my house is back to its usual peace again! think i didn't mentioned before that we hosted a family of four relatives for the past two weeks; their main purpose here was to witness the wedding, and for most of them, it's their first time out of china. for my aunt, the last time she visited us, i was only FOUR. i've never been very comfortable around children, but this six-year old niece of mine is really a lively adorable kid (okay, more than just that, she's really hyperactive). when i first met her, she was climbing the grills of the metal gate and swinging herself, though still super shy. (anyway, the first thought that came to my mind was that she's a boy 'cos of her hair cut. and i think my mother is trying to change that by getting her everything in PINK.) but the next moment you see her, she started chatting non-stop in her profound hainanese and manyatimes, i find it difficult to convey my message. can't be helped, the last time i spoke hainanese to my late grandfather was more than ten years back, and even back then, my dialect was atrocious. anyway, i think i managed to pick up all the broken pieces (whatever that's left) and i think her mandarin improved tremendously as well. this little girl can go beyond control at times, and she can drive you nuts, but somehow she has this charm in her that will melt your heart in the end.

they left for the airport early this morning. i baked each of them a small bottle of chocolate chip cookies as farewell gifts and my aunt commented that i inherited my love for baking from my grandfather, who had insisted she brought home a whole butter pound cake 21 years ago. my grandfather, like most hainanese, had worked as a home chef for the British during the colonial era; he made the most delicious chicken cutlet and many other singapore hybridised western dishes. and i really really miss the apple pie and chicken pie he used to bake, the rose and leaves he would carve out of remaining plain pie dough to decorate the pies. really, apple pie recipes shouldn't be named after grandmothers - maybe i should go dig out that traditional recipe my mum kept somewhere and try it.

now i'm just thinking when i should visit china again - maybe next year?

oh yes, i'm off to a kelong trip with lion & her beau this weekend! some sea breeze will probably do me some good, although i miss my bed.