there are surprises in store then let them be the positive kind.

I wish you a New Year filled with much goodness ahead. Cheers! xxx

The Tree

 Our tree this year = ) Happy Holidays all!

Christmas in Ghent

Our Decembers are usually one big rush as my significant other  - B - is required at work almost daily to cope with the retail madness! So, Christmas shopping, the extended family meals and gifts planning or buying are all done in a rushing manner – no fun at all. It is moments such as these that I am thankful that I could go shopping online! As I am typing this up - our Christmas deco at home is half up! I am still short of 10 more cards, how and when will we ever find the time to squeeze in these chores, I do not know! *sigh* I am just thankful we got the tree and the kid – N – gets to doll it up this year. Then to top that, as if being the darkest month is not enough – December has to throw some unpleasant surprises our way with horrid news of illness and deaths. But amidst those, there are also lighter and cheery news like receiving word of new born babies, bonuses and work opportunities. Anyways, I best leave you now with a few pictures taken around the city centre, these were snapped at different times (read – whenever I could squeeze time to go into town for some Xmas shopping). Have a blessed Christmas all and I hope you get to spend it with your loved ones.

 This is my favourite Xmas piece - the Ghent Opera house cafe entrance.

 The typical festive local delicacy - be it in summer, spring or winter, the "Oliebollen" and Belgian waffles are a must try if you are in town!

Bolting through 2011

I personally felt that 2011 just bolted right pass me, as if it can’t wait to get to 31 December! I was filling in my agenda for work, social activities, holidays and realize, I am running out of pages then it hit me, 2011 will be over soon. I’m not one to make resolutions nor keep them – so I do not know why sometimes I feel anxious that time is passing by so quickly.  As I get older, I get more forgetful – I suspect I might eventually kick the bucket with having Alzheimer’s disease!

Anyways, did you all remember what you achieved this year? What great significance changes you have made? Or travelled? The following are all that has left an imprint in our hearts and mind.

01 -  My significant other – B – has worked for 20 years for the same company this year.

02 – After driving around in a Peugeot for 4 years, in November, we exchange it for an Audi.

03 -  The Kid – N -  turns 6!

04 – We explored Prague, Singapore, Kuching, (province of) Tuscany and Lugano.

05 – My brother left his placed of work where he has served for 20 years! I am proud to say that he now works as Chief Maritime Marshall, seeing the world from the high seas.

06 – After 2 years of job search, I found myself another job!

07 -  I am made to wear special shoe soles – permanently!

08 – Got stung by a bee for the first time in my life!

09 – Starbucks finally comes to Belgium shores.

10 – First time ever this year that some kids knock on our door for Halloween.

There’s yet about a month and abit left before the year ends. It is not a good time of the year for us either as B has to work on most days and I am left to my own devices to get the Christmas shopping done. Can’t wait for January to come really, then we can look forward to planning & booking our travels or even receive family visits from the far east!

Autumn in Lugano

Switzerland has always been a country that I wanted to visit, for a long time. I’ve been to their big and beautiful airport in Zurich twice but never anywhere else. I think, once, more than 10 years ago, I visited a small corner of Switzerland to see their very own Niagara Fall – I think the place is called The Rhein waterfall. The only objection I have visiting the country is how expensive everything is! Although the Euro is a slightly “bigger” currency than the Swiss Franc, still everything cost double there.

Anyways, Lugano (located at the very southern tip of Switzerland) is an eye opener for all of us. It was worth the trip! The lakes and mountains will simply take your breath away. We passed Lake Como with the bus on our way to Lugano, good God, it does look like a picture perfect setting for a romantic movie! Which it is as many many films has been shot there. Lugano itself is not so big, you can explore it within a weekend. But if you lengthen your stay, you can visit all the beautiful surrounding mountains or take a boat ride to the villages along the lakes – like Gandria.

The Lakeside Village of Gandria