Happy Holidays

Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year. even I do not celebrate it. I feel Christmas spirit as everyone is in holidays moods. I love to see Christmas window displays at stores.

When I was young, Christmas was the time to see Santa Claus at the mall, watched Christmas performance, sent out Christmas cards. It was funny, even most of my classmates didn't celebrate Christmas, but we sent Christmas cards to one another.

Back in Sydney, I celebrated Christmas by having dinner with friends in Chinatown. Most of the restaurants were closed at Christmas except in Chinatown. Sometimes we had BBQ or Steamboat Christmas party. Last year was my first Christmas in NY, I can't remember what I did on Christomas, I probably stayed at home editing photos from Miami trip.

This Christmas I decided to have dinner at home. I do not eat beef and lamb ( except Indonesia lamb satay) so I seldom cook them. There are 2 reasons why I seldom cook beef/ lamb. If I cook beef/lamb, I have to cook something else for myself. The second reason, supermarket near my house seldom sells good cut of beef/lamb. For special occasion, I normally go to Whole Foods Market in Manhattan to get best cut of meat. I love to shop there, it has the freshest vegetables and fruits, best cuts of meat, fresh seafood, wide range of fresh herbs, good quality of olives etc.

Simple Christmas dinner. Chicken for me, lamb for Jon and a side dish.


Roasted chicken leg with fresh thyme. The sauce is a mix of chicken stock, lime, tomato and green olives.


Lamb with mushroom gravy, forgot to take individual photo of the gravy.


We love the side dish, it has a lot of textures and flavors. It's roasted organic baby yam, french beans, garlic, walnut and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Wishing you every happiness at this festive holiday season and throughout the coming New Year.

Snowy Weekend

Snowstorm hit New York on Friday. It was predicted that NY could see up to 5 inches of snow after the storm. I was nervous, my shopping plan was in jeopardy.

I took all these picture during my lunch break. My office is located next to Koreatown, a block from Empire State Building and 2 blocks from Herald Square, which is a retail hub. Hence, there was nothing to take other than shops.


I love it when it snows, it's beautiful, feels like I am inside a snow globe. But I hate slushy roads and slick sidewalks after the snow.


Icy road.


One of the shop I often visit.


Macy's Herald Square claims to be world largest store with 198,500 m² of selling floor. It stretches the whole block, but inside is divided into 2 sections: 7th avenue side ( west) and Broadway side ( east). It's so hard to find the door which connect both sides. I always get lost there, I hate to go there.


The snow flakes hitting face was quite painful.


By the time I finished work, the snow had stopped, it was drizzling and resulted in slippery sidewalks. Everyone just walked like penguins. But I still decided to go shopping.

Slushy road in Manhattan, it looked like grey mud.


This is what I hate the most. the ramp on the sidewalk to the road will be so slippery. Sometimes it looks like a solid ice surface, step on in, the ice breaks and shoes get soaked in 5 cm of waterpool.


Shopping in winter is so tiring, have to take off 3 layers of clothes and put back on 3 layers of clothes. Carrying shopping bags in snow was not fun either. My paper shopping bags got wet because it was snowing and almost torn, I had to put in another plastic shopping bag.

Walking home was a disaster. I bought Mc Donald meal and put the food inside one of my shopping bags while holding the coke, it was to cold I had to throw it away. It was drizzling, I missed the bus and my hands were full that I couldn't open umbrella. My feet get soaked in snow and icy water. When I almost reached home, my paper bag was torn apart, I had to hug my shopping bags to prevent things from falling.

Outside the house this morning.


We walked to a Thai restaurant near our home. There is a backyard which is outdoor sitting in summer. In winter they put a big Christmas tree there, the backyard and tree were covered by the snow, it was beautiful.


Taken one day before snowstorm. Every house has put up Christmas lightning.