How is it possible that I have busier weekends now that I am single compared to when I had a boyfriend?* The list of things to do never seem to end. Or maybe it's the festive season. Spring cleaning, making sure everything is spick and span, ensuring that the house is ready to welcome the year of the horse! 

I managed to catch "Her" on Friday night. I was alone and had to bump into an author whom I am currently working with on a book. I was stuffing a hotdog into my mouth when he saw me. Talk about looking undignified and greedy. I thought the movie was interesting, and quite sad. But the part where Theodore said "I will never love anyone as much as I loved you" (don't quote me on the exact words but he did say something to that effect), I cringed. I can't understand how he could have fallen in love with an Artificial Intelligence, I mean how deranged and crazy do you have to be? I understand that he has fallen in love with her but to say that she is the person he loves most in his life seems rather far-fetched. She's not even human. And I was under the impression throughout the entire movie that his ex-wife was whom he clearly loves. He fell in love with Samantha because he was lonely and depressed over the divorce. 

I went for a 45 minute swim yesterday, did laundry, waited for the courier guy to deliver my study materials, had an appointment in town at 2pm, ate Korean food for dinner, came back and cleaned the house. Today, I brought my car out for a wash, changed the light bulbs at home, cleaned some more, took a nap in the afternoon, went for yoga class, had dinner with some friends and now, I am back here. 

This week will be a short one at work as the lunar new year holiday starts on Friday. I will be taking the bus to Penang on Thursday morning and I hope the traffic is kind and forgiving. As per traditions, we gather for reunion dinner on the eve of lunar new year. Last year we had steamboat but I am not sure if we are having this again. Sometimes, we have rice and dishes instead. After that we hang around (I hang around, my mother and aunt will be busy doing last minute cleaning) and wait for midnight. Once the clock strikes 12, we will pray to the altars in our house, greet each other, make positive statements, drink, munch on cookies or eat kam (Mandarin oranges) watch tv, talk. These traditions have been in place for as long as I can remember and things have never really changed. It was certainly more exciting, noisy and fun though when my brother still lived with us as he is the jovial one in our family. Years ago when my grandfather was alive, we burned fire crackers outside our house. In fact, the rest of our neighbors would burn long fire crackers as well and I remember our streets roaring with the merry sounds of joy. Those were happier, simpler times and I was a mere child. 

*Well technically, G (name of boyfriend) and I are on a break from our relationship due to a few unresolved issues. But since we have not been in touch I have no idea if he has moved on so I rather tell people I am single rather than having to explain the complicated nature of our relationship. Or worse, say I am attached and find out months later that my boyfriend is already with someone else lolz.