私の思考。私のスペース。私の生命。

Last post of 2009

2009-12-31T23:59:00.001+08:00

Okay...this is it. We've now come to the end of 2009, and this would also mark the end of this blog. Well, I'm not gonna delete it, of course -- it'll remain part of my archived items cos I do cherish it! -- but a new year always symbolises a fresh start, and hence my decision to always begin a new blog for the year's records.

The link to my blog for 2010 is www.niles31610@blogspot.com. Bye bye, 2009 blog! Hello, 2010 blog!

Department 'outing'

2009-12-31T12:26:00.009+08:00

Went to MJ's place for the second time yesterday for our department meeting-cum-lunch-cum-mini housewarming. She'd done up her house real good and was involved in every process, from making major decisions to considering the nitty gritties of everything. Not bad, cos her place is now so much nicer compared to what it was previously like. :)

Her house kinda follows a resort theme, and the furnishing's pretty much barang-barang style. Very zen indeed. My favourite spot would be this lovely heart-shaped pond that's right under the staircase and next to the dining area. I went to play with the fish in her pond with some other colleagues and our hands stayed long enough in it to let the fish nibble at our fingers. So ticklish...haha...

Lunch came once the proper business was all settled-- MJ got her faithful housekeeper to cook a range of delicious spicy items for us -- I especially loved the sambal chicken and garden salad, which went really well with the nasi briyani. There's also a cold fruit cocktail dessert which had an assortment of fruit swimming in cream and what tasted mildly like melted mozzarella cheese. Cool! Also tried the stuffed sour mango pickle for the first time...Sophia warned me saying that I wouldn't like it but I thought there wasn't harm in just trying it. Turned out I took a small bite and almost puked -- it's too sour and salty and there's too much Indian spice in it, I guess. I love the curries and sambal stuff and all, but now I know my palate's not too keen on connecting with so much spice all in one dish! :p

Heh, no matter how yummy the food was, it could never compare with the fantastic time I had playing with Bo, the large, handsome male golden retriever in the house! He's so affectionate! Bo was initially chained to his dog house at the back of the house, and Sophia and I started playing with him. Then upon being let out, he started running about joyfully, and leapt up at me a couple of times, leaning his whole weight on me as he stood on his two hind legs...my goodness, he's so strong he could even make me stagger backwards when he did that! Haha...so cute...and he seems to run and kick at the same time, throwing his butt in the air at regular intervals. Omg...so hilarious...and I also got whipped by his muscular tail several times...found out that it's a sign of his affection...haha...

Sigh...I went home with a lingering doggy smell on me and a longing for a furry companion of my own...

Potluck party on Boxing Day

2009-12-27T11:32:00.006+08:00

It's been quite a while since a gathering for my secondary school gang was organised, and I was happy to be able to arrange one at home for everyone the day after Christmas. :)

Hubby and I had begun preparations for the little party a couple of days before that, getting the practical items and the gifts ready. That morning, half of our table tennis table was moved out to be used as the food table -- size was just right. :) We placed the snow globe in the centre to weigh down the table cloth and also as a little extra decoration. The bar stools and table from the kitchen was placed near the TV lounge so there're more options for seating. Then came the people and the food at 1pm plus... there were pizzas, loads of otah sticks, assorted nonya kuehs, chocolate eclairs, tiramisu, longan cocktail with almond jelly, chocolate sticks and balls, white wine and sparkling juice.

Heh, and there're the little presents that they took after drawing a number each before they left. Think each gift matches the person I thought most suitable to have it. Haha... :) Luckily, no one said anything about the haphazard style of wrapping. :p

We had quite a lively time, and I think it was absolutely great to see almost everyone hanging out together again after so long... sigh, now that we all hold different jobs and lead such different lives, it's more difficult to meet up as a complete group, but I know that we'd all try our best to make it happen if there's an opportunity. Everyone hasn't changed much in terms of personality, so the gathering brought back some funny memories of the times we shared back in school...I so miss those days!

Am looking forward to the next gathering, which would most probably be at Elmo's new apartment next year after renovation's done...so happy for her that she's finally getting her keys after four whole years of waiting! :D

Christmas :)

2009-12-27T11:06:00.010+08:00

Talk about a sweaty Christmas... :p

It's been so long since our badminton bags and rackets saw the light of day ever since we took to playing table tennis at home, but they finally had the chance to go out on Christmas morning when Hubby and I met up with my colleague and her boyfriend for a game of doubles at Clementi Sports Hall.

Was a little worried that the game might be a bit too much for me to take cos they'd booked the court for two hours and I hadn't been playing for a while, plus just recovered from my cold, but it turned out to be okay, especially since after the first hour plus, we two girls left the guys to play singles while we sat chatting. Haha... (but my muscles still ached like crazy after that... even now! :p). The four of us also went for lunch at a kopitiam after the game. Overall, I quite enjoyed the session. :)

We also opened our presents early in the morning before the game. Beebee and Benne gave Hubby a Star Wars Christmas figurine, which is on display on top of our TV now. Pretty cute! And I got a nice pin board which I'll put at my desk at work. Stationery never fails to please me cos I'm such a stationery freak! ;D I got Hubby a WMF beer mug cos he's been drinking beer lately and I also got a surprise mini gift although Hubby'd already given me the DSi a few months ago (which he's still sore about cos it kinda spoilt the surprise he'd planned :p)...

TADA! Mini it is, indeed! So adorable! It's a TY Beanie Boo, a new series featuring plush babies with huge round eyes! This is Coconut, my new mini monkey... Heehee, I know I'm kinda past the stage where I wanna own plush toys, but this one immediately brightened up my mood...look at the sweet sweet smile...haha... :) Now it's just sitting on the couch next to me.

Now the word 'coconut' just sounds so cute. Haha. ^_^

Christmas eve meals and purchases

2009-12-27T10:23:00.008+08:00

Met Beebee after her half-day of work (or rather, pre-Christmas fun in the office -- cos she didn't really do any work at all! :p) on Christmas eve last Thursday, but started my own fun shopping before I met her for lunch cos there were quite a few things I had to get! :)

Dropped by Kinokuniya first cos the watch book that Hubby had enquired about some time ago finally made it to the bookstores. Man! This book by the Singapore Clock & Watch Trade Association sure took a long time to reach the shelves, but I was so happy when I finally laid my hands on it, cos I'd made a few calls in hope of getting Hubby that for Christmas, but was disappointed by the lack of news about it. Though it didn't end up as a Christmas gift after all, I was just delighted to finally claim that hard-to-locate book. :p

Also bought a pair of Star Wars chopsticks (yes, can you believe it?!) for Hubby. He'd bought himself a pair that's blue recently (supposed to be associated with Luke Skywalker), but didn't feel shiok using it as he kept thinking of the red one (this one's linked to Darth Vader). To keep him from 'grumbling' further, I decided to just get him the red pair. Now he seems a lot happier using the Darth Vader chopsticks to pick up his food. Haha... :p

My next stop was the Christmas bazaar at Takashimaya -- so many cheap but lovely gifts to buy as simple tokens for friends! Since I was going to have the secondary school gang over for a potluck party on Boxing Day, I decided, upon Hubby's suggestion, to surprise them with little gifts that I would number and then get them to draw for the gift. :) I loved shopping around at the bazaar! Within a simple half an hour, I'd managed to pick up what I thought were cute yet practical buys at low sale prices. Also threw in a few extra buys for some colleagues as well... :)

Then Beebee came and we lunched at this Asian eatery named Central, I think. It's right opposite Ajisen Ramen. She had the trishaw noodles while I ordered the prawns fried rice. Then we shared the cold tofu layered with floss and some garlic cheese sticks. The noodles were normal, kinda like instant mee pok; the rice was okay, with quite a number of prawns, which was good; the tofu was nice; the garlic cheese sticks were -- hmm, quite bland and tasted like thin crisp dough, with hardly any filling. Overall, the food was ok -- nothing to rave about though -- but the service displeased us. So...uh-uh, that'll be the last time we step in there to eat.

We moved about to browse at more stuff -- Beebee also bought her Christmas gift for Benne and some other items. Then it was off to get her log cake and my dinner back from Ion. By then, the malls were utterly crowded and we were both starting to feel irritable cos we honestly hated such massive crowds! Anyway, I got dinner from this Korean chicken place -- they were handing out free chicken wings for passers-by to try and Beebee tasted one, saying it's good, so I thought to just give it a try. Ordered the tofu rice box and soy garlic chicken rice box with an additional caesar salad for some fibre. I was handed a device and told to return to the pick up spot to claim my food when the device lit up, but for it to work, I had to stay within 500m of the eatery. Well, that device never did light up, and I was running out of patience cos we wanted to check out other places for Beebee's log cake, so we just went and waited next to the pick up counter. Service could have been a little faster, but thank goodness the food was good. I enjoyed the kimchi coleslaw that came with the rice. Refreshing. :) But the electronic device idea? Innovative but not very efficient.

Spent the rest of the evening wrapping the purchases I'd made... think my gift-wrapping skills are still horrible but maybe it improved just a tad with all the practice I had that evening? After all, I'd never wrapped that many gifts at one go on my own! :p

Christmas parade in HDB estate

2009-12-23T20:59:00.010+08:00

Last night, a surprise display of floats appeared along a road at our estate, which our kitchen window overlooks. Hubby first discovered it and hurriedly rushed me downstairs with him to check out the parade.

Turned out it's organised by a group of churches in Singapore. The floats were accompanied by volunteers dressed in lovely costumes that told the story of Christmas. There was also some choral singing. Apparently, the group had been cruising along many stretches of roads in Singapore, and came all the way from Orchard Road.

Pretty spectacular! It's a nice way to bring some Christmas cheer to the heartlands. :)

Reverie: Cirque on Ice

2009-12-22T17:21:00.004+08:00

Hubby received a call last Friday, notifying him of his win in a lucky draw (which he didn't even know existed prior to that call :p) -- he had won four tickets to the performance Reverie: Cirque on Ice near the Indoor Stadium! All he had to do was print out an email and go collect the tickets with that printout and his Singapore Indoor Stadium Star Pass.

We were, of course, kinda thrilled by the pleasant surprise. After all, Hubby had voluntarily entered several lucky draws before, none of which presented him with any substantial win. And this one he won -- without even knowing he was part of the draw! :D Anyway, eventually we invited a couple, PS and Kenneth, to go with us to catch the show last Sunday. We had some time to catch up a while with them over a pizza lunch at our place before hopping into Kenneth's car for the ride to the stadium. Had a great time continuing our chat in the car -- it's been mighty long since the last time we met up at their place! :)

Hubby got a little bit of a shock when he went to collect his free tickets and was told that they'd been collected already. Luckily, he managed to clarify and resolve the mistake and so was able to still get his tickets. Haha. The show's staged on an ice platform and featured several acrobatic stunts and funny antics by a clownish character. It's supposed to take place in the form of a story but we wouldn't have understood the plot at all if we hadn't read the pamphlet description. :p Music and singing're both good, and we appreciated the various acts. But I guess since Hubby and I have watched Quidam before, our expectations were kinda raised, and this show didn't quite impress us as much as the former did back then.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed myself that day! :)

Take That!

2009-12-19T13:40:00.004+08:00

Just watched this DVD at home... and am now officially won over by Take That. I've always liked their songs, but never declared myself a fan... till NOW.

The antics, the stunts, the setting, the props, the singing, the songs, the overall showmanship...oh man, WOW!!! This concert's gonna be so hard to beat.

I love these guys... this DVD's a must-watch for all Take That fans, and anyone who wants to view a spectacular show.

Ok, 'nuff said, lest I spoil the magic for would-be viewers. :p

Joy and satisfaction!

2009-12-19T10:36:00.007+08:00

The N level examination results have been released at last, and yesterday saw me delighting in the success of my Sec 4N class for having done well at English Language, the best they'd ever performed to date as a class.

Though a few could not gain promotion to Secondary Five because they didn't do well at their other subjects, I know they've done their best and I think they know it too, so they calmly accepted their results. Those who were given a chance to take the O level examination next year were clearly ecstatic and displayed amusing acts such as jumping out of their seats and running around the hall screaming in joy or simply sitting there staring at their results slip while grinning in a silly fashion. Haha...

This class has been wonderful to teach, despite the times when they drove me up the wall during their 'off' days. :p I'm so gonna miss them too, cos I won't be teaching them next year, though I wish I would. Sigh.

Anyway, no matter where these kids go from now, I wish them all the best! :)

Food and happiness

2009-12-17T12:17:00.007+08:00

Christmas is just around the corner, and it's always known that people eat more during festive periods. Though my appetite hasn't been very good for the past few days (am now nursing a bit of an uncomfortable throat), I must say that the week after returning from Perth saw me enjoying some good food still. Hopefully recounting these good eating times will help me improve my appetite!

First, there's the 313@Somerset that started operating not long ago. Hubby and I visited the mall last week on our way back-- I'm quite impressed by the stores there. Think the opening hours of some stores are also slightly longer than those at other major malls. In fact, at about 10pm, we decided to chill out a little at Blue Mountain Cafe. I'd heard of the famous Blue Mountain coffee and thought it might be worth a try, especially with the tantalising coffee aroma wafting into the nostrils!

It was Hubby who eventually ordered the famous coffee, poured from a small glass jug into a delicate porcelain cup right before our eyes. He's not so much of a gourmet when it comes to coffee, so he wasn't quite able to appreciate the difference between this coffee and that sold in kopitiams, but I thought it tasted fine -- not so thick, yet fragrant enough to want more. I ordered the recommended iced fruit tea, served in a tall pitcher glass with cut bits of apple, pineapple and orange. Not bad, though it'd go much better with a sandwich or something instead of on its own cos it's quite acidic in nature. Then there's the apple crumble with vanilla ice cream on the side. Just tasting the crumble on its own without the filling is enjoyable to me. Nice!

Service was, however, something that could have been improved, we felt. Guess the staff weren't very much experienced or trained, and we encountered a few hiccups when it came to the orders as well as the bill payment that caused us to leave less than happy, despite having enjoyed the food.

The next meal of good food I enjoyed was at Goodwood Park Hotel last Sunday evening. Elmo and I went to attend KH's wedding dinner there and had a great time, especially since we were so entertained by his antics in the video clips that showed how he and his best men endured the challenges given by the bridesmaids to get to his bride eventually. Hahaha... so hilarious! Too bad the rest couldn't make it to view this! Will also find it hard to forget the comical way KH spoke to us when he greeted us outside the ballroom: “怎么办, 怎么办？！我很紧张leh！”He's still the old secondary school innocent teen we knew back then! :D But we're so happy for him now that he's found his soulmate to spend the rest of his life with. We know he's honest to the core and he'd be a wonderful husband to his lady. :)

These days, table gifts for wedding guests are also more creative. Instead of your usual chocolate or fruit cake, you now get things like bottled honey and tea infuser! So cute... :) I especially like the tea infuser cos I'm a tea-drinker. Shall use it at home one of these days.

The food served was quite yummy too. In fact, I think it's one of the better wedding feasts I've enjoyed. Also like the fact that thick, gooey seafood and mushroom soup was served in place of sharks' fin soup. Spare the sharks and still taste soup that's of a similarly rich texture and goes well with your vinegar and pepper. Yum! The prawns, my favourite, were so fat and succulent as well. Also loved the dessert -- cold cream of mango and pomelo with sago. Mmmm...!

能吃是福; I wish my appetite would return soon! It's such a dread not wishing to eat anything! :S

'Breaking' of contract -- for good causes

2009-12-17T11:35:00.007+08:00

Remember how Hubby signed a contract I created some time ago for him to curb his habit of shopping for watches? Well, he kinda 'broke' that contract recently, cos he initiated exactly that -- but all for good reason. :)

The first watch he wanted to get was for his dad as a birthday gift for his 60th birthday. He'd given one to FIL before but it might be a little too loud for his taste so Hubby decided to get one of more subtle class this time. We went to People's Park Complex last Thursday evening to hunt for good deals and finally settled on a Tissot men's classic design after going in and out of several stores and stepping back into the first store where we saw that watch. Am so pleased we chose that one out of the few watches recommended to us by the retailer cos it put a mighty big smile on FIL's face when he received it the next day:

Hehe, I love the feeling of being able to play a part in giving something to someone and seeing a glow on that person's face upon receiving it! Such is the ultimate joy of giving! ^_^ Think he's really delighted with the gift cos, according to him, it's exactly the kinda design he loves -- simply, thin and easy to read (thank goodness Hubby asked MIL for some tips beforehand :p).

The weekend following that, we went out to Bencoolen Street to get Hubby's student's older brother a gift for his 21st birthday. It was a watch (what else?!) cos it's for a significant event, and we're invited to join in the celebration at his home. Decided on a Casio G-shock that's pretty special -- black plastic case, white leather strap. Apparently, the recipient loves it too, based on the thank-you SMS he sent to Hubby after receiving it.

Hmmm...am starting to buy into the idea that watches make great gifts indeed, if you know how to choose the right ones!

Perth travelogue: Day 6 (6th Dec)

2009-12-08T15:09:00.006+08:00

~It's the final day of our trip now; since no programme was planned for the entire morning before Dominic was to send us off to the airport, we decided to wake up early still and walk down to Harbour Town after breakfast ~ ended up a little disappointed cos we learnt that the stores weren't opened till past 11am ~ decided to take a train ride on a different route this time to enjoy the ride and see more things in the day; went to Kenwick and back ~ checked out of the hotel and left our luggage at the concierge then walked to Harbour Town again, determined to shop a bit ~ Beebee was the biggest winner -- she bought so many items! I didn't though, but it was fun browsing about despite the short amount of time we had there, some things were really cheap, but others weren't so ~ lunch was quickly settled by grabbing a sandwich from a snack bar along the way back to the hotel ~ Dominic picked us up and purposely went by the casino for us to see the outside before stopping at the airport ~ Home sweet home after that! (But I still miss the Aussie lifestyle.)

Ugh...I need another holiday!

Perth travelogue: Day 5 (5th Dec)

2009-12-08T14:49:00.007+08:00

~After breakfast at hotel, we departed on the Australian Pinnacles tour on board a small bus with other tourists from other hotels ~ the coach guide who served us was Steve, an amiable and most helpful Australian guy ~ alighted first at Caversham Wildlife Park (again! Yippee!), this time for a shorter tour ~ interacted with the koalas and kangaroos again -- don't think I'll ever tire of it! ;P ~ stopped by the Indian Ocean and walked on the soft fine sand into the cold refreshing waters ~ lunch was a picnic buffet set by Steve, which I thoroughly enjoyed ~ then it was the stop at the Pinnacles ~ though it was close to 40 degrees Celsius, I didn't really feel as unbearably hot as I'd expected cos there was, again, a constant breeze blowing -- hardly perspired even ~ Beebee, Hubby and I wrote our names and signed our comments on the guest book at the souvenir store entrance, then went in to browse about ~ made our book purchases there too ~ Steve had cold juices awaiting us back at the coach -- how thoughtful!

~Sand dunes at Lancelin next! It's amazing how the sand built up over the years to become soft, yet solid grounds for roller coaster rides on the vehicles ~ tried sandboarding as well; scared of the tall dune for adults so got Beebee to try the smaller dunes with me; Mummy tried that too, surprisingly! ~ wasn't as breathtaking as it would have been along the steep slope of the tall large dune that Hubby tried FOUR times on, but I'm satisfied -- at least I can declare that I've tried sandboarding before! :p ~ Steve stopped by the road for us to take some lovely shots of beautiful orange-yellow plants that flourished on a piece of land that was burnt to ashes by arsonists a year ago ~ captured shots of the beautiful sunset on the ride back to the hotel ~ had dinner at a posh place named Matsuki Japanese Restaurant, just a few minutes' walk from our hotel, that captivated us cos of the large crowds and nice decor ~ service was excellent -- it was authentic Japanese food served by polite and smiling Japanese ladies in kimonos ~ quantity must have been catered for the huge Aussie appetites as each set meal was really filling!

Perth travelogue: Day 4 (4th Dec)

2009-12-08T14:10:00.008+08:00

~Had breakfast at hotel again -- it's the same range of items as before ~ Dominic came to pick us up to tour about King's Park, which kinda reminded me of our local Henderson Waves cos of the bridges and plants ~ took more pictures there ~ enjoyed the bird's eye view of the waters, buildings and plants ~ weather was getting hot (more than 30 degrees Celsius) but it was okay cos the breeze was cool still ~ went past the Parliament House later on; was told by Dominic that due to tradition, no air conditioning has been installed at all, and whoever lived there were willing to endure even the hottest temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius there!

~Next was a visit to the Perth Mint, where we witnessed for ourselves a live demonstration of how ultra-hot liquid gold was poured, cooled and solidified into a dense gold bar -- an eye-opener indeed! ~ walked about and examined gold exhibits ~ tried to pick up a gold bar but my goodness, it was so heavy that it could hardly be lifted at all with a single bend of the wrist ~ slipped $2 into a machine and bought my copper coin, stamped on the spot; the guy in charge of that machine was so comical as he joked about with us; Hubby left happily with his 金鼻屎 and postcards ~ next it was off to Lake Monger, home to the famous black swans and other birds like pelicans and mandarin ducks ~ the birds didn't seem afraid of humans at all, and we were able to get close up shots of and with the black swans too -- how beautiful! ~ after that, Dominic stopped at a beach for us to take in the sea breeze, and look at how the Australians spent their day having picnics, suntanning and swimming out there -- from the crowds we saw there, it must be a habit for Australians to spend their day at the beach in the hot summer sun ~ the cool sea breeze made it all the more comfortable to be there.

~Stopped at the famous Fremantle to take it the harbour scene and explore the fresh seafood markets there before lunch ~ the place was like a small European town with the narrow stretches of roads and the architecture of the buildings -- very nice! ~ lunch was at the Esplanade Hotel Fremantle, which boasts a great variety of items at its buffet meals; especially loved the creamy vegetable soup ~ next we were taken to the Old Round House, which used to be a place of punishment for prisoners ~ it was sweltering hot out there but pretty cool within the stone walls of the cells.

~Went about Fremantle marketplace but think it's kinda overrated as the prices of what used to be cheap goods have soared in recent years due to increase in rent, but it was still nice walking about and looking ~ bought much cheaper souvenirs at a place nearby that Dominic recommended, owned by Singaporeans -- must support! :) ~ also stopped at a large hypermart for some macadamia nuts shopping as well as a small Asian-owned convenience store for some nougats ~ dinner was at Jade Chinese Seafood Restaurant; dishes were tasty, especially the stir-fried vegetables and the preserved vegetable soup ~ returned to hotel after that and we all spent part of the evening in Mummy and Papa's room eating the fresh plums, peaches and nectarines that we'd bought at the orchard previously.

Perth travelogue: Day 3 (3rd Dec)

2009-12-08T13:25:00.009+08:00

~Awoke at 5 plus in the morning to catch the sunrise before dozing off for another couple of hours ~ had a hearty breakfast prepared by Anne, comprising fried vermicelli with cabbage and carrot strips, sunny side ups, thick bacon strips and toast with butter ~ then it was off to feed the chickens; saw the largest rooster I'd ever set my eyes on (so majestic-looking as it strutted about and made noise at the same time); witnessed the collection of eggs ~ enjoyed a longer ride on the truck again to check out the harvesting of canola plants which Robyn and her family would sell to processing companies for the manufacturing of canola oil ~ on the way back, she also stopped by a herd of cattle and demonstrated the feeding of this herd; I actually felt saddened as we left on the truck cos the cattle continued following us for some distance till the gates were shut on them -- they really did look so sad. :(

~Lunch was served close to noon and as usual, it was a filling homemade lunch of goodness; had tender drumsticks in dark gravy, battered fish with lemon sauce, fried veggies, refreshing cold lemonade and also some watermelon as dessert; everything was made entirely from scratch, right down to the gravy and sauce --Mmmm! ~ after bidding goodbye to our hosts, we left the farm ~ Dominic stopped to let us look around a dam and take some pictures, then we continued on the journey towards Raeburn Orchards, where we strolled about to look at the lovely fruits planted and harvested ~ went into the barn, a sort of mini market place, to check out the fresh produce as well as make some purchases; this was also where I bought the sauces to try out; also had some mango sorbet there and attempted to play with a friendly pet dog of the owner (yeah, it's not just the people that's friendly -- their animals are too!).

~Left the orchard and headed back to Citigate, where we checked in once again ~ took more shots along the way, capturing more activities and scenic views ~ left the hotel later in the evening to look for our own dinner ~ settled on this Italian restaurant called Valentino for a cool alfresco dining experience ~ temperature dropped to perhaps 20 degrees Celsius or slightly less and there was a steady cold wind blowing, but we were soon warmed by the food we all shared~ ordered prawn in garlic sauce and rice, pumpkin risotto, BBQ chicken pizza, mushroom and chicken pasta in cream sauce and Hubby had his gigantic steak and some apple cider ~ while we left the bill for the men to settle, Beebee, Mummy and I went to the ladies and saw this machine containing chewable toothpaste to provide some minty breath after meals; Beebee bought one for $2 as a keepsake ~ went back to hotel with parents but Beebee, Hubby and I went out again later on to catch a train ride just for the experience ~ rode to Fremantle and back with a young, burly Indian transit officer whom we'd approached back at our original Perth station; he was so friendly and he and a couple of other officers chatted with us on the way -- so nice!

Perth travelogue: Day 2 (2nd Dec)

2009-12-07T23:10:00.018+08:00

~Woke up to an early breakfast at the hotel; heaped those I preferred onto my plate (scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, heavenly seared tomatoes, bacon strips and braised mushrooms) ~ checked out from hotel and enjoyed more scenery along the way to our next stop ~ weather was great (again just slightly more than 20 degrees Celsius).

~Stopped for a guided tour at Caversham Wildlife Park ~ had the opportunity to view the beautiful birds and other creatures as well as interact with the koalas and kangaroos there; learnt how to stroke the koalas gently with the back of my hand and also fed the lively kangaroos with food pellets given to us; touched and took a picture with a huge wombat securely held in the arms of another employee of the park as well ~ I loved the close encounters with the animals!!! ^_^

~ Next up was a visit to Houghton Winery, which included some wine tasting; as usual, I preferred the white wine that I tasted to the red one, but boy was the white one so much more delicious than any other I'd tasted before (it was really sweet and champagne-like, minus the bubbles) ~ we bought a total of three bottles, one red that Papa wanted to take back to Singapore, one white for Hubby's parents and another white for all of us to enjoy that evening by ourselves ~ took plenty of photos there as well cos there were so many beautiful plants and vines to look admire.

~ Time for some yummy chocolates; stopped at the Margaret River Chocolate Company and sampled some fantastic chocolate bits; never saw so many different types of chocolates under one roof ~ all of us made some purchases there ~ besides chocolates, there were also some choc-related merchandise like T-shirts, mugs and aprons that declared the user as choc addicts -- fun! ~ Lunch was at this place called Valley View Garden Cafe & Restaurant, a stand-alone house amidst the greenery and by the road; loved the fresh garden salad, honey-glazed drumsticks, battered fish and the blueberry cheesecake (only thing I didn't wanna taste was the lamp chops -- that one's more for Hubby!).

~ Then came the farmstay, which was the main reason we decided to go to Perth; met Robyn, the tough female owner of the farm, and learnt that the farm had been passed down from generations that existed as far back as WWI and expanded till it reached the 5000 acres of land today -- that's about the size of 100 golf courses put together! ~ rode at the back of a truck and enjoyed the bumpy but cool ride to the pond to fish for yabbies, a mini lobster-like creature ~ played with and fed the farm pets (a couple of goats and sheep respectively) before dinner time.

~ Dinner by Robyn's friend, Anne, was fabulous! ~ There's oven baked chicken, lamb (which again, I didn't take), pasta, loads of salad greens, rice (to cater to the Chinese taste bud -- btw, it's Thai jasmine rice, very soft and fragrant), garlic bread, and dessert was a cool slice of lemon cheesecake with fruit cocktail and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side; ugh...listing these items is making me drool again! ~ After dinner, all of us, except for Mummy, sat at the porch on the second level just outside our rooms and sipped the wine as we enjoyed the darkening view of the landscape out there ~ the wind soon turned chilly and we were freezing like crazy (temperature fell to slightly more than 10 degrees Celsius!) but still refused to retire for the night; just continued sitting there and watching the night sky till it was time to shower ~ at night, even before sleep, we could still hear the baas of a couple of rams that refused to turn in. :p

Oh, I loved being on the farm! :)

Perth travelogue: Day 1 (1st Dec)

2009-12-07T22:26:00.010+08:00

~Arrived at Changi International Airport way earlier than expected, at about slightly past 6am, cos everyone was punctual and traffic was smooth all the way ~ had a relaxing breakfast of eggs and toast at Wang Cafe and then proceeded to check in ~ strolled about a bit and browsed at some stores before boarding the plane ~ enjoyed the movie "Coco Avant Chanel" on board as well as a yummy filling lunch of pasta salad, oriental fish fillet rice set, bread and ice cream.

~Reached Perth with a bit of a hiccup at the arrival hall cos the traditional Po Chai pills that we usually pack in with our luggage had to be confiscated as it wasn't allowed in Australia (lady officer attending to us was very warm and friendly though, so we weren't intimidated at all during the seizing of the items -- basically just had to have some paperwork completed) ~ met our courteous coach driver cum tour guide, Dominic, and settled down on a comfortable ride all the way back to our hotel, Citigate Hotel ~ weather was cool (slightly more than 20 degrees Celsius only) and I thoroughly enjoyed the scenery along the way.

~There wasn't any planned programme for the rest of the evening so all of us rested for a while in our room before making our way out to explore the vicinity and get dinner on the way as well ~ our first stop was at a souvenir store where we spent quite some time browsing about for gifts ~ finally decided on grabbing dinner at a fast food outlet; all of us except Mummy shared a variety of Turkish gozlemes (prata-like stuff) with various fillings such as chicken, spinach and potatoes; Mummy chose to have a burger set meal at Hungry Jack's, which is like Burger King's twin, except that the meals are more expensive and the burgers and drinks actually smaller compared to BK's ~ after dinner, we continued strolling along the streets, but cos it's a Tuesday, the stores were closed early at about 6pm, so there wasn't any shopping we could do ~ had a good time just checking out the quiet mall streets and alleys and taking pics anyway (Christmas decorations were up too, making the sights even more appealing) ~ once back at the hotel, Beebee, Hubby and I washed up and just relaxed in front of the TV till we fell asleep.

Back from Perth!

2009-12-07T18:27:00.004+08:00

Hello, Singapore! We're back from our Perth holiday! Well, this hol's been pretty eventful -- I'm not just referring to the various places we visited and the activities we spent our energy on; there were also a few ups and downs we encountered during the trip, many to do with the people we were travelling with (both family members and the other family that was with us). From this experience, I guess the company you're with can either make or break a wonderful holiday. But I'm glad that in the end, everything sort of went well and still made a somewhat fabulous trip despite the downs, and I don't regret having gone on this Perth holiday at all! ^_^

Didn't manage to get bags and clothes as I'd hoped during the shopping, but we sure ended up with loads of goodies and souvenirs to give to others! Anyway, these were what we got for ourselves:

1. a handmade bracelet

2. costume jewellery made of iron ore

3. a set of postcards and gold nugget, plus a copper coin

4. two books about Pinnacles --one comprising facts, the other comprising pictures and poems

5. two Adidas pencil cases

6. one magnet

7. one mobile phone accessory

8. a thick memo pad

9. a jar of special pasta sauce -- pumpkin and blue cheese

10. a bottle of yellow chilli sauce

Actually, apart from the gold nugget and factual book about the Pinnacles, the rest are all mine...poor Hubby! Well, at least when I asked him, he declared that he was still pleased with his purchases, especially the gold nugget, which he proudly proclaimed was his '金鼻屎' -- "jin1 pi3 sai4" was what he announced it to be, which tickled all of us...haha...

We took loads of pictures cos this time, there were THREE cameras in action! Think all in all, we took more than 2000 photographs! It's gonna be tough trying to select the best ones to keep and the ones we like most to print in hard copy... can't imagine the process... *shudder* But again, no regrets! Looking at the pics just made me wanna go back for another Aussie experience... there's really nothing like travelling beyond Singapore, I say! :)

Okie, shall make some dinner now and then see if I can come back and post pics and each day's events while the feeling and memory's still fresh... ;P

Preparing for Perth trip...

2009-11-29T23:24:00.003+08:00

Hubby and I finally managed to get most of our stuff packed for the upcoming Perth trip. Had a bit of a headache trying to think of the most efficient and cheapest way of getting everyone and everything loaded and whisked off to the airport at such an early hour on Tuesday morning, and were torn between booking a maxi cab in advance (the maxi cab ride would cost us $77 in all!!! @_@) and making our separate ways there. Even got MIL to help us check with her office to estimate the cab fares when we visited her yesterday evening.

Fortunately, Benne's aunt recommended her close friend, this uncle who drives a mini van, to Beebee, saying that he could go to both our home destinations and help to take us all to the airport at a flat fee of $45. So much cheaper in comparison with what the cab companies are charging! Of course we decided to take up that offer.

Also checked the weather forecast for Perth over the next few days. Think the first couple of days of our trip are best -- maximum temperature's only about 23 degrees celsius or so while lowest could be 11 or 12, but it could shoot up to 34 over the next few days. Oh well, we'll just make sure we've got both summer and a bit of cold wear packed in our luggage. :)

Still have to report for work tomorrow till about 5pm, but am hoping to complete my course assignment during that time. Must get it done before I go off on the trip. Then will just return home tomorrow evening to chill out and pack the rest of the stuff in before turning in early hopefully. Am so looking forward to getting away from Singapore and enjoying the trip, especially the farmstay! ^_^

It's a good Friday...

2009-11-29T22:38:00.012+08:00

Hadn't met up with HZ and Jess for some time... we finally did so last Friday afternoon. Went out to town for lunch, followed by some jalan jalan, mainly to look around and perhaps settle some final purchases that they had to make for their upcoming holiday trip (so envious! Close to THREE weeks of holidaying in cool winter places! ^_^).

Lunch was at Food Republic @ Wisma Atria. Hubby and I had bought food from Waan Waan Thai Restaurant there on our previous visit and we thought it was not bad, so we recommended that to HZ and Jess. A set meal comprising a main course, clear but spicy tom yam seafood soup and sweet thai dessert costs only $8.50. Pretty good value for money, considering the quantity and taste! :)

The jalan-ing was also quite fun. Bought my latest DS Mario game at a special discount given by Jess's friend since Jess was buying some Wii games too. Cool! :) Haven't had time to start playing it though...think I bought too many games recently! :p We also browsed about at some luxury brand stores at DFS... since the moment he discovered some nice and 'cheap' Gucci bags, Hubby kept asking me to get one that day. I didn't okay! Am quite pleased with myself for being disciplined. Actually, I think after my latest Burberry purchase, I just didn't feel like splurging on another branded bag for the time being. In fact, I told Hubby that I might leave the Gucci till my next birthday to commemorate the day I step into my thirties... (maybe that'll comfort me a little and divert my attention from my increased age :p).

Oh ya, we also took some pictures of the new ginormous installation by LV right in front of Ngee Ann City. Just compare its size with that of the ice cream uncle's station in the background to see how huge it is. If not for the rain, loads of people would probably be hovering near it, taking pictures with or of it.

Hubby and I stayed on in Orchard for the evening. Hubby was also quite disciplined himself. He spotted a Tag Heuer bag that he thought might be a nice weekend bag to carry around (it actually costs more than the 'cheap' Gucci bag) and was toying with the idea of getting it. But after trying it on for a while, he decided against it cos he realised it might be more of a travel bag than messenger bag...

Dinner was settled back at Food Republic -- think we'd never stepped into that place so many times in a single day -- this time, we went for Japanese food at the stall where we had tried their Tokyo ramen before. The ramen didn't taste as flavourful or rich this time though, but at least Hubby had a nice bottle of beer to compensate for it. I decided to try the cheapest bento set they had -- chicken karaage, stir fried beansprouts with chilli and prawn bits and even chawanmushi and miso soup. Quite reasonable for about $10. :)

Well, the day ended with us not purchasing anything else, but I'm happy too cos it was quite relaxing just going out there without any aim or pressure to get anything. :)

Haircut and century egg tofu...

2009-11-29T21:57:00.004+08:00

Went for a haircut at Jantzen @ Jurong Point last Wednesday... decided to trim it short again (for the second time in my entire life!) cos we'd be going on our Perth holiday soon and since it'll be the start of summer, I'd have a summer kinda hat on my head as long as I'm outdoors -- don't wanna have to deal with the hassle of having to tie my hair properly or tuck it in under the hat nicely. With short hair, there's less to deal with! :p Of course, the haircut also shaved years off my appearance...haha...think ladies usually look younger with shorter hair.

Hubby came to meet me so after the haircut, we had a nice dinner at the mall. Chose a Chinese meal this time at Lai Lai Casual Dining. Hubby had the mian xian soup set consisting of the mian xian, century egg tofu and iced bubble tea while I chose a bowl of plain rice with two other side dishes -- shredded cucumber and chicken and fried fish fillet. We shared the dishes and I loved the century egg tofu most! Think it'd be rather easy to conjure. Get tofu, century egg, bonito flakes, chicken floss and spring onion and put them together with perhaps some oyster sauce, I guess? Shall try that one day cos Hubby liked it too. :)

The two 'B's...

2009-11-22T11:00:00.009+08:00

Two 'B's came over to our place last evening...Beebee and her now official boyfriend, Benne. :) Beebee had wanted to try her hand at decorating our Christmas tree so we invited her to come over yesterday and ask Benne along too.

Cooked some pasta in carbonara sauce and prepared sauteed sausages with broccoli, white button mushroom and some red capsicum for some savoury flavour. Also made some soup and tossed a salad to go with the meal. Soup wasn't fantastic, but I guess the rest were okay, or so I hope. :p

Had some Xbox entertainment in the form of Guitar Hero as well before proceeding to decorate the Christmas tree and putting up other forms of Christmas deco around in the apartment. Well, this year's slightly different -- Beebee and Benne did all the work of adding the pretty touches to the Christmas tree. Think it's so sweet looking at them doing that together. Hubby helped to take photos of them next to their completed creation as well after that. :) Aww...

After that was some icecream and TV before they left. Watching the two 'B's together made me smile cos I know that Beebee is happy where she is now, and I hope she stays like this for a long long time to come. :)

Overall, it was certainly a nice evening! ^_^

Farewell...

2009-11-18T19:49:00.002+08:00

Thank you, 4E1 '09.
You have been such a wonderful class;
No words can ever define how good you are in truth.
You are champions in your own right,
each and every one of you.
Not because you perform the best academically as a class,
but because you are people of the best hearts --
Compassionate,
Generous,
Fun,
Humorous,
Loving,
Sincere...
and so much more.
Thank you for all the surprises you have given me over the past two years.
Thank you for being so well-disciplined and on task
that I never have to worry about you in that sense,
and can always look forward to teaching you in class.
Thank you for all the times you moved me to tears --
you have a gift when it comes to making me cry in public!
Thank you for blessing my teaching career with the most memorable moments ever.
It may be farewell for now,
and I won't ever see you, as a class, sitting, lounging around or playing your made-up games in my homeroom anymore,
or hear your jovial laughter and giggles,
and fall for all the tricks you have up your sleeves,
but believe me,
you kids will always stay in my memory.
Should I feel down any time as I continue down the journey in this career,
I know I'll always have the album you created for me,
the photographs we took together,
the beautiful and touching videos you created,
and all the little momentos you have given me over the years to cheer me up,
and remind me that my job is worth doing.
The next class I take will have some enormous shoes to fill,
but I will make sure I do my best
and help to mould them into people with hearts and attitude like yours.
Farewell for now, 4E1.
May your next journey in life reap even more rewards and meaning for you.

Work-cum-fun in the east

2009-11-11T23:14:00.013+08:00

Just returned very late last night from a work retreat at Aloha Changi in one of the old colonial bungalows... it was supposed to be a three-day two-night thing, but couldn't stay the second night cos a snake appeared in the house but vanished upon being spotted and most didn't feel good about sleeping with the snake roaming about. :p But good also lah, cos some parts of the house could be pretty spooky...maybe it's cos it's been occupied by people from the past, and also cos it's pretty huge...

Despite that and another unexpected, ridiculous hiccup, everyone had a pretty good time. Plus, we got to enjoy the good food over in the east over the two days we were there. Yesterday was also the first time in my life that I visited White Sands twice in a day -- for lunch and then later, dinner. Haha...

Monday's dinner @ Changi Village:

Tuesday's lunch @ Sakae Sushi:

Awww...and besides the yummy food, there's also precious little Charlene, Mary's daughter, who stayed over with us. This darling really knows how to charm all the adults with her sweet girly voice, animated chatter, cheeky antics and kawaii poses! :) Sigh... I want one like her... :)

Tuesday's dinner @ The Manhattan Fish Market:

Fish-lovers will love this! Prices are reasonable, serving quantity's fine, quality of food's great! Yum! It's my first time trying their food and I walked out a satisfied customer. Will definitely be looking out for their outlets in town!

Sigh, went back to work early this morning a little stoned...but glad I quite enjoyed the food and the company the past couple of days. :)

Shopping spree...

2009-11-11T22:57:00.004+08:00

Last Saturday was one of the rare times when I found myself having a field day of shopping and Hubby returning home with barely anything new (usually it's the other way round :p).

The purchases made delighted me much and some will come in handy for my upcoming functions and all... :)

The printed white flowery dress and D&G ring is from Tangs Orchard...got wonderful discounts on both, especially the later, which was bought at 50% discount! Got the blue silk dress at Marks and Spencer, and then there's my second mag bag from Kino...YSL! Ho ho ho...this one's different from my previous Marc Jacobs one cos it's stashed away behind the Japanese information counter...couldn't find it on the open shelves. Was eyeing the YSL easy bag when it first came out but couldn't bear to part with my money that way, so maybe this mag bag is a little, albeit 'lame', consolation for that? :p

Return of the pigeons!

2009-11-07T11:00:00.009+08:00

Did up a post on pigeons stalking me at home on my blog last year...it's been a while since, but yes, the pigeons are back (dunno if they're the same pigeons though :p).

Hubby and I found the pigeons resting at the wide ledge just outside the window of the study room. They didn't appear scared or budge even as Hubby danced before them in a silly manner and we both inched closer and closer to them till we were right in front of them, separated by just the window. First, they were on the left of the ledge...

Then, they strutted calmly over to the right after some time...

And at one point, the smaller one pooped...

And the bigger one also followed suit! *grrrr*

Now they've flown off... leaving only their poop as gifts for us to remember them by... Ugh.

Band NCO POP

2009-11-06T21:33:00.005+08:00

Attended the NCO POP at CCAB this evening with Portia in support of our new Drum Major and Band Major. Felt so proud of these 2 kids as I looked at them conducting themselves in such a smart manner. It also brought back memories of my days in the military band when we had to march and play music. :)

One of the highlights included the Drum Majors performing, not to the music played by the Band Majors, but the song "Beat It" by MJ. It was pretty cool... such a pleasant surprise. Haha...very nice.

After the event, we hung around to take pictures with the kids...am so happy for them. Their efforts finally paid off! ^_^

Cool stuff

2009-11-05T22:47:00.007+08:00

FB's pretty cool...my account was created just yesterday, and already I have been located by old friends and even chatted online with one of them -- Adele! I was so pleasantly surprised when she just began a chat session with me...managed to catch up a bit with her before we disconnected. :) Am enjoying the adorable games there too! Other than my virtual pet, I now own a restaurant in FB. Haha...

Something else is cool too-- this limited edition Super Mario chess set that Hubby bought today. It's a great addition to our collection of Super Mario merchandise at home! Hee, Hubby said he got this cos he knew I'd have fun playing with it. How right he is! I'm sure I'll enjoy this. Can't wait to get it opened and start moving the cute pieces around! ^_^

A first on FB!

2009-11-04T20:41:00.006+08:00

Haha... after what seemed like ages of persuasion from people around me, and also after an intensive session of 'introductory briefing' by Sophia (glad she's ok now, btw) in an attempt to coax me once again into signing up on this hugely popular networking website, I managed to finally create my first Facebook account.

Felt so out of touch once I completed that and started searching for people I know cos it's like...my goodness! Everyone's already connected to everyone else and I'm only starting to add people as friends now. Boy...it'll take a while for me to build up my friends list after locating people I know.

Started on my secondary school friends first. Some I still keep in touch with, others I've lost contact with for some time, especially those who went overseas for work. Was quite happy to actually come across their accounts and look at recent pictures they posted as part of their profile. Now I'm just waiting for my request to add them as friends to be accepted. Haha.

Also started this virtual pet game titled "Pet Society"...graphics are like the one above. You create a pet (nope, that's not my pet...will take a while for my pet's home to become so lavishly decorated!) and then do loads of stuff like play some mini games to earn money and buy things to make the pet happy. So cute! Well, if I can't have a real pet now, at least I've one online! So there!

Doubt I'd become addicted to this website though. I know of people who absolutely have to log in every single day just to keep track of whatever's happening. I'll just log in periodically or whenever I'm free to check on updates or play with my pet (I named it "Maru", after the famous Japanese cat :p). Guess it's still quite a new thing to me, but I hope I'll continue to enjoy FB! ;)

永别了，小花。

2009-11-02T19:34:00.003+08:00

This is it.

小花 will be taken to the animal hospital tonight,
accompanied by her beloved mistress
and all those who have helped to look after her everyday needs.
As much as it devastates her so,
Sophia has decided to end her suffering, once and for all.
Tomorrow, 小花 will be officially put to sleep in the morning,
and then cremated in the afternoon.

With each update Sophia gave me today about 小花, I shed several tears.
I could imagine the dog's pain and fear at not being able to close her eyes the entire night,
or move because her body muscles were so stiff.
I could imagine the dog just lying there so still, unblinking,
throughout the hours
as her human caretakers stayed by her, feeling so helpless.
I could imagine how she must have looked
when Sophia told me that besides the fact that her little old heart was still pumping,
the rest of her was gone.
I could imagine her in her better days
when some of us offered to visit Sophia
but the latter preferred us not to,
so that 小花 could be remembered fondly as how she was,
all cute and fluffy,
the little diva she was,
before old age struck and rendered her totally weak and immobile.

Yes, I think I should heed what Sophia says,
and just think of the dog as she used to be in her heyday
because she deserves it so.

永别了，小花。
但愿你在狗狗天堂里
能再次当回你活泼可爱型的小公主。

Maru the Cat! meow

2009-11-01T10:27:00.009+08:00

Hubby and I stumbled across this wonderful book at Kinokuniya yesterday. It's a little 'biography' of a famous cat in Japan named Maru. Apparently, the owner had previously submitted videos of this heart-melting, charming cutie for a YouTube video contest and that won the cat its current fame. The book's a really easy read cos it basically introduces the cat with lots of pretty photographs and accompanying captions. It also comes with a DVD compiling lots of wonderful videos of the cat too! So it's kind of a must-buy for us, since cats appeal to both of us. Haha.

Anyway, this cat's got quite a personality. Unlike other cats in general, it loves water and does lots of silly things like trapping itself in a box. After going through the pages with Hubby as a bed-time read, I was so captivated by this little thing that I promised myself to look up some the videos, even though we should already have them in the DVD and are planning to watch the DVD over lunch later, and blog (yes! its owner set up a blog for it too!) online today.

And now, introducing Maru the Cat! (The last part of the video is especially funny as the cat is seen indulging in a silly activity which is one of its favourite...haha...)

And here's the link to Maru's blog as well...

http://sisinmaru.blog17.fc2.com/

It's sure gonna be included in my favourites from now! ^_^

An encounter with a feisty prawn

2009-10-29T22:31:00.007+08:00

I love prawns and they're about the only other type of raw creature I dare to handle for cooking other than white fish fillet or cod fish.

But today, things changed.

Went to the supermarket on my way back from work to buy some groceries and ingredients to cook dinner cos Hubby was going to be eating dinner at home this evening. Hadn't bought prawns in a long time so I thought I'd get some to stir fry later on. I never had a problem preparing prawns for cooking -- removing their heads and legs and de-shelling them altogether etc. But guess what happened when I went home happily and wanted to deal with them? One of them started moving while I was trying to transfer it out of the plastic bag it came in! It freaked me out totally and I gave a scream, letting it slip out of my hand (that was protected by a disposable glove, as usual). It fell into the sink and continued to wriggle its legs, especially when I tried to touch it.

Then along came cheeky Hubby. He added water to the sink, wanting to see the prawn come fully alive... *grrrr* It's bad enough that I was going to cook and eat it later; I sure didn't wanna see it all moving before I murdered it! Ugh! He even joked that we could keep it as a pet! =.=!!

Couldn't bear to pick it up lest it started wriggling again, so I pleaded with Hubby to help me put it into a smaller bag to freeze with a few other prawns that I was going to save for future meals. When he tried to pick it up, the prawn gave a start and jumped right out of his fingers! A few screams -- mine -- then rang from the kitchen. After a few other attempts, he managed to pick it up by its feelers and drop it into the bag.

Sigh. Was so scared of having to de-shell the prawns that I set aside for this evening's meal cos they all looked so alive to me after the episode with the feisty one that I just boiled some water in a saucepan and got Hubby to place them all in to cook for a while. That was the first time I boiled prawns whole. Only after that did I dare to de-shell them before adding them to other items to stir-fry.

Don't think I'd be buying fresh prawns any time soon... =.=

Yummy food @ Ion & Unpleasant Experience along Orchard Road

2009-10-29T21:44:00.009+08:00

Two evenings ago, Hubby and I met Beebee in Orchard and all of us had dinner at the food court at Ion, Food Opera. The only times we popped by Ion before that was during our weekend walkabouts, and the entire food court would be filled with the weekend crowds, so it'd be kinda impossible to have a proper sit-down meal there. But that evening was pretty okay being a work day evening and all, so we managed to get ourselves settled comfortably there for a meal.

The items we ordered tasted pretty yummy, but the prices were indeed a bit steeper than most other food courts. Beebee and I both ordered from the same stall specialising in fish soup and rice dishes -- I had some orange dory fish with side salad and rice and she had the hotplate dory fish with some kinda special spicy sauce and butter rice. Both items cost $6 each, but luckily it was quite fulfilling in terms of both taste and quantity. Hubby had some award-winning Hokkien mee that was selling at $5 for a regular plate -- it tasted so good that Beebee and I kept stealing strands of his noodles away from his plate. Haha.

Then came yesterday evening when I was in Orchard again for some business with a few colleagues and students. After that, I went about trying to get some ideas for Hubby's Christmas gift and ended up at Ion's food hall again to get some takeaway food for my dinner and Hubby's supper.

Bought for Hubby the beef burger with avocado and cheese from R burger, the little burger eatery established by Mediacorp artiste Adam Chen. Unlike normal burger buns, the burgers from his stall all have fillings between those white Chinese bun-like tops and bottoms, which is said to be full of collagen goodness to appeal to the female crowd. Some of his burgers were featured in the latest issue of Her World, which Hubby and I were poring over just last weekend. Couldn't remember which were the hits and which were the misses as stated in the magazine article, so just chose whichever I thought was interesting. Thank goodness Hubby thought it tasted good. :p

For my dinner, I had some takeaway Japanese gyoza that came with some special sauce instead of the normal ginger strips and vinegar, as well as a small bowl of Korean rice cakes that were drowned in some rich kimchi gravy with bits of vegetables here and there. That was the first time I tried Korean rice cakes... expected it to be a little like our local lontong, but the rice came in short but thick rolls and tasted pretty rubbery to me, so I didn't quite fancy that. Loved the gyoza though. :)

Overall, not bad lah...there really is quite a variety of food items over at Ion so shoppers are spoilt for choice. I walked several rounds trying to decide what exactly to buy! :p

Hmmm...speaking of walking, an unpleasant encounter was what I experienced for the first time while walking over to Ion from Ngee Ann City yesterday. Was accosted by two females who acted over-friendly and pleaded with me for some time to do a survey. Told them I could only spare five minutes, and was led all the way to their office on the 18th floor of Ngee Ann City Tower B. On the way up, I was already bewildered and kept asking where they were leading me. Then when we got to the 18th floor and entered their office, one of them just led me to this height and weight machine and wanted to take my measurements! At that point in time, I became more angry than puzzled and told them I didn't agree to be taken all the way here to take whatever measurements and that I only agreed to answer some questions. Then I told the flabbergasted girl that I wasn't even told the objective of whatever they were trying to do. Then the other female appeared again and wanted to pacify me by leading me to a small table and asking me to sit while she explained further. Turned out they were trying to promote some stuff. I refused to listen any longer and simply stood to go. They then showed me to the door after handing me a leaflet. If their intention was to make known their company brand to me, then I think they've achieved their aim, cos I won't ever forget this company and its rude tactics.

That experience left such a bad taste in my mouth that I don't think I'm ever inclined to accept any similar request to 'answer a few questions' at all in future. Hmmph! *angry*

An 'emotional' day!

2009-10-26T19:20:00.005+08:00

What a day today! Experienced a whole range of emotions right from the start of the day...now I'm kinda exhausted from all the different feelings generated from within me all within the span of twelve hours at the workplace today.

First, I felt woozy...with affection! Haha...Philip brought his maltese pup to work today, and he made us ladies go absolutely ga-ga over him, that little thing! So adorable... reminds me of the variety of puppies that the Pet Safari @ Vivocity has on display for sale. My heart always melts at the sight of these precious creatures! Poor chap though; he started to shiver amidst all the attention focused on him and all the cooing sounds around him after a while so we decided to better just leave him alone to calm down. Hee.

Then, it was an absolutely pleasant surprise when someone expected to be in didn't turn up and everything just went so smoothly. Shan't elaborate, but I know everybody was so delighted. Some of us even started high-fiving each other in celebration! Haha...so funny.

Next was the feeling of excitement and anxiety at the same time as the O level class students started streaming in way before their first paper, English Language, started in the afternoon. Wow! Among all the times I've taught O level graduating classes, this must be the time I felt most thrilled and jittery all at once! That's cos I'm very close to this cohort of students...I know more than half of them personally and talk to even those I don't really teach. Some of the kids in this cohort have been with me since they joined the school in Sec 1...that's four whole years of 'kinship' too! And of course, unlike previous years when the O level classes I had were just my subject classes, it's my own form class taking the exam this year. Omg... I think I was just like one of them, anticipating the start of the exam. Bought Vitamin C sweets for my class so they could have them during their break to energise them with a little sugar rush, and also sent them SMSes each to encourage them before the exam. They were such sweet kids...replying me and promising to do their very best so that they could get me distinctions. Awwww.... I love this bunch of teens! Rushed out to check on them and the kids from other classes as well during their break to see how they did for the first paper; answered all their queries, pacified them when they started freaking out, and jumped around with them in excitement when they talked about what they could do right. Haha... felt like I was the one back in secondary school, doing my Os! ;P

And there was also a brief period of annoyance as I became irked at some stuff that took place and that, in my opinion, wasn't professional or ethical at all.

Next came relief when some of my unhappy doubts were clarified eventually.

Happiness arrived when I at last left the workplace and discovered Hubby sitting at the bus stop facing the school while waiting for a bus to go for his session. Though it lasted only a couple of minutes as I spoke to him on the mobile phone and looked at him at the same time, it felt like a nice way to end the eventful work day.

Oh and now...relaxation as I'm gonna play my PC game after this! ^_^

The Hossan Leong Show

2009-10-23T18:02:00.003+08:00

Hubby bought a CD yesterday -- The Hossan Leong show. Some of the songs are hilarious... as usual, it's super Singlish, but I think as a true blue Singaporean, I can thoroughly enjoy it. Besides the main tracks, there are funny voice advertisements adapted from the serious ones that we see on TV.

I know Hossan Leong does standup comedies etc, and I've watched other youtube videos featuring his songs as well, but when the visuals are removed and there's only his voice left, I think I start paying more attention to his vocals. He does sing well, and his voice alone exudes so much confidence. Not bad at all! This CD sure made me look at him differently. :)

Why I ain't an artist...

2009-10-23T17:39:00.008+08:00

Hung on the wall in our study room these days is a poster replica of the famous Mona Lisa portrait, as seen below (of course the watch didn't belong in the original portrait -- it was cut out from somewhere and just superimposed onto her wrist by my watch fanatic of a Hubby so that she'd have a nice accessory to wear :p):

A few days ago, while I was busy clearing work at home and Hubby was busy thinking of how to occupy his time, he came up with an idea. Taking his sketchbook, he sat down on his chair, swivelled round to face Mona Lisa, and proceeded to sketch her on his own, without the help of an eraser as usual, in his little sketch book (it's his fourth drawing in there now). I thought it looked pretty cool, considering the fact that he'd never been trained in art and didn't have to use an eraser at all. Here's what it looked like:

Hubby's only grouse was that it looked as if his version of Mona Lisa had a bit of a toothache, since her jaw looked kinda swollen. Anyway, last night, I took up the challenge to draw my own Mona Lisa. Hubby did his sketch within 2 hours; I did mine in 10 minutes, half of which was spent on laughing at my own drawing, which ultimately looked like this:

I laughed so hard that my sides ached and tears flowed profusely from my eyes. And to think I was the one who had attended art classes at a community centre when I was a little kid! Ugh! Wonder where and what on earth my Mona Lisa was looking at! Check out her eyeballs and you'll see what I mean. Omg. Hahaha...Hubby didn't want me to throw it away though. He said it looked like some cartoon version of Mona Lisa! Hahahaha...

What I bought...and what Hubby cannot buy anymore...

2009-10-17T14:22:00.010+08:00

Met Hubby after work yesterday at Jurong Point in the evening with the intention of having a nice dinner and then buying a memory foam pillow that's on great discount at John Little.

We enjoyed our meal at Swensen's -- Hubby had the Cheese Steak Meltdown while I took the Chilli Fish Pasta. Both satisfied our hunger quite well. Then I ordered the plain vanilla yoghurt for dessert, expecting it to come in a small cup like those you buy at yoghurt stalls, but it came in a sundae glass. Tastes great and costs only $3.60, more than what you'd get at those stalls, so that was a pleasant surprise. :)

Then after walking around a bit, we went to JL. Bought my second PC game ever! Haha...it's another time management game that I played online at Playfirst before -- "Ranch Rush". There's 20% discount, plus I guess working really really hard for the past week made me feel like I truly deserved a reward, so that's kinda like one to me. No wonder they call it retail therapy -- it's really easier to spend when you're so stressed! :P

Next, it's on to the pillow. Bought two of them cos they were each less than $20 when they usually cost $79. Plus it's memory foam which, according to the claims made on the box, is supposed to cure headaches, muscle aches, insomnia etc... which is strange cos, when I got up this morning, I got a headache AND shoulder aches! *annoyed* Think that pillow's too hard for me. Ugh! Why can't I ever find the perfect pillow?!!!

Well, at least Hubby's fine with the pillow, so it's not exactly a total waste. But he does have one headache of his own to deal with -- how to prevent himself from getting a new watch till his birthday next year:

There! Now he can't go back on his promise again. We did this contract thing once on a scrap of paper a long time ago, and he did pretty well by abiding to the rule. This time, Hubby was the one who brought up the idea of drafting a really serious-looking contract (he even sat beside me telling me what picture he likes and the designs or wording that I should include)...all these came about because the day before yesterday, he went to Cortina's again for their sale and came home so happily with a Ball watch as his new baby but also so guiltily for spending once again on watches. (I'm just glad he didn't draw up any contract to curb my bag-purchase habit too. But then again, at least I've a little bit more self-control when it comes to spending! :p)

Never mind... no freedom to buy watches? Hubby can spend his time focusing on his drawings instead now. He's done 2 sketches in the little art book he got recently and he just did a third one earlier this morning to spice up the look of HZ's birthday pressie, using my doggie stationery bag as his model:

Heh, not bad lah huh, his effort? And he didn't even have to erase anything! If I were the one drawing, my dog would probably end up looking like a pig or something. :p

Sigh ok ok, enough for now. Must get back and continue to plough through my work already. There's still lots to do!

Marina Barrage

2009-10-17T14:08:00.005+08:00

Went to Marina Barrage for the first time yesterday with colleagues for a work-related project. Don't think will go there for leisure cos it's really not that easy to access by public transport and there's nothing much to do there except view the gallery and stroll in the compound.

There were lots of kids, ranging from nursery tots to secondary school teens, walking about on guided tours over there though. We even came across a couple and their entourage of bridesmaids and buddies taking some wedding shots there too. Enjoyed the gallery visit-- lots of information and exhibits to do with water and conservation etc. There's even a cafe right outside the gallery that serves pretty yummy-looking courses.

As someone who loves to watch the sea, I also took a walk up this slope that overlooks the waters. There's a constant sea breeze, so it's pretty enjoyable to just feel the wind and look at the sea. Also saw a lady walking three large, adorable dogs... :) Sigh, if I hadn't been so stressed over the thought of having to continue clearing all my mountains of work after the trip, I'd probably have enjoyed myself more.

小花

2009-10-13T20:01:00.004+08:00

The first time I was introduced to 小花
was also the first time she totally melted my heart.
She was quite mature in doggy years,
but still captured my attention
with her energetic moves and enthusiastic barking.
Though she's usually fierce towards strangers,
she welcomed me with a few licks
after checking me out with her inquisitive sniffing.
Maybe she liked what she saw, or smelt...
or maybe she could simply detect that I would ooze affection for her. :)

Whenever I went to Sophia's place,
I would grab the opportunity for some animal therapy of my own
and reach out to play with her.
There were times when she looked playfully at me,
as if she was trying to bait my attention,
and other times when she would sniff at
and then sneak a sip or bite of whatever food and drinks Sophia offered me
when I wasn't watching!
But the times I enjoyed most were when she responded to my voice
as I called her name and reached a hand out to her.
She would walk hesitantly towards me at first,
then allow me to hug and place her gingerly onto my lap,
after which she would settle down comfortably like the royal princess she was.

These days, she has been rather sickly.
Sophia had to take leave from work
and rush home quickly to be with her today after her sister called,
saying that something seemed wrong with 小花.
The pretty dog felt comforted in her owner's presence
and soon looked better.
But she was still weak,
and her days now seem numbered.

At the thought of this,
my eyes started to tear at work.
I recalled her playful barks,
her large doleful eyes,
her warm furry body,
and all the times our noses touched.

Sophia says she wants 小花 to go peacefully...
she can't bear to put her down.
I totally understand.
Now I only hope that 小花 spends the final lap of her life
with her beloved owner,
who loves her so very much,
and feels how much her existence means to the latter.

She's just a dog to some,
but to the people whose lives she's touched,
she is so much more, I'm sure.
Take care, 小花.

Floating 'bits'

2009-10-12T22:48:00.005+08:00

This is what happens when I'm way too busy at work to remember I've a mug to wash or to make myself a new cup of tea...

Looks disgusting, right? Came back to work today and finally thought of starting the crazy work week with a steaming cup of tea...removed the lid from my mug and was greeted by this sight. The white floating bits near the spoon were some kind of mold...got goosebumps when I saw them and immediately dumped everything else to quickly get rid of the tea that must have been at least 5 days old and then made sure I scrubbed and sterilised everything with hot water!

Eeeew.

Birthday baby and Tokidoki

2009-10-12T22:10:00.010+08:00

Hubby and I attended the birthday celebration of Little Reynard, Precia and William's pride and joy. Precia was Hubby's friend at NUS, same cohort, but we'd never met till yesterday. She's a teacher at a secondary school too, so it's quite easy to click with her cos teachers always talk about teaching-related stuff (what else?!) when they get together. :p William is, of course, her husband -- a friendly, gentlemanly kinda guy. They're quite a nice couple. :) Precia used to be a model too and took on assignments during her NUS days. Cool huh? She really does look it, being tall and very slim, even after becoming a mummy! We also chatted with William's sis and bro-in-law, who were sitting right beside us. They're a sincere pair who speak their mind and crack jokes with ease. :)

The mini party was quite special; it was held at one of the best Nyonya restaurants in Singapore -- Chilli Padi Nonya Cafe. We were treated to a high-tea buffet there, and there was quite an impressive array of Nonya delicacies ranging from the sweet to the savoury, given the small space that the restaurant occupies. Nevertheless, it's exactly because of this that there's a homely feel to it. I don't fancy sweet kueh kueh stuff, so I skipped those and went straight for the savoury items -- kuih pai tee (you get to stuff those on your own!), some gado gado and yummy chwee kueh stuffed with chicken filling. MMmmmm... ^_^ If I weren't already starting to feel a little full, I'd zoom in on the Nonya laksa and mee siam too! Never mind, think it won't be the last time I go there cos I quite like the place. :)

And then, of course, there's the little star of the afternoon -- Baby Reynard! He's kinda quiet, maybe just shy around people, cos he's said to be quite a demanding kid at other times. :p But he looks so sweet, with his large, inquisitive eyes. And check out the cake! Aiyo, really... kids these days are so lucky! Their cakes come with toys and all -- so lovely! The one we had was a two-tiered cake. The top layer's lychee and martini, while the bottom's rich chocolate. We tried the top one yesterday; it really does have that alcohol punch and there's actual lychee in it. Precia passed us a super huge piece of the chocolate layer to take home...shall try that later when Hubby's back for supper.

After the party, we went about at Bugis and Iluma. Discovered this store that sells genuine Tokidoki merchandise -- bags, stationery, pillowcases, clothing -- so cool! Had such a great time feasting my eyes on all the designs and browsing almost everything in there. Ended up buying only a $2.95 strawberry tofu folder (I've the figurine mah...and strawberry and tofu -- I love both!) though, cos couldn't bear to spend on the rest. The Tokidoki stuff aren't cheap. A small handbag could cost $200-$300++, while a sweater or jacket could cost close to $200. Maybe the next time I get my bonus, I could come back here... :p

Ups and Downs...

2009-10-08T20:44:00.008+08:00

The Up: Happy Red Bomb

Yaay! Received an SMS from KH this morning about his upcoming wedding in December. So happy for him! Glad to know that things have been going on so smoothly between him and his girlfriend and that he'll be starting a brand new phase in his life, which is what he's always looked forward to. :)

His message reminded me of my secondary school friends...we've been so busy as adults with our own commitments that we've not managed to keep up with the annual festive gatherings that we used to schedule after we graduated together, but it's great that we still think of sharing the joys in our lives with one another. :) Been communicating through SMS with Elmo recently too, and we're quite set on meeting up before the year's over! KH's wedding will be a good opportunity for that before we settle on meeting up in private. There'll be loads to talk about... Hee. ^_^

The Down: Tense Atmosphere

人与人之间，讲究的是沟通。

不论是家庭成员，或是工作伙伴，

都需要正确的沟通，才能避免不必要的误会。

今天就发生了好多争执与不愉快。

看到那么多人不开心，

自己的心情也多少受到影响。

不晓得明天大家的心情会是怎样的。

心里总有些不安。。。

唉。

Brain 'freeze'...(and not cos of ice-cream)

2009-10-04T10:36:00.006+08:00

Done with one task, yet the satisfaction only lasts a pathetic 5 minutes before I scutinise my to-do list and realise that a thousand other items are still staring back at me, waiting for me to cross them out. Worse still, there are times when I might cross out one and, after checking my email, end up adding a few more to the list.

Deadline after deadline after deadline... when will this end?! I think I enjoy my work in general but when everything falls on me like a million bombs, I can't quite derive the same amount of pleasure as what I'd get if I were given ample time to clear one task at a time. I'm soooo looking forward to 1st December, when I can finally bid a temporary goodbye to all the jobs that I'm involved in and enjoy myself in Perth.

But for now, I just need to maintain my sanity. :S

My advanced Christmas gift!

2009-09-28T18:43:00.009+08:00

Eeee? What's this next to my darling plush pug?

Rip it open...What do we have here???

It's the Nintendo DSi! :D

This is the latest handheld game console by Nintendo that follows the Nintendo DS Lite. Hubby got this for me, intending to present it to me for Christmas, but he ended up having to pass it to me last night. Haha...it's a funny story. After watching the Singapore Grand Prix on TV last night, I craved for some excitement in racing of my own, so I challenged Hubby to a game of Mariokart on DS (yeah yeah, mine's the cartoon race version :p). Realised while playing the game that there was something wrong with my left direction button -- it was kinda retarded and wouldn't respond well when I pressed it, and I had to press it so hard that it hurt my thumb after a while. Was thinking that I'd have to take out my first generation DS to use cos I didn't really wanna spend money buying a new one just cos that button wasn't working fine...then a few minutes after I said that, Hubby re-appeared before me with this pressie! Haha...said he had no choice but to give this to me now that my DS Lite isn't working well. So sweet... ^_^

Nevertheless, Hubby was a little annoyed that his little Christmas surprise was ruined, but I totally enjoyed myself exploring some of the functions that came with this toy. Compared to the DS Lite, the DSi has got larger screens, and is slimmer, but the most fun part is that it's now got this built-in interactive camera function. I can actually use the DSi to take pictures, and then transfer them to my SD card (there's a slot for this at the side of the console) to be loaded onto the computer! I can also edit the images taken using various effects. Cool! There's also connection to an online store etc, but I doubt I'd be using that much. Can't wait to play and take pics on the DSi! Haha.

Hubby also made sure my new DSi has got screen protectors plastered on both the screens. My previous screen was so badly scratched cos there wasn't one to protect it and I can get kinda rough when playing games using the touch screen. :p

Am delighted with this gift! But now there's one problem: What shall I get for Hubby? *scratch head*

Saturday with lots of treats...

2009-09-26T22:16:00.013+08:00

Today has been, I must say, quite an eventful Saturday. It's now the time of the F1 craze once again, and Hubby and I are now seated comfortably in the living lounge viewing the qualifying race on TV (with me typing here at the same time :p).

Visited my aunt and uncle with Hubby and Beebee in the late morning...they were both so pleased to see us. Spent over an hour chatting with them. I'm glad we made them so happy today. :)

Then enjoyed all these yummy treats...(I finally satisfied my recent cravings for my favourite chye tau kway!!!)

Also enjoyed some visual treats with these artistic displays of racing-related items... especially love the race car constructed using various breads, cos I'm a bread person. Haha. This breadie's actually the largest sculpture made of bread and has its name on the Singapore Book of Records. Cool!

And then, there're the two items I brought home at the end of the day besides a pair of Chomel earrings. Sigh. Just when I'd declared to Beebee and Benne that I'd sworn off buying bags till the end of the year at least, I ended up getting two! (I should've just kept my big mouth shut.) One's a simple Marc by Marc Jacobs canvas tote that came with the brand's magazine in Japanese at Kinokuniya. Hubby was the one who noticed it first and bought it for me. The other one's a new arrival from Burberry -- a small pilgrim shimmer check sling bag, which I absolutely adore. Think it's quite versatile as a weekend leisure bag, and also a formal evening bag -- if I tuck in the sling and carry it by the handles. :)

I'm downright incorrigible.'Nuff said.

Hari Raya Lunch

2009-09-25T20:00:00.010+08:00

Hasnira invited a number of us and some of our other ex-colleagues over to her home again for her yummy Hari Raya lunch as usual...it's been a few months since she transferred to another school. Glad to hear that all's great over there at her new workplace. Also had the chance to catch up with the rest, especially those I hardly see anymore now that they're working elsewhere. For some people, it's amazing how positive a change they go through when they start a new work life elsewhere. Makes me wonder how I'd do if I weren't still working where I am. :p

Everything she cooked seemed fantastic...but cos I don't take beef and sotong, I had to give the beef rendang, satay and sambal sotong a miss. But I loved her lontong and sambal chicken...sedap! *thumbs up* If I could cook like she does, I think Hubby would be really really BIG cos of all the good food he'd be eating. Sigh. (Sorry, Hubby.)

Hitched a ride to Lot 1 at CCK after the meal to shop for some mooncakes at the little fair there for 姑姑. It's been so long since I last stepped into that mall. Think it's more happening now compared to before. Anyway, decided on some mooncakes from The Baker's Cottage, apparently a well-established brand from Malaysia. Prices are quite reasonable -- approximately $8-$9++ per piece, and I get to mix and choose the flavours too. Boxes are also quite pretty. ^_^

Tomorrow Hubby and I are meeting BeeBee to go visit her. Beebee and I are also going to give her a blender cos her old one's spoilt. Hope she'd be delighted with these gifts. She certainly deserves it for all the time she spent helping to look after us when we were young and for always treating us so kindly. :)

Songs that touch the heart

2009-09-24T22:31:00.009+08:00

最近迷上了傍晚九点在第八播道播出的香港电视剧《溏心风暴》。感觉这部戏非常有意义，而且包含了许多人生的价值观与感人肺腑的人与人之间的感情。昨天得留在学校到晚上九点，我一离开学校就赶紧地走到车站。等不到半辆巴士，就越来越急了。我虽然称得上是连续剧迷，但很少会因为没办法赶回家看戏尔着急！最终还在第一时间截住了一辆德士，然后才松了一口气。 :p

好喜欢剧中的正派人物--Mr OK, 常在心，Alfred, 大干，大鲍等等。虽然我好期望Mr OK 和常在心能成为一对，但我也被Alfred与常在心的恋情深深的感动到了。每当故事呈现关于他们俩所经历的事，电视机总会播出两手动人的歌曲之一。第一手是 Christine Glass 所唱的 "My Love Will Get You Home", 而另一手就是 Don McLean 的 "Starry Starry Night".

好简单的曲子，但又能另听者感到非常陶醉。这两首已在我最喜欢的歌曲榜上有了排名。:)

Mooncake shopping

2009-09-18T22:59:00.011+08:00

It's time to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival once more although, I have to admit, my way of celebrating it is basically to purchase and deliver mooncakes to my parents and in-laws with Hubby, and then munch on whatever we buy for them during our visits while the elders savour them too. :p

Well, this year's a little different. Instead of shopping with Hubby for mooncakes as usual every year, I went to Takashimaya B2, where the mooncake fair is usually held, with Charine, Portia and Wai Yee. We had to attend to some business in Orchard after leaving the workplace, so once the business was settled, we made our way to do our mooncake shopping. Charine left a short while after we got there, so the three of us were left to go about sampling bits and pieces of mooncake from stall to stall. My goodness, the variety's great this year!

It was fun doing the shopping with the girls. I think females generally have more patience in doing such shopping than guys. :p Anyway, I initially wanted to buy the golden pumpkin or yam flaky Teochew mooncake by Peony Jade Restaurant. Apparently, the chefs used to be the ones making such mooncakes at the ex Crown Prince Hotel, which were said to be among the best in Singapore. By the time we got there, however, these had already been all sold out! And that was only like 4 plus in the afternoon. Sigh. Never mind...at least I still managed to get some pretty yummy ones:

These precious black babies are introduced by Bakerzin...the skin's made of bamboo charcoal powder, which is said to make the mooncakes easier to digest. The filling comprises both lotus paste and black sesame paste -- the black sesame taste kinda overwhelms the more common lotus paste in a good way. Very 'fragrant'! Think fans of black sesame like Papa will surely love this. And guess what? In the middle of the filling is a white round chocolate truffle. Set against the rest of the mooncake which is black, this white choc symbolises a round shining moon in the peaceful dark night. Cool! ^_^ (Know what else is cool? The reusable bag that the mooncakes come in. Maybe I can 'kope' it from Mummy after giving them the mooncakes. Haha.

Then here're the other types of mooncake we'd be giving away. On top are what I bought after missing out on the flaky Teochew mooncakes by Peony Jade. These are the ones produced by Eater Palace. It's the first time I bought something from them. One pair's with the pure yam filling while the other one's a combination of yam and pumpkin, which tastes rather interesting. Also, they contain less sugar and are thus not too sweet and heavy. :)

Finally, the one in the black box is what we're going to pass to my PIL. I like them cos they're really meaningful. On them are imprinted the words: '感恩'， '知足'， '善解' and '包容' respectively. They're produced by a Buddhism-associated organisation, hence the simple but meaningful words that express desirable personal values. :)

And we all know how pretty mooncake packaging can be these days. Heh, see this? So lovely right? Portia bought two boxes of pure durian mooncake from Home's Favourite: Cookies n Durian. We tried those and I must say that they taste like real fleshy durian, and the snowskin seems to melt in your mouth with the durian! I was so tempted to get these too, but I guess it'll have to wait till next year.

Was tired but pretty satisfied after the day's events. Had a great time during shopping and enjoyed the conversations I had with the girls. Think teachers must get together like this and talk about stuff other than work more often! It's so liberating! Haha... like so deprived like that. :p

Posters surprise

2009-09-16T17:34:00.005+08:00

Finally had a chance to come home a little earlier than usual this week, and once I stepped in, I noticed what Hubby had put up to surprise me with...

Heh, he'd been expecting the delivery of the posters since last week. He found and purchased them online some time ago. The one of the white tiger cubs was the first one I saw cos it's facing the main door. The cubs are so adorable! I love the one of the little pug with its doleful eyes pleading for a hug. Haha... so cute... it's the first time Hubby bought such poster photos of animals for our home. Hee. Certainly cheered me up after a stressful time at work today. Now I can't stop looking up from time to time at the pug!

The other two posters are of Michael Jackson in his classic stance and the main characters of Seinfeld, a sitcom both of us enjoy. Hubby bought 6 posters in all, and only 4 are on display around the place right now. The other 2 would remain as a mystery to me till they're put up. :p

Sausage galore!

2009-09-16T17:11:00.006+08:00

Been a little crazy about sausages these days...think it all started after Hubby kept saying he wanted the 'real' sausages instead of the normal skinny frozen ones you get at the supermarket. So recently, I kept looking out for 'real' sausages to include in meals so Hubby would be more satisfied. :p

The above pictures show 2 meals in which I incorporated the use of these sausages. There's the time I cooked some tomato spaghetti, but didn't have much else to go with it, so I raided the fridge again and found a large, attractive yellow capsicum, some cheese, some nice sausages, and some seaweed bits. Cut the capsicum into halves, melted the cheese in them in the microwave (which I love more and more cos I'm experimenting creating items with it more often!) and positioned the cut (and cooked) sausages neatly in them. Drizzled some olive oil over everything, then sprinkled the seaweed pits over them. Pretty! ^_^

Then there's the American breakfast I made last Sunday. Usually I'd have bread or toast, but Hubby got tired of them, so I substituted bread with boiled red-skin potatoes and carrots, which was mixed with some Heinz sandwich spread, and served it with scrambled eggs, a side salad that I mixed with balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and a jumbo chicken sausage that I bought from Cold Storage the day before. It's quite a filling breakfast, but definitely healthy! Oh and check out the cherry-on-vine tomatoes I tossed into the salad as well. They're so pretty that I couldn't resist them. And hey, they taste lovely too. Sweeter and juicier than the normal cherry tomatoes.

And this one's a refreshing cold glass of passionfruit drink, created by simply mixing water with some passionfruit puree that my student and her mum made for me on Teachers' Day. Made this for Hubby to go with the spaghetti that evening, but took a sip of it. Yum! Curious about how the puree was made. Shall look it up when I've time. Maybe I can create some of my own too.

No more tweets

2009-09-16T16:55:00.004+08:00

Ok, call me fickle-minded or whatever. Anyway, I'm no longer a Twitter user.

Yeah, it's just a few days since I signed up for Twitter and I've only posted two updates on it so far, but the novelty has officially ended. Guess compared to blogging, twittering doesn't quite give me as much satisfaction, especially since I love expressing myself in words. Plus, I really don't wanna have my every move recorded in 'black and white', albeit by myself. Just feels weird that I'm updating my movements or thoughts as if there are people out there who really care about what I'm doing so often.

No offence to any Twitter fans who probably have lots of followers or a wide social circle in which everyone is a Twitter user and tweets everyone else in the group. Me? I'm just a simple girl leading a simple life who shuttles between work and home most of the time, and who hangs out with mostly family and people whom I like enough and who like me back enough. :p I just wanna preserve some memories of what I go through every now and then in life...with words, pictures or sometimes videos.

Blogging it is for me. Bye, Twitter. *Tweet*----.

My first tweet!

2009-09-12T11:59:00.002+08:00

At work now. Been here since 8am and gotta station myself here till 5pm. That's like another FIVE whole hours! :S And how is it that even when you have loads of things to do, you can still feel bored??? Sigh. I guess it's the feeling of being cooped up in an office with nowhere to go except to the loo. Maybe this is how one starts to feel claustrophobic. Thank goodness I've a job that keeps me on the go on normal workdays. :p

Anyway, just a while ago, I decided to do something to allow myself a minute or two of respite so that I can get through this day, and perhaps other days when I feel like this. I signed up for Twitter! Haha. Yeah, I know...I'm a bit s-l-o-w cos it's been like all the rage quite some time back. Just ask my kids and they'd know. They've been asking me to sign up for an account on Facebook and I still haven't quite gotten down to doing so. *sheepish*

Never mind, never mind. Let's start small eh? Twitter it is for now! :)

Happy happy!

2009-09-09T21:44:00.004+08:00

开心事第一号：

Beebee 遇上另她非常意外，却又极度欢喜与兴奋的事。
真为她开心！
今天我工作时，还在不停地为她所遇到的事而感到阵阵的喜悦。
祝Beebee每天都那么happy! ^_^

开心事第二号：

Perth,　我们来也！
旅行社的Joey真行。原本差点去不成的Perth trip，给她搞一搞，就去成了！
Yeah! 好向往体验农场上的生活，并与种种可爱的动物打成一片。
果园，巧克力厂，酿酒厂等等的旅游圣地也好吸引我。
终于又有机会让我期待一个能出国的假期。

真的开心极了！:D

Pasta Delight

2009-09-07T18:01:00.005+08:00

Our dinner last evening...

I've made pasta before, but this one's really one of my own favourites. Was just thinking of what to prepare for dinner last evening and ransacking the fridge for ingredients. Decided to put together penne pasta, 2 types of sausages (one normal chicken sausage and the other chicken cheese sausage), broccoli, carrots and lettuce for this really easy-to-cook dish. I just boiled everything together except the lettuce, then drained everything, dumped the lettuce in and tossed together, with a small ramekin of mayonnaise mixed with hot water, over a small fire. This prevents the pasta from being too rich and hence way too sinful for me too. :p By mixing the mayonnaise with hot water, the entire dish becomes lighter in taste.

While tossing everything over the fire, I also added some Japanese seaweed and roasted sesame, which comes lightly salted so there's a tinge of added flavour in addition to the mayonnaise. Popped a couple of de-cored tomatoes stuffed with strips of cheese and lightly drizzled with olive oil into the microwave oven and cooked them for a short while till the tomatoes softened and the cheese melted. These go well with the pasta, and could make a simple but savoury snack any time too. ;)

MMMmmm!

Army Open House 09

2009-09-07T17:20:00.005+08:00

Several days ago...

Hubby: There's Army Open House this weekend leh.

Me: Then? You wanna go ah?

Hubby: Maybe. You'll get to see display of tanks and other things.

Me: Huh... *looks disinterested*

Hubby: You don't wanna go? Don't you wanna see what your hubby does during reservist? The kind of things I have to go through? You don't wanna know what I go through MEH??? *eyebrows raised*

Me: ... K lah, k lah. We go lor. (=.=)

And that's how I got 'psychoed' into making my way in the hot afternoon sun on a Saturday all the way to Pasir Leba Camp in the extreme west near Joo Koon. It's kinda like Hubby's secret talent -- getting me to agree with him in the end by using some form of his own 'logic'. But it turned out to be quite an enriching experience in the end, so I'm still glad we went after all. :)

Like what Hubby said before, there were indeed tanks and many more state-of-the-art military equipment like helicopters and battle trucks. We climbed on board some of these equipment and had the chance to view what it was like inside. There were also simulation stations showcasing the latest technology used by the army and how casualties are treated by medical personnel. I enjoyed the short but exciting 3D simulated video of a warzone which also highlights the third generation soldiers in action. That was a pretty cool film that got me breaking out in goose bumps cos I could feel the thrill of the action going on and after that, I was kinda proud of our Singapore Armed Forces. 加油，加油！

It's a pity we didn't get to see dogs in action too at the K9 Dog Show. There were also other adventures such as wall climbing and live shooting for the public to try out. Anyway, we couldn't stay longer to walk around more cos we were supposed to meet Mummy, Papa and Beebee at Chinatown to go book the trip to Perth at the tour agency in the early evening, plus I was already tired out from all the climbing into equipment (my thighs are still aching!).

Speaking of the tour, the lady we spoke to at the tour agency told us that she'd call to confirm if the trip during the days we can make it would be on. Apparently, they need 10 people to make up a tour group and when we were there, there were just the five of us and possibly another three. I'm really keeping my fingers crossed -- let there be Perth to enjoy this coming December!

Food, food and more food!

2009-09-03T20:45:00.008+08:00

Breakfast on Teachers' Day 2 days ago was...

Tofu burger (chicken patty, tomato and cheese between 2 halves of a pan-fried square tofu), broccoli with light maiyonnaise and scrambled egg

Lunch that day was...

Home-cooked ramen...Love the smooth texture of the noodles and the generous packets of thick soup base sauce that comes in the same packet. Really does taste like ramen soup and not instant noodles! :) Found this item in the Japanese section of Cold Storage some time ago. It costs $7 or so, if I remember correctly, but serves two, so it's like having nice ramen soup for $3.50 per bowl, plus you can add whatever you like. Yum!

'Breakfast' for my form class the next day was...

Hehe, just wanted to thank everyone in the class for putting together such a wonderful album of words and pictures for me to cherish, so bought 37 assorted doughnuts for all of them to surprise them the following morning at the start of my lesson with them. All the doughnuts were gone in a few minutes! Haha...I'm glad they enjoyed the little treat. :)

New 'eyes'

2009-09-03T20:26:00.007+08:00

Collected my new pair of 'eyes' from Suntec City two evenings ago...

Been meaning to get my eyes checked again for a while cos the last time I did that was almost 2 years ago, plus it's been rather annoying to not be able to view words and numbers projected on the screen during meetings and having to ask my colleagues seated next to me about them. Finally managed to get that done and my suspicion turned out to be right -- my eyesight has indeed worsened...UGH. :(

Anyway, it took Hubby and me quite a long time to search for a pair of frames I liked. From Jurong Point to Jurong East Central to Orchard to Marina Square to FINALLY Suntec...we must have gone to at least ten different stores! (Hubby deserves a prize for his patience!) Well, that's cos initially my goal was to find this pair of brown Armani frames that I'd seen someone wearing before, which I really quite fancied. But think that was an old model, cos it's matt and Armani doesn't seem to have many matt frames nowadays. I gave up on that then, and liked this pair of Boss specs once I tried them on. Had to consider the image I project at work, so this pair's nice cos I think it makes me look kinda 'sharper'. Heh. By the way, I also found out later on that this model's for guys! Oh well, never mind...found some female eyewear by Boss that looks kinda similar anyway! Who can tell? :p

Also, now that my eyesight has worsened, Hubby made it a rule for me to wear my old Zio specs at home. Though the density of the lenses of my old specs is different from that of my new pair, Hubby says it's better than me not wearing specs and possibly straining my eyes further. Sigh, so now I've to wear specs almost all the time!

Alamak.

Happy Teachers' Day! :D

2009-09-01T10:00:00.019+08:00

To all the teachers who have taught me
and inspired me to join this profession
to continue the wonderful deeds
that you have performed for your students,
I thank you.

To all the colleagues who have supported me
both at work and emotionally
and acted as role models for me to emulate
so that I may become better at what I do,
I thank you.

To my wonderful Hubby
who has been my strict but supportive personal manager
and who always eggs me on when I'm losing steam,
listens to me when I'm feeling upset,
and constantly reminds me how I can continue to achieve in my job,
I thank you.

To my current form class
whom I have been with for almost two years now
who never fails to amaze me
with what you can achieve as a class
and move me to a teary mess
with your ultra-sweet and creative plans
to make me feel like queen of the world,
I thank you.

To my previous form class
and other ex-students
who still shower me with love and affection
despite me not teaching you anymore
and who still value me
not just as a teacher, but a friend
I thank you.

And to all the students who have touched my heart
in one way or another
with your warm gestures
your thoughtful words
your sincere gifts
and your bright smiles,
that make me feel so appreciated
and so encouraged to persevere
even if I may face difficulties at times.
For helping me to realise that my goal of making a positive impact in your lives
in character, thought and perspective besides academia
has been fulfilled,
Thank you!

*on the verge of happy tears again* T_T

Latest buys

2009-08-31T18:23:00.006+08:00

Oh ya, almost forgot to post my latest item to add to my bag collection:

A fairly new arrival by DKNY -- supposed to be a casual sports tote cos the metal bag tag says 'DKNY Active'. Got this last Saturday. Anyway, the circumstances surrounding the purchase of this bag are different from those of my other bags. Hubby was the one who 'insisted' I get this by issuing me an ultimatum -- "If you don't buy this one, you don't buy bags anymore ah!" Wah. That's cos this one's quite cheap if you compare it to other DKNY bags, and actually looks nicer than some of the even more expensive ones. Plus it's quite spacious, which I like, and it's non-leather (yes, remember I'm trying to go for vegan bags now?). With all these reasons, he thinks I'd be crazy to let this bag go, and my next purchase would have to beat all the above, which could be pretty tough. So yeah... I got it in the end.

No regrets though. Carried it to the NATAS fair yesterday, and carried it to work today cos I'm dressed in casual sporty wear anyway for today's Teachers' Day celebrations. Kinda like it more and more with each time I use it, cos it looks good and is functional. No complaints! :)

Our study room aka 'comic shop' also underwent a revamp. We found a nice shelf at Muji for only $39 on Saturday too which Hubby assembled later that night. Now we've a nice corner to store many things that have been taking up too much space on our study table as well as most of the bags that I can afford to stack together. The whole room certainly looks so much neater than before! :)

Think it's really a good idea to switch the position of our furniture once in a while cos it really feels as if it's a new place and it's pretty exciting to still shop around for new additions to the home! ;) Now I'm also more motivated to sit for longer hours to do my work in the study room. Haha.

NATAS Holidays 2009

2009-08-31T17:57:00.006+08:00

Usually we don't go out on Sundays, but yesterday was the last day of the NATAS fair and we've been talking about going for a holiday with Beebee this coming December, so the three of us agreed to go find out more over there.

And it was a good thing we went, even though both Hubby and I were a tad reluctant at first to go cos we had to pay for admission, plus travel all the way east, plus we didn't like jostling about in crowded places. But it turned out to be quite all right -- despite the crowd, there was sufficient space to walk about without hitting people whenever we turned, and we picked up quite a bit of information. But the best thing was, we managed to catch some really cool performances, including a sneak preview performed by the cast of the Korean martial arts comedy "JUMP" which Hubby took me to watch a couple of years back. Now they're back in Singapore again for another performance -- it's so hilarious, but some stunts are really breathtaking. Hubby and I were still tickled by their antics even as we watched them again a second time yesterday! A MUST-WATCH indeed, I say! ;D

And the best part? After the show, we got to take pictures with the entire cast! Yeah! They were so friendly and all... wah... really happy...heehee...

Okay, back to the travel plans. We narrowed down our options and decided on one particular tour package by SA Tours to Perth, which includes a farmstay and a visit to the Pinnacles, orchard, chocolate factory, winery, Fremantle, Caversham Wildlife Park etc. It's a 6-day tour, and we should be going off in the early part of the first week of December. Initially, it was just supposed to be the three of us going, but I extended the invitation to Mummy and Papa, who agreed to go along as well, especially Papa who loves to venture around places and explore what's available.

It'll be the first time all of us travel overseas together, so hopefully it turns out to be a smooth and enjoyable trip for everyone! :)

Staff Dinner 2009

2009-08-31T17:35:00.006+08:00

Our annual staff dinner was held @ Hilton Hotel last Thursday evening. Tried their food before at seminars and conferences etc. and know how great the food there tastes, so was quite looking forward to an evening of great food and games...plus, I get to wear the black dress I bought recently and the pair of super high heels by Hush Puppies that I bought eons ago but hardly get to wear! ;P

Got a ride from Peggy to the hotel and rode in her car with a few other colleagues. Quite enjoyed the light-hearted conversations we had, especially the part about the drama serials we watched...didn't expect there to be so many fellow TV drama fans around...haha...

The event was held in the Panorama Function Room on the 24th floor and there was at a cocktail reception by the pool (felt so relaxed lounging by the tranquil pool and its lights) before the dinner started. Think each department really did its best to come up with games and performances so that everyone'd be constantly entertained throughout the 8-course meal. Overall, pretty fun -- oh except for the fact that I had to wake up as early as usual cos the next day's still a work day! :S

Touching words

2009-08-25T22:00:00.004+08:00

今天，另一位可爱的小心灵
开心地献给了我
一篇作文。
内容描述着我在她心目中的地位与对她的影响。
我读了，
深深地感动了，
也觉得被鼓励了。
谢谢你，Jaslyn。:)

New TV lounge...

2009-08-24T17:08:00.005+08:00

Hehe, when the cat's not around, the mice come out to play. Well, I sure have a large adorable 'mouse' at home. Look what I came back to after work today...

Hubby and I were at Jurong Point for a while after I left work last Saturday, and we chanced upon this curved half leather sofa that looked really comfortable. Tried sitting on it and thought how cosy it'd make our TV lounge look if we had that instead of the one we have at home. Then today, I came back to see that the 2-seater had been moved out from the study to the TV lounge, along with the magazine rack that used to hold comics in the study.

Think this new arrangement makes our TV lounge look more inviting...it did make me wanna just drop my bag and plonk myself on the couch to read my latest issue of 8days, which Hubby left right at the top of the rack. Hee. Only thing is, now without the 2-seater in the study, that room looks kinda empty. Just spoke to Hubby on the phone...apparently this mini makeover isn't complete yet. There's gonna be more moving and, knowing Hubby, it'll be really soon! Can't wait. ;)

Yummy Sunday homecooked meals!

2009-08-24T16:36:00.011+08:00

Though busy with work over the weekend, I managed to make time yesterday to cook two out of the three meals we had at home. Turned out much to my liking (and quite to Hubby's :p) so am really pleased.

Breakfast was...

No Japanese style breakfast, cos woke up later than planned and didn't have enough time to cook porridge and the mini dishes. But this worked fine for me too! Toasted bread, pan fried luncheon meat (wanted breakfast ham but couldn't find any at the last minute grocery shopping), grilled tomatoes, egg sunny side up with melted garlic & herb cheese and sprinkled seaweed flakes, and seedless black grapes. Yum! Actually I 'stole' this idea from a recipe book I was browsing at a bookstore the day before and sort of reinvented it with whatever ingredients I could find at home. :p

Then, dinner was...

Yum, one of my favourites -- pumpkin! Experimented with this for the first time last Monday after work, and it turned out to be quite ok, so I tried it again a second time last evening, hoping it'd taste just as good for Hubby to try. It turned out even better, I thought! But too bad Hubby just has this thing about pumpkins... he'd never quite fancy it, I guess! Never mind... shall cook this for myself in future then. Like the experts always say, choose food items that're bright and colourful cos they've got more nutrients. Pumpkins are great cos they contain:

a good amount of Vitamins C, K and E -- great for skin and immune system
a burst of Vitamin A -- great for the skin
antioxidants -- help to lower the risk of cancer
lots of minerals, including magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc -- reduce risk of hypertension, boost immune system, aid bone density support
fibre -- prevents cancer and heart diseases

I also cooked wanton noodles to go with the pumpkin (hmm, actually it's the other way round :p). Bought the noodles last week but didn't quite get down to cooking it, so thought it'd be good to cook them last night. Added some leafy green veggies and prawn/fish dumplings, plus some stir fried diced luncheon meat (left from breakfast) and red capsicum. Cooked enough to pack a portion to work today and had it as lunch. Yummy!

To top it off, there's also my white radish and carrot soup, which I grew to really love. Hee.

Actually, with all these dishes I've been experimenting, I'm wondering if I should start a food blog. Haha... so 不要脸 right? Not a gourmet chef, can't even bear to touch raw meat etc. yet wanna start a food blog? :p Just thought it'd be interesting to take pics of what I cook or maybe what I enjoy out there and put them in a separate blog for records. After all, I do love looking at pictures of food! *drool* ;P Think they're kinda therapeutic, just like how cooking sometimes is to me.

Anyway, we shall see...heehee...

Western breakfast... kinda :p

2009-08-16T12:29:00.008+08:00

Was still thinking of the nice breakfast buffet Hubby and I enjoyed last weekend... decided that I'd wake up earlier today to prepare something like that for a Sunday breakfast instead of having the usual cereal and milk over newspapers.

And here's my homemade imitation of the hotel breakfast comprising 2 grilled sausages, a hashbrown, scrambled eggs, scrambled tomatoes and toasted wholemeal bread with melted garlic & herb cheese and tomato between them. Coupled with a glass of milk, this breakfast can really last a long time! Had it a few hours ago and till now, both Hubby and I are still feeling pretty full, despite having a game of table tennis just now. Maybe I shall go without lunch today...really can't stomach anything else now.

Am most pleased with my scrambled eggs, of course. Added some melted light butter over it for extra taste. Yum!

Thinking of attempting a Japanese breakfast set next time... hee. ;)

Tokidoki Fever

2009-08-15T21:55:00.004+08:00

Am starting to feel a bout of fever... tokidoki fever, that is.

After visiting the toy convention earlier today, I returned this evening to change the laptop wallpaper to feature tokidoki, and my mobile phone's images -- both cover and main image -- have been changed as well to this.

Tokidoki means 'sometimes' in Japanese. It's created by an Italian artist Simone Legno and his business partners. I first took notice of this at the toy convention last year. Also bought two of its badges at a toy store at Far East Plaza just cos they were really cute. So hard to resist!

Have seen the designs on LeSportsac bags and also the limited edition tie-ins with Hello Kitty at Takashimaya Hello Kitty corner (but the items, though tempting, were really expensive eg. close to 100 bucks for a coin purse, I think). Onitsuka shoes also started having their prints... they seem to be doing really well everywhere! Anyway, I always end up just admiring them then walking away from them later on. But now... oh dear... I even went to the website earlier at http://www.tokidoki.it/ just to check out their other products and saw so many stationery items that made me drool.

Ugh.

Ok ok...no more thinking about Tokidoki. Must REALLY get down to work now.

See & Shop

2009-08-15T20:56:00.010+08:00

Today's weekend trip to City Hall area was rather eventful, and also quite rewarding.

Hubby's gains today:

1. a Fortis watch at 60% discount (went to Sincere Fine Watches' sale)

2. an Orient watch at slightly over 20% discount (this was at Hubby's favourite watch store)

My gains:

1. a formal black dress at 20% discount at Robinsons -- plan to wear this to the upcoming staff dinner @ Hilton Hotel

2. a number of freebies to go with my usual Face Shop supplies

3. 2 cute sticky pads

We visited the annual Singapore Toy Games & Comic Convention at Suntec City too. That's where I got my cute sticky pads. Think this year's event is more fun than last year's. There were also many cosplay participants and also more cute items on display. The comic book artist Brian Bolland was also present at a booth to autograph materials and take photos with fans of his works.

Also signed up for an MOF citizen card after having lunch at MOF @ Suntec. Like the place for its fast service and yummy preservatives/ MSG-free food. Even more encouraged to visit it after learning that part of its takings go to charity. :)

Returned home early in the evening to catch Jim Carrey's 'Liar Liar' on TV. Saw the trailer and thought it'd be a hilarious show but was unfortunately not very much captivated by his exaggerated antics. Maybe I'm past the stage where I'm easily amused by slapstick humour...Hmm..am I getting old or what? :p

Later, Hubby'll be watching 'Silent Hill' (yaay! Another free movie) while I work before the TV. Don't really wanna pay full attention lest I get nightmares later tonight -- thanks to my over-active imagination. @_@

*Yawn* Am already feeling tired. Oh no. Better get down to work now. Tata.

Staycation @ Meritus Mandarin: Day Two

2009-08-10T14:35:00.011+08:00

Slept pretty well at night...when morning came, I was raring to go, even though I was still partially drowsy from sleep (it's a complicated feeling :p). Took more pictures of the buildings outside -- the roads of Orchard were so quiet in the early morning and there was hardly any traffic around. Doesn't the slightly frosted glass of the hotel window present a rather surreal picture of the area? :)

Anyway, after I had a quick shower, it was time for us to get breakfast! Went back to the Chatterbox and soon found ourselves going around gathering food on our plates. There was quite a spread, from the usual items included in American breakfast to Asian breakfast stuff. Didn't really go for everything -- skipped most of the Asian stuff except for the Cantonese chicken porridge, and had loads of salad, a couple of sausages, a chicken wing, some crisp bacon, seafood gyoza (one of my favourites there!) and egg. Almost thought I wouldn't be able to heap my favourite scrambled egg onto my plate cos there wasn't any to be seen on the buffet tables, but later came across a special counter where you could order scrambled egg with your choice of fillings, so I ordered one with mushroom, chicken sausage and tomato. Yum. :) No breakfast buffet would be complete without scrambled eggs, I say! :p

After breakfast, we returned to our room to rest a while before going out again. Read newspapers and managed to catch most parts of a wonderful movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer on HBO which brought me to tears (sigh...what else is new? :p) too while Hubby was in the shower. Then, it's hello Orchard once again after a few steps out the main entrance of the hotel. Heehee.

Went back to the Chatterbox for their famous Mandarin Chicken Rice, which was included in the promotion. We weren't very hungry cos of the breakfast buffet we had, but fortunately, we were still able to eat. Omg... this award-winning dish that makes the hotel famous is a must-try! It costs $25.50 per set, but one can't really complain. The steamed chicken's pretty tender, and comes in three layers, each piled on top of the other. That's a whole lotta chicken for a single person to handle! Then the rice. Fluffly and light, with the flavour of chicken, but not oily at all. Both chicken and rice go really well with their special chilli, which I'm impressed with, cos I usually don't get any kick outta eating the normal chicken rice chilli. But this one's actually able to set my tongue on fire for a while, and it tastes really good. :) Then there's the dark soya sauce and ginger garlic mix. MMMmmm... thumbs up! What I love too is their chicken broth which tastes really healthy, with a generous piece of round tofu and lettuce served along with it. Overall, delicious!

Sigh... really enjoyed the stay, the great food, the company, the shopping/ walking about so leisurely these couple of days. Went back to BT for dinner, and could barely walk anymore after that. Stomach's just too stuffed! And guess what, Mummy cooked CHICKEN as well for dinner -- dish AND soup!

Anyway, now that it's back to reality once again, I'm missing the weekend stay lots. Though we never left Singapore, it really felt like a holiday for us. Now I'm beginning to see why some people are all ga-ga about staycations instead of going abroad. You get the holiday mood, minus the hassle of having to pack so many things and travel long hours on planes, as well as going through all the check-ins and outs at customs etc. But of course, I know I'd still enjoy going abroad; it's just that now, gimme a staycation like this any time and I'll be delighted too! *grinz*

Staycation @ Meritus Mandarin: Day One

2009-08-10T13:23:00.013+08:00

At last, the mini weekend getaway (to the heart of Orchard) arrived!

The service we experienced at Meritus Mandarin was quite impeccable overall...and a pleasant surprise was in store for us when we were checking in -- Hubby and I were supposed to get a deluxe room for the promotion, but we were bumped up to a premier room instead cos the former's all fully booked, and at no extra charge! Lucky us! ^_^

We were given a room on the 26th floor near the lift, so it was really quite convenient for us. The view was quite great, with familiar shopping malls in sight everywhere, just that at that level, we got to view the top and less noticed parts of those buildings. :) I think the coolest part of our room was the bathroom -- it was so spacious, with a comfortably large bathtub and two separate sinks before a full mirror. Other hotel bathrooms we've used before weren't this nice. Hmm...wonder what the deluxe room's bathroom is like...

After chilling out in the room a bit with Beebee, and giving her her birthday pressie (a DS Scrabble 2009 game), we left to explore other parts of the hotel. Was a tad disappointing that the swimming pool was still in the process of undergoing upgrading works, so that was out of bounds, and Beebee didn't get to explore the hotel gym as she'd hoped to, cos there was someone sitting at a counter right outside the gym and it'd be a little weird to ask to go in for a look-see. :p We did get to go about the restaurant where we'd be dining at the next day for breakfast and lunch -- the Chatterbox, located on the 38th/39th floor. Pretty cosy. The 38th floor's more like a bar lounge while the regular diners climb the stairs to the 39th floor. The lift doors that go straight to the 38th floor double up as the direct entrance to the restaurant. Lovely. :)

Next, we walked right out for some shopping-- pretty decent having Ngee Ann City at our doorstep, albeit for a day or two! :p Time really flies when you're having fun. The next moment we knew, we were settling down for dinner at the Forum. Oh, and I finally got the TH large pink and brown tote bag that I'd been thinking about for two weeks. Like the bag, like the Hilfiger Denim carriers it comes in! Beebee liked them too, and got Hubby to ask Isaac, the manager we were familar with, for extra ones for her carriers collection -- the second time she did that to him! Haha... after that he kept joking about how 丢脸 it was... :p

After dinner at Secret Recipe, we went back to chill out again in the hotel room, but not before Beebee chose some cakes at TCC for her pre-birthday desserts. Had some fun singing a birthday song with Hubby for Beebee, and then sharing the cakes. Then we just watched some TV programmes on the different channels.

Later, after Beebee had gone home, Hubby and I had fun filling the bathtub with hot water, cos we wanted to soak in it and savour our Tokyo onsen experience once again. It was so hilarious cos it took us ages to get the temperature of the water right! At first it was really too hot... each time we out a foot in to test the water, we ended up taking it right out a few seconds later, going 'oww...oww...owww..' and making all the hissing sounds, and maybe a few #@&#@#*! from Hubby. Heh. Oh but once the temperature was fine, my...it really was shiok! You could just feel the tiredness and stress of the week al draining from your body. Of course, it wasn't exactly like the onsen experience, but it's good enough for me! ;D

Finally retired for the night after watching "Wanted" on HBO, a film Hubby'd wanted to catch. Next day's pretty fun too! ;)

--

2009-08-07T18:29:00.004+08:00

Thank you for making the effort to speak to me in person today
and to show concern after knowing I was terribly upset a few days ago.
Thank you for humbly admitting that it was an oversight on your part
that caused me to have to endure horrible words,
and for patiently explaining to me that it hadn't been my fault,
and that I did what was actually right.

Your words restored my self-esteem,
for I pride myself as a professional who, though not always perfect, is at least responsible.
So though I was previously very angry and hurt
and even upset at you,
I thank you for setting things right now,
and making me feel that I am still the kind of person whom I view myself as at work.

And I must say that in doing so,
you have also regained some of my respect for you as a superior.

Thank you.

Finally...

2009-08-06T22:39:00.008+08:00

Got 2 new items that delighted me today...

First, it's a new chair for my workstation. I've been using my previous chair for about 6 years already and it's stained, unstable (every time I sit on it I feel like I'm out there at sea, rocking in all directions) and the wheels are so stiff that I can hardly move about while in my seat. Anyway, once I received notification that I could just send my old chair for a one-to-one exchange, I immediately responded. Yipee...no more rocking around whenever I need to sit. :p

The next thing that made me even happier is the book that I asked Hubby to get for me! Yeah...he went to Kinokuniya to get it for me this afternoon and now it's safely in my hands. Can't wait to finish reading the current novel I have and get started on this one. :) It'll take a while though, cos I only have time to read as I travel to and from work whenever it's term time. But never mind, what matters is I've got it now!

Tomorrow's National Day celebrations in school...am holding a mini class food party while the kids complete the work on their National Day projects. After tomorrow will be the day Hubby and I check in at Meritus Mandarin for our mini staycation. Can't wait!

Back to normal

2009-08-05T16:07:00.003+08:00

Things are fine now.

Everything's back to normal.

I was shown concern and offered some valuable advice, which I heeded and which served me well.

Now I'm finally pacified and at peace once again.

Hurrah...till the next destructive moment?

Sigh. That's life. Gotta survive it.

Upcoming hotel stay

2009-08-04T22:34:00.008+08:00

Hubby surprised me today with his plan for a weekend stay at Meritus Mandarin Hotel. Well, at least I've got something special to look forward to this National Day weekend, and this plan made me feel better at the end of a terrible day.

There's the ad that he came across in the papers today and showed me just now when he came back from work. Seeing such a great deal usually gets him all excited, and since he figured we probably wouldn't be booking this room there at the usual price anyway, what better time to book than now? So he called up the hotel, and managed to get a room!

Beebee will come along and kay poh around the hotel room and its facilities too when we check in... haha. Am thinking of giving her a pre-birthday tea treat too, with her favourite blackforest cake. ;)

Thank you, Hubby. :)

I'm seeing RED.

2009-08-04T17:05:00.008+08:00

YOU just made me so darn mad today.

You and your stupid words
You and your implied accusations
You forming your dumb conclusions without finding out the facts first
And then even making me look so bad in front of others!

You might not know it's me you offended
But it doesn't matter to you anyway
cos you think you have the right to act in any way you like
to anyone you want

You're BIG; you're GOD.
That's why.

Everyone's gotta kowtow to you
to get into your good books
And don't you just love twirling them round your fingers
And have them hankering after more perks you might offer them?
Or scream at them whenever you want
Just cos no one else will dare to holler back at you?

But sorry. I don't go for these.
I don't wanna play your games.
I don't wanna demean myself just so I can be somewhere
or someone.
And so I certainly don't see myself
forgiving you for these nasty remarks you made about me without even bothering to find out the truth from me first.
Even criminals are given a fair trial before being sentenced!

And YOU.

You upset me too.
You and your 'I'm a nice person' image
Trying to do your best to improve things
But always ending up a failure at that

All because you are timid
All because you don't speak up when you are the only one with enough authority to do so
You allow darkness to reign
and extinguish what little flame of hope we had left for brighter days.

And YOU OTHERS.

You others who know the truth
You others who know that someone has been maligned
But all hiding in your little holes
Not daring to say anything
for fear of being attacked by the monstrous being.
You give me advice on what to do
how to resolve the problem situation
But keep quiet otherwise when your words could vouch for my innocence.

I'm angry.
And I'm absolutely disgusted.

Desperate for this book!

2009-08-03T20:27:00.008+08:00

I made Hubby sit and watch through a DVD last night with me, titled "One Litre of Tears" or “一公升的眼泪”. It's a Japanese film based on the true story of a young girl, Aya Kito, who suffered from spinocerabellar ataxia, a degenerative disease of the nervous system. She was diagnosed at the tender age of 15, but due to the lack of treatment available since it was a relatively rare condition, there wasn't much that the doctors could do except help her with physiotherapy etc. to delay the possible effects.

Despite being struck with this wasting disease, Aya Kito continued to face life with optimism. Sometimes she fell, sometimes she cried, sometimes she felt rejected, and sometimes she felt helpless. All these, together with the more positive moments she experienced, she documented in her precious diaries as she loved to write. But never once did she give up on life. However, she eventually passed away after battling with her condition for 10 years.

Having watched this movie last night, I felt inspired to face life the same way she did. If she, someone who has to go through such a devastating experience, can still smile each day she wakes up, I believe I can face the challenging days at work with courage as well. Somewhere along the way, there might be events occurring to upset me and fill me with dread again, but I'll try to remind myself of the name 'Aya Kito', and her story. Hopefully, that will get me in better emotional shape. Now that I also know that Aya Kito's diaries have been published into a book and translated into different languages, I'm so gonna get my hands on it!

I learnt from someone's blog that she found the published diary translated into English at Kinokuniya, Ngee Ann City. Just called up the good people at Kino and found out that the book is still in stock, but there aren't many copies left! So I immediately made a reservation (so kiasu right) and am gonna ask Hubby to go down to get it for me since it can only be reserved for 3 days and I certainly don't have the luxury of going all the way to town on weekdays.

Hubby please please get me the book!!!

'My' new...WATCH

2009-08-03T19:44:00.009+08:00

Okay, this might sound like I've been brainwashed by Hubby, but that's not the case, I swear! I'm still me, the crazy bag lady, not Hubby's twin double! :p Anyway, the thing is that recently I caught myself gazing more often at my watch box, especially after it's got a new addition to the family.

Okay, check it out. I've got me a new secondhand Tissot Seastar 660. How's that??? Here's how the story goes:

One day, SOMEONE bought this brand new watch at a Tissot boutique cos he'd done some online research and sorta liked this watch. He was happy with his purchase at first, but after some time (and some ding-donging :p), decided that the watch didn't feel right on his wrist, and should belong to me instead, especially since the first time I tried on the watch for fun. So now I got myself a secondhand but new watch! :P

Initially I thought the watch was nice, but didn't have much 'feel' about it. Just liked the fact that it looks masculine yet not too guyish. After all, I'm more of a big watches kinda girl. But after wearing it a few times last week, I sort of grew more attached to it, and thus began the recent habit of admiring my watches, especially this one.

Today I wore my Rado, partly out of guilt for not having used it for the last couple of weeks, and partly cos Hubby just tightened the bracelet for me so it fits better than before (guess I lost some weight on my wrists! Hoorah!), but no prizes for guessing what I'll be staring at to tell time at work tomorrow! ;)

Injustice

2009-08-02T10:46:00.004+08:00

经验多，并不代表永远对。
辈份高，并不一定就完美。
几次错，不表示永远犯罪。
微笑时，不一定是种叛逆。

为人师表，在指责孩子的当儿，
带着有色眼光，完全不顾小心灵的处境与感受，
甚至含血喷人，以逼供做为目标。

他也有他好的一面，
也懂得以礼待人。
但他错就错在他不会因为面对的是师长
就低声下气，或处处讨好。
他选择对那些对他好的人
露出他最真诚的那一面。

试问：真正错的，到底是他，还是不懂得以基本待人的道理来对待他的大人呢？

National Day preparations

2009-07-30T21:12:00.005+08:00

Been so busy with work that I've been feeling rather burnt out this week. Many absurd events also occurred at work. But despite leaving after 7pm today (which means about 12 whole hours at work!), I was quite pleased cos of...

Heehee, these are the wonderful products of all the creative juices flowing from my form class for the National Day celebrations! There's a T-shirt design and national icon competition that all classes have to participate in. Today I managed to get the class going and had fun snapping pics of them while they worked in groups to put these together! Some of my kids even stayed back voluntarily after remedial lessons till close to 7pm so that they could complete the icon. I'm so proud of them! Really hope they'd win cos they put in so much effort! :D

Orchard outing

2009-07-30T20:34:00.009+08:00

Last Sunday, Hubby and I met up with Beebee and her colleague-friend Benne. Had to make a trip to Botanic Gardens cos there was a public school band performance that I was tasked to witness for work purposes, but thankfully I could choose my own company for that event since it was open to the public, unlike some other colleagues of mine who had to attend the more formal performances alone cos they were entitled to only one ticket. :S

It's been several years since I last visited the Botanic Gardens. If not for the fact that I was there for work, I'd probably have enjoyed the trip there more. There were quite a number of people there -- couples taking wedding pics, families with their kids, others with their dogs. Yeah! It's such a hotspot for dog-lovers. The place is like a neighbourhood park for the wealthy residents of Orchard Road. Oh, and there were many Japanese too! ;)

Speaking of Japanese, we went to Orchard Ion for the first time. Woohoo! It's really a one-stop giant shopping mall that hosts a wide range of stores -- from your everyday common stores to first-in-Asia boutiques to luxury brand boutiques. Cool! And I also discovered this lovely Japanese store specialising in Japanese food products and some other little trinklets. It's got such a wonderful Japanese feel and just browsing what's available makes me so happy! ;) Couldn't resist stepping outta the store with a sweet mobile phone accessory too. Hee. With such attractively-packaged items, I'm sure the store'll appeal to many like me! ;D

We also stopped by Orchard Central for dinner together. Hmm... compared to Ion, this place really doesn't seem to offer much yet, though it does have some interesting-looking restaurants. There's even a large Ben & Jerry's parlour that also has a bar area serving main meals. Prices seem a little steep though. Anyway, we eventually settled on this Japanese place that does this Osaka specialty of some thick pancake thingy.

The food's ok... Hubby likes his teppanyaki mix while I was okay with the spicy chicken pan dish that I ordered. Not fantastic, but ok lah. The choices are a little limited though, especially for a person like me who doesn't fancy pork or squid etc.

Sigh... so looking forward to this weekend to go out again! Been working so super hard!!! X(

Lessons learnt

2009-07-21T20:15:00.012+08:00

The cysts reduced in swelling the next day after the visit to the dermatologist. Although there were ugly, plain visible discoloured patches left behind by the injections, I was super relieved that I was able to conceal them using good ol' make-up. Ahhh... the wonders of make-up.

In the early afternoon, had a colourful meal prepared by MIL...

Later on, met Beebee for some shopping (which was done mostly by her -- Hubby and I were quite disciplined that day :p) and had a nice dinner, albeit disappointing dessert. Felt so cheated comparing our miserable portion of ice-cream with the mountainous heap enjoyed by the next table.

Then finally, after the nice meals came the harsh lesson. Because I was pretty keen to annihilate all those pesky cysts, I went about looking for any suitable range of facial products that might help to improve this (although I was told that the only way would be to either take medication or reduce stress). Eventually came across this set of products that bought me over with a booklet that came with it, highlighting various details to do with acne problems and stuff. It was published in such an impressively informative way that it boosted my confidence in it and made me buy it at a discounted price of $80. What's more, the products came with a sticker, claiming that it was the best selling series at Watsons for several consecutive years. Though I didn't like paying so much for a brand I hadn't even heard of before, I was just so desperate and convinced that I just had to try this out.

And omg, I did. Went home that night and carried out all the instructions to use the products -- facial cleanser, toner, night cream. On Sunday morning, I woke up feeling good about my face, then lo and behold, realised a while later that my face was starting to itch with a tingling sensation and I looked like 包公, except that my face was red instead of black. Maybe my skin's sensitive to the medication found in these items. But when I did my research online to find out more, I read testimonials from MANY people who totally bombed the exact products I bought, and some even commented on how the products made their skin condition worsen over time. AAHHHHH!!! So what now? Those horrible products are lying in a heap in the bathroom cabinet after just a one-time use. There goes my 80 bucks. There goes my hope. T_T

Lessons learnt:

1. Never buy into others' words so readily, especially words coming from people who are out to promote something
2. Always do research before making any drastic move, especially in the face of possible impulse buying
3. Products don't have to be expensive to work
4. Heed what the doc says

Now, I'm back to being a customer of The Face Shop once again. Thank goodness the redness has vanished, and the cysts are gone. There's still some slight marks left, but they appear lighter with each passing day, so my face is quite okay now. Phew!

Vanity, thy name is WOMAN

2009-07-17T20:58:00.007+08:00

See the lil' chimpanzee? I looked something like that when I discovered...

Wednesday: 1 big bao and 2 small baos

Yesterday evening: 1 big painful bao and 3 small baos

This afternoon, 3.35pm: Doc Lee said, "Tsk tsk... you actually have FIVE ah! Wah... how come so many?!!!"

3.40pm: I said, "Ow...er, you finish injecting all five already right? Cos very painful leh...I don't want anymore injections..."

3.43pm: Doc Lee said, "Ya ya...finish already. Actually you know what...sometimes the injections don't even help. Maybe after a while come out again."

3.44pm: I thought, "Wah. Win already lor. Inject all already then tell me!" *faint*

Sigh. Yeah yeah, my cyst problem re-surfaced after a year since I last visited the dermatologist. Made an urgent appointment this morning and rushed down after work to see him. Doc Lee says that since I can't take the tablets he recommends, there's nothing much I can do except try to reduce my stress level. Apparently, the cysts are caused by accumulated stress. Omg. How not to be stressed in my line of work? Aiyo. :(

After the injections, I think I literally 没脸见人 cos the bumps on my face were so red and all, so just hopped into a cab and went straight home. Didn't even wander around to look for nice dinner takeaway from Orchard area as planned. So for my Friday nice takeaway evening today, I ordered delivery from my favourite pizza place instead... guess eating low fat but yummy pizza is a nice end to my otherwise traumatised day. :p

Yup, both Hubby and I Iike the items that Rites Pizza offers. Usually we'd order a combo meal with one pizza to share, garlic sticks, wings and drinks. Decided to get pan pizza today so we can each eat what we might fancy other than our usual choice. Got him a Meat Diva pan pizza, and me a healthy veggies pizza. Threw in some BBQ wings and Thai shrimp cakes too. Yums!

Ok, 'nuff said for the day. Gonna go check on my baos again. Was looking forward to going out tomorrow, so really hope they'd disappear soon! Please..... ....... .....

Not just a packet of canteen food

2009-07-13T20:54:00.003+08:00

一个普通的饭盒，
看起来并不起眼，
却包含了诚恳的心意。。。
而且也提醒了我，
在工作凡忙之时，
还有小小的心灵
正在为我打起着。

谢谢你，丽婷。:)

Leisurely Saturday at home

2009-07-12T15:24:00.014+08:00

It's great to get up early on a Saturday morning, cos you feel the day is longer and you can get so much more done. :)

Didn't go out yesterday unlike most other Saturdays cos Hubby had his IPPT scheduled in the late afternoon, so I got down to settling some work in the morning after reading the papers and all. Though there was quite a bit of work to clear, I also managed to have some fun at home.

Eagerly demonstrated to Hubby how I'd recently learnt how to fold a heart (I'm usually horrible at origami stuff) cos had to conduct a lesson that makes use of this skill. Then I challenged Hubby to do the same cos he claimed that he could do the same without even officially learning how to. He disappeared for a while with a sheet of paper and then pranced back towards me, exclaiming, "See! I told you I also can..."

Let's have a look now...

Mine:

His:

=.=

Nevertheless, I still had a good laugh upon seeing the *ahem* unique heart (which actually resembles an ice-cream cone more)... hehe.

And check out what I cooked for lunch... orange rice? Nah, it's rice with mashed carrots! The idea occurred to me while I was racking my brains, wondering what to do with a big carrot I had just removed from the fridge. Well, for a non-carrot lover like me, this is one sure way to get me to eat this orange thing. I dumped the chopped carrot pieces into the rice cooker to cook with the grains, then mashed everything together once it's all cooked to form the lovely coloured rice. Haha. Looks appetising, I think!

Also tried out another thing...soaked and tore shreds of yakinori, roasted seaweed used in making sushi, and stir fried them with teriyaki chicken, diced potatoes and red capsicum. On top of providing extra nutrients, the yakinori also adds flavour to the dish. Yum! Hubby also said not bad. :D

In the evening, Hubby returned with his IPPT results -- got his usual Silver... yaay! Then we had a pizza meal delivered to us for dinner, and enjoyed that while watching one of Michael Jackson's famous concerts on DVD.

And that's for a nice Saturday -- work and fun balanced pretty well. :)

TGIF! V^_^V

2009-07-10T19:06:00.012+08:00

Yes, I survived the week!!!

Heh, anyway...what do you get when you cross G-shock watches with Man-thing???

Answer:

Yeah... Hubby's work. :p I came home earlier to find my G-shock missing from my watchbox, and Hubby's missing from his too. These 2 watches were bought in a pair for our wedding anniversary. So was really piqued and wondered where they could have gone. Found them with Man-thing later on. I admit that this creature does look good with our watches. And after Hubby explained how he was trying to make more space in our watch boxes, and how the watches should be together, "just like their owners", I was convinced. Heh.

Anyway, Man-thing's not the only one striking a cool pose with our watches -- we've a grey Hulk in our bedroom looking ferocious with another G-shock watch, and not long ago, Hubby made Iron Man hold a Swiss Army pocket watch too. =.=

Obtw, I'm also going to declare that from today onwards, Friday's going to be Special Dinner Night @ Home for us! ;P Unlike many other young couples who knock off after regular working hours and can return home to enjoy dinner together, Hubby and I only have one week night together at home on Fridays. The other nights see both of us working separately -- him out there and me at home. So while thinking of what to buy home for dinner just now, I decided that I should purchase a meal that's different from our usual nearby takeaway. And I should do that every Friday since it's the only evening we enjoy dinner together after four consecutive days of not seeing much of each other. Plus, it'll serve as a mini reward for us for having worked hard throughout the week. :)

I think I can eat Subway's chicken salad quite regularly... am starting to declare myself a fan of this simple item on their menu. My choice of dressing is always the non-fat sweet onion sauce, which gives the salad a tangy taste. Love it! :D

Looking forward to next Friday...with every Friday that passes from now, it's a step nearer to the year-end holidays, which I desperately need. Weekends are no longer sufficient for me to catch up with rest!

ZZzzz...

2009-07-08T22:05:00.002+08:00

最近好累啊。。。
好想好好睡个长觉。。。
好想过个休闲的假期。。。
好想抛开无聊的负担。。。
好想不用无时为下一刻而着急。。。

唉。

Back to NUS days...

2009-07-06T17:40:00.007+08:00

Can't help but drop a post here to remind myself in future of this day when I spent one full afternoon working on my NIE course assignment, which was to write a paper comprising three different sections. Had to read up and make references to selected literature (thank goodness I've books at home to help me!), so the whole process made me feel like I was reliving my days as an undergrad. All the research, the studies, the essays... whoa! Even designed my trademark cover page once again for this assignment. Heh.

But finally, I'm done! While it was a long and tedious process, especially since I had so much to write and so ended up having to rephrase expressions and reduce the number of words I used (yeah yeah, so what's new? :p), I kinda enjoyed penning down my thoughts and ideas in relation to certain issues I had to discuss. Then, when everything was finally completed, I once again felt the immense sense of satisfaction that I loved. Good job to me! :)

Okie, gonna reward myself with a dinner break before getting down to the next thing I've to do. Then I swear, I ain't gonna touch work no more for the rest of the evening once the penultimate episode of "The Ultimatum" airs on TV.

Mini fan!

2009-07-05T11:02:00.004+08:00

Here's the new resident in our common toilet in the kitchen who moved in just yesterday evening:

Hubby and I had been hunting for a mini fan recently before he found this at Parkway Parade yesterday afternoon. Hooray! No more feeling warm and uncomfortable while applying make-up in the toilet, especially on hot weekends before going out. I usually do my make-up here cos I'd be standing nearer the mirror compared to when I'm in my master bathroom, which makes it easier for me to scrutinise my face. But cos this toilet has such a knack for storing heat, I usually ended up feeling hot and sticky standing there even after I'd showered. Now, problem's solved!

The fan actually came with a USB cable that can be connected to a laptop and charged from there so you stay cool while working. Pretty decent. The price is great too -- $21.50 only.

Can't wait for the next time I apply make-up now! :p

Stupidity

2009-07-04T11:49:00.007+08:00

Sometimes I make silly mistakes or say something dumb, and get teased with comments like "Wah, you really very stupid leh!" or "You ah...are you for real or not?" But, in my defence, my silly mistakes or response usually stem from pure ignorance of a particular subject, and my own form of stupidity never hurt anyone. Usually, I even join in the teasing, and admit how stupid I was to do or say something. :p

But there's another type of stupidity I can't stand -- the type that comes from someone in power or authority, or someone supposedly having such a wealth of experiences in a certain field that you wouldn't expect him/her to be stupid when it comes what he/she is supposed to know very well. But it's only human to err, so I can accept mistakes these people make, only if they humbly accept the fact that they are not infallible, just like the rest of us average mortals. I guess what makes stupidity from these people such a turn-off is the fact that, based on my personal encounters with them, they do or say something that is totally ridiculous, and then continue acting as if they are undoubtedly right, and that everyone should never question their judgement. Even if you point out certain flaws in their decisions, they blatantly refuse to admit their errors and try all ways and means to defend themselves, even resorting to employing insults or avoiding the subject matter altogether. Because being who they are have created such big egos in them, they view any criticism as a personal threat to their image or reputation, and thus find it hard to accept the comments graciously.

I regret to say that just when I thought some of these people might have reached their limits of being stupid, I was proven wrong the past week. As a result, I've had to endure the consequences of their stupidity and the many negative emotions that they've set off in me.

I mean, being stupid because you're ignorant is one thing, but refusing to admit that you've been stupid and wrong even when all the evidence points to that and even continuing your dumb ways and causing harm or inconvenience to others in the process is unacceptable in my terms, especially when you're held in high regard by others and supposed to be *ahem* wise.

Happened to come across a site that states the Five Laws of Stupidity by an Italian economic historian named Carlo M. Cipolla. Thought it'd be interesting to know and wanted to see if I could relate them to those people I have in mind. Turns out they're quite accurate!

Law #1: We always underestimate the number of stupid people.

According to Cipolla, this is not very obvious because the people whom we had thought to be rational and intelligent might suddenly turn out to be unquestionably stupid. (YES!) And day after day, we are hampered in whatever we do by stupid people who invariably turn up in the least appropriate places. (YES YES YES!!! -- to the first half of the sentence.) He also observes that it is impossible to set a percentage, because any number we choose will be too small. (I believe so.)

Law #2: The probability of a person being stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that person.

In a nutshell, studies have shown that the frequence of stupidity in people with low education is similar to that among professionals, executives or others who have received even the highest education possible. The stupidity factor is also about the same between groups with differences in gender, race or religion. (YES! Remember what I said about some people who hold big positions but are small in 'brain'?)

Law #3: A stupid person is someone who causes damage to another person, or a group of people, without any advantage accruing to himself/herself, or even with some resultant self-damage.

This is also the golden law of stupidity. (Oh my, the times I've had to 'suffer' cos of such a person!)

Law #4: Non-stupid people always underestimate the power of stupid people.

Non-stupid people seem to forget how damaging it can be to associate themselves with stupid people because they'll be brought down by the dumb mistakes the stupid people make. (Hmm... does that mean that non-stupid people are actually a little stupid then? Never mind. Anyway, I do know non-stupid people who have been criticised simply because they are with the stupid people and are unable to stop their stupid acts from taking place.)

Law #5: A stupid person is the most dangerous person in existence.

I used to think that it's the really intelligent minds that are most dangerous, especially when they turn criminal. But Cipolla thinks that a stupid person is most dangerous because, not only do they hurt others, they could very well hurt themselves too as they don't even realise that they are stupid. Hence, while intelligent people know exactly what they are doing, stupid people do not. And if they are in a position of power, God help us all... (Heh, how true!)

So I guess I might come across as really stupid at times, but I'm not that stupid cos at least I'm aware of how I can be stupid sometimes!

Sigh. I'd better re-watch an episode of "Friends" or something over lunch soon. At least the stupidity of these characters in the sitcom serves some purpose cos they are so adorable and entertaining.

Another GSS buy

2009-06-29T19:56:00.006+08:00

Dunno if it's the thought of having to be rudely awakened once again by my mobile phone alarm at 5 plus in the morning, or having to go through a long crazy day, or having to handle many difficult people/ situations I most probably would meet somewhere along the way... whatever it is, I was really dreading the first day of this term, especially since many things would be beyond control at work cos of the Influenza A outbreak.

And I was right. It's been such a mad mad day indeed. Shan't dwell on it. At least I had something new to carry to work today. Er... yes, it's a... BAG.

*sheepish grin* Yeah, got a new bag over the weekend -- but I'm doing better than previously okay! It's only my third new bag this year, and the first two weren't even bought by me. So technically speaking, it's MY first bag purchase this year! :p

Saw this CK bag -- large and squarish with magnetic flaps as covers -- some time ago before the GSS started. That was when I was still looking for a work bag and before Hubby bought me the blue and white striped Zara bag. Loved the CK bag but thought it was too expensive, cos I really was trying to cut down my expenditure in this area, but during the weekend, I saw it again, this time at Isetan Wisma, and it was going at 30% less than the price before. So enticing! But again, needed to think and re-think cos wanted to make sure it wasn't an impulse buy, so ended up walking along the different levels of the department store on the pretext of looking at other stuff, but not really paying much attention. All I could think of was me carrying the bag to work today! (Maybe cos I dreaded today so much... needed something new to perk me up a little :p)

Sigh... after an agonising hour or so, I finally decided to head back and get it. And bless me, I got another 10% off the discounted price cos paid using DBS/POSB card. Ho ho ho!

Heh, some time back, it was so hard to find a nice work bag. Now, I've got two that I love! Yippee! V^_^V

Chilli PRAWNS!

2009-06-29T19:32:00.017+08:00

There's the famous chilli crab, then there's my chilli prawns!

Haha... think after consuming chilli crab and the lovely gravy that comes with it for the past 2 weekends, I kinda missed its taste, so yesterday, I decided to try my hand at cooking my own chilli... PRAWNS! (Of course must substitute the crab with something else -- I won't really dare to handle a crab :p)

Tada!

There's my just-cooked chilli prawns in the pot, and then later served with leafy vegetables and calrose rice. Hubby said it's 'ok ah', but I thought it tasted goooooood.... hehe. Perhaps it might have tasted better if I'd used tiger prawns instead of the normal grey prawns that I usually buy from the supermarket downstairs. Oh well, never mind. It's the gravy with beaten egg that I love!

And I owe my thanks to...

Yup, found this recently while doing grocery shopping and bought it, hoping to try it out soon. And I'm really glad I came across this. No other seasoning needed -- didn't have to marinate the prawns either. I just dumped whatever I wanted -- fishcake, capsicum etc.-- with the prawns and mixed them up real nice. Then added egg and some water to get more gravy, and then that's done! Cooked extra last evening and had the leftover for dinner just now. Still tasted good! ^_^

Hmmm... maybe can just cook the gravy next time and have it with toast or something! ;P

私の思考。 私のスペース。 私の生命。