chinese horoscope 2012

my brother suggested i should try looking at my chinese horoscope forecast for 2012, the year of the Black Dragon. XD

google's top hit is this super detailed and somewhat complicated thing at http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/2012ChineseHoroscope.htm

so after inputing my birth date, time and hopefully the right time zone... i got this data.

Hour (kids)	Day (you)	Month (parents)	Year (ancestor)
Male Metal	Female Wood	Male Metal	Male Soil
White Dragon	Green Sheep	White Monkey	Brown Dragon

Five elements	Wood (you)	Fire (kids)	Soil (money)	Metal (job)	Water (mom)
Total	25	41	98	166	19

apparently Water is my 'lucky element'. i remember my mom said that some chinese fortune teller she went to said i would have a fiery temper so i should have a water element in my name :P

so according to my 'info'..

Luck in 2012:
'It's very good, 2012 is a strong Water year. There is nothing can stop the luck coming to you. You can feel it and people can see good luck over you all the time.' (yes! time to buy lottery, toto and 4D.)

What will happen in 2012:
Water is the mother element of Wood. Water represents parents, mentors, elders, protection, teachers, knowledge, education, medicine and/or health. Therefore, people who care for you a lot will often be in contact with you in 2012. (read that, people?) They will give you good support and good reputation. You will earn a lot of knowledge from their advice, and bring up your confidence. This will help your career development or money investment.

Dragon is Earth, which is related to money and wealth. Therefore something to do with money, finance or investment will also happen to you in 2012. If you have strong Wood, you will have more chances to increase your income or investment. ( aiya no wood!)If you have enough money, then you can think about the investment on housing, which is connected to Water.

Dragon also contains Wood and Water. Wood will become stronger. If you have high score Wood in the birth chart, then you should watch for your words and deeds, otherwise bad reputation might come to you very soon. Also, there is a chance of poor health. (very good, i got low wood.)

i cant be bothered to go on more because its so lengthy and becomes irrelevant because of 'if you have blabla and blabla in the chart',.. and other sites have conflicting statements XD i really do want to try a chinese fortune teller one day for the fu nof it.

cny blues

cny is coming up... it will be the first time i'll not be having a cny reunion dinner with my family. i remember just a few years ago we were having the problem of where to go for reunion dinner and we'd go to one place first then show up at another much later for awhile. strangely though, i cant really remember too much details of reunion dinners except for the recent years where we have our own steamboat at home.

i think i'll try have my own mini steamboat here in norway, although i'm wondering if i should bother inviting friends? also i dont want the tv to be on. its a time of interaction and cooking :P but what can i dunk into a steamboat here? i was thinking of using our portable wok as a steamboat thingy. as for ingredients... i could marinate chicken, pork, and fish slices (but what fish?!). i could use norwegian fishballs and see if they work on steamboat HAHA

maybe i can even try make my own wantons? will have to go to an asian store and see what i come up with. not much time left since it will be this week! joni jie jie said i should make some sweet dessert to symbolise 'tian tian mi mi' (translated to :very sweet.), which i assume is for a continuing sweet relationship between a couple or family? i never knew that, explains why there's so much sweet desserts at CNY meals. so i think i shall have tang yuan.

i would also have prawns... but what else? there isnt really much veggies i can dump into a steamboat here. scallops are expensive? but if it would make me happy i know alex would get it :P there isnt my beloved sea asparagus or abalone here. so if anyone has suggestions, please leave a comment.

maybe i'll just go to a chinese restaurant?! sounds much cheaper and convenient!! but the nearest one here closed down.......no idea if the others have anything special.

ah. this year i also wont have that lovely cny lunch on the first day with aunty choo and sharf ku's family :( i really enjoy that lunch because that grand aunty makes SUPERB steamboat. and her scallops always taste awesome. and meats. and fish. aiya everything la.

i'll also miss day 2 cny lunch :( every year we are ALWAYS late thanks to ahem ahem. but mama would save me some of my favourites. then all my cousins would be there. :(

oh another issue: ang baos. according to dear google (and some relatives), i do not have to give ang baos the first year i get married. some say ROM doesnt count, must have the whole chinese hoo-ha thing, wait a year, THEN give ang baos. then i'm also confused about giving older single people. google didnt say anything about that. again, if anyone knows, LEAVE A COMMENT.

but its not like people are gonna bai nian online right. shall stop going on about my CNY blues now, and move on.

i finally did cupcake nails!
the cupcake in the pic is one of the ornaments made by me. matched so nicely haha. my nails were actually getting too long ( too long= scratching your face when you try remove your contacts) so i chopped off a good portion. plus shorter nails suit the cupcake design XD. but i notice now the vertical lines of the cupcake base makes the nails look longer.

i've also completed a doily, something people here use to decorate their tables. usually with older people i guess? its mainly found in white, which i find very grandmotherish sometimes. so i decided to make them in fresher, younger colors.

purple.
this was a ball of thread alex's mother's mother gave me. she gave me a little plastic bag of threads and yarn to crochet with. i have told alex now that i will not but any more yarn till half my current stash at least is used up.

from last summer i have a huge bag of cotton yarns from mary to make potholders and stuff. she has WAY too much leftover yarn so she was glad. plus she likes what i do with them XD just completed a potholder yesterday.
so cheerful right? its meant to look like a cathedral window. if i had enough orange i'd reverse the color order but i dont, and i dont wanna buy either :P have enough to make one more, so i shall!

gonna make maki rolls and go to the gym today again with alex and joco. :) blog again tomorrow!

blog post ahoy!

today i shall post in reverse order what i've been doing because its 8am in the morning and i uploaded the pics in reverse. XD

first up, i've been making cute little cupcake ornaments!!
i used old xmas balls collected from mary,and left some plain because i think it looked nicer that way since its quite sparkly on its own. then i added japanese whipped cream clay ( abit expensive, for my taste, but the alternatives were either more expensive, too heavy, or havent been found here).
i think they look like a cupcake only if topped with a cherry like thingy, which is a red faux pearl bead i bought off eBay dirt cheap. hooray for free shipping XD when i showed alex the results his first comment was 'looks like christmas ornaments'

they ARE xmas ornaments! at least, this batch is. i have to find something like plaster of paris or expanding foam to fill in a cupcake base if i want to make anything else, because that would prevent the cupcake liners from crumpling in. i decorated the cream with little rhinestones meant for my nail art XD nice way to use them since they're $0.99 for a thousands bits?

randomly in a store one day, i saw this on sale. the angry bird merchandise has been in norway for awhile, but i have no idea how well it sells.
i also finally got my gym membership card, which is used to open the door to the gym. checks are conducted at random, which i was highly annoyed by because i was barely 5 mins on the treadmill when the guy came over. irritation got expressed by 'do i HAVE to get it NOW?'

XD i really dont like being interrupted. but the guy said i could get it later muhaha. i'm not that mean to make him wait till i was done though, so i got off to get it a few mins later.

the treadmill is highly similar to one i've used in Singapore, in Chinese Swimming Club i think? maybe its exactly the same, except the fan here worked XD i LOVE the fan blowing in my face while i jogged!!

ya its blurry because i was jogging and taking a pic. gym card is in the lower right corner, the white and blue thingy with no name, just number XD.

managed to get a shot of most of the gym before we left. its a nice sized gym, and not too many people when you go at 10pm. i noticed the people in there were regular gym users (as noted by mostly or very muscular bodies)

one thing i noticed about norwegians and gymming. its quite a popular thing to do for people of most ages, and they seem to get all the needed accessories and wear for it. or jogging. or bicyling. and its not cheap either, jogging pants sell for 400-500nkr. and i just scream inside whats wrong with a pair of shorts?! they even have workout SHIRTS.

whats wrong with a normal t shirt?! maybe its one of those 'i'm so cool i blablabla' thing. even normal bicyclers here use helmets, something we singaporeans do not see unless at cycling at the beach. i know alex is adamant i use a helmet if we bicycle, but cant talk back to that because this speed demon crashed before his eyes once ;D

after gymming, we + joco (he gyms there too) wemt back home, where i made a big pot of japanese curry! joco scares me when he ate because i was barely done with 4 mouths of curry and rice and his plate was already empty and back on the table. for a guy who eats for two, he sure is pretty damn slim.

anyway.. moving on... this was my meal before gym. XD

Tina's motto: i exercise so i can eat whatever the beep i want.

which would also includes this.mac n cheeeeeeeezzzzeee!

XD its not that good if you eat too much of that, but i forgot to add some ham to it which helps hmm... make it taste better i guess so you can eat more hohoho

tomorrow is monday and we're going to the gym again. and we're going to have MAKI ROLLS!!! YUM!! tempura prawn maki, i love you. and for dessert, chocolate fondue with fruits! gotta make use of that wonderful xmas present X)

thats all for today :)

words

i finally got my gym membership in trondheim! we will be collecting it tomorrow and go work out with joco and possibly his friend Amund. then i'll be cooking the guys a japanese curry dinner :)

joco said Amund's lasagne is great, so we'll probably cook that sometime soon. i told him of my maki roll craving and we have a plan to make maki rolls next week. ohhhh the craving is getting so strong T_T

alex went upstairs to help the neighbour with her new ipad, having some problem with connecting to the internet due to some router settings i think? he mentioned we knew how to make sushi and maki rolls, and someone suggested that we could have a get together among some neighbours in our tiny block ( a total of 5 apartments and one vacant office on the top floor). neighbour upstairs = juliet, a secretary in a nearby law firm. her father is not norwegian, cant remember where he's from though. in any case, it means she and her mother (a friendly lady) speak fluent english . YAY

layout of our block:

1st floor: Frank. idiot who is in a hell lot of debt, parties at late hours leaving his bottles in a shared garage. appears to be near deaf, considering the volume of his tv and music playing. we've had people ringing our doorbell looking for him, so i labelled his stupid doorbell. however upon returning after xmas, the label was removed. shall put it back up again soon so he can get harrassed properly.
there shall be some action against him soon, which may evict him from the block. if the bank force sells the property, i'm sure mary will want to buy it XD. she made an offer before but it was too low. her competitors i suspect is the woman who owns the store outside our block ( a 7-11 type store called Mix) or juliet's mother. we're living in very good property now because there's developments going on all around our immediate area. a new park , a tunnel, and a new mall (woohoo!).

2nd floor: me and alex in one apartment, and a norwegian man+indonesian wife (lotti and guri, their doorbell says)+screamy kid in another. they seem like a nice family, shy and friendly greetings. the lady has set off the fire alarm once but despite its shrieking bells she said she didnt hear it. her cooking smells wonderful, though i suspect she forgets she has an exhaust fan.

3rd floor: juliet, and sometimes her visiting mother who owns the apartment. juliet's in her late 40s i think, and usually asks alex to help out now and then. in return, she or her mother helps out in taking care of our plants and fish when we go to Hustad.
in another apartment is Thor, a guy who moved in recently. He's a student, alex thinks. i shook his hand and gave my name, thats as far as our interaction goes. XD alex has probably talked to him abit more because of the occasional block meeting.

4th floor: vacant office. owned by a twit who converted it into a living space and rented it out to foreign chicks, which is illegal as it is not meant for such. ruined some ventilation pipe and ceiling, and the bill was shared among all the occupants. he shall be going on trial soon, since the other occupants teamed up to file a lawsuit against him. again, big bills shared among us. good thing juliet works in a law firm, it sure is helpful for this.

with such few people in one building, you'd think everyone could show up for meetings that happen once in a few months. not the case though!

back to dreaming about my maki rolls X)

2012 horoscope

the following is out of sheer boredom and will be long!

i googled '2012 horoscope' and picked the first website on the list. now i shall try to make it fit my life XD

General

Renewed energy levels (yes please)are predicted for you this year which shall help you to achieve your long sought after goals in life (my Masters, i should hope). Your creative talents shall come to the forefront this year (its been very healthy lately.). Your wishes and aspirations shall materialize (i wish for my permit, $$$, Masters.). You ought to make some major sacrifices for family or home sake (how else to make $$ right?? the jobs i will be able to do will not be what i like at all!). Take life as it comes by and live it simply in a positive sense (dont i always?). Some laziness might set in during the last quarter of the year (duh, its the xmas period!). But beware that only strong actions shall give good rewards in life (DUH!).

Career

Much orientation would be seen in your career front this year (considering i've been jobless for a long time and i NEED a job this year...). Though personal problems might drag your feet ( i wont like the job?), you shall come out with good colors in the professional field for this period ( oh joy.). Teamwork shall suit you well this time unlike the last few years. Be sure that you do not enter into loggerheads with authorities (which could be my in laws...) and peers in work place. The last quarter of the year shall bring profits much to your suprise (christmas gift money!!). New agreements and contracts can be signed during this period (please let it be my masters).

Finance

Savings shall be your keyword for the year of 2012 (damn straight!!!). It would come in handy during a rainy day. Prepare a balanced budget and make sure you stick to it. Profits are predicted for the year 2012, only if some audacity is practised. Some legal or career issues might make a dent in your purse during the middle of the year, hence beware (i have hopes to return to sg in the middle of the year..). The end of the year shall see you in good spirits as far as your financial standing is concerned (amen!).

Love

Do not chew more than you can bite. Do not venture into relationship with whoever passes by (in short, dont cheat on my hubby). Communicate your desires to your partner in the right sense. Some difficulties would be encountered en-route this year as far relationships are concerned (as with all relationships.). Many sensual and intense moments in your relationship are forecast for the year ahead. The first quarter of the year shall bring in luck if you are single and in search of an ideal partner. If already into a contract, then some tensions are forecast. But that would soon pass off as the passing wind (as all tensions in my relationship always does).

Health

You need to maintain a balanced lifestyle for goodness in health this year (hubby signing me up for gym with him). Else something bad might strike you any moment as you had in the previous few years (weight gain?). Of course, you need to enjoy the pleasures of the world, but let it be minimal. Do try your level best to maintain your shape and weight this year. The last quarter of the year shall see you in good health and cheer. Take ample time for rest, sleep and exercises for a more healthier you. hohohohohoho...

after going through all that, it seems ooo so related. but then i read the other horoscopes and find out its either very similar or i can easily make it fit my life too. ah, the ambiguity and vagueness is indeed fun.

now back to my crafting and tidying.

wheeze

alex has been having a craving for sushi and maki rolls lately, so we went to a sushi bar today. in my opinion, its really not worth going to one because it costs like 79nkr for the cheapest set of 6 maki rolls. in the picture below, its 4 sets.
besides, i love the taste of the maki rolls we and joco make. i make good textured rice and joco flavours it very nicely. it has more taste than the kind we find in the sushi bars on trondheim. otherwise, the sushi there is usually filled with fresh and generous ingredients. while it is tasty, i still want to make our own really soon!

in that same sushi bar, the only bathroom had a huge wall to wall picture of a giant red octopus. why they would have such a huge picture of something one might be eating in the restaurant inside the bathroom, i cannot comprehend.
wouldnt you find that intimidating? more so for a guy i would imagine.

before that, we stopped by a store called Clas Olsen, which sells.. well..useful stuff. tools,some appliances. things you need for home or light repairs.

and i found SUCH CUTE CUPS. (ying-chan, agree with me!) i was miiiilllddddly tempted to buy them but had no reason to :( besides they were 39nkr paper cups.
lilo on the other hand got a new pet bed, which was on a nice sale at just 49nkr! so far she's sat on it a little bit, and gone off to hide in a hole or window because i was sanding a block of wood and she didnt like the sound.

said block of wood is for the shelves on my desk which is off by a millimeter. so far i've manage to sand one block... one more to go. its tiring considering its just 1mm! but i want to finish it today so i can finally tidy up my table more. need to find a way to make a proper display stand for my nail polishes :P

messy messy bess.

cleaning up the apartment is going abit slowly because there just so much stuff you can put in so small a space. so far we've gotten our main luggage bags unpacked and some dirty laundry in the wash, and most of the plastic bags emptied. mainly the xmas gift carton box to tackle left!

i need to buy sandpaper to finish up my desk because the planks wouldnt fit, and alex has to nail some pictures up which are taking up a lot of space on the counter.

other than that... i realised my 'oldest' (bought shortly after i moved here) has hardly grown in the 2 months+ we were away! previously i took a picture it was barely sprouting a leaf. That leaf has grown perhaps a few mm more and developed interesting colorations on it, which i have to check is normal or not. so far google says it might indicate the color of the blooms or not having enough sunlight. the latter sounds reasonable as it has been kept near the front door so the neighbour can water it easier.

a picture of alex's plant.. which come to think of it i think there was one in my childhood home too, but muuuuch bigger?then i had time to do my nails today after making food ;D
a couple of days ago i received a package. as it was too big, i got a picture of the package on a slip of paper to collect it. i was wondering who was so sweet to remember me and it turned out to be ying~~ oh i was so touched i could cry because i do miss her alot, and she packed me thoughtful things.

first was this friendship bracelet kit, which was one of the last things we did together along with siti in ying's house, while watching harry potter and getting overstuffed with a continuous supply of food from her parents and her!
we were struggling to remember how to do other designs but failed, and it never occured to check the internet. to be honest i only thought about it now too. ohhhh the embarrassment for someone living in this digital era.

cool kit, which at least has one purple colored string in it!
she also wrote me a little letter, something i miss very much since we used to write letters to each other in secondary school... despite sitting next to each other. XD the time i spent sitting next to her at the back of the class and getting into a LOAD of mischief '(and getting away with it!) is unforgettable. XD

ah, i do miss my friends in sg, and family, and the food. i'm sorry, but more often than not when people ask me if i miss sg i will say i miss the food first. HOHOHOHO

tomorrow i shall head out to buy my crafting supplies and sandpaper, and another xmas ornament box i think. off to cook some instant noodles with beef!