new addition

visited my dad's cousin today. she just gave birth a week ago to a beautiful baby girl. The darling thing was so alert and curious and, as everyone remarked, seemed as if she were a few months old. But nope she's only 8 days old! I wish i had brought along a camera as she's such a pretty baby. I was wondering though, what type of relation do we have? I'm always confused by this second cousin thing. what exactly does that mean? She is my dad's cousin's daughter. So what does that make her?

anyway, the family's renting an apartment at Mandarin Gardens (around the East Coast area). It is a little small (2 bedrooms) but has a gorgeous view of the sea. I know Singapore's sea isn't much to look at but to be able to look out and not see someone else's room, that would be so ideal! And what I liked about that estate is that it's an old-ish estate which means, plenty of space. I mean, have you seen all those new condos? the blocks are SO close to each other!

Here's what else we did: had lunch at eastern and northern chinese cuisine (that's what i think it's called - essentially Dongbei) so we had the usual - xiaolongbao, wuotie, noodles and lots of other dumplings and what they called 'Chinese pizza'.

This restaurant has become pretty famous recently. Not because of the food (which wasn't too bad although i still prefer Lao Beijing!) but because of the owners and their daughter Zhang Manlu who represented Singapore in the recent Elite Model Look competition (which was held here). She didn't win (the top three winners were naturally Caucasians) but she did clinch a modelling contract and apparently the whole family is going to move to New York. While I can''t say that Zhang is pretty she has a certain look and her height is definitely to her advantage (definitely hereditary - her father, who was at the restaurant, is so tall! former basketball player i think)

Anyway, besides doing a lot of eating, also saw the French movie Fanfan La Tulipe.
It was a hilarious farce really - done in the way only the French can! I have to admit I always did like Vincent Perez, ever since I watched him in La Reine Margot with Isabelle Adjani (who is also starring in a new French film Bon Voyage). This time Perez is acting alongside Penelope Cruz, who attempts to speak convincingly in French. My French is tres mauvais (not even sure if tt is right!) but she seemed to do an ok job. Definitely much better than anything Bai Ling massacred in Taxi 3.

It was an entertaining fun, light, movie.

Something I believe Master And Commander (yes, Russell Crowe does it again) Which i will be previewing on Tuesday probably won't be. But I will be looking forward to a good battle on the high seas.

Ahoy there!