Hungry Rambler

New Year

2012-01-01T05:32:00.000-08:00

Everyone celebrates the coming of a new year. I guess it represents a fresh start, renewed hope, anticipation of a brighter tomorrow.

Last night, new year's eve, I went to sleep before midnight. I was just too tired - nothing to do with work. Just tired from an evening run. And I realised this morning, Dan and I haven't gone out carousing on NY eve for sometime now. I think the last time was in 2008 when we went for drinks with The Qoo familiy! We're such old people! And I have to admit that I like huddling at home at night.

So anyway, partying the night away on NY eve seems a little over rated. I think I would rather eat well, sleep well and wake up refreshed to face the new year.

i would like to retire by 45

2011-12-07T09:48:00.001-08:00

Earlier if possible :)

The challenge is making sure Dan & I have enough for a comfortable retirement.
That brings me to the next challenge - how to achieve that!

Working the way I do is certainly not an option. I've determined ( to be more accurate, my friend's have determined for me) that it doesn't matter what job I take, I will pour a lot of effort into it. Sometimes I think I just take too long to finish something because I think too much about getting it the way I want... which means I fiddle a lot with something even after it's done and give myself more work ( dumb right?). Or maybe I just don't realise how many things I've taken on and take more... ( even dumber right?) . So it doesn't matter if it's a part-time or freelance. Work will always be the same - painful.

So, the best option is not working. I either do and give it everything I've got or I don't and make sure I have enough to do everything I want. I like the sound of the second option better. Doesn't everyone?

So back to the problem - what do I need to do to be able to retire at 45? Assuming I live till 65, that's another 20yrs to provide for!! There's also the cats to feed!

Damp Depressing December

2011-12-01T08:17:00.001-08:00

It's December. I am sorely missing my boots, coats and hats...

December in Singapore is somewhat dismal because it rains everyday. All our stuff gets moldy because it's so damp ( there goes Dan's fancy leather shoes and jackets). Clothes never dry (thank goodness for our washer + dryer) and my shoes are like water receptacles each time I'm caught in the rain.

Dining boredom

2011-10-11T08:22:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would say this of Singapore...dining here is boring.

It's gotten so expensive that a "nice" meal at a restaurant would set you back at least $80 per person with a glass of wine. I wouldn't mind it so much if it was $80 well spent. But more often then not, it's NOT! Even a dinner out at a mid range restaurant sets you back $20 per person.

What annoys me most is if the meal doesn't have any character or hint of authenticity. I am not a fan of the funky Japanese meals that have popped up all over Singapore. It's good value but not my cup of tea. Give me a good ole bowl of ramen, sushi made with fresh ingredients or chicken skin yakitori. No weird stuff with cheese and mayo all over please.

It pains me to admit that eating here is boring especially when I have these really high expectations of eating in Singapore. These expectations are the result of having had to eat oily, msg-laden Northern Chinese food for lunch, for 5 years in Beijing. I guess the deprivation of a lot of familiar foods made me think very nostalgically of eating in Singapore, when I wasn't in Singapore.

I have to admit now that there was a lot more international variety in Beijing. Whether the food's good is debateable. At the initial opening, a lot of these restaurants put in effort to create an authentic meal - whether from Morocco, India, Japan or Korea - after a while, they either train local chefs to recreate the dishes perfectly or it starts going downhill. There was always a new affordable restaurant to try out each month, so when the "flavour of the month" starts serving crappy food, there's always a new place to replace the old.

Sadly, that's not the case in Singapore. Well, at least, "affordable" is not necessarily the case. Or should I say value for money? I guess the best value and best food are the local favourites - the Ba-chor Mee ( Minced meat noodles), Roti Pratas, Nasi Padang etc... I love eating these. Afterall, I grew up on them.

But once in a while, I like to have something NOT local. If it comes at a high price, so be it. But it darn well better be a good meal. Not one that leaves me 1. annoyed 2. still hungry 3. sick!!!

Hello Hanoi.. super delayed post

2011-10-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

In fact, late by almost 2 months...This is about our first trip to Vietnam. And i actually wrote this while in Hanoi! I'm too lazy to edit it as a post-travel entry.

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Funny how most Singaporeans would have travelled to places like Hanoi, Bali and Phuket but we 2 mountain tortoises haven't. Well, these past few days, Dan & I spent enough time wandering the streets of Hanoi to say that we've actually been here.

I can't say Hanoi is particularly enticing with its historical sights nor it's shopping. I think it's a lot less exotic for Asians to see one temple and pagoda after another. Particularly given that we've been seeing the massive ones in China for a good 5 years... It takes out the excitement a little. But some of Hanoi's religious sights are still worth a look for its history and it's quite interesting to see how everything in the temples are written in traditional Chinese but enunciated differently in Vietnamese. If you're one for war history or mausoleums, then there might be more for you to see. Unfortunately, I like neither.

For me, the best sights are the old houses lining the streets. Many look like they've been transported straight from Paris or Eastern Europe. The European architecture is evident in many of the buildings in the Old Quarter. Some have fallen into disrepair but with a little imagination, you can almost imagine how beautiful they once might have been - an elegant oasis offering their occupants relief from the oppressive heat and constant cacophony of city life.

Hanoi is supposedly home to good french food. I think it's still best to stick with the local food. The Bun cha ( rice noodles with grilled pork) is my dish of the moment. I love the simplicity of rice noodles dipped in a sweet and sour broth, and flavoured with pork, chilli and garlic. I especially love how all Vietnamese dishes seem to be served with fresh basil, shiso leaves ( or something that tastes like it) and lemon mint. Bun Cha is found on almost every corner. Our hotel reception pointed us to a stall located at No 1 Hang Mahn Street. For SG$7, we had a standard set of noodles, herbs and fried spring rolls that we had difficulty finishing even as delicious as it was.

Another quaint side to Hanoi I enjoyed were the cafes serving cha phe (coffee). I love the intensity of Vietnamese coffee! Can't seem to get enough of it. I wonder how I'm going to revert back to regular coffee off the vending machine at the office...

Bia Hoi ( freshly brewed beer) served along the roadside was a great experience too. The beer was light and cheap (no more than 7000 Dong/ SG$0.40 at the more "premium" corners); and it offered a great way to watch Hanoians rush about their daily business. Bia Hoi was harder to find than we expected. And when we did find it, the tiny roadside stall would be packed with foreigners enjoyed a pre-dinner drink. It was rather funny watching many largely built caucasians perched on the tiny plastic stools that the Vietnamese seem to favour. I'm short and it's already slightly uncomfortable for me. I wonder how those big guys felt balancing their weight on those flimsy stools!

I have another 3 days to go on this trip. Hopefully there's more interesting sights to see, interesting foods to eat!

---------------

Eventually, I did have modern french food at a place called La Badiane. The food and service were both excellent. We had a 3 course set dinner which was under SG$50 and had a nice variety of dishes to choose from for each course. Daniel had a slightly strange sounding dessert that had coconut, mangoes and berries in it. It was AWESOME. I could have licked the plate clean. So, if you're going to Hanoi, you have to make a trip to La Badiane at 10 Nam Ngu street, Hoan Kiem. Tel: +84 (4) 39 42 45 09

6 years ago

2011-08-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

6 years ago, in September, I felt my heart crack into little pieces. It was the first time I had to experience the death of a pet.

It was the day I woke up to find the cold body of my cat Paws in the bathroom. Paws was the second cat I adopted, after Pisase. Paws lived for almost 2 years with us after we brought her home as a kitten from a catwelfare society adoption drive. She wasn't a very strong kitty, falling sick every month at the beginning and being subject to all sorts of medication. She got better and with better food, a loving home, she got healthier. But she never grew to her full adult size, remaining the size of a kitten all through her short life. That made her look adorable.

But what really made her a favourite around the house was how loving she was. Paws was a lap cat who enjoyed curling up with us as we watched TV, worked , ate dinner or went to bed. Paws was the best alarm clock I could have. She woke me up at the same time each morning by standing on me and meowing - telling me that it was time to wake up and feed her.

ays leading up to her death, growing skinnier each day. I was planning to take her to the vet the next day after she seemed disoriented and refused to eat that night. She howled in the middle of the night and I woke up to see what was wrong. She wanted water and wanted to huddle in the bathroom - a place she seemed to like, probably because the floor was cool. I pet her, gave her little head a rub and told her we'll be going to the vet in the morning.

Morning came. Paws left. Till today I still think of her. September, the month of her death anniversary is when I think of her most. This year particularly, memories of my furry friend are more vivid than usual. Because after 6 years, this is the September I'm actually in the house where she lived and died. I have to say, it still hurts to think back to that day

Why I haven't blogged

2011-05-23T08:02:00.000-07:00

Because I'm glued to the TV when I'm free.. making up for the period where I couldn't randomly select a channel and find something to watch. I am truly a TV monster...

New Kitchen, New Job

2011-03-29T02:15:00.000-07:00

Completed kitchen

Built in bookcase in the old dining area.. to hide a gas pipe!

The kitchen is well and truly done today after the gas man came and completed the final 1% of the reno works - connecting the gas supply.

It couldn't have been completed at a better time! I start work this Thursday afternoon with a client meeting. Ironically, it is the client I sought to escape from for a while by skipping from a PR agency to an experience marketing agency. Thankfully, I'll be working with nice client contacts here and this is just one project. I will still get to work on a variety of clients, which was the main reason I went back to an agency. It's tiring and you're at the mercy of clients but you really get to learn a lot and focus on getting work done rather than play internal politics. I've never been good at games or pretense.

With the kitchen done and house 90% in order, I feel that it's about time to go back to work. I'll run out household things to do soon. As it is, the buying of lights, sinks, taps etc etc was driving me slightly crazy. I don't think I want to repeat the experience any time soon!

Happy Birthday Ms Qoo!!!

2011-03-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

Today is Ms Qoo's birthday. Though I miss the chance to celebrate it with her this year, I hope she's having a great time with family and friends in Beijing on this special day.

Happy birthday dear friend. Stay as beautiful in body, mind and soul as you've always been.

Missing you!

My first attempt at scrapbooking

2011-03-07T06:54:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Miss Qoo and by the gorgeous bits and pieces at The Paper Market and NBC Japanese stationery shop, I decided to give scrapbooking a whirl.

Um... not very successful given I bought a base piece that had too many words!

Did not stick a photo on the page as this is meant to be sent to a friend for her to insert her own upcoming wedding pix...With a little ingenuity, I managed to create photo placeholders which are hidden by the 3D stickers.

Ah well! I learnt a few things from this first try. Maybe better ideas ( and end results) the next time.

Did I tell you about the day I delivered a plasma TV?

2011-03-02T06:07:00.000-08:00

We bought this TV from Harvey Norman a couple of days after we got home. There wasn't any stock available and we were told it would arrive perhaps on Valentine's Day... a good 14 days after we paid for it. Dan and I shrugged and said ok. Dan said WE'd collect it ourselves. I raised my eyebrows at that thinking " you mean me?"

Couple days later, I got a call informing me that the TV was available for collection. Dan said, "go get it". I thought, " Told me so". So I proceed to enlist my dad's help to pick me ( and the TV) up at Millenia on XX day, XX time.

I got there early and my heart nearly stopped when I saw the box containing the TV.

1. It was 3/4 as tall as me ( placed on the side)

2. Stated on the side : "Box & Contents weigh 29kg"

First thought that came to mind : "SHEEEEEET! This **** thing weighs more than half of me!!! How the hell am I going to bring it to the car pickup, load it into the car, then after that, bring it up to the house????????"

After a lot of wheedling with the staff to help me move it to the pick up porch, muscle straining, box maneuvering and plenty of sweat, my dad and I managed to bring it home. I want to collect $50 from Daniel for delivery. Dammit.

what a mess...

2011-03-02T05:42:00.000-08:00

BEFORE: Taken in 2008 before the house got a new coat of paint.

Home reno is tiring... I had to search for sinks, taps, lights, ceiling fans ... spend hours at Ikea with Daniel seeking inspiration for storage ideas... decide on laminates... ensure that the white paint I asked for is indeed pristine white.

And so far, this is what I have to show for it... ( ok, these pictures were taken randomly with my mobile. It's so messy I can't bring myself to photograph anything)

This is the bedroom after they tore down the built in cabinets

This is the kitchen mid-way of being taken apart

The mess seen from the living room.

Part of the wall is being taken down and replaced with doors...

This is the kitchen as of today.

If you're wondering why it's so grey, that's because it's going to have

2 plain concrete walls, dark grey floor tiles, one blue tiled wall and white cupboards.

Reminds me of Greece!

Anniversary No.9

2011-02-22T22:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday marked our 9th wedding anniversary. How time flies! It feels like it was just yesterday that I met Daniel and thought, "Engineering Nerd" and mentally rolled my eyes. That was in 1996.

Then I took a bite of a sausage and cheese sandwich Daniel made and it probably might have been love at first bite. Love for the sandwich of course *wink*. Day after day, the sandwich was outdone by steaming bowls of instant noodles, toasted hot dogs, cheese melts and Haagen Daz ice cream. How could I refuse? And how do you not love someone who:

1. Feeds you great food

2. remembers your favorite flavor of Haagen Daz ice-cream after hearing it mentioned just once

3. allows you and your friends to use his super computer to complete your homework instead of having to walk through creepy night-time NTU to get to the computer room

4. Surprises you with thoughtful or romantic little gestures until today.

It's not hard to see how time seems to fly when you're happy.

Re-adjusting to home

2011-02-10T08:31:00.000-08:00

Don't get me wrong. I love being home. There are just some things I need to re-adjust to.

1. Remembering family obligations - dinners, birthdays, CNY celebrations...

These are huge family events with hordes of people crammed into small spaces. I've forgotten the cacophony created by many elderly ladies put together. Gave me a blasted headache during CNY dinners. For the past 4 years, it's just been Dan & me on most festive occasions plus the 2 cats. I think I may have gotten used to just hanging out quietly at home - no constant chatter, no 1000 questions to answer, no need to turn on my work mode to make small talk with distant relatives whose names I honestly don't know after over 30 years. ( Before you think," superficial bitch!", let me just say that my siblings and closest cousin and even my mum don't know this relative's children's names.)

2. Having my actions "monitored".
I've always been the sort to do what I want, rules be damned! If you're expecting a rebel, well, that's just not me. I'm usually too well behaved and a stickler for rules. What I mean is having the freedom to make my own decisions ( hopefully informed decisions), going where I want, wearing what I want.. you get the idea. Coming back home, my parents try to dictate my life. My relatives try it too. It drives me nuts. I take advice but I do not take orders. And everyone's been trying to order me on renovating my house, even what I wear to go out for dinner. What's wrong with wearing a black tee with jeans?? What's wrong with my striped glasses??? I do not appreciate calls everyday asking where I am at the moment; questions on who I'm calling; who I am meeting with... It feels as if I need to report what I'm doing every moment of the day. If anything, this is what will drive me back to find a job. Least then I can simply say, I'm busy.

3. Seeing more foreigners than ever in Singapore
It's nice to see such a cultural mix but it's darn confusing to switch between accents especially when out shopping or dining. One minute it's heavily accented Filipino English, the next it's Chinglish and in the next heartbeat, Singlish or Malaysian- Chinese. I honestly didn't understand several Filipino servers at a restaurant - whether he was taking my order or asking if he could clear my beer. It went on for a good minute before my friend stepped in to "translate". Turns out, he was trying to tell us that happy hour was over. *slap forehead*

4. Multi-cultural lion dance.. this one had me look twice.
I was at a hawker centre and along comes a lion dance to celebrate the re-opening of stalls after the CNY holiday. The procession of 5 consisted of 2 indian guys clanging the cymbals, 1 Chinese on the drum, 1 eurasian as the lion's butt and 1 malay guy as the lion head. I took a second look just to make sure I wasn't mistaken. Uncle sharing my table at the hawker centre said to me, "That's what you call multi-cultural lion dance hor?". I agree with Uncle. Multi-cultural indeed.

5. Unpredictable downpours.
Note to self - bring an umbrella EVERYWHERE.
One minute it's scorching hot. I turn my back on the laundry outdoors and it begins to drizzle. 20seconds later, it's a thunderstorm. Same thing happens everyday. As I leave the house, the sun's trying its best to burn this island to cinders. I get to the mrt and 30mins later when I emerge, there's a apocalyptic storm taking place outdoors - the kind where you can't see a thing through the sheets of rain. I've gotten caught in several of these while on my way to visit the cats at quarantine. I've recalled - no jeans and no light skirts that can be blown around

Shopping on taobao

2011-01-07T09:09:00.000-08:00

OMG. I cannot be allowed to stay home for long while on leave. Over New Year's we stayed home because Dan was ill and I was not feeling great. I got bored. REALLY BORED.

Our satellite TV's been out of service since Oct and I had no TV to watch. So I went online. Bad idea.

I was only looking to get cat stuff when it occurred to me that I should try looking for tank tops to bring home. Afterall, most clothes are made in China and they could be cheaper here. Being winter, you obviously can't find many tank tops in Beijing. But taobao should have everything right? And have everything it does.

Before I knew it, I was putting Zara work jackets, forever 21 tunics, random korean style jackets, jelly shoes, tank tops and goodness knows what else into my shopping cart... all i did for 3 days was trawl through taobao( otherwise known in our house as TTT) . I was even tempted to buy copies of Starck's Ghost Chair for our flat in Singapore. Daniel didn't like plastic so I didn't get them.

I eventually bought less stuff than what's in my cart ( because I went to the Zoo market and found my tank tops) but the terrible thing is, whenever I'm super bored, I'd think, "hmm, let my fingers do the shopping."

alamak - falling sick

2011-01-07T09:05:00.000-08:00

thanks huh daniel. I must have caught your virus. I don't usually fall sick in winter lor!

On hiding and packing

2010-12-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

I took the week off an told everyone that I would be in Singapore settling cat stuff. Wait a minute, what's that you said , " But I just saw you today". Yup. I did a bad thing. I lied.

The deception was necessary. Despite me leaving work in about 3 weeks or so, I'm expected to develop and work on new projects that I won't be able to see through. Oh. and my boss seems under the delusion that I will work till the day my flight leaves Beijing for good.

I have tried to set him and the many bosses right - I leave work on 14 Jan and that's as far as it goes. There is no chance of me saying, "oh, maybe I'll stay another week.". I've given over 2 months notice. That's ample time to find my replacement and to give me "me-time", a luxury that I can't afford if I work there longer.

I need plenty of "me-time" before we leave on 27Jan. I have 5 years to pack away - and I'm packing for 4 ( Dan, 2 cats and me) - we have a lot of stuff. 5 years of stuff don't magically pack themselves and frankly, I don't want to take junk home. If it needs to go into the bin, that's where I'm putting it.

So I had to "lie" to be left in peace this week. Some of my team members know I'm here and I try to look through proposals and respond to emails. Rest of the time, I go to supermarkets or hide out in places I'm pretty sure my colleagues and clients wouldn't be. All I want on my week off is to pack and purchase items that I intend to bring home ( e.g. a new set of chairs for my dining table) .

Limited success so far - I only managed to pack some towels and bedsheets and identified those sheets, pillow and blankets that will be left behind; sent all our wool coats to the dry cleaners; got a new laundry basket (yay) and ordered more cat litter to bring home ( that stuff is expensive in SG)

Tomorrow, I'll have to take a conference call (ugh. client called - no respect of personal time). After which I hope to be more productive at Ikea. Fingers crossed that I don't run into anyone familiar and that I get more stuff done tomorrow.

haven't been blogging

2010-12-21T05:14:00.000-08:00

Got to get back to it,, so many wonderful things I've eaten in the past few months! Ah well... I'll have time after my last day at work.

I love autumn

2010-09-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

and winter... I actually don't mind the cold too much with proper wear.

Before coming to China, I dreaded the cold. Singapore's super powerful air conditioning used to be able to blow me over ( not literally lah) .. It was just so cold, I'd be shivering in the office, in the cinema, at the mall... I felt cold all the time!

The cold no longer bothers me much. These days, I go home and feel pretty comfortable in tank top and shorts in the mall... Amazing...I don't even get goosebumps!

Back to Autumn - I love it because the air's clean, the weather's balmy, the sun is up and its time to take out the quilt... I love using the quilt because the cats love it. The floor gets too cold for them so they love to huddle on the quilt next to our feet. It's quite nice having a foot/ butt warmer sleeping on the bed with you on a cold winter's day!

I want birthday cake like that!!

2010-08-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

This is the Sesame Street cake that my friend's son got back home in Singapore...

I want a cake like that too!! It's be perfect if they could make grouchy Oscar and wormy.. Oh oh! and The Count! I *heart* Sesame Street!!

my 2nd other job: tour guide

2010-08-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

Yup.. that was essentially what I did during a media trip to Shangri-la county. Made sure everyone had enough oxygen bottles, water, kleenex, meals...

What I enjoyed most about this media trip:

1. Getting to know some journalists & my client better.

I really seldom do media work. This was a great chance to talk to the top beauty editorial directors and get to know them on a more personal level. Ditto with the client. Take them out of the office and they're different people. I think the natural beauty and high altitude played a part!

2. Staying at Banyan Tree Ringha

Room can get creepy cos it's so very very BIG. But the place is really so beautiful and peaceful. Staff were also very warm and friendly.

3. Hanging out with my fantastic team

We've gone to 3 different cities in 2 months - dalian, qingdao and now Shangri-la. Each time, we work super hard, then play super hard. In Shangri-la, thanks to the "experiential journey" that we'd designed for media, our team members also got to enjoy the spectacular scenery and some of the best food Shangri-la's old town had to offer. It was nice to be able to have fun as a team for once!

4. Retracing my steps to the places I visited 2 years ago.

It's different seeing this place in summer.. It was already gorgeous when I last saw it in winter. Summer dished up lush greenery interspersed with wild highland flowers in vibrant hues, a dazzling blue sky with clouds handing so low you could imagine touching them..I loved going back up Shika mountain and feeling as if I'm in the clouds.

my other job: adult-sitter

2010-08-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

First it was a team of makeup artists, next it's a busload of journalists and colleagues who are convinced they'll faint from the "thin" air in Shangri la, need to be reminded to board buses, need this, need that... I wonder if I'm working in PR or adult kindergarten.

my new way of dealing with extra work

2010-07-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

Ignoring it and leaving. After all, a lot of it was not my responsibility. Juz because I sat in a brainstorm does not make it my job to write the proposal.

With new haircut comes new bad attitude.

Impressions of New York

2010-07-02T19:49:00.000-07:00

1. There's so many things going on! It's kinda like Tokyo but with more diversity and everything's in English ( or Spanish) .

2. Stunning architecture. All you have to do is look up. The buildings are amazing! You wonder how people managed to build such skyscrapers in the 20s and 30s! Some are older of course. I loved how each building seems to combine old European influences into the ultra modern ( at the time it's built), to create a unique yet timeless look. It's also very funny how all the buildings seem to flow seamlessly into each other, though they are all different styles, different era, different heights. It's a harmonious blend. Not quite like Beijing where you get a mish mash of buildings and the contrast between old and new stands out very clearly.

3. The city moves so fast! ( except for the traffic) I think I now understand the term "A New York Minute". I loved how things keep moving and changing. Nothing stays the same for long but somehow there's that sense of timelessness. I had this image of a city that feels as if never changes, despite the frenetic energy of change. Hmm... I'm not great with putting it in words but if you've been to New York oor ever go there, you'd maybe understand better.

4. I loved loved loved the shops :) . You don't get huge shopping centres like in Singapore. Even Bloomingdales felt small. I didn't go into Saks since I seldom buy luxury items. Nor did I go to Macy's ( I already shopped in one in Buffalo and was disappointed). But there were plenty of shops along every single avenue to keep you entertained as you walk. I was very willing to walk 20-30 blocks because there was a mix of sight seeing and shopping to do along the way. I think Dan and I walked over 5km each day. Back to the shops - Sephora is a joy to browse. So many interesting skincare brands and products to pore over. Barnes and Nobles - the simple fact that there's no english bookshop in Beijing or library for me to go to makes Barnes and Noble a veritable literary wonderland! Of course, there's the usual suspects of Forever 21 ( there was a huge one on Times Square opening that I didn't manage to get into), Banana Republic, Gap etc etc. I hardly got any clothes after being disappointed at Banana Republic - the XS dresses were too big. But everything comes in nice small sizes. ooo...I got Rock & republic Jeans - gorgeous! Dan's are from 7 for all Mankind

5. The musuems - I only went to the American Museum of Natural History to see dino bones and space centre. At the Met, the massive Egyptian displays got a bit tedious to go through . It was SO huge! We browsed through and it still took us 1.5hrs just to see that section. The armour and weaponry section was pretty cool and easier to "digest". MOMA was super crowded. I didn't quite appreciate the new art pieces such as one weird piece that featured multiple audio recordings of people saying Monday to Sunday. The modern design pieces were great! My favourite of the lot since you get to see uniquely designed home items - chairs, cupboards, keyboards, plates. Oh and of course, you get to see works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Warhol.

Starry night by Vincent Van Gogh

Campbell Soup by Andy Warhol

Other small things I bought in NYC

2010-06-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

Erm.. like coach bags and shoes from Woodbury Common.

Before you judge and say "Wah!! Spend so much ??", each bag costs only slightly over US$100. A steal for a leather bag. The big green one costs slightly more given its size. It's big enough to fit my laptop, my huge wallet, a wrap, mobile phone, ipod, mints, keys ...

The shoes at Nine West were on sale and these 2 pairs each cost less than a pair of Charles and Keith shoes.

I also got facial moisturizers, hand creams etc etc from shops in the city - basically stuff that Dan & I use everyday - at great prices.

How to get to Woodbury Common:

- Take subway to Port Authority Bus Terminal ( it should be the red line)

- Go to the Bus Terminal and look for the Shortline Bus ticketing booth

- Bus ticket costs US$42 and takes you to the door step. It also comes with several additional discount coupons and a redemption coupon at Woodbury Common for a booklet of discount coupons to use at almost all stores.

- Bus trip takes 1 hr each way

- Best to catch the 9.30am bus which really really leaves on time!

One thing I did not buy on sale

2010-06-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

Everything in the US is on sale!! And everything at Woodbury Common Outlet mall is ridiculously cheap... all 220 stores!! I'll post about Woodbury later.

First, the one thing I did not buy on sale is....

See that grin?

Viola! Tiffany... and american tradition :P

To be fair, Danny said he'll get it for me but since I wanted it, I'm going to pay for it myself!

I heart eating in New York

2010-06-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

There was such a buzz to the city! People on the streets at all times of day, the most amazing architecture, fantastic shopping, great dining and the brightest lights along broadway. I loved every moment of it! Daniel and I walked 10 to 20 blocks a day till our feet hurt then we'd go for a fab dinner.

We had typical american food i.e burgers and fries at a place called 5 Napkin Burgers, located around Hell's Kitchen. We chanced upon it and saw that it had a good vibe.. little did we know it's one of THE latest burger joints to dine at. The burgers were great but because I was still jet lagged, I could barely finish my food! See how thick the patty is?

On our last day, we had burgers at the renowned Shake Shack. I guess it's famous cos you're getting fairly cheap burgers with patties made of real beef unlike most patties at fast food joints.

We also had Pizza at a famous place in Brooklyn called Grimaldis. We weren't planning to eat there but we walked by it and thought, "why not". It was 11am and there was a queue outside. The restaurant opened at 11.30 sharp and they packed people in very efficiently. It was so fun watching the pizzas being made. A tad salty because of the salami we added, but generally tasty. We c0uld barely finish a 16inch pizza ( the smallest) between 2 of us and watched other people eating the 18 inch. That was scary.

We also had 3 swish meals on this trip - all memorable either for the food, service or company

1. Daniel ( this is the original restaurant by Daniel Boulud. Same chef behind Beijing's Maison Boulud)

The service was impeccable as was the food. We had the 3 course prix-fix ( fixed price menu)I had Duo of Beef for my main course. It was was so tender it melts in your mouth. The staff were very professional, appearing right by your elbow if you so much as frown at the menu. They explained each dish and recommended corresponding wines. When Daniel couldn't decide between desserts, they brought us an extra dessert at no charge! That was so delish. I suspect we got extra dessert also because we mentioned that we were tourists who had to come eat at Daniel after trying out Maison Boulud in Beijing

2. Bistro Moderne

We met with my US colleagues, Madeline, Ivette and Kathryn for dinner at Bistro Modern was also happens to be owned by Daniel Boulud. The restaurant's most famous dish - Burger with Foie Gras. That's a US$32 burger! I had the pork special which was nice but not as exciting at the burger which my colleague had...

3. BLT Steak

Danny was insistent on eating steak on our last night in NYC. My colleague Madeline recommended BLT.. Man. They serve BIG steaks. Danny and I shared a Porterhouse Steak that's US$82...that piece of steak could feed 4 people! Madeline had a salad while Danny and I slowly polished off the beef and one dessert.

this is the giant steak

so many things so little time

2010-06-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

So. I've had a brief think about the things I want to see in NYC

1. Dinosaur bones a the Museum of Natural history

2. Egyptian temple at the Met Museum

3. A broadway show

4. 30 Rockefeller Centre ( simply cos I love Liz Lemon)

5. The inside of the statue of liverty ( so the the scene from X-men seem more real... the one with wolverine hanging off the side)

6. Queens ( cos I love Ugly Betty)

7. 5th Avenue ( cos when I was a kid, my mum has this Elizabeth Arden Fragrance - Red Door on 5th Avenue and I used to wonder what was the big deal about this street)

8. Woodbury Common - simply because it's got 220 outlet stores!!!! Talk about shop till you drop..

Things i want to eat:

1. Hotdog

2.Hotdog

3. Something at Jean George, Nobu, Daniel or a Mario Batali Restuarant...

7 more days to NYC

2010-06-07T23:35:00.001-07:00

7 more days. I just have to live past working this weekend.

Sometimes I think I should just not work

2010-05-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

Because:

1. I always end up on jobs that require long hours

2. I want to do a job well and I will pure my energies into it at the expense of health & hearth

So there's no in between for a balanced life. It's one or the other. Yup. That's what I think.

Acclimatizing to Slurpee, Sneezy and Smelly

2010-05-14T08:02:00.000-07:00

I don't love living in Beijing. I just don't mind it as much anymore. But there are still things that annoy me... it always starts from the moment I board a plane back for Beijing. Oh. remind me not to fly Air China to and from Singapore. And if you think I'm whining/ complaining, I'll unabashed declare that I am!

Let's start with the flight back. The man who sat beside me was a slurper. I'm no fan of slurping. I understand slurping in some cultures is a sign of appreciation for the food and the food items "slurped" are usually noodles and soup. The Chinese passenger beside me slurped his salad, bread and rice. I really have no idea how he slurped coleslaw but he did. Lunch was served at 10.30am. At that hour, listening to someone slurp is really a nauseating experience. Made me NOT want to eat my lunch. And honestly, lunch at 10.30pm?? And nothing else between? The flight landed at 3.40pm and I was raving hungry by then. There were no snacks, nothing.

At immigration, the cacophony of returning Chinese tourists made me more irritable. Maybe it was the lack of sleep. Or maybe it was their volume. It just made my eye start to twitch.

I had to wait a couple of hours at the airport for my dad who was arriving on a different flight. His flight was delayed by an hour. Great. I went to Burger King for a meal ( there's really nothing much to eat at the airport!). As I pushed my trolley along, I had to push pass people who just really had to block the exit. The airport is huge. Did you have to park yourself smack in front of the exit? Not my fault if I have to use the trolley to ram you when you don't move after several "excuse me".

After my snack, I went back to the arrival hall and found spot to watch for my dad... whoever designed the airport didn't seem to consider chairs a necessity for people waiting for delayed flights. I stood for a good hour or so. During this period, I was jostled innumerous times. Mind you, the spot where I was rooted to had empty space stretching several metres to my left, right and back. But people had to walk right into me. There was one who elbowed me too.

The eye twitched a couple more times. And more violently when someone sneezed without covering his mouth, at my brand new luggage. GROSS! Thank god I moved fast enough to push my trolley aside when I saw him working up a sneeze.

And finally... before my dad arrived and we hurried off to the sanctuary of home, 4 people who smelled like they haven't taken a bath or washed their clothes since yesterday , decided to station themselves near me. By then, the area around me was full and I was trapped between Sneezy and the Smellies. These were people that were dressed quite well but smelled awful!

By then, I was amazed I wasn't a twitching mass of nerves. Everything just rubbed me the wrong way. This always happens the first couple of days I get back to Beijing...

The fine art of ta-baoing ba chor mee for a long distance flight

2010-05-11T07:42:00.000-07:00

I queued 40mins today to buy Dan's favourite Ba Chor Mee ( noodles with minced meat).

$5 /pack, no liver and I would like 4 packs please.

Immediately upon collecting my order, I ran for a cab. Got home, and threw it all into the freezer.

That's step 1 - freezing the noodles as quickly as possible!

Step 2. Wait for it to freeze into the shape of the container, then transfer into a ziplock bag.

Step 3. Place frozen, repackaged noodles back into freezer

Step 4. remove from freezer, just few mins before leaving the house for the airport, and transfer it into a cooler bag.

Step 5. Place it within your luggage and GO!

Upon arriving at destination, quickly find a freezer and dump everything back in. To eat, defrost and warm in a pot. Add a little water to hasten the process.

cute new rings

2010-05-08T08:35:00.000-07:00

Got these rings as Far East Plaza Singapore, from a little shop that sells the most interesting rings. One of the rings had a mini carousel on top!

Check out the detail of this ring. It looks like I have a cat wrapped around my finger.

Just cos it was a 2 finger ring... Rebel I am not...

The sea

2010-05-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

I've never been a fan of sitting by the beach. Bores me stupid. There was only one place in the world where I actually enjoyed the sea view and that was in Greece. Then again, Greece was incredibly beautiful and it's hard not to love watching the sun set over the sea while you indulge in greek food and wine...

I was in Dalian last Thurs- Sat for work. My colleagues and I managed to sneak in 2 hrs before our flight back to BJ to drive around the city and see the sea. It was then that I realized how calming the see can be. It's not really about watching the waves crash on the rocks. It's about listening to the rhythmic sound of the ocean, feeling the warmth of the sun on your face and breathing in the salty tang of the air.

It didn't change my mind about being trapped on a beach with nothing to do but watch the waves. But it made me appreciate the sea that much more. I guess its got to do with the work stress and being in land-locked Beijing where the air's bad and you hardly see blue sky. Whatever it was, I enjoyed the experience. Looking out at the vast ocean, I could imagine for one second, being someplace other than work, being at peace with the world.

Tired...

2010-05-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

So. I come home from Dalian and realised that hey, i can't take a break. I have to finish drafting a quotation, a ppt presentation, a workplan, an outline for a product launch, revise an annual plan, have a lunch discussion... all by end of day monday.

Come tuesday, it's a 10-3pm meeting, handover on 4 accounts, catch a flight at 11.30pm . Arrive at 5.30pm, queue outside the CHina embassy then head straight into the office for a concall.Oh. Did I fail to mention, I also need to finish writing something on the plan? There is no time to rest!!!

And my entire vacation back home is spent working. WTF??

ticket to NYC bought

2010-04-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

yay. no turning back. bought and paid. now to check what's the corp rate at W

It's a beautiful day...

2010-04-24T03:02:00.000-07:00

...for the park.. the day I can actually walk around without a coat and in slippers

alamak...

2010-04-21T08:18:00.001-07:00

Have to fly coach to New York... no budget. Dammit.

Fatburger - new burger joint in town

2010-04-18T02:28:00.000-07:00

This is an american chain - somewhat like carl's junior. Fatburger opened its first shop in Beijing near the US embassy at Liangmaqiao. Quite a yummy alternative to McD. Looks every inch like a burger joint with no pretensions of being an "up market" dining space.

Sets ( with fat fries and a drink) range from 40-100RMB. The 100RMB burger is a triple patty delight for carnivores :)

Fatburger is located at 北京市朝阳区东方东路19号亮马桥外交公寓1号楼会所内

hmm.. my wii fit tells me I've lost weight

2010-04-11T07:35:00.001-07:00

I wonder if its accurate.. I have a lower BMI than 4 mths ago when I bought it. Very soon, if i continue to work like how i do now, I will look anorexic. Not a good thought. I've seen a skinnier me and it was not a healthy sight. Must make effort to eat lunch.

NYC here I come!!!!!

2010-04-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! Meeting in Pennsylvania confirmed. Gonna make sure I fly through NYC and hang out with colleagues and friends there. Um.. and of course, get some training done in between (that is, if I can pay attention) muahahahaha

weekend in Huairou

2010-04-06T17:55:00.000-07:00

At a place called Shan Ba 山吧. There was basketball, table tennis, badminton, horse riding and even an artificial rock wall to climb. I rather liked it. Thank goodness weather was good and thank goodness there were enough beds for 19 of us!

super big common area in the house with mahjong and pool table

Indigestion? Ate something wrong?

2010-03-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

Man... I can't tell... tummy not feel good. Can' tell if I'm hungry until I want to puke or is it just air.. not a nice feeling.

Brunch at Maison Boulud

2010-03-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

Had brunch with the boss and colleagues today at Maison Boulud. Also got to meet a couple of interesting people from Taiwan - a really fun and down to earth stylist who owns 2 cats ( in my mind, any cat owner's got to be a great person - a cool beauty editor who's just relocated to Beijing and a business woman who's apparently well known in Taiwan because she brings in the biggest names in luxury.. this lady is checking out locations to set up shop in Beijing I think... I obviously don't know who this lady was but I perked up my ears when my lunch companions mentioned she brought in Balenciaga, Camper and several other familiar brands into Taiwan. I was intrigued...

Back to the most yummy brunch ... I ordered Eggs Benedict ( my fav). The egg was done to perfection - the white was a firm film holding in the gooey yellow goodness of the viscous-y yolk. It sat upon a bed of boiled spinach, a slice of ham and muffin and was discreetly drizzled with Hollandaise sauce. It was awesome! We also had a selection of appetizers - the escargots and beef tartare are dishes I'm sure to go back for. After lunch, we had complimentary dessert ( thanks to our boss who goes there so often). I totally enjoyed the trio of sorbet, especially the tart passionfruit flavor. Also loved the decadent chocolate tart!

You can bet I'll be back for another brunch

the event that kept me up for days...

2010-03-14T03:58:00.000-07:00

Only got to sleep ONE hour on Thurs and the night before, 4 hrs... So darn tired. And this entire week, including the weekend, some dumb asses were doing construction work downstairs. I complained on Monday,Tues, Wed when they started at 8am. Complained on Sat when they began at 9am and this morning, I went ballistics and screamed at the stupid estate management for not being proactive. I didn't want to be woken at 9am on Sunday and have to complain before they stopped the knocking. Already in a foul mood. How to go back to sleep????? So I'm still tired today and I foresee being even more so this coming week. Great. Just great.

Harbin-ger of Cold

2010-02-21T07:33:00.000-08:00

Went again to Harbin. Took my siblings there. Boy was it cold. But not as bad as I remembered it to be. Maybe this time I've acclimatized... but -17 deg is still pretty darn painful for the face and fingers! That's Dan in the H1N1 mask if you're wondering...claims it keeps the face warmer than the scarf. That white creature is an Arctic Fox that some tout was pushing for photos. I felt real bad for the poor cub who must have been taken from it's mum. And i know it's not right to encourage the tout by paying him for the photo but the cub was really so adorable!

Doing my fav thing each year... running away from misfired fireworks

2010-02-16T06:08:00.001-08:00

Second time in 2 years.. this time was scarier because my back was facing the firecracker which toppled over and was shooting all around the road. I could see one shoot by my right and another by my left and straight ahead I heard my cousin yelling.. "RUN!!"

A reminder to live life

2010-02-13T00:27:00.000-08:00

A uni classmate posted on facebook that another of our classmates passed away. It was rather shocking news... you never expect someone your age to pass away... At 20, you think you're immortal. At 30, you feel age creeping up on you and you begin to live healthier but Death still seems distant.

Well, a death among people the same age as you and especially among people you know and grew up with is especially shocking and tragic. The person who has passed on was the same age as I am. Apparently he passed away in the night after going to bed. Possible cardiac arrest. He leaves behind a wife and child. Though I haven't seen this classmate in 9 years, it's still extremely sad to hear this sudden news.

It's also reminded me that life is transient and very very short. I have to remember to spend more time with my family and to live every moment of my life.

Accent confusion

2010-02-09T17:21:00.000-08:00

So yesterday at 6am I had a concall with 2 Americans with 2 distinctly different accents, an Aussie and an English lady.. I had a meeting in the afternoon with the same combination + one local Chinese.

Man! It was confusing... I don't have an issue understanding them but it takes a bit of brain work to figure out the slang and keep switching from American mode to British mode to Aussie mode to Chinglish mode. One word can sound different when these 4 people say it! e.g MALL sounds like Mal, Mole, More... Sheesh.

It's tiring enough trying to keep out the Singlish but's worse when you spend half the time figuring out what they're saying!!!!

Meet Weber Shandwick Beijing's 2010 Best Dressed Pair

2010-01-28T07:24:00.000-08:00

That's yours truly and the boss who really knew how to tickle everyone's funny bone with Lady Gaga- inspired- hello kitty dress. Some people tried to steal kitty off the dress... Had a great laugh!

today's solar eclipse

2010-01-15T08:18:00.000-08:00

Today mark's the millenium's longest solar eclipse, lasting a good 4 hrs. This is when the sun, moon, earth are aligned in that order. Got a glimpse from our office window. It was quite amazing. The sun looked as if cookie monster got a bite of it. Despite the mountain of work and looming deadlines, i took 5 mins to go peer at the half eaten sun ( my miu miu sunglasses rock!)

That I got to witness this amazing phenomenon really lifted my mood. Who know's when the next one will be !

10 min phone encounter with Sienna Miller

2010-01-13T07:30:00.000-08:00

I had to serve as an English translator for a phone interview today.. basically to ask some questions for a Chinese journalist. The interviewee was Sienna Miller... that's why I got to talk to her. well.. not really talk. Just ask questions. She seems like a really nice down-to-earth star :)

The boss shows some "skin"

2010-01-10T02:11:00.000-08:00

That's the boss in a tee that one colleague bought for another as a gag X'mas gift. The recipient was away when the tee was draped across her PC. The boss came around, saw it and found it decidedly cheeky and funny. He decided to give it a try and borrow it for an X'mas party.

Judging from the peels of hysterical laughter that travelled across the office when the boss did his rounds in this outfit, the tee was a hit. I'm not so sure the original recipient wants it back anymore...

Beijing's coldest weather in 30 years

2010-01-03T00:35:00.000-08:00

It snowed in the wee hours of 2 Jan and started again at night all the way till Now ( 3 Jan, 4.35pm). I don't think I've ever seen so much snow in Beijing. Even the man-made snow fall on early Nov was nothing compared to the flurries outside today. I'm sure there's more than 20cm of snow on the ground. my boots just sunk in and disappeared in the powdery snow. Thank goodness for the uggs.. fake or not, they work wonders in keeping my feet warm and dry

I read in the weather report that come 5 Jan, Beijing will likely see the coldest temperatures ever in the last 30 years. It's going to be a high of -9 deg and low of -16 Deg. That's excluding windchill. I guess it's time to take out the thermal wear... i hate thermal pants... the last time I wore them was in Harbin!

I wish this was my house...

2009-12-28T06:02:00.000-08:00

On Christmas day, we headed out of Beijing city towards Huairou district. It was murderously cold in the city and I kept thinking about how cld it was going to be on the outskirts of the city...We were headed for a village by the foot of the Mutianyu section of the great wall to hang out in what Dan referred to as a "chalet". It turned out to be more of a villa than a chalet!

enter the red door

The Red Door is managed by The Schoolhouse Restaurant and is listed as a countryside hotel. It's actually someone's long lease home that's available for short term vacation rental. The house was gorgeous. It's a sleek house of stone, brick and glass that's converted from an old farmhouse.

view of the house from the "kang" in the Living room

There were four bedrooms , each with queen size beds and 3 full bathrooms and one small toilet. The fireplace was a godsend especially with temperatures reaching as low as -16deg that night and the "kang" in front of the fireplace was warm and toasty.

One of the most beautiful features of this house has got to be the master bedroom. Full length windows and a skylight spanning half the room allow natural light to flood the bedroom and offer a stunning view of the surrounding mountains. At night, you look out into a sky littered with stars. The view is breathtaking. The master bedroom comes with an ensuite bathroom/ walk in wardrobe. The bedroom also has a side door that leads out onto an open split level "courtyard" that leads back to the living room. It was a huge house but very cosy.

view from the foot of the bed in the master bedroom

Sitting in the reading area with the sunlight streaming through the windows, I really wish the house was mine... or least that I can one day have a house as beautiful as this!

Very Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T18:11:00.000-08:00

Sleigh bells ring

are you listening

in the lane

snow is glistening ( hmmm... no snow in Beijing Leh!)

A beautiful sight

we're happy tonight

walking in the winter wonderland!

When I was juz a little girl..

2009-12-21T17:10:00.001-08:00

This was what I looked like! I took a photo of a photo hanging on my parents' wall. The little boy is my bro who's now so tall, my head only reaches his armpit! ( ewww) the other little girl with the dolls is my sis. She used to love her soft toys... She still has soft toys around the bed but these days, I think they're the dog's toys! And of course, she's got a much much thinner face.

Saying Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

2009-12-20T07:57:00.000-08:00

After months of contemplation, I finally got myself a Wii & the Wii Fit set. It's a gift to myself this birthday and Christmas...I've been fiddling with it and for some strange reason the games start up in black and white only a couple appear in in colour. I will figure this out tomorrow!!!!

P.S the Wii Fit looks simple but for lazy bones me who hasn't exercised in months... man... it's tough!

Turning... 20 again!

2009-12-19T07:31:00.000-08:00

So I'm another year older. I'm now 20 ( according to the birthday poster my colleagues made me...) And I certainly felt as excited as a 20yr old again on Friday when my colleagues threw a mini surprise party and showered me with the funniest, most thoughtful and most beautiful gifts.

And of course... Dan, my gadget superhero got me... drumroll... a new Ipod Touch! So in love with it. Gotta make sure I don't lose this one!!

Here's a peek at some of the great prezzies the thoughtful folks at WeberShandwick got me!

Salty Balls baked by Santana. I laughed so hard!

Super cool photo frame from Mandy and the cutest bowls from Song. These folks know me so well :P

Stuff to make me look and feel 20 again from the gorgeous girls of my Beauty team & hot red laces from the Nike team

The Haircare team got me... hair stuff of course!!! Fresh from Japan I should add. And I also received a beautiful scarf from Liz. All so sweet of everyone! Best birthday ever!

mmmmm... at Capital M

2009-12-19T06:16:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, my uncle and aunt took us to Capital M for dinner. It was an enjoyable experience!

Capital M is the latest offering from the M group that runs M on The Bund in Shanghai. It's located at Qianmen, overlooking the Qianmen tower. When I first heard of it, I dismissed it as another over-priced-tiny-portion place that left me hungrier than when I began a meal. Turns out, the portions were pretty sizeable... After the starter and my main, I was seriously stuffed.

For starters, I had the pigeon. It was tender and pretty tasty. My uncle found it a little gamey for his tastes, preferring his delish foie gras instead. Daniel's Wagyu Beef Carpaccio was also yum especially if you like beef. My Aunt's Elizaethan salad was essentially greens with oranges and chestnut. It was simple, fresh and thankfully, not over dressed.

For mains, I really have to recommend the roast sucking pig. Man! This was yummier than the one at Agua ( Qianmen 23)! There were three big slices, each approx 2.5" by 2.5" big. The skin was so crispy I swear I could hear it crackle. The meat was so moist and and tender you barely had to chew. I was so busy eating I forgot to take pictures...

Dan had the Oxtail which saw him nod and smile that approving smile before his declaration of "very good". My uncle had the lamb which he complained if being too dry... until he realised there was a gravy bowl on the side!! With the gravy, the lamb was much tastier :).

As we waited for the bill, they served us some small sweets consisting of white and dark chocolate, cookies and rose flavoured turkish delight. I'm usually not a fan of gummy sweets but this turkish delight I liked... reminded me of Bandung!

Service was attentive but could do with a little more polish. W e saw Karen Mok leaving after her dinner and asked staff if it was indeed Karen Mok. The waitress ran after her!!! All 4 of us were trying hard not to shout "NO NO NO". The waitress heard us. Phew. And Karen turned around on hearing the waitress clattering after her. Dan and my uncle caught another glimpse and confirmed it was her!

I would recommend the restaurant if you're impressing a guest - the view is spectacular. The overall setting is very chic but at times overly oriental for my tastes. The food though gets my thumbs up. This is a place worth going for a special night out with a partner. Expect to spend about 400RMB each ( for just mains and starter).

Zootopia

2009-12-13T01:35:00.000-08:00

I went to the wholesale markets again.. Ok. I know if you've been there before, you're probably thinking " but they sell so much junk!" I like the zoo because of the junk. It's quite fun picking out the gems from the junk! And I usually have quite a bit of success.

Today I got meself:

1. High cut Ugg boots in black... I like black and it matches just about everything in my wardrobe

2. Leggings ( tights if you will) in black with studs on the side

3. A black racer tee with black studs

4. A long striped shirt to wear with leggings

5. levi's jeans ( I think a bit too small cos I insisted to auntie that all my jeans are size 26)

6. A work jacket with 3/4 sleeves

7. 2 super cute Patrick the starfish toy

8. Triumph & women's secret lingerie ( there's only 1 store that stocks these... I went round and round looking for it!!!)

9. A lace tee with funny poofy sleeves

10. A fleece lined sweater for my bro

11. Socks

In all, I spent about 700RMB. Not too considering the stuff I've managed to pick up this trip :)

Scandalized by skin?

2009-12-11T20:14:00.000-08:00

So apparently my sari was a tad skimpy cos I had no sleeves. Not even straps. What to do? The clothe wasn't long enough so I got a tube top made. Mau's was a halter top and her sari ended up a little bit short.

Anyway, the funny looks we got during the wedding was explained by the groom a couple days later. It's not that we were Chinese girls in sari. It was cos:

a) old ladies were scandalized by the amount of skin shown ( they apparently asked about the girl in the too-short-sari & the one with short hair. It was hilarious hearing ourselves being described)

b) younger women were contemplating bare back tops & tube tops for their next sari party

The groom's mum seemed extremely proud that her son's friends made effort to look glamorous and even started a new trend :)

I guess because we aren't Indian and not exactly aware of some of the norms that we wore the traditional outfit a little differently. And it seems the pictures of tube top saris I found online are mainly worn by North Indians. Indians of Southern origin tend to be a bit more conservative. I remember thinking... " how conservative can you be wearing an outfit that bares most of your torso?!?"

The night of saris ..

2009-12-07T07:40:00.001-08:00

Congrats Shankar & Soundaram!

So I have this sari right? And It was from a friend to wear to his wedding. His mum got it on a shopping spree in India while prepping for the wedding. She got Mau and Conz saris too.

Of course, auntie buy, I wear. And it's only good manners to turn up in ethnic costume! Conz had a bit of trouble figuring out how to wear it so she came in a sequined top instead. Cheryl came in a flattering punjabi suit.

Auntie was so funny... as we were queueing for our 2 mins with the bride & groom on stage, auntie glides up to us and goes "Aiyoh, you look beautiful!" And of course, we go, that's because we have beautiful outfits. Auntie winks and says "Of course! You must see who selected it!"

We didn't get to see much of our friend since he had his butt glued onto the stage dais and it was a very simple buffet dinner. But it was so fun to dress up and fit right into the crowd. Ok... maybe not really fit in but we looked like be were at the right party!

The star of the night really had to be the bride. She looked absolutely stunning in her wedding gear ( i.e gold, kohl, red sari). And there's nothing more beautiful than that glow of happiness on the face of a bride :) . The groom himself looked absolutely dandy. But it could be bias speaking since he is afterall my "tall, dark and handsome" friend!

My very delish Malay meal

2009-11-30T06:23:00.000-08:00

Dan's colleague's relatives are in town and they whipped up a storm! I got lucky.. Dan brought home leftovers . I had coconut rice, sambal prawns, sambal egg, chicken rendang and my favourite... ikan bilis!!!!!! Simply the best meal I've had for the whole of Nov. I'm still salivating thinking about it!

Random thoughts from watching TV and movies

2009-11-17T08:10:00.000-08:00

I watched UP and 2012 over the weekend. Also caught a documentary about WWII in colour. All brought tears to my eyes and got me thinking...

1. My life with Dan and the 2 cats is an adventure that never ends. I hope I always remember that and not get too caught up clinging on to things that are transient

2. Everyday is an adventure. you don't really have to travel 10,000miles to find it. If I can remember that, I can face the world each day with optimism and enthusiasm. And small things at work can't annoy me.

3. Is Man really that selfish? Does the concept of self sacrifice for a greater good really exist? Does it really take a calamity to reveal how selfish/ selfless a person is?

4. What defines humanity? Really. What makes us human or not? Is it art, culture, science, religion? What? Is it compassion?

5. If it's compassion, then what exactly happened in WWII when an entire community was systematically wiped out? What happened to humanity then?

Watching WWII documentaries always makes me sad but it's always been quite distant because everything was in black and white, and footage seems to run cartoon speed. I could watch it and still think quite detachedly about it as a historical event that should never have been and should never be ever again. Watching it in colour made me feel absolutely terrible because suddenly, it seems a lot more real. And it made me wonder about what went on in people's minds - both the aggressors and the victims. It made me wonder why. And for some reason, it's still bugging me 2 days after I watched the program.

November Snow...

2009-10-31T22:13:00.000-07:00

Not quite November rain... I was trying to find another song about snow in Nov... but kept getting guns n roses..

There's like super fat flakes of snow outside. i haven't seen it snow like that since my first snowfall in Beijing 3 years ago! And this is early snow!! Horribly cold since heating's not up yet. But it's such a beautiful sight. The garden outside is covered in snow and some parts haven't been touched.. everything looks pristine.

Invite to a wedding

2009-10-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

I received and invite last night together with the most gorgeous sari for an old friend's upcoming wedding in Dec. So excited!!!!! Both for my friend and of course excited on a personal level lah. This will be the first and likely only indian wedding I get invited to. For my friend, I'm just very happy to see that he is happy with where life is taking him now.

The groom ( my friend of 15 years) claims its going to be a circus with an estimated 2000 people turning up throughout the day. Can you imagine?? 2000 people??? In the context of a typical chinese wedding, that's 200 tables of guests to entertain. Poor guy has to entertain the WHOLE DAY. It's non stop action from the time he wakes up.

The groom has plenty of Chinese friends ( this is singapore after all) and he knows how much we're all looking forward to attending his wedding. I mean, a bunch of us girls have been planning what to wear since 1995! It's essentially getting an exotic sari so that we blend in with the rest of the guests. Well... sort of blend in. I need longer hair. The sweet guy knows this and got his mum to get each of us a sari from India when she went there on a buying trip. He even indicated what colours to buy! Staring at the sari he got me, I realised that the color looks very similar to a dress I once had made of sari material. That was my fav dress for the longest time until i got too fat to wear it. The sari I've got also has little bling iron on crystals on it... My friend knows me well... I like bling. Hahaha..

Another friend got a vibrant turquoise. It's so her color! Funny thing is, it's actually peacock blue... a certain school that she studied in had the same shade uniform :P

I'll post photos of the sari another time!!

yay! get to go home next weekend!

2009-10-18T03:00:00.000-07:00

thanks to a meeting on Tuesday at home... muah hahaha. I get to spend 3 days eating eating eating and buying cat food. Then after that, it all goes downhill... starting with meetings in SG, then off to the place I really really dun like - Guangzhou :(

my fren francesco

2009-10-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

Last name Biasia :P

This bag is called Jennifer. Made with soft calfskin and embellished with burnished studs. I fell in love when I saw it. It's got my fav... STUDS. No more bags for the next 5years...

Making new italian "friends"

2009-10-13T09:00:00.001-07:00

For some strange reason, people chat with Daniel on holidays. Random strangers... we sorta talked to Canadians and Aussies along our trip. Loads of elderly Canadians who travelled to Venice on cruise and were making their way to Rome.

We also made some new Italian "friends". Dan's new friends are called Ermenegildo and Salvatore. While I met Guccio, Miucci, Francesco and Furla.

Good friends are for a lifetime. These "friends" better last a lifetime!

Stuff we got for my family and Dan's mum. The pink wallet's for my mum :P

Italy highlights

2009-10-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

Sneaked a pix of Michelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel when i really shouldn't have...

We saw plenty, ate plenty and met plenty and it's just too mind boggling to note down everything so here are the highlights!

ITALY on the whole

Likes

Beautiful place blessed with great weather, food and wine! Awesome place if you like stories about the ancient Romans, Crusades, Renaissance art. Super interesting to "bag" and "sunglass" watch ( it is after all home of some of the top luxury brands) . The shoes are gorgeous too and if you are into expensive shoes.. this is the place to buy them. They are far cheaper in Italy than in Singapore or China.

Dislikes

Super duper grumpy service especially when reserving seats at the train station and even at the airport. Hey! Is it that hard to gimme 2 seats side by side??

How expensive it is to sit down for breakfast.

FLORENCE

Replica of Michelangelo's David

Likes

1.The food! Cheap ( compared to other cities we went) and good. Average for a Primi plate ( pasta) is about 5-10 Euros. Randomly picked restaurants served amazing food. Even touristy restaurants served great food! It's all rustic meals - nothing fancy. The restaurants themselves weren't fancy. But every meal was unbelievably plate-licking good. I actually looked forward to meal times!

2. It's maze-like streets. So confusing but fun to stumble on something new each time! There are interesting bakeries and markets waiting around each corner.

3. The outlet shopping - a friend told me about The Mall - an outlet for Gucci, Tod's, Hogan, Ferragamo, Zegna, Burberry, Armani etc... It's 50mins bus ride from the Florence central railway station. It's really pretty, set in the tuscan countryside with plenty of hills, vineyards surrounding it. Gucci was about 60% off . Many other between 30%-50% discount. but of course, these are the previous season's goods. Still... a very good buy.

Dislikes

I don't think there was anything I disliked about Florence. It was a very easy going, slow paced city with great stuff to eat. Hmm... my only quibble would be that everything closed so early.. at 7 or 7.30pm each day.

ROME

Likes

1. The history and the many many ruins! I can see why this is called the Eternal City. Some things have been around for thousands of years and it pretty much feels as if it'll look the same if we go back 10 years later.

2. The architecture - I don't know anything about archit

ecture but there so many fascinating old houses to look at.

3. The vibe of the city - its a big city with very old world charm. I enjoyed being able to walk to most places even if some of the walks took us 40mins... but there's always something surprising to see along the way.

4. Seeing the incredible wealth of the Vatican city. I mean, it's not just a spiritual place. It's got a very rich collection of art and each piece gives you a tiny glimpse into what the world was like in the different centuries. I loved that! Though of course... I know nothing about art. And staring at ceilings gave me a very very nasty neck- ache.

Dislikes

1. It's a tourist town with tourist prices and sometimes food can be a bit iffy if you're close to the tourist sites. Restaurants have "cover charge" !!

2. Having to queue a long while for anything. Gelato ( cos there's no system of queuing and how the hell do you compete with someone twice your height and double your loudness when trying to get the gelato guy to serve you first??), to get into the Vatican Museum ( that took like... 45mins?)

There were hardly any gypsies in Rome. Dan said that more than 10 years ago, he really had to watch out for pickpockets and gypsy kids. These days, you see more Armani-clad policemen than gypsies at the sites.

VENICE

Likes

1. The quaintness of the whole island - you can really see the christian, byzantian and Middle Eastern influences on this city of Marco Polo's. There's a certain sense of bygone wealth and opulence. You see it most clearly in St Mark's Basilica where the wealth of the church is embedded in the church walls itself. The ceiling literally glitters with gold mosaic!

2. The abundance of seafood. Clams and mussel dishes here ROCK! They are so delish I felt like licking the plates clean. Thank goodness for the bread to mop up the sauce. Not free of course... each restaurant charges anywhere between 1- 3 euros per person for the bread basket.

3. The gorgeous world famous glass from Murano island. I only bought one little ring and beads. Figured its easier to carry than 6 glasses in a set. Didn't stop by Murano though since we weren't gonna buy glassware. The prices can set off a heart attack.

4. Burano island for the colorful houses. They came in forest green, robin blue, turquoise, vermillion, egg yellow... Reminds me of an Old Nippon paint advertisement. There's less tourists and the island's quite a nice place to wander.

Dislikes

1. The crowds. Rome was crowded but least it's a big city. venice is a small island with A LOT of people crammed on it

2. The price of stuff - the Merchants of Venice made less than 20 euros from me, not a pound of flesh ( can't help being corny). Every shop has got beautiful things but every shop is heart stoppingly expensive. Oh but there are great little sunglass outlets with last season's Missoni shades going for 59 euros. The gondola rides were also super-ex so we didn't get a ride on it as romantic as it's touted to be!

MILAN

The flagship Prada shop... looks small outside.. Inside, shop extends to the basement

Likes

1. It's fashion central! Home to Prada, MiuMiu, Armani & Trussardi...What's there not to like??Just kidding... It's a great place to people watch. Most people ( except tourists) are dressed to the nines and they look very well put together. There are also plenty of glam restaurants to dine in if you want to see and be seen, and spend a ridiculous amount of money on tiny food portions. e.g. the trussardi cafe, gucci cafe, cavalli cafe...

2. The fancy food shops... There are quite a few that we set out to look for... and returned empty handed because they were super duper expensive. But it's fun to poke around a fancy grocer and examining the weird and wonderful foods it sells... But seriously, 7 euros for some fancified salt is WAY too much to spend. We shopped mostly at markets which were a whole different level of fun and excitement.

3. The concept of Apertivo. It's the concept of free tapas with drinks during happy hours (6-9pm) . The thing is , some places offer free flow of snacks and some of these " snacks" are more than enough to make a meal!. We went to a fab place called Obika that served most drinks + cocktails for 8euros and stuffed you with grilled peppers, parma ham, salami, pasta with pesto, some form of lasagna, mozzarella cheese salad. The drinks had a mighty kick to them too! Not the watered down stuff that you sometimes get in BJ.

4. You never quite know where you'll find a nice bar or restaurant where the owners are actually really friendly. We walked through some dodgy looking places to get to recommended places in our Lonely Planet guide. Most of them were well worth the walk.

Dislikes

1. How the merchants of Milan beckon you with their seductive wares... and when you are tempted to look, you discover that that really pretty Prada bag will set you back 1200 euros AFTER tax... or how those gorgeous riding boots are.... 395Euros. Ouch. Even outlet shops are expensive. And the outlets are like jumble shops. Not as glam at those in Florence or Venice.

2. It's more of a modern city with less stuff to see and stuff worth seeing are pricey... we didn't make it to see Da Vinci's Last Supper because just seeing this one painting will set us back 7Euros each. That buys me a plate of pasta at a very local shop.

3. Main point is, Milan is expensive. Food costs more here and it's not necessarily nice. You can't randomly pick one and expect nice food. Even stuff at the market costs more than the other 3 cities!

I really hope to go back to Italy again. I threw one miserable 1 cent into the Trevi Fountain in Rome ( euro is expensive lah) .. Should have thrown a few more to increase my chances of coming back!!!

I heart Miu Miu

2009-10-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

I stood for a super long time at the Miu Miu store in Rome today... thinking... "I shouldn't have bought anything else ( I bought stuff) and I shouldn't have eaten for days ( I ate a lot), then I can afford this gorgeous 900 euro bag. " See http://www.styledrops.com/handbags-36679.html for reference.

So after spending several mins ooing and ahhing over the bags ( I heart the new collection with plenty many gold bling studs) and feeling Dan's disapproving stare and comments about how I've already got one bag... I walked away from Miu Miu with simply what I needed - a new pair of mega size sunglasses that amazingly fit rather nicely. I'm gonna make sure these last me longer than the last pair. Only hard cases from now onwards!

Love Rome

2009-10-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

Super tired from walking today. There's so many sights in Rome! Today we saw the colosseum, the pantheon, the memorial to an unknown soldier, the Roman Forum, the Palatino, Piazza Navona, Spanish steps, flagship Bvlgari shop at 10, Via Condetti :P and other random ruins and statues along the way. I loved the colosseum! Can almost imagine gladiators standing there fighting wild beasts!

We also walked by the ruins of Torre Argentina where there's a famous Roman cat sanctuary and caught a glimpse of several cute cats...

Italian love affair - Roaming Rome

2009-10-04T12:03:00.000-07:00

I love love love Italy! The food is yum ( though I ate mostly pasta .. but I love pasta) , the weather is fantastic, the old towns of Florence and Rome are full of interesting nooks and crannies filled with sculptures and palazzos and museums and of course... there's plenty of shopping to be done :)

When in Florence, how can one not visit the house of Gucci and Ferragamo? Even though we weren't exactly buying anything, it was still fun to walk through the "hallowed" halls of the original flagship shops and take a peek at this season's latest wares.

If you ever go to Florence, aside from the historic and art sites, you really have to visit The Mall. It's a factory outlet located 1hr's bus ride from Florence. This is one glam outlet located in the tuscan valley, hidden among hills and vineyards. Here is where you'll find Gucci, Ferragamo, Tod's, Hogan, YSL, Armani and Zegna outlet shops. Each brand has its individual shop done up just like the boutique. It sells off-season stuff at remarkably low prices. It seems loads of Taiwanese have heard of this place cos when we went there, the bus was filled with Chinese speaking couples. From their speech and dressing, they seemed to be Taiwanese. Most of them zeroed in on Gucci and it was scary to see people picking out items as if they were free. You would see them hanging on to 4 bags and grabbing wallets. Wallets for 100€ and bags starting at 200€ should be pretty cheap I guess...Several items were 1 or 2 pcs only so I could see why these women grabbed everything in sight.

We were only in Florence for 2 days and I feel almost poor already...Maybe by the time we reach Milan, I'll have to sing for my meals...

Tonight's the 3rd day of our trip and our first day in Rome. We went to see the Trevi fountain and thrwe our coins in to wish for a return trip to this city! Tomorrow, we hit the Roman forum, colosseum and Pantheon. The day after, the Vatican, where I need to seek some salvation for my soul... especially given how much cursing and swearing i've been doing in the last few months over work!

Look out for pix another time and more updates !

I really Rado not go back there

2009-09-30T02:31:00.001-07:00

Was in Shenyang doing a Rado event on Monday & Tues. The watches were beautiful but I can't say the same of the city. Service at Trader's Hotel was almost non-existent. Asking the staff to help us tidy up was such a pain. One elderly old lady said, no one wanted to clean cos it's lunch time. She essentially hinted that, if we slipped them some $$, people would clean. We were already paying a lot to the hotel!!

team mini meeting inside our room

We got to eat one decent meal out of 4 meals. That was at a fancy looking shopping mall next door, in a HK style restaurant. The food was quite nice but it seemed more "dong bei" than HK, serving spicy dishes like 水煮鱼 . Service here was not only non-existent, it was downright rude and to some extent, terrifying. My local colleagues, one of whom tends to pick on service, didn't dare to pick on service nor argue. We were kind of worried we'll get whacked especially given the Dong Bei reputation to fight first, talk later. Conversation went like this:

Taiwanese colleague: Can we have another menu please? There are 7 of us here.

Wait staff (fierce and very loudly): I gave you 2 menus and that's very good already. What do you expect? 7 menus?

Taiwanese colleague ( stunned)

BJ colleague: Er... we're just asking for one more so that we can order faster

Wait staff: Look through the menu faster

BJ colleague: Er.. fine.. let us look through and we'll order

Wait staff stands beside me & BJ girl at the table and taps pen

BJ colleague: I would like a HK milk tea

Me: me too

Wait staff: So how many is that?

Me: 2

BJ girl: Sorry. Make that 1, I want a juice instead

Wait staff ( very aggressively): So what exactly do all of you want to drink? Can you decide faster?

All 7 of us looked at the waitress, a bit stunned...

Order finally done. Waitress repeats our order ( almost shouting) and goes off. We discover we are short of 3 plates and 3 pair of chopsticks.

Taiwanese colleague: Excuse me, can we have plates and chopsticks

Wait staff makes a sound of annoyance frowns and walks away with no response and comes back with the required utensils. She kinda plonks them down.

Another BJ colleague: Least she gave us 7 pairs and not 7 chopsticks and says I gave you each one stick, that's very good already.

Food is served, drinks are served but we're one tea short and also lacking napkins.

BJ girl: 服务员, can we have napkins?

Wait staff rolls her eyes at us and walk away

BJ girl ( adds quickly): bring 7 please! ( whispers to the table) what if she comes back with only one and tells us, I gave you one, that's very good already. ( Snigger)

Wait staff comes back with 4 miserly pieces of paper...

We try asking again, she sounds annoyed and come back with a giant stack enough for 20 people and just drops its wordlessly on the table. She held it over the table for a second then dropped it as if saying " NAH. So mah fan"

Me: Er.. we're short of one hot tea.

Wait staff: There's a cup in front of you. Can't you see it's tea?!?

Me: I mean, we ordered 2 hot teas. You haven't served the other

Wait staff: No you did not.

Me: Yes I did

Wait staff is annoyed. Checks order form and walks off.

I was worried she would come back and pour the tea on me!!

Watching Singapore F1 race on Chinese TV

2009-09-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

Same time last year I was at home, watching bits of F1 i my parents' living room. Avoiding the crowds in town and preparing to wake at 7am to walk over to my own home and open the doors for HDB contractors. Then, I thought nothing much about F1... just what a novel idea it was to lure tourists to Singapore.

I'm now sitting in Beijing, watching bits of this year's race while trying to finish up some work at the same time. I'm half listening to the Mandarin commentary and it's given me a new perspective on Singapore.

There are things we take for granted in Singapore - the largely smooth traffic, the clean roads, the cityscape. Listening to these Chinese commentators talk about how comfortable it must be sitting by the Singapore river, how clean the water looks and how clean the city is... it's almost as if I'm seeing Singapore with fresh eyes. There was a shot of the race track and Singapore's night view and it really did look quite beautiful - not something you think about when you've lived in the city all your life and gripe about the lack of "character" in architecture and how hot it is to walk a mere 5 mins outdoors.

The commentators discussed how Singapore closed the roads for this race and they had a guest voice whom I suppose is Singaporean or least a journo based in Singapore. The commentators asked if the roads were closed days in advance and if it caused a lot of inconvenience to locals. The respondent was quite horrified. He said, of course not! and went on to explain how everything was done with maximum efficiency ( least that's how it sounded to me lah) and with alternative routes or modes of transport.

That just reminded me of the horrible inconvenience of the upcoming road closures in Beijing for the National day parade and how my colleagues and I were trapped, yes trapped, in the Ritz Carlton one evening because of the closures.

Back to F1 - i just thought it interesting to hear about Singapore from a different perspective!

broken sunglasses

2009-09-25T20:21:00.001-07:00

So smart lor... I think I sat or leaned back on my bag and in the process, broke my sunglasses... I think my ex-Ogilvy friends would be relieved that those glasses are gone. They were so horrified that I would buy anything from Dior...

But those glasses suited me well!!!! now I'm sunglass-less :(

A taxi driver's take on life in Singapore

2009-09-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

Taxi drivers back home are an interesting bunch. You get the uncle who's kindly but sometimes talks too much during your ride; the younger dude who's disgruntled with the system that made him have to turn to driving people around; the cabbie who knows all the gossip in Singapore and the one who knows where you can get good food.

There's one common thread among cabbies , I guess, anywhere in the world. They're sure to have a wealth of stories to share. The nature of their job exposes them to different types of people and gives them that great chance to observe human nature up close and personal.

One cabbie from singapore has decided to share his stories online http://taxidiary.blogspot.com/ and he's captured the eyeballs of many. His simple accounts of experiences with different passengers really uncovers a different aspect of life in Singapore that we sometimes don't think about. If nothing else, his stories are entertaining! Read it :)

The schoolhouse at Mutianyu

2009-09-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

We took a loooong ride to Mutianyu great wall last saturday with my uncle and aunt to try out a restaurant called The Schoolhouse. Set at the foot of the wall, in the village of Mutianyu, the Schoolhouse is a converted school building that now serves as restaurant, glass making workshop and local handicraft centre. I loved how quaint everything was! There are even house for rent. These luxurious "villas" come with 2-4 bedrooms and are perfect for a short weekend getaway in the countryside.

Back to dinner at the Schoolhouse. The view was spectacular of course. We got there as the sun was setting. And you could see the green hills and stone cold facade of the wall turn a warm shade of orange. The sky slowly faded into a dusky blue and streaks of pink. It was truly beautiful. It's rare to see such clear skies in Beijing... once it got dark, you can see stars in the sky. It's almost as if someone cast a shimmery black throw across the sky. Really breathtaking. Living in the city, with all its light pollution, I've forgotten how beautiful the night sky could look.

Dinner was nice too. All the ingredients are locally sourced in Huairou district where Mutianyu is. I had an appetiser of duck liver with apple and some choux pastry while Dan had the smoked rainbow trout. I have to say the trout was far nicer than my duck liver, probably because there wasn't enough fruit to reduce the gamey taste of the duck. Still it was a nice dish.

For mains, my uncle had the duck leg which was so tender it fell off the bone as he sliced it. My aunt had a grilled local fish marinated with Huairou honey. I'm not a fan of fish but that night, I tried both fish dishes and they were remarkably delicious. I had lamb chops with walnut which were ok. Not mindblowing but still tasty. Dan had the local T-bone steak. That was one MONSTER steak weighing close 750grams. It was somewhat tough but the marinade was yummy. I'm not sure I would have the steak or lamb again but the duck and grilled fish are worth a second try.

For dessert we had some chocolate mousse and creme de menthe ice-cream. The ice cream was slightly sweet but it was a great palate cleanser after 750g of steak. The chocolate mousse was ok too but not particularly memorable.

I would go back to The Schoolhouse again to give the food another shot. Maybe the dishes I had weren't too exciting. But the breathtaking view, the warm welcome the proprietress gave us and the quaint setting .. these were beyond par.

lost my phone & ipod

2009-09-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

Very sad... lost both items at my event last wed. I was running around and *poof* i lost my phone. I tried looking for it in JW Marriot, the tunnel linking Marriot with Ritz, the Ritz, all the loos... i couldn't find it.

After the event ended, we were having dinner at midnight when I realised that my ipod was also missing. I used it as a storage device to transfer some presentation files at our event. Panic. I ran back to both hotels and scoured the rooms. Hotel security nearly kicked me out saying non- authorised folks weren't allowed in the ballroom, only workers with passes. I made the security walk through the hotels with me after yelling at them " do I look like a worker??" ( there were some folks tearing down out event venue) I asked the AV guys packing up if they saw my ipod and even the lights guys. No one saw it. One said he remembered me unplugging it from the system and running off.. I couldn't remember a thing I was too tired.

I'm just annoyed with the loss of the phone. Means I lost all my contacts and have to get everyone to give me their nos. again.

The heartbreaking part was losing my ipod. It's got a lot of music that I spent time loading, a lot of information that i store in there and most important of all, it was a valentine's day gift from Daniel in 2006. It's old but it had sentimental value. So that's made me sad. I think Dan's upset that i didn't take better care with my things too... to lose 2 items in 1 night.

In fact, I almost lost my jacket too. For some strange reason, my client found it in his room that night. I think one of his colleagues stuffed it in the wrong bag or he took it by accident cos I spent the whole afternoon looking for it in our production room but it was gone. He realised it was mine when I sent a mass mail to everyone that was in that room to look for my missing stuff the next day. I was quite annoyed with him and told him that he made me suffer a very cold day in the hotel and a very very cold walk home at midnight AND why the hell would he want a jacket that he's obviously too big to fit into??? In fact, which dummy would put it in his bag or even want to take my jacket?? It is extremely small. I can barely wear it and honestly, there's no one in that team that's small enough to fit in it. Ah well... least I got back 1 out of 3 items.

FINALLY

2009-09-10T11:54:00.000-07:00

that blasted event is over and I can get some sleep. from Sat - Tues, I had an average of 3hrs sleep. Was becoming incoherent, my hands kept shaking, I felt cold all the time and I couldn't seem to manage the Enlgish- Chinese brain-to-mouth process.

It's 3 am now and I'm still awake only cos I finally got to sleep last night and woke up at noon... and I've become used to sleeping at weird hours.

But yay! Event over!

i wish i was home

2009-09-05T13:37:00.000-07:00

I was in the office till 2am today... having a long long meeting that ended past 1am. During this meeting, I was the only foreigner and people were cracking jokes. I really truly felt out of place. Not only did I not understand a word. I couldn't understand why they were angst-ing over seating for 2 hrs. On a Sat, at 11pm going on 1am, you would think that anyone at work will want to hurry up an finish already.

It's a. not efficient ( that's why so many people need to be hired to dp a simple job), b. totally stupid to have 10 pple sitting in a room an not being able to decide mere 35% of the seating.

As the client started cracking jokes, I've never felt more keenly how different our cultures were despite being ethnically Chinese. I didn't find it funny and neither was I very keen on wasting time on 20 mins of banter at midnight after 1 week of 16hr work days. I wanted a decision - Yes? No? But there was none to be given.

We have bad sorts at work back home. But honestly, clients back home knew that time was money. Not like these folks that want X amount to cover unlimitless amount of time, energy and costs. It's like trying to buy 1000 roti pratas with just SGD$1.

This time, my stint back at work makes me really truly miss working back home... generally. it's just made me want to go home. Or go anywhere else where people just tell you outright what they feel instead of beating around the bush for 6 months even up till 5days before a major event, making you spend more time, money and effort without any visible returns.

I'm demoralized, desensitized and generally displeased. There were some minor hiccups which I know the client will pin on us and specifically on me after this event. It's easy to find a scapegoat with a nice disposition, who can't argue in mandarin particularly well. I think my lucky stars for an important lesson a mentor taught me back home... document EVERYTHING to cover your ass.

research for Oct holiday

2009-08-30T07:51:00.000-07:00

The only thing keeping me going till next Wed's event. So tired. The bright spot in my life this week? Daniel helping to book and confirm our tickets for the trip.

I made a mistake of waiting till Sept to purchase thinking there may be a promo on the Airline we wanted to take ( given how all the other airlines are having promos!!) This didn't happen and prices went up phenomenally. Thankfully Dan's travel desk got us tix at fairly reasonable prices so we're finally 100% confirmed for our trip. Have to begin booking our B&B accommodations ASAP!

SPQR here I come!

falling sick..

2009-08-30T07:42:00.001-07:00

The result of working so late and on weekends?? Maybe. Once the event is over the week after, I'm gonna get me a good rest - sleep, exercise, proper meal times and a massage!

Romancing Juliette

2009-08-30T07:18:00.000-07:00

Had lunch over the weekend at Juliette's ( at TongLi studio, in Sanlitun) before catching the new GI Joe movie. We wanted to try something new and decided to give Juliette's a try after reading about it in one of those dining guides.

I must say... there's nothing wrong with the food... but I think I got more satisfaction out of watching GI Joe...

The 2 course set lunch menu was a very reasonable 128rmb and even comes with a glass of drinkable wine. I had the beef consomme with foie gras. The foie gras was stuffed into 3 little raviloi/ dumpling- like pastry and cooked. Looks a bit like having wanton in beef soup. That was tasty but nothing to shout about.

For my mains, I had the grilled duck served with risotto. The dish was fairly huge. There was probably a whole duck breast filleted and arranged around a fairly big serving of risotto. The duck was a tad fatty but that's to be expected from duck. I peeled off all the duck fat and skin simply cos it was too terrifying to even contemplate eating all that fat. The flesh wasn't too gamey but neither was it so delicious that I couldn't wait to eat it all. However, i think it made a good match for the risotto which tasted strongly of parmesan cheese. I liked the risotto but Daniel would have liked it a little more al dente.

Dan's starter of tuna and shrimp salad with lobster reduction was quite refreshing but again, it didn't exactly send either of us into a rhapsody of how delicious it was. It was simply ok. Dan's main was some form of stewed beef tenderloin. Tasted good but again, not great enough for us to want to specially make a trip back.

Dessert is thrown in for another 10RMB more. I wasn't feeling too great so I skipped dessert. Daniel had the 3 scoops of ice-cream; I had a taste. Ice cream came in 3 flavours- chocolate, pistachio and coconut - none of which I particularly like. There was a chocolate "soup" as a dessert choice which sounded more interesting. If you're eating at Juliette's and happen to try the choc soup, let me know if it's any good!

Verdict: Ok if you wander past and decide to grab a bite. But not exactly worth making a special trip down to try. Oh.. and the service was somewhat shakey. The staff didn't know what the dishes were or how they were cooked which caused a little confusion when we ordered the beef tenderloin. We thought it was cooked like regular steak and not stewed.

Ody's 5min of fame

2009-08-23T07:09:00.000-07:00

Hee hee Ody was in the 6 Aug issue of 8 days as part of an advertorial for Fancy Feast. Isn't he just so super cute!

this is the new office

2009-08-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

mini common Pantry that we share with our sister companies on the same floor

our boardroom!

my desk and Liz who sits across from me and is subjected to my rambling/ ranting. Dude in purple just walked over for a discussion.

the view from my spanking new window seat. Finally! I can see daylight.

New office is nice but...

2009-08-19T08:01:00.000-07:00

The ladies room is a bit freaky. I thought it was just me but turns out, some other people think so to. Only discovered it this morning when we were talking about getting a fright when people appear around the bend in the office late at night.

The new office is big and fairly well lit. I even have a window seat now! But the public spaces like the lift landing, lift and toilets are dimly lit. I have to stay pretty late these couple of days and thankfully I leave the office with a colleague. At 10pm, the lift landing is DARK and inside the dim lift there are several mirrors...I feel goosebumps.

Back to the main freaky. The toilet. There are 2 ladies toilets on the floor and once is inside our office. the other is used by another company sharing the floor. The ladies toilet inside our office is far nicer than the old one at Soho. I didn't like it much the first time I went in. I guess it was cos of the dim lights. After a few times I literally wanted to hurry out of the loo.. today I realised why...

The toilet emits strange noises. One of it sounds like a woman sighing. Really. I kid you not. Raises the hair on the back of my neck. My colleague and I have figured its because of the water pressure and piping. You hear the noise if someone on another floor turns on the tap. There's a logical explanation but that still doesn't make it any less scary. Especially in a very quiet office in the middle of the night. Doesn't help that there are 2 locked doors in the loo that leads to goodness-knows-where. Ugh!! Creepy.

Happy Birthday Singapore!

2009-08-09T06:12:00.000-07:00

A song that's been stuck in my head since childhood...

Happy Birthday Singapore!

Singapura, oh Singapura, sunny island set in the sea

Singapura, oh Singapura, pretty flowers bloom for you and me!

Come along join the song in merry singing

Blend our voices

Join in the chorus!

Singapura, oh Singapura, pretty flowers bloom for you and me!

I wonder what's the new office like

2009-08-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow's the company move to a new office space. I'm kinda sad because now I can't walk to work... Have to fight with everyone else for cabs in the morning and evening!

Then again, maybe there'll be plenty of cabs given that I go to work at 10 and knock off at... let's see... never??!?! Ah well, at least never during peak traffic hours. I hear the traffic around the new office is horrendous. Thankfully there's no lack of cabs at night since the new office is near a popular KTV place. I've heard some people say we should book a KTV room at lunch so get some sleep and of course, it helps there's free flow of food. hahahaha

Off to Guangzhou... again

2009-07-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

Off to GZ tomorrow for a day's meeting. Hopefully this time I get to eat a proper meal. I still can't get over my first impressions.

On the bright side, we get to stay at a nice hotel!

How long more can I hang in there?

2009-07-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Warning: this is a work related gripe. Skip it if you've had enough of me complaining.

Have you redone a piece of work so many times that you've lost interest in it? It no longer resembles the grand plan you had at the start, the vision that inspired you to pour all your energy into making it fun, interesting and just right.

That's kinda how I feel right now. I've been redoing the same proposal so many times that its destroyed any enthusiasm I had for it. The client has made us change it so often that I'm just tired of putting any effort into it. What's the point when I put in 150% the first 5 times and each time it gets thrashed? And what's more annoying is, after you think something's confirmed, it gets pulled apart 3 proposals later.

When you start off an account on a wrong foot, everything turns sour - you're reluctant to do the work, you think the client is your worse enemy and you're thinking of just walking away from it all. Yup. That's how I feel now... every ounce of passion I may have had for my work has been wrung out. Try now and it's like trying to squeeze water from a rock.

I do my best at work -putting in extra hours to get stuff done on time, trying my darn hardest to create interesting events for clients. I complain about the craziness of it all but that's to help me maintain some sanity. Underneath it all, I'm still passionate about what I do. But this time, this client is slowly killing any "loving" I have for my work.

Only thing that holds me to the job is a sense of responsibility. I feel almost as if I need to finish what I started. My conscience wouldn't let me leave the boss and the rest of the team in the lurch, especially when the boss has treated me rather well. I'm just wondering how long that can last... a day? a week? a month?

the joy in little things

2009-07-08T07:59:00.000-07:00

10 everyday things that bring me joy:

1. a hug and a kiss from Dan in the morning and when i get home

2. cats greeting me at the door

3. a good home cooked meal

4. Satellite TV - my best friends are AXN & Starworld

5. a steaming cup of coffee in the morning

6. waking up with a purring cat at my feet

7. a hot bath

8. air conditioning

9. good night kisses all around

10. falling asleep quickly

How sad! Michael Jackson's passing...

2009-06-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

The king of pop has just passed away! I was never a fan but I grew up with his music. The song which I remember most clearly is Heal the World because it was used at my secondary school's anniversary celebration. We rehearse to the song so often I even thought I heard the song in my sleep! Sigh...It's sad to realise that the talented pop idols of my childhood days are slowly fading away.

Just a few days ago, Starworld was playing Say Say Say, the song Michael Jackson recorded with Paul McCartney. Dan & I were just commenting on how talented he truly is and what a pity he hasn't release any album in years...

The man may have passed, but his music will definitely live on.

My sister and her dog

2009-06-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

I've been sitting around waiting for the same idiotic designer to send stuff over most of today plus finishing up some other work... This is one of those "i'm waiting" moments... looked through the files in my mac and realized that I took some pix with my sis one night last month. It was during my trip back home. We were bored at home and fiddled with functions on the Mac.

2.20am .. still awake

2009-06-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

vendor sent me the stuff.. it was so bad I'm sputtering from anger. I need it by 9am tomorrow... and he's still giving me a copy of my ppt. WHY?

still awake...

2009-06-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

1.15am and I'm still waiting for that damn layout... copying my ppt and plonking it on pagemaker, is not called layout

Simmering

2009-06-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

Angry. So angry. Despite my best efforts to stay calm. The vendors we use at work absolutely get my blood boiling. They can't design, they can't deliver on time, they can't source stuff ... all of which combine to make my team look bad. I suffer the brunt of the client's displeasure! This is making me so fed up. It's bad enough to be tormented by clients but it's even worse when the resources you expect to support you are not doing their part.

I was so mad, I almost yelled at someone. It doesn't take much to annoy me but it sure takes a lot to get me angry. And this time, I am really ANGRY. Won't take much to tip me over.

Sadler up!

2009-06-14T02:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, corny attempt to pun... We went to Ristorante Sadler last weekend with my uncle & family to try a 2 Michelin star meal. Located in Beijing's Legation Quarter ( No. 23 Qianmen), this is one of those glam places the snotty types would like to see and be seen. We were just there for the food. 2 star chef wor! I've always wondered what was the big deal about the Michelin stars. Apparently, chefs have gone into depression and even attempt suicide after losing a star!!

So off we went to satisfy our curiosity and our rumbling tummys.

On the decor - it was elegant and chic. A great place to relax but not the kind

for a boisterous party!

On the service: Attentive and they served iced water. Unlike some places in Beijing that insist you have to buy mineral water that costs as much as a starter! The staff also made an effort to take our order in English when they realised our conversation was in English. So I give them points for effort.

On the food:

The bread basket was fantastic. They were very generous with the bread which were served warm. The cheese flavored bread tasted the best. My cousin quietly polished off all three in the basket he was sharing with his parents. Bread was served with pesto, olive oil and salt. My cousin asked for butter but apparently there's none to be had. No big deal since I like bread with olive oil anyway. It dawned upon me much later in the meal, why they gave so much bread...

My cousin ordered a lobster consomme ( i vaguely remember this being 150RMB). He didn't like it. I ended up having most of it. It' nothing like a creamy lobster bisque. This is a brown broth that's poured over grilled veggies and I think morel mushroom. On first taste, you'd think you just drank perfumed water. It tasted very floral. The taste grew on me. Takes a while to realise it's not flowers you're tasting but lobster roe. But there's not a hint of lobster flesh anywhere in the serving. So this was one really expensive soup.

We also had squid- balls. Kinda like bouncy sotong balls bac

k in Singapore, without the bounce. There were only 4 balls. The sering was small but the plus point was, each ball was pure unadulterated minced squid. No flour. The best starter was the Risotto cooked with Prosecco ( bubbly wine). it was cheesy sweet and oh so good!

My Aunt had the blue fin tuna, daniel had the slow cooked lamb, my uncle had the wagyu beef, my cousin the lobster ravioli and myself, the sea urchin roe pasta. The ravioli and pasta servings were super duper tiny. My cousin, a growing teenage boy was disappointed to count only 5 pieces of ravioli on his plate.

My pasta had quite a generous serving of sea urchin but the overall serving was so small that I finished my pasta in 4 bites.

I guess the pasta isn't supposed to be a main course. I believe pasta is kind of like a 2nd starter in real Italian meals. ( Lightbulb went off in my head here... so that's why there's so much bread!)

Serving size aside, my sea urchin roe pasta was delicious. It had an interesting flavor reminiscent of seafood marinara... just with a more premium type of seafood I guess. My cousin did not enjoy his lobster ravioli as much because it had that same perfumed taste of his consomme. Poor boy just ate more bread. As did I.

The beef and lamb came in much bigger servings. My uncle proclaimed the beef to be yummy (it better be at over 300RMB!!) and Dan's lamb was good too - tender with a mild gamey taste and coated in a delicious pastry with crushed nuts. The blue fin tuna was also nice ( again... better be at that price!)

We shared 2 desserts - one of Tiramisu which was really yummy, and the second was Tete de Moine( cheese) with a glass of port. Dessert ranged form 70 - 150RMB. The restaurant also served us a plate of complimentary after dinner sweets. That was really nice of them! There were 3 varieties and enough for each of us to try all three sweets.

At the end of the meal, our curiosity ad rumbling tummys were satisfied though the servings were small. I suspect I was stuffed from all that bread. I enjoyed the food and the wine immensely but I'm not sure if I'll be coming back again soon at these exorbitant prices and tiny servings.

But would I recommend the restaurant? Sure! If you want to expose your palette to something different, and if you need to impress a client or a date. And if you want to experience the creativity of a 2 michelin star chef.

Seoul fun

2009-06-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

I never was a fan of Korean TV series so the thought of going to Korea never quite occurred to me. My parents and siblings went to Seoul years ago when I was taking my A levels... so I couldn't go. My sis also went again to visit friends. And both times, she didn't seem to have much to say about Seoul apart from hating Kimchi. So I never thought of Seoul as an attractive destination.

I was wrong. Seoul is loads of fun! There's plenty of interesting foods to eat, shops to browse, people to watch. I thought it would be similar to Japan. It was.. but not quite. It was very uniquely Korean. People behaved differently, the pace of life was slower than in Tokyo and the the shopping was very varied too.

We stayed at the Dongdaemun area, in an apart-el ( service apartment sorta place) called Eastgate Tower Residence. It was located in a office/ shopping mall which I thought as rather strange but it was a really nice room with good basic facilities. The rooms were spacious and comfortable. For SG$100 a night. I thought it offered good value.

Each day we'll gather with other travel mates ( 2 other couples) at the nearby subway station and then hit the sites and shops. Dan & I seldom travel with other people or as part of a tour. It was great to have company! Great company on a holiday makes the entire trip a whole lot more fun!!

One thing I didn't get to do in Seoul was explore the markets near our hotel. The wholesale markets are closed on Sunday.. as I discovered on Sunday morning, the day I designated to hit the button, fabric and bead markets. Ah well... all the more reason to go back again!

Hungry Rambler

New Year

i would like to retire by 45

Damp Depressing December

Dining boredom

Hello Hanoi.. super delayed post

6 years ago

Why I haven't blogged

New Kitchen, New Job

Happy Birthday Ms Qoo!!!

My first attempt at scrapbooking

Did I tell you about the day I delivered a plasma TV?

what a mess...

Anniversary No.9

Re-adjusting to home

Shopping on taobao

alamak - falling sick

On hiding and packing

haven't been blogging

I love autumn

I want birthday cake like that!!

my 2nd other job: tour guide

my other job: adult-sitter

my new way of dealing with extra work

Impressions of New York

Other small things I bought in NYC

One thing I did not buy on sale

I *heart* eating in New York

so many things so little time

7 more days to NYC

Sometimes I think I should just not work

Acclimatizing to Slurpee, Sneezy and Smelly

The fine art of ta-baoing ba chor mee for a long distance flight

cute new rings

The sea

Tired...

ticket to NYC bought

It's a beautiful day...

alamak...

Fatburger - new burger joint in town

hmm.. my wii fit tells me I've lost weight

NYC here I come!!!!!

weekend in Huairou

Indigestion? Ate something wrong?

Brunch at Maison Boulud

the event that kept me up for days...

Harbin-ger of Cold

Doing my fav thing each year... running away from misfired fireworks

A reminder to live life

Accent confusion

Meet Weber Shandwick Beijing's 2010 Best Dressed Pair

today's solar eclipse

10 min phone encounter with Sienna Miller

The boss shows some "skin"

Beijing's coldest weather in 30 years

I wish this was my house...

Very Merry Christmas!

When I was juz a little girl..

Saying Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

Turning... 20 again!

mmmmm... at Capital M

Zootopia

Scandalized by skin?

The night of saris ..

My very delish Malay meal

Random thoughts from watching TV and movies

November Snow...

Invite to a wedding

yay! get to go home next weekend!

my fren francesco

Making new italian "friends"

Italy highlights

I heart Miu Miu

Love Rome

Italian love affair - Roaming Rome

I really Rado not go back there

Watching Singapore F1 race on Chinese TV

broken sunglasses

A taxi driver's take on life in Singapore

The schoolhouse at Mutianyu

I heart eating in New York