"I am not a nugget" : )

Picture courtesy of Luna who stuck this sticker on the dashboard of Cindy and Dmitry's car : )

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly ... Oh, and Deck the Dave with Santa's Clothing!

Remember the Michaelangelo statue magnet that stands near Tom's food bowl?

Uh-huh. Okay, this year, Dave the statue got a new upgrade for clothing. Check it out! ^_^

Life's Sweet ^_^

The expression on Earl in the comic basically reflects how Dash is feeling now : )

Happy Holidays II! :D

Too quaint not to be blogged : )

Check out the gnomes collecting hay in the cold winter, neatly cross-stitched on the runner that Maddie placed above the drawers : ) Yeah, Dash *likes* gnomes! Cute, aren't they? : )

Happy Holidays! :D

Spotted hanging on the branches of the tree @ the Farbers : )

Estimated Penguin Arrival Time

Above is the picture of a screen that records the estimated penguin arrival time onto Philip Island, Australia, based on the previous day's timing. Dash enjoyed the countdown of the penguins swimming into the shallow parts and wriggling their tails to shake off the waters as they waddle on the beach : )

Anticipation is always part of the fun of waiting : ) Now, Dash can't wait for all the Farbers to gather here for Christmas! ^_^ Come quick!

New Soul - Yael Naim

I'm a new soul.
I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit about how to give and take.
But since I came here,
Felt the joy and the fear,
Finding myself making every possible mistake.

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la...

I'm a young soul in this very strange world,
Hoping I could learn a bit 'bout what is true and fake.
But why all this hate?
Try to communicate
Finding trust and love is not always easy to make.

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la...

This is a happy end.
'Cause you don't understand.
Everything you have done -
Why's everything so wrong?

This is a happy end.
Come and give me your hand -
I'll take you far away.

I'm a new soul.
I came to this strange world,
Hoping I could learn a bit about how to give and take.
But since I came here,
Felt the joy and the fear,
Finding myself making every possible mistake.

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la...

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la....

Dash's (still unfinished) 3rd Acrylic Painting

For the 3rd piece of acrylic painting, the teacher decided that we are all ready to dive into the under-painting technique. This is where we do a monochromatic painting of the set-up, and then do a second layer of painting. The second layer of painting uses a colour palette that is created from us mixing in white with the key colour to create an array of differential colour values.

And for this piece, the teacher gave us the following set-up:

And the picture below is a canvas with Dash's first layer of monochromatic underpainting, using the positive technique (i.e. direct painting).

And Dash is quite proud of being able to complete this in 3 hrs! Woohoo! :D Compared to the 7 hrs Dash took for the first painting of the wooden structure set-up : ) Mmm! Improvement! *YAY!*




























This last picture shows Dash's work only 1/3 of the way completed for the second layer of values painting. Only the small round flat pottery and the bottom of the vase was completed. :D

Dash *really* likes painting : ) Wooah! But what is needed is really a relaxed weekend after a good cuppa, with hoppity music in the background ^_^

At the Yokohama Cat Museum : )

From anti-clockwise:

Cat #1: *Rumbling in throat*

Cat #2: Good starer

Cat #3: Who ate my sardine?

"Don't think or people will talk."

Ladybug cheers gambatte! :D

Let's just keep going! MMM!

Sweet Miso Crackers! ^_^

Arrrrrr NOM NOM NOM NOM! *In Cookie Monster style* ^_^

Air: Letters From Lost Countries

Another read that Dash completed in Nov is "Air: Letters From Lost Countries".

Put an acrophobic air-stewardess who has a philosophy degree in a world afloat with conspiracy theories -- and this is the same world where forgotten countries can lose both their economic and metaphysical currency in the real world. So letters were mailed from a country that does not exist on the map, and reality could be altered if the right people piloted the plane to land in the lost country.

Dash likes this comic series with its well-sketched and dimensioned characters. The underlying discussion of issues such as apathy to the sufferings of others, whether might is always right, and stereotyping etc were well-drawn out in the characters' reflections and the situations that they find themselves in.

Dash votes this a good way to spend two hours in a cafe : )

The 2 1/2 Pillars of Wisdom

For Dash, Alexander McCall Smith's writings are always thought provoking and yet entertaining : )

Earlier this Nov, Dash had just re-read the Von Igelfeld Trilogy, titled "2 1/2 Pillars of Wisdom". Comprising three books, "Portuguese Irregular Verbs", "The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs" and "At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances", they provide hours of highly entertaining reading and food for thought.

Dash particularly enjoys the unfolding of the moral dilemmas that von Igelfeld finds himself in because of the tussle between his loftier noble desire to keep true to his family crest motto "Truth Always" and his petty concerns. Of course these situations can *really* get out of control when von Igelfeld regrets his rash action of telling blatant tales to the Freudian psychoanalyst so that he can get his revenge on a colleague, and then running into church for confession even though he is not a Catholic; or even von Igelfeld shushing the Pope in the library, not recognising who the Pope is.

This is Dash's third reading of the book, and Dash is still absolutely tickled by the Sausage Dog episodes in the trilogy, whether it is the dog's owner wailing about how he should not have to oil the wheels of the dog, or the dog gnawing on the supposedly holy bones relic : )

Veggin' Out!

Mantou goes "Arrrhhhh" in the chilli crab sauce

Sighted on Haz's plate at Esther and Wee Kiat's wedding last Monday : ) Dash really loves food art!

^_^ This one is for Ilya

未来有风光明媚 也有事与愿违 有梦就别半途而废! ^_^

(Translated: The future has its bright sparks, and not everything will turn out as you would have wanted all the time. But don't give up on your dreams!")

The Galloping Geographer and Pow! ^_^

A quick snapshot of the Galloping Geographer and Pow : )

They both make the most funny dinner conversations! ^_^ especially Pow who was absolutely enamoured by the particular dress sense of this person throughout dinner. OMG, dinner conversations are always so exciting with these two professors!

Spikey Monster Goes "Huh?"

^_^ Only because this spikey monster has the most annoyed expression on its face :D

The Red Pandas Patrol

Protecting the stash of coffee capsules : ) Yesh, a very important job!

外面是个混乱的社会

(Translated as: The world outside is a chaotic one.)

Pillar of Love and Waddles of Fun! :D

The Warm and Fuzzy Feeling ^_^

Ilya saunters down the alley ...

Yes, with two cuppa ^_^ Each with at least three shots, I think : )

"You sparkle for no reason, and you know you are in love!"

Dash absolutely loves this film and its soundtrack! ^_^ Go go go and fight for what you love! :D