Friday, January 23, 2009

Tell-A-Tale (Part 28): Home

There is a place where we never grow old. Where the flowers in the garden smile a perpetual spring. We drink from the river where we swim. The endless days of games and a little mischief we remember ever so fondly.

There is a place where we meet. We eat to our hearts content and we never run out of teasers and desserts. There are times when life moves at the speed of light, yet we still find our way here. Simply because we want to. And we love to.

There is a place where we breathe. There is nothing more suffocating than the way we live our lives these days. I wish we are all young, ambitious, sexy and silly again, for we will breathe better and have more time for each other. We will tell tales of what we want to be when we grow up. Again and again.

There is a place where we hang our family portraits. I can still remember the photographs of you lying in bed with your favourite magazine. The sounds from the speaker blasting across the kitchen as you sway to their beats. The pictures of us fighting over everything stupid faded with time but you know fragments of New Years and Christmases and birthdays and breakfasts and dinners always stay beautiful and young.

There is a place our friends come to. Warm greetings and cold wines are all we need. We will talk from dusk until dawn. It does not matter what the topic is. There is a game we like to play. It is called true and dare. And there is no secret strategy to winning. Just some honesty and lots of affection.

There is a place I come back to. God knows how exhausted these feet are. I often speed a pasta dish while the television entertains itself. It is always the second run of the new comedies. That shows how I have missed primetime. There is leftover tong sui we made the night before. Unlike wine, sweetness sours with age. But I gulped it up as enthusiastic as I was while making it yesterday.

There is a place where I raise my white flag and call it a day. I surrender to the night, despite the endless calls that beg this body to smoke, drink and dance. Curling up beside the window with a cup of tea and a good book is what I truly desire. And I fall asleep, thinking about this place that I miss ever so much.

There is a place where I dream of the sweetest of dreams. Where my family and friends are together with me again. Where we will eat, drink, play games and hang new, wonderful portraits before the sun sets its shine upon these smiling cheeks of mine.

Yes, there is a place. And I’m home.

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This post is inspired by Lifeforbeginners and dedicated to the wizardry Kenny Mah as he enters his third decade on 23 January this year.

Pictures were taken at Delicious @ Dua Annexe. The food was good in general while my smoked salmon pasta with caviar was just alright. The cream taste was milder as compared to Marmalade Kafe’s. A great alternative to the overcrowded Delicious at Bangsar Village.

Other birthday wishes:
Lyrical Lemongrass
A Lil' Fat Monkey
Fatboybakes

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May everyone find their way back home safely this lunar new year.

24 comments:

sc said...

another way of presenting this gathering...your's are filled with happy, happy people pictures..
btw, happy chinese 'niu' year!

minchow said...

What a gorgeous place to call home, with all the right elements and characters in place to cushion the jarring summons of the third decade!

fatboybakes said...

oooh, AWOL said this reminded her of someone:
"There is a game we like to play. It is called true and dare."
GUFFFAWWWWW........
wat a beautiful post hairy berry. gorgeous pics too, as usual. kenny mah should be sooo thrilled.

Anonymous said...

Kenny Mah is indeed very thrilled, Mr. FBB, sir. And astounded to boot. What a sweet post, Poet Nic... it bears so much of your lyrical stamp on it... It does feel like home.

And thanks for taking such gorgeous photos. I have used a few of them on my own post (now FINALLY up) and they still leave me breathless everytime I look at them.

Indeed, you are a poet with both words and visions, my friend. :)

Selba said...

the smoked salmon pasta looks so yummy.... how nice to celebrate a b'day party :)

Rarebeet said...

Hey HB! Just wanted to wish you a very happy moo year! love and kisses! x P

Anonymous said...

yes man, nic's definitely a very good poet, every post surprising us with new story. thumbs up! happy chinese new year :)

qwazymonkey said...

Just managed to read it now. Such a sweet post. Care to change your name to Poetic Nic?

teckiee said...

hey hey Happy Chinese New Year!

Jun said...

happy cny to u nic! sorry haven't had time to blog-surf, but i spied some pretty awesome pics and omg st regis?!!! darn u nic!! i'm jealous already *pouts*

Yin said...

wow...u guys write so well...i'm put to shame. beautiful way of encapsulating the beautiful birthday celebration :)

HairyBerry said...

sc, yeah, i realise i've not been putting up any people pics..so, this will be a good change. :) happy niu year to you and enjoy your holiday!

550ml jar of faith, home is where the heart is, i guess. the right elements add a nice touch to home. what a great party that was! ;)

fatboybakes, yupe, i chose true and dare instead of true or dare cos a good company can take both. we certainly can! haha! thanks for the compliment, dude! yours is very nice as well. sharp and great white balancing pics!

kenny, aiyoh, u are flattering me lar. inspired by you, i hope the post will do you justice lar..haha! hope you had a great birthday celebration on friday. i had such a good time at your pre-birthday party last sunday and your stories and family members and friends are such inspirations! here's to more to come, dude!

selba, yupe, it was a great celebration indeed! :) i tot the salmon pasta was ok. the one at marmalade kafe's much betta! :)

HairyBerry said...

paprika, happy moo year to you too!!! here's wishing u lotsa good food and drinks this new year! let us all moo ahead, y'all! :)

ladyironchef, aiyoh, u making me blush lar...lol! thanks for the compliment and let us all enter the year of ox with strength and hope. happy chinese new year, dude!

qwazymonkey, u so kind lar. i bet u din know that i'm a really shiok sendiri person..heheh...thanks for the compliment and we shall meet again for makan, ya! happy cny!!!

teckiee, happy chinese new year to you too! have a great time this festive season and eat more, think later ya! :)

jun, happy chinese new year to you too! despite your busy schedule, i hope that you'll find time to indulge in some cny goodies come the first day of cny. no probs on the blog surfing thingy lar. and we can go to st regis the next time u are in town! :)

yin, thanks for the compliment... :) well, i think kenny is a great inspiration lar. that makes writing easier, no doubt. and i'm sure you can write too la! :)

Anonymous said...

What a fine tribute to the birthday boy. So lyrical and heartwarming. Awwwwwwww. ^_^ Just like a sweet korean movie.

Big Boys Oven said...

Gong Hei Fatt Cai to you!

choi yen said...

I just went to Delicious at 1U to celebrate friend's b'day too :)

Wish u a fruitful year ahead & collect more more ang pow ya ^.^

red fir said...

Happy New Year nic! :)

Miss Tam Chiak said...

awwww so sweet! happy bday and happy CNY! :)

Anonymous said...

Hey there. I love your writing and the food looks good.

Faye fly said...

sweet n warm photos!!

ling239 said...

Hi Nic !!
Happy CNY.... ^_^

HairyBerry said...

lyrical lemongrass, awwwww...u so sweet. just like ben and jerry's ice cream. with a nice caramel topping too. :D

bigboysoven, happy chinese new year to you too!

mimi, delicious at 1U? cool! nice deco there! thank you and wishing you a great year ahead too! may the year of ox brings you lotsa joy and happiness!

ice, happy new year to you too!!! have lotsa nice desserts this year! ;D

jaime-la-nourriture, happy CNY to you to! here's wishing you a year of good food and great health! :D

cookingupadream, hey, thanks for stopping by! and thanks a lot for the compliment. hope you enjoy the pics! :D

faye, thank kew! and happy cny!!!

ling239, woah, long time no hear. happy CNY to you too!!! have a good year ahead!

Anonymous said...

the light's fantastic! everyone's glowing

Rad Sujanto said...

Whoa, that's Kenny Mah!