It's Eliss' birthday today. A few girls and I had to secretly go get a cake and flowers so as to give her a surprise.
I still remember, last year, she walked right into the same shop when I was ordering a birthday cake for her. It was so awkward. We stood staring at each other for like two seconds before she promised to pretend she didn't see me.
This year, we went to great lengths to keep it from her by taking a different route back to office to avoid bumping into her and hiding the cake and flowers in obscure places she'd never venture to. It was a rather difficult task to not get discovered by Eliss as she is always everywhere.
We then had a slight emergency when we realised the cake didn't come with candles. Someone suggested we light a cigarette in place of candles. I actually went around looking for one. Fortunately someone found some stray candles to save us having to inhale cigarette smoke.
I guess she must have suspected something. In any case I hope there was at least some surprise factor. This shall be the last July birthday in the Corporate Comms room. Til next July then.
ps: Eliss, I think you looked really good in the checkered shirt dress today.
for eliss
starbucks vs gloria jeans
Starbucks Coffee shops closed down at 2pm today for management meeting on the future of stores in Melbourne. Photo by Justin McManus and taken from an article from theage.com.au
Starbucks announced yesterday that they are closing 61 out of 84 outlets here across Australia. That's like 73% of their stores here. They will all be closed by Sunday... that's in 4 days' time. Imagine the number of jobs affected. They're not doing great in the U.S. either as the closure of 600 stores affecting some 12,000 jobs in the U.S. was announced last month. You can read the full article here.
Coincidentally, I had a rather disgusting cup of mocha from Starbucks a few days ago and had wanted to blog-bitch about it but had forgotten to do so (until I was reminded by this article). The mocha kinda tasted like extremely diluted coffee with too much milk. A friend ordered a white chocolate drink and it totally tasted like diluted hot milk. It was so gross I wonder how he managed to finish it.
The barista got all the milk-coffee proportions wrong. We ordered coffee/chocolate drinks with milk, not milk with dashes of coffee/chocolate. That's like a world of difference. One doesn't need to go through an entire barista course to know this.
I must say I was utterly disappointed by that disgusting mocha (or milk?). My coffee experiences with Starbucks in Canada were awesome. Great coffee, fantastic service. I couldn't survive a day without my regular vanilla latte during my approx. one month's stay in Whistler. Can't say the same for what we have here in OZ (and in Singapore too - how can I forget the overpriced and yucky cappuccinos I had).
Having had a week of great mochas from Gloria Jeans prior to this bad Starbucks experience, I was amazed that Starbucks is still surviving here... until I read this article. There's a quote in the article: "In America, Starbucks is a state of mind. In Australia, it was simply another player". I think the reverse is true here.
I'm not sorry that Starbucks is not doing that well. But I feel sorry for all those whose livelihoods will be affected. Even though I don't like that japanese chick who made my super yucky mocha, I don't want her to lose her job. Losing her job is too high a price to pay for making disgusting coffee. Besides, she's rather polite and has a cute smile too. All you people should go visit her at the Starbucks outlet opposite Hyde Park to give her an encouraging pat on the back and tell her, "it's ok, I'm sure you'll find a better job elsewhere, maybe try Gloria Jeans, they'll teach you to make better mochas too."
of madam j and lamb
I received two mms pictures on my phone today. One of them is a picture taken by my lesbian lover Yen-yen at Madam J's wedding (above). Madam J was escorted into the ballroom on a traditional chinese sedan. In the picture, she is totally blocked by a man I presume is her hubby. Arggghhhh cannot see her! Yen-yen said she looked really beautiful then. I am looking forward to seeing her photos. Madam, make sure you post them somewhere or send to me or whatever, I wanna see!
On something totally unrelated to the wedding, lamb is coming to Sydney next week! Years ago, I promised him that I will bring him to a strip club if he ever visits Sydney but not before he turns 18! Now that he's 19, I definitely should show him the REAL WORLD. *Insert extremely evil laugh* Hehehe. Am so looking forward to see him. I hope he won't be shocked by my feminine demeanour.
Update: Lamb is not coming to Sydney anymore. Although a bit disappointed, but studies come first. Last semester, so cannot afford to be slack. I'll go visit him someday (if I can get away) after his exams before he goes back to SG for NS.
food diary: 21 - 27 july
I accidentally erased my food diary update for the week 21 - 27 July! The week I bought my first stalk of green shitty veg - spinach. I thought I saw beakee asking something about the shitty veg in the comments... and now everything's gone... BLEAH.
pms
I was hit by severe bouts of PMS last week.
From wiki: Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a collection of physical, psychological, and emotional symptoms related to a woman's menstrual cycle. Women with PMS have symptoms of "sufficient severity to interfere with some aspects of life". The three most prominent symptoms are irritability, tension and dysphoria (unhappiness).
I got irritated by the most trivial things. I was plaqued with pounding headaches. At one point, I saw stars and had to hold on to something as I thought I was going to pass out. Depression engulfed me on friday and I composed a rather emotional email to Madam J. She must have been so busy getting ready for her wedding on saturday she wouldn't have had the time to read it yet. KT sensed my moodiness through my curt smses and bought me dinner. Very selflessly, he allowed me to unleash all my wrath and irrational emo bullets at him. A few dishes of Taiwanese snacks later, I returned to my chirpy self only to get hit by waves of nausea.
When I was younger, I experienced more of the physical symptoms such as abdominal cramps, bloatedness, muscle aches, migraines and fatigue. It got so bad a few times that I passed out for a minute or two. Once many years ago I almost crawled my way to the clinic just a block away and had an injection of some uber strong painkillers. Mostly, I had to just lie in bed so I can sleep myself to oblivion. Fortunately, such physical discomforts can be alleviated with medication, making them bearable.
The emotional and psychological symptoms are the ones I have yet to learn to handle. Self loathe. Self pity. Loneliness. Zero self esteem. Paranoia. Insecurity. Anger. Sometimes it seems like the end of the world. And I would feel uglier than the ugliest person ever in existence.
These are times when I really need lots of TLC. Loads of compliments. And heaps of good food. Maybe throw in a punching bag too. Oh, and I read somewhere, orgasms are the best cures for PMS. That's definitely worth exploring *insert cheeky grin*. (",)
call centre staff have no brains
Having just moved (again) to another (nicer!) apartment unit, I had to go through the update-new-address-with-all-the-various-banks-and-other-organisations routine all over again.
As I called up each bank (OCBC, UOB, Standard Chartered & Citibank), I thought I'd request to view my statements online and do away with receiving paper statements altogether since I use internet banking all the time anyway. And with the one or two transactions I do a year for each account, there is no need for me to keep receiving statements every month that show the same balance.
OCBC was the first bank I called and the call centre staff irritated the hell out of me. Firstly, I couldn't understand what he was saying half the time. He was muttering to himself at rocket speeds. Secondly, I find it totally retarded that I have to be transferred to another staff from another department and repeat the whole process just so that I can update a change in address for the different accounts held with the same bank. And finally, I was told, even if I can view statements online, I still MUST receive the paper statements. He emphasized the word MUST. He wasn't able to answer me when I asked the reason for this idiotic requirement but simply repeated that "You MUST....." sentence.
UOB was much better. They do offer the option of not receiving paper statements although I had to go through a long verification process and I had to send in an official written request. I accepted that all these were for security reasons. At least the staff took the trouble to explain the reasons behind. And the staff was way way way more polite than that OCBC guy.
Both Standard Chartered and Citibank allow internet banking customers to deselect the paper statements option with just a click on the mouse when customers log in to their internet banking accounts. There is also the added option of receiving your statements via email and/or receiving email alerts to access statements through the online banking account. This makes more sense right? I still cannot believe that I was told I MUST receive paper statements no matter what.
The lady I spoke to at Citibank was professional, spoke well, extremely polite and knew her stuff. And I felt I was finally speaking to a human being. And one with brains too, which seems to be quite a rare thing these days.
first 10 guidelines for project P
#1: no late nights, sleep by 12 midnight every night
#2: sleep 7 to 8 hours a day
#3: drink one glass of milk every morning
#4: reduce caffeine intake from 1 coffee a day to 1 every other day
#5: drink more water and juice
#6: must incorporate veges and fruits into at least one meal a day
#7: walk to work (20min brisk walk) at least 3 times a week
#8: take the stairs instead of the lift (at work)
#9: do the whole body cellulite massage and moisturising routine on alternate days
#10: cleanse, tone, moisturise the face twice a day
tsunami in australia
News feature on Yahoo site today: Tsunami is coming to Australia.
"A leading scientist says it's only a matter of time before a tsunami hits Australia. The question is not how likely, but how big?" - Read full article here.
The article seems to suggest that there is currently no tsunami warning system in Australia. OMG.
I am very very scared. Okay who isn't scared right?
I have always thought the worst way to die is by drowning. Having had a few near drown incidents when I was little, I have had this phobia of going into the open sea ever since. Even though I can swim (not too well though), I have never dared venture into waters where my feet don't touch any grounds, even in a swimming pool.
Vin's accident traumatised me quite a fair bit as I kept visualising the last moments. I know I probably shouldn't bring this incident up again, but right now, as I get reminded of it again, I am having these weird feelings and depressing thoughts all rushing at me.
updated loot report
This is an updated loot report for this year's special day:
1. I collected a parcel today from the post office. It's from fav tudi, rae, BH and lamb. According to them, I have become so girly that they felt it's only appropriate to make me even more so. Hence they picked the below items from my etsy list of favourites:
From the top left item (clockwise): Valentino, Cherry Ripe, Spangle, and Grunge Twirl - Oxidised Sterling Silver. All from beakee's etsy shop.
The moment I opened the parcel (in an Italian restaurant when I was having lunch), I put on the Valentino bracelet. I especially like the Spangle earrings. I had a bit of difficulty putting on the grunge hoops initially though. Now I must dress myself up so that I can wear them to work! Oh and tudi, the sizes are all ok. They fit very well! Thanks! Muacks!
2. I got two tickets to watch The Phantom Of The Opera on 31 Aug. Best seats! Right in the centre, first row! Woohoo!
3. From Flyaway: A cool Nike cap (she says I look good in caps), a card and a 护身符 from the 四马路观音庙. I think the 护身符 is a very heartwarming gift cos it reminds me of my mum - keep Jac safe at all times.
4. Deathnote part 3 DVD from 3 funky work mates! It was on my wishlist and they got it a week after it was released in Sydney. It came with a card that has the tag "Seniors Card"... :S
food diary: 14 - 20 july
Part of the week was spent in Mangalore. Due to the lack of meal venue options and no cooking facilities, I had to rely on microwaveable frozen meals and other junk foods. The moment I got back to Sydney, I stuffed myself with lots of fresh foods and fruits. Madam J commented she's very proud of me cos I'm beginning to eat like her. So encouraging hor?
monday
B @ 10am: mocha, mouthfuls of a ham and cheese croissant
L @ 1pm: chicken laksa
D @ 7pm: korean food - pan chans (see weed, beansprouts, kimchi), 3 slices of seafood pancake, rice with tofu hotpot, a few pieces of bulgogi (beef), bits of ginseng chicken, mouthfuls of seafood hotpot
dump: once
tuesday
B @ 8.30am: mocha, bacon and egg mcmuffin
L @ 12noon: chicken and bacon ranch subway sanwich with lettuce and tomatoes, 2 cookies
D @ 7.30pm: 1 pack microwaveable frozen pasta meal, handfuls of potato chips, handfuls of m&ms, a few sips of fruit juice
dump: nil
wednesday
B @ 9am: hot chocolate drink, a handful of m&ms
L @ 12noon: beef tortellini with mushrooms and bacon in cream sauce, 1 cappuccino
D @ 8pm: 1 pack microwaveable frozen pasta meal
dump: nil
thursday
B @ 9.30am: 1 microwaveable frozen pie with chunky beef in red wine sauce and vegetables, fruit juice
L @ 4pm: 1 prawn sushi roll, 1 salmon sushi roll, 1 california sushi roll
D @ 7.30pm: rice vermicelli in laksa gravy with brocolli, beansprouts, cabbage, chicken and carrots, 1 juice (carrots, oranges, apples, beetroot and celery)
dump: nil
friday
B @ 9.30am: 1 instant vanilla latte
L @ 2pm: thai gravy noodle with some green shitty leafy veges and mushrooms, mocha
D @ 6pm: a few wedges, a few beers
Supper @ 10pm: instant noodles
dump: once
saturday
B : nil
L @ 2.30pm: at Din Tai Fung - tofu with century egg and pork floss, steamed pork dumplings, steamed crab meat and pork dumplings, wanton in spicy soup, at Shancheng hotpot restaurant - sichuan cold noodles, wanton in spicy soup
D @ 9pm: half a tomato, 1 pear, 1 orange, 1 avocado, 1 black cherry yoghurt, 1 glass of fruit juice
dump: nil
sunday
B @ 11am: 1 glass of milk
L @ 1.30pm: homecooked tomato soup stew with tomatoes, carrots, olives, mushrooms, onions and minced chicken, 1 glass of fruit juice
D @ 8pm: homecooked tomato soup stew with tomatoes, carrots, olives, mushrooms, onions and minced chicken, fruit salad - half an avocado and 2 kiwis with yoghurt, 1 glass of fruit juice
dump: nil
fruit concoction
Nobody will believe what I had for dinner today. I did a concoction of half a tomato, half an avocado, 1 orange and 1 pear tossed in a black cherry yoghurt and that was dinner. Plus a glass of fruit juice. Is that healthy or what? Okay, I got hungry 2 hours later, but not wanting to waste the effort, I had 2 hard boiled eggs without the yolks (for protein) instead of eating rubbish like instant noodles which I'd have done in the past.
For those who have not been reading my blog zealously enough, this whole eating healthy shit is part of Project P.
I went and blew $87 on groceries today and guess what I bought? Here's the list:
- low fat yoghurt (6-pack assorted flavours)
- yakult
- mixed fruit juice (apple, pineapple, guava, vit C, vit A, botanical extract - echinacea)
- milk (low fat)
- oranges
- tomatoes
- pears
- kiwis
- avocados
- omega 3 fish oil and evening primrose oil supplement
- multivitamin and mineral supplement
- toiletries
This list may be a normal shopping list for most but it definitely is not normal for me. In the past, my average grocery expense was about $20 - $30 each time. And I only bought rubbish instant foods. Now I actually think about what nutrients I need and look up the nutritional contents of each item before buying. I continue to amaze myself. Can you now see my commitment to Project P? (",)
din tai fung
Din Tai Fung opened an outlet in Sydney recently. I popped in today for lunch at a weird hour of close to 3pm to avoid the queue. There was no queue, thankfully, because I was starving. I managed to walk straight in but the place was packed. I had expected it to be half empty at that hour. One thing to note, they actually take the last order for lunch at about 3pm, then close for business until dinner. I thought that strange for a chinese restaurant.
The interior looks neat and modern. I especially like the wall decorated with those bamboo basket lids (from those bamboo baskets used for steaming dim sum) of all sizes.
I had a cold dish of tofu with pork floss and century egg with a bit of soy sauce. It was the first time I tried that dish and wah it was so yummy lor. Didn't manage to take a decent photo of it though.
Then it was on to the usual dishes - the wantons and the dumplings. I had the wanton in spicy sauce (红油抄手) and I only remembered to take a picture when all was devoured except one. They were not as good as the onces from the Shancheng hotpot place at Sussex Street.
I tried 2 different types of dumplings (小笼包), the normal pork ones and the crab meat with pork ones. I think the normal pork ones still taste the best.
It was a very satisfying lunch. I even adjourned to the Shancheng hotpot place at Sussex Street for round 2 - some sichuan cold noodles and more wanton in spicy sauce. Those sichuan cold noodles are addictive, man. Eliss can testify to that. I introduced the dish to her and she had a craving for it the next day!
For those who are unaware, this one and only Din Tai Fung branch in Sydney is located at:
World Square Shopping Centre
644 George Street, Sydney
I have to go back again to try the other dishes on the menu. Today's lunch was satisfying but definitely not enough. And oh, actually, the pinyin for the name should be 'Ding Tai Feng'. So I never figured out why it's called Din Tai Fung. But well, who cares as long as the business is good.
i threw someone off a building
There is an evil person lurking in the vicinity. He does unmentionable things to people. He doesn't listen when I try to counsel him.
I grab his feet and swing him round and round, slamming his head into the wall again and again until his skull cracks. I see a lot of blood trickling down his face. He is still alive and struggling to break free. I am angry. Why doesn't he die?
I drag him to the parapet and throw him down from the highest level of the building I am at. I watch til I see him smash against the concrete below. He stops moving.
I open my eyes and stare up at the ceiling in the darkness of my room. I think to myself, "That was scary. I must be going crazy."
I am disturbed by the dream.
year end itinery
Sunshine23 has booked her air tickets! She will be here in Sydney from 23 Dec to 3 Jan to spend X'mas and New Year with me! Woohoo!
Tudi... you die die also must come too! Don't dua me ah!
I need to draw up a travel plan for you girls. And plan my leave. All the fun things we can do together! So excited.
grammar
I've been wanting to write about this for a long time now.
In my two years of living and working in Australia, I have come across conversations (both verbal and written ones) that perplexed me. Grammatically, they violate all the basic rules I was taught to observe since young. I dare not claim to be an expert in the English language but obvious errors are, well, obvious. Unless my A1s scored in the Cambridge english exams are all crap obtained through bribes.
Here's a generic sentence for illustration purposes.
"ABC Pty Ltd are willing to bare compensation for this case, so you shouldn't of taken further action on this matter."
1. ABC Pty Ltd is one entity so shouldn't it be singular? How can it be followed by 'are' and not 'is'?
2. 'Bare' vs 'bear'. This is a spelling error frequently made by the locals here. The two words have completely different meanings. The usage of 'bare' here is entirely wrong.
From dictionary.com:
bare – adjective
i. without covering or clothing; naked; nude: bare legs.
ii. without the usual furnishings, contents, etc.: bare walls.
iii. open to view; unconcealed; undisguised: his bare dislike of neckties.
(there are more examples of usage but you should get the meaning now.)
bear – verb (used with object)
i. to hold up; support: to bear the weight of the roof.
ii. to hold or remain firm under (a load): The roof will not bear the strain of his weight.
iii. to suffer; endure; undergo: to bear the blame.
(there are more examples of usage but you get the meaning.)
3. Okay I'm not so sure if this is a grammatical mistake or just a local slang thing. I will say or write "you shouldn't have" and not "you shouldn't of". Yeah but it could be a slang. *shrugs*
There are more examples but I shall not go into each one. It will take me eons to cover all.
I get angry when the ang mohs stare at me in disbelief upon hearing that English is the main language used in the education system in Singapore. They also get damn amused when I inform them they would have no difficulty navigating the streets in Singapore because all the signages are in English. There are still ignorant people in the so-called developed countries who think Singapore is an ulu, smaller-than-small village somewhere in China. Not only do they fail basic grammar, they don't know their geography for nuts. Even though I may not speak as fee-lee-fair-lair (a term my grandma uses, sounds very funny hor) as the ang mohs, due to years of Singlish influence in my pronounciation and accent, I definitely know my verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, tenses, plurals and singulars. I bet some of the ang mohs will think they are donuts or chips or something.
food diary: 7 - 13 july
There were no meal and dump records for the week 30 June - 6 July due to hectic work schedule away from home. Note the increase in green stuff in meals!!!
monday
B : nil
L @ 4pm: 2 slices of chocolate mud cake
D @ 7.30pm: homecooked pasta aglio olio style with mushrooms, bacon, and chilli
Supper @ 11pm: one pack of chicken flavoured easy macs
dump: nil
tuesday
B @ 10am: chai tea latte courtesy of chun
L @ 12noon: homecooked pasta aglio olio style with mushrooms, bacon, and chilli
Tea break @ 3.30pm: 1 slice of chocolate cake courtesy of corp comms girls
D @ 7.30pm: homecooked rice with mapo tofu, chinese sausages and steamed brocolli and cauliflower in oyster sauce
dump: once
wednesday
B @ 9.30am: instant coffee
L @ 2pm: chicken laksa, 1 mocha
D @ 7pm: century egg porridge, pipis in XO sauce, mutton hotpot
dump: nil
thursday
B : nil
L @ 4pm: 1 big slice of chocolate mud cake
D @ 7.30pm: homecooked pasta aglio olio style with bacon, mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, baby brocolli and chilli
dump: nil
friday
B : nil
L @ 12noon: homecooked pasta aglio olio style with bacon, mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, baby brocolli and chilli, mocha
Tea break @ 4.30pm: a pack of beef easy macs
D @ 8pm: crumbed lamb cutlets with mashed pumpkin and green peas, a few wedges
dump: once
saturday
B : nil
L @ 2pm: few pieces of roast duck, few pieces of roast pork, mouthfuls of fried bee hoon, mocha
D @ 9pm: homecooked fried yellow noodles with chopped tomatoes, baby brocolli, chinese sausages, egg and chilli
dump: nil
sunday
B : nil
L @ 2pm: fried maggi mee with tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, crabsticks, egg and chilli, peach and mango yoghurt
D @ 7pm: some rice noodles with minced pork, green leafy yucky veges and mushrooms, a few wedges, few sips of James Squire
dump: nil
johannesburg: intercontinental hotel
We arrived at Joburg Airport at 2pm and were all checked in by 3pm for our flight departing at 6pm. With 3 hours to kill, and the guys nursing a massive headache from severe lack of sleep, we wanted to find a place to crash. We thought of having a discreet nap at the lobby lounge at Intercontinental Hotel that is just across the road from the airport. When we got there, we discovered we could actually freely access the spa and pool at the top floor and it was totally desserted compared to the very packed lounge on the ground floor.
So we relaxed for a good hour and a half by the pool watching the planes land and take off on the runway. Someone even sneaked a refreshing shower in the bathrooms meant for the spa customers.
We wouldn't even mind paying for a massage if we had more time. So now we know where to go if we have time to burn while waiting for a flight. There. That was our last memory of Joburg before we left on a jet plane.
child 44 and maalika
I needed a book to occupy me on my 14 hour flight to (and another 14 back from) Joburg. Left with no time to search for the book I really wanted, a biography of a Chinese ballet dancer who was also the first man in China to undergo a complete sex change (I forgot the title and had difficulty finding it), I grabbed the book that caught my attention with its strikingly coloured cover. I was also attracted by the story's setting against the backdrop of 1950s Stalinist Russia.
I expected a lot more historical facts (I love reading history books) and hence was a bit disappointed by the focus on the murders and suspense around solving the crimes (I'm not a suspense thriller person). At one point towards the last quarter of the book, it became a bit unbelievable. I guess it's my fault for just grabbing a book without ensuring I knew what I was getting. The fact that the book was found in the CRIME section should have told me something. Stupid me.
Nonetheless, I finished the book in record time, probably because I ran out of movies to watch on board and the inflight entertainment system broke down on my return flight. I must say that once you start reading, you will not want to stop until you find out how it's gonna end.
Only afterwards did I read somewhere that the author actually incorporated in the story elements of the real murders by the Russian serial killer Andrei Chikatilo. I'm glad I didn't find that out before reading the book. It would have made me sick. Reading up on this Andrei guy on Wiki made me quite sick.
On to other books. I'm still determined to find that book about that ballet dancer from China.
In the meantime, I've started on a new book, Maalika - a biography and memoir of an Australian nurse who married a clan leader of a nomadic tribe in northern Ethiopia and together, spent their lives bringing education and life-saving medical aid to the nomads in one of the harshest places to live in on earth. The book is written by Valerie Browning herself (together with John Little), who is known as Maalika to the Afar tribes that means 'Queen'.
I'm not sure if my recent trip to South Africa had anything to do with my purchase of this book.
In any case, I'm 2 chapters into the book now and loving it.
project P
Today marks an important milestone in my life - I bought my first ever tube of HAND CREAM in my life. (Stop laughing. I can just hear BH, Dante and the other boys exclaim: WTH happened to GP/Jac?)
L'Occitane one leh, mai siao siao ah. I also got myself a Rose Bonbon lip balm while in the L'Occitane shop. Total damage here is AUD48.90.
I just decided on a whim one day that since Project Femininise Me was so successful, it's about time to embark on another big project. Having turned 28 just a week ago, I am having these panic attacks that I'll somehow shrivel up and turn into a wrinkled old hag in minutes. Hence the need for Project Preserve Me, marked top priority. Objective is to maintain the looks, body and health of a 28 year old for the next 10 years (forever if possible but let's not be too greedy).
Some initial plans to kickstart this project are:
1. have a more balanced diet (you would be able to see from my food diary from this week onwards more signs of greens and other disgusting foods I don't normally eat.)
2. exercise regularly (okay this is still a thought at this stage. I am taking it easy this week due to the jet lag but am in the process of drawing up an exercise schedule and routine.)
3. start paying attention to skincare (I confess I'm a lazy person who doesn't bother about skincare at all. To get myself started in this department is really a challenge. I've added a brand new category in the right column called 'Beauty' to document my experiences in this area *smiles sheepishly*)
I got the ball rolling for the skincare process with the purchase of hand cream because of an entry beakee wrote that scared the shits outta me. And being a complete noob on such cream stuff, I didn't know what's good and initially wanted to get the Jurlique's Rose Hand Cream after reading beakee's entry. I eventually got the L'Occitane cooling hand cream gel because it feels shiok on my hands and I don't really like the smell of roses.
Then I got carried away shopping and in less than an hour, I got the below items and total damage for that hour was AUD120!
johannesburg: chameleon village
After the short drive-through round the Lion Park that was a short distance away from Shumba Valley Lodge where we stayed, we drove a bit further to Chameleon Village where it's full of stalls selling local handmade crafts.
Here's how the entrance looks like. The whole place actually reminds me of Bangkok's Suan Lum night market.
It was quite dark and gloomy in some corners. And I dared not linger too long.
I was checking out some of the handpainted masks.
And the storekeeper asked to take a photo with me. It was all just a gimmick to make me feel comfortable so I would stay longer, browse more and hopefully buy something. My Aussie colleagues were harrassed to death. They had to come up with weird excuses such as "All my money is with my wife and I've lost her in one of these lanes." Not giving up, some of the sellers even asked for descriptions of their 'wives' so they could help them hunt down the financial controller. And they conveniently described ME to them so they would come harrass me instead. That was quite smart of them haha.
I quite like these. Must have been the colours.
And there were ostrich's eggs for sale as souvenirs. A hole was drilled into them to drain out whatever the shells contained, then the shells were dried and put up for sale. What the hell does one do with a gigantic egg shell? Dante even told me I had to get one before I left for South Africa. Like huh? I wouldn't know what to do with it.
We also spent some time in an art gallery. Everything looked very orangey inside.
We then passed by this Pick A Pancake place but didn't step in. Not really in the mood for pancakes.
We were really wanting to try some exotic meats. Leon highly recommended the biltong, delicious local beef-jerky-like stuff except they come in antelope/ostrich/springbuck/elephant ears/kudu meats.
I tried the antelope ones. They're not bad actually. And so we chewed on these antelope thingy on the long drive back to the hotel to continue our scheduled work meetings late into the night.
And I'm still not done yet with the Johannesburg series. Just 1 or 2 more entries to go. Where is a good place to sneak a shower and enjoy a magnificent view of aircraft taking off and landing by the pool while waiting to board your flight from Johannesburg Airport? Coming up next. Entry posted here.
johannesburg: lion park
The guys were dismayed when they looked at our work schedule for the week we were going to be in South Africa. We had pilot and other interviews lined up back to back every single day that they didn't even have time for smoke or pee breaks. And I was crowned the worst slave driver ever (cos I was the one who did the schedule, oops).
"Jac, we really cannot come all the way here and not go anywhere or see anything besides the airport and the hotel! Can you please squeeze half a day out for us to just do a quick walkabout? I don't mind having to work through a night if I have to!"
So. The amazing slave driver did wonders and voila! we had half a day. (And it was payback time the following day haha)
First, we went to Lion Park, a game reserve just 5min drive from our hotel.
We saw a lot of these shanty towns everywhere as we drove along.
As we entered the park, the toilets were the first thing we saw.
Then we saw the cubs. We got up close and played with the cubs!!! But this particular one slept on and refused to play with me.
I expected them to be really small, like puppies or kittens. But they were 4 month old cubs and bigger than an average full grown dog. Look at the below pic, it's as big as a 5 year old kid I think.
Then I went to buy a pack of dried food thingy and fed a giraffe! I screamed at the first attempt when its almost black and very slimy tongue wrapped around my entire hand. Just check out the random strangers standing around me laughing at me. So embarrassing.
He is such a gentle giant...
And this is so funny... they were assessing each other. And at one point, the giraffe started running away from him. The more the guy followed him desperately trying to feed him, the faster the giraffe walked away. There must be some bad odor oozing out from this guy haha.
Then we did a drive around the entire game reserve. There were lots of signs warning us to STAY IN THE CAR. The animals were allowed to roam freely. The cheetahs were fenced in though. I didn't manage to get a good close up shot of the beautiful cheetahs...
We saw lions. Huge lions. Just metres away from our car.
So. Having fulfilled our desire to see some lions, (but we didn't get to see any elephant herd!) we left the Lion Park. We spent only about close to 2 hours in the park, with about half an hour spent on getting souvenirs for the peeps back home (we figured we wouldn't have time to go shop for gifts elsewhere).
We did check out one more place, the Chameleon Village. I will write about it in another entry.
personality test
Got this from izzy. You can take the test here.
My results are:
I put my pride first, followed by my family, then love, then career and finally money. (Quite true really. But I'm not that sure I put my pride before family and love... but career and money definitely come after family and love.)
My personality is cute. (HUH?)
My partner is lazy. (HAHAHA. Lazy like a pig.)
My enemies are irritating.
I think sex is good. (Understatement)
My own life is scary. (Uhhhhh...... why so?)
Tudi is someone I will never forget. (Of cos)
Sunshine23 is someone I consider a true friend. (Of cos)
KT is someone I truly love. (WAH!)
My mum is my twin soul. (This seems weird)
BH is someone I will remember for the rest of my life. (Of cos)
I am supposed to get 7 others to do this test, and my wish will come true on Saturday. As my wish is to strike millions in Lotto, I command these people to take the test immediately!!!
--> Tudi, BH, Snowcloud, Flyaway, Sunshine23, Strawberry, Eliss
broccoli doesn't taste that bad
I have kept to the promise I made to myself to cook more instead of eating out all the time and to eat healthier by including more veges in my diet. Today I cooked pasta for dinner and added baby broccoli and chopped tomatoes besides the usual stuff I add in like bacon and mushrooms. And I used extra light olive oil instead of the normal cooking oil commonly used.
The baby broccoli tasted very good (surprisingly)! But they are so expensive as compared to normal broccoli. But of course, they were nicer than the normal broccoli. However by the time I threw away all the stems (nope nope I don't eat the stems) there isn't much left. I'm not getting my money's worth. Looks like I have to start cultivating a relationship with the stems...
I also bought cabbage, cauliflower, carrots and fruits like pears and oranges in my last visit to the supermarket. And 2 nights ago, I had steamed broccoli and cauliflower in oyster sauce. It was good and I wouldn't mind having that again. Slowly slowly. At least I am trying hard.
SeaLevel
I was whisked off from Sydney International Airport to SeaLevel Restaurant and Bar for my birthday dinner. Situated on the beachfront of Cronulla, the views were stunning and you can even go for a romantic walk along the coast after dinner.
My camera was totally dead from the Joburg trip so I didn't take any pictures. Below pictures were taken from the SeaLevel website. It's also worthwhile checking out their menu cos I whipped up a good appetite just from reading it again and again (couldn't stop salivating!).
For the entrèes, we were served fresh warm and fluffy bread and we ordered the pan fried crumbed mozzarella with roasted capsicum, anchovy & basil salad & chickpea flatbread. The crumbed mozzarella was not as good as the deep fried brie I had in Whistler or the crumbed camembert I had in Lowenbrau, but it was acceptable.
For the mains, we tried the crispy skin duck with poached quince, marinated dried apricots & date & preserved lemon relish, and the atlantic salmon fillet with smoked bacon, cabbage & pea broth. These were delicious!
I have already decided the next time I ever visit the place again, I wanna have the lamb shank ragout with dark ale, prunes & rosemary with crushed pumpkin, potatoes & carrot, and the green lobster tail grilled in ginger, garlic & chilli butter with mash & seasonal greens.
When tudi and sunshine23 visit me in december, we can spend a morning enjoying cappuccinos at a beachside cafe, laze on the beach the rest of the day, sip sip ice cool margharitas at the bar in the evening then proceed to the restaurant for dinner!
i couldn't sleep because i saw something fishy on beakee's etsy site
me: tudi, i logged in specially to ask you something...
tudi: yes shifu?
me: did you get something from beakee's etsy shop as my birthday presents?
tudi: uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..............
me: many items i like in her shop are gone! how can be so qiao? so many gone at the same time? and all recently?
tudi: actually we got 4 things..........
me: haha i just had to ask even though i think i knew it already
tudi: cha0 shifu. but 1 is we xin xue lai chao buy de so you won't guess it
me: hehe i done asking liao. can go sleep liao. haha
tudi: so now smelly shifu can go sleep peacefully le ma?
me: ya. haha. nite nite!
tudi: nite nite!!!
ps: my guess is the spangle and/or cherry ripe and/or grunge twirl but not 100% sure. will wait for the parcel's arrival to confirm. tudi, i is sharp one. hehe. sorry to spoil the surprise factor, but but but i just couldn't sleep without asking!!!
johannesburg: shumba valley lodge
After spending about 14 hours in the air, I finally touched down at OR Tambo Airport, Johannesburg. I really shouldn't complain about the long flight because I was upgraded to business class due to some union strike drama during check-in at Sydney Airport that almost left me offloaded from the aircraft. Compared to the guys, I had it a lot easier, at least I could wriggle and squirm and do kungfu moves in my seat, haha.
First impressions upon touch down - brown; dusty; noisy; smell of burnt stuff everywhere; dry.
Proceeded to pick up our hired car - a hot chilli red ford focus. I had forgotten I was travelling with 3 big guys so the car I pre-booked was a squeeze for us (and the luggage!). It would have been comfy if they were slim like me.
Shumba Valley Lodge was our sleeping place for the whole 5 nights of our trip there. We each stayed in a traditional standalone 'kraal' - spacious straw thatched roof huts. The kraal I slept in was kept warm and cosy by the friendly housekeeping lady who will faithfully leave the heater on just before I come back from work each evening. The people there were nice, the breakfasts were fantastic, the area secure (with electric fencing all around the compound) and all for only about AUD125 a night. Here are several shots I took of the lodge:
Driveway through the main reception
Lounge area at reception
The bar area
The fireplace in the bar with heaps of firewood stacked up
Pool and outdoor dining area
Pathway leading to the kraals
Rows of kraals
And this is mine!
And it's a giraffe unit 111!
Just writing an entry on the nice little place we stayed in has sapped all my energy. I am STILL jetlagged. Think my body clock is in a mess. Just when it's tuned itself to the Joburg timezone, I had to fly back and it is utterly confused as to where exactly it is and what time of the day it is now. So I shall continue my Joburg adventures in separate entries another time. [Updated on 12/7/08: These have been posted here and here.]
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