Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to my dah..ling friends! I have spent the last 7 days in meditation, sitting for long hours in silence and living on fruit, bread, water, some vegetable juice, honey & lemon in hot water and soup. I have detoxed myself almost to death! But it was necessary. My energy was so depleted towards the end of the year, I didn't think I could survive another year. Hence my long silence in this blog space. But now I feel compelled (yes pressured!) to write in this Blog due to many complaints from you guys asking me why I have not written for a long time, especially after the Goodbye to Singapore... am I depressed or suicidal etc.... No, no, no to all that. I was too lazy to write during the fasting month. Then I went back to Alor Star for Hari Raya. Thereafter was the rush by clients to complete certain projects or milestones before the year end and ofcourse... Billing & Collection time!!! You lawyers out there will know the year end mad rush to collect all outstanding bills. And you clients out there will know not to answer or return any lawyers' calls during this period.

The days leading up to Christmas was a contrast to the detoxing quiet New Year. There was a lot of gluttony involved. I was at the Zang Toi shop, er sorry, I should say atelier, on Saturday to discuss the design of my new outfit. My friends & I were invited to a fashion show/party that evening thrown by Dunhill featuring Zang Toi's Spring/Summer collection. Zang Toi himself flew back for the event. As I was hungry (it was lunchtime) they ordered a plate of kway teow from their cafe which is situated at the building across. There I was with this big plate of kway teow and pot of hot tea when Zang Toi himself burst in, in his usual exuberant style. Wearing this gorgeous cashmere mini kilt he designed. The man has good legs, I noted. He must go to the gym religiously, they are so well toned.

As he, his brother See Loun and I, were chatting about his latest collection, this Pakcik (uncle) with a songkok on walked in carrying a big bag or box (I wasn't paying that much attention to him). When he went off, their assistant opened the package and brought out these very nicely packed food. It was rice with chicken curry and other condiments wrapped up in banana leaf like a cone and covered with yellow napkins. The Sultanah of Kelantan had sent them some food. Zang Toi & his family are Kelantanese. They gave me one of these banana leaf cones to try. There I was, with the huge plate of kway teow and now rice & chicken curry....

The party/fashion show that evening was great fun. The show itself was great. The Spring/Summer collection was as usual, quite stunning. Though I must say his last collection, using Trengganu kain songket, was simply marvelous. There were free flowing drinks and canapes. Most of Zang Toi and See Loun's guests wore their creation. That included my friends & I. We all parked at the Regent and walked to the Club. I can't recall what it is called but it's next to Tarbush restaurant. Everyone was staring at us as we walked there. When we reached the Club, we breathed a sigh of relief as the people queing up outside the Club were also dressed to the nines - all glammed up. My friend Chris was in her latest velvet Zang Toi suit (which, may I add, that she ordered 4 of them in different colours...). Roslina was in a lovely polka dot number. Terrie was not wearing her Zang Toi plunging neckline dress as she promised but wore another designer's black bare back dress - she felt safer (but colder) exposing her back than her front. I was, as I had earlier promised Zang Toi, in my Zang Toi mini kilt & trench coat (with sequined borders) & pink furry stole they made for me & pink thigh high Gucci boots. When Zang Toi came over to our table and I stood next to him, these photographers wanted to take our picture as we were in matching mini kilts. So all my friends & I had our photos taken with him.

Our group seemed to be the only ones interested in the food. Everyone else were busy guzzling the wine & booze & cigar & cigarettes. Then came dessert - chocolate profiteroles. After consuming about 10 profiteroles... (ok ok I exaggerate... maybe we had about 4 or 5 profiteroles each)... we decided it was best to leave. Yawn... I need another holiday...