The Big 30: Bounce Bar

Bounce bar 4 from Kelly Chee on Vimeo.

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This year is a biggie for Scott - he turns 30 and he is no-likey it. The only way to do it is to have a big party and accept the big 3-0 in as drunken a state as possible. The meticulous planning for the birthday weekend party starts in earnest about a month before. We considered various types of venues before settling for Bounce. We have never been ourselves but we have only heard good things about the place...the fun factor, cocktails, pizza and crucially, its ability to cater for a big group of 20.

We were completely bowled over by Bounce!! The walk down the stairs to the bar adds to the anticipation; the size of the venue opens up and the energy and atmosphere are so infectious! It really got us going...we were impatient to get to our table and start playing.

Back in high school, Scott and his friends used to play table tennis against each other during break time and the competitive streak and the odd swift moves returned pronto. Before long, buttons are undone, jackets taken off and the sweat beads start forming. This is serious stuff. We girls stayed by the sideline watching out for stray balls that came flying from all directions! At one point, Scott went in for a big hit and the ball went askew and hit a random girl right in her eye! All in good humour though...you kinda expect to get hit and thankfully ping pong balls tend not to cause too much harm (I can verify that as I got smack right in the head the minute I walked into the venue :P).

But the strong cocktails soon took effect (as per the last picture!) and we ended the night in the Adventure Bar in Covent Garden. It got messy in the Adventure Bar...too many Jagerbombs later, the pictures ain't pretty or appropriate to share but the birthday boy is happy, very happy.

The party continued the following day in a pub to watch the Six Nations Scotland vs. Ireland match. The weekend ended on a high note for Scott - Scotland won the match and his beloved Ayr United won 1-0 too. The birthday boy is very happy indeed.

Happy 30th Birthday

Happy Birthday darling!!!
30 really ain't that bad, join the club! :)

Chinese New Year

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Chinese New Year Yee Sang to usher in the Year of the Snake. We did it twice this year, first at Aunty Janice's place on Chinese New Year Eve and another at plusixfive supperclub last night.

Both were good and satisfies the once-a-year-only cravings. It is not my favourite dish but having in on the table symbolises Chinese New Year and for that I toss as high as possible, wishing for good health and good fortune (winning the Lottery) and having a plate-full of it.

Love day

He says: She sings like a duck
She says: He farts under the duvet

This is how we roll...

Happy Valentine's day!

Accidentally deleted this post so am posting it again - duh!

Pancake race and pink pancakes

Shrove Tuesday (yesterday) was so so cold. I can vouch for that because Arya and I were standing outside Truman's Brewery watching the Great Spitafields Pancake Race taking place. I lost sensations on my fingers the minute I took my gloves off to take pictures of the race. We saw the first half of the race but after 15 minutes we admitted defeat and returned to the warmth of the office.

I was completely inspired by the range of pancakes that people make on Shrove Tuesday - the standard pancakes to okonomiyaki to roti jala to kueh dadar. I wanted to make the ricotta pancakes I did last year but good ol' Tesco sold out on ricotta so I went back to basic but made my pancakes pink instead.

The end of a (CNY) era for me

There are many things or moment that screams 'You are no longer a kid, you are an adult!!' even though I still feel like a kid deep inside. Often these moments conjure up a mix of emotions in me: of excitement and anticipation and sometimes fear, such as:
- getting my first credit card (not Bank of Daddy's supplementary card)
- buying expensive make-up from a proper make-up counter
- buying that first designer handbag with my hard-earned cash
- planning my own holiday
- first pay check from a 'proper' job
- going for an expensive meal (without Daddy and Mummy)
- the biggie, getting married (doh!)

Then there are those 'smack right in your face it hurts' moments that signifies you are  'not such a kiddo anymore love':
- getting life insurance
- mortgage
- paying off credit card bills (without Bank of Daddy's contribution!)
- pension plans
- dealing with a broken boiler
- getting the 'tick tock tick tock' lecture about the state of my ovaries from a nurse

I am going all melodramatic because today I feel old, which is even worst that feeling like an adult. This is all coming to a head because I just handed out my first ang pows at Chinese New Year! This is seriously like, the end of an era for me!!!! Once you start giving ang pows there is no going back!!! I would consider this to be one of the bigger disadvantages of being married.

No more excitement of sneakily trying to open the ang pow to see if it is a biggie. No more feelings of disappointment if the ang pow received is heavy (horror! coins instead of notes! This ain't cool aunties, aint cool!). My siblings and I will tip all the angpows we collected into a middle pile late one night and fan out all those notes and feel rich and beautiful while we count our takings. Mum will be watching with eagle eyes to make sure we did not sneak a note under our PJs.

The only way to soften the blow is to have kids so you will get something back in return - technically the ang pows are for the kid but if they are a toddler it doesn't count right? I think it should go to the parents. Mum always say she has 5 kids to recoup her 'loses'. Maybe she is right.

OK...I'm off to find Scott! ;)

Paper planes love

First seen via Jo's website

This makes me go ''aaaahhhhhh.......sweeeeeettttttt'. So good it is being nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the Oscars this year.

So it is Friday and I am getting excited for the weekend, there are lots (of food) to look forward to:

©       Kicking off Friday evening with a feast of SpitandRoast Jamboree. They are serving chicken wings, buttermilk fried chicken bap, mac n cheese and doughnuts. I feel sorry for my waistline and cholesterol levels just typing those out!

©       Chinese New Year dinner at Aunty Janice’s place on Saturday. I cannot wait to Yee Sang the year of the Snake in!

©       Our friends Ewan and Laura are visiting us from Scotland. This often means a bit of sight seeing (I am thinking Columbia Flower Market)and possibly a pub lunch.

©       I also need to prep for a dumpling party I am having on Monday night. One of the girls is not keen on dumplings and I am making it my mission to convert her! 

Happy Friday!

January...according to Instagram

©       a Moroccan lunch date on a cold Saturday

©       finally done with our wedding Thank You cards

©       bike shopping on a very early Saturday morning

©       the snow came

©       made pork dumplings

©       had a takeaway Indian with Ross and Nat in Cambridge

©       baked chocolate and marshmallow brownies

©       spoiled for choice of Chobani yogurts in the office

©       got creative with Scott's 30th birthday presents

©       a day trip to Long Melford