Saturday, December 31, 2011
Day 26
Day 25
21-26 Dec 2011 (Gopeng, Cameron, Ipoh).
After year-round of slogging our guts out at work, we finally found time to leave and go on a relaxing break...or so I thought. I blame it on myself that I couldn't find time earlier to book a trip somewhere further away to some dreamy island, so LY had to come in to take us to not-so-dreamy... Malaysia.
This trip was no walk in the park. In fact, the only way to summarise it is that the three of us "are survivors".
First shock. We were dropped off along some deserted road in Gopeng at 4am in the morning. Three of us walked along the gravel road dragging our luggages to find the bus station. The streets were extremely quiet and there were stray dogs barking at the din we made. We made it to the bus station where we waited for dawn to break. Lying on the benches, we were mistaken as vagabonds, and Ly even had to fending off a cat that pounced on him twice.
2nd shock. We made it to Gopeng resort and were told we were the only 3 guests in the entire resort that could accomodate "more than 100 people". Dots.... There were many parts of the trip that defied my expectations, but this was the worst. It reminded me of the time I went to Cambodia and had to live in a pseudo war-time quarters.
Over the 1 day at the resort, I realised that I had used a lot of swear words. SL told me "it's ok, with this kind of conditions it is only natural that you'll want to use swear words". We were given this kampung hut on silts with no beds, only mattresses which didn't even look washed. There was a bathroom downstairs with poor plumbing and no heater. No heater?!! We just came back from waterfall absailing and white water rafting and it was raining. Luckily from my cambodian experience I learnt that the best thing to do in such circumstances was to...ask for hot boiled water, which thankfully was given.
3rd shock. "Bus ride to hell". That's what I termed the bus to Gopeng when we were waiting at the Ipoh bus station for our pickup. There were a few men shouting and waving in those who wanted to take the bus to Gopeng. I just got off the yucky bus from Gopeng to Ipoh, and standing where I was, surrounded by the disarray, the uncleaniness, the 2nd-hand cigarette smoke, just couldn't surpress the exasperation.
4th shock. Jungle trekking in Cameron where 3 pairs of shoes were ruined. It was the "season where Rafflesias were blooming", and Ly's sis kindly signed us up for a 1-day adventure tour which included jungle trekking. For me who thought i had left the worst behind in Gopeng, it was a moment of "you mean it's not over yet?" Together with a few caucasians, we shared a jeep ride to the mouth of the jungle. It was drizzling while we trekked 2 hours up to see 1 rafflesia, and climed down again.
The trekking was quite an experience, afterall it was the first time all of us have ever seen a rafflesia. It was also the first time in a very long while that I was caught up in a physical and mental marathon. It was a very muddy climb, every step you take you risk sinking your feet into the deep sludge that was all around. Within just 5 minutes, that happened to me. Pretty shoes all gone. But once you get over the fact that there is absolutely no way that your shoes are going to stay pristine, the going is less tough. You simply just walk and try not to fall over; or fall through the rickety bridges made of bamboo into the rapids.
Looking back, the rafflesia trip was the most memorable part and I'm glad we signed on. Only thing we looked very silly at Ly's house trying to scrub our shoes, and we were drenched at cold for the entire day.
There were other memorable bits on the trip. For instance, re-learning our xmas carols to kill time the day we were trapped in the kampung hut... The Gopeng water sports were rather enjoyable, as was Cactus Valley and the night market in Cameron. We also spared no effort in rewarding ourselves for our hard work. For 2 days in a row we had steamboat in Cameron! :):) The Ipoh leg was extremely satisfying too! As usual, we went for the must-haves - 芽菜鸡, 流粉, and 蜜瓜西米露. Coincidentally there was a mega food fair the day we arrived. We spent Christmas chilling out at Old Town and catching Missing Impossible 4 at the theatre. On this trip I also discovered the most heavenly kaya puffs! So heavenly it's by pre-order only. Now I know what to ask Ly to get for me when he goes back home. :):)
Finally, from the trip, I realised that I'm not that cut out for outdoor adventures after all (not unless there's good food thrown in). I'm more suited for eating trips. lol. My next trip....we shall be gourmet travellers!
After year-round of slogging our guts out at work, we finally found time to leave and go on a relaxing break...or so I thought. I blame it on myself that I couldn't find time earlier to book a trip somewhere further away to some dreamy island, so LY had to come in to take us to not-so-dreamy... Malaysia.
This trip was no walk in the park. In fact, the only way to summarise it is that the three of us "are survivors".
First shock. We were dropped off along some deserted road in Gopeng at 4am in the morning. Three of us walked along the gravel road dragging our luggages to find the bus station. The streets were extremely quiet and there were stray dogs barking at the din we made. We made it to the bus station where we waited for dawn to break. Lying on the benches, we were mistaken as vagabonds, and Ly even had to fending off a cat that pounced on him twice.
2nd shock. We made it to Gopeng resort and were told we were the only 3 guests in the entire resort that could accomodate "more than 100 people". Dots.... There were many parts of the trip that defied my expectations, but this was the worst. It reminded me of the time I went to Cambodia and had to live in a pseudo war-time quarters.
Over the 1 day at the resort, I realised that I had used a lot of swear words. SL told me "it's ok, with this kind of conditions it is only natural that you'll want to use swear words". We were given this kampung hut on silts with no beds, only mattresses which didn't even look washed. There was a bathroom downstairs with poor plumbing and no heater. No heater?!! We just came back from waterfall absailing and white water rafting and it was raining. Luckily from my cambodian experience I learnt that the best thing to do in such circumstances was to...ask for hot boiled water, which thankfully was given.
3rd shock. "Bus ride to hell". That's what I termed the bus to Gopeng when we were waiting at the Ipoh bus station for our pickup. There were a few men shouting and waving in those who wanted to take the bus to Gopeng. I just got off the yucky bus from Gopeng to Ipoh, and standing where I was, surrounded by the disarray, the uncleaniness, the 2nd-hand cigarette smoke, just couldn't surpress the exasperation.
4th shock. Jungle trekking in Cameron where 3 pairs of shoes were ruined. It was the "season where Rafflesias were blooming", and Ly's sis kindly signed us up for a 1-day adventure tour which included jungle trekking. For me who thought i had left the worst behind in Gopeng, it was a moment of "you mean it's not over yet?" Together with a few caucasians, we shared a jeep ride to the mouth of the jungle. It was drizzling while we trekked 2 hours up to see 1 rafflesia, and climed down again.
The trekking was quite an experience, afterall it was the first time all of us have ever seen a rafflesia. It was also the first time in a very long while that I was caught up in a physical and mental marathon. It was a very muddy climb, every step you take you risk sinking your feet into the deep sludge that was all around. Within just 5 minutes, that happened to me. Pretty shoes all gone. But once you get over the fact that there is absolutely no way that your shoes are going to stay pristine, the going is less tough. You simply just walk and try not to fall over; or fall through the rickety bridges made of bamboo into the rapids.
Looking back, the rafflesia trip was the most memorable part and I'm glad we signed on. Only thing we looked very silly at Ly's house trying to scrub our shoes, and we were drenched at cold for the entire day.
There were other memorable bits on the trip. For instance, re-learning our xmas carols to kill time the day we were trapped in the kampung hut... The Gopeng water sports were rather enjoyable, as was Cactus Valley and the night market in Cameron. We also spared no effort in rewarding ourselves for our hard work. For 2 days in a row we had steamboat in Cameron! :):) The Ipoh leg was extremely satisfying too! As usual, we went for the must-haves - 芽菜鸡, 流粉, and 蜜瓜西米露. Coincidentally there was a mega food fair the day we arrived. We spent Christmas chilling out at Old Town and catching Missing Impossible 4 at the theatre. On this trip I also discovered the most heavenly kaya puffs! So heavenly it's by pre-order only. Now I know what to ask Ly to get for me when he goes back home. :):)
Finally, from the trip, I realised that I'm not that cut out for outdoor adventures after all (not unless there's good food thrown in). I'm more suited for eating trips. lol. My next trip....we shall be gourmet travellers!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Day 24
Meeting trips are great because you don't have to write trip reports; you have a whole hotel room to yourself; and you get to play hard! There are these special programmes by the host economy where they bring you to touristy places to soak in the local culture & heritage. This time the Thai host brought us to watch the Siam Niramit show, which I must say tops all the culture shows I've watched. It reminds me of the show at "Shijie Zhi Chuang (Window of the World) in Shenzhen, but better. The kind of grandeur and exactness in cheorography is really impressive!
My travel buddies this time were Sandra and Dave, and they really took care of me when we were there lol. Dave was like our local guide since he frequents bangkok. On the first day, he brought us to BMK via the BTS (MRT there), introduced us to Thailand's oyster omelette (puts the S'pore ou luah to shame), and took us on a tuk tuk ride. On the last day, we had about 3 hours before our flight and he took us for a quick shopping trip at some street market (can't remember if it's Chatuchak).
The most lasting impression Bangkok left on me were the elephants we saw at Siam Niramit and oyster omelette. Definitely the oyster omelette! haha =P
Picture opportunity with the elephants at Siam Niramit
A must try when in Thailand- Oyster Omelette!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Day 23
The theme for this week is Food....*glup* I've been pigging out so much that I feel more than a tinge of guilt. We had workplan session yesterday and a short ice-cream making course for team bonding. Creating home-made ice-cream was no easy feat. First you whip the eggs and sugar for so long that your arms ached. Then you continue mixing in the milk, whipped cream and flavouring. Afterwhich, as a faster alternative to putting it in the fridge, you pour liquid nitrogen into the mixture and it freezes over almost immediately! It was quite an experience making ice-cream that way :) I'm so worried now that even though I don't have my own kitchen I'm already cooking and eating so much...imagine the day when I have my own kitchen!!! omg!!!
~Excitement from ice-cream making~
~Vietnamese Rice Rolls from the Thai food stall~
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Day 22
November was a mentally and physically fulfilling month. I finished a couple of books, and the whole series of the Slam Dunk manga. I know I'm a very late follower of the series, but better late than never. I'm a fan now! :) The timing couldn't have been more perfect. It coincided with my taking on of a new sport, netball. And the day which I finished the last book was the day just before our friendly match against Malaysia. There were many times I felt I could feel what 樱木花道 was going through as a newbie, though I'm not that good a player. (No innate talent..ha..)
We formed this netball interest group in spring in preparation for the games. And through the training every once or twice a week, I got to know more people while enjoying the intense workout. The group consists of so many young girls (sweet young things younger than me) whose exuberant energy I could not match. Some of the enthusiasm and competitiveness rubbed off and the team even printed t-shirts for a common team identity. Throw in a 1 night stay at Changi Village Hotel before the games and the potential of a day-off if we did well, how could we not win the next day?!
This month we also set up our Xmas tree. Our tree is so small, but it's really a challenging task to get it up every year because we didn't get one of those easy-to-install kind. Plus as our tree "ages", it sheds more and more leaves. This year we had to use ropes to secure the base and tie the branches to the trunk. But we got it up eventually and all that hard work brought along a huge sense of achievement. :) HYong helped a little this year and he commented that "your xmas tree is really DIY!!" lol it's like putting your own snowman together.
Can't wait for xmas to come!! For the first time I'm going to be on long leave!!
We formed this netball interest group in spring in preparation for the games. And through the training every once or twice a week, I got to know more people while enjoying the intense workout. The group consists of so many young girls (sweet young things younger than me) whose exuberant energy I could not match. Some of the enthusiasm and competitiveness rubbed off and the team even printed t-shirts for a common team identity. Throw in a 1 night stay at Changi Village Hotel before the games and the potential of a day-off if we did well, how could we not win the next day?!
This month we also set up our Xmas tree. Our tree is so small, but it's really a challenging task to get it up every year because we didn't get one of those easy-to-install kind. Plus as our tree "ages", it sheds more and more leaves. This year we had to use ropes to secure the base and tie the branches to the trunk. But we got it up eventually and all that hard work brought along a huge sense of achievement. :) HYong helped a little this year and he commented that "your xmas tree is really DIY!!" lol it's like putting your own snowman together.
Can't wait for xmas to come!! For the first time I'm going to be on long leave!!
Thursday, November 03, 2011
Day 21
Monday, October 10, 2011
Day 20
Are there people around you whose minds are so strong, who are as tough as steel, who will not bow under pressure, who will climb back up if they fell, brush the dirt off and move on? It would be interesting to find out what you would do if one day the person collapsed, and you were expecting him to get up on his feet again but he never did? What if the person defies all your expectations and lay motionless on the floor never to wake up again? Would you 1) stare, blink, blink, blink, 2) feel a prick in your heart why you never saw his softer side, or 3) imagine that he stood up and continued on your journey?
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Day 19
Have been meaning to blog this down for quite awhile, but many things have kept me from it. I'm referring to having the chance to vote for the first time, thereby partaking in the country's politics. Not that mine was the deciding vote, I wouldn't dream for it to be so, but like many other youths who had the chance to exercise their vote for the first time, going to the polling station is a momentous affair which sort of marks the coming of age.
In May, we voted for our MPs, and in August we voted for our President. Overall, I think it there was not much contest, we all knew who was to emerge winner in both races. However, I think the fun was in trying to interpret who was voting for whom. There are people who prefer to keep mum on who they are rooting for, people like my dad and sis who will go "your vote is secret", but we all know who's side they are on. Then there are the less boring people like my mum, who will go around boisterously asking others who they voted for, and sharing her views on the candidates. If you're still wondering, I belong more to the latter group, that is, the fun group. However the "hustling" was not so much in trying to persuade other family members to vote alongside me. Instead it was more to get them plugged in onto the broadcasts and news feeds on youtube, the net and fb. It was in essence a battle to convert my parents over to "technology's side".
When it came to discussing with friends and colleagues, it can be mostly summarised as gossip sessions. What the candidates did, said, and wore became the staple of lunchtime talk. During the GE, being part of certain constituencies conceivably drew more "oohs and ahhs" than others. People would sit up and listen more keenly when you said you were from Aljunied or even Marine Parade. There was some unfounded swelling as others asked me for the latest scoops on Nicole Seah vs. TPL, by virtue that I was from the Marine Parade constituency. But no, I don't have anything that has not already been reported by the papers, and I've never seen my MP in all my 25 years.
It will be another 5 years before we get to vote again. Till then, the memory of this year's elections will stay with us. And I am still hoping to see real changes in my neighbourhood and standard of living.
In May, we voted for our MPs, and in August we voted for our President. Overall, I think it there was not much contest, we all knew who was to emerge winner in both races. However, I think the fun was in trying to interpret who was voting for whom. There are people who prefer to keep mum on who they are rooting for, people like my dad and sis who will go "your vote is secret", but we all know who's side they are on. Then there are the less boring people like my mum, who will go around boisterously asking others who they voted for, and sharing her views on the candidates. If you're still wondering, I belong more to the latter group, that is, the fun group. However the "hustling" was not so much in trying to persuade other family members to vote alongside me. Instead it was more to get them plugged in onto the broadcasts and news feeds on youtube, the net and fb. It was in essence a battle to convert my parents over to "technology's side".
When it came to discussing with friends and colleagues, it can be mostly summarised as gossip sessions. What the candidates did, said, and wore became the staple of lunchtime talk. During the GE, being part of certain constituencies conceivably drew more "oohs and ahhs" than others. People would sit up and listen more keenly when you said you were from Aljunied or even Marine Parade. There was some unfounded swelling as others asked me for the latest scoops on Nicole Seah vs. TPL, by virtue that I was from the Marine Parade constituency. But no, I don't have anything that has not already been reported by the papers, and I've never seen my MP in all my 25 years.
Polling Card
It will be another 5 years before we get to vote again. Till then, the memory of this year's elections will stay with us. And I am still hoping to see real changes in my neighbourhood and standard of living.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Day 18
~Homecook chicken rice set~
Need to work on a presentation tonight, but I'm soooo just not in the mood. Haha. Upload this first, do other superfluous stuff, then start work. ;)
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Day 17 - Shanghai
This has been an extraordinary year cos I got to go to both the US (SF and Montana) and also China (Shanghai and Hangzhou). Just returned from Shanghai last night. And yes! It's finally IS a leisure trip lol.
I'm so grateful for the 1 week getaway from work. Although I was mostly touring Shanghai on my own, it was still a pleasant experience. At least I proved that I could find my way around places and act as Little Miss Independent; booking my own flights, flying alone and then travelling to all the tourist spots via the subway.
Shanghai wasn't what I imagined it to be. I thought it was a cosmopolitan city, modern and glitzy like Singapore, where the people were well-dressed like the Hongkongers. But then there were hoards and hoards of Chinese from the other provinces who swarm the place, and they weren't exactly the most polished people in the world. LY told me that the reason I couldn't find toilet paper in the toilets (not even the railway toilet) was because it would be gone the moment they installed it. And so much for 1st impressions, I had to encounter a taxi driver from hell when I arrived who smoked shamelessly, drove way over the speed limit, and even chatted loudly on his mobile phone. The cab was in such a dirty and unkempt state that throughout the 1hr journey to the hotel, I didn't dare move for fear that the dirt will rub onto me. Shanghai also didn't live up to its reputation of being a food haven. All of the xiao long baos and tang baos I ordered disappointed, and also the local freshwater fishes which just doesn't suit my tastebuds.
However I did discovered some gems during the trip. One was the 香辣虾 restaurant just across the street from the hotel we were staying which served 干锅牛蛙 (stir-fried frog legs) and 扬州炒饭 that were absolutely fantastic. We went back a second time and ordered the same dishes. I also enjoyed eating at the 鸭王 chain along East Nanjing Rd where we wrapped our own Peking Duck with rice paper, and got to eat 鸭舌.
Then there was the beautiful old street with shophouses in Hangzhou;that was given a facelift, it was the most perfect juxtapose of old tradition and modernity that I've seen. The walk down the street made me wish I had taken up architecture as my major, which was one of my dreams back in JC. Lastly was all the shopping, mainly at the supermarket. I didn't buy much but I'm quite pleased that I managed to buy the most famous Shanghai produce- 炖鸭肝 (duck liver).
Waiting for more trips, including biz trips, that will bring me to more countries... and continents.
I'm so grateful for the 1 week getaway from work. Although I was mostly touring Shanghai on my own, it was still a pleasant experience. At least I proved that I could find my way around places and act as Little Miss Independent; booking my own flights, flying alone and then travelling to all the tourist spots via the subway.
Shanghai wasn't what I imagined it to be. I thought it was a cosmopolitan city, modern and glitzy like Singapore, where the people were well-dressed like the Hongkongers. But then there were hoards and hoards of Chinese from the other provinces who swarm the place, and they weren't exactly the most polished people in the world. LY told me that the reason I couldn't find toilet paper in the toilets (not even the railway toilet) was because it would be gone the moment they installed it. And so much for 1st impressions, I had to encounter a taxi driver from hell when I arrived who smoked shamelessly, drove way over the speed limit, and even chatted loudly on his mobile phone. The cab was in such a dirty and unkempt state that throughout the 1hr journey to the hotel, I didn't dare move for fear that the dirt will rub onto me. Shanghai also didn't live up to its reputation of being a food haven. All of the xiao long baos and tang baos I ordered disappointed, and also the local freshwater fishes which just doesn't suit my tastebuds.
However I did discovered some gems during the trip. One was the 香辣虾 restaurant just across the street from the hotel we were staying which served 干锅牛蛙 (stir-fried frog legs) and 扬州炒饭 that were absolutely fantastic. We went back a second time and ordered the same dishes. I also enjoyed eating at the 鸭王 chain along East Nanjing Rd where we wrapped our own Peking Duck with rice paper, and got to eat 鸭舌.
Then there was the beautiful old street with shophouses in Hangzhou;that was given a facelift, it was the most perfect juxtapose of old tradition and modernity that I've seen. The walk down the street made me wish I had taken up architecture as my major, which was one of my dreams back in JC. Lastly was all the shopping, mainly at the supermarket. I didn't buy much but I'm quite pleased that I managed to buy the most famous Shanghai produce- 炖鸭肝 (duck liver).
Waiting for more trips, including biz trips, that will bring me to more countries... and continents.
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Day 16
Was in Bozeman, Montana, for about 2 weeks. It wasn't a particularly enjoyable trip since it was a work trip staffing the bosses, plus with all the pre-trip preparations and what not I was quite burnt out even before we took off to San Francisco.
We were in a ski resort up in the mountains the whole time. There was obviously not much to do up there. We even had to drive midway down the mountain to look for more decent food. There were mountains, mountains, and mountains. Spent most of the time cooped in the apartment doing work stuff. I mean I did enjoy the HUGE apartment with a living room, kitchenette, fireplace and at least 2 bathrooms, but I AM a workaholic and given the time difference I found myself working even longer than my usual work hours. Mornings & afternoons spent attending meetings and preparing for upcoming meetings, and responding to usual office stuff in the night.
But it was a good change being away from home, escaping from the really hot weather in Singapore. We also did visit the Yellowstone National Park. It was like a geography field trip, the park was rather scenic and colourful, but unfortunately we didn't see many animals there. One lasting impression of the park was the huge lake that was completely iced over.
We were in a ski resort up in the mountains the whole time. There was obviously not much to do up there. We even had to drive midway down the mountain to look for more decent food. There were mountains, mountains, and mountains. Spent most of the time cooped in the apartment doing work stuff. I mean I did enjoy the HUGE apartment with a living room, kitchenette, fireplace and at least 2 bathrooms, but I AM a workaholic and given the time difference I found myself working even longer than my usual work hours. Mornings & afternoons spent attending meetings and preparing for upcoming meetings, and responding to usual office stuff in the night.
But it was a good change being away from home, escaping from the really hot weather in Singapore. We also did visit the Yellowstone National Park. It was like a geography field trip, the park was rather scenic and colourful, but unfortunately we didn't see many animals there. One lasting impression of the park was the huge lake that was completely iced over.
It was an iceball, not snowball. See the frozen over lake.
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Monday, May 02, 2011
Day 14
I attended a friend's wedding before where the groom (my friend) during the exchange of vows asked of his wife to join him in working hard, saving and leading a frugal lifestyle together. The bride very suavely also inserted into her vows that they would work hard, save, but also get to savour the fruits of their labour from time to time. Not knowing the bride I didn't think much of her before this, but her clever retort made me see her in a different light. I think an intelligent woman is one who understand the concept of frugality and also importance of slowing down once in awhile to just rest or treat yourself. For their own sanity, and for a long lasting marriage, I trust that an intelligent man would also find a partner like that an asset as well?
p.s. this has been a fine long weekend whereby I managed to watch many episodes of canto drama, meet friends and catch up with family.
p.s. this has been a fine long weekend whereby I managed to watch many episodes of canto drama, meet friends and catch up with family.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Day 13
This sort of videos are all the rage now. Super creative and engaging, it takes real talent to produce this.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Day 12
This week I had conversations with 6 different men on different occassions, we talked about work, politics, life, and other random stuff. I also sat in a car listening to 3 men crack jokes about their weight, about a joker who just found out that he was 25, about another joker with a business plan that defied the law of thermodynamics, and other lame jokes. Keeping up conversations men is quite challenging to me, from initiating topics, finding common ground, breaking akward silences, trying not to sound stupid, being cautious that your body language doesn't make you come across as a prude, etc. But once in a while, if you find someone who can offer you an intellectually stimulating conversation, I think it can quite refreshing.
Equally uplifting is when the people around you read you correctly, or in this case help you read yourself correctly. Previously, I used to stumble over the question "how would you describe yourself". This week, when I was posed this question I answered "grounded". No doubt there was a leading question just before this that probably made me throw out the word "grounded" so quickly, but never have I felt so comfortable with any answer I have ever given to this question. So finally, at long last, I think I nailed the right answer. :)
There are a thousand and one little things that will determine whether your day goes "yippee" or "pttfff". Smiles, retail therapy, good food, engaging company, mindless chatter, intellectual stimulation, a shoulder to lean on, makes it into the first group. Despodent looks, boring company, being nagged at, claustrophobic environment, cold weather, ignorant fools, belong to the second.
Equally uplifting is when the people around you read you correctly, or in this case help you read yourself correctly. Previously, I used to stumble over the question "how would you describe yourself". This week, when I was posed this question I answered "grounded". No doubt there was a leading question just before this that probably made me throw out the word "grounded" so quickly, but never have I felt so comfortable with any answer I have ever given to this question. So finally, at long last, I think I nailed the right answer. :)
There are a thousand and one little things that will determine whether your day goes "yippee" or "pttfff". Smiles, retail therapy, good food, engaging company, mindless chatter, intellectual stimulation, a shoulder to lean on, makes it into the first group. Despodent looks, boring company, being nagged at, claustrophobic environment, cold weather, ignorant fools, belong to the second.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Day 11
These 2 weeks been pretty hectic (which week isn't) with our new bosses coming in and the announcement of the new sme defn. Fortunately we had a break on Friday when our group went to USS for bonding session. We ran about in teams, trying to complete all the stations for the scavager hunt. It was quite fun actually, not to mention extremely sweet when our team walked away with the first prize (a combination of 93% luck, 5% wits, and 2% perspiration)! Winning is sweet, esp when it's least expected. And I was not the only one who felt this way. Someone actually texted me after midnight to tell me that she was still feeling high from the win and cldn't sleep! lol.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Day 10
All attention is turned on Japan this week as the country struggles to cope with the tragic combination of a quake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis. News about the unrest in Libya and Egypt takes a backseat. It's unfortunate for any country to encounter such a calamity, furthermore a country so beautiful and so rich in culture, and with such a huge stake in the world market.
I heard over the radio that some Japanese have said that it was "lucky" that this happened to Japan and not some other country. This is because no other country in the world is as prepared to deal with such a situation as efficiently and calmly as the Japanese. Amidst the chaos, there is some kind of orderliness. No one screaming or brawling in the streets as we saw during the 04 tsunami which hit India and Indonesia. No looting of supermarkets. Supermarkets band together to offer free drinks to the needy, shoppers help to replace fallen items back on the shelves. Households offer whatever little food they have to passerbys. No littering about the evacuation shelters. And neat queues to buy petrol which is limited to USD2 per car. Neat queues too and no unruly behavior at train stations where the frequency of the train service are reduced and , people are forced to take the stairs because the elevators are non-operational in a bid to save electricity. The Yakuza coming out to direct traffic flows....
With everyone behaving so responsibly and sensibly despite what has happened, Japan is shining example of crisis management.
I heard over the radio that some Japanese have said that it was "lucky" that this happened to Japan and not some other country. This is because no other country in the world is as prepared to deal with such a situation as efficiently and calmly as the Japanese. Amidst the chaos, there is some kind of orderliness. No one screaming or brawling in the streets as we saw during the 04 tsunami which hit India and Indonesia. No looting of supermarkets. Supermarkets band together to offer free drinks to the needy, shoppers help to replace fallen items back on the shelves. Households offer whatever little food they have to passerbys. No littering about the evacuation shelters. And neat queues to buy petrol which is limited to USD2 per car. Neat queues too and no unruly behavior at train stations where the frequency of the train service are reduced and , people are forced to take the stairs because the elevators are non-operational in a bid to save electricity. The Yakuza coming out to direct traffic flows....
With everyone behaving so responsibly and sensibly despite what has happened, Japan is shining example of crisis management.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Day 9
What green fingers I have....
This is my african violet which bloomed last week...
And this is my colleague's....lol
This is my african violet which bloomed last week...
And this is my colleague's....lol
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Day 8
We had a nice cny lunch at Jumbo today. The service there was pretty good I must say. Did a recording of all the lines recited by the waitress as she prepared the Yu Shang.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Day 7
We finally had something exciting going on at the new office! Last Friday, we had staff gathering in the morning, followed by a lion dance performance, and then a lunch buffet which spanned 4 levels. It was literally "eat your way up". Cool, fun day followed by a busy but good weekend.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Day 6
Yesterday had to be the roughest day of my 2.5-year career. It started with one guy trying to 'smoke' me as he handed over his assignments (he's quitting). A pity this guy hasn't learnt his lesson after being co-workers with me for at least a year. I hate it when people try to play such games with me. The more you try to 'smoke' me the more determined I will be to smoke out every damm thing you're trying to hide.
I wasn't too rattled then, but unfortunately I was rattled by another incident in the afternoon that left me nearly in tears. Some other guy had the nerve to give me a dressing down in public when he hasn't got his facts right. My boss hasn't even raised his/her voice at me in the past 2 years! Fella even subsequently sat beside me and made scarcastic remarks before I was about to deliver a presentation. *humpf* Seniority doesn't give you the right to throw your weight around, and it doesn't mean you can get away such rude behaviour by "sending your apologies".
In any case, I'm over with yesterday. Glad that the weekend started well with no Jap class and more time for rest and relaxation. Had a great day, off to bed now.....:]
I wasn't too rattled then, but unfortunately I was rattled by another incident in the afternoon that left me nearly in tears. Some other guy had the nerve to give me a dressing down in public when he hasn't got his facts right. My boss hasn't even raised his/her voice at me in the past 2 years! Fella even subsequently sat beside me and made scarcastic remarks before I was about to deliver a presentation. *humpf* Seniority doesn't give you the right to throw your weight around, and it doesn't mean you can get away such rude behaviour by "sending your apologies".
In any case, I'm over with yesterday. Glad that the weekend started well with no Jap class and more time for rest and relaxation. Had a great day, off to bed now.....:]
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Day 5
This is a week full of mishaps. First I cut my finger with the chopper. Second I sustained a bruise when I banged my hand against the glass table. Then another bruise when the clothes pole fell on my feet. I got a bump from hitting my head against the kitchen cabinet. And I got cut by frozen prawns....it's so classic yet so awful at the same time...
Anw I pray pray pray that the tour agent would be able to get us to Korea. They still need 5 more people. Hope they can pull the numbers by the end of the month cos I wanna go skiing and to eat authentic bibimbap. lol.
Hmm am listening to the soundtrack from Burlesque now. Just 3 days ago I didn't know who Cher was. The ST column described her as "not a day older since the day botox was invented", lol. what an amazing feat. The movie didn't disappoint. Cher did the opening of Welcome to Burlesque. The lady does look like she was a beauty in her heydays. I was staring more at her than Christina Aguilera during the show. Haha. Her singing was pretty awesome too.
Anw I pray pray pray that the tour agent would be able to get us to Korea. They still need 5 more people. Hope they can pull the numbers by the end of the month cos I wanna go skiing and to eat authentic bibimbap. lol.
Hmm am listening to the soundtrack from Burlesque now. Just 3 days ago I didn't know who Cher was. The ST column described her as "not a day older since the day botox was invented", lol. what an amazing feat. The movie didn't disappoint. Cher did the opening of Welcome to Burlesque. The lady does look like she was a beauty in her heydays. I was staring more at her than Christina Aguilera during the show. Haha. Her singing was pretty awesome too.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Day 4
This weekend I went to the Peranakan Museum as Mum won 2 complimentary tickets to the museum from some contest. Had I known earlier that the admission ticket was so affordable (only $6!!) perhaps I would've spent one of my lazy weekends there instead of complaining of having nowhere to go.The museum is pretty small with not many exhibits to see. Whatever if there is just enough to cover the key aspects of Peranakan culture and lifestyle. Actually to me there is not much difference between the Peranakan culture and Chinese culture, apart from their well-known form-fitting attire, and their love for secondary colours. In fact, I thought that it is not as flavorful as the Chinese culture. The tour was interesting mainly because of the presentation and maintenance of the exhibits, and the outstanding volunteer guides. We were lucky to have quite a pretty lady that spoke in elegant albeit halting English.
More interesting things ensued at home. For the second time Leng and I succeeded at making quiche :) It was quite funny really cos midway in cooking we ran out of gas so we had to scrap all plans of using the stove and bake everything. We also made this really unfair pact that I'd cut the brocoli while she bought the milk. Leng again got the longer end of the stick when I was forced to revealed to her the secret ingredients that went into marinating the chicken....
More interesting things ensued at home. For the second time Leng and I succeeded at making quiche :) It was quite funny really cos midway in cooking we ran out of gas so we had to scrap all plans of using the stove and bake everything. We also made this really unfair pact that I'd cut the brocoli while she bought the milk. Leng again got the longer end of the stick when I was forced to revealed to her the secret ingredients that went into marinating the chicken....
Nice roasted chicken drumsticks for dinner.
And prawn + brocoli quiche.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Day 3
It's the new year, but I wanted to continue on the Japan trip post from last year. I came across a review in the ST that made me recall that I hadn't blogged about the best birthday dish I ever had....omg, it's totally impardonable that I'd forgotten about the fantastic unagi don in Nagoya!! It was such a great feat, for 3 people who couldn't speak proper Japanese to actually survived Nagoya together and sought out the most famous dish in the city.
"Hitsumabushi as it is served at the Atsuta Horaiken restaurant in Nagoya city. The dish is split into four portions: the first, eaten plain; the second, with spring onions, seaweed and wasabi; the third, with a clear stock."
This was what I had on my 25th Birthday spent in Nagoya. We had no idea Horaiken was that famous. The exterior of the eatery looked really boring. But in retrospect, we did queue for a very long time. It was our last lunch there and so no qualms when we splurged on the lunch. Would definitely want to go back there and relish it again.
"Hitsumabushi as it is served at the Atsuta Horaiken restaurant in Nagoya city. The dish is split into four portions: the first, eaten plain; the second, with spring onions, seaweed and wasabi; the third, with a clear stock."
This was what I had on my 25th Birthday spent in Nagoya. We had no idea Horaiken was that famous. The exterior of the eatery looked really boring. But in retrospect, we did queue for a very long time. It was our last lunch there and so no qualms when we splurged on the lunch. Would definitely want to go back there and relish it again.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Day 2
New Year Resolutions for 2011
1. Swear off buffets (didn't meet this target last year, but the no. had dropped so it stays)
2. Exercise more (since moving to the new office i keep feeling hungry, got to counter that with more exercise)
3. Find time to rest (still got a long road ahead, got to find time to recharge)
4. Be nice to people (going to be stretched this year, but still keeping my cool is important)
5. Laugh and smile more (to feel younger and more positive)
1. Swear off buffets (didn't meet this target last year, but the no. had dropped so it stays)
2. Exercise more (since moving to the new office i keep feeling hungry, got to counter that with more exercise)
3. Find time to rest (still got a long road ahead, got to find time to recharge)
4. Be nice to people (going to be stretched this year, but still keeping my cool is important)
5. Laugh and smile more (to feel younger and more positive)
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Day 1 of 2011
Libra Outlook for 2011 (from Yahoo)
Oh the lessons you have endured over the course of 2010. You're not the same people-pleasing darling you were a mere 12 months ago. On the contrary darling -- you are in the midst of a powerful process of cultivating the kind of backbone that makes greatness. Thanks to big daddy Saturn you're learning your lessons well in relinquishing laziness, strengthening discipline, and realizing your authority. You're taking yourself more seriously in the arenas where it matters most. (Read: career and getting paid what you're worth.)
Relationships bring plenty of passion, drama and unexpected plot twists especially during the spring. By the time May rolls around you'll be dealing with an unprecedented amount of planetary energy firing up your relationship sector. With six planets including Venus, your ruler and Jupiter, the planet of abundance lining up in your partnership sector you'll be anything but lonely. The challenge lies in staying true to your own needs without getting lost in the persuasive me-me-me demands of your significant others.
Although some of Saturn's lessons will weigh in on a heavier note and perhaps depriving you of any former easy-outs or shortcuts, you have the uncanny ability to take it all in stride. There's something to be said for the inherent Libran laid-back approach to life's challenges. But under current planetary duress you may join the ranks of the stressful millions in your quest for regaining inner peace and unshakable equilibrium. Forever striving for that elusive balance, you're being put through the cosmic ringer when it comes to finding and holding your own with others. But you will get there Libra -- just you wait and see!
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