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Today is the 3rd day of the Chinese New Year. People usually do not do any visiting today because they believe that one tends to get into arguments on this day. Is it any wonder, I ask you? When you are plain exhausted from the preparations of the last 3 days (starting from the eve) so much so that you really just want to take a break and not have to entertain some more.That's why I thought today will be a perfect day to invite my virtual friends over. Bound to have no quarrels!
So, come, come, my dear friends ! Welcome to my home. Oh, did you think this is my Indian palace? Ermm, I am ashamed (..not!) to admit, my miniature life has quite certainly taken over my real life!If you will please, do leave your beautiful shoes right at the door, that's it, thank you. And while I put on my favourite song.... 'fraid it's not anything Chinese, it's my current favourite from AR Rahman, the composer and singer for Slumdog? .. do sit down..
Pick any of the Indian cushions, pillows, poufs or bolsters. So many of them, you said, yes, I went a bit crazy and bought about 22 of them in one go from SuZ's shop. Oops, this reminds me, I have yet
to pay for them! Ok, done! Just transferred the payment. Do you know it is super bad luck to owe people money during Chinese New Year? It means you will be indebted for the whole year after!Ahh, are you admiring my new clothes? I bought it from a shop in Little India last year but have never worn it. It is a little loud but really, the colours are just right for the new year since we Chinese just adores red . Brings good luck. Yes, it is all about luck for us!
But let me show you the details of this dress. Aren't they simply to-die-for? Don't they remind you of my new tent? You know, if I can shrink myself in this dress, I will totally kick the Maharajah and his friend right out of his tent and claim ownership. I will so belong there, don't you think?
Oh, oh , oh, can I also show you my matching handbags?
I bought them when I was in Delhi last year. Made by this company called 500 B.C, here's a close up of my favourite.
For those of you who read Hindi (I think), can you tell the characters are exchanging "unpleasantries"? Don't you just love their wit? Laughter is good for the new year, you know.Goodness! You must think me a terrible hostess. I forgot to offer you beverages and goodies! Let me quickly take out my best China from India.
Coffee, tea or orange juice? Which reminds me, here are 2 "Golden" Mandarins , luck of course. Happy New Year. Err, now you will have to give 2 back so that you will not take my luck away! All smiles now, thank you very much and Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Oooh, one of you exclaim when you see my fresh flowers. They are lovely, aren't they? That brass pot? I bought it from Pakistan a long, long time ago. The incense burner shaped like the Taj Mahal is cute, isn't it? It's another old old piece.Do you want to see the rest of the house? Sure! Let me show you my room.
Fresh bedsheets and bedspread from India of course. Not to mention the sari overhanging the bed bought at the Kinari bazaar.
These saris are cheap folk ones commonly worn by the less well to do. But they are the ones I love best. Look at the prints. Will you believe I cannot get them from Singapore?
Then there's the craft room of course. Come, let's bring our tea in here because this is where we will probably spend the most time. We can sit on the rug and chat and if you are sleepy after a while, you can always hop onto the bed and snooze with the elephants (hanging inside the "tent").
I think some of you may have already seen this room which probably is the one with the most Indian influence. Are you familiar with my dolls? Hey lookee there!
The Rollas are all packed. OMeGosh! How time flies when you are having fun! Feel free to stay as long as you like, my friends but I need to run now. I have a plane to catch and in less than 24 hours, I will be meeting the real Rollas in Genoa! And then maybe dear Rosanna will call Roberta and we can all have real tea! O,o,oh, I can no longer wait! Ta-ta, sweethearts! And please switch off the lights, the last of you.Good night, House! See you in 10 days!
61 comments:
I guess I am the first one here ... thanks for the hospitality :D Your house is decorated in a more Indian style than any of my actual Indian friends...I LOVE it! :D
A R Rahman is one of my absolute favorite composers as well! I love his songs from "Taal" and "Lagaan" and then I have my random favorites from other movies. I love the video of "Jiya Jale" from the movie "Dil Se".
I saw an A R Rahman concert a few years ago when he came to Dallas. It was such an experience!
Hope you have a wonderful trip to see Rosanna and her family. Give her a big hug from me. xxxx
My dear, my house will look so poor and so plain to you !!! no bold colours I'm afraid.But I love love love your cushions ! and your dress too. Be careful though, it's only 3° here, cold and windy and it looks like it will start raining very soon. I've already arranged with Roberta: we shall meet on Thursday morning to have something HOT to drink. We'll all need it badly. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. Everyone I know has been informed of your arrival and the house is ready for you. SE you soon Rosanna
Oh Sans! You are SO lucky! Enjoy the trip and bring us lots of interesting stuff to admire. BTW, you sure you don't mind if I make myself at home in your mini palace? After I finished playing, I promise to put all the 'toys' away and leave it nice and tidy!
Thank you for inviting ourselves to his house.
Really it is you one excellent hostess.
I am charmed with the decoration.
gracias por invitarnos a su casa.
realmente es usted un excelente anfitriona.
me encanta la decoracion.
What a wonderful visit Sans, thank you!
You have a lovely home my dear! Would have loved seeing you in it too! Compared to me, you sure love vibrant colours and you're also so good at combining them! My favourite is the living room with all the cheerful sofas, but I also love the red and black scarf that came with your new dress! And the bedroom - so lovely, perhaps that is my favourite instead, it's hard to choose between so much beauty! Who wouldn't sleep well in a room like that!
Thank you for inviting us to your home Sans, I will miss you these 10 days, but I hope you will have a wonderful time!
I have love to see your house!!! Thank you dear Susan!1 So coloured and alive!
Enjoy your travel...I will think on you. All my best wishes. I am sure that Rosanna (and of course Roberta) will take care of you ;) Next Time Spain...or maybe Singapur...I wish
Well, I'm just going to stay in your beautiful house until you get back! The cushions and your clothes are wonderful!
Enjoy every minute of your trip you lucky, lucky girl!
Mercedes
It is wonderful Sans!! So much vibrant colour and so many interesting things to see - and tea and New Year gifts as well!! I'm going to join Mercedes and house sit for you, don't be surprised if you find us fighting over who gets to wear that amazing outfit - ok let's get back to the reality, you can have it Mercedes cos it wouldn't fit me :(
Have a fabulous time in Italy - I would love to be a fly on the wall watching all the 'goings on' :)
Thank you for the invitation. I am staying a bit with the girls.I am sure we'll talk about minis in your living room while you are away.
XXX
I am very happy to know you as soon...welcome to Italy dear Susan!!!!
Roberta
Sans, thank you so much for your kind invitation to visit your house. It's lovely!! Love the bedroom and the cushions!!!
Have a nice trip and enjoy all you can.
Warm regards,
Meli
Your house is very beautiful Sans, I like very much, good hollydays in Italy with Rosanna and your people, is a wonderful country. Best wishes
What a lovely home you have. :)
I love all of the colored pillows in the living room, what a wonderful array.
Oh, have a good time, be safe and enjoy getting to meet up with your friends. :)
Everyone, GREETINGS from GENOAAAAAAA! :) We are so lucky to be here with Rosanna and are so having a blast!
Sumaiya, I am so flattered by your comment that my home is more Indian than your friend's! As long as it is not tacky for you. You know how it is sometimes we over-compensate ! lol
I have loved AR Rahman's music even before I knew it's him. I remember the very 1st song, Chaiya Chaiya from 'The Inside Man'. I searched high and low for this song and never found it because I didn't know who sang it. I think he is my all time favourite composer now. I think it's his bigger than a genius. He is the GOD of music. Iam so checking out the tracks that you have mentioned.
Debbie, we stood at the train station and hugged a tight tight warm hug :)I told Rosanna that if we are to give each other the hugs for everyone, we would be standing at the train station the whole day! :) It was a great moment! And I love everyone for their good wishes !Debbie, I saw what you made for Rosanna 'live'? and they are stunning!
*eats up all your bak kwa and runs off*
^ ^
it's still CNY, so HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR AGAIN!! gongxi gongxi! your place looks so nice, clean and inviting.....i think i wouldn't want to leave :X
Awesome accessories, really beautiful home decorative accessories. i love to buy these if they are dollhouse accessories, which can be use to decorate my doll house.
My dear Rosanna, 3rd time I am re-writing this (dumb safari!). We have arrived in Venice, safe and sound. Everything ran like clockwork, including us ☺. Faiz had written to this hotel to expect us at 10.30pm and we were only 5 minutes late!! The train from Milan left promptly at 7.05pm lie it said it would on the ticket and we had 15 minutes to run to it, like the ticket operator warned us about., So, your Papi is right! Italian train system is perfecto! ☺
Venice is out of this world even in the dark. I am enthralled, overwhelmed and enchanted. It is everything you told us about but I could not smell the stench, see any rot or feel the neglect. The beauty is blinding.
But no matter what, Venice cannot be as warm, loving and welcoming as Genova because of you and your family. I am still dreaming of the beautiful meal you cooked us. All of us regretted not eating more of the chicken and wished it wasn’t the last dish. It was a very hungry train ride here and it didn’t help that the lady sitting next to me thought I was Marg’s mother (or as FaiZ had translated for me and added a further insult that I therefore also looked like his mother!) Please let Walter know we all think he is a great guy. FaiZ can’t get over how he could just give him that jersey worn by dunno which football star of yours! I have no words to describe the sweetness of Papi. It was altogether a most unforgettable trip to your hometown
We can’t wait for July to arrive ☺☺.
Lize, my dear, I am sitting at the dining room of our Venice hotel called Ca Angelis with windows spanning the river view of Venice. I am afraid it is impossible for me to capture in any way, this miracle of mankind and bring it home with me. This is a world for us mini lovers. I feel like I am shrunk and am now living in a make believe city we all strive to lovingly re-create.
Stay as long as you like at my home. Just switch off the lights when you leave and don't flirt with my boyfriend (who is probably having way too much fun without me !!)
My dear Sans, Marg and Fay, I'm really happy that the train was in time, the trip run smoothly and Venice is still the wonder that I remembered.You are right, beauty is blinding. I tend to stress on the difects because I prefere people to know them in advance.. thus they disappear. The first look from the exit of Santa Lucia is something I shall never forget. We are having breakfast with your coffee and it's truly delicious. Here it's raining, no , it's pouring as if sky doors were open. We have been lucky after all. How I regret that we kept still in our beds yesterday morning, I think we had so many things to talk about and time was so short. We'll talk about your visit for loooong time, at least till July! I really thank you for coming to our home, it's been a privilege and a great pleasure. My Papi was so happy too, he liked you all so much. He only regrets that his English is so poor. Have fun in Venice, walk along, breath the history and the romance.You know,Genoa and Venice has been fierce enemies in the past: do you remember Palazzo San Giorgio? it was a prison for Venician soldiers and mariners.
Now have a hearthy breakfast and start your day. I'll wait for new comments to be informed :o)) Hugs to you all
PS I do not know enough bad words to replay to that silly woman on the train...but I know enough in Italian and I'm thinking them now !!!
I am so jealous! First you get to have such fun at Rosanna's and now you are in Venice!! I LOVE Venice, enchantement around every corner!!
Don't worry about us girls flirting with your boyfriend Sans, he fled in terror when we all turned up - he muttered something about an over supply of oestrogen, picked up a credit card and asked us to forward his mail to "Regency House Serviced Residences" where he's got himself a bachelor pad until you get back ;)
Contar, I am so happy you came :):).
Cate, you wouldn't believe how memorable a time we had in Genoa with Rosanna. We have spent 1 day in Venice and til now, our highpoint is still Genoa. We are likely to leave Venice by 12 noon tomorrow for Slovenia :).
I hope you have a wonderful time, I just loved visiting that part of Italy. You are so lucky!! We are going to Venice next year. Thank you so much for the great party, so kind of you to invite your virtual friends, I'm honored. Your house is so lovely and you look beautiful in your new dress. I'm in love with your purses too, fantastic!! So nice of you to share, see you soon! Gung hay fat choy! We are looking forward to seeing our line dance friends perform their traditional Chinese dances in beautiful costumes on Saturday. Mini Hugs, Jean
Helene, it was not that long ago that my wardrobe only had black/white/grey. My idea of colourful was brown :). It is the Indian phase I am in , lol. I have been in this phase for a few years already.
It is now about 12 am in Venice and all is quiet. Would you believe I am already missing Venice? We are leaving Venice soon after breakfast and there is so much more I haven't seen, so I am savouring this as much as possible by not sleeping :).
We have a 5 hour travelling schedule tomorrow that entails a long walk with back pack to catch the 12.04 train to Gorizia, a border town in Italy, take a cab/bus crossing over to Slovenia's Nova Gorica for the 15.24pm train to Bled Jezero. Hopefully we will in at Bled by 5.04pm.
It was raining so much today that Piazza San Marco was flooded right after we finished touring the Basilica and Doge Palace. (Rosanna, if you are reading this , your fears have come true :)) My shoes were wet through and even restaurants and shops near to the square were not spared. This time, the century old stench of the river was unavoidable and it is difficult not to accept the inevitability of Venice sinking. It was with mixed feelings that I walked back to the hotel from the place we had lunch. Busy trying not to get my sneakers any wetter than they must, I kept wondering "Do I really like this Venice? "
FaiZ & MarG dragged me out for dinner after I reluctantly "blow dried" my sneakers with the hotel's hair dryer. And while walking through the meandering labyrinth of alleys, crossing little bridges and watching the backdoors of houses floating on water, my heart started to ache with yearning, knowing soon, I will leave all these behind. I know now that it is impossible not to fall in love with Venice.
Eva, our plane's destination was in fact to Barcelona with a stopover in Milan and I was thinking of you :) on the flight. If I had time to do one more country, it would have been to Barcelona, Spain, just to meet you. I have told my travelling companions about you and Helene being so near and yet so far :) and we talk about Gaudi, ink squid paella and gypsies :):).
Your wish will come true about Singapore and you MUST keep my email address always so that you know who to call when you do decide. Mi casa es su casa- always!
Mercedes, may I recommend that when you are preparing your trip to France, you make some time to stop over in Italy. 2 cities are a must, Genoa and Venice. Genoa for all the unexpected wonderful moments and of course, Rosanna who's little mini corners are filled with your work :):). But truly even without Rosanna, Genoa should be on the map for tourists. Despite falling for Venice, Genoa remains my favourite of the 2 because it is unassuming, not so commercial and always surprising.
Now, can you help feed my cat? :)
Hallo my dear, I'm at home for a quick lunch before going back to the shop and we treated ourselves with your biscuits. Pineapple tarts being the top ones !!! then the hazelnut ones that really reminds me of polvorones and I love how they taste of peanuts with a bit of salt on them.I finished the pomelo and still keep the skins on the radiator to enjoy their smell :o) I know you are on the train to Gorizia,have a safe journey to Slovenia. I suppose it will be a looong one. Do you really have your rug with you? I'd have loved seeing it. I'm sorry you had the high tide but it's anyway something to tell about when you'll be back at home.Thank you for the kind words you had about Genoa. May be you all could make some publicity to the city when you comes back home. We need tourists !! tonight I'll start stitching: I'll show you the pics when you are safely back in your lovely living room.Hugs to you all Rosanna & Walter
Norma! I am saying hi all the way from Bled, Slovenia. And I just heard from bf that he is in very good hands ;), whatever that means.
It has been another incredible day today. I left Venice this morning after biting into my 1st ever pistachio gelato! So Rosanna, I had my ice cream after all :) on a rainy day in Venice and didn`t turn into stone :).
I am a little sleepy now but before I go, I just want to tell you about our train ride from Nova Gorica to Bled. Best €5 ever spent in my whole lifetime. This was a regional train painted in the happiest of colours. It went through valleys and mountains , chugged along the great and never ending River Soca and passed by little ancient train stations. And as we climbed higher, the scene changed from green forest to postcard white mountains. I stood, glued to a half opened train window totally mesmerized for more than 2 hours. Best best best train ride I have ever had! See you tomorrow, Norma and night night!
Venice is wonderful, right?
It is a different atmosphere, you can feel it.
In general I love Italy, perhaps because I am totally Mediterranean.
I am so happy to have seen your happy faces in Rosanna's Blog and have readen all the wonderful comments about your trip.
Enjoy Slovenia!!!
Besos for all of you
Life is so long...we have time...one day we will have out tight hug (and not in mini...)
Hi Sans, I've worn your turtle neck shirt today. I love it, it's so comfortable and warm. Thank you very much.Don't forget to snap lots of pics: I'm very curious about Slovenia Good evening to you all Rosanna
Patricia, thank you for house sitting for me. I will be away for another 6 days, so please remember to feed my cat, Xerxes. Vaccum the floor and water the plants ;););).
When I was in Venice, there was an enchanting shop that sells little theatre box with puppets, handcrafted puppets and wooden hot air balloon toys. Nothing cost less than €100 (the hot air balloon was €300 plus. And we were not allowed to take pictures.) That shop reminded me very much of pappillon bleu ;)
Roberta, Roberta, I am so happy to have met you. Fai and MarG are very impressed with me for having made such wonderful friends on blog land ;). They think you are so great to take time out to meet us even if it is only for a short while. Thank you again for a great lunch. I still cannot believe that I got to eat at the shop. I passed by that shop the day before admiring the food and the next day, you bought us lunch there! What luck!
Love the little Polly Pocket House you are building!
Meli, Gemma, Dale ;);). Thank you for visiting! Another 6 days and my holidays are over and so will the Chinese New Year. I need a major diet plan and train for a run in March! Helpppppp ! ;)
Rosanna, I really must recommend Slovenia. It is such a short way from Italy and the beauty is just as spectacular except they rely on Mother Nature. (I didn.t know your border town , Gorizia is sooooo charming. It has to be one of the best looking border town in the world.
If you want to go to Slovenia. take the €5 train like I mentioned in my comment last night! NO Other way will do! It is so breathtaking, you won´t regret it.
Lake Bled must be the place Hallmark send their photographers or artists to for their greeting cards. As MarG say when she saw the landscape of the giant dollhouses scattered against the backdrop of snowcapped Alps and half frozen lakes , it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas (at least for us Singaporeans). You want pictures? Fai has taken almost 1000 of them.
There has been a slight change of plan. We are taking the train to Austria tomorrow. We will reach Salzburg tomorrow night and then the next morning, we hope to go on The Sound of Music tour! LOL. Are we crazy?
Hi Sans,
There's an award for you in my blog!:)
No, you aren't crazy. Salzburg is wonderful, you'll be happy to be there. Try Saker Tort, it's divine. And Mozart chocos too.Have fun and cover yourselves, Austria is pretty cold Rosanna
Hello Cindy, is my home covered in dust now? Is it bright and sunny and hot hot hot in Singapore? Weirdly enough I haven´t missed home yet. Usually takes about 3 weeks.
I woke this morning to white blanket over the front yard. Snow is falling like the dandruff on my blog. Except it is 1000 times prettier at least from indoor. Slovenia is brrrrrr-ingly cold. But my gosh, it sure is pretty!
You WILL love Salzburg. And as Rosanna says go yo the Saches pastisseri and taste the Sacher Torte.
My favourite chocolate cake. The heaven. I will dye for it ;)
Sans, it is still in pristine condition, i haven't moved much from my corner under your netting. XD
weather here's all wonky! i've never seen snow up close and personal before, aside from the time where i had to defrost my fridge. i hope you took lots of pics and are wearing lots of thermal underwear! :P
*giggles* your blog has long been cured of dandruff! and i managed to get my grubby hands on a copy of OST to slumdog millionaire :) grandma will be wondering why i'm listening to indian music so often......
*huggles*
Wow - I knew you were building the Maharajah's Palace... I didn't know you actually lived there!!! Your house is so wonderful! I love all the color and the spirit of the decor!! Even down to your china everything is perfect! How fun that you are going to visit Rosanna!!! I do hope you do a post about your visit!!! Have fun! hugs, ara
Hey Jean Day, Gong He Fatt Choy!! That's Cantonese as you may already know :). You must have gone to Hongkong before :). So you will be doing Italy next year ? After Slovenia and now Austria, I think I have fallen in love with Europe for the 1st time. Was just telling my travelling companions that if I can afford it, Europe will be one of my destinations every year!! :)
Eva & Rosanna :):), tis me in Innsbruck, Austria. I am so glad we did a detour into Austria. It has been a great 2 days here. Just this morning, we did the Sound of Music tour in Salzburg, visit Mozart's home, walked in the old town and if it had been May, we would have taken a 4 hour tour to Eagle's Nest in Germany! lol! Luckily, we could not go there because we visited the Salzburg toy museum instead and hooray, there were 3 dolls' houses (one of them a cabinet house!!) on display! When I reach home, I will post the fabulous pictures on my other blog.
There was also a section on paper theatre (I really love them) and Patricia, if you are reading this, I will post those pictures for you or maybe you have seen them already since you live in Paris.
The other fascinating miniatures I saw was in Mozart's House when they displayed models of the stage designs of his operas. Absolutely mind blowing. I took pictures of them all :):).
There is a folk museum in Innsbruck as well and I will be there too :). 1st thing when they open their door.
Will be catching the 3.15pm train back to Milan tomorrow afternoon!
Eva, I hope the next time, a few of us will meet up to do all these together :)!
Victoria, if you are reading this, I must tell you the houses in Slovenia and even some in the lakes and mountains of Salzburg really reminded me of the Russian cottage you are building. I am totally fascinated with Eastern Europe's architecture.
Cindy, until tis trip, MarG has never seen snow up close and personal before as well. But in Slovenia, she said she probably had enough snow for 3 years! lol
I will show you a pic I took from my room in Bled, Slovenia and you will know what I mean. Snowy winter days inspire quiet beauty. Even the birds in the morning chirp softer here and everyone talks in whispers :). No wonder , it is "Silent Night", By the way, we passed by the home of the composer this morning in Salzburg! :) Franz Gruber :).
I miss my music. Should have downloaded it onto my phone! You know you are really hooked on AR Rahman when you make a trip to Mustapha at 3am in the morning to look for his music! :)Are you there yet?
Got our tickets !!! we are overjoied !!! Will you be in Milan soon ? send a message if you like Hugs Rosanna
It's so great to read your comments on your blog when you're gone! Both because it's so nice to hear news from your trip, you almost make us feel we're travelling with you, and as a comfort too - I miss you my dear!
Wow Sans - I so enjoyed my visit to your house. The tea was wonderful and bed was so comfortable. I turned off the lights and left everything the way I found it. I do hope that you are enjoying your trip and the wonderful people you are meeting. I have an award waiting for you on my blog so that you will have a little sunshine waiting for you when you get home.
Hallo Sans, and MarG and FayZ. Have safe journey back home. Did you enjoy Milan? Write soon, I'm missing you Rosanna
Doreen, I am so happy that you came by :). I read your message when I was in Milan :) and it really made me smile. On my last day in Italy, it was raining too :) and your sunshine was felt !
Victoria, I felt your sunshine too :).
Darlings Helene, Rosanna & Eva, I am now home safe and sound. It has been an incredible incredible trip and as we watched the slideshow of the 1700 pictures Fai took, the beauty of where we were was relived again.
This trip ranks right up there for me together with my Syria, Jordan one. But this one may just tip the scale because of the chance to meet Rosanna. Kisses from all of us, darling Rosanna.
The other thing is being able to share my trip with all of you! Even with my family just bt posting on the comment box. :)
I never imagined that I would be saying this but reading all your comments when I was on the trains, in a boat or on a bus really really
brought the smiles . I felt like you all have become very real and dear friends!
I have made a promise. I hope to meet all of you one day :):):).
Love your place :)
Have an award for you on my blog:)
Wow, just read this comment from you Amina :)!! Sorry!! Thank you for your award. :) Your name is added to my award list :).
Hi,
This is Sanghamitra from your very own Singapore :)
Loved your home...your space!!...it is more Indian in flavour than any actual Indian home:)
Do stay in touch...
Cheers
Sanghamitra.
Heyyyyyyyy Sanghamitra :)! It is so good to meet you :)! I am smiling at the more Indian flavour :) I remembered when I first re-upholstered my daybed in that green chinoiserie velvet material and the ottoman in blue, my housemates thought they were totally over the top! And when I brought home all those cushions, I think I tipped the balance for them ! LOL. I thought o well, might as well go crazy right! :)
You betcha I will stay in touch :). I am following your rainbow blog . It comes into my email . :) I will be over every time you have something new!
OMG! I have just watched Amal, the movie about the auto rickshaw driver? It is a must see! Do catch it if you have a chance, Sanghamitra. One of my blogger friends here recommended it to me. Jean, if you are reading this , THANK YOU!
nemaste!
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