Ice Kachang reprise

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?

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

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

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

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

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...

driving in the fast lane

i have learnt several things about myself the past few weeks:

1) i like to speed.
2) i'm not afraid to accelerate quickly to overtake a slower-moving car in front of me.
3) i tend to make turns in 3rd gear.
4) i tend to make turns in 3rd gear and at speeds of 30-40km/h.
5) i tend to make turns in 3rd gear and at speeds of 30-40km/h without slowing down before entering the turning lane.
6) i am able to brake in time when travelling at 60km/h as the traffic light turns amber (while on a downward slope) and stop just behind the white line.

i wonder why my driving instructor asked me if i've driven a car before. he actually said, "erm, you don't drive like a learner".

Gee...

childhood TV memories

i just found out that the actor who played Cory Matthews on Boy Meets World is the younger brother of the actor who played Kevin Arnold (from The Wonder Years)!

then the memories of other TV shows i watched in my childhood flooded back - does anyone else remember any of these "classic" late 1980s-early 1990s sitcoms about American High School like Saved By The Bell, Parker Lewis Can't Lose or Teen Angel?

nostalgia is kicking in.

The Wonder Years

i caught an episode of The Wonder Years today that my mom taped for me due to hers and my curiosity (we'd heard of the title but never watched it before) and was emotionally blown away. it is a beautifully narrated and filmed series where Kevin Arnold, the youngest son of the Arnold family recounts memories/episodes from his childhood (aka Wonder Years).

the episode i watched was episode 13 (in season 2) titled 'Coda', where Arnold looks back at his childhood decision to give up playing the piano even though his teacher believed he had so much natural talent simply because he was afraid of failure. the lines were well-written, the acting so compelling (so much was said in between the lines through the eyes and body language of the actors) and i felt so overwhelmed at the end of the episode. i even think the episode got me right from the beginning in the opening lines:

When you're a little kid... you're a little bit of everything. Artist, scientist, athlete, scholar. Sometimes it seems like growing up is the process of giving those things up, one by one. I guess we all have one thing we regret giving up. One thing we really miss... that we gave up because we were too lazy... or we couldn't stick it out.

no wonder it (the episode) was nominated for an Emmy.

intrigued, i read up on the series and after going over the synopsis for the final episode, i felt a tinge of sadness, nostalgia even.

if only TV these days made you feel so engaged with the characters. but for now i'm definitely going to try and catch as many episodes as i can.

God bless reruns!

i would like to throw this question out to the virtual world...

how is it possible to get hooked on a drama set during the Warring States period about some feud between the Kingdoms of Chu and Han? (considering we all know that in history Qin comes and eats them all up sooner or later...)

i've asked this question to my Dad and brother who both seem to love this show on Channel U and basically (since I posed this to them in the middle of an episode), they were too absorbed in the fictional plot to provide me an answer.

then again before this they were hooked on that drama about the Qing emperors, which according to my brother, a History graduate, completely throws facts out of the window (albeit rice paper-lined. hur hur hur).

little gestures that say a lot

work has been winding down - which means i now have time for a weekday social life! catching up with friends is such a wonderful experience. there's just something about chatting face to face over good food (good and affordable xiao long bao, i should add) that beats just talking online.

as Ave and i had dinner today, we came to a realisation that we're older and have become more sensible and less idealistic. and it IS a nice feeling. to think that a few years ago we'd be aghast about turning into adults in the conventional sense.

and yes, you do realise how much some people mean to you and how you can see that in 20 years time you'd still be as good friends (or even better).

"Hi, my name is Adeline. I am a Heartland Shopper"

i should have seen the signs coming. considering how i enjoyed shopping in Coventry and Leamington Spa much much more than in Birmingham City Centre. or London (horror of horrors, i hear you cry!)

yesterday my mom and i went shopping. but we were sick of the crowds in Orchard Rd. so we hit Parkway Parade. and some damage was done at Marks & Spencer (quite a bit actually).

and in the evening after dinner, we decided to try shopping at Eastpoint. we've lived in Simei for about 13 years and Eastpoint was/is hardly the place you would find a lot of nice stuff to buy. but i bought a dress (the jury is still out on a jacket i saw) and shoes. not just any shoes... but Bata shoes. aka Buy And Throw Away shoes, which equal to "why bother buying in the first place" shoes. but hey they are very comfy, look nice and were affordable! what's not to like?

seriously, i surprise myself everyday...

family bonding time

is watching Amazing Race on TV together for 2 hrs.

it was a nice feeling that we all sat around for the first time in days (!!) and were all doing something together. it made me realise how much i missed my family.

relief!

it's a nice feeling - having an event go well. and when your bosses agree too...

especially after all the hard work and super long hours.

was speaking to one of my colleagues today, asked her how she rated her past year at the firm. "ups and downs" was her reply. i guess that's what it is really. lots of ups and downs. but so far i'm enjoying work - even the tedious and mundane. which is a good thing. and at least there are ups and downs. rather than the kind of job where you countdown till 6pm when you can finally put an end to the boredom.

have been swamped with projects but am looking forward to the light at the end of the tunnel. after the 16th i'll get my social life back. phew. :)

happy birthday Dad

the reaction i always get when i tell people my dad is turning 53 this year is, WAH YOUR PARENTS ARE SO YOUNG!

then i mention that my my parents got married when they were young - my mom was 23 and my dad 26. and the rabbit from the hat? that they were dating for 7 years before they finally got married. THAT usually draws the most WOWs.

i think my parents were/are poster-kids for PAP family campaigns...

i must have looked under 12

because when i went to the pharmacy today to buy Clarinase, i was asked how old i was.

and why would they ask? it's Clarinase!

quirky things said at work

firstly, that i apparently speak rather fluent mandarin, technically better than some of my colleagues.

but i speak with an ang moh slang (this coming from someone who is reasonably cheena is that she wanted to take A Level Chinese. no, not AO. A.)

and my female boss wants to me to shorten my skirt. yes, you read right. apparently it makes me look older than i am. i guess she was trying to say boring and dowdy. actually it went along the lines of "like a schoolteacher"...

i am amused.

i dreamt of you

it was suddenly Feb and you were here for the 4 short days. and i was so unprepared for it. i was feeling physically tired but i felt i should be taking you around the island and making sure you had a good time in the 4 days we had together.

then i realised i hadnt planned anything and didnt know what to do first, or how the 4 days should be spent to optimise the time we had toegther. at the same time, my body kept telling me to go back to bed and not bother.

:(

i wish i were a rubber ball

thank God for GT & the Halo Express...

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

how should you react when your driving instructor falls asleep while you are at the wheel?

though to be fair, he only dozed off when we were in the circuit. AND i was only in first gear, going at 10km/h for most of the time, since many of the drivers on the circuit were really newbies and i have already been driving on the road quite a bit.

my immediate reaction: should i be disturbed or comforted? like my driving is good enough for him to not need to stay awake/freak out and stay awake out of fear...

Moon's reply to my text: "i think us pedestrians should be more disturbed"

Josh's instinctive question: "did you swerve to wake him up?" (my answer: "no i revved the car")

my brother: "harh?"


classic.

when things get on your nerves, it helps to view things in perspective...

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

THE LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.

MY VERY FIRST NAMECARD!

it arrived today! the boss came by with 2 boxes of them.

but i've been told not to go trigger-happy with them and give them out to anyone and everyone... oops! i think he read my mind...

weird (and scary) dream..

last night i had a really freaky dream.

i was in my final year at university and was helping out a theatre studies class. i said goodbye to everyone since it was the end of final year and all i had left as a student were all my exams. as i was leaving the classroom, i was working out in my head what i needed to do for revision. as i went through all the modules i was taking, i realised i could only recall three (i need to do 4 a year, each worth 120 cats). suddenly i remembered i was doing French language. AND that i had not been to a single class the entire year. the first thought that came to my head was, why didnt my tutor call me to find out how come i have not attended any of the classes the entire year? then i freaked out - did i miss the oral component of the exam? if so, i must have lost about 20% of the marks already. i panicked and wondered if i could switch modules - like take that theatre studies module i was helping out in as a replacement for the French one. then i realised that it was too late to change and that registration of modules had closed a long time ago. so i walked to the classroom where the French classes were supposed to be held and picked up the week's lesson handout from the door. it was Lesson 10 and the content for the week was 'how to behave in an embassy' and information about embassy dinner parties - like food names, etiquette. i thought to myself, ok i can manage this... wait a minute, what about the previous lessons? how am i going to get the notes since i dont know anyone else in the class? DO I HAVE TO WRITE A WHOLE ESSAY IN FRENCH?!

then i went to a classroom, sat down and started working out how much i had to score to maintain my 2:1 average that i was riding on from the previous year's results. i started thinking, what if i skip that module exam altogether? then i realised i'd be short of 30 cats and wouldnt be allowed to graduate.

it was at that moment that i woke up. and it took me a really long time to realise i had already graduated. and got my 2:1.

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i was trying to figure out the cause for such a haunting dream. maybe it's the nervousness of starting work tomorrow. and not just any work. my first permanent job. and i guess it still hasnt sunk in. that i've already made it (in terms of the years of hard work to get to and through university). perhaps part of me still cant let of go of university life. but then again, it's the fear of being left behind.

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spent the weekend with family in Bintan for a short relaxing holiday. it was nice to spend time together and to get a bit of relaxation time before work starts. guess the thought of not being able to take leave for 6 months while on probation has begun to get me a bit down. but my mom and i have already hatched some plans to get away over a weekend or two to unwind.

also am a bit intimidated by the prospect of a real job. and also the need to be well-dressed and groomed EVERYDAY at work. but in some ways i'm looking forward to having a reason to dress up everyday. perhaps it was just some anxiety after my meeting with the boss last Friday and his little speech about "image is everything".

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But i've put my trust in Him so far and i will continue to. He got me the job and He will see me through it AND give me favour.

and thinking about that has just made me excited about tomorrow. :)

there is nothing quite like

hearing that your boss has already ordered your namecards.

AND that they will probably be arriving next week.

Lessons learnt from the past 3 days

1) boredom is more tiring that being busy
2) i've not gone home from work so on-time since, probably, 2004
3) people either underestimate my abilities or they overestimate the amount of time it takes for a task to be completed. which then leads me to question their own efficiency

anyway, i bid thee farewell, O Temp Jobs.

i sign my contract tomorrow and start Monday. a new phase begins!

a 3-day birthday celebration! WOW!

it's great being able to celebrate my birthday in Singapore, since for the last 3 years i've been away in the UK on my actual birthday (thus celebrations with friends in Singapore have always been at odd times). and perhaps it's because i've been missing for 3 years that this year's celebration was MASSIVE!

it started on the 4th in the evening, when my family decided to have the birthday cake. coffee ice cream cake to be exact! mmmm... me and my parents!
my brother, me and my mom! YAY CAKE!

on the 5th i had a casual Italian dinner with my family (at De Mario, Quayside) before heading off to eM By The River for a drinks party with some close friends.
Rachel and Moon amusingly trying to read the menu under the lamp because of the dim lighting...
Rachel, Moon and ME! i decided to go all out and be adventurous in my dressing! suspenders and hat, very Marlene Dietrich! haha... and fun!my friends that amuse me...
me, Jeannie, Amy, Steph, Alina, Joyce and Ave!
me and Ave! the hat caused a lot of amusement - Ave's musings on Facebook: "Talk about globalization! This hat was made in China for Swedish behemoth H&M, purchased in Dubai and now sits elegantly on tapdancing extraordinaire Adeline Li's pretty little Singaporean Chinese head."
Amy and me!
Ms Joyce UnKhoo!
a flattering photo! haha!
Ivy and Wen Fang brought me cake! and not just any cake... LANA CAKE!
what a pleasant surprise!
Wen Fang, Ivy and me! (and one in the toilet! hehe...)
awwwwwwww... it was a great night!

and the birthday celebrations ended with a lovely brunch buffet at Keyaki, the Japanese restaurant on Level 4 of Pan Pacific Hotel. at $58++, it's not cheap but they have a great selection of really good food. PLUS it's a la carte buffet so it's very civilised.
baby lobster with a wasabi mayonnaise
the sashimi platter (sadly, they only allow a maximum of one sashimi order per diner because "the ingredients are seasonal and not always available in large quantities")
roasted duck breast cold dish
rice ball with fish flakes, served with pickles
agadeshi tofu - i liked it so much i ordered a second round of it
teriyaki cod fillets
yakitori - mmmm... (yes we ordered a second round of that too!)
salmon with sea salt
grilled prawns! mmmm...
clockwise: tuna nigiri-sushi, california handroll, unagi nigiri-sushi (eel)
soft shell crab - i really liked this version. many that i've tried have so much batter while this one is just very thinly coated.
assorted tempura - it is really good because you can tell that the oil they use is fresh and not oxidised.
tuna with grated yam
scallops with miso paste
scallop nigiri-sushi and a tempura handroll
maki with sweet pickle (the brown bit)
smoked salmon salad
snapper salad
salmon nigiri-sushi
pork with ginger - YUM!
crab cream croquettes
beef teppan-yaki - REALLY good! not overcooked so still moist and tender inside!
yellowtail nigiri-sushi (and more scallop ones!)
cold soba
squid and salmon nigiri-sushi
FINALLY we decided we'd eaten enough and ordered dessert - fruit is always good to cleanse the palate
the lime sorbet is very refreshing!
utterly satisfying meal...

AND what a way to end the great birthday mega-celebration!

Times of refreshing
Here in Your Presence
No greater blessing
Than being with You
My soul is restored
My mind is renewed
There's no greater joy, Lord
Than being with You.


speaking to one of the pastors today, he shared something very interesting about his life when he was working in a high profile job.
"your promotion doesn't come from doing work, it comes from the Lord. I found that when I started going home earlier, I got promoted faster."

now that's called living under Divine Favour rather than striving for blessings. since blessings already imply grace (unearned, undeserving...).

Family gatherings make you see how your weirdness is genetic

it was my grandmother's 81st birthday celebration today. for the record, since my entire family argues about this among themselves trying to remember, it's the 27th day or the lunar 8th month. according to my grandaunt, we celebrate her birthday according to the lunar month because she doesn't have a birth certificate and they only found it out before my great-grandmother passed away when she showed them a sheet of paper that she had written everyone's actual birth date on.
the entertainment for today comprised of the following:

my 2nd uncle telling everyone the dinner was last Saturday only to realise last Friday it was today. then him telling people the restaurant was on the 3rd floor when it was on the second.

my grandaunt and my uncle engaged in banter about how this year's compared with last year's (he organised this year's, she last).

fake vs real birthdays, in particular, my grandmother's.

my brother buying a car (which somehow involves my dad and both my uncles).

the food (my uncle anxious there wasn't enough so ordered more, my grandaunt complaining that he was so disorganised when making all the arrangements and how hers was better...).

recollection of last year's embarrassing antics by the family (it involved BYO scissors and plastic bags and one suckling pig).

my first cousin, once removed (i.e. my mom's first cousin) arguing with my 2nd uncle. then my 2nd uncle discussing with my mom some form of holiday enrichment/boot camp for my cousin which then involved everyone at the table.

my other grandaunt whom i have not seen in YEARS telling me i'm prettier now that i have more weight on (YES!).

general debate about next year's celebration.

relatives asking when i start work... what i am going to do... what my salary will be... why i am not doing this or that...

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you learn all sorts of useful things from family, as well as a clue to why you are the way you are.

i am embracing my eccentricities!

Happy Birthday ME!

God is so amazing!

i feel so loved because so many people wished me a happy birthday.

i got given a date for round 2 of my civil servant job assessment.

and i got a call-back for some temp work next Monday to Wednesday.

AND THE BEST NEWS? i got a job offer! at 7pm when i was in the car with my parents. i had given up hope of news since i assumed they would have called by the end of the working day (i.e. 6pm) so i had resigned myself to being unemployed a little longer.

SUBLIME.

and He knew that was my one true wish for my birthday.

Childhood memories

today as we were in the car, the opening of a song caught my attention and i realised it was the Golden Girls theme song! it reminded me of my childhood, where i spent afternoons watching these classics (soon after the afternoons were filled up by re-runs of even older classics!)

anyone remember this? the song just takes me back to the days when i was teeny tiny, sitting in front of my TV and being so absorbed in the dialogue and humour...

or did anyone wish they had a housekeeper as cool and sweet as Tony Danza?

remember Balki's dance of joy! hei! hei! hei! hei!

and i love the chilled out theme song from TAXI. always makes me think 1980s cool... and there's something so nostalgic about it.


ahhh i truly loved the 1980s. and i think i watched a bit too much TV...

an inspiring and touching book i picked up recently

i don't usually do a review of books i've read (mostly because in the past few years i've been reading very serious work and didn't want to bore people with my enthusiasm for all these philosophical musings), but i recently picked up a book at Orchard Library when i had an afternoon to myself (it was very random - it caught my eye among the pile of 'Just Returned's) that i thought was worth writing about. entitled Talking With My Mouth Full - Crab Cakes, Bundt Cakes and Other Kitchen Stories, by Bonnie Wolf, this book is a rather personal exploration of food memories (she talks about family recipes as well as that of close friends). these are not fancy schmancy dishes but stuff that hold deep significance to people.at the end of each chapter, a few recipes are featured but i found myself skimming them to move on to the next chapter because her stories were so engaging and also struck a cord with my views and experiences of food. In her opening chapter, she writes, "As I went through these recipes, I realized that I remember most life events by what I ate." And that "We cook and eat for comfort, nurture, and companionship. We cook and eat to mark the seasons and celebrate important events. We cook and eat to connect with family and friends and with ancestors we never knew. And through this baking and breaking bread together, we come to know who we are and where we come from." How very true.

one particular chapter, 'Mothers' Days', really inspired me to start a family cookbook. "As I turned the pages (of her mother's notebook filled with collected family recipes), I realized that handing down recipes from one generation to the next is an intimate, simple act of love and connection." i would love to hand my children a collection of family recipes one day, especially family favourites that they can replicate and trigger fond memories. recipes perhaps they can even share with their children in the future and continue the chain of happy memories.

My favourite line of the chapter? "Family cookbooks have recipes for Jell-O salads and Christmas cookies. No recipes call for foie gras or truffle oil."

i'm only a fifth through the book and already it has made such a connection with me. i definitely recommend it!


Postscript:
this is a really good book too! if you've seen Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, you will find this book even more of a good read. other than him introducing each recipe and showing how important it is to learn basic recipes and cook simple but good food, he also gives tips on how to run a successful restaurant. which if you are an aspiring restauranteur, you will really appreciate.