day 663 | december 25, 2012 | a tradition of togetherness

i've always struggled with an appropriate celebration of christmas. coming from a muslim family, educated in catholic schools, and innately curious and widely exposed to other religions, i grew up pretty mixed about religious celebrations. nonetheless, it is reason enough to enjoy the people we see on a daily basis but are too busy to truly appreciate, and to reconnect with folks who are a little farther, and perhaps a little scarcer.

as we do every year, we try to get the little ones involved in setting up the tree. H takes the helm here, as i shoot along. 

day 668 | december 15, 2012 | Penang

 
Penang is one of my favorite places in Malaysia. With a diversity in yummy, fatty-liver-inducing food, a colorful tapestry of cultural heritage, and an openness to the arts, it's a great destination for photographers and non-photographers alike. 

day 671 | december 5, 2012 | Kidzania Mania

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" That's a question I was always asked as a little girl, and I suspect, most little kids nowadays still get asked on a regular basis. It's a simple question that's loaded with expectation, and packed with plenty of push.

Answers like doctor, lawyer, or accountant always received proud smiles. Astronaut, teacher, musician, or painter get patronizing smiles. Responding to the question with "monkey" or "happy" will likely categorize you as a lost case. So I learned to give the answers that gave me the proudest smiles, kept my "unconventional" thoughts to myself, and tried to get closer to "monkey" in my spare time. With the help of my kids, I might have succeeded on the "happy" bit. :)

day 689 | november 24, 2012 | Spicy Phuket

This is going to be a whopper -- a colorful photo story of what we loved from 9 wonderful days in Phuket. If it was just me, my top 5 Thailand experiences are clear: food, more food, diving, and lazy soak-the-sun sip-that-ice-cold-coconut kind of lounge at the beach, with a masseuse working me to a jello-mellow bliss. But nope, this wasn't that kind of trip. With the two kiddos in tow, our full moon party had to take on a less risque tone. They did allow me a couple of glasses of wine -- thankful for small favors. :)

Several months after the trip, I'm surprised they still remember our sun-soaked days in Phuket. I asked them what were their top memories, and this post is our opportunity to share their Top 7 Phuket Experiences. ("Why seven?" "Because I'm going to be 7 years old, you know?")

More images, less words. Enjoy! :)

day 665 | november 11, 2012 | Legoland

A day's adventure with friends. We were so ill-prepared for this trip, having misplaced our touch n' go card, and forgetting to bring ringgit with us across the border. We spent close to an hour around jurong just looking for a money changer to pay the malaysian toll charges with. So do prep before you go. On a positive note, the GPS did NOT fail us.

day 654 | november 7, 2012 | gradROOation!

you know that feeling, when your heart is leaping out of your chest with a painful sort of sweetness, and your insides are melting in awe and tears are precariously hanging on to the edge of your eye -- and yet your brain is telling you it's just another day in the life, so stop being so bloody silly. that's how it felt. i managed to hold back the tears this time. i can imagine the floodgates of my tearducts breaking open for her next milestones though. but let me not get ahead of myself. it is JUST her kindergarten graduation after all. :)

day 653 | october 21, 2012 | botanic gardens

just images from one of our favorite places in singapore. :) the little ones at play during the golden hour.

day 650 | october 10, 2012 | the simplest of things

before i left for europe, i asked roo if she wanted candies from paris. i was thinking of picking up some treats for them at a l'etoile d'or along with a small pack of lauduree macarons. in response, roo shook her head at me, then grinned. "why do you have so many scarves, mommy?" she asks, twirling around with a couple of my old treasures. she and red have been playing dress up with my scarves, and she loves pretending to be an indian princess (probably influenced by our last visit to the civilizations museum). she wanted some scarves to call her own.