It wasn't exactly a good day yesterday.
Hope today will be better.
========
It's official.
The first half of the year is over.
We're in the second half of the year already.
Supposed to be a good year for Monkeys.
If I were to take stock now.
Life hasn't exactly been all rosy this year but I shan't complain too much perhaps.
Wonderful things have happened amidst various sprinklings of not so good stuff.
Hope things get cheerier and perkier as the year moves forward...
I've been a little pensive these few days.
A little emotional, a little sentimental, a little distracted.
Oh darn, it's too early in the day to be feeling like this again.
Ok, logging off.
I need to. w-o-r-k.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Granny
When you have a gran who's 93 and has a whole host of health problems.
When you have a father and an aunt.
When you have a situation where the nursing home might start charging exorbitant rates.
When you have a gran who's 93 and whose major organs are failing.
When you have a strained relationship between mother and gran.
When you have a frustrated father who is aging himself.
I forsee more family discussion sessions.
I forsee more dollars and cents flowing out of my pockets.
When you have a father and an aunt.
When you have a situation where the nursing home might start charging exorbitant rates.
When you have a gran who's 93 and whose major organs are failing.
When you have a strained relationship between mother and gran.
When you have a frustrated father who is aging himself.
I forsee more family discussion sessions.
I forsee more dollars and cents flowing out of my pockets.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Cleaning & Cleansing
I initially intended to clear just two shelves of my cupboard.
I ended up cleaning all 4 shelves of it.
And discarding about a trashbag worth of stuff from it.
There was another small bag of stuff which my mum salvaged, saying either she or my dasao might be able to find a use for the things.
So well, it was probably just a shift of junk and gunk from my room to her room and/or over to my brother's flat in Pasir Ris.
Sensing I was in the right mood and frame of mind, my mum jumped on the bandwagon and dredged out 5 bags worth of soft toys to see which ones I wanted to keep and which ones I wanted to throw and still, which others I wanted to donate to the Salvation Army.
It was sort of an emotional afternoon.
Going through stuff which I'd long forgotten about. Remembering things associated with each item, be it good or bad memories.
Remembering who gave me what and for which occassion. Discovering things long forgotten.
I came across my autograph books from secondary school and JC days.
I came across old photographs from 15, 16 years ago.
I saw photos of me, Ally & PQ fighting with each other in a chalet room. I saw pics of Parwin, Hidayah, Gurmit, Yazid...TH, Poh Chuan...
I came across old art drawings I did when I was in Sec 1.
I came across batik cloths I made when I was in Sec 2.
Gosh, it's times like this when you think to yourself "Shit, you mean that much time has passed us by??"
Then there were other things which had a certain amount of sentimental value to it but to which I just closed my eyes to and threw away. Sometimes, I guess there's no point holding onto various things in the past. What matters most is the present ain't it?
Sure one might argue that the present was built on the past but oh well, concentrate on the present and your future will be built upon it.
There were loads of soft toys.
Hello Kitty collectibles from the days when MacDonald's was giving it away. I think that was at least 9-10 years ago?
Still wrapped in the see-through plastic bag. There was a pair dressed in Korean traditional costumes. I kept those. And there was another pair dressed in Western clothes. Kept those too.
Hehe, collectibles leh. I almost threw them away actually. My mum asked me to keep them. Lol.
Then there was a racoon with a squeaky tail from a suitor when I was in P6. Some birthday toys from secondary school. And tons of other toys from my stay in SGH in 2005.
I wanted to give away quite a number of them to the Salvation Army.
Interestingly, my mum couldn't bear to. She said they were rather cute and were still very new.
Oh well, so back into the top of cupboard they went.
The irony of it all. She's alway the one who wants me to throw throw throw.
Phase 1 is over.
There's still at least 6 phases more to go. Or 7 maybe.
Long way ahead...but en route to a cleaner and less cluttered room!!
And en route to a newer Michelle.
I ended up cleaning all 4 shelves of it.
And discarding about a trashbag worth of stuff from it.
There was another small bag of stuff which my mum salvaged, saying either she or my dasao might be able to find a use for the things.
So well, it was probably just a shift of junk and gunk from my room to her room and/or over to my brother's flat in Pasir Ris.
Sensing I was in the right mood and frame of mind, my mum jumped on the bandwagon and dredged out 5 bags worth of soft toys to see which ones I wanted to keep and which ones I wanted to throw and still, which others I wanted to donate to the Salvation Army.
It was sort of an emotional afternoon.
Going through stuff which I'd long forgotten about. Remembering things associated with each item, be it good or bad memories.
Remembering who gave me what and for which occassion. Discovering things long forgotten.
I came across my autograph books from secondary school and JC days.
I came across old photographs from 15, 16 years ago.
I saw photos of me, Ally & PQ fighting with each other in a chalet room. I saw pics of Parwin, Hidayah, Gurmit, Yazid...TH, Poh Chuan...
I came across old art drawings I did when I was in Sec 1.
I came across batik cloths I made when I was in Sec 2.
Gosh, it's times like this when you think to yourself "Shit, you mean that much time has passed us by??"
Then there were other things which had a certain amount of sentimental value to it but to which I just closed my eyes to and threw away. Sometimes, I guess there's no point holding onto various things in the past. What matters most is the present ain't it?
Sure one might argue that the present was built on the past but oh well, concentrate on the present and your future will be built upon it.
There were loads of soft toys.
Hello Kitty collectibles from the days when MacDonald's was giving it away. I think that was at least 9-10 years ago?
Still wrapped in the see-through plastic bag. There was a pair dressed in Korean traditional costumes. I kept those. And there was another pair dressed in Western clothes. Kept those too.
Hehe, collectibles leh. I almost threw them away actually. My mum asked me to keep them. Lol.
Then there was a racoon with a squeaky tail from a suitor when I was in P6. Some birthday toys from secondary school. And tons of other toys from my stay in SGH in 2005.
I wanted to give away quite a number of them to the Salvation Army.
Interestingly, my mum couldn't bear to. She said they were rather cute and were still very new.
Oh well, so back into the top of cupboard they went.
The irony of it all. She's alway the one who wants me to throw throw throw.
Phase 1 is over.
There's still at least 6 phases more to go. Or 7 maybe.
Long way ahead...but en route to a cleaner and less cluttered room!!
And en route to a newer Michelle.
I
Need to:
- clear more stuff from my room & cupboards & drawers
- focus on work & projects
- plan for trips
- blade blade blade
- eat moderately & healthily
- quitting french and taking malay again or spanish
- taking up pottery
- exploring options and possibilities
berlari-lari
Went for a run.
Cham. Less than 2 weeks of not running and I lost my stamina????
At this rate, SHAPE run seems like an impossible task.
Only covered 3.3-3.4km today. And I had to walk at least 3 times in between.
Legs felt like lead.
Guess this is what an overseas trip can do to you.
:(
This will not do. No, this will not do at all.
*growl*
Cham. Less than 2 weeks of not running and I lost my stamina????
At this rate, SHAPE run seems like an impossible task.
Only covered 3.3-3.4km today. And I had to walk at least 3 times in between.
Legs felt like lead.
Guess this is what an overseas trip can do to you.
:(
This will not do. No, this will not do at all.
*growl*
Day 8 - Little Fat Bird Flies Home. Any Fatter And That Would Be Impossible Already.
27 June 2009
Happy Lark
Let’s just say I felt strangely happy to go home. Very happy actually. I was beaming when I stepped off the plan onto the aerobridge. :)
And of course, the first person I saw when I was dragging my luggage out was K. Haha.
A380
Little birdie in a big birdie. I watched “He’s Just Not That IntoYou”, “Confessions of a Shopaholic” and “Duplicity”, the new show by Julia Roberts and Clive Owen.
“Duplicity” was alright. A little confusing at times though because of the way they jumped from now to sometime in the past then back to now then back to the past. Cried during “He’s Just Not That Into You” and was just generally amused at “Confessions of a Shopaholic”.
They served Roast Chicken for dinner. And bacon quiche for refreshment. Lovely. Who said airline food sucks? Got give you food good enough already lor. Other people starving elsewhere, and you’re still complaining. Hehe…
Luggage
Let's just say I went with one and came back with two. I didn't shop for clothes. I shopped for nuts.
Macadamias specifically. And nougats and chocs. Heh. My hardcase luggage was full of nuts.
Dumped all my clothes into the smaller soft-case luggage.
Went there with 14kg worth of things. Came back with 24.6kg. ;p
Nuts Nuts Nuts!!
Happy Lark
Let’s just say I felt strangely happy to go home. Very happy actually. I was beaming when I stepped off the plan onto the aerobridge. :)
And of course, the first person I saw when I was dragging my luggage out was K. Haha.
A380
Little birdie in a big birdie. I watched “He’s Just Not That IntoYou”, “Confessions of a Shopaholic” and “Duplicity”, the new show by Julia Roberts and Clive Owen.
“Duplicity” was alright. A little confusing at times though because of the way they jumped from now to sometime in the past then back to now then back to the past. Cried during “He’s Just Not That Into You” and was just generally amused at “Confessions of a Shopaholic”.
They served Roast Chicken for dinner. And bacon quiche for refreshment. Lovely. Who said airline food sucks? Got give you food good enough already lor. Other people starving elsewhere, and you’re still complaining. Hehe…
Luggage
Let's just say I went with one and came back with two. I didn't shop for clothes. I shopped for nuts.
Macadamias specifically. And nougats and chocs. Heh. My hardcase luggage was full of nuts.
Dumped all my clothes into the smaller soft-case luggage.
Went there with 14kg worth of things. Came back with 24.6kg. ;p
Nuts Nuts Nuts!!
Day 7 - Little Birdie Saw Big Big Fish!!
26 June 2009
Whale Watching
Me and HC went whale-watching today! Haha…it was a 3.5hour boat ride. Went out to the open sea and it felt nice. The skies were bright and sunny. The clouds were lovely, huge, white and fluffy. Seagulls were flying and there was a bunch which followed us a little way…
I saw albatrosses sitting on the water just bobbing along to the tides. It felt so surreal!! I’ve only seen these things on NatGeo or Discovery Channel and right now I’m in the midst of it all. :)
And then. The guide yelled out in the PA system. Humpback whales sighted. Woohoo!
There were two of them. Spouting water through their blowholes. I could only see their backs though as they surfaced to get some air…and then I could only see their tails and then they vanished beneath the water surface again..
It takes an average of 2-4 minutes before a whale will surface again to get more air. According to the guide, those we saw were young whales. Probably only a year or two old. Because the water that spouted did not reach very high levels.
Managed to catch a far-off glimpse of a fur seal…munching on fish apparently. Also managed to see 3 or 4 pygmy killer whales! They were leaping in the air much like how dolphins do…which made most of us on the boat think they were dolphins till the guide clarified with us.
I went back to shore feeling like a happy lark :)
Night Walking
The evening was spent exploring the parts of Pitt Street and George Street which were catered for the Japs and Koreans. I seriously felt like I was in Jap-land or K-land. Shops with names like Shinjuku, Harajuku…restaurants selling Jap and Korean food, convenience stores selling Jap and Korean goods. Japs and Koreans populated the streets. I heard Jap and Korean music blaring out of shops…gosh. Haha.
Peck-Peck-Peck
And of course, a good Korean bowl of hot Kimchi soup made for a lovely dinner on a cold cold night haha. I loved the amount of vege they had in the soup.
It was oh-so difficult trying to get my hands on a decent amount of vege over the past few days. The only vege I saw were those used for garnishings. I would have loved to grab that carrot flower or capsicum flower…but I think that would have just smashed my reputation to the floor….
Whale Watching
Me and HC went whale-watching today! Haha…it was a 3.5hour boat ride. Went out to the open sea and it felt nice. The skies were bright and sunny. The clouds were lovely, huge, white and fluffy. Seagulls were flying and there was a bunch which followed us a little way…
I saw albatrosses sitting on the water just bobbing along to the tides. It felt so surreal!! I’ve only seen these things on NatGeo or Discovery Channel and right now I’m in the midst of it all. :)
And then. The guide yelled out in the PA system. Humpback whales sighted. Woohoo!
There were two of them. Spouting water through their blowholes. I could only see their backs though as they surfaced to get some air…and then I could only see their tails and then they vanished beneath the water surface again..
It takes an average of 2-4 minutes before a whale will surface again to get more air. According to the guide, those we saw were young whales. Probably only a year or two old. Because the water that spouted did not reach very high levels.
Managed to catch a far-off glimpse of a fur seal…munching on fish apparently. Also managed to see 3 or 4 pygmy killer whales! They were leaping in the air much like how dolphins do…which made most of us on the boat think they were dolphins till the guide clarified with us.
I went back to shore feeling like a happy lark :)
Night Walking
The evening was spent exploring the parts of Pitt Street and George Street which were catered for the Japs and Koreans. I seriously felt like I was in Jap-land or K-land. Shops with names like Shinjuku, Harajuku…restaurants selling Jap and Korean food, convenience stores selling Jap and Korean goods. Japs and Koreans populated the streets. I heard Jap and Korean music blaring out of shops…gosh. Haha.
Peck-Peck-Peck
And of course, a good Korean bowl of hot Kimchi soup made for a lovely dinner on a cold cold night haha. I loved the amount of vege they had in the soup.
It was oh-so difficult trying to get my hands on a decent amount of vege over the past few days. The only vege I saw were those used for garnishings. I would have loved to grab that carrot flower or capsicum flower…but I think that would have just smashed my reputation to the floor….
Day 6 - Birdie Explorations
25 June 2009
Meetings/Greetings
T’was the 2nd last day of meetings. I was lazy. I felt tired. And so I spent the most part of the morning logging in remotely to the meetings. Thank god for the filming of meetings.
Thank god for the existence of transcribers and thank god for technology :)
I was in my bathrobe, sipping tea and listening in to the meetings. Ahh….that’s the way working life should be hahahah. ;p
Mid-Day Peckings
HC, boss & I headed to the Sydney Fish Market for lunch! The whole place surprisingly smelt okay. I thought it would be a smelly fishy affair. Haha. A snippet: Did you know that 65 million tonnes of fish and seafood go through the fish market every day? Amazing man!!
There were a few rows of restaurants where you could pick and choose your foods. Fish, sashimi, loads of different types of prawns, tons of different types of oysters and fish and cockles, clams, scallops and other shellfish…
I thought to myself: I think K would have a field day here!! Haha..I could imagine him gong ballistic at the variety of seafood there and the freshness of it all.
The 3 of us ended up having a seafood platter for 2. And we still had a hard time trying to finish it haha. There were scallops, oysters, chips, fish fillets, calamaris and squids..:)
Cholesterol laden food..yes yes I know…
Hop-Shop-Hop
The evening was spent heading out to Market City with HC. Market City is this shopping centre on the fringe of Chinatown which houses several factory outlet stores of brands like Espirit, Polo Ralph, etc. I didn’t get much there though. Just a bottom from Esprit and a top there for K. Erm, I guess I ain’t really that much of a shopping person haha.
Peckings of Chinese Food
Dinner was over at this North Chinese Cuisine restaurant in Chinatown. Wasn’t feeling hungry at all so all I had were some chive and prawn dumplings. That’s the lightest thing I could find on the menu haha.
But it was nice though. Dipping the dumplings into vinegar and sipping Chinese tea.
Meetings/Greetings
T’was the 2nd last day of meetings. I was lazy. I felt tired. And so I spent the most part of the morning logging in remotely to the meetings. Thank god for the filming of meetings.
Thank god for the existence of transcribers and thank god for technology :)
I was in my bathrobe, sipping tea and listening in to the meetings. Ahh….that’s the way working life should be hahahah. ;p
Mid-Day Peckings
HC, boss & I headed to the Sydney Fish Market for lunch! The whole place surprisingly smelt okay. I thought it would be a smelly fishy affair. Haha. A snippet: Did you know that 65 million tonnes of fish and seafood go through the fish market every day? Amazing man!!
There were a few rows of restaurants where you could pick and choose your foods. Fish, sashimi, loads of different types of prawns, tons of different types of oysters and fish and cockles, clams, scallops and other shellfish…
I thought to myself: I think K would have a field day here!! Haha..I could imagine him gong ballistic at the variety of seafood there and the freshness of it all.
The 3 of us ended up having a seafood platter for 2. And we still had a hard time trying to finish it haha. There were scallops, oysters, chips, fish fillets, calamaris and squids..:)
Cholesterol laden food..yes yes I know…
Hop-Shop-Hop
The evening was spent heading out to Market City with HC. Market City is this shopping centre on the fringe of Chinatown which houses several factory outlet stores of brands like Espirit, Polo Ralph, etc. I didn’t get much there though. Just a bottom from Esprit and a top there for K. Erm, I guess I ain’t really that much of a shopping person haha.
Peckings of Chinese Food
Dinner was over at this North Chinese Cuisine restaurant in Chinatown. Wasn’t feeling hungry at all so all I had were some chive and prawn dumplings. That’s the lightest thing I could find on the menu haha.
But it was nice though. Dipping the dumplings into vinegar and sipping Chinese tea.
Day 5 - Fattest Bird
24 June 2009
Gala Dinner
There was a dinner gathering for all the participants of the entire conference. That’s like hundreds of people. It was held at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, a building situated right next to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and overlooking the Sydney Opera House.
Dinner was done in a cocktail style. Grab your own food from food islands all over the huge room. Plates and plates of fresh oysters, sticks and sticks of salmon kebabs, bowls and bowls of fresh steamed prawns, trays and trays of fillet mignon and chicken, plates and plates of lamb sandwiches and containers and containers of sauces and condiments.
It left most of the Chinese Asians wondering if there were main courses which would be served later on. I guess we’re just not used to having dinner this way. Haha.
Birds of a Feather
Flock together. When like-minded people hang out together, it’s always fun. :) The few of us, from the Asian countries. Talking, eating, laughing, drinking, joking, gossiping and of course, taking pictures haha. It’s always nice to catch up with people and to “bond”.
And it’s always funny. How relaxed you see people get in such social situations. Some let their hair down and are totally different from the “work” personas they have on during the day.
Animal Kingdom
There was a little corner at the dinner, where the Australian Wildlife Reserves had a team showcase a koala bear, a gecko and a baby kangaroo!! I was one of the idiots queue-ing up to have a photo taken with the animals hehe. I fell in love with the joey. Super cute, huddled up in the makeshift pouch the volunteer was carrying, which doubled up as its mother’s pouch.
Sips
Free flow as usual. As with all other such events haha. Red, white, sparkling, champagne, beer, you name it. I went with champagne this time round. Am turning into a white and champagne lady haha.
Sydney Opera House
After the dinner, 4 of us, HC, me and 2 others from Malaysia took a brisk walk over to the Sydney Opera House. It was really a brisk walk. Bordering on a half walk, half jog actually haha. Reason being it was damn freaking cold!!! We had to jog a little to keep ourselves warm haha.
We were by the sea and a breeze was blowing. Way too cold for my liking. My ears, fingers and nose were numb ahhaa..But the view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from the Opera House was lovely…:)
I felt lonely walking there that night. Despite the 3 others who were with me. Was missing K so much that I rang him from there. And this silly bird was close to crying already lol.
Guess the winds, the chills, the night scene and the soudns of far-off gulls just added it all up into one big conglomerate of emotions. ;p
Bleah
It always happens. I had bought the brolly. And voila. It didn’t rain for the last 3 days. Not a single drop.
Weather
Damn cold!! Enough said!! I had to stand under the hot shower for a long while to thaw out haha.
Gala Dinner
There was a dinner gathering for all the participants of the entire conference. That’s like hundreds of people. It was held at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, a building situated right next to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and overlooking the Sydney Opera House.
Dinner was done in a cocktail style. Grab your own food from food islands all over the huge room. Plates and plates of fresh oysters, sticks and sticks of salmon kebabs, bowls and bowls of fresh steamed prawns, trays and trays of fillet mignon and chicken, plates and plates of lamb sandwiches and containers and containers of sauces and condiments.
It left most of the Chinese Asians wondering if there were main courses which would be served later on. I guess we’re just not used to having dinner this way. Haha.
Birds of a Feather
Flock together. When like-minded people hang out together, it’s always fun. :) The few of us, from the Asian countries. Talking, eating, laughing, drinking, joking, gossiping and of course, taking pictures haha. It’s always nice to catch up with people and to “bond”.
And it’s always funny. How relaxed you see people get in such social situations. Some let their hair down and are totally different from the “work” personas they have on during the day.
Animal Kingdom
There was a little corner at the dinner, where the Australian Wildlife Reserves had a team showcase a koala bear, a gecko and a baby kangaroo!! I was one of the idiots queue-ing up to have a photo taken with the animals hehe. I fell in love with the joey. Super cute, huddled up in the makeshift pouch the volunteer was carrying, which doubled up as its mother’s pouch.
Sips
Free flow as usual. As with all other such events haha. Red, white, sparkling, champagne, beer, you name it. I went with champagne this time round. Am turning into a white and champagne lady haha.
Sydney Opera House
After the dinner, 4 of us, HC, me and 2 others from Malaysia took a brisk walk over to the Sydney Opera House. It was really a brisk walk. Bordering on a half walk, half jog actually haha. Reason being it was damn freaking cold!!! We had to jog a little to keep ourselves warm haha.
We were by the sea and a breeze was blowing. Way too cold for my liking. My ears, fingers and nose were numb ahhaa..But the view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from the Opera House was lovely…:)
I felt lonely walking there that night. Despite the 3 others who were with me. Was missing K so much that I rang him from there. And this silly bird was close to crying already lol.
Guess the winds, the chills, the night scene and the soudns of far-off gulls just added it all up into one big conglomerate of emotions. ;p
Bleah
It always happens. I had bought the brolly. And voila. It didn’t rain for the last 3 days. Not a single drop.
Weather
Damn cold!! Enough said!! I had to stand under the hot shower for a long while to thaw out haha.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Day 4 - Fatter Bird
23 June 2009
Sponsored Dinner – Jones Bay Wharf
It was an interesting place situated right next to the wharf, about a 15-minute ride from the hotel. The place looked cold on the outside but was rather cosy on the inside. I ended up being seated at a table together with the Taiwanese and Chinese. One of those dinners where you have to develop and nurture the “guan xi” ties between yourself and the other countries/organizations.
And it’s natural too. The Asians tend to flock together. Especially the Chinese-speaking ones.
The food turned out to be so-so. Some dishes were good, some were strange.
The entrée was some dish which had strange flour-like blobs coated with a cream sauce. It really looked like the Chinese “tang yuan”. No filling nothing. Just flour. Hmm mm.
For mains, lamb or barramundi was served. Somehow the server put a plate of barramundi in front of me and so I had that same fish for the second night in a row. It was quite well done and the grilled potatoes which came along with it were very well done as well. I stole a pice of lamb from the guy sitting next to me and the lamb was very good too. Tender and no overpowering odour of any sort haha.
Tiko Bird
There was a “tiko” uncle from Taiwan seated across the table from me during dinner. Tried to hit on me in front of the rest...it was a little too obvious. Gosh. I hope my rep wasn’t dragged down by him or anything…
One instance was the conversation between us that happened when a communal plate of dessert was placed in the middle of our table
Him: Meijin, have some have some. (bear in mind I was the youngest at the table and the smallest fry. It wasn’t appropriate of me to take anything in terms of etiquette)
Me: Oh no, it’s ok, you guys better have it first. Anyway I think it’ll be too sweet for me.
Him: How do you know it’s sweet if you’ve not even tasted it yet?
Me: It looks sweet enough..
Him: And you look very sweet too…
Me: *acted blur* *laughed it off* *turned to the lady next to me*
Chinese Twitterings
Language has improved. Hehe. I can’t say my Mandarin conversations are decent but at least, I’m able to handle it better than before lol. Hanging out with the Chinese folks have given me a beter grasp of my mother tongue...
And they love calling me by my Chinese name. They’re just so amused that my Chinese name is read as “US Dollars” haha….oh well, makes for good small talk whenever I meet a new Chinese person.
Weather
Cold again. But much better than the day before. I’m beginning to fall in love with scarves.
Sponsored Dinner – Jones Bay Wharf
It was an interesting place situated right next to the wharf, about a 15-minute ride from the hotel. The place looked cold on the outside but was rather cosy on the inside. I ended up being seated at a table together with the Taiwanese and Chinese. One of those dinners where you have to develop and nurture the “guan xi” ties between yourself and the other countries/organizations.
And it’s natural too. The Asians tend to flock together. Especially the Chinese-speaking ones.
The food turned out to be so-so. Some dishes were good, some were strange.
The entrée was some dish which had strange flour-like blobs coated with a cream sauce. It really looked like the Chinese “tang yuan”. No filling nothing. Just flour. Hmm mm.
For mains, lamb or barramundi was served. Somehow the server put a plate of barramundi in front of me and so I had that same fish for the second night in a row. It was quite well done and the grilled potatoes which came along with it were very well done as well. I stole a pice of lamb from the guy sitting next to me and the lamb was very good too. Tender and no overpowering odour of any sort haha.
Tiko Bird
There was a “tiko” uncle from Taiwan seated across the table from me during dinner. Tried to hit on me in front of the rest...it was a little too obvious. Gosh. I hope my rep wasn’t dragged down by him or anything…
One instance was the conversation between us that happened when a communal plate of dessert was placed in the middle of our table
Him: Meijin, have some have some. (bear in mind I was the youngest at the table and the smallest fry. It wasn’t appropriate of me to take anything in terms of etiquette)
Me: Oh no, it’s ok, you guys better have it first. Anyway I think it’ll be too sweet for me.
Him: How do you know it’s sweet if you’ve not even tasted it yet?
Me: It looks sweet enough..
Him: And you look very sweet too…
Me: *acted blur* *laughed it off* *turned to the lady next to me*
Chinese Twitterings
Language has improved. Hehe. I can’t say my Mandarin conversations are decent but at least, I’m able to handle it better than before lol. Hanging out with the Chinese folks have given me a beter grasp of my mother tongue...
And they love calling me by my Chinese name. They’re just so amused that my Chinese name is read as “US Dollars” haha….oh well, makes for good small talk whenever I meet a new Chinese person.
Weather
Cold again. But much better than the day before. I’m beginning to fall in love with scarves.
work
working from home these 2 days.
fucking fucking fucking frustrating dealing with some people.
especially when it's your team members you're talking about here.
don't know how long i can take this.
perhaps it will be time soon?
je ne sais pas.
quoi je dois faire.
fucking fucking fucking frustrating dealing with some people.
especially when it's your team members you're talking about here.
don't know how long i can take this.
perhaps it will be time soon?
je ne sais pas.
quoi je dois faire.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Day 3 - Fat Bird
22 June 2009
Meetings here and there. Nothing much happened for this day. The only highlight of the day was perhaps the sponsored dinner had in the evening. Or rather, I sould say in the night actually.
Nick’s
It was a sponsored dinner by one of the Asian registries. We headed to Nick’s over at the Darling Harbour, which is just a 10 minute walk form my hotel. Nick’s is a popular seafood restaurant with loads to offer and a cosily situated by the sea. By the time the 35 of us arrived, it was already 9pm and by the time the dinner ended, it was already 1130pm.
The menu was fixed, but we could still choose between various offerings on that fixed menu. Entrees were between ½ dozen oysters or grilled prawns. Mains were between grilled salmon or barramundi or fillet steak.
I ended up taking the grilled prawns and the grilled barramundi.
The prawns were fantastic. Sweet, succulent, juicy. Yum Yum.
The barramundi fared worse. The fish tasted good enough with the meat being sufficiently juicy and tender and not overcooked. The accompanying mix of veggies turned out to be disappointing though. It was a sour sour mix of artichokes, asparagus, spinach, bellpeppers and I can't remember what else. Totally sour to the tastebuds and well, it definitley did not sit well with me and the others who took the barranmundi as well.
Chips
I have to say this. Chips in Australia are very very nice. We call it fries back home in SG but I think the Western communities generally refer to them as chips.
Lovely chips, probably made from Russett Burbank potatoes…Chunky bits, fragrant and salty enough yum yum. :)
Weather
It was bearable today. At least, it did not rain. But I'm still huddled up in my jacket with my trusty scarf. Hands perpetually tucked into my pockets though.
Meetings here and there. Nothing much happened for this day. The only highlight of the day was perhaps the sponsored dinner had in the evening. Or rather, I sould say in the night actually.
Nick’s
It was a sponsored dinner by one of the Asian registries. We headed to Nick’s over at the Darling Harbour, which is just a 10 minute walk form my hotel. Nick’s is a popular seafood restaurant with loads to offer and a cosily situated by the sea. By the time the 35 of us arrived, it was already 9pm and by the time the dinner ended, it was already 1130pm.
The menu was fixed, but we could still choose between various offerings on that fixed menu. Entrees were between ½ dozen oysters or grilled prawns. Mains were between grilled salmon or barramundi or fillet steak.
I ended up taking the grilled prawns and the grilled barramundi.
The prawns were fantastic. Sweet, succulent, juicy. Yum Yum.
The barramundi fared worse. The fish tasted good enough with the meat being sufficiently juicy and tender and not overcooked. The accompanying mix of veggies turned out to be disappointing though. It was a sour sour mix of artichokes, asparagus, spinach, bellpeppers and I can't remember what else. Totally sour to the tastebuds and well, it definitley did not sit well with me and the others who took the barranmundi as well.
Chips
I have to say this. Chips in Australia are very very nice. We call it fries back home in SG but I think the Western communities generally refer to them as chips.
Lovely chips, probably made from Russett Burbank potatoes…Chunky bits, fragrant and salty enough yum yum. :)
Weather
It was bearable today. At least, it did not rain. But I'm still huddled up in my jacket with my trusty scarf. Hands perpetually tucked into my pockets though.
Home Sweet Home (soon enough)
I have to say. I'm atcually looking forward to going back home to Singapore.
Somehow this trip hasn't been as lovable as my past trips. Perhaps it is also because I left Singapore on a note of reluctance. Quite abit of reluctance actually.
Granny
On the day I left for Sydney. Granny was admitted to hospital. It's not the first time definitely that she's been warded.
But it's the first time ever that the docs have told us to be "prepared for the worst". I've been calling home everyday for updates from Dad. About her wheezing, her pneumonia, her infection, her tainted blood, her weak kidneys, her breathlessness, her pacemaker, her blah blah blah. About how, during her states of forgetfulness or mental "instability", she would pluck out her feeding tube from her nose or her drip plugs from the back of her hand and cause lots of bleeding. About how she fidgets with her catheter.
Hell, the docs have even discussed life support procedures with my family. Dad discussed it with me on Tuesday. About whether we'd put her on life support or not if the time came to it eventually.
On a good note, she's doing slightly better the last 2-3 days. Still very unstable though.
I hope Dad's holding out okay.
Especially when I'm in Sydney, and Adrian's in Korea. Sigh.
K
It's been a tough week for him. And I'm missing him terribly. Nary an hour passes by without my thoughts floating over to him. I'm feeling very bad that I'm not by his side during his down moments. And well, a little frustrated that all I can do is to talk to him over the phone.
Being there on the phone with him is different from being there with him in person.
Sorry baby...But I'm coming home soon, see you tonight...
========
Trip updates will be coming up soon. Apologies for the lack of photos.
You know me. I can be a lazy bum.
Somehow this trip hasn't been as lovable as my past trips. Perhaps it is also because I left Singapore on a note of reluctance. Quite abit of reluctance actually.
Granny
On the day I left for Sydney. Granny was admitted to hospital. It's not the first time definitely that she's been warded.
But it's the first time ever that the docs have told us to be "prepared for the worst". I've been calling home everyday for updates from Dad. About her wheezing, her pneumonia, her infection, her tainted blood, her weak kidneys, her breathlessness, her pacemaker, her blah blah blah. About how, during her states of forgetfulness or mental "instability", she would pluck out her feeding tube from her nose or her drip plugs from the back of her hand and cause lots of bleeding. About how she fidgets with her catheter.
Hell, the docs have even discussed life support procedures with my family. Dad discussed it with me on Tuesday. About whether we'd put her on life support or not if the time came to it eventually.
On a good note, she's doing slightly better the last 2-3 days. Still very unstable though.
I hope Dad's holding out okay.
Especially when I'm in Sydney, and Adrian's in Korea. Sigh.
K
It's been a tough week for him. And I'm missing him terribly. Nary an hour passes by without my thoughts floating over to him. I'm feeling very bad that I'm not by his side during his down moments. And well, a little frustrated that all I can do is to talk to him over the phone.
Being there on the phone with him is different from being there with him in person.
Sorry baby...But I'm coming home soon, see you tonight...
========
Trip updates will be coming up soon. Apologies for the lack of photos.
You know me. I can be a lazy bum.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Day 2 - I'm a Free Bird
Morning
Woke and found myself still positioned snugly in my little cocoon made of pillows, a quilt and the towel bathrobe I used as an extra blankie.
Warm and cushioned, I refused to get up. Till I found myself almost late.
Washed up hurriedly and tiptoed around in the bathroom because the tiles were freezing cold to the touch.
Went down to the meeting area, found a nice spot. And voila the meeting started….zzzz.
Mid-Day Peckings
Lunchtime was on my own today. I was deciding between cup noodles or heading out. I ended up heading out. Did a quickie shopping trip and ended up with a wooly brown-grey scarf :) I like scarves! Hehe..
And I dabao-ed fast food from Hungry Jacks, the equivalent of Burger King in SG. Brought it back to the room and gobbled the thing up. Burgers and fries have never tasted that good hahaha.
Social Chirpings
I hopped off from the afternoon discussion early hehe. Went round to the exhibition area and fluttered from booth to booth. 4 of them in all. Said hi to all the folks I knew.
Might I add, all the Asian folks I knew. Haha…It always feels good to see familiar friendly faces and discuss common topics amidst the hordes of ang mohs at the conference. ;p
Exploratory Little Bird
I managed to do what I like this evening. I headed out on my own.
Armed with a map and a bounce to my step, I trotted (I initially misspelt this world as “trottered” sheesh…I definitely hope I don’t have trotter legs) out of the hotel lobby with a smile on my face..:)
And it was off to Chinatown. Left turn, straight down George Street, right turn on Liverpool Street, past Sussex Road and then, left turn on Dixon Road and voila! Chinatown!
Unsurprisingly, there were many Chinese restaurants around. Some were Thai or Vietnamese. There were also ittle quaint shops selling funky street clothes and one or two feng shui shops.
Had a fulfilling bowl of wanton noodles which cost me SGD$8 but which had 7 wantons in it and a huge load of noodles. Each wanton was almost twice as large as the ones in SG. Well worth the price paid!
Popped into a bread shop also and bought a blueberry bun for tomorrow’s breakfast. Yum!
Weather
Blimey. I did not think I was that suay. But apparently, Murphy’s Law happens rather oft. “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”
I was in a branch of Woolworth’s just a block away from Sydney Hilton. It’s a chain of supermarkets in Sydney. I saw this little black foldable umbrella and my mum’s words said to me the night before rang in my head again. “You better go and get an umbrella just in case it rains again!! I don’t want you to catch a cold!!”
I looked at the brolly. Innocuous looking thing.
And then I walked away. “Nah, it won’t rain. The weather’s been good all day along.”
TMD. It did rain. Less than two hours after I thought to myself that it wouldn’t.
I was heading back from Chinatown when it drizzled and then got heavier...
Got back to the room with bed-draggled hair.
Met a HK guy and a UK guy along the route back to the hotel. Aiyoh. Unglam. :(
I think. I shall pop by Woolworth’s tomorrow and buy that little black brolly afterall. Bleah.
Musings
I think I am pretty much a loner afterall, despite how some people might choose to disagree lol.
I enjoy walking around the streets of a foreign city, exploring on my own. Taking my own time to walk.
I stop as I please and I go where I want. I last felt this way when I was in Paris. It felt good to get that feeling back again :) However brief that evening exploration was.
Nightfall
Oh by the way, it turns dark at 430pm over here now.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Day 1 – I’m Like a Bird. A Freezing One That Is.
19 June 2009 Friday
Flight was scheduled to be on 19 June 2009 at 835pm from Changi Terminal 3.
Had dinner with K over at TCC and then bid a reluctant farewell to him at the departure gate…Was feeling a little tired as well from a long draggy business lunch..
Anyhow, the plane taxied around and only took off around 850-855pm. Mr Captain said Changi was rather congested that night. Hmm mm..interesting hor?
H1N1, economic downturn and still so many people traveling.
It was an Airbus 380. My virgin time on one.
Nothing great, except that things were newer compared to the other fleet models. But it was darn cold as well. Had to have 2 blankets and my thick jacket to keep me warm.
And even with that, my fingers were still freezing and numb.
p/s: I forgot to bring my gloves…:(
Watched “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” on board. Cried buckets. Damnit.
So embarrassing, hope I didn’t sniff too loud hehe. Eyes were puffy after that.
Thought that since I was tired out, it would be easier to sleep. But I was wrong.
Turned out that I was too busy freezing, I couldn’t really fall asleep.
20 June 2009 Saturday. 540am AUD time. 740am SG time
Touched down in one of the smoothest flights I’ve had in awhile. The landing was rather well-executed :) Hung around the airport for close to 45minutes waiting for an Indian guy (who’s a HongKonger and speaks fluent Cantonese) who’s attending the same conference. Was supposed to share cab with him to the event hotel.
Zzzzz, it’s a “guan xi” thing so no choice.
How difficult can it be to spot an Indian guy at the airport. Answer: VERY.
Tons of Indians milling about. Tons of whites, tons of Asians, tons of Middle-Eastern-looking men. My eyes grew even more tired seeing the hordes of people walking here and there.
Late Morning
Went to visit The Rocks Market in the late morning. Weather was dismal. Drizzles, light then heavy then light again. Torrential downpour at various times. My shoes were wet through and through. (Heng I brought other pairs)
My toes were wrinkled from being soaked in rainwater…Fingers were numb the whole day hahaha. Darn darn cold lah. I suddenly miss the heat back in SG lol.
Met up with my boss and a Hong Kong boss for lunch before heading back to the hotel for a quick break. And then it was off to explore the surrounding area again. Ended up buying a lot of snacks, macademia nuts and nougats!
Night
Went back to the hotel again, unpacked my stuff and then napped for a little while before being woken up by HC for dinner.
Had a quick visit to Darling Harbour and the Darling Harbour Bridge.
Supposed to have gone to the Sydney Fish Market for cheap and good seafood after that but the area was closed off. Perhaps they are closed on Saturdays. Anyhow, found a simple place and had nice prawn and spinach pasta.
I wasn’t good company today. I’ll accede to that fact.
Partly cos I lacked sleep and felt irritable. Partly cos of the cold. Partly cos my lower back was aching. Partly cos I was missing someone….
Wines
Was at the supermarket. And I realized to my horror that a bottle of mineral water costs up to AUD$3.40. That’s almost SGD$4.
And a bottle of Jacob’s Creek Riesling wine can be gotten for AUD$9.99 which is about SGD$10-something.
What the???? Wine can be bought in Australia for only AUD$6 more than a bottle of mineral water bottle?? Gosh.
No wonder there are so many watering holes littering the streets of Sydney. At almost every corner you can see a little drinkhole to slink into.
People
Australians are generally a very happy and chirpy bunch of people. Think Steve Irwin (god bless his soul), but with a smaller dosage of the bubbliness.
And they love to use the word “love”. I’ve been asked tons of times today :
“What can I do for you love?” or….
“How’re you doing love?” or…
“How’s things love?”….
“Where are ya from love?”
Weather
I think I need not elaborate more here.
C-O-L-D. period.
R-A-I-N-Y. period.
C-R-A-N-K-Y. period.
Hope tomorrow brings some dryness and just a tad bit of sunshine.
Goods
Things are generally expensive. At least what I saw was pricey.
eg. SGD$10 for a bottle of spice. SGD$20 for an atas looking box of biscuits.
The Streets
It was strange. There were alot of police cars with sirens going at full blast and lights flashing like there's no tomorrow. These vehicles were just going round and round the city area...Don't know why. Perhaps it's the norm to have them patrol the streets like this at night.
It was initially unnervering to keep hearing the sirens and see the flashing lights but after awhile, it sort of becomes part of the city's landscape haha.
Flight was scheduled to be on 19 June 2009 at 835pm from Changi Terminal 3.
Had dinner with K over at TCC and then bid a reluctant farewell to him at the departure gate…Was feeling a little tired as well from a long draggy business lunch..
Anyhow, the plane taxied around and only took off around 850-855pm. Mr Captain said Changi was rather congested that night. Hmm mm..interesting hor?
H1N1, economic downturn and still so many people traveling.
It was an Airbus 380. My virgin time on one.
Nothing great, except that things were newer compared to the other fleet models. But it was darn cold as well. Had to have 2 blankets and my thick jacket to keep me warm.
And even with that, my fingers were still freezing and numb.
p/s: I forgot to bring my gloves…:(
Watched “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” on board. Cried buckets. Damnit.
So embarrassing, hope I didn’t sniff too loud hehe. Eyes were puffy after that.
Thought that since I was tired out, it would be easier to sleep. But I was wrong.
Turned out that I was too busy freezing, I couldn’t really fall asleep.
20 June 2009 Saturday. 540am AUD time. 740am SG time
Touched down in one of the smoothest flights I’ve had in awhile. The landing was rather well-executed :) Hung around the airport for close to 45minutes waiting for an Indian guy (who’s a HongKonger and speaks fluent Cantonese) who’s attending the same conference. Was supposed to share cab with him to the event hotel.
Zzzzz, it’s a “guan xi” thing so no choice.
How difficult can it be to spot an Indian guy at the airport. Answer: VERY.
Tons of Indians milling about. Tons of whites, tons of Asians, tons of Middle-Eastern-looking men. My eyes grew even more tired seeing the hordes of people walking here and there.
Late Morning
Went to visit The Rocks Market in the late morning. Weather was dismal. Drizzles, light then heavy then light again. Torrential downpour at various times. My shoes were wet through and through. (Heng I brought other pairs)
My toes were wrinkled from being soaked in rainwater…Fingers were numb the whole day hahaha. Darn darn cold lah. I suddenly miss the heat back in SG lol.
Met up with my boss and a Hong Kong boss for lunch before heading back to the hotel for a quick break. And then it was off to explore the surrounding area again. Ended up buying a lot of snacks, macademia nuts and nougats!
Night
Went back to the hotel again, unpacked my stuff and then napped for a little while before being woken up by HC for dinner.
Had a quick visit to Darling Harbour and the Darling Harbour Bridge.
Supposed to have gone to the Sydney Fish Market for cheap and good seafood after that but the area was closed off. Perhaps they are closed on Saturdays. Anyhow, found a simple place and had nice prawn and spinach pasta.
I wasn’t good company today. I’ll accede to that fact.
Partly cos I lacked sleep and felt irritable. Partly cos of the cold. Partly cos my lower back was aching. Partly cos I was missing someone….
Wines
Was at the supermarket. And I realized to my horror that a bottle of mineral water costs up to AUD$3.40. That’s almost SGD$4.
And a bottle of Jacob’s Creek Riesling wine can be gotten for AUD$9.99 which is about SGD$10-something.
What the???? Wine can be bought in Australia for only AUD$6 more than a bottle of mineral water bottle?? Gosh.
No wonder there are so many watering holes littering the streets of Sydney. At almost every corner you can see a little drinkhole to slink into.
People
Australians are generally a very happy and chirpy bunch of people. Think Steve Irwin (god bless his soul), but with a smaller dosage of the bubbliness.
And they love to use the word “love”. I’ve been asked tons of times today :
“What can I do for you love?” or….
“How’re you doing love?” or…
“How’s things love?”….
“Where are ya from love?”
Weather
I think I need not elaborate more here.
C-O-L-D. period.
R-A-I-N-Y. period.
C-R-A-N-K-Y. period.
Hope tomorrow brings some dryness and just a tad bit of sunshine.
Goods
Things are generally expensive. At least what I saw was pricey.
eg. SGD$10 for a bottle of spice. SGD$20 for an atas looking box of biscuits.
The Streets
It was strange. There were alot of police cars with sirens going at full blast and lights flashing like there's no tomorrow. These vehicles were just going round and round the city area...Don't know why. Perhaps it's the norm to have them patrol the streets like this at night.
It was initially unnervering to keep hearing the sirens and see the flashing lights but after awhile, it sort of becomes part of the city's landscape haha.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Manger
Sunday
Bee Tai Bak with Liver and Minced Meat
Monday
Buttered Mashed Potatoes with Dill
Honey Roasted Chicken Wings
Pong Tau Hu Soup (Meatballs & Bamboo Shoots in a Preserved Soya Bean Base)
Tuesday
Bee Tai Bak with Crabstick, Eggs, Cabbage, Fresh Button Mushrooms, Minced Meat
Cabbage with Bamboo Shoots, Fresh Button Mushrooms, Baby Corn and Garlic
It's always nice to eat food cooked by yourself. :)
And when you have excellent company with you.
Bee Tai Bak with Liver and Minced Meat
Monday
Buttered Mashed Potatoes with Dill
Honey Roasted Chicken Wings
Pong Tau Hu Soup (Meatballs & Bamboo Shoots in a Preserved Soya Bean Base)
Tuesday
Bee Tai Bak with Crabstick, Eggs, Cabbage, Fresh Button Mushrooms, Minced Meat
Cabbage with Bamboo Shoots, Fresh Button Mushrooms, Baby Corn and Garlic
It's always nice to eat food cooked by yourself. :)
And when you have excellent company with you.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Barracks @ Dempsey
I’ve never dined at Barracks before. I’ve been to House to chill but never to Barracks to munch. So happened that dinner was there last night and it was a good opportunity to get a feel of the place and what it had to offer.
Was there with Dan, YL, Chiewz, Wendy & K.
It was relatively populated on a weekday night. Ambience was nice though I felt it was a little too dim. Service was okay. The servers kept coming over to ask if we are doing alright.
Food wise. Rather good actually.
Or at least those stuff which I had a taste of seemed rather good to me haha…
But take it with a pinch of salt…when it comes to food, I’m easy to please and am not really picky ;p
I tried a little of Chiewz’ pumpkin salad…it was good. J Served in a mess tin which we all felt looked like a dog’s food tray lol.
I tried Wendy’s fish and chips. It was good. J the fries had an accompanying white truffle sauce. Lovely.
I’m not a fan of risotto so K’s mushroom risotto did not really sit well with me… hehe. ;p
YL’s ribeye had an “OISHI~!!” from her…
Dan basically just went around snitching stuff from everyone lol….on top of his grilled pork loin.
I had the lobster linguine in black pepper with salmon roe sprinkled on top. Relatively good. Portion was quite big. I was struggling to finish it. Considering my big appetite for a girl ha haha…you get the drift.
Desserts were panna cotta agar agar, strawberry shortcake and a warm choc truffle cake. The agar agar turned out nice! Haha…I liked the shortcake...
The choc truffle was fine for me too..though K felt it could be better. ;p
Will I go back to Barracks again?
Yes I would.
To chill, if not to eat.
To eat, if not to chill.
And/or both.
Was there with Dan, YL, Chiewz, Wendy & K.
It was relatively populated on a weekday night. Ambience was nice though I felt it was a little too dim. Service was okay. The servers kept coming over to ask if we are doing alright.
Food wise. Rather good actually.
Or at least those stuff which I had a taste of seemed rather good to me haha…
But take it with a pinch of salt…when it comes to food, I’m easy to please and am not really picky ;p
I tried a little of Chiewz’ pumpkin salad…it was good. J Served in a mess tin which we all felt looked like a dog’s food tray lol.
I tried Wendy’s fish and chips. It was good. J the fries had an accompanying white truffle sauce. Lovely.
I’m not a fan of risotto so K’s mushroom risotto did not really sit well with me… hehe. ;p
YL’s ribeye had an “OISHI~!!” from her…
Dan basically just went around snitching stuff from everyone lol….on top of his grilled pork loin.
I had the lobster linguine in black pepper with salmon roe sprinkled on top. Relatively good. Portion was quite big. I was struggling to finish it. Considering my big appetite for a girl ha haha…you get the drift.
Desserts were panna cotta agar agar, strawberry shortcake and a warm choc truffle cake. The agar agar turned out nice! Haha…I liked the shortcake...
The choc truffle was fine for me too..though K felt it could be better. ;p
Will I go back to Barracks again?
Yes I would.
To chill, if not to eat.
To eat, if not to chill.
And/or both.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
"My office harddick just crashed."
=========
This wsa on Kok Weng's MSN nick this morning...
Waahhaha...I burst out laughing like a hyena!!
Yum Yum
Some stuff I'll be dishing out for the weekend...with the eager approval of K.
Rough concepts in mind already...but actual execution remains to be seen hehe.
Will react and play by ear when standing at the stove lol.
Pong Tau Hu with loads of bamboo shoots
Bee Tai Bak witih liver
Other dishes akan datang.....:)
Rough concepts in mind already...but actual execution remains to be seen hehe.
Will react and play by ear when standing at the stove lol.
Pong Tau Hu with loads of bamboo shoots
Bee Tai Bak witih liver
Other dishes akan datang.....:)
Naggings from The Coll
I don’t need this early in the morning.
Anti-competitive behaviour? Against competition principles? Watch our behaviour? Be careful about exclusive tie-ups?
You’re no longer a regulator. You’re with a private entity. Start being a little bit more flexible or has 10 years slaving for the agency pigeon-holed your mind? Stop hinging on competition principles and all the crap about regulations and policies and laws!
Aiyo. Geez.
Trying to improve my karma a little hehe...
But irritating me first thing in the morning warrants an entry to let off some irritation. ;p
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Gatherings...Meet-ups...
Is it just the simple allure of June?
Or the fact that people are sub-consciously giving themselves a pat on the back for a good half a year gone by?Gatherings are suddenly pouring in.
Uni. Sec sch. Ex-colleagues. Classmates. Another batch of ex-colleagues. Family. Colleagues.
It is nice in a way. Catching up.
Yeah, always nice. If it's with peeps close to your heart. :)
Downside is that, sometimes you seem to run on stretched time.
Or the fact that people are sub-consciously giving themselves a pat on the back for a good half a year gone by?Gatherings are suddenly pouring in.
Uni. Sec sch. Ex-colleagues. Classmates. Another batch of ex-colleagues. Family. Colleagues.
It is nice in a way. Catching up.
Yeah, always nice. If it's with peeps close to your heart. :)
Downside is that, sometimes you seem to run on stretched time.
Monday, June 08, 2009
Drew Carey Show - Whose Line Is It Anyway?
For those who have seen this before, watch it again...
It's hilarious and well worth a second laugh...;p
It's hilarious and well worth a second laugh...;p
Over the last 5 days...
bacon rolls, tofu, broccoli, baby corn, soba, prawns, eggs, croissants...
enoki, buna shimeiji, button mushroom, french toast, minced meat, asparagus, scallops...
prawn paste chicken, stingray, kang kong, satay, roast duck, red algae jelly, atap chee...
==========
'nuff said.
Friday, June 05, 2009
I wish I am
In bed right now or..
Having an eggs and hashbrown breakfast in Paris right now or...
Traversing the streets of Barcelona right now or...
Hiking next to a little forest stream in Malaysia now or...
Kayaking in Thailand now or...
Having a body scrub and massage now or...
Wrapped up in winter clothes and crossing the Swiss Alps now or...
Munching on fresh sashimi in Hokkaido now or...
Sitting on a camel in Egypt right now or...
Frolicking and tanning on the beach in Bali now or...
Sitting in a gondola in Venice now or...
Learning to be a passador in Brazil now or...
With k now.
Having an eggs and hashbrown breakfast in Paris right now or...
Traversing the streets of Barcelona right now or...
Hiking next to a little forest stream in Malaysia now or...
Kayaking in Thailand now or...
Having a body scrub and massage now or...
Wrapped up in winter clothes and crossing the Swiss Alps now or...
Munching on fresh sashimi in Hokkaido now or...
Sitting on a camel in Egypt right now or...
Frolicking and tanning on the beach in Bali now or...
Sitting in a gondola in Venice now or...
Learning to be a passador in Brazil now or...
With k now.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Of Food and Experimentation :)
Dinner Yesterday
- Seared Scallops on a Bed of Sauteed Buna Shimeiji Mushrooms
- Pan-fried Fillet of Cod
- Enoki and Asparagus Wrapped with Bacon Strips
- Watercress in Pork-Ribs and Red Dates Soup
Dinner Today
- Tofu Soup with Minced Meat and Sprigs of Spring Onions
- Egg Omelette with Red Onions and Prawns
- Stir-fried Dou Miao with Fresh Button Mushrooms
Woot Woot!
- Seared Scallops on a Bed of Sauteed Buna Shimeiji Mushrooms
- Pan-fried Fillet of Cod
- Enoki and Asparagus Wrapped with Bacon Strips
- Watercress in Pork-Ribs and Red Dates Soup
Dinner Today
- Tofu Soup with Minced Meat and Sprigs of Spring Onions
- Egg Omelette with Red Onions and Prawns
- Stir-fried Dou Miao with Fresh Button Mushrooms
Woot Woot!
That Warm Fuzzy Feeling When....
...You go about doing marketing and buying groceries…with someone in mind.
Someone special and dear to you.
...You are doing something with that someone, for that someone.
...You go to sleep with someone as your last thought in mind and wake with that same special someone as your first thought in mind.
...After a hard day’s work, you meet up and go home together.
...You think about him during the day and a silly grin plasters your face thereafter.
Someone special and dear to you.
...You are doing something with that someone, for that someone.
...You go to sleep with someone as your last thought in mind and wake with that same special someone as your first thought in mind.
...After a hard day’s work, you meet up and go home together.
...You think about him during the day and a silly grin plasters your face thereafter.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
i am simply not a morning person.
Woke on the wrong side of bed today.
Perhaps it's also cos I had interrupted sleep.
Was woken at 515am cos the folks were leaving for their Hokkaido trip.
Tried to doze for a while more before getting up at 545am again to bid them a safe trip and bonne voyage.
Tried to nap again and subsequently woke again at 7am feeling darn lethargic, tired and a tad grumpy.
I did what I told myself not to do.
I caught a cab to work. And the amount I spent could probably feed me lunch for at least 3-4 days.
Zombified dumbo.
Listening to K's compilation of songs now...soothes me somewhat a little.
But it's making me miss him much much more as well.
Come back to SG quickly baby...
Perhaps it's also cos I had interrupted sleep.
Was woken at 515am cos the folks were leaving for their Hokkaido trip.
Tried to doze for a while more before getting up at 545am again to bid them a safe trip and bonne voyage.
Tried to nap again and subsequently woke again at 7am feeling darn lethargic, tired and a tad grumpy.
I did what I told myself not to do.
I caught a cab to work. And the amount I spent could probably feed me lunch for at least 3-4 days.
Zombified dumbo.
Listening to K's compilation of songs now...soothes me somewhat a little.
But it's making me miss him much much more as well.
Come back to SG quickly baby...
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Kudos to this blog!
I've always had a short attention span.
I'd move from one small project to another one.
I'd hop around from a liking to another.
It's amazing how this blog has managed to stay on.
For so long.
4 years is a long time to me.
==========
Went through some of my old posts that day.
I'm pretty much the same emo self.
Older in some ways. And hopefully wiser in other ways.
There's a marked difference in the way I write though.
The standard of English seems to have dipped in a constant downward curve.
And I seem to still not be able to express myself clearly.
Hmm mm. Ah Well.
Have I been immersing myself in too much Mandarin and dialect for the last few years lol.
Perchance it's time to get re-acquainted with English?
Haha. :)
I'd move from one small project to another one.
I'd hop around from a liking to another.
It's amazing how this blog has managed to stay on.
For so long.
4 years is a long time to me.
==========
Went through some of my old posts that day.
I'm pretty much the same emo self.
Older in some ways. And hopefully wiser in other ways.
There's a marked difference in the way I write though.
The standard of English seems to have dipped in a constant downward curve.
And I seem to still not be able to express myself clearly.
Hmm mm. Ah Well.
Have I been immersing myself in too much Mandarin and dialect for the last few years lol.
Perchance it's time to get re-acquainted with English?
Haha. :)
Mister 4401
It's almost confirmed.
The car will most likely be sold.
Parents got into an accident this morning.
Nothing too serious. No one was hurt.
But it left Dad shaken and upset enough.
And it left Mum with a rather adamant thought of selling the car.
Good in a way. Bad in a way.
But if it buys them a peace of mind in the future.
And if it buys them less expenses.
Then I guess, it's more good than bad to sell the car off.
Plus, Dad's getting on with age.
Reflexes and concentration getting slower.
Perhaps it's for the best that the car is sold.
They can join the crowds and start cabbing.
Hmm.
One of my goals for this year has hit a snag.
It's rethink time.
The car will most likely be sold.
Parents got into an accident this morning.
Nothing too serious. No one was hurt.
But it left Dad shaken and upset enough.
And it left Mum with a rather adamant thought of selling the car.
Good in a way. Bad in a way.
But if it buys them a peace of mind in the future.
And if it buys them less expenses.
Then I guess, it's more good than bad to sell the car off.
Plus, Dad's getting on with age.
Reflexes and concentration getting slower.
Perhaps it's for the best that the car is sold.
They can join the crowds and start cabbing.
Hmm.
One of my goals for this year has hit a snag.
It's rethink time.
:(
Why is everyone going overseas to live/study? :(
Parwin is leaving for Brisbane on the 8th of June.
Evangeline is leaving for Brisbane too on the 15th of June.
Adel is leaving for Plymouth, London in Septemer.
1 of K's excolleague is studying in the States now.
Another of his ex-colleagus will be heading to Aussie land next year as well.
Andrew is going to Monash next year after his Army ends.
Lester is in Melbourne now.
Kenneth is in Sydney now.
Fariz is in New York now.
Gurmit has been in Perth for the longest time.
:( :( :(
Monday, June 01, 2009
I Don't Feel Like Dancing - Scissor Sisters
For when it's a dowdy drowsy dreary afternoon.
Makes for a good quick perk-up! :)
Listening to it now while trying to sort out some work stuff hehe.
Bitter Heart - Zee Avi
Zee Avi - up and coming.
Malaysian singer whose expanding her career in the States.
This song is worming its way into my heart.
Lovely tune.
Somewhat sad lyrics.
Lovely.
"My bitter heart (of mine) is getting a little fragile"
people...
~~~
We always take people for granted. We do.
We need to make a conscious effort not to.
~~~
We all drop into a routine after a while.
Its always a comforting thing to have some semblance of order or structure in your life.
And then we start taking others for granted as well.
That they'll always be there.
That they'll always be the same.
That they'll never change.
That they'll be around for you if and when you need them.
I guess.
It's a constant and conscious effort not to slip into such a mode.
Easier said than done.
I find it hard to practice this.
I lapse into autopilot mode more often than not.
I'm trying though.
To improve on this.
Are you?
Books, Les Livres
page by page
a book
thin and threadbare
unfolds
inked
blotched
a tad yellowed
a tad frayed at the edges
read
reading
read
between the lines
pondered on
sieved through
thought on
picked through
page by page
a book
thick and voluminous
births
clean and clear
crisp and new
pristine white
fresh and ready
ink
inking
inked
will ink
lines
paragraphs
chapters
volumes
a book
thin and threadbare
unfolds
inked
blotched
a tad yellowed
a tad frayed at the edges
read
reading
read
between the lines
pondered on
sieved through
thought on
picked through
page by page
a book
thick and voluminous
births
clean and clear
crisp and new
pristine white
fresh and ready
ink
inking
inked
will ink
lines
paragraphs
chapters
volumes
Friday, May 29, 2009
n-o-n-s-e-n-s-e
It was a 12-hour workday yesterday again.
Dinner was at 1015pm.
Will I get fat from late dinners?
Hmmmm.
I'm running on adrenalin. :)
Getting a little woozy and high from it.
Fell asleep last night with hair dripping wet, lights on, and my towel still held in my hand.
Woke with a shock an hour later.
With a damp pillow and a groggy head.
The boss sms-ed at 1am.
Tamade.
Might start spouting nonsense soon enough.
I. Just. Might.
Woot!
Dinner with K and my folks tonight.
Then its down to find a cosy corner to chill and get some alcohol in my system.
Chill sista chill.
It's a beautiful world!
It's a beautiful day!
Ok, need. to. get. back. to. work.
need. to. clear. more. stuff.
Dinner was at 1015pm.
Will I get fat from late dinners?
Hmmmm.
I'm running on adrenalin. :)
Getting a little woozy and high from it.
Fell asleep last night with hair dripping wet, lights on, and my towel still held in my hand.
Woke with a shock an hour later.
With a damp pillow and a groggy head.
The boss sms-ed at 1am.
Tamade.
Might start spouting nonsense soon enough.
I. Just. Might.
Woot!
Dinner with K and my folks tonight.
Then its down to find a cosy corner to chill and get some alcohol in my system.
Chill sista chill.
It's a beautiful world!
It's a beautiful day!
Ok, need. to. get. back. to. work.
need. to. clear. more. stuff.
Of Laughter and Bondings
Dinner on Wednesday evening was a lovely affair…:)
Can’t say the food was great but the company was mighty fine haha. 5 of us.
PQ, Ally, Klive, K and of cos, yours truly.
And what can I say, the desserts we had at Secret Recipe after dinner gave me a sugar high about an hour after that…I was “hyper-ing” around in my room late at night lol.
Thoroughly enjoyed the night…lots of laughter, munching, nonsense…
Pity there was not much guzzling though hehe.
One main gripe of the night. The green tea we had at Manpuku turned out to be $3.80 per bottle. Fucking expensive. Daylight robbery!!!
We should do this again, with the full strength this time round.
Eug, YH, TH weren’t there that night…wasted haha. TH would have added to the dose of nonsense spewed around…;p
Can’t say the food was great but the company was mighty fine haha. 5 of us.
PQ, Ally, Klive, K and of cos, yours truly.
And what can I say, the desserts we had at Secret Recipe after dinner gave me a sugar high about an hour after that…I was “hyper-ing” around in my room late at night lol.
Thoroughly enjoyed the night…lots of laughter, munching, nonsense…
Pity there was not much guzzling though hehe.
One main gripe of the night. The green tea we had at Manpuku turned out to be $3.80 per bottle. Fucking expensive. Daylight robbery!!!
We should do this again, with the full strength this time round.
Eug, YH, TH weren’t there that night…wasted haha. TH would have added to the dose of nonsense spewed around…;p
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Transport Etiquette
Ran for the bus this morning as usual.
I've been doing that for the last 3 days as well.
The bus uncle was nice enough to wait for me.
Squeezed onboard.
I was standing on the steps at the entrance of the bus.
Together with an Indian man.
Bus stopped at a bus-stop. (Why does this sound like a dumb sentence?)
7 or 8 people got off.
And then. NOBODY moved in.
NO ONE.
7 or 8 people got off.
And yet I was still stuck on the front steps thereafter.
TMD.
Early morning make me dulan.
On a side note.
SMRT has recently launched a campaign to encourage people to move in to the center of the train, give up seats, let others go out first and well, generally be nice on public transport.
I'd say.
It's money not well spent.
Might as well hire a person(s) to do crowd control during peak hours.
One, a nagging auntie/uncle unafraid to point out people's rude behaviour makes for more effectiveness than a running ad of Phua Chua Kang singing a Singlish jingle and ridiculously prancing about in a reenactment of a train ride.
Admonishment in public works. I think.
Besides, the running ad is on a little TV screen high above the heads of the commuters.
Who would watch?
Two, job creation.
The ones in white are always encouraging employers to hire the older folks.
And they are always encouraging the older folks to continue contributing to society and the economy at large.
So SMRT, hire away. Get those uncles and aunties moving their butts!
Ok, morning ramblings.
I'd best get to work.
I've been doing that for the last 3 days as well.
The bus uncle was nice enough to wait for me.
Squeezed onboard.
I was standing on the steps at the entrance of the bus.
Together with an Indian man.
Bus stopped at a bus-stop. (Why does this sound like a dumb sentence?)
7 or 8 people got off.
And then. NOBODY moved in.
NO ONE.
7 or 8 people got off.
And yet I was still stuck on the front steps thereafter.
TMD.
Early morning make me dulan.
On a side note.
SMRT has recently launched a campaign to encourage people to move in to the center of the train, give up seats, let others go out first and well, generally be nice on public transport.
I'd say.
It's money not well spent.
Might as well hire a person(s) to do crowd control during peak hours.
One, a nagging auntie/uncle unafraid to point out people's rude behaviour makes for more effectiveness than a running ad of Phua Chua Kang singing a Singlish jingle and ridiculously prancing about in a reenactment of a train ride.
Admonishment in public works. I think.
Besides, the running ad is on a little TV screen high above the heads of the commuters.
Who would watch?
Two, job creation.
The ones in white are always encouraging employers to hire the older folks.
And they are always encouraging the older folks to continue contributing to society and the economy at large.
So SMRT, hire away. Get those uncles and aunties moving their butts!
Ok, morning ramblings.
I'd best get to work.
Intensity
All I really want is to love you
All I really want from you is to feel me
As the feeling inside keeps building
And I will find a way to you if it kills me
All I really want from you is to feel me
As the feeling inside keeps building
And I will find a way to you if it kills me
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Liberation of the Soul
"liberation of the soul...敢爱敢恨， 敢做敢当"
This was my Facebook nick for the day.
Last week was not entirely rosy. Bright spots there were but most were overshadowed by dark, fat, heavy clouds.
I'd have to admit the intensity of things were at times cloying and I felt like running away. But I guess I've come to learn and realise also that running isn't always an option. Whatever it is, or how tough the going gets, I'd have to learn how to face it.
I was glad I didn't have to go to work too. Most of the week was spent in KL actually. The least was that I didn't have to grapple with too many things at a time.
I'm not one who is able to handle confrontations and heart-to-heart talks with finesse. This many would know and many would equally agree with. But still, I'm glad for those sessions with K.
Sure I was scared to bits and my chest felt like it was about to explode into smithereens. It was not easy to have gone through those hours with K. But things happen for a reason and it was all for the better. :)
I'd have to say I feel strangely liberated these two to three days. Maybe an old lock was picked open. Maybe the heart and mind said it was time to open up.
Yeah, we'll walk together. :)
This was my Facebook nick for the day.
Last week was not entirely rosy. Bright spots there were but most were overshadowed by dark, fat, heavy clouds.
I'd have to admit the intensity of things were at times cloying and I felt like running away. But I guess I've come to learn and realise also that running isn't always an option. Whatever it is, or how tough the going gets, I'd have to learn how to face it.
I was glad I didn't have to go to work too. Most of the week was spent in KL actually. The least was that I didn't have to grapple with too many things at a time.
I'm not one who is able to handle confrontations and heart-to-heart talks with finesse. This many would know and many would equally agree with. But still, I'm glad for those sessions with K.
Sure I was scared to bits and my chest felt like it was about to explode into smithereens. It was not easy to have gone through those hours with K. But things happen for a reason and it was all for the better. :)
I'd have to say I feel strangely liberated these two to three days. Maybe an old lock was picked open. Maybe the heart and mind said it was time to open up.
Yeah, we'll walk together. :)
*hic*
It's confession time. Ahem.
I confess to have gone on a rampage...a wine-buying rampage.
I've just bought 6 more bottles to add to my collection. Heh.
The list now stands at:
(1) Wolf Blass Gold Label - Cabernet Sauvignon
(2) Wynham Estate - Cabernet Merlot
(3) Jacob's Creek - Shiraz cabernet
(4) Strada D'Or - Moscato D'Asti
(5) Brown Brothers - Moscato
(6) Brown Brothers - Orange Muscat & Flora X 2
(7) Gerano - Riesling
(8) South Crossing - Ice Wine Riesling
Hmm, majority are dessert wines lol..I've seemingly developed a partiality for them. Hehe...:)
Cheers to an *hic* alcoholic time ahead! ;D
I confess to have gone on a rampage...a wine-buying rampage.
I've just bought 6 more bottles to add to my collection. Heh.
The list now stands at:
(1) Wolf Blass Gold Label - Cabernet Sauvignon
(2) Wynham Estate - Cabernet Merlot
(3) Jacob's Creek - Shiraz cabernet
(4) Strada D'Or - Moscato D'Asti
(5) Brown Brothers - Moscato
(6) Brown Brothers - Orange Muscat & Flora X 2
(7) Gerano - Riesling
(8) South Crossing - Ice Wine Riesling
Hmm, majority are dessert wines lol..I've seemingly developed a partiality for them. Hehe...:)
Cheers to an *hic* alcoholic time ahead! ;D
9 and 12
It felt strangely surreal.
I arrived in office at 9 yesterday...
Stayed 12 hours till 9-plus.
Slept at 12am.
And then within 12 hours after leaving office the night before....
I was back in office at 9am again this morning...
Hmm...9 seems like a lovely number for me these days...
Speaking of which...K's mobile number has sets of numbers adding to 9 as well...Lol...
Sheer coincidences & uncanniness have been happening way too much these past few weeks...
Is my ruling planet Venus getting cheeky on me? Haha...
I arrived in office at 9 yesterday...
Stayed 12 hours till 9-plus.
Slept at 12am.
And then within 12 hours after leaving office the night before....
I was back in office at 9am again this morning...
Hmm...9 seems like a lovely number for me these days...
Speaking of which...K's mobile number has sets of numbers adding to 9 as well...Lol...
Sheer coincidences & uncanniness have been happening way too much these past few weeks...
Is my ruling planet Venus getting cheeky on me? Haha...
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Will You Still Love Me Tomrrow?
Tonight you're mine completely
You give your love so sweetly
Tonight the light of love is in your eyes
Will you still love me tomorrow?
Is this a lasting treasure
Or just a moment's pleasure?
Can I believe the magic of your sighs?
Will you still love me tomorrow?
Tonight with words unspoken
And you say that I'm the only one, the only one, yeah
But will my heart be broken
When the night meets the morning star?
I'd like to know that your love
Is love I can be sure of
So tell me now, cause I won't ask again
Will you still love me tomorrow?
Will you still love me tomorrow?
Yeah
=============
Anmy Winehouse's version is accompanying me right now...
Good music to be with you during a late night in the office...
:)
3 piece jazz band
white lilies
long tables
glasses clinking
silverware
ana caram singing “fly me to the moon”
louis armstrong singing “la vie en rose”
jason mraz singing “i’m yours”
white and grey
crystals
bay windows
natural light
fusion cuisine
warmth and cosiness
white lilies
long tables
glasses clinking
silverware
ana caram singing “fly me to the moon”
louis armstrong singing “la vie en rose”
jason mraz singing “i’m yours”
white and grey
crystals
bay windows
natural light
fusion cuisine
warmth and cosiness
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Of Rollercoasters and Eating What Life Throws To You
Twisting winding up down left right centre fast slow very fast very slow.
How many times can one ride a rollercoaster?
How many times can one hitch a spin on it?
I've never been on an actual one in my entire life. And I don't think I will in the future either.
Nevertheless, numerous rollercoaster rides I have been on. Figuratively that is.
And I seem to have been inadvertenetly pushed to taking many of these rides over the last couple of months.
Never a good feeling. To swing like a pendulum.
From highs to lows. And vice versa.
As K puts it "From one end of the spectrum to the other end."
I add now. "And then back again."
Yeah. I think it's tiring too.
Physically. Emotionally. Mentally.
Draining at times.
But well. Trudge on.
Ain't got no choice. You eat what life throws to you.
How many times can one ride a rollercoaster?
How many times can one hitch a spin on it?
I've never been on an actual one in my entire life. And I don't think I will in the future either.
Nevertheless, numerous rollercoaster rides I have been on. Figuratively that is.
And I seem to have been inadvertenetly pushed to taking many of these rides over the last couple of months.
Never a good feeling. To swing like a pendulum.
From highs to lows. And vice versa.
As K puts it "From one end of the spectrum to the other end."
I add now. "And then back again."
Yeah. I think it's tiring too.
Physically. Emotionally. Mentally.
Draining at times.
But well. Trudge on.
Ain't got no choice. You eat what life throws to you.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
I have come to realize that there are a lot of bad speakers around. Even in the professional world. I’m not saying I’m a good speaker. I suck at it. Totally.
But sitting here during this 3 day seminar is making me cringe at how some of the presentations are going. Some pointers to getting a presentation being better than some of those I have seen here.
1. If English is not your 1st language and you don’t feel comfy speaking in English, then go slower else you’ll just end up falling all over your words.
2. Please make your slides less cluttered. Not all of us have 6/6 vision. And a room can be 50m long. Those of us sitting at the back of the room can’t see nuts at all. All we see is a patch of blur on the screen.
3. Vary your speech tone. Dull drones maketh many sleepy people, especially after lunch. Many sleepy people maketh a room full of boredom. A room full of boredom maketh a failed presentation.
4. Don’t mumble and eat your words. Speak with clear diction and speak INTO the mike, not over it. And definitely NOT around it. See 3.
5. If you're a natural joker, go for it. Make the crowd laugh. If you're not. Hmm, then don't try too hard. Move on if the joke falls flat, there's no need to tell another joke to cover up. It's a downward cycle if you don't know when to stop.
But sitting here during this 3 day seminar is making me cringe at how some of the presentations are going. Some pointers to getting a presentation being better than some of those I have seen here.
1. If English is not your 1st language and you don’t feel comfy speaking in English, then go slower else you’ll just end up falling all over your words.
2. Please make your slides less cluttered. Not all of us have 6/6 vision. And a room can be 50m long. Those of us sitting at the back of the room can’t see nuts at all. All we see is a patch of blur on the screen.
3. Vary your speech tone. Dull drones maketh many sleepy people, especially after lunch. Many sleepy people maketh a room full of boredom. A room full of boredom maketh a failed presentation.
4. Don’t mumble and eat your words. Speak with clear diction and speak INTO the mike, not over it. And definitely NOT around it. See 3.
5. If you're a natural joker, go for it. Make the crowd laugh. If you're not. Hmm, then don't try too hard. Move on if the joke falls flat, there's no need to tell another joke to cover up. It's a downward cycle if you don't know when to stop.
KL
Am in KL for a seminar. Not too happy about it though.
One, I’m away from K.
Two, it’s kinda technical.
I’m already sinking deep down into an abysmal abyss of “lostness”.
Look at me right now and you’ll just see a blank stoned face. I’ve tried reading up ont he topic but all it churns up are more questions marks.
Damn it.
And I’m overwhelmed by the number of abbreviations and technical jargons being used.
I have till Thursday here.
Crap.
There’s still work which needs to be done.
Crap.
I've been trying to do my crunches. And I've been good, I have not been overeating here.
Just taking moderate amounts and not over-stuffing myself.
Till here...zzz.
One, I’m away from K.
Two, it’s kinda technical.
I’m already sinking deep down into an abysmal abyss of “lostness”.
Look at me right now and you’ll just see a blank stoned face. I’ve tried reading up ont he topic but all it churns up are more questions marks.
Damn it.
And I’m overwhelmed by the number of abbreviations and technical jargons being used.
I have till Thursday here.
Crap.
There’s still work which needs to be done.
Crap.
I've been trying to do my crunches. And I've been good, I have not been overeating here.
Just taking moderate amounts and not over-stuffing myself.
Till here...zzz.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Chill Sista Chill....
A xiaodi of mine initiated a converstion with me on MSN yesterday.
Was kind of pleasantly surprised. Since the last he contacted me was like almost 2 years ago when I left LHUB.
The usual pleasantries. How are you? Where are you now?
Still got cheong or not? Still got go Dragonfly or not?
Blah blah.
And then came the perennial question: When are you (i.e. me) getting married?
I said "Wait long long. That one no more."
The usual "Oh Sorry."
And the usual whys, hows, how comes.
I don't mind sharing some surface knowledge with people.
But I hate it when people start getting judgemental and assumptious and start acting like a psychologist.
He said "I don't think you are feeling ok."
And this was after just 2 or 3 sentences of conversation.
In my heart, I went ballistic.
WTF? I don't know how I myself am feeling meh???
I appreciate your concerns yes...but I don't need you to analyse me.
Or act like a shrink and try to dig deep. Sheesh.
But of course I couldn't start screaming at him over MSN.
Cool cucumber. Cool cucumber.
He's just showing his concerns. Albeit in a manner not so suitable.
Nvm.
He's a xiao di anyway. 4 years younger.
I'll be the nice dajie and forgive him. :)
Too much anger in the world for me to add more to it.
This sista shall chill........
Was kind of pleasantly surprised. Since the last he contacted me was like almost 2 years ago when I left LHUB.
The usual pleasantries. How are you? Where are you now?
Still got cheong or not? Still got go Dragonfly or not?
Blah blah.
And then came the perennial question: When are you (i.e. me) getting married?
I said "Wait long long. That one no more."
The usual "Oh Sorry."
And the usual whys, hows, how comes.
I don't mind sharing some surface knowledge with people.
But I hate it when people start getting judgemental and assumptious and start acting like a psychologist.
He said "I don't think you are feeling ok."
And this was after just 2 or 3 sentences of conversation.
In my heart, I went ballistic.
WTF? I don't know how I myself am feeling meh???
I appreciate your concerns yes...but I don't need you to analyse me.
Or act like a shrink and try to dig deep. Sheesh.
But of course I couldn't start screaming at him over MSN.
Cool cucumber. Cool cucumber.
He's just showing his concerns. Albeit in a manner not so suitable.
Nvm.
He's a xiao di anyway. 4 years younger.
I'll be the nice dajie and forgive him. :)
Too much anger in the world for me to add more to it.
This sista shall chill........
stretch - stretched - stretching
so many things
so little time
work
family
k
friends needing listening ears
colleagues needing listening ears
french
self
other things i want to embark on but still have not
and i need my sleep and rest
i've not been able to sit down and clear my mind to think about some things also...
getting a little stretched again
so little time
work
family
k
friends needing listening ears
colleagues needing listening ears
french
self
other things i want to embark on but still have not
and i need my sleep and rest
i've not been able to sit down and clear my mind to think about some things also...
getting a little stretched again
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The Fear - Lily Allen & Human - The Killers
I've always liked songs with the big European feel to it...:)
The Fear - Lily Allen
Human - The Killers
The Fear - Lily Allen
Human - The Killers
Monday, May 11, 2009
Barrack Obama - White House Correspondents' Dinner
All smiles. Oozing charm.
What can we say? When Barrack speaks, people listen. Great Orator.
Part One
Part Two
What can we say? When Barrack speaks, people listen. Great Orator.
Part One
Part Two
Thursday, May 07, 2009
My Lover Boy - His name is Jason
As in Jason Mraz.
I'm upset. I can't believe I missed his concert cos of a work trip.
Darn. Comparing the Mexico/LA trip & Jason Mraz..
I think I'd be more fulfilled going to Jason's concert...
Check this vid out.
God this guy is damn damn damn talented.....
*swoons*
I'm upset. I can't believe I missed his concert cos of a work trip.
Darn. Comparing the Mexico/LA trip & Jason Mraz..
I think I'd be more fulfilled going to Jason's concert...
Check this vid out.
God this guy is damn damn damn talented.....
*swoons*
Voraciousness
I've developed a voracious appetite for learning.
I don't know. Anything. Everything.
From little bits of trivia to food to psychotheraphy to greek mythology to systemic constellations.
I'm lapping up things. I'd google things. I'd wiki things.
I'm reading a book called "Anyway - The Paradoxical Commandments" which is very simple yet extremely profound.
I'll share more on the commandments next time.
I like how K's parents stay relevant despite their age. I like how they have this quest for learning and how they keep their minds active.
Was talking to K's mum last night during dinner and she's still learning and going for courses at her age...
Wonderful. I think it's absolutely wonderful.
And it's good they have encouraged openness in thought and a similar buzz for learning in their children.
I did not get that in my own home environment as much and looking back, it might have been a pity that I did not learn as much in my younger days.
Nevertheless, the human brain is still a sponge.
And I'll make sure I soak it with good stuff for the rest of my days on Planet Earth.
My taste in books has shifted since mid last year. I used to only read fiction. Now I find it a tad boring.
Cham. I have at least 4-5 more unread fiction books at home.
Hmm mm...how ah?
I don't know. Anything. Everything.
From little bits of trivia to food to psychotheraphy to greek mythology to systemic constellations.
I'm lapping up things. I'd google things. I'd wiki things.
I'm reading a book called "Anyway - The Paradoxical Commandments" which is very simple yet extremely profound.
I'll share more on the commandments next time.
I like how K's parents stay relevant despite their age. I like how they have this quest for learning and how they keep their minds active.
Was talking to K's mum last night during dinner and she's still learning and going for courses at her age...
Wonderful. I think it's absolutely wonderful.
And it's good they have encouraged openness in thought and a similar buzz for learning in their children.
I did not get that in my own home environment as much and looking back, it might have been a pity that I did not learn as much in my younger days.
Nevertheless, the human brain is still a sponge.
And I'll make sure I soak it with good stuff for the rest of my days on Planet Earth.
My taste in books has shifted since mid last year. I used to only read fiction. Now I find it a tad boring.
Cham. I have at least 4-5 more unread fiction books at home.
Hmm mm...how ah?
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
zzzzz
It's a little irritating.
You're the Technical Manager.
Why the hell are you asking me how to write your paper? And how to solve your issues?
You're supposed to know the system leh. Why are you asking me???
You've been here for 6 months already......!!!!! You should know all these things???!!
Argh.
You're the Technical Manager.
Why the hell are you asking me how to write your paper? And how to solve your issues?
You're supposed to know the system leh. Why are you asking me???
You've been here for 6 months already......!!!!! You should know all these things???!!
Argh.
Monday, May 04, 2009
Rollercoaster
It's been a rollercoaster ride over the last 6 months.
I've been on highs and then brought to the lowest of depths.
I've been on lows and then brought to unimaginable highs.
It's wreaking havoc on my mind. I can't concentrate. I can't focus.
I'm functioning. But only at the barest level.
It's affecting my personal life and my work.
I need to get out of this rut. But I don't know how.
My mind's churning and yet it still draws a blank.
Am I making sense?
Things are floating in my head. But yet I can't put a finger on them.
A myriad of thoughts occupy my mind but yet, I feel only a dull drone. Nothing concrete comes out of my mind.
I don't know how many times I've had arguments with the folks at home.
I don't know how many times I've had to rely on the listening ears of friends.
I don't know how many times I've escaped into the musical world only to emerge still feeling unsated.
Oh god. Get me out of this please.
I've been on highs and then brought to the lowest of depths.
I've been on lows and then brought to unimaginable highs.
It's wreaking havoc on my mind. I can't concentrate. I can't focus.
I'm functioning. But only at the barest level.
It's affecting my personal life and my work.
I need to get out of this rut. But I don't know how.
My mind's churning and yet it still draws a blank.
Am I making sense?
Things are floating in my head. But yet I can't put a finger on them.
A myriad of thoughts occupy my mind but yet, I feel only a dull drone. Nothing concrete comes out of my mind.
I don't know how many times I've had arguments with the folks at home.
I don't know how many times I've had to rely on the listening ears of friends.
I don't know how many times I've escaped into the musical world only to emerge still feeling unsated.
Oh god. Get me out of this please.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
La Vie En Rose - Louis Armstrong
One of the best cover versions I've heard of Edith Piaf's La Vie En Rose.
Love the trumpets...:)
Love the trumpets...:)
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
To the Moon and Back
Fly me to the moon
And let me play amongst the stars
And let me play amongst the stars
Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars
In other words
Hold my hand
In other words
Darling, kiss me
Fill my heart with song
And let me sing forever more
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore
In other words
Please be true
In other words
I love you
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sound of Music!!!
A lovely lovely video which perked up my dreary afternoon...
Abit dumb lah but just hearing the music actually made me smile and get teary...
Seeing those dancers jump around made me wanna jump around toooo!!!
I've been feeling hyper & loopy since last night haha...so being in the office feels so much of a chore right now haha...
Enjoy the vid!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Lari Lari
I don't know how far I ran today.
It was a short one. Either a 2km or 2.2km.
13mins haha...
Kinda slow hor? Hmm mm.
It was a short one. Either a 2km or 2.2km.
13mins haha...
Kinda slow hor? Hmm mm.
Life Right Now
Some aspects of life is just going great right now compared to a few months ago.
It's going mighty fantastic actually haha.
Running is proving to be a little addictive...Blading is going fine, not fantastic but good enough haha. Health is fine except for a prone-ness to sore throats and cough.
And K is just wonderful...
Work is however a big question mark to me.
The humdrum of it.
I don't like doing things which I don't believe in. And I don't like doing things I don't really understand. The technicalities of it all stumps me all the time.
I'm miffed at myself and my lack of motivation sometimes during workdays.
But I'm equally miffed at the complexities of it all.
Policies, technical issues.
Ugh.
Someone hand me a new job please.
It's going mighty fantastic actually haha.
Running is proving to be a little addictive...Blading is going fine, not fantastic but good enough haha. Health is fine except for a prone-ness to sore throats and cough.
And K is just wonderful...
Work is however a big question mark to me.
The humdrum of it.
I don't like doing things which I don't believe in. And I don't like doing things I don't really understand. The technicalities of it all stumps me all the time.
I'm miffed at myself and my lack of motivation sometimes during workdays.
But I'm equally miffed at the complexities of it all.
Policies, technical issues.
Ugh.
Someone hand me a new job please.
Majestic Bar - Nos Diner a Samedi Soir
Dinner on Saturday was a lovely affair.
We had the whole restaurant to ourselves for the most part of it.
4-course degustation over at Majestic Bar at Bukit Pasoh Road
The ceilings were adorned with little white lights...the walls were blue and green...with little animals painted on them...
There were round white lamps hanging from the ceiling...
Very very high ceiling that is haha.
Lovely lovely meal.
Lovely lovely company.
Lovely lovely jazz accompaniement.
Lovely lovely drinks.
We should do this only once in a awhile though.
I'm afraid I'll get used to it. Haha..:)
Check it out.
http://www.majesticbar.com/edm/exquisiteSat.htm
We had the whole restaurant to ourselves for the most part of it.
4-course degustation over at Majestic Bar at Bukit Pasoh Road
The ceilings were adorned with little white lights...the walls were blue and green...with little animals painted on them...
There were round white lamps hanging from the ceiling...
Very very high ceiling that is haha.
Lovely lovely meal.
Lovely lovely company.
Lovely lovely jazz accompaniement.
Lovely lovely drinks.
We should do this only once in a awhile though.
I'm afraid I'll get used to it. Haha..:)
Check it out.
http://www.majesticbar.com/edm/exquisiteSat.htm
Saturday, April 25, 2009
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