Singapore's very own forest!

Pried myself out of bed this morning to go to work. Holiday's over... Boohoo...

Chinese New Year has been the same as all the years before. Eating, eating, eating, eating... ;p oh ya and of cos' visiting. The younger cousins that I see once-a-year are changing at an alarming rate that makes me feel extremely old. O_o And the new addition to the extended family - an adorable month-old cousin! :) - no doubt adds to that effect. Sigh... One can't escape that fact when it's in one's face eh?

Boss just told me to prepare a presentation of the progress, in the last twenty years, of the procedure that I would be responsible for. *_* I'm putting off starting on it till this afternoon.

The office is still quite quiet, with several people still on leave. So thankfully not a whole lot of work yet.

A thought just occured to me. I don't think I've been properly grateful for my new job yet!!! My work's coming along fine (so far) and my colleagues couldn't have been a better bunch -comparable to my French colleagues! ^_^)!!! Thank God for that! :D

Went for a walk in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve yesterday. Undoubtly, it was a sweat-inspiring (I was so gooey afterwards I could have swore anything that lands on me will stick!), leg-muscle-intense work-out. :) Very good fun! I've been wanting to do something like this, with the right company, for the longest time... Gives a welcome respite from all the concrete, and noises from the city. (which was the case until his mobile started ringing.) Both of us had a laugh afterwards when we realised we thought the same thing. It must have been ages since I last went there! *Searching hard drives...* I can't remember when.

There were monkeys near the entrance of the Reserve who either looked nonchalantly at you as you walk by or ignore you completely. :p

A small (relatively-speaking) monitor lizard brillantly camoflaged by the side of some steps had us jumping out of our skins when it decided to move. We thought it was just a piece of log.

A very tiny (oh-so-cute!) squirrel was spotted among the trees. Along the way, we also saw several other normal-sized ones.

Vividly-coloured butterflies effortlessly fluttering around as we laboured up steps.

Ants with coloured bodice and ferocious-looking claws on leaves.

I had to look hard to see the salamander-like lizard he pointed out in the browned patch of grass. It was so well-blended into its surroundings.

The cicadas made up the main symphony in our little rainforest. We stopped in our tracks for a couple of minutes to hear them play their mate-attracting tunes.

My suggestion to go off the beaten track close to the stream gave him a soaked trainer and a cut on the heel of his palm. Sorry... :(

Somewhere along the up-down, windy footpaths, there was a little view of the dense side of the forest we had just emerged from. There was a small breeze as we stood there admiring the view and catching our breaths.

That was a genial way to spend an afternoon, in my opinion.

I can't believe I went to the gym in the evening afterwards. Ha. See lah, the consequences for pigging out...

Dropped by River Ang Bao near the esplanade (the last I remember, it was still near Marina) and I was very thrilled to know that the fireworks are still on every night till the 15th day of CNY. It was magnificant, though short. Do try to catch it, if you can. 930pm.

He tried shark fin's soup and muah chee for the first time. You are almost fully integrated into the Singapore culture, I say. ^_^