Tag! You're It!

Oops! I've been tagged. By Mae of Rice and Noodles. A fellow blogger, she's one of those who I look towards for recipes and great photographs. If you haven't seen her site, you have to! Then you will understand why she inspires me so much. But don't go on an empty stomach! Don't say I didn't warn you...



5 Things You Don't (Might Not) Know About Me!


I haven't been looking the way I am now for all my life. In fact, for the larger part of my 20 years of existence, I've been looking quite different. I've been overweight since as far as I can remember and only managed to shed the pounds only recently (2 - 3 years ago). I lost the weight through dieting and mandatory physical education lessons in school. I was, at my heaviest, about 65kg (almost 130 pounds) and 50kg at my lightest. Unfortunately, the flabs are back to haunt me again! Not that they have thoroughly disappeared before. It might be due to my genetic disposition because I seem to put on weight from breathing air. Hence, I'm still on my low-carb diet, which I sustained from 3 years ago. I avoid carbohydrates, and being Asian, it means I give it a miss when it comes to rice and noodles (I'm referring to the Asian meal staples, not Mae's site!). And because I have to use up the energy that I ingest, I'm trying to get myself out of the house more often to work it off. Some people say that you won't be happy if you keep yourself on a diet all the time, but I think I'm still enjoying life, and food! Hrm... Maybe that's why the weight has been coming back.

When I said I had been looking quite different for the larger part of this 20 years, I wasn't only referring to my size. You see, if you consider kindergarten/pre-school school, I would have had long hair for all my schooling years. Thus, all forms of identification that holds my photograph shows me with long hair. The only time I had my hair at a length which did not allow tying up was when I was 8 and it wasn't by choice. I had at times left my hair uncut for about 4 - 5 years and it would grow past my waist and reach around 90cm. But now, I'm sporting the shortest hair I've ever had for 6 months and I'm loving it! It might come as a surprising move on my part but I've been toying with the idea for quite long, just that the perfect opportunity hadn't come. I saw the cutting of my hair as one big liberation and I walked out of the salon happier than ever. Now I can't imagine myself getting my long tresses back, at least not in the near future! Coincidentally, my younger sister who had always had short hair is growing hers long. Ha, it all comes round in a circle.

I think evolution is the word.

When I was young, my working parents engaged a babysitter/nanny for me even before I turned 1. My nanny, which I affectionately call Auntie, took care of me and saw me through most of my waking hours. When my mother left for work in the morning, she would walk me to Auntie's place, which was just a neighbouring block. I would eat, bath, nap, do homework, watch TV, all at Auntie's 3-room flat. Only when I turned 11 did I stop going to Auntie's place on daily basis. I'm still very close with Auntie until now and often drop by her place for dinner, though in declining frequency these few years. Bad me. However, I always tell myself I have 2 great mothers and that's something not everybody has! Up till today, I still reminisce about Auntie's fried rice: leftover rice, egg, spring onions and lots of love.

I would think I was quite a bright kid when I was much younger because I always did well in school. In fact, I had a record of being in the top 3 places of the class, if not the cohort, from kindergarten through primary school. Despite the fact that I've always been doing well, I would always worry myself sick when exams came and cry everyday because I was so afraid to fail. But that never did happen. Then came secondary school and it went kinda haywire. From Secondary 2 onwards, the results weren't as stable as before and in the case of Mathematics, nosedived. By that time, exams didn't worry me no more as flunking was common. Despite the change of attitude and aptitude, I graduated from secondary school with 8As and 2Bs and junior college with 2As and 2Bs. Not bad, I would say. Now that I'm in fashion school, I'm starting to pick up my momentum again and am striving hard for a scholarship. My last result slip saw 15As out of 16 modules and a grade point average of 3.9 out of a maximum of 4.0. In case you haven't already realised, yes, I'm showing off. =) Just once.

I have an image of what my future would be like. I would like to have my own business, just a small one that keeps me busy and happy and sustain a living. I think I'm quite fickle and indecisive because up till now I'm still having second thoughts of what I will want to do for a living. I know I'm in fashion school, but I would still like to set up a small cafe/bistro/bakery to fuel my love for cooking. I want my future house to be landed property, and that might eventually take me out of Singapore. I want to be able to plant my own vegetables and flowers and fruits and I like the idea of eating right out of your backyard. Oh and a Franjipane tree would be such a great bonus! If it does mean moving out of Singapore, somewhere temperate would be nice. Japan would be a great choice, so would England, maybe Australia, or even New Zealand. Oops! This could go on forever... Did I mention a perfect husband and 3 beautiful children?

Now that I'm done with my list of 5 things you might not know about me, I hope you I haven't bored you to death! So, would you like to have a go at this meme too?