What 2009 brings...

I celebrated my 30-something birthday without much fanfare recently. Met some really good friends for a picnic at the Botanical Gardens, blessed with beautiful breezy weather. My fellow preggers gf made me a delicious New York Cheesecake while Pumpk'n blowed the candle for me. I loved birthdays like these surrounded by people you love and fuss-free.

Yesterday, my wonderful husband took me to a delicious yakitori dinner at my favourite restaurant, Kazu. Charcoal bbq skewered fois gras, wagyu beef ribs, lamb chops, kurabuta pork belly with cold dry sake, I feel blessed.

2008 has passed by with a blink of an eye, mostly caring for my little princess and spending time with our expanded family. Very lucky for us too, we have a couple of fantastic holidays in the region. For the first time, I find myself with "time" - a luxury which has long been forgotten. In the first few months, I was dwelling in time, this new found luxury, letting it pass by without much hurry or worry. Soon after, I begin to feel a bit agitated, pondering if I'm just wasting my time. So I put in some effort to make my time efficient by working on a potential business opportunity and exploring art and cooking. Looking back, I've achieved quite a bit, but I think I could have done more. But with an active toddler in tow, I want just as much to appreciate the available time I have with her.

I think 2009 will pass by in a blur too. Besides expecting a newborn, handling a twosome would be quite a challenge. Personally, I also intend to spend more time in art, hopefully my first art exhibition before the year ends. And if I'm lucky, a new business venture will be born by then.

So I'm ready to embrace the new 2009 with open arms. As bullish as it seemed, we might as well ride the rough year ahead by taking it by its horns!