no tricks, just treats

As much as we would love to go all out for Halloween this year, we decided to go for a more subdued approach and have a BBQ dinner with close friends (plus one kid - friend's nephew) instead. The weather was perfect. Not too warm, not rainy either. FYI, it often rains here towards the end of the year. So we were keeping our fingers crossed that the nice weather stayed that way for the rest of the day. No such luck.  It started to pour in the evening and we had no other choice but to cancel the BBQ plan and cook in the house instead. This tiny change in plans did not dampen our spirit though as you can see from the pictures below.

We stuffed ourselves silly with all kinds of food from the yummy lamb chops/chicken/sausages to tasteful pasta salad to creamy potato gratin to cheesy mushroom sandwiches to fattening pizzas to sweet pumpkin pie and lots more. I can somehow imagine how a stuffed turkey feels like now. 

After much laughing, groaning from eating too much and zoning out, we finally dumped our lazy bums in front of the TV and watched some horror shows while sipping hot mint tea to keep ourselves awake till 1am. All in all, it was a wonderful and sugar-free evening - that is if you don't count in my sweet pumpkin pie & the cool pink drink. 

Lots of food + awesome company with loved ones = contentment. 

I have a friend.....

named Herwin. We were having our usual chat over MSN when I asked him what would he say if he was asked to describe me in one paragraph. Initially, he said he's not sure and that he is a man of few words. However, after a minute or two, I got a surprise when he wrote this back....

erny is someone who has the uncanny sense of making people laugh without even intending to do so. she prides herself in her superb coffee appreciation and aspires to be either a doctor or a spacecadet for life.

Is he great or what?? That simple yet funny paragraph is so perfect that I decided to put it up on my "About Me" page.

That's him on the left!
This picture was taken about 6 years ago when we used to work together...and he is as goofy as ever.

Oh wow. 6 years...I didn't realize we have been friends for that long till now. Time flies when you are having fun!

Flash Mob

It's not everyday I get to see this here, in one of the busiest district in Singapore no less. Kudos to those dancers! What a way to promote the dance festival. Now I feel like dancing too! :D

Erny the budget traveller, lost in Europe

Lately, I've had a bit of an obsession with traveling. The idea of it anyway, and there's little excuse for my passport being so stamp-less. Something which my friend, Marcel, has said to me is stuck in my mind for sometime now. We were in the car when I commented I want to travel to Europe, like real soon. His immediate yet simple reply to me was "What's stopping you?". My response to that was "Well, none of my friends wish to travel that far anytime soon." When I think back, I figure that was kind of a lame excuse. Marcel is right. What's stopping me? No company? Well, I can travel alone...right??

Sometimes, when I think too much about it, the idea of traveling to Europe on my own seems a bit daunting. For one, I can't speak or understand a single word of Spanish, German, Italian. Zero, nada, zilch. But then again, wouldn't that makes the trip even more interesting? This will also be the first trip overseas without my reliable friends. Will I survive it?

Friends have known me as someone adventurous and always out to try new things. I couldn't disappoint them now, can I? Anyway, after much pondering, the idea of me out there, exploring the various European cities and experiencing the exotic cultures is becoming more and more appealing. So I've finally made up my mind to do this trip alone. Yay! I've already started saving like crazy and planned to go to Amsterdam, Munich, Rome and Barcelona in early April next year. Hopefully, the weather will not be too cold by then. If you have been to these places before, I welcome all kinds of advice - the Dos and Don'ts, etc. Oh, I wouldn't mind if any of you would like to go on this trip with me too! Wouldn't that be cool? We know each other through blogging and will be meeting each other in person for the first time on this trip! Awesome! Any takers?