Lull Me to Sleep

"I love sleep. My life has a tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know?" -Ernest Hemingway

Indeed, Mr. Hemingway. Perhaps that's why I have trouble waking up every morning? (Excuses for the sloth). For now, I feel like I sleep with my eyes open and live the day with my eyes closed. As much as I want to see and feel everything, there are days when I long for nothing more than to live inside my dreams, even though I hardly remember any of them.

Lost and Found

Perhaps all is not gone.

This set of pretty rings has been missing for around a year before it finally reappeared last night. I remembered feeling very upset when I lost it, not just because I love it but also because it was a gift from someone I cared about and vice versa--or so I thought.

Fast forward to present day, I found it inside a shoe box while I was cleaning up my room to move into my new apartment. Funny enough, I've been opening that box quite frequently to grab the shoes, but have never seen the rings laying inside. Despite the fact that today, I resented the giver, I am reminded again that sometimes good things can pop up in the most unexpected places, when you least expected it.

Maybe I should have more faith and not give up too easily on life and love.  

Latte Wisdom #3

Some things in life are like ice cream. You enjoy it fast before it melts, and it gives you an instant temporary joy or happiness.

Salted caramel ice cream from La Maison du Chocolat, Hong Kong, 2011

Dear Sky God

Midnight prayers to Thien Kung (Sky God, he's like the Zeus of Chinese gods), a tradition every night before Chinese new year that my mom always follows. 

The altar would face different direction every year (not too sure how they decide on it). This year, it's to the west. 

Naturally, we pray for health and prosperity, and to ward off bad luck. The offerings are usually tea, chinese wine, fresh fruits (pineapple, jeruk bali, srikaya), kue keranjang (sticky cake made from glutinous rice flour and palm sugar), kue mangkok (steamed cake made from rice flour), and sweets, with "money" on the side to be burned later.

"You pray?" People asked. But to me, this is a tradition more than a belief. A tradition that would probably be diminished when my mom's gone. So I follow it whenever I can, because I will miss this colorful ritual when it's gone--just as much as I would miss my mom.

Gong xi fa chai, everyone. May the new year brings forth an abundance of luck, joy, and love.

Latte Wisdom #2

When you were 17 and you listened to a cheesy love song, you'd sigh and think, "Oh, how sweet! I want a love like that." Fast forward to 30 and you'd probably think, "What the eff is this guy rambling about?"

If I ever got married, my wedding song would be Depeche Mode's Enjoy The Silence.