Smoked ham

No, I did not discover a new recipe to impress guests from Provence.

And yes, I admit that I burnt something in the microwave yesterday, in which case means, the smoked ham was me. Guilty as charged.

Well, I could have kept quiet, you know. Pretend it never happened and jump back on to fool you guys into thinking I absolutely was triumphant in my third soufflé attempt. Or, or, grace this spot with details of my date at the outdoor movie theatre at Ekeberg just so I can skip this burning issue altogether.

But I wouldn't. Well... couldn't, considering the stench that came from it may have traveled to you in a matter of seconds. Also, judging from the interior of the microwave that has turned a smoky yellow, I think it's a safe bet to say that was a pretty bad case. I'm just glad that it didn't burst in flames and make my husband a sudden widower. I shudder at the thought of it.

In my defense, I did everything according to instructions. The package offered two alternatives; steam or microwave. Needless to say, I wasn't in the right mind to choose a 20 minutes steaming option over a 2-and a half minutes in the microwave. Why did I even bother to save myself 17-and a half minutes? Why?

Don't get me wrong. I still love my microwave and think that it's the lazy-person's best friend ever. But I need to learn that not everything can go in frozen and come out a piping hot, incredible dish. Those days were over for me. Guess I'll fire up my kitchen more often from now on (pun totally not intended). 

I want to be a good housewife that rules the kitchen, not burn it down.. I know you do too ;)

So, keep safe, ya'll. The Missy prays.

Grey territory

It's exactly 3 months ago that I set foot in Oslo. Not for the first time ever, but the first step to making it my home.

Having people; family, friends and strangers, asking me how I feel about Norway has got to be my most frequent dilemma. "Cold" is usually my single-word answer. Neat and straight to the point.

But I don't think that's what they were after. Frankly, I don't know what the answer should be. Just maybe something more than a "cold", I guess.

For the past few months, I've been struggling to find the answer that I seek. And as all pondering does to me, I find myself back on that emotional roller-coaster ride through that sky high snow-covered peak to pitch darkness deep under the sea. I worried and I doubted; but at the same time, I see a glimmer of hope and future. And when I snap out of it, I almost always find myself in this grey territory that I call reality. 

Why must it be a definite Love or Hate answer, I queried inside. Sometimes, there's just no answer. I would lift my chest to show you my heart, but I couldn't. And even if I can, there won't be a "Y" or "N" embedded on it, this I know for sure.

Oslo.. Norway.. I haven't known you all that well; and I still get lost on your sculpture-filled parks, but I want to know you. I want to love you like I did Melbourne. I want to start making memories that says us. Most of all, I want you to feel the same way for me..

It's still grey to me, but at least it's beautiful..

I was your darl..

When he asked, "Why didn't you wait?", all her heart answered was, "Why didn't you chase?" But it doesn't matter anymore, does it? This chasing-and-waiting game people played since Grade 8, and still do, for some lost souls out there. 

A beep from the cell sent her heart a flutter, and when she saw his name on the screen, she thought she may have just died. But that can't be right. He was so cold, aloof even, just three days ago. She thought she did, or said, something wrong. Her swollen eyes and sunken cheeks could attest to her agony. But this was really him calling..

She smiled anxiously to herself and laughed a nervous laugh. She wanted to answer the phone; she couldn't wait to. But each time she reached out, the phone seemed farther away. The ringing was getting dimmer and sounded more distant than ever, ripping her patience to a million pieces. Tears pooled in her eyes as she burnt through the darkness in search of the faint ringing of her cell. She wanted to pick up her phone, wanted to hear his voice, wanted to know what he had to say to her.., wanted to know if he'd missed her.

"Daddy!" a voice shouted, followed by the banging of door.

His eyes fluttered open and squinted against the afternoon light. He remembered it was a Sunday, a bright, lazy Sunday. He had fallen asleep on the couch while reading his newspapers; his half-eaten panini cold on the side table.

Quick footsteps ran through the hallway, he can hear that. He remembered his son, Ben, and the girl he loved the most once upon a time.

"I've missed you," he said as little Ben jumped onto his lap. "And I've missed you too," he whispered into the still July air. 

To love and to like..

I was determined to learn something new each day. And yesterday gave me exactly that chance.

So, you see, I was idling away like I always do; flipping from a TV channel to another, reading a magazine cramped with Norwegian stories or joining the thousands others online in a world of differences. But there's this particular saying that stuck with me for the rest of the day..

The difference between like and love, is that you can like a lot of people, but only love that one special person..

What do you think about that? Do you agree? Or do you, like I do, disagree from the core of my very being?

Let's just say it is not-very-true instead of total crap for karma purposes.. but I believe the person who came up with that saying perhaps never before experienced love in its grand, magnificent way.

For one, associating love with only the people whom you have affection for is shallow. Second, even with human beings, I trust there are more than one person in your life that you can feel love for; deep and true love at that.

I do not mean to sound promiscuous, hell no! I do believe in commitment and Taiwanese/ Korean drama series, but what I want to show here, I suppose, is the love that make up life.

To me, love is a cup of hot coffee while it gently snows outside your window.

Love is Mum and Dad saying "I miss you.."

Love is the knot in your heart as a soft, furry paw lies on your lap and hot saliva runs down your leg.

Love is when hundreds.. well okay, 42 friends hugging you goodbye as you prepare to leave town.  

Love is if the sun comes out even when the forecast predicted clouds.

Love is baby blue and clean sheets.

Love is opening your memory box and found the perfect picture frame from your buddy, hidden notes and all.

Above all, love is beyond the capacity of words..

But like all good wives, I'm showing you one of my biggest loves here - hubz, with genuine smiles from both of us.

PS: This was also the picture I mentioned two posts earlier, which reminded me how much I love photos captured from years back.

Have you figured out the love that make your life, peeps?

With love..

Be happy, stay happy

Something came through my email today. Something that is so simple yet we always forget. Something that is so true, it made me smile.

Listen to/ Read these and see if you've checked off as many as I did.

• Walk for 10-30 mins everyday, smiling.
• Sit quietly for 10 mins everyday, in isolation if necessary.
• First thing upon waking up, say "My goal today is..."
• Before going to sleep, say "Today, I'm thankful for..."
• Live with the 3Es: Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
• Play more games than last year.
• Read more books than last year.
• Learn something new everyday.
• Look at the sky at least once a day, marvel at the majestic world surrounding us.
• Dream more while awake.
• Eat more natural foods.
• Drink green tea, plenty of water and a glass of red wine each day and toast to something beautiful in life.
• Try to make 3 people laugh everyday; and make everyone you meet smile.
• Invest your energy in the positive present, not rumours.
• Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
• Eliminate clutter in the home, the car and the office.
• Don't let an opportunity pass to hug a friend.
• Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
• It is not necessary to win every argument.
• Make peace with your past, so as not to ruin your present.
• You are the only one responsible for your happiness.
• Appreciate your body in all its' glory.
• Reject everything that is not useful, amusing or beautiful.
• Don't lose time; we already have everything else that we need.
• Have fantastic sex.
• Phone your family just to let them know you're thinking of them.
• Enjoy the voyage of life.

I've done alright. I guess lastly, but not least, the Missy just wants you to know: "Life is too short to not enjoy every moment of it."

If you have something you would like to add on to the list, holla here!

xxo

Four months later..

.. and Missy is back on her desk, well.. on her dining table to be precise, since there's no said desk for her computer in this new place yet. The computer itself was set up only three days back, so yay to finally finding sanity in the virtual world.

Here I am, sitting on a fluffed pillow on the floor, trying to reconnect with all of the world while nursing my left leg which had gone totally numb and cramped. But don't you worry about that. How are you all?

Since I've left this space, I've spent a scorching month in my hometown, Malaysia, celebrating Chinese New Year with family and friends, and God knows I can never have enough of that. The company, the sun, the food, the laughter and all. Then we packed our luggages and off we flew to Oslo, my home-to-be. Thus began my goodbye to great weather..

:) It wasn't as bad as it sounds. Oslo has a lot for me to smile for, only I miss my home in Melbourne and Malaysia. Still, I wake up every morning with hubz by my side (and yes, I still get my morning kisses) and that alone can make me smile for the next 10 years. Also, we've been getting longer and brighter days, and you know how a good bright day makes me feel, right?

Today, we woke up to snow. In May, people. But instead of feeling like a trash bag full of crap, I actually feel damn well. Which was why I remembered to sneak back into this blog and conjure something out of nothing but pure delight. That, and to pretend that I never left this blog for *gasp* four long months. Can I blame it on jetlag?

I was sorting our old pictures last week and I stumbled upon one of our first snaps, hubz and I. (PS: I would have totally posted it here but somehow blogspot had gone awry on me) It was April, 2005: has it been 5 years already? We looked young and carefree (and skinny, goddamnit!). Part of me missed that; the constant hugging like we can't breathe if we don't have our bodies twined together, the numerous coffee and movie dates, and the faces that are free from stress wrinkles. But, of course, being the Missy, I love it better now.

Because now, we each have a soul-mate. And even though this particular soul-mate of mine always leaves his half-drank cup/glass everywhere around the house except for its rightful place in the sink (hence my wrinkle), I love him. And because I love him, I know that I will come to feel Oslo as my home in no time.

As for the people and things that I miss, it's deep in my heart for eternity.

Val, my lp, I have come to realize that the things we do together in Melbourne, we didn't do it often enough. I've missed you greatly. I can give up muffin for two years just to spend one day with you right now.

My babe, Chloe, I love and miss you a long, long time. You'd know exactly how I feel so don't make me cry by writing all those mushy stuff.

Mum, Dad, Tom and Le, it hurts not to be able to see and hug you all everyday. I miss even the simple fact that we were together in the same room doing our own things..

South Yarra, Toorak, Melbourne, you won't know how I think about you every night before I fall asleep. I don't think we can ever forget you. You were our first home.

Sutera Mall, JB, Malaysia, you really suck as a shopping mall but I missed you the most. If I have a free day with Doraemon's magic door, I would first pull Le, my sis, out from whereever she is and we would go to you for a crazy, mundane day.

Sun-tanning, OMG I think I have to cry again.

There's really a lot that I can't let go yet. But I know things will be right again. They always do. Meantime, take my word for it - The Missy never stopped thinking and missing..