'It Sucks'

Office Jinx
Somehow something will go wrong! Amidst the many days that I've got nothing to do, something finally sent me jumping off my feet again. My ofc PC bogged down, and I again had no backup of the files in my pc. Registry file failure. Great! #@!%# I've sent the CPU for recovery, not sure if my files can be salvaged.

Last week my boss called me for a talk, he was persuading to take up development work. Sheesh I dont know why people say 'you can do it', but I still feel that 'I cant'. Whenever someone tells me that in difficult times, I do appreciate but I really want to ask back, 'what made you think so'. Funny that I've survived almost 6 years in the IT industry. Same story last year for this dev thing, but somehow the plan didnt really completely push through. If things go wrong, I guess I really should have PEP (personal employment pass) handy hehe.

I know what I want.
I somehow have an idea on what should be done.
But I dont know how to do it. (probably lacks the discipline or confidence)

Whether about development work or life in general, above statements apply.
It sucks.


Bridge Closure
My friend (female) has been talking with me about her boylets issue. The puzzle guy is also talking with me about his issues. Although the puzzle guy is sometimes really nuts, but somehow his effort cant also be overlooked. He actually asked my friend to come over here and he'll apply a dependent pass for her, whew though I dont know why he seems to be proposing to a not-yet-gf girl, but still effort is commendable. Can you believe that he courted my friend 3 times?! na-basted na ng twice. Finally the verdict, 3rd time is also 'basted'. I asked my friend whether she really does like him or not, she said there were times before where she felt she likes him but he didnt make a move. Oh well so sad. I guess it all boils down to 'timing' :D. Yeah timing counts.

And the annoying thing is that sometimes pati ako hinihiritan. Awww this is not what I want. I dont consider him as reason enough to go against any potential friendship issues. Magpapabasted ka na rin lng, wag sa kaclose ko! Fairly speaking, setting aside everything, also not my type.

Anyway, I guess this is really the end of their story. What a relief, no more bridge! If things are really not meant to be, at least I am happy for them that they both have a 'closure'. Closure might be better at times.

P.S. I guess I also have to find closure for a lot of things.


Point in Time
'At that point in time, I failed to do or say something'.

I was talking with my achi a while ago and she was making fun of me why I have an 'unknown' visitor in my room. Well for info, my achi has the talent of making you feel worse when you are feeling bad, I guess gatungan is also one way of lambingan, at least in my family. :p

I am not really mad, just cant help feeling stupid. The mere fact that I don't want to let you down is the reason why I find it hard to turn down a request coming from you! Period. Bahala ka na.


Going Home Again
Finally something to perk me up. All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go... Hope to see you all :)

Kikay-ish

I just met with leklek yesterday. Because he has been inviting me to his hangout place (read: gay bar) for quite some time, finally found the chance to accompany him. My first time to a gay bar, gays there arent so loose as I expected them to be, in fact conservative. It was a bar cum public KTV place, I sang 2 or 3 songs that night (keber kahit na public) and I was told that I can sing well and exudes a different appeal while singing Mandarin songs. haha whew that made my night (I do believe them :p, no point of any b.s. as I'm not a prospect at all!) I guess I have another fallback career hmm.

Anyway, I will be forever grateful to him because he taught me one of the biggest kikay lessons - and that is it's mandatory to smile showing teeth. Goodness, I havent widely-smiled for the last 20+years of my life (cause I dont know how to!) and finally someone insisted that I should change it. I think I look more human from 07 onwards. haha thanks sis.

Sometimes I'm afraid to see my old pictures hihi. This was my typical look, with glasses that is :p. Taken while crossing a hanging bridge in Bohol, 2005. Guys and girls, you must really like me for bearing with me hehe. I miss those good old days.

Quote: Once in a while, we all need to seriously look at the mirror and go for a make-over. :D Life is a continuous journey of self-improvement.

LSS: Ballads

I heard this song over the radio and instantly had LSS on it. Sung by a new singer, I would say he is excellent with falsetto. You can hear it here: http://www.gg800.com/p/239547.htm
The lyrics are sincere. I 'crush' him tuloy :D. (disclaimer: falsetto is not gay)

你可不可以爱我 可不可以想我
虽然我对自己没有一点的把握
别害怕我难过 告诉我你真实的感受
至少忐忑已告一段落
你可不可以爱我 可不可以看我
反正看或不看
我依然失魂落魄
成全不是美德
拒绝也不是一种罪过
你能给我 快乐还是寂寞 ＊


One more song, the chorus is well-written and rhyming.
全世界都停了电
全世界都封了街
我所有窗子外面 被贴上黑夜
我呐喊思念却没人听见
绝望到极点 剩的是疲倦
全世界都停了电
全世界白雪满天
才发觉在我心间 有回忆碎片
一作梦翻身就刺痛流血
我卷着身体 缩成一个圈 像一个句点

There goes recommended mp3 for the day.

Wind

I'm supposed to read some docs for next project, but my system seems to have shut off. Nothing is registering, absolutely. All I can think of now is what to do on my vacation. Yes u bet.

I guess I'd run out of nature elements to write about if I continue to be idle :p Who cares.

The sun shines through the vivid sky with shadows casted on the horizons. Casting a spell on me bedazzled by the stills and motions.

I love how you kiss away my tears as you blow through the skyscrapers, with a sweet song lingering on my ear.

I love how you make me long for your embrace, as if waiting for spring to come and surround me with blossoming roses.

I love how you shower me with dewdrops, giving life to the unearthened layers of rocks and pebbles.

I loathe the day you disappear, taking away the colors that I see.

I feel empty and lost in the wilderness without your guiding murmurs.

I wish you exist in every corner, every dimension, every breath that I take.

I feel heaven and see butterflies whenever you are around.

- Wind

Of Pilates and Yoga

Last year I joined Pilates. Currently I'm taking Yoga. For me, both are almost similar. Pilates has more stretching to do, sometimes you have some pulling to do with a partner which is quite relaxing. Yoga, on the other hand, has soo many positions to assume and sometimes some of the movements are really extremes, funny-looking, with the instructor shouting 'HOLD IT RIGHT THERE... 10.. 9... 8... and by the time you reach 1, your body is shaking like hell hehe. Balance, focus, sounds easy but not that easy to execute. And oh yoga's positions are fun to recall, mostly related to objects and animals: bow, locust, butterfly (flap), downward dog, cobra, warrior, etc.

Pilates

From the net: Pilates exercises teach awareness of breath and alignment of the spine, and aim to strengthen the deep torso muscles.

Yoga

Some of the positions that I can recall:

Bow

Cobra

Downward Dog (or is it Sun Salutation)

Storm

What a long day. All my officemates are gone, somewhere for some reasons. One left SG for vacation. Boss was on MC (medical certificate, equiv for sick leave). One called in that he'll be working from home. One left early to attend to her sick daughter. One said he'll be working late this evening. The whole office is mine today, no one is here except me. The joys of project cutover - Silence. It has never been this silent. The crams, the escalations, the issues, the meetings, all are gone, hmm this is quite unusual. Savor savor! Cause it wont be long when phase 2 kicks in next month and again chaos!

This is not healthy. Surfing too much, talking too much, thinking too much of things. I still have 30min before I can go home, (i guess 6pm is the not-so-garapal time to leave)

Here goes again one of the deep literary fragments that came dancing in my thought.

Somewhere sometime someone strikes something somehow. At some point, I thought I am good yet with some unforeseen amiable implications, suddenly something that I thought that I am, that I have, that I believe in, got tinted with a blur. Left some parts of my world shaking. I cant believe why or how it happened or is it that I flew off the beaten path from the very start. I tried to immerse myself with the world that I believe in, yet unexpectedly you came and shake it off, the rain. Yes, it pours itself so harshly that it overflows. I am alive. But does that mean I have to go through hell hearing the thunderstorms. It amazes me how the mantra just gets hold of me so easily, as if swept by the whirlpool rhythm. It flickers like a beacon in the dark ocean and I feel like the firefly, captivated to fly nearer and nearer. It's just so hard to ignore it. It wraps me like a cocoon and I will be here waiting for the time, the space, the universe, that I shall fly by you and sweep you off your feet. And for once, you will realize, rain or shine, what is bound to happen will happen and nothing's gonna stop it. I know for once I tried.

I'm lost....Again. - Storm

okay enough for the day, going home.

Movie Reviews: of Love and Laughter

Revolutionary Road

When I knew that Leo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet are teaming up again for a new movie named Revolutionary Road, I was quite excited. Mostly because I like Titanic and would love to see the couple again together onscreen. However I cannot find someone as excited as me. Most of the the people I've asked preferred Fast and the Furious 4. I watched Part 3 and all i remember are nice car racing scenes but story is crap. Here's one again of my uncompromised surges, okay fine I watched it alone yesterday. Movie is based on a novel with same title. Initially I felt Leo and Kate look quite mature (probably I'm still stucked in their gorgeous era), eventually the characters sinked in. Kate is really a veteran now, with all the award nominations and wins, she played the neurotic wife so well. It was basically about marriage problems, a wife insisting on living in Paris thinking a change in environment could help salvage their unhappy marriage; and
the husband wanting to stay put and satisfied with his current life. The husband initially gave in but later on backed out because he got a job promotion and another conflict is that his wife got pregnant. Thoughts:
- wives shouldnt think of too fancy, unrealistic dreams
- husbands shouldnt give false hopes
- lastly husbands shouldnt be too dense! my goodness the last scene obvious spells Kate is about to do something unusual. Spills: It was actually alarming that Kate actually committed abortion (with some rubber tubing sucking apparatus yay!) by herself and died. Morbid. Pyschotic. Disturbing. It's the first intellectual film I've watched for this year! :p Cheers.

Warning: the next few ones below are purely no-brainer hehe

Look for a Star

Stars Andy Lau and Shu Qi, romantic-comedy. Somehow recent HK films dont give me the kilig satisfaction that I used to have while watching the 80's and 90's genre before. I did like the setting though, it's based in Macau and that time I just came from Macau so I could relate quite well with the tourist spots.

Detroit Metal City

One funny movie! I joined my friends without a single clue what the movie is. It's based on a popular Japanese manga of a boy who dreams to be a ballad singer but later on ended up as the lead singer of a Satanic Rock Metal band called Detroict Metal City. The actions and mannerisms are quite hilarious, his soft-effeminate personality is totally different with the rockband singer. The tagline: 'No music, no dream!'

He's Just Not That Into You

The title caught me and I earmarked this in my calendar long ago. A bit dragging but it does exhibit the pathetic fact that every woman at some point would commit some stupid things to charm the opposite sex and eventually goes into some hallucination as to why is the guy behaving like this. There are 5 couples in the story. #1: One girl is extreme 'pathetic-ness'. She'll go on blind dates and keeps on waiting for a guy to call, and makes all sort of excuses to calm herself like 'maybe he's busy, maybe he's sick, maybe his fone got stolen, and she'll literally sit by the phone and wait for it to ring and the list goes, and some creepy crawling and stalking to appear in front of the guy. #2: Another was about a 7-year live-in couple, the girl dreams of getting wed while the guy doesnt. 'He's not proposing because he's not interested'. The other couples are not interesting so my synopsis ends here :D

Confessions of a Shopoholic

I've watched Devil Wears Prada in HBO and liked it that's why I'm watching this chick flick. A hilarious serious vain shopaholic addict who swipes $$$ into her numerous credit cards for the sake of vanity. Despite bearing so much credit card loan, she ironically became popular with her financial investment articles. I like the auction scene where she sells off her most beloved item, the green scarf (it was a symbolic item as it brought her to her beau and her job and all). It didnt fail to give a warm ending.

Random Thoughts Apr09

Start of April is start of petix period for me. Work cycle is like getting through hell of overtime work in Feb and March then getting a taste of heaven with nothing else to do in April. Okay I dont have a right to complaint because I'm paid whether I work or not. I've searched all sites that I can think of during office hours and actually running out of sites to surf.

What Happened?

I've seen almost all my batchmates' frndster and fb profiles.To the guys I have admired before. The slim and macho have become bloated. Receeding hairline. Disfigured. What happened?

To the married girls who have kids. The kids are really cute but I dont know what happened to the moms. Some are able to maintain their figures, some aren't and you be the judge. Upsized, double-sized. Huge binti-pata. Again, what happened? Normal women double their size during pregnancy. The lucky ones shrink back and probably carry additional 20% of their original size, which is still acceptable. Now I understand obesity is a serious issue. Vain guys watch out.

... and I'm afraid I might be told the same comment 'what happened' haha. If one day I really depreciated and grew so ugly, well maybe I wont appear in front of you. I'd rather you remember just the good side of me and leave footprints in your hearts (whew that was a cheesy one). Okay so I went for a haircut to trim down a bit the long hair. 'Promo' price from a salon costs me 31sgd. It might be cheap for SG standards.. but hey on 2nd thought that's 976php. I dont think I'd shell out 1k for a haircut in Ph.

Tip: I'm not really a fan of short hair. Go for a medium-length straight cut as an unadventurous safe play, khit sino magmumukhng bata sa ganon.

Girl Talk

I'm in touch with my depressed friend back in Ph. I dont know why she is always in a depressed state. She will rant about guys who havent sent her an sms. Things like '930am na wala pa cyang text'. 'Buong araw ndi cya nagtext'. 'Nun isang araw lng cya nagtext'. 'Wala cyang kwentang katext'. I dont know what to react, because for me as long as the person shows concern (magparamdam) consistently in whatever medium of communication (not limited to txts alone) is enough (consistent has its own definition though). I dont consider myself a txt-centric person. Too bad eversince I started working, I am not in a job with the luxury of too much petix time all the time. I suddenly feel glad, good thing I am not a guy, I might be be shouting 'Get Lost' in such case hehe. Probably that is the normal life, a girl should be waiting for txts. I wonder if that suits me, literally waiting for texts and more texts and nothing more. I got surprised when she said she hopes to be in my shoes. Whew! There's nothing much spectacular in my life. My life doesnt seem normal. I'll lend you my shoes, give me a new pair. :p

Traditions

In relation to the above, suddenly I feel that sometimes there are too much unnecessary traditions.

The friend above is being courted by a guy older than her by 6 years. And her concern is 'chiong' (this is about a Chinese tradition that couples with 6 years or 3 years age gap are not compatible and are therefore avoided) I would expect oldies folks to follow it, but someone of my same age, not really? If I'm in the same situation, my primary concern would probably be something like does the age gap bridge too much indifferences, do we think in the same wavelength, stuff like that.

During my sister's wedding, I remembered asking her why is chicken (or is it duck) taro pie not in the menu, as I knew she likes the dish. Then she told me her hubby doesnt like violet. Violet for some is the color of death, that's why you almost never see it as motif in weddings. I'm just surprised that there are people who are so particular that even food items are not supposed to have a violet color.

Lastly, I got a bit pissed recently. When I got back from Cameron, my legs were really sore and I cant bend properly initially with the muscle pain. That same night my friend confirmed that her friend will be staying in my house. My friend used to work in SG and now trasferred else where. She has a friend (whom I dont know) travelling to SG for a few days and needs a house to stay and she volunteered my place, huh? This unknown friend is meeting her bf in Sg who'll be on a biz trip that time. I just cant help to wonder. Why does this 'unknown' person prefer na 'makisiksik' sa kwarto ko and not stay in her bf's company-sponsored hotel accomodation? I didnt ask but I would assume it's again the filipino or rather the fil-chi mindset of avoiding unnecessary rumors. Dont get me wrong, I am not a promoter of any pre-marital thing. She can rent some cheap hotel for her stay? It's just that it's not the right timing, I'll be packing my things soon for my 'uwi' and having someone in the room is a bit hassle. If you're someone I know,then I would be more than happy to entertain you. I'm not in the mood to be a Good Samaritan.

Hats Off

I remember I blogged about the 'brownies' girl before. (the one bringing self-baked brownies in school) I got to meet her last year here in a reunion. In our chat, I got to realize that she really has the passion for culinary stuff. She even went to US to take internship and worked in a hotel resto. I was mistaken. :) Somehow I do have to take back my words. I have respect for people who pursue unusual goals. Even if I might have the liking for cooking, I dont think I can be that serious to go that far for it.

Entrepreneur Magazine

I used to read this mag once in a while in Manila. During my petix browsing, I found out that their online site has some featured articles as well. It takes some people to think of something spectacular and weave the logic into reality and sell. There's one story about EZ maps, it was a brilliant idea of the owner who once got lost in Makati and thought that a good map doesnt exist yet. EZ map concept is quite legibly drawn and scaled and complete with tourist spots and recommendations, something handy for out-of-town roadtrippers and foreigners. When will I think of the next mega-fantastic, awesome, fabulous idea?!

New Company

De ja vu. I'm again in another merger-acquistion phase. Our company has been brought over after the scandal last January. We're sold! Funny that this is already my 4th company! (in actual, it's just the 2nd). Sometimes cant help feeling lame hehe, I haven't changed job nor house since I moved here! I am just to lazy to change anything or go out of comfort zones, except if given a trigger. I guess I have what it takes to be a battered housewife after all lol. (hey I probably wouldnt have left hp if not for my bestfriend who stabbed me at the back, thanks to her, I wouldnt be richer by a few sgd if not for her :p)

Agent at your service

It's really amazing to know that I referred a friend to a job successfully, not once but 2 consecutive times. I got in touch with her recently to find out that her present employer is crap (my 2nd referral) keeping them entangled in bonds and more bonds in different offshore IT projects. Then I asked her where does she plan to move. The answer was 'depende kung san mo ako ulit irerefer'. Hahaha nice one!!! I think I should be running a recruitment agency. :p

Phil Govt Office Sucks

I recently recalled the incident I had in LTO while applying for driver's licence. That was my first vacation in Ph on Jul 2007. I deliberately dropped by LTO to apply (or was it renew) for license, actually needed the ID for some other purposes that I cant remember. Given that I had limited time then, I paid some express lane fee from a driving institute (read: lagay) so that I wont have to queue very long. By the time I got there, everything was smooth, took picture, took urine test, filled the form in clear capitals, etc. In dismay when I got the card, there were so many typo errors!

1) my address lacks the unit-number/letter of the house.

2) the spelling of the street name is wrong. Now the more unforgiveable ones...

3) my weight is printed as 66kg instead of 56 kg. (so i look like someone in 145 lbs?)... and the last one is the killer

4) My birthday is printed as 1971 instead of 1981. #!%#~!

Goodness, I was really so disappointed. I would assume these ppl are at least high school graduate. How can you be so dumb and careless?? I cannot accept such lousy work. I asked one official there, how can I get this corrected. 'Ay maam mahirap po, naprint na yun card eh'. 'Ano ba yun procedure?', I asked. 'Ay maam wala po ata kaming ganon (how can that be?), tska sayang po un card, usually hindi naman chinecheck un mga details ng mmda eh, okay lng po na may mali'. 'Tingin ko po irequest nyo na lng na baguhin yun details nyo kapag nag-expire na'. Excuse me, the expiry is 3 years! Ang hirap-hirap magsingit ng sched in my short vacation to go there, and all I get is a lousy piece of sh*t that I cant use as an accurate valid ID. Pointless arguing with them. Is this really the BEST that Ph govt workers can do???

Sablay

Another winning clause from the puzzled guy (which I also blogged before) from 'alam mo nakakataba ang stress', to the newest one 'matulog ka na bka dumami ang pimples mo'. This is really an endangered clueless specie :p

Practical Choice

'Practical', one powerful word. What is a practical choice? Are we supposed to make decisions based on practicality alone? Does it really cultivate happiness and harmony in the long run?

I'm going home for the holidays again. A bit excited. I hope I get some enlightenment.

P.S. Countdown officially starts!!!

Holy Week '09 Surprises

Last year's Holy Week I was in Bkk. I was hoping to go for another vacation same time this year, targetting Cambodia or Taiwan or anywhere near in Asia (and not expensive!). Unfortunately I was not able to find a companion. My kumare and I already had Macau earlier this year and she'll be planning for Europe this May. Whew I don't know but I just find it too much to splurge (~5k sgd), especially in times of recession. Europe is a romantic place and I hopefully should find someone special to accompany me haha. On a serious note, I have a feeling I'll be losing one travel companion in her, after being to beautiful places, I'm sure her expectation and satisfaction levels would rise much higher.

Oh well Cambodia cancelled. I joined some other friends to Cameron Highlands in MY instead. And I didnt expect things to be this way.

First day is okay. Sight-seeing, nature trips, farm tours, cool weather, juicy strawberries. Below are some pix that qualifies for my 'nature girl' tag. (some ex-officemates gave me the title :p)



















2nd day I was doomed. We signed up for a rainforest adventure which is a trek to find Rafflesia, a rare specie of the biggest flower, followed by waterfalls and aborigines village tour. I wasnt expecting the trek to be that 'challenging'. Thank God the hostel lent us boots (the type you wear during floods). It was one HELLUVA mud and slopes and fallen tree logs and occasional big stones blocking the way. It was literally trekking in the mountains. I felt that I was in the wilderness, there were also a few paths where it felt like Sahara dessert (see picture below). There was a part where we had to cross to the other side via a bridge made of just 2 bamboo poles. I managed to cross then I heard a crack sound and few screams from people at the back. Holy cow. Nobody fell, but I think I'd be having nightmares of falling off a cliff.













I admired the other foreign female tourmates from England and Scotland who are really fit, while I was always at the end of the line catching up, it sucks! I tripped over the mud pile (tripped over the same spot twice, pathetic!) and had my pants soaked smelly in mud. I also got a mild scratch in the rose shrubs (it better not be anything poisonous - guess so because I am still alive and blogging now). As how my friends amusingly described me, I ended up looking like a fugitive in China. :p Dirtiest day!

















I owe it to my friends who 'alalay' me whenever I need a hand, thanks to them. Actually I was was expecting just some leisure walking, thus was dressed initially in kikay fashion mode :p, sleeveless pink shirt and some burloloy accesories. Then my friends told me to change costume, good thing I bought this red Cameron shirt the night before.

If I only knew the way to backtrack and return to starting point. I wanted to quit haha. Unfortunately there's no turning back. I've been to a few treks before but so far this is the hardest to traverse. All the curse words, s-word, f-word, even p-word.. lahat na ata ng mura nasabi ko na during the trek. Sorry, tao lang! Forgive me for speaking ill on a Holy Week.

My legs are really sore. I need some rest. Not sure if I'm still in Singapore next Holy Week, remind me not to do this again!

The way to and from is also a tough one, copied from by friend's site:
1. From Singapore,book a ONE way bus ticket to Ipoh at 10pm. (sold-out return tickets)
2. By 5:30 am you will be at Ipoh, wait for sunrise and board the local bus to Cameron. Takes about 2 hrs.
3. Book tours and trek the mountains of Cameron.
4. Going back, take the bus to KL at 9am.
5. By lunch time you will be in Pudaraya Bus terminal in KL and all the Singapore bound buses will be fully booked. Try to get tickets to "SIN" where Bus operators will promise to get you to Golden Mile, Singapore. Instead, you'll end up in LARKIN,JOHOR BAHRU.
6. Take a cab from Larkin Station to JB Immigrations
7. Take SMRT bus from Woodlands Immigrations to Kranji MRT.
8. Take a cab from there to your house.

I didn't rant a word for the long ~14hours byahe in going back to SG. We just had 2 words in mind 'basta makauwi'. And for me, anything is still better than the 4.5hour rainforest trek!

P.S. I got curious to research some words in wiki. I didnt know 'rainforest' is also considered a jungle (else I might have turned down this tour lol). I also underestimated the word 'trek'.

At 5,000 ft (1,500 m) above sea level, Cameron Highlands is the highest area on the mainland.
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall.
Jungle usually refers to a dense forest in a hot climate, such as a tropical rainforest.
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments. Hiking a long-distance trail from end to end is also referred to as trekking.

P.P.S My companions said I should feel proud of this accomplished mission :p. Some shots are really nice, will post them next time.

Food Lab: Something New

Life is a journey of continuous exploration. A little spice breaks the monotony, the boredom.

So is with my cooking. It's fun to try something new once in a while.

Go Pinoy: Daing na Bangus & Kare-Kare

First time to try daing, it was quite ok.

For kare-kare, you can do away with some instant mix (no need to reinvent the wheel). It doesnt look appetizing though (kare-kare always look a bit yucky right)




Pica-Pica: Tempura and Fish , Pan-fried Dumplings

My first successful attempt of tempura! Prawns are not big enough though.

Fried Fish fillet is so-so.

My version of pan-friend dumplings (kwo-tie).

Chicken Galore: Grilled Chicken & Chicken Pandan

Got this grill idea from a hausmate: thyme, basil, pepper, wine, etc - my version of andok's :p.

And lastly, my trying-hard attempt to make chicken pandan. Tastes like the grilled chicken haha, someone should be supplying me more spices.

P.S. I am not really a big fan of frying. Not because of avoiding oily food, rather I dont like washing so many messy oily pots and pans! See what happens to my hands after each 'session' :(. I always have to go for a lotion overload right after! I need a dishwasher.

P.P.S. This is the only cooking pose that I have. Taken 2 years ago in a potluck party, sole evidence that I can cook.. and fortunately, food is edible. :)

Island Cruise

Yet another adventure to share. Kusu island conquered. This year's summer is fun.













Onboard the pagoda. Sailing. Cruising. Till we reach the island.












Make a wish. Throw a coin. Away from the hustle and bustle of the citylights. Buildings are far from sight.














Like the turtles, bathing in the sun.










(hey the impromptu lines rhyme a bit :p)

P.S. Trip courtesy of a friend's bday gathering.
Pwede pala yun, pupunta ng ibang island para lng sa bday. Cool! :)

Sandwiches and the Doves

Last Dec when I was assigned to the client side for the bank project, there's this nice view in Raffles facing the river. I thought of relaxing there for my lunches. I prepared sandwiches (piled as high as what you see in the picture), ate them and fed the doves with the leftovers. Flocked by the doves, again so Europe-ish.

How to prepare the sandwiches:

grilled meat, tomato, lettuce, cheese, egg, mayo

... and yet I was still not full, I cannot thrive on sandwiches alone :p

If The Shoe Fits

Faves

Heels

It's a pity that I am so lazy to balance myself on high heels. So far I am just patient enough to handle these small heels. I like the design, borderlining simplicity and style, comfortable and feminine too.

Sports

There's just only one brand that comes to my mind whenever I have to buy rubber shoes.

Boots
Okay here's one for the vanity. I like the design, I find it fashionable and sexy.

Everyday sandals

Can't live without a pair of it. It's a bit pricey for a pair of sandals, probably 30-40sgd for Ipanema, but it's definitely worth it. It lasted for more than a year.

Pitstop: Q1

The busy days are finally over! (at least, for now)

It's April Fool's Day today. I was hoping for a planned sick leave, already got my MC ready. Unfortunately, I wasnt able to, as my boss went off and left some follow-up items with me. Haay, looking forward to the Holy Week holidays.

I can't remember how many times I've been mistaken for a guy. Leslie, apparently, is a guy's name here. Whenever I make a reservation over the phone and give my name, I will be asked several times 'who is this, reservation under Leslie, and you're?, you cant book for another person, what is your name?'. And I have to go through all the series of questions to prove that I am Leslie. Bet on it, I will forever be prefixed with a Mr. on a first encounter. (Fine, I admit, I went for sex change in Thai!)

Last week is my 2nd year anniv in SG. Time flies. Really. I dont know what got into me but I did feel very much down recently. Unlike last year, I was actually glad, perhaps jumping with joy. This time I just feel like going home. And I did, there you go, 2 flight bookings in 2+ months interval.

I think I have partially decided when to go back for good, (with my mom's constant coercion). I got this weird uneasy feeling, so many things have changed. Now, I seem to have more close friends here. I think I'd be starting again from scratch, and it's quite scary... I need some light.

Well I just go by this for now: live each day as if it's your last. I'll just cross the bridge when I get there.

*drama* :)