We bought ourselves some Marimo recently:

Marimo (毬藻, literally “ball seaweed”), also known as Cladophora ball, Lake ball, or Moss Balls in English, is a species of filamentous green algae (Chlorophyta) found in a number of lakes in the northern hemisphere. A marimo is a rare growth form of the species where the algae grow into large green balls with a velvety appearance. Colonies of such balls are only known to form in Iceland, Scotland, Japan and Estonia. (source)

Did you know there’s a legend behind it too? Apparently, in a tribe near Lake Akan in Hokkaido, the daughter of the chief of an elite tribe fell in love with a warrior from a rival tribe. Their tribes forbade their love, so they decided to give up their possessions and flee from the land where their love was forbidden. Although their new life was harsh, they survived because of the deep love they had for one other. Legend has it that the lovers’ spirits metamorphosed into Marimo, a plant of love at the deepest reach of the Lake Akan where they lived happily ever after. Marimo has become a symbol of determination in overcoming adversities in search of true love and happiness.

I don’t exactly believe in legends, and that’s certainly not the reason why I bought the Marimo. I just think that it’s interesting, and doesn’t require too much care. And since it’s small, it can be kept on the table or somewhere where the dog can’t get at it. I just wonder how long before they grow noticeably bigger…

I bought mine from Giveaplant, but Marimo can be bought online and from some fish shops as well.

“When I was little, I didn’t understand why ferris wheels existed. They were just sluggish and went up high. I got bored with it after only one ride. The roller coaster and the loop slider… I only paid attention to the thrilling rides. But… I kind of understand now. Ferris wheels are for slowly cutting across the sky with the person you like and maybe saying things like, “Isn’t this a little scary?”
― Umino Chica

Met up with old friends last week after out last gathering, which was… during my wedding? We seen each other through from secondary school, from the time when some of us started dating, till now, when we’re starting to get married. Can’t wit to fly to Australia for Linda’s wedding this December!

Today was my post-LASIK checkup. One week after my procedure everything looks fine. My eyes are healing normally, and my light sensitivity is getting better. My eyes still get dry easily (especially in shopping malls!), but the dryness is improving as well, and I last longer in the lab before having to put eye drops. I was a little concerned that the vision in my left eye is slightly blurrier that my right, but it seems like the culprit is the slight residual astigmatism (I technically have no myopia now). I doubt it’ll ever get better or go away with time, but I can gladly live with this! My vision is so much better than what it used to be, and peripheral vision is wonderful

My next checkup is in 3 weeks, and hopefully things will continue to look good then! One thing LASIK really made me appreciate is the gift of sight. I never really bothered to take care of my eyes during my younger days, but I certainly will from now on!

After experiencing the atmosphere at Chinatown, the husband and I went to River Hongbao at Marina Bay the next day (last night). I go to River Hongbao almost every year – not because I love it, but because there’s no where else to go on CNY eve or the first day of the Lunar New Year anyway. I remember enjoying River Hongbao more during my younger days, perhaps because there seemed to be more things to see and do, or maybe because as I get older, things like this don’t interest me that much anymore. These days, things are pretty much the same at River Hongbao each year – a food section (which is always crowded), an area with a funfair, and the main area where there are displays of the Chinese zodiac and the God of Fortune.

On Saturday night the husband and I had nothing to do, so we headed down to Chinatown after dinner. It’s been a number of years since I last went to the Chinese New Year bazaar there, so the husband decided that we should go to take a look. It was raining earlier in the day, and still drizzling when we got to Chinatown, but that didn’t seem to deter people from visiting at all. It wasn’t too crowded when we first reached there, but as it got later into the night, the place got so crowded that it became so difficult to even walk, much less take a look at what the stalls were selling and taking photos.

It’s a photo-intensive post, so the rest goes under the cut!