I_HATE_LIFE

The first blog of 2012

2012-01-09T23:20:00.000+08:00

Will start off with reminiscing 2011. So.. belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I actually intend to post this earlier but was caught up with house shifting and others and it slipped my mind. Then there was the issue of can't find my donger, can't find a table, Tapir visiting, Christmas dinners to attend... ah I can go on and on and on. To cut the story short, I can cook up 1001 excuses for not blogging. Shame on me.

Now what happen last year? Best thing that happen was Korea posting. Never thought it will happen to me. Like a dream come true. Worst thing is having to do minor surgery to remove growth, sprain my leg and ended my running career and root canal. Never thought it will happen to me either. Like a nightmare after I watched Thai horror movies.

Today I was promoted and in between doing laundry too. Unfortunately it is not work related. I am upgraded from admin to senior admin in my current favorite game KaW. Can't imagine how that happen. Was happily doing my laundry and thought I could score some points in between hanging clothes and suddenly was called to Clan chat. I thought what happen, got people back stab or.... but it turns out they want to reward my activeness and commitment with more responsibility. Sounds familiar? Like what your boss might tell you at work?

Duties start officially tomorrow. Gotta look after the young ones and hopefully don't ajaran sesat them. Start quests according to the schedule. They actually prepared one. Encourage chat to promote brotherhood and last but not least advertise. All part and parcel of promotion and one step closer to main clan.

All in all a good start for the year :)

Lost it to miss it

2011-12-05T23:25:00.000+08:00

Lately I find it hard to blog. Not because I have no idea. It's because I start composing blog entries at the strangest times, like when I was rolling on my bed and preparing to sleep, taking a bath, baking cake in toilet, in the middle of a meeting, argh~. My creative juices just come out in inappropriate moments. Together with my short term memory loss, I often sat in front of my PC trying to remember the thing that I want to blog about. It's like my brain is toying with me.

Someone once said, the best way to appreciate something is to lost it. I miss my night run around Marina Bay. I miss walking fast. I miss climbing stairs 2 steps at a time. I miss wearing my high heels even when I don't wear them often. Most of all I miss those $40.00 that I keep forking out to pay for my physio-therapy. I wish my bum ankle will heal faster.

Last Friday I had a root canal due to a bad tooth cavity that attack out of the blue. Ok, it's largely my fault for not taking care of my own tooth but dammit, why now? Talked about sudah jatuh dihimpit tangga (fell and crushed by the ladder). I miss eating my KFC, my Old Chang Kee, my roti canai, nasi lemak, roti kaya, even simple dish like maggi mee also cannot eat. Talk about agony and I only did the first part of my root canal. There is a second part coming. Good time to go on diet of oats and soft porridge. Maybe in a way, God is looking after me. Since my bum ankle prevented me from sports, God gave me a root canal to prevent me from over-eating. See, I like to think positive things to make myself feel better - like durian is soft hence it's edible even in my condition.

All in all, this whole year has seen me going in and out of hospital, surgery beginning of the year, twisted ankle and now root canal. Some asked me to donate blood to counter the bad luck. Cousin Rain said,' Go mandi bunga to buang sui'.

Still some days to Chinese New Year. Perhaps I shall visit the Kuan Yin temple for some bunga.

Year end soon

2011-11-22T20:32:00.000+08:00

Wether we want it, will it or not, time always pass us by so quickly. I have passed my 3 year mark in Lion City last October. As I walked down the streets back to my HDB, the Christmas deco was up. Hopefully not so Indian purple this year. Normally I would not admire the deco that much as I was always rushing to somewhere. But this year I got a bum ankle last 2 weeks and it made me slow down. And as I walked under the lights and deco I can't help but compare it to the mamak stall back home. They really look quite like some mamak stall deco - the running lights. Quite tacky but still some effort to bring the Christmas cheer to our hub. Perhaps I should admire it more as it could be my last Christmas here. Life is short and we might very well not be here anytime.

It has also been very long since I last see the majestic mountain range on my way home from KL. My humble hometown is surrounded by the Titiwangsa mountain range that starts from north and tapers to the south. As one travels north via the NS Highway you will start to catch a glimpse of the mountain range once you cross the Selangor border. It is modest range and there are no snow caps like Alps or Himalaya but home feels nearer as the mountain range grow taller. Sometimes when we travel very early, we will catch wisps of morning fog. It gives the mountain range a mystical feeling. My youngest sister always like to roll down the mirror and attempt to catch the fog with her hands. I wonder how many more times I get to see the beautiful mountain range.

When I was young, ~~very~~ rebellious and foolish (aren't we all) I always tell my best friend I can't wait to leave home. But now that I am away, I always wonder when I can come home. I want to eat my mum's food, hang out with Rain, bicker with my sisters, nag by my mum, watch astro, accumulate junk, keep a dog and many more. I have left home for 14 years. Perhaps I can only come back at the end of my life journey.

It has been a melancholic day for me. I just get to know a very good friend of mine, in fact my first colleague in my first job is fighting mouth cancer. Prognosis seems bad. I wonder why this happen to a her who has faced so many hardships in life. Suck but reality is as reality was. Life is really shorter than you think and it make me think of things that I take for granted and things that I don't know I yearn.

Oops! I did it again...

2011-11-11T21:02:00.000+08:00

With my ankle, on my usual night run. Ironically it's just right after my running partner warned me on the uneven terrain. He might as well just put an arrow sign there that says, "To twist and hurt yourself, fall this way.". After that had to limp my way out of the running tracks onto the main road. That made me wished I was 20kg lighter so that my running partner can actually carry me like some damsel in distress in those Taiwan Idol drama. Not that he did not offer. Fortunately for him I am a very rational person who happens to weight more than 70kg. There will be two injured people instead of one if there were any carrying attempts. Sigh~

I don't even dare to take out my sports shoes until I was home. Yes I actually insisted to limp home so that I change into something less smelly before I limped my way out to see doctor. Snake are vain creatures, thus I insist to see the doctor in a more presentable fashion. Doctor just poke and suggested x-ray as I am not able to put foot down. Gosh I have to limp my way to the x-ray center. Now I know why woman can give birth.

I swear I didn't do this so that I have something to blog about.

On the next day, I went to see Chinese Sinsheh at aunty's recommendation. Sifu's clinic is called 'Shaolin' as in Shaolin Kungfu. I was quite impressed with the name and even more impressed with the Sifu. He twisted and pull my ankle two times and suddenly foot can rotate and put on ground already. Of course he caught me unaware and I actually shouted like he put 1000 acupuncture needles on my foot and pinch my inner thigh. I don't know if the shout was more of pain or surprise but he was really good. Even running partner was amaze with his powers. I think I looked quite murderous after the pull. He hasten to explain there was slight dislocation and he adjusted it back.

Looks neat but smell of herbs. Poor Moo have to smell this the whole night.

After which, Sifu bandage with herbs to reduce swelling. Today when I went back to see Sifu, I told him, no pulling anymore. Scared! Luckily Sifu said ankle healing nicely so no pulling is necessary. Best of all no need to pantang makan!

Foot, heal faster. I want to go run!!!

Over and Over and Over

2011-10-27T23:34:00.000+08:00

Like a broken record. Just when the mood was slightly alleviated by the some blogging, they had to come and ruin the whole thing. I don't know is it me or is it them. I was happily minding my own business and suddenly they tell me there was a change in format and I can throw what I am doing down the drain and adapt to new format. Worse is I know of this by asking a totally unrelated question. How cruel can this world be. Apparently they expect information to seep into my skin like osmosis.

Analogy
While driving on the 6 lane highway on the far most right lane. GPS said, ' 500m to exit, Keep right' . You were happily cruising 100km/h to said exit when suddenly the GPS said,' Oh Sheet, forgot to tell you, exit 100m away, Left, left, LEFT NOW or we will miss the damn exit,'. The next thing you know, exit behind you lio and GPS said,'Searching new route.....'

Paper Attack Part I

2011-10-24T11:18:00.001+08:00

First the mold. I should have taken it when the stuff is still in their mold but I only took this picture as an afterthought so it's mold minus the ingredients.

Assemble with foam tape and you get a nice pop up prop. No it's not the card yet.

Squeeze some creative juice. Select a nice piece of paper, measure, cut , paste and viola! Your very own card.

This is the just the outer look, Pen in some of your wording and you get a decent card. Personally I think it rivals Hallmark.

Spent the whole Sunday, doing up all my Christmas cards. I haven't did the interior yet. Just the outside took me whole afternoon until 11.00pm. Moo and Minnie were there also and the bedroom was turn into a temporary workshop.

Will you buy them if I sell?

Too many too fast

2011-10-20T15:41:00.001+08:00

What is worse that a manager that doesn't do work?

It's a manager who tries to do too many things, end up doing nothing and goes on MC

I haven't blog via email for ages. Wonder if it still works. If you are reading this it means 3 things:-
a. It works
b. I haven't die from sien-ness yet
c. I am not doing my work like I am suppose to (so sue me)

There are many analogies to reflect my current take on the management of this project. The best 3 are (in no particular order)

The Camping Analogy
Bringing tons of can food to a survival camp and realize you forgot the can opener.

The War Analogy
Charge with powerful battle cry into enemy's camp and realize you forgot to bring your weapon.

The Picnic Analogy
10 people suppose to come but only 9 turned up. 1 thought someone is suppose to fetch him and is still waiting at home. Out of the 9 who turned up, 3 cooked curry chicken cause they thought they were suppose to cook curry chicken. The one that suppose to bring drinks thought it's someone else's job. That person bought beach ball and a pair of sunglasses.

It seems like there is no end to this situation.

The Learning Curve

2011-10-18T23:12:00.008+08:00

Seem to be non-existence when it comes to me. Today I did something I normally won't do under usual circumstances. I cucuk my boss in front of her. Some might say this is equivalent to career suicide but I have had a hard day chasing information and they want to give away my module to an off shore colleague who is also thrown into this project. Dunno whether to congratulate her or not.

The reason for the swap was because,'She is not familiar with the product, not familiar with the module, not familiar with the working team....bla bla bla...' After hearing so many not familiar inserted in most sentences, I just blow it and told my boss,'Not familiar does not justify a swap..'. I must have accidentally swallow some tiger bile during lunch. Anyway my boss being a tigress herself chew my head one side. I might tersasur but I am not stupid so I let her chew lor..to give her backstairs to come down from the stage I put her on mah.

No doubt being off-shore is harder than being on-shore but I don't have an easier time doing my task too. It's like all the preparation and hard work is for nothing since I have to swap a more difficult module to work on and they expect me to pick up on the spot. I also need to go back and study lor. So where is my allowance? How come I don't get to do an easier task because I am not familiar?

Big projects suck but for Project Greater Good, sabar je.... words just can't describe the level of sien-ness.

Pre-blues to Monday

2011-10-16T23:59:00.001+08:00

I realize if I on my PC after 11.00pm I am guarantee to sleep after 12.00am. Internet by itself has manage to make the population sleep lesser and I am not talking about the XYZ generation. My dearest mum herself was found online at 1.00am. What the....? 100 hundred years down the road, scholars will dub this century as 'The Sleepless Era of Techonology'.

Weekdays and weekend was spent busy getting Moo's birthday celebration in place. After is said and done, I will never apply for an event coordinator job. For such a simple celebration there is a lot to be done and it's extra challenge to do it sneakily as Moo and me are so close, we woke each other up with our nightmare shouts. Anyway everything well until the cake came out. I miscalculated Moo's age and end up putting one extra candle and the best thing is I even manage to convince her of it.. faint. After she blew them all, another friend of ours confirm she should be one year younger. Being the very resourceful BA that I am, I declare it's her chinese age. *kua kua kua (flying crows)

Prior to the cake coming out, we also had an episode with the waitress. She asked if we want to ta pau the cake or serve it. I told her we want to eat it here. Then she said she will serve the cake to us. I asked her what does she mean by serving the cake and she give the look like I left my brain at home. Then she repeat that she will serve the cake loh which she hopes explains everything. Then she gave a smile and left probably going back to kitchen to talk about me. Perhaps I should have been more clear. I should have asked her if she is going to cut up the cake and serve us? Faint~ 'sat pai' as a BA.

The dinner is held at Buffet Town, Raffles City- can be reached by City Hall MRT. Previously this place is called Osaka Town. The phone works but it's engage 99% of the time. Reservations 3 days in advance or you must go there one hour earlier to wait in queue like us. Plenty of variety but I just whacked the oysters, salmon and satay. The champion eater goes to Chicky Family. 3 of them eat like 6 people. Moo has all the pictures. Bet she gonna post it soon.
If you would like to send your wishes to the birthday girl after reading this blog, I would like to tell you that today is not the actual day.

On a side, just got news Bao Bao passed away. It's our hamster. It injured itself last 2 weeks and passed away tonight. I am sure he is hamster heaven now. RIP.

With that good night.

Pudu Chicken Rice

2011-10-08T00:16:00.001+08:00

There once was a pig who likes to eat pork. (this is just wrong, so wrong...). One of her most favorite jaunts is the Pudu Chicken Rice stall. This stall has a proper name but the pig called it as such for 2 reasons.
a. The stall sells chicken rice
b. The stall is in Pudu

It also sells duck, roast pork and bbq pork among other things. The pig doesn't know why it's not called Duck Rice stall or Roast Pork stall. It's beyond the scope of this entry so don't ask. Since the Pig was exported to Lion City, she hardly had the opportunity to eat her favourite dish of BBQ + roast pork with steam taufu and side soup.

Nite don't hate me

You can order for single plate or you can order it as a dish (as above) for a few people. This place is very crowded during lunch hours. The Pig used to drive over as early as 11.45am to get a good seat. In the pig's humble opinion, there are 3 reasons for the smashing success of this stall :-
a. Super fast service.
b. The boss is friendly
c. Free flow sauce. Every kind of sauce.

Different sauce for different meat

Frankly before this stall, the pig didn't know there are different sauces for different meat. The pig's favorite sauce is the BBQ sauce. The pig eats it with everything. But the pig is not champion. The honour goes to Monkey Boy whom likes to drown his rice with this rich thick sauce. By the time we are through, the bottle usually left very little.

At least 3 kinds of soup for choice

Although they serve a few kinds of speciality soup, they also have free soup. This is call Government Soup. You can have unlimited refills of this soup but it's self service. The pig only takes Government Soup if it's dried veggie soup. Otherwise the pig will take the speciality soup. Aunty said their soup is authentic without MSG.

Opposite Pudu Plaza

Parking around this place is notoriously hard to find as everyone drives like they own the road. Usually the pig will just park in Pudu Plaza and walk across. The pig will miss this dearly when she embark on 2nd phase of Project Greater Good.

Limbo

2011-10-04T21:51:00.000+08:00

By popular demand, I have added the short blog link on the side. Apparently many didn't know I have moved Crap to blog spot. Makes me wonder do you guys really read my blogs? Or you just skip to the interesting parts?

Today I am down with stomach flu. It sounds nicer than saying food poisoning and Nite has been asking me blog - to distract me from my gastric pain. How smart huh?

Of all sickness that I have, I hate most is food poisoning. It means I have to abstain from eating all my favorite food and when I can't eat them I crave for them even more. Today it's nothing but porridge, in small doses. Stomach hurt too much to eat a lot. Tomorrow is a working day. There is a farewell lunch. I hope I am well enough to eat it.

While I was writhing in pain on my bed, I suddenly thought of the below snack. Friend bought it from Japan. I love it sooo much. I think I have eaten at least 3 boxes of it during my stay in Kimchi land. It cost around 1000 yen. Anyone going Japan please get a box for me :) . Can find in most airports.

Goes well with wine

Shock III

2011-09-29T23:31:00.000+08:00

I was so shocked to realize that I should have blog my Shock series in the other blog instead.

(tak habis habis Shock...hahahaha)

Shock II

2011-09-26T21:32:00.001+08:00

I was so shocked I was on MC today and had to watch Stephen Chow movies back to back.

Shock!

2011-09-25T22:15:00.000+08:00

They close down Borders...

Do you ever think?

2011-09-22T23:11:00.001+08:00

Do you ever wanted something so bad, you wonder every day why you still haven't got it? Is because you didn't do enough? Haven't go the extra mile yet? Is the time not right yet? Then when you think some more and you realize you are not that desperate yet and there is still some time. Maybe it's not such a good thing to have it now.

Do you feel scare and suspicious when people suddenly offer unlimited help especially when they are not close to you? Are they stocking up some brownie points for future help? Are they trying to form some alliance with you? Did someone ask them to do it? Will they help you now and b*tch behind your back later? Is there really good people out there who genuinely wanted to help you even when you didn't ask for it? Welcome to 21st century where good Samaritans are mostly found in Moral Education Books. You don't dare to believe it even if you encounter one.

Do you look at your favorite drop down list and feels it's entirely too long and there are some links you have no idea why you bookmarked it? Perhaps it's time to clean it up a bit? But you have been thinking about doing that for the past few years and it's still not done. Maybe it's not that irritating after all...... except when you want to look for the latest bookmark which is at the very bottom and you keep paging down like 10 times before you get to it. Maybe it's time to clean it up after all. At the same time maybe you should also clear some of your clothes. You wonder how can you have so many pieces and why some of them are purple colour...

Do you look at some creative piece of work and wish you can produce something like that too? Do you look at some simple yet creative art and think of doing it too? Do you see it and ask yourself why you didn't think of it? Maybe you are not that creative even though your mum swears you got the creative genes from her side of the family? Maybe I should just download a cartoon software and start doing a simple 3 panel cartoon that I have been thinking for some time.

Do you think I have entirely too much time that I start thinking crap everyday? Either that or the heart is not where the body is...

FAQs on my comeback

2011-09-21T09:58:00.001+08:00

I have been back for a week and I get bombed the same set of questions everyday. Thank you for every one's concern, I have decided to do a FAQ for me to make sure my answers are consistent. Mua ha ha ha....

Q - Eh you back for good?
A - Yes for now.

Q - Why are you back?
A - Secondment end lio mah come back lor.
(To create fame for myself, perhaps I should just said, I had an affair with their 80 year CEO and they send me back to Lion City for the good of the company.. ha ha ha)

Q - You must earn a lot in Kimchi land hor?
A - Ha ha, earn a bit bit lor. Pai seh lar...
(While I do earn some extra income, it's still taxable and CPF deductible not to mention I still need to pay rental and phone bills, so it's not as much as everyone thinks)

Q - What do you miss most in Kimchi land? Kimchi?
A - Ha ha ha.. I miss the BBQ pork and Loteria chicken.
(But I think I miss the Taiwan food that my PM cooked even more)

Q - Are there many handsome guys?
A - Got, perhaps 1 in 10 are quite good looking.
(And you wonder, which part is man made ha ha ha)

Q - Saw the pictures you post in FB, you must have visited every single place in Kimchi land.
A - No lar, just some places in Seoul.
(More often than not, I am found working my arse off )

Q - How is the weather there now?
A - Autumn coming so must be cooler.
(How will I know the weather there when I am physically in Lion City? Sweat!)

Q - Are you happy to be back?
A - Sure I am
( Actually I am happy there and I am happy here also for different reasons )

Am still trying to settle back into Lion City life. It's really hot here!

Another Chapter

2011-09-19T21:55:00.000+08:00

Several things have happened since I last blogged (a month ago). Most noticeable is I am now back in Lion City. Yes, you are not seeing my evil twin. The 99% angel and 1% devil is back in Lion City. Secondment has ended. 6 months - say fast not so fast, say slow also not so slow. Happy, sad but never regret. Back to Lion City, under new boss, new structure and new task - it's like coming back to a new company with some old faces.

The next thing is, Project Greater Good has passed the first milestone. Three years since I have started this project and now only reach the first milestone. Wait until neck also long like giraffe. After the first great milestone, the next milestone seemed even harder to reach. Reminds me of this person who told me, Form 6 is the hardest, once u past it, Uni is 'sap sap' water. That person has gone into hiding now.

Last thing is Nite just came back from her USA trip and I am looking forward to many wonderful blogs from her.. (*hint hint)

Hot Hot Hot

2011-08-17T23:28:00.000+08:00

Hotter than Megan Fox

This is the famous Taiwan 'Ma Lat' Steamboat. It is cooked by a Taiwanese. I lost my tongue after the first bowl. I start seeing little skulls forming from the steam emitting from the pot after the second bowl. You know, the one that resembles a pirate's flag. The cook assured me she is not trying to kill me by feeding me this dish. They happily asked me to eat more. They said the more you eat, the less hot it become.

My foot.

I had to stop at third bowl. This hot is not the usual nasi lemak hot. The 'Ma Lat' Steamboat hot is .........simply beyond description. The hotness fried my brain already. I regret I didn't take a picture of the mountain of chillis used to cook the dish.

This is the first and the last time I will ever eat this dish even though they told me there are varying degrees of hot that you can choose if you go to a restaurant.

I shall think about it in the next 2 to 3 years.

Taiwan Mee Sua

2011-08-08T22:43:00.009+08:00

Somehow my entries have turned Taiwan-nish curtsey of my PM. She is a real good cook. I can't say enough of that. This weekend's dinner menu is Taiwan Mee Sua. So far I have only known 阿宗麵線, the franchise Taiwan food. In truth Taiwanese don't find this mee sua nice. They always roll eyes every time I proudly mentioned I have eaten 阿宗麵線.

In order to make Taiwan mee sua, I went with my PM to get the key ingredient which is oyster and what better place than the Noryangjin market. However we came back with more than oysters - clams, abalones and 2 of the big kick ass prawns that I have been eyeing last time. I don't know why that I always have problem controlling my urges when I go to this market. Always have to get the fresh clams, the sticking abalones. Lucky this market is far from home. It's too dangerous for me if it's just next door.

A pot for everyone

My PM cooked one big pot for everyone. I had 2 bowls before I realize the oyster actually don't really taste like oyster. When I asked, my PM confirmed that they are actually a type of mussel. There was no oyster that day. What the....... distracted by the abalones until I didn't even realize we didn't bought oysters. Of course everyone had to laugh at me.

Taste like an osyter who did too much exercise

I told the men I ate 4 bowls of mee sua - more than any of the men. Of course being male they must now eat 5 bowls. Can't let a girl out ate them right? The whole pot emptied and my PM was real grateful. Men, such simple creatures :)

Mussel Mee Sua

Next up, super hot steamboat.

梅子

2011-08-07T22:36:00.001+08:00

梅子 is plum. There are many plum products but I normally associcate it with the japanese alcohol 梅酒 (plum wine). I even had a bottle of it fermenting away in my fridge.

Since the arrival of my PM, the team have taken up a side project- to make plum juice. The whole thing started when our PM saw some plums selling in the market and bought some back and make some sweet plum juice. One colleague happen to taste it and the rest they said was history.

1kg worth of plums

I had a taste myself and I fancy trying my hand at it. So one fine day we went to the market and bought some plums. That is the easy part. After that we are suppose to clean it and perap it with some salt and leave it to wrinkle for 2 days.

After 2 days

Since Kimchi land is having a wet spell, I left my fan on to aid the drying of the plums but every time I come back, my cleaner had turned it off. I don't know how she can not see I purposely left the fan on for my plums when I had it facing my plums at close distance. Must be trying to sabo my plums this time.

Sweet plum juice

After 2 days I can put all of them into a jar, pour some honey, some tea leaves and I shall have plum juice (hopefully) after a week.

The plums looks ugly

There are actually many kinds of juice that you can make. We all tried different types of juice. Some make wine, some make sweet juice and some make sour ones.

Looking forward to tasting all of them in time to come.

Noryangjin Seafood Market

2011-08-01T21:55:00.000+08:00

Two stops from my office, this seafood market is a very big seafood market that opens up to 9.30pm. You can buy the seafood and ask them to cook it on the spot for a price. In fact they beria-ia want to cook for you. You pratically have to tell them nooooOOOOO, before they get the point. Ok I exaggerate but they are very enthusiastic in offering their service. But they only have 2 ways of cooking, steam or BBQ. I guess if your seafood is that fresh you don't really need fancy dishes.

Everything under the sea

Anyway my PM thinks paying 10k won for the lady to steam our seafood is a waste of money. We bought back some abalones, prawns and various clams. However the previous day we actually asked a colleague of ours who went there for dinner to buy back 3kg of mussels which were later distributed to various parties. I also got some and I promptly outsourced the cooking to my PM who I have elevated to the status of godhood. She can really cook.

Garlic stir fry with white wine

All my mussels plus hers and Senior J end up in 2 big saucepans. We ate them with some noodles. Smacking good and the mussels are so fresh and succulent they felt like oysters.

The largest prawn I have ever seen

I had my eye on these prawns, they are as long as my palm and cost a bundle, 5000 won per ekor. One day they will end up garlic baked in my pan. One day...

Legos and flood

2011-07-28T22:19:00.000+08:00

I have been real frustrated in work due to the inability to understand the Kimchi language. So I have decided to get down to the business of learning the language seriously. They said it's not that difficult if you know Japanese as the grammar structure is almost the same. Last 2 weeks I got wahyu and went to the book store to browse for some learning materials. Even though there are many online learning materials I still prefer something that I can bring into the toilet. Happily I also browse for a notebook and some colour pens. I need a notebook to write and colours makes the notes more interesting to read later. Then I reason I might need some Post-It-Notes too. End up came back with more stuff than I planned to buy. The stuffs are still in the plastic bag as of today. Go figure.

On a more serious note, there have been so much rain that Kimchi land has turn into Kimchi soup. This week is the worst with flash flood happening yesterday. Most rails were affected badly. I don't even know about it until this morning when I was flooded with enquiries on my well-being and I also heard over myFM radio. Perhaps I was lucky as the flood affected the southern regions and I stay in the northern part of Seoul. There were some minor flooding on the way home but to me it's no difference from hometown when it rains. As you can see from this blog I am alive although eaten by guilt of not learning the language as I should.

There are also some who asked me to take and post pictures of the flood. Aiyorrr..... you guys don't 'ke poh' lar. CNN news not see enough ah? You think if I am in the flood I will stand there and take picture? 9 lives also not enought to die and I don't think my half baked breast stroke is going to save me. Anyway the rain is forecasted to last until Saturday. Good luck to us all.

Home alone

2011-07-26T22:46:00.000+08:00

2 ladies and a guy were discussing about the merits of staying alone.

Lady 1: I am so used to staying alone I don't think I can stay with other people anymore.

Lady 2: Yeah, can walk around the house naked.

Guy : Wah you so open? Don't scare people see from window?

Lady 2: Cheh, of course close the drapes lar.

Guy: Mmm. Sometimes when I am in the bathroom, the maid comes in and open the drapes.

- pause-

Lady 1: ...... Wait, why would you walk out of the bathroom naked when the maid is around?

Lady 2: *snicker

Guy: ~ pengsan

The hugging abalones Pt II

2011-07-25T12:42:00.000+08:00

Remembered I said I was gonna post a picture of them abalones? Ta da...

You stick to me, I stick to you

These are not the original abalones here but a second batch that I bought to eat with some visiting friends. Bought these at Lotte Department Store for 10000 won.

When I try to brush and clean them, they actually squirm around the shell. Make me quite scared and almost drop them into the sink. Maybe it's ticklish to them. Maybe the water is cold. Maybe they are thinking, " What the fish...?". They actually reminds of Chicky when she is trying to get out of her dad's embrace. Which makes me regret dunking them in hot water. Although I can still eat them but this is the one and only time I am going to cook life abalones. No more....I suspect if I have to get my food from the farm, I will be a vegetarian.

When I tell my PM about the cooking experience she shake her head and said, " Why you so scared? It's not like it can bite you or anything. Cute lar you."

But but but....

Deja Vu

2011-07-21T23:19:00.000+08:00

I wonder lately if I am developing early Dementia or Alzheimer. Throughout the day I always encounter a lot happenings that I want to blog but when I sit in front of my laptop, I can't remember all the brilliant ideas. Maybe because CSI is on TV. Now I start jotting down things like a professional writer so that I don't stare at the screen and start doing something else like watching anime.

Today I met the same colleague 3 times in a row in the toilet. The eerie thing is all 3 incidents happen under same conditions.
- I went in toilet
- She stands in front of mirror
- She smile at me
- I smile at her
- We were alone
- I went inside the left cubicle
- She went outside

On the 3rd time I actually wondered if I am trapped in some time space continuum nightmare and destined to forever go into toilet and encounter the same person. Luckily I saw her holding a toothbrush. She was not holding that earlier. Anyway to double confirm the Earth is still round, I rushed into the left cubicle, quickly took out my Iphone and faster check if my frogs have reverted to eggs. Wah heng........ they are still adults - means 'tango still dance and horse still race'. What? You think I am going to pinch myself? Siau ah?Ha ha ha.

Yesterday I came back and saw the air con is ON again. Deja-vu. Definitely my Cleaner trying to sabo my chances of winning this month's Go Green contest. I can't tell you how much my colleagues are tickled with me taking this contest seriously. Therefore no sympathy from them when I grumbled. Huff~

By the way, I got a picture of the sticking abolones. Will post it next time. Today the blogger is acting up. Argh~

Good night.

The hugging abalones

2011-06-26T21:43:00.000+08:00

We stopped by Hyundai Department Store and bought a couple of life abalones. The idea was to eat sashimi abalone tomorrow.

PM: Take this back put them in some water and watch over them.

Me: Huh? Why? It's not like they can run away.

PM: Um.. well they like to stick to each other, so when they stick together I will separate them.

Me: Really? Why?

PM: Cause they look very x-rated sticking to each other mar. So I separate them.

031: I think they will look even more x-rated hugging the salt shaker.

Me: Must a Taiwan thing is it.....

Days are long

2011-06-20T21:36:00.000+08:00

Literally. Gone were the days the sun sets at 7pm. Nowadays the sun has conspire with my boss to make me feel I don't work long enough. The sun sets around 8pm and the night is hot. Big ugly flies are about. Yes, like the ones in Cameron Highlands. Summer is here. I haven't heard any frogs croaking yet except from my Iphone.

White Radish Soup and mushroom veggies

Got a notice from the Apartment Management. They are having a Save Electricity Campaign. I got the below door hanger with a long letter detailing the campaign. Short story, if you want to play, you hang this out your apartment when you leave. Cleaner sees it, verify the air con is off, gives you a point. End of 30 days, highest points win something.

My key to freebies

Being one of those rare beings who prefers the fan more, I hang that thing out even before the campaign starts. Warm up mar. Mana tau next day, the hanger is gone. Wah sai, first thought- kena sabo. Rush down reception and complain my hanger is gone. Reception just nod to layan me and said they will replace it. I waited a day before I grab one from the cleaning cart that is parked outside the corridor unattended. Now that I am blogging the whole thing, I can't believe I actually did these things. Must be the kimchi. Makes me a little crazy.

Contest officially starts today. I proudly hang my door hanger before I go to work. Come back the thing is gone. First thought - kena sabo. AGAIN. Rush into apartment, and saw it on coffee table. Oh....

But wait, how come the air con is on? ...

Reign of Assassins

2011-06-14T09:30:00.003+08:00

I usually don't talk about movies but this caught me by surprise. Was lazing the Saturday away flipping through channels and I happen on this movie. It's not the first time I came across it. Being no big fan of Michelle Yeoh I skipped it. But that day I wanted to hear the Chinese language. Being away from my culture do that to me sometimes. You can call it home sick. Thus I just let the movie play over the tv.

The movie turned out so nice! Awesome!! The kungfu scenes kick ass and doesn't use much of special effects. Much like how Jackie Chan or Donnie Yen movies do it. And you won't know Michelle Yeoh is over 40 with the way the way she moves. She does all her kungfu stunts herself. She really Boleh! I thought this would be like the Donnie Yen Assassin movie (sorry Moo) but there is twist to it. I won't tell you and spoil the movie. Don't even think about googling it if you intend to give it a chance. I only have one hint for you - it's always the quiet ones.

Enjoy.

Lazy weekends

2011-06-13T08:53:00.002+08:00

Many asked how is the life of someone working oversea? Some thought it was pretty exciting before I tell them how I spend my weekends away. My favourite place is the living room sofa. It's either that or the bed but since I made the bed (on Sundays) I am usually reluctant to mess it up hence the comfy sofa. There are more than 5 movie channels so there is never lack of movies to keep me interested. Today there was Indiana Jones marathon. I was on my sofa from morning till night with the occasional cooking and cleaning. The other day there was Matrix marathon. I am just waiting for Lord of the Rings and I hope they do it over the weekends.

My usual home cook food includes soup which I usually cook in one big pot and ration it over several days. Cousin Rain frowns on this practise. Says it's bad for health. Next is a small dish of whatever veggie that caught my eye. Sometimes I am desperate enough to try combinations that will make your stomach revolt. Luckily I haven't died from my various creative cooking attempts. Ha ha ha!

ABC soup and Sechuan veggie

Sometimes I follow the Sunday shuttle bus to Lotte Mart to grab ingredients for a meal or 2. Usually I come back with enough food for a week. It's very hard for me to say no to groceries. I have not control. Not that the food is cheap but I always like to buy extra in case of war. Cousin Rain also frown on this practise. Then I had a hard time clearing my food ahead of the expiry date. Hence the creative if somewhat desperate cooking.

Then I blogged, check emails, play with facebook and download my manga. Sometimes I play tourist so that I get some material to blog. Yeah, I take my blogs seriously. Later, I might consider changing my blog to 'I hate Kimchi'.

Then the weekend is gone and blue Monday is back again and cycle repeats itself before the next trip home.

Deceive the Eye

2011-06-08T08:07:00.008+08:00

Yesterday I was distracted by Matrix. There was a back to back filming for all 3 movies. I wanted to watch all 3 but I do have to earn a living, so have to stop 1 hour before Matrix Revolution end, ~cis. From matrix I got ilham to blog about my Trick Eye Museum experience. Probably you guys should thank Matrix too because I was thinking of another palace blog. Hoh hoh hoh.

From the streets nearby Hongik University there is an optic illusion museum. Unlike other museums that forbid the use of cameras and flash, you need a camera and a companion for this museum. Better if there are 3 of you!

All the paintings in the museum revolves around one technique called trompe l'oeil technique. I can't read it either but it carries the meaning 'deceive the eye', hence name of this blog. If you are too lazy to read the link, the condensed version is 2 painters compete to see who can paint the most convincing still life painting. Zeuxis painted a bunch of grapes and it actually made birds bang their head on the wall trying to eat the grapes. Unfortunately said grapes was not downloaded from my camera, so no grapes here. Back to story, his rival Parrhasius then bring Zeuxis to the below painting. Parrhasius won the contest when Zeuxis asked him to pull the curtain away so that he can see the painting. You know why he won? Guess. Were you fooled too?

The curtains are part of the painting

This museum not only make you amaze at what shadows can do to a painting, it also make the CCTV security people amaze at the lengths you go to make a fool of yourself all over the museum. Who cares? We had a wonderful time thinking and making funny posses to bring the 3D effect out of the picture. Here is where you need the friend to give ideas, hold your camera and laugh at your antics. Sure, you can ask a passerby to do it but he or she is unlikely to tell you that you are standing too much to the right and ruin the 3D effect.

Dr Piggy

We went on a quiet evening and we almost had the whole museum to ourselves. If you are my facebook friend, checkout the pictures.

I come, I see, I pose

The museum also boldly make fun of some famous paintings like pumping air into Mona Lisa's face and my is my all time favourite the overweight Michelangelo. The things we do to this guy is unmentionable in this blog.

Marie France here I come

You never know how time can pass so fast. We spent 4 hours and still have not manage to go through all the paintings. Of course some pose need to retake for effect. We sacrifice for art ha ha ha. We were the last to leave around 10.30pm. I almost ate the grass growing on the side. I was that hungry.

I strongly recommend this place. Check the link.

Cheng Deok Gung

2011-06-07T09:17:00.111+08:00

Dae Jang Guem (大長今) didn't work here. (yes, I get a kick out of starting like this everytime).

The real her works here, but the filming set actually models this palace. It is the best preserved palace and the newest one. The last king spends his remaining days here. But this is not what sets it apart from the rest of the palaces. The one thing that sets it apart from all the other palaces is...(drum rolls!!!) the walking distance from my apartment.

(insert flying crows)

You guys seriously have no sense of humour. Ok, the thing that set this palace apart is its Secret Garden. Like all Secret Gardens, you have to pay a separate entrance fee and you must be accompany by a guide so it's like paying for a compulsory guided tour. Good for economy, bad for the tourist.

The entrance looks like any other Kimchi Palace but this time I manage to take the courtyard view and you can see 2 rows of headstones on left and right. No, they are not grave headstones. These are labels for the ministers and officials and where they should stand during any official meeting. One side for arts and one side for martial arts. If you study your history or watch Stephen Chow movies, you will know the lowest ranking is 9. For the sharp eyes that notice there are more than 9 stones, yup, for the upper rankings there are further spilts to upper and lower. I believe banks and my organization copied their organization practises from here. It takes forever to promote up and information didn't always cascade down to the working level. I doubt the king's voice can reach to Official number 9 all the way at the back. I bet he always dozed off in the middle of the king's speech given he probably only hear a buzz equivalent to flies buzzing around some poop.

The main hall

There are quite a few free tours of various languages but we missed all of it due to our impromptu visit. But thanks to me helping a China tourist we get ourselves a free guide. So I have more juice on this palace than any other. This palace was condemn by many due to the extravagance use of blue roof tiles. The people think it is a waste of government money to use the expensive blue tiles to build the palace.

The last king also took a concubine as the queen didn't manage to give him sons. I don't know why it's always the wife's fault when there are no sons. Anyway in difference to the queen, the concubine lived in a common surroundings. A commoner's home. As you can see everything is not as majestic as the usual palace designs. It's just plain wood. Though I like the simple design, I think that is pretty unfair to the concubine.

The concubine house

Anyway the king died after 2 years of marrying this concubine. Maybe he tried too hard. At his death, there are daughters and nephews but they are not recognize as direct heirs. Maybe no one really want him to have a heir after the blue tiles incident. Regardless, the line died with him.

Due to our impromptu-ness we also miss all the Secret Garden tours. Not because there are no more tours, but because there are no more english or mandarin speaking tours at timing that we wanted and I balked at paying a guided Korean tour which serves no purpose.

The secret garden behind

Anyway according to our guide, the Secret Garden is built by the King for the Queen's pleasure. Since the Queen is always nesting in the palace and there are only so many places she can go, the King built a garden for her. It's rumoured to be beautiful with capital 'B' but since I didn't get to go, it remains a secret. But we manage to glimpse it now and then. I even manage to get a sneak snap shot. In my honest opinion, I think the King should build a shopping mall for the Queen instead.

Last but not least, I asked the guide is the below drive way for the horse carriage to stop for the king. He had a good laugh and said I watch too much drama. The driveway is actually for the king's car. It just feels wrong for a car being used in a palace such as this.

The driveway

The car is still preserved in the National Museum. To find out how to get here, refer this link. If you are going, drop me note. I want to tag along for the Secret Garden that I miss out.

Spring Sonata

2011-06-05T22:09:00.000+08:00

It takes 2 weeks of planning and 5 hours to barely tour the whole of Nami Island. Nami sounds like some Japan island but many know this place as the Winter Sonata filming place. Best to go during Winter and Autumn but for me it's best to go when Cousin Rain is around. Else who is going to take my photo?

It rained the day we went. Not the best weather for outdoor activites. But since we bought the tickets, just have to make do. We were quite lucky as there is a direct bus to Nami Island from Insadong which is just next to my apartment. Just have to walk about 15 mins to end of the road (yes, that's consider near.). Entire trip took about 1.5 hours with the last 0.5 hour on a ferry to the island. Sounds very far away? No... people, Nami island is just an island on a river. YES, river. I didn't travel to the sea. So get your mind off Butterworth-Penang kinda thoughts. No, I didn't plan to mislead you all in the first place. Ha ha ha.

The beauty of this island lies on the carefully planted rows of trees which gives you a kinda natural pathway. There are many types of such trails made of many different types of trees. Birch and...birch. I believe there are some red woods too. The stark scenery, void of leaves serve to show you just how big these trees are. Though I had hope there are some leaves or even snow to soften the scene but that's just nature. You just make do with what you have.

One of the many ways to enjoy the island

I had also hope to rent a bike and go on a bicycle tour but we were too busy walking and capturing the beautiful scenery we forgot. By the time we remembered, it's 5pm and time to go home. Anyway the walk around the island is itself a wonderful experience. The best thing is you never ever get lost cause it's round and it's small. Sooner or later you end up where you start. My kind of place.

Where Korea tourism started

The good thing from all the rain, it leaves the whole island shrouded in fog. I am not sure my pictures look blurry because of my shaking hand or because of the fog. We got a couple of really good shots that look magical. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the food here, therefore you are advise to bring own food.

When you get back to mainland, remember to drop by the shops opposite the harbour. They sell a kind of chicken on grill that you must try! The entire row sell the same thing so just hop in anyone.

For those who asked me how to get there, here is the link. A piece of advise to add, lookout for the Starbucks written in Korean. The building is just opposite it. You will thank me :)

Geung Bok Gong

2011-06-01T21:19:00.000+08:00

Dae Jang Geum (大長今) worked here.... when she was alive anyway.

The main hall

As a place of royalty, this palace is surprisingly simplistic in design and outlook. It's not as big as Forbidden Palace but still big enough that it will take you a day if you seriously walk. Since we are talking about palace, I need to mention my apartment is surrounded by palace left right up down. That's why it's called Sommerset Palace and I am called Princess Piggy. NOT Princess Ugly.

The grand entrance and Charlie Angels who refuse to move away

Geung Bok Gong is the biggest and flatest palace in Seoul, which means less stairs to climb. Stairs are super steep too which explains why their customes have billowy skirts. There are several entrance and we inadvertedly choose the side gate, which proves to be a good choice as it saves half the journey compare to coming in from the main entrance.

As with all palaces, the place is simply HUGE and we were a bit late when we arrive, thus some places were already closed when we reach there. There are 13-14 sections that look alike. Study rooms, bedroom, kitchen, stables and they have electricity. Huh...? It seems the old palace burned down during some war and when they rebuild it, the king ask to install electricity. Suddenly it makes me feel like I visited some cheap imitation of an historical place.

There are many beautiful gardens separating each section of the palace. There was even a man made lake with a standalone structure in the middle for the king to entertain foreign emissaries. Now why in the middle of the pond? May it's easier to cough* assassinate *cough stubborn people. Just need to give them a push * cough * rite. When they drained the pond some years ago to clean it. They found a stone dragon at the bottom. Said dragon is now in the museum. No one knows why it's there, accident? Intentional? Feng Shui? Curse? Real mysterious.

The lake

If you manage to walk to the very end of the palace, you will reach this last section which is the queen's domain. To Koreans, it is a beautiful place with a sad story. The last queen Myeong Song was murdered by the Japanese during the war. Before she died, she loved to come here to see flowers in this garden.

A beautiful sad place

Sad to say I also can't find the actual offices of Dae Jang Geum. It was burned down and never rebuild. Bet they regret it now that the drama is so popular. Ho Ho Ho. Anyway this place is available for viewing at 1000 won.

Happy Birthday to me

2011-06-01T12:28:00.004+08:00

Happy birthday to me!!!

12.00am in the morning when I am trying to sleep....

Rain : Psst... you sleep already?

Me: I was just now.. watsup?

Rain : Did the hotel gave you the complimentary wine for your big day?

Me: Um... No wor.. aiya, I don't drink wine anyway..

Rain: But but but.....they suppose to give you wor. It's your birthday wor...

Me: *ponder.... ah never mind lar, bet it was cheap wine anyway.

A few days later at the reception:-

Staff : How may I help you ma'am?

Me: What happen to my complimentary wine ah? My birthday was last week and no one send me wine one?

What can I say..... what's mine is mine lor... ha ha ha. Anyway I thought of getting the below turnip plush. It was featured in some advertisement in Kimchi Land but for some reason I can't seem to find it... argh!

If it's mine, it's mine, gotta keep looking

By the way, thanks for the Birthday wishes.

The Last Sakura

2011-04-26T22:06:00.005+08:00

Is at Namsan Park, which means South Mountain Park. I let Rain run loose in Seoul and she said she found a place where Sakuras still bloom and off we go on a Saturday to the last place where Sakura blooms. (so the legend says)

Since we are quite old in the knees, we decided to take the Electric Bus No 2 (not Noddy and friends) up the hill and walk down from it. There are a number of feeder busses on a circulatory route around Namsan. Since Rain will be going there for second time, the plan includes looking for Hanook Village (think Jewel in the Palace) at the same time.

I thought nothing could beat Yeouido, but I was so wrong. Namsan is like Yeouido x 10 minus all the pesky tourists. Probably no tour will give their tourist the luxury of walking down the mountain at your own pace. Many Koreans are avid climbers, they dressed up like they are going KK, with hiking boots, wind breakers and walking stick. Me? I just wear jeans, T-shirt, jacket and sneakers. I dunno why they need hiking gear, it's a big winding road that can fit a bus. Of course Rain bundled herself up like a dumpling - said I am cold blooded to just be wearing t-shirt and jeans in 13 degree.

Winding down the hills, the sakura line up greeting you

All the way downhill, we feast our eyes with the lovely sakura and our nose with the wonderful sakura scent. We met many locals along the way with their dogs and they are unleashed. Very obedient dogs too. The dogs enjoyed it too, I can tell cause they were running all over the place. Some even pooped out of joy. Lucky the owners have sense to bring newspaper to wrap poop home.

On the way down, we saw an off beaten path winding away from the main road. Since some locals use the route, we decided to veer off and see what's what. It was like the road to the Shire (think Frodo of LOTR). I half expected to find Legolas bathing in the stream nearby hor..but I only found tadpoles. It seemed like the scenary was entirely created by nature and not by careful selection of the garderner. I really love this place, we spent a satisfying amount of time walking up and down the path and Cousin Rain sneaked a picture of me.

The path home

I like it so much I blogged it, facebook it (later) and put it as my profile. No one says I am not Narccissit. We took so many photos of sakura, flower, forest, tadpoles until I think I can do those motivational slides that you receive in forward emails.

After a satisfying walk downhill, we realize we forgot to look for the Hanook Village. Ops..

Post my face

2011-04-26T09:39:00.002+08:00

There was Rain and me terrorizing Seoul,

Me: Ok take picture of my behind, I wanna do the Meteor Garden pose.

Rain : Why everytime do that pose?

Me: Wanna post picture in FB mer, but scare people see my face.

Rain: FB not your friends mer?

Me: Ya lar, but I always got phobia people take my picture and cut my face out and post on porn sites.

Rain: * look up and down ..... BWA HA HA HA.....!!!!

Me : YOR...................!

Pseudo Wash

2011-04-21T09:48:00.003+08:00

Yesterday night, me and Cousin Rain was loitering near the washing machine...

Rain : Eh, how much softener you need to put?

Me : Until blue line lo.

Rain : Where got blue line?

Me: *Open washing machine powder slot, point to middle slot ~ Neh..

Rain: Eh not first slot mer?

Me: NO lar, first slot for washing powder. Use the one provided by apartment.

Rain: ..... Eh... you no use detergent?

Me : No, didn't buy, just use apartment one.

Rain : Huh? Then what is this?

Me : Softener, goes into the second slot. **points second slot

Rain : ...... um.....

Me : You pour it where?

Rain: First slot.

Me : Second slot?

Rain: Nothing.

Me : .............

Rain : .........

Me :.............

Rain:...........

Me:..............

Rain : WA HA HA HA ..... I have been washing clothes with softener only!

Me : Oh My Goddddddddddddddd....

2011-04-18T20:35:00.004+08:00

Early Saturday morning Rain already bang pot and kettle. We are going to see Sakura before it got blown away. Sakura can only last one week or two before it is blown to the ground and leaves sprout out. That is why Sakura tour packages are sooooo expensive.

I thought I will see people picnic in groups, drinking even having personal karaoke but all I see is this. Watching too much Japanese Drama? We get very excited when we caught a glimpse of sakura from far. Never see real sakura before. From far look like mini cotton candy. I feel like I need to describe it's beauty in a poem. I knew of many songs about the Sakura, all Japanese though. However some of them go the extent of plucking of a few rantings of the flower. Vandalism...Gr.....

Before the loads of tourist bus came

The famous Sakura viewing place is along the Han River, next to the train line 5 -Yeouinaru Stop. However, my senior advised us to stop at the station after it - Yeouido and leisurely walk in from there. We walked and walked but still no Sakura and I am sweating a bit already cause I scared Rain will murder me if we don't see the Sakura anytime soon. Lucky we manage to spot a few and since it's not a well known tourist track, we have a few sakura trees all to ourselves. Hence some really nice up close shots of the flower. Lucky after that found the main road, phew~

The sakura is actually not white, it's pinkish white

I particularly like the below one, it gives me the feeling that I need to put 2 verse of chinese peom on the side.

Roses are red, Sakuras are pink, Sugar is sweet, but not as sweet as you

Cousin Rain want to go and see the night scene where they put lights under the sakura. As if such beauty need any additional support to make it more beautiful than it is.

From Hometown with Love

2011-04-14T21:59:00.001+08:00

I will never thought in a million years, how buying souvenir can be a matter of national pride. In my current team, it's customary to bring something from your country every time you went back to your home country. Then you will go around distributing your goods and explaining it's speciality, kind of like introducing your country.

My island got a lot of Taiwanese and since Taiwan is very near, they go back every month. Every time they come back, they will bring all sort of Taiwan snack, like pineapple tarts, sweets and the below 'dau kon' - means dried taufu. They just love this snack. It's dried taufu, fermented and very crunchy to eat. But for some reason, I don't quite like it. When I tell them my humble opinion, they looked like kena strike by lightning. To promote better relationship, I amended my feedback and told them, it's in the category of eat-more-will-eventually-like type of food. Regret it after that. They take turns feeding me this thing every day in hopes I will like it one day.

The snack to eat while watching TV

On top of that, one came to my apartment yesterday night and gave me braised duck tongue- another favourite Taiwan snack. It's still frozen in my freezer. Help.....

Anyway, Cousin Rain will be here tomorrow! YEAH! First destination is the flower festival. Posters everywhere announcing the Sakura Flower Fest! Looking forward to it.

All over the mrt

Perhaps I can feed Cousin Rain the duck tongue.

Crap is back....

2011-04-13T21:20:00.005+08:00

I have decided to continue back Crap. Looking back, I actually started crap in 2006. I didn't think it was that long ago? It was meant to be short and sweet - a variation from the heavy duty I-Hate-Life.

First blog

My last blog was 6 Oct 2008. Ended it due to difficulties faced using Friendster. After some consideration and also many requests, I have decided to resume it. As preparation I actually read back every single entry in Crap and I realize I can't actually revive Crap cause I am no longer the person I am when I wrote it. Sound very drama hor...but it's true, I guess writing style changes, humour appreciation also evolve with the various influences in daily life. As such Crap shall remain frozen in time and I will continue with the new blog ばか話 - literally means foolish talk.

Hopefully, you guys will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy blogging it. If you wanna reminiscence the good old times, Crap is available.

Enjoy!

Countdown to Rain - 2 days

2011-04-12T23:05:00.004+08:00

Rain is coming....Rain is coming, Rain is cooooooooooming..

Me and Rain, we have been around the globe together. My trusty travel partner and one of the few who have actually seen me throw tantrum. In anticipation of her arrival, I browse through the travel pictures that we take together and the last trip we had was Hong Kong. Yes, I am sooo behind in my travel logs, I have forgotten quite a few lio. Nite was right. Once you don't blog it up, it will fade away. Browsing through my pictures, I realize the most representative picture that I have of Hong Kong is the below. Says a lot about the kind of pictures I took in Hong Kong yea..

Famous Hong Kong Egg Tart right out of oven

I still remember many years ago, on a dark and stormy night, Rain called me and said, ' I feel like eating the Hong Kong egg tart.' After that she always anasir me to go Hong Kong and we went last year. It was raining when we bought those tarts. We bought a dozen and ate half of it squatting in front of HSBC Bank.

Last year was the craziest travel year that I had, first China with Rain, then Taiwan with family and lastly Hong Kong again with Rain. I thought after last year, I won't need to travel anymore but fate has different ideas and company sent me back to Malaysia for projects. On top of that, I slotted in a KK trip. Remind me to blog that. Then they sent me to Korea. I still need to travel, but company pay this time. Mentioned this to Rain and she said, ' Fate, Joey Wong said this year Snake travel..' I dunno why she always have explanation for everything.

Anyway, looking through photo archives, I also saw this picture that I took in a famous temple in Taiwan. Depending how you see it, this picture can look downright dodgy..*wink

It's suppose to be a pair but camera too small to capture both

Ramblings

2011-04-11T08:46:00.005+08:00

Today a lot of seniors were not at work. Most are working offsite at their various countries. It makes me want to do illegal stuff like come in later and surf some net while I am suppose to be working.

Last week one of my senior fall sick. Very sick, until whatever medicine that we pile on him don't seem to work anymore. Probably sicker, thus as the last resort we decide the send him to see doctor with our lovely translator. In Kimchi Land, doctor and medicine sold separately so you have to see a doctor and later go to the pharmacy to get med. OMG, the medicine bag is so cute and the way they package their medicine is so different.

Impressed with their packaging...

They package it according to per intake basis. Unlike my hometown, which is packaged according to type of drug with various consumption instructions on the outside, here you only need to tear out one packet per meal and you have all the meds you are suppose to eat in a meal. Even cough syrup is per packet. Now you don't have any excuse not to eat medicine when you are on the go.

Marinated with sesame seed

On the same day, we went to drink 'la la' soup. Although senior have been here a few times, this is my first time. This eatery is famous for its 'la la' soup. Remind me to blog about various ways to call 'la la' by different countries. However what warranted an entry here is its kimchi. It is simply the BEST kimchi I had ever tasted. Believe me when I tell you that as I eat kimchi night and day here. It's the staple food in Kimchi Land. My senior said this is because of the sesame oil that they use and also because it hasn't marinated for long and thus has not acquire the sour taste. Oh My God, I love it so much, I am gonna harassed everyone to eat it today.

A serving portion for 2

The 'la la' soup is not that special in my humble opinion but since it's the most popular food, I have decided to blog it up also. The serving is simple beyond description. The bowl itself is so big, it's like those water basin that my Ah Gong use to wash face. We also ordered a side dish of dumplings, they are as big as a small pork bun (no pic as we were so hungry we ate the whole thing before I remember to snap a picture) - after eating 2 and stuffing my face full of kimchi, I can hardly take in the 'la la' soup but still have to take cause senior said must respect the 'la la' soup... after that cannot walk back to office lio.

Think I need 2 days to digest the whole thing.

The fruit trees

2011-04-05T10:00:00.006+08:00

While walking back to our apartment via the back lane, Sir Senior pointed some fruit trees along the backlane. Now only ranting but in spring they will bloom and in summer you can see fruits hanging from them. Got pear, ginko (yeah, I know it's not fruit), pessimon, etc... I tell Senior I got this image in my mind that come summer when I am passing by, I can just pluck one and eat on the way. Senior got shocked, 'NOOOoooooooooo....! You cannot eat them....'. Then he quickly drag me back to apartment. . ................................................................................................................................................................ But why can't I eat them?

The controversial Kimchi Land III

2011-04-03T20:41:00.005+08:00

On Friday, I shocked the entire Kimchi Nation..... ok exaggeration. I just shocked my office. More than one colleague asked me is it the cold weather made my brain 'sot' already. How can I wear short sleeve to work. Huh? But weather was 17 degrees wor. Ok lar to wear short sleeve to work. I just smile and told them I got natural heat generator. A lot of fat. .................................................................................................................................................................. Now back to Kimchi Land and it's controversial culture. Everyday when I exit my station Anguk, this ad will greet me. At first, I didn't really notice what the ad is all about. Weather's cold and I can only think about rushing home. Just saw this pretty girl. I thought it's a advertisement for some toys or insurance but if you look carefully at the background it's a grave yard. My God, it's those advertisement on burial grounds. Are they desperate or what? And no one actually disapprove of this kind of advert. I want this adv on the Seremban Highway near the Memorial Hall. Will cars emergency break?

Buried here and be reincarnated into me

On the same station, I also walk past this every day. Didn't trigger my brain juices until colleague asked me to pay extra attention to it and ask me what is it. I wanted to answer umbrella stand before I think better of it. It's too small for umbrella stand and it's next to the rubbish bin. My colleague very smartly answered me, it's a special disposal bin for paper cups. These bins are strategically placed next to wending machines. We are allowed to eat and drink in stations. I think this a very smart thing to do. By stacking up paper cups, they prevent spillage and save space.

Unable to get one with some paper cups inside

At lastly the below is not a blade of grass. You can find this commonly in most restaurants. It's a plastic toothpick. My Korean colleague explained, wood products in Korea are very expensive as wood is sparse in Korea. News to me. Being plastic, I thought they will wash these toothpicks and put it back into the holder for next customers. Plastic mar. Can wash and recycle right. My Korean Colleagues are properly shocked to hear that. They said Noooooooooo! It's thrown away after use.

I still prefer wood. Plastic is quite soft

With that, good night. I am going to sleep early and wake up for a jog tomorrow morning. (Moo : yeah rite..)

Spring

2011-03-31T20:37:00.001+08:00

Spring is here... at last

The controversial Kimchi Land II

2011-03-30T20:56:00.010+08:00

The below picture is for the benefit of Cousin Rain. She wanted to see a sample of the receipt in lego language. I also don't know why I demand a receipt everytime, as if I know how to read it. Usually if we go out eating together, we will immediately settle the bill cause even if you know what you eat, I doubt you can match it back to the receipt.

A day's grocery items

The skinny, shapely Korean mei mei, they eat a lot and the food portion show it. Look at the onion rings. It looked like it's cook in steriod. You can look at the 50 cent comparison that I put near the plate. Their 50 cents is even smaller than ours. My lovely translator admits she can eat 2 big pao and still can eat some more. At times like this I feel the world is not fair. How can she look tall and slim but can eat double of what I eat and still look thin while I can just get fat by walking by a pastry shop. One or two people like that, I say it's metabolism. The whole nation? It's the water that they drink is it? But my colleague said no, it must be the stairs. Now we know why they don't build escalators.

They are so huge they look like fried donuts

Anyway I am not complaining lar, for the price that I paid for food, they should be that big. Can finish, cannot finish seperate issue ler...

After 2 weeks here, I realize one thing. Besides the Pilipinos, the Koreans also like to brush teeth. In fact they brush it more often than the Pilipinos. They brush it before they start work, mid morning before lunch, after lunch and evening before go home. Some even left their toothbrush with paste in a glass in the toilet, testimony on how often they brush their teeth. Don't know about the guy's toilet though. Now, question - how can a population so particular on hygiene can spit? Yes, I still can't get over the fact that they spit. Anyway, the theory after much thinking is they brush their teeth not because of hygiene reasons. It's because they are sien with work. In Lion City, when you are sien, you go Starbucks or Mamak stall and get a glass of teh tarik. In Korea you brush your teeth.

On more train ethics, they actually queue in nice long rows to wait for the train, much like the Japanese. But when the train comes, they ram inside without waiting for people to exit. It looks a bit funny to me. If I am the first in the row, I will actually wait for people to exit and behind me I will hear those tsk tsk tsk noise. Some even propel me forward. Have the awareness to queue, why no awareness to let people out first?

Ok, enough train drama, see this 3 in 1 coffee below? Very famous brand in Kimchi Land or was it only my office (*Shrug). Anyway, my floor provides 2 public teaspoon for you to stir your drink. It's public so you are not suppose to lick it after you stir it and put it back into the glass with water next to the cooler. I have not actually witness anyone doing it, but I guess a lot of people suspect other people doing it so they improvise. They cut the coffee pack along the doted line pour powder inside, pour hot water and stir the drink with the empty packet. Then throw packet away. No wonder they not scared of the nuclear radiation coming from Japan. Luckily I don't need to do that. Colleague of mine steal a lot of starbucks stirrer ha ha ha.

Coffee and stirrer 2 in 1

The controversial Kimchi Land

2011-03-29T21:40:00.005+08:00

This is what I get for trying to cook, watch TV and surf net at the same time. Sometime multi tasking has its drawbacks.

Overcooked meat

Now to main topic, I don't understand how can a city with population of more than 10 million build this kind of train platform. I mean they are thin but in winter everyone is fat ok. No matter how thin you are, under negative 18 degrees you will be fat also. Every day I need to suck in my tummy when I stand on this kind of platform and pretend that I am thin. Can't wait for spring so that I look less like a dumpling and more like a pear.

Nightmare during rush hour

Unknown to many, korean men spit. I have yet to see woman spit though. I really wanted to take photo of the spit stains in front of my office but I know most of you read my blog during lunch/dinner. Don't want you to puke lar. Don't care how young or how old they just like to spit. They are quite skilled too. They can spit while walking and the spit will not hit the person next to them. This is the most shocking thing to me. Suddenly I start to see my Super Junior in a different light. (T__T) I don't know what's wrong with swallowing your own saliva. Got poison is it?

Then they perplexed me with the way the treat the priority seats in the train. NO ONE ever sits there and any foreigners who don't know better will get the evil stare from all the Koreans in the entire cabin. The combine force of an entire cabin during rush hours can really make you feel electric jolt and immediately stand up. Priority seats also quite a lot, 6 to 8 in one cabin which sometimes look really funny empty when the entire cabin is packed full like sardine. I sound like I experienced the evil stare but luckily I haven't. Colleague warned me on Day 1, but I see someone got that stare.

There is a big mirror walk mirror on the side wall in almost all train stations. I asked my colleague is it feng shui. He also dunno. Later we know. It's for the ladies to check their appearance. Oh My GOD..... I think people here can die for vanity. One thing about their train ethics that I like. If they knew you are friends, they will actually scoot over so that you and your friend can sit together. Now some of you might find this unhygienic and you grandma tells you that you will get bisul sitting on a seat just hotly evacuated. But I find this a very nice gesture and I will just plop my butt down without second thought. I like the hot seat too, especially nice in cold winters.

If only they can curb that spitting....... If you are coming, I advise you not to wear open sandals and don't look at the ground too closely when you walk.

Myeong Dong to Nandaemon

2011-03-27T20:38:00.009+08:00

After the first blog on Myeong Dong, I mentioned I will do a proper blog and take better pictures. Hence this Saturday I went to Myeong Dong again. This time I went there armed with my camera so that I can take proper pictures. First, the street that I failed to take. As you can see, it's like any other shopping street. Full with tourist and hawkers. It was fun shopping here as most staff can speak mandarin, some even as far as speaking japanese. Truly tourist traders. Here is also where we get facial stuff like Faceshop, Skin Food and many more. There is also a big Uniqlo. I itch to go in but since there are guy colleagues, I refrained. So I do the next best thing- memorized the road so that I can come here again on my own pace. Good plan but whether it works or not....

One of the numerous Myeong Dong streets

Since today I have more leisure time, we get to eat more things. First the famous Myeong Dong fish cake. I am sure they call it differently but since I can't read those legos, it's called Myeong Dong fish cake until I know the real name. The queue to this fish cake is even longer than the Sotong bakar. This fish cake is special because 1. they roll the fish cake on the spot 2. they attach a big mint leaf on it. 3. They lightly fried it. So you have a fish cake that is slighly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, juice still intact. I am no chef but I can tell you, it takes very good timing to ensure the outside is crisp and maintain the juice inside. It's like cooking those runny eggs you eat with ramen.

I like it so much I ta pau 2 home but it soften and taste like steamboat fish cake.

Although I have already mentioned the Myeong Dong sotong, I didn't mention it has 2 brothers, the fFsh and the Octupus. Never tried both and don't think I would try it either cause everyone that queued just order the sotong. I also had a better view and besides butter they actually put in peanut butter. No wonder it's the best Sotong in the whole of Myeong Dong. Also memorise the way to this shop from train exit.

The less famous brothers

If you are feeling quite full for the above, you can also eat the cinnamon crispy biscuit. No, it's not the Myeong Dong famous crispy biscuit. There is no such thing. My colleague recommends cause she like to eat. It's for the sweet tooth cause it cinammon sugar inside. It reminds of the food ration that one packed in the olden days when they go for long journey. The uncle also made it on the spot so it's hot and crispy and from far you can actually smell it. I did not memorize the route cause I can just follow the smell from the train exit. Yum!

It also looked like roti canai/prata

Then we walk to Nandaemon. From Myeong Dong to Nandaemon takes about 10 minutes. It's another tourist attraction as in Nandaemon - endless shopping streets and a shopping centre- Shinsagae. Next time I will show you the tasty food court in basement. Every time I go there sure will stop by the food court.....mmm.. actually it's the only place I go everytime I am there.. ah~ paiseh. Anyway the reason for the walk to Nandaemon is the below Korean pancake. We waited the longest for this pancake. This is the famous Nandaemon pancake. I noticed they even translated the Japanese equivalent - ホットク。If you saw the oil this pancake is cooked in, you heart will immediately stop and you will keel over right in front of the store. It's not the food to eat everyday. There are 2 fillings, 'tong fun' with vegie or red bean. I think the thing that make this pancake the best among all pancakes in Nandaemon is the sauce they coat on the pancake after it's cook. Makes the pancake taste totally different.

Hot, hot, hot!!

At the end of the day while walking back from Nandaemon and passing by Myeong Dong again, I saw this. OMG it is sooooooooo cute, I don't know if the guy/girl did this pose on purpose or he/she was tired and resting. Anyway, unable to resist- I went and take a photo with it. After I took a photo, all the other Mei meis standing at the perimeter start crowding around it trying to whore it and take photo. *roll eyes. I can imagine how Nite and Moo felt in Disneyland. I suspect it's a guy inside the suit too as it happily hug all the mei meis.

Garfield in Korea

Walking back, my colleague mentioned again the river that you can walk when you are bored and have nothing to do. I had to take a picture. Of all ways to introduce a leisure place....

The start of a 5km journey

All it all, it took the whole day and we have only scratched the surface. Never mind, shall wait for Cousin Rain. I think she will have a blast time browsing the streets while I am slaving away on my desk. . Next I shall attempt the palace also 15 minutes from the apartment.

Snow and Humidifier

2011-03-25T12:21:00.004+08:00

I experienced my first snow yesterday night. On my way back from work it rained then change to wisp of snow flakes flying here and there. Unfortunately weather is not cold enough to sustain the snow, it melted when landed. Took a couple of pictures but none good enough to post.

I always thought snow is something romantic, a stuff of dreams. I always imagine my first encounter to be:-

- With a Leng chai

- Wearing thick winter clothes and stylish black boots

- Holding a transparent plastic umbrella

- Walking along the edge of some pine tree forest

- It's peaceful and quiet

Obviously I watched too much Winter Sonata, the reality of things was:-

- Walking with my very very senior portly colleague

- In the middle of a junction waiting for traffic light, terkepit kepit between smoking Koreans.

- Wearing a thinner black jacket, feet freezing in working shoes.

- Holding a frog umbrella, given by Moo

- It was noisy and wet and stressful

How come not romantic one. Despite all these, we 2 are like morons, holding our hands outstretched hoping to catch the flakes of snow. I also relize the tempreture is not as cold when it's snowing. So I don't really mind. It was an experience. Sir Senior said, I was so lucky to be able to still see snow at late March. So thanks to whomever is up there.

Before the snow came, I was actually going to talk about my mini humidifier However since it snowed, I recon it deserve mentioning. So I will talk about my actual post now.

I literally cough out blood on my Day 2 in Kimchiland. Gave myself a shock. Some more it's early in the morning when I was brushing my teeth. Woke me up like nothing. After that I went to see some advise from seniors. The general consensus was throat too dry until the throat lining crack. After that I observed a number of female colleagues in the office had a air humidifier on the desk. When they heard I vomit blood and it's not work related, they very kindly order a unit for me. Can only order from internet hor. Here internet shopping is very big. No wonder their shopping center so small, everyone just order from internet.

If you look carefully, you can see wisp of mist from the spout.

You just need to feed it a bottle of water a day and it will generate some mist, like what those mist fan in kopitiam. I am not sure if it helps my crack throat. I just know that mist makes my workstation cold especially it keep blowing on my hands no matter what angle I put. But as with all new things, I love my mini humidifier.

My lovely translator was also very excited when she saw my unit on the table, but for the wrong reasons. She gesture to the unit on her own table and said, " Hey you also bought one! Exactly the same as mine....but mine after 2 weeks kaput lio... "

Erk....

The freezing toilet

2011-03-24T13:07:00.005+08:00

Over YM..

Me : Dunno who's bright idea to build the toilet outside the office. My butt freezes despite the toilet warmer.

Sis: Huh, you mean your toilet not in the building? Like those kampung toilets? So CHAM....!

Me: No no... inside the building, just that not in the office premise.

Sis: Orh... public toilet la.

Me: Something like that... I don't mind lar, but since it's outside, there is no central heating.

Sis: But you said got toilet warmer mer...

Me: Yeah, but it only warm the thighs mer, what about the butt, head and hand? Sometimes got wind blow under the door... so cold. It's worse when u do big cause you need to spend more time inside.

Sis: Poor jeje.....

Myeong Dong

2011-03-22T15:11:00.006+08:00

Yogurt ice cream in Myeong Dong

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In Kimchi City, Sundays are for lazing and rolling around the bed. Since breakfast is provided and I am too lazy to cook myself, I set alarm to wake up at 8am. The plan was to shower, grab breakfast 'soon pin' watch CNN at breakfast hall then go back and pig out.
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But co of mine called while I was dozing the morning away and asked if I want to go to this place called Myeong Dong. It looked like Woman Street of Hong Kong. A lot of tourist. I am sure the translation of Myeong Dong means woman street. Ha ha ha. There are many tourist, especially Japanese.

My Co and I don't dare to venture far, cause I am suppose to go back to my apartment for some admin work. So she gave me a flavour of Myeong Dong and bring me to this Sotong Hawker. It's the only sotong hawker with a kick ass sotong in front of the stall. Here I get to eat freshly grilled sotong that you guys can only scoop at Jusco for 3000 won. Sotong tentacles sold seperately at cheaper price of 1500 won.

Pick up you own sotong

How to order? I just point to the sotong body and aunty slap a sotong body between the metal presser and dump a slab of butter. Then u hear the hiss of butter melting and heavenly smell...oh yum yum. When sotong ready, it will roll out from butt, sliced. Aunty will give you paper bag and you need to scoop up your own sotong. It's the best snack for cold weather. If you buy tentacles, aunty will package for you. I dunno why. The whole street is peppered with such stall but according to co, this is the best. I have to agree. I still have some of the sotong on my kitchen table, a bit stiff lio.
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After that friend also intro the ice cream. That I don't quite like. Yogurt ice cream. Reminds me of those self made milo popsicles at home.
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After a quick one hour foray, we made our way home. It's actually within walking distance about 15mins from apartment. On the way back, we cross a river and she said, " If you super sien and nothing to do, you can walk along this river, it's 5km long."

Me - (-___-")

Later when I wanna blog, I realize I didn't take any pictures of the street, just the food. Will patch up later.

Hi, Seoul!

2011-03-21T09:12:00.006+08:00

Behold my new humble abode...

Sommerset Palace. Slightly messy with my luggage lying all over

Dunno about other places but this place is indeed one of the best accomodations that I have stayed so far. Daily breakfast, 10Mb internet, daily housekeeping, cooking kitchen, tv, next to MRT, gym, jacuzzi.... I feel very much like those 'ang moh' ex-pat in my company. It's a bit too good to be true for me. I especially love the floor heating. These clever, clever Koreans, lay their hot water pipe under the floor, so the heating comes from the floor. Room is nice and toasty especially when tempreture hit below zero the past few days. However when tempreture go above 0, it kinda feel like living in an oven, so off goes the heater. Nowadays I don't use the heater anymore. Room feels cooling - just nice when you are under covers rolling on the bed.

Last time when I was in Malaysia for another project, they gave me the junior suite. Wah sai, it was so big with 2 queen size bed and all, I can't sleep for the entire duration I was there. Not to hold a torch light and shine on my envious life, but it is torture to the end. After that subsequent trip I stayed at home. Yeah yeah, friends hem and haw on how I am not making use of my previelage bla bla... but what's the point of all those when you are not happy rite?

Aiyak, digress again. Anyway this new apartment is just the right size for me. I sleep like a pig. In fact I am sleepy all the time. Dunno is it the air here is thinner or what..but I do feel I can fall asleep easier. I crashed into bed about early every night. Friends and family don't see me online nowadays. I almost slept the whole saturday away, I guess if not for hunger, I could have slept all the way to Sunday.

The only downside I can think off is the apt is too quiet. Maklum, I never stayed alone all my life and suddenly I am alone for 6 months and possibly a year. From toddler up, I have been sharing room with people and suddenly I have a whole apartment to myself. It's just too quiet until I have to on the TV just for the noise. The other thing I don't quite like is the stairs I have to climb everyday up and down. People here don't understand concept of escalator. Nope, it's old fashioned stairs, up down up down. I think I only manage to take one escalator at the big interchange station Eujilro(3)-ga and that escalator is going down one, gr.... On any other day I would think this is good opportunity to exercise and build some body heat but I am just recovering from my KK trip. Every step down reminds me of why I should have trained before my KK trip. Walked like an old lady, while my 50 year old colleague just sprint down the stairs and gave me that look. Dunno when I am going to get better... sigh~

Jeje VS Ee ee

2011-01-22T23:03:00.004+08:00

Printed with permission

Chicken Mummy: Call Chu ee ee...

Me: groan~~

Baby : ....

Chicken Mummy : Call Moo je je..

Baby: ....

Me: Wei... how can Moo is jeje and I am ee ee.. Call her Moo ee ee or call me Chu je je..

Chicken : But but but.... Chu je je doesn't sound nice wor... Ee ee sound nicer..

Me: Yor... I don't care..

Chicken : OK .. then I call Moo ee ee lor...

M00 : (-__-")

Working mantra

2011-01-13T09:51:00.001+08:00

"Thou shalt not be affected by idiots at work"
"Thou shalt not be affected by idiots at work"
"Thou shalt not be affected by idiots at work"
"Especially early morning"
"Begone idiot .... at least from my line of sight"

Sad to say, it doesn't work even after 3 times of repeating it fervently.

Some days just sux..... ~sigh

2010 to 2011

2011-01-10T23:04:00.006+08:00

Dead tired.......

That is how I felt in 2010. Maybe I have bitten more than I can chew, but there was no end to the on-going activities all year round.

First the new year resolution that never happen and will never happen no matter how many times I put on my list. What was I suppose to do? Yeah, loose 10kg. There were some half hearted efforts here and there and I have reached the stage where friends said I look thinner than before. The lying weight machine said I am around 67kg to 68kg, but I guess in reality it's closer to 70kg give and take 1, 2kg depending on festive season. As such, I have decided to remove this totally from my resolution. No point lah.

Other than that, what has happened the whole year?

Failed JLPT 2

Was quite sad over this despite me wishing there was some miracle that I would somehow pass. Shows there is no short cuts to knowledge. Also made me realized my level was way below where I should be. Doubled my efforts by taking the Exam prep class on top of my usual class. Almost drove myself to the grave with that. Barely can keep up. In the end quit the Prep Class at the last quarter once I think I can be on my own. Some said it's a foolish decision. I guess I will only know when the result is out this Feb.

Plays and Performance

Went to 4 performances, one overseas, 3 local. Crazy Christmas, Cindere - lah, Wong Tze Wah Talk show (2oth Anniversary) and last but not least Nodame Concert. All details can be found in Moo's blog. So I shall refrain from talking more about it since most of you read her blog as well as mine.. ha ha ha.

3 overseas trip

Went to Beijing/Shanghai in April, Taiwan in October and Hong Kong in November. Blogged my Beijing halfway, haven't started on Taiwan not to mention Hong Kong.

ABRSM Violin Grade 3

Took my first ever musical exam. Grade 3 Violin but nevertheless I had sleepless night over it. Playing on your own is already hard enough, playing with an accompaniment demands a collaboration of mind and proper synchronization which I haven't quite master. Anyway, for some lucky reason I passed with Distinction no less. Probably the Examiner pity old students like me.

Aunty Status

Have come to terms, I am officially Aunty status. Little kids, market seller, promoters, even Chicky Pie call me aunty nowadays. I take this all in a stride now. No longer get upset over it but the one person I cannot forgive for calling me aunty is the grandfather that stay a few houses away. That day met him and the grand kid in the lift and grandfather said, " Stand aside and let aunty come in," gr.... make effort to dress up a bit this year.

With all these happening last year, how can I not be tired?

Probably last post of the year...

2010-12-30T23:26:00.003+08:00

I often walk with my earphone stuffed in my ears. Today is no different. On the way home from my teacher's house, in the lift I met 2 construction worker. They get very excited when they see my.... ..... ...... violin. They start talking to each other.

Guy 1: Wei wei wei... it's a violin.

Guy 2 : Ee oo Ee oo..

Both : Ha ha ha....

I feel like turning back and tell them........... Uncle, that one is Cello lar, Violin is ngee ngee ngea ngea one..

S0metime I think many people underestimate people with earphone stuffed in their ears. What makes you think, earphone stuffed inside the ear, can't hear what is around huh?

Secret vs Secret

2010-12-25T22:23:00.003+08:00

Christmas descended on Barnyard. Before that, everyone did OT wrapping up presents. It's like Santa's had a branch here.

On Christmas Nite, Mama Chicken come over to 8, 8

Me: Look, I got an underwear for present.

Mama Chicken : WAH... it's Secret Recipe one wor...

Me : .................

Mama Chicken : Ah ha ha ha ha... sorry sorry....

Me : It's Victoria Secret ler friend..

~Merry X'mas folks..~

Lousy day [18PG - Lots of cursing, read at own risk]

2010-12-14T20:10:00.005+08:00

So pissed off it's a wonder I haven't implode from my fury....

Today some big fat ass from head office came to visit our workplace. Big fucking deal, or so I thought. It started out like any normal working day until we got an email from the Small Little Fart that we must be on our best professional behaviour cause the Big Fat Ass is coming over. Yeah, yeah, yeah, big fucking deal, I continue to do my work until the Dictator a.k.a my PM came over and tell me, Small Little Fart wants me to clean up my desk cause it looked like a

grocery store. 3 things came to mind.

a. Small Little Fart obviously left his balls and brains at home.

b. Since when having a jar of snacks, a tissue box, some post-it-notes, a jug of water, cough syrup, gastric medicine and chewing gum consist of a Grocery Store.

c. This is a personal attack.

Well, fuck, if my place looked like a grocery store, what does his workstation looked like? Fucking Sahara? Oh no, it looked like the owner resigned and forgot to bring back his dying plant

It might seemed trivial to implode and explode over something like cleaning the food off your desk but unfortunately for Small Little Fart, I have tolerated many of his complaints. Just last few days he complained my phone keep ringing non-stop and it's irritating. Did he ever asked why my phone keep ringing whole day? No............he thought I was just being obnoxious. Luckily Ah Boy come to my defense and told The Small Little Fart I was using my phone to test our SMS system. I gave him the most innocent look. What? Don't like ar? Ask the company to buy me a phone for testing lor.... Can't stand noise ar? Go be a fucking librarian lor.

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So now I dumped everything into my metal cabinet and I shall have immense satisfaction from banging the door everything I open it to take something. Did I mention the cabinet is just next to Small Little Fart?

Ah Boy told me Small Little Fart was in a bad mood today. I told Ah Boy I am in a worse mood, so bad that I unplugged my CPU and bring it up to the Testing Room and hide in there the whole day.

My friend said, I should pity him instead of being angry cause there is no Pendidikan Moral from his hometown. He don't know what the word Respect means and he doesn't know that Respect must be earned. No wonder he acted surprise all the time when HR announced from the Employee Survey that we score very badly in terms of Respect.

I am beginning to think God put Small Little Fart and the Dictator PM on this earth to punish me for saying that I am bored with my job. Ok I am sorry now. I love my job, it's not boring. Can you please remove these 2 annoying creature.

I regret I rejected some jobs... fucking trying to be responsible. What good does that do to me.... gr... I wish tomorrow is Saturday.

Hiatus from blogging

2010-11-17T11:35:00.003+08:00

Taking a hiatus from blogging (not that I blogged a lot lately) until JLPT II is over.

If you are bored, can go read new kid on the block, I heard there is a soft launch over ym. Members viewing only. After reading and you are still bored, can go read my old blogs... ha ha ha.

Anyway it's just 2 weeks folks.

The worse of budget airlines......

2010-11-03T16:01:00.011+08:00

The bloody plane took off without me. Of all the.....

Got a bad omen past few days-gut feel something will be left behind. Never thought it will be me. Packed and checked my luggage 2 times this week just to make sure. Even did a list of things to bring along. Check my email for possible flight delays. Double checked it yesterday night. Work is progressing well. All seems to look good on the front. Bid the guys farewell at 12pm and took a cab to the budget terminal. Waited for 1 hour before things start to look fishy.

After 3 counters and 45 minutes, found out my flight was reschedule earlier without any notification. Ce..laka~. Bad news-flight's gone, more bad news- no more flight for the day. They can't reschedule even if I castrate him and burn his HDB to the ground. The personnel politely informed me to come back on 5/11 if I want to board their flight to Penang. I almost peel off the floor tiles and fling it at him. Luckily for him I have years of project training. Situations like this don't reduce me to a ball of spitting fire. Unluckily for him, the auntie behind me, was a housewife. She curse and swear until the airline will have 7 years of bad luck and CEO will have a bald head. Not that I care.

Good news, info counter was good and efficient, since I was not the first victim. Handed me a list of remaining airlines flying to Penang today even before I spell the h-e-l-p word. Bad news, possible airlines all in main terminal. Saw the feeder bus pass by when I was contemplating my choices in life. Throw all caution to wind and fly out of budget terminal and after the bus with luggage trailing behind. Got on it and start calling airlines in list (given by info counter). Of course also call trusty sidekick- Moo. Luckily not in training/meetings. Help me checked online after asking me if I got buy travel insurance or not. Cute~

After mad dash here and there, found the SIA Ticket counter at Check-In Counter 1. Nice boy there told me, almost full, gave me an open ticket asked my to try luck at Counter 11 and be quick if I want to get on 5.45pm plane. Rush out of counter one and dash to Counter 11 which feels like a Continent away on my short stubby legs and luggage flying behind. Manage to check in at last. Lady there hint seat might be crappy. Even looked apologetic. Who cares. I told her, no worries as long as I am on the flight to Penang TODAY. Keyword TODAY. Lady try to be cute and said, ' You really don't mind anywhere as long as you are on the plane?'. I try to be cuter and told her,' You can strap me on the wing with an oxygen tank.'

Got myself secured on some airline, didn't even blink when they swipe my card for SGD262.00. Things are always expensive when you are desperate. Called up Pig Bro and inform him of delay (he cackled, that idiot), update Moo on the happenings, I am finally on my way to Penang in 15 mins.

Saw this empty kiosk and had to blog this up to vent frustration. Reason for broken sentences, kiosk only allow 15 mins surf time per login *#&# !#$^!#. Complain also got time restriction. Cis~

From now on, cross fingers and hope everything just fly smoothly.

Sneak Preview

2010-10-26T21:50:00.003+08:00

Before I even finish blogging about China, here comes Taiwan. So I am now officially having backlog in my blogs. UGH~

Anyway to start your craving for my Taiwan blog, behold things that we sapu from Taiwan~!

Or you think the below picture represent Taiwan better?

Yehliu Park

Will try to slot in some time to finish China and start Taiwan...promise. By the way I heard there is a new kid on the block. Not telling~Watch this space...:)

A day of bad beginings

2010-09-30T09:29:00.000+08:00

First I woke to realize I was behind schedule. Never mind that I am always behind some schedule. Point is, I need to be ahead today but woke up and it's late. Then Grandma Chicken poke her head in and told us, we forgot to dry our laundered clothes. Just great. Lucky Moo helped out but she said some clothes smell and she want to wash them again. Now the late has become later. Have to rush through everything. Don't even have time for my daily dose of Vit C and Chicky Pie. Dumped everything that I remembered I should bring to office in bag and rush out of the house. Halfway to the MRT station, realize I wore the wrong shoes. Luckily not the house slipper. Just another pair of working shoes not suitable for the working clothes that I was wearing. Reached the MRT, it was packed to the gills. Tried to get in one but the dragon lady inside gave me the stare. So had to wait for another train before I can go in.

All in all not a good start for the day and I had to OT too. Sigh~~

Another phase in life

2010-09-22T11:06:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was the dreaded Violin Exam Day. I think I dread it so much until I visualized all sorts of stuff that can go wrong and I especially like to do it when I was lying on my bed trying to sleep. Go figure. Fitful sleep followed by lost of appetite for the past few days but everytime I tell Moo that, she will say I snore like the pig I was. But but but.... I woke feeling like I have taken the exam 999 times throughout the nite. Anyway after exam straight away felt like haven't eat for 100 days and pig out at MoF. Rake up a bill of SGD40.00. Dunno what I eat also.

Reality was much better thank God. Examiner was an old British gentlemen. I can seriously felt his sincerity to pass me throughout the exam. He even helped checked my violin to see if it's in tune or not. And I was so worried, cause violins strings have a nasty habit of running when room temperature changes. It's the science of matter expanding and contracting in different temperatures but Iuckily it held true after I tuned it outside the exam room - for at least as long as it takes to play the pieces and scales. Got a note wrong on that but Examiner said it's ok. I also think i got lucky with my sight reading although I think I did quite badly in it, but I believe I scrape enough brownie points to pass. So the verdict is, I think I will get a pass even if it's not with flying colours.

What an experience for some one my age to take a music exam. Not something I want to repeat but had nasty suspicion that I might need to take Grade 5 despite my vehement denial. My teacher has her ways to make me do things :(

Today is Moon Cake festival. So happy moon cake festival to all friends, spammers and enemies. Moon cake festival also reminds me of my Bodek Didi and his story which I will not expound as I have already mentioned that in previous blog. Go read it and have a good laugh :)

Eat Moon Cake and be Merry folks...

No more MC...

2010-09-20T10:21:00.001+08:00

I have been sick, very very sick after my Yellow Ribbon Run. So sick I had to take 3 days MC which is really very rare even for me. My health hasn't been very well after I started working in Lion City. I am always having one sickness or another. Quite unbelievable given the fact I think I live more healthily in Lion City than I ever was in hometown. Must be the Nu Water ha ha ha.

Anyway, the fever started around Tues before Raya and persist all the way to Saturday. I spent my rare long weekend rolling on my bed burning up with fever. Wasted. Didn't even get to play my violin. Prior to that, the occasional 100 day cough, flu comes and goes but nothing as bad as last week's fever. I also don't know why I keep falling into one sickness or another, in fact i am quite pissed off with my ability to easily fall sick I feel like complaining to ... I dunno God?

Thank God, Moo who sleeps next to me, is unaffected by my viruses, germs and bacteria. In fact she is as strong as a um.... ox. Maybe I should take up 'tai chi' or something like that to boost my immune system. I have started swallowing Vit C every morning to boost my pathetic immune system. Hopefully it will be stronger and remain strong throughout the year as I have burned up whatever MC I have left for this year. Yup no more MC until next year. Sien~

Violin exam is tomorrow and teacher is really anxious that I can't get well enough by tomorrow. I am sure I am more anxious than her especially the aural part where I get to impress the examiner with my beautiful voice.. my foot. Just hope I can get some brownie points for my frog voice. Wish me luck...~

Great Wall, Great Lies

2010-09-15T21:04:00.003+08:00

I have not been blogging for so long, I can't even remember where did I stop my China trip. Had to read up my old posts and realize I was still at the Forbidden Palace. I thought I have already covered the Great Wall. Must be my wishful thinking.

Despite many things I would want to say, I need to complete this China Trip first cause the next trip is less than a month away. If you are my faithful follower you tend to see this pattern in me, a few leisure posts followed by a frenzied finish just in time for the next trip. HA HA HA HA... terrible me.

Many people say, if you never get conned, you haven't been to China. We have been conned, therefore we can safely said we did land in China and not some man made island. Partly cause we are sick of planning and decided to just grab some ground tour in Beijing. At first thought to take the hotel package but it's kinda pricey so we decided to scout around and bought one that looked trustworthy. Well news flash, a lot of fake things in China looks real, we were warned by this friendly Shanghai couple later that night the package that we took is a hoax. They will bring you to some ruins and claim it's the Great Wall. Luckily we know about it before the trip starts and unluckily it was 11.00pm when we knew- too late to make other arrangements. Anyway undeterred, we went home and google. Many will tell you, you can reach the Great Wall by bus but many didn't tell you there is a fake bus that looks exactly like the real bus. Few know you can go by train too. In the end it's the route me and Cousin Rain took and the rest they said is history.

The Great Wall is indeed magnificent. It was largely preserved in its original state which translates into government no money to upgrade, so you are warned to lean at your own risk. The smart us, bought some food along the way so that we can eat as we climb which is absolutely essential as climbing them does burn a lot of energy especially some places are as steep as 90 degrees I kid you not. There are a few entrances to choose from and we climb from the one nearest to Beijing- Ba Da Ling. It took around 1.5hours by train.

My dearest Didi who is now in Beijing, I urge you to drop by the Great Wall, truly an experience you don't want to miss. Now I have been to 2 Wonders of the World (Colosseum and Great Wall).

Lousy week

2010-08-12T23:17:00.003+08:00

Failed my JLPT Mock exam.. sux...

It has been a lousy week, probably because it's not Friday and I already felt tired and wrung out. First they told me I am back in my old project that was put on hold for 1 year cause the management is confuse and dunno which direction to take, then they tell me due to popular demand, they had to swapped me out and put me back at where I am and put my senior in it instead. Sigh~ I was so gear up I was literally on fire, wheels are already turning in my mind but then the HoD see fit to douse my flame with a bucket of cold water. Well thank you, you useless mammal. Anyway, we are just pawns in this company. As long as there is work and it's easy work, just be grateful I will have more personal time. On the hindsight it will probably be better to put my senior who is much stronger in terms of system knowledge.

My new Japanese teacher resign again. Is it us or what? Why they kept resigning one by one? Unfortunately some of the boys are also stopping for further studies so our class became even smaller and we had to combine with Tues class. I am very not happy with it because I am a creature of habit. Once I am used to something, good or bad I will stick to it. Probably explains why my weight doesn't wanna come down but that is another story.

Violin exam also around the corner and teacher has started to tweak my presentation to make it better. Unfortunately she can't understand why I kept singing out of tune. Told her, I dunno either and I asked her should I go sing in Karaoke to practise. She gave me the death stare. No sense of humour one...

On the opposite side of the room, the Chicken family also not faring too well, first Chicky Pie got measles hospitalised, now is the mother's turn to be hospitalised due to measles. Yeah I had my measles but so does Mummy Hen. So poor Daddy, haggard from taking care of both big and small.

I wanna get married, resign and be housewife. Since that is not gonna happen, I wanna go on vacation instead. Looooooong vacation. Is that too much to ask ah..?

Hiatus from blogging

2010-08-03T22:18:00.003+08:00

Lately it seems my life is running faster than I can keep up with.

Don't meant to be, but it seems I have been absent from blogging due to various reasons which I will not expound here cause they will sound like lame excuses. Even Nite blogs more than me. Didn't meant to be hiatus but various things have happen that causes this to go to the back burner. Main reason is I can no longer access blog during my office hours. Ya lame excuse ha ha ha.

Anyway did ask Happy to help out but that bloody pig refuses to use my account to blog, said want her own account wor. So now I gotta find time to create an account for her so that she can help me blog when I am busy. Don't know when that will happen.

Just completed Shape Run and the result was quite satisfying (faster than previous record) as I twisted my knee around halfway but due to sheer determination I manage to run even faster - my foot. It's actually fear of having to tell Coach Moo that I failed to complete my run due to a twisted knee. Funny thing is, people keep looking at my ankle when I tell them I sprained my knee. People seldom sprained their knee is it? Luckily it was a light sprain. Recovered after a day.

Moo also dished up her Cat city Laksa using the paste we bought from the last visit. It was yummy. Meant to share it with Dinner Plate family but unfortunately Chicky Pie was hospitalised due to measles. So the whole family literally camped at the hospital for days. Chicky Pie's discharge now and on the road to recovery. Unfortunately no more laksa by the time they discharge.

Prior to that, Sunkist that appears now and then in this blog passed away about 3 weeks ago. That workaholic refuses to take MC and had to be sent home on a wheelchair during a meeting. Went to bed and never woke up. Diagnosis- Stroke. All her life dedicated to the company and in the end only got a lousy email telling us her contributions are uncountable. Departed at the age of 42 leaving a Standard 4 kid behind and hubby. Company still standing but not sure about the family. Life is precious yet fragile. Work is work - limitless and plentiful. Don't let it be your life unless you want it to be.

Sunkist's untimely demise does wake a few of us up and that includes me. Was thinking if I end up like Sunkist and when God ask what have you been doing, I don't want to be telling God, I was playing Facebook most of the time. Told my friend about this and he said, " Why you so gong go and tell God like that. You should said you spend time training your business analytic skill at the same time building relationship with people that are dear to you." Mmm...... but anyway, suddenly those fun Facebook games doesn't seem that appealing anymore. So I have decided not to make them a priority thing to do. They should be things I do when I have spare time, not things I find time to do.

Another bad news that I have lately was onemanga.com where I got my daily manga dose was force to shut down due to copyright issues. Sigh~ sometimes bad news just come on top one another.

Looking forward to this week's long weekend to unwind. National day holiday next monday.
Happy holidays.

New Helper

2010-07-13T22:24:00.000+08:00

Salary Cut

2010-06-24T15:10:00.004+08:00

Oh GOD... I ran of damn near everything.. Gotta do emergency grocery shopping

There was this Wealth Planning course than me and Korean Boy attend...

Me: Looking at the amount I need to save for my retirement, I no need eat lio...

KBoy : Aiya.... not look like that one. Every year got increment one mar.

Me: Mmm ... HR said increment is to counter inflation wor..

KBoy : But our increment is lower than inflation wor..

.
Me: Hak....... You saying my salary is reducing every year ar....

Kboy & Me: ... sigh...

2010-06-17T09:08:00.004+08:00

Wow... I haven't woke up early to work in a loooong time. So tired and sleepy now...

Didn't even know yesterday was dumpling festival, I kid you not. Immediately tried to place order to Cousin Rain to reserved some Nyonya dumpling for me. Her reply, " Go Fly Kite.."

She said I must be nuts to place order on THE Day.... well I tried.

In this era and day, sometimes it's hard to tell when is the Dumpling festival as people sell Dumplings all year round like mix rice. So you can't blame me for not noticing mer. I bet kids born after 2000 doesn't even know dumpling is a seasonal food.

Dumpling festival always bring back fond memories of my Bodek Didi, He once told me, his ang moh colleague ask about the Moon Cake festival legend and this is what he said,

"Long time time ago, there was 10 suns, a fella come and shoot them all except one. So he became king. But he was an evil king and wanted everlasting life. His wife, being the kind and gentle soul don't want the people to suffer, thus she killed and chopped up his husband and put the parts into dumpling to feed the fish"

Talk about legend fusion. Almost fell down my chair laughing after I heard his story. Worst is innocent ang moh believed him word for word. She must be thinking that is the reason why Eastern Horror Movie is so much more scary than Western one.

"Happy Dumpling festival folks..."

Save me a dumpling if possible....

Annoying....

2010-06-13T23:22:00.003+08:00

Aiyo... FMA FINISHED ADI... FINISHED.... ai.. I feel like part of my life routine had been chopped off...

Alone, in groups, you haunt me
Just let me be
Don't let me see
Ignorance is the key

But you drive me mad
You drive me nuts
You drive me up the wall
Your drive out of my house (almost)

Before breakfast, they you are
Not that I care
But ate my food you dare
Annoyingly everywhere

Even the toilet you appear (eeee...)
Wanna make you disappear
Drastic measure you make me take
Your existence you have forsake (when you eat my food...)

No choice except to die
An eye for an eye
There goes my karma, sigh
Hope I don't see any of you anymore so goodbye!

Can't believe I wrote a poem on those pesky ants that invaded my house....ugh

2010-06-10T22:19:00.003+08:00

Tired also must blog this one, yesterday User 1 was telling her boss User 2 that I can speak Japanese...

User 1 : Eh, Piggy very geng one, can speak Japanese.

Piggy : Ah ha ha ha, paiseh lar, a bit bit to earn a living only (but actually want to say, her Japanese actually quite good one )

User 2 : *impressed* Is it? I can speak Japanese also.

Piggy : *excited* Really?

User 1: *poke poke* U sure boh?

User 2 : Of course la, now I speak , 'Kam sa ha mi da'.

Piggy : ...

Pearls of Wisdom

2010-06-04T15:12:00.005+08:00

Ah...Friday..

Today early morning, Moo gave me 4 words...

"Successful people aren’t born that way. They become successful by establishing the habit of doing things unsuccessful people don’t like to do. The successful people don’t always like these things themselves; they just get on and do them"

William Makepeace Thacke
Ok lar it's more than 4 words, but you get my point. While I totally agree with William here, putting it in practise is so really difficult. Guess that is why I am still a poor little pig.
Have a good weekend, if I am good, you will get to see more blog entries and if you are really lucky you might see a sketch or two..

Until Finish

2010-05-31T11:06:00.004+08:00

It's the dreaded Monday again and some one is on MC... how envious even for the wrong reasons...

Went back hometown for the long awaited Monkey Brother's wedding. It was as hectic as weddings come. We were so tired, it's as if we are having the wedding ourselves. Anyway on the last day before I go back to Lion City, catch up with my 1/4. It's more like I asked her to be my Ah Mat (driver) and together we zoomed all over the town grabbing stuff.

Lastly, stopped by the most famous 'Tau Fu Fa' stall (near Old Wong) and it is the only stall that has a drive through. Geng leh. While queuing up for the famed bean curb, I noticed they have amended their sign from 9.00am - 7.00pm to 9.00am - habis (finish). WAH... 'si beh how lian' and they bold the HABIS word. Business that good meh? Well I guess by world standard, the bean curd is good lar, but by our town standard, I think the shop near my house also taste as good and they give heck more than this stall. Despite that, people still flock to this stall for a taste of bean curd on a hot afternoon.

Expect a 15 min queue.

Even Chicky Pie shake head.....

What the Fish..? 15 min for tau fu fa?

By the way she is now in KL accompanying Mr and Mrs Chicken during her confinement. For those who has bought ticket to Lion City to visit her, can throw your ticket away lio and make way to their house.

What has 4 legs and neigh?

2010-05-24T11:45:00.002+08:00

Going back home soon....

Do you know how to read and interpret this? Well neither do I. But I had fun trying to make sense of it on 21st May, last Friday.

Horse booklet

Our company's Social Com organize a buffet cum Horse Racing night or was it, Horse Racing Night cum buffet. Sorry to say, the buffet caught my eye first. Horse Racing? Was never interested. I had one in my hometown too and the traffic surrounding it is always bad during race day.

We had an entire room to ourselves but it doesn't present us with a nice view of the race track though. Our room is on the side. Buffet is so so nia, our training buffet taste much much better. Anyway thou shalt not complain when thou got free admittance.

The race track.. or some of it.

Manager R gave us a crash course on how to bet, it's kinda easy. The hard part is what to bet. Obviously most of us are amateurs though there might be some who pretend to be amateurs...
Anyway, people like us just bet on instinct. Sad to say I only got instinct to lose. Cis... After 2 loosing bets I decide to consult Manager M who for some reason, is really good at picking horses. There are some tips on the table to tell you which horses are the best bet and the booklet comes with very detailed stats on the horse, who is the dad and mum, how many races, how many wins, got take sabbatical boh, got bleed boh, injured boh, how much it cost when it was a baby etc... That is enough to tell you horse racing is serious business.

Place a bet..

There are a couple of ways to bet, you can bet which horse is winning or you can bet which horse end up in the first 3 positions. Sad to say, favorite horses always have low returns as too many people bet on them. Senior J actually teamed up with Junior K and pooled some money for betting. I thought they won overall but apparently they just managed to break even. I bet on 6 races, win some, loose some in the end lost SGD5.00. Not too bad lar for a first timer.

The turf is next to the Kranji station so for us red line people, it's easy to go home. So after the 6th match we all hopped onto the MRT and bid the horses adieu.

My lying weight machine

2010-05-23T22:23:00.004+08:00

I hate Mondays....

Got me a lying weight machine some months ago. There are few things a woman can resist and weighing machine is NOT one of them. I don't even need to tell the barnyard where I put it. Obviously, it's a woman thing that we can zoom in on the weight machine location like a homing missile.

Being the savvy consumer that I am, I wanted to make sure the machine is in working order before I purchase it by......(drum rolls) weighing myself. Unfortunately, I weight like a small elephant thus I am a bit paiseh to weight myself in front of strangers and the 'want-to-be-helpful' staff keep standing next to me while I inspect the machine and choose the colour. I keep inspecting and inspecting hoping the lady will get bored and moved away BUT she kept standing there with this 100 watt helpful smile. After I tried inspecting everything that I can inspect including an attempt to read the bar code, the woman is still standing there. Ok lar she win, I give up. I put the machine down and weight my Nodame bag instead. What? You think I will weight myself in front of her...?

Anyway, after I went home, I eagerly unwrapped and weighed myself. Fuiyoh... 67kg. Almost fly off the machine. So happy.... Then Mrs Chicken (still pregnant at that time) come and weighed herself. Then she declared my machine rosak cause it's 2kg lighter. Then we ask Moo to weigh herself and Moo said her weight fluctuate so not sure. Anyway, they ask me to go back and exchange it cause it's faulty. I was quite sad that I am not 67kg, sorry I mean to say the machine is faulty.

Anyway before I managed to change my machine, Mrs Chicken, after coming back from her checkup said she is indeed 2kg lighter, so my machine is working after all. I AM SOO HAPPY.... I am 67kg after all, sorry I mean to say the machine is working after all. Before I can bask in my happiness, Moo who came back from gym, weighed herself and said my machine rosak cause it's 2kg lighter. What the........................

Between the two of them now I am confuse. Is my weight 67kg or not... sorry what I mean to say is my weight machine working or not. Anyway I have decided to keep it and call it the lying machine. The machine now sits next to my laundry basket and has more popularity than the iron board. The barnyard loves it.

Yellow is happy...

Lately the Lying Machine said I am 70kg. (T__T)

Good nite...

Economics - The Cow factor

2010-05-21T11:07:00.005+08:00

My building maintenance doesn't know the meaning of moderation, the air con is either too hot or too cold.

Something light for Friday..

SOCIALISM :
You have 2 cows, so you give one to your neighbour.

COMMUNISM :

You have 2 cows. The State takes both and gives you some milk.

.
FASCISM :

You have 2 cows. The State takes both and sells you some milk.

NAZISM :

You have 2 cows. The State takes both and shoots you.

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM :

You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the income.

MALAYSIAN BUMIPUTRAISM :

You have two cows, the State takes one and gives it to your bumiputra neighbour. From the milk you sell from the remaining cow you buy a bull and multiply your herd. The State takes 30 per cent of your herd as it grows and give them to your bumiputra neigbour. Your bumiputra neighbour has a kenduri each time they receive a cow.

MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT LINKED OR BUMIPUTRA CORPORATION :
You have two cows. You employ mainly bumiputras to milk them. But both cows have been sent to the kenduri, so the State gives you more cows and write off the losses of the first two. After several kenduris later, you invite an American or German Corporation to turnaround the losses.. The Japanese have however already taken their two original cows back home to Japan .

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION :

You have two cows. You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.Later, you hire a consultant to analyse why the cow has dropped dead.

ENRON VENTURE CAPITALISM :

You have two cows. You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows. The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island Company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company. The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more. Sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States , leaving you with nine cows. No balance sheet provided with the release. The public buys your bull.

FRENCH CORPORATION :

You have two cows. You go on strike, organise a riot, and block the roads, because you want three cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION :

You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create a clever cow cartoon image called 'Cowkimon' and market it worldwide.

A GERMAN CORPORATION :

You have two cows. You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.

AN ITALIAN CORPORATION :

You have two cows, but you don't know where they are. You decide to have lunch

A RUSSIAN CORPORATION :

You have two cows. You count them and learn you have five cows. You count them again and learn you have 42 cows. You count them again and learn you have 2 cows. You stop counting cows because you're sobering up and open another bottle of vodka.

A SWISS CORPORATION :

You have 5,000 cows. None of them belong to you. You charge the owners for storing them.

A CHINA CORPORATION :

You have two cows. You have 300 people milking them. You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity, and arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.

AN INDIAN CORPORATION :

You have two cows. You worship them.

A BRITISH CORPORATION :

You have two cows. Both are mad.

We interupt this program with a special announcement..

2010-05-14T09:43:00.005+08:00

Got me a lying weight machine, more to come....

Happy birthday to me

Happy birthday toooo MEEEeeeeeee

Happy birthday to me...

No...I am not that old...

It's the time of the year again, celebration started like yesterday. Steamboat with the SBS gang + K boy. Few days before already received my first birthday card from sisters by courier no less. Hand made some more. I was impressed, I sms them immediately and their reply was, "Eh, why so fast reach one..." . Duh.. courier is over night dudes... should have tried Pos M, then it will be slower or it might never reach.. ka ka ka...

Reached home yesterday night and got barred from my own room by Moo. She was frantically trying to wrap my presents, got a glimpsed of craft paper flying everywhere... MmmMmmmm .. Looks like making hamper or something like that? Anyway, I was thrown into Dinner Plate's room, so I played with Chicky Pie for a spell.

Today early morning, got tiramisu birthday cake already, yum yum. If I had known, I wouldn't have bought my stale cheese sandwich from yesterday. Later lunch celebration with Bosses (~groan) and dinner celebration with Moo, MCC and a few others! Woo Hoo!! Looking forward to it, extra kilos and all....

2010-05-08T12:46:00.006+08:00

I FINALLY passed my first JLPT 2 mock test and it's only the 2nd sem, progress at last...

Now where was I? Ah yeah, after Qian Men, it's down the road to Tiananmen Square. One of the bloodiest massacre in history took place here. Maybe the younger generation were not aware but before I explain I wanna clarified I also belong in the younger generation. The reason I know is because of Cousin Rain. The gist of the story is the government under Teng Siew Ping (the guys who had a fetish for black and white cat) ordered the army to disburse a peaceful protest of some thousands of China citizens. The army went overboard and brought out the big guns like tanks and as a result you get bloody human pancake.

A monument to remember the bloody massacre of Tiananmen Square

I might make light of it to maintain the "U" status of this blog, but it is indeed a serious matter. Thousand's of lives lost just like that and it include innocent bystanders too. It is no joke. Until now the activities of this square is closely monitor by some 100s of CCTVs. Think they will even know if you farted at the Square.

The Tianamen Square is the biggest Square in the world, and I totally agree with it. It took forever to walk across it to get to the Forbidden City at the other side. I think I walk almost 45 mins, photo taking time, and time standing in front of the monument to pay respects to the fallen heroes included.

Memorial to represent China spirit.

Now it's just a harmless tourist spot because of it's a bloody past. After we crossed the wide expense of the Square, we were greeted by Chairman Mao's portrait. We had fun playing with his portrait from a far distance. Cousin Rain wanna take a picture of her holding the portrait in her hands, so we spend like 10-15 minutes, adjusting angles. During that time, around 5 freelance photographers offered their help with a price of course. This kind of business is obviously a lucrative one. You just need a camera, a canon photo printer and a helpful attitude. Small capital, big profits. They will charge you some RMB50 for a photo shot. Of course we declined all these helpful people. Over my dead body to let them take picture of Cousin Rain holding Chairman Mao's portrait.

We reached the Forbidden City almost noon, 1 hour behind schedule. Underestimate the Tiananmen obviously... grr...lucky the queue was not that long, we manage to procure tickets, then another kind of Opportunist zoom in and offered their helpful services. They can give you free audio tour and they even tell you they will only ask for payment if you are happy with their explanation. Bull... Anyway we declined immediately though that woman keep pestering us until I flash her my guidebook. Of course Cousin Rain scolded me for being kind.

Once we entered the forbidden City we bumped into this Hong Kong tour. The timing can't be better, we quickly join in the tour unobtrusively, discreetly following from behind while listening to the tour. I can almost hear Kangaroo Boy saying, " It's dodgy..." Wa ka ka ka... but leh, doing this kind of thing needs practise. Soon after, we detached ourselves and join another passing by tour to another place. It takes years of practise to do this smoothly and both of us has had tons of practise doing that.

The back scene of many TVB Court dramas

The palace is magnificent but not well maintained which might be a good thing given the building is like a few hundred years old. What we see now is not the original as many buildings were burnt down during war and rebuild again. I think you loose yourself here easily for a day or two. There are just tooooo many things to see. Unfortunately I can only spend 4 hours here max. So we only concentrate on the main attractions. Most are recoloured and netting added to preserve them except for Empress Ci Xi's bedroom. Maybe the Maintainence crew haven't reach there yet. While the building is still in tact, a feat considering there are no nails used, the colour has faded to reveal the underlying woodwork which is kinda ugly but very reflective of how old buildings should look after ravages of time. But it can be also be because not many people like her but that's just my opinion.

The entrance to the forbidden city

The buildings are all built very very far apart from one another. There is even a room in between the King's study and bedroom, a halfway rest for the King when he walks from his bedroom to the study. We could probably introduce 6 sigma here. How on earth can you get things done if you need to spend like half hour walking from Department A to Department B, and I don't even wanna think where is the toilet when you need to do it urgently. It also explains why the concubines can get dressed in time when the King announces his visit, probably took him one hour to walk to any concubine's room. Now I know why there are no fat people in China, with all the walking, how can you be fat right.

After satisfying my curiosity, we got lost and took a few mins to figure out how to get out of the Forbidden palace. Once we are out of the Forbidden City, the expanse of Tiananmen Square starred mockingly at us. OH BOY... why must the MRT be at the other side of the square. Needless to say, the trip back took even longer with out tired legs. Think we took an hour to cross the square. At times like this I miss what a tour can provide - the tour bus.

Next The great wall.

Upgrade to Dinner Plate

2010-04-23T09:57:00.005+08:00

Simply Happy cause it's Friday

We interrupt this program with a belated special announcement. Chicky Pie has arrived wailing into this world weighing 3.4+ kg. Mother delivered via C. The incision was 3" long. Both mother and daughter are well and busy feeding. Daughter feeding on mother, mother feeding on Hospital Food.

The proud papa a.k.a Mr Chicken, cut the cord and proudly display his heavyweight baby. It was rumoured Chicky Pie is the biggest baby (if not the loudest.. ha ha ha..) in the ward. With immediate effect, Barnyard's Snack Plate (2pc of chicken) is upgraded to Dinner Plate (3 pc of chicken).

Everyone is now busy preparing for Chicky Pie's arrival to Barnyard which is today. Can't wait to go back and see her, though unfortunately I can't go near her as I am sick, don't want to spread the germs to her.

That is why no photo yet. Can't get close enough for a close up shot but Moo took a couple, perhaps she will post it. Nevertheless, Chicky Pie looks exactly like the Dad but has her mum's dimple - thank God.

Although I blogged up the stuff, please don't accidently send your congrats to me yeah....You can send your congrats and gifts to both Mr and Mrs Chicken. Guess the house will be real happening for some time.

Tianjin 5th Avenue

2010-04-20T23:09:00.005+08:00

Yor...why I don't have enough time one ler....

Before we start Forbidden City, I have gostan back to Tian Jin. Don't think I did it justice by putting a stark white airport photo. Might give the wrong impression on Tianjin. If not because of Air Asia rescheduling the flight we would have arrive at Tianjin early in the morning instead of late afternoon. Apparently morning is so foggy they can't land. So all morning arrivals were cancelled. I tell you my trip is full of hurdles. Don't get me started on Cousin Rain's factory. Haih, she almost ditched me because of that.

2 things we wanna do in Tian Jin. Visit 5th Avenue and eat the 'Dog also don't bother' pao. Sad to say we only manage to do one thing which is visit the 5th avenue. From the airport we took a bus to the railway station. For the benefit of my Bodek didi, I shall take time to explain how bloody big is the railway station. The bus from Airport will stop you at the South Gate of the railway station, there are constructions underway. After we bought train tickets to Beijing, we decided to hitch a taxi to 5th Avenue. After playing around in 5th avenue, took a taxi back and taxi dropped us off at the north gate which looks totally different from the south gate and we thought they were actually 2 railway stations. Luckily asked around and got the answer. By the way it's a 10 min walk from North to South exit. Add all the luggage you were lugging along, 15 mins or so.

5th Avenue in Tianjin is not a shopping street. It's a street full of European Building architecture left over from the olden times. Many are now unoccupied and sadly to say all of them are not maintained well so they look a bit like ghost house. As you walk along the street you can see the government put a notice on the fence stating ' Heritage etc etc... (dunno how to read)..'. Walking down the road made us remember the Europe Days. Too bad the 5th Avenue is really very very long, so long we can't see the end. So after aimlessly walking, we got hungry and decided to find a place to eat and guess what.... NO PLACE TO EAT.. no McDonalds, not even roadside Sausage stall. Oh MY GOD, we were so desperate we ask the police there, where got place to eat. Uncle Police must think we are 2 weirdos.. ha ha ha..

Anyway when we were walking aimlessly looking for food, bumped into this building. HOH, looks like they fly Gaudi in to do consulting for the design. In the age where there is no satellite, no internet, no computer no Fedex, no magazines - and yet you can clearly see the influence of Gaudi of Spain in this building.

There is an Art Gallery at the bottom and a Seafood Restaurant on top. Peculiar combination. It's like telling me there is a KFC at the Memorial Park where they put my dad's urn. Anyway we didn't go to that restaurant cause it looks expensive. Instead we went opposite to eat some dumplings. Photo with Rain.

Needless to say, the pao also no time to look for it. We actually made up in Beijing. Found that pao there but that is another story.

Ok next stop Forbidden City again..(Chairman Mao - Eh you skip me ah?, Kang Xi : Groan~~)

Qian men

2010-04-16T23:49:00.006+08:00

Lately always got home cooked dinner at home.. bliss~

Reach Tianjin airport close to evening. Had a dinner and rushed to Beijing in this high speed train that travels 320km/hour, faster than F1. It is very steady too. You can't feel the speed too from the inside. Once reach Beijing, took a cab and reach hotel quite late in the evening.

Tomorrow morning, late morning despite my plans to go early morning, we took an MRT to 'Qian men' . There is an MRT station right in front of our Hotel. Nice arrangement! Announcements in MRT are dual language. It said 'Qian man' in English- so farnee.

From far, the Qian Men look like China town. But which town in Beijing is not China Town huh... (cold joke...). Anyway, up and close you will realize the buildings are not leftover from Qing Dynasty or Ming Dynasty. They are actually new buildings built to look like old buildings. Think only China will do that, to preserve the Chinese-ness of the place.

Yup you can find Starbucks, Swatch even a big-ass 3 storey Uni Qlo there. Can't imagine our Kang Xi Emporer wearing Uni Qlo can you?

The China version of Orchard Road

Anyway the purpose of us coming here is not to admired the-cannot-even-see-the-end-of-the-street Qian Men. We are here for breakfast. The famous 16 tier dim sum.

Famous 16 wraps siew mai

Imagine a wanton wrap in 16 layers of wanton skin. Then imagine they only steam the wanton body and leave the wanton tail half cooked. That is about how it is prepared. Despite that, it is not hard like stone. It is actually quite tasty if you like pork. Succulent meat steamed hot outside a thin layer of skin. I dunno how they make the 16 layers on top. This is how Beijing people have their breakfast.

They might not look filling but they are filling thanks to all the flour I bet. Rain said the skin get thicker and thicker as you venture north and I don't mean the face lar. It's the dumpling skin. Reason - probably to keep the meat warm.

After nursing our bellies, it's time to move to the Forbidden Palace.

Preview to China

2010-04-15T22:22:00.002+08:00

Haih.... when will the flu go away...

Winter without snow is a depressing sight indeed. This is the sight that greeted me when I exit the Tianjin Airport together with a gust of cold wind and sand.

Naked and bare...

More to come....

The Orchestra Hall

2010-04-01T10:55:00.002+08:00

Only a week left and the blasted weather is still soooo cold in China..

Some months ago I went to help our company fulfill their corporate responsibility in the form or organizing a treasure hunt for deaf and mute kids. In conjunction with Esplanade, they host an indoor treasure hunt where you get to learn more about the durian building of arts. While accompanying the kids, I also get first hand tour of the theatres FOC. Hoh hoh hoh!

Anyway the most impressive thing I can remember is the Concert Hall. Devoid of all manner of amplifier (hence the name concert hall), the sound of the performance reaches the audience directly from the performers. So if they go out of tune, your ears will bleed. But that is unlikely to happen lar... to perform here, you gotta be good mar. Unless your grandfather own this Concert Hall and pay people to come and hear you play lor. Anyway sidetrack lio. Back to Concert Hall

Taken from stage

As you can see, the hall is really big! And there are fake floors too. Fake floor can open up and inside can put an entire orchestra team inside. Your need to put the orchestra underground when you have musicals, dramas, ballet. Remember no amplifier? So it had to be real life music.

The donut

The donut above replaces the amplifier. It is made of wood (duh..) and has about 7 separate panels that can be lowered individually. It is not a chandelier, the use of this donut is to reflect sound from the orchestra to audience and back to the orchestra player (so that they know what they are playing). You can lower the donut until ground (for cleaning).

I was quite impressed with the Concert Hall, I will surely come here for a performance.

Cherry Blossoms dancing under the chilly spring sky

2010-03-29T10:32:00.005+08:00

桜舞うまだ少し寒い空の下
sakura mau mada sukoshi samui sora no shita
君は行く小さな肩に夢や希望のせて
kimi wa yuku chiisana kata ni yume ya kibou nosete

いま旅立つ君に贈りたい
ima tabidatsu kimi ni okuritai
今日くらい真面目に言ったっていいじゃん
kyou kurai majime ni ittatte ii jan
ありったけの笑顔を花束に
arittake no egao o hanataba ni
君に伝えようメッセージ
kimi ni tsutae you 'message'

ありがとう一緒に笑ってくれて
arigatou issho ni waratte kurete
ありがとう一緒に泣いてくれて
arigatou issho ni naite kurete

大丈夫だよ心配ないよ
daijoubu da yo shinpai nai yo
信じた道だけまっすぐに走るんだよ
shinjita michi dake massugu ni hashiru n da yo

君だけに打ち明けたナイショ話とか
kimi dake ni ucchi aketa NAISHO banashi to ka
ときどきはぶつかりあってケンカもしたけど
tokidoki wa butsukari atte KENKA moshi dakedo

こんなにこころ許せる人は
konna ni kokoro yuruseru hito wa
めったにいるもんじゃないよね
metta ni iru mon janai yo ne
辛かったら愚痴るのもありで
tsunakattara guchiru no mo ari de
泣きたい時は電話して
dekitai toki wa denwa shite

大丈夫どんなに離れていても
daijoubu donna ni hanarete ite mo
大丈夫いつだって味方だから
daijoubu itsu datte mikata dakara

結婚してもオバサンになっても
kekkon shite mo OBASAN ni natte mo
いつまでたっても自慢の親友だよ
itsu made tatte mo jiman no shinyuu da yo

ふざけたフリして溢れる涙ごまかした
fuzaketa FURI shite afureru namida gomakashita
動き出す窓の向こう
ugoki dasu mado no mukou
手を振る君の姿が
te o furu kimi no sugata ga
だんだん小さくなってく
dandan chiisaku natteku

ありがとう一緒に笑ってくれて
arigatou issho ni waratte kurete
ありがとう一緒に泣いてくれて
arigatou issho ni naite kurete

変わっていく時間(とき)の中で
kawatte iku toki no naka de
君は変わらないでいて
kimi wa kawaranai de ite

さよならここから始まるから
sayonara koko kara hajimaru kara
さよならいつだって味方だから
sayonara itsu datte mikata dakara
大丈夫だよ一人じゃないよ
daijoubu da yo hitori ja nai yo
帰ってくる場所はいつでもここにあるよ
kaete kuru basho wa itsu demo koko ni aru yo

---------------------------------------
Cherry blossoms dance under the chilly spring sky
You march on, with dreams and hopes upon your little shoulders

I want to send you off as you begin your journey
I should have done that seriously at least today. (I should have.)

I placed all my smiles in a bouquet of flowers
that I am sending to you along with a message

Thank you for laughing with me
Thank you for crying with me

Don't worry, you will be fine
Just keep going straight in the path you believe in

I opened my heart only to you
I am telling you my secrets and all.
(There is a secret for you)
At times I can beat you
They are pseudo fights though

Such merciful people are really rare, aren't they? (Aren't they?)
When you feel like crying, just give me a call

You'll be okay, no matter how far apart we become
You'll be okay because I will always be your friend

Even if you get married, Even if you grow old
No matter when, you will be my best friend that I am proud of

The overflowing fake tears you set free deceived me.
On the other side of the moving window
Your figure gradually draws further away as you wave at me
Getting smaller and smaller

Thank you for laughing with me
Thank you for crying with me

In the times that keep changing
You keep marching on without changing

Good-bye, it starts from now on
Good-bye, I will always be your friend
Don't worry, you are not alone
You'll always have a place to go back to, right here

source : gendou.com

Bleach ending theme song

Wisdom No More

2010-03-28T15:07:00.005+08:00

Great...just great.. haven't book any hotel yet.. I might need to sleep on the streets of Beijing...

In a man's life, he will experience, birth, age, sickness, death and wisdom tooth extraction. I thought I can escape from the last one, unfortunately the Boss up there thinks otherwise. I know my day will come when 2 years ago, the dentist happily told me that I got a wisdom tooth sprouting out at the back. Small thing but from the looks of it, I will need to pull it out. Being any other normal human being I decide to only pull it when it is absolutely necessary, much like my appendix.

So to my dismay, it start sending me signals last year December. So I made an appointment to had it out in Mac 2010. After 2 injections and half hour, I came out of the surgery minus SGD500.00 and one wisdom tooth.

Tooth rotten in the middle already..

I took my tooth back home, mumbled the entire horrendous encounter to Mr and Mrs Chicken and proudly show them my spoils of war and they only said one thing, " Eh, how come so small one?"

Cis....

Apparently Mr Chicken's sister's wisdom tooth was so big the dentist had to break it into 4 pieces to extract it. Huh....

Well anyway, thou shalt not complain when thou had 5 days of MC. Unfortunately thou spend 3 of the 5 day writhing in pain on the bed, can't even online, sleep, play violin or do homework. Ugggghhhh... Only felt like a human after Day 4.

Anyway, at work when people asked me about my tooth I will open my mouth and show them the big hole at the back. They were properly horrified. So I guess I won't be showing my tooth anytime soon. HA HA HA..

The mystery of the smell

2010-03-27T21:41:00.002+08:00

Again I am blogging when I should be doing other things.....

.

This is a jasmine tree. It grows in our backyard. Jasmine is a common flower among the Indian race. It is use for many things from hair accessory to religious offerings. This small flower got one thing in common with the Father of all fruits, the durian - they both smell. You either hate it or you love it. There is no in between.
.

If you think my general knowledge is so good that I can tell this is a jasmine tree on sight, you are wrong.

.
We set up Barnyard more than a year ago. For certain periods of time throughout the year, the kitchen area stink of ammonia - urine smell. Sometimes the smell drifted to the living room and sometimes my room also smell of it. Both my room and the kitchen window open to the backyard. I thought it was the trash. I diligently took the trash out frequently. Moo thought someone urinate at the void deck below and ask me not to open our room window so big. Mr and Mrs Chicken thought a stray cat come in and urinate in our house. How can a cat be so limber as to climb 5 storeys into our house..... not to mention why it want to climb into our house when it could have urinate anywhere downstairs. BUT WE WERE SOOOO WRONG.....

One day, Mr Chicken ask me to look out our back window. He pointed out the tree and said that it is a jasmine tree.

.
Orh...........

.
Case solved.

There is a silver lining at last

2010-03-25T23:11:00.003+08:00

It's time to pack thy bag to go vacation again...la la la la

Like all good things, all bad things will eventually come to an end. The difference is, the good things-you wish it never end, the bad things - it can't end any sooner. The black cloud above my head a.k.a the idiot project I am doing, is on the runway at last taxing for take off. We are having a trial run now. The act is coming together and the idiots are going away end of this month. It can't get any better.

In fact I told my boss I jinxed the project. It was so bad when I am around that I complained endlessly like a broken down record to Moo every night. In fact I complained to my lunch gang, my sisters, my housemates, my mum (eh...wait... I think I haven't complain to her yet, phone bill expensive), my 10 year-never-seen friend, my ex-dorm mate, my users, my boss, the cleaning lady, the tea lady, the guy who stand next to me in MRT. Ok the last one is a joke lar. Haven't gone that far yet.

Took a week of MC due to removal of wisdom tooth that has been paining me for some months. So now I have less wisdom. Came back from MC suddenly FUIYOH everything 'sui sui' (smooth). Everything settled and ready for launch. If it's not me who jinxed the project I don't know what ler. So I asked my boss to take me out of the project and he said, "In your dreams.."

Cheh...

On a happier note China trip coming up and here I am blogging again instead of doing things I am suppose to be doing - been tasked to arrange itinerary but shoot..no time yet. Trip's around the corner, so what is new? Lucky I still remember to do my visa else, ho ho ho... Cousin Rain probably will have me dead and buried next to my dad. Anyway I have been diligently reading up some materials in MRT and Toilet and I realize...

'There is NO Zoo in Beijing. So where are the pandas?'

With that.. Good nite.

OCBC Fun Cycle

2010-03-07T22:39:00.005+08:00

Just realize the cleaning lady that always ask as me 'chiak pah bueh' is missing lately. Where did she go?

It must be a insanity that made me agree to join the OCBC Cycling 2010 event. I didn't know I had to wake up 4.00++ in the morning to get ready as my session will be flagging off 7.30am. Doesn't seem to make sense right? Flag off at 7.30am and I need to wake up 4.15am. The truth is not matter how I count and count I still have to wake up at 4.15am after I plot the time I take to do various things.

First, need to block 15 mins for rolling on bed before I get up (dodge pillow, rotten eggs, socks..) Ya mer.... I like to roll on bed ma. Then need to bath and get ready. After that need to get there 1 hour earlier to grab my rental bike means have to be there by 6.30am. Then there is the travel time from home to event place at the F1 track. Lots of road blocks so taxi can only stop as far as they can stop. Then I also need to factor time in case I get lost walking to the destination from where taxi stopped. I don't trust myself despite Moo's repeated roll-eyes when I tell her, I need to buffer such time. How can someone be so well verse in geography and yet a direction idiot? Me lor ha ha ha...

To cut long story short, I did indeed buffer way too much time and I even get to cheer Moo when her category was flagged off at 6.30am. We are in different category, her - 4okm challenge while me in 20km fun cycle. Since I was so super duper early, I get to position my bike right in front of the line for my category.

This is how in front I am.

For the first time there are not many people in front of me. I never ever stand in the front in my marathons and here I am, so 'gung ho' go stand at the beginning for an event I had never participate. After I got a place there, start having butterfly jitters together with ECM to the point we felt like going to toilet cause too nervous. But our location so close to the finishing line has its advantages. We get to see the winner of the 40km challenge fly passed us. I think that fella clocked around 50 mins. That kind of time, he must be cycling like a motorcycle lor.

Of course the course has it's up and downs, much different from the coaching sessions with Moo which is longer but the road is flatter. Anyway those sessions did paid off. I clocked around 1 hour 15 mins. I think it's a good time for me considering I stopped at 2 water stations. Talking about water station, the organizers go and named it "Aid station". I thought it was the mobile rescue team until I cycle passed it and saw the rows of water lining up. @#()*$)(@#*%.

Luckily I passed the blasted water station again from another side, who cares la, I just hitch my bike and walk up the slope and go grab water from another side. I am sure I startled a few people cause I come from the other side.

Moo said this Fun Cycle is no kick to me which is true up to a point. Yeah, I don't have the usual butt pain and muscle pain that usually comes with a training session with Moo but I am happy I don't need to walk like a crab once in a while. However after reach home, I crashed like a pig and sleep from 12pm to 5pm... ha ha ha.. Have to salute Moo- despite all the adversity she faced, she still manage to cycle her 40km and still go gym and came back late and still surf until late night only sleep. Tabik! She is like the energizer cow.

Guess next year have to go for 40km already, else Moo will roll her eyes at me :)

A new year

2010-02-23T21:17:00.004+08:00

I forgot to bring back my pomelo, all 5 of them... sob sob...

CNY come and CNY go. I went back hometown for a week, almost baked to death by the heat and come back 2kg fatter. Why I can put on 2kg when I didn't even invoke the maximum power of my appetite is beyond me. I must be one destined to grow fat just by breathing alone. Didn't even eat any of my 'long yoke' - bak kwa, cut down on soft drinks, cut down on all those sinful cookies, my nga gu and yet.... ai...

Just when I thought I should start back jogging, I slipped and fell on the way home from class, hit me butt and MC 2 days. Great way to start work. Probably could have MC longer but company distress call start coming in already...so will drag my big fat injured ass to work tomorrow.

On the up side, won 3 days in a row on Mah jong, and I wasn't even playing seriously. On the fourth day, I used my winnings to treat the whole family for breakfast, so when I win, everyone wins.

This year's angpow was more than last year too. By a few 10s maybe because last time I only get angpow from 1 continents, now I get angpow from 2 continents. Talk about expanding my market overseas. Ha HA Ha...

Also went visiting my dad, and it was so cooling and breezy. Told my sister, we should have bought a mat and take a nap with dad. This time we did it ala Christian style means some fruits and a bunch of flowers, instead of the usual joss stick and kfc. Pai seh to say I ate most of the food offerings we bought for dad. At least I leave the flowers alone. I am sure dad approve. He was forever trying to feed us when he was alive. Next visit will be his death anniversary. Maybe we do a KFC feast. Yum Yum!

When I was back in hometown, I caught this anime "Colourcloud Palace". Not bad, me reading the manga now and there is a verse that I would like to share:

"Lonely doesn't mean you are alone. Sometimes you feel lonely because the one you want is not with you..."

With that, I leave you all to your thoughts...good night.

Playing Tour Guide

2010-02-04T10:17:00.005+08:00

Going Prawn Fishing...

I dreamt again yesterday. I am so tired and yet I dreamt, that makes me more tired that you can possibly imagine. As a result I am soooooooo sleepy today. What did I dream? I dreamt I went to fly kite with Coach Moo. I have no idea where but I suspect it is at East Coast Park cause there is a beach. Must be cycling too much.. nya ha ha ha...

The darnest thing about the whole fly kite thing was, the kite was made of wool. Yes, it's a knitted kite like the muffler I knitted for Tapir. I think the sleeping me is more shocked than the dreaming me in my dream when I saw the kite is made of knitted wool. If you ever flied a real kite you will know, there is no way a wool knitted kite can fly. Well, no one said dreams have to be logical. Had a blast of time flying my kite with Moo and I think I saw a golden retriever than look suspiciously like Copper (belongs to Cockroach boy) barking and running around in the background. Don't ask why is "Ka cat" 's dog is in my dream. I also dunno either. It's one of those things that I can't control. If I can control, I would rather, Byakuya be in my dream with me.. drool....~~

It's either a deep seated urge to ask someone to go fly kite or I have gone totally bonkers somewhere along the project.

A dream

2010-02-01T09:11:00.004+08:00

I am so excited with the prospect of Tapir visiting, I can't sleep the whole night. Now so tired...

I had a dream yesterday. Of all people, I dreamt of Monkey Boy. Monkey boy is the best Helpdesk support staff I have ever met. He joined 3 months after I joined as a trainee and proceed to stay on as permanent staff. Together with Super Chu Chai who later become my Pig Brother, we endure storms and hurricanes of supporting the users. I used to do helpdesk work too. He was so good that we exploit him for personal use - as in drag him with us to PC Fair for his expert opinion or ask him to fix our personal PC FOC.

Despite his superior knowledge in computers, he is a nice boy but extremely shy. So shy that his entire repertoire of conversation language is all one word based, like this:-

Me: Monkey boy, help! Today when I login to my PC, the monitor is not working and on top of it, smoke is coming out of the CPU and it's making 'tick tock tick tock' noises..... can you come see?

Monkey boy: why?

Me : I don't know, can you come and see?

Monkey boy: har?

And he likes to drag his one word answers really long like "Wwwwwhhhhhhyyyyyyy..........?" to give you the impression he actually answered you in full sentences. I heard some year ago, his resolution is to answer in two words instead of one. I think it was a success because every time I emailed him to ask about his well-being, he will reply " mana air ticket?" (where is the air ticket?). Improvement?

If you don't know Monkey boy, he can drive you up the wall, make you take elevator to the highest storey in the office and jump from the balcony. Which is why he is now based in Cyberjaya office which only has 3 storeys. That way, anyone driven to jump from top of the building will only have broken bones at most-won't die and still can come back to work after a few days MC. Ha ha ha...

Despite that, Monkey boy has a kick-a.s.s Avanza that all the ladies like very much. Like Reader Digest, it is the car of choice every time we drive out for lunch. Reason, his MPV is full of plush soft toys! We all like to hug his toys much to the guys chagrin. Super Chu Chai said the toys are a strategy to attract girls. All the neighbouring cars look at Monkey Boy's MPV enviously at traffic light stops. His MPV is always full of girls. Don't know why he grumbles when Monkey boy put Super chu chai as Babi Leng chai in his HP caller ID. How many straight guys actually acknowledge another guy leng chai right?

I quite miss this eccentric friend but I guess the reason why I suddenly dreamt of him is because his bad 'jeje' Tapir is coming for a visit.

2010-01-28T13:32:00.003+08:00

Despite my best effort still cannot avoid one or 2 knives...

If you don't know, I am actually on loan to this ~~hell~~ project. Whenever my supervisor come to the floor I am currently quarantined in, he will come over and visit me and the usual conversation will be..

Boss : 'Lu chiak pah bueh'? (hokkien: you eat already?)

Me: 'Wa chiak pah lio...' (hokkien : I ate already.)

(Lai Meng : groan~~~)

ka ka ka... can't resist it, no lar that is the usual conversation with the cleaning lady (honest!). Every day when the cleaning lady comes, she will ask me the same question, and I always answer the same answer, anyway I digress. The actual conversation is..

Boss: How are you?

Me: Slowly dying?

Boss: How is the project?

Me: Hard to swallow.

I didn't know how many times I repeat this, that I leave a deep impression on my boss until yesterday he gave me this.

In my eagerness to eat it, I tear the wrapper to bits..

Don't know what is it? It's the sweet you eat with bitter medicine. Guess it's my boss's way of saying "Hang in there.." or maybe it means " Stop bitching and bit the bullet.." Either way, I ate the sweet already..

Bored...

La Tour De East Coast Park - 2nd Attempt

2010-01-27T11:30:00.006+08:00

Now that the project is swimming in a red sea, I have to be on high alert to defend any stray missiles diverted to my court...

Nothing zaps my energy more than an early unproductive meeting. While various members debated on matters that does not concern me, I sat there, day dreaming and practising my 'kanji' while thinking about the next blog entry, which is what you guys are reading. Lucky you. My misery, your enjoyment.

I did another round of cycling from East Coast park to Changi Village again last Saturday and this time MADE IT in allocated time which is within 4 hours. Practise did helped all thanks to Coach Moo. Before second attempt Moo and me went to one or two Step classes. Yes the muscle is still painful but they are stronger now and I manage to cycle better and faster. This time MCC didn't join us. Instead some of Moo's friend's joined us, think I scared them with me 'zeal' and determination to make it at all cost. They complained they don't even have time to stop and take photo. Pai seh~

They are also impressed with my preparation which consist of:-

MP3 with all my marathon songs
Towel
2 cans of 100 plus which i wrapped in newspaper with a coolant to maintain it's chill.
Sunglasses

In the end it's about 30km+ to and fro..

Coach Moo said, the OCBC 20km cycling for me is SSS now. Should enrol for 40km instead. I told her that is suicide. She said with my current record, I should be able to cut it in 1 hour. HO HO HO.....! We see how it goes...

Despite my furious cycling I did enjoy the sights and sounds, there is a section of greenery that made me feel like I had cycled to Narnia. It was so beautiful. It was also the same spot, I almost crash into the bush and fell into sea as I was engrossed watching SIA fly overhead and was not navigating properly. Luckily reflexes still good and severed in time. On the way of home, the sound of crickets (it was night) was soothing as was the balmy wind from South China Sea. I don't mind repeating the experience again even when I had to walk like a crab,sit on a life saver (butt pain) and arrange my underwear on the floor again. On second thought maybe not right now, but some time in future ha ha ha. By the way I found a way to wear my pants already. I prop my right feet up on a chair or the toilet bowl with both hands, slid one side of the pants into the right foot, Lift it down, slide the other pant hole into the left feet and pull the pants up. Ingenious huh! Luckily I just need this workaround for 2 days. By yesterday, right leg recover enough to wear pants normally again :)

Sleepy...

Idiots of the world unite

2010-01-26T13:23:00.005+08:00

I am studying my Jap so much I speak Japanese in my dreams....

Another Idiot joins the crowd...

Tester : The new testers cannot access the shared drive....

Me: Orh.. ok can you email me their window logins and I will apply for them?

After email

Tester : So can they access now?

Me: You send me the email already?

Tester: I just send..

Me: (-_-") .... Ok let me raise the request. I will tell you once it's granted.

Tester: Ok.

After 5 minutes..

Tester : So I can map the drive now?

Me: Not yet, I just ask the Secretary to raise the request. Will tell you once it's done.

After 10 minutes...

Tester: They still don't have access to the shared drive.

Me: It have not been approved yet. I just send the request only...

After 10 minutes...

Tester: Shall I map the shared drive for them?

Me: No...... the access not granted yet. I will tell you when it's granted. [-___-"]

After 10 minutes..

Tester: Is.....

Me: Not yet. [-____________-"]

I am destined to be surrounded by idiots until this testing is over...

La Tour de East Coast Park

2010-01-17T23:55:00.005+08:00

I can't feel my legs anymore... are they still there?

On Saturday, I follow Moo ~~reluctantly~~ with MCC (Mong cha cha) to a cycling expedition at the East Coast Park. I almost wanted to call it off as the sky threatened to cry. But I was more afraid of the wrath of Moo, if I had cancelled and it didn't rain. *dodge frying pan

We booked for 4 hours. Buy 1 free 1, so total of SGD12.00 for 4 hours. I even get a front basket for free (to put my sling bag) and no, it's not sissy and it doesn't look like I am going to market to buy vegetables. *narrow eyes..

The 4 hours should have cued me, I thought we are going for a leisurely ride around East Coast Park ogling handsome men, pretty women and hairy dogs but Moo was more adventurous than that. We actually cycled from Big Splash all the way to Changi Village although at time I thought we are cycling all the way to Johor Bharu. The plan was to have dinner at Changi Village and cycle back. Cycling was total different kettle of fish from running. Don't tell me, if I can run, then I can cycle. That is equivalent to saying if I can walk then I can fly.

However regret that the Changi Village dinner didn't materialize due to my lack of stamina and muscle. It did fuel me when my stamina ran out to continue cycling and don't give up. We were so close but my left and right hip have started to have a sharp pain consistently not to mention my fleshly butt started to feel flat. We could still made it but cycling back might be impossible when my muscle cool down so reluctantly we call it quits and cycle back. SO SAD....~~~ and disappointed with myself.

The trip back had me cycled furiously so that we don't get fined due to exceeded time limit. The fast pace also made me forgot my pain but all the gas ran out when we made it back to Big Splash. My legs were like jelly by the time we returned our bikes, I can barely walk straight. Moo hazarded we probably cycled more than 40 km already and she don't feel a thing, tomorrow can still resume gym together with MCC. SALUTE! TABIK!

Now I am limping, favoring my left leg due to the right hip is painful every time I lifted my right leg, be it walking, climbing stairs or wearing my underwear. Seriously, I had to arrange my underwear on the floor and step into the hole and pull it up. I was quite happy that I thought of this ingenious workaround until it's time to wear my pants. Sad to say, same method cannot work. Still have to lift right leg up to wear pants... [T_T] and I don't have any skirts or dress to wear for home.

Moo also reminded me I have signed up 2 weeks worth of gym trial and we are expected to go for Step Class on Tuesday. Shall I be happy or alarmed?

Hope tomorrow I will get better.

Repeat and Repeat

2010-01-16T11:55:00.002+08:00

Mood

I sooooo 'kam dong'. Due to many failed persuasion, I thought no one is joining me in my JLPT 2 Prep Class but when I entered the class, I saw 3 of the boys smiling cheekily at me. よっかた。

The day before yesterday.................

Manager: Is this figure quoted in mandays based on 1 headcount?

Me: Yes

Yesterday....................

Manager: Hi, I just wanna confirm, is this figures in based on 1 headcount?

Me: Yeah

Manager: Interesting.......

TODAY.....

Manager : Is this figure correct? How many headcount in this mandays estimation?

.
Me: 1.. [-___-"]

Though I politely answered him, but what I really want to say is......

" How many times you want to ask me? No matter how you phrase it my answer is still the same. Do you know the definition of man day estimation? Which idiot in the world will estimate mandays based on several headcount? It's always based on one headcount one mar. You want to test me like the "Money not enough" movie is it? Will you ask me "chiak pah buih?" next time?"

Or perhaps I should answer this way..

" Don't like my answer? OK tell me what answer you want to hear. I promise I will say it the next day when you ask me."

Appraisal

2010-01-14T23:07:00.005+08:00

Mood

To the moon and back...

So it's the appraisal time and .....

Boss: So how do you feel about last year...

Me : I am very happy with last year. How about you?

Boss: I am very happy and please with your performance too.

Me: Great!

Of course the appraisal didn't end there. It goes into mundane things like achievements, challenges bla bla bla, that I won't write here even if you want to read it. Don't be a 3 8.

Towards the end..

Me : So boss what do you think I can improve.

Boss: Actually I almost cannot find any weakness in you. If you can take note of 2 things it will be even better.

Me: Orh...

Boss: Sometimes you are too fast until you miss out something. Minor stuff but still if we are not careful, it can blow up.

Me: Orh..

Boss: And sometimes you might not noticed, you tend to get very loud when you become excited. Nothing wrong with that, but control the voice instead of letting the voice control you.

Me: Orh... ok i will take note.

I think it really takes skills to be able to provide negative feedback in a positive way that people don't feel offended. So I salute my boss he is able to do so, at least to me I don't feel offended when he give me feedback. Something I would like to learn one day.

Ending them all

2010-01-06T22:23:00.005+08:00

After they told me I am lead, they remove one person from my team. PM said Boss has high confidence in you. High confidence in me dying soon?

Someone commented my dressing standards is still not up to Lion City standards. Although I am not a big fan of fashion nor do I really care much what people think, I can't help but felt irked there are a lot of people who look on the outside to evaluate someone. Beh tahan.
.
This kind of people irritates me and I tend to avoid them. Unfortunately I can't avoid this one cause one can choose their friend but not their ________ (fill in blank). What is the standard of Lion City anyway? I am not the best dresser but I don't think I am that shabby either, well maybe occasionally pushing the boundaries of formal but still decent. Does Lion City means dressing a 3 piece suit? Or short short shorts with a baby T? Paint my face? Yeah like I am going to wake up one hour earlier to paint my face. Dream on.... can't even wake up to jog in the morning.

I can't control how people think nor what they said, but I pity people who are victims of society expectations. That is not the way I live my life. If that person thought I will change, she is in for a big surprise. In fact I will make it a point to dress as shabby as possible whenever I meet her, just to spite. Or perhaps I can't be bother, not worth my time.

Finish the bread before I remember to take a photo :)

Long queue

2010-01-05T20:06:00.006+08:00

Early morning, the lead I am told to provide undying support during testing told me that it was decided I will be the lead and she will be providing support. Huh???? Me leading? Lead what? Lead the testing to death ar?

Today I regret not depositing my money in the morning on my way to work. Since I was running out of time, I decided to deposit on my way back from work instead. How long can the queue be anyway. It's the deposit machine. It's not like there are many people queueing there dying to deposit money.

The queue at the deposit machine was not very long when I reached there. I am the 2nd person. Unfortunately the ______(put in word of choice) in front of us decided to deposit money to all her family member and about 1000 friends and a one or two enemies. And she deposit $50.00 every account.

After 5 minutes the lady in front of me, start shuffling her feet left and right. I inch a forward a bit to peek at her transactions. Or else how would I know she is depositing 50.00 per account per person?

After 10 minutes, the lady behind me start asking the lady behind her what is the lady at the ATM machine doing in a loud hokkien whisper meant to be heard by said lady. Sorry to say, it didn't work, she is still happily depositing her $50.00 account by account.

After 15 minutes, the queue is now as long as the the next door 4D queue. The 2 ladies now joined by a third lady behind them and they start pointing at the Deposit Lady and talking loudly already. Nothing like gossip uniting ~~housewives~~ women. Even the lady with 4 passbooks to update at the next queue already finished and gone and we are still waiting for the $50.00 to finish. Maybe I should give her my account too so that she can also deposit $50.00. Luckily she finished around 5 minutes later else I think her dead body will be lying outside the ATM room. I really gotta to salute her for sheer thick skin as she can withstand all the finger pointing, gossiping housewives and calmly deposited the money. And I know why when she turned to leave. She is not a Chinese.. MUA HA HA HA HA...

The best rojak is still in my hometown behind the stadium...