Asian Seafood Sensation

Today's cooking session was interesting. Hmm mm...
Taught by Chef Wilfred Fam from the Raffles Courtyard...specialises in seafood.

Starter
Fried Scallop. Sliced and placed all around the plate.
Interspersed with sliced Strawberry, Kiwi & Mango.
Topped with a sauce made up mainly of Plum sauce and finely chopped Lemongrass, Garlic, Lime leaves, Chilli padi and Ginger flower.

Effect?
Sweet, Sour, Slight Saltiness because of the Scallop
Absolutely refreshing & unique!

Main
Plain white rice.
Topped with sliced Shitake, Button and Oyster mushrooms in a white wine and chicken stock sauce.
Accompanies by sauteed diced white onions.
Topped also with pan seared crabmeat lightly coated with butter, salt & pepper.
Surrounded by lightly planched broccoli.
And finally covered with Parmesan and Mozarella cheese which was flame-melted with a hand-held burner.

Effect?
The mushrooms tasted wonderful and blended very well with the buttered crabmeat.
Super aromatic!! The cheese was a little "over-flamed" but nevertheless stil lprovided for a great munch-munch texture.

Dessert
Caramelised Bananas wrapped in a thin crepe
Topped with Vanilla Ice-Cream

Effect?
Am not a fan of bananas so well...nothing great here.
The ice-cream was nice though. Apparently home-made by one of Raffles Hotels' chefs.


And the best thing is...Haha..
The moment I got home, I had a tummyache.
It's 1230am nmow..and my tummy still feels a little weird...
Shit...meeting ahboy tomorrow night...hope my tummy regains its health for tomorrow...:)

GIRL POWER??!!

Chloe said my blog's getting kinda girly & "squealish" these days.. hahah...

No idea why though! Maybe fiddling around with html & trawling the net for html stuff made me discover all these cheesy things hahhaa....

Here's one of the cheesy captions I got off the net...more to come in the coming days!! hahahha lol....

May I Work Harder

It's been a restless boring 2 weeks at work.
There are things pending to be done. I'm sitting on it.
I dunno why. I don't feel like working.

This is bad I know.

I've been blogging during office hours. I've been fiddling with the html during office hours...
And I've been scrabbling ocassionally during office hours.

Gosh, I hope this "season" passes over soon.
I feel so unproductive now...

I feel like..I'm back in LHUB...yikes.....

Natural Highs

I feel happy whenever I see this little monkey...
It's irritatingly cute...On first glance kinda irritating...
Then it grows on you and you can't help but smile when you see the picture.. ahha...

===============

Someone sent the following text to me via Facebook...Makes for some good, light reading.

And at the end of it all, I hope you really do feel better after reading through the list

I know I did! haha...

1. Falling in love.

2. Laughing so hard your face hurts and your sides ache.

3. A hot shower.

4. No lines at the supermarket.
5. A special glance.

6. Getting mail. (Though in SG, this probably means bills.... LOL)

7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.

8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.

9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.

10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer. (I wonder how many people actually use dryers in SG...)

11. Chocolate milkshake (vanilla or strawberry).

12. A bubble bath.

13. Giggling.

14. A good conversation.

15 The beach

16. Finding a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter.
17. Laughing at yourself.

18. Looking into their eyes and knowing they Love you

19 Midnight phone calls that last for hours.

20. Running through sprinklers. (Ok, I know I won't do this though hahha...)

21. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.

22. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.

23. Laughing at an inside joke with FRIENDS

25. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.

26. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.

27. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner).

28. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.

29. Playing with a new puppy or kitten.

30. Having someone play with your hair.

31. Sweet dreams.

32. Hot chocolate.

33. Road trips with friends.

34. Swinging on swings.

35. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.

36. Making chocolate chip cookies. (hmm, the last I made this was when I was 15!!!)

37. Having your friends send you homemade cookies.

38 Holding hands with someone you care about.

39 Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.

40. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much desired present from you.

41. Watching the sunrise.

42. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.

43. Knowing that somebody misses you.

44. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.

45. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.

ROFL

Lol.
For the life of me.
I can't believe I put up that cheesy hot pink lips on the sidebar...
And it's got hands too...

Hahahhaa.....Lol......:)

Heeeee

Some of these are kinda cute!! haha..

*Ah Mei*

Ok, I broke my promise to myself...
Earlier on, I told myself there would be no more concerts for me this year...

But but but....

I just booked 2 tickets for Zhang Hui Mei's concert on 4th October.
Hiakzzzz....;p

I'll eat grass for the next few weeks/months...

Bo pian, I can't resist...Ahboy's fav......and she's a darn powerful singer!!!
And well errr...I missed all her previous concerts in SG...

So...I'm $300 poorer.

Did I mention I'll eat grass for the next few weeks or months???

Did I mention I'll eat grass for the next few weeks or months till my company pays me back the $3.5K they owe me????

I don't have a pocket anymore..
It's just a gaping hole there!!!......*screams*

THE MAN

It's amazingly irritating how testy a guy can be.

Gosh, it's like as if he's going through his own menses.

15-hour days spent rotting in-camp has left my man testy, irritable, bored, restless, grouchy, frustrated, resigned, pissed...amongst other like feelings...

Today is Day 3 only. There're still 2 more days to go before his reservist ends.

May the Lord grant me strength to be patient with him lol...:)

Ok lah, at least he still calls me at night...wahahha

*beams*

An Insatiable High

Oh, you bring shivers to me

What a splendid feeling it is
To have you in my mouth

To twirl you around my tongue
And touch my lips against you

It is sinful I know
To keep thinking about you

And it is even more sinful
To have bites of you ever so often

Licking you
Brings an insatiable high to me

Spooning you
Brings a delirious high to me







Oh my BJ…I mean B&J
My Ben & Jerry’s Choc Fudge Ice-Cream

You leave me wanting more….
And more…
And more…

Lawyers

I realized lawyers are extremely conversant in English.
They speak fast, speak articulately, think fast and think articulately.
One would think they were born & bred only on English.

I was left flabbergasted when my lawyer started conversing in Mandarin with me. Being equally eloquent, articulate, fast and clear in his speech as he would be if he were speaking in English.

Darn bilingual. I’m embarrassed at my Mandarin at times like this…Gosh...
How can people be so bilingual ah?

stitches of emotions

The NDP song has a nice tune.

But I don't like the singers. A little weak and "out of breath" feeling when I heard them sing...especially the English version...

Stefanie Sun perhaps might have done a better job?
At both the English AND Mandarin versions...

============
I'm flying next Thursday.
The excitement hasn't sunk in yet.

Hmm mm. Weird.

============
Out of steam to blog.
So many things. Too few words in my head.

Think I'll either go watch a DVD or read my book.
I'll feel better than having to contend with a blank mind.

infidelities...

What is it with men and infidelity?

Is it something innate like what shoes and bags are to women?

15-20% of the guys I know (and I am not talking about acquaintances) were not faithful at some point in time or another. Be it with girlfriends or wives.

It doesn't seem like a high proportion when put into percentages. But I guess the reality hits when people you least expect are the ones calling you up and seeking a listening ear.

Some are flings, one-night stands which are oft regretted.
Some are slightly longer-lived but still short-lived.
Some are long-drawn infidelities.
And others are numerous and long-drawn infidelities...

Don't know if I am making any sense here but do men think with their other head more often than the ones on their shoulders?

Should I be alarmed at all?

I asked this before...and I guess I'll ask again...Where's the chastity in marriage?
And for those just in relationships...Where's the faith and loyalty gone?

Hmm mm...
But of course, I don't deny...women are also equally capable of betrayals...

Mini Jog Became a Mini Mini Jog

I run better when I've had a bad pissing day at work..
I don't know why but perhaps the adrenalin through the day and the angst gets me going better when I run...

It was a mish-mash this evening. My breathing was absolutely messy.
I couldn't get it right. Half the time I was struggling to breathe properly and get air into my lungs....There's was no rhythm...
Nothing was in sync...I managed to get it steady after while but in no time it was ragged and messy again.

From the moment I took my first few steps I knew it wasn't gonna be a good session...hmm...

Didn't complete the route today. Gave up halfway when I felt like I was breathing only 1/2 of what oxygen I needed...Walked the rest of the way home...

Xianzz...=(

Hope the next session will be better...Maybe I'll stick to MayDay. Avril Lavigne's rhythm was not suitable...
And Madonna's "Hung Up" album was too fast for a slow steady run...

Ganbatte.....

*WAILS*

XB!!! Wah Lau!!!
Now I am not only immortalised as an auntie on your blog...I am classified as short as well??
Piangzz..*faint*

Clarification!! Not short hor! haha....same height as you..Just that that day I was in flats and your height was artificiallly inflated with heels....

Tsk Tsk. No respect for me...Tsk Tsk...

In Michelle's Dictionary

A mess
...is when people who are supposed to make decisions do not make them.

A confusion
...is when people who are supposed to say more say too little.

A misunderstanding
...is when people who are supposed to say less say too much more.

A frustration
...is when people who are supposed to change things cannot.

A delusion
...is when people who are supposed to see choose not to see.

A chaos
...is when people who are supposed to adhere do not instead.

staccato again

It came as no surprise to me when I asked the 2 young girls if they heard about the Night Festival.
They had blur looks. "What is that?" they asked.

I had that same reaction too when I first heard it from Kelvin Han.

Lol, guess not enough awareness efforts was done?

============
This week has not been good..
Testy, irritable, happy on other occassions, moody on yet other occassions.

The upcoming monthly cycle is really bringing with it huge hormonal changes perhaps.
It's not often I feel so agitated when its drawing near...

staccato

There are things I wanna say and things I dun wanna say.
But tired to list them out.
Tired to mention things.
So I'll just let them be a fragment of my memory.

============
First time in my 28 years of life that I have ever lodged a formal complaint with an organisation over the customer service provided by one of its staff.

For those in the know. That singular SMS caused me quite abit of distress this morning.

Anyway, thanks for hearing my grouses. Felt better as the day wore on.
I still felt upset, but I think it was more due to my moodiness as well.

SMRT Taxis replied to my email, giving an interim answer that they are looking into things.
Oh well.

============
Went to Miss Clarity Cafe at Purvis Street with Angela & xiao bai just now..
Time flies but it's been a year since we last met...Uber fast.

They've grown. Come to think of it, I knew then they were 18 I think...now they're 20. Almost officially a legalised adult...so fast.

The food was alright, my pasta was a little salty but it was a nice get-together...

Angela was still as "sha da jie" haha...damn funny...
Xiao bai is still as ____________...(eh, what do you wwant me to say here ah?? lol...oh yah, you treated me hor? haha lol ok lah..give you face....)

Xiao bai is still as lovely... ahhaha...

And I am still as soft & tender ;p (private joke)

============
Am falling behind on things in work...
Not good not good at all...

Best Before DD-MM-YYYY

Is there an expiry date for friendships?

I'd reply an immediate "no" if you were to ask me this question a few years ago.
If you were to ask me today. My answer is no longer a resounding "no".
It's a "maybe".

Perhaps there really is an expiry date. As the old adage goes.."people come people go".
It's a sure as the sun rises in the morning and sets when night arrives.
Perhaps the one up there allocated each of us a certain number of friends for each chapter of our lives. I dunno.

Leafing through the contacts in my mobile phonebook alone is enough to pay testimony that perhaps some of my friendships have reached or are way past their expiry dates.

Some expired naturally. Others expired prematurely.
And some others have expired through a lack of care and preservation.

It's saddening though. And it's even more saddening when you have tried preserving it, to no avail. You add preservatives now and then, hoping to extend its shelf life but yet, your efforts fail and the expiration still happens. It's a one-sided effort perhaps.

Then there are others which you thought were past their expiry dates. When all of a sudden they are resurrected and found not only to be still edible, but thoroughly palatable to the tastebuds.

And then there's still some which were past expiry dates but regenerate themselves and find you, only for the reason of seeking help. And when help is bestowed upon them. They fade into obscurity again. Saddening. But en meme temp, i.e at the same time, thoroughly pisses me off.

I guess. My preference still lies in the salted fishes of my life.
The well-preserved few lurking around me of which I know there are no expiry dates...
Even if there were, the dates stretch to infinity and beyond...

Pray Tell

I do not know how to broach the subject again.
Pray tell. I hope you are not waiting for me to make the first move.
Because. I don't know how.

It's a niggling dustball on the floor.
And I've been sweeping it under the carpet every other day.
Pray tell. I hope this dustball does not grow into a permanent stick in the mud.

The words are oft on the tip of my tongue.
Pray tell, I hope to roll them off of it but before I can.
Somehow the waves of my cowardice pulls them back into my parched throat.

I do not know the way forward.
Perhaps my mind is not acute enough to find a way around the brick wall.
Pray tell. I hope to find a way soon, to circle it or to climb over.

Pray tell. I hope to have my heart in peace soon.

Am I or Am I Not?

Someone told me I've lost weight since I joined the company.
In the same conversation, someone else told me I've put on weight.

Such differing views. Who should I listen to?

Je ne me sens bien dans ma peau.

Loosely translated to mean...I don't feel good in my own skin.

It's a recurring cadence. A silent dance between my inner and outer self.
For years, finding myself has been an issue..

I feel awkward in my own skin.
In more ways than one, I feel like a gawky teenager trying to find her own feet. Sometimes discovering she might actually have two left feet.

I feel small and uncertain. I feel inadequate and frustrated at not knowing how to proceed.
I feel a lack of in many areas and I feel incongruous. And I feel I've not achieved much in life.

I'm approaching the big Three-O.
Feeling this way at times makes me all the more afraid. I suddenly do not wish to grow up.

Being young or thinking you're younger seems to be a viable reason for feeling inadequate.
Though yes, I know. Thinking that is probably just an excuse to make myself feel better.
Hiding behind that farce of a notion seems to make things a little easier to swallow perhaps.

But then again sometimes, I'd feel wonderful about myself and proud about the things I've done.
The older I get, the more chances I've had of seeing myself in a better light.

A walking paradox haha.

Been trying to love myelf more, trust myself more, and be more proud of myself of what I am and what I've done. Been trying to build up that sense of self-worth and that ubiquitous confidence I see in others.

Hmm. Oh well, jiayou to me.

Je me dit "Jiayou!".

Fry Day

Had dinner with PQ on Friday night...
I was a time-filler cos she was meeting someone else at 9-plus...so well, when Ahboy jio-ed me to BGs house...I gladly accepted.

The usual peeps were there...the guys played MJ...and the ladies occupied themselves with a great invention - the Sony WII.

WII Fit occupied my time..Else I think I would have just fallen asleep on the comfy couch.
Games testing balancing skills, other "aerobics" type of games and even yoga/meditation games..
It was cool.

And it's funny. I miss alcohol.
I miss getting very high. But of course, I don't miss the tummy upset that comes along with it the next day, or the drugged woozy aftermath.

Beaver's

Beaver's
Orientus Resort
Mornington Crescent
(5 mins from Seletar Camp)

=============

It was a nice nice dinner on Saturday...I decided to get away from the crowds.
Suggested to ahboy to take a mini exploration in Seletar and search for this restaurant just off Seletar Camp.

Turned out it wasn't much of an exploration lol. What to do?
The man's a live version of StreetDirectory...

Anyhow, the restaurant turned out to be the under the same chain as the Beaver's in Liang Seah.

He ordered the Beer-Battered Fish & Chips which was gooood.
I ordered the Sirloin Steak which was goooood too!! Haha..
And we had the Wild Mushroom Soup to share...that was wonderful too! haa...

But the most important thing was, there was noone else around when we first arrived...
Such peaceful atmosphere is hard to come by in a bustling city like SG.
Halfway through our meal, some others popped by for dinner as well, but there were still empty seats around...

It was a good dinner. Food was good, company was wonderful.
Nothing too rushed, nothing too stressed.
AND. It felt out of this world.

Let's hope Seletar remains this way.
Dempsey used to be like that. Now it's overcrowded too. Sigh. What a waste.

fragments of the preceding few days...

The older I get...the less significance birthdays bring to me...
I dunno, it just seems like a day in the year. Another day in the calendar..

Hmm mm.

========
Voila...Cambodia is confirmed.
For the first time in my life, I'll be out of SG on the day of it's birthday...

========
Angie is getting registered. Gosh..she's the youngest of our group at 24...

And the general sentiment I could sense amongst some some of us when we received the news was....
"Wah jialat, she's the youngest and she's getting married...Will we get married?" or...
"When will my right one come??"

========
Been eating too much over the last 3 days...think the cycle's coming soon..
Been gorging..

Some more pics of Paris

Their public dustbin... My shower area...

This is the TV which acompanied me in my 9 nights there...

The only English channels were CNN & BBC.....zzzz.......I actually watched CSI in French..wah lau, couldn't understand....

Voila! The bed in my hotel room...super comfy. Only slept on the right side of it though..haha...

Why am I suddenly proud that our home-grown brand Yeo's is on the shelves of some obscure Parisien supermarket in France?

And well, they sell preserved Dow Gay...gosh. Preserved bean sprouts...Wonder how it tastes like...Check out the brand name..Suzi Wan..lol.

Went to the Rodin Museum..Rodin was this famous sculptor who produced this famous sculpture...The Thinker!!

Pity the sun was way up above me...couldn't get a good & clear shot of it.

The Thinker...taken from afar through the window of the 2nd level of the Museum.

This is the mini version of The Thinker.

One which Rodin did as a trial piece before embarking on the actual big piece.

I love horses!
This piece was close to 3m tall at least...or more...

Below the golden dome...lies Napolean Bonaparte's tomb...Place is called Les Invalides

The cross & altar overlooking Napolean Bonaparte's tomb...Notice the gold platings..

And this is Naoplean Bonaparte's tomb...

Squinty eyes cos of the glaring glaring sun!! But having a cup of Ben & Jerry's choclate chip ice-cream mid-way up the Eiffel Tower was definitely an experience! haha... Think I don't look like the usual self here.. haha...Had stares from people when I was taking a self-pic..

Ok boliao me...

Proceedings of an Uneventful Day

Woke, washed, went to work.

Systems testing from 10am till 1230pm.

Lunch in smelly Suntec foodcourt.

Bak Chor Mee.

Went back to office smelling like foodcourt.

Freshened up.

Back to systems testing from 2pm till 630pm.

Cleared work.

Went to Carrefour to buy hairdryer.

Left Suntec at 7-plus.

Walked to Bugis to take MRT home.

Reached home to an empty den.

Parents out at the club for a bout karaoke with their retiree friends.

Cooked pasta to fill own tummy.

Watched 9pm show on Channel 8.

Drooled over Christopher Lee.

Discovered I was still hungry.

Had a bowl of cereal and milk.

Itchy backside.

Ended up too bloated.

Bathed after show ended.

Called baby.

He bad mood.

Didn't talk much.

Blog.

Will fiddle with new hairdryer and put it to use.

Will read storybook.

Will sleep after that.

My drab Thursday.

Taking Stock

Looking at the general goals & guiding principles I set for myself this year, I think I have done an okay job. A good job compared to previous years perhaps.
I think listing non-specific items & having general guiding points is working much much better than having specific to-do or to-achieve items...something which I apparently have been doing for the past many years.

State of Mind – Ok, maybe this is a little status quo..I am still not so creative in terms of work…But my creativity in “suaning” people and talking crap has improved…lol. Assertiveness is so-so hmm mm.

Career – strong working relationships…this is going well with the teammates…positive contributions…a definite yes. Not yet a very strong contributor but good enough for my standards now. Will strive to be better.

Health & Well-Being – Good job…I watch what I eat and I hope I’m eating relatively more healthily than last year..the least is that I am definitely drinking less. Regular jogs, regular stretching/toning at home? Haha…amd I’m going for facials!

Relationships – Relatively good…except for a niggling issue which I have not gotten control of. Keeping in touch with people (maintaining), further developing some (nurturing), brought family out on excursions…and of cos loving ahboy!!

Relatively good 1st half of the year…though it could still be better!
Will strive for a better 2nd half of the year ahead! Jiayou! Jiayou! Jiayou!

F*cked Up Day

I am not in good form today emotionally. Neither was I yesterday.

Been feeling shitty at work lately.

A potent combination of "xian-ness", of boredom, of anxiety, of stress and well, of being lost.

The day started out good with me feeling xian but also in some sort of high spirits as well. All thanks to the run of the night before. I guess the happiness was still awash over me. Enough to mask out some of the crappiness I felt.

Things were ok till after lunch. And then it went downhill from thereon.

Screwed by the boss very possibly in a state of health equivalent to menopause for men.

For something I meant well of and thought was a good thing to do.

He summed up his view in one single sentence manifested in a harsh voice.

"Why you go and do all these STUPID things????"

In all my life. No one has said that the things I have done is stupid.

Not even my parents. Not even my teachers.

And now this old man says I'm doing something stupid.

Well thanks for your inconsistency in instructions as well.

And your mood swings. And your caustic remarks.

I feel like I'm working with a female boss at times.

I've worked for 6 years. Not long, not short either. Not one single boss has said that I did something stupid. I have made mistakes yes, I have made dumb errors. But no one has labelled me stupid, even if by reference.

And no, definitely do not think what I did was stupid, nor was it a mistake.



Would you call putting a cover note on a submission paper you wrote stupid???

Pissed, hurt, sad and angry. I did the only thing I felt like doing. It was disdainful but I was so pissed I couldn't care less. I went to the washroom and bawled.



I have only done that once in my entire working life. And that was in early 2006.

But that was when I found out I had to go for an op.

I leaned against the wall and just cried. Dabbing toilet paper at my eyes...wiping snot dribbling from my nose. A woman crying is never a clean sight.

I only had the toilet bowl for company. And it couldn't quite flush away my hurt and anger.

Ah what the fuck. I went back to my desk red-eyed.

Not sure if anyone noticed. Or maybe they just kept mum. Which is good.

Definitely do not feel like heading to work tomorrow. And I definitely do not want to see him.

I respect him I do. Not as much as last time though.

Not for one who shouts at subordinates, has mood swings and loses his temper at staff ever so often.

I do not think a great boss has such traits.

Artificial Inflation

Of prices

Of heights

Of boobs

2 in 1

It's a first for me...

Last week I think, my Facebook nick read as "Michelle is trying to do 2 in 1"
Daniel asked me what it meant...I told him..you cannot laugh at me..but it means...
"I'm trying to hit 2km in one single shot..i.e. without stopping" haha...

Did that this evening...woohoo!

I think I did 2.1km or so maybe..It's the first time in my life I've run this distance..

I went home feeling elated and strangely energetic haha..
Thought I wasn't in the right mood to jog today..Maybe MayDay did the trick..

I brought the nano along today....and tried a new route..:)

3 in 1 by the end of the year!! Jiayou!!

The Blues

And for those who understand football speak...no I am not talking about Chelsea...

Today is a day which is

- part xian
- part happy
- part sad
- part demoralised
- part okay
- part not okay

............

Is it the weather or just me in general...
Suddenly issues of both work & personal flooded my mind in the afternoon...

Sigh...
Or perhaps it's a bad case of Monday blues.

..............

地球是乐园，要用心去游览。。。

I have always liked this phrase...Snitched off the MSN nick of one of my friends..

Loosely translated in English, it reads as...

"The World is a Playground. Need to Take The Effort to Explore & Have Fun In It"

Something like that... haha. It sounds much nicer in Mandarin...

"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."

~ Patrick J. O'Rourke, American political satirist, journalist, and writer. (1947-)

Just saw this email quote on my company's Intranet homepage and found it hilarious...!!

So The New Paper or The Herald Tribune for you?

lil rants

Having a new colleague around changes the dynamics of things.

And it gets worse when another colleague had bad blood with this new colleague already...

And yes, the other colleagues are slowly giving bad comments too..

Oh no....:(
Such an environment is abit tricky to be in...

============
lil rants before I head to bed...

============
Xiao Bai, when do you wanna date me?

Your choice yah...I am not choosy...
Only thing is, must not be too oily or fried like KFC hahaha!! ;p

============
Been a long time time since I had sweet potato fries..hmm mm...
*gian*

============
I hate it when someone says "Trust me." when emphasising a point.

I dunno. I find it absolutely self-centered.
Then again, it's just my two cents.

============
Eddie my buddy...(hey it rhymes!)
Are you reading this?

Are we on for this Friday for dinner or not?
It's really been ages since i last saw you...more than a year I think!!

============
The shell shall slide into her bed..
Else it'll be a fuzzy wuzzy day again for me tmr...

There are issues I need to settle...
So cannot fuzzy wuzzy.....*bleah*

9 years or 18 strokes??

Which is worse?
9 years jail or 18 strokes of the cane.

We were talking about it during lunch yesterday. It’s weird but the guys generally preferred the caning rather than the jail sentence. And the ladies preferred the jail term.

Perhaps the ladies get more squeamish at the thought of skin splitting open when the rattan lands on it.

Whatever it is…I guess the 20 yr-old boy will have to live with both of the above for the rest of his life. Sigh…

Of Weddings, New Friends, And My Old Friend

The Bored Beginning
The night started out bland, bored, uninteresting and a tad stuffy.

There I was...a stranger sitting at a wedding table full of others whom I don't know.
Most of them were all ang-moh-pai people...a little bit slang, a little bit atas...those 20-something or 30 yr old yuppies who look good, dress well, earn alot and speak well. I felt seriosuly out of place.
Chiewz was supposed to be there but she only touched down at 7-plus and reached home at 815pm.

Herng Hsi...I've only heard about him before but never formally met him.
Tonight when he arrived, he introduced himself to me and said "Chiez asked me to look after you..." haaa..That b*tch actually told him to "jaga" me cos I didn't know anyone else at the table lol...
Turned out he & his gf Cheryl were my saviours...They're really good sports. I had a really good time with them.

The Okay Portions
Chiewz finally made her own grand entrance at 1015pm. Lol. Come on, who comes to a wedding dinner at 1015pm?? ahhaa...
But I was glad to see her. Haha, she made it!
And so there were were, the 4 of us, Herng Hsi, Cheryl, Chiewz & Me who at least knew each other and were talking to each other...

The food was great. Conrad Centennial Hotel..how bad can it be for a hotel who claims its of a 6-star status?

The couple. I only know Kristin the bride. She's still the same as in uni days.
Still as pretty, still as bitchy, still as street-wise, still as smart, eloquent, lovable, worldly, and well, still as booby. Haha ;p Gave her a good hug when we left the dinner...Took a picture together too!..Hope I get to see it man...

It was really nice knowing Herng Hsi & Cheryl as well. Cheryl turned out to be such a sweetie to talk to.. ahha...and yeah, in that short space of 3 hours, we turned out to be gossip kakis. Hahaa...:)
Had a nice time drinking with her.. haha.

The Wonderful Aftermath
Chiewz sent me home. We were talking...just like old times. Like how we used to bunk in each other's rooms back in hostel and chat/bitch/talk away....

She's still the same person I love. She's still the same person whom I could talk my mind with back in school days..
Still the strong, whacky and hilarious person who has been through so much in life.
Been through so many ups and downs but yet still manages to keep that sense of humour about things...Love her for that strength man..

We ended up like a couple haha. She parked downstairs in my carpark...and we just sat in there for 1.5hours...We just talked away...
With her sharing some of her problems and with us talking about some other things...

When was the last time we had such a long and open face-to-face chat/talk? Ages ago I think.
It felt really good. It felt like as if we were two uni undergrads again...sharing with each other our woes, hopes and struggles..

She hugged me before I left the car...It's been ages too since I last hugged a friend. :)
I dunno, it's like as if she brought such a nice, warm touch into my life...
Yesterday I had a gathering with some other hall friends.Thinking back, yes, I'll say it again...some of these people really mean alot to me I guess...

~Love you Love you Love you~

Value-adding...And The Lack Of It.

Reading, proof-reading, understanding, drafting and digesting policy papers....
What is the value-add to my career?

Apart from better English?
And perhaps a slightly better grasp of scenario planning...

I can't think of anything else.
Sigh.

**
Losing steam again for French..though I have pre-paid $500+ for the next 4 months.
What is the value-add to my life?

Apart from being able to order some food in France?
Apart from being able to ask for directions in France?

I can't think of anything else.
Sigh.

**
Playing Scrabulous on Facebook and watching SATC...
What is the value add to my life?

Apart from learning some words which is not found in the normal English dictionary..?
Apart from being able to indulge in a world of self delusion once in awhile...?

I can't think of anything else.
Sigh.

**
Just what am I doing right in my life now?

Apart from trying to maintain a jogging routine...
Apart from trying to maintain healthy eating habits...
Apart from trying to be nice to people...

I can't think of anything else.
Sigh.

Miscellanous Pics Part I

Some say 10 photos a day keeps the doctor away...;p

Voila! Ratatouille is a stewed vegetables dish...

And can be bought at the supermarkets for close to $3 euro a tin.

The Invalides Museum.

12kg worth of gold leaves were used on the dome itself...

Another view of it.

Napolean's tomb sits on the ground right beneath the dome.

He died in 1816 and was later exhumed and reburied here in December 15 1840.

Huge huge baguette for lunch

Fat pigeons...
Bathing in the puddles of water on the streets after a slight drizzle

Eiffel Tower.

But it was too sunny, and the sun was behind the tower...hence the dark gloomy pic...

Eifeel Tower in another angle

Self-taken lol...sunny day...am beginning to think I look quite nice in green ahaha...

Highest point in Paris. The Basillique de Sacre-Coeur Church sits on top of this hill.

Coolest Absolute Vodka bottle I've ever seen...

*yelps*

*runs around like a frantic chicken*

I look older...
More wrinkles..(or are they age spots???)
More freckles...
Bigger eye bags!!

*pulls hair*

Wait, cannot pull too much, been dropping hair too...

*yelps!!!!*

*runs around like a frantic chicken*

Missy J

J was yakking too much today I felt like wringing her neck.

It's really a very trying situation when you're on the phone with your corporate lawyer trying to discuss serious issues and then she's right next to you in her cubicle yakking and gossiping away with another lady colleague, each breaking out in loud guffaws and cackles every few minutes or so.

I mean, she's nice and all, ever friendly and happy and gay.

But sometimes you know, a little restraint and consideration is needed in the office environment.
Hell, actually in any situation.

I bought tons of chocolates for the office folks. HC opened a dark choc Lindt I got for him and ate it in front of J. She gave a comment "Chey, this one can get from NTUC what!!! Eeee!" And then my face showed no expression so she promptly gave a grin and said "Joking lah! I love you babe!"

I could only manage a small grin.

Sometimes she brings me smiles. Sometimes I really feel like throttling her.

Is it normal to feel this way about your next-door-neighbour in office?

Voila..Am Home!

Reached SG at 630am after spending 12h and 30 mins on the plane.

Couldn't really get any sleep and so...I watched about 4 movies.
- 21
- Run Fatboy Run (Some brit humour feel-good show about a loser who makes good)
- Run Papa Run (this Louis Koo show made me tear..)
- Over Her Dead Body (not sure if this was shown in the movies previously or not but Eva Langoria is HOT!!!)

Ate lots of snacks cos there was nothing to do. SQ is really good that they have apples, chips, salmon sandwiches, choc bars for you to munch on.. hehe.
Also watched one CSI episode and two episodes of SATC on the inflight entertainment.
Oh yah, spent some time brbeaking records on the in flight PC games as well....ahaha..

The middle-aged lady next to me had a nose bleed in the middle of the flight. Freaked me out.
Think she was Thai or Viet or Cambodian or something...

Ahboy was there at the airport...whee! =)
He took leave today to be there at the airport and spend part of the day with me haaa...

Been sleeping on and off here and there..
Body clock's abit fuzzy wuzzy now..hmm mm....

Written on 30 June Monday

Ah, my last morning here.

Sitting in the hotel lobby now waiting for my cab to arrive. Had a ham sandwich for breakfast. Packed the last of my stuff into the luggage. I hope I did not bust the luggage limit. It is really very heavy. Think I maximized every single space available in it hahaa….

It’s 30 June now. It’ll be 1st July 7am by the time I touch down in SG….

Till here…

Written on 29 June Sunday

Last day in Paris...

Woke this morning and was out at 10am. I wanted to have a French breakfast experience and so I popped by this restaurant which I’ve seen a couple of times.
Went in and didn’t quite know how to order. There were only 2 staff. One at the counter taking orders and preparing drinks. The other went about serving food and clearing tables. Both were elderly men but as quick as possible on their feet (and hands).

It was impossible. I could not get their attention. I spoke to them and was ignored. There were many others piled up at the counter trying to get stuff done.
I gave up. Went to the nearby train station and to a little café it had inside. Had a mini breakfast of a croissant and a tea. Far from what I’d imagined of a sausage and eggs breakfast in the other place haha…

Went to the highest point in Paris today. It’s called Montmarte. I was huffing and panting by the time I got out of the train station. It was really a “stairy” experience.

Because Montmarte is a hilly area, to get out of the station, I had to climb like 5 flights of a spiral staircase before I reached the exit at the top. Of course, only dumb tourists would do that. By dumb tourists, I mean myself and an American couple. The smart locals all took the lift. Which I discovered when I reached the top and to my right a lift door opened and the smart locals filed out of it. TMD.

And then there’s this famous church at the top of the hill overlooking the whole of Paris. It’s called the Basilique de Sacre Coeur. The view was amazing, pretty cool actually. There were painters sitting there, some armed with brushes, others armed with charcoal, and some others armed with just a pencil, sketching, painting, outlining what they see of the city.

I attended mass today. Well part of it, was there for close to 45 mins. Couldn’t take pictures because they were pretty strict there. Women who were in spaghetti tops were not allowed to go in till they had on their cardigans or jackets.

The priest spoke in French of course. I couldn’t understand a word of what he was saying except for a few words here and there. But it was still not enough to allow me to comprehend his entire sermon. There was quite a lot of nuns garbed in their cloaks as well. And then they sang..it didn’t matter they were singing in French or what…it sounded nice. Haha…

Went back to my hotel area for a nice lunch. Think I had indigestion or something. Tummy wasn’t doing too good. Went back to the room to rest & sleep it off. By the time I woke, it was already 530pm. Decided not to go out anymore and stay in the room.
Had my last cup noodles..hehe laksa flavour..bathed and then watched the Euro Final.

Woot! Spain won! Haha…till here…

Written on 28 June Saturday

Couldn’t get up today again. Dunno why. Think my energy levels is depleting.
I guess being on my feet and walking around for 6-7 hours at a stretch for the past few days is taking its toll… haha.

I went to the Rodin Museum today. I saw the actual famous bronze statue of The Thinker!! Also saw the miniature version, of which the big one was based on.
Saw the other more famous statue called The Kiss…of two lovers interlocked in an embrace while kissing.

Went to the Invalides after that. It was an army museum. Army uniforms from England, Spain, France, Italy, Japan, China right from medieval times to the more recent 19th century. It was really cool…
Those uniforms and weapons you see in period movies and shows really exist…I saw all kinds of swords, spears, arrows, knives, daggers, pistols, guns, cannons, crossbows, scabbards, spurs, shields, powder flasks, sheaths, jousting equipment, hunting equipment.
Saw all kinds of armoury and helmets. There was even armours for dogs and horses and kids. Abit scary at times when you think of those warriors of yesteryears who were once wearing and holding these things…haha.

Voila! Went to the Eiffel Tower. Walked there from the Invalides. Bought a cold sandwich and munched on it while walking the 15mins there.
Took some time taking pics of the exterior of the Tower…and spent the next 45 minutes queueing up just to buy a ticket and climb up the stairs to the 1st storey.

The 1st storey was 57m tall. Manageable, though I was feeling a little queasy when climbing up. Kept wondering if I should go up to the 2nd storey and decided “What the heck??! I’m all the way here already..Might as well…” And so I climbed the next 52m.

After a few flights of stairs, I really could feel my heart pumping. Partly out of physical exertion and mainly out of nervousness. I stopped for awhile on a stair landing and snapped some pictures. The wind blew and I swear, the metal structures I was standing on was swaying slightly as well. I was 70m above ground at that time lol.

Kept on going for the next 15 flights at least, till I reached the 2nd storey at 115m. I had to sit for awhile. My knees were going jelly on me. Try climbing stairs where you can see through the stairs to the ground below, at a height of 100m and you’ll know what I mean. ;p

To reward myself for climbing so many stairs and for not chickening out, I bought myself a cup of Ben & Jerry’s. Hehe. There I was, munching on a cup of Chocolate Fudge Brownie sitting in the sun, on the 2nd storey of the Eiffel Tower.

Was deciding whether to go up to the 3rd storey and yes, I decided to go up though I ad a 10min internal struggle haha. Paid an additional 4 euro and took the lift up this time round. Up & up I went and finally. Voila! I reached the top! At 352m.

The wind was blowing. It was definitely chilly. But hey!! I was there right at the top of the Tower! Haha…I quickly took some photos and headed for the lift back down to the ground haha…jelly legs. ;p

Dabao-ed some bread and chicken salad for dinner…
It’s interesting. Today alone, close to 6-7 tourists or groups of tourists asked me to help them take a picture. Maybe my green blouse brought their attention to me? Haha…

Baby woke me this morning with his SMS. It was 10am Paris time and 4pm SG time…:)
He thought I was having breakfast outside…haha turned out I was still in bed.

Back aching slightly. Maybe too much walking over the past few days? The shoe I brought doesn’t provide a lot of cushion & support perhaps. Oh yah, the right one is breaking abit liao haaa…I guess gravel paths doesn’t do much justice to shoes sometimes.

Written on 27 June Friday

Couldn’t quite get up in the morning. Finally pulled myself out of bed at 10-plus.

Received a call from the boss and an urgent SMS from HC. *xianz*
It was about some call from the media asking about an aspect of the conference.
I didn’t quite have an accurate answer but well…managed to formulate some form of reply in that “caught-off-guard” situation…

Went to the Musee d’Orsay after a quick lunch of 2 chicken sandwiches in the room.
Nothing particularly too exciting here though.
There was an exhibit on photographs. Literally the first few photographs of the world after the camera was first invented. Sepia coloured pictures lined the walls.
Some of ghostly portraits. Some of pictures of other cities like the Taj Mahal in the 1800s and Buddhist temples in ancient Rangoon. Some of old Paris.

There were lots of paintings there. Not painters from medieval times like those of the Lourve Museum. Painters featured here were those from the 18th to 20th century painters.
Some of those whom I recognized were Claude Monet, Auguste Rodin, Henry Matisse, Edgar Degas and Vincent Van Gogh.

Paintings from Post Renaissance to the modern Impressionist times. You could see the dramatic shift in styles comparing the paintings in the Lourve and those in D’orsay.

Bought a crepe with nutella filling after I left the museum. Wah, one small thing and so expensive! Cost me $6 SGD. Finished it in 3-4 bites and moved on.

Went back to LV to buy a bag for HC’s wife..And walked the whole of Champs Elysees again. This time round. I went into the shops. Summer sales have started.

Amazing. Up to 50% off and some of the stuff were still expensive.
But some other brands like MNG, Zara, Naf Naf, Nike, Adidas, United Colours of Benetton and GAP were more affordable. Bought some stuff for myself and Ahboy.

Went back to the hotel around 7pm. Dumped my stuff in the room and decided to go out for dinner. Decided to have a better dinner instead of munching on sandwiches or kebab burgers. And so…I stopped by a pizza place that I walk by everyday.

It turned out to be HUGE! Think of a medium-sized Pizza Hut pizza and that was what I had. By myself. Only managed to stuff down 3/4 of the pizza…haha.
It was a mozzarella, ham & mushroom pizza.

Went back to the room after that and watched CNN.
It was showing the birthday celebration of Nelson Mandela in London’s Hyde Park in the evening. Also caught a Mandela documentary about his life. Interesting man. Interesting life. Determined, brave, strong man.

P/s: I think I will be swearing off cheese and bread for quite awhile. Or any form of bread and buns and sandwiches. Haha.