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Best Line to Pick Up a Cancer With | ||
Can I borrow a quarter? I want to call my mom and tell her I just met the person I'm going to marry.
|
Saturday, February 12, 2005
you can tell when i'm bored when....
i keep posting stuff on this blog!
here's more
here's more
Friday, February 11, 2005
happy new year
its that time of the year again, when the scales tip to one end and the belts are loosened and the throats get sore. it's lunar new year. spring festival. chun jie. whatever you call it, it's a time for eating eating and more eating.
we started off with a reunion dinner with mum's family at coca at the concourse. a la carte buffet means too much food. plus my cousing knew the manager so we had free siobah (v good btw) and thai dessert. i'll sum it all up by saying - i cant stand fish glue. i mean what part of fish glue (fr the way it looks to the name it's been given) is appetising???
went home, watched tv and had a nice bottle of concha y toro late harvest sauvignon blanc. nice. a little sweet but not overpoweringly sweet. and about $18 fr your neighbourhood ntuc.
anyway, the next day, dad's family came over to our house where mum me and sis had prepared nasi kuning, rendang, beehoon, grilled chicken, mixed vege, vietnamese ricepaper rolls, and some various stuff. and then it was onto my uncle's house (after the relatives finally budged fr our sofas - they were too intent on watching this really bad chinese movie about separated orphans. sobsob story with really bad dubbed voices and a real cheesy song) where there was more snacks, mochi, lapis the like.
and then dinner at my aunt's house where mum's mum had cooked her yummy kongbah (yes more pork) and chicken curry and not so scrumptious stomach soup (like my cousin said 'i cant stomach another's stomach') and there was barley gingko nut soup after. and again of course pressured to eat fr the mound of snacks at the living room. watched a bit of american idol after the cousins failed to get hold of tickets to go see constantine. went home felt guilty. ate some fruits.
day 2 began with lunch at charming garden with the farrer court group of friends (four families kids all the same age -23 and 25 - whom ive known for practically my whole life and this was one of the rare years where everyone was in town for cny. jokes about childhood pranks were inevitable but this year we had a new joke - how one of the meimeis (younger sister in Mandarin) who just got married last year and is now 5 mths pregnant, shld now sit at the grownups table and hand out angbaos. and how her son wld have to babysit the rest of our (future) children because he wld be so much older than ours). good yusheng (mostly cos it wasnt overpowered with ginger) decent food except that seating was crowded and after the not v good eefu noodles, the waitress dumped the hargao on the table. it of course wasnt finished cos everyone knows that noodles come last!
and it was onto aunt's house in bishan where chinchow and various other snacks awaited. next was uncle's house in boon lay. (this is what happens every year btw) and to the long awaited feast. my uncle, an ntu lecturer, really shld open his own restaurant. he's fr hongkong and he whips up many mean cantonese dishes!
we had sharksfin soup (well at least the others had. i dont drink sharksfin soup for humanitarian reasons) fish, beef stew (nao lam), beancurd, teriyaki chicken, eefu noodles, cantonese carrot cake, grilled prawns, cold dish with jellyfish that he made, asparagus, mushrooms with dried scallop, fresh scallop with some delicious herby sauce, some cantonese style stewed pork with sweet potatoes, and a couple others i cant remember. i have to put up the pictures soon. there were so many i didnt know where to begin! and after all that goodness there was orhnee for dessert! with pumpkin and gingko nuts, just like my grandma used to make it. oh and some ice wine as well. sigh...
i was so full i was so sleepy but i was so satisfied.
it's once a year after all. altho i do wish he'd just go into cooking full-time!
oh and then the next day (fri) i went back to work and since there wasn't much to eat around the office went with some ex-colleagyes to tp central and we had roast meat (duck chicken char siew sio bah) suayjiao tang (i know i'm screwing up this spelling but i cant seem to figure out how to spell it) and kailan. they bought roti boys back but i dun like the sound of roti boys (all that cream...). besides i had brought some cny cookies fr home.
at night, dashed off to hv to meet sec sch friends to go wala2. realised i didnt like the place much esp since now they're making u queue up to buy drinks downstairs before making yr way upstairs. plus dun like eic v much altho they do decent jobs with their songs. i just cant stand them! so i left when they were starting second set. headed to rouge to catch the last few songs that electrico was playing (mostly cos a friend put me on the list for free entry plus he actually had reserved a table) and stayed until 2pm, reluctant to face up to the fact that i had to work the next morning at 930. had had several drinks but didnt seem to have any effect on me! so i was kinda bored. anyway i wasnt intending to get high. but its just a way to sorta chill out and not think about work.
managed to wake up at 8am shower change make some breakfast and get to work to start on my story. needed coffee.. but not entirely desperate for caffeine. i think im getting too old for this. and now i'm trying to (er besides writing this blog that is) figure out who to call for story i'm doing. ridiculous story that's actually a revision of something written last month. i mean, last month!
Listening to: Bright Eyes
we started off with a reunion dinner with mum's family at coca at the concourse. a la carte buffet means too much food. plus my cousing knew the manager so we had free siobah (v good btw) and thai dessert. i'll sum it all up by saying - i cant stand fish glue. i mean what part of fish glue (fr the way it looks to the name it's been given) is appetising???
went home, watched tv and had a nice bottle of concha y toro late harvest sauvignon blanc. nice. a little sweet but not overpoweringly sweet. and about $18 fr your neighbourhood ntuc.
anyway, the next day, dad's family came over to our house where mum me and sis had prepared nasi kuning, rendang, beehoon, grilled chicken, mixed vege, vietnamese ricepaper rolls, and some various stuff. and then it was onto my uncle's house (after the relatives finally budged fr our sofas - they were too intent on watching this really bad chinese movie about separated orphans. sobsob story with really bad dubbed voices and a real cheesy song) where there was more snacks, mochi, lapis the like.
and then dinner at my aunt's house where mum's mum had cooked her yummy kongbah (yes more pork) and chicken curry and not so scrumptious stomach soup (like my cousin said 'i cant stomach another's stomach') and there was barley gingko nut soup after. and again of course pressured to eat fr the mound of snacks at the living room. watched a bit of american idol after the cousins failed to get hold of tickets to go see constantine. went home felt guilty. ate some fruits.
day 2 began with lunch at charming garden with the farrer court group of friends (four families kids all the same age -23 and 25 - whom ive known for practically my whole life and this was one of the rare years where everyone was in town for cny. jokes about childhood pranks were inevitable but this year we had a new joke - how one of the meimeis (younger sister in Mandarin) who just got married last year and is now 5 mths pregnant, shld now sit at the grownups table and hand out angbaos. and how her son wld have to babysit the rest of our (future) children because he wld be so much older than ours). good yusheng (mostly cos it wasnt overpowered with ginger) decent food except that seating was crowded and after the not v good eefu noodles, the waitress dumped the hargao on the table. it of course wasnt finished cos everyone knows that noodles come last!
and it was onto aunt's house in bishan where chinchow and various other snacks awaited. next was uncle's house in boon lay. (this is what happens every year btw) and to the long awaited feast. my uncle, an ntu lecturer, really shld open his own restaurant. he's fr hongkong and he whips up many mean cantonese dishes!
we had sharksfin soup (well at least the others had. i dont drink sharksfin soup for humanitarian reasons) fish, beef stew (nao lam), beancurd, teriyaki chicken, eefu noodles, cantonese carrot cake, grilled prawns, cold dish with jellyfish that he made, asparagus, mushrooms with dried scallop, fresh scallop with some delicious herby sauce, some cantonese style stewed pork with sweet potatoes, and a couple others i cant remember. i have to put up the pictures soon. there were so many i didnt know where to begin! and after all that goodness there was orhnee for dessert! with pumpkin and gingko nuts, just like my grandma used to make it. oh and some ice wine as well. sigh...
i was so full i was so sleepy but i was so satisfied.
it's once a year after all. altho i do wish he'd just go into cooking full-time!
oh and then the next day (fri) i went back to work and since there wasn't much to eat around the office went with some ex-colleagyes to tp central and we had roast meat (duck chicken char siew sio bah) suayjiao tang (i know i'm screwing up this spelling but i cant seem to figure out how to spell it) and kailan. they bought roti boys back but i dun like the sound of roti boys (all that cream...). besides i had brought some cny cookies fr home.
at night, dashed off to hv to meet sec sch friends to go wala2. realised i didnt like the place much esp since now they're making u queue up to buy drinks downstairs before making yr way upstairs. plus dun like eic v much altho they do decent jobs with their songs. i just cant stand them! so i left when they were starting second set. headed to rouge to catch the last few songs that electrico was playing (mostly cos a friend put me on the list for free entry plus he actually had reserved a table) and stayed until 2pm, reluctant to face up to the fact that i had to work the next morning at 930. had had several drinks but didnt seem to have any effect on me! so i was kinda bored. anyway i wasnt intending to get high. but its just a way to sorta chill out and not think about work.
managed to wake up at 8am shower change make some breakfast and get to work to start on my story. needed coffee.. but not entirely desperate for caffeine. i think im getting too old for this. and now i'm trying to (er besides writing this blog that is) figure out who to call for story i'm doing. ridiculous story that's actually a revision of something written last month. i mean, last month!
Listening to: Bright Eyes
Monday, February 07, 2005
me?
so i got this off the sassy slumbering girl's blog. while waiting for story to clear. but yes it's not a sat so why am i waiting for story to clear? cos i'd written this story on sat but they hadnt the space and they decided they wanted to use it tomoro. so glad it gets to be used. yay for mercy relief. but boo for me who has to hang ard a bit longer til it clears. meanwhile i really should work on the homeschooling story but eh its cny. or at least cny eve.
and there's plenty of eating to begin soon. tonight steamboat, tmr lunch at my house, and then my grandma's yummy fd with hopefully kong bah.
plus had already been pigging out over the weekend with a very late (1030pm) dimsum dinner at jln besar (which is become quite a fave place of mine for supper - where else can u get dimsum late at night?!) and then yesterday at blooie's at science park 2 for a great burger in a nice quiet spot.
anyway, yes the whole point was to put out my results for that little quiz thingy:
so what i am meant to do what i am doing? hahaha
and there's plenty of eating to begin soon. tonight steamboat, tmr lunch at my house, and then my grandma's yummy fd with hopefully kong bah.
plus had already been pigging out over the weekend with a very late (1030pm) dimsum dinner at jln besar (which is become quite a fave place of mine for supper - where else can u get dimsum late at night?!) and then yesterday at blooie's at science park 2 for a great burger in a nice quiet spot.
anyway, yes the whole point was to put out my results for that little quiz thingy:
so what i am meant to do what i am doing? hahaha
|
Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence |
 You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator. |
Saturday, February 05, 2005
on second thought
i have to apologise for the previous post. i was distracted and kept shifting from one window to the other. so its pretty damn halfhearted. and actually i'm doing it again cos i'm really having issues with this story. its so bloody confusing to explain. i mean i know it all really well now but that's only after several conversations with the various players and then several more clarifications with them....
how does one get the point across while keeping neutral? is there any proper way to do that? at first it seemed like one was the baddie and the other the victim but now i see that actually both are the victims while the shopping centre management is the real bad guy here.
its weird to discuss something that i'm not giving the context to.
how does one get the point across while keeping neutral? is there any proper way to do that? at first it seemed like one was the baddie and the other the victim but now i see that actually both are the victims while the shopping centre management is the real bad guy here.
its weird to discuss something that i'm not giving the context to.
playing the waiting game
(ed's note: stuff deleted)
meanwhile, i got to try on a bridal gown! i still find it extremeley amusing for some reason. the reason - i posed for a posed picture for sunday. slush fund story. mildly interesting but it was definitely fun to try on this strapless poofy dress. a bit much id say. i cant imagine wearing that for more than 2 hrs. cos the shoot took slightly under 2 hrs and that was plenty. never knew them things could be heavy!
but it was an experience. always good to try something new. lets just hope tt's not the first and only wedding dress i get to put on! :)
meanwhile, i got to try on a bridal gown! i still find it extremeley amusing for some reason. the reason - i posed for a posed picture for sunday. slush fund story. mildly interesting but it was definitely fun to try on this strapless poofy dress. a bit much id say. i cant imagine wearing that for more than 2 hrs. cos the shoot took slightly under 2 hrs and that was plenty. never knew them things could be heavy!
but it was an experience. always good to try something new. lets just hope tt's not the first and only wedding dress i get to put on! :)
Saturday, January 29, 2005
time out
been reading The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenger. What a book! Both romantic, intriguing and quite inventive a plot. I must admit to not being too interested upon hearing the title. It sounded somewat sci-fi and maybe a little like Thursday Next's Dad from the Jasper Fforde series of books (which I love btw, and with whom i had the good fortune to meet and interview and have sign my books)
but i was wrong and i am so glad i found the book at the queenstown library and borrowed it. now i just want to own a copy of my own! although it is quite possible that i might not actually read it again anytime soon. its like my friend and cds. i burnt him a copy of the killers but he loved it so much he went to get his own copy. whereas i am actually quite content with just having a copy of cds although i do love some albums so - like damien rice's O n Muse's Absolution. i guess for me using the ipod has changed the way i look at music. in the sense that because i dont actually take out the cd to listen to, i dont reall see the need of owning the actual stuff. (of course when it comes to a band like pearl jam - yes i know, still stuck in the 90s - i want to own every studio album and do. except for that 'best hits' one they just released which i think is bullshit. of course owning EVERY pearl jam album is ridiculous cos of the numerous live albums they've had out)
but another friend recently got his hands on a g4 20gb ipod. and that poor fella doesnt reall know how to use it. i think it's been a month since he's got it and yesterday i had to teach him about playlists and on-the-go playlists which i dont think he truly understands. i put it down to the fact that he's a technologically unsavvy 30-year-old. now if i could only convince him to hand over his ipod, i've run out of space on mine! i never thought that was possible on a 40gb but ladies and gentlemen, i've got more than 4000 songs and that seems to be about it.
maybe i just have to go out and get another one...
but i was wrong and i am so glad i found the book at the queenstown library and borrowed it. now i just want to own a copy of my own! although it is quite possible that i might not actually read it again anytime soon. its like my friend and cds. i burnt him a copy of the killers but he loved it so much he went to get his own copy. whereas i am actually quite content with just having a copy of cds although i do love some albums so - like damien rice's O n Muse's Absolution. i guess for me using the ipod has changed the way i look at music. in the sense that because i dont actually take out the cd to listen to, i dont reall see the need of owning the actual stuff. (of course when it comes to a band like pearl jam - yes i know, still stuck in the 90s - i want to own every studio album and do. except for that 'best hits' one they just released which i think is bullshit. of course owning EVERY pearl jam album is ridiculous cos of the numerous live albums they've had out)
but another friend recently got his hands on a g4 20gb ipod. and that poor fella doesnt reall know how to use it. i think it's been a month since he's got it and yesterday i had to teach him about playlists and on-the-go playlists which i dont think he truly understands. i put it down to the fact that he's a technologically unsavvy 30-year-old. now if i could only convince him to hand over his ipod, i've run out of space on mine! i never thought that was possible on a 40gb but ladies and gentlemen, i've got more than 4000 songs and that seems to be about it.
maybe i just have to go out and get another one...
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
taking a break
so i got a day's mc and tomorrow's a public holiday. but i've gotta return to work on saturday and do some story on the red cross.
(as someone said i always seem to get this kinda stories to do. whether at this paper or the previous. let's see, volunteers, more volunteers, cattery volunteers...)
i'm not complaining though. i think what they're doing is really quite amazing.
anyway, i saw an ad for this month's Her World and something just starred right at me. Generation Whine.
i think i'm most definitely part of that generation. i know i whine, i complain and i grumble far more than i should, especially this year. when instead i should be more than happy with my lot.
take today. i could be freezing my ears off at the office but instead the supes have kindly let me really use the mc and sit around at home, reading, watching dvds and listening to Snow Patrol. then again, could they really have said no? i'm not entirely sure.....
(as someone said i always seem to get this kinda stories to do. whether at this paper or the previous. let's see, volunteers, more volunteers, cattery volunteers...)
i'm not complaining though. i think what they're doing is really quite amazing.
anyway, i saw an ad for this month's Her World and something just starred right at me. Generation Whine.
i think i'm most definitely part of that generation. i know i whine, i complain and i grumble far more than i should, especially this year. when instead i should be more than happy with my lot.
take today. i could be freezing my ears off at the office but instead the supes have kindly let me really use the mc and sit around at home, reading, watching dvds and listening to Snow Patrol. then again, could they really have said no? i'm not entirely sure.....
Sunday, January 16, 2005
idd
ì got a call from the uK today and that sorta threw me off balance for a while. the call came in on my mobile, caller id only flashing "call 1" - an unidentified number.
well this has happened before, with pp calling from payphones and unlisted numbers and of course overseas but i dont know why, i didnt think it was an overseas call. and i DID NOT recognise the voice.
has it really been that long? well yes, about 3 months i think.
but i honestly was confused for a while, altho he thought i was pretending. of course i didnt admit to not knowing!
it was nice to have a chat with this person i hadnt spoken to for a while. i guess i miss talking to pp on the phone. smses and emails whie convenient are just no substitute.
and yes, for once this entry wasnt entirely on work, but work has to come in somewhere and here it is - it was a tiring week. i keep feeling like the office totally zaps my energy. i'm tired most of the time, and i feel like i never fully leave the office. plus i tire more easily when i run and i hate that. why is that really?
but it wasn't a totally hairpulling week and i am still questioning whether this place is right for me - the same issues keep running in my mind but somehow today, i've managed to keep my sanity and not blow my sunday worrying about work.
helped also that had a nice lunch with family at ichiban boshi at great world and went to car showrooms where i somehow bumped into someone i wasnt expecting to see. and fell in love with the mazda rx8. what a beauty! what a 130k beauty! ingeniously its a four day sports car altho when u look at it u immediately think its a two-door. the honda integra (which we also checked out) pales in comparison! but price is steep. also had a look at the mazda 3 which has tt wonderful option to drive in manual, clutchless, much like the alfa. i like that option. i like the idea of changing gears without having to dick around with a clutch pedal. how fun that would be!
of course the final decision does not rest on me. but man that would be some car to drive!
well this has happened before, with pp calling from payphones and unlisted numbers and of course overseas but i dont know why, i didnt think it was an overseas call. and i DID NOT recognise the voice.
has it really been that long? well yes, about 3 months i think.
but i honestly was confused for a while, altho he thought i was pretending. of course i didnt admit to not knowing!
it was nice to have a chat with this person i hadnt spoken to for a while. i guess i miss talking to pp on the phone. smses and emails whie convenient are just no substitute.
and yes, for once this entry wasnt entirely on work, but work has to come in somewhere and here it is - it was a tiring week. i keep feeling like the office totally zaps my energy. i'm tired most of the time, and i feel like i never fully leave the office. plus i tire more easily when i run and i hate that. why is that really?
but it wasn't a totally hairpulling week and i am still questioning whether this place is right for me - the same issues keep running in my mind but somehow today, i've managed to keep my sanity and not blow my sunday worrying about work.
helped also that had a nice lunch with family at ichiban boshi at great world and went to car showrooms where i somehow bumped into someone i wasnt expecting to see. and fell in love with the mazda rx8. what a beauty! what a 130k beauty! ingeniously its a four day sports car altho when u look at it u immediately think its a two-door. the honda integra (which we also checked out) pales in comparison! but price is steep. also had a look at the mazda 3 which has tt wonderful option to drive in manual, clutchless, much like the alfa. i like that option. i like the idea of changing gears without having to dick around with a clutch pedal. how fun that would be!
of course the final decision does not rest on me. but man that would be some car to drive!
Friday, January 07, 2005
interesting how..
i seem to have lost a good friend to his new girlf!
now that he's got himself a new girl, he never hangs out with me no more! ok not like we got together that often, but it was nice to catch up once in a while, and now it's like...'free for coffee this weekend?'
'sorry no'
!!!
now that he's got himself a new girl, he never hangs out with me no more! ok not like we got together that often, but it was nice to catch up once in a while, and now it's like...'free for coffee this weekend?'
'sorry no'
!!!
Sunday, January 02, 2005
2004
since i seem to b in a somewhat reflective mood today i might as well write a little about how last year was.
2004 was a major year for me. it was a year of change. a new job with a new challenge - i was finally a journalist and i loved it. (i still am of course and i am indeed thankful for having a job this year). i was on my own, relationship-wise but i made so many new and good friends. then i did meet someone who meant a lot to me. but i dont want to talk about him here.
my job took me places - margaret river (just after i returned from a personal trip to see radiohead in sydney) club med cherating and tokyo (this is the crazy part - i found myself on the UA flight back to tokyo just 1 1/2 days after i landed in Sg from tokyo - another personal trip)
my job let me meet people - Colombian artist Fernando Botero, photographer Russel Wong, authors like Chang Rae Lee and Jasper Fforde, film-makers, the beautiful, talent and blind Jessica Callahan, the inspiring Siew Ying of Metta Cats. honestly the list could go on and on.
so i've been very fortunate. of course there were days when i just wanted to pull out my hair and scream but those were far and few.
i've also worked with a good bunch of people. sad to say that we've had to split up and be redeployed in different departments, different papers and some, sadly, retrenched. i hope we somehow remain in touch. an alumni of sorts.
apart from all things new, i've also still had a good bunch of friends to drink coffee, watch movies, go wakeboarding, go shopping and just hang out and talk with. so thank you, if any of you actually read this (probably one or two), for being my friend.
here's what i hope for the new year.
i want to do well in my new job, work hard work smart and not have to find myself stuck in the office way past midnight everyday (*shudder*).
i want a life outside of the office. i dont want work to consume me.
i want to meet more people, make more friends and hopefully meet someone who's right for me
i hope that my family and friends will be happy healthy safe and sound.
i want to write more. and not just for work.
and i want to travel more, although it's highly unlikely that i'll be on junkets this year. so it'll have to come outta my pockets.
i want to continue exercising regularly and eat better. (ever since i've done that organic food story, i've been wondering what kinda crap i chow down on everytime. but if i really worried about that the whole time, that would be crazy. it's impossible to eat healthy all the time. i guess i can start by cutting out packaged foods, which prob comes straight from hell. mwahhahah)
i'd like to watch many more movies, read many more books, listen to much more music. and make the time to do all that (re: "i don't want work to consume me")
and i'd also like to make plans to study overseas. to figure out what is it i really want to do with my life. that's probably one of the biggest mysteries.
2004 was a major year for me. it was a year of change. a new job with a new challenge - i was finally a journalist and i loved it. (i still am of course and i am indeed thankful for having a job this year). i was on my own, relationship-wise but i made so many new and good friends. then i did meet someone who meant a lot to me. but i dont want to talk about him here.
my job took me places - margaret river (just after i returned from a personal trip to see radiohead in sydney) club med cherating and tokyo (this is the crazy part - i found myself on the UA flight back to tokyo just 1 1/2 days after i landed in Sg from tokyo - another personal trip)
my job let me meet people - Colombian artist Fernando Botero, photographer Russel Wong, authors like Chang Rae Lee and Jasper Fforde, film-makers, the beautiful, talent and blind Jessica Callahan, the inspiring Siew Ying of Metta Cats. honestly the list could go on and on.
so i've been very fortunate. of course there were days when i just wanted to pull out my hair and scream but those were far and few.
i've also worked with a good bunch of people. sad to say that we've had to split up and be redeployed in different departments, different papers and some, sadly, retrenched. i hope we somehow remain in touch. an alumni of sorts.
apart from all things new, i've also still had a good bunch of friends to drink coffee, watch movies, go wakeboarding, go shopping and just hang out and talk with. so thank you, if any of you actually read this (probably one or two), for being my friend.
here's what i hope for the new year.
i want to do well in my new job, work hard work smart and not have to find myself stuck in the office way past midnight everyday (*shudder*).
i want a life outside of the office. i dont want work to consume me.
i want to meet more people, make more friends and hopefully meet someone who's right for me
i hope that my family and friends will be happy healthy safe and sound.
i want to write more. and not just for work.
and i want to travel more, although it's highly unlikely that i'll be on junkets this year. so it'll have to come outta my pockets.
i want to continue exercising regularly and eat better. (ever since i've done that organic food story, i've been wondering what kinda crap i chow down on everytime. but if i really worried about that the whole time, that would be crazy. it's impossible to eat healthy all the time. i guess i can start by cutting out packaged foods, which prob comes straight from hell. mwahhahah)
i'd like to watch many more movies, read many more books, listen to much more music. and make the time to do all that (re: "i don't want work to consume me")
and i'd also like to make plans to study overseas. to figure out what is it i really want to do with my life. that's probably one of the biggest mysteries.
butterflies
work begins tomorrow. and i couldn't sleep well last night. i feel like i'm not kicking off this year on a good note. i'm worried about high expectations and not living up to those expectations.
but the most immediate concern on my mind today is story ideas. i've been wracking my brains to think of some... any... anything at all. but all i come up with are things more for the lifestyle section. frivolous trivial matters. i've been trawling international papers to see if anything there can be translated to sg terms.
my situation is currently quite hopeless. but 'm going to say fkit and go shopping later. i need some brainless activity. and new clothes.
meanwhile, here's some food for thought. Saw it on Alas A Blog. The gist of it:"How can we stop the obese from becoming more obese? Pretty simple. Stop feeding them!"
but the most immediate concern on my mind today is story ideas. i've been wracking my brains to think of some... any... anything at all. but all i come up with are things more for the lifestyle section. frivolous trivial matters. i've been trawling international papers to see if anything there can be translated to sg terms.
my situation is currently quite hopeless. but 'm going to say fkit and go shopping later. i need some brainless activity. and new clothes.
meanwhile, here's some food for thought. Saw it on Alas A Blog. The gist of it:"How can we stop the obese from becoming more obese? Pretty simple. Stop feeding them!"
sila evason hideaway
here are some pictures of the fab resort on koh samui which thankfully wasn't affected by the tsunamis.
this is the resort seen from the beach which is shared with another hotel. (we stayed on the sunset view side. this is the sunrise view)
view from the balcony area (on the lower floor)
this is the gorgeous infinity pool (and not the villa's pool which is also an infinity one but a little blocked by greenery)
this is the resort seen from the beach which is shared with another hotel. (we stayed on the sunset view side. this is the sunrise view)
view from the balcony area (on the lower floor)
this is the gorgeous infinity pool (and not the villa's pool which is also an infinity one but a little blocked by greenery)
lesson learnt
this is actually something i learnt some time ago and totally forgot on nye. me and tequila are not a good combination.
so i began 2005 with a hangover and a queasy stomach from the alcohol (it's really the tequila)
but dec 31 was interesting.
uni friend got married and it was a bit of a military affair with that lovely guard of honour thing. but chinese wedding dinners are chinese wedding dinners. the usual food, the usual waiting for an hour before the show got on the road, and well, honestly, it was boring. oh and plus ENYA was on repeat for the later part of the night.... sigh.... it was as bad as stepping into cold storage and hearing damn cny tunes this evening..
but after that, headed to chjimes to join some pp for their late dinner (which took ages, but i suppose it was because of nye and all) we ended up running back to swissotel and up to the 55th floor because we had this phobia of counting down in the elevator. we made it. with a couple of minutes to spare. pity there were no fireworks because (1) we had the most perfect room for catching the fireworks (just facing the padang/esplanade (2) without the fireworks u cldnt really know when to say woohoo happy new year.
plus i pity the fireworks pp who must have planned a lovely show only to have their job cut out of the picture at the last minute.
anyway, pp brought plenty to drink. no champers tho!
it was nice to just hang around, chat, listen to music. and altho some started leaving four of us were left watching the sun rise and then we really had to crash cos it was too bloody early . but checkout was 3pm thank heavens. so we had til then to sleep in. but of course i woke up feeling crummy, dragged myself home and went to sleep somemore, not having eaten anything since the night before. lucky mum had a great dinner of pumpkin soup, pork chop, omelette, salad and almond jelly for dessert.
happy new year, hope 2005 will be an eventful one.
i know mine will be = new year new job. freaking out a little bit with the prospect of that, you know, being in 'the big leagues" as EVERYONE kept reminding us (well, as least the 3 pp who will matter the most to my career)
so i began 2005 with a hangover and a queasy stomach from the alcohol (it's really the tequila)
but dec 31 was interesting.
uni friend got married and it was a bit of a military affair with that lovely guard of honour thing. but chinese wedding dinners are chinese wedding dinners. the usual food, the usual waiting for an hour before the show got on the road, and well, honestly, it was boring. oh and plus ENYA was on repeat for the later part of the night.... sigh.... it was as bad as stepping into cold storage and hearing damn cny tunes this evening..
but after that, headed to chjimes to join some pp for their late dinner (which took ages, but i suppose it was because of nye and all) we ended up running back to swissotel and up to the 55th floor because we had this phobia of counting down in the elevator. we made it. with a couple of minutes to spare. pity there were no fireworks because (1) we had the most perfect room for catching the fireworks (just facing the padang/esplanade (2) without the fireworks u cldnt really know when to say woohoo happy new year.
plus i pity the fireworks pp who must have planned a lovely show only to have their job cut out of the picture at the last minute.
anyway, pp brought plenty to drink. no champers tho!
it was nice to just hang around, chat, listen to music. and altho some started leaving four of us were left watching the sun rise and then we really had to crash cos it was too bloody early . but checkout was 3pm thank heavens. so we had til then to sleep in. but of course i woke up feeling crummy, dragged myself home and went to sleep somemore, not having eaten anything since the night before. lucky mum had a great dinner of pumpkin soup, pork chop, omelette, salad and almond jelly for dessert.
happy new year, hope 2005 will be an eventful one.
i know mine will be = new year new job. freaking out a little bit with the prospect of that, you know, being in 'the big leagues" as EVERYONE kept reminding us (well, as least the 3 pp who will matter the most to my career)
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
clearing up
i'm sitting at my desk at work, facing a half-empty shelf, a big cardboard box sits next to me, and it's slowly filling up with all the stuff I need to bring upstairs to my new office.
we were busy taking photographs this evening. farewell photos which hopefully will turn out good.
and yesterday, there was a farewell party at the usual central mall area. bad food, good company and plenty of fun (well there's always fun to be had with freeflow of alcohol).
as a friend said, a bittersweet party.
i dont know how it's gonna be upstairs. i hope it'll be a challenge. i'm up for a challenge. i know i've already faced this one challenge in this year's job. let's see how next year goes.
we were busy taking photographs this evening. farewell photos which hopefully will turn out good.
and yesterday, there was a farewell party at the usual central mall area. bad food, good company and plenty of fun (well there's always fun to be had with freeflow of alcohol).
as a friend said, a bittersweet party.
i dont know how it's gonna be upstairs. i hope it'll be a challenge. i'm up for a challenge. i know i've already faced this one challenge in this year's job. let's see how next year goes.
Monday, December 27, 2004
Sunday, December 26, 2004
best of the best
thought i'd just write up a list of some of the best movies i've seen this year. (in no particular order and i might add more cos this is all i can remember watching at the moment)
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
how could i not love a movie with such a title, and written by the brilliant Charlie Kaufman too. jim carrey and kate winslet sparkled in this absolute gem.
- The Incredibles
ok not as funny as i thought it would be but definitely entertaining especially that bit about superheroes and their capes. who can resist?
- Last Life In The Universe
this thai-japanese film startled with its quiet charm. a little dark a little obscure (and some people have complained about how slowmoving it was) but i loved it.
- Spider-Man Two
sequels usually suck this one didn't. it actually somehow managed to do better, maybe cos i cldn't stand the green goblin in the first one
- Collateral
similar to the way Road To Perdition surprised me some years ago, I went to see Collateral not expecting to like it. i just wanted to see how Tom Cruise did as a bad guy i think. but Michael Mann's beautiful tribute to Los Angeles just took my breath away. ok, maybe some of the violence also helped with that. but one of the nicest surprises for me this year movie-wise.
- Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban
sequels usually suck. this isn't a sequel but the third in the series and it was simply THE BEST, thanks to the brilliant Alfonso Cuarón, who's also responsible for one of my favourite movies Y Tu Mama Tambien.
- Open Water
this movie had some bite and i'm including it because it was a small indie movie with no budget that somehow popped into my head when i was swimming in the sea at Koh Samui. and that's the mark of a movie. one that you don't forget, even if it's just to think of sharks and other creatures swimming below you.
- Zatoichi
i loved this samurai film by Takashi Kitano. funny, action-packed and with a blind samurai who has a shock of blond hair. how could i not include this one?
- Ocean's Twelve
i hesitate to include this cos it wasn't as intelligent as the first one and it seemed to push too much screen time to the other actors but it was still entertaining all the same, with plenty of eye candy to go round.
wait can i include the ROTK?
i can't remember when that came out, but nevertheless, it was a good film. i finally got to see the extended version and although a little bit too long, was of course good, especially since you get to christopher lee, who got cut from the movie release.
also included in this list should be Before Sunset, but I DIDN"T SEE IT!!! don't ask why.
There were too many movies I missed out on, including Maria Full Of Grace, Mean Girls, The Return, and Kill Bill 2 (although i later fell asleep watching it on dvd)
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
- this award goes to Alexander. i was expecting bigger and better but what i watched was a film that was deflating right from the start.
Alfie is also a disappointment. It looked promising in the beginning being very stylish and of course Alfie being a charmer (plus its a Jude Law movie!) but it got so boring towards the end, you begin wondering if there's a plot to this or is Alfie really just going to spend the entire movie going from girl to girl? I just HAVE to watch the original Michael Caine version now, to see how different it is.
MEANWHILE,
I'm waiting the opening of the following films:
Mar Adentro
Closer
We Don't Live Here Anymore
The Aviator (yes it's got leo dicaprio but he looked good in the Vanity Fair spread and hopefully this film will redeem him. he was after all quite brilliant in What's Eating Gilbert Grape? which brings me onto the next reason why I want to see....)Finding Neverland (JOHNNY DEPP!)
ALSO....
Best album in my books is Juanes' Mi Sangre. But Rilo Kiley's More Adventurous is just the next notch below. I know these albums won't make critics top 10 lists (most of them list The Streets, Animal Collective, Kanye West - whom i also love, Franz Ferdinand, Madvillain, Nick Cave and the like) but I thought these two albums showed how both Colombia's Juanes and California's Rilo Kiley have grown, developed for the better over the years. Three cheers.
2004 was a good movie year, may 2005 be even better!
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
how could i not love a movie with such a title, and written by the brilliant Charlie Kaufman too. jim carrey and kate winslet sparkled in this absolute gem.
- The Incredibles
ok not as funny as i thought it would be but definitely entertaining especially that bit about superheroes and their capes. who can resist?
- Last Life In The Universe
this thai-japanese film startled with its quiet charm. a little dark a little obscure (and some people have complained about how slowmoving it was) but i loved it.
- Spider-Man Two
sequels usually suck this one didn't. it actually somehow managed to do better, maybe cos i cldn't stand the green goblin in the first one
- Collateral
similar to the way Road To Perdition surprised me some years ago, I went to see Collateral not expecting to like it. i just wanted to see how Tom Cruise did as a bad guy i think. but Michael Mann's beautiful tribute to Los Angeles just took my breath away. ok, maybe some of the violence also helped with that. but one of the nicest surprises for me this year movie-wise.
- Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban
sequels usually suck. this isn't a sequel but the third in the series and it was simply THE BEST, thanks to the brilliant Alfonso Cuarón, who's also responsible for one of my favourite movies Y Tu Mama Tambien.
- Open Water
this movie had some bite and i'm including it because it was a small indie movie with no budget that somehow popped into my head when i was swimming in the sea at Koh Samui. and that's the mark of a movie. one that you don't forget, even if it's just to think of sharks and other creatures swimming below you.
- Zatoichi
i loved this samurai film by Takashi Kitano. funny, action-packed and with a blind samurai who has a shock of blond hair. how could i not include this one?
- Ocean's Twelve
i hesitate to include this cos it wasn't as intelligent as the first one and it seemed to push too much screen time to the other actors but it was still entertaining all the same, with plenty of eye candy to go round.
wait can i include the ROTK?
i can't remember when that came out, but nevertheless, it was a good film. i finally got to see the extended version and although a little bit too long, was of course good, especially since you get to christopher lee, who got cut from the movie release.
also included in this list should be Before Sunset, but I DIDN"T SEE IT!!! don't ask why.
There were too many movies I missed out on, including Maria Full Of Grace, Mean Girls, The Return, and Kill Bill 2 (although i later fell asleep watching it on dvd)
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
- this award goes to Alexander. i was expecting bigger and better but what i watched was a film that was deflating right from the start.
Alfie is also a disappointment. It looked promising in the beginning being very stylish and of course Alfie being a charmer (plus its a Jude Law movie!) but it got so boring towards the end, you begin wondering if there's a plot to this or is Alfie really just going to spend the entire movie going from girl to girl? I just HAVE to watch the original Michael Caine version now, to see how different it is.
MEANWHILE,
I'm waiting the opening of the following films:
Mar Adentro
Closer
We Don't Live Here Anymore
The Aviator (yes it's got leo dicaprio but he looked good in the Vanity Fair spread and hopefully this film will redeem him. he was after all quite brilliant in What's Eating Gilbert Grape? which brings me onto the next reason why I want to see....)Finding Neverland (JOHNNY DEPP!)
ALSO....
Best album in my books is Juanes' Mi Sangre. But Rilo Kiley's More Adventurous is just the next notch below. I know these albums won't make critics top 10 lists (most of them list The Streets, Animal Collective, Kanye West - whom i also love, Franz Ferdinand, Madvillain, Nick Cave and the like) but I thought these two albums showed how both Colombia's Juanes and California's Rilo Kiley have grown, developed for the better over the years. Three cheers.
2004 was a good movie year, may 2005 be even better!
Saturday, December 25, 2004
food blogs!
i'm so excited to discover these amazing foodie blogs. yes, might be abit late catching on but they're definitely worth reading every so often.
Pim
Chocolate and Zucchini
Shiokadelicious!
Domestic Goddess
101 Cookbooks
Tiny Fork
The Grub Report
Pim
Chocolate and Zucchini
Shiokadelicious!
Domestic Goddess
101 Cookbooks
Tiny Fork
The Grub Report
Friday, December 17, 2004
island in the sun
just got back from a short holiday in koh samui. and what a place! the main area of chaweng is just full of old white men and their thai girls zooming around on motorbikes. the beaches there are decent, with waves that come crashing right near the cafes during high tide. we moved to the choeng mon area after the first two nights (we arrived mon night at 10pm so decided not to waste good money and instead spent first two nights at cheapo place not too near the beach) to stay at the fabulous Sila Evason Hideaway. Worth every cent! and more! the pool villa was just beautiful, and like all the other villas has a view you cannot believe. even the reception has such a gorgeous view, and i cant begin to describe the view from the main swimming pool. it was a decadent two days. hit the gym, swim, lunch, swim a bit more, a massage at the spa (where the treatment rooms... wait for it... also have amazing views!
unfortunately my camera battery gave up on me the day i got there - that is, i actually have to go get a whole new lithium-ion battery!
damnit!!!
unfortunately my camera battery gave up on me the day i got there - that is, i actually have to go get a whole new lithium-ion battery!
damnit!!!
Saturday, December 11, 2004
long time no bother
it's been a long time
and i've been a lucky person. i will not use that word that i hate 'blessed' - i see it used too often in quotes from newsmakers. 'i've been so blessed' tends to be the catchphrase of the year.
anyway, i've had an amazing few weeks.
i got the chance to meet Colombian artist Fernando Botero twice and listen to his dialogue with Taiwanese sculptor Ju Ming as well.
Botero is a delightful, warm and charming man. and i wish i cld've spent a little more time with him but i knew he had been speaking to reporters the whole day and honestly, that the story wasn't going to require too much from him. it was after all my third Botero story! streats ended up doing 5 stories on the man and the exhibition. overkill
also, i got the chance to interview writer Chang-Rae Lee, who's written Native Speaker, A Gesture Life and Aloft. I only got the chance to read Native Speaker halfway before my i/v with the korean-american. but i am so glad i decided to rush down to the library in between assignments and pick up his book. it is a magnificent book. his writing is truly eloquent although the storyline is a little wanting at times.
when i read his words, i just want to sit and breathe it all in, slowly.
there are some books you want to race through, the storyline pushing you to read fast to find out more. soon. quick. now.
but this is one book to savour, to sit and think about and to wonder at the brilliance of such a man.
i'm always delighted when i find out that people who have found fame are just down-to-earth, easygoing characters. they're easy to talk to, to get to open up and do not seem fatigued by what must be the umpteenth interview they've had to sit through. they pay you their fullest attention, careful to understand your bumbled question and they think their answers through.
i also spent the later part of hte morning (after interviewing lee at the ritz-carlton) talking to the owners of Bunalun, an organic food store at Chip Bee. they were also a delight to talk to. not the preachy type of people as some businessmen can be but interesting and frank about their products. and no, organic food is not just about brown rice. they have chocolate mousse too! and i assure you, it is delicious. and chocolatey. and you can bet that i'm going there again.
(they have a lunch menu at $15 for a tart, two salads and a dessert) truly delightful. Tony even sat down with edwin and i to have lunch, asking us about the way the food tastes and just chitchatting about different things.
sometimes i love my job but then when i have to get into the office and write a boring-ass story, i just want to get a gin and tonic.
i left the office earlyish on friday, the story wasn't writing itself (none of the above stories though, something entirely more boring - 3d animation!) and will have to punish myself tmr by going back to the office to finish it up.
and i've been a lucky person. i will not use that word that i hate 'blessed' - i see it used too often in quotes from newsmakers. 'i've been so blessed' tends to be the catchphrase of the year.
anyway, i've had an amazing few weeks.
i got the chance to meet Colombian artist Fernando Botero twice and listen to his dialogue with Taiwanese sculptor Ju Ming as well.
Botero is a delightful, warm and charming man. and i wish i cld've spent a little more time with him but i knew he had been speaking to reporters the whole day and honestly, that the story wasn't going to require too much from him. it was after all my third Botero story! streats ended up doing 5 stories on the man and the exhibition. overkill
also, i got the chance to interview writer Chang-Rae Lee, who's written Native Speaker, A Gesture Life and Aloft. I only got the chance to read Native Speaker halfway before my i/v with the korean-american. but i am so glad i decided to rush down to the library in between assignments and pick up his book. it is a magnificent book. his writing is truly eloquent although the storyline is a little wanting at times.
when i read his words, i just want to sit and breathe it all in, slowly.
there are some books you want to race through, the storyline pushing you to read fast to find out more. soon. quick. now.
but this is one book to savour, to sit and think about and to wonder at the brilliance of such a man.
i'm always delighted when i find out that people who have found fame are just down-to-earth, easygoing characters. they're easy to talk to, to get to open up and do not seem fatigued by what must be the umpteenth interview they've had to sit through. they pay you their fullest attention, careful to understand your bumbled question and they think their answers through.
i also spent the later part of hte morning (after interviewing lee at the ritz-carlton) talking to the owners of Bunalun, an organic food store at Chip Bee. they were also a delight to talk to. not the preachy type of people as some businessmen can be but interesting and frank about their products. and no, organic food is not just about brown rice. they have chocolate mousse too! and i assure you, it is delicious. and chocolatey. and you can bet that i'm going there again.
(they have a lunch menu at $15 for a tart, two salads and a dessert) truly delightful. Tony even sat down with edwin and i to have lunch, asking us about the way the food tastes and just chitchatting about different things.
sometimes i love my job but then when i have to get into the office and write a boring-ass story, i just want to get a gin and tonic.
i left the office earlyish on friday, the story wasn't writing itself (none of the above stories though, something entirely more boring - 3d animation!) and will have to punish myself tmr by going back to the office to finish it up.
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