Happy 2010!

2010 is here. It almost seems so surreal... like hello, what happened to 2009?

I hope all of you had a fun NYE and NY wherever you are. =)

When you're in a foreign place and freezing, you'll tend to think of your loved ones and wonder what they're doing... but when you're surrounded by friends who give you warmth and love in a home away from home, you get warm and fuzzy inside too.

I'm not too sure if I'm making sense but I'm quite sure those of you who had experienced it before would be able to relate to what I'm saying.

I rewatched Sex and the City the movie at 5.30am on New Year's day itself and I really love the scene where Carrie threw on her cute winter coat and ran in her cute little shoes along the snowy New York streets all the way to Miranda's apartment when she knew she was spending spending New Year's eve all alone.

All these with the most beautiful version of Auld Lang Syne playing in the background as scenes depicting the main characters at New Year flashed across the screen.

~

So I had a really laidback new year's eve in NYC. I think most people would go:

"Why didn't you go for countdown at Times Square? You're in New York!"

Well, it snowed on New Year's eve morning. That was the first time I experienced falling snow, not including the flurry we encountered in Chinatown a few days back.

Not wanting to miss taking a walk on fresh snow, I went for a solitary walk around the neighbourhood, pressing my boots onto the fresh snow and snapping photos of every little thing.

It's great to be alone at times. I'm those who really relish "me time" every now and then and doing things alone. The walk refreshed me but not long after I returned, I was plagued with a throbbing head. I snuggled in between the sheets on the sofa and tried sleeping the ache away.

All the adults fell asleep until it was midnight and Cynthia's hp rang. That was when we all jumped up, looked at the clock and hugged everyone as we shouted, "Happy New Year!"

We then switched the channel and watched the happenings at Times Square and Rockefeller Center.

All these while we were in NYC.

I've reached New York safely

Hi all,

The time now is 8.30pm on the 24th of December. Charlene and I have reached New York safely a few hours back. We've reunited with Cynthia, Jase and Charmaine, went for a Chinese Christmas eve dinner and did some grocery shopping just now.

The kids have grown. Their cheeks are so red and chubby and they look really adorable in their winter wear.

I'm embarrassed to say that I've forgotten to bring my camera cable as I was too used to using the card reader directly on my lappie. So as for now, there are no photos. We'll take note to use Cynthia's camera from now on.

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and have a fun time unwrapping your presents!

Love,
Jolene
NYC

Off to the big apple in about 7hours time

I would be away from 24th Dec 2009 till 9th Jan 2010.

I thought I could finish blogging all of the year's events in Singapore before I leave but I was too ambitious.

Here are some photos of what happened in November and December. I will update with more photos and words when I'm back in sg next year.


Lazy Sunday with shan




Tiff's birthday dinner/ xmas light ups








The twins' birthday




Dinner with dear cuz-in-law








Dinner with the babes






Oopsy... The sun is setting. I've gotta settle all the last minute stuff now. My luggage is not completely packed yet.

Wishing all a MERRY MERRY Christmas!

xoxo,
Jo

Inspirations for fashionable winter wear

Japanese magazines always provide inspirations for quirky yet fashionable dressing.

I was flipping through my Japanese magazine one night and wondering if I would be the only idiot who is thinking of dressing in shorts, skirts and leggings when it's freezing in New York. And then the phone call from Cynthia came and I told her about what I was thinking and she rattled on excitedly about how she was looking for such pictures on the net for inspiration.

So dear cyn, this post is for you!

One reason why the clothes look so good is coz the models are already so HOT.



They can even get away with leopard preens and zipbra preens just coz they're chio.



[Photos can be clicked to enlarge]

Counting down to New York!

It was 2.39am. My mobile phone sang its funky jazzy tune. It could only be one person -- Cynthia.

It has just started snowing in the big apple.

Cynthia was practically screaming, "IT'S SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

From what I heard, New York is not known to snow during winter with the exception of last year.

I'm as thrilled as cyn and the kids as I've never seen snow before. It would be a white Christmas afterall!

After that, we got so excited discussing about the places that we would be going.

"The kids want to bring you guys to the Statue of Liberty."

Haha... They would be our little tour guides.

~~~

I just realised that never once have I mentioned here on my blog that I would be taking a long break from work to spend about 2 weeks in New York.

It's time for a well-deserved break. The last time I went "overseas" was to Genting! That's eons ago.

Most of the people around me who know keep having the impression that I'm going on a honeymoon with kh. I'm not going with kh as he has fyp to be done. So it'll just be Charlene and I flying over.

Feisty Team reunited!

~~~

Over at work, I was constantly distracted by the amount of errands to be run prior to the trip.

When I was not at work, I was constantly worrying about how I would be able to get all work done before flying off.

I'm wishing for santa to put TIME into my stocking this year.

~~~

This song by Jay Z and Alicia Keys makes me excited about my impending trip.




Jay-Z ft Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind Lyrics

Yeah,
Yeah, Imma up at Brooklyn,
now Im down in Tribeca,
right next to DeNiro,
But i’ll be hood forever,
I’m the new Sinatra,
and since i made it here,
i can make it anywhere,
yeah they love me everywhere,
i used to cop in Harlem,
all of my dominicanos
right there up on broadway,
brought me back to that McDonalds,
took it to my stash spot,
5-60 State street,
catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons whipping Pastry,
cruising down 8th street,
off white lexus,
driving so slow but BK is from Texas,
me I’m up at Bed Stuy,
home of that boy Biggie,
now i live on billboard,
and i brought my boys with me,
say wat up to Ty Ty, still sipping Mai-tai
sitting courtside Knicks and Nets give me high fives,
N-gga i be Spiked out, i can trip a referee,
tell by my attitude that I most definitely from…

In New York,
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
Theres nothing you can’t do,
Now you’re in New York,
these streets will make you feel brand new,
Big lights will inspire you,
lets hear it for New York, New York, New York

I made you hot n-gga,
Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game,
sh-t i made the yankee hat more famous than a yankee can,
you should know I bleed Blue, but I aint a crip tho,
but i got a gang of n-ggas walking with my clique though,
welcome to the melting pot,
corners where we selling rocks,
afrika bambaataa sh-t,
home of the hip hop,
yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back,
for foreigners it aint fitted they forgot how to act,
8 million stories out there and their naked,
cities is a pity half of y’all won’t make it,
me i gotta plug Special Ed and i got it made,
If Jeezy’s payin LeBron, I’m paying Dwayne Wade,
3 dice cee-lo
3 card Monte,
labor day parade, rest in peace Bob Marley,
Statue of Liberty, long live the World trade,
long live the king yo,
I’m from the empire state thats…

Welcome to the bright light..

Lights is blinding,
girls need blinders
so they can step out of bounds quick,
the side lines is blind with casualties,
who sipping life casually, then gradually become worse,
don’t bite the apple Eve,
caught up in the in crowd,
now your in-style,
and in the winter gets cold en vogue with your skin out,
the city of sin is a pity on a whim,
good girls gone bad, the cities filled with them,
Mami took a bus trip and now she got her bust out,
everybody ride her, just like a bus route,
Hail Mary to the city your a Virgin,
and Jesus can’t save you life starts when the church ends,
came here for school, graduated to the high life,
ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight,
MDMA got you feeling like a champion,
the city never sleeps better slip you a Ambien

One hand in the air for the big city,
Street lights, big dreams all looking pretty,
no place in the World that can compare,
Put your lighters in the air, everybody say yeaaahh
come on, come,
yeah