Bunny Goes Zen

Dot Dot Dot

2012-02-15T00:27:00.000+08:00

Dad, pointing at my infected and bleeding finger (hangnails be damned!), "Such a small wound, you also can't take care of it properly. Get me the bandaid!"

I go get the bandaids from the first aid kit and pass it to my dad.

After cleaning my wound, he opens up the bandaid and proceeds to help me dress my wound. Wrongly.

"Eh. Wrong ah. Your cut is so high?"

He then RIPS the sticky part of the bandaid off my WOUND, and then sticks it on again.

"Nevermind la. Tomorrow change again."

Actually, I'm So Lucky

2012-02-14T00:27:00.000+08:00

Picked this phrase up from P, who kept on telling us today over dinner, how lucky she's been. When you chat with her, you get a sense of how thankful she is of everything she has, and how she sees everything as such a blessing. (I think near-death experiences do that to you.)

And on my way home after dinner, I thought about it, and realised how lucky I really am.

I'm so lucky that I have such amazing parents. Not many people can say that they grew up in such a loving and affectionate family, but I'm lucky that I had a very happy childhood. I'm lucky that I have parents who are so supportive of me, yet not cloyingly so.

My parents tell me off, but take the effort to explain when and how I am wrong. They teach me different perspectives on things and harsh words are used sparingly (if at all), and a stern voice is usually the most I get out of them.

They lead by example, showing me how kindness, love, patience, generosity and hospitality should be. And I know that they do the best that they can to be parents that I can love, respect, look up to and turn to for advise or comforting words.

I'm lucky that my parents understand and know when to let go, yet are always be there for me when I need them. I'm lucky that they don't play mind games or guilt trips on me. I'm lucky that all my life, I've been showered with an unconditional love.

Most of all, I'm lucky that I share an affection with my parents and am not afraid to hug or blow a kiss to them. And I hope they know that I know how much they love me, and how much I love them too.

The Dragon Year

2012-02-06T09:02:00.003+08:00

It's the last day of CNY today, which means that I have no more excuse for pigging out. Now I'll just have to sneakily stuff face with loveletters and what's left of the pineapple tarts. Lol. But I've said this before, and I'll say this again.

To all yous who feel guilty about eating too much over the festive period, don't! If you don't overeat, you're not doing it right. Abundance, right? Hehehe.

Anyway, one of the good things about being divorced and subsequently dating someone that everyone disapproved of, is that I'm no longer subject to the "when are you getting married?" questions from all the older folk in the family. In fact, I think everyone is just happy that I'm not off and running to some faraway land, and that I'm just here.

I've definitely been making an effort to spend more time with the parents, especially since I'm the only one left in Singapore, and I can tell that my parents are happier.

I've enjoyed just taking a break and settling at home (if that makes any sense), and this year seems to be a super nua year so far. Just hanging out at home, reading books, watching endless reruns or cooking simple meals.

Lazy evenings and weekends are really quite blissful.

Knowing Your Roots

2012-01-31T00:32:00.001+08:00

Over dinner tonight, Jeanne shared that she had a copy of her family's ancestral "records"- which date back to 741AD. Apparently she comes from a long line of scholars, with one of her ancestors even being a prime minister of sorts back in China.

Curious to know what my family history is, I ask my dad if he has any idea. I come home and see him poring over a yearbook-like tome of picture after picture. We have a book too!

This book was compiled by the Lee Clan Association Group (haha ok I don't know the official name, but it's some sort of 会馆) but only dates back to 1410AD. It doesn't look like it contains *everyone's* names though.

Anyways, we find my dad's pictures in it but we're not too sure how to read the information so can't really tell who the upline is. I did manage to figure out that we came from 永春. So pleased!

After a quick google search, LGG tells me it's -40degrees at night and -26degrees in the day and really shouldn't have complained about the relative toastiness in Darjeeling, seeing how I apparently come from Eskimo stock.

Yong Chun is also famous for producing lychees, which I guess would explain my love for lychee martinis. Lol. It's all in my blood!

Ah well. It's interesting to read about such stuff and have a better understand of your roots. Maybe I should make a trip to Yong Chun one day.

Ramblings

2012-01-26T02:28:00.000+08:00

It's 2.20am and I can't sleep. I'm not sure why- I didn't have any coffee in the aftern... Oh oops. I did.

Well that explains it.

Anyway. Had a pleasant evening with Alfred and EYS, and have discovered (invented?) a new and nicer way to say "f*ck buddy". No more crude f-words and it's all kid friendly too.

Oxytocin-friend.

Hehe. Apparently oxytocin is produced after one has reached a climax. It helps ... Wait a minute. According to Wikipedia it's given out after childbirth?!

Wat? I guess scrap that then.

Erm.

Hmmm. I seem to have nothing else to say. Pfft. How is that even possible? I'm supposed to be rambling.

Bleh. Ok. Shall count sheep and try to sleep. (It rhymed! Wah. So clever.)

Huat Ah!

2012-01-20T23:46:00.002+08:00

Wow, I've been using this image to wish everyone Gong Xi Fa Cai for the longest time! Anyway, as we usher in the year of the Dragon, I wish everyone an abundance of good health, prosperity, and happiness.

[Posting this early in case I forget. Haha.]

Parenting Fail

2012-01-19T21:01:00.001+08:00

I'm sitting here at Burger King, happily chomping down on 1000 calories worth of burgers and onion rings and there is a mother sitting at the opposite table, scolding her child.

The kid must be what, nine or ten? And while I don't know what she did to warrant such a scolding, the words that are coming out of the mother's mouth are just so harsh.

"Get out! Get lost! I don't want to see your face!"

WTF?!

The little girl goes off to sit at another table while the mother rants on and on to her husband. She's obviously angry, but is that how you should speak to a child?

I'm no parent, and I can't say what kind of parent I'll be next time, but I do want to raise my child in a loving environment and minimise saying hurtful things to them. Sure, everyone makes mistakes, but do you have to say that you don't want to see their face?

Sigh.

Eventually the kid is asked to come back to the table by someone else (an uncle?) and she was not allowed to eat till her mother had given her an earful (of verbal abuse sheesh).

I don't know what to say.

Calorie Counting Fail

2012-01-19T20:36:00.001+08:00

Calorie count today? 2472. LOL that's 1272 more (aka double) what I should be having.

Calorie Counting

2012-01-18T22:33:00.001+08:00

I'm not one to count calories and go on diets, but CH recently decided to get healthy and lose weight and encouraged me to log my food intake. myfitnesspal.com is a website (with an iPhone app) that allows you to keep track of the amount of food and drink consumed. It then calculates how many calories that translates to, and also lets you log in any workouts so that you can do a daily tally of the total calorie input and output.

Not wanting to be a bad sport, I dutifully downloaded the app and started keying in whatever I had eaten today. Apparently, in order to lose weight, one needs to keep to less than 1200 calories a day. I'm not too sure if that's a total calorie intake or nett though. Oh well. Here are my numbers for today.

Total calorie consumed today: 1651

That's 451 more than my recommended intake! Gasp. But then the app makes a booboo and tells me that at the rate I'm going, I will be 3.4kg in 5 weeks. Say, what? So I don't think this app is all that reliable. But anyway, let's look at the breakdown.

Breakfast-
Kopi (113)
Sausage bun (290)

Lunch-
Chicken meatball soup with white rice (184)
Sweet lime juice (128)

Snacks-
Macadamia nuts (210)
Digestives (136)
Ferrero rocher (147)

Dinner-
Fruit rojak (443)

Hmmm so it seems like the culprit was my fruit rojak! But then again, it was the tastiest thing I ate today so I guess it makes sense. Tastier = more calories. Lol. I'm surprised at my sausage bun too. 290 calories?

But then, these are just numbers. CH said that the bottle of wine I had yesterday made half my daily calorie intake, and my first thought was that it meant I could have had another bottle and be fine. Hehehehahaha. Alcoholic, much?

Hmmm I don't really know the point of post though. Lol. So I shall end here now.

The Power Of Friendship

2012-01-15T09:25:00.001+08:00

I've written many times about how blessed I am to have the most amazing family and friends- people in my life who love me and are so supportive of what I do. To be honest, when I write about these friends, I usually have in mind the same bunch of people- typically my close circle of friends whom I hang out with on a regular basis.

Last week, I was reminded of how truly blessed I was again. And not from the usual suspects, too.

It had been a crazy week at work, and I was thrown a curveball and had to get some last minute work done. The few "official" vendors that I had refused to do this project, mainly because of the extremely short timeline.

Feeling desperate, I turned to some old vendors that I had previously done work with and asked (ok, begged) for help. Amazingly, I managed to get not one, but three contacts of people who were willing and able to finish the project for me. *bless*

And it touched me that they were so willing to help, because they were helping me. Yep, they were doing this as a special favour. For me! :)

Imagine the grin I had on my face for the rest of the day. I was walking on cloud nine. Throw anything and everything at me, I don't care. Cos I have friends who will be willing to help me out.

Anth told me this a long time ago, when I remarked about the outpouring of love my friends gave me when I was going through a break-up. She said something to the effect that I give out love, and thus get back love in return. (She phrased it much better.)

And you know, I think it's true. I've always had good relationships with my vendors. While I agree that as a client, we are paying for a service, there is no need to take advantage of your vendors. I always try to give them a fair and honest deadline, and do not understand people who say they need things urgently tomorrow when actually they need it two weeks later. And always remember that they need to make some profit! If they go bust cos you keep squeezing them dry, they won't be able to help you next time, right?

Ah well. That's just what I think. :)

Zuo Gong Ah!

2012-01-03T06:17:00.001+08:00

First day of work and I'm up two hours earlier than I should be. Lol. Now that the holidays are over, we can't quite use "it's the holidays" as an excuse not to get any work done. Boo.

Ah well. Thankfully CNY is round the corner. Heh.

And... It's 2012

2012-01-01T22:42:00.003+08:00

Who woulda thunk we would have gotten here, but we have. Not going to talk about the usual "OMG time flies so fast!" because, yes, it does. And it always will.

I'm feeling.. hopeful. A sense of excitement of the unknown, and to be honest, I'm utterly surprised that I'm feeling this way. The start to the new year certainly didn't feel this way, with me sobbing into my pillow for 5 minutes after being woken up by everyone's cheers and toasts. (I was already in bed, drugged out by my meds and woke up thinking there were ducks in the house. It was all the honking la.)

So I think that was my last sob for 2011. A rather belated one seeing how it was already 2012, but whatever. Then again, I did sleep more than half the day away. Maybe that's why I'm in a chipper mood.

No idea what 2012 is going to bring, but there are some things I'd like to achieve in the year. New projects are always a good thing, although this (maybe false) sense of enthusiasm could be because it's the start of the new year. Haha. Am also tempted to start writing in a new blogspace (haha, new online real estate) but too lazy to think of a new online moniker.

So there. My first blog post of 2012. Happy New Year!

Random

2011-12-29T07:52:00.000+08:00

I'm finally back home! Too lazy to pen a proper post but I think these things are brilliant:

1. If you're at the Delhi airport T3 and sick of Indian food, check out Smoke House. Had a really yummy smoked tomato and brie sandwich and pretty decent mojitos there. Do not bother with Indian wines (they suck).

2. Have 3 drinks and pop a melatonin and you'll conk out during the flight. Best combo ever.

3. Ear plugs. Oh my, why haven't I discovered these before? Especially useful because flights to and from India are usually SO noisy. While I could still hear the high pitched shrieking of Indian girls laughing and chatting across the aisle, the ear plugs managed to reduce quite a fair bit of the noise.

4. If you're a parent, seat your children together and then take your own seat 10 rows behind. You don't need to look after the buggers but yet you're close enough if there's an emergency,

Stuff no one talks about:

1. OMG the pong. I didn't realise how badly I reeked till I landed in Singapore and was waiting for LGG to buy breakfast. I do not look forward to opening my backpack.

2. Hello, Sasquatch. Being all bundled up during winter and taking 2 minute long showers means that you tend to neglect certain grooming habits.

3. Airplanes have really, really dry air. I think my throat got dried out during the flight and now I'm coughing. Drinking two bottles of water during the flight apparently wasn't enough.

Anyway I'm lying strarkers in bed and trying to muster up the energy to get changed for work. 2 more working days till the new year!

Welcome to Delhi

2011-12-26T10:36:00.001+08:00

After spending three idyllic days in a tea plantation off Siliguri (which shall remain unnamed to keep the place a secret), we are now back in Delhi. Ugh.

After the pristine, clean air that surrounded the tea plantation and the rejuvenating silence and peacefulness away from the hustle and bustle of the city, we are now surrounded by smog and the incessant honking and noises of Delhi.

One huge difference is that my snot is now specked with black. Gross.

The tea plantation was amazing, and if I had the chance to go back again, I would. What made it so special was that we went during low season, so we had the entire bungalow to ourselves. I'm not sure if our experience would have been so good if there were other guests in the house (probably not).

We spent our breakfasts in the garden, lying on the grass after, just basking in the sun. The only time we were actually hot in winter. Lol. I found a sofa in the house by the bay windows, where sunlight was streaming in, and that became one of my favourite spots.

When the day became cool, we proceeded to the living room, armed with blankets, books and hot tea. We read and watched tv and napped.

Our meals were all provided and we had the most amazing Indian food, probably the healthiest that any of us have ever had in India. Low salt, low fat, and yet still exceptionally tasty. How awesome is that?

We've now a couple more days to go before heading home, so gotta plan where and what to do. Oh, and Merry Christmas!

It's A Balmy Day

2011-12-20T12:41:00.001+08:00

Who woulda thunk that we'd be using the word "balmy" to describe the 7 degree temperature in Delhi right now? Lol.

"It's -4 now, but a balmy 7 degrees in Delhi now." Lol.

Well I guess we are getting used to the cold.

So Cold

2011-12-19T23:07:00.001+08:00

We got back from Pelling today and are back in Darjeeling, sitting in the dining room and watching the fire burn in the fireplace.

It's so cold. One night the temperature went down to -14 degrees celcius. But thank god for fireplaces, heaters, fleeces and sleeping bags.

Pelling was a little bit of a letdown. There weren't as much to do as we thought but we did get a spectacular sunrise view of Kangchendzonga from our room.

We also discovered chaang aka tongba- the local moonshine that was made by pouring hot water into fermented millet and drinking it through a bamboo straw.

Did a day tour around to various sights, and then headed back to Darjeeling today.

Waiting for dinner and then off to bed.

To Pelling

2011-12-17T11:04:00.001+08:00

One of the downsides to traveling the way we do from town to town is having to pack up and travel to the next place. We're off to Pelling today, and apparently it's a 5-6 hour drive from here.

Better pee before we leave. Lol.

Day Two

2011-12-16T23:12:00.001+08:00

Or is it day three already? It's so easy to lose track of time when you're in a place like Darjeeling.

Spent the evening yesterday in the dining room of our hotel where we had a lovely fireplace up. Plus, there was free wifi, so all of us managed to get our internet fix.

Didn't seem like we did all that much today but time just seemed to pass so fast. Took the joyride on the toy train to Ghum / Ghoom and back, went to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and had tea at the Windemere Hotel.

And that's about it. Bought a shawl from a tout at the train station who was trying to sell them at 8000 rupees. I told her I'd buy it for 150 rupees and ta ma de, eventually she agreed. So I had to buy it even though I don't need a shawl, and found out later that you could buy the same shawl at the market for 90 rupees. Ta ma de.

Ah well.

Off to Pelling tomorrow!

Darjeeling

2011-12-16T00:50:00.000+08:00

Ok I know we're here during winter but it is so cold here in Darjeeling. OMG.

Was on the road yesterday, flying from Singapore to Delhi, and then from Delhi to Bagdobra. Then it was a good 6 hour and really bumpy car ride to Darjeeling.

Have I mentioned that it's cold? (It's really cold.)

Spent this morning unwilling to get out of the warm coccoon of the sleeping bag that we thankfully brought along. Walked around the bazaar, bought tickets for the toy train ride, got our permits for Sikkim, checked out the bookstore, had breakfast and lunch at Hasty Tasty and bought gloves and beanies.

Still deciding what to do for the rest of the trip but it's been chill (haha) so far. Probably will head up to Peling and do some trekking. But it's so cold. Lol.

India. Again.

2011-12-14T02:04:00.000+08:00

For someone who professes to hate India as much as I do, it seems rather puzzling that I keep going back. First Ladakh in August, and now I'm heading there for another two weeks (aka 14 days aka 840 min aka too long.. and I think my calculation is wrong).

But how fitting that the first time LGG and I go to India together is also our "Indian finale". We've been to India somany times, and I think we're done. There are new lands to discover!

Ah well. I hope we have a good trip. Would always be good to end everything on a good note.

2011

2011-12-07T00:14:00.002+08:00

This has been a hard post to pen, because the year didn't quite turn out the way I thought it would. It started off well enough, but my relationship with the grasshopper ended in April. While I wouldn't say it went all downhill from there (there definitely have been some awesome moments), it was a tough year.

Breakups are always hard, and this one hit me quite badly for several reasons. Firstly it was rather unexpected, coming at a time that I thought we were gaining ground and strength in the relationship (but obviously I was the only one who felt that way). Secondly, it was the sheer disrespectful way he decided to terminate it (By email. Man, I certainly deserve better). Thirdly,.. ah forget it.

But life goes on, and setbacks are a perfect time to witness the love and support I have in my family and friends. And I must say that I've got plenty.

I made my first trip to Perth in twenty years this June, and got to spend time with my brother and his family. Quality time getting to know him and my sister-in-law better, and plenty of hugs and kisses for the little ones. Also got to hang out with my cousins and aunties too, which was just awesome.

One of the things Jeanne said that really sunk in was that the money spent could always be earned back (I had been complaining about the exhange rates and comparing how little I used to spend in India cos everything there was just so cheap). The time and the love that you get from family is really quite priceless, and this was something I truly experienced once I got to Perth.

Went to India for work and crumbled several times, but msn is an amazing thing and everyone who was online was just an amazing source of support. CH even offered to fly in to Bangalore to be with me, which was an unexpected and very generous offer. *love*

Took some time off after my last India trip and extended my stay to head to Ladakh with TFP. While I wish I had the company of LGG and the posse, the scenery was breathtaking and I even managed to tick off some things off my list (camel shadow pic, plucking a radish, and what I thought was snow). Magical.

More work trips to Indonesia, and with a new and experienced boss on board, it was nice to be able to learn more about my market and discuss initiative and ideas on how to increase awareness and quality.

Went back to Perth again, this time with the entire Lee clan. More bonding with the family, my first visit to the casino, had my silly accident, and now it's already December. Phew! How time flies. (And yay I'm healing quite nicely. Thank god for awesome genes.)

One last trip in December. Finally going to freeze our asses off in Darjeeling and Sikkim. And then it'll be 2012. Gulp.

To be honest 2011 hasn't been the best year, but, whatever. It could have been worse and I did do a fair bit of traveling, so I can't really complain. I do hope 2012 is a better year though.

Let's see.

One Step Forward Two Steps Back

2011-12-05T14:12:00.001+08:00

My skin seemed to be recovering well over the weekend after I ripped off all the dressings and left it out to dry. However, I accidentally ripped the wound open (was not careful argh) and it started bleeding.

Stupid me thought it was a good idea to cover up with dressing, but now the whole damn thing is wet and leaky AGAIN. Argh.

I need to get well soon! 9 more days till we fly off and I do not want to have to deal with this then. Gah.

OMG

2011-11-30T00:47:00.002+08:00

Decided to rip off all the dressings and take a fucking shower. Feel so good now that I'm clean (and not just towel wiped). Wounds hurt like fuck though. Arm is numb but I'll live.

Thank god for mothers with gentle hands. My mom helped me apply some betadine on the wounds and cleverly thought of a way to cover them so I can go to bed without worrying. Moms are the best.

Skin

2011-11-28T08:44:00.002+08:00

You don't realise how important your skin is until you lose it. Methinks our plans to go cycling at Rottnest Island today was just not meant to be.

Darwin booked our tickets, we got on the ferry to Rottness, picked up our bikes and headed to Dome for breakfast. We deliberately sat within sight of the bikes but conversation got in the way, and when we looked up, the bikes were gone. Apparently this is a common occurrence, cos when we went to the jetty to tell them what happened, they just gave us 2 more bikes.

Cycled about for about half an hour. I was going downhill when I realised I was going a bit too fast for my liking, tried to slow down, hit my brakes too quickly, and hit the pavement.

I must have skidded on my side cos I scraped the skin off my forearm, triceps, armpit, boob, belly, thigh and knee. Lol. An injury that only ten year old kids would get.

Ah well. Not looking forward to the recovery.

A Timeline for The Belgariad and The Malloreon

2011-11-24T01:26:00.001+08:00

http://kalten.sandwich.net/eddings/timeline.html

Our Eddings Casting

2011-11-22T22:06:00.001+08:00

Hehe was watching LOTR this afternoon and chatting with LGG at the same time. Somehow we started discussing who we would cast if someone were to make an Eddings movie. Here's what we got:

Belgarath- Ian McKellen
Polgara- Angelina Jolie
Beldaran- Kate Bosworth
Belgarion- that Bourne guy
Durnik- that blonde Thor guy
Ce'Nedra- cheerleader from Heroes
Silk- we haven't decided. Maybe Antonio Banderas

Then we got distracted and started chatting about other stuff. But I do think it's a pretty good list. Hehe.

EVIL!

2011-11-16T09:46:00.003+08:00

After hearing about my new-found freedom to have a TV in my room, babycakes looked at me and asked "Why get a TV? You should get an iMac. Then you can play all your games PLUS use the computer, all from the comfort of your bed."

Then I stupidly tell Alf what babycakes told me, and he said "No, you should get a 40" TV + mac mini. Bigger screen + games + use computer from your bed."

My friends are evil.

Two More Months Till My Social Life Goes Extinct

2011-11-13T11:17:00.002+08:00

All of you who know me in real life will probably know that I don't have a TV in my bedroom. And it's not because I believe in having quality sleep (or sleep at all) at night, but rather because my dad simply did not allow me to have one in the bedroom.

I used to think that it was because TVs emitted unhealthy (insert type- X? ultra violet? gamma? micro?) rays which were bad for you. But I was wrong! Apparently the no-TV rule was only applicable for my school-going days because we needed to STUDY.

So I've been needlessly without a TV in my room for the past 8 years! Wah lau eh.

But anyways, the truth is out. The possibilities are endless.

Went out with SF yesterday to get a second controller for her wii. Many of the shops had demonstrations of the Xbox Kinect. My eyes were open to stuff that I never gave a shit about before in the past because I could not have them. Spent the entire afternoon playing wii dance and it was hilarious fun.

OMG.

All I need now is a TV, game console thing and a media player and I can say goodbye to my already non-existent social life! The only person I'll ever need to meet is LGG cos she is my BFF plus she gets a steady supply of movies and TV shows from Chris.

TV in room + media player + game console thing = extinct social life. Wah I better start meeting all my friends this year.

Music Moods

2011-11-09T02:17:00.003+08:00

It's interesting how music can affect and enhance the mood that you're in. Soothing tunes relax you, quick beats perk you up, and depressing songs make you feel like it's the end of the world.

Strangely, I've been experiencing a deeper funk than I've felt in a while and listening to Adele's album definitely does not make things any better. Of course, the logical thing would be to stop listening to her songs and play something more chirpy- but.. her songs just resonate and maybe I'm being a sadist.

What A Waste Of A Perfectly Good Rainy Night

2011-11-06T02:34:00.001+08:00

It's raining and this is perfect weather for sleeping. I'm wrapped up nice and snug in my blanket but instead of enjoying a blissful night sleeping, I'm wide awake. Argh.

This is what happens when you fall asleep watching a boring horror movie at a friends house and end up getting back home at 3am and then sleeping in till noon. And glugging a cup of coffee immediately after waking up because you'll be in photography class for who-knows-how-long (turned out to be 6 hours).

And to think I so proudly exclaimed on Friday that it was ok to screw up my sleeping cycle since I had a 4 day long weekend. Note to self: No it's not ok to screw up sleeping cycle. Ever.

Time to start counting sheep.

Stressed? Me?

2011-11-04T18:41:00.000+08:00

The lady who I go for massages asked me if I'm very stressed at work. Apparently my back and neck muscles are really tight, and as soon as she manages to get them fairly pliable, the tension comes back again.

I don't know. I certainly don't think I'm stressed at work, at least not now. Peak period only starts next year. Perhaps it's all the traveling I've done, perhaps it's just poor ergonomically designed furniture in the office. Maybe it's time to get a new bed and pillow.

Many people have said that I ought tp get into yoga. All the sequences will help with posture, strengthening and stretching the muscles, but it's just so boring la. *pouts*

Oh well, let's see. Plus I'm rather averse to large classes and prefer to have lessons in small groups where you get a better instructor to student ratio. So if I am able to find a studio that I like, maybe. In the meantime I guess I'll have to practise being a rubber band at home and do my stretching as often as I can.

4 Day Weekend, Yo!

2011-11-04T09:58:00.001+08:00

Decided to take today off, even though I didn't really have any plans. Might go for a swim, and a session of tuina, and then meet the girls for a drink.

Tempted to skip out of town for the next couple of days, but don't know where to go and it's a bit last minute to plan something. Malacca? Penang? KL? Batam? Bintan? Hmmm. Maybe.

Waiting, Waiting

2011-11-02T21:43:00.002+08:00

Sometimes I catch myself waiting for an email or text message that I know will never come. I take a deep breath, and continue what I was doing before.

2 more months to the end of the year, and it never ceases to amaze me how quickly time just passes. While we wrap up 2011, I can't help but wonder what 2012 will bring.

The Bliss Of Sleeping In

2011-10-26T14:46:00.001+08:00

I hadn't realised that today was a public holiday till Monday, so was very pleased to get a much needed mid-week break.

C mentioned that I neither look nor behave like a 30 year old, but I certainly do feel like it occasionally, especially when it comes to bedtime. Gone are the days of late nights and sleeping for only 3 hours before having to get up for work the next morning. These days, a "late night" is if I sleep at midnight. Oh, the shame!

Anyways, I indulged in a little mid-day nap today and how glorious it was! The clouds had started rolling in, the temperature was dropping with the gusts of wind that blew in through the window. Snugly wrapped in the warmth of my blanket, I drifted off to dreams of pies and lego men.

An hour and a half later, I'm on my way to get my muscles kneaded and my back pounded. Might head to Bishan Park after and enjoy a rainy day with a book and a cup of hot chocolate. Bliss.

Catching Up

2011-10-25T00:27:00.001+08:00

Had a lovely time catching up with C tonight, the last time I saw the boy was probably 7-8 years ago! Dinner was at Sushi Tei at East Coast, and one of the advantages of driving (him, not me) is being able to go to out of the way places for food.

Not that Sushi Tei can't be found in town. Lol. (But East Coast is so nice now! I really need to go there more often.)

We had more than 10 years of conversation to catch up on, and updated each other on various aspects of our lives. Our families, marriages, kids, careers, and random childhood memories.

And it was very nice being able
to talk to someone who knows how it was like growing up where I did, and we had a right laugh when we remembered the poppy incident. *grin* Happy times.

Mid Month Updates

2011-10-15T12:46:00.002+08:00

Ah, I've finally had time to take a breather after a hectic past couple of weeks. I'm finally done with the bulk of my work trips, one more at the end of the month and then it's HOLIDAYS!!!

Had an awesome birthday party, and much love to LGG and Metamorphoenix for organising everything. We had a tonne of food, even more booze, and the wonderful company of a bunch of friends who made me feel very, very blessed. And a party is not really a party if you don't end up singing Queen songs, which we did aplenty. I don't even remember how we got started, but suddenly everyone was belting out the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody and Killer Queen. Lol.

Managed to squeeze in a side trip to Borobudur during my last work trip as well, which was great cos now I can strike it off my list. It was quite an adventure too, with us waking up at 2am to take a car there, only to find that the driver thought he was supposed to come in the afternoon, and then finding a cab who was willing to drive for two and a half hours and back.

Borobudur at sunrise is beautiful, and I can understand why the photography teacher keeps emphasising on the right timing to take beautiful pictures. The lighting at such hours is just amazing, and with fewer tourists around, the pictures are also "cleaner" with no random people in the shots.

Had a lovely dinner with my sister at Lawry's and I can't stop gushing about how delicious their steaks are. Om nom nom nom. She also bought me the Baker's Edge brownie pan from when she was back in the States (I've been eyeing it for YEARS) so maybe I'll bake something for Matt's bbq later this evening. Heehee. Other birthday loot included a tonne of booze from the party (everyone came bearing gifts of vodka and wine), a lovely rose solid perfume (brilliant stuff!), a brand new army bag, and a camera bag to house my new baby. Oh! And the free birthday meals. *burp*

Anyway, there's no significant change in turning 30. Life goes on as usual- I'm not suddenly wiser (actually on the contrary, I think I've gotten a little dumber haha) and there are no life changing epiphanies. But what I do know is that life in the 30s will only get better, so I'm definitely looking forward to that.

Almost There

2011-10-11T09:22:00.001+08:00

I'm so glad I'm on the last leg of this trip and going back home tomorrow. I realised the other night that I've been working every single day since 19 September, Saturdays and Sundays included. How depressing. No wonder I'm exhausted!

Semarang is uninspiring, food-wise. We made our way to Kampong Laut last night for seafood, and it wasn't very impressive. Decided to have cake at the hotel lobby since we were so unsatisfied, and it was just as bad. Sigh.

Anyway. One more work trip at the end of the month and I'm done. Yay! Then 2 holidays (wheee!) in November and December, and then it'll be 2012. Wow. Time really passes by so fast.

Alright. Time to finish up breakfast and head on out for my appointments.

长大了

2011-10-07T08:43:00.000+08:00

Somehow one usually equates turning older with getting wiser, but that's not necessarily true. Judging by how I managed to leave the house today with dripping wet hair, I'd say my IQ might have dropped a couple of points. (Yes, dripping. The back of my shirt is actually soaked now. Not damp. Soaked.)

Anyways. I'm finally in the same age band as LGG, and cannot officially use youth and it's accompanying stupidity as an excuse to, well, do anything stupid. I could, but then everyone would just roll their eyes. So I have no excuse for the wet hair, really.

Ideally I'd take the day off, but I have to be in the office as my event is tomorrow. Bummer. But that doesn't mean no celebrations tonight.

The girls have planned a party for me. My first! I usually just have dinner at home with family and meet friends for dinner and/or drinks. But I 长大了, and according to them, deserve to have a party to welcome me to the ranks.

A party! With food and booze and more food and even more booze (Apparently there will be 8 bottles of bubbly, red wine and white wine- each. 2 bottles of vodka. And a giant 1.8l bottle of sake. I'm scared). And all my friends. I feel so loved. *grin*

Of course, one of the advantages of hanging out with older friends is that I can never complain that I'm old (cos they are older hur hur) and I have seen how wonderful life can be. Not that I had any doubt, but it's exciting nonetheless.

So bring it on! I'm ready.

Random Toilet Observations

2011-10-05T13:48:00.000+08:00

I just realised that I don't think I've ever seen a clean public toilet in India ever. Hmmm maybe at their airport.

Off To Not Mt Bromo

2011-10-02T06:16:00.000+08:00

I'm still feeling kinda bummed that I don't have enough time or energy to go to Mt Bromo during this leg of the trip. According to everyone who has been there, it's spectacularly beautiful and is a must-see if you're in Surabaya.

Unfortunately, it requires an overnight stay- so that you can wake up at 4am (or whatever ungodly hour) to see a stunning sunrise. I'd have tried to squeeze a trip in by flying in a day earlier, but the back-to-back trips and the many concurrent events have left me with no choice but to leave a visit to the volcano on my to do list.

One more work trip, then back on 4th in time for my birthday (heh at least I will be in Singapore this year), my event on the 8th, then one more trip 9th. *gulp*

Ah well. Time to check in.

Huat Ah!

2011-10-01T12:07:00.000+08:00

This is a bo liao post cos I'm in the office waiting for my temps to finish up and I've got nothing to do. (Or do I hmm..)

Anyway, was browsing around on FB and a friend posts a print-screen of an SMS he gets, saying that he won $2,000,000.00 USD in the lotto. And naturally, being the cock person that I am, I post a congratulatory message saying how lucky he is. A couple more people post similar comments, telling him that he needs to buy us dinner and basically celebrate.

Somehow in situations like this, there is always that one person that just Does. Not. Get. The. Joke. So this person basically tells us off and warns us that it's a spam message. And our "reaction"? One of fake shock and horror. And he still Does. Not. Get. It. and basically replies to say that we have to be careful in the future.

Lol.

Well, I'm sure it's all good intentions. But give us some credit la.

My New Baby

2011-10-01T01:03:00.001+08:00

Whee! LGG and I bought our cameras today! We decided on getting a Nikon D3100, and a Tamrom 17-50mm f2.8 lens.

Happiness!

So the three grandmasters are heading to the zoo tomorrow and we're going to test out our new babies. I'm so excited!

Lovely

2011-09-28T10:14:00.000+08:00

The past couple evenings in Jakarta have actually been really pleasant, with me catching up with SF over dinner on Monday and Tuesday at the Opus Cafe and Kitchenette (in Plaza Indonesia). I'm still tickled at the novelty of meeting up overseas, even though we didn't plan on being in Jakarta for work at the same time.

As usual, conversation about family, work, relationships and life in general just flowed and I think we must have scared some people off with our incessant cackling. And it was nice to people watch and just enjoy being there.

Bought some more fruits from the supermarket- pomelo and honeymelon, which saved me the trouble of having to go downstairs for the hotel breakfast buffet. I think it's wonderful to have breakfast in bed, I really ought to consider doing this more often.

Couple days more in Jakarta. Feels like I've been here forever though. Can't wait to get back home.

Eeks! Too Much Negativity

2011-09-26T10:32:00.001+08:00

Ok, I'm going to counter my last few negative-y sounding posts with a positive post about dinner on Saturday.

Anyway, I posted on FB that I was going to be in Jakarta for the week, and Anthea pinged me to say that she was going to be in Jakarta too, and wanted to check if I had time to meet up. I had 2 presentations on Saturday, but was free in the evening, so made plans to have dinner with her.

After finally deciding on a meeting place, we had a lovely catch up over a healthy fruit salad (fruits + granola + yogurt = brilliance) and pasta. It's been ages since I last met her, and we had plenty to talk about. She updated me on her trip to Italy (I wanna go too!!!), I updated her on what happened the last time I was in India (OMG), and basically got each other up to speed.

Did a spot of grocery shopping where I bought some pomelo (OMG so good) and mango (meh), a pack of seaweed to munch on, and some hot chocolate (which came in very handy when I was too sick to go out for a meal). Already, all the fruits are gone (have I mentioned how good the pomelos were?) and I'm down to my last couple of packs of seaweed. I need to stock up. Heh.

Anyway, one more week in Jakarta and then back home for a couple of days before setting off for Surabaya again. First work trip with NewBoss too (need to think of a nickname). Let's see how it goes.

Sick

2011-09-26T10:23:00.001+08:00

I'm quite sick of myself falling sick everytime I leave the country. Seriously, is my immune system so shite now that once I leave the relatively clean and sparkly lands of Singapore, my body starts to shut down in protest?

Bleh.

Destruction of choice over the weekend: migraine coupled with a cough. Imagine having a constant throbbing headache which only got worse each time my throat decided to tickle. Each cough left me feeling like my head was going to explode, and my eye balls pop out. Gah.

Thank god for painkillers and more painkillers.

Ah well, a week more to go and I'll be back home. (Dear Universe, please make me well again ASAP. Thanks!)

I Hate Packing

2011-09-23T13:45:00.003+08:00

If I had to choose between packing my bags and taking a nap, I'd go for the nap. Unfortunately, I don't have enough time to take a nap and actually need to head to the airport soon. Blech. And of course, instead of packing (or napping), here I am blogging about how I don't want to pack. Amazing how much of a procrastinator I am, isn't it? Then again, on the flip side, one could say I work very well under pressure. It's all a matter of perspective.

Anyway, I suddenly remembered a blogger I used to follow in 2006 or 2007- Debutaunt- and did some searching around online. I was sad to read that she passed on in 2009, although it wasn't that big of a surprise, considering she had been diagnosed with leukemia. It made me think about all the blogs I used to read last time, and I wonder what these bloggers (ex-bloggers?) are doing now.

It's funny, reading a blog. After a while you feel like you know the blogger, especially those that write about stuff that goes on in their lives. You feel happy for them when they fall pregnant, you feel indignant when they write about cheating spouses, you ooh and aah over pictures of their children and pets.

And sometimes I wonder who reads this little space of mine. Based on the comments I get occasionally, it's definitely not just me. Lol. So hello there, whoever is reading this, and thanks for stopping by. Maybe I should pack my bags now.

Woah

2011-09-20T02:47:00.004+08:00

Was just reading a private blog entry from September 2009. This was during a time when my frequent trips to India seemed to be a mirror of what had happened recently to LGG. The whirlwind intensity of it all. Even the stuff we said and did. It was quite uncanny.

"... I refuse to believe that it will end the same way. I refuse to believe that he will be a callous bastard who wants me there at his convenience, unwittingly breaking my heart when he refuses to commit."

Wah. I guess I was wrong. Was too optimistic back then.

Anyway, it's so interesting to read my old blog entries (and I have *so* many blogs?!). So many things that I don't remember anymore. Amazing how the brain conveniently forgets things and how the written word is like a time capsule- capturing the thoughts and feelings of that specific time.

Almond Butter

2011-09-18T10:47:00.003+08:00

I've been talking about making nut butters for the longest time (think peanut butter but with other nuts) and today I finally did it. This is what happens when a planned photoshoot gets cancelled because of rainy weather, and you're too lazy to go out or do anything else.

Making your own nut butters is ridiculously easy. And the best part is that it's 100% natural, so you know that no preservatives go in it. A perfect excuse to finish it all up quickly. Not that you need an excuse, it's that yummy.

You get to control the amount of salt and oil that you use (I didn't use any, and yet my almond butter glistens oh so deliciously), and also the consistency. Do you like it chunky or creamy?

Anyway, here are the ingredients for the almond butter.

Ingredients:
Almonds

I kid you not. Ok, as mentioned above, you can add some salt to taste and use a bit of oil to make the whole thing smoother. But all you need are almonds (or the nuts of your choice) and a blender.

Instructions:
Put almonds in blender. Blend until the almonds become almond butter. Listen to November Rain in the meantime.

Yup, that's it. No fancy steps. Just a press of the button, the occasional opening of the lip to scrape down the sides, and the lyrics to November Rain so you can sing along while waiting.

When the song is done, you're pretty much about done. Stop if you like the consistency, keep blending if you like it smoother and creamier. Ta da!

Wanted: BFF

2011-09-16T08:51:00.001+08:00

Applications are open.

This Will Pass

2011-09-14T22:24:00.004+08:00

It's one of those days.

Things seem bleak, and one gradually sinks into melancholy and despondence.

There's no trigger, nothing I can pinpoint to explain this dark cloud over my head. There's no logical explanation either. None that comes to mind anyway.

Ah well. It will pass. Sooner than later, I hope.

Photoshop?

2011-09-13T17:33:00.000+08:00

Apparently HY thinks that I photoshop my pics. Grandmaster Macro don't photoshop no shit, yo!

(Mostly cos I don't have photoshop. And I'd probably be too lazy even if i got it. Haha.)

The pictures that are up on my flickr account are straight out of camera, so what you see is what you get. No touching up, no colour management, not even cropping. Yeh my composition is that awesome, yo!

It would be interesting to see how much more awesome my pictures can get if I did decide to do some photoshopping. Bet they will blow your mind.

Oh Hai. I Has Flickr Account.

2011-09-13T00:06:00.002+08:00

I'm so pleased. I've finally managed to figure out how to convert RAW format files to JPGs and how to upload the pictures onto flickr.

My shots aren't that impressive, but as the teacher likes to say, we are all here to learn. Get the basics right and worry about everything else later.

Anyway, still haven't decided what camera to buy. Hmmm. Will do more research when I'm in the office. Maybe I should put a camera and lens as part of my birthday request? Heehee.

Stressed

2011-09-12T00:08:00.001+08:00

Argh! HY and LGG have uploaded their pictures on flickr already! So fast, dammit.

Personal Ads?

2011-09-11T22:36:00.001+08:00

Since alkee are now perpetually joined at the hip, LGG and I have taken to looking for a new BFF (see previous post).

LGG says:
maybe we should also do it like a personal ad

bon says:
LOLOLOL

LGG says:
YOU ARE an adventurous independant chef who loves to spoil your friends
WE ARE two lonely hearts looking for companionship
HAHAHHAHAHAHAAA

bon says:
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

LGG says:
wah i bet if i put an online personal ad i sure get a lot of responses
so clever i am

bon says:
wats our old account

LGG says:
what old acct
we have an old acc?

bon says:
for craigslist

LGG says:
OH
crap
lol aiyah just use one of our numerous email adds
looking4chingaling@
HAHAHHAHAHAHAAAAA!

Wanted: New BFF

2011-09-11T22:31:00.001+08:00

Requirements:
Cooks well and enjoys cooking alone in the kitchen while LGG and I watch TV.
Likes watching random reality TV shows.
Likes eating vegetables.
Enjoys traveling and is not a fussy traveller. Able to pay for own expenses. Loves the mountains.
Loves Zoolander and can quote verbatim while watching repeatedly with LGG and I.
Does not require the company of BFFs when shopping.
Able to withstand non-stop caffeine-laden conversations and still love LGG and I after.
Ability to hold multi-party whatsapp and MSN conversations an advantage.
Ability to booze not essential, but must be willing to learn. Access to free booze, a distinct advantage.
Access to the igloo hotel

Apply only if you know what we are talking about. Please submit photos of self on holiday, plus an updated CV on friends and hobbies.

Lights, Camera, Action!

2011-09-10T22:39:00.000+08:00

We've finished our basic photography lessons and have now moved on to learning about various aspects of art photography. So far, we're learning about realism photography and landscape photography.

Had an intensive full-day class today, starting with a photo shoot outing at the Guan Yin temple, and then theory lessons on landscape photography. (We had our theory lessons on realism photography last week.)

The photo shoot was very interesting, and I got to learn a lot more about exposure and lighting today. Also got to play around with Alvin's cameras- his Olympus dslr and pen. I likey.

It's amazing how much more control you get when you use a dslr. Coupled with my new found knowledge in adjusting exposure and the like, I really got a chance to experience first hand why people would opt for this instead of a normal point-and-shoot camera.

The landscape theory class was also very eye-opening, especially when the teacher showed us various pictures that he has taken over the years. Respect. His pictures are ridiculously beautiful and it really humbles and makes you feel honoured to be taking lessons from him.

Although his class dragged on for six hours (yes, six), he gave very good pointers on taking landscape photographs. And his passion and enthusiasm for photography is quite contagious, you leave the class tired and drained but so excited to practise what he has just taught you.

Now all I need to do is figure out what camera and lens to buy. Hmmm.

Of A Time Now Past

2011-09-09T13:36:00.002+08:00

Ooh one of the wonderful things about finding my old HDD is that I now have all the music that I saved from the past. I've not heard these songs in years!

Funny how you associate music with certain memories. Listening to these songs bring me back to a time when life was simpler. Everything seemed to be so innocent, carefree and hopeful. What happened?

A Judge Of Character

2011-09-08T00:41:00.001+08:00

Was IMing with Z today who was telling me about this girl he had gotten engaged to. He showed me her facebook profile page, and based on her pictures and some comments she left on his pages, I "summarised" what I thought about her.

Mind you, I've never met this girl and I've never met Z in person before either. Although we have known each other since 2008 or 2009, all of our communications have been purely online. We do chat quite a fair bit though, and have the occasional long conversation about life and love.

Anyway, I said she looked like a nice and sweet girl, but seemed prone to having inreasonable tantrums that came as and when, depending on her mood. And I said he was probably really patient with her, and was probably able to reason things out with her, so it works out well for them. And I think he was surprised at how I managed to accurately deduce all that, just based on a couple of pictures.

Hmm, I guess I've always been able to quite accurately tell what kind of person one is by looking at their pictures. Perhaps it's being able to read certain facial expressions or body language? I don't know.

Interestingly, I saw a recently uploaded picture of someone this afternoon and commented to LGG that I didn't think this particular guy was good looking anymore. In fact, after my chat with Z, I relooked at that picture, and realised that not only did he cease to be good looking, there was also a slight touch of deceit or untrustworthiness there.

Anyways. Maybe I'm just psychic. Lol.

Grandmasters, We Are

2011-09-07T20:01:00.002+08:00

After 2 weeks of basic photography classes, LGG, HY and I have decided that 1) we will hold our photography exhibition next year 2) we'll eventually be Grandmasters so might as well own the title now.

So LGG is now Grandmaster Realism, HY is now Grandmaster Landscape, and I am Grandmaster Macro. Just like how there are different Iron Chefs, ya'know. Lol.

Of course, first we actually need to buy our cameras. Haha.

And that's what GMR and I have been obsessing about these days. With our new-found knowledge, we now understand what those pesky little numbers mean whenever people start talking about cameras and lenses.

F stops, focal length, shutter speed, depth of field, exposure, metering.. The phrases roll off our tongues now. (Usually in a question like, "What f stop and shutter speed should we use ah?" But at least it's photography-speak!)

We've been doing our research, and will probably buy second-hand DSLRs for the time being. It's exciting though, exploring all the possibilities that await us. We're gonna take the photography world by storm!

Flashback!

2011-09-07T11:23:00.002+08:00

Wah I just found my old HDD which stored all my pictures from Way Back When. Including my wedding pictures. I haven't seen them in yonks and I thought I deleted all of them.

Looking through all the albums, I've realised that something about me hasn't changed: majority of the pictures that I keep are food pics. Lol.

Happiness Is Planning A Family Trip

2011-09-07T10:42:00.000+08:00

Whee! Just got an SMS from my mom saying that my dad has agreed to go for a holiday in Perth this November!

Since my sis will be moving to the States at the end of the year, she really wanted to make a trip to Australia to see my brother and his little ones. And the only time she is able to do so in between work trips is in November, so we thought it'd be nice to have a family holiday together.

The last time we went on a trip with my dad must have been ages ago- when we did a trip to Ipoh. Eating all day long and visiting the stables. Lol.

How exciting! November may not be the best time for my brother and his wife (it's still school term) but ok la. We'll take what we can get.

Yay!

Om... Nom Nom Nom

2011-09-06T12:05:00.001+08:00

Lol I'm so tickled. Decided to also change the subheader of my blog.

Mobile Template For Blog

2011-09-06T01:37:00.001+08:00

Enabled it. Just because.

Heh.

Gulp

2011-09-01T23:20:00.002+08:00

Was reading my old blog and came across this entry- http://bunnygoeszen.livejournal.com/6744.html

That was written in 2006.

Have I been working for 8 years already?! I feel so old.

More Bo Liao Conversations

2011-09-01T22:37:00.001+08:00

Was chatting with babycakes today and somehow decided to start comparing medications. We both fell sick after the Malacca weekend, each happily blaming each other for falling ill.

"You lah! You sneezed on Friday night!"
"No but I only sneezed once! Your nose was dripping the whole day on Saturday! And you started coughing too!"
"But if you didn't sneeze, I wouldn't have caught anything from you!"
"Eh you ate two bowls of laksa in a day!"

Lol. So today we whipped out our plastic bags full of different pills, and had this exchange:

"Paracetamol for fever?"
"I also have."
"Hmm this one is to open up the airways."
"Mine is for sorethroat."
"Oh I don't have. What about antibiotics? Mine is xyz (I forget now)."
"Have, but mine is abc (another kind),"
"Ooh this one is to stop running nose. It makes you drowsy."
"Yup, but mine is different colour."
"Wah yours looks nicer. And my last one is cough syrup."
"Oh my last one is lozenges. No cough syrup."

Super bo liao. And of course it only just occurs to me now that blogging about this bo liao conversation is even more bo liao. So I think I shall end. Heh.

Happy Teachers' Day!

2011-09-01T08:34:00.002+08:00

Wow who would have thought September would roll around so soon? Time really flies. The year has really been a roller coaster one for me, but I'm glad things are pretty much settling down. I hope.

And it's teachers' day today! Could have been my day if I had accepted the offer of a teaching contract with MOE way back in 2004. Imagine how much different my life would have turned out! Lol.

(Somehow an image of a frazzled me wearing food stained clothes and chalk marts on the butt of my black pants come to mind. Hahahaha.)

Anyway, to all you teachers out there, have a great day and keep on doing the good work!

Trust

2011-09-01T00:45:00.001+08:00

Why do I always end up with people who break my trust in them? Is it me? Do I subconsciously choose or seek out a certain type or pattern?

At least in some relationships, romantic ones for example, you get to choose the person you want to be with (or do you? The heart doesn't choose who to love. Hmm). But in other relationships, you don't always have that choice.

Yet time and time again, I find the trust I place in certain people just get misplaced and abused.

It's quite annoying, really. People suck.

Photography 101

2011-08-31T02:42:00.005+08:00

Can't seem to fall asleep despite taking the drowsy meds, so shall blog about the photography class that I've been going for.

Alvin has apparently been learning photography from this guy for the past three years or so, and has been waxing lyrical about how skillful his teacher is. Since LGG and a couple of friends were interested in going for class, I decided why not.

We were warned, though, that lessons would be taught in Chinese. *gulp*

Got the contact number of the teacher and somehow I was tasked to make arrangements for the class. Me? Speaking Chinese?! Here's how the conversation went.

me: Hello, 请问你是 Alvin 的 photography 老师吗？(so far so good) 我是他的朋友。我们想跟你学... (pause cos I didn't know the word for photography)
teacher: 哦！你是 Alvin 的朋友！对，他有跟我说你们要来学 (dammit I didn't catch the word for photography! He is speaking too fast!)
me: 是的
teacher: bla bla bla (something about how he doesn't normally teach basic photography cos he usually teaches advanced stuff.. but cos of Alvin he will teach us..)
me: 哦！谢谢！(pause cos I could not think of anything else to say)
teacher: bla bla bla (something about how the students he teaches are winning awards..)
me: 是吗？很好啊。(OMG this conversation seems to be going waaaaay off tangent.)
teacher: bla bla bla (still going on about ... hmmm I stopped listening)
me: 哈哈哈 (polite laughter cos I have absolutely no idea what he is saying)
teacher: bla bla bla .. 上课..
me: (oh did he say something about class? I try my luck..) 我们想在下个星期四上课,可以吗？
teacher: 星期四？让我看一看.. 应该没问题。我还有 bla bla bla (something about other students who will be joining the class too)
me: 可以 (what did I just agree to?!)
teacher: bla bla bla (again I think he is telling me about him not teaching basics.. but I'm not sure)
me: 是吗？哈哈哈 (the only response I know)
teacher: bla bla bla (he talks a lot)
me: 哈哈哈，可以。(again, not sure what I'm agreeing to)
teacher: bla bla bla .. 你给我你的 email, 我再给你我的地址。
me: 好的，我现在 sms 你。(yay! conversation finally over!)
teacher: bla bla bla (?!?!?!)
me: 哈哈哈，好的，我现在 sms 你。BYEBYE!
teacher: ok, byebye
me: *phew* (I survived!)

Anyway, that's how I fumbled along trying to arrange for the class. The entire conversation took a good 20 minutes. A lot of "哈哈"s and "好的"s and "可以"s from my end. *hangs head in shame*

Later, the teacher sends me a looooong email (written in Chinese omg) to confirm the dates and times, and all I could come up with to reply was "可以". Lol I even forgot to thank him, where have my manners gone?!

More on the actual class in another post. Lol.

Eid Mubarak

2011-08-30T22:11:00.000+08:00

It's that time of the year again where Muslims around the world celebrate the end of Ramadan.

I was on my way back home, and got into the lift with a family who was probably visiting some relatives in the same block. Just watching them made me feel a slight tinge of nostalgia- I do miss the house visiting, matching bajus and gorging on goodies all day long.

(Actually I probably just miss the food. Lol.)

Ah well, to all my Muslim friends: Eid Mubarak! May your year be filled with many blessings. And, let me know when your open house is so I can go makan, boleh?

Health Is Wealth

2011-08-29T16:19:00.002+08:00

Haiz, my immune system is shite, judging by the increasing frequency and severity of each bout of illness.

In just the past three months, I've had a chest cough / infection while I was in Perth, a stomach infection leading to delirium-causing fevers when I was in India, and now post-Malacca I'm battling an adult onset asthma attack.

Is it even possible to get asthma so late in life? *shrugs*

I wonder what I should do to help improve my health. Umfortunately good health has always been something one takes for granted. Might need to go see a TCM doctor and see what he says.

But anyway, as JM so aptly put (6 years ago): I'm not getting any younger, you know.

Burp

2011-08-27T22:45:00.002+08:00

OMG I think it's a uniquely Singaporean ability to constantly be able to stuff one's face.

We arrived in Malacca and headed to some roadside shop to have satay celup- various skewers of fishballs, meat, fishcakes, seafood, you tiao etc cooked in a simmering pot of satay sauce. OMG sedap sia!

In the morning we had nonya laksa, then A&W for lunch (coney dogs, how I've missed you) and assam laksa for dinner with a bit of rojak and chendol. Slurp.

Did the touristy thing and headed to a'famosa, and also took neoprints at the mall. Ended the day prowling Jonker Walk for knick knacks to buy.

All in all a tiring but highly satisfying day. Chicken rice balls tomorrow!

Leaving On A .. Bus

2011-08-26T08:38:00.001+08:00

Whee! We're off to Malacca tonight! Chicken rice balls and chendol, here I come!

But first I've got to survive the countless meetings and appointments that plague my day today. It's inhumane, I say, to make people work on Fridays.

Anyway, babycakes (new nick! no more slutty lol), XY and Mich will be heading up tonight and crashing at Mich's aunts place. Free accomodation is always da bomb. Imagine an entire weekend of stuffing face.. oh wait, I do that most weekends already. Hehehe.

We'll be back on Sunday night, despite Tuesday being a public holiday. Don't think a leave application for the 4 of us on Monday would be approved. Plus I have my photography class (which I'll blog about later).

Happiness!

This Is Why I'm Not A Doctor

2011-08-24T09:07:00.001+08:00

Was telling EYS about my snow-not-snow moment and he used the word "precipitation". Me? I just call it frozen waters from the sky. Lol.

Whiskey Appreciation 101

2011-08-24T01:35:00.001+08:00

Ok I'm officially turning into an uncle.

Met up with Alfred to have dinner and check out cameras at Funan. The camera I'm eyeing only costs $629 with free 8GB memory card, extra battery, camera casing and mini tripod! I was going to buy it but Alvin suggested I borrow Rod's camera and play around with it first before deciding on a purchase, so I guess that's wht I'll do first.

Then met up with EYS and had some beers and shisha and had a nice evening chatting and dispensing advise (me not him) about not worrying too much about screwing one's kid's life.

Conversation went on to how I've not actually learnt to appreciate whiskey (bleh) and somehow we ended up back home and sampling some of the whiskeys in his collection. Something about peaty whiskeys vs non-peaty whiskeys. Yawn.

Spent more time playing with Vanilla and Caramel, his two retriever-poodles.

So the whiskeys he let me try were smooth and easy on the throat, but I don't think I'll be stocking up on my Glenfiddichs or wadyacallems any time soon.

But man, am I turning into an uncle or what?

Sibeh Bo Liao

2011-08-22T23:29:00.001+08:00

Sometimes I think the conversations that we have are seriously bo liao lor. Was chatting with Rod and disussing how "old" the collective sexual experience that he, LGG and I have. So we did a count.

me: OMG our collective sexual experience is 55 years!!
Rod: Fark! Our sexual experience can take CPF liao lor!

Lololololololol.

Being Carefree

2011-08-19T09:51:00.003+08:00

One of the happiest feelings in the world, I reckon, is that carefree joy that you feel while lolling about in bed, knowing that you don't have to go to the office and have the rest of the day ahead to do absolutely nothing.

I was in that state of pure bliss, literally rolling from side to side in my bed, silly smirk and grin on my face when my mom walks in.

mom: It's 8am
me: Yep!
mom: You're on leave today?
me: No? ... Oh. It's Friday huh.

*cue sinking feeling*

Lol. So anyway, here I am in the office, experiencing what must be the second most happy feeling in the world- the rush of caffeine to the system. Slurp.

I Want, I Want, I Want

2011-08-18T21:09:00.002+08:00

Oh no. Is it that time of the year where I start hankering for new toys? My latest obsession- digital cameras. Yikes. I have a perfectly fine digital camera that takes decent pictures, but yet I still want to get a new one.

Plus, we'll be going for photography classes soon so I might as well get a new toy and learn how to use it, right?

*breathes*

About Ladakh

2011-08-17T23:29:00.003+08:00

I know, I know. I said that I'd write more about Ladakh, but I'm just so lazy. So everyone, please just head over to TFP's page and read his account there. He has a better description anyway, and I've already uploaded the pics and blogged about the important (to me) bits of the trip. Lol.

Malacca next weekend. Mmm chicken rice balls.

It's Just A Technical Difference Lah

2011-08-16T22:24:00.002+08:00

After showing everyone a picture of what I thought was snow, I've been told that it wasn't snow, but probably sleet. Apparently snow is soft. Chey.

Same same, I say. Frozen water from the skies is frozen water from the skies. Pfft!

Home Sweet Home

2011-08-14T09:10:00.001+08:00

After one and a half months of traveling in and out of India, I'm so glad that I'm finally done. Phew.

One of the best feelings in the world, I reckon, must be taking a shower immediately upon reaching home, and giving myself a good thorough scrubbing to get rid of the accumulated India-dust on the skin. My skin feels like it's finally clean again, and soaks up all the moisturiser that's been slathered on.

Spent the entire day at the Delhi airport yesterday. Arrived from Leh at about 8.20am and my flight to Singapore was at 11.30pm. Since I was already OD-ed on India, I decided not to join TFP as he made his way around Old Delhi.

Watched Community (both seasons of) and filled my tummy with coffee and cake. It was actually quite pleasant to just sit back and do nothing. Lol.

Alright. Time to zzz. Will update more later.

Soon!

2011-08-14T00:50:00.001+08:00

At the airport waiting to board the plane back. Omg I can't wait to get back home.

Last Day In Ladakh

2011-08-12T17:49:00.001+08:00

Spending a lazy day just nua-ing and doing absolutely nothing. How pleasant.

Happiness!!!

2011-08-11T23:51:00.001+08:00

1. Plucked a radish. One of the advantages of having a garden at the guesthouse. Sure it's not a tapioca, but it's bigger and I reckon much harder to yank out of the ground. Wahey!

2. Took a camel ride shadow pic. Went on a camel safari in Hunder and managed to get a snap. Whee!

3. I SAW SNOW!!! There was a traffic jam near the Khardung La. My window was open and I noticed these little white balls (that looked like mini melts) falling in through the window. Stepped out and IT WAS SNOWING!!! :D:D:D:D:D

.. More on my trip when I'm back in Singapore.

Ladakh

2011-08-07T17:14:00.001+08:00

Yippie!!! I'm here!!! To do list for today- explore bazaar (done), explore old town (soon, after it stops raining), book taxi for trip to Nubra Valley and Panggong Lake (in progress).

Happiness is being on holiday. :D

Done!

2011-08-06T11:30:00.001+08:00

Ahh I'm finally done with all my work trips in India, and now getting ready to check out of my hotel in Dehradun and head to the airport. Flight to Delhi and stay there for a night, and then onwards to Ladakh!

I do hope I have enough money with me. Yikes. I didn't really think through carefully about how much money I'd need, so I don't know if the money that I've got on hand will suffice. Will probably call the guesthouse when I'm there, and ask her for an estimate.

I'm excited. How often does one get to go to one of the world's most beautiful places?

Food Cravings

2011-08-05T19:01:00.001+08:00

Having been traveling in and out of India for the past month and a half, each time I'm here, I just crave non-Indian food.

Reading Sus' blog and how she had chilli crab and Jumbo, and my mouth waters. I waaaant. Plus I've not had my previous durian craving satisfied (why ah?). Sigh.

I'm not normally so whiny when it comes to food, and am usually quite easily pleased. As long as it's tasty, I'm a happy camper. And Indian food is definitely high up on the tasty list. It's just.. bad associations? Who knows.

Spent the day in the hotel today playing this game. Could have gone out for a walk but I've seen most of Dehradun in the couple of days I've been here (it's really a small town) and it's too hot out to walk around.

Back to Delhi tomorrow. I'm doing my research online for some nice restaurants to eat at (haha, non-Indian of course) and then off to Ladakh on Sunday. Woot!

One Day In Dehradun

2011-08-03T23:35:00.001+08:00

And so far, I like it.

Dehradun is rather undeveloped, compared to the other cities that I have travelled to. The plants along the sides of the roads are overgrown, there are cows and monkeys and dogs running on the street (well, not the cows), it's crowded but has a simple and blast-to-the-past vibe to the place. Sort of reminds me of Goa, minus the beaches and throngs of ang moh tourists.

Checked in, took a quick shower, and left the hotel for my appointments. After I was done, I drove to Clement Town and visited the buddhist monastery there. There were quite a number of Tibetans there, walking around the stupa chanting with their prayer beads in hand. It also seemed like a place for Indians to hang out- you could see couples sitting here and there on the grassy patches. (No Amorous Activities Please, said the many signs around the place. Hehehe.)

I spoke to a Tibetan guy who was sort of a caretaker for the temple. I said the only Tibetan I remember (tu chi chieh- which means thank you) and he was so happy he took me on a mini tour of the place. :D

Got back to the hotel with every intention of exploring the area, but zzz. I took a shower, got into my sleeping clothes and now I'm all ready for bed. It's still early in India, only 9pm, but my body is in Singapore time (11.30pm). My allergy is flaring up and my lips are all red and swollen now, I wonder what I ate.

Think I'll log off and go to bed. Zzz.

Good News

2011-08-03T15:54:00.001+08:00

Congratulations Alkee!!! Finally hold hands, no need to wait till year end. Wheee! So happy for you both. :D:D:D

All My Bags Are Packed, I'm Ready To Go

2011-08-01T21:58:00.001+08:00

2 hours before I have to leave for the airport. My bags are packed (amazingly), and I have a sticky date pudding in the oven. I'm still undecided on whether I should take a nap now, or just stay up till it's time to leave.

Crazy schedule for the first day of my trip. I fly at 2am Singapore time, land at 5am India time, reach the hotel at 6.30am, leave at 7am for a 2 hour drive to my 9am appointment. Gah.

Anyway, highlight of this trip is finishing all my work visits to India and rewarding myself with a quick getaway to Ladakh. Whee! Will be meeting TFP in Delhi and taking the flight to Leh together.

Don't really have much expectations of the trip, except that I think Ladakh is going to be breathtakingly beautiful. Hope my camera can do the place justice.

Ok. I think I'm going to take a quick nap. Zzz.

Shoot Me, Please

2011-07-31T19:53:00.003+08:00

I'm off to India again tomorrow night, and I'm wondering if I should do a Daren. Based on my last trip where I constantly ordered pizza for dinner, I'm quite certain that I'm off Indian food. I still think it's tasty, but perhaps all the negative association I have with India has made me feel rather meh about their cuisine. I certainly wasn't able to finish my idly for breakfast the last time I was in Bangalore. Lol.

So what's doing a Daren?

During one of my first work trips to India in 2009, I traveled with a colleague (the aforementioned Daren) who brought bei bei mian and luncheon meat and canned sardines. He refused to eat anything outside the hotel (in fact, the only hotel food he ate was the hotel breakfast) and even with all his Singapore-brought instant foods, he fell sick. It was rather embarrassing.

Knowing that I'll be in India for a full two weeks now feels like more of a chore (despite the fact that half of it will be my holiday, lol) and I'm worried I'll be miserable about the food situation. So I'm contemplating bringing a stash of bei bei mian, in case I get sick of the food.

Who would have thought I'd come to this, eh? Lol.

I Have The Most Awesome Friends In The World!!!

2011-07-30T11:43:00.001+08:00

Waaaaaaaaaaaah alkee are coming to bring me lunch!!! lovelovelovelovelove

Bored

2011-07-30T11:17:00.001+08:00

Am at a school fair today at the faaaaaar end of Singapore and it took me forever to get here by cab. By the time I arrived I was 40 minutes late (of course, I left 10 minutes before I was supposed to be here haha) but thankfully I'm alone so no one to tell on me.

It's only 11am and I'm bored. The fair started at 9am and supposedly ends at 4pm. O M G what am I going to do for the next 5 hours? Thankfully, I have my laptop so I can entertain myself by surfing the net and chatting on MSN.

Yawn.

In God's Hands

2011-07-26T22:18:00.002+08:00

I heard about your loss today. And I cannot imagine the amount of pain and the immense sense of grief that you and your family must be experiencing.

I don't know what to say, but I wish you strength to get through this difficult time, and to come out of it with grace and hope. It's hard to understand why your little one was taken away so soon, but trust that she is in a better place now.

Al fateha.

Not Again

2011-07-26T16:35:00.002+08:00

Sick. Again.

Have a flu which means running nose, watery eyes and non stop sneezing. Argh.

It's Not Just Me!

2011-07-25T19:18:00.002+08:00

Ah ha! Here's the extended video of the AHS school song, and at the end bit everyone said they didn't understand the school song cos it's so cheem. Ha! So it's not just me. Wahahahaha.

And a tribute to the old principal, Mr Moo. Yep, AHS is damn cheena. I have absolutely no idea how I survived. Hehehe, but survive I did! Nostalgic sia.

Free Wifi Is Always A Good Thing

2011-07-23T17:29:00.006+08:00

At the airport in Bangalore waiting for my flight home, and I can't wait to leave this place. Actually, apart from the sobfest when I arrived, things have been quite alright.

Went to Peco's, Harry's, Couch, and Koshy's, and also discovered a new coffee place (which I forget the name) that has free wi fi. Did a bit of shopping too, and got me a pair of jeans and 4 t-shirts for cheap, so that was pretty nice.

Decided it was quite pointless to meet up with him. He got in touch, saying he read my blog and knew I was in town, and asked to meet up and maybe explain.

Explain? What's to explain?

And later, he said it would be good to get some closure. And when I asked, closure for you? He said yeah. Wah lau eh, self centered much? He also made a comment which made me just go wide eyed, saying that he knew I just wanted to punish him. Lol. I'm not that bo liao leh.

Perhaps if he had said something along the lines of, let's try to be friends or let's both get some closure, I might have been compelled to meet up. But.. he didn't. In fact, he came across as someone who felt guilty and just wanted to make himself feel better. Sigh.

Wanting closure or wanting to explain came three months too late. If there was any sincerity in what he was saying or doing, he would have gotten in touch earlier, rather than when I was conveniently in town.

So I chose a lazy evening in bed instead, chatting with my friends on MSN and generally being amazed at how he thought everything was about him.

.. Anyway, one more work trip to India and I'm done. Phew!

15 More Days!

2011-07-23T12:48:00.001+08:00

Countdown. Ooh yeah.

I Dream Of Liu Lian

2011-07-22T09:44:00.004+08:00

OMG what's with everyone having durian last night? While chatting, TFP was happily stuffing his face with at least 5 whole durians (me: 5 durian seeds? TFP: no, 5 durians).

Then later on, Jeanne tells me she was so so so so full cos she had just come back from the Ion of durian places. Plus, a couple more FB status messages about durian, durian, durian. Is it durian season now?

Well, whatever the reason, all this talk of durian is making me crave it so bad, I actually dreamt of eating durian last night. Yum. Food dreams are the best. Lol. So everyone, wait for me!!! I waaaaant!!!

My Dog Died

2011-07-20T02:16:00.004+08:00

That's what I told the driver as he looked at me with great concern. He was wondering why I was crying in the back of the car, concluded that I was not feeling well and wanted to bring me to the hospital.

Sigh.

Being back in Bangalore is tougher than I expected. Much tougher. I feel like I'm smack at the beginning. The pain is so raw. Everything triggers the waterworks. It's hard to breath. And I just want to disappear and fade away.

As the car drove down the highway, I see the familiar sights. The billboards. The cafe coffee day. The petrol kiosks.

Random thoughts fill my mind. I want to tell the driver to take a detour. I want to drive to his place and see if his car is parked there. I want to call him. I want to meet him. I want..

I just want the pain to end.

But it's pointless. Logical-me knows it won't achieve anything. And what will I say anyway? Thanks for breaking my heart. Thanks for lying about everything. Thanks for making me believe that what we had was special. Thanks for shattering all of that.

Ah well. Life goes on. It does. I just wish I didn't have to be here right now.

Guess What's Baking?

2011-07-19T14:38:00.004+08:00

I've got a nutella bread pudding baking in the oven now. So pleased. Got the idea when Carol posted a picture of someone's bread pudding, and since I have made bread pudding before (well my mom has, same same), how could I resist a nutella version of the stuff? Slurp.

Recipe was easy enough to modify, less sugar and coat the bread with nutella. Let's hope it turns out well. Lol, so instead of packing for my work trip, I'm at home baking. How efficient. Heehee.

[ETA: OMG MY HOUSE SMELLS SO DELICIOUS.]