Cafe, writing away...

I tried to do some writing in the afternoon but was faced with writer's block. Or maybe it was too warm...

After dinner, I decided to pack up my laptop and go to a cafe to try writing. Hubby dropped me at tcc, M S Road and he adjourned to his kind of shopping at Sim Lim. Hahaha.

It was fairly empty when I arrived before 7pm. I sat at a table in a corner which was on a raised platform. Only two tables were occupied, including mine. Good, quiet but yet not quiet cos there were songs playing. I ordered a Mango Tea Freeze. When it arrived, I began my writing.

It was slow going at first, then I started to gain momentum. I revised what I had written, added more stuff, created another sub-section, ... Progress was good. Whenever I was tired, I looked around at the other patrons (unfortunately, no cute guys in sight. LOL), day-dreamed a little. When I looked back at my laptop screen, to borrow a good friend's words, my brain was re-started and I could continue again. At 9pm, I needed a sugar kick-start to my system and ordered a Grand Marnier cake - the outer layer is chocolate cake and the centre is orange mousse flavoured with Grand Marnier liqueur and a piece of orange. Tasted really good.

My Mango Tea Freeze (half gone), Grand Marnier cake, my laptop, my dissertation...

Ok, my system is going again. I better get back to my writing. By the way, I am blogging from tcc, in case you haven't noticed. Lol. Hmm... they close at 2am, wondering if I should stay until then to do my writing... We shall see. =)

Updated 30 June 2007, 11:55pm.
Came home about 11pm. It was full house when I left tcc. It was getting too noisy, I couldn't hear my thoughts. Hahaha. But I think I will go back to a cafe to do my writing. It is quite productive, no interactive kind of distractions which I am faced with when I write at home. LOL. Anyone interested, can join me the next time. =)

Thailand Festival 2007

Actually, I intended to bring Juliane to Takashimaya. But I spied a flurry of activities going on at the Thailand Embassy. It is the Thailand Festival 2007. Never been to one, might as well go for it. Hahaha.

There were many stalls, selling Thai products such as hand-made jewelleries, clothes, beauty products and Thai food. Didn't try the food as most of them were spicy. It is interesting, it reminds me a little of the craft markets that I used to visit in Australia and UK. I bought a pair of dangly garnet earrings and a torquiose necklace, which will go very well with a white dress I just bought. Oh yar, I bought another top and two dresses on Friday. Hahaha. Am so glad that the GSS is over! LOL.

We went for lunch at Dome, Isetan Scotts. Juliane and I shared a Penne in Mushroom Cream Sauce and a Apple Crumble with Vanilla Gelato. We both enjoyed the creamy penne. Juliane enjoyed the gelato while I liked the Apple Crumble. All's well that ends well.

Penne in Mushroom Cream Sauce

Juliane enjoying her gelato more than the apple crumble

Juliane "taking" my picture

Juliane and I

Ripples in the "Pond"

Although I am clearing leave, I had to step into office today to collect an important document. Couldn't delay it any longer so I went into office after meeting up with a good friend for lunch.

Usually, my working clothes and casual clothes are a little different - working clothes are prim and proper while casual clothes are, well, casual and not so prim and proper. Lol. I like the variety, don't think I can stand it if I wear prim and proper all 7 days. Hahaha. Since I am on leave, I didn't think twice about wearing my casual clothes into office to just collect a document.

I guess I was a little wicked and playful today but little did I expect to cause ripples in the "pond"(office) with my outfit! :P Well, I wore a spaghetti strap dress. The first gasp was from the senior officer who said I look very nice. She added that I will be distracting people if I wear like this to work. LOL. Thanks for the compliment. As I met more colleagues, I received more compliments. Two even said I look sexy. Hahaha. Thanks!

I think I surprised/ shocked a lot of people today. I showed them a side of me that they didn't know existed, other than the "work" me. Well, it has certainly been fun and interesting to see their reactions. Lol. Yes, I can be playful at times. I like to throw people off their feet by saying or doing certain things (within reasonable limits, of course :P). Hahaha. Doesn't it just make life all the more interesting?? LOL. I certainly think so!

Proofreading

Sorry, a bit late in updating my blog. I was helping a good friend to proofread his article. Wah, Good Friend can write really well! Seriously. Making me so ashamed of my writing skills now. Lol.

I was slow in proofreading. I was reading the article several times over, each time focussing on different aspects (a learnt habit from teaching days: when marking composition lol). Proofreading is definitely not an easy job. It requires concentration, accuracy and giving feedback. Or maybe it is just me, "all or nothing" for me. Lol. When given a task and if I choose to do it, I become very serious about it. I make sure I do it well or I don't do it at all. That's me. =)

But I still think proofreading is not easy. I really take my hat off to editors and proofreaders!

PS. Good Friend, I have sent you my comments. Check your email.

Writing

I have finally finished reading all my articles. Today, I have managed to link the relevant articles together and making the connections to my existing writing.

Now comes the difficult part: the writing. In any piece of writing, it is always the most difficult to start, especially if you have stopped for a while like I did. Hahaha. Now I have the ideas in my head and I have to start putting them down into my writing soon.

I don't have very good writing habits. Ask my family. They will tell you all about it.

1. It is not a pretty, or actually, a tidy sight when I start writing. I have to spread out my articles around me so that I can easily retrieve them when needed. So my room looks like a war zone. Lol.
2. I need to block off time to write. I admire people who can write as and when they like. I can't. I need a few days, just to read, absorb and write, and that includes NOT doing anything else. So for my dissertation, my most productive writing periods have always been when I took leave to write. What a waste of leave, huh. Lol.
3. I do not like to be disturbed when writing. I become very grouchy and touchy and I will snap at anyone, regardless of who they are. I am okay with distractions like white noise (music, TV) but not the interactive distraction where I have to respond to, like the kind that goes "Mama, Mama" every 5 - 10 minutes. So it has become a problem now for me to do my writing at home unless it is very late at night. Then I have another problem of my parents nagging at me to go sleep. I can't win, can I?!

Have to find a good place (out of home) to do my writing...

Suggestions, anyone?

"The Book of The Dead" by Preston & Child

Finally, I have finished the concluding novel for the Pendergast series! I am still holding my breath!

...

Ok, got my breath back. Lol. Well, it has certainly been a real exciting, thrilling roller-coaster ride since the start, from Brimstone, to Dance of Death and now, The Book of the Dead. The pace of the story never once let down, even when into its 3rd book. It is definitely a fitting ending to the Pendergast series, for now. (There is a 4th book coming!!). Again, there are the usual mind games but you could never predict the way the games would go, the usual brilliant intellect of the Pendergast brothers, the fight between good and evil, and also the insight into another long-standing character's psyche in the series. Questions are finally answered in this book, whereas I could only guessed in the previous books. It sure feels good to finally know the truth. LOL.

The Book of the Dead has the good brother being framed by the evil brother and thrown into a high-security prison (could he escape from it?), the evil brother intends to execute a horrific crime (did he succeed?), ... What happens in the end?? Not telling. =) You have to read it yourself. The Egyptian theme runs through in this book, even the title itself. In Ancient Egypt, The Book of the Dead is a cluster of mortuary spells placed with the dead in order to help them pass through the dangers of the underworld and attain an afterlife of bliss in the Field of Reeds. Yes, as you can see, I am into Egyptian history, myths and such. It makes reading The Book of the Dead doubly enjoyable for me. =)

Must really thank SA for inducing me to read Pendergast! How can I thank thee?! But I think I will be suffering from Pendergast withdrawal symptoms soon. Know when "The Wheel of Darkness" will be out, SA? Until then, any more books to introduce, along the line of Pendergast?

The Girls

Marieann
There was a school health team at her kindergarten in early June. They discovered that she might have some problems with her eyesight. Sigh. Armed with a referral letter, we brought her to the Refraction Clinic, School Health Service in the afternoon. There wasn't any queue, maybe school just reopened so not a lot of students being referred. She went in alone to the refraction room and was tested for 15 minutes.

The verdict: she needs to wear glasses all the time! She has astigmatism, especially bad for her left eye. When I heard that, hubby earned killer glares from me!! He always indulged the girls by letting them play on the computer for long periods of time and lying on the floor to watch TV. I have time and time again told/ nagged at him that it was BAD for them. Of course, he never listens. Now, the kid is paying for it. I just hope Marieann's eyesight would not get any worse.

***
Juliane
In the evening, I heard Juliane gave a loud wail, ran out of my room and dashed into the bathroom. With a quick peek into my room, I saw my closet door opened and what's that in the air? I sniffed my perfume, O Oui! in the air. Oh no, did Juliane do what I think she did?? I went into the bathroom and she smelled of my perfume! I gave her water to gargle her mouth because she had sprayed the perfume into her mouth!!! I really have no idea why she wants to do that. I have stopped her on two other occasions from doing that and specifically, told her NOT to do that. Well, she has definitely learnt her lesson now. Hahaha. Served her right.

Despite being angry with her, I couldn't help laughing at her too (of course, I didn't let her see me laugh at her). I laughed because I am reminded of a similar incident. During my JC years, I did a similar thing. No lah, by accident! I didn't intentionally drink perfume. Actually, it was my father's cologne. Don't know for what reason, I was trying to look at the bottom of the bottle and I guessed the cap was not tight or something and cologne had dripped into my glass of water which happened to be there. I took a big gulp of water and spit everything out. It tasted awful so I know what Juliane has gone through. LOL. I learnt my lesson too. Make sure there are no drinks around before I check out the bottom of cologne/ perfume bottles. LOL. Now you know why I laughed at Juliane. It is funny and she is my daughter after all. Like mother, like daughter. Hahaha.

Perfume

A good friend asked what fragrance I am using because it smells nice.

I am currently using Par Amour Eau de Parfum, Clarins (since end 2006). It is a floral woody fragrance containing a blend of pink peppercorns, blackcurrants, and ottoman rose.

My first perfume was my 18th birthday present from my NJ mates - Anais Anais Perfume, Cacharel. When I was in uni, I switched to Zinnia Eau de Toilette from Floris, London. I only stopped using Zinnia (after 5 years) when I could no longer buy it in Singapore, only from London. Too far to travel... Lol. After Zinnia, I used Paris Eau de Toilette, Yves Saint Laurent for 2 years. When I was in Sydney in 1999, I bought O Oui! Eau de Toilette, Lancome. I was using it until Clarins came out with its fragrance, Par Amour.

For all the fragrances that I have used, they are floral in nature. I like the romantic and sensual feelings evoked by these floral fragrances. Lol. I tended to use each of them for a period of time before changing because it is not easy finding a fragrance that suits me and even more importantly, captures the essence of who I am. I never thought of it that way until someone (from my past) told me that when he sniffs the perfume, he would immediately think of me. Now, that is a nice, alluring way to be remembered. Hahaha. LOL.

SCGS Girls' Afternoon Out

I met up with my SCGS friends: Karen, Hsiao, Chung and Stephanie at Coffee Club, Siglap, 2:40pm. It has been a while since we last saw each other, Chinese New Year, right? We shared a Mustard Honey Chicken Sandwich and a Confit Duck Salad as most of us have had lunch and we also didn't want to spoil our appetite for dinner. But there is always room for dessert. LOL. We shared a Muddy Mud Pie and a Candied Apple Crumble.



I really liked the Candied Apple Crumble - the apples in the crumble were sweet yet sourish too. When eaten with vanilla ice cream, it tasted very good. I really liked my Iced Earl Vanilla too - earl grey tea with vanilla ice cream. A real exotic blend of bergamont orange and ice cream.

For this gathering, it is just the girls, without the hubbies and children. I think we all enjoyed ourselves very much! Maybe we should do this more often?? Hahaha. We filled each other in with what's happening in our lives: work and personal. By the way, Congrats, Stephanie. Good news indeed. =) We started talking about our school days. We were laughing so much with all the reminiscing about the funny things we did in school, about our singles' days, etc. It is really hard to believe that we have all been friends for so long. LOL. How long you ask? Really long. Hahaha.

I am really glad to hear/ know that everyone is happy and is doing well. It has been really great meeting up and catching up with all of you. Let's try to do this more often. =) Keep in touch, my friends. All the Best until we meet again.

PS. Sorry, no photos of us. My friends are too shy lah, knowing that they would appear on my blog. Hahaha. Next time, ok?

Easy/ Lazy Sunday

We were out of our place by 9:45am. That's because I have a beauty appointment @ 10am at Wheelock Place. Yes, yes, Wheelock AGAIN! Hahaha. No, I don't own any shares there. LOL. It's been years, 7 years to be exact since I last had beauty treatment of any kind. Time to pamper myself. LOL.

After my beauty treatment, I joined my girls and hubby at East Ocean Restaurant, Shaw Centre for Dim Sum. I didn't have much food as I will be meeting with my SC friends for afternoon tea. The girls ordered adorable dim sum that came in shapes of animals - Bunny and Phoenix.

Unfortunately, the girls only ordered them for their cute factor. We, the poor parents ended up eating the bunnies and phoenixes, amid strange stares from other restaurant patrons. Lol.

PS. Before we left Wheelock Place, I placed my order for the final book of Harry Potter at Borders. Can't wait for it to be released on 21 July. Yes, I am a fan of Harry Potter. LOL.

"Deep Storm" by Lincoln Child

Finally, I am writing my book reviews again. LOL.

Having read Preston & Child's Pendergast series, Child's Deep Storm definitely didn't disappoint! Deep Storm tells of a mysterious undersea discovery 12, 000 feet beneath the Atlantic Ocean. Mystery is built upon mystery when scientists and technicians excavating the undersea discovery started experiencing a bizarre array of symptoms with no apparent causes. As you read on, you realised there are more mysteries to unravel...

Deep Storm successfully integrates scientific knowledge, adventure and suspense together, making it a really engaging thriller. I really like Deep Storm for throwing in that thought at the very end. It is a very chilling thought indeed. Brrr *Shivers* Sorry, I can't disclose what it is. You will have to read it for yourself. Hey, no turning to the end to read it. You will only spoil the FUN of reading! Lol. Deep Storm is a book that you won't be able to put down until you get to the end.

You can find Deep Storm (hardback cover) at NLB. Reserve it, if you want to read the book. There's no guarantee that it will be waiting on the shelf for you. Lol.

My Day Out

Back to our usual weekend routine: I took Juliane while hubby took Marieann.

Juliane and I ended up where I was last night. Yup, Wheelock Place again, my turf. Hahaha. While waiting for Sakae (Yes, Sakae again!) to open at 11:30am, I snapped some photos with my new camera. :) After lunch, we shared a double cup Haato gelato -Wild Berry for Juliane and Milk Tea for me. Nice! =) We walked over to Isetan Scotts for window shopping. But it was not to be so - I bought a top. Hahaha. We got home close to 3pm.

***
We decided to go to Vivocity for dinner. Hubby and I were there last October and we haven't been back since. Thought it might be nice to bring the girls there. We got there about 7pm and decided to have dinner at White Dog Cafe. The girls shared a A la Carbonara, hubby ordered Viennese Saugages and I ordered Crispy Duck Confit. All the dishes were quite good. I thought my Duck Confit was a little salty but tolerable with the mashed potato. For desserts, I had Apple Crumble with vanilla ice cream and hubby ordered Warm Chocolate Cake with vanilla ice cream. My Apple Crumble was good, not too sweet. :) The Warm Chocolate Cake was delicious with a warm chocolate centre. Yummy!

The girls' A la Carbonara - spaghetti with onions & turkey bacon in creamy sauce

Viennese Sausages - twin sausages grilled in garlic sauce, with mashed potato, green salad and a corn cob

My Crispy Duck Confit - duck in red wine sauce with mashed potato, green salad and a corn cob

Warm Chocolate Cake, with a warm chocolate centre and vanilla ice cream

My Apple Crumble with vanilla ice cream

Supposed to be browsing ONLY after dinner. But I ended up buying another top and a skirt. Hahaha. Ok, no more shopping for the next 6 months! LOL. Hahaha.

Girls' Night Out

It is a girls' night out.

I met up with good friends - Winnie, Theresa and Clara for dinner. We had wanted to go to Sun with Moon but it was packed so we ended up back at Sakae, Wheelock Place where we had our last girls' night out. Hahaha. Dinner was simple but the main focus was on the catching up - current happenings with our lives, with our work, and about our future plans. Laughter peppered our conversation throughout. LOL. We adjourned to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaves (outside of Wheelock Place) to continue our conversation and laughing. It is really fun catching up with friends and to have so much fun laughing away without a care. =)




I took a lift home from Winnie. But we went to Mark and Spencer, Paragon first as Winnie had to run a quick errand. As I didn't have my sweets tonight, I had a Caramel gelato from Bravissimo, Paragon. Really sweet and delicious. Lol.

PS. The girls thought I look nice tonight. Thank you. Always nice to hear compliments. Winnie said I should wear more short skirts to show off my legs. We shall see. =) HAHAHA.

Workshop: Day 2

Today is the end of my project's 2-day workshop.

Again, was there early. Again, I was mentally prepared for challenges that might come my way. Guessed that's me, can't change. Hahaha. A colleague said I was looking very cool and calm when I presented on my teachers' behalf. LOL.

A little SAD it has ended. It has been productive - the drinking from the fountain (of knowledge), the mental stimulation invoked, the feelings evoked when connections were made... What a rush! Hahaha. I think I am one for learning. LOL.

I guessed I was exhausted from all that rush. LOL. I fell asleep while listening to Savage Garden. Woke up when the CD ended its play. Now I am wide awake. Oh well, I will just have to find something to do. Hmm... I can continue reading my books. Should be able to finish my Hamilton tonight. Can proceed to read "Deep Storm" and my comics too, recently borrowed from a good friend as well as from the library. Have got quite a bit to occupy my restless, wandering mind. LOL.

Yes, I would be up late. So anyone who needs company, can drop in for a chat. =)

Workshop: Day 1

Today is the start of my project's 2-day workshop.

I wanted to be early for the workshop and was at the research centre almost an hour early before the workshop started at 9am. Lol. Hmm... tomorrow I should be able to sleep in for another half an hour and still be there on time. Hahaha.
I was the facilitator for my teachers, with whom I have worked for over a year. I totally enjoyed the group discussions with them. It was both fruitful and fun.

However, I was really tired at the end of today. In part, due to the lack of sleep the night before - I didn't fall asleep until 3 am because of the heavy rain, howling wind, thunder and an active mind thinking of... I'm also tired partly because I have been so mentally wired up during the workshop. I am always like this for workshops, talks, conferences, etc because I am in a "fight" mode. I wanted to be alert for questions that might come my way and I don't want to be caught short. That is the perfectionist streak in me. I guess it is good for this situation?! LOL. Tomorrow should be better. Hahaha.

***
Decided to take a break tonight, just lazing around and trying to relax by reading my books. Yup, I have got 2 books going all at once: Hamilton's Seduced by Moonlight and Child's Deep Storm. No, don't worry, I won't confused the story lines. They are of quite different genre, really DIFFERENT. Hahaha. Right, SA?

By the way, it's your fault, SA that I am reading two books as you told me about them. LOL. Okay lah, partly my fault that I can't resist reading the books. Hahaha. Hmm... I have a 3rd book which is just borrowed from the library - Preston and Child's The Book of the Dead. NO, I am STRONG enough to resist reading it!! LOL. =)

PS. Wanted to wish a good friend best of luck in his writing! Feeling bad that he is writing while I am reading for enjoyment. LOL. Good Luck, Friend!

More SHOPPING and My Blog

Ok, something is very, very wrong. I have never done so much shopping before!

Hubby called at 7:15pm and asked if I wanted to go into the city as he needed to go to Wheelock to get his mobile phone fixed. Well, why not?! Hahaha. I ended buying lingerie from Tangs and a denim skirt from Far East Plaza. So far for this GSS, I spent around $800 buying earrings, lingerie, blouse, skirt, dresses, sunglasses and camera. Oh dear, it is like I have been possessed by the shopping spirit or something. LOL. Ok, I need to get a hold of myself! STOP SHOPPING! Hahaha.

***
Hubby told me that his friend has been reading my blog and has found it interesting. Thank you. Glad to know that my blog is not boring. LOL. =)
I also want to thank my other friends who have been following and reading my blog too. Hope it has been interesting enough for all of you. LOL. Thank you. Oh yes, if my posts have, at times, brought a smile or two to your faces, I couldn't be happier. :) Am only too glad to make my friends happy.

I have wanted my blog to be a way of keeping in touch with all of you. Do feel free to leave me your comment or drop me an email. Keep in touch. :)

New ATM Card, Reading

Yesterday, when I tried to pay for my purchases with my POSB ATM card, it refused to read. So I had no choice but to use my credit card to pay first. Note it is MY credit card, not a supplementary card hor. LOL. I don't really like using credit cards, would rather pay with NETS (ATM card) or cash. It is a quirk of mine. lol.

Went to POSB first thing in the morning to check what's wrong with my ATM card. It was confirmed that my card has "died" of old age. The magnetic strip was no longer functioning. Well, I have been using it for the last 13 years, guess it is time for it to "retire". Hahaha. While I was signing a form for the new POSB ATM card, I saw the teller took out a pair of scissors and went "snip, snap" with my old card. My heart just went "snip snap" too! I hadn't expected that to happen. Although it is just a card, I had feelings for it too. After all, it had been with me for 13 years! So sad.

Yes, yes, I know. I am such a sentimental fool. LOL.

***
I was reading my articles in the afternoon. Half way through the pile. Another afternoon of reading, I would be able to start writing soon. I really enjoyed my reading session today, beginning to make connections and such. It is such a wonderful feeling! :)

Updated 19 June 2007, 9:06am
Forgot to pass a message to SA. Hi there, SA. My brother (I think it is my brother, lol) has replied you about which Gemmell novels to go for. His comment is under the post, Busy Day (16 June 2007). Go take a look if you can, SA. Take care. Talk to you soon. :)

7th Wedding Anniversary...

Hubby and I are married for 7 years today. It is a long time...

So far, it is just like any other ordinary day, any ordinary Sunday. Just lazing around... Probably go out for lunch later with the girls (the usual Sunday activity)... I am not holding my breath for anything interesting/ special happening... serious. I have been in this marriage long enough to know. Lol.

Don't believe me? Let's start a bet, see if anything happens? Anyone game? Lol.

Updated 17 June 2007, 7:22pm
We went to The Central for lunch at The Manhattan Fish Market. The girls each ordered a Big Boat kiddie meal (fish nuggets, calamari and a glass of orange juice). Hubby ordered an Onion soup and a Grilled Catch of the Day (fish). I ordered a Clam Chowder and a starter, Sizzling Louisiana Prawn where the prawns were poached in creamy Louisiana sauce. We ordered another two starters, Crispy Shrimps (fried mini shrimps) and Garlic Butter Mussels where the mussels were cooked in a creamy garlic butter sauce. The soup and the chowder were disappointing, as was hubby's Catch of the Day. The starters were actually good, especially my Louisiana Prawns. Lol.

Big Boat kiddie meal - fish nuggets, calamari and fries

Starters: Crispy Shrimps - fried mini shrimps and Garlic Butter Mussels - mussels cooked in creamy garlic butter sauce

My starter: Sizzling Louisiana Prawns - prawns poached in creamy Louisiana sauce

Hubby's Grilled Catch of the Day

After lunch, we headed to The Centrepoint. It was shopping time again. Hahaha. I don't think I have shopped this much before. I bought a dress from Robinsons, a blouse and a pair of sunglasses from Esprit. We had a simple afternoon tea at Esprit Cafe by Aromas. It is actually a nice, quiet place to have tea. After tea, I went to OG, Orchard Point to get 2 more items before we headed home.

Some of you must be wondering if anything interesting/ special happened. Well, if you took up the bet, you would have lost. Nothing happened! Told you already. Lol. It is just another ordinary Sunday.

Enbloc Blues, Finally!

Finally the newspapers is adopting some balance in its reporting of the Enbloc craze that has been sweeping over our island country.

Yesterday (16 June 2007), there was a Special Report section in The Straits Times which devoted 6 FULL pages about the downside of the Enbloc fever. FINALLY! There were articles on:

1. how the "windfall" from the collective sales might not be a windfall after all for those who were pro-enbloc;
2. how the enbloc dissenters are gaining a voice and fighting back against enblocs through blogs and such;
3. how many are forced to downgrade after going enbloc;
4. how social values such as sense of belonging, sense of identity, sense of rootedness are sacrificed for monetary gains;...

If the current enbloc fever is not checked, it is going, if it is not already so, to cause a lot of social problems and erosion of social values that the government has spent so much time building up, namely the sense of identity and belonging towards our island country.

Money isn't everything. There are more important things in life. If no time is a good time to sell, then DON'T sell. At least, you will still have a roof over your head and a place to call HOME.

PS. Must have been too tired, saved it instead of publishing it when I was finished with it...

Busy Day

I was out of my place by 8:30am... returned home at 7:30pm. My poor, tired feet. LOL.

8:30 - 11:30 am
I was at my gynae's (at Gleneagles Medical Centre) for my annual check-up - the full works (pap smear, ultrasound scan, etc). Better to be safe than sorry, especially after my health scare a year ago. I am on a new lease of life and I intend to keep it that way. LOL. After almost 3 hours (in between waiting, I was reading Child's Deep Storm), I was given a clean bill of health. My gynae thinks that I am perfect for having more babies. Err... no thank you. Hahaha.

11:45 - 12:45 pm
I managed to come home to check my emails, sent out an email to good friend, and replied SA's comment on my blog. SA wanted to know which books or series of David Gemmell to start on. I tried my best to help but will have to ask my brother for more information as he is the one reading Gemmell.

1:30 - 3:30 pm
We met up with Juliane's Godfather, who came back to Singapore, from UK, for lunch. Juliane was happy to see her Kai Ye. Our mutual friend, Kuan Ling also joined us for lunch at Crystal Jade Golden Palace, Paragon. We had our usual Dim Sum. Lol.


3:30 - 5:00 pm
Since I am already at Paragon, might as well have a look around, right?! I haven't done so much window shopping as today since the Great Singapore Sale started. Hahaha. Hmm... nothing caught my eye, can save money. LOL.

5:15 - 7:15 pm
Hmm... since already out, might as well as shop some more, right?! Don't waste time. Hahaha. We went back to our favourite haunt, Isetan Scotts. We parked the car at Wheelock Place and walked to Isetan using the underpass. Here, I finally managed to find something that caught my fancy - a dress. Lol.
Time for dinner, decided that dinner should be a simple affair. Took the girls to MOS Burger. LOL. Yup, dinner was really simple, delicious and INEXPENSIVE (to those who always said I only go for expensive food, you are wrong! LOL). Hahaha. I think the girls enjoyed their dinner but I would not be doing this often. After all, fast food not that good for health, right? :P


7:30 pm
Home Sweet Home. Time to put my feet up, make a cup of tea, hmm... maybe Mint tea and go back to my reading of Child's Deep Storm which a very good friend lent to me. Bliss! LOL.

My New Camera

I have bought my new camera!

I went after work with a good friend to get it. Ok, half of it was paid for by hubby but I am going to claim exclusive use of the new camera. Why? I take better pictures than him, that's why. Hahaha.

It is a Canon Ixus 950 IS. It is 8.0 mega pixels, has 4x optical zoom, multi-face detection, image stabliser and a 2.5" LCD. :) Nice! I like this camera. It has similar functions to my old Ixus, so it's not too difficult to use. Lol. Now, I can get out there and take really nice pictures. Hahaha. Of course, don't mind getting tips on how to take good pictures from good friend and my brother who are both into photography. (My brother owns one of those old photo cameras. Hey, YM are you still taking pictures with it?)

Here are some of the pictures taken with my new camera at Fort Canning Park. To be fair, I didn't take them. My good friend did. Lol.

Nice pictures, right? Good camera. Hahaha. No lah, good photography skills of friend too. Oh yes, forgot to thank my good friend for accompanying me to get the camera. Thank you, my friend!

Rested

Don't know why I was suddenly really tired.

Came home around 7pm after searching for more journal articles. Grabbed my dinner and I went to bed. I only just woke up. I feel really rested now but it is almost 12 midnight and I am awake... hubby asked if I am turning into a vampire... Haha, very funny.

Maybe I can do some reading as it is really quiet...

***
Earlier in the day, I shared a waffle and ice cream with a good friend. I just love dessert, especially dessert (ice cream, cakes, pudding, etc) with flavours such as butterscotch, burnt toffee, caramel, ... you get the point, the really sweet kind. LOL.

A Year Later...

It has been exactly a year after my emergency surgery. Some of you would recall that I was in great pain for 4 days before it was discovered what was wrong. The clinical diagnosis was acute gangrenous appendicitis with perforation and severe serositis/ peritonitis. If I didn't have the surgery when I did, I would not be here today, blogging away. Hahaha.

Remember what I wrote to all of you after my surgery (via email)? In case, you don't...

"Work is longer than life. Treasure your Life.
It is true, there will always be work but if there is no life, there's nothing. Work is only part of our lives. If there is something that you have always wanted to do, something that you have always wanted to learn, something that you have always wanted to say, PLEASE do not put it off to another day or time. Because you never know what life is going dish up to you next, don't be caught short. Don't take life for granted. I am very lucky and very thankful. I am living on extended time. From now on, I will live my life to its fullest (within limits, of course :P). I am not going to take anything for granted."

Yes, I have not been idle. I have changed in some ways. I have stopped to notice Life that goes on around me. I have learnt to appreciate the simple beauties in Life - a flower, a tree, the stars. I live for the here and now. I no longer wait for things to happen. I seize the day where possible.

Some thoughts of mine one year on...
To all my Friends, Thank you for having been there with me at the various points of my life. You have enriched my life in one way or another and I am glad for your friendships. Thank you for everything. Your friendships mean much more to me than you realised!

To all my Friends, Live each day to its fullest. Treasure Life.

I love you all. I will see you around. Take care.

Moods

Happy Mood
Went into work for a meeting. Met some colleagues and they commented about my new hair style and my dressing. Although I have had my new hair style for a while now, I haven't met some of my colleagues as the research centre is big. They said I look younger with the new hair style. Well, I look young with or without the new hair style. Hahaha. Only joking. Most commented that my dressing is different too, wearing short skirts, short dresses and such, looking very different, not so prim and proper. Well, actually, those are my old clothes which I haven't wore for quite a while. Just thought it is a waste not to wear since I can still fit into them. Since no time is a good time, why not just wear them now, right?! Hahaha.

It is always nice to hear compliments from people about how one looks. Thank you, Friends for your compliments. It made me very happy indeed. LOL.

***
Excited Mood
It is always exciting to go to new places, to see new places, to do new things once in a while. It breaks the monotonous routine of daily life. It shakes you out of a rut. We have to live in the here and now. Not in the past, not in the future. Life is swirling around us, we just have to stop and take notice. I have done so today. Have you?

***
Pensive Mood
All of a sudden, I am given a few choices. Each has its pros and cons. I really don't know what to do. Suddenly, I am wanted. Hmm... am I that good?! Lol. A good friend have mentioned that I shortchange myself. Ok, maybe I do have something in me... :)

Sigh. Headache. I have to be really diplomatic and not offend anyone.

Tiring but Satisfying

I had a tiring but most satisfying day.

I finally did more search for my journal articles in the library.
Walking up and down among the book shelves, locating the hefty volume, stretching to reach it and finally holding the hefty volume in my hands is just pure satisfaction. Strange as it is but I feel there is nothing more satisfying and joyous than finding what I wanted/ needed. :) However, it is no joke trying to lug a few of the hefty volumes all at once to the photocopier. Hmm... need to build up my arm muscles. Hahaha.

***
Marieann is having her full dress rehearsal tomorrow. No choice, had to go out again in the evening to get her dancing shoes. We went to Great World City. Managed to get her shoes, not Mary Jane pumps but close enough. We will see if it is okay to be used for her performance. I happened to see a pair of shoes that I like. Bonus, I didn't have to pay for it. Hahaha. After the shopping, we had Uzumaki Ice Cream. The girls shared a Blue Berry ice cream, I ordered a Bubble Milk Tea ice cream while hubby settled for a Green Tea ice cream. However, hubby and I swopped ice cream as we found we preferred the other's favour. lol.

Perfect, nothing like a sweet dessert to end a tiring but most satisfying day for me. LOL.

Updated 12 June 2007, 11:55pm.
I was waiting for my mother's call. She left for Taiwan in the late afternoon. Just received her call, she has arrived safely in Taiwan. She will be there for a month visiting her family. I hope she enjoys herself.

Drinks

Sorry, I am not referring to drinks as in alcoholic drinks. Not interested in those, as I am allergic to alcohol. Hahaha. Here I am talking about drinks such as tea, coffee, and other concoctions whereby you can still drink and drive safely.

My favourite drink is TEA. Any kind of tea - leaves, herbal, floral BUT never tea from tea bags if given a choice. You would balk at the "quality" of the tea if you have seen how they process the tea bags. Yikes! I have been drinking tea for more than 20 years, all thanks to my mother who brews Chinese tea at home. Too bad, I never really learnt the art of brewing tea from her. lol. My favourite Chinese tea is Pu'Er, which is fermented tea. Did you know that there are six types of tea (leaves), depending on the stages of fermentation? Yup, it is true, not lying.

Being health conscious, my mother is also into herbal and floral tea. Herbal and floral tea suit me fine as most of them have some medicinal properties which are not invasive to my system, unlike some western medication. Some of these herbal and floral tea are acquired tastes. It took me a while before I got used to drinking Lavender Flowers tea. My favourite herbal and floral tea are Mint and Rose respectively.

Coffee, you asked, don't I drink coffee? Well, I don't. It is too bitter for my taste. And get this, for whatever reason unknown to me, I fall asleep when I drink coffee. Yes, I know, it is very strange indeed. Hahaha.

So if you see me at cafes - Coffee Bean (my fav), Starbucks, tcc, Bakerzin, etc, you won't fail to see me with a cup or glass of something that is tea or herbal or floral or combination. Hahaha.

Seafood Feast

My mother has been reminiscing about the dish, Lobster Thermidor from this former Swiss restaurant, which we frequented quite often at the former Equatorial Hotel, Stevens Road. Since she would be going back to Taiwan on Tuesday, I thought I would surprise her by taking her to lunch today at Seafood Harvest, UE Square for Lobster Thermidor.

My mother was pleasantly surprised. She ordered a Lobster Bisque and a Curry Lobster Thermidor which came with buttered rice and achar, an Asian twist to the traditional Lobster Thermidor. I ordered a Lobster Bisque and a Grilled Lobster and Chicken set which came with baked potato and seasonal greens while hubby order a Clam Chowder and a Grilled Catfish and Chicken set. The two girls shared a Mushroom Soup and a Seafood Pizza.

Curry Lobster Thermidor

Grilled Lobster and Chicken set

Grilled Catfish and Chicken set

I haven't had such a sumptuous meal in a long time. Hahaha. Definitely can't do this often. Too much for the system and the pockets. Hahaha. Especially hubby's pockets. But then considering it as pay-back for not fetching me on Wednesday, it is fair enough. LOL.

A Shopping Mission

Shopping with my mother is always a chop chop affair. She knows what she wants to buy, she goes in straight for the "kill" and goes home. That is her modus operandi in shopping. My father has a totally different modus operandi. He knows what he wants to buy but he browses around as well and he ends up buying more, A LOT MORE than just what he intended to buy! We often laughed at our parents about their role reversal. LOL. For me, my modus operandi is in between them, I guess. I would go for things I want to buy and I would browse around a little bit. However, I can't stand shopping when it is very crowded: I find it very hard to shop and I get headaches. So that means I lose out when there are sales. Hahaha.

Today, Juliane and I went shopping with my mother at Isetan Scotts because she needed to buy a present for her friend's grandson and at Tangs for a vase. Shopping was over within an hour. A very quick affair indeed. We had lunch at Crystal Jade Kitchen, Isetan Scotts. We happened to meet our family friend as we left Crystal Jade and we ended up having tea, coffee and cake at Dome. We went home around 3pm as Juliane had fallen asleep.

I went out almost immediately again to Takashimaya as I had to look for silver-coloured Mary Jane pumps for Marieann as she needs it for her concert. Alas, they don't have her size. With too many people around, I didn't know how to shop and was getting a headache. So I went instead to Kinokuniya. It is always nice to be surrounded by books. Hahaha. I enjoyed myself at Kinokuniya, browsing at books. LOL.

Reading

I have been busy reading today. Not my leisure books but articles for my PhD writing. Hahaha. Yes, I am finally reading this whole stack of 2006 and 2007 articles for my PhD dissertation.

I am currently in the midst of revising my 1st 3 chapters: Introduction, Literature Review and Methodology, and of special importance, are the first 2 chapters. I have to update the articles used in them since they were only up to end 2005. I will have to add in the more recent articles from 2006 and 2007 that are related to my PhD. Hmm... I may have to find more articles. lol. Being ambitious, I am also trying to write my Chapter 5: Conclusions and Implications. Wish me luck. Hahaha.

It is not easy writing but I am beginning to find my momentum. All thanks to encouragement from good friends and fellow PhD students. Yes, we must finish our PhDs by this year, no matter what!

***
I became friends with a Mexican professor, Dr Eduardo Andere, who came to my research centre in 2006. Although he was supposed to have a buddy, she wasn't doing anything to help him. Somehow, I became his "unofficial" buddy but I was glad to be of assistance. I helped him out with whatever information he needed for his research about our educational system. I also played hostess and showed him what a typical Singapore family is like (except that my family ain't exactly typical, lol). We have been keeping in contact after he left Singapore via msn and emails.

Just yesterday, he told me that he is acknowledging me in his new book. *Blush* I am being acknowledged in a book. I must say I feel honoured indeed. I hadn't realised that I had done this much to help him. It was within my knowledge and power and I am more than happy to help out a friend, always. Thank you, Eduardo.

Sea and Sky

Do you like the sea? I do.

I have always like the sea since young. It could be because of my Taiwanese mother's influence because her hometown was by the sea. She used to take my brother and I back for yearly visits since we were babies until we were in our late teens. I remember fondly sitting on the rocks and looking out to the vast expanse of sea and sky, smelling the salt in the air, hearing the crashing of the waves onto the beach and rocks... Regardless of the different times of the day, it is always a colourful picture of sea and sky: so many different shades of blues, pinks, purples, whites in the sky contrasting with the different shades of blues of the sea.

I have had the opportunities to visit the sea every now and then while studying in Australia. Knowing how much I like the sea, friends would drive me to the beach to watch the sunrise or sunset, be it in Brisbane, Gold Coast, or Melbourne.

Now back in Singapore again, I shall endeavour to visit the sea as often as I can. I like the soothing presence of the sea. I like the vitality of the sea. I like the way my senses are overwhelmed by the sea: sight of the colours, the waves, the sky; sounds of the waves, seagulls; smell of the salt in the air; feel of the sea breeze on the skin; and sometimes, I can almost taste the saltiness of the sea.

I like the sea. No, I think I love the sea.

Happy Event

Wedding is one of Life's pleasant surprises.

Today, my colleagues, friends and I attended a colleague's wedding at Orchard Parade Hotel. It is a joyous event for the lovely couple, KM & J! I really enjoyed the video montages. It is different from the usual photo montage album placed at the banquet venue for guest to flip through. I wish them all the best in their marriage.

As usual, it was also catching-up time for most of us (colleagues). Even though, we sometimes meet each other at work, we haven't the time to talk. I got to know a few colleagues better. I always like social events like these, but only if I sit with people I know :) because it is the perfect time to know these people better as everyone is relaxed and happy.




PS. A little incidence: Had called hubby about 9:30pm to ask him to pick me up after the dinner. He expressed his interest to watch CSI (which shows at 10pm). Sigh, show is more important than wife. Hahaha. Ok lor, let him watch his show so I walked home. Friends who sms-ed to make sure I got home safe, THANK YOU. It was a pleasant walk, cool weather, and the solitude was quite nice.

Life

A good friend sent me an email yesterday. Don't want to break friend's confidence so I won't elaborate what the email was about. The email has certainly set me thinking.

Life is really unpredictable. It dishes out surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant on its own terms and when we least expected them. We can have the most perfect plans for our lives - work, career, marriage but sometimes, things just don't go the way we wanted or planned. We can't pre-empt Life but we can certainly learn to accept the surprises with grace. In other words, plan all we want but leave room for Life's surprises!

C'est la vie!

***
Had a meeting today. A very interesting one. The decisions made at this meeting will impact on my life and I gladly accept. I truly believe that everything in this life has a purpose, no mistakes, no regrets, no coincidences.

"Learn to get in touch with silence within yourself, and know that everything in this life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from" - Elizabeth Kubler-Ross.

Zodiac

It is the school holidays. I met up with an ex-colleague and we went to see the movie, Zodiac.

Zodiac is a long movie, I mean LONG, about 3 hours duration It can rival JFK, also another 3 hour movie. LOL.

Zodiac is based on the real-life killings committed by a serial killer in San Francisco in the 1960s. In real life, the serial killer was suspected but never caught. The movie went about in a documentary kind of way, with dates and places for each major scene or time line. Zodiac showed you the progress of the investigation into the serial killings and the attempts to find the serial killer. The various characters involved in the investigation, such as the reporters, the police officers, also unfolded as the movie proceeded.

I really enjoyed the movie even though it was inconclusive (in real life) as to who the real killer was/ is. I always like a good mystery and I just love getting to the bottom of a mystery. (Like recently, I just solved a personal mystery of mine. lol.) To me, Zodiac is also a good study of psychology as it reflected the various human natures such as evilness, obsession, frustration, faith, ... Ok, maybe I am analysing too much. Hahaha. Sorry, occupational hazard. LOL.

One regret: the paragraphs at the end of the movie on how the various characters were/ are now, I couldn't quite make out. Too wordy, I lost track. LOL.

Food and Shopping

We brought my mother to The Central for lunch. We tried this Japanese restaurant called Tom Ton, specialising in black pig (pork). Black Pig pork is supposed to be better quality than the normal pork, in terms of its chewiness, well at least that's what they say. We shall see. LOL. Mom ordered Korean style Black Pig and Kim Chi on Rice, which came with a salad and pork miso soup. Hubby had a Black Pig Charcoal Grill Miso Steak and Yaki Tofu, and pork miso soup. I ordered a Shio Katsu Don (Black Pig) which came with a pork miso soup too. For extras, we had a Charcoal Grilled Hokkaido Cuttlefish.

Black Pig and Kim Chi on Rice

Charcoal Grilled Black Pig Miso Steak and Yaki Tofu

Shio Katsu Don (Black Pig), favoured with Yuzu and Pink Salt

After lunch, we went to have our ice cream at Azabu Sabo Hokkaido Ice Cream. Delicious! LOL.

I bought my first item since the Great Singapore Sales started last week. It is a quaint pair of jade and garnet earrings. Happy. Hahaha.

***
Everyone was napping in the afternoon. Nothing to do. Bored. I decided to go shopping on my own at Isetan Scotts and Tangs. Couldn't find silver coloured Mary Jane pumps for my girl who needs it for her concert. Shall try other places another day. I bought a few more items at Tangs. Happy!! Hahaha.

PS. Met a good friend while shopping. I was laughed at because of my hair cut. Hmm... who needs enemies with friends like that?! Hahaha.

New Hair Style

My hair has been getting kind of unmanageable. Once it has reached a certain length, because I have got some natural curls, my hair starts to curl here and there. Plus, the weather has been getting warmer. It is time for a hair cut.

***
The new hair style is still of medium length but it is layered. What I didn't count on was that the curls are more prominent now. The others (my mother, my girls, and hubby) thought I look nice with this new hair style. I really hope so. Hahaha.
What do I feel about my new hair style? Hmm... I'm not quite sure, actually. Happy? Maybe. A little regret? Maybe. I guess it will take me a little while to get used to my new hair style. LOL.

So, Friends, when you next see me, be nice. Hahaha.

Massage NEEDED!

Haven't been doing much at home today: recuperating from the conference, napping, reading Hamilton, blogging, ... Just plain lazing around. Hahaha.

I need a massage most badly! Still aching away... I think I would do anything for a massage right now! Hahaha.

Never been to one of those spa/ massage treatment centres. I think I was "scared" off them by a friend's experience. Friend was soaking in the bathtub when the therapist told her to get ready for her massage. While exiting the tub, friend fell flat on her face, in the nude and in front of the therapist. Hahaha. It was certainly funny! But her experience has made me think twice about going to a spa centre. I think I would be as clumsy too. Hahaha.

But then, I have also heard from others about how positive their spa/ massage experiences have been. Hmm... maybe I should tag along someone first to one to see how it is like... Maybe then, I will have the courage to try it out for myself. LOL.

Recommendations, anyone?