In spite of the threatening skies and my croaking voice, I made an effort to go to Tumbalong Park at Darling Harbour just to see what this Malaysian Festival is all about. Known as M-Fest, apparently it has been traditionally celebrated at the same venue for the past 18 years. I am indeed a mountain tortoise as this is the first time I've attended the M-Fest.
I left the house with high expectations of satisfying my cravings for some good char kway teow, bak kut teh, KL hokkien mee and penang laksa. I was sorely disappointed.
Firstly, because it had been raining the night before, the whole grass field where the food stalls were set up on was wet and muddy. I had dressed up a bit and worn my black patent stiletto pumps for going to the theatre afterwards and so had a lot of difficulty navigating my way around the puddles.
Then, after trying so hard to maneuver my way to the main food stalls, the lack in the variety of malaysian delicacies offered made me feel like an idiot for braving the mud pools in my stilettos. There were about 10 stalls, out of which 1 sold desserts, 1 sold drinks, and the rest had satay, briyani, prata, nasi lemak and maybe a few other things. Where were all the delicious foods?
Although already greatly disenchanted after the first scan through the stalls, I had thought to just grab something to eat since I was already there. But the queues! They snaked here and there on the mud and I wasn't ready to wait in line for some normal malaysian foods I can easily get in Kingsford. I also noticed that the 2 most famous stalls there with the longest queues that were selling the most tempting foods had outlets right smack in the city. That didn't make sense cos instead of queueing for like 45min in the mud, I might as well have walked to the outlet for a nice and comfy sit-down lunch.
And so, I was out of there in about 20min.
ps: a colleague told me about an upcoming Singaporean Food Festival in Melbourne in October (I think). I wonder if it's worth making a trip there? I want to eat orh lua, black carrot cake, lor mee, zhwee kueh, and so much more.
malaysian festival
still croaking
It's been a week since I first started croaking like a frog. I went to the doctor's on Monday after unsuccessfully trying to survive the morning at work. I was scolded by the doc for allowing my tonsils to get "this huge" before dragging myself to the clinic. The diagnosis was laryngitis. She prescribed me a double dosage of antibiotics and told me to take 2 days off work which I did. However, she did not prescribe anything for my fever or cough and so I continued my panadol and difflam lozenges regime with the antibiotics.
Now, 6 days later, I'm finishing the last of my first dose of antibiotics and still don't see any signs of regaining my voice. My tonsils are still as swollen, I was still getting fevers last night, and I've been coughing so badly my chest hurts. Just getting out of the house to get lunch or dinner saps all my energy and I have to lie down for a few hours to recover afterwards.
I will have to pay the chemist another visit tomorrow (already been there 3 times this week!) to get some cough syrup and my second dose of antibiotics. Not even sure if I can go for the Malaysian Food Festival at Darling Harbour tomorrow. And I hope I can control my coughing when watching the Phantom musical so I don't disturb the others in the audience. Being sick for so long is really not that fun. I wonder if my history of bronchitis and near-TBs have anything to do with me getting these persistent coughs and throat infections.
the perfect eye cream
The hunt is now on for the perfect eye cream for my Project P. Being a total noob on this, I have no idea where to start except to google and see what's out there. I'm looking for something that can make my eyes twinkle and not look so tired all the time. I also have slight dark eye rings and puffiness under the eyes. I don't have that much of a problem with fine lines or wrinkles but I guess it doesn't hurt to exercise some kind of prevention since I'm getting on my years. Any recommendations?
where is my cheque book?
I first called up OCBC Bank in Singapore towards the end of May 2008 to request for a new cheque book. I was at the last 4 cheques of the booklet I was using then. After no less than 6 phone calls and 3 months later, I finally received my new cheque book TODAY.
By the third time I called, that was sometime end June, I managed to find out that a cheque book had been mailed out on 17th June. And so I asked why it took them so long to mail it out when my request was made in May. I didn't get an answer because the customer service officer didn't know.
Subsequently, I waited until almost end July and still there was no cheque book in my letterbox. So what could I do except call up the bank again? Whoever I spoke to then had the audacity to tell me to wait a few more weeks, after checking his system and seeing that they had done their part by mailing out the damn cheque book on the 17th of June. Does it take a super genius to figure out that the damn cheque book must have gotten lost in the mail if it hasn't arrived 5 weeks after you dumped it into the post box?
I had to insist repeatedly that I wanted them to cancel that book they mailed out and issue a new one. Someone could have intercepted it and possibly signed away my life savings (not that I have a lot of money but it's still money) and they wanted me to "WAIT A FEW MORE WEEKS"???
July came and went and STILL NO CHEQUE BOOK. A few more phone calls later, I discovered that there was only one cheque book mailed out on the 17th June and despite my repeated requests to cancel that missing cheque book and re-issue a new one, it was never done.
I had to !#%$^&%$^%*&($%$^&^ at the call centre staff so loudly to get my point across before they finally cancelled the cheque book that went missing and re-sent one more - the one I received today. What idiots.
Read more about these idiots in my previous entry on my experience with the banks' call centre staff when I had to update my mailing address.
food diary: 18 - 24 aug
I made the worst violations of my Project P rules this last one week. 1) The consecutive late nights on the weekend trying to do everything including rushing a 50-page report for my boss over saturday and sunday. 2) The late night suppers I had. 3) The fatty meat and bone marrow I just couldn't resist eating. 4) And the one beer I had while watching the Olympics that led to another 15 shots of southern comfort. This could probably explain why I'm croaking like a frog now. I think I totally deserve it. Bleah.
monday
B @ 8.30am: 1 glass of milk
Tea break @ 10.30am: spinach and feta roll, 1 mocha
L @ 2pm: thai fried kway teow with lots of beansprouts, green vege and bits of chicken
D @ 8pm: homecooked ham and cheese tortellini with tomatoes, celery and bacon, 3 kiwis with yoghurt
dump: once
tuesday
B @ 8.30am: 1 glass of milk
Tea break @ 10.30am: chocolate slice, 1 mocha
L @ 2pm: homecooked ham and cheese tortellini with tomatoes, celery and bacon
D @ 8pm: homecooked rice, tofu and minced chicken in spicy mapo sauce, stir fried celery, brocolli, mushrooms, prawn, chilli in oyster sauce
dump: once
wednesday
B @ 8.30am: 1 glass of milk
Tea break @ 11.30am: 1 mocha
L @ 1.30pm: homecooked rice, tofu and minced chicken in spicy mapo sauce, stir fried celery, brocolli, mushrooms, prawn, chilli in oyster sauce
D @ 8.30pm: homecooked fusili with bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms, yoghurt with avocado
dump: nil
thursday
B @ 8.30am: 1 glass of milk
Tea break @ 10am: 1 mocha, caramel slice
L @ 2.30pm: homecooked fusili with bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms
D @ 7.30pm: coconut steamed rice, grilled chicken thigh, fried kang kong
dump: once
friday
B @ 8.30am: 1 glass of milk
Tea break @ 11.30am: chicken and mushroom pastry, mocha
L @ 2pm: ham and cheese croissant
Tea break @ 4.30pm: yoghurt with avocado
D @ 9.30pm: 2 slices of bread with olive oil, black angus beef with potatoes and bone marrow, 1 glass of red wine
dump: once
saturday
B @ 11am: 1 glass of milk
L @: 1.30pm: eggs benedict with smoked salmon, mocha
Tea break at 4.30pm: salami and cherry tomatoes
D @ 9.30pm: scallop porridge, pipis (clams) in XO sauce
Drinks from 10pm: 1 beer, 15 shots of southern comfort
supper @ 2am: century egg porridge, preserved veges with meat
dump: once
sunday
B : nil
L @ 12.30pm: KFC zinger burger
Tea break @ 3pm: 2 glasses of warm lemon honey
D @ 8pm: chicken schnitzel with green vege salad
dump: once
i croak like a frog
I have totally lost my voice this weekend and can only croak like a frog if I try my best to make some sounds. I am getting intermittent fevers too. I have been taking difflum lozenges for cough and sore throat, panadol for the headaches and fevers, and also homemade warm honey with lemon. It's been 2 days and I haven't seen any improvements. If this persists despite the medication I'm taking, I'm gonna have to see a doctor to get antibiotic prescriptions.
There's the Olympics closing ceremony tonight but I'm feeling too shitty to watch. I'm just gonna go to bed at a most shocking hour - 9pm!!!
mamma mia
Finally watched the movie Mamma Mia over the weekend. I love it! Makes me wanna spend the rest of my life on an idyllic Greek island running a boutique hotel like Villa Donna. Many scenes, I laughed til I almost split my sides. The best part is when Pierce Brosnan starts to sing. The whole theatre roared with laughter. It was just weird watching him sing like a lovesick puppy. And all the nice songs! They remind me so much of the mambo days.
Mamma mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist you
Mamma mia, does it show again
My my, just how much I missed you
what your driving says about you
Although I have always believed a person's character shows in the way he drives, I don't think the above accurately describes me. You may want to try taking the test here and see what it says for you.
i cooked my famous begedil again
Besides wearing the reds and the whites to work, we also cooked up a Singa delights lunch in pre-celebration of our Singaporean day on 080808.
The sumptuous feast includes:
- hokkien mee by Eliss and Ernest
- lor bah, lor neng and tao kwah by Candice
- prata and curry by Andrew and Yah Wen
- assorted dim sum by Mee Har and Rebecca
- my world famous begedil
- Yeo's drinks sponsored by little boss
Here's showcasing my world famous begedil. I made this same dish for the Mari Kita party we had last year and this photo was taken during last year's celebration.
And these were the best dishes for the day this year:
Here are the suave Singaporeans toasting our Yeo's drinks at the end.
food diary: 11 - 17 aug
Someone (Mr GS) said I should probably stop publishing my food diary cos "who the hell cares what you eat everyday?" and I said "I know my fav tudi, beakee, rae, flyaway and sunshine23 bother to read (but maybe not all the time) and comment so that's reason enough for me to keep the diary." Although it's more to make myself continually concious of what I eat. Madam J also once emailed me saying the dump updates often make her visualise the ermmmm... dump process and this grosses her out, to which I replied "HAHA sorry can't stop you from imagining it, just don't read it lor".
monday
B @ 8.30am: 1 glass of milk
Tea break @ 10.30am: 1 chicken pie, 1 mocha
L @ 1.30pm: homecooked rice, eggs with tomatoes, steamed shitake mushrooms, celery, enoky mushrooms, crabsticks and baby corn in oyster sauce
Tea break @ 4.30pm: 2 kiwis, 1 orange
D @ 8pm: homecooked laksa with shredded chicken breast, 5 prawns, 4 tao poks (dried beancurd puffs), cauliflower, 1 egg, some fishcake, 1 glass of fruit juice
dump: once
tuesday
B @ 9.30am: 1 glass of fruit juice, 1 mocha, 1 thai chicken pie
L @ 1.30pm: homecooked laksa with shredded chicken breast, 5 prawns, 4 tao poks (dried beancurd puffs), cauliflower, 1 egg, some fishcake
D @ 8pm: homecooked ham and cheese tortellini with mushrooms and bacon in cream sauce, steamed brocolli and carrots in honey mustard sauce
dump: nil
wednesday
B @ 8.30am: 1 glass of milk
Tea break @ 10.30am: 1 mocha, 1 thai chicken pie
L @ 1.30pm: thai gravy noodles with chicken, green vege, carrots and mushrooms, 1 mocha
D @ 7.30pm: 1 pot of mussels in blue cheese sauce with celery and spinach, some chips, 1 beer
dump: once
thursday
B @ 8.30am: 1 glass of milk, 1 mocha
L @ 12.30pm: beef tortellini in cream sauce
D @ 7.30pm: homecooked rice with stir fried celery, tomatoes, baby corn and enoky mushrooms in oyster sauce, braised pork rashes with egg, mushrooms and tau pok
dump: nil
friday
B @ 8.30am: 1 glass of milk
L @ 12noon: homecooked rice with stir fried celery, tomatoes, baby corn and enoky mushrooms in oyster sauce, braised pork rashes with egg, mushrooms and tau pok
D @ 7.30pm: 3 dumplings, half portion of cold tofu with century egg, 3 spicy wantons, half a small bowl of szechuan soup, 2 pieces of fried chicken
supper @ 9pm: 2 beers, a bowl of century egg porridge, some pipis with XO sauce
dump: nil
saturday
B @ 11.30am: 1 glass of milk
L @: 1.30pm: assorted dim sum, 1 fruit juice
D @ 8.30pm: wanton laksa, half portion of tiramisu, 1 mocha
dump: once
sunday
B @ 11am: 1 glass of milk
L @ 12.30pm: assorted dim sum, 1 mocha
D @ 9pm: herbal pork rib soup, cabbage with minced meat and celery, rice noodles soup with bean sprouts and prawns
dump: nil
i made it to the olympics!
This is another one to add to the weird dream collection for the third consecutive night this week. (Read: Night #1 - monster invades Rex; Night #2 - of being an ant)
I am at the Olympics in Beijing, as a competitor in the swimming finals. (I can't swim for nuts in real life.) I woke up extremely tired and stressed that I didn't win. I am guessing all the dreams are part of the entire PMS package.
of being an ant
Another weird dream. I am an ant. I live in a community of ants. And I work with ants. Everything is so small. I drink coffee from a tiny little cup. I skitter here and there, with other ants and do what ants do, carrying food from point A to point B and busy busy busy with I dunno what. Additionally, I have the sacred task of doing some complicated analysis on the demographics of the ant community and to present to the higher powers in graphical form.
Then I woke up, went a few huhs?!?! and promptly fell alseep again. The dream continued where I went to a bookshop (still an ant) and bought books (???) for myself and all the other ants. WTF?
monster invades rex
From: Jacqueline Pak
Sent: Thursday, 14 August 2008 10:49 AM
To: Creative-Team
Cc: Irwin Tan
Subject: tahsin was brave, mayo was scared shitless
I had a dream last night. There was a huge monster in Rex that went around killing everyone. Tahsin was brave and confronted it and got killed. Mayo was so scared he had to hold my hand and hide behind me. Irwin was standing one side pointing at Mayo and laughing at him. WEIRD.
Jac
food diary: 4 - 10 aug
I had a couple of beers while watching the olympic games at a bar on saturday night. It was lovely. However, I don't seem to have any urge to consume more than 2 glasses of any alcoholic drinks these days. BTW, I bought shitloads of veges this week and my fridge crisper couldn't hold it all!
monday
B @ 8.30am: 1 glass of milk
L @ 1pm: 1 mocha, 1 chicken rice paper roll with carrots and avocado, small serving of salad consisting of chicken, avocado, lettuce, cucumber
D @ 8pm: homecooked stir fry egg noodles with chinese sausages, tomatoes, cauliflower, brocolli in a hokkien noodle sauce, 1 yakult
dump: once
tuesday
B @ 8.30am: 1 glass of milk, 1 chunky beef pie
L @ 1pm: 1 mocha, homecooked stir fry egg noodles with chinese sausages, tomatoes, cauliflower, brocolli in a hokkien noodle sauce
Tea break @ 4.30pm: 2 kiwis, 1 orange
D @ 7pm: rice with homecooked dishes - tofu with tomatoes and crabsticks in a mild spicy sauce, steamed cauliflower and brocolli with oyster sauce, 1 yakult, 1 glass of fruit juice
dump: nil
wednesday
B @ 8.30am: 1 glass of milk
Tea break @ 10.30am: 1 mocha
L @ 1.30pm: rice with homecooked dishes - tofu with tomatoes and crabsticks in a mild spicy sauce, steamed cauliflower and brocolli with oyster sauce
D @ 7.30pm: homecooked pasta with bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes and chilli in a cream sauce
dump: once
thursday
B @ 9am: 1 glass of milk, 1 mocha
L @ 1pm: 1 juice (carrot, orange, ginger, apple), linguine with crab meat and salmon roe, 1 chai vanilla latte
D @ 8pm: stir fried celery, shitake mushrooms, cup mushrooms and tomatoes in a light oyster sauce, steamed baby corn, carrots and asparagus in honey mustard sauce, rice, 1 glass fruit juice
dump: once
friday
B @ 8.30am: 1 glass of milk
Tea break @ 10.30am: 1 mocha, 1 cheese and bacon sausage roll
L @ 1pm: mouthfuls of hokkien mee, a few begedils, half a prata with vege curry, 1 springroll, a few pieces of lor bah and half a lor neng, 2 packets of Yeo's drinks (All SG food!)
Tea break @ 4pm: 1 slice of chocolate cake, 1 expresso
D @ 7.30pm: steamed celery x1 stick, carrots x1, asparagus x3 stalks, brocolli, cauliflower, shitake mushrooms x3, tomatoes x1 and baby corn x3 in a honey mustard sauce, yoghurt with 1 avocado
dump: once
saturday
B @ 10.30am: 1 glass of milk
L @: 12.30pm: assorted dim sum
D @ 8pm: mussels, some chips, mouthfuls of pork belly, mashed potato and sauerkraut, 1 hoegaarden, 1 leffy dark beer, half a glass of vodka orange
dump: nil
sunday
B @ 11am: 1 glass of milk
L @ 12.30pm: salmon and tuna sashimi, 3 fresh oysters, vietnamese spicy beef stew rice noodles, 1 mocha
D @ 7.30pm: homecooked rice, eggs with tomatoes, shitake mushrooms, enoky mushrooms, celery, crab sticks stir fried in oyster sauce
dump: nil
best buys
I have been quite lucky with stumbling upon great buys recently.
Clockwise from top left:
1. elegant black clutch bag from Bijoux Terner: $20
2. printed loose top from Just Jeans: $19
3. black belt from Just Jeans: $1 !!!
So I assembled all my bargain buys together for a Saturday night out. Do I look good or good? ;D
ps: ignore the bed. I know it's a tad messy... heh.
honey mustard is yums
Other than the steamed brocolli and cauliflower in oyster sauce dish, I am recently addicted to this new vege concoction.
Inspired by TFP who wrote about some homemade honey mustard sauce here, I decided to try making the sauce too. It's so damn easy to make and tastes yummy too.
So now my current favourite vege dish is: steamed carrots, brocolli, cauliflower, asparagus, shitake mushrooms, tomatoes and celery all cut into bite-sized pieces mixed in a homemade honey mustard sauce topped with cracked black pepper. ^_^ v
the dark knight
(Spoilers ahead hor. Don't say I never warn you.)
I watched The Dark Knight someday last week. I didn't like it much. Not that it's no good. In fact, the film is fantastic. Christian Bale is absolutely yummy. Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker is amazing. I didn't realise how good an actor he was until I watched this movie. He totally stole the limelight from all the other actors. The intensity and pace of the story leaves you with no time to get restless (cannot afford to go pee too).
BUT. Doesn't mean it's good means I have to like it. I appreciate the movie but the following points just don't sit very well with me:
#1: It's too dark for my liking. Dark films make me depressed and I often get nightmares afterwards.
#2: Where is Katie Holmes? Although her performance in Batman Begins didn't leave any impressions, ie. acting must have been so-so only, at least she's eye candy. Maggie Gyllenhaal just ummm... cannot la. The guys must all be quite disappointed.
#3: Joker didn't die. For such superhero movies, I am a villians-must-die-and-heroes-must-win person. But he got arrested in the end, so that kinda appeased me.
#4: Joker won. He managed to bring down the supposedly incorruptible public hero Harvey Dent. I really wanted Harvey to turn back and repent at the last moment when Batman confronted him. But he didn't. Like, how can the villian win in a superhero movie? Unacceptable.
#5: I also hated it when Batman took the rap for Harvey Dent for the murders just so as to preserve his public hero image. And he became the hunted leh. Wah lao. I 心痛 leh.
Having said that, I really liked the ferry scene. The black guy surprised me. The executive in suit also surprised me. (Ya I'm easily surprised.)
Apparently, Edison Chen appeared for like one second or something in the show! Huh? I thought his parts were cut because of the sex scandal? I dunno. But I sure didn't see him at all. Maybe I was too engrossed checking out Christian Bale's hot body. So did anyone see him (in the movie) at all? And oh ya, that baddie hongkie guy Lau is a Singaporean actor leh! Wah so proud of him.
I'm looking forward to watching Mamma Mia next. It's been out for ages but I've not had the chance to go watch yet. According to a colleague, it's as good as Hairspray and I loved Hairspray! So I must catch it before they stop screening it everywhere.
the reds and the whites
I wore our Singapore flag colours to work today. Quite a number of the other Singaporeans in Rex wore red too. Though far away from home, we've not forgotten it's National Day tomorrow.
Eliss even wore accessories with stars (her favourite National Day song is Five Stars Arising). She took off her boots to show us her grey socks with many many yellow stars. Well done! (Although the colours a bit tak match leh!)
I scrambled around my room this morning trying to find my white tank top to wear inside this red top I normally wear backless for clubbing. A colleague dared to ask "你的衣服后面为什么破一个大洞?" *Faint* This is called design lor.
the oh-so-shiok long showers
In the past, I used to snort with disgust when I hear of vainpots spending hours in the shower/bath and wonder what the hell they do that takes up so much time. I was one of those who could shower, brush teeth, pee, poo and wash face in under 15min, except when I had to wash my hair, that will add another 10min to the whole bathroom routine. I sometimes got so lazy I wished someone would invent some wonder cleaning spray that keeps one clean and bacteria-free without having to go through the hassle of taking a shower.
Now, I have turned into one of those vainpots. I am beginning to spend as long as 40-50min in the bathroom just taking a shower and washing my hair. Add another 15min for pee, poo, brush teeth and wash face. And another 30min for deep pore cleansing facial mask and moisturising facial mask twice a week. And another 10min for whole body moisturising. Keeping oneself looking good is like a full time job! So tiring!
Anyways, the motivation behind my long showers is this!
It's a soft rubber shower scrub and cellulite massager from The Body Shop. On the left shows the side where you use to scrub your body and on the right is the side you use to massage targetted cellulite areas. Below is a close-up shot of the cellulite buster. It's got these 'nipples' all over. I call it the tittie massager.
Stepping into the shower has never been quite the same since. I actually look forward to this whole scrubbing-massaging regime under the warm water jets. I feel good after each shower, like I've just done a workout. I also sleep better now.
After using this tittie massager almost everyday for about a month, the scaly skin patches around the ankle and shin areas have visibly reduced and the thigh and butt areas seem more toned and have less of the orange peels texture. I feel that the blood circulation seems to have improved too (as can be seen from the pinkish flush all over after each massage). My skin glows when I look into the mirror after my showers!
I am suddenly reminded of the drybrushing method for achieving the above that beakee wrote about sometime ago. I had wanted to give it a try but I prompty forgot about it and didn't even get down to sourcing for a brush. I think the basic concept of these is the same. Now that I have my tittie massager and I'm totally happy with it, I think I'll save the drybrushing for later when I tire of my tittie toy and my shower routine.
planning my meals
As part of Project P, I've been planning my meals so that I have a more balanced diet. Don't get me wrong. It's not about weight loss. It's entirely about consuming the right foods with the required nutrients in the correct proportions for more healthy living.
I can't say I have the perfect meal plan now cos there are still a lot of foods I don't like and will never eat. Just to list a few: wholemeal bread, papayas, certain kinds of green leafy vegetables that are too bitter (like cai xin) and anything that's too sour (like grapefuit or green apples). Also, I believe in pampering myself once in a while so I'll sometimes still give in to my cravings for rubbish food like instant noodles (nissin brand cup noodles chilli crab flavour!) and easy macs. And, how can I ever go to KFC and not eat the chicken skin, or go to a chinese restaurant known for roasted meats and not have the crispy fatty roasted pork/duck skin, or forgo a beer when I hit a pub for a quick meal? I confirm 办不到 lor.
But for a start, I've been cooking dinner almost everyday and bringing homecooked lunch to work on most days so as to minimise any external temptations, and the general guideline for preparing these meals is: at least one serving of fruits AND one serving of veges. Eh, you think this is easy? For my case, it's like getting a lion to eat grass. And this lioness is slowly (and unbelievably) turning vegetarian. Just take a look at what I had for dinner tonight and am going to have again for lunch tomorrow:
In the biggest tupperware: a small serving of rice to fill my stomach, 1 hard boiled egg, a tofu dish with tomatoes and bits of crabsticks in a spicy sauce.
In the medium-sized tupperware: a lot of cauliflower and brocolli steamed with oyster sauce (they are still uncooked in the pic).
In the smallest tupperware: 2 kiwis washed and cut into bite-sized cubes.
Ta da! All packed for tomorrow!
I tell you, I am so loving the steamed cauliflower and brocolli I think I can have that everyday. I need to think of some other vege dish that's easy to prepare and nice to eat before I get sick of this cauliflower-brocolli mix.
dante's boy
Wah wah wah, Dante suddenly has a boy now! It seems like just yesterday when I bought his newborn daughter Ashley a pair of Wilsons baby shoes and now he's got another boy.
I read his entry, it must have been written in a rush I believe, and could totally feel his stress and kan-cheong-ness when his wife's contractions started. I think his wife is more zai than him lor. Tsk tsk.
Dunno if he's given the baby boy a name yet, but he sure looks darn cute... so unlike his father... haha. Congrats 'Airen'!!! ;D
project go-stunt
Someone, after hearing of my Project P, decided to kick-off Project Go-Stunt (malay word for going backwards). His Project GS has a different objective from mine - he wants to go back in time and regain the looks and body of himself 5 years ago.
When comparing notes, I discovered he's been copying my Project P rules wholesale. Humph. Got copyright one leh. So I asked him to go think up a few innovative Project GS rules for himself. Nothing came after waiting for a few seconds on msn.
So I tried to think for him from a man's point of view and *ding ding* *light bulb flashes above my head*:
"Eh, your Project GS can have this #1 golden rule - to have sex at least once everyday. This stimulates constant production of sperms and helps maintain/enhance your virility!" (Forgot to add: can help build your 6-packs too!)
I definitely think this is the way to go. Trust me. Please remember to report on your project progress okay?
ps: above pic is a close up shot of the jellies in the ice jelly dessert I had at Bedok Central hawker centre. so cute right? >.<
the art of racing in the rain
I recently stumbled across the site of a blogging dog, Kingsley the border collie and have been reading it almost daily. Then not long after, I saw this book The Art of Racing in the Rain written by Garth Stein but told through Enzo the dog.
Having spent most of my childhood among the nine or so dogs my Grandma kept, the uncountable number of cats and the always reproducing rabbits, I have always thought they have minds of their own and often wondered what they must be thinking of us humans. It would be great if I can just speak their language for a while so I know what they are gossiping about us behind our backs.
That could be the reason I enjoy reading Kingsley's blog and why I bought this book. Not that I really believe that dogs can speak or write. But whoever writing these would have put himself in the dog's shoes and tried to think like one. That, for now, satisfies my craving to see the world through a dog's eyes. I did not for a moment regret the purchase. I enjoyed it thoroughly although I find the closing chapter a bit redundant. It's like a feeble attempt to turn a not too positive ending into a happy one. Everyone loves happy endings and so the writer decided that he will give us one. Very often than not, it is the heart wrenching ending that makes the most impact and remains in our memories the longest. I read somewhere that if Romeo and Juliet were to get married, they would inevitably quarrel as they discover their differences and most likely split up. But their tragic deaths after just a short time together made their love story unforgettable.
Okay back to the book. Enzo thinks he's different from other dogs. He's almost human. Through listening to his master, observing the human beings around him and watching tv (mostly car races and sometimes documentaries), Enzo gained much insight into the complex world of people.
Enzo watched a documentary on tv about how monkeys are the closest evolutionary relative of human beings and thinks that is bullshit. He has his own theory on this and illustrated it with 2 points, 1 of which made me laugh out loud:
"Case-in-point #2: The Werewolf - The full moon rises. The fog clings to the lowest branches of the spruce trees. The man steps out of the darkest corner of the forest and finds himself transformed into... A monkey? I think not."
Enzo also asked some thought provoking questions relating to human behaviours that puzzled him. These are a few short paragraphs that caught my attention the most:
"I (Enzo the dog) felt strangely anxious that day, in a very human way. People are always worried about what's happening next. They often find it difficult to stand still, to occupy the now without worrying about the future. People are not generally satisfied with what they have; they are very concerned with what they are going to have."
See see see! What did I always write about embracing the now? Worry worry worry so much, if you suddenly drop dead due to a freak accident, you would have wasted your efforts worrying about what it's going to be.
"I marveled at them both; how difficult it must be to be a person. To constantly subvert your desires. To worry about doing the right thing, rather than doing what is most expedient. At that moment, honestly, I had grave doubts as to my ability to interact on such a level. I wondered if I could ever become the human I hoped to be."
See see see again! What did I always tell you? To hell with doing the politically correct things!
"Did he understand, as those interminable minutes ticked by, that being alone is not the same as being lonely? That being alone is a neutral state; it is like a blind fish at the bottom of the ocean: without eyes, and therefore without judgement. Is it possible? That which is around me does not affect my mood; my mood affects that which is around me. Is it true? Could he have possibly appreciated the subjective nature of loneliness, which is something that exists only in the mind, not in the world, and, like a virus, is unable to survive without a willing host?"
This last bit, loneliness vs being alone, I have written much about it long long ago. For those who have been following my blog since my moblog days will remember. I also vaguely remember beakee wrote something about this too. I think it was about solitude. I'll go find the entries when I have the time.
After reading Enzo's thoughts, I feel strangely like a dog. Maybe that's why I always feel like an alien among humans. O_O"
food diary: 28 july - 3 aug
I read somewhere on strawberry's blog on her fried carrot cake and had huge cravings for it. I just had to get some from chinatown. There wasn't any carrot cake so I settled for yam cake. I cut it into cubes and fried it with chinese sausages (lup cheong), preserved radish (cai por) and lots of eggs. That was my one indulgence for the week.
I realised after 2 weeks of buying fresh veges that I can't finish most of the veges before they turn bad, unless I stick to having just 1 type of vege per week. I had to throw away large portions of caulifower gone mouldy, celery turned dark brown and spinach turned errrr.... all mushed up. That's really a waste of food. Yet I can't bear the thought of forcing myself to eat the same vege everyday every meal for a week until I finish all of it. This is one problem I need to solve if I intend to continue with my green shitty vege diet.
monday
B @ 7.30am: 1 glass of fruit juice, 1 mocha
L @ 1pm: pad thai with chilli, 1 mocha
D @ 8pm: homecooked stir fry pasta with bacon, tuna, celery and chilli, yoghurt with avocado
dump: once
tuesday
B @ 9.30am: ham and cheese croissant, mocha
L @ 1.30pm: homecooked stir fry pasta with bacon, tuna, celery and chilli
Tea break @ 5pm: 2 muesli bars
D @ 8pm: homecooked fried rice with celery, chinese sausages, mushrooms and egg, 1 glass of juice
dump: nil
wednesday
B @ 8.30am: 1 glass of milk
Tea break @ 10.30am: a quiche, 1 mocha
L @ 2.30pm: homecooked fried rice with celery, chinese sausages, mushrooms and egg
D @ 7.30pm: chashu ramen, green tea cappuccino, mocha
dump: once
thursday
B : nil
L @ 1pm: 1 glass of milk, 1 mocha, mouthfuls of lasagne, half serving of seafood salad
Tea break @ 3.30pm: 1 slice of chocolate cake
D @ 8pm: a cajun chicken wrap, handfuls of popcorn, sips of coke
dump: nil
friday
B @ 8.30am: 1 glass of milk
L @ 1.30pm: chorizo and pumpkin risotto, mocha
D @ 8.30pm: homecooked fried yam cake with chinese sausages, preserved radish and eggs
dump: nil
saturday
B : nil
L : nil
D @ 5pm: pasta with chicken, snowpeas, and sundried tomatoes in pesto cream sauce
Supper @ 11pm: leftover homecooked fried yam cake with chinese sausages, preserved radish and eggs
dump: once
sunday
B : nil
L @ 2.30pm: 1 glass of milk, 1 mixed berry juice
D @ 8pm: homecooked spinach and cheese tortellini with bacon and mushrooms in cream sauce, 2 kiwis with yoghurt
dump: nil
a mother and her daughter
I think my mum misses me and wants me back in SG for good. She did not exactly tell me that or put it into so many words, but I could sense it from the phone conversations we've been having much more frequently now.
We had a surprisingly long chat last weekend.
(in mandarin):
"P has moved out of your room and taken the sofa bed, tv, table etc, basically all that he bought, with him, and now it's empty. I'm going to leave it this way and not renting it out to anyone anymore. When you come home, I'll get you a new bed and we'll furnish the room together."
"Good to hear you're cooking more often now. Don't always eat out, it's not healthy. And don't forget what I've told you a million times before, porridge cannot be kept in the fridge overnight. It'll give you tummyaches."
"Have you been looking for jobs here in SG? You should. The job market is good now. Even if you can't immediately get a job, come back first and look slowly, don't worry about not having an income. I'm not poor to the point I can't feed you."
My mum and I, we've come a long way now from the days when she'd never call me unless there were bills to pay for, to her now getting calling cards and calling me whenever she doesn't hear from me on the weekends just to bitch about stuff at home and to find out how I am doing.
She has never been the kind of mother to show her affections with us (me and my bro). As far back as I remember, she has never hugged nor kissed me nor brought me to the doctor when I was sick. I used to wonder about her lack of concern for me. Was I really picked from the rubbish bin as all Asian parents love to tell their children? (I've got heaps to say about that but that'll be for another day.) I thought she took me for granted and that I was only the piggy bank that spewed out dollar notes whenever the bills arrived. And I was very sore about it. It made me angry that she couldn't take care of my brother's uni fees and hence passed on the burden to me. It never occured to me that she was helpless too. That she did the best she could but that was simply just not enough. So she turned to the one person she trusted the most who could take on and had always taken on the role of the head of the family.
And as for the lack of affections, who am I to criticise her for that? She may be wondering the same about me too, why I have never told her I love her, or provided her a listening ear when she needed to bitch, or bought her fancy presents like her friends' children do. She must also have thought I have desserted her by leaving for a place thousands of miles away and only offered to pay for her airfare to visit me 2 years down the road. I guess she never realised how affected I was financially in order to live up to everyone's expectations to provide them as easy a life as I possibly can such that I had no spare budget for an OZ holiday for them. I have always put up a strong front about eveything being all good that she must have thought I was really coping well.
Throw in all the misunderstandings, feelings of guilt and finger-pointings surrounding the family over my dad's passing, our relationship had been strained to breaking point. Yet we never brought it out into the open and talked about it. We just let it eat into us day after day until we were so consumed by anger that I just had to take off. The separation did us good.
Now that my bro has finished his final exams, my shoulders feel significantly lighter. I think my mum feels the same too. Gone is a huge chunk of financial liability that was constantly driving a wedge between us. Perhaps that explains the lessened tension between us. I think it's about time we made up and start cultivating the mother-daughter relationship we've both been secretly yearning for for the longest time.
I am feeling so homesick now.
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