Live well, work hard, play play? We are proud to present (possibly) the last post of Life for Beginners… for 2009.
Showcasing the Amazing DSLR Photography of A Lil Fat Monkey, Royally Appointed BFF of H.R.H. Queen DSLR, and
Featuring the Culinary & Baking Gymnastics of FatBoyBakes, Royally Appointed Tangechi of H.R.H. Queen DSLR.
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It’s almost that time of year. A time for celebration and cheer. When good friends gather and families flock together, when much delicious food is eaten and alcoholic fluids of all colours are imbibed and drunk.
There is so much colour everywhere. The usual decorations abound in red, green and white: mistletoe and a touch of snow, one suspects. But the rest of the rainbow is present too, exploding in streams of blinding joy. Gifts in small boxes and big, lovingly wrapped books and toys. The Christmas trees feel smaller this year, perhaps it’s the economy, but no less brightly dressed.
‘Tis the season, indeed.
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Everyone I know seem to be getting time off and not going anywhere for the holidays. We are all told by our bosses to clear our annual leave, which turns out to be substantial even after carrying forward as many days as we can muster into the next calendar year. There is no plan for a vacation, too rushed, too little time.
And maybe it’s better this way. When we all find ourselves stuck in the big city during Christmas, it makes it easy to call each other up for a drink or a meal, to linger and chat and not have to head off anywhere. No deadlines. No hustle or bustle. Just room to breathe.
Bonds are renewed. Friends are friends who get to meet and greet, to catch up and connect.
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Christmas is for the children, they say.
Whenever I return to Malacca, I get to take my nephew and nieces out for the movies, for a fast-food lunch their mom, my sister, would frown upon. No matter. Uncles — especially their favourite uncle (their only uncle, true, but still) — are put on earth to spoil their siblings’ kids. It’s sorta like revenge for any bullying they had to endure when they were kids themselves. But I don’t ever remember being bullied. I guess I was always one of the bullies myself. I believe in standing up for what’s right, what I believe in. And I look at my sister’s children and tell them they ought never allow themselves be bullied. Stand up. Stand up for yourselves.
They say we shouldn’t teach kids to fight, to teach kids that they have to prove themselves right. Maybe. But maybe there’s a greater bliss in knowing that you can always stand on your own two feet and that you can always take care of yourself and others you love. Maybe there’s that too.
And Christmas is for ALL kids. That’s us, too. You and me. We are not left out. This ain’t the playground. This is Life’s Big Beautiful Parade. And we are all marching in the same band.
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Somehow, ’tis the season for talent. We all weave our own magic. But how often do we get to demonstrate our skills and our stories, contained in the wares we make from scratch and share and sell. We offer joy unto the world.
Sometimes it’s a perfect yule log, the mock woodgrain carved from dark chocolate ganache with a generous heart and the steady gaze of professional at work.
Sometimes it’s a party thrown together effortlessly, calling upon ready hands and conducting this orchestra of eager ambition and quick wit into a seamless confection of balloons and card tricks, smiling skeletons and minor mysteries, and a hundred and one different special scents, all reminding us of a favourite happy memory.
And you. You are invited and get to be part of all this magic. Bless.
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It’s almost that time of year. A time for celebration and cheer. But sometimes we are just a lil impatient. Why wait till the actual days to commence our merriment? Why not frolic and feed and feverishly flamenco much, much earlier?
Let us set our own timetable. Christmas Eve can start at noon. We can sing carols by four in the afternoon. And just before nightfall, it’d be almost the New Year. Time to belt out Auld Lang Syne…
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Cherish true love. Our partners, our girlfriends and boyfriends and husbands and wives. Our mistresses and our masters. Our spouses and our sweet little secrets. Our cause for romance and the causes of our regrets. Our lusts and our desires, our passions spent or unreciprocated, denied.
Christmas is a time of love, but it’s a time for lovin’, too.
Make love. As much as you can. As well as you can. Like your life depended on it. Ferociously, like animals, like beasts in heat. Fight and scrape, bellow and blow. Softly, gently, like princes and their pretty peas, like their princesses and their pillows piling one on top of the other, billowing and blowing, huff and puff, till the roof comes down.
Make love like you are a virgin again. Make love like this is your last night together. Make love cos it’s Christmas. It only comes once a year. (But you don’t have to.)
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A ray of hope flickers in the sky,
A tiny star lights up way up high,
All across the land dawns a brand new morn -
This comes to pass when a child is born.
A silent wish sails the seven seas,
The winds of change whisper in the trees
And the walls of doubt crumble tossed and torn -
This comes to pass, when a child is born.
A rosy hue settles all around,
You got the feel you’re on solid ground,
For a spell or two no one seems forlorn -
This comes to pass when a child is born.
[And the Fourth Wise Man, a.k.a. the Fabulous FatBoyBakes proclaims:]
And all of this happens because the world is waiting,
Waiting for one child. Black, white, yellow? No one knows.
But a child that will grow up and turn tears to laughter,
Hate to love, war to peace and everyone to everyone’s neighbor,
And misery and suffering will be words to be forgotten forever.
It’s all a dream, an illusion now.
It must come true sometime soon somehow.
All across the land dawns a brand new morn -
This comes to pass when a child is born.
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And somehow, always, in the midst of all the madness and fun and laughter and noise level so high you can’t hear yourself think, we always find a spot, a moment of solitude, finding solace in reflection and gratitude for our many, many blessings.
Good health, a roof over our heads. Food on our table, a job we enjoy that pays the bills as well. Someone to go home to at night, to rest head against head, warm, slowing breath against a smiling face that will drift happily to slumber.
And all around us: All these beautiful faces, these beautiful people. When the blessing is bliss as well, you know fortune has smiled high upon you this pretty good year.
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The bell tolls.
We grab each other and embrace tightly, kissing and hugging and wishing each other a happy new year. This is a rehearsal for a fresh start, another 365 days to live well and live fully, to break bread with our dearest friends and family, to always have this — love for one another and peace in our hearts.
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Dear Readers, have yourself A Merry Little Christmas and a Very Happy New Year! 
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Words & design by Kenny Mah. Additional song lyrics: When a Child is Born.
Photographs by A Lil Fat Monkey. Food & all manner of delicious things by FatBoyBakes.
Merry Xmas n a Happy New Year to you too Kenny
Hope you have a joyous celebration with your loved ones… so nice and vibrant the photos… See ya on the other side mate…
Er, by the other side, you mean 2010, right? Not, uhm, the other other side…
Have a very blessed Christmas Kenny!
Blessed with friends like you, it’s the best Christmas ever!
merry merry christmas
The merriest!
and you wrote ALL that today? come on………btw, i love the hugging picture!!
During my 2nd breakfast and while I was supposed to be setting up the electricity meter at our new place and making me almost late for lunch with the Floggers… uhm, yeah?
life’s definitely more fun with booze. *burp*
ok lah, a bit inappropriate for such a sweet post. haha.
Merry Xmas and Happy New Year, bro!
Hehe, so you read the caption for your pic/collage? Observant fella, you are. See you tomorrow for our Christmas lunch with Snow White!
What a Christmas Bonanza post! You’ve just made my Christmas, Kenny. Thanks!
You have yourself a Merry Christmas and a very happy new year too!
Nah, it’s friends and readers like you that makes my Christmas. Thank you, and have yourself the merriest Christmas ever! (Till next Christmas, that is…)
Awwww my pictures look perfect in your montage! I knew I could count on you to do em justice!
Have a Merry Christmas yourself and to all a good year ahead!
One only does wonders with superb source material, mate. You da man! A (DSLR) star is truly born!
Gorgeous words, beautiful pics & a warm- in- the- heart feeling readin this post.
Thks Kenny, for makin Xmas feeling one for me! ( a non believer of Xmas ;p)
The Xmas Feeling… Oh yes…
wow! ok, so now i’ve read it.. and no wonder you didn’t wanna be disturbed.. so thoughtfully lovely this post ! wishing you and CK all the best for 2010.. and a blessed christmas.. see you soon;)
Haha, I wasn’t so much disturbed as unable to help distracting myself… Chatting online and what not… The Internet is addictive! *groans*
Wishing you and Cumi a fabulous road trip to the Land of a Thousand Smiles. Santa-wadeekrup!
Merry X’mas and Happy N’Year !!!
And to you, dear! Hope your 2010 is even better than all the years before!
awwww, what a sweeeet post. almost brought a tear to mah ah. wishing you a great 2010. since u not dont really celebrate xmas in the “real” sense of word, like thenomadgourmant, who proclaimed she does not believe in xmas (ie, not christian la), i wont frivolously dish out that greeting or it’ll become meaningless.
Haha, it’s only sweet cos it’s filled with the sweetest folks ever, inc. you, sir! So no hiding behind your rather flimsy gruff exterior!
And the greeting never becomes meaningless, so long everyone is in the sincere spirit of wishing Joy to the World!
Oh hello, kenny. Munky was pimping your post.
What a lovely, lovely post. I especially love the montages, each with a main feature of a friend. Beautiful.
I wish you and your loved ones a very Blessed Christmas filled with love, goodwill and hope for a better year ahead.
Munky’s da man, er, da Pimp!
And thanks for giving a much better word than the oft-used (mostly by me, but still) “collage”, cos I think “montage” says it so much better.
Of course at this point, I need to highlight that a couple of the featured pics aren’t friends but a lil girl at the Kiehl’s event (so wonderfully conducted by Munky) and some of the good people there who made it so amazing. Not friends yet, but maybe one day.
I totally laughed today over lunch with the gang when another Munky (this one more feminine lah, hint hint) exclaimed in mock shock — “How can you include some unknowns over us??”
I love these guys.
Merry Christmas to you too, dear!
hohohohoho merry christmas =p i just went to the christmas market in nurnberg =p
Oh, I miss all those Christmas markets in Germany… they bring out the spirit of the season like none other. Plus, the snow sure helps.
Darling for someone complaining of zilch words you expressed yourself and the love you have for your friends beautifully. Peace on Earth to you and yours. All You folk are the Best thing that ever happened to me in the land of Malaysia
Love to you all.
Hehe, well… I did have zilch words before I managed to break through my “writer’s block” and the words came pouring out. At one point, Devil told me over MSN simply to post the pics and a line of Christmas greeting, will do.
Sounded reasonable, really.
Thankfully, I’m not known to listen to the Devil much, haha. Obedience was never my strong suit.
Merry Xmas to you and your family, dear!
*muacks muacks*
Merry merry Xmas my dear friend : ) wanted to write something more, but feeling very sleepy at 3am, so wait for me to get my sleep first. hee
Whatcha doing up at 3am? Go to bed! Sleep, sleep!
Merry Xmas to you when you wake up, bro…
Here’s wishing you great friends, great food, and a great time altogether.
Big hug for you during this festive season.
*BIG HUG back to you, dear*
Miss ya around… blog more in 2010, ok?
…Let your heart be light
From now on,
our troubles will be out of sight…
…Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more…
And have yourself A merry little Christmas now… *HUGS*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxxwy_8OSA8
*hugs*
You do know this is my very favouritest Xmas song ever, right?
Merry, merry Christmas!!! What a blessed thing, friendship, and what better way to spend Christmas than with those who matter.
Wishing you and CK a gorgeously blissful year ahead!
“What a blessed thing, friendship, and what better way to spend Christmas than with those who matter.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself! Merry Xmas to you, your darling hubby and your girls!
Everything is about love & appreciation, you go it so right
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Kenny!!
Haven’t heard from you in ages, dear. Hope you’re having a great Xmas in Penang!
Merry christmas to you and the devil!!
gotta go now…going for avatar in 3D…hehehe
Avatar 3D rocks!!! I’m totally watching it again…
Merry Christmas Kenny! See you next year!
Ooh, you’re coming back to KL? Let us know when and let’s meet up!
Lovely photos Kenny!
Merry Xmas!! *hugs* =)
The credit for them photos go solely to the über-talented Munky… I only did the post-production, or “montage-ing” as one of my readers would put it, hehe. Merry Xmas!!
Merry Christmas N a HappyX2 New Year my ol fren.
Cals? Calvin Loi? Wow… haven’t heard from you in ages, mate. Merry Xmas and a Great 2010 to you too, bro!
Yes, Kenny, indeed mate its gonna be a great year for all of us.
You keep it rollin it for us yea
Haha, will do, mate. Will do. Cheers!
Have a productive and blessed 2010. I enjoyed my Christmas and I am sure you had too!
I had the best Christmas yesterday with good friends — old and new. Now celebrating Boxing Day with the sounds of mahjong being played in the background, Susan Boyle in the foreground… lol
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Kenny! Hope you got lots of presents underneath the Christmas tree this year and hopefully you got more stories to share next year!
Merry Xmas and Happy Hols to you too, Eudora! Here’s to all of us sharing more stories in 2010!
Happy Holidays, Kenny! I love your photography – and how you lay out your pics: faboulous!
Ah, the Devil and I were just chatting about you the other day, dear… We really do miss our time in London and that wonderful (and woefully too brief) chat over tea at Brown’s. Happy holidays!
Our mistresses and our masters.
Hee hee. Whips. Chains. hee hee.
And handcuffs too, no less, maybe, for some. Hee hee.
Lovely post that really captures the Christmas spirit! Merry xmas and happy new year to the both of you! xox
Merry Xmas to you, dear and your Bunny Hubby, and a very happy new year too!
Happy 2010!!!
Eh, still got a few more days lah. LOL
Holiday greetings to both you & CK and a wonderful brand new year!
Hehe, from Penang CK to KL/JB CK?
Made me miss 2009 oledi.
Relish the last few days… I know I will!
Happy 2010! And may all dreams come true.
P.S. Yes, preserved plums are used, typically in Teochew-style steamed fish. But i try to avoid preserved food for some time now.
Good one on avoiding the preserved foods — I should make that one of my 2010 resolutions.
very meaningful post…
hv yourselves a happy new year too!
Hey, thanks for dropping by, EW! Happy new year to you too!
opps…is my turn to thank you for dropping by my blog…hope it won’t make you fall sleep..hahahaha hahaha..
btw ..likes your blog ..i really enjoy it…
keep in touch..:)
Nah, nowhere near that — I’m a couch enthusiast of I.D. myself, love reading the design mags and all that. Will be in touch, fersure!
Hey you, the cheeky one on the blogsphere! Have a great year ahead yeah and hope am not too late to wish you … Merry Christmas!
Cheeky: Who, me?
Happy New Year and Merry Xmas to you!
Hi Ken… I’m really embarrassed that I missed so many of your posts.. shame on me!! I lurv…the photos, you all are having a BLAST. Happy Christmas!!! I hope you New Years is even more fabulous.
We should exchanged cards… I feel like we are friends.. = )
Ah, there is plenty of time to catch up on my posts, dear… but not-post NYE hangover, mehopes!
We will exchange cards next year, my friend…
Hope this didn’t come to late. Happy New Year to you and CK bro! *hugs*
It’s never too late, bro — Happy New Year to you and your loved ones too!
A very happy new year!! (soon)
Soon being the operative word. 2009: Don’t leave me!
happy new year kenny!!! sorry i’ve been MIA! >.<
A very happy new year to you too, dear. And don’t worry, I’ve been totally M.I.A.-ing as well…
Merry (belated) Xmas and a Happy New Year 2010, Kenny! More stories next year! =D
More stories in 2010, promise!
kewl blog .. have a happy new year .. cheers mate…
Thanks for dropping by — do come back more often in 2010!
happy new year kenny!!!
this year will be great for everybody! i just know it!
I like that spirit! 2010 will be great for everybody! Woo hoo!
a happy new year
all the best for the one & only
life4moversnshakers
Oooh, I like the sound of that. Maybe I should rename my blog to Life for Movers and Shakers… Somehow I sound like a fruit punch bar…
Wishing you a wonderful year ahead. Happy new year!
Have a wonderful, wonderful new year too!
Happy New Year. What a sweet post. How true, it felt almost too good to be taking the whole damn week off, though some of those days were wasted on nothing but sitting idly at home.
Haha, I hear you. Who knew so much time off could be so… boring?
happy 2010… why no update huuh? anyway all the best…. take care
i had a blast in munich… love munich… but still couldnt go to the bmw museum >< damn!! i gotta go back again
I knew you’d love Munich. It’s one of the best cities in the world!
P.S. Finally updated here.
This is such a beautiful post. You made me wish its christmas and new years all over again. BUT, gawd…the pic of me with our DSLR queen…all my double chin can be seen lah…:p
Where got double chin la? You look so beautiful, dear… an angel for last Christmas, when I gave you my heart, but the very next day, you gave it away…