We planned for an uber all-girls night out last friday, but after much excitement and anticipation, only three including myself turned up. But heck it, we still stuck to the plan of partying the night away.
Never in my entire life have I heard such a pick-up line:
"Hi, I'm so-and-so. I'm from Alaska and I'm an Eskimo!" (Add to this a face full of confidence that he'd struck our hearts with that grand introduction of himself.)
The night was okay, not the wild dance-til-don't-wanna-go-home type I'd expected. But I must say we gals were dazzling and many guys were blinded by our radiance.
establishment & tank nightclub
food diary: 24 - 30 mar
This week's highlights are the vietnamese rice noodles (BH: I found another place that serves better vietnamese beef noodles!!!), the Kilkenny and Guinnese draught extra cold (nice pub, great people, fantastic conversation), and >half bottle of Gordon Bleu (neat and on the rocks). Oh and check out the dumping frequency, man! Best record ever! (I have a feeling it's cos of the alcohol and the hotpots, no change in fibre consumption leh.)
monday
B : nil
L @ 1pm: about 10 pieces of deep fried calamari, cappucino
@ 3pm: 1.5 bottles of beer
D @ 7pm: szechuan spicy cold noodles, spicy hotpot with luncheon meat, quail's eggs, sliced beef, beef tripe, enoky mushroom, 1 mocha @ 8pm, 1 beer @ 9pm
dump: once
tuesday
B @ 10am: a handful of peanuts
L @ 1pm: leftover beef hor fun from last thur, 1 sml cappucino
Snack at 4.30pm: a pack of instant macaroni & cheese
D @ 7.30pm: vietnamese spicy beef stew rice noodle, 1 mocha
dump: nil
wednesday
B : nil
L @ 12.30pm: 1 large cappucino, 1 salmon and avocado sushi roll
Snack @ 4.30pm: 1 california sushi roll
D @ 8.30pm: leftover fried rice and ma-po tofu from last thur
dump: once
thursday
B @ 9.30am: 3-in-1 coffee
L @ 12noon: 1 pack instant noodles dry
L again @ 1.15pm (cos still hungry): 1 pack instant rice vermicelli soup
D @ 7.30pm to 10pm: potato wedges, 1 toohey's new beer, spinach and ricotta lasagne with vege salad, 1 murray's pale ale, shared a sticky date pudding and bread and butter pudding and vanilla panacotta with 4 others
dump: once
friday
B : 3-in-1 coffee
L @ 1pm: 1 pack instant noodle dry, 1 sml cappucino
D @ 6.30pm: vietnamese spicy beef stew rice noodle
Drinks from 10pm onwards: 5 chivas on the rocks, 1 jaegerbomb, 1 bourbon coke
Supper @ 2pm: pipis (clams) in X.O. sauce, half a bowl of century egg congee
dump: once
saturday
B : nil
L @ 1.30pm: vietnamese beef rice noodle, longan drink
Tea-break @ 4pm: 1 Kilkenny, 1 Guinesse draught extra cold
D @ 7.30pm: chong qing mala hotpot (with luncheon meat, quails eggs, sliced beef, beef tripe, enoky mushroom), mouthfuls of tantan noodles, mouthfuls of szechuan spicy cold noodles
Drinks from 10pm onwards: uncountable glasses of Gordon Bleu neat and on the rocks
dump: once
sunday
B : nil
L @ 1pm: 2 slices of bread with butter, half a rack of ribs, mouthfuls of baked potato with sour cream, 1 orange juice
D @ 8pm: assorted japanese sushi, salmon tuna and kingfish sashimi, 1 chicken yakitori, agedashi tofu, vanillia ice cream with green tea sauce and cereals, hot green tea
dump: once
bh's happy dilemma
First email I read this friday morning made me tear secretly at my work desk. BH was offered a spot in the Double Degree Option of Queen's Master of Global Management (MGM) Program and an entrance scholarship of 5,000 canadian dollars. He will be one of only four possible students in the MGM program to be admitted for this option.
I was over the moon when I got the news!
After the initial joy, I was a bit saddened that he has to bear the thought of his dream possibly not materialising because of financial reasons. I fully understand how it feels to have to give up something you really (like REALLY you know?) want just because of the lack of some stupid ingredient called M-O-N-E-Y. I feel helpless cos I so want to help him make his dream come true but I don't have the means to.
Some may say, going for Master's is a want, not a necessity, and well, something a person can do without. Which is why nobody should feel that their parents are obliged to pay for the children's Master's education (unless of course, they can well afford it, then why not?). But nevertheless, it's a person's dream, not any person, but my BH's dream! Like, THE program he is aiming to get into, THE school he wants, it's like all he wants in one package. Wah! How how how ah?
There are like so many fucking filthy rich people out there who squander their money away meaninglessly. If only they can just pool 1% (maybe even 0.5% will do) of their thoughtless spendings together, BH will be able to go for his Master's. And we'll still have leftovers to feed, house and educate so many others.
I do understand they (the fucking filthy rich) also have to work to achieve what they have (you do realise this doesn't apply to all right?) and it's only right that they get to enjoy what they earn. But it's true also that the rich get richer and it's frustrating to see them having it easier (most times, I'm not saying it's a definite) while perfectly smart, cute, good-hearted and hardworking people like BH (and me haha) have to struggle like hell.
So. The long and short of this entry is: which one of you out there, who has no other meaningful way to spend your mountain-high heaps of money, please drop me an email and we can discuss our invest-in-BH project. Haha.
when will i meet my next boyfriend?
This is funny! Okay so today is 27 March 2008. If all goes well, I should be hooking up with someone by 26 June 2008. I should stick a huge-ass post it note at my workstation and do like a countdown thingy. We'll see in a while how it turns out.
Find out here when you will meet your next boyfriend!
what kind of thinker are you?
Saw this on beakee's blog. I don't normally do such quizzes, but decided to try this cos beakee said the questions are interesting and I happened to be taking a short morning break at work. I took time to think through before answering each question instead of rushing through them as I was prone to do. The last bit on what drives me crazy is absolutely accurate. Reminded me of a conversation I had with tudi on attending meetings without an agenda and getting assigned a project without any clear objectives, like DUH and ???. Take the quiz here if you're interested.
intimate enemies
Okay this may be a little late, the French Film Festival 2008 was on from 5 - 19 March in Sydney.
Hmmm... maybe not too late cos it's still on or going to be on in Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and Adelaide. Check out the schedule here.
I went to Paddington with a friend last week, a desperate last minute attempt to try to catch at least one film. Top on my list of to-watch films was Paris - completely sold out way way way way in advance. Dazzling cast, emo storyline, what do you expect. I still wanna watch this, maybe I'll rent the DVD or something.
Then it was suggested we watch The Dinner Guest. Given we only had two days before the festival ended in Sydney and we were only able to make it on one of the two days, we really didn't have many options. I thought, comedy... shouldn't go too wrong.
But in our after-work rush and the stress we experienced trying to find a park, we got to the wrong theatre and got tickets to whatever show we could get our hands on. So we caught Intimate Enemies. A war show. How many people are even aware of the Algerian war of independence (1954 - 1962)? I note with interest that it was only officially acknowledged in 1999 that a "war" had taken place (official terminology used for this founding event of Algerian history was "public order operation").
It was a sad show. Well, which war movie is happy? But there was a small part that made me secretly chuckle inside. These two groups of soldiers started firing at each other, injuring many and killing some, before realising that they're fellow comrades. I related that to the everyday work life - when the top screws up, the men die.
I love watching war shows and reading war stories. Lots of lessons to learn. But they sometimes affect me too much emotionally - I recall myself having nightmares of my family being massacred and crying non-stop even after I woke after watching Saving Private Ryan in 1997; and how I looked up to Captain Winters and cried and laughed with all in the Easy Company through the entire Band of Brothers series in 1999; and how envious I was of Joshua in Life is Beautiful (Italian: La vita è bella) for having such a great father.
I wouldn't mind re-watching Band of Brothers again. Been wanting to do that for a long time. Just need to find the time.
digging up those emo songs
Tonight is 'Project Unforgettables' night. That 酒干倘卖无 song triggered off this long discussion on all the songs I grew up listening to. Because my parents, grandparents, uncles and aunties were all into those super emo hokkien, cantonese and chinese oldies, these songs naturally got engraved deep inside my heart. And they're there to stay for life.
I embarked on this project of compiling an emo collection (omg the list of songs is endless!) and while surfing, downloading and listening to the oldies, I went through my photo collection too.
(Digress a bit: I stumbled upon this picture of a semi-drunk me enjoying a bowl of fishball noodles and barely able to pose a -.-v >>> so cute right? I always think if I'm a guy, I will fall for a girl like me hahaha.)
There may be some who think it not-too-healthy to indulge oneself constantly in memories as one may just end up living in the past, too happy staying there to want to move forward.
But I think otherwise. Not many are fortunate enough to have memories they'd wanna cling on to. Be it a good or bad, happy or sad memory, it has a meaning, plays a role in your life and is equally capable of propelling you forward as it is able to hold you back.
And just like old photos, they need to be retrieved from that dusty old corner of your brain (or heart) from time to time for some refreshing or they'd just simply fade off and one day... when you think you've achieved what you set out to achieve in life and decide you're ready to make a visit down memory lane, you wonder, beside the material accomplishments, what else you've earned and saved through the decades.
到时候,
大约在冬季,
烟雨凄迷时,
当你再回首,
已往事随风.
想要念亲恩,
却发现已来不及.
只能坐在橄榄树下,
唱出你的浪子心声,
当个追梦人.
酒干倘卖无
Started talking about this song with a friend over a beer last night. I have known this song like forever, it was a song often played at home when I was a kid. Have even sung it once when I went karaoke with BH.
But I have never taken much notice of the lyrics, nor even realised how the lyrics tie in with the movie 搭错车. After watching this short clip above, which basically sums up the entire movie, I was totally touched. I might go get a hold of the movie and watch the full version.
food diary: 17 - 23 Mar
monday
B @ 10am: 1 mini custard muffin from Eliss
L @ 1pm: vietnamese bread roll with shredded chicken breast meat, carrots, coriander, cucumber and chilli, 1 sml mixed berry drink with crushed ice
D @ 7.30pm: homecooked special bh's pasta leftovers from last week
dump: nil
tuesday
B @ 10am: 1 glass skim milk, 3 Oreo cookies
L @ 1pm: Campbell soup - chunky beef with carrots and potatoes, 1 sml cappucino
D @ 8.30pm: 1 chunky beef pie, 1 cappucino
dump: nil
wednesday
B @ 10am: instant coffee, 1 KrispyKreme donut
L @ 12.30pm: instant beef tortellini, 1 sml cappucino
D @ 6.30pm: half orange, spaghetti with mushrooms, bacon and chilli aglio olio style, 1 vanilla yoghurt with half avocado
dump: nil
thursday
B @ 10am: a few chocolate easter eggs
L @ 1pm: fettucine carbonara, 1 sml cappucino
Snack @ 4.30pm: a few chocolate easter eggs
D @ 9.30pm: a small bowl of fried rice, a few mouthfuls of beef hor fun, spoonfuls of ma-po tofu
dump: nil
friday
B : nil
L @ 2.30pm: 1 sml cappucino at 12.30pm, lebanese food including pita bread, chick peas, some grilled chicken, and bits of I-dunno-what
D @ 7pm: rice with braised tofu, deep fried salt and pepper tofu, 1 stalk of brocolli (dunno how to spell and lazy to check), 1 clam, bits of black pepper beef cubes, eggplant, 1 mocha
dump: once
saturday
B : nil
L @ 1.30pm: eggs benedict, cappucino
D @ 7.30pm: curry with roti prata courtesy of Yah Wen, 1 glass soya bean milk
Drinks from 10pm onwards: 2 beers, 2 vodka redbulls, 1 wild turkey on the rocks, 2 cowboy shooters
dump: once
sunday
B : nil
L @ 1.30pm: chicken caesar wrap, cappucino
Tea-break @ 4pm: 1 mixed berry smoothie
D @ 7pm: salami, strawberries, steamed prawns, Mr Png's specialty chilli crabs, Ernest's specialty fried beehoon, AD's specialty assam fish, orange juice, 1 slice of Jorlyn's specialty tiramisu, 1 slice of Candice's specialty tiramisu with lotsa baileys
dump: once
the singaporean colonel's japanese name
Lotsa things to write today, but too tired from a long day of running about so shall KIV for another day. Heard this real-life anecdote from a friend and found it hilarious.
Friend went to visit his ex colleague, a retired colonel enjoying life at home. Colonel happily announced that he has a new japanese name. "Eh guys, tell you my very cool new japanese name - 樱樱左木兰 (for those who can't read chinese, too bad, not possible to explain). Nice? Got special meaning one leh, can guess?"
*Friend scratches head* "Dunno. What?"
Colonel "It means .............." (try to guess la... then view answer in comments - monkey poops below).
Note: this is another rather uniquely singapore joke and requires some knowledge of hokkien expletives.
what if i plonk dead now?
Today is the start of the Easter loooooooooong weekend. I have Friday through to Monday to enjoy the last of the tanning season cos the weather is just gonna turn cold from now on. Let's hope we'll get some sun this weekend.
As I was waiting for the train this evening, I had a sudden thought: what if I die unexpectedly, all alone without friends and family here in Sydney? Who will see to the things I leave behind? Who will take care of all the paperwork, the funeral, and all the rest? Will I be cremated and my ashes sent back home? Will I be permanently buried here? Will someone from my family fly down to bring me home? Will someone here help send me home? Who will pack up all my stuff here in the corporate apartment? Will these be thrown away or shipped home? Who will settle the insurance matters? Who will settle my bank accounts, financials etc back home?
I got stressed just thinking about it.
I just told someone very recently while tanning on the beach that unlike a year or two ago when I still had my bro's education etc to worry about, now that he's gonna graduate and will be able to take care of the family soon, I don't have anything to worry about if I just plonk dead now. But now all of a sudden, I realised there are still so many loose ends I haven't tied.
I need to spend some time to do some detailed thinking and planning. To write a detailed instruction manual on what I want done with all the things I'm gonna leave behind. To make sure my bro and mum know how to go about claiming my insurance stuff and settling the financials. To brief someone I trust here in Sydney and another I trust in Singapore to oversee all the necessary arrangements and to try to organise the kind of funeral I want for myself (I'd written about this way back in moblog but I can't find it, anyone who remembers or has the link, send to me ok?).
I hope I don't have a freak accident like choke on my saliva while sleeping before I have all the proper instructions passed on to the relevant people.
explanation and/or money
I bought the book (A Long Way Down) on Sunday and am 22 pages into it. Came across this that made me kinda upset for a bit:
"Being owed an explanation is like being owed money, and not just a fiver, either. Five or six hundred quid minimum, more like. If you were owed five or six hundred quid minimum and the person who owed it to you was avoiding you, then you're bound to knock on his door late at night, when you know he's going to be in."
I have been, and am still being owed both an explanation and much more than just five or six hundred quid by one person. I care more for the explanation than the money. My recent brief meeting with him a month back convinced me that I'm never gonna get either one. That feeling of sudden realisation sucked big time, and still sucks. But of course, I'm not going to jump off a building over this like Jess (in the book) did (or is going to, I'm not done reading it yet). I just simply made up my mind deep down that I'm never gonna contact him again.
ps: rae, I would gladly accept the bracelet but I really hope I never get a chance to (reading your comment made me tear a bit you know). I secretly hope all those I love outlive me, and that includes you. I hope you do cos you've got so much more in life to live for than me.
lambchop's baobei car
The resurrected lambchop is putting up his baobei car for sale. Car is now in Adelaide. For more info, check out this site. If he accepts my offer of AUD2,000, I would fly down immediately to drive it 1,000 miles back to Sydney. HAHAHA.
ps: have you checked out the banner ad above? I find it rather interesting.
car shopping & chilli crabs
I went car shopping with the boys yesterday after a sumptous seafood lunch at the fish market. We came across this white Suzuki Swift GTI that I couldn't take my eyes off. I just like these 'ah beng' cars. Small but power. I could see myself driving it. The boys could too. But I really don't think I should be spending money on one. At least not yet.
Posing with another of my favourite 'ah beng' cars. I like its signature rear lights. Come tomorrow, I'll be going for a spin in one of these hehe.
An entire row of Supras! You rarely get to see even one on the roads in Singapore.
It was back to the apartment for home cooked Singapore chilli crabs and Gordon Bleu drunken prawns after spending a whole day drooling over cars. They were good good good!
ps: have you noticed I've got another cool ad on my blog? It's on some youth aids awareness thingy. Go check it out, it's right on top just below my blog picture header.
food diary: 10 - 16 Mar
I was a bit worried about the dumping frequency for a while cos I could feel myself getting all bloated up. Just after mid week, it (the dumping) became an everyday affair (fortunately). Also, I think I'm boring - I eat the same food all the time. It's also quite obvious I love pasta, but still, it's time I start cooking other stuff. Highlight of the week was the chilli crabs and drunken prawns courtesy of Mr Png and CC. They were finger-licking good!
monday
B @ 10am: half a glass of skim milk, 1 Oreo cookie, 2 peanut butter slices aka Reece's Pieces imitation (homemade by Laura-Mae: super yumz!), 1 teaspoon of extra virgin coconut oil
L @ 1pm: tuna and mushroom penne in cream sauce, 1 sml cappucino
D @ 8pm: homecooked special bh's pasta
dump: nil
tuesday
B @ 10am: half a glass of full cream milk, 4 Oreo cookies, half a glass of instant coffee
L @ 1pm: homecooked special bh's pasta, 1 sml cappucino
D @ 8.30pm: a handful of macademia nuts and peanuts, fettucine carbonara
dump: nil
wednesday
B @ 10am: half a glass of skim milk, 4 Oreo cookies, 1 sml cappucino
L @ 1pm: instant noodles
Tea @ 3.30pm: 1 KrispyKreme donut
Snack @ 6pm: handfuls of peanuts
D @ 9pm: a few mouthfuls of homecooked congee with sweet potato and sweet corn, 1 small bowl of homecooked mee siam with tau pok (dried bean curd) and hard boiled egg
dump: nil
thursday
B : nil
L @ 12.30pm: homecooked mee siam with tau pok (dried bean curd) and hard boiled egg, 1 sml cappucino
Snack @ 4.30pm: 1 pack of macaroni & cheese
Snack @ 6.30pm: half an orange
D @ 8.30pm: homecooked spaghetti aglio olio style with bacon, chilli and mushrooms
dump: once
friday
B : nil
L @ 12.30pm: homecooked spaghetti aglio olio style with bacon, chilli and mushrooms, 1 sml cappucino
Tea @ 4.30pm: strawberry yoghurt
D @ 7pm: instant noodles
Drinks @ 10pm onwards: 4 glasses vodka orange, 2 chivas on the rocks, 1 pint of beer
dump: once
saturday
B : nil
L @ 1.30pm: salmon & tuna sashimi, 2 fresh oysters, assorted fried and grilled seafood from a platter, 1 bottle aloe drink, 1 bottle isotonic drink
D @ 6.30pm: chilli crabs with 2 slices of bread, a few gordon bleu drunken prawns
dump: once
sunday
B : nil
L @ 10.30pm: assorted dim sum, regular vanilla latte
Tea-break @ 3pm: 2 glasses of strawberry margarita
D @ 7.30pm: small bowl of rice with small portions of ma-po tofu, soya chicken, shredded beef, salt and pepper calamari, 1 packet of lychee drink
dump: once
@ argyle & lowenbrau @ the rocks
It was another girls' night out on Friday.
I was quite edgy the entire night. 1) I had too much of narcissist-arrogant-banker-cum-former-airforce-officer shoved in my face. 2) A drunk stranger dropped my camera and damaged it. I maintained my cool and even managed to not let the tears break free. My pink Sony T5 is quite special to me. So I did my usual disappearance act from the group for a bit. It's been a while since I've had to do that.
Mr Chris Teppanyaki lookalike showed up with two friends and upon the request of one of them, we did a Mr and Mrs Smith (Brad Pitt & Angeline Jolie) poster pose for the camera. I couldn't remember if Mrs Smith has a gun in her hands but I held an imaginary one anyway since I had nothing in my hands.
I had the honour of being the first few female passengers (purely my guess, I hope I'm right) of a new Audi TT for the 20min ride home. Even the 15min walk to the car in my 3inch high heels on the crappy city streets was worth it.
the final instalment of the boobie trilogy
Two days ago, we had some boobie talk in office. (Read it here if you haven't read it already)
I then posted pictures of the boobie dress upon tudi's request. (See them here if you haven't seen them already)
And beakee commented:
"Of course, you know we will now request a pic of said boobees belonging to Eliss."
You know I don't like to disappoint. Beakee, this is for you.
*Drum rolls* I shall now present... *Drum rolls* the boobies!
They created quite a stir in my office on Friday. QUOTE little boss: nose bleed... UNQUOTE. Sponsors out there, please email me if you'd like to contact above boobies' owner for endorsements.
ps: Eliss, thanks for being a good sport.
request for peekchure of boob dress
Tudi left a comment requesting for a picture of that boob dress. So here goes... (flowers are not mine).
On the board below, Eliss did the part on the coconut oil (read her entry on her experience with the oil) and I added the part on boobs with arrows pointing towards Eliss' cube because no matter how much my dress enhances my boobs, they will never be as delicious looking as hers.
i brought my boobs today
I decided to wear a pretty summer dress to work today cos it was all bright and sunny outdoors.
Eliss: That's a nice summer dress! You've got boobs today!
Isobel: (bends over to lower herself slightly so her eyes are level with my boobs, and stares at the boobs) Hi Jac! You look good today!
Me: Come all, talk to my boobs.
Laura-Mae: So you remembered to bring them to work today! Good on ya.
Danielle: Now she's gonna wear that dress to work everyday...
The conversation then turned to one on boosters vs push-up bras.
It's nice to be tucked away in our own cosy corner on the uppermost floor with a bunch of crazy chickens at work. First there were discussions on brazilian wax, then the coconut oil experiment, and today the boobie talk.
belgariad series & a long way down
I just finished reading the last book (book #5), Enchanters' End Game of The Belgariad series by David Eddings. This series took me ages to complete because 1) it's a tad dull compared to the Riftwar Saga, Empire Trilogy and Serpentwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist which I read just not too long ago and 2) I got distracted by the many Japanese drama serials my Polish friend passed to me and my trip back to Singapore.
I'm gonna go book-shopping this weekend. My next book will definitely be Nick Hornby's A Long Way Down. It just so happened that P was reading it when I went back to Singapore last month and after flipping through the first few pages, I decided I had to finish the book.
Four strangers met on New Year's Eve at the top of an apartment complex in North London when they each made their way there to end their lives. They, who moments before were all convinced they were alone and were going to end it all that way, sit down together, share out the pizza and begin to talk.
There are two main reasons why I can't stop thinking about reading this book: 1) it's about suicide (people close to me will know I've got a thing for suicide related stuff) and 2) Nick Hornby also wrote About A Boy - remember the movie starring Hugh Grant? - I happen to like that movie a lot.
I'll need to start thinking about what to read after this book too cos I can't do without a book by my bed to while away that half an hour or so each night before I fall asleep.
ps: Naijiz, I read The Time Traveler's Wife after reading your entry. Cried a bit. Loved it. Apparently there's a movie based on this novel starring Eric Bana that will be released in Nov this year. Read about it here.
this is a uniquely singapore joke
It's almost impossible to come up with the answer if you're not singaporean.
Question: Who is more talkative, bread or kopi? And why?
Eliss: Shhhhhhhhhhhhh! Don't tell!
Click on comments (see the green font that says 'monkey poops' below) for the answer.
blue cattle pup for sale
A colleague sent around this email today:
"I have a Blue Cattle pup for sale. She is now 11weeks, wormed vac and vet checked. She has a gentle nature and is excellent with children. Both parents are pure breed Blue Cattle dogs. I'm asking AUD200."
The pup is soooooooooo cute! I like the random patches of brown amidst his grayish blue coat. Too bad I can't keep one in my apartment.
Her owner lives in Orange, NSW but will be heading to Sydney next Friday and can bring her along. Anyone interested? Drop me an email at monkey.crab@yahoo.com.
100 things about me
I wrote this entry on 100 things about myself more than a year ago on my moblog. I chanced upon it when I went through some of my old entries and decided to update the list.
01. My spine is not straight. It's actually slightly curved to the right towards the tailbone. This results in my left shoulder, back and hip slightly higher than the right. I had to go for X-rays every half yearly during my school years until the doctors were sure the condition wasn't worsening.
02. I was told that my cholesterol level was dangerously high when I went for my annual medical check 4 5 years ago. I was underweight at that time. Apparently, your cholesterol levels are not directly related to your weight.
03. I had to entertain a lot in my first job as a banker after graduating from Uni. That meant lots of hard liquor, 2nd hand smoke and late nights. After 1.5 years of that life, I got scolded by my doctor "Your blood test doesn't look too good. You've got to stop consuming alcohol completely if you don't wanna end up like Andreas De Cruz. Not a single drop including wine from now on."
04. I started wearing specs when I was in Primary 2. At that time, I didn't even know what shortsightedness was. I was terrified when I realise I couldn't see clearly and thought I was gonna die.
05. My first pair of specs was pink. The power was 200 on each side. And by Secondary 3, my shortsightedness had worsened to 750 for my left eye and 550 for my right, and they have remained this way until now.
06. According to my mum, I couldn't wait to see the world. I popped my head out while my mum was still in the taxi on the way to the hospital.
07. Geese were my greatest enemies when I was growing up in Pulau Ubin. My Great-Grandma was next.
08. A neighbour's puppy ran over to my Grandparents' house in Pulau Ubin on the day I was born and it stayed with us from then onwards where it became my first best friend. I couldn't stop crying when it died 11 years later.
09. I stayed in Pulau Ubin till I was 5. Then I moved to a one room flat in Mattar Road cos I had to attend Kindergarten. However, I would go back to Pulau Ubin every weekend and school holidays until the government took back the land when I was in my teens. I moved to Simei when I was 8. Now, I'm living in Sydney, Australia but my home is still in Simei.
10. Half a 1.5 years ago, I had thoughts of settling down permanently in Sydney, up until 3 weeks ago. Now I wanna move to Whistler, Canada. Now, I can't make up my mind. My recent trip back to Singapore made me realise how much I miss home.
11. I almost drowned twice in my life. Once when I mischievously took my Grandpa's sampan out to sea and it capsized. And the other time was when my Auntie threw me into the sea without any floats hoping that I would naturally learn how to swim after some struggling.
12. I've had a phobia for going into the water ever since. Even though I took swimming lessons and learnt to swim when I was 17, I still panic when the water level is higher than my height. And just like my fav tudi, I can only swim frog style. I can tread water but only for half a minute.
13. I couldn't answer when I was asked recently how many boyfriends I've had. I've had so many I lost count.
14. Out of the many boyfriends I've had, I've only been dumped twice. And I suffered badly for the two times. I think it's karma.
15. I've loved drinking coffee since I was very young. My Grandma used to make out-of-the-world Kopi-O with socks. Now I'm totally addicted to the Vanilla Latte from the Starbucks in Whistler. Not sure if the Starbucks in Sydney has got equally good ones or not. Now I can't do without the very vanilla latte from Gloria Jeans.
16. Coffee drinkers usually do not take tea unless they have no other options. I am not a tea person but I spent S$600 on chinese tea on my trip to Hangzhou cos my mum likes it.
17. I want to have a baby with blue eyes.
18. I used to get very bad menstrual cramps almost every month. It got so bad twice that I fainted from the pain. Once was at some MRT station and the other was in NTU hostel.
19. I don't sleep well most of the time. I get woken up very often because I'm a very light sleeper. I also dream a lot (and I remember most of my dreams) which means my brains aren't exactly resting. Doesn't help that I'm fussy with pillows too.
20. I find it a chore to have to bathe and brush my teeth. I hope someone will invent something someday that prevents us from getting dirty so we can totally do away with these chores except maybe a luxury bath once in a while for pampering myself.
21. Reading storybooks used to be my favourite past-time in primary school. I loved the Bookworm series and encyclopedias.
22. My family was poor and my mum couldn't afford to buy me books all the time. That resulted in me stealing a few books from the school bookstore.
23. Now I read mostly fantasy books especially those with dragons and magicians and time travel. I like reading Chinese history too.
24. I hope to be able to read more on European history.
25. I hate those girly magazines such as Cleo, Her World etc. I think they are a waste of money cos they're full of advertisements and silly articles on stupid foolish women.
26. I used to read a lot of comics in my secondary school days. I collected them too. I would scrimp and save just to buy comics.
27. I've always dreamed of having my own little reading cafe, preferably in a small beach town.
28. I prefer watching DVDs in the comfort of my own bed at home than going to the cinema. Mainly because I'm too lazy to travel and movie tickets are exhorbitantly priced.
29. My favourite movies change all the time. Right now, I can only remember the ones I watched not too long ago - Crash and Casino Royale Deathnote 1 and 2.
30. My favourite James Bond is Pierce Brosnan.
31. I've had gray hair since my teenage years. It's hereditary. However it actually gets worse when I'm under stress.
32. I think I've got very nice eyes. But many people say they look scary cos they're too big and always popping out like a goldfish's eyes. Someone recently commented that although I don't talk much, my eyes react to every single piece of info presented in a conversation and that it's a joy observing the expressions in my eyes.
33. I've got ugly legs and toes full of scars, bruises and calluses. Ugly but full of character.
34. I love watches. Especially big men's watches. But the ones I like are usually too expensive for me to afford.
35. Many of the watches I wear now are either presents from the ex boyfriend I almost ended up marrying or are still his but temporarily in my care.
36. I'd rather spend my money on cars, toys and sports equipment than on bags, shoes and clothes.
37. The most expensive thing I ever bought in my entire life is my Mitsubishi Lancer - S$70k. And I spent thousands of dollars to beautify it. My brother is driving it now and I miss it badly.
38. I am going to take my bike license here in Sydney soon so that I can get the vintage fully restored 1960s vespa I've always wanted since a decade ago.
39. If I have the financial means, I'd love to take my pilot license here too.
40. I just learnt how to ski in Whistler more than a year ago. I have had plans to take up a course to get my Level 1 ski instructor license but current responsibilities prevent me from doing so.
41. I am going to buy bought a cheap skateboard. After I learn how to skateboard, I'm gonna learn surfing and subsequently snowboarding.
42. I like my freedom. I like my single life.
43. But I also like having someone hug me and tuck me into bed and pat me to sleep.
44. I am not a very affectionate person. I don't like public displays of affection.
45. I love to play games - pc games, arcade games, ps2 games xbox games, handheld games etc. I grew up playing pacman.
46. My favourite ps2 game was and still is Final Fantasy 7 and 8. It's not so much about the game or the graphics but about the characters and story. I cried when Aerith died (FF7 I think) and threw my controller down and refused to continue playing. It took me several months to recover from that 'ordeal' and continue the game to completion.
47. I always name the main characters in my FF games as Jack. So I tend to forget their original names.
48. My close friends call me Jac. I used to hate it when people call me Jackie. But now I love it. Ever since my Whistler vacation. Because the friends I made there called me Jackie oh so affectionately I could feel their sincerity oozing out from them.
49. I got hooked onto Maplestory for almost a year. During that period, I could think of nothing else but maple maple maple.
50. The thing I enjoyed most about Mapling was setting up my own shop in the free market. I've earned millions of mesos from just buying and selling stuff. I even spent days on market research and designing an excel spreadsheet just for this purpose.
51. Before I quit playing Maple altogether, I had assets of like more than 60 million mesos.
52. Because of Maplestory, I set up the Maple Rose Gang on Moblog. I made some of my best friends today through Moblog, Maple and the Maple Rose Gang.
53. I never expected that I would meet such a good buddy online - my favourite tudi Littlegeo. She's one of my most missed friends now that I left Singapore. Bamboohorse is the other I miss a lot.
53. I still occasionally log in to the Maple Rose Gang group blog to laugh over the silly hierarchy charts and comics whenever I feel down.
54. I don't like to talk.
55. But I can be very noisy around people I'm closest to and most comfortable with.
56. I'm better at one-to-one conversations than group conversations. That's why I don't prefer going out in large groups.
57. I like to travel. Wish that I can do more of that.
58. My fondest travel memories are of listening to Jay Chou's songs on a road trip in Adelaide, my fav tudi singing along and Hansen and BambooHorse dozing off in the rear seats.
59. I've got long hair for as long as I can remember.
60. I don't like being told what to do or what not to do.
61. And I don't like others making decisions for me without first asking me for my opinion.
62. I have always wanted to live alone.
63. If I live alone, I would walk around my place wearing anything I like or nothing at all.
64. I absolutely hate doing the laundry. That's the only negative aspect of living alone - Mum's not there to do the laundry.
65. I would take homecooked food over all other delicacies anytime.
66. I love dogs. Big dogs. And my favourite is the golden retriever. I would like one as a pet.
67. But I would not get a pet unless I'm absolutely sure I've got the time to really care for it as if it's my child.
68. Contrary to my tudi, I do most things with my head and not my heart. Sometimes I wish I can just go with my heart and the heck with everything else.
69. My ambition was to be a doctor during my school days. That was the reason I took triple pure sciences. Until I had to drop 2 of them in college due to financial reasons.
70. I also wanted to be a SQ girl. I remember someone telling me that the cut-off age for applying to be one is 26. Was about to give it a try until this job in Sydney came along.
71. I despise people who smile at me and treat me like I'm their best friend when I know they don't like me at all. Just freaking tell me in the face that you don't like me. I bet you don't have the guts to.
72. I never go for the looks when it comes to guys. Yeah of course good looks will attract more than one glance from me in his direction. But the 'can click factor' supercedes everything else.
73. I don't understand why there are so many people who thinks that relationships and romance is everything. And they can get so affected by these that everything else in life becomes insignificant.
74. I have 5 6 ear holes all with studs. I pierced the last 3 holes quite recently - in the last 1 year. Each time I was depressed over something, I went to pierce one.
75. I don't wear any other accesories except maybe on special occasions when I need to dress up.
76. Talk about dressing up, I only do that when absolutely necessary. Mostly because I'm always too lazy.
77. I hate having to think about what to wear to work everyday. If possible, I would like to wear the Rex polo T (cos it doesn't need ironing) with jeans everyday.
78. My favourite colour is orange which explains my previous blog theme.
79. I like red, blue, black and white too.
80. I always wanted to dye my hair a bright orange. But lack the courage to do so.
81. I think I've got the flair for photography. But I lack the resources to really refine my skills.
82. I heal amazingly fast. I had many bike accidents and other freak accidents since young that resulted in lotsa scars all over my body. But they healed without leaving any traces. Rather unbelievable.
83. I believe there's an angel watching over me all the time because of the many near death experiences I've had. Hey I'm still alive.
84. And I think that angel is my Dad.
85. I have weird cravings for the oddest foods at the weirdest hours of the day.
86. And I would go to lengths to satisfy my food cravings.
87. I get very upset and irritable when the cravings are not satisfied.
88. I've got a very good memory. I can usually remember most things that I've seen or heard once. But that only applies to things that matter to me.
89. I like soups. Especially Mum's lotus root soup.
90. I don't like to snack in between meals. Unless I've got one of those weird cravings.
91. I will never approach a guy to try to chat him up or get his phone no. No matter how much I think I like him.
92. I hate having to make small talk. So I usually appear very fierce in order to scare people away.
93. I think I will die young. I've had several palm readings and all of those pointed out this same point.
94. But I will die without regrets. As I've had a good (but hard) life.
95. I believe that one should try everything at least once in his or her short lifespan.
96. I don't believe in everlasting love. I think those married couples who grow old together do that more out of responsibility, habit and committment rather than love.
97. I am a true blue cancerian. Most of the cancerian traits apply to me.
98. There are times when I feel insecure. About everything. But I don't let it show.
99. All I want in life is to be able to laugh when I'm happy and cry when I'm sad. To be able to sleep in peace and spend every moment awake just doing the little things in life that matter to me.
100. It's amazing how I can complete this 100 things about myself. Cos I think the most challenging thing in life is to know yourself. I don't think I know myself very well at all.
food diary: 3 - 9 Mar
I tried to up my fruits and vege consumption after being 'scolded' by a few close friends - went to the extent of stocking up a week's worth of fruits and yoghurt, but just somehow didn't get down to eating them. However, there seemed to be a slight improvement in the dumping frequency perhaps due to the increase in rubbish intake, or was it due to the extra virgin coconut oil??? O.o
monday
breakfast (B) @ 10.30am: a glass of full cream milk and 4 Oreo cookies (peanut butter & chocolate creme)
lunch (L) @ 12.30pm: (leftovers from sunday night) homecooked spaghetti aglio olio style with garlic, chilli, mushrooms and bacon, 1 sml cappucino
dinner (D) @ 7.45pm: homecooked spaghetti aglio olio style with garlic, chilli, bacon and baby white clams, mango yoghurt with half an avocado
dump: nil
tuesday
B @ 10am: a glass of skim milk and 4 Oreo cookies (peanut butter & chocolate creme)
L @ 12.30pm: (leftovers from mon night) homecooked spaghetti aglio olio style with garlic, chilli, bacon and baby white clams, 1 sml cappucino
D @ 7pm: instant noodles with 1 egg, 2 crabsticks and a few spiced pork cubes
Supper @ 11pm: a glass of unsweetened soya bean milk
dump: once
wednesday
B @ 10.30am: a glass of skim milk and 6 Oreo cookies (peanut butter & chocolate creme)
L @ 1.30pm: instant noodles, 1 sml cappucino
D @ 7.30pm: homecooked spaghetti with tuna, mushrooms and chilli, strawberry yoghurt
dump: nil
thursday
B @ 10am: 3-in-1 coffee, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil
L @ 1.30pm: caesar salad with smoked salmon
@ 4pm: 1 passionfruit & mango smoothie
@ 6pm: 1 tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil
D @ 9pm: crumbed lamb cutlets (very yummy!) with green peas and mashed pumpkin, 1 beer
dump: nil
friday
B @ 10am: 1 teaspoon of extra virgin coconut oil, 1 glass of grass jelly drink
L @ 1pm: laksa with chicken, vege and tofu, 1 sml cappucino
@ 5pm: 1 teaspoon of extra virgin coconut oil
D @ 6.30pm: linguine with chilli prawns and rocket (a kind of green leafy vege)
Drinks @ 10pm onwards: 4 glasses of champagne, 1 chivas on the rocks, 1 tequila shot, multiple assorted cocktails
dump: once
saturday
B : nil
L : nil
D @ 6pm: indonesian dinner - coconut steam rice with grilled chicken thigh, shared with a few others - fried kangkong (vege), soto ayam (soup), lontong and beef rendang, 1 glass of avocado drink with shaved ice and condensed milk
dump: nil
sunday
B : nil
L @ 12.30pm: heavy meal of dim sum, 1 mocha
Tea-break @ 4pm: 1 beer
D @ 6.30pm: hotdog de wheels @ harry's woolloomoolloo, 1 glass of unsweetened soya milk
dump: once
@ ivy bar
It was an all-girls big night out on Friday. I didn't enjoy myself very much in the beginning for a few reasons. We were drenched when we got to the Ivy Nightclub & Bar and had to spend some time drying ourselves in the ladies. Then it was so packed we had difficulty finding a good spot to people-watch and be watched. The thing that got to me most was that there was no space for me to dance. Eliss and I were quite depressed for a while. But then we figured everything should work out once we've had some drinks. Otherwise, everything was ok. Eye candy! Heaps! Competition - also heaps! =_=
The two of us were quite lesbian-ish that night. Our hands were all over each other.
The guy in the middle in below pic (he's a model omg) came to chat us girls up on behalf of his friend (next to him in pic) who likes one of us but was too shy to approach us. I kinda happen to like shy guys haha.
Makes one wonder why the guys appear so uninterested when they have 4 absolutely hot chicks in their arms eh?
Don't you think he looks like Chris Teppanyaki? (btw I think I look really demure in this pic below, which is quite unlike me)
Let's see if there will be any 'follow-ups'.
an extra virgin oily affair
There was a huge commotion in my department this morning. It all started when one of my directors told us he read in some book that taking 2 tablespoons of extra virgin coconut oil a day helps one lose weight really fast.
Suddenly we found a bottle of niulife 100% certified organic extra virgin coconut oil in my office. And it was decided a few of us would trial it and document the progress on a big-ass chart.
I decided to join in the fun.
It smells ok, but tastes horrible. We should probably use it as cooking oil or as salad dressing instead of gulping tablespoons of it with just plain water.
The first gulps of this oily stuff triggered a long email trail among about ten of us across three departments.
From the 'nurse' and 'score-keeper':CONGRATULATIONS ON THE TAKING OF YOUR FIRST SPOONFUL OF COCONUT OIL!!!
But the road does not end here. You will be having your next mouthful at 5pm!! Jac has decided to take part in this too.
We have decided to record this moment, by taking before and after photos too. At 5pm, we will have a photo session and document this, by weighing all of you and taking measurements too.
Those who have yet to participate, there is plenty of time to join!! It’s not too late!!
I myself will document this event, BUT not take part!!
PS…I have my first aid kit in case something goes wrong ok!!
From the sensible little boss:
You guys are nuts.
From the 'personal trainer muscle man':
As a trainer, I am telling you, first step to good health is to use the stairs, not coconut oil. :)
From the weight-loss enthusiast who needs to shed a tonne of weight to enter the hot springs in Osaka next week:
No worries, we will endeavour for a week.
(Evidence to show his conviction)
From the first-to-volunteer-for-program weight-loss fanatic:
I am officially dropping out of The Biggest Loser - Coconut Oil edition.
I vomitted and had a very adverse reaction to coconut oil.
Sorry but I will be encouraging everyone from the sidelines. Cheers.
(Evidence of her torturous moment)
And from me, who only didn't want to be left out of all the fun:
I think can count me out too. I felt like puking the whole morning.
But, business still continued...
Two were still in the game when the time came for the second dosage...
Who will be the last man standing?
the golden path
I just finished watching The Golden Path. WTF ending is this??? I cannot accept it. I have been staying up late practically every night and did nothing else the past 2 weeks everyday after work but eat and watch episode after episode of this Mediacorp blockbuster. Now I feel cheated. Bleah.
mardi gras, sydney, 2008
This year is the second time I went for the Mardi Gras parade. I don't think I will be going for it again next year. It's just too tiring. I managed to stay until the end last year but had to leave barely 2 hours into the parade this year cos my knees were giving way. It's really no joke having to stand on a milk crate for hours in the same position with no room for stretching. Plus, it was just a little too chilly this time, my fingers were numb when we left for home. We are only 3 days into autumn and it feels like winter already (I am freezing my arse off typing this entry in my living room even though I'm in my jeans and long sleeves and the balcony doors are just barely open).
Below are some of the nicer photos I took with a borrowed digicam (from Chun). My digicam is nearing its retirement and wouldn't have been able to capture anything in the dark. For all the other photos, visit my multiply site.
We bumped into this scantily dressed guy with an amazingly tall and slender body while crossing the road and quickly snapped away. His bright shocking pink stockings and pink furry handbag made it quite difficult for us to look away. Oh and how can we help but stare at the ermmm... hat?
Wow. Ms (Mr) P.P.Island leh!
Some random fat woman tried to squeeze onto my crate and caused me to almost topple, hence the face.
This guy kept flashing his butt. I must admit they are very toned and look juicy. And he can really strut.
It's quite a pity they are not into women.
I like his huge angel wings.
My favourite pic of the lot. Sexaaaaay!
This pic is to show how freaking close that guy stood behind me. See see see his hand? It's freaking on my shoulder okay! And how obiang is that shirt? I had to keep pushing him away. I wouldn't have minded at all if he was a cutie. Oh but what I went through was nothing compared to Eliss' encounter with a guy who was practically pressed against her boobs. Ah, having big boobies has its downsides too. :P
ps: I lost weight. I can fully button up my old Levis' 593 jeans now. I have been wearing it half buttoned and using a belt to hide the unbuttoned part for a couple of months already. Woohoo!
food diary: 25 feb - 2 mar
monday
breakfast (B) @ 10am: half slice of banana bread & sml vanilla latte fr Gloria Jeans
lunch (L) @ 1pm: chicken rice, a handful of m&ms, a small slice of Laura-Mae's birthday cake
dinner (D) @ 7.30pm: 3/4 of a chicken shish kebab, 1 glass of ginseng chrysanthemum tea, mango yoghurt
dump: nil
tuesday
B @ 9.30am: 3-in-1 coffee, 2 chocolate chip cookies homemade by Laura-Mae, 1 fun-sized cadbury chocolate
L @ 2.30pm: 2 curry puffs, rice with 1 piece of grilled chicken and small portions of indian vege curry, beef korma, butter chicken and lamb stroganoff
D @ 8.30pm: 1 nectarine, japanese bento set with 2 pcs of agadeshi tofu, bits of tuna, salad and pickles and rice, 2 glasses of homemade barley
dump: nil
wednesday
B @ 10am: a small bowl of homecooked chicken congee
L @ 1pm: 1 ham & cheese sandwich, salad with mango, avocado, some leaves and chicken, small plate of yellow rice with a slice of roast beef and chicken, small plate of fruits
D @ 8.30pm: forgot-how-many-course chinese seafood dinner - peking duck, lobster noodles, pepper crabs, some fried tofu with gravy, wasabi beef, pipis (clams) with XO sauce, bubur chacha dessert, chinese tea, 1 glass of white wine, 4 glasses of Hennesy with green tea.
dump: once
thursday
B @ 10am: 3-in-1 coffee
L @ 1pm: hot fudge sundae and filet-o-fish from Mac, few mouthfuls of spaghetti bolognnaise, cappucino
D @ 6pm: We had a company BBQ - I had the chicken caesar salad, baked sweet potatoes, sausages, and sliced beef
dump: nil
friday
B : nil
L @ 1.30pm: vietnamese pho (beef noodles soup), mango yoghurt, cappucino
D @ 6.30pm: 1 peach, potato wedges (abt 10-15 small pieces), 1 beer (Victoria Bitter), 1 glass of southern comfort on the rocks
dump: nil
saturday
B : nil
L @ 2pm: farfarlle (pasta) with tomatoes, chives, capers, anchovies and olives, 2 cappucinos
D @ 6pm: 1 double cheese burger
Supper @ 11pm: a bowl of homecooked tomato soup (leftover from 2 tuesdays ago) with minced chicken bits, carrots, olives, sausages, onions
dump: once
sunday
B : nil
L @ 1.45pm: 1 smoked salmon roe rice ball (onigiri) and 1 bowl of pork stock ramen (tonkotsu)
Tea-break @ 5.30pm: vanilla yoghurt with half an avocado
D @ 8pm: homecooked spaghetti aglio olio style with garlic, chilli, mushrooms and bacon, 1 glass of unsweetened soya bean milk
dump: nil
sopra, sweet belem and ryo's
This weekend is one of indulgence. I decided I need some pampering after a long and busy work week.
Saturday lunch was at Cafe Sopra, hidden away on the 2nd level above Fratelli Fresh at Danks Street. Joy used to say they serve the best coffee in the world. I'm not sure I agree but the coffee is definitely very good. My favourite mushroom risotto and farfarlle in cream sauce have been taken off the menu so I had the farfarlle in tomato sauce with anchovies, olives and capers instead. Chun had the pentoni arigata (or something like that) alla bolognaisse (I'm definitely having this the next time cos it's soooo good) and apparently they slow-cooked the minced veal for 7 hours for this dish.
Notice how the cappucino didn't have fancy designs on them this time? Picture below shows the special cappucino I had at this same cafe last year with a butterfly carved on the milky froth.
It was off to Sweet Belem along New Canterbury Road in Petersham for desserts. This is a cake boutique situated in a Portuguese suburb that serves very authentic portuguese egg tarts. I also heard that their creme caramels are to die for. They were sold out when we arrived and we tried the raspberry cheesecake instead. Very rich. No good for weight watchers.
I just lurrrve the interior of this quaint little place. They have white clouds painted on the sky blue ceiling, so cute right?
They also have little round coffee tables with intricate designs. Very nice, I like.
That's the super rich cheesecake. Not for me though. I preferred the strong bitter cappucino.
Today, we went to North Sydney to try our luck at Ryo's Noodles again. I had gone there twice previously and had no luck tasting the highly rated japanese ramen cos they ran out of the ramen well before closing time my first trip there and was closed on my second time there.
It is very small but rather cosy inside. Don't think I can read all these japanese but I like they way they pasted them on all the walls.
Besides the ramen, I also tried the onigiri - japanese rice balls. I had the one with smoked salmon roe and it was delicious! OMG, I think I have the craving for it now already. Oh and they remind me of the anime Fruit Basket and I wonder if Rae watched it yet?
I ordered the ramen in pork stock - tonkotsu, and loved it. I think it's better than the tonkotsu at Ichi Ban Boshi next to Kino's in the city. Just a bit oily with the soft fatty pork and heaps of sesame seeds sprinkled on the noodles.
All in all, I had a really satisfying weekend. Will try to eat a bit more healthily this week so I can binge more next weekend. ^ ^
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