aDrenais' Book of Shadows

It's been a long time since I posted photos, here a whole bunch of them at one go, taken over the last 2 months:

I'm a freaking poster girl for blood donation! It's the 13th time I've done it since I started when I was 17, and now that I'm back in Singapore I'll try to make it a point to donate blood every 3 months. I don't ordinarily snap photos in a room full of people having blood drained out of them (it's not as bad as it sounds), but this time round I was the only person in NUH's blood donation centre, so out came the camera and the posturing.

Etihad, my previous employer, is everywhere in Singapore thanks to the ads on a good number of taxis. As it happens, my cousin took Etihad to New York because it was the cheapest fare, and swore that he will never fly Etihad again due to the overwhelming presence of persons of a certain nationality. Something about enduring the smell for 14 hours.


Here's my friend Lilac at her birthday celebration, with her husband in lilac to complement. She was tickled by the birthday song that the restaurant played over the speakers when the waitress brought the cake out. It was an excruciating version that went on to "How old are you now.." in the tune of Happy Birthday, and it must have lasted a good 3 minutes.


We held a gathering in honour of Boon's departure at Dirty Nelly's, this Irish Pub 2 minutes away from my workplace. It was an excellent turnout, considering the late notice. I can't drink to save my life; look at how red I got after only half a pint of beer.

Check out the 昙花 that came into bloom on 31 August 2008, the first day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. This is the 昙花 of 昙花一现, an idiom that conveys fleeting beauty. It is an allusion to the lifespan of the flower, a mere few hours from the time it blooms (only in the night). The 5 buds grew in size throughout the 7th month, which led me to wonder if it was my paternal grandmother's gift to us (she was the one who tended to the plant with tender loving care before she returned to China). It finally blossomed one day after the Hungry Ghost Festival, all 5 of them on the same night. So it was a gift after all, delivered in the auspicious 8th month. I love my ahma.

All these cupcakes were baked by my friend and her sister, to celebrate the 1st birthday of her darling daughter Danika. Danika has a caucasian father and Filipino mother, look at how adorable she is!

And finally, a picture of my office on the first night of the F1 night race. We all work late for good reason.