Monthly Archives: June 2012

Family Portrait.

My interest in taking photos all started with my dad. At different moments of my life, he has provided me with the knowledge and where he can, the tools to capture my memories.

In primary school, he bought my first camera and taught me how to load the film roll when all the other kids were using disposables. By the time I was in high school, the technology changed so Dad bought me my first digital camera and taught me how to choose a quality camera within affordable means. Now as an adult, he continues to inspire me to keep capturing moments of my life through a lens.

What makes this even more heartfelt for me is the fact that my dad is legally blind. Though he can barely see through the lens of his camera, the detriment of his eyes has never stopped my dad from being in love with photography – at times, he’s even more tech-savvy than I am!

Family portraits with Dad…

Yet, one of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt from my dad is not about photography. The best thing Dad taught me was that if you love doing something, keep doing it. You might encounter many hurdles and never receive any recognition for it but at the very least, it makes you happy.

After all, isn’t that what life should be about?

A Friendly Breakfast.

With all of us having such busy schedules, catching up with friends is one of the most difficult things to do in my life. After a week of discussing, confirming availabilities and reminders, Sunday breakfast became the outing of choice with my friends this past weekend.

There is always something quite intimate about catching up over breakfast. The small little table, the quaint cups of coffee and the delicious plates of eggs and toast all play along as I sit there and enjoy my friends’ stories from the past few months. This experience made me think about the joys of simple, untainted friendships.

Above: Coffee, friends and eggs on toast – a perfect Sunday.

Friendship is such a complex idea and trying to find your genuine friends in a sea of acquaintances is by no means an easy task. Sitting at this table made me appreciate the humbling effect real friends have on your life. There is no façade you can hide behind when around them – take the opportunity to sit there, be yourself and don’t worry about who’s judging you.

PS. Thanks to my lovely friends for breakfast on Sunday – this post is dedicated to you!

Stuffing Around.

After a dreary start to the week, I came home one night to find that H. prepared some delicious stuffed vegetables for dinner on his day off from work.

Nothing says comfort food during winter months like stuffed mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes. As a dish which I’ve come to know and love over the years, stuffed vegetables makes a regular appearance on H.’s mum’s winter menu as a cost effective but delicious way to feed the whole family during cooler weather!

Preparing Stuffed Vegetables

Stuffed Vegetables

Before (above) and after (below).

The preparation and cooking may have taken H. all day but coming home to this dish reminded me of the joy of eating something that has been prepared by someone who loves you. You can savour all the Michelin star dishes from around the world but there is nothing that will ever be quite like your home favourites.

At times, we can lose sight of what’s really important in life. Thankfully, instances like this remind you of the simpler things – make that your focus today.