permarexics

ich brauche dich, tmcy.

2010-03-05T09:37:00.005+08:00

amongst the glitz and glamour of all the flamboyancy

mascaras and layers of façade prima facie

camouflages a tinge of innocent love

transparent; true; pure and everlasting

entailing the impossibilities of harshness of life

trials and tribulations of the materialistic society

withstanding affrays; bickering; incessant squabbles

corollary of trickling warm tears

charade faces extinction in your presence

tirade churns into a melody of hope

parades a parody of satirical consonance

façade seers into a world of oblivion

exodus of an evolution of amour
convicted of the awe of true love

bedazzled in the shine and glam

you are my one and only.

(ily)

Currently listening to: 'Issues' by 'The Saturdays' - 858th play count.

Revival of the dead.

2009-10-30T12:50:00.001+08:00

Just to keep this alive.

Seven years after September 11.

2008-09-13T17:59:00.007+08:00

Seven years after September 11.

I was very deeply touched after watching 'Behind the News' on Discovery Channel. As the name suggests, this programme features the many untold and many 'behind the scenes' tales of the September 11 attacks, which happened seven years ago. More importantly, it was a show dedicated to the forty brave individuals who fought terrorism on plane - 'United 93', helping to avert greater fatalities by bringing the fight to the hijackers.

Seven years had passed, with just a blink of the eye. I remembered vividly that seven years ago, I was flipping through the channels while shortlisting for UK colleges to enlist with, and CNN struck me with the most grisly headline flashing across my tv screen: 'Two planes crashed into World Trade Center'. I almost thought it was a fraud channel, until headlines began flashing across all news channels. I stayed up the entire night, praying for the innocent, only to be grief-stricken with more devastating reports that another two planes had crashed at the Pentagon and Shanksville respectively.

However, what I did not know then, was that the forty passengers onboard United 93 (which crashed at Shanksville) had put up a fight against the terrorists. Instead of giving in to the terrorists and allowing them to take the plane to the nation's capital for another brutal massacre, they actually sacrificed themselves and coerced the terrorists to crash the plane at the outskirts where damage and fatalities were kept to a minimum.

Emotions stirred when the programme featured interviews with the close and love ones of the now departed brave souls. Actual recordings of the conversations between the captives and their loved ones were played, and I promise you that those were very emotional moments for any viewer.

'Hey baby, I am calling to tell you that I love you and my love can only get more. I am calling you from the plane, and I just want to say that everything is under control and fine. Take good care of yourself and our parents and tell them that I love them. Love you.'

That was one of the recording that a captive left for her husband because he was still asleep when she called from the plane. She remained composed and calm throughout the conversation, because she did not want her husband to panic nor worry for her when he hears the voice message.

Another heart-warming scene was when a captive called his wife from the plane and the first thing he asked was his wife and their children. The wife replied 'They are having breakfast as we speak hun, and our three girls are fighting with me to speak to you' (then the scene flashes to 3 young toddlers eating their bowls of cereals and trying to fight with the mum for the phone). The man replied 'Tell our sweethearts that daddy will speak to them when he comes home'. The wife knew that her husband was on a hijacked plane, then the man said 'Please do not cry. I do not want our daughters to worry. But in any case, if I am not able to come back home, will you bring up our children to be good?' - I do not even want to imagine myself in the position of the mother. The capacity to handle the grief is a highly respectable effort.

There were so many more examples which I would love to share, but it becomes increasingly difficult to write as I reminisce the scenes of the programme. I saw how people could place their loved ones before themselves even facing the peril of death. Cliche as it may sound, but I believe this is the quintessential of true love.

The simple and seemingly appropriate course of action is to condemn the terrorists. However, I was highly enlightened by their lives in another programme I watched recently which angled their lifestyles. To say the least, I was truly astonished. It is difficult to believe this, but the teenagers did not have toys to play with, but real guns. The only source of music played at night is not from clubs or ipods, but only the thunderous roar of bombs and machine guns. An interview with a child revealed that he too would love to visit those beautiful places in Europe saw on postcards, but they could not even leave the border, so he took pride in upholding a fort with a rocket launcher. After pondering over that speech, I still could not fathom his mentality, but I figured that I probably never will, because I never will live in his circumstances to understand enough. Being brainwashed since young, innocent young children grow to the terrorists much dreaded by the society.

The inability to draw parallels to my life from these two extreme situations probably leaves me in no position to establish a critique in any form, however may I say that I feel the languish that they experienced. Do yourself and more importantly, your loved ones a favour today, by learning to show appreciation.

The question and challenge that I wish to pose is where does that leave the society, seven years after the September 11 attacks? We seem to be teetering on the cusp, ready to tilt toward a society that recognizes the bedrock principle of equality for all, yet warfare and destruction still sweep across the holy lands. Every action has a reaction, so when will the big boys stop their agendas? Can we ever lead our peaceful lives, without the potential threat to world destruction in the forms of massive nuclear warfare or the science of the large hadron collider? Can we, ever?

Despite this being a personal online diary, may I wish the loved ones of the demised from the September 11 attacks, eternal strength and courage to truly move on from the incident for a better life. Before you close this window, may I seek you to observe a minute of silence in remembrance of the 2,975 innocent lives lost on September 11, 2001. Thank you.

Trekking bukit timah nature reserve

2008-08-28T20:46:00.004+08:00

Trekking Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

I must say this is quite an experience. Thankfully the weather held up and was in fact rather cooling to say the least. Decided to take a break from the usual city lifestyle of weights and cardio machines at the gym, and head to trek our nation's tallest hill. Went prepared with my camera, so enjoy the pictures and my journey to the summit!

Embarking on my journey (the first time in about ten years)

The journey started with a steep slope, the challenge begins!

The streams of sunlight which penetrate through the thick foliage to reach the undergrowth. I thought this looked really beautiful.

I got adventurous and decided to go off-road! It was a real challenge, trying to maintain your balance, avoiding the puddles of muddy water (It was pouring in the morning) and more importantly maintaining the running tempo. Also, I was trying to keep a lookout for any interesting features, components of our Singapore's mini rainforest!

I thought the Singapore National Park did a brilliant job, by having these labels to educate the hikers. Along the way, I met many Caucasians who were equally immersed like me with mother nature. The environment and surrounding was a sight to behold. ;)

No monkeys spotted during today's trip! What a disappointment.

Whee! When I was climbing, spotted a snake slithering its way across and spot on, look at how gorgeous this little snake looked!

A light rustle was heard among the bushes, and behold, it is this massive lizard (some passerbys commented that this is a four-legged snake) that was trying to budge its way uphill. Awesome sight already!

Pleasantly surprised! I was trying to catch a snapshot of a blue butterfly, but it would not porch on a leaf, like this brown gem spotted here. Reminds me of the days in primary school where I would go to school with small cases to try and catch butterflies in our floral corner!

I do not know what this insect is. Looks like a cicada or maybe a cricket!

When I went off-road, I actually got lost. Well, I was ill-prepared, without map or any compass, but anyhow, I bumped into this lady who was equally lost like me too. So there we were, two lost wanderers trying to recover our steps back to a proper route. Apparently Miriam is quite an experienced hiker, especially so with the Bukit Timah trail routes, however she took a wrong turn somewhere, and we bumped into each other. We eventually found our way out. Some interesting information she shared with me about the nature reserve, and before we part, she handed me this pamphlet with a short story about God. Well, it was a really wierd and strange encounter to be honest, because firstly, I thought I was following a pathway and suddenly I went lost. Then surprisingly, I bumped into this lady and we co-helped each other to route proper. But anyhow, I was surprised to have made a new friend and we would be arranging to go hiking again soon!

Almost there!

Alas! It was not as difficult as I had envisioned the journey to be, but in total, I expended 1940calories over the entire duration.

It was indeed quite a refreshing trip that I had made. On the way back home, I felt frustrated with the traffic and city noise. I was so attracted to the tranquility of the nature reserve. When I was under the shelter of the tall and thick canopy, it seemed like I was in a different place altogether. No computers, emails, air pollution, the hustle and bustle of the city, the facade of hypocritical people, the malicious behaviour of scums and the list continues. No, there was nothing of all that sort. The chirpping sound of the birds, the noise of the crickets, watching the squirrels hop from branch to branch, and the sightings of many other rainforest insects and mammals. Each and every tree served a purpose, and the whole place is just a community on its own. Nothing is rendered worthless, not even the fallen trunks or the shrivelled brown leaves. They are recycled as fertilizers for the rest of the components of the community.

Mother Nature is indeed beautiful, and I am definitely attracted towards it. I hope to explore a few more nature reserves before I leave Singapore!

Porsche (Calender) from Stuttgart!

2008-08-25T11:00:00.003+08:00

From Stuttgart!

It comes with a token which marks a 60 years anniversary.

GT3 in white, how can you resist.

But sexy always is a porsche 904 coupe in red.

This is THE car, 911.

Thanks to Aaron, and his dad apparently who had to lug a huge luggage to help bring back this massive-sized Porsche calendar which Aaron bought from Porsche's showroom/factory in Stuttgart, where the car originated.

How can anyone not love porsche, and one day, I would be inspired enough to get my own 911, because that car is truly the sexiest. Thanks Aaron again!

The Olympic Games

2008-08-21T21:58:00.001+08:00

The Olympic Games

An attempt at trying to refresh my memory of some fundamental economic theories instead turned to a rather thought-provoking process as I tried to apply game theory into our daily lives. It really is a mathematical calculation of an individual's success in making choices in relation to the choices of the other party. This is also highly applicable to the competitors battling their guts out at the Beijing Olympics.

A descrier of my friends' blogs reveal one common trend, which is the much discussed Olympic games. So, here I am, jumping into the bandwagon. A relaxing afternoon sipping my coffee, I was tuned into the ongoing Mens Table Tennis Singles event which featured Singapore and Croatia. To my surprise, Singapore's Gao Ning was actually participating today's game as a favourite. However, he seemed to let his guard down way too often and the game ended with a disappointing loss for the China-borned turned Singaporean table tennis player. The point I am trying to validate here is not to condemn his loss, but in retrospect, I was highly dismayed by his reluctance to challenge his opponent despite being dominated. That behaviour speaks of poor sportsmanship and even the commentator shared my consternation. At the final point after serving the ball across the table, he simply allowed his opponent to counter the serve with no intention of hitting the ball, allowing the Croatian to cruise towards victory. Yes, you may seemed to be heading for the exit, but never throw in the white towel, that is how and what a weakling does.

In comparison, the China Womens Beach Volleyball team deserved a standing ovation for their dedicated effort and 'never-say-die' attitude. True enough, I had always been prejudiced towards the Mainland Chinese, however I was enlightened by their true sportsmanship being illustrated at the top sporting arena. The torential rain did nothing to foil the Americans from reclaiming the crown which they lost four years ago at Athens, however the Chinese team gave their all, and in my humble opinion was what mattered most. They never once gave up in the two sets which they lost narrowly, giving their opponents a real test to the final point. Congratulations to the new American champions, but my salutations go to the Chinese ladies.

Nobody was born loving to lose, as it was in the nature of most to be victors. More often than not, circumstances do not permit. This brings us to accepting failures and positive thinking to carry us through to whatever new challenges await. I particularly chose the two above events to draw this illustration. When failure seemed destined, it is about how you adjust yourselves to suit your circumstances. What I know for sure is that giving up before you had tried results in regrets, be it now or later. And this, I speak from personal experiences. The full 42km marathon and more recently, my decision to fight for my chance to pursue my overseas education again.

I feel highly inspired watching Michael Phelps clinching a record eight gold medals at one Olympic game, and I feel motivated watching the underdogs upset the favourites, but what emboldens me most is watching the fallen picking themselves up and challenge the best at the next available chance.

On a side note, I am really enjoying my life heap loads right now, with lots of free time to unwind, gym and also I found a really good replacement cycling instructor in Adeline. It is a shame that Christy left, but now that I found a good motivational and attentive instructor, it is time to be clad in tights, spds and hitting the pedals again.

Load this track into your ipod and hit the cardio machines, I promise you a sure blast.

2008-07-23T00:08:00.004+08:00

Gossip Girl Season Finale

Supposedly popping my pills and slipping into bed, I had done quite the contrary by spending the day watching four good episodes of Gossip Girls and I am finally done with Season One, though it really is a shame, and I can't wait for Season Two's premier already. Took me a long while before I finally managed to get hold of the last four episodes which were aired after the writers' guild's strike sometime ago, but that is besides the point, because I got to watch the season finale afterall!

Well, needless to speak, Chuck Bass appeared to be the jerk that people perceive him to be, but he really is the one which I favoured the most in the series, other than Serena van der Woodsen. He is almost the epitome of the male species in many aspects. The manner he disses those he deemed inferior exudes the class of being a total social elitist, with his dress sense always a la mode and a league of his own. In the show, whenever he made a point, the process towards achieving it did not matter, ethical or not, as long as the work is done. That was all it mattered. He would say the harshest of things ever possible towards Blair Waldorf, insulting her every bit of feminine dignity despite his hidden passion for her, because a break up then was eminent. I also liked how Chuck bought off a nerd to do his SAT test with a fake id. Yet, he is the gentleman who would take your coat or slide your chair or even attend to friends' emergencies in ten.

I shall not go to a lengthy description of Serena van der Woodsen, otherwise I might be mistaken for a perv. Aesthetic reasons cast aside, I especially adored how Serena had no problems handling an intelligent conversation, though she might pale slightly to Blair, but I couldn't help but notice that both ladies are better off taking care of each other's issues than their own's really. This probably explains the need for their 'Non-Judging Breakfast Club'. Everyone has their fair share of issues, mistakes and failures in life, and nobody should be allowed to judge. We all have our reasons and ultimately truth will prevail and take care of it all, because it just is the fundamentals of time.

I should probably set up my own 'Non-Judging BF Club' only to replace BF with bitch fit. Privileges include you being to bitch about everything under the Sun minus the judgmental eyes of the masses.

Season Two is due to premier in fall, though no confirmed dates are issued as yet, but this series is a must-watch, and especially is the memorable episode ten. (Do listen to what Gossip Girl says amidst the clip about views of different people)

Until the next entry, xoxo.

serenity

2008-07-14T00:31:00.002+08:00

Serenity

A toddler of three, perhaps four years old stood around the convenience store, wielding an ice cream drumstick in his right hand, was pestering his grandfather to make payment for him so that he could indulge on his little treat. The maid arrived shortly but realized she was short of change and the innocent-looking boy grew all frustrated. I paid the remainder of the drumstick for that little boy and within seconds, a sparkle shone through those beautiful eyes of his. He immediately ran for the exit with his much awaited 'trophy' and started enjoying his drumstick.

The little boy seems impeccable, and regardless of whether it is a genuine case of innocence or nescience, it apparently did not matter. One thing was for sure, despite his age, he had an objective and he never gave up the wait. If will is something embedded within us since young, is it that we succumb to temptations and crumble to trials and tribulations with the passage of time?

Do people really know what they want in their lives, pertaining to relationships? After a very entertaining and fun-filled evening with booze, dancing and loud music, we engaged in a rather serious conversation on the topic of marriage at Macdonalds, Clarke Quay. However, after the recent fiascoes, and also witnessing the number of breakups around me, this topic suddenly has a very condescending meaning to it.

When you decide to commit yourself to a relationship, is it usually an act conducted on a spur of a moment, or is it a decision that you are confident of? I despise people who engage in a relationship and meanwhile 'hunt' for better prospects. Usually, many consider themselves to be young and hence the conditions to flaunt, so why tie yourself down to your current relationship. The on-going search continues until either the so-called conditions falter, or you are deprived of someone better. I find this whole courtship game pathetic, but I am thankful that it provided an insight to the capabilities of mankind. In my attempt to protect the interests and identities of some of my close friends, I shall not divulge much information, but the bottom line remained that the male counterparts are usually the one being taken advantage of. Do not flame me because friends should know by now that I am definitely not a sexist, but I was feeling disgruntled and aggrieved, because I could correlate to my personal experiences.

I share the sentiments with many that ladies are meant to be pampered, but I feel that it is also essential that the favour is returned and not taken for granted. A relationship can and never will be a 50-50 weightage, because of the tendency of one party loving the other more, so please stop lying to yourself. The next question would probably be, so how do we measure who loves more? And if you agree to the need for that question, you are probably not loving him or her wholeheartedly enough yet. So please do yourself and me a favour by texting him or her how much you appreciate him or her in your life. Thank you.

Love is indeed a mysterious affair with compelling forces ever so magical and inexplicable. Simple deeds from your loved ones will leave you reflecting with smiles written all over your face. The feeling is so natural, yet at the same time, surreal. I find that the essence to any relationship stems from the prosaic principal of a friendship which outlines understanding, trust and honesty. The courtship is always sweet, the honeymoon period is everything you ever wanted in your life and it seemed as though all your childhood dreams and ideals of Prince Charming or Princess Enchanting are finally materializing, and you can't wait to spend the rest of your life with this special someone whom had so miraculously entered your life. Then suddenly, you question your compatibility when disagreements arise or when he (note: only the 'she' in the relationship is guilty of this, usually anyway) fails some overrated lovers' quiz on facebook or some other ridiculous virtual portal. Ahem, then the problem escalates and you decide you are tired of listening to her whinings and sick of his explainations, and call it quits. So the taboo phrases - 'Let's break up', 'You deserve someone better', 'I think we are better off as friends than lovers' pop up. Oh no, I feel so depressed now so I call my friends out to have a bitch fit and you cry hard and continue crying. Uhm, so two days later, you still feel like you could do with a hug from him or her or a simple loving text asking how you are doing, so you meet up over dinner and patched back. You think it is happily ever after now? No, because you are about to get a re-run of all that, with slight variations maybe and a new incident of 'Why did we break up back then', so you get yourself an extra dose of bitchings and at the end of the day, it is still game over. Goodbye.

Oh, and did I mention that I am guilty of some of those charges. As long as you learn from your mistakes and willing to take the effort to make the change, you are still answerable to yourself. Never feel judged since there is no one out there capable of judging you, simply because they just do not possess the rights to do so.

From an economist's point of view, just do a simple evaluation of the opportunity cost of your current partner. Bear in mind that it is also constitutional that this person attributes positive value in your life, especially in the aspects of social, wealth, spiritual and physical well beings. If he or she doesn't come up to a positive integer when you accumulate the points in the checkpoints listed above, you better bail yourself out, and make it quick.

A close friend (whom personally had suffered from a breakup of her relationship of 4 years) once commented that it was essential to sever all ties with your ex, in order to facilitate both parties to move on. The only regret would be that when that happens, it is a rather depressing episode. At one point in time, this person was everything in your life, however it seemed as though those years and time spent never existed, except that it will remain embedded at the back of your head as part memories of your life. I acknowledged and accepted her viewpoint, but as how I recently advised a friend, do not consider how much you had invested in a failed business and try to turn it around. If you have the chance, why don't you initiate a new business altogether. I believe this applies even for relationships. Every breakup is a blow to the relationship, leaving nothing but cracks and tears. As a friend once put it, there is a reason why he or she is your ex. However, if he or she is really your everything, and you indeed see a future together, then go for it. Though I learned that what is meant to be yours will eventually be. I know this is a total cliche, but I do find some truth in that saying now.

The modern world is just so hypocritical with vast individuals contemplating warped thoughts. Before I enrolled myself into this highly dynamic societal course, I held a different vision to what I have today, a much more naive innocent looking environment. With materialism playing fiddle to a huge part of everyone's lives nowadays, that is hardly possible.

And this is hardly surprising looking at the benchmark I had set for myself. I will not marry unless I can afford to make her retire to be a tai-tai. I also want to drive the lady of my life on the big day myself in my 911 carrera.

Currently listening to: 'Moving On' by Taio Cruz.

Road trip to Peninsula Malaysia

2008-06-15T21:56:00.008+08:00

Road trip to Peninsula Malaysia

A much anticipated trip to the Peninsula Malaysia north of Singapore was filled with much fun, laughter, anxiety, fatigue, music, noise and lame jokes. It was a massive food feast with Emery and myself spearheading the hungry fiver to the respective venues for indulgence!

Breakfast at A&W!

A&W rootbeer float!

curly fries! yummmmy!

coney dog - whenever I eat this, it reminds me of fen's joke about connie ;p

the pipin' hot waffles fresh from the oven, coated with a thin layer of butter (left to melt) and some maple syrup to top it off, fantabulicuous!

we ate a&w and are now all happy merry people, ready to race.

high-technology put to a test.

emery and huson tried the 390cc go-kart which could make you fly at 100km/h in that small kart. i was satisfied with my 2 runs in the standard go-kart. for some absurd reason I always crash right after overtaking pearlly. hmph.

eating was the only thing on our minds after go-kart.

durian pancake - exudes a tinge of bitterness yet leaves you with a sweet after taste.

sunshine bun - filled with molten salted egg.

mango tan yuen soaked in ginger soup - the mango-flavoured skin of the tan yuen contains warm rich mango juice within, and when you sink your teeth in, the juice spills out and has a perfect combination with the spice of the ginger soup.

emerald bitter - the skin of this mochi alike is made of bitterguord, filled with salted egg paste. i would not categorize this as a perfect concoction, but rather an unique one.

mango ice - omg, I love this so much that I had to order two servings. loved this since the first time I tried it last year. very generous servings of the ripe mango and filled with sago, it just makes this dessert one of my personal faves, along with MANY others.

the biggest pineapple tart, in melaka. it tasted nice and the pineapple pastries looked pretty so i bought four boxes!

bought some old school malt candy from this couple!

somehow, the ambience of this whole bistro just appeals to me.

the first time i had nonya assam laksa with tuna. the serving was generous but rather spicy but suited me fine, other than the endless drops of perspiration flowing down my temple.

the valentine apple tarts was such an interesting name that I had to buy some to try!

fatt poh, or in other words known as ABC, which I also have no idea what is it.

i can't recall if this was durian or mango chendol cos we ordered both!

i love my basic chendol the most, the gula malacca was sooooo good and hawt and i'm definitely going back for more!

outside the famous melaka lok lok stall, recommended by emery.

i think the food here is decent, but i find the herbs + spices a little too much for my liking. if you are a fan of steamboat, you'll love it!

Overall a very enjoyable trip with friends, and hopefully we don't have to wait too long for a similiar trip! Of course, we need more good food!

p.s.: more pics in facebook album

Sweets for my sweet

2008-06-13T23:33:00.002+08:00

Sweets for my sweet!

Collected my pre-ordered cakes from my favourite cake parlour at Patissier located along Mohd Sultan Road. Whatever rating you may possibly derive from my pictures and descriptions of the cakes, multiply that integer by four, and that is how good the cakes get.

Freshest ingredients being used on Evolution. A white chocolate-coffee mousse cake with walnut sponge and luscious mocha mousse on a coffee biscuit base, coated with a rich layer of dark chocolate. Resembling the shape of a sphere, this cake is the epitome combination of dark cocoa and mocha.

The white chocolate mousse exterior has a spongy texture resembling that of marshmellows. The igloo-alike cake encompasses a thick layer of rich dark chocolate, complemented by the crunchy bits of the walnut tasted almost holistic with a small serving of the coffee biscuit base. It gives a very crunchy taste, definitely a 'hit' for nuts lover.

Chocolate Rumba! Chocolate mousse with rum soaked caramelized banana, with specks of roasted almond. The additional topping of blueberries, gooseberries and strawberries simply makes the cake complete. I could try to offer a vivid description of this wicked indulgence, but no amount of words could piece a suitable description. The hand-moulded chocolate, sprinkled with gold dust wrapped the rich chocolate mousse mildly and turns molten immediately upon delivering to your tastebuds. Avoid this if you are not a fan of alcoholic desserts, because the rum infused and caramelized fruits presents a unique combination of tastes. Sweetness from the ripened berries, tinge of sourness from the gooseberries, bitterness from the rum and dark chocolate, and of course the look of satisfaction with the overall after-taste.

I succumbed to cam-whoring under the direct influence of geoky-momo.

Everyone has said that geoky-momo looks like me. Now compare again with our most beloved mummy!

Brown Sugar Cafe Bistro

2008-06-10T22:46:00.002+08:00

Brown Sugar Cafe Bistro

Nestled in a nook off River Valley Road, this limited capacity venue has a simple, cosy yet warm decor, through the clever use of ambient lighting.

Complimentary wholemeal bread was served warm and lightly toasted. It tasted different, with a light tinge of spice which lingers in your tastebuds even after sips of the chilled water. Grab your napkins before you start drooling over the delicacies.

Handchopped Wagyu Beef Burger, truffled mushroom sauce, arugula salad and fries. To spice my wagyu beef a little, I requested for foie grass to top my wagyu beef. As expected, the flavour of wagyu was delicate, unlike the usual robust steaks. The succulent medium rare cooked wagyu beef, perfectly complemented by the balsamic vinegar dressing in the arugula salad, the crispy crunch from the toasted ciabatta and the additional foie grass made the entire dish all so venerable.

Linguine of organic mushrooms in cream sauce with sliced parma ham. The shaved parma ham tantalized me greatly as I was reminded of my favourite entree of shaved parma ham on rock melon.

We decided to give appetizers a miss, because the names of the respective desserts served their purpose dutifully to entice us. We were advised that all desserts were baked to order and has a waiting time of at least fifteen minutes. I had the signature Tarte Tatin of Pears with Honey and Fig ice cream. A very interesting and fresh dessert, and recently pear desserts seem to draw their appeal. The pastry was well toasted and I particularly fancied the hardened caramalized glaze. The luscious slices of pear were ripe-sweet, providing a good crunch to the accompanied pastry. Dabbed with a generous slush of the well-textured ice cream simply sent me on an insulin high.

Pardon this inferior quality photograph, which does zero justice to the rich flavour of the Molten 100% Valrhona Chocolate Cake, Raspberry Coulis and Vanilla ice cream. A soft crust hides within the decadent molten chocolate, which was served warm. Paired with vanilla ice cream made from vanilla beans, it tenders an opulent flavour, leaving you crave for more.

Indulgence in the piquant entremets was a fulfilling experience and as Pauline put it, I don't seem to 'waste my calories on bad food'.

passion run

2008-06-09T13:58:00.005+08:00

Passion Run!

I think there is more passion to the prelude to the run rather than at the run itself. I enjoyed myself more and better being the caretaker of the family since parents were out of town, and together, Swee and I cooked up a nice carboloading meal, and of course I won't neglect LY's contribution of buying drinks from 7-eleven! We had soooooo much fun during dinner!

Before we each embark on our individual tasks!

Pan-frying the meat balls!

Trying to act serious and stealing my limelight!

Uber camwhore!

Spaghetti Bolognese with fresh premium beef!

Very yummilicious sausages!

What lovely meat balls..

After eating like four of them, Swee pointed out to me that some are actually still raw on the inside. But heyyy, none of us got diarrhoea, so it's all good.

We were so full and on a carbohydrates high and started doing the silliest things like this! Now, I do admit that there is some degree of similarity between Swee and me!

The run was miserable, my knee worked up on me halfway through the race and I urged JY to continue with his race without me. With much reluctance, he finally did. I struggled but still managed to complete it. The medal looked like crap, so it wasn't even worthy of me to post it. There was no finisher tee, and basically I did not enjoy the run at all. Worst of all, it aggravated my knee problem, which sounds like a possible meniscus tear according to Emery.

Looking forward to our first road trip ever!

Carbo-loading sessions prior to Passion Run

2008-06-06T13:36:00.005+08:00

Carbo-loading sessions prior to Passion Run
(I know it is too early, but who cares)

I prefer to label my indulgence sessions over the past few days as carbo-loading session for this Sunday's 'Passion Run' of fifteen kilometres. That is the best excuse I could possibly concoct for myself.

The most comforting piece of nutritional information to read when indulging on ice creams!

Recommended by 'Cold Rock's' retail assistant, this 'Ferrero Indulgence' fares rather low on my chart of preferred ice cream. No harm in trying nonetheless!

'Grandma's Apple Pie' - A perfect blend of Aussie vanilla flavoured ice-cream with chopped up pieces of Graham biscuits and chunks of delicious crunchy apple cubes. I am well satisfied with this mix and will definitely return for more. Wish B&J has the 'Apple Pie' flavour here in Singapore, how I crave for that now!

After a romantic run at the Botany Gardens, the expended calories need to be replenished in the most stylish fashion, and my preferred choice is once again, ice cream. The unique flavour of Pear Sake is what I have to boast of. The gritty texture of the pear sorbet was tantalizing to say the least, and the sweetness origins from the fruit rather than artificial means. (Well, I assumed this, so please don't quote me) It tasted almost perfect, except for the flaw that it lacks the sake lingering taste which I was hoping to experience. Still a very intriguing and titilating adventure for my taste-buds.

This may not seem like the perfect condiment partner to the ice creams illustrated above, but the muffins from this Teochew confectionery, located on Chun Tin Road is one of my personal favourites. A box filled with different interesting flavours such as Orange, Kiwi, Cranberry etc is just more than enough for me to fathom! Love the 'orange-flavoured' muffin the most amongst the many other dozens they have to offer. This is definitely a 'miss' if you are on Jimmy's Diet, but a resounding 'hit' for possibly every other individual out there. A rich taste of butter, like any other cupcakes, it has a toasted exterior (which I love) and a soft, chewy texture on the interior and before you are done with your first muffin, your hand is in the box again, scuffling for the next best bite.

Another early run of 15km awaits on Sunday morning, 6.30am! More excuses to carbo-load and more importantly, to reload. The Army Half-Marathon on 24 Aug 08 beckons.

Stephy Tang is so hawt!

Twins!

'Right here waiting' featuring Gillian Chung and Edison Chen. Whoever starts a flame on this topic, you are a scumbag. Though this is a piece-together, but she looks so perfect in this video. Whoever has any slightest misunderstanding about Gillian should by now know that he/she was wrong, and I shall forgive your false accusations.

Post marathon thoughts

2008-06-05T01:01:00.007+08:00

Some post marathon thoughts

The journey of physical and mental torment commences.

Are you ready?

And it all begins.

Congrats to Jeanette Wang for winning the Ultra-Marathon of 84km!

This man proposed to his girlfriend after completing the marathon and she accepted. I find this one of the most romantic and sincere way to prove your love. May your love be endless like the never-ending miles!

I saw many couples running together and I found that real sweet. Especially commendable was this gentleman who quit his race because his girlfriend hurt her ankle or sustained some form of leg injuries and had to forfeit the race. They embraced the pain, rain and looked absolutely dainty when they crossed the finishing line with hands held. Now, that is what I call sweet true love, the willing to sacrifice.

I was alone, well almost. Ipod made those miles felt like kilometres, if that helps.
The smile on my face after the race - priceless.

Recanting the opportunity to experience a life-changing event would have been a mistake. The experience was rewarding, and beyond what words could depict. Strewn thoughts were finally brought to order, and now I have a clearer vision to the pursuits of my life.

Many question the drastic actions contrived, but close compadres shall have no qualms and embrace my decisions hortatorily. Completing a full marathon is not merely a physical trial, more importantly, it assays your mental capacity. Apart from the endurance criterion, surprisingly, I was able to pick up important lessons which I would live with for the rest of my life.

Never believe in absolutes. Despite the cliche saying which goes 'impossible is nothing', there is indeed truth. Prior to this race, the furthest distance clocked in training was no more than eight kilometres, yet I completed it, with much difficulty, pain and of course satisfaction.

Nobody is going to pity you ever in this world. You have nobody but yourself to rely on to pick yourself back on track when you fail or falter. This sounds morbid, but the moment when you ever actually get help is when the doctor certifies you and you need them to pull the cover over your head and over your dead body. Family and friends may offer assistance, but ultimately, the onus is on you and it is your damn responsibility.

You fight for what you want in life. I wanted to prove that I can outdo myself. I wanted to prove that I can complete a marathon. I wanted the boasting rights. I wanted the finisher-tee. I wanted the medal. Yes, I wanted the medal so that I can dedicate it to my parents and especially my mother. She is the one lady who cared the most for me, the one lady who cried the most for me, the one lady whom I owed the most in my life, the one lady who never gave up on me when the whole damn world did, the one lady who would never stop loving me, the one lady who would always be by my side, the one of the two ladies I promise to love till the day I die.

Idealism was not at work, nor the surreality of fairy tales, but trust me, there really was a rainbow after the storm (It rained very heavily halfway through the race). Believe me you, after crossing the finishing line and collecting my well deserved medal and finisher-tee, I turned around and saw the most enchanting beam of rainbow in my life. There had been way too many ordeals, setbacks, trials and tribulations over the past year for me to even inscribe on this virtual portal. When will the rainbow unveil?

I never felt so sure about what I want in my life till this very moment. I always thought that I knew what I wanted, but time and again, facets of life never fail to deny me. The term 'jaded' was conferred upon me by a close confidante and is she perhaps right? I learnt that your so-called 'friends' are not so compassionate afterall. I even learnt that people can say 'I love you' in your eyes and still cheat behind you making you look dumber like that microscopic organism that thrives on your faeces. I learnt that trust is one facility that is most manipulated, often at the expense of the victim. If you feel deserving of some consolation, maybe you should spend eleven bucks at your nearest 7-eleven on a tub of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream.

Whatever little positive emotional feelings and energy left of me were galvanized when I knew that moral support carries me through to the finishing line and I was truly moved when the veneer of adminicle in the form of Carole emerged after my race. I really appreciated the effort even though it was so early in the morning, which even inconvenienced your brother as a result. The amount of gibberish conversation we had over carbo-reloading breakfast was fascinating to say the least.

Received a couple of other heart-warming, encouraging texts prior or after my marathon and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all. However, looking back at the heartening texts from my family members never fail to bring smiles.

Daddy: 'Chong, you had done a top job. Well done.'
Swee: 'heyy bro, all the best for your marathon!i'm sure you can do it!cos you're puny like a pony HAHAHA!jiayou! :)'
Yuan: 'Bro, you can run to the end. I wish you luck :)'

And of course, Mummy is not a lady of words, she wished me luck with a hug before I left home, greeted me with a hug too when I reached home and said 'well done'. She left a mug of warm ginseng drink on my sidetable and I had birds' nest at night for recovery. Thank you Mummy!

The brotherhood.

Well done lads. You did it.

Just watched Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian. And the two songs had kept me accompanied through the morning till four am. Oh my gosh, I want a Commander of Mouse next time, not forgetting the red feather.

Pictures appended are courtesy of Adidas Sundown Marathon website.

Attempting the fabled run of Pheidippides

2008-05-29T20:13:00.005+08:00

Attempting the fabled run of Pheidippides

Pheidippides ran the distance of 42.195km (26miles 385yards) from the Battle of Marathon to Athens, fulfilling his duties as a messenger. In the twilight hours of 1 June 2008 will see a pack of marathon enthusiasts commencing their journey, with the sole goal of crossing the finishing line, to the cheers, applause and envy of the onlookers.

Family and friends had questioned my desire to attempt this marathon yet no queries were fully entertained. In addition to the material gains of a finisher medal, a finisher tee, the boasting rights of being a marathon runner, there are more. It is no surprise when people comment that crossing the finishing line of a full marathon may be a life changing experience. And indeed, it will be, and may I emphasize, it definitely will.

Running a marathon is probably one of the most difficult challenges, both physically and mentally. But what more ordeals, trials and tribulations do I deserve before I collapse and disintegrate into nothingness? Coercion is brutal, fatal and lethal, so will you emanate trinkets of good faith and spare me already? Disregarding outsiders' opinionated views, well, not that I give a shit anyway, the past year and the recent tidings are more than a crucible. Each afflicting moment pierces like a bitch and I cannot fathom why do I have to experience such grief. I could not recount the number of times I slipped, be it a deliberate setup, or a natural course of incidence, but they were all difficult moments which bore ugly scars on the once mellifluous and unsullied veneer. Just where had my marquee gone to?

You can never know for sure what underlies the silver tint of the clouds. Will it be a rainbow waiting to surface bringing a brighter tomorrow or will it be another wave of grey stratus looming with a hidden agenda? But let me tell you, it is rarely anything good because there are just so many retarded issues and people out there, and mark my words, they never fail to amaze. You know there are miracles in reality when you are able to envision, and more importantly, apprehend the capacity of idiotism that prevails in today's world. If you think that Samaritans exist in this world, it is time to wake up your fucking idea and get a hold of yourself.

Before I digress further into an essay of flammation mocking the ridiculosity of life, let me shed whatever pathetic amounts of optimism that is left.

I simply adore my first ever personalized number tag, which bears my name! I just realized that I could have bidded for the bib number in the name of charity. Nonetheless, I am contented with it and my new apparels!

I hope I did not get cheated into buying this pair of exorbitant athletic socks, with 2 years performance guarantee, which would eliminate static, abrasion and basically the best pair of socks available at Running Lab. I have other matching garments which are not appropriate to share on a public virtual portal.

Clif bar! The reputedly rather famous energy bar for triathlons made with organic oats and soybeans. Of course, no prizes for guessing the infamous PowerBars and PowerGels. God, they remind me of the Half-Ironman triathlon in Desaru couple of years back. Totally unglamourous and upsetting, to say the least.

I look forward to completing my first ever marathon, and Singapore's first night marathon. May I be blessed with the stamina of Lance Armstrong and the legs of Paula Radcliffe.

Anyone who has some nice and good music to share, please do so! Special thanks go to Jay for sharing motivational, high tempo Nightwish's albums!

Indulgence

2008-05-25T12:54:00.006+08:00

Indulgence

After buying Swee two slices of cheesecakes (White Chocolate Raspberry and Cookie Monster) from Saychezcake, she returned the favour to feed her glutton brother with this dessert, Wild Berries Yoghurt Crumble from Gastronomia. Thank you Sweesie, the p.u.n.y like the p.o.n.y!

The crisp crumbles on this yoghurt compliments the very soft texture wild berries yoghurt, giving you an overall feeling of satisfaction. I am sitting in front of my laptop, sipping away to my cup of coffee and smiling with content after handing myself a huge mouthful of this little delicacy. Did I mention that the wild berries yoghurt is nothing like your Marigold nor Yoplait, or even Muller, because it doesn't overwhelm your tastebuds with the abundance of sugar. The sweetness of this dessert comes from nothing but the ripeness of the natural fruits. Yummy! (The only setback is that this small serving costs an exorbitant SGD8, but I will definitely return for other desserts, considering the freshness and quality of ingredients used)

A late morning gratifying treat, in the comfort of my air conditioned room (with the Sun blazing outside) with MTV screened, sure is a perfect excuse for me to give that gruelling gym workout a miss.

MTVs to enjoy!

I seriously love this song - 'Run the Show' by Kat DeLuna (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pvwy8MdUB64&feature=related) somehow, I couldn't embed it, so please follow the link!

P.S: No flaming shall you fail to appreciate the above music which I find good!

Ice cream from NASA

2008-05-23T12:34:00.006+08:00

Ice cream from NASA!

I was well rewarded when Carole returned from her US trip, with food of course. Nothing intrigues me more than food, and more specifically, desserts. I am still trying to figure out how this cookies and cream ice cream works. It feels hard like a biscuit, so I don't know how is it supposed to be an ice-cream. I will know after I had tried it!

'Originally developed for the early Apollo Missions, this 'space treat' is frozen to -40 degrees, then vacuum dried and placed in a special polyfoil pouch. Freeze-dried foods are used by astronauts eating under weightless conditions in space.'

I can't help but notice the nutrition facts of all food I put into my mouth. This ice cream that the astronauts consumed is actually quite low in fat content. Look, even they are diet-conscious!

Thanks for the interesting and well-thought 'space treat' all the way from NASA, though I am still trying to decide whether or not to consume. Ugh, I desperately want to know how it taste like, yet I want to keep it as a souvenir.

I first watched this video on MTV, and now I can't help but repeatedly watches it on YouTube, make it religiously too. To rebuke some rather skeptical and false accusations that the video or song is rather gay, allow me to reiterate myself that it is the female model in that video which I found hot, and NOT the protagonist. Now, please enjoy.

Pimp my ride and pamper my tastebuds

2008-05-17T00:28:00.006+08:00

Pimp my ride and pamper my tastebuds

It has been a while since I found any time to update my blog, but here it comes, and of course, I never fail to amaze with food, and this time round, from Malaysia. I would love to share more, but I lost quite a deal of pictures when my laptop crashed.

The first time I drove a M3, thanks to Uncle Tee!

totally wicked. hear the engine roar.

the pedals behind the wheels, racer style. you can hear the throttle and the rev as soon as the engine is ignited. not sure if you can see in this picture, but the RPM was already at almost 2000 without stepping on the accelerator. this car flies, seriously.

and it's no surprise the magic of it all comes from the SMG II engine and gears. mind blowing experience and weekend with the drive.

we wanted to have steamboat, but somehow dinner ended up to be some chinese food, but my colleagues suggested roadside steamboat, which some of them used to take when they were young and swear by it.

the variety! honestly speaking, the food don't taste fantastic, but the experience was very well worth it.

cooking the food!

i love the ambience of this dessert parlour! if someone opens a pretty dessert parlour in singapore, i'll be the first to apply to be a patron. a dessert parlour doesn't have to be very posh like, but it has to feel homely, comfortable and warm. simple decorations with delicate touch ups sometimes can do wonders. it is indeed a joy to sip on a cup of americano black (no sugar of course, and with extra shot) and sample pretty, yummy desserts.

the signature dessert, bananatoffee pie. it sounds weird, but trust me, once you start, you can't stop. it is orgasmic, with espresso cream, freshly sliced bananas, digestive biscuit base (hahaha we made a huge j.o.k.e about the digestive biscuits to convince the ladies to try), caramel and dark chocolate. the texture is light yet the taste is very rich, but it doesn't overwhelm. very tasteful indeed.

banana split with haagan daaz ice cream. i saved the night by 'helping' to finish the ice cream.

such a pretty cupcake! if you love dark chocolate, you gotta enjoy this, like me.

wish I had the rest of my pictures to share the food I so sinfully indulged, oh well. another day perhaps!

dieting

2008-05-07T00:53:00.003+08:00

Dieting

With summer approaching ever so quickly, it is time to keep the waistline in check, as always. I know I must have blogged this like umpteen times, but I am seriously going to adhere to my 'rabbit diet'.

I have been following the below diet for the past two days to maintain an effective deficit in calories to assist me in losing those inches. I feel terribly lethargic and worse of all, obese.

Breakfast:
100gms of tuna in brine (32g of protein, 1.4g of fat, 152 kcal)
50gms of organic garden salad without dressing (0.3g of protein, 0g of fat, 8 kcal)
30gms of low fat cottage cheese (4.1g of protein, 0.6g of fat, 27 kcal)
1 large orange (1.7g of protein, 0.2g of fat, 86kcal)

total: 38.1g of protein, 2.2g of fat, 273kcal

Break 1:
250ml of skimmed milk (9.2g of protein, 0.6g of fat, 96kcal)
1 slice of wholemeal bread (3.6g of protein, 1.0g of fat, 65kcal)

total: 12.8g of protein, 1.6g of fat, 161kcal

Lunch:
75gms of organic cherry tomatoes (raw) (0.5g of protein, 0.5g of fat, 40kcal)
75gms of organic baby carrots (raw) (0.5g of protein, 0.1g of fat, 26kcal)

total: 1.0g of protein, 0.6g of fat, 66kcal

Break 2:
1 cup of zero fat yoghurt (200ml) (10.1g of protein, 1.0gm of fat, 150kcal)

total: 10.1g of protein, 1.0gm of fat, 150kcal

Dinner:
1 sliced chicken breast (steamed) (27.2g of protein, 1.5g of fat, 130kcal)
50gms organic garden salad without dressing (0.3g of protein, 0g of fat, 8 kcal)
30gms of low fat cottage cheese (4.1g of protein, 0.6g of fat, 27 kcal)
1 mango (1.1g of protein, 0.6g of fat, 135kcal)

total: 32.2g of protein, 2.7g of fat, 300kcal

total consumption for a day: 94.2g of protein, 8g of fat, 950kcal.
(in order to feel full, i drink approximately 4.5l of water daily, and take multivit + vit c to avoid lack of nutrients)

I shall update this blog regularly of my food intake so that I can better monitor my progress and I will have a greater motivation to eat well, and hopefully find time to train well. I am still in the midst of trying to fine tune my diet so that my daily required nutrients are more balanced to avoid crash dieting.

P.S: Some of the figures are obtained from www.calorieking.com, while most of the nutritional info are obtained from the labels. Please refrain from trying out the above listed diet without proper supervision, as everyone reacts differently to diet changes. I shall not be held liable for any mishaps which may possibly occur in your folly to attempt my diet.

Currently listening to: 'Eye of the Tiger' (Rocky's OST)

Reminiscence

2008-04-26T06:58:00.003+08:00

Reminiscence

It must have been the most tiring night, with hours spent going through countless items in my closet, wardrobe, drawers and trying to fit them all into those large brown boxes. It is almost eight in the morning as I struggle to stay awake, all thanks to music, coffee and friends.

The only plus point about packing can only be one, and that is discovering old mementos which will somehow chase those frustration out of you. I found old handwritten letters enclosed within classy Donna Karan envelopes, scented notes filled with fluffy 3d stickers, my ACS(I) badges (I am still fighting hard to recall where did that MGS badge came from) and that 'Class-Representative' one too, year books, pictures dating as far back as kindergarten where I sat beside 'Ah Meng' with my then pretty neighbour. I have no idea what is her name nor how she looks like now though. Those primary school pictures were just amusing, especially from the Primary 5 outward bound camp at that cursed place in Punggol. I can't believe I even found '蔡老师's Christmas invitation from some 12 years ago. I finally found my UK prom night pictures, my stash of black and white, sepia and all other artistic, scenery photographs when I visited the places around UK. If I am not utterly exhausted, I would definitely love to share those gorgeous pictures. The scene where we were all clad in tuxedos, suits and gorgeous gowns, with my landlady and friend coming over to help with tidings, hopping into a limousine filled with lilies and a pre-prom celebration with champagne at the back of the moving vehicle, the dance and whatever transpired that evening all came back to me in a flash, and I would really love to repeat that, if possible. Those days, when we were still teenagers dying to make a fashion statement and going to prom without a limousine sounds as bad as recycling your gowns and suits for the next ball - i.e. the big cliche.

The one item that struck me most while I was packing is a handcrafted Hungarian gift I received for my 21st birthday. That was the only other 'key' really which I received (traditionally, you receive 'keys' for your 21st birthday), apart from a luxurious and most generous present from my parents. As promised years ago, I will not divulge too much intricate details, but just so you know, till today, I occasionally still forget how to reveal the key. This is one of my personal faves not because I am a sucker for presents, but anything intellectual and personal simply intrigues me.

I found the catalog on the preparation methods for Cachaca, Brazil's national drink, and I have decided to host a party sometime over Summer before school starts, and all invited friends shall pop over and have a swooshing good party session. Trust me, this liquor is good stuff. Oh, and I found the secret place where mum kept ALL the spirits and possibly every single drop of liquor. The bell has just rang for a smashingly wicked time, are you in?

The dust makes me puff, and the dirt is just disgusting. I give up on trying to continue blogging in such a filthy environment.

Currently listening to: 'Make love in this club' by Usher ft. Young Jeezy.

nutella ice cream > jimmy's diet

2008-04-19T22:41:00.003+08:00

nutella ice cream > jimmy's diet

the dichotomy between a healthy diet and a junk filled one is often distinct, with the occasional misleading retailers tempting us with their delusive adverts. after nine faithful days of strict adherence to jimmy's diet, i finally succumbed to the illusive low fat ice cream. don't get me wrong, i am not anorexic by any faint chance, but i literally felt as if i piled on 2 pounds of fats after i finished the massive scope of nutella ice cream from island creamery.

a rather uneventful day led me to seek some insulin relief in the form of ice cream, a rare treat from swee too. after the indulgence, i found the strategic move by her rather skeptical. maybe she was trying to make sure that she ain't alone in becoming fat, am i not right, ms farmeress? ;)

anyway, i would love to share the picture of the nutella ice cream which i had which was totally wicked. despite the 128974543 calories which i might possibly accumulate over that delightful five minutes, it was definitely worth it. you could feel the crunchy bits, and chunks of rich chocolate pieces that simply melt in your mouth. the lady was most generous in giving us both a double scope serving but charging us the price of single scope serving. perhaps it was due to the beauty of the magick word, please, which brightened her evening. it is with regret that i am unable to upload the picture due to some technical glitch that blogspot is experiencing, but i'm so adoring the ice cream at island creamery.

currently listening to: 'four minutes' by madonna feat. justin timberlake.

misc updates

2008-04-15T16:36:00.004+08:00

misc. updates.

my most adorable nephew, braedon! swee, you'll so be cringing if edmund changes his name to brandon ;p

haven't you go awwww already? (he weighs a wheeny 11kg, jeez, he's even lighter than the dumbbell in my room)

in the midst of packing my stuffs, i found this old arsenal jersey which my uncle bought when he was on a work exchange in uk many years ago. i vaguely recalled that i admired the style and skills of ian wright back then.

sixth day since there is no junk food in my diet. hopefully i'm able to sustain this all the way through to summer. after launching jimmy's diet previously, i'm in the process of working towards my second release, 'eat your way to six pack'. (hopefully)

my laptop is still malfunctioning as much as i would love to bench press those 100lbs dumbbells/side.

currently listening to 'take a bow' by rihanna.

indulgence at patissier

2008-04-05T15:43:00.004+08:00

indulgence at patissier

a very tiring and demanding week to say the least, but i rewarded myself after lunch with some cakes from my favourite cake parlour, the patissier, located at ms & ann siang (though i usually frequent the one at ms). i pampered myself real well, by buying six different cakes, now let the pictures do the talking.

mango basil - it is an unforgivable sin shall i neglect to include this cake. mango fans will simply adore this light mango mousse cake with a tinge of basil. the mousse is very light which was a perfect embodiment of the richness of the mango.

blueberry yoghurt - what can i say more, friends who know me well should know that i will swoon over ambrosial berries gourmet. richly blended with plain yoghurt just makes me go wooo...

pearrie - please accept my sincere apologies for the lacklustre photograph which doesn't do justice to the flavours this tiny slice of cake delivers. poached pear and maple syrup panecotta surrounded by dark bitter chocolate mousse, another serving please?

indulgence - the name says it all. chocolate mud cake with royaltine base surrounded by milk chocolate mousse. as if it wasn't deific enough for your tastebuds, the marvelous combination of the rich dark chocolate and the very light texture of the mousse consecrates the cocoa wholly.

cocoa cheese - a splendid day devoting all calories to chocolate, how is it possible to neglect yet another fave of mine, new york cheesecake, with chocolate mousse. this is one of the top-notched cheesecakes that you can find in singapore. nothing but a blissful and celestial treat to my ever-demanding tastebuds.

marquise - dense chocolate flecked with rum soaked raisins, almonds and biscuits. this is the first time i'm trying this. well, i felt like having tiramisu, but it was sold out, so since this contains rum, so i thought why not! a divine concoction.

i was seriously considering if i should allow such an indulgence, and the better half of me decided that i should. i honestly think that i have split personality. oh no. but for now, let me enjoy a surge of sugar-high, before i head back to work. hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.

currently listening to: 'happily never after' by nicole scherzinger.

misc tidbits

2008-04-01T11:03:00.004+08:00

misc tidbits

was at zouk for their flea market last weekend, for the first time too. the crowd looks no different from what you will encounter on a clubbing night. and yes, it's damn crowded.

then i received the following in a news letter which i thought was quite interesting. you know you are an athlete when you satisfy some if not all of the points in the below checklist.

1) you usually wake up at 4am in the morning but don't get to work until way after 10am.
2) somebody hands you a cup of water and you have to restrain yourself from pouring it over your head.
3) your car has at least one energy bar wrapper and water bottle on the floor.
4) you have more shoes than your wife. because we need two pairs of training shoes, one pair of racers, another pair of trail running shoes, and a few other pairs we hardly use but keep for sentimental reasons anyway. we also have our bike shoes, dress shoes, casual shoes and army boots, therefore sometimes we have more shoes than THE WIFE/THE GF.
5) cars pass you on the road when you are driving and you either drop back to get out of draft zone or speed up to attack!
6) you need a picture for job application and you only have race pictures.
7) you haven't bought work clothes in two years, yet you own bike shorts made by every manufacturer under the sun and can recite the merits of coolmax, supplex, etc in your sleep!
8) you think that there are only two seasons in a year; racing season and off season.
9) you clean your bike more often than your car.
10) your bike has a name.
11) you name your two new puppies kona and hawi.
12) you are convinced that if you rest more than one day, your muscles will atrophy. your ultra-fit body will turn into a pile of goo and everyone in your age group will beat you.
13) you bring bottled water to a party so that you're properly hydrated for the next morning's long run. everyone else at the party also brought their own bottled water because you don't have a social life outside of triathlon, oh yeah and they all showed up before 7pm and left by 10pm.

lol, i had my fair share of laughter when i read the above. well, if you don't understand any of the points, it's perfectly fine, because that means you are normal and not on your pathway to becoming the so called athlete.

fun o rama

2008-03-30T03:29:00.011+08:00

fun-o-rama

so it was a fun-filled but very tiring day, cos it was very warm and humid and everyone was drenched in perspiration. i know this sounds totally unglam and gross, but indeed we were. so glad that bumped into quite a lot of old friends, like eileen, boaz, nat, shaun, and was most surprised to meet de cheng and deborah! we were supposed to meetup after he returned from uk, but we've had the chance to do so, and we certainly will next week!

i was most happy to park my car at acsi and walk over to acjc, while my poor friends had to suffer the long walk together. it brings back lots of fond memories, back when i was still at acsi. prior to this, pearlly and i were joking about wearing an ac top and rj shorts, thankfully none of us appeared in that outfit. anyway, met up with emery, carole, pearlly, benny, zheng chang, mark, while zhuang and nick went missing..

forever so cam-whore swee! but it's okay, i still love you!

acs year 2000

a typical acsian cold joke.

emery on his way to shooting some terrorists.

i'm terribly upset over swee's hospitality. so much about me supporting your sale of tickets! you ended up not giving me any discounts at your very own scone cafe?! what have i done to deserve a sister like this? hah, it was rather amusing that both swee and my friends kept commenting that she looked so like me! and i just realize that we din't take any pics together! we wanted to visit the scone haunted hotel, but the queue was too ridiculously long and we decided to give up and play silly games like shooting saddam hussein and osama which i won 2 small pieces of oreo biscuit. how interesting. and oh yes, carole and i had a taste of some poorly marinated chicken skewers, which almost ruined our appetite but somehow mark was okay with it. hmph.

children these days are so sadistic and gruesome.

ac colours!

the rafflesians in these picture, i.e emery and carole wanted to hide the acjc name deliberately.

the fat lady security guard had to make her presence felt when i was taking this picture of my old school!

pretty clock tower.

thankfully our dinner was much better. as usual, the task of finding a dinner place was my responsibility and i opted for brotzeit, a german restaurant at vivocity.

we'll let the pictures do the talking.

eisben - pork knuckle grilled to perfection. this is real gourmet, very crispy skin coupled with juicy tender meat can only be a dish to die for. it really is worth eating this and running another 5km to the tally. too late for regrets.

petersfisch - grilled atlantic dory fillet. it was a fine piece of dory, very tender, and not your usual cheap replacement catfish. nice soft and tender white flesh.

schwammerl mit semmelknodel - wild mushroom stew. the mushroom taste was great, however i felt that the stew was slightly too salted to my liking. might have gone well with a pint of lager, german brew of course.

tafelspitz - slow boiled beef with cream spinach. this is a dish you grow to love. at first bite, you discover the difference between grilled steaks and boiled beef and on the second bite onwards, you can only love it ever more, with the generous spread of cream spinach to augment the texture and flavour of this almost perfect dish.

everyone complained that the dishes at brotzeit were not filling, and were disgruntled, so we headed to another recommendation, the imperial herbal restaurant.

deep fried banana fritters.

pork buns.

the dish that i always wanted to try! double boiled pear. the lady recommended that it is best served as a hot dish, and this really was a stomach warmer. it was totally satisfactory, though it was a little on the sweet side, but the calories are well worth. never eat unwanted calories, it's a heinous crime. however, using your calories on desserts can only be the smartest move.

this is a cooling menthol jelly. i love the after taste, perfect for those who's suffering from a sore throat. i'm definitely returning for this. however prissy carole whined about the lack of menthol! i proclaim her a more fussy food connoisseur than i am.

guilingao, supposedly another specialty over here.

we all went back home being 2lbs heavier with all the sinful food. i was rather irked by the fact that i did not get to buy the caramelized biscuit that's imported from germany. apparently it's sold out, i'm going to try the candy empire at millenia walk sometime next week, cos i'm having this strong craving for it right now.

swee's recommendation. this is awfully fattening. after picking up swee and hearing her story about her friend, andrea's training regime for the sundown marathon, i feel so disgusted with my poor progress and i've decided not to touch this and left it to swee to indulge and get fat.

love dark chocs. i love anything that's bitter, like my fav kopi-o-kosong. i miss the hotel chocolat's 100% organic cocoa dark choc from manchester.

swee and my purchases from the fun-o-rama!

i've decided to place this bear in my car once it's out afterall. that's a more suitable place compared to my room. ;)

the best is yet to be. acs forever.

the pre-requisites of a lifelong partner.

2008-03-27T20:36:00.004+08:00

the pre-requisites of a lifelong partner.

this entry is intrigued by the transpiration of a rather casual late night conversation, which elicits facts which i had to ponder over - the pre-requisites to your ideal lifelong partner.

this is by no means a form of promulgation nor an appeal, but rather just a benchmark which i adopt. please do not apply the appended conditions unnecessarily for your own personal consumption, because i shall not be held responsible for any possible mishaps which may result after perusal of my affidavit, or so shall i proclaim.

(no favour to the running sequence - just an impromptu run-through at four am.)

1) the aptitude in understanding. sounds harder than the surface value, really. in all good faith to your other half, please understand (or at least try to) the predicament he/she may possibly encounter in the different phases of his/her life. believe me you, it is the underlying torments and ability to face harsh realities that propels you to step up to the next level. the next question that prompts almost immediately reads: 'are you prepared and willing to do so?'.

2) favourable disposition towards your family. personally, i regard this as quintessence to success in all aspect. they are the external source and root of your mental strength which will never once fail you.

3) the needless behaviour of a pseudo esthete may be excused, please. thank you very much, but i am sure my life is better off without your fraudulence nor your ever-spanning fabricated hyperbole. your innocence through your most entrancing eyes which you deliberately bridle to exhibit is what draws my attention.

4) i am sure none will entertain the deceit if i pledge that physical beauty is a minuscule determinant. i advocate that everyone is beautiful irregardless, at least in the eyes of their makers, i.e. their parents. you win appreciation with your self-assurance and confidence, especially when you are able to exude absolute elegance like how a soigne lady should. you are able to lower your esteem and approbate with joy the externalities which may accompany the lows of the social ladder howbeit. that is sheer character which i give my bow.

5) last but not least, mutual acceptance and countenance is of absolute importance, especially of who you really are and not the 'you' established by material embellishments nor the facade portrayed with idealistic illusions.

i once shared this analysis with a friend who encountered similiar traits in his/her relationship. this is purely from an analytical point of view with substantial regard to emotional attachments. will your partner be an asset or a liability? if he/she contributes to your goodwill in the following aspects, by all means, please appreciate him/her, otherwise..

ai) financial aspect - if he/she is a liability, run.
aii) emotional aspect - if he/she handicaps your emotions, run.
aiii) spiritual aspect - if you feel that he/she is your source of mental strength, stay.
aiv) physical aspect - if you are satisfied by him/her physically, stay. (please pardon the lewdness involved and evaluate this aspect on a neutral stance)

flaws in character and personality are inevitable, what is crucial is how you perceive them. let me reiterate that all remarks are purely personal. i am not sure if i am asking too much in my other half, but if i do, let me seek your indulgence that this 'person' may be fictitious and only exists in the world of my current favourite series, 'heroes'.

'yata!'

fatality is what begets kindness.

2008-03-20T14:05:00.005+08:00

fatal mortality.

i like your pretty smile that covers up the poison you hide within. how about this? maybe you can stop walking around in circles in my head, waiting for the very chance to take me down. it's all shallow and so appealing. i'm drowning. in this sea of sarcastic faces, familiar places, everything looks quite the same, yet it's all so confusingly amusing. bitter and tainted the picture you paint to me. just because it's all in your head, doesn't mean it has to be in mine. your words hold little weight, yet i cannot get it out of my mind. i've tried to find myself in approval, already been there, done that, yet it got me nowhere and brought me nothing, but a good place to hide in. i guess you are the only one that nobody changes, the only one that will never change faces. if you think i'm a hater, let me tell you, that's your misconstrued perception, which happens not to be my mistake.

stop assuming you are always right. do everyone, including yourself a huge favour - wake up from your three-fold utopian dream already and get a life. sod off.

currently plugged in to: 'who we are' by lifehouse.

.eating your way to a fatso.

2008-03-16T15:17:00.011+08:00

.eating your way to a fatso.

so it was the food fair over the weekend, and i went there twice. i wanted to try the ice cream but was too full on the first day, so returned for the 2nd time, and satisfied myself with 2 types of ice cream. i so wanted the potong red bean ice cream, but they don't sell it by piece, only by a box of five. i'm still annoyed that i don't get to eat the potong red bean ice cream.

in my feeble attempt to spy on their frozen finger food samples, i was caught red-handed cos i forgot to switch off flash. then the auntie and the lady made so much noise, so much that i had to pacify her and enforce my 'auntie-killer' skills. she was happy and even gave me extra food, with a smile too.

sweet-potato balls. i love this taiwan ali-shan specialty, apparently. it's mashed potato with a chewy surrounding exterior which makes it all the nicer.

thai fish-otah. mmm, i thought this was nice, but i'm not a huge fan of otah. and carole ate this in a totally unglam manner. i shalln't elaborate on the intricate details.

another taiwan dish, a mix of fishballs, tofu and vegetables in ma-la gravy. it tasted really spicy, but thanks to my recommendation of sugar cane juice, it din't have an overwhelming effect. i was rather put off by the layer of oil though.

taiwan mee-sua. aaron was very puzzled why the mee sua looked different from the ones we eat usually, and he bought my idea that these were wheat-germ brown mee sua. sigh.

taiwan beef balls. we thought that there was another meat ball inside the meat ball, but we got cheated. this is NOT authentic taiwan beef balls.

so healthy! eat well and healthy, but you still die anyway, so why bother?

i bought it nonetheless. turkey bacon pieces with cheese. mmmmm..i thought the purple rice looked rather cool. it tasted normal, but has a rather coarse texture, which blends well with the melting cheese.

calling out to all teochews! if you don't love this, you ain't a teochew! 'or-ni with gingko' they should have given a more generous serving of gingko, which would taste all so much different.

yessss! i got my haato gelato alright, and black sesame flavour too! exotic. it was yummilicious! it wasn't some cheapo flavouring gelato, and you can taste the black sesame. not withstanding the temptation, aaron decided to return to the booth to order himself a scoop of vanilla ice cream too.

so i heard from pearlly about this soya ice cream from mr bean. decided to give it a shot, and after some moments, i finally digested the rather upsetting fact that it tasted more like frozen tau huey than ice cream and reminds me of my very first experience of soya ice cream at 'aiwo' restaurant at raffles city. not very pleasant, but edible. it was all aaron's fault though, if he had bought a serving too, then we could have given to the two ladies walking in front of us. we din't want to witness a fight, as the two are contesting furiously to attain the ultimate figure of 'two feet tall and two feet wide; round face and round legs...' okay, please don't flame me, blame the perfect 10 djs, they infested this into my head.

en route to getting fat. we headed to german pub, paulaner to get aaron warmed up for german brew! remember to order happy meal breakfast with 500ml lager on your first day of school!

emery's (meat) balls from paulaner tasted a whole lot nicer than benny's (meat) balls from 2am dessert bar. emery's (meat) balls were firm, beefy and definitely has a better crunch than benny's soggy and rather deprived (meat) balls.

weekends are the days to getting fat. it is an undeniable fact. weekdays form the prelude to weekends, therefore you have to gradually increase your calories intake too.

on a side note, i seriously discovered that acsians eventually establish themselves to be unique individuals from our casual conversation over zhuang's round of beer. our generation of acsians were arrogant bastards and that fact never changes even ten years later. but we always end up successful, uhm somewhat. i wish tim and zhuang success in their discovery of the latest biofuel technology.

and yes, manchester united is top of the table once again and mclaren won the first grand prix of the season! mercedes mclaren all the way!

sweet for my sweet (tooth)

2008-03-02T21:58:00.008+08:00

sweets for my sweet (tooth)

inspired by the tv show with an uncanny resemblance to this title, i've decided to go in search for desserts and do some food experimenting. swee was more than delightful to join me in my adventure!

(ice monster)

durian + mango ice. it was supposed to come complete with mango sherbet and they said that it was already sold out and they had compensated with more fruits, which i did not appear to be alot anyway. credit has to be awarded to the sweet mangoes used, and you can taste and smell the richness of the durians. it was sweet by it's flavour and not artifically enhanced by those sweeteners. one huge downside to their ice was that the shaved ice wasn't fine enough, at least not to my standards. there were random small ice blocks which annoyed me but this dish scores an average six out of ten for the standard.

strawberry shaved ice with strawberry sherbet. i love this dish, though it wasn't to swee's liking. she found the fruits sourish, but i thought it wasted rather natural. thankfully they did not flood the shaved ice with the condensed milk. the strawberry sherbet complements the generous serving of strawberry fruit pieces and it just leaves you craving for more. i rate this a seven-half out of ten. i like it when you can taste the natural sweetness of the fruits in a dessert dish. the downside is the poor quality of the shaved ice.

as i was feeling hungry, i ordered their noodles too. blimey, it tasted horrendous. the apparently hand-made noodles came with parts in chunks and you could visibly notice a thick layer of oil floating on the gravy. i'm currently blogging this, feeling grossed out and after a few mouthfuls, it already upset my stomach as i had just recovered. what pissed me off totally was the wait for their supposedly famous specialty, mango crepe with pork floss. we waited forty-five (45) minutes for it and i had repeatedly urged the waitress to check on the order. she reluctantly brushed me off saying that it's in the making. then she came back forty-five minutes later and told me that they were busy and had not made the crepe and asked if i wanted to continue waiting. meh, that was total bull. so off we went and i was not even given a proper bill for my rather disgusted meal, she just said $20. i paid and left not being the most satisfied customer.

(saybons)

(please pronounce it the french way) - this outlet has been promoted and praised for their crepes and healthy soups on numerous occasions in the papers. - but we ain't feeling very soupy nor healthy tonight.

apple delight! - oh my. this was simply lovely. i'm a huge fan of apple cinnamon, and this crepe came served with chopped pieces of almond which provided a good mix of texture when you have a mouthful of it. the soft and tender pieces of the cinnamon-flavoured apple with the crunchy bits, was made wholesome by the well toasted crepe.

initially we only ordered one crepe, but we saw them dishing a huge dab of the nutella on a crepe and we unanimously decided that we need to order this nutty nutella crepe. an overly generous serving of nutella was spread over the crepe and chopped pieces of hazelnut. swee was overwhelmed by the rich nutella serving and also by the pretty crepe-maker.

(azabu sabo)

hokkaido hot balls topped with premium butter sauce. this was totally wicked. the flour used was very refined and the butter sauce enriched the smooth texture. it literally melted when you place the ball in your mouth. awesome.

the shaking machine. this machine vibrates to dissipate heat equally to the mochi (with reference to the auntie selling the mochi). well memory failed me and i forgot the name of this eatery outlet by the time i reached home. this little girl was so adorable, she remarked that the fish balls were shaking. jeez, the innocence and purity of children.

yamagochi herb and red bean mochi. - the aftertaste was very special. and the red bean paste wasn't too sweet, and i love the lightly toasted wrap of the mochi. delicious.

i'm on the search for a good ice shaver machine so that i can make the finest mango ice dessert. hmph. or i can drive three plus hours to eat at the mango dessert outlet. ugh. more desserts to come, stay tuned.

harsh condiments of life

2008-02-29T17:45:00.011+08:00

the harsh condiments of life.

ordeals, happenings, events, occurrences, incidents, ups and downs, moments of joy and sorrow, bickering, arguments, conflicts, circumstances and the vast possibilities of episodes in life are what transplants a baby in his bassinet in the warm presence of his mother into a struggling child caught in the undertow. the options are limited, fight or die.

regrettably, the world we live in today is no longer friendly, you fight for your own survival with the choices you make, the decisions you execute. why should you be fighting for others' mandate when you are barely struggling to make ends meet. live for yourself before others could live up to you. the society is cruel and unforgiving. if you are not the last one standing, you are a loser.

i understand life to comprise of two distinct paths which do not collaborate.

a) the life of happiness - living in the ideal, impeccable moments of the definite present, with no reminiscence of what had gone before and no subconscious plans of what lies ahead.

b) the life of meaning - where man is condemned to wallow in the past, harness his available resources and obsess about the future.

i define my current life as a quintessence of absolute, and my option is herein.

currently listening to: 'numb' by linkin park.

shokudo visit

2008-02-23T13:26:00.008+08:00

when expectations fail

finally had time to take a break and thought we could enjoy a good dinner, but perhaps i had pinned my hopes a little on the high side, and when expectations fail, you know that you need to do more homework and find other places with better food to offer!

had this bee hoon omelette in m'sia quite a while back. the bee hoon tastes crispy on the outside and very tender on the inside, almost like a pancake! awesome.

apple crumble cheesecake. had this at a cafe in m'sia too. totally love apple crumbles and when it's infused into a cheesecake like this, you know it is time to pamper your tastebuds and your senses. yummy!

so, we were all excited about visiting this new eatery, but to my disappointment many dishes fail to live up to their hype and i left the place feeling sore. this eatery adopted the same concept as marche, however they house only japanese dishes with the exception of the rosti which is a favourite at marche. oh well, the food tasting adventure commences.

one of the worthy recommendations. unagi rice. the degree of roast of the eel was well suited to my liking. the sauce was well flavoured, not being overly sweet nor overwhelming, therefore enhancing the eel.

another supposedly signature dish. tenderloin beef. wasn't cooked to my preferred medium rare so it failed to appeal. nevertheless, a satisfactory dish.

the grilled skewers were well flavoured. the pork loins wrapped around asparagus was sinful but you could feel the fats oozing as you sink your teeth through the asparagus. a good combination, and the beef chunks were rightfully marinated with it's barbeque sauce, cooked to perfection. however, i felt that the standard of the grilled skewers were inferior to those offered by shin kushiya at vivocity. worth a try though.

a plate of mixed sashimi. well the comments were passed and i felt that i should have them reserved.

choices of beverages were rather limited. the left drink was the yoghurt milk drink which tasted fairly similiar to a kind of medicine, bland and yucky. the green tea drink was blended with milk, and they used the powder kind. felt a bit overwhelmed by the green tea powder, wasn't well mixed in my opinion. the drinks prepare us for the desserts to come!

tofu cheesecake. in my most honest and truthful opinion, it tasted no better than your normal new york cheesecake. nowhere close to the standard of the tofu cheesecake offered by sun and moon restaurant.

mango ice. so we asked the serving lady what those white stuffs were and she remarked in a rather serious tone, 'worms'. right. i failed to find any humour in it really, but she followed up by saying that it was jelly. tasted a bit like sago though. well. this mango dessert failed to revive whatever hopes i had left for the restaurant, because it had a sweet fore-taste but the after-taste after swallowing left a tinge of sourness that pineapple sauce furnishes.

this was the only dish which could help redeem any prestige the restaurant has left, if any. it has most of the things that i fancy, red bean, green tea, chestnuts and mochi. was a good combination, but the main setback was that it tasted too sweet, henceforth it din't fare well on my scorecards too.

perhaps i had set my expectations a little too high prior to trying the food, resulting in the degree of disappointment. nevertheless the spirit in me still runs delirious when it comes to good food. i need to find a place which sells ice shaver so that i can concoct my own mango dessert to overthrow all mango dessert parlours in singapore. ha. perhaps i could start by working faster when i'm in the kitchen, after having complains last night. hmph.

currently listening to: 'it's not over' by secondhand serenade.

chinese new year

2008-02-11T20:07:00.001+08:00

chinese new year weekend

may i take this opportunity to wish everyone reading this a blissful happy chinese new year. may you and your family be blessed with good health, fortune and success in all endeavours.

my lovely niece, glenda showing off her pretty nail-art!

little nephew braedon, who weighs a wheeny 10kg, jeez, that's lighter than the dumbbell i use, he's one hyperactive cute boy.

grandma made one of my favourite desserts, gingko in longan soup with lots and lots of red dates, yummmmy!! she woke up early in the morning specially to make this for me knowing that i'll be visiting her this year, was super touched and moved. thanks ah ma! even though i know that you won't be reading this. just to add, i miss eating your kueh bulu, cos you'll always toast it to be more chao-ta which is exactly what i love.

finally got to taste my uncle's curry chicken! been ages since i last tried his specialty dish, and till date the spices that he uses remains a secret. but this is one big wow dish. the only regret was that there was no chao-ta balestier bread to go with the fantabulous curry.

many may have known about this, but i never knew that the candy that we eat since young 'white rabbit' has so many flavours now! strawberry, chocolate and yoghurt, uhm, i still prefer the original though. this is the one sweet that you will never miss at anybody's house ;)

so after a weekend long of sinful indulgence of pineapple tarts and love letters and whatnot, it's time for detox. i ransacked my fridge and found a fat, juicy ripe mango starring at me, urging me to eat it down fast and so i did. i sliced it into pieces and made mango milkshake out of it! this has to be the nicest mango milkshake i've ever had, the picture should more than show how rich it is. anyone interested to try this out? available exclusively only at my crib. (contact me in advance to place orders, trust me, this is one mind-blowing drink, the best milkshake i've ever concocted.)

Currently listening to: 最近还好吗 by S.H.E

surprise parcel

2008-02-05T19:32:00.000+08:00

surprise parcel!

came back home to a pleasant surprise. saw two parcels on the table and thought it belonged to swee, one of her many online orders, again. to my delight, it was a parcel from uk. ;)

the migraine killers + polo fruits sweet (but not intended for me)

migraines and severe headaches are forever hitched to me. thanks to wendee for the well thought migraine killers, since currently i'm on a 'zero-pills' phase to detox my body. apparently the migraine reliever was advertised in some magazine for it's positive effective headache relief. coincidentally, having quite a bad headache at the moment and this stick comes in real useful. just applied it. it's non-greasy and gives off a tingling sensation, and after a while, it warms up on the applied spot and seems to lighten the heavy head quite a deal. i'm hoping that the pharmacies in singapore stock this product, else i'm going to have trouble replacing it.

this splitting headache is killing me off and there are so much work and things that needs to be done before cny. ugh!

hahahah, i got quite a good laugh too when i opened the parcel, flying superwoman vs angel? thanks for the well thought parcel! ;)

weekend treats

2008-02-05T10:31:00.000+08:00

weekend treats

not very pretty food, but very tasty!

one of my favourite tau huey places, but they only sell in the mornings. near grandma's place, i like the old school metallic bowl and spoon. the tau huey is lovely and i've been having this since i was a kid, so no criticism is allowed. ha, the uncle (in his 70s) selling the tau huey always recognizes me and remembers my preferred choice of tau huey without syrup, add soya milk.

the pork skewers are sinfully delicious! i know the picture can't show much, but the chunks of pork meat just oozes out the fats when you chew on it, leaving you satisfied and yearning for more. the plus point is the layer of kimchi flavoured chili sauce that they brush over the freshly grilled meat skewers.

this is a massive packet of chicken thigh, spiced korean style. had a separate serving of the kimchi flavoured chili sauce to complement it. it tasted great but would probably be better if we weren't so full already. was trying to find a seat and found ourselves seated at this ntu cultural awareness concert where a bunch of no-good-doers blast their 'trying to act like linkin park' music which annoys the piss out of us. we are not racists or anything, but i'm sorry some of the malays playing the electric guitar and whatnot, please do not try and act like you are damn pro when you are just wannabes. i know i'm not in a position to criticize since i can't play it, but if you want to play openly at a 'concert' at least have some reasonable standards?

oh my gosh, this is one of the nicest char siew paos i've tasted so far. i think the toasted surface gives alot of bonus points. this is located at one of the old stalls around sin ming avenue. they should market the buns in a more appealing form, rather than on a steel cold tray that dismisses the rich and mouth-watering char siew pieces inside the bun. it does the bun injustice.

another one of my favourite food - the water chestnut cake or kinda. regrettably, this doesn't taste as nice as the one that they serve at pearl city in manchester. still remember our friends don't fancy this dish at all, but we always order this nonetheless. mmmm..i wanna have that!

rest assured this is not a kind of food and i know this is rather random. saw my sister's latest shoe acquisition. oh no! she's becoming like mum and me, being totally obsessed with shoes and i thought this pair looks absolutely pretty! any opinions, ladies?

Currently listening to: 'Nolita Fairytale' by Vanessa Carlton.

人生的经历

2008-01-30T19:50:00.000+08:00

人生的经历

这可是我第一次以中文写网上日记。我是被我在看的连续剧所启发的。世上并没有作不到的事，每件事的成与否都归于人为。

人生非常短也珍贵，但其中我们可以学到非常多宝贵的经验。包容，原谅，体会，珍惜。更重要的是面对问题的时候不要逃缩但要去克服他。那么无论是任何心结，烦恼才能真正地被解决。

失败是成功之母。天下无人不犯错，但是他是否会得到周围的人的支持，并得到谅解及包容，让他有可重新的机会呢？从这连续剧 “岁月风云” 中，令我体悟到许多的人生道理。我也了解生命的宝贵。这是父母赐予我们的最大之礼。它的生活力却非常薇薄，因为一场意外就能轻易地夺取它。而但这意外发生的时候，你是否会后悔没有作些一些你想做的事，想说的话。但这将会太迟了，因为你再也没有这机会。到时候，后悔是否太迟了呢？人生那么的短，为何我们常常要让一些挫折耽误我们想追求的理想，梦想，那是否值得呢？实践的，倒不如撇下我们所扛着的包袱，而去珍取自己想要的。那么我们是否活得更加有意义，但是这其中不愧需要决心，毅力和无憾无悔的牺牲。到底会有多少人心甘其愿地作到这一点呢？

当你失败跌倒的时候，旁人可以袖手旁观或者是劲力帮忙但是最后真正可以令你整作起来还是要靠自己，因为世上最大的敌人及不非是本身吗？无论是心理或身理的障碍，只有依靠本身的自泊才能顺利克。

我更加是体会到戏剧里所提到的，世上唯有亲情是永远不会改变的，其余的零絮是非，比如友谊则不一定会经得起考验而随着时间的冲化而疏远。血永远是浓于水，而只有亲人才会不顾一切，毫无条件地宽容及原谅。

我好高兴还能够以中文写出一篇日记。大概最后一次写的时候是中四会考，我突然觉得中文比较可以正确地述发出心中的感触。请别误会，我并不是阿中!

正在聆听:'爱在记忆中找你' - 林峰。

kl trip 2

2008-01-28T11:31:00.000+08:00

KL trip 2.

Busy weekend in KL, but thankfully things turned out reasonably well. Despite the hectic trip, still manage to taste some yummilicious treats for the well-being of the soul and did some very last minute shopping!

Tried 龙的传人 at One Utama. I found very slight difference between their menu and that of our Singapore's Crystal Jade. The ambience, Chinese New Year decorations make the place very 阿中. Well, the name of the restaurant speaks for itself, doesn't it?

口水鸡 - apparently there are many reasons for the name to this dish. some say the chili oil looks like salivating for the chicken, some say it's so spicy that it makes you salivate unknowingly and others comment that it's just plain delicious. yummy is what i call this.

小笼包 - something that the restaurant supposedly is renown for, but honestly, I still like those from 鼎泰丰, no offence, I guess it's just personal taste and preference.

芋泥小笼包 - this was great! the yam just oozes and splats out all over when your teeth sinks into the tender folds of the bao. i don't know since when, but it seems like i've got a thing for yam stuff. mmmm, yammmy.

green bean pastry with inserts of red bean and peanut. tastes mildly sweet, just to my liking.

love this! red bean pancake, especially the crunchy and crispy corners.

was walking around the Curve and spotted this cupcake place. thought it was quite chic (pun intended) so decided to check it out. to my dismay, all cupcakes were sold out already! but the lady manning the counter was very sweet and pleasant to offer me a packet of some cupcake + biscotti remnants (leftovers really) just to try out the flavours. in return for her kind gesture, i've decided to help promote this cupcake bakery!

mango-berry margarita from 'tgi fridays' - due to the high volume of diners, the bartender came around to my table to serve, and since i din't want any alcoholic beverage, he specially concoct this virgin margarita to my liking. love their special request service. it's a wicked blend of various tastes to titillate your tastebuds - sweet and sour, which really perks you up well.

roasted chicken parmesans quesadilla - very crispy and the melted cheese simply wins you over with the roasted chicken tortilla wrap.

cookies and cream sandwich - this is one of the 'die-for-must-haves'. the cookie sandwiches are those with a soft texture, so they ain't the crunchy type. it's rather sweet, but it compliments perfectly with the mild vanilla flavoured ice cream. it really is quite a lethal combination that still leaves me craving for more.

one of my top favourite dessert - bread and butter pudding. this was served at the buffet at one world hotel. the well toasted bread crusts with the generous spread of butter makes you yearn for yet another serving. it invokes our greedy and pig-out instincts. sinful but this rocks.

heart-shaped waffles with honey syrup - ain't it just pretty? and they all piece together perfectly oh rejoice the cohesiveness!

On the way back to Singapore, chanced upon an A&W outlet and decided to take a break there. All you Singaporeans out there, don't you just miss this childhood favourite fast-food outlet?! Well I did, and I ate it all real well.

the must have - root beer float!

the curly fries + strawberry ice cream waffle!! - feel and hear the crisp when your knife slides through the waffle..

the coney dog! reminds me of a damn bad old joke which i used to play on a friend named connie, but i suppose she won't be reading this, so it's okay, i think.

i'm not all that horrible. still hit the gym at the hotel. one world hotel uses pretty good equipment. this brand is also carried by fitness first in singapore, but they bought this extra piece of monitoring board to guide you through your workout. you do not have to count the no. of repetitions and the colour bar indicates your range of motion. you need to hit the last amber light indicator in order to achieve the full motion of your rep. wow, top class equipment. one of the best i've used so far. used to think that shangri-la has the best equipment and range, but apparently this is better, though the range could be worked on!

I was advised by friends about the increase in traffic police in Malaysia, and true enough, I encountered a road block, but I did not get pull over to be issued with a summon. Was cautioned to take note of the overhead bridges where cameras are usually planted, and I had specially dedicated this drive to find out where exactly are they. Guess what, now I know where exactly they are and what to look out for! I thought it won't be very appropriate to blog about it here, so interested drivers, contact me for further details! YOU better not disclose my secret.

P.S: An applicable charge may be levied, subject to terms and conditions.

Currently listening to: 'Sweetest Girl' by Wyclef Jean.

perfect love, imperfect relationships

2008-01-23T22:07:00.000+08:00

Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships.

In the midst of perusing through some of my friends' blogs, I chanced upon an interesting entry and thought it made a lot of sense and logic. She later shared that some of those thoughts were actually invoked after reading a book bearing the above title.

To a large extent, I agree wholesomely that in order for a relationship to be successful, both parties need to be complete and whole from within. There are many instances whereby unknowingly, our ability to give and receive love freely is undermined, we have difficulty in trusting, fear of being misused or rejected, harboring of jealousy thoughts, defensive stonewalling, arguing to ascertain your right, feeling hurt or offended easily are paradigms that exhibit symptoms of insecurity.

The fundamentals of a successful relationship are exemplified in the presence of 3 vital components, namely, 'understanding', 'consideration' and 'forgiveness'. In addition, it is essential to emerge from the shadow casted by past insecurities and failures. It is natural to have disagreements, but it is also up to us to decide whether these disagreements strengthen or corrode our relationship. If past grievances are being pursued, it leads to nothing but the embellishment of a tombstone for your relationship.

Perhaps it is true afterall. To truly enjoy the feeling of being in love, one has to be able to think of all means and ways to create moments that sparkle. Being ready to be hurt, you are already on the way of giving your all without respite. Honestly, I had my doubts initially on this when I first read it, but with the passage of time and incidence of events, I am finding that testament very true. It is like sitting for an exam, if you are mentally prepared for a 'fail' grade, then what more have you got to lose? Nothing. Instead, you have everything to gain because you simply can't do worse.

Let us work towards being a better person today by endearing the three emblems of success in life and love, shall we?

Currently listening to: 'All or nothing' by O-Town.

weekend foodies

2008-01-21T09:42:00.001+08:00

Weekend foodies

Busy weekend filled with work but nonetheless some cute and nice food to share.

yes, a whole bucket of tau huey from the hk cafe at cine. had a hard time trying to explain to the waiter that i din't want any syrup and wanted it replaced with the soya milk.

the most comforting food ever!

tempura ice cream with strawberry sauce. hot and crispy on the outside, cool in the core.

i'm not a fan of miso soup, but appetite wasn't great, so had this miso soup with japanese clams, wow, must say it's lovely!

my all time favourite edamame - apparently, this is the elixir to victoria beckham's diet. i like the ones this jap restaurant serve, because the soybeans comes attached with the 'branch'.

was at the pharmacy getting some cough syrup, and bought this. to my disgust, i actually have to leave down my name, i/c no. just to purchase chewing gums, and this small bottle costs me S$4.94. what irks me was that the lady held me back and asked me to leave my details when i was heading to the cashier to make the payment. this is chewing gum and not some pills for god's sake. at least now we can't say that singapore bans the sale of chewing gums.

fans of avocado juice shall never miss this stall located at alexandra food village. popped over the vicinity to run some errands and stopped by for a drink. had the avocado juice with milk and honey, was refreshing and filling. yummy and very affordable at S$2.50. don't we love singapore's hawker food? ;)

Piled on some kilos over the weekend with the indulgence of food. Just when I thought it's very tiring and wanted to give up, the hot bods at the gym are there to motivate and inspire.

Currently listening to: 'Give until there's nothing left to give' by Relient K.

Swee's HK trip

2008-01-17T18:06:00.000+08:00

Swee's HK delights

Picked up Swee from airport earlier this afternoon, to be greeted with lots of surprises and delights. Thanks sis! Lots of things had transpired within the past couple of days, and mood is almost hitting an all time low, perhaps it is at its pit, but I am feeling too numb right now to pinpoint my feelings. Enjoy more food pictures! Decided to go against my diet for a day by indulging on my favourite Krispy Kreme donuts! Swee knew that I <3 Krispy Kreme donuts and bought a dozen of them this morning before her flight, and hand-carried it all the way back to Singapore!

be jealous, very!

she specifically bought the cinnamon and blueberry knowing that i <3 those two flavours. check out the pretty apple and orange flavoured donuts.

charcoal baked almond pastry

apparently, this is the famous 老婆饼 from HK.

my t-shirt gift! the packaging definitely looks awesome and impressive.

this minnie mouse apron from disneyland looks super cute can, the bonus is of course the pretty polka dots! ;) simply love it.

Shalln't post too many pictures, else I'm stealing the limelight when it's her trip. I wanna have a vacation in HK too! Suddenly craving for 芒果冰! Noooooooo....

Currently listening to: 'Flipside' by The Click Five.

empty

2008-01-17T02:57:00.000+08:00

Empty

3am in the morning, and I had just returned from a run which lasted just under two hours. Stress is an element that is integral to my life now and there seems to be no way that I can eliminate that from my life. At this point in time, I am pretty much screwed up by a lot of things and right now, I am feeling so empty and lost that I am helpless about how to manage my affairs, be it work or anything else.

If only I could travel between realms of time, if only all this bull had not occurred, if only I do not have to be me, if only I can find the person who love the me that I love. If only I remain the student that I used to be, mugging hard for exams and worrying about whether you are able to score or not, or just depend on pure fluke to ace.

I hate the stress. I hate this shit that I have to go through. I hate this phase of my life which I will most probably have to lead till the day that I die. You were right, we have to sacrifice somehow and in some form to achieve things we want. But what is the point of sacrificing and not getting what you want?

Currently listening to: 'Empty' by The Click Five.

workout regime

2008-01-15T15:39:00.000+08:00

Workout regime

I set a post new year resolution after breaking my diet cycle in KL. So far, been sticking to it well, training has been optimally planned, with diet in check. Getting back to my rather strenuous workout regime. Last week's workout was:

Monday - Chest + Triceps
Tuesday - Back + Biceps
Wednesday - Abs
Thursday - Legs + Abs
Friday - Shoulders
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Cardio (run + elliptical trainer + cycling)

After a tiring day of work, had a blast at the gym earlier. 75 mins of no rest 'chest + triceps' workout to failure (was sorely disappointed with my dumbbell press of 70lbs each side), followed by Kristy's fat burn fly wheel spin class. She was disgusted at my poor attendance of her spin class, but was glad that I am getting back at it! Makes me miss my cycling days when I saw her wearing my favourite young rider's jersey, ugh! Oh well, it was an hour of endurance base ride really, alternating between tracks of fast/slow music with the former spinning at higher cadence and the latter spinning heavier at lower cadence, but I am glad that I was able to keep up with her tempo.

Gonna take my first measurement of bodyfat, muscles analysis at the end of the month to evaluate if I am working on the right track before I formulate my training regime for next month. Hopefully I am able to sustain my current training programme of six workout days per week.

Feel the burning sensation, as always - no pain, no gain.

Sunday morning

2008-01-13T07:13:00.000+08:00

Sunday morning

Thanks to your wake up call at 3.35am, I scrambled out of my bed and got hushed to washing up. Swee came barging into my room asking me to hurry up, cos I was supposed to pick up her friend before sending her to the airport. Mum and Dad were so sweet to wake up early to send Swee off too (but seriously, Swee, you are there for a holiday not for work!! grrr, you super pampered spoilt brat), and also they were afraid that I will be driving back alone. Ha, I think I have had way too many incidents of falling asleep while driving.

After dropping Swee and her friend off, we headed to Katong for an early breakfast. Jeez. A hungry couple (i.e hungry man being Dad, hungry woman being Mum) is an angry couple. The grumbling roared upstream from stomach to the mouth. *mutter* I really am not quite used to having a filling breakfast so early in the morning. And we could not find any place which serves nice food, until the famous 24hrs HK cafe at Katong came to mind. I think I am just a walking encyclopedia of good food, in the jurisdiction of Singapore at least. Just some more appetizing food to share, the other dim sum Mum and Dad had ordered din't looked too appealing to me, maybe I was just tired.

五宝汁, which is a fresh fruit juice blend of green apple, cucumber, bitter melon, green pepper and celery. Perfect detox to kickstart your day! Some may gawk at the sight of it even on the menu, but it is very refreshing and invigorating. Surprisingly, it leaves you with a mild naturally sweet aftertaste, which still lingers.

well, I confess to just one mouth of indulgence of their famous 菠萝包 with a thick slab of butter sliced in between. The warm bun, layered with the sweet crispy top, juiced up by the melting butter just leaves you craving for another mouthful..

french toast - this thick slice of toast looks plain normal, but it really is quite a feast when you sink your teeth through the crispy outside, with your tastebuds to be greeted by a very warm, moist and tender inside. the accompanying jar of honey and rich butter adds extra texture and flavour to the already tasty toast.

For some weird reason, I am actually missing my super noisy, 'forever bickering non-stop with me' and 野蛮妹妹. Ha, she's so going to kill me when she returns to Singapore. Have a safe and fun trip in Hong Kong, but please remember of all things (your 3 pages long of shopping list) to help me buy my sneakers!

P.S: Best of luck to everyone who is taking the January exams starting next week!

Currently listening to: 'It means nothing' by Stereophonics.

Corny mushroom incident.

2008-01-10T21:46:00.001+08:00

Corny mushroom incident.

Suddenly when I walked out from my room, I heard my mum yelling for my name ecstatically. Then she signaled me to the pot of plant located beside the stairs and asked me to come down quickly to take a look. This is what we saw!

ha! 2 big mushrooms and one little mushroom!

Then mum repeatedly asked me NOT to pick these 3 mushrooms and mix with the bag of mushrooms in the fridge. Ha! She went on reminiscing about an incident which happened when I was young. The incident shall remain a secret which only one person knows!

Currently listening to: '你并不孤单' by 林峰.

weekend getaway to kl

2008-01-08T01:03:00.000+08:00

Weekend getaway to KL.

Was a really great weekend. Finally, I took to the roads alone and drove all the way to KL. Had some really amazing food and of course the company mattered a lot. It was quite fun to drive but it gets a little sian to drive alone with only the radio to accompany, but it was well worth it. Driving back to Singapore was rather tedious, having to combat fatigue, rain, lack of street lightings. It is especially harder to part when you are basking yourself to the merriment of things. I certainly enjoyed myself a lot during this short trip and finally had a brief chance to relax myself after all that had happened in the dreaded year of 2007. Afterall, quality time is essentially more important than quantity time.

Enjoy the pictures and don't be overly jealous about the rewards to my tastebuds.

-the drive on north-south highway towards KL, took me 1hr28mins from singapore to malacca, and just under 3hrs to find my way around to sunway pyramid hotel-

-my room, love the cosy interior, which reminds me of someone owing me the design of my room again, hmph.-

-love this lightings control set placed beside the bed, how i wish i have this in my room too!-

-the commencement of food marathon...-

-had balinese food at sunway pyramid on my first night - warm tofu salad-

-a wicked appetizer - seemingly like satay, but the skewers were replaced by lemongrass which adds a tinge of fragrance to the already delicious tenderized meat-

-another salad dish which tastes refreshingly crisp and light enough for the stomach-

-a refreshing cucumber drink to tantalize your tastebuds-

-drove down to KL and finally we got to dine the jogoya buffet-
(sorry no photography was allowed, but i stole some snapshots of the food - this place has great ambience and offers a wide variety of food. i'm particularly fascinated by the desserts corner)

-half dozen of fresh oysters subtly flavoured with tabasco sauce and lime-

-plate of sashimi containing geoduck, salmon, tuna and several other types of fish-

are you ready for some absurd dessert treats? be flabbergasted, very.

-mango tang yuan soaked in ginger soup, the soup ain't overly sweet, and the mango flavoured rice ball wrap is filled with rich mango juice which will make you go wow-
(alright this is insanely ridiculous, but it happened, when i bit into the tang yuan, i wasn't expecting inside to be filled with mango juice and it spurt everywhere, jeez what a sight.)

-mango ice with generous chunks of naturally sweet mango cubes, littered with small sago seeds, very very yummy, this is what i call mango ice, been a year since i last had it and the taste was still as sweet as before, just like some things-

-not your usual mango pudding, this is served with a generous layer of mango puree and thick slices of mango fruit for a lavish treat-

-mango frostee jelly, alright we asked for a modification and changed the coconut cubes at the top layer into mango chunks. when you imbibe, you will have the most exhilarating treat, guaranteed to invigorate, with the perfect blend of texture gelled together by the jelly.-

-mango blizzard, as the name speaks for itself. this concoction has a unique character. with a proportioned serving of vanilla ice cream to complement the smooth texture of the mango chunks and soft layer of mango sponge-pudding-marshmallow.-

-banana mango prawn fritters, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, it doesn't leave your lips oily nor makes your throat sore-

-alright no more mango treats, in fact i ordered every single mango dish on the menu ;p. this is one of our faves also, durian cake! it is not your usual singapore durian cake which tastes overwhelmingly sweet. it bore a tinge of bitterness which lingers in your tastebuds, only to dissipate into an essence of natural sweetness. sorry swee, you only get to see the pics, but i'll bring you there to try next time!-

-little sweet potato with tou sa condiments as fillings. a cute little dish to taunt our tastebuds further, oh how sinful the night has become-

-a thick and rich green bean soup enough to warm your stomach-

-double boiled hasma, as usual the dates + gingko go to me! apparently this is a very nourishing dessert.-

-oh yeah, we had a total of 12 kinds of dessert/supper dishes from 2 eateries and damage was only around RM65. and yeah we managed to finish everything even after the buffet..-

-apple cinnamon flavoured bun from acclaimed world famous 'cinnabon', i love the large cubes of apple fruit showered with the apple flavoured condiment, which coincides with the cinnamon flavoured bun, only to complement not overwhelm, lovely. this may be a biased judgement since i'm a huge fan of cinnamon flavoured confectionery.-

-assam laksa, refreshing and light, a huge difference from the katong laksa that we are used to having in singapore. with a clear soup base, it is mildly spicy which serves me just right. the only turn off is the generous serving of raw onions, hmph.-

-tom yam laksa, jeez, this dish is very spicy so consider yourself warned before trying. oh btw, this is a laksa restaurant at sunway pyramid which serves all kinds of laksa. mmmm.-

-i seriously can't remember what is this called, because only roti chenai comes to my mind. you promised to bring me to go try it but we din't get to taste it, guess it has to come the next time i visit again. anyway, it looks simple but the taste is rich and the noodle like thingy tastes awesomely great with the chicken curry. the elastic texture of the noodle thingy blends with the smooth curry and the tender chicken thigh, perfect.-

-one dozen of dunkin donuts for swee and baby ler ler to indulge. apparently j co. is a new donut chain in m'sia which is commanding quite a respect with it's long queue. what's this craze about donuts that's running delirious in singapore and m'sia? it is really just a circular dough with icing and sweet condiments, but i am a sucker for them too like how i fall victim to krispy kreme donuts...-

-poolside party at sunway club-

-thanks for the invitation to the party, the host forgot all about the cake..-

-with wendee and gigi, thanks to gigi for the drive, btw don't worry, since you sent me back to the hotel instead of letting me walk back, i won't be as terrible when you come to singapore, but you know i'm not a very kind person either.-

-gigi was all hysterical after being able to take a photo with little yvonne, whom she fancies cos of the 2 holes on yvonne's face..jeez.-

-wendee with her clone sister-

-thanks wend for guiding me to the highway and driving to petrol kiosk to buy me a bag of sour sweets and energy drinks to keep me awake for the journey back to singapore. thanks! ugh, had to drink 2 bottles of red bull and 1 bottle of ryvita with honey to get me back to singapore with the occasional popping of sour pills and munching of strawberry sticks-

- thanks for the gift, love it! ;) -

-the terrible night conditions of driving back to singapore on north-south highway, no street lights at all. hate the part where it rained for quite a distance, a real torture and very demanding to drive too especially when you are feeling tired.-

-now that i'm back in singapore after such a sinful treat to my tastebuds over the weekend, i bought a tub of protein and l-glutamine to supplement me back in shape before march 08. the challenge lies ahead!-

This trip is quite an experience. The first time I drove to KL alone, the first time I drove around the city, which I bumped into a Samaritan when we got lost trying to find our way. The thick-skinned me just wound down the car window and asked the car beside for directions and he was kind enough to ask me to follow his car and gave me precise directions by stopping at a bus stop where he had to deviate from the route that we were heading. I know you will probably never chance upon this blog entry, but I still thank you sincerely. (The family with the dad driving a black Lexus LS400 and an ah boy which looks like the old me ;p) I learnt a lot of things and discovered what is it that I really want and I found several answers to queries and doubts which hovered around me for a while. I need to thank my family for all the support they had given me all this while, through my ups and downs in life and of course for giving me the chance to venture into what I would love to in life. I finally realize that not all things in life can be rushed, there are issues and matters which just require time. No matter what happens in future, I remain positive.

Can't wait for the next vacation already!

Currently listening to: 'Hold me now' by Wayne Wonder.

breaking laptop screen

2008-01-03T11:26:00.001+08:00

Broke my laptop screen into two.

Alright, now I need to replace my laptop screen because of the silliest mistake committed ever.

I was using my laptop on my bed and I wanted to adjust the position and decided to move it by the screen instead of the main body, and 'creeeeiakkkk' there we go, my LCD screen broke into two. According to Emery, I can't set my external monitor as my primary screen. Well tried to do so but failed to do so on several occasions. Rang up toshiba and they quoted me a minimum of $700 to replace my monitor shall it be caused by physical damage. Well done.

I need to stop gyming and stop using my laptop on the bed. Drats.

2008-01-03T00:59:00.000+08:00

Just some random thoughts to share.

I will never forget the days we once had,
the days when you were everything to me.
my mind used to tell me we would be together forever
but that may become a dream, never to materialize.
the feelings I have for you will never go,
I wish I could take back that one regretful day,
the day when I willingly let you slide from my arms.
never did I think of the astonishing pain of regrets
that I am living through with each passing day
the thought of not being able to share my joys with you
makes my heart shatter into a million pieces.
I sometimes wonder if you still think of me,
or if to you, I am just a face in the crowd?
I wish so very much that one day we can have it all back.
but for now, I will sit here silently
remembering all the memories we once shared.
everyday my love grows much stronger,
hoping that one day you will feel the same,
and put back the pieces of our broken hearts.

Currently listening to: 'Breathless' by Shayne Ward.

Happy new year 2008!

2008-01-01T12:32:00.000+08:00

Resolutions for year 2008

Happy new year everyone!

Another year passes by, and it comes to the time of the year whereby we will make tons of resolutions but only to look back 365 days later, only to realize that we had fulfill none of the goals that we set out to achieve. Where has all the enthusiasm gone to?! I am going to be relatively realistic in my resolutions here, though deep inside, we always aspire for more..

1) Get back in shape before 1 Mar 2008. Oh yes, I know, this is going to be the resolution for 85% of the guys out there, and all health magazines are going to be raving about how you can get your flat tummy, six pack, huge arms, beach body in 6 weeks, and yes I am going to kickstart my year with a strict diet and structured training regime. I already have a very motivating reason why I need to train hard for. A present is waiting for me!

2) Complete a full 42km marathon. This has always been a dream for me, and I am looking forward to the first night marathon (http://www.sundownmarathon.com/index.php) come 31st May 2008! And if I manage to survive this, the standard chartered marathon at the end of the year will be my second full marathon! Whoever is interested, please let me know, will be signing up before the end of this week, so we could probably sign up together!

3) A stable and complete life. She once said that life is only enjoyable and complete when you are able to share your joys and sorrows with someone you love, and I think that is very true. I think it is just awesome to be able to spend special moments with someone whom you treasure most in your life, then somehow, no matter what goes on around for the 5692301 people out there, both of you are still sheltered and enclosed in your own sanctuary. The memories still linger and I am not sure if they would be resuscitated to life. I have had enough of ups and downs in year 2007, and all that I ask for this year is a more smooth-sailing year like before.

On a more buoyant mood, since it is the new year, we should also include some easier to achieve resolutions.

4) Stop micromanaging. The devil may be in the details, but to achieve great things, look at the big picture.

5) Stop your facebook addiction. So what if you have 54,134 friends? If they really matter to you, they deserve a call and a lunch or dinner-get-together, not a Superpoke nor irksome invitations like 'Are you interested?' or some silly Vampire chumps?! Before you flame me, yes, I admit that I have this issue to address and it needs to be rectified rather badly.

6) The nemesis of all successes and the element of all failures - procrastination. So, start getting to work and stop delaying your work submission. How many times do you need someone to tell you this, but how often do you listen? Perhaps it never even got through to you in the first place.

I know I should probably write about my reflections on the year 2007, but I would rather just reminisce about the good memories than to pen down my thoughts on the depressing moments. Hope that everyone will have a fantastic year ahead! Last but not least, let's observe a minute of silence to pray for the people suffering out there, and for the less fortunate, and of course world peace.

Currently listening to: 'Built to last' by Melee.

reunion of class 6a1, 1996

2007-12-31T01:16:00.001+08:00

Reunion of class 6A1, 1996

Thanks to Maggie for co-organizing and making the reservations at Marmalade Pantry at Palais Renaissance, the class of 6A1, 1996 came about to a nice gathering, soaked with lots of laughter and an air of reminiscence lingers.

Time flies indeed, had known you guys for some 13-14 years, and that is more than half of our age! It is scary really, and really glad to meet a few mediacorp producers too! ;p Sorry, I rarely watches the morning or chinese news, so I must have missed your productions, but I'll try to pay attention to them! Really remember Yiliang's outburst in the middle of the class yelling 'They say that Elizabeth is my wife' Ha! That was a real classic joke, and our 'Superman' Mr Chua. I never realized that I always say 'and then hor' until YZ and JJ pointed it out and Mr Chua took the piss out of me in it. Unfortunately, rumours has it that our English teacher in 4N1, Mrs Lucy Tan passed away not too long ago, our condolences. On a brighter note, really glad to see that all of our friends are doing well in their lives, be it career or love. Can't believe that you guys could still remember our nonsense and taunts during primary school days about who loves/crushes/likes who... Just for the record, I am clean.

the guys!

the ladies!

the H.I.P.pies!

mag and her ex-crush terence.. ;p

Currently listening to: 'Pictures of you' by The Last Goodnight.

2am dessert bar

2007-12-29T01:27:00.000+08:00

Nice meeting up with you guys, and really sorry about not showing up the other night. Was really fun and great to have such meetups with you guys, not to mention the incessant 'bangings' on Nick ;p Your tolerance level is quite high to be honest, and it is quite fun sometimes, because you never get angry with us. But we also know not to cross the limit lah. Everyone was late, as usual, but we really enjoyed ourselves at '2am Dessert Bar' at Holland Village. And I received a parcel from Loong, all the way from UK! Thanks a lot buddy!

loong's plastic dumbbell (shampoo) + protein bar + xmas card

aaron came back from michigan with a jap 'son'. 3 scoops of ice cream, espresso, chocolate and strawberry.

'twix' - burnt caramel cream with mousse, coupled with chocolate ice cream and crunchy crispy biscuit crumbs.

tiramisu

green tea creme brulee, accompanied with white chocolate and green tea biscuit and green tea powder and apricot marmalade.

benny's meat balls, and they don't come cheap either. blimey, your balls stink.

5 kinds of cheese with macaroni - emmantal, dutch gouda, edam, parmesan, mozzarella (and according to the waiter, all cheese are imported from europe)

aww, a pity aaron had to bring his son home early to tuck him to bed.

Mmm...the dessert was good, but the prices were not justified with the servings of the food, but I guess the ambience and cosiness of the place paid off.

merry christmas?

2007-12-28T14:56:00.000+08:00

The jingle bells and carols of Crimbo 2007 fail to bedazzle like it used to over the past years.

Tears welled, hearts shattered, reunions faltered, bliss was deprived and tribulations emerged. Expression of feelings by words used to be a forte, but somehow, I could not find the words to piece together a narration that will appear sensible. In life, do we really know what we want? And when we finally do, is it already too late? The calendar year is drawing to a close, but the torments that waved throughout the year has every possibility to cascade through to 2008. Ambiguity looms in the days, weeks and months ahead, and no one else but ourselves have the answers to our own ambivalence. More often than not, the answers are so simple, yet we choose to dwell upon thoughts, but such are just traits that exhibit the complexities of human beings and the beauty of our imagination.

Detrimentality to the inner soul may however be indemnified with pampering of the tastebuds.

Canele Patisserie Chocolaterie

'Mont Blanc' - chestnut cream, with vanilla chantilly on an almond tart, topped with candied chestnut.

The famous cloud of violet meringue.

PS Cafe at Dempsey

the place with 'taxi calling cards'

'Flourless Orange Cake' - the orange marmalade pieces and smooth orange condiment blends well with the vanilla flavoured ice cream.

Another signature cake: 'Double Chocolate cake' - orgasmic for those with sweet tooth.

Crab Shack and
Icekimo Ice Cream at Upper Thomson Road

Highly recommended for their crab dishes - crab meat baked rice..mmm..

from left to right: teh tarik - dino milo - horlicks with malteasers ice creams

Marmalade Pantry

grilled pesto chicken wholemeal wrap with oven roasted butternut and tomato. love the sweet potato and tapioca 'chips'!

miso baked tofu with vegetable tempura and ginger soy.

chicken pot pie - the rich yet not overwhelming gravy and chicken chunks compliments the well baked crust wholly.

blueberry cheese cake! - a disappointment though. a soft biscuit bottom layer simply ruins the wholesome taste of the creamy cheese and blueberry top.

One Rochester

a perfect blend of coffee just makes the day complete. just realized that I forgot to take pics of the mocktails. ugh.

served with tapas

Good food tastes bland and measures on par with mediocre cuisines shall it not be enjoyed with a good company. Looking forward to more soul-healing food! Hope everyone had a good Christmas.

Currently listening to: 'Too much to ask' by Avril Lavigne and 'Get through this' by Art of Dying.

My first taste of mini cooper..shoes..;)

2007-12-21T02:26:00.000+08:00

Finally! I own something that's from mini cooper. All along, parents are strongly against me buying the mini cooper car, due to safety concerns (though this really puzzles me) but I finally own this piece of valuable which I think I should be keeping it as a showcase exhibit. ;p

This shoe is the first collaboration between mini cooper and Onitsuka Tiger! A limited edition with just 160 pairs distributed to Singapore, it's a pair of shoes worth collecting. ;)

The leather of the shoe is made of the same material used to make the steering wheel of the mini, and the chrome around the laces is the same chrome that encircles the headlights of mini. Check out the mini logo at the rear of the shoe, sexylicious! It even has an anti-skid sole, jeez. The only thing that I am sulking over is that the shop refuses, no matter at what price, to sell the car miniature of a mini cooper bearing the decal of the Onitsuka Tiger asics logo. Ugh. Annoying policies. It ain't my fault that I am not the first 10 customers in Singapore to buy it right, how would I know when is it coming to Singapore?! If you have details on where I may possible purchase one, please let me know, cos I will buy it. Thanks in advance.

Currently listening to: 'Stay' by Shakespeare Sister.

Wow, I din't realize that Christmas is just next week. Time really flies. It seemed like yesterday when I last celebrated Christmas. Many things had happened over this one year. Back then, there were days when each passing moment seemed so slow and torturous, and just when I thought that those days were over, it apparently seemed not to be so. Was running on the treadmill the other day at the gym and there was a programme featuring Christmas celebrations in Japan, and it was said that in Japan's culture, Christmas is a day reserved for couples and lovers. Whereas in Europe, Christmas is meant to be a day to be spent with your family. Well, I guess I have the opinion that of my japanese counterparts, and would really love to spend Christmas with the one that I love in my life. Is that possible?

I don't know and I don't want to know the answer to that question.

Sun with Moon + Cherie

2007-12-20T00:24:00.000+08:00

The fever is finally gone, but the cough remains to irritate, and the nagging just continues even far away from Germany.

'Remember to take tussils. Bring some out also, so you can take.'
'Please drink more water. H20, H20, H20, H20.'

Mie is annoyingly cute in a good fashion, and I ain't really complaining. It is in fact quite a sweet gesture, so I pack my Ben & Jerry's water bottle and headed out to pickup Aaron for a romantic candlelit dinner, almost.

After some discussion, finally decided to head down to town, with the intention of shopping a gift for geoky's birthday. However, ended up shopping for our stuffs, cos the sale was too distracting. ;p Too bad the mini cooper shoe wasn't on sale. I am not revealing details of this shoe until I go back and buy it, cos there are only 160 pairs around, and distributed in 3 colours.

A simple dinner at Sun and Moon (Wheelock branch). A really nice ambience, with good lightings definitely woos crowd from their branch at Central. I still remember my birthday dinner at Central's Sun and Moon din't go very pleasantly, sigh. So our girlfriends were not around, so we decided to date each other for a nice dinner instead and catch up on issues. You are poised to become the Singapore's version of Lance Armstrong now that you are training with my Cycleops trainer. ;p

aaron's chicken kamameshi!

my beef and vegetable hot pot!

our prawn and vegetable omelette. it has a crispy texture on the outside of the omelette. mmmz.

we wanted to share one...but our desires for tofu cheesecake say no!

one of my favourite dessert around, the tofu cheesecake now is served with a folded origami crane ;) i think it befits the whole cage theme much better with this crane. props.

eh, leave the bird alone!

After our dinner, continued shopping but to no avail, and ended up buying lots of supper from Sun Moulin! Yumz, I miss their milk loaves, and decided to try their donuts, but was rather disappointed, especially with the soybean powdered skewered ball donuts and cinnamon ring donut. The snow custard was still as good as before, a combination of cheesecake and sponge cake. Lethal and lovely combination. ;)

Ended the evening playing with Cherie, Aaron's puppy! It is super adorable and sticks to me. Ha, Cherie din't even bother entertaining you with the 'Fetch' ;p and just ran back to me. Anyway, some of the pics to share, and Cherie does know how to give that manja attitude too, loving her already!

1st pose!

the manja begins..

hmph, don't play with you le!

Sigh, small geoky and LY refuses to have a puppy in the house. I really wish I could have one. ;(

manchester united 1 - 0 liverpool

2007-12-19T00:48:00.000+08:00

a friendly reunion between victor manchester united and losers liverpool fans..

the darts game!

Had a really great time at Ice Cold Beer on Sunday, and gloating over Manchester United's victory over Liverpool can't get more enjoyable when LC, Jo and Basheer sulks to the 1-0 loss. ;p It was an entertaining match, but somehow despite the crowd, there was a feeling of emptiness.

paulaner lover's brew! sorry lindy!

kenny's treat. i don't know what beer is this, but the taste is so-so.

makes me miss the hotdog

acting innocent won't remedy the fact that you guys started eating without taking pics! mmm the 'ice-cold-beer-pizza-with-tiger-prawns'

the chicken wings. damn shiokz.

kenny and dedien's evil treats - mashed potato with sausages + fried mars bar with chocolate ice cream..

LC - you can just forget it. liverpool will never experience the taste of victory over manchester united can. it will and shall remain as a dream which will never materialize. very soon, you will realize jo downing the manchester united jersey. ;p it is with regrets that the singapore soccer channel din't show the 50yards screamer goal from carrick. it was too awesome that it got censored.

thanks to kenneth for the pics ;)

p.s: lc - please let the bird out of the cage and fly..

Late night random thoughts

2007-12-16T03:45:00.000+08:00

The caricature of one's concerns and worries often amplifies within itself to a hazy mist. In furtherance, never ever underestimate the dynamism that the faculty of love can ever exhibit, because it will leave you in bewilderment before you even realized what had transpired.

Seconds, accumulating to minutes and hours ticked by, and the life of privation for me moved into the fourth day. There is unequivocal truth that virgoes are perfectionist to a high esteem, with the exception of a handful with a slight tendency to vacillate. Regrettably, I fall into the category of that handful. The complexities of an individual's psyche can never be candor, with the occasional superficialities whereby naivete begets optimism.

Changes may be cursory, but it shall never be radical, else the empirical fundamentals will just be forsaken altogether. Augmented with the melancholic sequence of emotional developments, simple notions appear sour and even bitter, but such undue will eventually be suppressed. And we will keep our fingers crossed on that, shall we please?

First bite of chilli crab after 14 years

2007-12-03T02:57:00.000+08:00

For the first time in 14 years, I ate chilli crabs. I had a little of allergy reaction from some not-so-fresh-prawns, and after a few mouths of the delicious crab meat. Had to disrupt from the dinner table to pop my allergy pills, to make sure that I don't get sick from it. Oh well, it wasn't too bad, but must I say, the man-tou with the gravy was damn shiokz! The tender, yet juicy crab meat is good stuff, seriously. Wish the crabs have more than 2 claws ;(
Think I can start eating more crabs to increase my tolerance level already. Mmmmmm.

I seriously hate taxi drivers. My tolerance for them stands at an absolute zero. While driving back home earlier, this psychotic taxi driver jam braked at a T-junction, coming to a standstill and I was raring to react till my car almost smashed into his, before I swerved to the right, only to realize that I am uncomfortably close to the centre divider, hence having to swerve back to the left to avoid getting myself into a nasty crash at 2am. I thought I was a terrible driver to fall asleep while driving, but I find myself in a more superior position when you spot retarded drivers like these. Gives me unnecessary adrenaline in the middle of the night. Hmph. But immediately after I managed to get my car and myself into a safe position, there was only one person who came to my mind and that made me realize how important you are to me.

Congrats to Fa'ah!

2007-11-27T16:14:00.000+08:00

Congrats to Mie's buddy, Fa'ah who wedded last Sunday! This is also the first time I had attended a malay wedding. Got me really fascinated. ;)

the music plays..

the blissful couple!

the ceremony

the yummy curries! ;)

feel like stealing one of the cupcakes ;p

for the record, this is not a teapot, it's meant for you to wash your hands ;p

the sweet little gifts ;)

Even though we have only said hi-bye when I was working at J, but I still wish Fa'ah all the best in her new life now that she is happily wedded. Congrats and all the best! And I really am quite impressed at how a malay wedding is like. Mie, thanks for inviting me along. :)

sweetbytes.blogspot.com!

2007-11-25T04:36:00.000+08:00

For all you ladies out there and gentlemen who are clueless about what to get for your wives/girlfriends/girlfriends-to-be/boyfriends , seek salvation at http://sweetbytes.blogspot.com/

Basically, that blog features my sister's much inspired creativity and innovation with her hand-made accessories, and any support rendered will be greatly appreciated! Bulk purchases will be rewarded with drinks treat from me, so it really is quite a good deal. ;)

What are you waiting for? Check out her blog right away and start placing your orders through me or you may wish to contact her directly at swee_geok@hotmail.com. (Uhm, preferably the latter please else I will do a mark-up of 5% on the retail price for communication fees. hur, pun intended.)

Happy shopping all! ;)

Currently listening to: 'Here in my heart' by Plus One.

Sinful food indulgence

2007-11-24T22:19:00.000+08:00

Not the most pleasant day for me, but I satisfied my tastebuds and already-growing-big-tummy real good with some dessert indulgence.

the famous cheng tng from adam road food centre. mmmmm ;)

the tau suan tastes real refined and not too sweet, suits my tastes real well.

this is one of the old school chicken puff place, where they hand made and sell, near selegie. the crust is very crispy, and the fillings pipping hot. very delicious and tastes nicer than the much commercialized ol' chang kee.

got a sweet treat from swee - the oreo cheesecake from indulge patissere located at north bridge road. tastes really awesome. the cheesecake is not the sticky dull sort. in fact, it tastes very smooth, and the oreo biscuit base is wickedly good. the crumbs are very crunchy and is a lethal combination with smooth cheese mid-section.

rum and cherry chocolate from awfully chocolate for dad's birthday cake. ;)

Sinful food is harsh on the waistline, but it pampers the heart and soul well.

2007-11-23T20:12:00.000+08:00

mummy's black sauce prawns is seriously finger-lickin'-good ;)

Thank you mummy! I woke up today, having a strong yearning and craving for this special prawn dish. Mummy used to cook this for me almost everyday before I had chicken pox (where I couldn't eat prawns after that). It is basically prawns in this special black sauce, which I suspect is dark soy sauce, but it doesn't matter, cos I am not the one cooking. ;p

So I rang mum and told her that I really wanted to have this dish for tonight, and it was served during tonight's dinner, together a whole lot of other dishes. Mmm, the third day in a row when we have prawns for dinner. Damn shiokz. I finally realized how great it is when you chew on a juicy and rich fat prawn and the crunch is just awesome. It tastes mildly sweet. But somehow I have this fetish of peeling prawns. Er, don't ask me why. Can't wait to go eat drunken prawns with Emery after his exams.

Hmph. I think I need to find new food to savour. Too much seafood is going to make my cholestrol levels shoot up, but for now, I don't care because I have been deprived of the delight of eating prawns (without taking medicine) for way too long.

Sigh, too bad, there is no stock of the prawns from Greenland. Dad used to tell me that there is this special breed which is cooked because of the coldness and tastes wickedly sweet (or something like that). Hmph, that was like many years ago, but I never had the chance to try it. Probably not anytime soon, but rest assured all you food connoisseurs out there, if I get to try, I'll surely update and post about it.

Thank god it is friday! Enjoy the weekend ahead all.

Smallest live prawns!

2007-11-23T02:41:00.000+08:00

This is officially the smallest live prawns around!

Mum made prawn omelette out of this, but I did not get to try it cos was rushing out. Jeez, I am starting to like prawns, but not in the raw/live forms when it reeks..

More prawns please!

2007-11-21T20:09:00.000+08:00

mummy's chilli + tomato prawns..yum yum ;)

Dr Chin was right. I never wanted to trust him for years, and now I finally do. He kept asking me to try eating more prawns and seafood to get my body used to it and when the body finally does, the allergy to seafood will be gone. I am gradually increasing my intake of prawns, and now I think I can safely consume prawns without any allergy! Mum is equally excited and promises to cook prawns almost every other day since everyone in the family love prawns. (And it was because I really detested prawns THEN, that I am missing out such a delicacy) Apparently, my youngest sis is also quite tolerant of prawns now, and her allergy only effects when she consumes not-so-fresh prawns, so it rarely happens anyway. Mmmm..can't wait for the next dish of prawns.

Previously, I could only peel prawns for people, now, it is different! I can peel for them, and also eat them myself! Somehow, I am feeling really ecstatic over the ability to consume prawns without the hassle of popping antibiotics before/after. ;) And this reminds me that I still owe Mie my antibiotics, but I guess you won't be using much of it also, maybe when I try out eating crabs ;p

The next target on my attack list will be crabs. Hopefully can overcome the allergy before Huson returns to Singapore and we could all go for a feast at Emery's favourite AMK crab place.

Really envious of family and friends around me travelling. Both geokies are leaving soon, the elder for Europe, while the younger for Hong Kong. Huson is probably on his plane to NYC now, Carole is awaiting her exams to end before a trip to Hong Kong, AGAIN, Mark's trip to Taiwan, Aaron's trip to Indo and then to Germany, Mat's trip to China (I think - sorry, I forgot! ;p ), Kellie's trip to Germany, then Huson + Pearlly's cruise trip in Dec, hurhur, can't remember who else off hand. Aaron, if we are going to watch next year's Euro Cup, we need to start planning! I am in dire need of a break and vacation too. Thankfully some of my friends are returning from US/UK and would be real nice to meetup with them over christmas holidays!

Currently listening to: 'It means nothing' by Stereophonics.

Simple fare

2007-11-20T01:44:00.000+08:00

Mmm..spicy clams.

this is the 'wu xiang' with the beehoon in the background. the toufu tastes delicious! and is mie has an interesting story about how she used to packet this back home to eat previously..

It must be some sort of a curse that I can't get to sleep at this time of the night. Maybe I am used to the late nights, early mornings. My splitting headache is killing me. *grunts*

Currently listening to: 'With Me' by Sum 41

Yoko Yoko!

2007-11-17T04:57:00.000+08:00

Mie knows that I always have aches, from gym and also from rainy days. And I always get stiff shoulders when I work, so I got this YOKOYOKO deep heat from her as a little treat! Thanks for always being so thoughtful ;)

Awesome friday evening spent. Stay tuned for some pictures when I manage to get hold of them..

Whiny + lazy = fat me

2007-11-07T05:31:00.000+08:00

I seriously hate it when you have put in so much effort in doing something and it just crumbles because of one minor mistake and you have to start all over and forsake everything which you had devoted so much time for. Hmph. Yes, I am in a whiny mood at 5.36am, because I just messed up something that I was working on and I am very annoyed right now. To make matters worse, my arthritis is really working up on me right now. It has been feeling terrible today especially with the increasing rainy days. And there is nothing much that I can do about it but just tolerate and try to sleep it off, if that is even possible.Just felt like whining a bit, as usual.

'qian cheng gao' is really droolimmicious with the company of iced kopi-o-kosong. start feeling fat, very very fat. *scream*

Anyway, I haven't had 'kueh lapis' in a looooong while. Actually I think that the only times I eat it is during Chinese New Year or when 2nd aunt makes for us, so it really is a sweet treat, yet again. UGH, sweet treats, desserts, suppers on a daily basis is definitely detrimental to the waistline but favourable for uh mental well-being? Okay, I know this is just a feeble attempt in trying to find myself an excuse.

What do you address a person like me? A lazy bum-ass mister.

Bratwurst shop

2007-11-01T20:47:00.000+08:00

Never realized that Plaza Singapura had undergone so much changes. Got lots of funky food at the basement area too, but it always boils down to the same complain, too much food, so little stomach space. Was really starving and chanced upon this stall 'Bratwurst Shop - Grill it!'. As the name already suggests, it is a sausage place, actually they serve sandwiches too. The chicken and mushroom sausage was a real hit. The first bite already fills you in with it's juiciness. Yummilicious! The good food in Singapore seriously never run out.

What would really complete my lunch meal would be a pint of cold frosted paulaner's bier. I really miss drinking that, especially the dark brew. Can't wait for friday! ;)

More foodie delights!

2007-10-30T22:35:00.000+08:00

My 'darlin' bought this for all of us! So sweet of 'her' ;) However, what you failed to realize is that you made a fatal mistake by asking your love rival to do the delivery to me...

It has a very rich taste, but I find it more of chocolate and vanilla more than rum. Nonetheless, it is still a very sweet thought of you, my 'darlin' and someone is going to get jealous now. :P Thanks for the dinner meal too. ;)

On a side note, I went back to J earlier this evening. Sigh, it really brings back LOTS of memories during NS days. Starting from the entrance, the guardhouse. It used to be a canvas tent, and lots had transpired before it was finally established. Had to exchange for a visitor's pass, then the pathway leading to my office seems all so clear once again. I walked to the door to take the shortcut into the building, only to realize that my visitor's pass won't grant me access. Had to enter via the main lobby. I still remember mum sending me to work every morning, or the occasional instances where I will cycle to work (but I rarely do so in fear of people stealing my bike parts :P) I still remember my record time of arriving station in 6mins 49secs, from the moment I get my bike off my compound. Was standing at the Nanyang NPC's lobby, and it reminds me of days when I went to reception to chit-chat with Jack. Then when I walked into the lift, I automatically pressed level 4, because that's where my office is located. I still remember the 4th floor lobby, and the first person I knew on my first day of work was Wilson! I still remember greeting him 'Good morning Sir' - haha and we both laughed it off when we got much closer. Wilson, I must have made your day right, damn long never hear people call you Sir :P. And, I got reminded of the cleaner auntie who forever loves to chat with me and Hendry will always try and run away from office cos he's sian of her incessant naggings and whinings, but I thought it was quite entertaining sometimes. I miss the 'talk cock' sessions at Ops Branch, the scoldings from Commander Mdm (and she will always buy nasi lemak or breakfast for us the next morning after scolding..and the foodie will always go to Ops/Planning office. Up till now, I have never tried the breakfast she bought for me, but anyway, Mdm won't be reading this :P I miss a lot of things, like the gym workouts every lunch without fail, when Hendry and I locked the office door and slept together, the rushing of work, collation of SARs, drafting of letters. Anyway, I just miss police life altogether, but I guess it is a phase in your life that you look back and smile upon.

The story of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet

2007-10-30T02:51:00.000+08:00

I have a very interesting story to share with everyone!

I wanted to cry after hearing it so I thought it is worth sharing.

Do you know why Winnie the Pooh always carries a pot of honey when he goes out? It is because Piglet is an ant-eater. Oh why? Because whenever Piglet is hungry, Winnie the Pooh will drop a dab of honey, which will attract ants and this will be food for Piglet.

Uhm, for some reason, I was totally convinced that this was indeed the case. Erm, or is it not?

Supper treats

2007-10-29T23:09:00.000+08:00

my supper treats - coffee and chocolate buns + 4 flavoured egg tarts! be very jealous ;)

apple & cinnamon egg tart. jeez, apple and cinnamon are two things that i die for, simply love them, fabulicious!

the thick and rich egg white/yolk which i can't really differentiate. basically it tastes heavenly, the crust is crisp enough and the tart is soft and tender. of course, it is extremely sweet, for the heart too..

kaya flavour!

corn flavour!

pepper chicken..mmm..

I am getting very very fat. Still trying to get into the momentum of exercising at a high intensity and high frequency. Oh well, sometimes it is worth compromising though. Drool at the pictures above, cos these are my supper treats! Be envious, jealous and let your stomach start rumbling.
Thanks for everything ;)

Can't fight the moonlight

2007-10-26T04:18:00.000+08:00

Soaked by the ambience, the brain is stoned and stuffed with coke. It is none other than a living organism thriving on the pathetic remnants of fresh oxygen from the stifling air. Regrets come from within, but what use is it when it's arrival is in arrears. Words are best left unspoken, actions left masked, only then it won't unveil the originals.

You know a wake up call for the soul is in dire needs, yet the calling never materialized. The acquisition of confidence and power is an essential in this ever-evolving society, but what motivates? He who is endowed with nothing fights for his wants, and with time, it proliferates into his objective.

The attraction is ever spell-binding like the revolutions of the spiral sparkling fireworks. Does it falter like a withering rose or does it blossom into the charms a rare gem exudes.

Can't fight the moonlight.

French bakery

2007-10-23T21:08:00.000+08:00

New hideout! Was driving back home and decided to pass by Coronation Plaza, stopped by this french bakery located at a corner. Bought mummy a slice of chocolate cake, named 'Palais Royale'. (Mum felt that it was too sinful, so decided to share it with me :P ) Briefly, it has a thick layer of cocoa powder at the top layer, followed by multiple layers of rich dark chocolate and when you savour the base of the cake, it reminds you of eating 'ferro rocher' chocolates. Yes, that's what I am talking about, crunchily delicious. I can't really describe entirely the joy of the rich chocolate melting in your mouth when it comes into contact with your tongue, it is just tantalising and definitely irresistible. Oh my...

'palais royale' currently ranks top on my list of chocolate cakes.

one of the nicest french baguette around - highly recommended.

and..lastly, my recent craze - iced kopi-o kosong!

The iced kopi-o kosong is seriously one of the best drinks around. Highly charged with caffeine, it gives you the adrenaline to pump hard at the gym and sweat it out. In recess, it is a perfect companion to your pastries and afternoon delights.

Currently listening to: 'I have been waiting' by Sixpence None the Richer.

The whisper of a silent prayer.

2007-10-23T02:05:00.000+08:00

I am sure your grandma will be strong and fine. I perfectly comprehend the angst in you, but I am upbeat that things will be positive eventually. Take care.

A silent prayer has been whispered for her good health.

Happy Birthday Aaron!

2007-10-21T23:53:00.000+08:00

It was Aaron's birthday yesterday, but we held a belated celebration for him this evening at 'Fish & Co' Paragon. Nice to meet up with all, wow, we've known each other for some 10 years already man, and the highlight must have been Nick's bra business plan. It is in the pipeline for us to try and to work something out, but you better email me the details quick! Everyone seems to be busy with assignments and work, but thankfully Emery squeezed some time and we went to play pool after dinner! For the ill-informed, 'Monster Cue' at Lucky Plaza has closed down. Damn shagged to walk all the way from Lucky Plaza to Meridien just to play pool, thankfully Emery din't make noise. :P CAN YOU PLEASE STOP OWNING ME EMERY?! And it was a pleasant surprise to bump into Marcus when I was on my way to collect the car after pool. Woot, haven't seen this buddy since I ORD'ed. Glad to see him doing well and even starting up a business.

4.5 matthews! (we need our overseas matthews back!)

happy birthday aaron!

with birthday boy!

well done on getting 2 medals yesterday, emz.

you need something longer and bigger, gao.

awwwww, BFFs ;)

ai zai, don't so hungry! i'll serve you some roast dog rice on 8 nov.

em's massive passion fruit freeze. well, to me it's more like oversized slurpee..

gao's S$19 jap instant noodles. atas boy.

This is a bit sidekick, but I found some overdued pictures in my digi cam which I forgot to share! They were my birthday dinner pics anyway, but what I want to share is the dessert at 'Sun with Moon' at Central and there is another branch at Wheelock Place. They serve pretty desserts and main dishes with style.

gotta wait for the sand in one chamber of the hourglass to filter through before removing the lid to be served! HUNGRY already la!

yummmmmmmy!

let the 'bird' fly!

tofu cheesecake unleashed!

Talking about cheesecake, this reminds me that someone still owes me cheesecake.. uh hum.
Currently listening to: 'Open Arms' by Journey

Discoveries

2007-10-20T21:52:00.000+08:00

Discovered quite a lot of things today. I never knew that Singapore had another IKEA (besides the one at Alexandra Road), and there are actually nice farms around nor did I realize that making a cross on your mosquito bites cures the itch. :P

So I did not break my promise afterall and we had fried big intestine, my favourite wanton mee and of course sugar cane juice with lemon. ;) I still want my rojak and tau huey! So much nice food yet so little stomach space.

with the chilli & sweet sauce, yums.

being a huge fan of cinnamon pastries, decided to try this cinnamon & raspberry baked donut. a very unique and special aftertaste, ugh, regret not buying two.

another yummy bite from swiss bakerie. strawberry cupcake. crisp on the outside, tender on the inside.

Must I mention that the caneles and the lemon tarts from swiss bakerie are also food to die for? it's awfully good yet it is not friendly on the waistline. Oh well, compromises. Pictures of the canele and lemon tart have been posted previously so I shall not further titillate your tastebuds. I am suddenly craving for the ginger pudding with vanilla ice cream, and won't it be perfect with some Ben & Jerry's ice cream at Dempsey.

I just happily replenished all the calories I had burnt off at the gym an hour ago. Ugh!

Currently listening to: 'Maybe I'll go' by Lene Marlin.

Nightmares

2007-10-19T06:57:00.000+08:00

Sound most frightening,
heard in the dark bed of night.
Not some precarious toy off the sofa's edge falling,
nor an eery scratching,
tree branch scraping in the howling whistling wind,
nor footsteps fading,
furnace clicking,
sheets rustling,
dogs barking,
nor the night house creaking,
cracking, settling, breathing.

Sound most frightening
heard in the dark bed
with heart racing,
blood sweat dripping,
under covers hiding,
a single note emanating from the old bedroom piano.

Sound, horror ringing,
through nights and years can still be heard,
accompanied by vision
of an ethereal boy locked frantically
in his best impression of boy
sleeping too deeply to hear the sound.

Seriously, I always freak out when I get this childhood nightmare. It has been haunting me since primary 1. It was after I had visited my dad's friend, whose house is located at a really dark and quiet place. Then I always imagine having to walk down this pitch dark alleyway to gain access to his doorsteps. It is a terrible feeling. I would want to describe in greater details of the nightmare, but I really can't bring myself to continue writing. This nightmare always comes back to haunt me whenever I am feeling stressed/depressed. I don't know why it came back to me last night, but I am surely not feeling great right now. I remember losing sleep previously over this nightmare during my 'A' levels period when I had the same dream every night for 1 week. I had a phobia of getting under my duvet. I hope this nightmare is only back for one night and is not part of some marathon series else I will run away from my bed.

Currently listening to: 'Whereever You Will Go' by The Calling.
Currently reading: 'The Essays of Warren Buffet - Lessons for Investors'.