52 things I love about you, mommy

1. You're the most beautiful woman in my life
您是世界上最美丽的女人。
2. You have the strongest and the mightiest of hearts
您拥有最坚强的心。
3. You blessed me with three wonderful siblings
三兄姐弟是您给我最大的礼物，
4. You gave me life
  你给了我生命。
5. You were always there since day one, never leaving my sight and my heart 
 从我出生那天，您都没有离开过我的视线，我的心。
6. Your soft cream white skin
您滑滑白白的肌肤，还有您的声音。
7. You let me hold and study the lines of your hands
 您让我抓着您的手，观察您的掌纹。
8. You make sure I'm safe, always
您永远都确保我的安全。
9. You let me grow and be who I am today
您看着我长大，让我成为了今天的我。
10. You gave me beautiful skin where my cheeks go uncontrollably rosy whenever they want
 您给了我最美丽的皮肤，红红嫩嫩白白的皮肤。
11. You always want me to be happy
您要我开心。
12. I love the way your mind thinks, you're so smart
我敬佩您的思想，好聪明。
13. The stories you tell me from your childhood
喜欢您告诉我您小时候的故事。
14. You divide your love for each us siblings so evenly
您对我们三兄弟姐都很爱护，很关怀。
15. Sunflowers, white clouds, beautiful crafted buildings reminds me of you
太阳花，朵朵的云，美丽的建筑都会让我想起您。
16. You give the most comforting hugs
您的拥抱是全世界最舒服的。
17. You taught me to open my heart and my mind but to also keep my guards up
您教我把我的心打开，但不轻易放下防范之心，保护自己。
18. Your voice audios are what makes studying away from family easier for me
您的音讯让我在外读书变得更容易。
19. You accept me for who I am and let me be me even though I know it's hard
您接受我，让我做自己，难为你了。
20. You gave me thick, black and shiny hair
您给了我乌黑发亮的头发，Pantene广告的头发。
21. All the best features of me are from you
我最好的东西都是从您哪儿来的。
22. I learn how to cook from just observing you do your magic in the kitchen
我的厨艺是看着您在厨房魔术表演来的。
23. You encourage me to try new food
您鼓励我尝试不同的食物。
24. You know all my favourite meals
您知道我喜欢吃的东西。
25. You never made me feel unloved or uncared for
我从不觉得您对我的爱，对我的关心不够。
26. You remind me things I forget to do
您常常提醒我要做的事情。
27. You send me daily encouragements to brighten my gloomy days
您天天的鼓励，是我天天的动力。
28. I know I can depend on you whether in person or through a text
您知道我常常会依靠您，不管是在您身边，或是一封短信。
29. You always want what's best for me
您常常把最好的给我。
30. You stayed patient when I am very difficult to handle
我敬佩您的耐心，尤其是在我难侍候的时候。
31. You age so gracefully, always beautiful from the first day you brought me into this world
 从我出生那天，您的美丽随着岁月增长。
32. The smell of The Body Shop or skincare makes me think of you
The Body Shop 的味道常常让我想起您。
33. Even when I get busy and don't update you on my daily doings, I always know I'm on your mind
虽然在我忙的时候，我不能打给您，但我知道您一直都会想我。
34. You're always giving me the things you purchase initially for yourself that I know you would even give me the shirt off your back if I had nothing
您常常把您购买给自己的东西给我，我知道如果我一身无物，您会把您身上的衣服给我。
35. You have exquisite taste for food
您对食物很有品位。
36. You trust me
您相信我。
37. You introduced God's love in my life
您带给了我神的爱。
38. You tell me you're proud of me no matter how big or how little of an achievement
您跟我说您为我的大小事感到骄傲。
39. You're someone I want to be like in the future
我以后要成为像你一样的人。
40. No matter how many times you've told me how your pregnancy experiences were with each child, I can always listen to it over and over again
虽然您已告诉我了无数次，但我还是喜欢听您怀孕的经验。
41. I admire the way you keep the family strong, closely bonded and together
我佩服您把爱带进整个家，把一家人带得很亲密。
42. You teach me your learnt lessons so I don't make the same mistakes
您教我您的经验，让我不会从范错误。
43. You always leave the drumstick section of the steamed chicken for me
您常常会把鸡腿留给我。
44. You carried me longer than that nine months in your tummy
我在您肚子里时，您抬了我九个月。
45. The creative things you do at a daily basis
您把您的创造力带进了日常生活。
46. You have one of the most generous heart in the whole world
您有世上最伟大的心。
47. You give me goodnight kisses
喜欢您天天的睡前亲吻。
48. You are the very best mother
您是世上最好的妈妈。
49. You're such a wonderful woman
您是完美女人。
50. You still love me even with my mistakes and rebellious action
虽然我会做错事，会叛逆， 您还是爱着我。
51. I know no matter what age I am, I'll always be your honey, your princess, your barbie girl
我知道不管我几岁，我还会是您的宝贝，您的公主。
52. That you are my mine, my one and only, mother
您是我的，我唯一的，母亲。

Happy blessed 52nd birthday, mommy
I love you every day, every hour, every minute, every second.
Please don't ever feel sorry or live in regrets in your past actions
because mommy, you're perfect to me, no matter what.
Also, please know that there is not a passing day that I don't have you on my mind,
I love you.

Yours always,
Honey

妈妈，祝您52岁生日快乐。

我没一天，每一小时，每一分，每一秒都爱您。千万不要有一丁点的遗憾。因为妈妈，对我来说，不管怎样您是完美的。要记住，我不会有一天是不会想到您的，每一天。我爱您。

-宝贝女儿

22 things I love about you, Crystal

1. You're crazy but my type of crazy and my favourite type of crazy
2. We understand each other in a whole new level, "telepathy"
3. You have this very strong positivity bubble that I always want to be around
4. We're overly attached to each other, first priority!
5. We have an endless list of inside jokes (OXYGEN JUSEYO!)
6. You give the best encouragements when mine is running low
7. You make the craziest and the best faces in photos
8. We share a love for Alice in Wonderland
9. We're always striving to tick off more "firsts" whenever we're with each other
10. I would describe our conversations as a headless chicken running around mars
11. I know I can depend on you on skincare advice or just generally
12. No moment is dull when I'm with you
13. I adore your sudden realisation on anything and everything
14. I get so excited to see you every single time we meet, even it's three different times of a day
15. You bring out the goofy side of me every time we meet, without fail
16. I trust you more than I trust myself
17. We can hang out for days on end and never get sick of each other
18. I always learn something new from you or about you
19. I can't imagine not having you in my life and my future
20. You make me a better person
21. You care for me so dearly and I cannot emphasis enough that I aggressively appreciate you
22. That it was so easy for me to write this list down, that's how much I love you.

Happy blessed 22nd birthday, Crystal ♡
Stay mad and kind till we meet again.
I love you.

22 things I love about you, Nat

1. You're goofy and ever so funny
2. You taught me the importance of kindness and applying it in life
3. You're strong hearted and I admire so much of that
4. You're understanding and open minded
5. You're smart, intelligent and wise
6. You're beautiful in every way and your own way
7. You put God first
8. Your strong will to be a devoted vegetarian
9. The spot on your foot that you once told me someone thought it was a bug and slapped it
10. Your bright smile that warms my heart
11. You're so talented from dancing, to acting, to photography to whatever you pour your heart into
12. You're one of my role models
13. Your soft beautiful hair
14. Your hugs and your laugh, especially your laugh
15. Your passion to travel and explore the world
16. Your independence
17. Your accent and imitations
18. Your quirks and weirdness
19. Your bravery
20. Your confidence
21. That you took me in as your younger sister from the very start
22. And that you love me ever so dearly

Happy blessed 22nd birthday, Nat ♡
I love you.

Sarah goes to Oxford

Final stop: Oxford

Radcliffe Camera

This was taken after having brunch at the Vaults & Garden Cafe, just in front of us in this photo. I definitely recommend to give it a go if you're in town. I had my first ever scone there, loved it. Also, their homemade soup which if I remember correctly, it was a creamy butternut squash soup, loved it.

We visited all bunch of places from galleries, to cathedrals to the Bodleian Library.

Oxford University of Natural History

I love this shot I took, everything about. The science, the interior, the design and the colours.

Job well done, kiddo. Continue to reach for the stars and follow your dreams.

Cheeky monkey

As we were leaving, we discovered this dinosaur footprint, coincident? I think not.

Yummy calamari from God knows which restaurant because it was six months ago, heh.

This may or may not be Christ Church Cathedral. I think it was opposite of the Alice's Shop where we took shelter because we got rained on while visiting the cathedral. Though the shop was little, I fell in love with everything inside. I wanted to own every single postcard to posters to books to accessories. May have overspend in that little shop, I may have not. We ate out quite a number of times but all I remember is our first meal in Oxford being a Malaysian/Chinese restaurant and also having Thaikhun for one of our dinners. Played the whisper challenge and cards of humanity back at our hotel rooms, enjoyed that. Anyways, I'm going to end here for my 2015 winter break travelling around England with great company. Hope you enjoyed little snip bits of it, I'll try do a better job in the future, maybe I won't, I don't know, bye.

Sarah goes to Birmingham

Next stop: Birmingham

Made our way to this city to meet up with our silly nublet and stayed in a stunning airbnb. The family was away at our time of stay but the host through text communication, she was an absolutely delight. I wish we could have met but she, like us, was on a short holiday. I love how generous she was to open her house to strangers. This airbnb is currently my top most favourite. It was an American English fused house included with a pantry, back garden, basement and American style bathrooms.  The house keeper told us the mother is American and father is English, I love that tweak of atypical. 

How beautiful is the kitchen?

Thanks, Leong, for taking this photo. 

We prepared food ourselves on the first night in Birmingham with us of course being the sous-chefs to Crystal being the head chef. Dinner was delicious, special thanks to you, little nublet. 

Basically, this was how we spent welcoming the year 2016.

Playing hide and seek in the house, giving each other haircuts,  animal facemasks, ordering pizza, chilling in the our room together and watching English channels. That was the life. I enjoyed it so much and was so grateful we weren't standing in the cold, most likely the wet outdoors or suffocating in a crowded noisy club to countdown. Nope, not about that life. Indoors, great company, good food, cozy bed, filled with laughter and nonsense, what more can I ask for?

Oh and I just wanted to end this post with this photo I took on the way to Crystal's accommodation, it gave out a Tim Burton feel to it, I like it a lot.

Sarah goes to Cambridge

Next stop: Cambridge 

With the boys only. A couple of the group went back to Newcastle for a football match in Sunderland and Petra went back early to study or work on her assignments. Anyways, Cambridge was sweet. You could feel the tension of not being intelligent enough to be walking the streets of Cambridge and always wondering if  the person next to you is an ultimate brainiac. The architecture of the buildings around were mesmerising.

We went on a punting tour

Passed by a handful of popular colleges

Bridge of Sighs

King's College

I miss you, cheeky boy. Hope all is well with you back in Scotland.

Church of Saint Mary the Great

Gonville and Caius College

One word, GLORIOUS

Story behind this photo, just taking 10 seconds to take this photo made us miss our train. We could have made it if the train wasn't at the opposite platform but unfortunate for us,  we missed it. However, on the bright side, we manage to catch another train to catch our next train and was not charge a single quid. Ever so grateful for my luck with trains. I pray it never runs out.

Sarah goes to Manchester

Next stop: Manchester

At the end of our day trip in York, we took a night train to Manchester and crashed in a rather run down hotel for the first night. There was a match in town that weekend so most hotels were booked up. However, on our second night, we moved to a pretty luxurious apartment hotel. I loved it, red brick walls, white bed sheets, massive antique mirrors at the staircase, beautiful living room and bathroom as well.

Taken before korean bbq on our second night.

We also spent hours playing snooker and ping pong at Lois's student accom, thanks for having us.

We spent the rest of the night watching one punch man together and heating up ready cooked food from Tesco for supper. I had a pretty sweet time, I love laid back nights in after a long day.

Sarah goes to York

First stop: York

This small town girl visited York last December and left this post in the drafts for the past six months. 

Opps. Here it is, don't love me less, please?

York's sunrise

York Minster

Roamed around the town for the whole day, witnessed the bad flood drowning shops and houses.

    

The boys

We visited the Yorkshire Museum

Shoestring fries? No. Burger? Glorious.

Jay joined us late in the evening where we visited the National Railway Museum but... we arrived 15 minutes before closing time so we literally power walked the whole museum in a matter of 10 minutes. Just quick glance of everything, look, next, observe, next. Although we did not get to take our time absorbing all the train history, models and such, it was still a little fun adventure power walking through the insides of all trains, trying to avoid the officials as they ask visitors to head to the exit. It was fun. 

Sarah's kitchen but not really

Strawberry Nutella French Toast Rollups

(Recipe taken from Buzzfeed)

Ingredients:

White sandwich bread

Nutella

Strawberries

Eggs

Milk

Sugar

Butter

Cinnamon

 (I couldn't be bothered to cut the edges off, lazy Sarah being lazy)

His dream journal

I was riding a dragon/bus hybrid that was constantly shifting through the colours of the rainbow, whilst dressed as a medieval knight; wielding a long sword and shield. I was watching this all in third person mind you and saw myself charge into an army of frog/cat hybrids who also were dressed all medieval like. Whilst some fired "arrows" of black sludge at me, other charged at me with candy canes. Well it was a long and bloody battle but well I was victorious in the end. As I shouted a cheer, I saw my eyes start to wake up and well then I was awake in a hospital bed.

Undeserving

Hello there Internet, I guess it's safe to announce that second year of university has ended for me since I just took my final exam paper this morning. Due date after due date, writing essays, reports and studying lecture notes and books for the past couple of months can be pretty restless and soul draining. I'm not exactly fully complaining about it because I have great interest in what I have picked to pursue as a degree and I genuinely like what I'm studying. It's just that you know, sometimes, black and white, word after word, it can get mundane when it's not hands on, physical sort of work.

I definitely know for sure I am in no way fit to work a 9-5 job in an office in formal office wear, even the thought of it gives me anxiety. But I don't know, that's 21 year old Sarah's mind speaking right now, not sure if it will change in an hour or tomorrow or in a couple years or never. We'll see.

Anyways, I'm not feeling the best of myself lately. Just feeling like I can offer so much more to the world and contribute more for the better but at the same time I just want to stay on my very comfortable spot and not bother about calming my nerves when I go out to do sometimes. It's a constant battle with myself. Definitely been told by more than one person that I am truly my own worst enemy.

"Get your shit together, get it ALL together and put it in a backpack. All your shit so it's together. And if you gotta take it somewhere, take it somewhere, you know? Take it to the shit store and sell it or put it in the shit museum. I don't care what you do, you just gotta get it together. Get your shit together." -Morty Smith

Sarah's kitchen but not really

Afternoon tea churros

(Recipe taken from Tasty)

Ingredients:
140g plain flour
Pinch of salt
2 tsp of caster sugar
Lemon zest
300ml of boiling water
120g butter
1 tsp of vanilla extract
3 eggs
Cinnamon sugar

(I know, I know, it's not the best looking churros but I'm satisfied with my attempt)

Title inspired by Ryan Higa

21 things I love about you, Sarah

1. I am healthy enough to donate blood
2. My taste in music
3. My favourite part of my face is my lips
4. I'm blessed with a beautiful family
5. I'm blessed enough to have funny, supportive and caring friends
6. I have sassy kiwi in my life
7. That I write things down so forgetful future Sarah can thank past Sarah for doing so
8. I always manage to purchase the comfiest boots
9. That I have my favourite pillows and chouchou with me during most nights
10. I experiment with food, hair, make-up and activities
11. I take that step forward when I can and take that step back when I need to
12. I fall in love easily, with every passing dog, new pun, smell of sesame oil, sound of rain and taste of garlic
13. That I enjoy listening to my favourite bands live
14. That I know what I hate and what I love
15. That I continuously try my best to work on a better me, some days I don't
16. I am easily impressed and satisfied with life
17. That I do what I want and say what I want
18. My body
19. I'm an organised mess
20. That I am genuinely happy
21. That I am me

Happy blessed 21st birthday, Sarah ♡
Why thank you, Sarah
No worries, Sarah 
I love you, Sarah 
I love you too, Sarah

birthday wishlist

Things I want:

                                                                                              1.

                                                                                              2.

                                                                                              3.

24 things I love about you, lasen

1. You make me laugh the most and it's so easy for you to do
2. You're an amazing badminton player
3. You don't get mad so easily and you're patient with me when I can be a handful
4. You are the best and most creative with jump shots
5. You get along so easily with majority of my friends
6. You bring food home and cook sometimes
7. You're really good at driving and I'm always impressed with your parking skills
8. You remind me things I forget
9. You're dependable and the best travel buddy
10. You make the cheekiest remarks at the best timing
11. Your enthusiasm for watches and LFC
12. We are always on the same page in terms of humour
13. You're in charge of the bills
14. I always feel the safest when you're around
15. You don't snore
16. You buy toilet paper and dishwashing liquid when we run out
17. You're the reason why I'm fond of spamming garlic in most meals I prepare
18. You eat what I cook and say it's good sometimes
19. You're the reason why I started eating bitter gourd and chicken breast which I used to hate
20. I'm 100% more productive when you're around
21. You change the burnt out lightbulbs
22. I'm convinced you're the older brother every younger sister should have
23. You teach me a lot about living and have taken great care of me since '95
24. You're my best friend

Happy blessed 24th birthday, Larson ♡
I love you.

56 things I love about you, daddy

1. You take care of kiwi for me when I'm away
2. You know my favourite meals
3. You know how to pick the freshest fish in the sea
4. You always order the best dishes for our family
5. Your love for your garden
6. You're our personal household zoo keeper, always discovering a different animal
7. You can grow a beard
8. You have so many hidden talents like being really good in table tennis
9. You're the most hardworking man I have ever met
10. You're the strongest man I know
11. You are and will always will be the most handsome man in my eyes
12. You love mommy
13. You show me the art of strength, patience, kindness and persistence
14. I know you like it when I speak mandarin to you
15. You make me laugh all the time when you play along with me like a child
16. I love it when you tell me stories about your past
17. You make mommy happy
18. You taught me money is hard to earn and easy to spend but it does not always equal happiness
19. You get so worried for me 
20. You're full of wisdom, advice and generosity
21. You notice the little quirks of mine
22. I love it when we discuss past, current and future events
23. You give me everything I need and want 
24. You can predict the weather 
25. You research so carefully on every country I travel to
26. Because of you I am able to travel 
27. You buy me my favourite bananas
28. You lead and live by example
29. I love it when you cook (ai xing everything)
30. You introduce me to so many new things in life
31. You can fix just about everything
32. You're a calm person
33. Your healthy tanned skin makes other dads look pale in comparison
34. You never ask for anything
35. You always have faith in me with the things I put myself into
36. You always have a vision for everything you do
37. You call me princess knowing in the back of your mind that you're the king
38. You have the best smile, the biggest, warmest smile
39. You believe in education, experience and knowledge
40. You've always been there for me and you always will
41. You let me sleep in
42. You listen to me
43. You provide for our family
44. You value family
45. You give great hugs
46. You gave me siblings
47. You are part of who I am
48. You're admirable and ever so loveable
49. You're my superhero
50. You're reliable
51. You're my first love
52. You shower me with abundance of love and love me so dearly
53. I learned to enjoy the little things in life because of you
54. You raised me up
55. You call me honey 
56. Because you're my father and that I am ever so proud that you are mine

Happy blessed 56th birthday, daddy ♡
I love you every single day, hour, second.