little adeline in a BIG world

Goodbye Old Faithful

2011-01-18T06:50:00.002+08:00

You've been a very good dog. Now it's time for you to take your well-earned rest.

You will always have a special place in my heart...

Confused, but going to stick it out with You

2010-08-18T18:31:00.001+08:00

Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

1 Kings 19:11-12

Tick tock tick tock

2010-08-06T19:32:00.001+08:00

Ring ring?

Part 1 of His answer to my prayer

2010-07-06T23:39:00.002+08:00

All I can say is, "Thank you Lord that you are in control of my future - and that all your plans for me are for me to prosper, not to come to harm, and to have hope and a future."

The waiting game

2010-06-10T19:57:00.002+08:00

Josh has been very sweet and expressing his concern that I don't get out very much and how I should find something to do outside the house so I don't A) get depressed and/or B) go bonkers (I'm wondering if he envisions me greeting him at the door with a knife and a deranged look...).

I'm not really sure if it is inertia, fear/nervousness or the weather (or maybe all) that's really stopping me from going out and doing stuff. Part of me is constantly thinking I shouldn't be spending money when I am not earning anything and going out always has the temptation of BUYING something. Even if it is just coffee. Coffee plus bus fare equals at least GBP5.50. Back when I was working I could justify these little extravagances because I'd tell myself I was working hard and/or I had saved money the day before by having a cheap lunch. It's not like we're short of money but I feel I should be more prudent, don't you agree?

And finding outside activities (he's been suggesting dance classes) - whenever I think about it, the question 'what if I find a job and the classes don't fit with my schedule?' always pops up. I guess in my mind I'm always thinking that job should come first and if I do anything other than focus all my energy on getting a job (housekeeping doesn't count as it's a given in this equation) then I'm not helping my situation. And that there isn't a reason for me to be blamed that things are not moving as fast as I hoped it would.

I just need my big break and everything will (should) fall in place. But then sometimes, God doesn't work the way we humans think He should.

Maybe I should consider those dance lessons...

Faith the size of a mustard seed

2010-05-25T22:44:00.002+08:00

Sometimes life feels like an endless cycle of waiting.

At last

2010-04-03T10:00:00.000+08:00

T'is the night before the wedding

2010-04-02T18:56:00.002+08:00

I'm feeling jittery, nervous, anxious but mostly excited.

It feels strange knowing that tomorrow is finally THE DAY.

But strange in a good way.

An Eulogy

2010-03-24T22:57:00.002+08:00

To Long-Distance Relationship

Goodbye and good riddance!

Oops! Are we guilty? I hope not...

2010-03-21T19:54:00.002+08:00

I Hate Your Wedding Web Site
What should be purely functional turns into a showcase for narcissism

By Noreen Malone
Posted Friday, March 12, 2010, at 7:17 AM ET

My roommate and I spent a solid hour on the couch one evening discussing a wedding Web site we'd been sent. The people getting married were strangers, but that didn't stop me from forwarding it to a friend or two I thought might get a kick out of it. Pretty soon everyone had seen "Jane" and "Tim's" site, on which they treated their impending nuptials with all the pomp that preceded Princess Diana's wedding. Except Jane and Tim's wedding won't just be broadcast live on their special day, like Diana's paltry event was. In the months preceding their marriage you can watch the Flash slide show that explains how the pair met-cute while rooting for opposing teams during a Yankees-Red Sox game as many times as you want. But that's only if you tire of the video showing Jane and Tim lovingly washing their dog, Mr. Snuffles.

Sadly, Jane and Tim are not alone. Nearly every pair of happy, ordinary American betrotheds creates a personalized wedding Web site. NBC's tapped into this with wry realism recently, ginning up the slightly painful www.halpertbeesly.com for the wedding of characters Jim and Pam. In theory, the practice is as harmless as Jim's clean-cut demeanor. The sites make life easier for guests who can't remember where the couple is registered or lost their save-the-date cards. But instead of being tasteful, utilitarian affairs, these sites inevitably turn into showcases for unbridled narcissism—and open the couple up to a great deal of mockery from friends and strangers alike. Brides have been told that their special day is the most important thing in the universe, thanks to the wedding industrial complex (which has been amply documented), and Generation Y has taken this wedding mania digital. If you're used to extensively celebrating your daily existence on Facebook, Twitter, and perhaps a Tumblr or two, how better to signal that this night is different from all other nights than by giving it its own bespoke URL?

Jane and Tim, for instance, have chosen to color their special story various shades of soft green, with tan accents of faux ribbons, shadowed floral flourishes, and a highly stylized fake script font. The vibe is perhaps meant to be "classy," but it's very hard to achieve an understated aesthetic when the message you most want to telegraph is LOOK AT ME. The main page features a black-and-white shot of Tim adoring Jane while she reciprocates with the upturned chin angle that telegraphs true, moony love, taken during the couple's (extensive) engagement photo shoot. Visitors can choose one of several unrecognizable soft-rock songs while they browse (but no mute button option). There are a grand total of 651 pictures featured—from baby photos to Solo-cup-filled college dorm-room shots to shots of their four—count 'em—engagement parties. Other sites might stop at just a couple of hundred pictures or fail to limn the courtship narrative in quite the same painfully painstaking detail, but the features of Tim and Jane's site are closer to the rule than the exception.

The idea behind a formalized wedding is that the couple stands up in front of their family and friends and declares their love. Historically, this happened in a house of worship or maybe City Hall. But as so much more of life is lived online, it makes sense that people feel the need to share their wedding news with their virtual community. This doesn't excuse, say, the couple who tweeted and changed their Facebook relationship statuses from the altar, but perhaps it explains the compulsion. The instinct to spread those marriage tidings isn't new either—think of newspaper wedding announcements—but now a self-created site democratizes the process, while getting one's union written up in a newspaper often means running a gantlet of elitism.

But the democratization of the Web creates an entirely new problem: It asks the virtual community to engage meaningfully with the idea of blissful foreverness in the same inherently judgmental medium that spawned Perez Hilton. Show me your rock over coffee, and my delighted exclamations over its beauty will be genuine. Post a jpeg of it on your site, and I'll probably do a quick catalog of the many ways it is gauche, along with a back-of-the-envelope calculation on roughly how much it cost per karat. Let the best man tell the story of the proposal in his toast at the wedding, and I'll beam in the reflected glow. Spill a plodding 2,100 words of questionable grammar about how the groom managed to disguise the ring in your tiramisu, and I'll worry whether your future children will be able to develop writing skills at a state-mandated grade level. The inclination to judge is probably doubly true for people who aren't inner-circle enough to be invited to the wedding but close enough to be forwarded a link to the Web site.

Should you actually be attending, the overflow of advance information a wedding Web site provides also brings knotty practical implications. When you want to flirt with a groomsman, all obvious avenues of points of entry will be barricaded off: Try inquiring innocently about what he does for a living, and you might end up inadvertently revealing that you'd Googled him to such an embarrassing depth that you know all about his 3-point shooting percentage during his flourishing Euro-league basketball career. And when someone at your table brings up the story of how the happy couple met, you automatically snort with derision. You can't help yourself after those hilarious 11 minutes you spent with your roommate and a glass of wine doing a close reading of the official online text. You've already deduced that the "friend" who had introduced them was Samuel Adams, and that the time they'd spent "learning about themselves" before deciding to be married involved three or four acrimonious breakups and probably some cheating.

The problems of the wedding Web site are the problems of the social Internet, clad in tulle. And it's a practice that's increasingly impossible to opt out of—if couples don't create a site of their own volition, there are inevitable requests to please, please, just post the driving directions and registry, which are followed by requests from undermining maids-of-honor to pretty it up just a tad, and soon the couple is making Jane and Tim look hermitic. I can come to terms with the fact that these sites aren't going anywhere, if the perpetrators can come to terms with the fact that the more baroque they make their creations, the more they're opening what ought to be private and special to the indiscriminate mockery of the World Wide Web—and their future selves. Twenty years from now, Jane will shudder at the excess of those four engagement parties and Tim will regret those faux ribbons. They should remember that while half of marriages crumble, a Google cache is forever.

(Source)

The most beautiful verse in the Bible

2010-03-20T12:40:00.001+08:00

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love."

John 15:9

S'Wonderful

2010-03-15T09:04:00.000+08:00

T-t-t-ten days till Mr J T-t-ting returns!

Fare Thee Well

2010-03-09T13:26:00.003+08:00

I hope you will like your new home(s). :'(

Etiquette Fail

2010-03-08T15:10:00.003+08:00

The past few weeks have been trying. Please don't make things worse for everyone. Here are some tips -

1. When you receive a card that says 'RSVP' and states a date, there IS a reason why that specific date was put down.

2. It is rude to question why the date is earlier than, say, 1 week before the event. Remember, you are not the one throwing the party, hence you may not know that there are others aspects involved in the planning to which an early confirmation of attendance is essential.

3. When someone sends you a reminder that the date to respond by is approaching/has lapsed, please have the decency to at least acknowledge that you have received the reminder and if you are still unable to provide an answer, you should formulate a DECENT excuse, rather than completely ignore it. This will not score you any brownie points when the host FINALLY tracks you down. Especially if you, in your reply, say that you actually saw that e-mail.

4. Building on Point 3, you should not be checking your schedule ONLY when the deadline has already arrived/passed. Invitations are sent to you early for a reason, so that you can get all your affairs in order beforehand to respond in a timely fashion.

And in closing, I hope that you get your act together in time after all this babying so that you don't think it is a brilliant idea to call the bride and/or groom on the day of the event to ask for directions/instructions/details. You do know that most likely we will not be picking up the phone so, GOOD LUCK.

Über retro chic

2010-03-06T20:45:00.003+08:00

My mom and I have been eyeing these retro tea sets in the tea cosies/wicker baskets for ages - my grandmother has one and my mom always talks about how good one of these is in keeping tea warm (doesn't help of course that it looks pretty!). We saw these in Sia Huat a while ago but have been putting off buying one for me to take to the UK 'until closer to the wedding' so that it doesn't sit around the house and collect dust.

Given how few weekends are actually left till the wedding, we trooped down to Chinatown today and decided to buy TWO sets - one for my mom and one for me. We ended up getting one hexagon basket and one oval basket (because the lock on the clasp of the last hexagon basket they had was broken).

As juvenile as it sounds, it's so fun having 'matching' tea sets! :) And I am looking forward to using this in my new home in the UK.

March madness

2010-02-28T12:29:00.002+08:00

As of tomorrow, it will be March!

WOW!

March means... a month (and 2 days) to the wedding. It also means no more work and full-on concentration on PACKING. oh and of course wedding stuff. There seems like there are a lot of loose ends to tie up - i think we were deluded to believe that the earlier we started the less things we'd be doing now (especially when working with suppliers who are, well, not very helpful. or understanding of TIME FRAMES).

But March also means that Mr J Ting will be coming back soon. Like in 24 days (as of tomorrow). That's two dozen days. Which makes the madness seem bearable. :)

Security blanket

2010-02-24T15:37:00.003+08:00

someone brought this up last night -

Sometimes you just wish God had a direct phone line that you could dial to check in that He's there and that He's working on your situation. But then, that's not faith and that indicates how little trust you have in His goodness and His love for you.

which led me to think - if I can trust that someone human who is far away loves me through everything, how much more God who is with me 24/7 and is perfect and more powerful?

The end of an era

2010-02-19T21:57:00.001+08:00

It is beginning to look even more Evelyn Waugh-esque!

And then there were three

2010-02-08T23:17:00.001+08:00

Food for thought

2010-02-07T14:46:00.002+08:00

"It's really difficult to locate the avenue of gain when you're being chauffeured by loss. And I think every opportunity is one step closer to perpetual evolution."

- Lil' C (in So You Think You Can Dance, Season 4 Episode 17)

Baby-smooth skin

2010-02-02T21:45:00.005+08:00

Nothing feels quite as nice as a good shaping of nails, shaving of calluses, filing of rough edges, scrub, rich moisturiser and happy-coloured nail polish* to end off a productive day!

Bring on the rest of the week! :)

*It's a Fuchsia-like, though under different light looks more red than pink (it's from the OPI Hollywood collection - don't know the name but think it might be this...)

A rollercoaster - bordering on insane

2010-01-22T23:49:00.008+08:00

i'll admit i'm such a strange person. i love reading wedding blogs and finding out what other couples are doing for their wedding - all the little details that make that special day all the more memorable and essentially YOU. yet i'm so conscious of not saying anything wedding-related on this blog simply because i don't want to spoil any surprises. hence, you may imagine, this blog has been sitting here quietly, untouched with the exception of a few random and/or cryptic messages over the past few months which are just thoughts i have in my head, be it having just popped in or one of those that linger at the back of your mind. (if you know me, you know what i'm talking about!)

well today was one of those weird days i've been having every once in a while. i guess it's one of those pensive days when i experience a myriad of moods in a short span of time. to provide you some background, i should start at the beginning.

since the proposal and Josh going back to the UK, i've been full-steam-ahead planning this wedding. considering everything, i imagined planning a wedding to be fun and easy since i do corporate event management for a living and hey, wouldn't it be so much easier (in theory) with me as the client since there's no time-wasting liaison work to deal with?

hur hur.

let's just say that planning a wedding on a budget and calling in favours isn't the same as working on a corporate project where you can bark at suppliers and get things done at your speed. because people have their own lives to live and are not really going to be able to drop everything and do wedding things for you now-now. i guess it was a good lesson in patience and not letting myself snap.

yet at the same time, i've been amazed at the outpouring of love from so many people who've offered time, services for cheaper and even financial support (big shout out to my family!). Indeed God's been good.

i guess i've always had a timeline at the back of my mind. my plan which i instinctively draw up in my head. a plan that pretty much lines up what i have to get done/achieve by a certain time/date. it's my way of dealing with life/the world. box it up and stick it somewhere where i know it is and can mentally prepare self for at the appropriate time.

everything pretty much went on schedule - save for a few things that got a bit delayed but worked out in the end due to me being extra kiasu and giving myself extra buffer time. i had a wonderful, surreal time when Josh was back. it was so amazing - finally feeling like we're a couple, doing things together and ticking things off the checklist (i know that sounds sad but that to me is a wonderful expression of love). and excitement that after he left, the separation would be the shortest! only 10 1/2 weeks till he'd come back.

but there's something that's been bugging me. actually, not quite something. some thingssss. but collectively it's something. time. or lack of. it has been hitting me (at the most unexpected moments) that time is running short. and while there is a sense of euphoria about it, it's scary. like quivering scary. not in a runaway bride way. but a sense that the biggest hurdle is still ahead and there's only so little time left. and it doesn't look like it's going to go away as quickly as the others have - in fact, i think this is probably the biggest challenge we've had.

guest lists and the sending out of invitation cards and by extension, seating arrangements.

then there's the whole pack-my-life-into-boxes-and-move-to-another-continent thing. i mean, sure, i've lived in the UK before but i was a student! there was always that sense of knowing that i have a home in Singapore to go to, that there isn't the immediacy or even need for me to pack everything i own into boxes and move them to the UK/store them away. with this, there is a sense of finality. no comfort of a home to come to where you know all that rubbish you've kept for sentimental reasons is still in exactly the same place they've been for the past goodness-knows-how-long years. perhaps it is also coupled with the fact that with my brother's move (he's going to New Delhi for the next 3 years) and me getting married, my parents are going to sell the house. not a maybe-we-will but a we-are. so everything has to go into some box of some sort to either be sent to the UK or kept here in Singapore for me to reclaim at some later stage of my life.

it's been very see-saw over the last two weeks (goodness, has it only been two weeks?). on the one hand i'm excited about the life ahead (i've been looking at stuff for the house/apartment in Birmingham) but on the other, it's sad to leave this place. stupid i know but moving out of the house is Singapore is a lot more 'traumatic' than the incessent moving i did as a student at university (hello Whitefields!).

there's also me thinking about the visa stuff and getting all my paperwork in order. then worrying about cards getting sent out and attendance being collated. on top of that, the small little details i'm paranoid i've overlooked in the planning. ALL THIS TO BE DONE IN 2 1/2 MONTHS! actually, possibly even less than that.

i guess during this whole time i've been thinking, oh that can be done next year (2010) or after i've stopped working. and now, in my excitement and amidst the countdown, i realise i've only got 18 work days left. 18. :|

so the 'future' is closing in on me. maybe this is what they call pre-wedding nerves! when you panic that you are panicking.

i feel jittery - like i need to do something to calm myself down. because being idle makes me feel like time is slipping through my hands.

(oh that was such a Days Of Our Lives image!)

sigh. i think i need to go to bed.

btw, we have a wedding website! www.josh-and-ade.com

mmmmm, hungry....

2009-10-24T11:42:00.002+08:00

"Just a Burger? Just a burger. Robin, it’s so much more than "just a burger." I mean… that first bite—oh, what heaven that first bite is. The bun, like a sesame freckled breast of an angel, resting gently on the ketchup and mustard below, flavors mingling in a seductive pas de deux. And then…a pickle! The most playful little pickle! Then a slice of tomato, a leaf of lettuce and a…a patty of ground beef so exquisite, swirling in your mouth, breaking apart, and combining again in a fugue of sweets and savor so delightful. This is no mere sandwich of grilled meat and toasted bread, Robin. This is God, speaking to us in food."

How I Met Your Mother - Season 4, Episode 2 "The Best Burger in New York"

Lessons learnt from Gilmore Girls

2009-10-04T17:08:00.002+08:00

Luke:
Oh! Uh, congratulations.

Emily:
For what?

Luke:
You know, your thing tomorrow, renewing your vows.

Emily:
You congratulate the groom. You offer the bride best wishes.

Luke:
Oh.

*awkward silence*

Uh, best wishes.

Emily:
Why, thank you Luke. How sweet of you to say.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Richard:
*whispering* Psst, Lorelai. I need you to do something.

Lorelai:
Oh, spy voice. Cool.

Richard:
Focus, please?

Lorelai:
I am a camera.

Richard:
I want to give your mother a present. But I don't know what her dress looks like. So, I need you to take these, wait till she's not looking, hold them up to the dress, pick the one that looks best, bring it back to me and I will give it to her. Got it?

Lorelai:
Got it.

Richard:
Go.

*She goes upstairs to Emily's room*

Lorelai:
*walks in and holds out both necklaces* Which one do you want?

Emily:
That one. The other for my birthday.

Rory:
Look at that! It's so fancy.

Emily:
Your grandfather has perfect taste in necklaces and earrings. It's very important to find a man who can pick out your jewelry.

Lorelai:
Or steal it!

Episode 100 (Season 5) - Wedding Bell Blues

How I Met Your Mother - 'The Wedding' (Season 1 Episode 12)

2009-09-19T21:37:00.004+08:00

Marshall:
This wedding does sound pretty amazing though. Fancy hotel ballroom... Everybody all dressed up...

Lily:
Uh here we go...

Barney:
What?

Lily:
We can't get anywhere with our wedding plans because I want it to be fun and Marshall wants it to be lame.

Marshall:
*Scoffs* Oh yeah. Ok, that's a pretty fair assessment of our two arguments.

Lily:
I thought so.

Marshall:
You know what, excuse me if I don't want to get married barefoot in the woods next to Lake No-One's-Gonna-Drive-That-Far. Yes! I want a ballroom and I want a band and I want shoes. I've been dreaming about this day since I was... like...

Lily:
*Interrupt* A little girl?

Barney:
Waddup! *High-fives Lily*

Marshall:
Ok, I'm just saying that it's my wedding too and I should have a say in it.

Lily:
But I'm the bride. So, I win.

Marshall:
But I thought marriage is about two equal partners, sharing a life together.

Lily:
Right, but I'm the bride. So, I win.

Wham! Bam! AMAZING!

2009-08-22T11:53:00.002+08:00

Some of my favourite pieces from fantastic choreographers!

Mad (Ne-Yo) by Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo (aka Nappytabs! hehe...)
Performed by Jeanine Mason and Phillip Chbeeb

Ruby Blue (Róisín Murphy) by Wade Robson
Performed by Janette Manrara and Brandon Bryant

Koop Island Blues (Koop featuring Ane Brun) by Mia Michaels
Performed by Randi Evans and Evan Kasprzak

This Woman's Work (Maxwell) by Tyce Diorio
Performed by Melissa Sandvig and Ade Obayomi

I wish I could dance like that...

UPDATE: I think the videos have been removed...

Three words

2009-08-02T22:15:00.003+08:00

YOUDA SUSHI CHEF

Hours of endless fun...

http://www.miniclip.com/games/youda-sushi-chef/en/

Sartorial musings

2009-07-18T23:50:00.003+08:00

I was having coffee with my mom and people-watching today - and making the observation that people in Singapore generally dress rather sloppily and/or wear clothes that don't flatter their bodies.

which started my mom on how in her childhood, my grandmother, who used to be a seamstress before my grandfather opened the provision shop, used to reiterate how important it was to dress well when one goes out. like even to the market, because it was about being presentable outside of the home, so she'd wear her samfus, which were always well taken care of. my mom didn't have many clothes as a child, but if she went to Chinatown with my grandmother, my grandmother would always make sure she had on a nice dress and wear shoes with socks (because according to my mom, clogs and slippers were only 'allowed' to the market and no further).

I think we've lost the sense of dressing presentably before leaving the house. Funny when you think about how much we love to shop - is it that we always stick with our old (comfortable) favourites, no matter that it no longer fits well and/or looks tatty? or is it just that we have no innate sense of style?

now THAT'S quite worrying...

the downside of dancing

2009-06-30T21:02:00.002+08:00

raw/broken skin
blisters
callouses
bruises
cracked/chipped toenails
sprained toes
clicking knees

OoOooOo it feels good to be back dancing...

Even Abraham had to endure periods of waiting for his blessings

2009-06-28T18:56:00.002+08:00

But in the end, he was truly blessed in all areas of life.

I'm really learning what it means to wait and keep trusting God...

Like I've always said...

2009-06-27T11:53:00.003+08:00

I love how Warwick scored so highly on the first three sections (and hence overall) but only got a 58% for graduate prospects!

People always look at me weirdly when I say I did my degree for fun because they always expect me to say that it opened doors for my career. HA!

Anyway, in the competition of Warwick vs LSE (between siblings, there's always competition!)...

Recipes to remind me of home

2009-05-22T21:43:00.002+08:00

in the midst of all the planning for the wedding, I've suddenly remembered I'd better figure out the recipes for/learn how to cook dishes that remind me of Southeast Asia.

You know, being a good wife and all...

So far, the top item on my list is otah otah.

Yo-yo-ing

2009-05-16T00:40:00.005+08:00

Some days, what really cheers me up is thinking about the wedding and dresses and possible colour themes and flowers.

But sometimes, I feel completely overwhelmed by the amount of work that has to be done. Or rather, the fact that there are a lot of things that cannot move forward because of other things which are still pending that are standing in the way of progress. Then I get frustrated thinking about it and then my inner Monica Gellar kicks into overdrive and I end up trying to do up more and more checklists and plans to feel like there is something that I can do 'in the meantime'.

It's funny but I think ultimately it boils down to me missing you. And since my method of dealing with things is to compartmentalise, I focus my energies on planning the wedding. Which in turn leads me to get a bit excessively obsessive compulsive and frustrated that other people are not working on the same timescale/pace as me.

Then when 1 thing moves from pending to confirmed/settled/done and dusted, my mood is lifted and I get all excited again.

I think I need help.

Exhausted

2009-04-18T12:53:00.001+08:00

I cast all my cares upon you
I lay all of my burdens down at your feet
At any time I don't know
What to do
I just cast all my cares upon you

"And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like 'I love you'"

2009-04-13T22:03:00.007+08:00

It's been a crazy 3 weeks. And even though I know you've gone to start preparing for our life together, part of me is still caught up in the short-term. The NOW feeling. Which is that I'd trade it all to have you here with me.

But I know it's silly. And compartmentalizing is my coping mechanism. So for now I'll sit here and wait (im)patiently for you to come back to me.

Because I love you and I know you love me even more...

2009-03-15T17:14:00.004+08:00

The very thought of you and I forget to do
Those little ordinary things that everyone ought to do
I'm living in a kind of a daydream
I'm happy as a queen
And foolish though it may seem
To me that's everything

The mere idea of you
The longing here for you
You'll never know how slow the moments go
Till I'm near to you
I see your face in every flower
Your eyes in stars above
It's just the thought of you,
The very thought of you, my love

Overwhelmed

2009-03-07T23:51:00.000+08:00

Now as we remember
Strains of our school song
Call to mind our motto
Filiae Melioris Aevi

Filiae Melioris Aevi
Daughters of a better age
United by a common goal
Filiae Melioris Aevi

Trust RGS girls to pull off something as amazing as tonight's 130th Founders' Day Homecoming Celebration - and all in 6 weeks and mostly through word of mouth, no less! Looking around the hall filled with generations of old girls, I felt proud to stand together with them to sing school songs and join in some cheers. It was fantastic to know that I'm part of such an amazing legacy - these women who've come before me have worked so hard to give me the opportunities I have today and I'm grateful that RGS taught me that I can be whoever I want to be!

And I'm still feeling the buzz from tonight even now...

One of the best running storylines on TV

2009-02-16T22:51:00.003+08:00

And I think what really makes George Clooney so attractive is the twinkle in his eyes... *swoon*

funny birthday stories

2009-02-13T11:19:00.002+08:00

so Fang's and Geri's birthdays fall one day after another (actually I have 4 friends whose birthdays are 1 day after another) and since we are meeting for dinner tonight, I decided to get their birthday presents before the meal.

except now Fang wants to share in Geri's present AND Geri wants to split Fang's present AND BOTH WANT TO MEET ME TO GO SHOPPING FOR PRESENTS.

hence the potentially funny situation tonight where they'll end up buying themselves presents...

and out of the group of 4 of us for dinner, I'm the only one who'll not be receiving a birthday gift!

An Evelyn Waugh weekend - something that jumped out at me

2009-02-10T12:05:00.004+08:00

"The truth is that motor cars offer a very happy illustration of the metaphysical distinction between 'being' and 'becoming'. Some cars, mere vehicles with no purpose above bare locomotion, mechanical drudges such as Lady Metroland's Hispano Suiza, or Mrs Mouse' Rolls Royce, or Lady Circumference's 1912 Daimler, or the 'general reader's' Austin Seven, these have definite 'being' just as much as their occupants. They are brought all screwed up and numbered and painted, and there they stay through various declensions of ownership, brightened now and then with a lick of paint or temporarily rejuvenated by the addition of some minor organ, but still maintaining their essential identity to the scrap heap.

Not so the real cars, that become masters of men; those vital creations of metal who exist solely for their own propulsion through space, for whom their drivres, clinging precariously at the steering wheel, are as important as his stenographer to a stockbroker. These are in perpetual flux, a vortex of combining and disintegrating units; like the confluence of traffic at some spot where many roads meet, streams of mechanism come together, mingle and separate again."

Evelyn Waugh, 'Vile Bodies' (1930)

House arrest

2009-02-03T17:57:00.002+08:00

so here's a funny story. the electrical mains to my office building caught fire and now the whole building has no electricity. and rewiring will mean we'd be office-less for about a month.

so now my colleagues and i are on "house arrest". which translates to me "going to work" in my PJs.

which is kind of funny. unless you are my bosses...

HUR HUR.

Family holidays are an exercise in diplomacy

2008-12-28T21:53:00.002+08:00

You know how they say that birth order affects your personality/working style?

Here's a brief explanation:

Birth order theory outlines four types of personalities- first borns, second borns, only’s and youngests. If you were 3rd of six children then circumstances would have meant that you either functioned predominantly like one of the big four above.

Here are the four birth order types and some of their characteristics:

First borns – the leaders, the drivers and the responsible types. These people like to manage others but first they need to manage themselves. They love to feel in control and can feel uncomfortable with surprises or feeling out of their depth. They are conservative in their outlook, which is both a strength and a weakness. Their ability to focus on a goal and their propensity to organise others means they can achieve whatever they put their minds to.

Their tendency toward perfectionism can mean they can be low risk-takers but they can be the rock around which organisations can be built. Approval of authority is important for this group so don’t expect them to rock the boat too much. First borns, above all else, want to forge ahead.

Second borns – the ‘people’ people, the compromisers, and the flexible operators. They are likely to motivated by a cause and will enjoy working alongside people. They will often choose tasks or even a job that will give them a feeling of belonging. Friendships are important to this group so they will learn to get along and will help keep the peace in a group or organisation. They often need others to drive them but they are the glue that holds groups together. Relationships are important to this group so make sure they included in all activities. Seconds, above all else, put people first.

Only’s – the quiet achievers, the finishers, they expect nothing less than the best. This group will raise the bar for everyone around them as nothing but the best will do. Their great strength is their ability to work for long periods of time on their own so they make great project finishers and strategic thinkers but they can be secretive and don’t deal well with conflict. Recognition is important to this group. Only’s, above all else, aim to please.

Youngests – the initiators, ideas people and the challengers. This group are the creative, live-for-the moment types who can put some fun and verve into activities. While the message for first borns is to lighten up it seems that this group need to take things more seriously sometimes. Great initiators and very impatient doers, they perservere to get something started but often are not the greatest of finishers. This group will often do anything to be noticed so make sure you pay heed to their efforts. Youngests, above all else, will blow your mind.

So anyway, I think this theory does not quite apply to parents - it's as if being a parent overrides this birth order thing.

So anyway - 2 parents + 1 very typical firstborn = me caught in the middle of crossfire.

Shaken, (but thankfully) not stirred.

another failed baking attempt

2008-12-08T22:01:00.006+08:00

in today's weekend/holiday baking misadventure, my lemon glazed cookies didn't turn out like the picture in the magazine:

1. Because I ran out of wax paper, my dough rolls which I had to set in the fridge were not, well, cylindrical.
2. The texture of the dough didn't feel right when I was handling them and placing them on the tray.
3. The cookies spread out more than they should on the tray.
4. My cookies turned out browner than that in the picture.
5. The end-product cookies were a bit wetter than I thought they should be.

Maybe I had too much butter because I was not very exact when measuring 3/4 cup. And using wax paper would probably help achieve better cookie shapes AND set the dough better.

it's a good thing I don't have aspirations to be a dessert chef. I think I'm not meticulous enough a cook to get by as one.

The misadventures of little old ladies

2008-12-03T22:03:00.006+08:00

I'm not sure if I have mentioned it to everyone by now but I've recently taken up dressmaking classes at a little place near my house. Reasonably affordable and a good life-skill to have (and even more so in these "times are bad" times) so I figured it was worth the investment.

Anyway, the set-up is all very homey in the sense that it seems to be the place where little old ladies (or middle-aged aunties) spend their time socialising, oh and doing a little bit of knitting/patchwork in between. I'm trying to pick up some Hokkien by listening to these conversations so perhaps it is killing two birds with one stone (or in my case, a sewing machine!).

In the course of my last 3 lessons I have noticed that little old ladies and aunties have a propensity to be comedians. Seriously. Last week, there was an auntie who when I first started my lesson was unpicking a pair of pants she made because of a mistake. Halfway through the lesson she lets out a cry and we discover that after unpicking the seams, she sews the pieces together in the wrong order AGAIN and realises this when she is staring at the crotch area and wondering why it looked so wrong. The teacher is incredulous to the point that she decides that the auntie cannot afford to make another mistake because the cloth may potentially tear from all the sewing and unpicking so using a piece of tailor chalk, she marks "F" and "B" (for Front and BAck) on the respective pieces to clearly demarcate which is which!

Later on in the lesson, a little old lady (who is learning knitting) comes in to the main sewing area to make a call to her husband on her mobile phone. Mid-conversation her phone battery dies and she frets about how she is now unable to make arrangements for her husband to pick her up. One of the ladies in the shop suggests she take out the SIM card and put it in another phone so that she can check her husband's phone number (since she cannot remember it). They do so and she calls her husband from the shop but he doesn't answer so she calls her daughter to call her husband. After the merry-go-round, she finally gets to him and makes the arrangements. At the end of it all, she asks us where she can buy a new battery to replace the one she has in her phone! Another lady says, "Huh? Just charge it lah!", to which she goes, "Charge? I don't know how to charge my phone. I only know how to use it to dial." At this, it is discovered that she didn't even know how to tell that her battery was running low before it died on her.

Comedy. Pure comedy.

i need to take a step back and breathe

2008-11-16T11:17:00.001+08:00

sometimes I feel like Jacob circa Genesis 29

2008-11-13T21:38:00.003+08:00

but I am looking towards seeing the work of my Lord's hand as in Genesis 30:25-43.

funny how Genesis can be such a relevant book to modern life. or maybe it just shows how Man, when cored down to his essence, is the same then and now. but the coolest thing is that my God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Why all children should grow up watching Charlie Brown cartoons

2008-11-02T23:14:00.009+08:00

Linus Van Pelt: Well, I can understand how you feel. You worked hard, studying for the spelling bee, and I suppose you feel you let everyone down, and you made a fool of yourself and everything. But did you notice something, Charlie Brown?

Charlie Brown: What's that?

Linus Van Pelt: The world didn't come to an end.

'A Boy Named Charlie Brown' (1969)

-------

I took a trip down memory lane recently and watched 'A Boy Named Charlie Brown' and 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' and realised how beautiful in every sense of the word these cartoons are (they just don't make shows like them anymore!)

Every child should grow up watching them for the lessons they teach and grown-ups should re-watch them to remind ourselves of the important things in life which we seem to have forgotten while we were busy "growing up".

A modern day spin to the 'Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen'

2008-11-01T11:06:00.002+08:00

Article 1: "All the consumers, being equal in [the eyes of money], are equally admissible to service, according to their capacity and without distinction other than that of their manners."

Complaining when you are unhappy with the service (or lack of) and expressing your disappointment is hence permissible.

You could end up with a free massage! :)

Turning 23 - of whisks, weapons and wine

2008-10-05T14:51:00.003+08:00

Celebrations started on Friday with cake and some presents in the office. I'd asked for a hand-held whisk, a clutch that can double up as a weapon (because you never know when you might need one!) and one of those animal balloons with feet that I've seen little children walk around with as if they are walking their pets - for me to indulge in some eccentricity and "walk" it around the office.

Unfortunately, my colleagues broke to me the sad news that the shops near the office are not selling them anymore. Apparently they are not in fashion anymore. Pity.

Spending the evening (and the early hours of my actual birthday) with family and close friends is quite a treat and something I'll hold dear to my heart.

The icing on the cake? A long-distance phone call whilst snuggled in bed.

Weekend Poirot marathons

2008-08-31T20:26:00.005+08:00

Captain Hastings: Is there anything in the English cuisine that you like, Poirot?

Hercule Poirot: The English, they do not have a cuisine, my friend, they have only food.

Captain Hastings: That's harsh.

Hercule Poirot: Like the meat - overcooked, the vegetables, too soft, the cheese, inedible. When the day the English create their own wines it is the day I return home to Belgium!

"Agatha Christie: Poirot" Yellow Iris (1993)

Pumpkin part deux

2008-08-13T22:21:00.002+08:00

Because a $15 pumpkin goes a long long way...

I had to figure out a way to finish the other half (since the first half made enough soup for the party plus 2 meals after that for me and my folks) so I decided to make pumpkin cake as I had seen an article in the papers recently about using vegetables to make cake (have you heard of chocolate zucchini cake?!)

Before you make pumpkin cake (or in my case, I poured the mixture into soufflé cases and called them muffins!), you need to prepare the fresh pumpkin purée. All you need to do is to cut up the pumpkin into 4 or 5-inch pieces and slowly roast them in the oven (about 2 hours). Simple as that - the low heat will cause them to caramelise and taste really nice.

To make pumpkin muffins:

Sieve -
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons groundnutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large mixing bowl, whisk -
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs

Then whisk in -
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin purée

Add the dry mixture into the wet one and whisk until smooth. Pour into the cups and bake in a pre-heated (22o degrees Celsius) oven for 15-20 mins.

I brought these to work and people who don't usually eat pumpkin really liked it so it's a good way to get people to eat their veg!

And the sad news was I ran out of sugar to make a second round so I still had to figure out ways of finishing up the (now) roasted pumpkin. Which meant I ate pumpkin mash (just add butter and salt and pop in the microwave for 2 mins) the next day.

I think I'm staying off pumpkin for a while...

Reading Proust

2008-08-13T22:20:00.004+08:00

makes you very pensive and conscious of your sensory memories.

watching Herbie Hancock perform live at Abbey Road with Corinne Bailey Rae triggered memories of sitting in a dark pub/bar, sipping rum and coke on the rocks and listening to jazz... the smells, the taste of rum and coke, the tinkering off keys, the full-bodied, smooth tone of the sax, the nifty brushwork on the drums, the lights refracting off the sax and the body of the bass guitar....

which in turn reminded me of a cold, brisk night in Coventry as we travel to Canal Basin and us standing in the car park unloading and loading equipment again at the end of the night... us in our black puffy-ish jackets and me with my pink scarf to keep me warm...

*******

reading Proust also gives you the urge to buy madeleines whenever you see them just so that you can perhaps also partake of that magical moment when the the brain's memory meets that of the senses and both are reunited and even reinforced...

oh to have a madeleine softened with tea...

Soup, Salad and Sandwiches

2008-08-13T18:37:00.000+08:00

a bit of a belated post

so I decided in a whim to throw a party to celebrate the fact that my favourite pescetarian* is back in town for the month (although, there hardly was a need for a reason to throw a party - I felt I really needed something to look forward to and a party was the perfect answer!).

This time, I thought a luncheon might be quite a lot of fun since most people have plans for the evening rather than in the day (yes yes, all these friends of mine that are attached...) and the theme of 'soup, salad and sandwiches' was perfect as most things could be prepared in advance (hence more time to entertain people when they arrive) and all the food, except the soups, could be served warm or cold.I served 3 soups - pumpkin and leek, mushroom and onion. Of course, all the food served was completely pescetarian-friendly so I could not cheat with chicken stock and had to make vegetable stock by boiling soy beans with ikan billis.

For the salad portion there was stir-fried fresh corn with chilli and parsley (and loads of butter),
a delightfully summery mango salsa,
char grilled capsicum (conveniently nicknamed 'traffic light')celery and carrot sticks (you can catch a glimpse of it in the top left corner) with hummus and a simple cucumber, cherry tomato and olive Mediterranean-inspired salad.And fulfilling the sandwich component was tuna in olive oil (dolphin-friendly, I should emphasize), soft-boiled eggs with homemade mayonnaise,
teriyaki salmon and a cheese platter with Cornish chutney (sadly not pictured due to eagerness!). To go with all the food I served three types of bread (baguette, country-style walnut loaf and thin-cut white) for some variety.

Needless to say we were stuffed and what better way to burn all the calories than to engage in some friendly competition...

ahh... good times... and the irony of the day? the pescetarian could not make the party at the last minute!

*a vegetarian who will eat fish

Recipes

To make homemade mayonnaise, you need:

2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of salt
pepper to taste

Whisk the above ingredients then slowly add 1 cup of olive oil while whisking. The mixture will emulsify and become a lovely yellow mayonnaise.

For a hearty pumpkin and leek soup, simply finely chop up some leek and fry over low heat in a heavy-bottomed pan with some olive oil. Let the leek soften (do not brown) before adding in chunks of pumpkin (the rule of thumb is smaller is better). Add enough stock to cover the pumpkin and cook over a low fire with the lid half-covered. The pumpkin will release water and once the vegetables are soft, you can remove the lid to allow the soup to cook down. When the water level is down to the desired level (it depends on how thick you like your soup), remove from heat and blend to desired creaminess. The soup is now ready to be served!

For a delightful mushroom soup, melt 40g of butter in a large pot. Add 1 medium shallot, chopped, and cook till soft. Add the roughly chopped mushrooms (I used about 2 punnets-worth of white and brown in total) and slowly cook it till soft and browned. Add 600ml of stock, 1 diced potato and a sprig of chopped parsley, then add 60ml of white wine once the stock starts to boil. Let the soup cook down. Remove about 1/4 of the soup and puree the rest. This is so that when you return the separated soup, the end result has nice chunks of mushroom. Boil down to desired thickness before serving.
(If you do not have to cook a pescetarian-friendly version, fry some chopped bacon with the shallot at the beginning of the recipe as it will add a lovely smoky flavour and body to the soup)

The onion soup needs some tweaking so I'll post the recipe when I have figured out how to improve it. :)

a catch-22 dilemma

2008-08-01T21:52:00.003+08:00

in a bid to save the environment, one is encouraged not to use too many plastic bags. but are we kidding ourselves into thinking we are saving the environment by declining to take a plastic bag when purchasing books or magazines? doesn't reading books and magazines increase demand for such items and hence more paper is used to print them?

on the other hand, if we decide to save paper and make everyone read their material online, won't we contribute to an increase in electricity use (and by extension, a whole load of other forms of environmental destruction)?

perhaps the world would benefit from people being less intellectual. oh woe!

sometimes it's so hard to know where to start

2008-07-29T20:43:00.005+08:00

i was about to start this post with the lyrics to a timely song and leave it as that but i realised that that's exactly what my previous post, published some two weeks ago, was like.

i think sometimes it's hard to pen down frustration, and that even if you do, it often doesn't make you feel any better. looking back, i guess there was always some of it lingering at the back of my mind but i kept brushing it aside, invented some excuses not to accelerate change, tried to be optimistic and not let it get me down.

maybe that was the last straw - and through conversations with other people, it does seem like i'm not wrong to think so. except, it seems like options now are even more diverse than they were the last time. weird, isn't it? how you think that later in life, decisions become easier because you know yourself better and what you want, blah blah blah...

part of me wishes there was an easy way out/i could take an easy way out. but the other part of me is alarmed that i'm getting 'soft'. so THAT part of me is what is pushing me to be proactive and not put it off anymore.

i've been feeling very unsettled the last few days and this morning i decided to pop this old CD back into my discman (yes, retro...) and this song seemed to really speak to me. and at the exact moment i needed to hear it (you know, when your mind wanders and starts thinking a whole bunch of thoughts...)

Amen - Bob Fitts

For every good thing
God is doing within me
That I cannot see
Amen
And to the healing virtue of Jesus
That's flowing in me
Amen

For every hope
That is still just a dream
By trusting in You Lord
Becomes reality
I stake my claim
And seal it in faith
I say Amen

Amen
Amen
So be it Lord
Your Word endures
I say Amen

Amen
Amen
So be it Lord
Amen

the greatest feeling is knowing that God is watching your back...

the beauty of it all

2008-07-13T16:49:00.003+08:00

I can do all things
Through Christ who gives me strength,
But sometimes I wonder what He can do through me;
No great success to show, no glory on my own,
Yet in my weakness He is there to let me know . . .

CHORUS
His strength is perfect when our strength is gone;
He’ll carry us when we can’t carry on.
Raised in His power, the weak become strong;
His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect.

We can only know
The power that He holds
When we truly see how deep our weakness goes;
His strength in us begins
Where ours comes to an end.
He hears our humble cry and proves again . . .

CHORUS
His strength is perfect when our strength is gone;
He’ll carry us when we can’t carry on.
Raised in His power, the weak become strong;
His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect.

His Strength is Perfect by Jerry Salley & Steven Curtis Chapman

Finally, odourless teppanyaki!

2008-07-09T22:00:00.009+08:00

I've been meaning to write a review of this relatively new teppanyaki restaurant in Suntec that we discovered one Sunday after church but I did not have my camera on me on my first visit, and we've not been back for a second visit until now. We've been meaning to return since our good first experience and I was initially slightly apprehensive as the standard of food in newly-opened restaurants seems to either deteriorate after the initial spark or have teething problems at the beginning and get gradually better. Thankfully, Hosoi Teppan-Yaki House has managed to maintain standards and pleased all 4 rather nit-picky eaters.

The concept behind Hosoi Teppan-Yaki House seems to be Japanese-style French food and the big draw of the place is the fact that you don't emerge smelling like a combination of teppanyaki meat and vegetables. The secret is in the fact that their extractor fans are not high above the iron griddle but at the end of the griddle (on the edge of the cooking surface, just in front of where the chef stands and cooks) so the food smells don't travel further than the cooking area, or even towards you!

As we were out for an early celebration of my brother's birthday, it was no holds barred when it came down to ordering. The restaurant was having a promotion on their French-style lobster so we each had one in addition to our set meals. The place offers set 5-course meals from $35++ and currently has a $9.90++ value set which comprises of teppanyaki meat, beansprouts and vegetables, served with a bowl of rice and miso soup.

We each picked some cut of steak for our main course (sirloin, tenderloin, ribeye) hence we were split down the middle with 2 of us having the $45++ and 2 the $55++ sets. For the first course, we were served seared scallops served with grilled mushroom and asparagus spears. The scallops were delightful and the accompanying sauce, which we made out to have wholegrain mustard and miso went very well with the dish.
Our second course was corn soup, served with garlic bread. The garlic bread came pipping hot and they were very generous with the garlic butter. My mom does not like creamy soups much and she really enjoyed the fact that the corn soup was not too heavy and the bits of corn were nice and crunchy.
As we ordered an extra lobster each (promotional price of $18++), the restaurant chose to cook up our lobster at this point so that the following salad would cleanse the palate before we had our steaks. The lobster was coated in flour and grilled with a generous helping of butter and olive oil (not to forget sake) and a slice of cheese added towards the end which gently melted over the flesh. Other than the fact that the chef left the lobster on the grill for a few minutes too long, the big sections of lobster meat were delicious (the smaller bits in the pincer were sadly a bit tough). Again the seafood was served with the mustard-miso sauce which I enjoyed so much I nearly forgot about the side dips of mustard and finely chopped onions in a sweet soy-based sauce.
The salad served after was very refreshing although the dressing was a bit odd - it tasted rather fruity and was not too bad but I would have preferred a lighter dressing, especially because it did not seem to complement the raisins in the salad.
My sirloin steak was beautifully done - not too bloody but not too well-done that it was dry and tough. I loved the peppery sauce that accompanied the meat. All of us pretty much ate in silence at this point.
The dessert was elegantly put together and the idea of having fruit AND something sweet (the creme caramel) was great because you get that nice sugary ending to your meal and yet are not overpowered by a heavy dessert because of the fresh fruit. We were slightly undecided as to whether the creme caramel had some kind of toffee in it or whether the chef had just burnt the caramel slightly as there was a bit of a bitter after-taste. Maybe it was cooked at slightly too high a heat as the texture was not as smooth as it could have been.
It was a lovely meal and a great place to sit around and have a casual yet sophisticated lunch. And the fact that you won't smell is a major plus point!

Hosoi Teppan-Yaki House is located in the basement of Suntec City, around the big fountain, near Soup Restaurant.

Summer lovin', had me a blaa-aa-aast

2008-07-06T15:39:00.039+08:00

As alluded to in my cryptic Cliff Richard song-a-ma-post, I went on my much-awaited holiday to... the UK! (for obvious reasons). I managed to redeem my dad's frequent flyer miles AND get myself on an A380 for the leg there - economy class isn't much different from the usual but the in-flight entertainment is really good. Of course, as everyone was boarding, many passengers tried to sneak a peak at the business class cabin. which naturally led to envy... and 13hrs of it...

Thanks to the great in-flight entertainment, I managed to pass the time by watching several movies I didn't get to catch in the cinemas, and listening to complete music albums to drown the screams from the toddlers sitting a few rows in front. Despite the anticipation, I did get a few hours sleep that thankfully adjusted my body clock to fit European time. Through some nifty maneuvering, I cleared customs really quickly and grabbed my suitcase and ~~ran~~ walked swiftly out to the arrivals terminal. :)

It felt really comforting being back - and I was enjoying just being in the car together as Josh drove back to Birmingham from Heathrow. :) Once back and after a quick nap and lunch, I settled into one of my favourite roles - GROUPIE! Yes! I have actually missed being a groupie, carrying drum and cymbal bags and loading them into the car, helping unload, setting up for rehearsal... I did get to watch the sound check for Big Band's gig from the wings and wander backstage at the Warwick Arts Centre - it brought back loads of fond memories.
While they were doing sound check on stage, I ran off to meet my film buff ex-classmates! And they really are film buffs, considering they are still in Warwick because they are all MA students (and Hannah has already gotten funding for her PhD!) We had a blast in the Learning Grid (yes, i know!) as they had taken part in the Warwick Shootout, a 24hr film competition, and were rushing to finish editing the 4min entry. funny how even though we haven't seen each other for a year or kept in contact much, the banter went on for hours. it felt great talking about film stuff again with people who know exactly what you mean and actually take your suggestions into consideration (hey guys, do I get a claim to the award you guys won? hehe...)
As it happened, Sports Fed Ball was also on that evening and I got to catch up with some of the Tap people at the pre-Ball drinks (i.e. on the Piazza)!

Trying to squeeze in as much "reunion time" with Uni friends as possible, I had lunch with some of the lovely Tap girls the next day in Leamington Spa -Pizza Express! mmm... The weather was lovely so we decided to sit in Jephson Garden and enjoy some ice creams.
Perhaps it was the fact that all of us were rather tired, but somehow the time together felt more mellow than I thought it would be. We were all in a rather pensive mood - talking about "the next step" and how life after Uni is filled with possibility and is so... different. and a tad bit scary. and all so... grown-up.

Maybe it's a good thing - you know how one always looks back and wishes one is able to go back to relive the fun times of one's youth? In a way, I've gotten some closure from this trip back. Everyone has moved on in their own different ways and its time to not cling on too much to the memories...

After the frenzy of the weekend spent largely on campus, Josh and I finally got to spend loads of time with each other. Which naturally led to lots of hilarious self-portraits...

We had planned to go on a road trip to Cornwall (something we've wanted to do for a long time but never got around to while I was still a student) so in preparation for it, we got the car cleaned inside and out at the nearby car wash.
Our bags packed, we set off on our 5 1/2hr drive down down down southwest.Along the way, we stopped for lunch at a pub in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, that Josh knew of from the time he was working at a client's office in the area. I decided to do the full shebang and have a mixed grill, while Josh got one of the specials - a rack of ribs. All I can say is, "mmmmmmmmmmmmmm..." Great mixed grill, though the steak was a bit overdone, and the ribs... oh the ribs... I should also mention how much I miss drinking shandy... The pub had a nice bright, airy feel and pretty good menus. I was particularly impressed by their kid's menu - kid-sized portions of the adult mains and desserts for only 4quid. Now THAT is what children's menus should be. Not rubbish like chicken nuggets and chips. I think that's the first step to getting children to eat proper meals - when kids eat the same food as adults!

As we still had a long way ahead (not to mention, we had left Birmingham late AND taken a longer than expected lunch), we stepped on it a bit down the M5. That didn't stop us from taking pictures while driving... In fact, after a few tries and placing the camera on timer on the dashboard, we got some pretty good ones.
As I could not drive due to insurance problems, I amused myself documenting the journey (and the changes in landscapes)...
At the halfway point of the journey, we turned off the M5 and got onto A-road...
As we approached the B&B (which involved driving on some very winding B-road), the weather got a bit British. :)
The view from the edge of the B&B, Tregiffian Farm, which is actually a working farm (!) - the coast is covered by the fog.

Armed with recommendations for good fresh seafood restaurants in the area from the hostess, we set off to the nearby town of Mousehole (pronounced mao-s'hol).
We initially tried to get a table at the second-choice restaurant and fortunately they had no empty tables. Wandering around, we found The Cornish Range, the B&B's top recommendation.
Josh, who is rather seafood (esp. fish)-deprived, couldn't wait for the food to arrive...I had a really nice locally-produced cider while Josh enjoyed his extremely refreshing elderflower presse.
The meal was fantastic, starting with the hearty bread and olive platter served as we waited for our appetisers to arrive.
The seared scallops with chorizo, served with asparagus spears, packed a punch,
while the avacado and lobster salad saw the deliciously creamy avacado and dressing, the succulent pieces of lobster and the crunchy salad leaves harmoniously balancing each other.
In our excitement, we forgot to take pictures of our mains - pan-friend sea bass served on top of ratatouille, with asparagus spears, and trio of lemon sole, halibut and skate with a hollandaise sauce. The ratatouille was flavourful and matched the sea bass very well while the lemon sole was clearly the best fish of the trio as the halibut was a bit too fishy and the skate a rather bland.

Despite being stuffed, we HAD to have dessert - creme brulee. It was heavenly, and the cornish cream on the side, on which sits the fish biscuit, was divine.

The next morning was glorious - from our room window you can see the coast!
This is how cut off from the world we were...
I was very tickled by how lazy the farm dog is... she remained in that position as we reversed out...
We set off for St Ives, a popular seaside town. The B-road to Penzance is incredibly beautiful albeit single-lane at some points so we had to be a bit careful and look out for vehicles coming in the opposite direction.
We drove through Penzance..and got onto the B-road to St Ives...
Finding a parking space took almost an hour because many of the roads in town are one-way so we kept going in circles trying to find a lot as near to the town centre as possible. We finally parked at one of the bigger car parks up a hill.
St Ives from above.
The gorgeous views from the pier...
Side note: everyone in St Ives seems to own at least 1 dog.
There were lots of little shops to peer into - this one was selling very funky cufflinks!

We stopped for lunch at Seafood Cafe where we shared a blended seafood soup served with garlic bread,
Cornish crab cakes on a bed of leaves with a sweet chilli dipping sauce
and classic fish and chips
Overall it was a good meal but Josh was not too pleased at the end when the waitress clearing our plates accidentally caused the spoon in the ketchup ramekin to somersault and splatter some sauce on his shirt. She wasn't very apologetic so we decided not to tip.

(I do miss the practice of tipping - the idea of showing your appreciation/displeasure makes you feel like you have more say in how good the service is)

There were quite a lot of menacing seagulls out that day - stealing Cornish ice cream cones off defenseless little children. And Josh.
St Ives looks like a Agatha Christie-Hercule Poirot set! *hums the tune song* :)
People were out in full force surfing (there are a few surf schools on the beach) and enjoying the sun.
After a relaxing day in St Ives, we trooped back to the Farm feeling very well-holiday-ed.
On the road back we passed a ruin - breathtaking...

Since we were in the area, we planned to watch a show at the Minack Theatre, an open-air amphitheatre cut into the cliff at Porthcurno. The view at the car park was already beautiful...
but the view as we walked towards the theatre was even better!
The stunning (and rather scary) theatre - as you can see, we were perched rather precariously on "box"-like seat. I was a bit freaked out for the first fifteen minutes.
Each seat had a name of a performance carved into the rock.
Breathtaking...
If you zoom in, you can see our seat - we were sitting on the small two-seater just below the top "box" with the "railings", where the blue blanket is.
The show that evening was family-friendly Pinocchio - very pantomime-ish. I was cringing slightly at the beginning but it got better as the night progressed.It was actually pretty cold and we had to clamour up to the car park to grab reinforcements in the form of extra jackets during the intermission. Most of the people seemed seasoned regulars - they came with their ice boxes of sandwiches and pasties and wine/champagne with strawberries. And almost everyone had a portable seat-cushion! It's basically two square cushions joined by two strips of fabric on the sides and it can be zipped up and carried by the fabric handles.
Our seat was 'A Midsummer Night's Dream (1968)'
The Minack Theatre swimming in post-sunset light.

On our last morning in Cornwall, after checking out of the B&B, we set off to the famous Land's End, only to find out when we got there that we had to pay 3quid for parking because apparently the tourist destination is also home to a shopping village!
So we snapped some pictures from the car and turned around. hehe...
Remember Mousehole? We had seen some funny names of towns and villages along the way so we decided to drive around and take pictures of all the other amusing road signs.
Like Drift. By the way, what is up with the chilli and the lightning bolts?
And Sheffield. Imagine our surprise seeing this sign when we were clearly driving in the opposite direction to the other Sheffield...
This, though, takes the cake -
We got very excited looking for funny Paul signage. HAHA...

Driving down the steep and narrow road to Penzance one last time (the car's clutch worked really hard on our road trip...)

We made a quick stop at Marazion on our way back to admire St Michael's Mount.
It was cold, windy and the sky was beginning to look overcast...
Yes, it was THAT cold. And I wasn't kidding when I said windy.

While in the car we realised we hadn't had cream tea yet! We could not let the opportunity for cream tea IN CORNWALL slip so we turned off at Bodmin and found a quaint tea shop to have some scones, local jam and CLOTTED CREAM.

At some point along the way back, we crossed the 1,000th mile (since Josh drove to Heathrow to pick me up). YIKES!

I had a great time, and as always, it was so hard to say goodbye.

But with each passing day, we inch closer to the future...

Summer holiday!

2008-06-19T21:12:00.001+08:00

Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard

:)

the power of TV/film on the young

2008-06-07T15:20:00.002+08:00

the other night my family had dinner at the hawker centre at East Coast Park and a rat ran across the floor a table away from us. seated at the next table were a large group of young children with their family. upon seeing the rat they all screamed.

then one little girl yelled, "REMY!"

the importance of strong family ties

2008-05-26T20:24:00.002+08:00

is especially evident during the Great Singapore Sale. because shopping with your family means that you have the spectrum of credit cards between you to garner additional discounts on top of the slashed prices.

down memory lane

2008-05-18T21:44:00.003+08:00

i started off this weekend by reading Kafka.

now, little children, reading Kafka the first thing after waking up on a Saturday morning is not the wisest choice to make. really.

so to counter the impending depression, i dug into my book cupboard and took out some of my favourite books from a bygone era.

Sweet Valley Twins.

:)

oh, and to top it off, i watched about 6 episodes of Gilmore Girls last night.

shutdown weekends

2008-05-11T21:34:00.002+08:00

call me anti-social but most of the time on weekends, all i want to do is just spend time at home with the family. which involves watching loads of TV, driving with my family in tow, having long chats with my mom (maybe sneaking a bit of "errand-running" a.k.a. "shopping with a purpose" from time to time), eating at home... recently though, i've been trying to make good on a resolution i made earlier in the year - to read more. i had this feeling some time ago that work was making me stupid. in an existentialist way. yes i've been reading but the sort you do for work doesn't give you the buzz. you know, that wonderful feeling of stimulation when you read a book and pause to ponder something beyond P&L (though in my job, i thankfully don't have to think of P&L).

the past two weekend have thus been spent devouring books (1 reasonably thick one last weekend and 2 in the past two days) that i picked up at the MPH warehouse sale on Labour Day. bought at the bargain price of $7 each, they've each been a joy to read, and while some are not exactly academic material, they really did give me that thrill.

Book Review

to appeal to the nerd/intellectual in you, i would heartily recommend this collection of short stories by Chinese writer Li Yiyun. the book is a collection of very touching stories, of Chinese people trying to cope in a post-Mao China/Chinese society. while my mom stopped at the first story as she found it too depressing, it really is a rewarding book if you can get past the rather sad storylines/premises.

What Would Barbra Do, on the other hand, is utterly funny. perhaps the reason why i really enjoyed it was because i adore musicals. Emma Brockes has loads of funny anecdotes from her interaction with musical-lovers and musical -haters, and even has a chapter attempting to explain why men hate musicals (and suggestion of musicals that might change their minds!).
what sold me to buy the book was the synopsis:

Film musicals: you either love them or they make you want to kill yourself slowly with plastic cutlery. Nothing has the power to lift your heart or turn your stomach like Howard Keel in fake sideburns singing "Bless Your Beautiful Hide" or Julie Andrews singing...well, just about anything. There are few situations where the question: What would Barbra do? doesn't have relevance in a world which is much better lived to a soundtrack of show-tunes. This is a book for people who know that: people don't tend to die in musicals, but those who do deserve it; true love waits long enough for an element of mistaken identity to be introduced (especially if one of the couple is a Nazi); and, women carry the show. Talented women wind up alone...But they have the consolation of the torch song, which in Hollywood musicals is more fulfilling than a husband.

Now the last book on my review is in a word, FABULOUS. if every woman in the world read this book, ahhh, life would just be DIVINE. we'd be having lovely formal dinners, people will actually write thank you cards for gifts received, we'd all be CIVIL to each other... oh what a world it would be. :)

Blimey!

2008-05-08T21:38:00.005+08:00

now i bet you didn't know there is a COCKNEY BIBLE! it's hilarious!

and i'm sure somewhere up in Heaven, God is chuckling as he reads it...

Excerpts:
Jesus feeds five thousand geezers
(Matthew 14; 13 - 21, Luke 9; 10 - 17, John 6; 1 - 14)
JESUS' chinas met up with 'im. Jesus and his little group of apostles didn't even have time for a bite to eat. So 'e said to 'em, "Oi, fellas, let's pop off on our Jack for a while and have a little rest and a feather."
So they got into a nanny and headed off to a quiet place.
Loads of people saw them leaving, so people from all over different towns ran like the clappers by land and arrived at the same place Jesus was headed for.
When Jesus got out of the old nanny, 'e saw this bloomin' huge crowd.
Now time was getting on and a little alligator, his disciples came up to him and said, "It's getting a little late, boss, and this is a really lonely place.
"I think we should send all these Hank Marvin people to some of the farms and villages dahn the old frog so that they can buy some nosh to eat."
"Why don't you give 'em something to eat?" Jesus asked. "Now 'ang on, boss," they said. "Are we gonna have to spend two hundred silver coins on Uncle Fred in order to feed this lot?"
Jesus asked, "How much grub have you got? Go an' 'ave a butcher's." They told 'im, "We've got five loaves of Uncle Fred and two Lillian Gish."
Jesus then told his disciples to ask all the people to get into groups and sit dahn on the grass.
Jesus then took the Uncle Fred and the Lillian Gish. He broke the Uncle Fred into bits, gave it all to his disciples and told them to give some food to everyone. He also broke the Lillian Gish into bits and told his chinas to pass it on.
Now, would you Adam and Eve it, everyone 'ad enough to eat!

The Lord's Prayer
(Luke 11; 2 - 4)
HELLO, Dad, up there in good ol' Heaven,
Your name is well great and holy, and we respect you, Guv.
We hope we can all 'ave a butcher's at Heaven and be there as soon as possible: and we want to make you happy, Guv, and do what you want 'ere on earth, just like what you do in Heaven.
Guv, please give us some Uncle Fred, and enough grub and stuff to keep us going today, and we hope you'll forgive us when we cock things up, just like we're supposed to forgive them who annoy us and do dodgy stuff to us.
There's a lot of dodgy people around, Guv; please don't let us get tempted to do bad things. Help keep us away from all the nasty, evil stuff, and keep that dodgy Satan away from us, 'cos you're much stronger than 'im.
Your the Boss, God, and will be for ever, innit? Cheers, Amen.

P.S. The translation was done by school teacher Mike Coles and is approved by Dr George Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury who feels that it puts energy and passion back into the stories.

my two cents worth

2008-05-05T21:44:00.004+08:00

my theory is that Boris beat Ken not because he is the better politician but because Top Gear has ruined Ken's image with its constant repetition that Ken is an idiot for all his policies on road pricing.

TV celebrities 1: Politicians 0

another reason why the media plays an important role in checking the government.

i wonder when that will be true here.

the world would be a better place if

2008-05-03T21:40:00.003+08:00

Monty Python-esque diplomacy was employed and Monty Python songs/skits/movies/TV were vehicles of some globally agreed-upon propaganda.

you wouldn't have all these uncivilised and frankly, rather over-the-top, reactions by the Chinese, and everyone will get along splendidly.

The world today seems absolutely crackers,
With nuclear bombs to blow us all sky high.
There's fools and idiots sitting on the trigger.
It's depressing and it's senseless, and that's why...
I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
They only come up to your knees,
Yet they're always friendly, and they're ready to please.

I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
There's nine hundred million of them in the world today.
You'd better learn to like them; that's what I say.

I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
They come from a long way overseas,
But they're cute and they're cuddly, and they're ready to please.

I like Chinese food.
The waiters never are rude.
Think of the many things they've done to impress.
There's Maoism, Taoism, I Ching, and Chess.

So I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
I like their tiny little trees,
Their Zen, their ping-pong, their yin, and yang-ese.

I like Chinese thought,
The wisdom that Confucious taught.
If Darwin is anything to shout about,
The Chinese will survive us all without any doubt.

So, I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
They only come up to your knees,
Yet they're wise and they're witty, and they're ready to please.

All together.

[verse in Chinese]
Wo ai zhongguo ren. (I like Chinese.)
Wo ai zhongguo ren. (I like Chinese.)
Wo ai zhongguo ren. (I like Chinese.)
Ni hao ma; ni hao ma; ni hao ma; zaijien! (How are you; how are you; how are you; goodbye!)

I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
Their food is guaranteed to please,
A fourteen, a seven, a nine, and lychees.

I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
I like their tiny little trees,
Their Zen, their ping-pong, their yin, and yang-ese.

I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
They only come up to your knees...

Now, some people have asked me how I can find such a song so hilarious when they are pretty much making fun of my race. My response is, even if they are mocking the Chinese, how can "wo ai zhongguo ren" sung by a group of ang mohs not guarantee a smile on your face?

and if I were one of the millions in China outraged by recent apparently insulting actions of the West, "wo ai zhongguo ren" would sound pretty appeasing to me... there pretty much isn't any way of misinterpreting that statement, if you ask me...

i have a suspicion the Lees have read Kafka

2008-04-27T00:10:00.003+08:00

I picked up an old copy of Franz Kafka's short stories recently. The first story was 'The Great Wall of China' and this paragraph really stood out:

Nowadays one can perhaps speak about it without danger. At that time for many people, even the best, there was a secret principle: Try with all your powers to understand the orders of the leadership, but only up to a certain limit—then stop thinking about them. A very reasonable principle, which incidentally found an even wider interpretation in a later often repeated comparison: Stop further thinking about it, not because it could harm you—it is not at all certain that it will harm you. In this matter one cannot speak in general about harming or not harming. What will happen to you is like a river in spring. It rises, grows stronger, eats away powerfully at the land along its shores, and still maintains its own course down into the sea and is more welcome as a fitter partner for the sea. Reflect upon the orders of the leadership as far as that. But then the river overflows its banks, loses its form and shape, slows down its forward movement, tries, contrary to its destiny, to form small seas inland, damages the fields, and yet cannot maintain its expansion long, but runs back within its banks, in fact, even dries up miserably in the hot time of year which follows. Do not reflect on the orders of the leadership to that extent.

And the recent security debacle in Singapore and the debates in Parliament seem to confirm this...

don't you sometimes wonder why/how the oddest, most random pieces of information are retained at the back of your head?

2008-04-26T22:05:00.003+08:00

like how your toilet paper should face out because it tears more easily than if the roll faces inwards.

(from the first episode of vintage Singapore sitcom 'Three Rooms' - anyone remember that?)

mmm... custard...

2008-04-13T22:07:00.006+08:00

as my mom had a box of Marks & Spencer all butter tartlet cases sitting around in the kitchen for some time, i decided to bake this weekend and use them up before they ended up like the christmas pudding of 2006 (or maybe it was 2005?).

i was surfing Epicurious.com for a tart recipe (something that is foolproof) and chanced upon this, which had very positive ratings and reviews. as i only had 8 tartlet cases and the recipe made 24, i quartered the ingredient amounts and made 6.

To make Portugese Cream Tart (filling):

Whisk together 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 tablespoon of all-purpose flour in a heavy saucepan.

Whisk in 150ml of heavy cream (I used Dulla Pure Cream), 2 large egg yolks, some lemon zest, a pinch of salt and 2-3 drops of vanilla extract. Cook over moderate heat and stir constantly. The custard will thicken. Take it off the heat once the first bubble appears on the surface (which will take about 10mins).

Transfer the custard to a bowl to cool, whisking until just warm. Spoon the custard into the cases and bake in a preheated oven (at 200 degrees Celsius) for about 10mins until the crust has browned.

Remove from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. Sieve some icing sugar and ground cinnamon over and serve either warm or at room temperature.

the custard smell filled the kitchen as i was enthusiastically whisking it over the stove and it tasted really delicious. the generous dusting of cinnamon also helped balance the sweetness and sharpness (thanks to the lemon zest) of the custard. initially when i found the recipe i thought it was for Portugese Egg Tarts but upon taking my first bite, i realised it was far from it. but it turned out to be a good thing as this custard can be used as a base for many different tarts (e.g. fruit tarts where you layer pieces of fruit over the custard) so i'll definitely be filling this for future use.

HIS faith has made me whole

2008-04-12T14:41:00.000+08:00

because the victory is already mine

2008-03-30T21:24:00.003+08:00

I see all my sins nailed to that shattered form
Now grace as healing flows
To me You gave

For you

2008-03-28T23:14:00.003+08:00

i'll be your perky cheerleader...

i feel like i'm playing Monopoly and i landed on 'Community Chest'/'Chance'

2008-03-19T22:46:00.004+08:00

on the way home from a rather pricey dinner (sigh - it was yum though so COMPLETELY justified...) and had to withdraw cash from the ATM. was rather dismayed at the balance displayed on the screen after the money was spat out and while walking home, was calculating where all my money disappears to each month.

bemoaning the "loss" of my monthly paycheck, i arrived home and realised i had mail. from the insurance company. gosh, i thought, maybe it's about them asking for payment (i.e. my direct-debit/GIRO failed to go through again this month).

to my pleasant surprise, the rather fat letter read:

Dear Policyholder

We refer to our letter dated 28 February 2008.

We wish to clarify that there was no need for you to submit a fresh GIRO form. You may wish to know that we have already forwarded the GIRO form submitted previously to your banker for approval. We shall be writing to you again upon receipt of the bank's approval to confirm the deduction date of your premium.

As a gesture of regret, we have enclosed a S$20/- TANGS shopping voucher.

We apologise for the confusion caused and thank you for your kind understanding on this matter.

whoa! God has a great sense of humour. AMAZING. especially since on the way home doubts were running in my mind about His provision for my finances.

and you know what's the kicker in this? He sent me a shopping voucher! indeed God, You are all-knowing and such a cool friend... :)

IT HAS ARRIVED!

2008-03-13T22:29:00.004+08:00

just came today in the post. :)

hey, even the President can be a tad bit cool...

2008-03-08T19:44:00.009+08:00

(click on image to view full clipping)

someone once asked me, "why learn Tap dancing? you can't really USE it compared to other social dance forms like salsa..."

well, this just proves you can Tap anywhere, anytime, just because... :)

the most disgusting way to eat fast food

2008-03-04T23:06:00.004+08:00

is to have it with salad.

after all, the point of fast food is to revel in the greasiness and lack of nutrition. basically stuff that leads to obesity.

dare i say 'yum'? :)

but to counter the atrocity i committed (and to make peace with all outraged hard-core junk food fans), i tucked into my delicious chicken while in bed, with my eyes glued to the TV (actually, my laptop but who's keeping track here, eh?) watching Gilmore Girls (season 2, if you are interested).

ahh, life is beautiful...

in RETRO-spect

2008-03-01T18:04:00.004+08:00

these past days i've been doing something very old-fashioned: instead of taking my Zen Stone Plus to work, i've been carrying my Sony CD-Walkman - YES I KNOW! which also means i've been digging into my CD collection for CDs to listen to.

and somehow that has resulted in me listening to some very retro material. take for example Monday's CD of choice:erm, Geri Halliwell's "It's Raining Men", anyone?oh then Wednesday's was MTV's Fantastic Females! does anyone remember Jennifer Paige?!? and my CD came with a bonus VCD of 5 of the music videos. Celine Dion's "Immortality" with the Bee Gees has got to be one of the best/funniest videos!

Thursday's retro CD-of-choice was...that soundtrack is like doubly retro! a 90s movie set in the 80s and me listening to the songs in the 00s! haha..."Oooh heaven is a place on earth"... "turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so da-da-da-da-da-daaaa"... "karma-karma-karma-karma-karma- chameleon!"... hehehe...
oh and Friday's CD was Robbie Williams - "Rock DJ" is a GREAT song! i can still remember the music video (the one that caused quite a stir) which had him stripping - and peeling off his skin and muscle till he was just a skeleton dancing on stage (with afro-sporting models on rollerskates). ahh... those were the days... when i was a massive fan of his music...

this whole retro-music thing put me in a nostalgic mood at work - and something someone said in the office suddenly reminded me of childhood cartoons and... Stoppit and Tidyup! i got so excited i went around asking my colleagues if they remembered it. and no one did. me being me, i searched for it on youtube and found it!

i remember being very tickled by this cartoon. and The Big Bad 'I Said No'. i loved the quirkiness of this cartoon. which if you watch it when you are older, reminds you very much of Monty Python (very Flying Circus).

and who can forget Zoo Cup! sadly i was unable to find any episodes in English, but hey, football transcends language barriers, right?

I PASSED MY DRIVING TEST!

2008-02-23T14:27:00.005+08:00

YAY! *does the dance of joy, Perfect Strangers-style*

i accumulated 14 demerit points during the test, 12 of which were while IN the circuit - Failure to confirm safety during 1) directional change [-4], 2) vertical parking [-4] and 3) parallel parking [-4].

on the other hand, while on the road, i positioned my car incorrectly at the junction (did not move far enough into the yellow box for the right turn) and failed to overtake when necessary (in my defence, there was a really expensive-looking Merc in front of me in the filter lane who decided he didn't want to turn right after all so he moved out but part of his car was still in my lane and i didn't think i had enough clearance space to overtake him without scratching his car OR inching into the lane of oncoming traffic). Thankfully these mistakes were "free" (as my instructor said, "you get to make mistakes like this for FREE" - cue excited expression in voice). the mistake that i did make which cost me 2 points was "failure to use appropriate gear". which in this case, not changing up to 4th gear. even though the fastest i went was probably only 50km/h. apparently the tester said that once i hit 40km/h i should have used 4th already. :(

BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER! BECAUSE I PASSED!

and am excitedly awaiting the arrival of my photo-card in the post in 2 4* weeks!

*due to some system upgrade...

My Funny Valentine

2008-02-17T22:20:00.002+08:00

as the song goes, "each day is Valentine's Day".
my "sweet, comic","looks are laughable, unphotographable" and "figure less than Greek" Valentine romanced me at the swanky Changi airport during his 5 hour transit last night.you really make me smile with my heart.

Ahh... Tony! Barbra! my pals!

2008-02-16T16:15:00.003+08:00

Smile, though your heart is aching.
Smile, even though it's breaking.
When there are clouds in the sky, you get by if you smile.
Through your fears and sorrow, smile.
And maybe tomorrow you'll see the sun come shining through for you.
Light up your face with gladness.
Hide every trace of sadness, although a tear may be ever so near.
That's the time you must keep trying.
Smile, whats the use of crying
You'll find that life is still worthwhile, if u just smile.

That's the time you must keep on trying.
Smile, what's the use of crying.
You'll find that life is still worthwhile, if you just smile.
Smile.
Just smile.

hmm... interesting... (good news for me?)

2008-02-15T00:12:00.000+08:00

UK bosses fed up with self-centred diva grads

Gen Y grads: Big headed, boastful, spoilt

4 February 2008

THEY want everything to fall into their laps.

And they boast about how tech-savvy, how educated and how much in demand they are.

Meet the Generation Y graduates - those born after 1982 - successors to Gen X. who were known for being cynical and disaffectionate.

If you're an employer in the UK, you probably wouldn't want to meet this particular bunch - the ones many employers are labelling 'graduate divas'.

They're the ones who lack initiative, over-sell themselves, and walk into an interview room chirping 'you all right, mate?'

A report in The Daily Mail says bosses in the UK are looking overseas for staff with a stronger work ethic in a bid to avoid self-centred, fickle and greedy employees.

The article comes after a report from the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) that revealed employers' recruitment difficulties on the low calibre of graduates.

Those in Gen Y are said to be career-orientated, but many bosses find them less than satisfactory. As a result, a quarter of employers now actively market vacancies abroad.

More than two-thirds of the 217employers polled predicted recruitment difficulties in the comingyear - up from 55.4 per cent a yearago.

And last year, nearly half had to leave prized graduate jobs open, even though universities turned out record numbers of students.

Some Gen Y graduates reportedly lack literacy and numeracy skills. Others present themselves poorly.

According to the report, based on responses from employers in investment banks, law and accountancy firms, some Gen Y graduates lack initiative and expect to be pandered to.

In one case, a new recruit to a transport company was heard on the phone saying to his mum: 'I have got to go to London tomorrow and they haven't even told me how to get there.'

MrCarl Gilleard, AGR chief executive, said: 'The employer threw up her hands in anger.

'Here was someone working for a transport company, was 21, spent three years at university and who was aggrieved because he hadn't been given a detailed map.'

Mr Gilleard added: 'There is a sense among Generation Y that they want it all and they want it now. Generation Y is me, me, me, but the employer thinks, no, it's us, us, us.

'I think there is a wake-up call... As far as graduates are concerned, it's really important they understand the rules of the game.'

The demand for top graduates is illustrated by the report's finding that the number of vacancies is at a 10-year high and is expected to rise.

The report also said that graduates are often seen as 'divas... who expect everything to fall into their laps'.

It noted: 'A quarter (of employers) praise the 'strong work ethic and desire to succeed' of overseas graduates.'

Mr Gilleard added: 'This may have wider long-term implications...and both employers and graduates may have to amend their expectations.'

Perhaps it's time for fresh grads, from any generation for that matter, to stop thinking that it's all about them.

source: The New Paper

interesting perspective

2008-02-10T21:52:00.000+08:00

if you trust a hawker to bring you your order, how much more should we trust God to give us what is ours through His sacrifice?

what i learnt from this year's Chinese New Year

2008-02-07T12:00:00.000+08:00

i have my father's genes when it comes to drinking - because if i had my mother's, i'd turn red really quickly. according to my uncle, my grandfather and my great-grandfather were like that as well.

phew.

Surreal

2008-02-06T00:48:00.000+08:00

you came and went - it feels like such a dream. when i woke up this morning it felt as if the past few days never happened and if they did, they went by too fast.

much too fast... i'm wondering how long reality will take to sink in... that our short time together,
has already passed and it's a few months till the next one...

i can't get enough of you baby...

2008-01-29T22:00:00.000+08:00

yes it's true... baby yes it's tru-ue...

Josh is coming to spend the next few days with me so please excuse me for being MIA (online, answering e-mails, meeting up...) since i have absolutely no idea when i will next get to see him (it could even be as far away as Christmas).

i will be "back" on Monday.

driving lesson anecdotes a.k.a. words of wisdom from the driving instructor

2008-01-27T22:27:00.000+08:00

"your tester is an old man, probably in his 50s. he needs to be reassured that you are a safe driver because if he is not, he will not want to pass you. remember - he probably has a weak heart."

"erm, your left blind spot ah, is virtually non-existent (translation: you hardly check your left blind spot) and your tester sits on the left so he will notice it more. and it's harder for girls with ponytails? do you know why? because when you turn your head your ponytail will flick so if he doesn't see a flick from the corner of his eyes he will know you didn't check."

"why are you in such a rush to get through the course? the slower you take, the less things you have to do to fill up the 40min test time so you should go slow. then you will have less chance of losing points."

"sorry if it seems like i am dosing off. because i am. but your driving is pretty safe so good for me lor."

"remember, it's all about wayang... give the tester the impression that you are a safe driver... although you SHOULD also be a safe driver, not just act it."

oh what a beautiful day!

2008-01-27T22:10:00.000+08:00

woke up to a lovely surprise today - Josh made a surprise visit to my house! see, he's en route to KL from London and had a 5 hour transit. complication was that i had already booked my driving lessons and could not cancel so we figured, nevermind, i'll see him when i do on Wednesday.

but he decided to get out of the airport and catch a cab to my place early in the morning simply to say "hi". and on the cab to my place he was getting worried i might have left for my driving lesson already (thank goodness i am the queen of maximising sleep time - and only wake up at the latest time possible).

despite only having half an hour together, it was very worth it! :)

oh and to top that all off, Bob Fitts led worship today - and there was extended praise and worship after the benediction since it was the last service of the day. wheee!

it's so bad it's good!

2008-01-27T01:03:00.000+08:00

i feel like a total junkie now.

Moon lent me the ENTIRE series of Gilmore Girls. ENTIRE. SERIES.

it's like caffeine. administered via IV.

and i have a 3 1/2 hr driving lesson tomorrow morning.

like Lorelai would say, "COFFEEEEEEEEE..."

All around the world, let the praise begin

2008-01-23T21:51:00.000+08:00

there's something very exciting knowing that you've got a prayer buddy halfway around the world and that you are both standing in faith together on matters close to your heart.

this week i was reminded that in all things, God will provide and that thought is enough to keep us going strong through the tough times.

Earworms

2008-01-18T22:12:00.000+08:00

Main Entry:	earworm²
Part of Speech:	n
Definition:	a song or tune that gets stuck in one's mind and repeats as if on a tape; also written ear-worm, ear worm; also called cognitive itch, sticky tune

earworm for the day was 'Somewhere' from West Side Story - somehow my dreams seem to have a soundtrack and last night, it was 'Somewhere' and everything looked blurrily Technicolour-ish. sort of like in the film where all the colours were so rich and seemed to bleed into each other.

and speaking of earworms and dreams, i realised i havent mentioned any of my weird dreams recently. the oddest in recent memory has got the works (not to mention the very random pop culture references)! let's just say that there was Stephen Collins (as Rev. Eric Camden from Seventh Heaven), Swan Lake on Ice, Amy Winehouse (?!? - exactly what i was thinking when she popped up in my dream) and some very Paris Geller-esque behaviour (references to Harvard included). and soundtrack for that? 'When the Doves Cry' (version by Quindon Traver).

ah but perhaps the weirdest earworm this week must be 'Count on me Singapore'. i rest my case...

i am amused at all this talk in the air

2008-01-13T01:17:00.000+08:00

about weddings, ever since word got out that someone got engaged. (congrats again!).

there's a buzz of excitement and wistful sighs once the story is repeated to the umpteenth person.

makes you feel a tad old but very grown-up indeed!

people watching on the train

2008-01-05T09:40:00.001+08:00

a while ago i was on my way home from a driving lesson and sitting across from me was a teenager/boy in his early 20s who was solving the Rubik's Cube. and not like normal people do but in a puzzle-wizard sort of way. like speed-Rubik's-Cubing. amazing! (and i feel it was totally justifiable to be staring!) He was twisting the cubes randomly about 10 times and took only about 15 seconds to solve it. once in a while when he got stuck, he'd look at the pattern intensely and miraculously figure out what previous step he did wrong so that 1-2-3 rotations later, the colours all lined up.

GEEK!

yesterday on the way to work i was standing next to a lady reading a guide book on Paris. ahh... i was completely reading over her shoulder (alas! she was tall. but she was holding up her book pretty high - perhaps to show off that she was possibly travelling to Paris in the near future?). looking at pictures of gay Paris (no, not that kind of gay! it's the phrase commonly used to describe Paris - very Hollywood...), i imagined myself back there, and reminiscing about the good times spent wandering the streets of Paris (and lounging in the gardens, browsing the museums) made the journey to work so much shorter.

Oh how clever

2008-01-03T23:30:00.000+08:00

when i was a student in the UK, i applied for tax-relief on the interest paid by my bank to me. every once in a while they send me a form that i have to complete (which includes a section that i have to fill regarding the number of taxable days i physically spent in the UK in the past few tax years) for them to verify that i am still eligible for it.

i recently received this form again. clever me made a note the last time to save all my calculations somewhere since every time i get the form i end up manually counting the days (it gets tiresome, especially since i travelled a fair bit). however, the not-so-clever part of me forgot where i saved my calculations. i spent quite a bit of time searching all my hard-drives for the document (frustration set in after 5 mins) to find nothing. good thing i spoke to Josh (to check if i had saved it on his desktop) because he remembered that i had posted it on my previous blog so that i wouldnt lose the file/info.

genius me, oh what a genius.

so now the form is filled and will be posted tomorrow! all for the sake of a few more pounds...

By faith, I declare the year ahead blessed

2008-01-01T21:59:00.000+08:00

'Free' by Hillsong United
From the album 'To The Ends Of The Earth'

Would you believe me if I said
that we are the ones who can make the change
in the world today?
Would you believe me if i said
that all of your dreams in your heart
can come true today?
Would you believe me if i said
that life could be all that you want it to be today?

Chorus
And if had wings I would fly
'cause all that I need, You are
And if the world caved in around me
to You I'd still hold on
'Cause You're all that I believe
and the one that created me
Jesus, because of You
I'm free

Would you believe me if I said
that God can make miracles happen today?
Would you believe me if I said
that you don't need to wait for the answers before
you step out in faith?
Would you believe me if I said
that nothing is ever impossible for God?

Bridge
Just live your life with God inside
you won't regret one moment of it
and give all that you can for God
For God

Ice Kachang reprise

2007-12-28T11:07:00.000+08:00

the past few days, i've found myself having lots of ice kachang (blame it on the weather and my family's choice of food for meals). and everytime my parents suggest we go for ice kachang, the song (lyrics have been previously posted) pops into my head, and i start to sing it to myself, much to the partial amusement of my mom.

it's catchy, it's funny - i'm spreading the joy!

how do you explain the concept of happiness?

2007-12-27T22:01:00.000+08:00

over coffee today, R talked about how there is nothing really to be happy about, that success only brings feelings of relief that you've not failed.

i disagreed, saying that there are many things in life that he/people should be happy about, not just merely relieved for. his reply was "what then?". and it took me some time to answer that question. i guess i've never really thought about why i feel happy. i just feel it. there are so many things that make me happy. and happy as in 'brings a smile to my face' rather than 'not sad'. my answer was 'friends and family'. he said, 'but you can't choose family'. i replied, 'you can take steps to making things better'.

it amazes me how pessimistic and disillusioned with life a young person can be. or maybe i'm one of the abnormal ones. i'm happy with my life. genuinely happy. i've got a great family (and even though they may annoy me at times, there's something warm about being with family), a boyfriend who wants to be with me even though he is miles away (thousands, actually), a job where i'm trusted with a reasonable amount of responsibility - a job i rather enjoy doing, friends who are quirky and loveable. life isnt perfect but hey, i dont need it to be perfect to be happy. in fact i like it the way it is, idiosyncratic and all.

'tis the season for giving

2007-12-26T22:31:00.000+08:00

this year, my brother gave me a Coach key-holder. my immediate reaction was, "is it because i carry my keys on a mini swiss army knife key-chain?"

"it's a weapon you know!"

i stare at the key-holder. he looks at me and says, "i don't think your swiss army knife will be able to fit in it."

"oh." and i look crestfallen.

"i still haven't gotten you a present. what do you want?"

"right now i just want a tick-free dog."

"oh."

there are some things that money can't buy. for everything else, there's Mastercard?

isn't it funny that all Hollywood/TV portrayals of Santa Claus

2007-12-25T22:42:00.000+08:00

have him sounding like Sean Connery? maybe that's where his real fortune comes from - vocal coach to all aspiring Santas!

like "The Sean Connery School For Santas" where they train current and new talent to sound like Sean Connery.

ironic really, since Sean Connery basically can't do any OTHER accent/voice...

Merry Christmas one and all!

i love how

2007-12-22T00:08:00.000+08:00

RGS girls don't seem to limit themselves to Singapore.

at a reunion organised by 2 very connected people (i.e. they know/are still in contact with a lot of influential people to get the message passed around), it was pretty amusing how the conversation went:

"how are you? what are you doing now?"

"oh, i'm working now, doing PR."

"in Singapore? permanently?"

"yup, in Singapore. it's a permanent job."

"cool. do you see yourself going back to the UK or anywhere else anytime in the future?"

it felt good to see some old friends again. the sort that you can just strike up a conversation with and it feels like secondary school was just yesterday.

then again, there will always be the "cool gang" that hang out among themselves and even after all these years, things don't seem to change...

the power of music

2007-12-15T10:42:00.000+08:00

Currently listening to: "Every Summer Night", The University of Warwick Big Band Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2006

music has the amazing ability to bring a smile to your face, yet fill you with sadness.

listening to your playing helps me feel closer to you - if i close my eyes i can imagine being right there at one of your gigs and enjoying myself. yet when i open my eyes i realise i'm not. that you are still there and i am still here.

and somehow night there seems more magical,more inviting there than here. there's something about the cold wind, the not-so-bright lights, walking/sitting beside you in the car and watching the scenery go by...