The end of a decade. Although this was not the way I envisioned it – seeing that I’m not actually doing anything today. I see this as a time of reflection of what’s happened in the past 12 months. I am not the one to set New Year Resolution, but I think I am just going to have to this year!! First….let’s see what’s happened in 2009…..

Year of the winning streak
Sometime in Febuary, I won a wok set from one of the SMS competition (it was an Uncle Ben Chinese New Year Promo thingy) that I entered whilst pushing my trolley around the supermarket. Fabulous. I never win anything – ever. May it be lottery, lucky draws, raffles….I am not born lucky let’s put it that way. So winning that wok set (even came with chopsticks, rice bowls, spatulas, apron & oven mitts!) really invigorated me. For some reason I told bacon that my ambition in 2009 was to win a holiday….to which he just laughed. And laughed. And laughed. He did ask how did I forsee going about winning a holiday, to which I said I had no clue. So he continued laughing. Throughout the year I kept entering random competitions and quizzes….futiley I might add.

But look who’s laughing now.

The universe works in mysterious ways. I DID win a holiday, and what a fabulous one at that. To be honest, I was thinking of winning maybe some bog standard trip like some tickets to Spain or a weekend trip to the Lakes (more of a torture for me to be honest as I hate walks)….but I’d much rather hop on a plane to sunny Sydney! WOW. I so rock. Like the Rocks…

In between, I also won other fabulous free stuff…Opera tickets (we went to see a very odd 12-piece band play) and a great Urban Outfitters goody bag. I also bagged myself a free coffee table book when I went to the do that was thrown to publicise Havana Cultura.

And speaking of which…

The year I turned public
I’ve been blogging for half a decade. Unbelievable. I have never gone to any bloggers dos ect…just because I’ve never had the inclination to. I do not protect my online identity well enough, as in I display my pictures ect, but it’s hard meeting people because then I would need to tell them what I do as a job – and I am old-school enough to remember that being dooced is not a good thing! So this was definately the year that everything changed. I started tweeting more intensively, and had got to known some local bloggers/tweeters as well..believe it or not, prior to 2009 my audience was primarily from US, Australia and of course Malaysia.

I’ve been to some ‘brainstorming’ of bloggers..i.e. the Awesome tour of Sydney meet and Havana Cultura intro Tapas night. I was sent a book by indie publishing house Prospera to review. I read massively, but chick-lit is not one of my favourite topics, so I suprised myself by liking it…and subsequently my first book review came to life.

And of course you cannot forget..

The year I got made potentially redundant (again. and again)
I’ve been working for the same company 2+ years…and I’ve had a change of 4 jobs. Even with my sunny disposition, I am beaten down, which is slightly depressing really.I love working in this company, but I’m not too sure if I can take the stress of the perpetual change.

However, not all change is bad…

The year I got active
I had known for some time that I really need to get back to training. Living in Leeds does not bode well at all for outdoor activities, it is either too cold for me or rainy. And I hate rain. Rain rain go away. I went for a few runs in March, hoping to make that a part of my life rather than a random occurance. Having Tiesto on the iPod helped significantly…although that did not last too long – very soon the cold wind chafting my ears and I was getting distracted by stopping at the small meadow down the road from me and feeding the miniature ponies that live there. They are ever so adorable. Okay, distraction again.

So in October (yeah, VERY late I know) I decided to get off my lardy ass and DO something about it. I revisited my Wii, and set up a schedule for myself where I do 30mins -1 hour as soon as I get home from work, before I start on dinner. The first day on the EA Sports Active was tortourous, to say the least. I ached in places I did not know exist…and it wasn’t good. I soldiered on, and manage to finish the full 30 day challenge thingy. However, I am only slightly out of breath at the end of it, and not nearly sweaty enough, so next up I purchased the My Fitness Coach: Cardio Workout. And most definately the most worthwhile £10 I’ve spent in a very, very long time. Not only was the game super entertaining ( my mii earns points to buy outfits – I’m now dressed as a pink bunny!) , it got me off the couch and sweating buckets. Excellent, excellent game. I’ve always loved kick boxing, so this was a natural progression for me. Amazingly, I’ve only missed the odd day and sometimes a whole week; but I always return and doubly punish myself by doing extra long excercises when I do return to it. So semi-regular, I would say…better than nothing though, and I can see my biceps taking shape!

For 2010, I have received another fitness wii game, Your Shape – and will be starting off 1st Jan off with a bang. Oh yeah. That loud bang would be me jumping and breaking the floorboards with a bang. No, actually, I’ve had to move the Wii from my upstairs living room downstairs so I can jump and hop to my heart’s content without coming through the ceiling. The sounds of a herd of elephants….music to my ears…

And speaking of music…

Soundtrack to my life
Ever since I fell out with my iPod a few years ago I had increasingly been removed from listening to music, which I used to find great joy in. Two things happend in 2009…I found my music mojo back with the appearance of my iPod touch and made a return trip to the great Glastonbury. Oh yeah. I am up to about 10gb worth of music on my iPod, and having a long commute on the bus and the ability stay hooked on my iPod whilst I’m at work helped massively with me catching up on what I’ve missed. And more. It was the year of discovery; the last time I fell in love with so many different acts in one year was when I was coached intensively in 2005…

Glastonbury also introduced me to a number of excellent new acts for 2009. I fell in love with British music….first time in my life. I’ve never been a bandy sort of person, but this was the year of the kooky female vocalist. I discovered new tunes, danced to a silent disco, joined Pete Tong & Deadmau5, and saw how Timo Mass hates the adulation of fans…unlike most other DJs.

A scroll through my playlist will show a very eclectic mix from Thievery Corporation to The Killers, from Nouvelle Vague to Florence + The Machines to Chinese pop songs, Lady GaGa, Hed Kandi mixes and Diana Krall to sleep to and Mika to wake up to. Oh yesh. I definately got my music mojo back.

Oh, speaking of music…

Defining gadget of 2009
If there is one purchase that defined me this year, it was getting back to Apple. It all started with Elvin taunting me with his new purchase from NYC…and like a stupid little puppy, I listened to him and got intruiged. So I bought myself an iPod touch too with this year’s bonus payment. The last of the great bonus…so I thought I should do something about it.

It’s definately turned my life upside down. For starters, surfing the internet whilst in the bath…playing neverending games whilst on the throne, watching my chinese serials whilst waiting for a bus….seriously, the price repays itself a thousandfold and ensures that I’m never bored again. Even drey got one….and I got bacon one for Christmas as well. I now feel so ‘connected’ it is unreal. Everything on your fingertips. And those Apple adverts? They are right. There is an app for almost everything. Amazing. Should have got it ages ago.

Just like…

Furniture!
We have some at last!!! I have been toying with the idea of moving for some time now…but at the moment that’s looking next to impossible due to the rapidly falling house prices. I’ve been putting off decorating and furnishing rooms other than my living room & bedroom, but seeing how I’m rapidly accumulating crap, I really needed some furniture. There is now a huge pile of IKEA stuff in my downstairs living (turned Wii) room which I will be turning into a library/games/guest room and upstairs room which will consist of a row of wardrobes…and all my crap stuffed inside.

Still working to getting it finished, but will defiantely be up by 3rd January! Can’t wait! At last I have some furniture! Everything will look much more presentable now…

Just like my face…

Facials are back
I subscribe to the belief that you need a regular facial to keep your appearance shipshape….however, since I moved to Leeds there has been a massive hole in my routine. Facials here are treated as more of a treat than a neccessity…and this is reflected in the price as well. And when I do go for facials, they are usually not very good, and I do not feel as deep-cleansed as I really should feel after that. So it was fabulous when I discovered Origins….to think that I just popped in for a bottle of moisturiser.

They charge £15 for a facial, which is by itself a bargin. The £15 then is completely redeemable against Origins products; making the facial free essentially. Products like a cleanser starts from £17, reasonable really. The facial is not the best ever ever, but not too bad. The products seems to work with my face, and the essential oils smells delicious. I would happily pay £15 for it even without product redemption; a regular cleanse-exfoliate-mask with some essential oils and a complimentary hand massage…although that is a bit touch and go, it really depends on who was on duty that day as to whether you get a hand massage. But seeing that it is practically free – no complaints there, eh?

Oh, which brings me to…

Me the complainer
This year I have definately turned complainer. One of them annoying whingers. I think I just about had enough with bad customer service that I have experienced in this country. I complained about Subway limiting their toppings for me, I complained about my bus drivers being rude, being late, not turning up, taking a fag break….I complained when I had difficulties getting someone to help me with booking my trip to Sydney.

Seriously…I have no idea what’s gotten into me. When did I start complaining so much??! I guess its both good and bad…they need to know that they are not doing too hot and I need to get it out of my system rather than let it fester.

Speaking of things that are bad for you

2009…the year that went up in smokes
My on-off (mostly on) love affair with smokes this decade have finally ended. Cold turkey as well might I add. And I am so proud of myself . I still have an occasional craving (when I’m drinking, when I’m having coffee, when I’m working to a deadline, when I’m studying, when I’m stressed, when I’m chatting with friends…well, it’s more than occasional) but I am controlling that craving very well indeed…not given in once, although I do dream of doing it . I know it’s just going to make me feel ugh afterwards. It helps that most people I know here do not light up.

And so that’s 2009 up in smokes then!!

So what am I looking forward to in 2010?

Changes for 2010

I need a promotion. I need more money. I need another job. End of.

I need to get back to blogging/picture taking. 2009 is most definately my worst year in my blogging history. I have dissapeared for weeks on end. It’s not due to lack of blogging topics, I have been so busy doing other stuff. I have upped the ante on tweeting – but it’s defiantely not the same. Yes, it is easier to tweet in 140alphabets or less, but blogging defines me..I must say though, I am having problems with this super long blog post after doing 140 characters for so long!!

Nearly there, but not quite. I need to accept that I am going to live here…and finish my driving license stuff and other residency stuff here. Sigh.

Travel-wise, looking forward to Melbourne-Gold Coast-Sydney in Febuary, NYC with Elvin in May and catching Eclipse in Malaysia with Drey in June/July…of course not forgetting her wedding!! Yay!! Not looking forward to the regular trips that I am making to Scotland & Brighton for work…the trip is overly exhausting and I much rather remain in my small little cubicle in Leeds.

I’ve been trying half-heartedly, but I am going to get serious bento-ing for 2010. No more unhealthly leftovers…2010 is going to signify a rehaul of my lunch habits and it is going to be totally healthy. Or so I say now. Check back at the end of January.

AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Thank you for being with me throughout the second half of the decade – and putting up with my mostly sporadic blogging. And random thoughts. Mostly disputed.

Its gone all white at the farm!! Am I in line to have my first white Christmas??

Continuing my reviews of chain restaurants – another restaurant that I have been encouraged to try from the Hi-Life card range is Chiquitos. I absolutely love Mexican food, although not so much after leaving California. I cannot recognise dishes that most restaurants here in the UK (and Malaysia too) try to pass off as Mexican. I pray for the day that Taco Bell eventually makes it out of the States (yes, its THAT BAD). A proper San Franciscan burrito with refried beans, carne asada and rice topped with unlimited fresh salsa (seasoned with freshly chopped coriander) – just like the way they serve it up at Mission district. Sigh. And yes, I do know that San Francisco is not Mexico, but a San Franciscan burritos is actually different from a regular mexican burrito (its got rice wrapped up as well as meats, beans and veg).

Beggars can’t be choosers right? I had never wanted to step inside Chiquitos before for fear of having to pay full price for food that I hate (it’s not exactly cheapo McDonalds). However, it gets thumbs up from me, and we’re turning it into our regular Thursday night spot….yep, the Hi Life card offers two for one mains there up to Thursday! I usually go for the tex-mex option rather than proper mexican – introducing my steak fajitas.

Bacon had just the steak, which came with yummy fries, coleslaw and grilled sweet corn on the cob. I love steaks done on the grill, and again, Chiquitos got bacon’s steak cooked the way he liked it, medium-rare. I love mine so rare that it’s close the being blue.

Sure, this is hardly mexican (nowhere NEAR authentic) but it’s fun tex-mex, and DELICIOUS. I had been dissapointed to find that TGI Fridays in the UK is seriously not nice at all – I used to love TGI Fridays when I was in California, and even in Malaysia they usually taste quite passable. Chiquitos also offer the usual selection of burritos, chimichangas, quesedilla ect..which I really need to try. Who knows, it might actually BE close to authentic Mexican. At the moment I still think my best bet would be heading towards the land I called home for three years….I hear a Mission-styled burrito calling my name……

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Chiquitos
(Outlets across the UK)

I am not a pizza person. Fact. I’d eat pizzas, but it’s never my first choice. Pizza hut ( bacon loooooves it) probably contributed to it. Thick, stodgy crust with bare-bones toppings, too much salt and a thin spread of tomato paste…ugh. To hide the disgusting crust, I usually go for pizzas that’s piled mile high with toppings…equating to an even more oil-soaked crust contributing to a thoroughly disgusting meal. Double Ugh.

So it was refreshingly suprising that I have fallen in love with Pizza Express this year. Believe it or not, I have never been to Pizza Express until this year – partly due to my repulsion of pizzas and partly due to my general adversion to chain restaurants. Visits to Pizza Express is now a near-monthly occasion….even though I had not blogged about it before, I had regularly tweeted my pizza express photos. Admittedly, these visits might possibly coincide with us owning a Hi-Life dining card this year; giving diners buy-1-get-1-free on all mains in Pizza Express Sundays through to Friday.I also love how they are usually very efficient – I have issues with inefficient service and servers having a chinwag whilst customers waited vainly for their cheque. On a full-house, I can usually expect my pizza on the table within 15minutes of ordering. I have been to near-empty pubs where it takes them a WHOLE HOUR to serve me my food.

I have ordered a different pizza each time I went, I love the super thin crust, light base sauce and classy toppings that is a step above ham-and-pineapple. So last Sunday when we were at Pizza Express again, I went for the skinny options. The Legerra Pizzas supposedly has less calories (apparently hovering at the 500 kcals mark) than conventional pizzas – with the crust shaped like a doughnut rather than a full disc. The middle bit of the pizza (best part!!) is replaced by a salad of rocket & spinach – god knows what they do with the middle part that they’ve removed? It is also smaller, contributing to portion controls I guess. Low-fat mozzarella is used – this is fairly obvious and I did miss the creamy taste of the mozzarella.

Unfortunately for me, apparently the skinny option does not leave much of a choice for the carnivore. I went for the only Legerra pizza containing any meat; the Gustosa. The Gustosa (the name sounds so robust) is ‘Hand torn prosciutto cotto ham, fior di latte mozzarella and slices of portobello mushroom with sweet yellow peppers and a sprinkle of thyme.’ Hmm. The amount of proscuitto ham was so minute that I had to stop half way through to check whether there were actually any ham on my pizza.

I know it all sounds like a complaint, but if this is diet food, it is defiantely one of the tastiest diet options out there. The pizza is very light and flavours not overpowering. The salad (I replaced mine with a rocket-only salad) is nice enough, dressed with what looks like Pizza Express’ creamy salad dressing. Apparently the crust is made with a ‘skinny’ recipe, but I must say I did not notice the difference there.

Bacon went for one of his old favourites; the 14 inch Etna – spicy soft sausage, fiery roquito peppers and speck ham; finished with grated grana padano. I was happy with my lighter option until I had a slice of his meaty and spicy pizza….the lesson is when you’re having a skinny option, DO NOT TRY THE FATTY OPTION. Left alone with the Legerra I was happy….having a bite of the Etna reminded me of the times when I ordered the Diavolo, the Sloppy Guiseppe and my favourite – the Pollo Pancetta. It took some self control for me to return to my doughnut decorated with rocket.

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This was my first Pizza Express pizza by the way – they don’t do this anymore – oval pizza with torn mozzarella, rocket and pancetta.

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Whilst this is the yummy Pizza Diavlo. Love the jalapenos

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Would I go for the Legerra option again next time? Hm. I probably would appreciate it more if they added more non-veggie option. I still love Pizza Express though, and am still slightly amused that they have managed to turn around my adversion for pizzas.

Pizza Express
Get details of your nearest restaurants

….and that could only mean one thing. It’s time for the annual chop again!

This time around I steered clear of the Vidals & Tonis…..Katie suggested Ego, a local salon. I guess the litmus test is – do I love it? Hmm. I like it, it’s defiantely better than last year’s, but it’s proving hard to maintain; I am regularly waking up to my hair literally shooting out to all directions. So I now have to get up slightly earlier to brush my hair out, put some gunk on it and then blow it out again.

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