Monday, June 29, 2009

Monk and the Culinary Weekend

Last week went by mighty fast as I ran the last lap of my report. It’s always the case that when the end is in sight and one sees the light at the end of the tunnel - it makes it easier to run. You do whatever it takes just to make the end come closer… you clench your fists, you grit your teeth, you run, you take quick short gasps of air, you leap. And when you reach the end, your lungs scream for air, you let out a triumphant scream and you imagine the dolby-surround applause.

Thank you, thank you.

And till the next report.

Spending time with Monk has been a pleasure, and it feels like Monk is finally taking a liking to me. He fits together better, rests better on my lap, fits better into my hands and reacts better to my touch. He is also beginning to sound better, I hope I’m beginning to do something right. The wonderful thing about my interactions with Monk, is that he has rejuvenated me and rediscovered my creativity. What’s not so wonderful is that being with Monk requires me to connect with my inner self, which makes me more emotive and reflective than usual. I find myself needing a short break after each session with Monk to “wake myself up” from being drunk with music + emotions. I remember when I used to write poetry, it were those sad and violent scenes that inspired me the most.

The highlight of the weekend was definitely the gastronomic delights. On Friday evening, I checked out Chalk at Old School (Mount Sophia) with Kathl and V1. It was a lovely meal of half a dozen of herb butter escargots, ravioli stuffed with truffled mushrooms and crème brulee for me. Escargots were juicy and fragrant, a tad bit salty but I nevertheless found myself soaking up the melted herb butter with the soulful warm bread. The ravioli was amazing, in a light cream sauce. It would have been perfect if not for the 40-50 minutes wait between my appetizer and my main course (Poor Kathl suffered the same predicament). Kathl and I suspected that it may have been something to do with our location in the corner of the restaurant, but I thought it was not quite justifiable considering we got 3 of the servers to check on our orders. The restaurant was packed to the brim, so maybe the kitchen was in chaos. I just don’t like it when servers say “I’ll go check on your order” but don’t return with an update. As a result, I keep asking, and I continue being frustrated. Will I return to Chalk, yeah probably… but maybe not on a Friday evening. Lovely ambience, I especially liked the seats by the wall (allowed me to discreetly sit with my legs crossed), and the iron cast framed glass windows. $$$$

Saturday evening saw a trip to Al Divo (8, Jalan Gelenggang, Sembawang Hills Estate, off Upper Thomson Road) with the girls for a special night. Run by two brothers – Fabrizio and Cesare, Al Divo serves honest, authentic Italian food from the Amalfi Coast. Fabrizio manages the restaurant and handles most of the guest interaction, making recommendations on the menu; while Cesare holds the fort in the kitchen. The two brothers are supported by Valentina, who hand makes the pasta and the dulci. The restaurant is very proud of their squid ink pasta, which is prepared with an oil base and not squid ink (so you don’t smile charmingly at your date only to realize, with horror, that you have black outlined teeth). Seafood is procured fresh from the market every day, and this transfers delightfully onto my palate. I am a fan of their Selection of Antipasto, which has a morsel of every antipasto they serve in the restaurant (parma ham, come to mama), and their little gambas prepared with olives, garlic and tomatoes. Homemade ravioli stuffed with salmon and zucchini in cream sauce absolutely melted in my mouth, and I cleaned up the plate before my friends, which was rather embarrassing I have to say. We shared a Humphrey Bogart pizza, which was thin crusted and holly molly, came with a full lobster on top of it!! What a sight!! To end the dinner, Fabrizio treated us to some chocolate salami in frothy anglaise sauce, and we ordered a few desserts to share. I tried and will try again the Cassata de Ricotta and Ciocolatta – I don’t care how much calories there might be in that short column of heaven, but if it tastes that good, it must be good for me. The girls were all praise and smiles by the end of the dinner, which we always hope for at the end of an evening. So big high five for Al Divo! $$$$

For Mei’s birthday on Sunday, la familia trooped to one of our favourite culinary haunts in the country. Dad has been visiting Thien Kee Hainanese Steamboat (Basement, Golden Mile Complex) since he was a kid, and you won’t believe this, but the same guys run the restaurant till today. Think: Hainanese Steamboat (with fresh beef and steamboat ingredients) with Hainanese Chicken Rice, and Hainanese hospitality. It’s a recipe for success!!! The chicken rice is soft and fragrant, and the steamed chicken tender and oh-so-perfect. This restaurant is always full, and the food is so good, I wish I could keep it a secret. Then again, I’m not sure how long these old folks can last and if they will be able to find another generation to continue the tradition. Yummilicious!!! $$

With that, I shall now end my blog and proceed to dinner at my next great find – Oriole at Pan Pacific Serviced Apts. I find it good value for money, with delicious café food and a very warm and cosy atmosphere. Did I say I’m in time for happy hour??

Gotta go!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

45 Life Lessons, by Regina Brett

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio :

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:"

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?".
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Goldfish and their Dilemma in Life

Today, I found out a very disturbing fact, that it is indeed true that fish have very short term memory. Kokopops and I went to buy new fish for our tank today, and wanted to find out if the new fish will get along with the old fish.

The fish guy told us this, "you have to ease the fish into the tank, make sure there are places in the tank where the new fish can hide for a little while. Then, after a few hours, the fish forgets, and they won't know that the new fish are new. That's also why you can't keep feeding fish, because they forget they've eaten. So everytime you feed them, they eat and they just keep eating till they explode and die."

Imagine the look on my face.

I can't decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing, particularly since I just started reading "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" in which the concept of no eternal return is discussed. One of the wonders of life is that there is no eternal return. To me, that makes every moment and every day something to live up for, and one can never know if one makes a right decision, because the same moment and circumstance never comes by again for you try out the other alternative.

It is, however, different for a fish. They have a constant reset button, which forceably allows them to try again and again and again. At the same time, they bear no grudges, they remember no errors, they recognize no love, they make no friends. However, each moment is equally valuable as that of ours.

We, human and fish, live for each moment.
The former for no eternal return but memory, the latter for eternal return but no memory.


Sunday, June 21, 2009

The Whaleshark and Other Reminders


Today, I finally met the Whaleshark.... after 3 weeks of suspense, anticipation, being pulled apart and repainted, the fam brought the Whaleshark to me, and we met each other for the first time. I sized him up, and so he to me. We're both a little intimidated by each other, me of his size, and him of my lack of relevant experience. Nevertheless, I thought it apt to mark the moment with a Veuve. Me, the fam and the Whaleshark. Here's to many great moments ahead.


A series of events in the last few days have reminded me of a few things... that i have an extraordinary life, i'm surrounded by wonderful loving people, and i have a very different approach to life and rather different corresponding perspectives. As a result, it's easy to be misunderstood. Sometimes, it hurts a little, but thank goodness for family and good friends, who understand. But it's a reminder for me that sometimes, i should probably keep my mouth shut, so there is little chance for good intentions to be misunderstood. Maybe it's time to lay low for a while, and retreat a little. I think kokopops and the Whaleshark will approve.


Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Lunchbox Happiness

I remember as a kid when I was living with an aunt, she prepared a lunchbox for me everyday so that I wouldn’t have to spend money on unhealthy canteen food. When I was around 9, I thought it was most uncool to bring a lunchbox because that meant you were “poor” and couldn’t “afford” the canteen food. I still let my Aunt prepare sandwiches for me, but I’d sell it to my classmate who thought I had really good sandwiches. I sold it to her for 50 cents apiece. Then, demand for my sandwiches grew, so I had to ask my Aunt to prepare more.

Why, she’d ask.

Because I get really hungry nowadays, I must be growing, I’d reply.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t increase supply without raising suspicion (there is only so much a 9- year-old girl could eat), and soon, I felt bad about taking advantage of my aunt’s kindness and stopped. The lunchbox habit also stopped, and I was very happy about that as that meant I could buy food from the Malay lady e.g. Nasi Lemak, Mee Rebus, Mee Siam; and buy Kickapoo or 100plus for $1.10 each, shake it till it’s all gas, open it in the garden and spray it on my friends.

I haven’t had a lunchbox ever since.

Today, I made a lunchbox for Kokopops, and I was really excited about it. I was excited at the thought of deciding what to include, individually wrapping the items, packing them into the box so that the layout would make sense, the food would stay fresh for as long as possible and the space be best utilized. As I watched Kokopops place the lunchbox into his bag like a school kid, it secretly made me happy and I imagined how it’d be like for him to open the box at lunch and hopefully enjoy every item that I had prepared. He told me a little while ago that he thoroughly enjoyed it, and successfully made his colleagues envious (so much so that one of his colleagues took a picture of it and sent it to his wife). I find that quite funny.

The items in the lunchbox for Kokopops  included:

- Cucumber sticks

- Carrot sticks

- Shaved ham

- Cheese

- Wholemeal Bread

- Yakult

- Cookies

- Kinder Bueno

- Green Apple

I can’t help think back to my childhood, when moms and my Aunt did so many things for me, with so much love in their hearts; which I had, no doubt, taken for granted as a child. Unfortunately, one of the contradictions in life, is hindsight. Fortunately, it’s not too late for me to reciprocate today for their generosity and kindness.

Lunchbox happiness. A box full of nutrition, love, good thoughts and positive energy (and a little secret message!).

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Melancholy and A lot of Fruits

It was a somewhat melancholic day. The day didn't particularly start on a good note, and the rest of the day just crawled by. The highlight of today, however, was the sheer amount of fruits I have fed myself.

The morning started with a hearty bowl of Banana Nut Crunch, with Hi-Calcium Low-Sugar Soy Milk; and lunch opened with a carrot and a big brown pear, before Ol' Chang enticed me with a curry puff and a spring roll doused with sambal (there goes my eat healthy day). Before yoga class, I munched happily (much to the chagrin of my colleagues however) on a very crunchy and excessively red apple. Some of the apples in my fridge are weeks old, but they still stay super red and super crunchy. It can't be natural, can it?

Yoga class was good today. Alot of stretching, alot of breathing, alot of perspiring. Dinner was then a treat - toasted sliced wholemeal bread, a slice of apple baked ham, some shaved honey baked ham, half a cucumber, a handful of cherry tomatoes, 25% of a rockmelon and half a glass of cloudy apple juice.

Aside from the curry puff and the spring roll (dammit), i'm pretty proud of myself.

Ef-Aech sent me a message today, to tell me how much he enjoys reading my blog. I am very touched, that someone will find my random mutterings an enjoyable read. He said that it reminds him of the little things in life, that we all seem to overlook. Ef-Aech, I hope you continue to get entertained, particularly on the bad weather days or when the bridge falls down!

I have been inspired lately to get creative again. Monk has been a huge inspiration, and writing has been liberating. Nawoo gave a great suggestion, of me picking up my children's stories idea again. Will ask Niks Biks if she'd be interested in doing this.

Daiweina is injured. I hope she feels better soon. Our bodies are so vulnerable, we have to treat it with much tender loving care.

As always, a great song to share. Kraak en Smaak are groovy, and this is such a creative video.


Chivalry and Dogs

This morning, a young and good looking gentleman gave me a seat on the bus, even though I'm not (1) old, (2) disabled and/or (3) pregnant. Chivalry is not dead!!!

It's a new week, it really started yesterday. This week feels less laborious than the last, probably due to the restful weekend of playing with the dogs, seeing the family, getting some really really good home-cooked food, some DVDs and escaping from new plus slope for just 2 days. Monday is so much more tolerable if one had had a good weekend, and something fun to look forward to on a Monday evening.

The dogs are fine. Tara and Cookie got their vaccination - Tara tried to bite the vet , Cookie kept jumping on him (he must have smelt very interesting). 

Tara is a cross between a Belgian Shepherd and a Rottweiler, and she's an absolute beauty. She's not a year old yet, but probably about 25 kg and a big bundle of energy. Playing fetch with her is such fun because she goes off like a bullet and then keeps coming back. She's been enjoying eating Tyro's poop, probably coz Tyro hasn't been digesting his food well; but then again, Tara is perpetually hungry. She's super playful, i wish there were a big field somewhere i can let her go so she can run to her heart's desire.

Bonjour Tara.


Cookie is a cockroach-killing, housefly-snapping Jack Russell, who thinks he's actually bigger than Tara but uses his petite size to hide behind the bushes or leap onto the garden table once Tara goes after him. Cookie never understood how Tara grew from being the same size as him, to the alpha female she's become. It baffles him, one can see it in his eyes.

Hello Cookie.


Tyro also got his check up. Vet was baffled why we didn't continue on his medication, but poor mom didn't know she had to continue with the dosage (mis-communication there). Tyro is a cross Japanese Spitz and is about 17 years old this year. He is our first family dog, and the first love of my life. Throughout his 17 years, he never got sick, was always happy and laughing, and had such a thick coat of fluffy white fur. Kids loved him. Gay dogs too. Sadly, Tyro is getting on years, and since he contracted hypothyroidism, he has been consumed by his hormones, lost alot of his fur and spunk. He doesn't move around very much anymore, and doesn't laugh anymore, but he hasn't lost his fighting spirit and his desire to live. He manages to walk at least an hour a day, and knows how to seek help if he needs to pee or empty his bowels. He's lived so long, and deserves to live the rest of his life peacefully and being taken good care of (thanks to moms!). He's back on medication, and we all hope he feels better soon. I'll try to scan a picture of him when he was healthy and share here.

Last night's session with Monk was great. Niks Biks brought her guitar, and we practised and jammed for a while. Apart from some new scales and arpeggios, we also tried:

- Besame Mucho
- Fly Me To The Moon
- I Wish You Love
- Can't Take That Away from Me
- Beyond the Sea

Can't wait to get some time to practise some more!

Today, I'd like to share the "Trois Gymnopedies", composed by French composer and Pianist Erik Satie in 1888. I find it very emotional and very pensive.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Daily Life and Shark Finning

Good Morning.

This morning has started on a relatively romantic note. Ella has been crooning in my ears all morning, as I work on my desk and look out of my desk-to-ceiling window. Oh, I think I’m getting goosebumps.

This week, I’ve seen the Bus Man 3 times, which is a super bonus. I have been leaving the house later than usual, thus the increase in probability of getting onto his bus. It feels nice to smile.. to the Bus Man, to the security guy on the ground floor at the office building, to the girl behind the counter at Starbucks, to the girl who hands me my non-fat latte. It also feels nice to wear comfortable flat shoes.. makes me feel like I’m closer to the ground (and less likely to trip over myself and fall on my knees/ flat on my face).

Report is coming along slowly as I trudge forward. Not too bad. Some other stuff has also come up, which are interesting and makes the report less painful. I’m excited at the prospect of doing some new things, and being able to change certain stigmas and contribute to a greater good. I am, but a drop in the wide ocean, but I truly believe in the power of every drop.

Talking about the ocean, I read a very disturbing article in the Asian Geographic this morning about illegal shark finning. It’s nothing new, I worked on a protect-the-sharks project a few years ago and helped in public education, but this article described the writer’s experiences very vividly, including seeing a sea of hundreds of thousands of fins drying under the sun on building rooftops in Costa Rica. Disgusting, people! Disgusting! As the weakest specie on earth, we are wiping out this earth! About 90 percent of the total shark population in the world has been depleted in the last 30 years due to our insatiable desire for sharks’ fins, which is in essence just tasteless cartilage with no nutritional value! The taste in shark’s fin soup comes from the flavourful soup base, and not the fins.

With that, I’d like to leave a short clip of an interview with Rod Stewart, who created the film “Sharkwater” and the article in the current issue of Asian Geographic.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

La Revancha Del Tango

A mi sueño, todos son possible.

Story of the Day

Nawoo, i write story for you.

We go Chomp Chomp
with Bhu Bhu
to Mum Mum
very Bao Bao
go home She She
and Poot Poot
then Pom Pom
after that Orh Orh

Very nice day. =)

Hope you like.

Gotan Project's Santa Maria

"Please send me your last pair of shoes, worn out with dancing as you mentioned in your letter, so that I might have something to press against my heart."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Thelonious Monk's Round About Midnight

I first heard of this song on Gotan Project's Inspiracion Espiracion album years ago, and since then, it's been a favourite. Why isn't such music created anymore?

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

paso a paso, poco a poco

Yay!! Today I managed 4 songs on Monk - When the Saints go Marching In, Happy Birthday, Frere Jacques and Can't Take That Away from Me. It felt really good to not just play notes and scales but actual real songs!! Monk is doing so well!!!

Was a relatively slow day at work today, but thankfully there was sax class to look forward to and the oh-so-good half pint of stella with Niks Biks and Tay Mui Mui to help us ease into the week ahead. Niks Biks @ Ni Qi has a busy week at work coming up, while Tay Mui Mui has to help someone with enlarging their boobs tomorrow... all this while i continue typing incessantly into my never ending report. Deadline for this one will be end June, i'm somewhat looking forward to it, just so that i can move on and get onto the next thing...

Weekend in desaru doesn't seem like it'll happen as planned coz the hotels are all full! Darn it!! But will still be seeing Whale and Tyro this weekend, which is great. Tyro has stopped eating, which worries me. His skin has been splitting the last two weeks, and he's lost alot of his energy apparently. I'm afraid that once he stops eating, it's a sign of things to come. I don't know how we will react to it. I wonder if he knows how he feels now. Haven't seen Tara and Cookie in a while too...

Will try to yoga my body into shape tomorrow!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

I can't give you anything (but my love)

WHAT A WEEKEND!!!

The teacher's wedding was yesterday, the girls and I played for her at the church in the morning and the resort in the evening. What REALLY happened, was a day of making music, chilling out while having a big and slow lunch complete with beer, and then relaxing a little by the pool, followed by our super fun performance, and then a slumber party!!!! Just spending the night away helped me to switch my mind off a little, break the routine a little, and i left the resort today feeling as if i just had a short holiday. LOVELY. I forgot that it could be this refreshing - definitely to do again!

We were completely thrashed by the end of the night. My back is still hurting me, and i think it's got to do with racing in the pool and trying to jive with the music with 3 inch heels. =) We got up this morning, and had a leisurely brunch at the cafe of pancakes with banana, french toast with peach compote, eggs benedict and freshly brewed coffee before embracing the rest of Sunday... which to me, wasn't made up of very much but 2 movies, a 2 hour nap, and eating in.

It is, unfortunately, Monday tomorrow and the weekend has, painfully, ended... but it's a weekend that will keep the girls talking and buzzing for a while to go! Rock on!!!

So happy... still riding on a high. YAAAYYYY!!!

Friday, June 5, 2009

I love my girls.

Just finished an intensive almost 4 hours of practise with the girls. I think they are insanely talented and fantastically amazing. As i watched them with their respective instruments, giving their all, I am reminded again how wonderful it is to be with people with passion. It's a very infectious environment, and motivates one to do more and be bigger and better. Plus, all the girls have day jobs... bankers, marketeers, designers, architects... it's almost like we have a secret life which reveals only after working hours.

It's great, to make use of all the time we have and do as much as we can, and thoroughly enjoy our every day. It's liberating to remember that life is worth so much more than the 9 to 5 (nowadays, it's more 8 to 8).

It's Friday tomorrow!!! Gotta go costume shopping with Tay Mui Mui at lunch and figure out what edgy/funky is. I don't have clothes that are edgy/funky!

Been such an intense week, but so much fun!! Next week is going to pale in comparison!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Let's Get High

So the teacher's wedding is coming up in a few days. The girls have been working hard at practising our songs. This time around, it feels abit different. The more we practise, the better we sound. And this time around, we also sound different. Has to be due to Kate, Monk and the bongos!!!

In the last 30 minutes, we just had another brilliant idea to add another song to our repertoire for Saturday. We're going to give it a shot tomorrow, and see if it works. If it does, it could be completely wicked... and we'd be on a high.

FUN!!!

Looking forward to seeing the Whale next week or next weekend. That would be pretty insane too.

Past bedtime!!! Wanna cram as much as possible into the work day, before more practise tomorrow night with the girls. Hope the weather gets better, it's been many a humid and warm night *gasp*.

I wanted to share a youtube video, but have no idea how to do it without just pasting a link! Anyone has an idea?