Day 10

Happy things are meant to be shared :)

March/April was kind of watershed period. Firstly, LY proposed and secondly, I got my promotion. It was not really watershed watershed for me since to some extent I actually saw it coming, but nonetheless the people around me seem to think that it was a big thing. Everyone's been asking me to "tell  story".

Honestly I can't remember the full story. I know kept reminding myself to just enjoy the moment which happens once in a lifetime and to remember as much of it as possible. But today the details are beyond me *goldfish memory*. I know I followed my girlfriends' advice- "don't give him a too easy time". Stressed him out a little but eventually said yes. It was the sweetest thing he has done for me and I had to reciprocate. :P

Day 9

It took two art jamming sessions and some extra time at home to finish my first painting since I left school. My mood was just super relaxed after the 2nd art jamming session whereby a few of us with interest in art and music took time off to paint together. With the secret garden soundtrack playing in the background and chocolates littering the table in case we were hungry, it was like group therapy. The sense of pride and fulfilment in completing your picture is only the bonus.

"Art knows no boundaries" - people just draw what they feel like putting to paper, and no one judges. Everyone has their own style, even the simplest picture can draw oohs and aahs. Someone took a brush and drew a picture in 5 minutes and it was so pretty!! I absolutely wanted to kowtow to that guy!! Anyway since a long way back, I was really into this art stuff. Even contemplated making architecture my career choice. But then I didn't. But things are still great because you don't actually have to draw on canvas to feel like an artist, there are many ways in which Art still lives big in my life. It only takes an appreciation to the beautiful things around us, in handwritings, in literature, in food, in the way furniture is arranged, even the way someone laughs. I can only wish that this thirst to be amazed continues in me, and in the people I love.

We displayed our pictures briefly in the staff lounge for it to hang dry.

Day 8

My colleague came by yesterday to deliver goodies in celebration of her baby's first month! I always feel quite detached when people around me have babies cos they are either relatives from "another generation" or people whom I'm not that close to, but I was quite excited yesterday when this colleague showed photos of her newborn. Pictures of her in the delivery ward filled me with admiration. While other members of the family held the baby triumphantly for the camera, mum has to lay there to recover from the trauma and hey it's not just the few labour hours that's traumatising but the entire 10 months. Recapping this makes me feel a renewed sense of gratitude towards my mum... unfortunately i don't say mushy things to my mum and neither does she read my blog...

Day 7

LY and I attempted to make cupcakes on our day off on 29th and this is the delightful outcome! The recipe sites describe it as "fun, kid-friendly and easy to make" but in reality its pretty appearance belies so much hard work and sweat put into it. As usual, at the start this lady thought she had it all covered and convinced her guy that minimal work was needed on his part- "We would be well in time for lunch." I don't know whether he or I would shudder more now as we recall how much it took us to complete the entire 2 batches of cupcakes- from mixing, sieving, stirring, to the last minute rush to the supermarket to top up our ingredients... For the less/inexperienced, cupcakes fairly easy to make, the real nightmare was the cream! Yelps! We struggled so hard to get the consistency right and even as we left for lunch the work wasn't completed. I had to return to it at midnight (can you imagine?) and only managed to nail it after a few experiments. 

I've always told everyone that I'm good cook, but lousy baker. After this incident, still not the best baker but at least I'm improving :) But seriously, so much time to bake so precious few things to be finished off so quickly (chiefly by my brother) puts to question whether it's really worth the while. Maybe it's not the outcome but the process that matters??! I think so....i feel better with a fellow baker, at the very least it a comforting fact that i don't have to wash the dishes!

 ~First successful batch of cupcakes, what an achievement!~

~Reinvented and used oreo crumbs instead of oreo biscuits cos they were so soggy!~

Day 6

I made angmoh carrot cake this week and my sis made chawanmushi!!! And they're good!!! ♥_♥

Day 5

What a wonderful V-day at the office this year. V-day has never been celebrated with such aplomb in my department since I joined spring. Credit goes to the three young gals in my department who are so hot that delivery boys (actually guys from other departments) send coffee from holland v, totillas and ginger ale for lunch etc. to our little corner on the 15th floor "to be shared by everybody".

The best surprise this year was a hand-made card and chocolates from one of my ex-interns who is now a permanent staff. I think I've always be fooled by his nerdy exterior, never expected that he could be this sweet and thoughtful. What a warm fuzzy feeling as I read and re-read his card which is sitting proudly on my table now.

I wish v-day would be this nice at the office every year. :):)

Feeling the love from loving colleagues

Strawberry Cake for our breakfast meeting

Pretty treats made by a colleague

Day 4

Vitou texted me today to say that he got his wedding gift. My Cambodian friend whom I got to know through overseas CIP got married on 4 Feb. Although I couldn't be present on the day, but I was definitely there in spirit. Last weekend, I spent an afternoon fuzzing over what gift to buy, even googled to see if there are customs on wedding gifts that I should follow. Apparently their practice is quite like the Chinese practice, they prefer cash. Since it's impossible to mail cash over, I decided to buy a pretty box and matching water bottle set (with ♥s)for the newlyweds instead. Plastic gift items was a very practical choice, they are less likely to get damaged in the mail. I was expecting that it will take at least 2-3 weeks to reach him since the singpost website said so and half expecting that it may get lost in the mail, so it was a most pleasant surprise that he received it within 5 days! The postal system there is pretty unreliable, all my previous posts never reached him, and so this time I figured it was better to mail it to his father's office instead. Wise choice that made all the difference. ^.^y

Day 3

Family gathering yesterday at big aunt's house. Was finally well enough to indulge in food and wine. I loooove going to my aunt's house cos she makes a very fine host and splurges on us each year. It's always 大鱼大肉 when we go over, haha. And this year our "little host" as grown up! I don't know how it escaped me but my youngest cousin has finished 6 years in primary school and is now in Seconday 1. omg. We used to have 3 groups at gatherings, the adults, the youngsters, and the kids. Now (suddenly) no more kids! Suddenly we have more ppl to play mahjong, and more ppl to keng gai too. It was a very enjoyable evening, with the other Youthsters as we engaged in deep discussions on the very serious topics of numerology and palmistry...

Day 2

We were gathered at Rajah Inn today for our department bonding dinner. This is my first outing ever since I fell sick over cny. Although not fully well, still managed to eat abit of everything on the steamboat menu.We later went on to have the dessert buffet with fondue. The latter was not very impressive, but I was totally blown away by the fried durian fritters.


For someone who doesn't like all the goreng stuff, I thought they were really good. Nearly wanted to stow some away for breakfast the next morning. The restaurant however had a very indecent policy of no takeaways. Shame.

Day 1

Pleasant surprise as a went back to the office today. Christmas gifts from colleagues littered the table. These are the little things that brighten your day at work! :D

Day 26

Birthday surprise we had for Leng. Chinese food for a change. I think I'm so good at planning surprises I should start a business that does so, helping people plan surprises for their loved ones. Idea ;)

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!

Day 24

My last APEC trip.....Bangkok (Sukhumvit) 14-16 Dec 2011...Won't be handling the apec portfolio after this... :(:(

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!

Day 23

Met the econs gals for dinner on Wednesday at Coffee Stars at Dao at Wistma. SJia said it was a Thai restaurant but when I got there I realised it was more fusion than Thai. In fact, I had pasta in cream sauce with crab meat. The quality of the food was not bad but I was expecting authentic Thai food! It led me to this huge craving for Vietnamese Rice Rolls the next day that I could not fight.

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~

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!!

Day 21

This is a very frivolous post, but just want to put on record that this are my best buys in US. Body lotions from BodyWorks. The scent just makes me so happy, especially the forever sunshine range. :):):)

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?

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.

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.

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. ;)

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.