http://www.haroldsplanet.com/mainsite.htm
..where the heart is
It's been a week of rest, rejuvenation, solitude, madness, giggles and love.
And I've been too lazy to update this space, or do anything that involves venturing 5m away from my bed :p
Life's been slow and relatively uneventful, but those little moments in the day have etched memories and left their own imprints in time.
It's been nice just to sleep in, nap in the afternoons and not have to wake up to an alarm. To walk along the beach at night, listen to the surf crash in and relish the salty air and the sand between your toes. To go on long drives with an endless stretch of green lights ahead of you and the radio reading the tracks in your mind. To actually have the time to think and figure stuff out, explore your options and read about things you've put on hold forever.
To wake up to that heavenly cup of tea every morning and sip it in the sunshine.
Birthdays, epiphanies, koththu roti, kimbula bunis, seafood dinners, Burger's King and home made buns. Being greeted with hugs, sleepy smiles and maalu paan. The bus rides to shake the tremors off. Meeting old teachers with their blessings and the little nephew for the first time. The mini-road trip to Negombo, and the diversion to Moratuwa. Sitting with the cousin who has a huge crush on Justin Beiber and watching all of his videos while remembering what it was like to be 13 and madly in love with the Backstreet Boys. Swapping tracks with the quarter rockstar, catching up with the girlfriends and watching movies with the sibling. Laughing over coffee with the mother and getting philosophical under the stars with wine and the father.
Regardless of everything that's been going on lately, on the inside and out, being at home has quelled it :)
And I've been too lazy to update this space, or do anything that involves venturing 5m away from my bed :p
Life's been slow and relatively uneventful, but those little moments in the day have etched memories and left their own imprints in time.
It's been nice just to sleep in, nap in the afternoons and not have to wake up to an alarm. To walk along the beach at night, listen to the surf crash in and relish the salty air and the sand between your toes. To go on long drives with an endless stretch of green lights ahead of you and the radio reading the tracks in your mind. To actually have the time to think and figure stuff out, explore your options and read about things you've put on hold forever.
To wake up to that heavenly cup of tea every morning and sip it in the sunshine.
Birthdays, epiphanies, koththu roti, kimbula bunis, seafood dinners, Burger's King and home made buns. Being greeted with hugs, sleepy smiles and maalu paan. The bus rides to shake the tremors off. Meeting old teachers with their blessings and the little nephew for the first time. The mini-road trip to Negombo, and the diversion to Moratuwa. Sitting with the cousin who has a huge crush on Justin Beiber and watching all of his videos while remembering what it was like to be 13 and madly in love with the Backstreet Boys. Swapping tracks with the quarter rockstar, catching up with the girlfriends and watching movies with the sibling. Laughing over coffee with the mother and getting philosophical under the stars with wine and the father.
Regardless of everything that's been going on lately, on the inside and out, being at home has quelled it :)
A week of Saturday nights (part I)
Almost.. :D
A breezy, happy and lazy evening catching up by the water with Iris. Lemon tarts, exotic $3 salads, tea and coffee and that yummy cinnamon-y scone :D Dusk settled in slowly and the sky changed colour again, my favourite part of the day :) And then came the celebration of Baldy's 25th year of existence. The quirky cafe, wine, more wine, rum, vodka, sheesha, finger food, old and new faces and chatter of the crazy kind. The moment across the room, before it was all gone. Losing himself in a drunken stupor and being drawn on, propped on a chair and then being dragged home. Lying down on the comfy cushions at Nabin's with turkish coffee and football- the craziest bet won! And a free 4am cab ride home with a musical soul I'll never see again. One heck of a night to remember :D
A lazy morning with coffee in bed, and an even lazier Sunday lunch with Mr Google at Holland Village. We never run out of things to talk about! :D Cinnamon bun madness before I crashed into bed again, temporarily. A chilled out and happy Sunday night in with Benny and the exchange of tunes, stories and news, before heading out to Chijmes (pronounced Shymes :D) for the world cup final with the boys, and girl. A battle to get seats, a walk all over City Hall and we finally ended up at a dinner table with a screen that had limited volume control. Coronas, B52s and one of the most boring matches of the world cup, with all of us periodically falling asleep. The eventual Spanish victory and a trek to McDs while waiting for the trains to start, and crawling into bed at 6.30am.
Four hours of sleep and the visa finally arrived! I guess there's no turning back now :) The kindred spirit finally made it after a week of postponements and we caught up over Thai food and that sinful avocado milkshake, before hitting our usual grassy spot. I'm gonna miss him, specially because we're heading off in our own directions with a whole new chapter ahead.
Amidst job fair wisecracks, Candy was finally off with a suitcase bigger than her. Gonna miss her! Temporary peace with the carrot gone and the Maliban consumption in check. Picking on the shutterbug in the queue at Aston's, a dinner with the six of us and TCC for coffee (shots!) with the seven of us. And I finally met the rockstar's adopted brother :D And a food hunt at Outram led to a watered down glimpse of the KTV bars there- made for an interesting walk ;)
The sumptuous chicken and 'shroom sammich with the new Marang road dweller. And then we had to call a taxi while waiting in line at the taxi stand because none of them would stop! An unexpected dinner treat with the Bot, who'd overstocked on chicken pies, apple strudel and danish :D And a cricket club dinner-to-be with the ladies turned sleep-in till Mabuk my love arrived at midnight :) Red wine and the happy exchange of stories and laughs and fishboy crackers- the MTM KL peeps, I love you guys and my back-to-school gift! :D
Saturday passed in a happy whizz of a nice long chat with the love over coffee on the balcony, an extended Moroccan lunch, a not-so-secret visit to the office with the funny bathroom blackout episode, designer ice cream, a taxi ride to the east to go west, camwhoring at Haw Par Villa, chilling out by the river with drinks at OverEasy, the arrival of the hindu French vegetarian, the surprise fireworks, a trek to the Esplanade, the makan sutra place, back to the Fullerton and onto Lau Pa Sat for beer and dim sum, another cab ride to Knight and Day, messing around in the painted corridor, walking up Mt Sophia to Timbre Old School, more drunken camwhoring and a sleepy Foo, and the VIP entrance into Butter Factory in slippers and shorts! Techno and tequila shots and the scribes gone wild, with the owner of the club patting the side of my face in the end :D
To be continued.. :)
A breezy, happy and lazy evening catching up by the water with Iris. Lemon tarts, exotic $3 salads, tea and coffee and that yummy cinnamon-y scone :D Dusk settled in slowly and the sky changed colour again, my favourite part of the day :) And then came the celebration of Baldy's 25th year of existence. The quirky cafe, wine, more wine, rum, vodka, sheesha, finger food, old and new faces and chatter of the crazy kind. The moment across the room, before it was all gone. Losing himself in a drunken stupor and being drawn on, propped on a chair and then being dragged home. Lying down on the comfy cushions at Nabin's with turkish coffee and football- the craziest bet won! And a free 4am cab ride home with a musical soul I'll never see again. One heck of a night to remember :D
A lazy morning with coffee in bed, and an even lazier Sunday lunch with Mr Google at Holland Village. We never run out of things to talk about! :D Cinnamon bun madness before I crashed into bed again, temporarily. A chilled out and happy Sunday night in with Benny and the exchange of tunes, stories and news, before heading out to Chijmes (pronounced Shymes :D) for the world cup final with the boys, and girl. A battle to get seats, a walk all over City Hall and we finally ended up at a dinner table with a screen that had limited volume control. Coronas, B52s and one of the most boring matches of the world cup, with all of us periodically falling asleep. The eventual Spanish victory and a trek to McDs while waiting for the trains to start, and crawling into bed at 6.30am.
Four hours of sleep and the visa finally arrived! I guess there's no turning back now :) The kindred spirit finally made it after a week of postponements and we caught up over Thai food and that sinful avocado milkshake, before hitting our usual grassy spot. I'm gonna miss him, specially because we're heading off in our own directions with a whole new chapter ahead.
Amidst job fair wisecracks, Candy was finally off with a suitcase bigger than her. Gonna miss her! Temporary peace with the carrot gone and the Maliban consumption in check. Picking on the shutterbug in the queue at Aston's, a dinner with the six of us and TCC for coffee (shots!) with the seven of us. And I finally met the rockstar's adopted brother :D And a food hunt at Outram led to a watered down glimpse of the KTV bars there- made for an interesting walk ;)
The sumptuous chicken and 'shroom sammich with the new Marang road dweller. And then we had to call a taxi while waiting in line at the taxi stand because none of them would stop! An unexpected dinner treat with the Bot, who'd overstocked on chicken pies, apple strudel and danish :D And a cricket club dinner-to-be with the ladies turned sleep-in till Mabuk my love arrived at midnight :) Red wine and the happy exchange of stories and laughs and fishboy crackers- the MTM KL peeps, I love you guys and my back-to-school gift! :D
Saturday passed in a happy whizz of a nice long chat with the love over coffee on the balcony, an extended Moroccan lunch, a not-so-secret visit to the office with the funny bathroom blackout episode, designer ice cream, a taxi ride to the east to go west, camwhoring at Haw Par Villa, chilling out by the river with drinks at OverEasy, the arrival of the hindu French vegetarian, the surprise fireworks, a trek to the Esplanade, the makan sutra place, back to the Fullerton and onto Lau Pa Sat for beer and dim sum, another cab ride to Knight and Day, messing around in the painted corridor, walking up Mt Sophia to Timbre Old School, more drunken camwhoring and a sleepy Foo, and the VIP entrance into Butter Factory in slippers and shorts! Techno and tequila shots and the scribes gone wild, with the owner of the club patting the side of my face in the end :D
To be continued.. :)
Esprit de corps
Sometimes, I wish I could pack my buddies in a suitcase and take them everywhere with me. The fellowship of travelling friends!
Ace has his own EP out! How cool is that :D And I didn't even know one was in the making... Awesome stuff dude- lovin' the tracks so far. I'm so proud of you. The quarter rockstar lives on~!
The bestie celebrated her second anniversary with eyeballs! :D Haha and they're still as crazy as ever.
Baldy turned 25, and that brings our quirky friendship to a grand total of 10 years. Some things never change, and I'm glad they don't :)
The kindred spirit is seeing his dream through, in spite of a heap of odds stacked against him. And he's doing it with such grace, I'm honoured just to be his friend.
QJ, my conscience over the phone. A skype chat turned reprimand turned laughing fit, the way only we can :)
The shutterbug is braving it on a budget, for the next couple of months. What he's doing takes guts, and I'm in awe and admiration.
Iris has designs all over the world :D Things are finally looking up for her, and settling down in a good way :)
The rockstar is rocking the socks outta China! Land of the pandas, make way for greatness. The chaos will dissipate, just hang in there a little longer and keep the faith m'dear :)
Chuahbacca and Fonco, and a weekend we will remember :D
The mad cow-boy finally has a well-deserved break from the chaos, and is touring the streets of Beijing as we speak.
My fashionista in KL and the notification madness which caused an epileptic fit :D
Jo da man has a new job he likes; Prem's smiling about the job he doesn't like.
Karish is still Karish, the girl with the wisecracks, the drinking buddy, the airport buddy, the book buddy, the close friend.
Mr Google is on a journey of musical discovery :D The evidence of which is rattling my bathroom walls.
And friends from all over are graduating! :D Darn proud of them, for surviving to tell the tale of the NUS experience. Brings back fond memories of the moment of self-glory, exactly two years ago from Sunday.
They've all made me so happy and put a grin on my face :D One of my natural highs, in the needle and haystack life :)
Ace has his own EP out! How cool is that :D And I didn't even know one was in the making... Awesome stuff dude- lovin' the tracks so far. I'm so proud of you. The quarter rockstar lives on~!
The bestie celebrated her second anniversary with eyeballs! :D Haha and they're still as crazy as ever.
Baldy turned 25, and that brings our quirky friendship to a grand total of 10 years. Some things never change, and I'm glad they don't :)
The kindred spirit is seeing his dream through, in spite of a heap of odds stacked against him. And he's doing it with such grace, I'm honoured just to be his friend.
QJ, my conscience over the phone. A skype chat turned reprimand turned laughing fit, the way only we can :)
The shutterbug is braving it on a budget, for the next couple of months. What he's doing takes guts, and I'm in awe and admiration.
Iris has designs all over the world :D Things are finally looking up for her, and settling down in a good way :)
The rockstar is rocking the socks outta China! Land of the pandas, make way for greatness. The chaos will dissipate, just hang in there a little longer and keep the faith m'dear :)
Chuahbacca and Fonco, and a weekend we will remember :D
The mad cow-boy finally has a well-deserved break from the chaos, and is touring the streets of Beijing as we speak.
My fashionista in KL and the notification madness which caused an epileptic fit :D
Jo da man has a new job he likes; Prem's smiling about the job he doesn't like.
Karish is still Karish, the girl with the wisecracks, the drinking buddy, the airport buddy, the book buddy, the close friend.
Mr Google is on a journey of musical discovery :D The evidence of which is rattling my bathroom walls.
And friends from all over are graduating! :D Darn proud of them, for surviving to tell the tale of the NUS experience. Brings back fond memories of the moment of self-glory, exactly two years ago from Sunday.
They've all made me so happy and put a grin on my face :D One of my natural highs, in the needle and haystack life :)
Where did all the yesterdays go?
It's been a whirlwind week since returning from the land of Tsingtao and Peking duck.
Hibernation for a good 12 hours till the dysfunctional toes were resurrected. The tiny one on the left is still numb :| Caught up with chica at that end of the world, and Seh Kin at this one :D You gotta love those crazy skype chats :)
Dinner, football, friends and the beach ♥ Would've been a perfect night if it hadn't rained in that annoying, drizzly kind of way. Germany waltzed through to the semis, Argentina were banished, Spain prevailed and all hopes of seeing the model from Paraguay run around nude were shot too. A walk on the beach, a hotdog stop, malibu + cokes and falling umbrellas.The comfy couches at Wavehouse became beds for the night, and we sleepily made our way back at sunrise after McDonalds breakfast on the way :D And I was then rechristened A Diggy/Lil Dude.. :p
The leftovers cookout on Sunday was the only activity in an otherwise blissfully lazy day, with 3 naps and coffee in bed :) Meatballs with mushrooms, chicken rice and dhal and a terrible movie :p Some ice cream would've made me feel better- the blues snuck up on me again.
A surprise in the form of Candy, and relating tales of the Forbidden City and Great Wall on Monday morning. And the planned dinner that turned into an unplanned dinner as a result of chicken pox scares and conflicting schedules. Crepes, and a good conversation with Jo da man :) Knight and day with the neighbours, which was lame overall with a few good bits inbetween. Tom Cruise is still melt-worthy when he smiles! :D though its a pity he's doing movies like this one after epic ones like the MI series and Minority Report. And then they found the trolley, pushed me up on it and watched me roll and fall off it :p The bruised elbow speaks for itself.
A company lunch and a company dinner followed by company drinks~! The Coral garden or whatever it's called has awesome cereal prawns! And black pepper beef, and prawn rolls, and mushrooms... yummmylicious. Brewerkz, pizza, cheese fries, calamari and beer- a nice evening out on a tilted chair with fun company- the newbies are cool :) Online chats about Africa, saving the world, 'white-sri lankan' babies, wine and cheese, and Fonco's 3 elements of a relationship :p And QJ met the folks in a parallel world :D
'Like i said, I'm willing to dessicate myself to fit into your suitcase'- Chuahbacca
'You remind me of a koala bear, because you can't hate them- Fonco
I can't believe you guys are coming all the way here to hang out before the departure! You Malaysians are crazyyy, but we love you for that very reason :)
A ladies night with two ladies, a boy, pizzas, pasta, conversations and laughs by the river :) The magician didn't show though, nor did the two Spanish serenaders... And then we randomly got off the train at Chinatown, walked into a dance, and ended up with ah balling in ginger soup at Food street :D
The sleepwalking rituals from the past are back, and I've been waking up almost every night, walking around and shifting things in my room- like posters off the wall! And I don't remember any of it till I wake up the next morning :S
'..we'll go to Barcelona, and drink sangrias by the beach all day'. Thanks babe, for keeping me sane when I lose it :)
QJ returned in one piece with stories of the family, the hill country and the cutlery at the Gallery Cafe :D A vegan lunch of Shepherd's pie and fake but organic gado gado, and a company meeting that was supposed to be reassuring but left us feeling more unsettled. A cancelled swim, a breezy tree lined walk to September and a replacement nap, before seeing the resident DJ off amidst the usual chaos that follows those two, and educating Mr Google about the 'Go Go' Dolls and Third Eye Blind ( = blind eye to him) :D
And it's finally Friday, again :) The happy sort, revolving around Maliban, skive chats about NUS rag, flag, horror modules and lecturers, gay-dars, Zam Zam and another legendary murtabak + buriyani splurge, and measuring bits of string for a shirt :D Yummy cheese and tomato sammiches and an overdue, much needed quiet night in with myself, gearing up for the weekend :) Have yourself a good one peeps!
Hibernation for a good 12 hours till the dysfunctional toes were resurrected. The tiny one on the left is still numb :| Caught up with chica at that end of the world, and Seh Kin at this one :D You gotta love those crazy skype chats :)
Dinner, football, friends and the beach ♥ Would've been a perfect night if it hadn't rained in that annoying, drizzly kind of way. Germany waltzed through to the semis, Argentina were banished, Spain prevailed and all hopes of seeing the model from Paraguay run around nude were shot too. A walk on the beach, a hotdog stop, malibu + cokes and falling umbrellas.The comfy couches at Wavehouse became beds for the night, and we sleepily made our way back at sunrise after McDonalds breakfast on the way :D And I was then rechristened A Diggy/Lil Dude.. :p
The leftovers cookout on Sunday was the only activity in an otherwise blissfully lazy day, with 3 naps and coffee in bed :) Meatballs with mushrooms, chicken rice and dhal and a terrible movie :p Some ice cream would've made me feel better- the blues snuck up on me again.
A surprise in the form of Candy, and relating tales of the Forbidden City and Great Wall on Monday morning. And the planned dinner that turned into an unplanned dinner as a result of chicken pox scares and conflicting schedules. Crepes, and a good conversation with Jo da man :) Knight and day with the neighbours, which was lame overall with a few good bits inbetween. Tom Cruise is still melt-worthy when he smiles! :D though its a pity he's doing movies like this one after epic ones like the MI series and Minority Report. And then they found the trolley, pushed me up on it and watched me roll and fall off it :p The bruised elbow speaks for itself.
A company lunch and a company dinner followed by company drinks~! The Coral garden or whatever it's called has awesome cereal prawns! And black pepper beef, and prawn rolls, and mushrooms... yummmylicious. Brewerkz, pizza, cheese fries, calamari and beer- a nice evening out on a tilted chair with fun company- the newbies are cool :) Online chats about Africa, saving the world, 'white-sri lankan' babies, wine and cheese, and Fonco's 3 elements of a relationship :p And QJ met the folks in a parallel world :D
'Like i said, I'm willing to dessicate myself to fit into your suitcase'- Chuahbacca
'You remind me of a koala bear, because you can't hate them- Fonco
I can't believe you guys are coming all the way here to hang out before the departure! You Malaysians are crazyyy, but we love you for that very reason :)
A ladies night with two ladies, a boy, pizzas, pasta, conversations and laughs by the river :) The magician didn't show though, nor did the two Spanish serenaders... And then we randomly got off the train at Chinatown, walked into a dance, and ended up with ah balling in ginger soup at Food street :D
The sleepwalking rituals from the past are back, and I've been waking up almost every night, walking around and shifting things in my room- like posters off the wall! And I don't remember any of it till I wake up the next morning :S
'..we'll go to Barcelona, and drink sangrias by the beach all day'. Thanks babe, for keeping me sane when I lose it :)
QJ returned in one piece with stories of the family, the hill country and the cutlery at the Gallery Cafe :D A vegan lunch of Shepherd's pie and fake but organic gado gado, and a company meeting that was supposed to be reassuring but left us feeling more unsettled. A cancelled swim, a breezy tree lined walk to September and a replacement nap, before seeing the resident DJ off amidst the usual chaos that follows those two, and educating Mr Google about the 'Go Go' Dolls and Third Eye Blind ( = blind eye to him) :D
And it's finally Friday, again :) The happy sort, revolving around Maliban, skive chats about NUS rag, flag, horror modules and lecturers, gay-dars, Zam Zam and another legendary murtabak + buriyani splurge, and measuring bits of string for a shirt :D Yummy cheese and tomato sammiches and an overdue, much needed quiet night in with myself, gearing up for the weekend :) Have yourself a good one peeps!
The emotional hangover
Moods have been swinging all over the place! Mostly between sadness, restlessness and frustration. A hug much needed. Pockets of laughter and love here and there though. Thank God for the family back home and the extended family here :)
The different dynamics that define relationships. Interesting, confusing and complex, all at the same time.
Matters of the heart- complicated stuff. The addiction-detox-recovery-relapse cycle is back, on loop. I was all right on my own, till I met you. I crossed a line there, and paid the price. I guess some things really are better left unsaid, and ignorance can be bliss.
The choice of the battles again. It's more a question of sticking with the game plan now, and making peace with the the stuff beyond my control. It's tough, when your instincts are screaming otherwise.
There's a lot going on inside, a raw ache. Reminds me of rough seas, choppy waves and rippling undercurrents. Deep breaths and temporary distractions don't seem to be working much. Messed up nights of sleep are generally a good indicator that something's not quite right. I should be excited and happy. Not worried, sad and falling apart.
Yet this too, shall pass.
Bienvenue :)
'Geez that was one heck of a long trip'
'Yay! Welcome back! The whole of singapore missed you. Its been raining a lot since u left! :)'
Those were two of the first messages I got on the return. And the fatigue from 6 hour flight, the 10 days on the road and endless hours of walking over the last few days was replaced with warmth, and a big smile.
Love you guys :)
'Yay! Welcome back! The whole of singapore missed you. Its been raining a lot since u left! :)'
Those were two of the first messages I got on the return. And the fatigue from 6 hour flight, the 10 days on the road and endless hours of walking over the last few days was replaced with warmth, and a big smile.
Love you guys :)
The stuff that goosebumps are made of
My favourite Lifehouse track, with Daughtry in it! I would've given anything to have heard this live :)
Of days that whizz by
Girlfriends Inc. on Thursday, both planned and unplanned :D The lunch + coffee date with chica, smiles, crazy stories, giggles and a sad 'I'll see you soon' instead of a goodbye. I really hope soon comes soon :) And then came the harried 15 minute dinner notice, getting lost in the midst of Whampoa and a foodcourt hunt! The MTM girls and their big grins made all that worth it :D Happy exchanges and surprises over sugarcane juice while reliving the good old days.
Beerfest and Fifa 2010 made for one memorable Friday night :D Random run-ins with people from everywhere, a German loss, an American win, over 100 kinds of beer, and that crazy inflatable guitar. New friends, old friends and being hugged/high fived by random football fans. Hells Belles and Killer Queen with a crowd gone wild and table top dancing to Highway to Hell and Fat bottomed girls. For cover bands, they were seriously amazing. And the guy in Killer Queen looked exactly like Freddie :D
Food of the home-cooked kind on Saturday, when our cookout finally came to be after months of planning and postponing :p After piling things into a shopping basket almost randomly, discovering some awesome instant chicken rice, buying bell peppers of 3 different colours, and staggering home with purchases enough for a family, we got to work cutting, chopping, frying and cooking without really knowing what we were doing :D And we even had background music! End result: sauteed mushrooms, a cheesy mushroom omlette, chicken curry, dhal and chicken rice.. Yummyyy~! Topped up with a 6 pack of Erdingers and a tub of Ben&Jerry's while a second DJ dropped in for the first football match, watched Glee and snoozed in between, and woke up for the next match while the boys fell asleep :p
The boys on a sunny Sunday afternoon turned windy evening, between crepes at Tanjong Pagar, dessert and drinks at Marina Square, and a movie: the Karate Kid, and my little preview to Beijing :D 3 games of pool till midnight, and the old skills put to the test. Crazy conversations over another tub of ice cream while clad in white, comparing tongues and messing around with spoons :p
Work overload just before the conference in Qingdao. Late nights, short tempers, rocketing stress levels. I get more done though, in the later hours. And then there were the funny moments, when I tried to cut out my name cards, sliced right through them, and made QJ my slave. Checklists, powerpoint skills training, and the banner rehearsal- we make a really good team I think, and I didn't realise till now :)
All in a week's work. The great Chinese adventure begins soon~!
Beerfest and Fifa 2010 made for one memorable Friday night :D Random run-ins with people from everywhere, a German loss, an American win, over 100 kinds of beer, and that crazy inflatable guitar. New friends, old friends and being hugged/high fived by random football fans. Hells Belles and Killer Queen with a crowd gone wild and table top dancing to Highway to Hell and Fat bottomed girls. For cover bands, they were seriously amazing. And the guy in Killer Queen looked exactly like Freddie :D
Food of the home-cooked kind on Saturday, when our cookout finally came to be after months of planning and postponing :p After piling things into a shopping basket almost randomly, discovering some awesome instant chicken rice, buying bell peppers of 3 different colours, and staggering home with purchases enough for a family, we got to work cutting, chopping, frying and cooking without really knowing what we were doing :D And we even had background music! End result: sauteed mushrooms, a cheesy mushroom omlette, chicken curry, dhal and chicken rice.. Yummyyy~! Topped up with a 6 pack of Erdingers and a tub of Ben&Jerry's while a second DJ dropped in for the first football match, watched Glee and snoozed in between, and woke up for the next match while the boys fell asleep :p
The boys on a sunny Sunday afternoon turned windy evening, between crepes at Tanjong Pagar, dessert and drinks at Marina Square, and a movie: the Karate Kid, and my little preview to Beijing :D 3 games of pool till midnight, and the old skills put to the test. Crazy conversations over another tub of ice cream while clad in white, comparing tongues and messing around with spoons :p
Work overload just before the conference in Qingdao. Late nights, short tempers, rocketing stress levels. I get more done though, in the later hours. And then there were the funny moments, when I tried to cut out my name cards, sliced right through them, and made QJ my slave. Checklists, powerpoint skills training, and the banner rehearsal- we make a really good team I think, and I didn't realise till now :)
All in a week's work. The great Chinese adventure begins soon~!
Rain or shine? :)
I love waking up to the sound of rain in the morning, and then promptly snuggling further under the covers. The hardest part is getting out of bed, and then staying out :p Orchard Road is flooded after the continuous rain over the last few days though. Yikes!
The deal's done at work, and it didn't go down as bad as I thought it would. Countdowns and deadlines and talk of a support group- Seh Kin you nutcase! A lot of changes coming up, and a company lunch at Zam zam that left us unconscious for the rest of the afternoon.
Reading about the past, with rain blanketing the city and sad songs playing on the pod. Slowly slipping into that dark place, again. Feeling out of control. And fighting what's slowly becoming an obsession. The bad sort.
A long lunch with a best bud, and a bubble of warmth and happiness recreated. He knows me better than I do sometimes, I swear :) Arabic tea, a buffet lunch, awesome dessert and good company- and the smile was back again :)
The drama that unfolds when trying to get to work on time. Gosh, I sometimes think I redefine the word klutz. Or simply that Murphy really has it in for me on some mornings :p
A nice roadside sit-down dinner and catch up at Chinatown with the boys, which carried on to Club St and the Screening Room rooftop. Didn't even know that place existed :) And then we hit the sports bar with the awesome music, and the girl + boy thrashed the boy + boy at Foosball! Twice :D
Good news from my favourite designer :D So happy for you buddy. Murtabak celebrations await!
Malacca happened finally, on the weekend. My last trip across the border for a while I think. And it was awesome! Details to follow soon :)
A-team is a good movie if you're looking for decent action and a twisted plot. Oh, and Bradley Cooper! Funny stuff and lots of gunfire and muscle :D
Kicked off the first match of FIFA 2010 at home, with my relatively stable internet connection and the neighbours. Seh Kin never made it past immigration in time! And is it really that wrong to support the team with the better looking players? ;)
A different kind of ladies night- dinner with the girls while being serenaded by a Spanish guitar duo :D A free flow of pizza and a wicked magician named Charm, while we caught up after ages. A cool and breezy walk around CQ, and the musician with the didgeridoo was on the bridge tonight :) 2 days to the wheee-kend!
The deal's done at work, and it didn't go down as bad as I thought it would. Countdowns and deadlines and talk of a support group- Seh Kin you nutcase! A lot of changes coming up, and a company lunch at Zam zam that left us unconscious for the rest of the afternoon.
Reading about the past, with rain blanketing the city and sad songs playing on the pod. Slowly slipping into that dark place, again. Feeling out of control. And fighting what's slowly becoming an obsession. The bad sort.
A long lunch with a best bud, and a bubble of warmth and happiness recreated. He knows me better than I do sometimes, I swear :) Arabic tea, a buffet lunch, awesome dessert and good company- and the smile was back again :)
The drama that unfolds when trying to get to work on time. Gosh, I sometimes think I redefine the word klutz. Or simply that Murphy really has it in for me on some mornings :p
A nice roadside sit-down dinner and catch up at Chinatown with the boys, which carried on to Club St and the Screening Room rooftop. Didn't even know that place existed :) And then we hit the sports bar with the awesome music, and the girl + boy thrashed the boy + boy at Foosball! Twice :D
Good news from my favourite designer :D So happy for you buddy. Murtabak celebrations await!
Malacca happened finally, on the weekend. My last trip across the border for a while I think. And it was awesome! Details to follow soon :)
A-team is a good movie if you're looking for decent action and a twisted plot. Oh, and Bradley Cooper! Funny stuff and lots of gunfire and muscle :D
Kicked off the first match of FIFA 2010 at home, with my relatively stable internet connection and the neighbours. Seh Kin never made it past immigration in time! And is it really that wrong to support the team with the better looking players? ;)
A different kind of ladies night- dinner with the girls while being serenaded by a Spanish guitar duo :D A free flow of pizza and a wicked magician named Charm, while we caught up after ages. A cool and breezy walk around CQ, and the musician with the didgeridoo was on the bridge tonight :) 2 days to the wheee-kend!
m.o.n.o.c.h.r.o.m.e. Monday
The end result of a late night and lack of sleep.A weekend of wanderlust.
Another manic Monday morning.
And the outfit that was randomly thrown together in 5 minutes, in the dark.
Always works like a charm :)
Resonance
It's strange how you can hear a song a million times, but it only hits you on a random morning when you're riding the bus to work :)
I see a sky full of the stars that change our minds
And lead us back to a world we would not face...
The stillness in your eyes
Convinces me that I
I don't know a thing
And I've been around the world and I've
Tasted all the wines
A half a billion times
Came sickened to your shores
You show me what this life is for
Macaroon love ♥ Gosh, that whiskey chocolate one was divine~! After the chocolate expresso ice cream mochi :D An entertaining dinner with the foursome, and a camera gone wild. And a scooter with no helmets. And a madhatter episode in a store full of pink and rhinestones.
Now that the dust has settled, there's a weird ache that's left. Together with the realization that I was unaware of how much I care about things and people here. I hate goodbyes, even the temporary kind, but I guess every beginning starts with a goodbye of some sort.
The phone call that made my night! I went to bed grinning, and woke up still grinning :D I'm sooo over the moon for you babe! I just wish I could be there to see you through everything :)
Stumbled across this and HAD to share :D What would your caption be?
I think the emotional resonance felt when friends are going through a rough patch or a happy transition speaks volumes about the almost subconscious relation between us. It's like an extension of feelings, or the ripples of a wave. It scares me sometimes to know we're so connected, given my default 'distance' setting. But its also comforting, to understand and be understood.
Undecidedly trudging through the rain at lunch and randomly ending up in the same direction on two consecutive days. All that for kaya toast, subway and drenched cold feet for the rest of the afternoon :p And then we were treated to the weird airshow/NDP practice run in the rain! Kiasu much?
'I feel very out of touch with the youth of Sri Lanka'- the sibling. Hahaha. I just had to put it down as quote of the week :D
A swim, a struggle to hit 10, and then a sudden surge to 30 :) And the neighbour from home turned into the neighbour in the pool! Traipsed through the long forgotten Engin block on the way to the lab and got freaked out by the one-eyed mannequin at the door :D And all those machines and robots~!
The battle against the fungal invasion continues, with Amri-1, Fungus-0 for now. I'm really not cut out for domestication though.
Apparently short people are more at risk of heart disease than tall people! Thanks for notifying me and then rubbing it in QJ :p Stef, the typo jokes and the chronicles of Chuahbacca & Pam continue. I can't believe we get away with so much nonsense sometimes :D Love you woman!
Family all over Asia, the retarded conversations and laugh out loud moments we have. Gosh! Miss talking to you dad, our sarcasm wars and wisecracks, and hearing that rumble-y laugh. Get home soon! And ma, well your innate craziness will make me smile on the worst of days. Just please stop climbing things :p
And more friends tie the knot/bite the dust!
I see a sky full of the stars that change our minds
And lead us back to a world we would not face...
The stillness in your eyes
Convinces me that I
I don't know a thing
And I've been around the world and I've
Tasted all the wines
A half a billion times
Came sickened to your shores
You show me what this life is for
-Dance with you, Live
Macaroon love ♥ Gosh, that whiskey chocolate one was divine~! After the chocolate expresso ice cream mochi :D An entertaining dinner with the foursome, and a camera gone wild. And a scooter with no helmets. And a madhatter episode in a store full of pink and rhinestones.
Now that the dust has settled, there's a weird ache that's left. Together with the realization that I was unaware of how much I care about things and people here. I hate goodbyes, even the temporary kind, but I guess every beginning starts with a goodbye of some sort.
The phone call that made my night! I went to bed grinning, and woke up still grinning :D I'm sooo over the moon for you babe! I just wish I could be there to see you through everything :)
Stumbled across this and HAD to share :D What would your caption be?
I think the emotional resonance felt when friends are going through a rough patch or a happy transition speaks volumes about the almost subconscious relation between us. It's like an extension of feelings, or the ripples of a wave. It scares me sometimes to know we're so connected, given my default 'distance' setting. But its also comforting, to understand and be understood.
Undecidedly trudging through the rain at lunch and randomly ending up in the same direction on two consecutive days. All that for kaya toast, subway and drenched cold feet for the rest of the afternoon :p And then we were treated to the weird airshow/NDP practice run in the rain! Kiasu much?
'I feel very out of touch with the youth of Sri Lanka'- the sibling. Hahaha. I just had to put it down as quote of the week :D
A swim, a struggle to hit 10, and then a sudden surge to 30 :) And the neighbour from home turned into the neighbour in the pool! Traipsed through the long forgotten Engin block on the way to the lab and got freaked out by the one-eyed mannequin at the door :D And all those machines and robots~!
The battle against the fungal invasion continues, with Amri-1, Fungus-0 for now. I'm really not cut out for domestication though.
Apparently short people are more at risk of heart disease than tall people! Thanks for notifying me and then rubbing it in QJ :p Stef, the typo jokes and the chronicles of Chuahbacca & Pam continue. I can't believe we get away with so much nonsense sometimes :D Love you woman!
Family all over Asia, the retarded conversations and laugh out loud moments we have. Gosh! Miss talking to you dad, our sarcasm wars and wisecracks, and hearing that rumble-y laugh. Get home soon! And ma, well your innate craziness will make me smile on the worst of days. Just please stop climbing things :p
And more friends tie the knot/bite the dust!
Geeky thrills
When bored/procrastinating/lazy to do any work and in need of a laugh...
1) Urban Diction-ary your name:
2) Google fight over the insignificant: http://www.googlefight.com/
1) Urban Diction-ary your name:
2) Google fight over the insignificant: http://www.googlefight.com/
3) Switch your Facebook language to English (Pirate) and pretend to be one:
Charge it up baby :D
"ArcAttack employs a unique DJ set up of their own creation to generate an 'electrifying' audio visual performance. The high voltage DJ pumps music through a PA system while two specially designed DRSSTC's (Dual-Resonant Solid State Tesla Coils) act as separate synchronized instruments. These high tech machines produce an electrical arc similar to a continuous lightning bolt and put out a crisply distorted square wave sound reminiscent of the early days of synthesizers."
Wowza~!
I met the nicest lawyer ever on a rushed Friday evening :D After making him wait and then arriving in a confused mess, we sat and chatted about his life and mine, in the space of 10 minutes! A complete stranger turned acquaintance, with so much grace and a cool-ly untraceable accent.
The Esplanade has become a regular hangout since the Arts Fest came on board. Checked out the adorable French duo Trois who performed in spite of the rain, against the backdrop of the Star Trek building and that gorgeous stormy sky. And then sat in awe for 75 minutes of amazing dance courtesy of Platform Campus. Message by SMU gave me the goosebumps :D
To see but not perceive
Are we blind! But we can feel
Let's trust this feeling
And surely we will understand
What lies between you and me.
J bar with the boys and Malibu, with McDs in the middle and guilt trips left, right and centre :D That rendition of November rain made my night~!
Waking up at 6am on a Saturday hasn't happened in forever, but after chugging down coffee, waking Iris up and a 7-11 breakfast, we headed out to Bare our Soles. And we did, with about 2000 other people of all ages and sizes, in the wind and rain :D Biker hate and the cyclonic experience by the beach on a weekend morning. Definitely different :D And Reverie were playing when we finished! Another long pretty walk in the rain afterwards, a lazy brunch at Siglap and wandering through the East before we crashed :)
Hip hop love in the 100-fold at Street Revolution that night. Amazing stuff by 20-something year olds. The cute dorky Richard J, the smooth heart rending vocals of SleeQ, girl-gone-wild college teacher Yacko and the Thai-tanium rappers~! We felt like aunties in the audience and the venue was all wrong but the energy in the place and the deep, heavy beats for a 1 hour turned 3 hour concert was out of this world :D Prata and a chat at Boat Quay, and then began the fun night out with the Malaysian and the Spanish. Going Om, mojitos, sheesha, deep conversation and a parrot :D Moved on to the bridge at CQ (hoisted onto it rather) armed with beer, chips, hot chocolate and a view of the drunk and unconscious in the wee hours of Sunday. Was good seeing you Seh Kin!
A sleepy Sunday that turned into a photo taking, koththu eating, rib cracking, museum exploring afternoon, complete with pictures under an umbrella, around a tree, against a wall and on swing, and kung fu skits in the park. Iris and the neighbours, at the Red Dot Traffic Museum :D Stumbled across Once upon a Milkshake and were treated to a Spooky Mocha, an Agent Strawberry and a Chocolate Truffle Castle, who all had their own stories amidst crazy chatter and weird phone conversations as the sun went down.
Back to NUS to meet the long lost boys over naan, paneer and tales of the days gone by. Gosh, we were crazy back then no? :D 30 years down the road, I betcha we'll still be laughing at ourselves over dinner! Another life from another time, but with memories that last for the rest of our lives :)
And I leave you with this, to think about :)
The Esplanade has become a regular hangout since the Arts Fest came on board. Checked out the adorable French duo Trois who performed in spite of the rain, against the backdrop of the Star Trek building and that gorgeous stormy sky. And then sat in awe for 75 minutes of amazing dance courtesy of Platform Campus. Message by SMU gave me the goosebumps :D
To see but not perceive
Are we blind! But we can feel
Let's trust this feeling
And surely we will understand
What lies between you and me.
J bar with the boys and Malibu, with McDs in the middle and guilt trips left, right and centre :D That rendition of November rain made my night~!
Waking up at 6am on a Saturday hasn't happened in forever, but after chugging down coffee, waking Iris up and a 7-11 breakfast, we headed out to Bare our Soles. And we did, with about 2000 other people of all ages and sizes, in the wind and rain :D Biker hate and the cyclonic experience by the beach on a weekend morning. Definitely different :D And Reverie were playing when we finished! Another long pretty walk in the rain afterwards, a lazy brunch at Siglap and wandering through the East before we crashed :)
Hip hop love in the 100-fold at Street Revolution that night. Amazing stuff by 20-something year olds. The cute dorky Richard J, the smooth heart rending vocals of SleeQ, girl-gone-wild college teacher Yacko and the Thai-tanium rappers~! We felt like aunties in the audience and the venue was all wrong but the energy in the place and the deep, heavy beats for a 1 hour turned 3 hour concert was out of this world :D Prata and a chat at Boat Quay, and then began the fun night out with the Malaysian and the Spanish. Going Om, mojitos, sheesha, deep conversation and a parrot :D Moved on to the bridge at CQ (hoisted onto it rather) armed with beer, chips, hot chocolate and a view of the drunk and unconscious in the wee hours of Sunday. Was good seeing you Seh Kin!
A sleepy Sunday that turned into a photo taking, koththu eating, rib cracking, museum exploring afternoon, complete with pictures under an umbrella, around a tree, against a wall and on swing, and kung fu skits in the park. Iris and the neighbours, at the Red Dot Traffic Museum :D Stumbled across Once upon a Milkshake and were treated to a Spooky Mocha, an Agent Strawberry and a Chocolate Truffle Castle, who all had their own stories amidst crazy chatter and weird phone conversations as the sun went down.
Back to NUS to meet the long lost boys over naan, paneer and tales of the days gone by. Gosh, we were crazy back then no? :D 30 years down the road, I betcha we'll still be laughing at ourselves over dinner! Another life from another time, but with memories that last for the rest of our lives :)
And I leave you with this, to think about :)
“Everyone of us is losing something precious to us. Lost opportunities, lost possibilities, feelings we can never get back again. That’s part of what it means to be alive. But inside our heads—at least that’s where I imagine it—there’s a little room where we store those memories. A room like the stacks in this library. And to understand the workings of our own heart we have to keep on making new reference cards. We have to dust things off every once in a while, let in fresh air, change the water in the flower vases. In other words, you’ll live forever in your own little private library.”
— Haruki Murakami
Natural highs
On a sunshiney Friday morning :D I hope they make you smile~!
Hearing your favourite song on the radio
Lying in bed listening to the rain outside
Giggling
Long conversations late at night
Long conversations late at night
Falling in love
Road trips with friends
Finding a $10 bill in your pocket
Finding a $10 bill in your pocket
Overhearing someone say something nice about you
Lazing on the beach
Care packages
Making eye contact with a cute stranger
Running through sprinklers
Gifts
Laughing so hard your stomach hurts
Having someone tell you you're beautiful
Finding your musical soulmate
Spinning around in the rain
Unexpected texts
Finding something you thought you'd lost
Feeling pretty
Having him smile at you
Friends
Riding a bike downhill
Swinging on swings
Sunsets and sunrises
Taking a long drive on a pretty road
Laughing at yourself
Slipping on your new pair of shoes
Cheering someone up
Knowing that everything will be okay.
After dark.. comes light?
A walk, a swim, a friend, a cup of tea. That's all it took :)
I guess there are always going to be people out there who take you for granted, push your buttons and just mess you up. But if you think about all the time you spend being angry or disappointed or upset with them, its a monumental waste. They don't give a damn, so there's no reason you should either.
Prince of Persia finally happened :D A lame-ish plot, but Jake what's-his-name made up for all of that by just smiling :D Plus the camels of course ♥ An entertaining movie though, with the uber cool hassansins and the humour in between.
Metallica to the rescue, and Fuel and Breaking Benjamin. I've realised I need the harder stuff when I'm trying to stay collected, which makes no sense but works like a charm every time :)
The darkness moved on in the end, light spilled through and the smiles made a comeback. Bounce~!
Travel plans again :D The scribes reunite soon, and then there's the Great Wall of China to see, before autumn beckons. I'm hoping all goes according to plan!
The 20 minute wait at a bus stop at dusk turned into an almost spiritual experience, with a sky that was several gorgeous shades of blue, gradually getting deeper and merging into one another. After another lovely sunset at the desk, with the pod for company. I hope you guys were looking to the heavens too :)
The bruise is starting to look a little less ugly, and the pain's subsiding. And the headaches have stopped, thank goodness. The bump on the head had me worried there for a bit.
We're finally Baring our Soles this weekend :D Big hearts and bare feet, in the thousands on a Saturday morning, over 5km. I'm just glad I get to do a tiny part in helping someone have a home. Do what you can, when you can and with what you have [Theodore Roosevelt], right? :)
Dance. I love everything about it. The emotion, the expression, the fluidity and the grace. More of that over the next few weeks :D
The lunch time splurge, but it was needed and justified I think! Pasta salad sought and finally found. A happy afternoon walking around to a beat in the sunshine :)
Cinnamon decadence with the neighbour again! We're an unstoppable force when it comes to this :D Provence @ Holland Village up next ;)
And it only just struck me that Murakami's book is called After Dark too. Strange workings of the subconscious I tell you!
St Anger, and me
Madly in anger with you..
One of the few personality traits I pride myself on is the fact that I don't lose my temper easily/often.
I try not to let things or people get to me, and most of the time it works- a song, a swim or a long walk takes care of it.
But hey, I'm not made of stone, and I'm not perfect.
And when I do let the anger win, it gets ugly.
One of the few personality traits I pride myself on is the fact that I don't lose my temper easily/often.
I try not to let things or people get to me, and most of the time it works- a song, a swim or a long walk takes care of it.
But hey, I'm not made of stone, and I'm not perfect.
And when I do let the anger win, it gets ugly.
The stories of our lives
Desaru, 2010
'That’s all we are — just stories. We only exist by how people remember us, by the stories we make of our lives.'
— Charles De Lint
The beach post, and the random rest of it
Time of day: Friday night, Saturday evening, Sunday afternoon.
Location: The beach :D
The dinner turned house party turned drinks by the beach outing on Friday. I'm officially in love with the East Coast! Home made lasagna, red and white vino, and those yummy Swiss dark chocolate truffles.. Sticker hysteria, girl talk and boy crazy stories.. Black sheep boys, 1twenty-six and the sarong party swirls! And of course, the girls :D
And then the day of the Passion Run finally arrived :D After a late and lazy start, the three of us ended up at different times at the mrt, and then waited for 2 hours with 200 over ppl for the shuttle buses, and then were dropped 2km away from the starting point, which we couldn't find. And then we finally started running,45 minutes after the official starting time :p Made it back in 40 minutes though, through a gorgeous sunset and the evening air at ECP, though I was breathing too hard/focusing too much on not dying to take it all in :p I'm glad I had company though, among the thousands of yellow tees :) And 'twas the best finish line ever: imagine 10 headlights blinding you and you literally seeing stars when you reach the end of the track.. So glad I didnt crash into anyone before I collapsed in a red sweaty heap on the grass :p
Fire twirling, camwhoring, rehydration and drumming followed, and then we had to find our way out of ECP, except we ended at the seafood end of the place, walked by the beach some more and used the two iPhones to navigate out haha. The 401 finally pulled up, we piled in and hit Parkway Parade for the foodhunt, which ended up in salads and fries :D Trudged home and slept like a log, for a good 10 hours. Bliss :D
Two naps on a lazy Sunday afternoon, which was too sunny to waste indoors, so I hit the beach again, in the company of the resident DJ. The failed Ben&Jerry's attempt led to hotdogs and drinks under a coconut tree and a quick venture into the water before we had to head to Woodlands for the Stardust Finals. Siloso beach has 'natural' sectioning of the crowds that come there, and a new zip lining course and trapeze thingamajig :D And an overpriced flea market with customised carved flip flops :p
Stardust- a race to find the place, then to find the place in the place, get a ticket, and get inside before it all started. The sibling and his guitar solo did me proud :D Wish they'd won though. And some of the soloists were outta this world! Agung- you've a fan in me forever~! The drive around in the back of a cargo van followed- we got lost going to dinner, found dinner, and got lost heading back home, while sweating it out, singing and tumbling around guitars and what not at the back.
Then came the 4 day week.. :D The Ghostwriter + Kinokuniya + Pastamania on Monday, an airport hike to see the sibling off + a 100% discounted tresses adventure + Annalakshmi + Starbucks with the old gang on Tuesday, Villa Bali on Wednesday and the nugget splurge on Thursday. Too much good food, and not nearly enough sleep. Planning a weekend getaway with 4 people over gmail is hard, stressful and funny! But it happened in the end, and deserves a post of its own :D
Location: The beach :D
The dinner turned house party turned drinks by the beach outing on Friday. I'm officially in love with the East Coast! Home made lasagna, red and white vino, and those yummy Swiss dark chocolate truffles.. Sticker hysteria, girl talk and boy crazy stories.. Black sheep boys, 1twenty-six and the sarong party swirls! And of course, the girls :D
And then the day of the Passion Run finally arrived :D After a late and lazy start, the three of us ended up at different times at the mrt, and then waited for 2 hours with 200 over ppl for the shuttle buses, and then were dropped 2km away from the starting point, which we couldn't find. And then we finally started running,45 minutes after the official starting time :p Made it back in 40 minutes though, through a gorgeous sunset and the evening air at ECP, though I was breathing too hard/focusing too much on not dying to take it all in :p I'm glad I had company though, among the thousands of yellow tees :) And 'twas the best finish line ever: imagine 10 headlights blinding you and you literally seeing stars when you reach the end of the track.. So glad I didnt crash into anyone before I collapsed in a red sweaty heap on the grass :p
Fire twirling, camwhoring, rehydration and drumming followed, and then we had to find our way out of ECP, except we ended at the seafood end of the place, walked by the beach some more and used the two iPhones to navigate out haha. The 401 finally pulled up, we piled in and hit Parkway Parade for the foodhunt, which ended up in salads and fries :D Trudged home and slept like a log, for a good 10 hours. Bliss :D
Two naps on a lazy Sunday afternoon, which was too sunny to waste indoors, so I hit the beach again, in the company of the resident DJ. The failed Ben&Jerry's attempt led to hotdogs and drinks under a coconut tree and a quick venture into the water before we had to head to Woodlands for the Stardust Finals. Siloso beach has 'natural' sectioning of the crowds that come there, and a new zip lining course and trapeze thingamajig :D And an overpriced flea market with customised carved flip flops :p
Stardust- a race to find the place, then to find the place in the place, get a ticket, and get inside before it all started. The sibling and his guitar solo did me proud :D Wish they'd won though. And some of the soloists were outta this world! Agung- you've a fan in me forever~! The drive around in the back of a cargo van followed- we got lost going to dinner, found dinner, and got lost heading back home, while sweating it out, singing and tumbling around guitars and what not at the back.
Then came the 4 day week.. :D The Ghostwriter + Kinokuniya + Pastamania on Monday, an airport hike to see the sibling off + a 100% discounted tresses adventure + Annalakshmi + Starbucks with the old gang on Tuesday, Villa Bali on Wednesday and the nugget splurge on Thursday. Too much good food, and not nearly enough sleep. Planning a weekend getaway with 4 people over gmail is hard, stressful and funny! But it happened in the end, and deserves a post of its own :D
Hijacked rainbows and pots of gold
A surprise drop in at work, and the giant bear hug and smiles :D Love you babe! You made my day :)
The Back Up plan and the hysterical two of us. That guy (I've no idea who he is) is gorgeous, and almost perfect in every way~! Aren't they all in the movies though :D
The vanilla candle was brought back to life, and kept the chocolate high good company. I was literally in the clouds, though I could barely walk home :p
The bestie, the scandalous stories, the reprimands and despair, the love :D She's miles away but we still act like the same 15 year olds who'd spend all afternoon in her room, talking about everything and nothing.
This is the story of a girl
Her pretty face she hid from the world..
5km, and then another 5km. It's getting easier, and I hope I make decent time come Saturday :)
I want to save all our conversations from the last two years! The happy ones, hysterical ones, the ones that made my day, the ones where I had to leave the room because I was laughing so hard I was crying, and everything in between.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results
Every time I think I've made it out of the rut, I fall right back in. Or maybe I like just being there, and willingly let myself tumble back. It's a nice rut. But I know no good is going to come out of hanging around in it.
Checking things off the list, slowly. There's still so much left to do! It doesn't help that Murakami is keeping me engrossed these days. Good stuff though, a refreshing change :)
Credit card craziness, battles with the automated system and ATM hunts. Have you noticed how they have AXS machinese everywhere but Citibank ATMs are so much harder to come by? Thanks you guys, for bailing me out when needed :) I owe you one!
The amazing baked potato + chicken sausage + sauteed onions + melted cheese pasta lunch. Sinful even for a Friday, just the way I like it ;)
Dinner with the girls tonight, and cocktails by the beach. Can't wait :D Have a good weekend y'all!
The Back Up plan and the hysterical two of us. That guy (I've no idea who he is) is gorgeous, and almost perfect in every way~! Aren't they all in the movies though :D
The vanilla candle was brought back to life, and kept the chocolate high good company. I was literally in the clouds, though I could barely walk home :p
The bestie, the scandalous stories, the reprimands and despair, the love :D She's miles away but we still act like the same 15 year olds who'd spend all afternoon in her room, talking about everything and nothing.
This is the story of a girl
Her pretty face she hid from the world..
5km, and then another 5km. It's getting easier, and I hope I make decent time come Saturday :)
I want to save all our conversations from the last two years! The happy ones, hysterical ones, the ones that made my day, the ones where I had to leave the room because I was laughing so hard I was crying, and everything in between.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results
- Albert Einstein
Every time I think I've made it out of the rut, I fall right back in. Or maybe I like just being there, and willingly let myself tumble back. It's a nice rut. But I know no good is going to come out of hanging around in it.
Checking things off the list, slowly. There's still so much left to do! It doesn't help that Murakami is keeping me engrossed these days. Good stuff though, a refreshing change :)
Credit card craziness, battles with the automated system and ATM hunts. Have you noticed how they have AXS machinese everywhere but Citibank ATMs are so much harder to come by? Thanks you guys, for bailing me out when needed :) I owe you one!
The amazing baked potato + chicken sausage + sauteed onions + melted cheese pasta lunch. Sinful even for a Friday, just the way I like it ;)
Dinner with the girls tonight, and cocktails by the beach. Can't wait :D Have a good weekend y'all!
2 years, 9 months and worlds apart
A year ago, the day began in Berlin, on the overnight train back to Sweden. The train rode a ferry across the channel, and we hopped off at Malmo to meet the awesome Jorge and Britmary. After the traditional Swedish lunch and whirlwind tour of the town, we hopped back on the train to Stockholm, and then back to Uppsala. Captain Morgan's in the mug from Prague that night, celebrating the end of that crazy wonderful journey across 11 cities in 15 days. And celebrating the milestone twenty-one.
A year later, the day began with rain, a library rendezvous, and the diverted McDonalds breakfast. Topped up with a chili con carne melted cheese burger, a cajun chicken wrap, a pina colada, a long island ice tea, a hug mug of dark chocolate + whipped cream, and a melted chocolate marshmellow crepe. Complete with the disappearance of the mane, the discovery of a bridge in the dark, threats of getting off the bus ridden too many times for the day, basketball, cocoa induced insanity and waking up in Jurong West instead of Kent Ridge :D
Happy 22nd dude :D And here's to many more! *clinks glass*
A year later, the day began with rain, a library rendezvous, and the diverted McDonalds breakfast. Topped up with a chili con carne melted cheese burger, a cajun chicken wrap, a pina colada, a long island ice tea, a hug mug of dark chocolate + whipped cream, and a melted chocolate marshmellow crepe. Complete with the disappearance of the mane, the discovery of a bridge in the dark, threats of getting off the bus ridden too many times for the day, basketball, cocoa induced insanity and waking up in Jurong West instead of Kent Ridge :D
Happy 22nd dude :D And here's to many more! *clinks glass*
Fire & ice
It's been a good week :) Lots of love, hugs and happiness, long walks and laughter. Inner peace, outer calm and the warm comfort of friends and family.
From up here the city lights burn, like a thousand miles of fire. Work avalanched due to last week's hiatus, but I enjoyed watching the sun set at my desk and night slowly envelope the city. It's a different world out there after sundown- darkness creeps in, headlights come on and the heat fades away. A couple of late nights and things got back to normal though. And the usual madness that makes our day ensued, with us venturing as far as a tour of Lavender, only to come back to Keypoint for subs. Crazyness.
And so we talked all night about the rest of our lives. Finally checked out Chillies with the old gang on Wednesday, and caught up over ribs, mushroom fajitas and that amazing jug of Jamaican something. So many shifts coming up, but it feels like we're in it together somehow, though we're all heading out in different directions. Dinner with the boys on Thursday, cereal prawns and butter squid that disappeared too quickly for the 4th one to taste much, the hilarious mango sago/almond paste tryout and the hidden bar with the Hoegaarden jugs (that were really buckets in disguise :D). Back to conversations over ginger tea at the good ol' prata shop on Friday, Pakistani cuisine on Saturday night, with that amazing buriyani rice and kebabs and half a chicken, and supposedly different but identical pizzas and sugarcane juice on Sunday, out of the rain. Good food and great company always makes for the best of nights :)
Make it through all the rest with, someone I'll always laugh with. Wandering about Siglap and East Coast with the girls on a sunny Saturday afternoon, complete with brunch and free flowing apple juice, and ice cream in the park with some crazy bikers and rollerbladers. And in a moment of insanity, all three of us clambered up the reef in skirts and sat by the sea in the afternoon heat. Got accosted by the Bare Your Sole group on the back, bared our soles and cracked up about the pedicures we should've got :D Drama and theatre after ages, with the fille who's got an exclamation in her name :) What would I do without you girls ♥
And there I go, turn that page. I caved in the end and wound up at Borders. It's amazing what that place does to me- I walk in, time slows down and I fill up with wonder and inspiration and joy, all at once :) I resisted and didn't buy anything, but contentedly book browsed and came across a couple of new interesting reads- Yann Martel has a new one out called Beatrice and Virgil, and Mark Haddon's is called 'A spot of bother'- worth checking out soon! And then I went to the library and found Catch-22 :D
He tells me about his night, and I count the colours in his eyes. It's so hard to find, but when you find it, love, the solid unwavering kind, can drive you crazy but still keep you sane, all at the same time. And in the space of 10 seconds, you go from being a composed rational being to a complete wreck, and back again.
There were choruses and sing-alongs, and that unspoken feeling of knowing that right now is all that matters. Two hours of stardom, and a drum lesson in between. The bean bag lie down, the 'uncontrolled' voice and the iPod turned karaoke mixer :D Sometimes it feels good to just let yourself go and jump around like craaazy :) A definite high on a purple Sunday afternoon, and the amazing chocolate milkshake hasn't changed one bit. Gonna miss that place..
Smoke on the water, fire in the sky. A Friday evening with fire twirlers clad in black, a Sunday evening in a park on fire. Hot stuff, in every sense of the word. I want to date a fire twirler now! It would've been nice if they had put a couple of floating candles in the river as well :D After umbrella manouevers, messing around in the dampness, the complete fails at graceful dips and dance moves and lots of attempted glamour shots with a tissue paper and the flash, we headed home, warm and happy, in spite of the rain.
From up here the city lights burn, like a thousand miles of fire. Work avalanched due to last week's hiatus, but I enjoyed watching the sun set at my desk and night slowly envelope the city. It's a different world out there after sundown- darkness creeps in, headlights come on and the heat fades away. A couple of late nights and things got back to normal though. And the usual madness that makes our day ensued, with us venturing as far as a tour of Lavender, only to come back to Keypoint for subs. Crazyness.
And so we talked all night about the rest of our lives. Finally checked out Chillies with the old gang on Wednesday, and caught up over ribs, mushroom fajitas and that amazing jug of Jamaican something. So many shifts coming up, but it feels like we're in it together somehow, though we're all heading out in different directions. Dinner with the boys on Thursday, cereal prawns and butter squid that disappeared too quickly for the 4th one to taste much, the hilarious mango sago/almond paste tryout and the hidden bar with the Hoegaarden jugs (that were really buckets in disguise :D). Back to conversations over ginger tea at the good ol' prata shop on Friday, Pakistani cuisine on Saturday night, with that amazing buriyani rice and kebabs and half a chicken, and supposedly different but identical pizzas and sugarcane juice on Sunday, out of the rain. Good food and great company always makes for the best of nights :)
Make it through all the rest with, someone I'll always laugh with. Wandering about Siglap and East Coast with the girls on a sunny Saturday afternoon, complete with brunch and free flowing apple juice, and ice cream in the park with some crazy bikers and rollerbladers. And in a moment of insanity, all three of us clambered up the reef in skirts and sat by the sea in the afternoon heat. Got accosted by the Bare Your Sole group on the back, bared our soles and cracked up about the pedicures we should've got :D Drama and theatre after ages, with the fille who's got an exclamation in her name :) What would I do without you girls ♥
And there I go, turn that page. I caved in the end and wound up at Borders. It's amazing what that place does to me- I walk in, time slows down and I fill up with wonder and inspiration and joy, all at once :) I resisted and didn't buy anything, but contentedly book browsed and came across a couple of new interesting reads- Yann Martel has a new one out called Beatrice and Virgil, and Mark Haddon's is called 'A spot of bother'- worth checking out soon! And then I went to the library and found Catch-22 :D
He tells me about his night, and I count the colours in his eyes. It's so hard to find, but when you find it, love, the solid unwavering kind, can drive you crazy but still keep you sane, all at the same time. And in the space of 10 seconds, you go from being a composed rational being to a complete wreck, and back again.
There were choruses and sing-alongs, and that unspoken feeling of knowing that right now is all that matters. Two hours of stardom, and a drum lesson in between. The bean bag lie down, the 'uncontrolled' voice and the iPod turned karaoke mixer :D Sometimes it feels good to just let yourself go and jump around like craaazy :) A definite high on a purple Sunday afternoon, and the amazing chocolate milkshake hasn't changed one bit. Gonna miss that place..
Smoke on the water, fire in the sky. A Friday evening with fire twirlers clad in black, a Sunday evening in a park on fire. Hot stuff, in every sense of the word. I want to date a fire twirler now! It would've been nice if they had put a couple of floating candles in the river as well :D After umbrella manouevers, messing around in the dampness, the complete fails at graceful dips and dance moves and lots of attempted glamour shots with a tissue paper and the flash, we headed home, warm and happy, in spite of the rain.
All in a day's work
Why life at work is hardly ever 'dull':
.jpg)
e) He calls back when I'm halfway up, but we can't hear/understand a thing being said.
f) The lift door opens at the 17th floor and I get out, while lunch buddy frantically tries to get in, fails, and the proceeds to jam the elevator button in a panicked attempt to avoid the drones on the way out for their lunch excursion.
g) The lift finally arrives, we rush in and start heading down, only to realise that lunch buddy has brought only one umbrella with him.
[4:07:24 PM] A says: : *raised eyebrow emoticon*
[4:07:28 PM] A says: its 7 mins now..
[4:07:33 PM] A says: does this not bother you?
[4:07:38 PM] A says: and have you forgotten the muffins?
A goes off to make coffee in the pantry, while QJ tears his hair out trying to get RefMan to work with Mabuk on the line and Seh Kin missing in action. The muffin remains untouched on his desk.
A little later...
QJ says: there's only 1 blueberry in this muffin
QJ says: false advertising
A says: has Garuda cut her hair?
QJ says: dunno
QJ says: she might have been in a fire or something
A says: in a fire? :p
QJ says: yeah
QJ says: maybe her house burned down...
QJ says: and she singed her hair
QJ says: that's what it looks like from here..
A says: aahahahaha :D
1) The story of Angel, Seh Kin and the brown Cambodian boy they've adopted. 'Nuff said.
2) a) It rains at lunch time. The lunch buddy and I go down without umbrellas.
b) We stand in the foyer, look at the rain and the sky for 2 minutes, take a chance and walk out in the drizzle, realise I have a puny umbrella with me, try both walking under it for a good 50m while drizzle turns into torrential rain, and fail miserably.c) We then decide to go back up again and get another umbrella, but lunch buddy walks faster and ahead of me, and gets into the lift first thinking I'm waiting downstairs for him.
d) I try calling him to ask him to bring one more umbrella, but the call doesn't go through while he's in the lift, so I take another lift up. e) He calls back when I'm halfway up, but we can't hear/understand a thing being said.
f) The lift door opens at the 17th floor and I get out, while lunch buddy frantically tries to get in, fails, and the proceeds to jam the elevator button in a panicked attempt to avoid the drones on the way out for their lunch excursion.
g) The lift finally arrives, we rush in and start heading down, only to realise that lunch buddy has brought only one umbrella with him.
*sigh*
We then trudge aimlessly through the rain for the next 20 minutes, wondering where to go and what to get for lunch. And in the middle of it all, he has to stop and show off his i am-a-lame-Phone's photo taking ability:
3) Skype conversation at coffee time (~4 pm):
[4:05:35 PM] A says: duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude
[4:05:46 PM] A says: its 5 mins past!!![4:07:24 PM] A says: : *raised eyebrow emoticon*
[4:07:28 PM] A says: its 7 mins now..
[4:07:33 PM] A says: does this not bother you?
[4:07:38 PM] A says: and have you forgotten the muffins?
A goes off to make coffee in the pantry, while QJ tears his hair out trying to get RefMan to work with Mabuk on the line and Seh Kin missing in action. The muffin remains untouched on his desk.
A little later...
QJ says: there's only 1 blueberry in this muffin
QJ says: false advertising
A says: has Garuda cut her hair?
QJ says: dunno
QJ says: she might have been in a fire or something
A says: in a fire? :p
QJ says: yeah
QJ says: maybe her house burned down...
QJ says: and she singed her hair
QJ says: that's what it looks like from here..
A says: aahahahaha :D
The second nucleus
And we sat there in subdued lighting, the five of us, discussing our dreams.. Talking about the big changes coming up, the challenges we'd have to overcome, keeping our fears in check and taking comfort in the fact that things do work out for the best in the end...
The tree lined walk, traffic and the lunch hour rush. The off-hand admission, the happiness, the surprise and excitement. Smiles all around, with laughter in between and sadness just under the surface.
The airport, the kids screaming in the background, blending into the shrieking on the phone. The happy kind though. Warmth and bubbly joy transmitted over the line, in those few moments, amidst the raging chaos all around.
Back on the steps again, just after the rain. With the usual 7-eleven beer and juice in hand. Reliving the moments and highlights from the last few weeks, a slow revelation of hidden inner thoughts and trying to piece together a broken heart in the light of a reconstructed one..
Parallel worlds, on the other side of the window, across the miles but only a few seconds away. Reassurance, thrill and reluctant hope, coupled with the sense of loss and shock, and the temporariness and transiency of it all.
With the friends who matter, the ones who've always got your back, you know without a doubt that 5 years down the line, you can pick up exactly where you left off- regardless of time, distance, change and circumstance. They might not be there at the exact moment you need them, but they're with you for life.
The tree lined walk, traffic and the lunch hour rush. The off-hand admission, the happiness, the surprise and excitement. Smiles all around, with laughter in between and sadness just under the surface.
The airport, the kids screaming in the background, blending into the shrieking on the phone. The happy kind though. Warmth and bubbly joy transmitted over the line, in those few moments, amidst the raging chaos all around.
Back on the steps again, just after the rain. With the usual 7-eleven beer and juice in hand. Reliving the moments and highlights from the last few weeks, a slow revelation of hidden inner thoughts and trying to piece together a broken heart in the light of a reconstructed one..
Parallel worlds, on the other side of the window, across the miles but only a few seconds away. Reassurance, thrill and reluctant hope, coupled with the sense of loss and shock, and the temporariness and transiency of it all.
With the friends who matter, the ones who've always got your back, you know without a doubt that 5 years down the line, you can pick up exactly where you left off- regardless of time, distance, change and circumstance. They might not be there at the exact moment you need them, but they're with you for life.
Compilations
It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces.
— Bridget Jones’s Diary
Scare the world: Be exactly who you say you are and tell the truth.
—Unknown
Well-behaved women rarely make history.
— Laurel Thatcher UlrichWanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.
— Kurt Cobain
Life can be wildly tragic at times, and I’ve had my share. But whatever happens to you, you have to keep a slightly comic attitude. In the final analysis, you must not forget to laugh.
— Katharine Hepburn
You know, it’s been said that we just don’t recognize the significant moments in our lives while they’re happening. That we grow complacent with ideas or things or people, and we take them for granted, and it’s usually not until that thing is about to be taken away from you, that you realize how wrong you’ve been, that you realize how much you really need it, how much you love it.
— One Tree Hill
Sad thing is, you can still love someone and be wrong for them.
— Elvis Presley
I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone.
— Bill Cosby
After all, computers crash, people die, relationships fall apart. The best we can do is breathe and reboot.
— Carrie, Sex and the city
People often say that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder. This empowers us to find beauty in places where others have not dared to look, including inside ourselves.
Life’s disappointments are harder to take when you don’t know any swear words.
And that’s the thing about people who mean everything they say. They think everyone else does too.
— The Kite Runner
The comeback post
So I had this grand entrance planned after I temporarily dropped off the face of the blogosphere, but I've been so drugged up lately I honestly can't remember what it was. It was going to be good though, that much I know.. *sigh*
Anyways after 5 days of lying in bed doing absolutely nothing with minimal brain function (yes admittedly, not very different from the usual), an H1N1 scare, endless pills and some lethal cough meds, and no physical energy due to the darn flu bug, I'm slowly making my way back to normalcy. Still tired with the 'seksy' voice back for a few days, but on the road to recovery :) I can't remember ever sleeping so much in my life; I did when I was 6 months old apparently, but like I said, no recollection.
I actually missed being at work (please note this is different from 'missed working'), and blogging, and meeting my buds, and riding the bus to go places, and eating normally. I swear I can't look at another can of Campbell without a severe gag reflex..
Now onto the interesting stuff.. Ti-O-Maaaaan! 3 days of utter bliss and the gorgeous blue ocean. Sun, sand and snorkelling with Sid and the beachy weekend getaway I've been aching for. For a trip that came together in the space of 3 hours, 3 days before the holiday, I think it was beyond amazingly great- and riddled with the usual insanity in the form of the Chinese chick at immigration, the inescapable chipmunks who showed up everywhere, Sid-sensitive bats in coconut trees, the bus that literally rocked and swayed, the fan and air con orchestra, the delayed ferry and the missing couple who turned the 5 hour return journey into a 9 hour endless stretch of road! There was also the crazy 2.5 hour trek up a mountain across the island, which had me convinced I'd die of a heart attack before I reached the top, the butterflies that kept us company due to our 'aroma', the discovery of Juara and the harried 4WD ride back before the snorkelling trip, and the leaky mask saga :D
And the food~! Gosh we went all out, in spite of budgets and cash exchanges. Lunch on the first day had us hitch a ride on the Berjaya tour bus to a random Malay restaurant for two helpings of the best fried rice ever, and Sid caved in for an omelette after :D Trekked back and got picked up on the way by the same guy haha. Dinner was an overpriced affair due to the indian hooligans across the street, but beers by the beach, a nice long conversation and the monkey tied to its own neck made up for the food- though the buttered squid was pretty good. Then came breakfast- picture two girls eating enough for five people, within the space of an hour :D You gotta love the continental spread- and we even packed a muffin! Lunch was at Juara, which took forever and disappeared in 5 minutes~! And the meal of the trip- dinner that night. Back to the malay place at the top of the road- and Chelsea happened to be playing Liverpool haha (There's just something about football matches whenever I head to Malaysia!) 3 hours later we staggered out, after consuming BBQ prawns, cuttlefish, pattaya fried rice, an entire foot long fish cooked in three different types of sauce, drinks and two cups of amazing tea... Yup, we showed them all right :D And yeah, we hit breakfast the next morning with renewed passion!
Best moments of the trip: Lying on the beach that night, listening to the waves and looking at the stars with our feet in the sand and trying to keep Sid awake by talking, snorkelling at Coral island and Renggiss and seeing the barracudas, sea urchins and sting ray, and those huge deep sea coral formations, the boat rides out and in, reaching the top of the mountain and gaping at the blend of sea and sky in the horizon, walking on the beach early morning and watching the sun come up and tide rise, and just hanging out in the water all day.. We need to do this all over again one day, soon :)
Then we came home and got sick the next day :p Sadness, because Chica's gone. I missed her last day, and I miss her craziness everyday :( But I'll see her soon, and she was the second person I called when I got the news~! Speaking of, things finally pulled through and happiness rained down in torrents, together with the tears and hugs and whoops of joy :D It's exciting and scary and daunting all rolled into one, standing on the brink of a whole new adventure.. but I'll save all this for another post :)
Anyways after 5 days of lying in bed doing absolutely nothing with minimal brain function (yes admittedly, not very different from the usual), an H1N1 scare, endless pills and some lethal cough meds, and no physical energy due to the darn flu bug, I'm slowly making my way back to normalcy. Still tired with the 'seksy' voice back for a few days, but on the road to recovery :) I can't remember ever sleeping so much in my life; I did when I was 6 months old apparently, but like I said, no recollection.
I actually missed being at work (please note this is different from 'missed working'), and blogging, and meeting my buds, and riding the bus to go places, and eating normally. I swear I can't look at another can of Campbell without a severe gag reflex..
Now onto the interesting stuff.. Ti-O-Maaaaan! 3 days of utter bliss and the gorgeous blue ocean. Sun, sand and snorkelling with Sid and the beachy weekend getaway I've been aching for. For a trip that came together in the space of 3 hours, 3 days before the holiday, I think it was beyond amazingly great- and riddled with the usual insanity in the form of the Chinese chick at immigration, the inescapable chipmunks who showed up everywhere, Sid-sensitive bats in coconut trees, the bus that literally rocked and swayed, the fan and air con orchestra, the delayed ferry and the missing couple who turned the 5 hour return journey into a 9 hour endless stretch of road! There was also the crazy 2.5 hour trek up a mountain across the island, which had me convinced I'd die of a heart attack before I reached the top, the butterflies that kept us company due to our 'aroma', the discovery of Juara and the harried 4WD ride back before the snorkelling trip, and the leaky mask saga :D
And the food~! Gosh we went all out, in spite of budgets and cash exchanges. Lunch on the first day had us hitch a ride on the Berjaya tour bus to a random Malay restaurant for two helpings of the best fried rice ever, and Sid caved in for an omelette after :D Trekked back and got picked up on the way by the same guy haha. Dinner was an overpriced affair due to the indian hooligans across the street, but beers by the beach, a nice long conversation and the monkey tied to its own neck made up for the food- though the buttered squid was pretty good. Then came breakfast- picture two girls eating enough for five people, within the space of an hour :D You gotta love the continental spread- and we even packed a muffin! Lunch was at Juara, which took forever and disappeared in 5 minutes~! And the meal of the trip- dinner that night. Back to the malay place at the top of the road- and Chelsea happened to be playing Liverpool haha (There's just something about football matches whenever I head to Malaysia!) 3 hours later we staggered out, after consuming BBQ prawns, cuttlefish, pattaya fried rice, an entire foot long fish cooked in three different types of sauce, drinks and two cups of amazing tea... Yup, we showed them all right :D And yeah, we hit breakfast the next morning with renewed passion!
Best moments of the trip: Lying on the beach that night, listening to the waves and looking at the stars with our feet in the sand and trying to keep Sid awake by talking, snorkelling at Coral island and Renggiss and seeing the barracudas, sea urchins and sting ray, and those huge deep sea coral formations, the boat rides out and in, reaching the top of the mountain and gaping at the blend of sea and sky in the horizon, walking on the beach early morning and watching the sun come up and tide rise, and just hanging out in the water all day.. We need to do this all over again one day, soon :)
Then we came home and got sick the next day :p Sadness, because Chica's gone. I missed her last day, and I miss her craziness everyday :( But I'll see her soon, and she was the second person I called when I got the news~! Speaking of, things finally pulled through and happiness rained down in torrents, together with the tears and hugs and whoops of joy :D It's exciting and scary and daunting all rolled into one, standing on the brink of a whole new adventure.. but I'll save all this for another post :)
Winding down
April's literally flown by! May get's here tomorrow, and I'm off again~! A long weekend was too good to pass up for some serious beach time :D Can't wait to hit the clear blue water.
This week's been a mini food rampage- an Ikea dinner on Monday, a Brewerkz dinner and drinks on Wednesday, a Turkish lunch and Bakerzin sandwich splurge on Thursday. Whew! And we topped that up with another cinnamon melt.. Gawd. And I still haven't quite recovered from the weekend's cuisinistic escapades. You can never have too much cinnamon though.. or chocolate.. or coffee.. :D
Birthday madness, and the scavenger hunt around the office. I've never clocked in so early before :p Happy 24th QJ! That ridiculous looking bird tops the list of 'best gifts ever', if I do say so myself :D And the redhead cactus comes in a close second haha.
Now for the sadness- chica's gone next Wednesday. I'm ecstatic for her, but I'm going to miss her to death :( She's been a combined mom, sister, girlfriend, inspiration, fashionista, anchor, shoulder, scone buddy and so much more- and we've only got a week left. Make the most of it and mourn later I think :)
Lingerie shopping with a boy for a girl provides for an evening of endless laughs and funny awkward moments :D I hope you got there safe and the gift was well received! ;) What is with all that lace though?! And frills and ribbons and polka dots...Urgh.
A shift's coming up soon, and I'm excited/anxious/scared as hell. Hopes and beat skippin' heart in check, for now at least.. *fingers crossed*
This week's been a mini food rampage- an Ikea dinner on Monday, a Brewerkz dinner and drinks on Wednesday, a Turkish lunch and Bakerzin sandwich splurge on Thursday. Whew! And we topped that up with another cinnamon melt.. Gawd. And I still haven't quite recovered from the weekend's cuisinistic escapades. You can never have too much cinnamon though.. or chocolate.. or coffee.. :D
Birthday madness, and the scavenger hunt around the office. I've never clocked in so early before :p Happy 24th QJ! That ridiculous looking bird tops the list of 'best gifts ever', if I do say so myself :D And the redhead cactus comes in a close second haha.
Now for the sadness- chica's gone next Wednesday. I'm ecstatic for her, but I'm going to miss her to death :( She's been a combined mom, sister, girlfriend, inspiration, fashionista, anchor, shoulder, scone buddy and so much more- and we've only got a week left. Make the most of it and mourn later I think :)
Lingerie shopping with a boy for a girl provides for an evening of endless laughs and funny awkward moments :D I hope you got there safe and the gift was well received! ;) What is with all that lace though?! And frills and ribbons and polka dots...Urgh.
A shift's coming up soon, and I'm excited/anxious/scared as hell. Hopes and beat skippin' heart in check, for now at least.. *fingers crossed*
Of cinnamon melt-downs and the great outdoors
The wonders of mushroom soup and sleep :) The fever went away in the end, but I still had to clock in a bit from home. Messages from all over and a human thermometer- thanks you guys :D Caught up on all the missed TV shows and read a bit- the ideal vacation if I hadn't been hitting 39°!
An Ikea lunch, Ikea hotdogs and an Ikea dinner, spaced a couple of days apart. Craaaazy~! But the chocolate mousse is to die for.. *drool* The cinnamon bun hunt all the way to Somerset 313 and that idiotic customer service dude who got my blood boiling.. Urgh. Why is the service industry in Singapore so crappy?
Ravi and Ravi, spray wars at Mustafas, insane giggling at City Square Mall, pol sambol + gotukala + dhal and a cinnamon melt marathon. We were on a roll! Saturday saw 3 go down with the help of a chocolate fudge sundae, Sunday saw 2 more with a cappucinno on the side. The melts are like little bits of heaven in sugary syrup ♥ And Mr Google redefined the concept of 'finishing your food' haha.
The Blind Side is a pretty good movie- it gets you thinking, even at 3 in the morning, and it restored a little bit of my faith in humanity :) Sandra Bullock still has a fan in me! I loved the gutsy character she played, though whether it was Oscar worthy, I'm still undecided :p He's Just Not That Into You was just as good watching it for the 3rd time as it was the 1st :D Chicken curry and Kahlua (separately!) only added to the day's pigging out- I'll need to starve myself for a week before I return to normal! And then we watched movie trailers till 4am.. *sigh*
Tried out the circle line for the first and second time, and hit Max Brenner after aaaages! A crazy route through Dhoby Ghaut to the Esplanade to Clarke Quay and then Harbourfront- more time spent in trains than outside, catching up with Mr Shutterbug while he foursquared away :p
Then came Sunday! After struggling to wake people up, having more back out and missing breakfast, Mr Google, Prem and moi finally took to route 3 in Macritchie :D A grand total of 4 hours, 12km, the Petai trail, the Blue and Pink maps, the monkeys on the car and all over, the HSBC treetop walk, lots of steps and more mosquitoes! I think Avatar had the connection with nature thing down to point- there's just something uplifting trudging through the undergrowth with insects and birds chirping away and the smell of earth and fresh air all around you. The heart rate went up and the endorphins got to work- which saw me bouncing to beats on the bed and whacking Mr Google with a tiger. After I shaved his head, and before chased them around the garden for my wallet and attempted riding a child's scooter..'Nuff said.
A hug on a Monday morning, a drenched trek through Bras Basah at lunch (thanks QJ!), new found respect for MS Paint, a surprisingly decent creative exploit and two projects down :) Hung out with the sibling on what was a beautiful evening around 7pm, and had quite the interesting shopping experience :D
We all have our crosses to bear, but that doesn't mean we forget how to smile.. right? :) I'm terrible when it comes to taking my own advice though. But I sat there in the dark yesterday, listening to this on loop [came across it on trailer night!] and felt like someone out there understood :)
A chaotic Tuesday which began with 3 different warbrobe shifts and harried phone calls in between. Yeah, I forget things sometimes, like important client meetings :p Was feeling frustrated and annoyed and sad and let down all at once, but weekend plans cheered me up :D Just one of those days when you wake up and wonder what you're doing with your life I guess..
An Ikea lunch, Ikea hotdogs and an Ikea dinner, spaced a couple of days apart. Craaaazy~! But the chocolate mousse is to die for.. *drool* The cinnamon bun hunt all the way to Somerset 313 and that idiotic customer service dude who got my blood boiling.. Urgh. Why is the service industry in Singapore so crappy?
Ravi and Ravi, spray wars at Mustafas, insane giggling at City Square Mall, pol sambol + gotukala + dhal and a cinnamon melt marathon. We were on a roll! Saturday saw 3 go down with the help of a chocolate fudge sundae, Sunday saw 2 more with a cappucinno on the side. The melts are like little bits of heaven in sugary syrup ♥ And Mr Google redefined the concept of 'finishing your food' haha.
The Blind Side is a pretty good movie- it gets you thinking, even at 3 in the morning, and it restored a little bit of my faith in humanity :) Sandra Bullock still has a fan in me! I loved the gutsy character she played, though whether it was Oscar worthy, I'm still undecided :p He's Just Not That Into You was just as good watching it for the 3rd time as it was the 1st :D Chicken curry and Kahlua (separately!) only added to the day's pigging out- I'll need to starve myself for a week before I return to normal! And then we watched movie trailers till 4am.. *sigh*
Tried out the circle line for the first and second time, and hit Max Brenner after aaaages! A crazy route through Dhoby Ghaut to the Esplanade to Clarke Quay and then Harbourfront- more time spent in trains than outside, catching up with Mr Shutterbug while he foursquared away :p
Then came Sunday! After struggling to wake people up, having more back out and missing breakfast, Mr Google, Prem and moi finally took to route 3 in Macritchie :D A grand total of 4 hours, 12km, the Petai trail, the Blue and Pink maps, the monkeys on the car and all over, the HSBC treetop walk, lots of steps and more mosquitoes! I think Avatar had the connection with nature thing down to point- there's just something uplifting trudging through the undergrowth with insects and birds chirping away and the smell of earth and fresh air all around you. The heart rate went up and the endorphins got to work- which saw me bouncing to beats on the bed and whacking Mr Google with a tiger. After I shaved his head, and before chased them around the garden for my wallet and attempted riding a child's scooter..'Nuff said.
A hug on a Monday morning, a drenched trek through Bras Basah at lunch (thanks QJ!), new found respect for MS Paint, a surprisingly decent creative exploit and two projects down :) Hung out with the sibling on what was a beautiful evening around 7pm, and had quite the interesting shopping experience :D
We all have our crosses to bear, but that doesn't mean we forget how to smile.. right? :) I'm terrible when it comes to taking my own advice though. But I sat there in the dark yesterday, listening to this on loop [came across it on trailer night!] and felt like someone out there understood :)
A chaotic Tuesday which began with 3 different warbrobe shifts and harried phone calls in between. Yeah, I forget things sometimes, like important client meetings :p Was feeling frustrated and annoyed and sad and let down all at once, but weekend plans cheered me up :D Just one of those days when you wake up and wonder what you're doing with your life I guess..
Mishmash
Down with the sickness :( I think the fever worsened during the night and I had all these weird dreams which I can't remember now! Though I woke up like 5 times, after each dream.. Urgh. And it's the weird kind of sick, where I feel like a trainwreck but my temperature is stubbornly remaining normal-ish. How I wish I were in bed right now..
Have you ever randomly thought of someone and had them text you or call you a few minutes later? Ethereal stuff, but it always makes me grin :D
The new blogs are cool! There's so much beauty out there in the world, sometimes just around the corner. And it's always a comfort that there are people who still stop, look around them, appreciate and share. Photography to me has always been a way of extending my memory and looking at the world through someone else's eyes. And my two cents' worth on Photoshop: it does make things look prettier but also messes with originality and skill, to a certain extent.
Ok that was very random :p
Song of the morn (that's still playing in my head!):
Promises mean everything when you're little
And the world's so big
I just don't understand how
You can smile with all those tears in your eyes
Tell me everything is wonderful now..
Have you ever randomly thought of someone and had them text you or call you a few minutes later? Ethereal stuff, but it always makes me grin :D
The new blogs are cool! There's so much beauty out there in the world, sometimes just around the corner. And it's always a comfort that there are people who still stop, look around them, appreciate and share. Photography to me has always been a way of extending my memory and looking at the world through someone else's eyes. And my two cents' worth on Photoshop: it does make things look prettier but also messes with originality and skill, to a certain extent.
Ok that was very random :p
Song of the morn (that's still playing in my head!):
Promises mean everything when you're little
And the world's so big
I just don't understand how
You can smile with all those tears in your eyes
Tell me everything is wonderful now..
-Everclear
Back to the timesheets nightmare and samahan.. *sniffle*
Everything, and nothing
Watching the storm gather just after sundown has become a daily routine. The expanse of sky and colour from the 17th floor is amazing, and if only the windows weren't so dirty, all the reports and papers I'm supposed to be working on would've been abandoned long ago for some quality shutterbug time in our little corner :)
The office warming was on Friday, which led to a hunt for sausage rolls during lunch and some rib-cracking conversations among the scribes. And just like all MTM parties, the alcohol flowed freely, everyone was merry and there was too much food :D Some pol sambol turned up too! You gotta love diversity- specially when it translates into sushi, guacamole, pasta and curry, among other things :D
The hunt for the glasses began afterward, but we sat down for a while on the benches and watched the fountain lights change colour. And after hitting 7 of the 9 places, running down an escalator going up and forcing one guy to open shop 10 mins after closing time, we ended up watching Date Night :D
Shutterbugs Inc took to the streets of Singapore on Saturday, but first was the Mongolian lunch buffet courtesy Prem :) The sauce recipes were something else! Totally recommended if you have a lot of time to spend and a healthy appetite. Clarke Quay is an entirely different world in the day- there even were kids splashing around in the fountain :D (Attica looks like hell btw- but the colour contrast and vibrancy of the surrounding buildings makes up for the drabness).
Catching up over Irish cream coffee on a lazy weekend afternoon- my kind of thing :D Sometimes talking to people who know you really well helps you realise and remember things about yourself that you otherwise overlook or momentarily forget :) Trapaising through CQ, City Hall and the Esplanade while being model of the day, walking through the weird sound simulation between ears and hitting the rooftop terrace- all in a day's work, only to be rewarded by that huge root beer float :D
Another spontaneous Sunday, with a huge koththu lunch and a trek from Potong Pasir to Boon Keng with Mr Google and his GPS, aiyo :D I needed an adrenaline fix, and we decided to be adventurous and headed to Punggol to explore the beach there. The route to the beach is amazing~! Punggol is such a quiet area till you get to the LRT- which we rode for kicks :D Fields and trees and more empty green space- reminiscent of the foresty areas in Scandinavia. The beach was terrible though- there was a dead something on the shoreline, scores of plastic bottles and bags, and weird gunk and junk in the water with almost dead jellyfish floating around.. *shudder* And yet there were families happily fishing on the pier and splashing around in the water :| Saw a guy catch a lobster looking thing and proudly show it off before running off with it- I really hope that wasn't dinner! But a walk along the beach, a gorgeous sunset mixed with storm clouds and some pretty strong gusts of wind made up for the rest :D
Monday came, and Monday went. Discoveries of a happy kind, interspersed with an orange + chocolate chip muffin, a surprise coffee delivery and the Goo Goo dolls- a new album coming out peeps! :D The rain came down in torrents the moment I thought about going home, so I sat by the window and waited it out a bit. Hang in there dude! The hard part's over :)
Tuesday and a weird emo morning. Shinedown, Kid Rock and Sum 41; Stef finally intervened when she found out I was listening to the likes of Miley Cyrus :D Yep, that extreme! Only because it was on a soundtrack though, in my defense. Cranberry orange muffins, hummus, corn relish and nachos- gosh, we're such gluttons! An evening of endorphins and the 5km run- and neighbours who clean fans and overdose on honey :D
The Sentosa Resort and Spa is spiffy! I thought the meeting would never end though- and we were sitting by the buffet and hadn't had breakfast! Back to an old favourite for lunch, and much love and gushing when a pack of mango cakes arrived all the way from KL, together with our favourite CS girls :D Thanks Seh Kin and Ho Hui! QJ and his misery over the volcanic ash is hilarious :D I do feel bad, though the French ginge jokes were too good to hold back on. Romantically challenged is funny! :D And I've gotten myself hooked on trance! Like Tiesto, and van Buuren. Probably a passing phase :p
Have you noticed how the little things that mean everything to you, can be completely missed by someone else? I guess it goes both ways, and that's what makes all of us different. But there's so much that we leave unsaid, and that's lost too fast between moments to become a memory. Though there's just as much said sometimes, but not understood or remembered.
I'm excited about the next couple of ventures coming up! Sign up for the 'Bare Your Sole' walk people! It's for a good cause, and it'll be fun :D I wish I could actually be there on the other end though- soon I hope, with a little patience and perseverance :)
The office warming was on Friday, which led to a hunt for sausage rolls during lunch and some rib-cracking conversations among the scribes. And just like all MTM parties, the alcohol flowed freely, everyone was merry and there was too much food :D Some pol sambol turned up too! You gotta love diversity- specially when it translates into sushi, guacamole, pasta and curry, among other things :D
The hunt for the glasses began afterward, but we sat down for a while on the benches and watched the fountain lights change colour. And after hitting 7 of the 9 places, running down an escalator going up and forcing one guy to open shop 10 mins after closing time, we ended up watching Date Night :D
Shutterbugs Inc took to the streets of Singapore on Saturday, but first was the Mongolian lunch buffet courtesy Prem :) The sauce recipes were something else! Totally recommended if you have a lot of time to spend and a healthy appetite. Clarke Quay is an entirely different world in the day- there even were kids splashing around in the fountain :D (Attica looks like hell btw- but the colour contrast and vibrancy of the surrounding buildings makes up for the drabness).
Catching up over Irish cream coffee on a lazy weekend afternoon- my kind of thing :D Sometimes talking to people who know you really well helps you realise and remember things about yourself that you otherwise overlook or momentarily forget :) Trapaising through CQ, City Hall and the Esplanade while being model of the day, walking through the weird sound simulation between ears and hitting the rooftop terrace- all in a day's work, only to be rewarded by that huge root beer float :D
Another spontaneous Sunday, with a huge koththu lunch and a trek from Potong Pasir to Boon Keng with Mr Google and his GPS, aiyo :D I needed an adrenaline fix, and we decided to be adventurous and headed to Punggol to explore the beach there. The route to the beach is amazing~! Punggol is such a quiet area till you get to the LRT- which we rode for kicks :D Fields and trees and more empty green space- reminiscent of the foresty areas in Scandinavia. The beach was terrible though- there was a dead something on the shoreline, scores of plastic bottles and bags, and weird gunk and junk in the water with almost dead jellyfish floating around.. *shudder* And yet there were families happily fishing on the pier and splashing around in the water :| Saw a guy catch a lobster looking thing and proudly show it off before running off with it- I really hope that wasn't dinner! But a walk along the beach, a gorgeous sunset mixed with storm clouds and some pretty strong gusts of wind made up for the rest :D
Monday came, and Monday went. Discoveries of a happy kind, interspersed with an orange + chocolate chip muffin, a surprise coffee delivery and the Goo Goo dolls- a new album coming out peeps! :D The rain came down in torrents the moment I thought about going home, so I sat by the window and waited it out a bit. Hang in there dude! The hard part's over :)
Tuesday and a weird emo morning. Shinedown, Kid Rock and Sum 41; Stef finally intervened when she found out I was listening to the likes of Miley Cyrus :D Yep, that extreme! Only because it was on a soundtrack though, in my defense. Cranberry orange muffins, hummus, corn relish and nachos- gosh, we're such gluttons! An evening of endorphins and the 5km run- and neighbours who clean fans and overdose on honey :D
The Sentosa Resort and Spa is spiffy! I thought the meeting would never end though- and we were sitting by the buffet and hadn't had breakfast! Back to an old favourite for lunch, and much love and gushing when a pack of mango cakes arrived all the way from KL, together with our favourite CS girls :D Thanks Seh Kin and Ho Hui! QJ and his misery over the volcanic ash is hilarious :D I do feel bad, though the French ginge jokes were too good to hold back on. Romantically challenged is funny! :D And I've gotten myself hooked on trance! Like Tiesto, and van Buuren. Probably a passing phase :p
Have you noticed how the little things that mean everything to you, can be completely missed by someone else? I guess it goes both ways, and that's what makes all of us different. But there's so much that we leave unsaid, and that's lost too fast between moments to become a memory. Though there's just as much said sometimes, but not understood or remembered.
I'm excited about the next couple of ventures coming up! Sign up for the 'Bare Your Sole' walk people! It's for a good cause, and it'll be fun :D I wish I could actually be there on the other end though- soon I hope, with a little patience and perseverance :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)