Lovely

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

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

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

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

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

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

Applications are open.

This Will Pass

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?

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.

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

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

Personal Ads?

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

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!

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

Mobile Template For Blog

Enabled it. Just because.

Heh.

Gulp

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

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!

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

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.