Help's on Vacation

Our domestic help has just started her 2 weeks' vacation, back home in Philippines with her family. Everyone in the family will now have to do their share of housework. It is going to be interesting to see how the girls feel at the end of 2 weeks.

Glee 3: Prom-asaurus

A nice selection of songs for this episode. 

Big Girls Don't Cry (uploaded by GleeFullPerformances)

Dinosaur (uploaded by GleeOnFox)


 Love You Like A Love Song (uploaded by ChristianVonRappard)

What Makes You Beautiful (uploaded by GleeOnFox)

 Take My Breath Away (uploaded by ChristianVonRappard)
 

Home Again

My parents are back home again after two months away in Taiwan and Xiamen. The girls were both excited and disappointed about their maternal grandparents being home again. 

Excited because their grandparents will be cooking their favourite food again. 

Disappointed because their grandparents will not stand for their misbehaviours.

But I believe their excitement is far greater than their disappointment. Lol.

All Set for Bali

We are all set for Bali. :) :)

Our flight to Bali have been booked and paid. 

Our villa accommodation in Seminyak has been booked. Although not my first choice, it is very close to restaurants and shopping. The reviews on Tripadvisor have mostly been positive and favourable. It also has a restaurant and a spa on site so that would be very convenient.

Our guide/ driver has also been booked to bring us around Bali for two days of sight-seeing and shopping. He was the same guide/ driver from my last Bali trip with my SCGS classmates.

Now I just need to decide how much cash to bring to Bali! Lol. :)

Tung Lok Seafood Buffet

We have had International, Western, Japanese buffets plenty of times. However, this is the first time we tried Chinese buffet. We ventured into Tung Lok Seafood Restaurant at Orchard Central because Marieann fancied having seafood. There are 40 dishes which we could choose from and we were allowed to order as many times as we want for 37 of those dishes. We had 10 different dishes such as crispy prawns with butter and cereal, crispy soft shell crab, steamed red tilapia with minced ginger sauce, sauteed sliced venison with black pepper sauce, crisp-fried seafood beancurd, sauteed chinese spinach with three kinds of eggs, and seafood salad with fresh fruits. There are 5 different desserts and we tried 4 of them - ice cream puff almond beancurd with longan, herbal jelly with honey, and sesame pancake with lotus seeds filling. Lol. 

Some of the dishes we ordered

We were really stuffed by the end of our dinner. We told the waitress that the serving for each dish was huge even though it is buffet. She laughed and told us that we actually ordered very little as compared to others! :P I wouldn't mind coming back here again because the food was really fresh and the price is pretty reasonable (adult: $38.80++; child: $28.80). :)

Holiday's In

Today is the last day of school and also the start of the holidays. The girls are already planning to sleep late at nights as well as go to work with me! It is definitely no go for sleeping late but can do for going to work with me. :)

I Will Be by Avril Lavigne

Been watching the trailer for Bones 7 and this song is just so perfect and fitting for the new season. :)

  I Will Be (uploaded by labdbio)

School's Out, Almost

Today is the last day of counselling for this term. The counsellees are all looking forward to the June holidays, glad to be away from school lol. Well, school's almost out. Just hang in there for two more days, Kids. Have a good rest but don't forget to revise your work, especially the P6 students. :P

Glee 3: Choke

I only liked two songs from this episode. :(

Shake It Out (uploaded by GleeOnFox)


Cry (uploaded GleeOnFox)
 

Bones 7

I am really excited that Bones Season 7 is coming back on television soon. However, I was too excited that I remembered the time of Bones 7 premiere wrongly. I thought it was tonight and was waiting since 9.30pm but nothing! It was only when I saw the trailer for Bones 7 premiere that I realised I was 1 week too early. Lol. :P I can't wait for next Monday! :)

Rainbow

Before the exams, I promised Marieann that I would let her build a bear if she passed all her papers. She did. So, as promised, I brought her to Build-A-Bear, Vivocity. She chose a teddy bear with rainbow stripes. It was a pretty interesting process - stuffing the bear with cotton, giving it a heart, brushing the bear to make it fluffy, and choosing a dress for it. Marieann named her bear, Rainbow. She is very happy to have Rainbow. :)

June Break

I have lost count of how many times we have changed the destination for our June break. It was first Canada, then Korea, then Bali, then Melbourne and now, it is back to Bali again lol. I decided I will take Marieann, Juliane and my mother to Bali since they haven't been to Bali. I enjoyed my Bali trip last year and I didn't mind going back again. It will be a treat for myself too. :) I managed to book the flights. Now I am left with the booking of the accommodation and the guide in Bali. Hope I can still get good deals at such a late stage.

E-learning Day

The girls' school designated 18 May as their e-learning day so both girls didn't need to attend school. Last night, I helped the girls to print out their instructions for the different subjects. In the morning, I was busy helping them to print out the resources needed to do their online tasks as the school only uploaded those on 18 May itself. I guess it is to prevent girls from "cheating" -- doing their work earlier than 18 May lol. 

The girls enjoyed working on their online tasks because they could get immediate feedback about their work and more importantly, they are not confined within the classroom! :)

Celebration

My RAs took me out to lunch to celebrate me getting my PhD. :) They have always been very supportive and encouraging when I was working on my PhD. We went to our all-time favourite haunt, Swensen's! Haha. We tried to control ourselves this time by NOT ordering sides which came free with our mains. However, we couldn't resist ordering the free drinks and of all things, we ordered malted milk shake!! We were so full by the time we were done with our mains. During lunch, we caught up with what's happening with each other and there were lots of laughter. The highlight of lunch was the Earthquake ice cream (8 scoops of ice cream). :P No matter how full we were, we had to have the Earthquake lol. :P After lunch, I was presented with a certificate. It is really funny. See the photo. :) 

One Thing by One Direction

My girls are currently crazy over this song, One Thing by One Direction. 

One Thing (uploaded by OneDirectionVEVO)

They have listened to it so often that its chorus "So get out, get out, get out of my head" is stuck in my head. Now I need the song to get out of my head! :P

Glee 3: Dance with Somebody

I grew up listening to Whitney Houston's songs. :) Rest in Peace, Whitney.

How Will I Know (uploaded by GleeOnFox)

Dance with Somebody (uploaded by GleeOnFox)

Saving All My Love for You (uploaded by GleeFullPerformances)

 So Emotional (uploaded by GleeOnFox)
 

It's Not Right But It's OK (uploaded by GleeOn Fox)

 I Have Nothing (uploaded by GleeOnFox)


My Love is Your Love (uploaded by GleeFullPerformances)

Buffy and Angel

We were at 313 Somerset for some dessert after our movie on Saturday. We happened to see Harris Planerds having a sale - 2 items get 20% off, 3 items get 30% off, ..., 6 items and more 60% off. That can be quite a substantial saving, especially when graphic novels and comics are not cheap. The girls and I went into the store to have a browse. I happened to see Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 and Angel Season 6 comics. Pretty thrilled to see the continuation of both series in comics after the end of their tv run. :) Oh, Jess Whedon was involved in the writing of both Buffy and Angel comics too. :) I bought the collected editions volumes 1-3, 5-7 of Buffy Season 8 and collected editions volumes 1-4 of Angel Season 6. It was a huge saving! Lol. However, I am still missing Buffy Season 8 volume 4 and 8 as well as Angel Season 6 volume 5. Hopefully Planerds will restock the missing volumes. :)

Happy Mother's Day 2012

Here is Happy Mother's Day 2012 to all mothers! :)

I called my mother in Xiamen. The girls and I wished her Happy Mother's Day. The girls got their grandmother a present which they will give to her when she returns to Singapore at the end of May.
I received a hand-made card from Marieann and a drawing from Juliane. Thank you, Girls. :) What made my day too was when I overheard them telling each other, "It is Mother's Day, cannot make Mama angry today". :) But it would be even better if they can think that way every day! Lol.

The Avengers 2012

WARNING: Contains spoilers for The Avengers. DO NOT READ if you haven't watched The Avengers and intend to do so. 

As promised, I brought my girls to watch The Avengers after Marieann's exams. It was a reward for the hard work put in by Marieann for her exams. We had an early lunch at 11am before watching the 11:50am show at Lido. We decided to just go for the digital version rather than the 3D version. Armed with sweet popcorn and a drink, we watched a wonderfully exciting 143 minutes of The Avengers! Jess Whedon is a genius! I have always loved the shows that he directed such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), Angel (1999-2004), and Serenity (2005). Jess Whedon's brand of humour is definitely evident throughout the movie! :) 

We absolutely loved The Avengers! After the movie, the girls and I talked about the various scenes that we loved or found funny. There were plenty! The scene where Black Widow had a phone call while being "interrogated" by Russian general, the scene where Thor unwittingly gave Ironman 400% of energy, the scene where Thor defended his brother, Loki and then changed his mind to say Loki was adopted, the scene where the Black Widow got information out of Loki without him realising, the scene where Loki pointed his spear(?) against Tony Stark's chest and nothing happened, the scene where the police questioned Capt America's authority to give orders, the scene where the Hulk threw Loki around like a ragdoll, the scene where Capt America told the Hulk to smash, the scene where the Hulk roared and woke Ironman up, just to name a few lol. :P 

We managed to see the first post credit scene where the villain, Thanos for The Avengers 2 was revealed. Unfortunately I did not see the 2nd post credit scene even though I stayed till the end of the movie. Apparently, that scene is hilarious. The digital version doesn't have the 2nd post credit scene. Wonder if the 2D and the 3D versions have it. Maybe I should watch The Avengers again in 2D and 3D! I really don't mind haha. :P 

The Avengers is a great movie, full of action and adventure as well as humour. It doesn't matter if you are not a Marvel comic fan. The Avengers is entertainment for everyone.

Marvel's The Avengers Trailer (uploaded by MARVEL)

Marvel's The Avengers Trailer 2 (uploaded by MARVEL)

First Presentation

I had my first presentation today as a PhD holder. It does feel different presenting as Dr Wong instead of Ms Wong hahaha. :P

Message

I saw this message when I checked my Facebook. :P 

"Hi mama WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO REPLY YOU SAID THAT YOU ARE GOING TO REPLY IN APRIL !!!!!!!!!OMG"

Oops! It was from Juliane lol. And it was her second message to me. I have yet to add her and Marieann to my list of friends in Facebook because I have yet to sort out my friends into appropriate groups, e.g. students, schoolmates, colleagues, etc. Soon, soon, Girls, I promise. :)

Chinese, Chinese, and more Chinese

I saw this clip on Youtube and couldn't stop laughing. The clip is made by Mike Sui, an American who is currently in China. He tried to emulate 12 different nationalities/ characters speaking Mandarin - China Chinese, White American, African American, New Yorker, African, Russian, French, Japanese, Hong Kong Chinese, Taiwanese, a gay, and a 12th person who is from National Security. 

OMG. Mike Sui is really GOOD! The accents of the different nationalities/ characters were spot-on!! If you could understand Mandarin/ Chinese, it would be even funnier. :D 

 (uploaded by statquo 112)
 

Glee 3: Saturday Night Glee-ver

Discotheques, nightclubs, "The Hustle", Studio 54, ... what an era lol.

 Disco Inferno (uploaded by GleeOnFox)
  

You Should be Dancing (uploaded by GleeOnFox)

If I Can't Have You (uploaded by GleeFullPerformances)

How Deep is Your Love (uploaded by GleeFullPerformances)

Boogie Shoes (uploaded by GleeFullPerformances)

Alex is really good! He can sing like a girl and can pass as a girl too. I thought he was Mercedes at first until I saw Mercedes standing by the side of the stage!

Twins

This evening, Juliane wanted to have fried egg with her rice. This is what she said when she cracked open the egg, "I have twins!". Huh?! When I took a look, it was an egg with double yolks! Lol.

Juliane has a Chihuahua!

Nay, it is only a soft toy, not a real dog lol. Juliane attended her friend's birthday party at Build-A-Bear. She chose to build a chihuahua instead of a teddy bear. She named it Snowy and even got it a leash so that she could "walk" it. Well, Juliane, I hope Snowy can substitute as a real pet. :P

Happy Vesak Day 2012

Happy Vesak Day. 

As this year's Vesak Day (a public holiday) falls on a Saturday, the following Monday will be an off in-lieu holiday for most people. The girls will have no school on Monday too. Extra day for Marieann to do her revision! :P

Glee 3: Big Brother

An episode featuring Blaine and his big brother, Cooper. :) Love the song "Somebody that I Used to Know" sang by the brothers. My girls' favourite too lol. 

Hungry Like a Wolf/ Rio (uploaded by GleeOnFox)

Fighter (uploaded by GleeFullPerformances)

Up Up Up (uploaded by GleeFullPerformances)

I'm Still Standing (uploaded by GleeFullPerformances)

Somebody that I Used to Know (uploaded by GleeOnFox)

Hardbound Thesis

I handed in 3 copies of my hardbound thesis to the Graduate Studies office today, one day ahead of the deadline. I feel so relieved that it is finally done lol. :) 
Now I only have to wait for information of my graduation ceremony in late July/ early August 2012. :)
PS. I am tickled to see my thesis in hardcover. :) My girls commented that I wrote a book lol. I guess it is essentially that. :P

Meeting Up

A Finnish professor, whom I first met in 2009 at the conference our research centre organised, is back in Singapore for 2 days for a symposium. We had met up once more in 2010. I am really happy that Prof Niemi contacted me and asked to meet up. Being a full professor and an expert in her field, I am really honoured that she wants to meet up with me, a junior academic. I must have made a good impression on her lol. :P

I brought her to Food For Thought, Botanic Gardens for afternoon tea and chit-chat. She is really happy for me that I passed my Phd defense and even got me a congratulatory gift, an adorable Moomin cup! We had a lovely time chatting about my Phd, my work, my future plans and her work in Finland. An hour past really quickly. I sent her back to her accommodation at 5pm as she has to attend a dinner at 6pm organised by the director of NIE. We will definitely be keeping in touch! :)

Labour Day

It is 1 May, Labour Day. A day of rest for everyone, except for students preparing for their exams. 
Both Marieann and I were glad for the extra day to prepare for her exams. She has Math exam on Thursday 3 May and Science exam on Friday 4 May.