The 8 [Asian] Things I’m Thankful For

I binge-watched Fresh Off the Boat for this Chinese New Year, and it’s actually the first sitcom that I’ve dedicated myself to (i.e. I’m not missing any episodes and I’m collecting all of them on my drive – I’ve never done that, nope, not even for Friends). Why? Because I can 100% relate to it! They’re an Asian family – I’m Asian! Despite being on the other side of the world, we end up sharing the same values, values that I’m constantly reminded of during Chinese New Year.

Therefore, today, I’d like to briefly share with you 8 (Asian) things I’m thankful for, on this new year:

1. The importance of always having grandma-delicious Chinese home-cooked food in the house.
2. Being money-minded, a.k.a. saving money, finding the best deals.
3. Being encouraged to do your best; aim to excel at what you do.
4. Having a loving extended family.
5. The ‘show, don’t tell’ attitude, especially when it comes to love.
6. The importance of hard work, because you gotta work to get what you want.
7. Our rich, though very superstitious, culture.
8. Our privilege: my ancestors have immigrated for our generations to live a better life and we should never forget that.

*Frankly, I’ve been putting off writing this post since Sunday. It was supposed to be a long and meaningful post, but I ended up writing it as a short and sweet one. I think that my CNY holidays have given me ample time to reflect… and I guess I’m currently fighting my own battles. Maybe to be explained in a future post.*

Enjoy the rest of the week! Wishing you a Happy Chinese New Year of the Rooster!

An Evil Nymph.

When Christmas Is Just Another Day

25/12/2016

Today I’m celebrating Christmas… just like any other (Sun)day.

I woke up as usual, did a morning workout, ate breakfast, all without hearing Christmas songs or gifts being unwrapped under the Christmas tree. To be honest, I didn’t even buy a Christmas tree.

However, I did go out and did some last minute Christmas shopping for an upcoming special event. Then, I went to watch Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on the way. After some grocery shopping, I finally went back home. It was definitely the ‘calmest’ Christmas I have ever spent.

It didn’t disturb me at all. I just felt… at peace. 

I don’t need a fancy Christmas tree or new clothes or a huge dinner to feel the spirit of Christmas. If Christmas is all about giving without expecting anything in return, giving in genuineness, love and kindness, then I have spent a good Christmas, and it’s enough.

Have I defeated the power of the commercialisation of Christmas? Yes. Maybe. Almost 🙂

Anyway, I would just like to keep it short and wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Love,

An Evil Nymph.

Happy New Year of the Goat!

OMG I haven’t posted on this blog for so long!

And I have so much I want to share.

But first…

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR 2015!!!

Goddess of Mercy temple in Georgetown, Penang

I actually just came from a backpacking trip in Penang, while recently falling in love with Japanese food and culture, and I’m now in full Chinese New Year mode since I arrived home in Selangor yesterday. Then, today, for the big day I kind of continued my backpacker experience by going to the heart of Kuala Lumpur to watch acrobatic lion dances from mall to mall.

KLCC Esplanade

Pavilion KL

Now, I get to have some rest!

Posts about everything will be up soon.

Enjoy the new year!

An Evil Nymph.

Last Thoughts. (MERRY NEW YEAR 2015!)

Since I missed Christmas on this blog, I better say it all together: MERRY NEW YEAR 2015!!!

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to share here on this blog for the last time this year, 2014. And here we are, already on the 31^st, and I have no idea what to write, but at the same time I have so many things I want to write about, that I want to put out there for the whole world to read and be aware of.

So I decided to simply go for the simplest way to deal with this: tell the plain truth. Write, without thinking twice. Type whatever comes out of my mind. Like a first draft. Thus, what will follow will probably be… chaotic, but well. These are the things I just want to get out of me.

Happy New Year 2014! New Year’s Resolutions and More…

Last year I mentioned that I wasn’t really into New Year’s resolutions, but I still gave myself three little goals to achieve, and today, I’m going to review it and see what happened.

The first one was to focus on writing. Then I elaborated: And I sincerely hope that in the end of 2013, I am left with at least one polished and completed novel, ready to be published.

That didn’t come true. Well except that instead of ending up with a novel, I ended up with a short script, which I am now writing into a novella.

That isn’t disappointing or surprising though, because I know that this year was a year full of school work, being my last year in secondary school.

And that’s how my second resolution had been to work hard at school, focus on my studies.

Which I hopefully did? I don’t know I am still waiting for the results!

Then the third and final goal I had set myself was to find where I stand. I quote: I want to finally find my whole identity. I want to know – no, to be sure of – where I’m going. Who am I? What’s my mission? 

Did I succeed this one? I don’t know. Maybe. Or maybe I still have yet to learn about myself. In any case, during the year there were a lot of confusion and ups and downs about my identity and plans for the future. Fortunately, today, I know exactly where I am going and I know myself better than a year ago.

I know what I have to do 😉

(just throwing in a random recent photo so as to keep this post more interesting hehe)

One Last Gift For Christmas | WPC

The theme for this week’s photo challenge is rather… challenging as it is ‘One‘. But well, Santa Claus always finds a way 😉

Merry Christmas to all of you!!!!

Christmas Presents In Advance | Edition 2013

I remembered I made a similar post back in 2011 when I received my first and only Android phone, the Samsung Galaxy SII, in addition to a wonderful book of course.

Well this year, I also decided to get myself something tech-y as well as books and since I got my gifts way before Christmas (i.e. for more than a week)… today’s post is born!

But first, for the sake of the Christmas and holiday spirit, I’d like to share with you an event a group of YouTubers, including me, are doing to help other YouTubers, as during the holiday season we want to Do Good 🙂

Here it is:

Hope you have some spare time to watch it! If not, without further ado, here are my 2013 Christmas presents!

Merry Halloween! | Edition 2013

Of course, An Evil Nymph never misses Halloween, and you’ve been a follower since I started this blog, you are well aware that although I don’t get to properly celebrate Halloween because it is not a tradition or even an event in my country, Mauritius, I always find something Halloween-y to do.

In 2011, on the first Halloween I ever celebrated on this blog, I dressed up as a witch/druid/Wiccan girl and in 2012, I simply wore black and orange, the orange part being a DIY ‘An Evil Nymph’ tank top, and now in 2013 I’m going to dress up as a modern medieval lady/princess! As such:

In fact I have to go out today because I’m being issued my national ID card – so I’m officially an adult as from today 😉 And it’s luckily fallen on Halloween’s day!

Happy Chinese New Year! 恭禧发财!

新年快乐! Happy new year! A Chinese year has passed already, the year of the Dragon is over and a new one, the year of the Snake, is starting!

I’m doing a Sunday post, I know, but this is to let you know that I won’t be at home on Monday and Tuesday, since from today I am going to celebrate the new year in a hotel! As the tradition wishes it to. Well, the Chinese-Mauritians’ tradition, hehe.

An Evil Nymph’s 2012 Overview! (Happy New Year 2013!)

Hi everyone! On this New Year’s Eve, I’ll be doing everything that needs to be done for this last day of 2012, mainly, the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: My 2012 in Pictures, the WordPress annual report, some ramblings on the 2012-13 transition…

First of all, for this week’s photo challenge, it was suggested that we present 12 photos at least in a gallery to make an overview of 2012, but I’m going to break the rules and thus here’s my contribution:

My 2012 in 1 Picture

So This Is Christmas!

So this is Christmas…

But what have you done?

That night I saw an angel fall from the sky. Her golden hair gradually lost its shine as she reached the ground. Her beautiful white gown was stained with dirt. I could not see her eyes or her face, but I knew that she was the loveliest thing that could ever exist on Earth. She looked so fragile and innocent.

How I Decorate My Christmas Tree

Today, I’d like to share something special to you. I’m sorry if I’m missing the Weekly Photo Challenges – they’ll come a little late.

It’s Christmas time and every in the world, people are gathering within their family, among their friends, buying gifts, giving and receiving them, preparing Christmas dinner, and most of all, putting up the Christmas tree.

This Is Halloween! [or The Happy Nightmare Before Christmas]

Although here in Mauritius we don’t officially celebrate Halloween, or Samhain’s Eve, whatever you call it, many of us, especially teenagers, always find a way to make this 31 October a special day, even despite having exams on the next day.

Yes, many of us were just stuck at home with revision work… but fortunately? I had tuition in the afternoon. This is when my friends and I decided to wear orange and black and cry out ‘TRICK OR TREAT’ when the teacher would come into class.

Doesn’t mean that we got sweets in the end.

But it was just so fun.

The Chinese Moon Festival (O)

October has begun… already! For me it is the time of final big exams and piled up work… but fortunately we’ve ended September in a cheerer note with the Chinese Moon Festival, which my family and I celebrated on Sunday 30th September 🙂

To start, we go to our grandma’s place and we have dinner together… well like any day. It gets interesting only when the clock strikes 7.00 p.m (GMT+4h). Because when the clocks strikes 7, we pay attention to the sky, looking out for the full moon. We patiently wait for it to come up in its full glowing glory, after it no longer hides behind the clouds.

Can you see the little moon in the photograph?