Tuesday 28 December 2010

-

I think i'm a bit whiny these days(check out the increase in blog entries)..whining about the weather..whining about my shoulder..whining about my cough..whining about my also-coughing-van..i think enough whining for the year liao..

I shall go into hibernation and try to be retrospective about twenty-ten..

So, unless i strike toto tmr or get married by this year..you won't hear from me for the rest of the year..

See you next year!

Saturday 25 December 2010

My 'Accidental' Accupuncture..

After endless nagging by well-meaning frens and personally running out of patience for 'natural healing', i sought out a few sinsehs recommended by frens..one in yishun, one in bt batok..hmm..not exactly very near to me..

I had half-convinced myself to visit one the next day when i was making one of my regular visits to the library. As i was walking in, i spotted this familiar-looking uncle walking out from the library..'Hello uncle, you're the..the..oh, the sinseh from next block!' As luck would have it, he's actually a die da yi shi(so i thought) whom i met some time back when searching for a new office unit..'Uncle, i injured my shoulder, can i come see you?' Uncle sinseh :' Sure, you want to come now?' 'Ok!'

And so, i followed Uncle Sinseh back to his clinic a block away..the moment i approached his clinic, my heartbeat increased a little..cos his shop signage says ' Accupuncture Centre'..

Inside his tiny little consultation room, he asked for the details of my injury..'Ok, put your arm here..i will take your pulse(ba mai)' So exciting..i never really visited a TCM before..ba mai sounds very 'wu xia xiao shuo'..

Next he proceeded to stretch my arm..tug it a bit..swing it around(rather vigouriously). After repeating this drama for a few rounds, he declared 'I already put your shoulder back into position'..and i didn't even realise it was 'out of position'..Uncle continued 'But it's not totally ok yet, as there are some internal injuries..it's inflammed..let me do some accupuncture for you, it'll really speed up the recovery process' By this time, i guess there's no way i could say no, so i could only meekly ask, 'will it hurt?' Uncle assured me it'll only feel like ant bites..i hope it's not the red ants' bite..

Uncle took out his needles..and started poking, no, tapping is more like it, the needles onto my shoulder..5 needles and 20 secs later, i felt this intense nauseous feeling..'Uncle, i want to puke..' And he swiftly grabbed a plastic bag(as though he already anticipated this) and passed it to me. My cough isn't helping and i buried my face into the plastic bag..I think uncle realised that there's no way he can proceed and removed the needles 'Are you not feeling well?' By now, i can feel my face turning white 'Ya, having flu and am on medication' 'Oh maybe that's why..come over here and rest a bit' and motioned me over to the bed. I weakly climbed onto the bed and laid there as though i just finished a major op.. Oh, did i mention i was breaking out in cold sweat too??

About 15 mins later, i slowly felt life coming back to me..

'Uncle, i think i'm better now'
'Ok, let's try again'
'Again??? What if i puke again??'
'Oh no, you won't..it will only happen once'
'Err..you sure..? ok lor'

And so there i was..held 'captive' with no choice but to submit to uncle's bidding 'turn to the side..raise your shoulder a bit..' But thank goodness, there was no puking this time..

Just when i thought needles poking out from me are scary enough, he took this contraption which looked like a battery charger and announced 'i'm going to add some electricity to aid your recovery..this is as effective as coming for 2 or 3 treatments' I wanted to say i'm not really in a hurry but decided it was to no avail..

'Now i will on the electricity and you will feel some throbbing'..And sure enough, i could feel this strange sensation of electric currents dancing under my skin..'Ok, you will lie here for 40min' Wat?! 40mins..my goodness..

10 mins later, uncle popped his head in 'You're getting used to the electricity already right..can't feel it anymore right..time to increase the intensity' @_@

Yet another 10mins later, he did the same thing..by now, i was feeling quite stiff from lying on one side..i didn't dare to move too much in case it shifted the needles or wiring and i was trying to my darnest not to cough..not easy..

Trying to fish for some sympathy from fish(pun intended), i smsed her 'it's quite scary to see needles poking out from my body', her stoic reply 'You won't be able to see the needles if you keep your eyes shut' This coming from a practising nurse..sigh..

At the end of the 40mins session..i wouldn't say the soreness is completely gone..more like..it's being replaced by another kind of soreness..?! Uncle reassured me 'you'll feel better in 1 or 2 days' time, if really not better, you just come back for another session'

Hmm..i think i need to think carefully..very carefully..

Wednesday 22 December 2010

Ho ho..h..uh oh..

Tis the season to make merry, eat to my heart's content and drink myself silly..right?


But..sigh sigh sigh..3 days to Xmas and i find myself down with a lung-bursting cough, a perpetually sore shoulder and a waning appetite..imagine i only had 3 meals today and all 3 meals were half the portion i usually take..and i had to request for a dinner gathering to change from a happening pub to CJ kitchen(no, i dun mean 0.5)..oh, this is all very sad -.-

Planned to use this lull period to whip myself back to lean n fit mode..but alas..even the slightest exertion on my shoulder translates into a lingering soreness..not to mention it's affecting my work(=income)

Well..i know it's partly my own fault..the virus has been suppressed for a while liao(it's the weather!!) and strange isn't it that advice is one of those things that is so much easier to give than to accept..go see a doc, get a x-ray..all stubbornly ignored by yours truly..


Tried to appeal for some TLC but was met flatly with a 'sorry, i dun have any' and was offered a VIT C instead..guess it's better than nothing..

Tuesday 21 December 2010

Life's Simple Pleasures

#689 - To spend a lazy afternoon doing pretty much nothing except to enjoy the company of a nugget, a creamy and a choc..

Tuesday 14 December 2010

From Hiker to Rider..

Extended an invite to Choc Lady for a little hike since my shoulder still feels too sore for any physical activity involving the upper body(tat includes shifting gears for my dua bai)..while the hike didn't exactly materialise, we did end up somewhere in the area..

Apparently Choc Lady was jolted out of bed this morning at the thought of me(din know i have this effect on people) and an exchange of smses on makeup, horses, and kites ensued, ending with a 'see u in 1 hour!'

After several failed attempts, i finally made it to Rider's..was rather glad i went on a weekday and even glad-er i went with someone who can 'deh' the waiter into serving us breakfast even though it was technically past breakfast hours..

I always think brunch is a good occasion to 'talk heart'..lunch and dinner can be quite stressful as in you sometimes run into the danger of the eatery closing, so unless the place serves only breakfast, there's no worry of the waiter coming up and hinting to you with a 'any last order?' And even if breakfast hours are over, one can always move on to lunch - i have no problems with that, as long as it's 2 hours after the initial meal..

I once heard a comment about myself 'it's easy to tell which topics you're interested in, u get more animated when talking about them'..i guess it's true(isn't it the case for everyone else??), but i always also feel that the conversational partner is a factor too..if the other party is someone who is more animated/expressive, i guess i will go along and be more animated too..?!

Anyway..despite my dun-ask-dun-tell-policy, we managed to have a decent conversation(n.b to choc lady: watever i told u over brunch is probably more than wat i tell some other people over the past 2 years..)

Oh, i'm already looking forward to our waffles date, complete with makeup and shirts..

See the photo on the top right --> ?

Yea..in case u didn't notice..i changed the profile photo..(ok, so the previous one was a similar one of sunrise..but hey, sunrise is my 'thing' wat..)

Which also meant i finally sorted out my Cambodia trip's photos..which are posted on facebook..for those who are keen, u know where to look for it lah huh..

Wednesday 8 December 2010

An eye infection..a broken nose..and a loaf of bread

Before i shock my readers out there..2 of 3 items in the title do not refer to me directly..only the loaf of bread does..

I had volunteered for an event recently..and apparently, i have a team of 100+ volunteers under me(99% i've not met, not even during/after the event, though i've spoken to some of them)

2 days after the event, 1 of the volunteers called to tell me another volunteer has gone half-blind in one eye(hopefully it's just temporary), likely due to the fact that she has worn her contact lens for more than 24 hours straight, resulting in an eye infection. Since i'm also just a volunteer, all i can do is refer the poor girl to the organisers..hope she'll be fine.

Lesson learnt: Do not wear contact lens beyond recommended hours

********

Was cycling out there..at one of the supposedly 'safest' place to cycle..when this guy, twice my size, lost control of his bike coming down a small slope and crashed head-on to me. I couldn't quite 'siam' in time, and fell together with him...I laid on the grass for 5 mins trying to decide if i had dislocated my shoulder(thank goodness no, but it sure hurts), and when i sat up, i was greeted by a bloody face..this is bad..

Called for an ambulance and when they arrived 15 mins later, the guy was still in shock..not a life-threatening injury but think he won't get on a bike anytime soon..

Lesson learnt: Wear a helmet and always use your brakes to stop

********

At 7.25am, someone handed me a loaf of gardenia supersoft & fine wholemeal bread..

ZXL: Wah, one WHOLE loaf ah?
Someone: Then? Cannot expect me to buy 2 slices right?
ZXL: Huh? Plain ah..no nutella?
Someone: You're early..so no time to spread..and you're already eating wat..

Lesson learnt: Be specific when ordering breakfast

p.s. thanks for buying the bread at 1+am..
********

In less than 24 hours, i've come across an eye infection and broken nose..& my consolation is one whole loaf of gardenia supersoft & fine wholemeal bread - plain, with no nutella.

Thursday 2 December 2010

Cheers x 3

Did you think i will really forget to blog about my Cheer(although it certainly wasn't as dramatic as wang jie) Nooo..i was just..hmm..a little busy lately..

Attended my 2nd concert of hers couple of weeks back..despite knowing that i will sleep only 3 to 4 hours the day before, i insisted on going..I din go for the first cos i was busy taking photos at NS(well, the 'good' thing is..it's pretty much demolished by the third concert) and i dun intend to miss any of her future concerts too..

Managed to con-vince 0.5 to attend with me..and while i'm more of a fan, she's more 'musically-inclined'(as always..but then, most people are..) So she was the one making comments like 'tat's a unique instrument hor' ....'wah, difficult song, got 2 sets of beats' (watever that means)..while i could only go 'nice!' or 'i got hear this song before..i think' Oh, and i did jump onto the chair at one point in time(refer to article below)

Between the last concert 2 years ago and this concert..i'm ashamed to say that i probably didn't know any more of her songs than i did then...but i think she also never released new album..or did she?? Well, it's always more of quality than quantity for her anyway..ha..

0.5 and i made a few observations that night..we were trying to profile the 'average' fan of hers..but could not reach a conclusion..in terms of age, it seemed to vary quite a bit(from seemingly teenagers to mid 30/40s?), gender was pretty much equal...but what amused us was the fact that we saw not 1, not 2, but a few 'IT professionals-looking guys' totally engrossed(= standing on chair, waving neon-stick, etc) and enjoying themselves..

My last blog on her - http://zxlagain.blogspot.com/2009/04/photobucket.html

Below's an article lifted from 'U-weekly' mag(no 259)


宅男女神


气质女王陈琦贞睽违两年,

来到狮城开(夏季练习曲) 演唱会, 以华丽的音乐和唯美的影像震撼全场3000名歌迷。 有趣的是,当晚除了有一票死忠实粉丝捧场外, 现场还来了很多宅男。

这些男生一看到梦中的女神便失控呐喊还站在椅子上!

而陈琦贞唱得兴起更把麦克风让乐手轮流演唱,

大家都十分配合地唱出"爱你" 唯独她的男友钟成虎。 低调的他不愿在台上公开表白, 只是以微笑回应对陈琦贞的爱。 今年的惊喜环节就是陈琦贞在第二次encore 后, 走向观众席中央的钢琴自弹自唱。

宅男们更是拿起相机猛拍偶像!

Monday 25 October 2010

Its true

U know how i always say i blog more when i'm feeling down..its happening again..an influx of entries..whining, complaining, lamenting..here i come again..

My stiff back has deteriorated into some ridiculous back pain..which hurts when i turn/stretch to the left..or inhale deeply..or cough..or sit down/get up..and worse of all is, i don't know what i did to end up like this? It can't be just old age alone right?? At the same time, my temperature is creeping up again..oh, can i blame it on the weather(again)?

And that's just my physical condition..mentally, i'm just as tired..

Since i'm trying to condition my cats..wait, i shouldn't even call them my cats anymore..my block cats, not to hover/appear outside my unit(in a short summary, my new neighbour has issued a 'no cats' warning to us), i'm trying to ignore them or 'chase' them up to the 8th floor..it's breaking my heart to do this..and when i hear the cats meowing outside my house..my whole heart just sinks and feels like it's being squeezed into a tight tight ball..

Aging & Wang Jie

Continuing on the topic of aging..

Dinner conversation for the past few days have revolved around 'getting old'..well i guess it's something inevitable(and 'comforting', in the sense that i'm not the only one..my friends around my age feel the same too)

Its no secret that i'm feeling lethargic..tired..fatigued..these days..think i haven't been 'socialising' so 'intensively' for quite a while liao..going out every day for the past week has taken a toll on my aging body..and just as i was recovering from my gastric, i woke up with a (very)stiff back this morning..even though i did not do anything strenuous over the weekend..as osm candidly said, 'all she has to do is drink water, and she'll put on weight'..and all zxl has to do, is to go out for a couple of days, and ta-da..aches & pain all over..sigh..

In fact, i was a little too 'happy' when my night ride last sat was cancelled(due to the haze)..someone commented i need to see a doc..and again, i was 'rejoicing' when the downpour this morning meant i had to cancel a session too..yes, i'm going to be quite poor if this goes on..

Another case to 'prove' our age..or rather, my age(since i was the one who instigated the plan - he was my school days idol hor)..we went for Wang Jie's concert. As we would know, Wang Jie was, rather popular before(though he can hardly be considered the hottest singer at the moment) i guess to really appreciate his songs and to pay money for his concert, chances are you would be born before the 80s..

After all these lamenting..here's something a little more 'cheery'..

Regarding the Wang Jie's concert..i was rather amused/amazed at the timeline we 'executed' the plan:

1545hr SMS from ZXL to 0.5: My nite ride is cancelled, lets go for Wang Jie! Ask Wee & Twink if they keen
1645hr 1st OC meeting at ECP, all 4 agreed to Wang Jie. But before that, 0.5 & Wee to do a short run; Twink & ZXL to cycle
1730hr From ZXL's big mouth: If i get a parking lot, i'll buy all of you tics to wang jie(cheers from everyone)
1740hr All 4 descended upon 0.5's house and started queuing for the bathroom
1800hr All 4 showered and left 0.5's house
1815hr Arrived at PP. We split up: ZXL to get tics, Wee & Twink to da bao food, 0.5 to stay behind in her 'taxi'
1830hr ZXL returned to the 'taxi', beaming with 4 tics in her hand, 2nd row seats! (from the back lah..) Wee & Twink appeared with 2 bags of food - Mission accomplished!
1850hr Arrived at Expo carpark, all ready for some 'creative parking'
1910hr The pregnant lady got into her car! Our 'taxi' started to inch towards her..
1915hr 'Taxi' parked!
1920hr All 4 squatted/stood/sat at a bench facing the toilet..gobbling down our dinner..Twink wryly commented: It's quite obvious who is here for Wang Jie, and who is here for the Korean Pop concert..
1935hr Dinner settled!
1945hr Seated at our 'premium' seats
2000hr Start of concert!

So there you have it..how we managed to squeeze a run/ride, shower, buying tics, parking, dinner, and arrived at the concert hall in a span of 3 hours..impressive isn't it?

Friday 22 October 2010

Really old liao

Wah..i cmi liao

Was feeling totally sleepy..gave in & went for some teh..and *poof*, gastric went from 5 to 7.5..it's a vicious cycle..feeling tired -> teh -> gastric -> feeling tired & lethargic -> teh -> .....

Throw in some stress - stress about my cats(think i've blabbered to anyone and everyone who spared me a min over the past 2 days), stress about work(never thot i'll say this..but weather isn't helping), stress about personal matters(not all mine), i'm half dead..or even three-quarters dead..

I blame it on old age..taking forever to recover from anything these days..late nites, stress, feasting, alcohol, aches, gastric..and this is why i declared i wanna live no more than 65 yrs..imagine going to play for 1 day, and then spending the next 5 days trying to recover..

I'm going to say my fave phrase..i need to hibernate..

Tuesday 19 October 2010

Thanks..

To all those who remembered..never fail to amaze me..how some people can remember my bd even though i see them like, maybe once a year..i, for one, has the very bad habit of 'out of sight, out of mind'

and two, certain things, despite being told 2 million times..i can just never get into my brain, for eg, is it 5th or 6th of Jan? is it Building or is it Estate Management?

Had a peaceful bd..compared to last 2 years when i was working through the nite/lying ill on my bed..At the grand old age of 32, i think it's good enough..

Happy Birthday ZXL!

Monday 18 October 2010

Adventures of Little Brownie

My name is Little Brownie..i guess it's cos i'm little and i'm brown in colour(so much for my owner's creativity..)

After i was born in a factory in Japan, I was packed and shipped to a shopping centre somewhere in Singapore with a cinema on the 7th level.

One fine day, i was playing with my brothers and sisters on the shelf as usual when someone who looks like me, also little, also chocolate colour, picked me up and exclaimed, 'Ohh look, so cute!' This chocolate lady pinched my face a litte, tickled me a little, while someone else less chocolately, more pinky looked on..this person doesn't look too impressed..

Chocolate lady continued to play with me and for a while, i got excited at the thought of having a new home. Alas, she put me down, patted me on my head and went away..so sad..

A couple of days later..the pinky friend appeared..she walked past me a few times..threw a few glances at me and my siblings then walked away..few minutes later, pinky friend reappeared..she looked at me with a quizzical look on her face and kept mumbling to herself 'is it this one? oh no cant remember..'

After a few moments of deliberation, pinky friend picked me up, paid for me and walked out of the shop -Oh, I am going to have a new owner! and i thought pinky friend wasn't so fond of me..

Pinky friend brought me home..took me out and mumbled somemore 'i hope u're the right one..if not, u can be my cats' new toy' NOOOOOOOO way...

I was transferred into a nicer paper..with a piece of good-looking note..and then pinky friend took me for a van ride..i got thrown about and squashed a fair bit during the journey but pinky friend didnt' seem to notice or care..i dun think i like this pinky friend very much..

After wat seemed like eternity, i was scooped out of the van and ta-da! it's chocolate lady in front of me! She seemed really happy to see me, though she kept pressing on my face, 'just trying to rearrange the face a bit,think it got squashed in the van ' she explained..Oh she noticed..i'm beginning to like this chocolate lady more than the pinky friend..

Tat night, i went home with chocolate lady..this time i really think i have a new owner..& it felt good..

So there you have it..my first adventure..

Signed,
Little Brownie

Thursday 14 October 2010

*.*

I cant believe it..i've become one of those people who are more tired after a trip..

Too much beer..too little sleep(trying to catch sunrise rem?)..too many meals at strange timings..a lost(& found) bike..a strange student..a packed schedule(for my standards)left me with low energy levels..throw in a bout of gastric and i'm pretty much a goner..

Actually if i were to pinpoint the 'killer culprit' for this state of mine..it was the movie date..it has been long-planned and i was really quite looking foward to it..a 930pm show, after a long day..with the full knowledge that i need to wake up at 630 the next morning, is asking for it..yes i know..i have no one to blame but myself..but hey, i think it was pretty worth it..heh

Again..i have many many thoughts running through my mind lately..another contribution to my tired-ness..

I think i'm beginning to sprout nonsense..so i should stop here..let me rearrange my schedule..my thoughts..oh, and my trip photos..

Sunday 10 October 2010

Back from Cambodia..

After all the many attempts to catch the sunrises and sunsets at Cambodia(including waking up at 4ish am for 2 mornings) with barely any results..other than a 'glimpse'(catchword of the trip) here & there..i came back to singapore just a tad disappointed..

And what do u know..just as i was finishing a lesson at the western part of sg..i found myself staring at a splendid sunset..

Like wat they say..watever you're looking for..could just be found in your very own backyard..

Friday 10 September 2010

Life's Simple Pleasures

#541 - To meet someone new who seemed interesting enough to be a friend

#542 - To be able to lie down on the field of Marina Barrage with the new friend and admire the kites in the twilight

Wednesday 1 September 2010

Life's Simple Pleasures

#248 - Have a good game of table tennis

Yep, went to play tt today..one of the few times in recent years i played it..i still get a high from playing tt quite unlike the high i get from playing other sports..like badminton or tennis..& despite the fact tat i'm constantly surrounded by people who run(& run)..i never really got a high from running(i do it mostly cos i know it's one of the best form of cardio exercise)


Dunno is it that i play tt less often, so i appreciate it more(though i watched a lot of it at one point in time)..or i can play the game better so i enjoy it more(not so true now since i'm far from my peak)..or the company i have when playing tat makes me happy(i'm quite selective with who i play tt with)


One thing is for sure, the skills of my playing partner does not really matter..for i remember one of my best game was played in this dingy sports hall, with rented bats & balls..with someone who can only play 'baby balls'..


Today i played with people whom i haven't played with for years..donkey years..but 2 rallies later, it feels like i'm transported back to the days when i was still a young and naive student(ha!)

Happy Teachers' Day!

I'm not a 'teacher' teacher per se..but i received 3 presents and 2 wishes..so i guess it's a bonus?

Anyway, ys, the-one-with-wise-words said : We should wish & thank each other, everyone u interact with is really your teacher, they teach u both good and bad.

So chim hor..

Thursday 26 August 2010

It's time..??

For 3 days in a row, 3 different people told/advised me to 'find someone and settle down'..

Day 1 -
Wil: Haven't you thought about settling down?
ZXL(choking on my barley drink): With??
Wil: Doesn't necessarily mean you have to get married..just someone who can be your companion, or even just a friend..
ZXL: I'll think about it..

Day 2 -
Mom(not mine): ..Told you to get a rich turtle..
ZXL: Waiting..still waiting..
Mom: Dun wait, go out and look!
ZXL: You should go work for SDU..
Mom: I have friends who got married under SDU and even have a plaque to show for it!
ZXL:.......

Day 3 -
'Alan': So when is it your turn to settle down?
ZXL(giving standard reply by now): With??
'Alan': You can plan first..who knows, u may just find someone very soon..
ZXL: Aiyo..these kind of things hard to say lah..
'Alan': Don't worry, i'll keep a lookout for you..come out with us more often ok?
ZXL: Err..ok lor, thanks ah

Maybe this is the stress that singles in their 30s go thru? The famous stress that i've been reading so much about in the papers(oh maybe no more liao..since Ms ST got married to her high school beau in a sort-of fairytale wedding)

Anyway, i'm not so much feeling stressed..but more amused..how 3 very different people..coincidentally over 3 consecutive days spoke to me about the very same topic..

I guess i have arrived..to that age..

Thursday 12 August 2010

Namecards

Just received a namecard from an ex-colleague the other day..it read 'Dr Wong'..

The last time i met up with Dr Wong was a couple of years ago when she was still 'doctor-to-be'..good for her!

I once said my namecard would one day read 'Consultant'..while i dun even put a designation on my cards these days, i think it's still a possibility(of cos i can always print tat even now but...)

#497 goal in life - To earn the title of 'Consultant'

Monday 9 August 2010

The Day I Fell In Love Again..

Actually it was just a simple day..in fact, it might be even a boring day or just another day to others..but it's been quite a while since i enjoyed myself so much with you..

The day started with a korean dance performance at the lovely esplanade theatre..well, never ever the dance-guru..i even had to be told 'the 2 guys represent sperms and the girl represents the egg'(dun ask). Overall, it was certainly quite a visual feast of toned taut bodies..And right after that, was feasting time again..this time, more literally..

How best can you spend a saturday afternoon other than devouring a decadent chocolate crepe from 'botak max' and watching the world go by(which i really did - there was a marchpast display going on outside the building)

The very guilty teabreak called for some workout..'climbed up' to the rooftop of esplanade..though not of sky-scraping heights, it still offered a very decent view of the city..it was a city decked for celebration..i could spot 3 happenings going on..YOG rehearsals at the floating platform, NDP rehearsals at the padang and the marina bay festival..

Decided to venture down to the marina bay for a closer look at the actions..the nice balmy weather(relatively) made for quite a pleasant stroll on the esplanade bridge..there were obviously tons of other people who felt the same way, as i counted no less than 30 photographers staking out for a prime viewing spot of the fireworks(scheduled for some 2 hours later)

Descending upon fullerton, one can feel a whole lot of buzz around the area..school bands performing, a zorb ball or two in the waters, great to see 'real' people instead of just tourists with brollies..

The workout continued with a little jaunt down Singapore river..had wanted to check out the food fest going on at Clarke Quay..hmm..found it a bit disappointing, it's no more than a glorified hawker fest(to me), but as someone commented 'but this is local food wat'..

Not impressed with the food at food fest..we went to try our luck at 'barcode' instead and hit jackpot! Managed to get the last 2 RCB(raisin cream buns - one of my latest craze)..fresh from oven too! One bite into the warm fluffy bun..ahhh..this is how all buns should taste like..in my eagerness to wolf down the bun, i scalded my finger with the cream cheese oozing out..yesh..it's really tat piping hot..but oh-so-shiok!

With the unexpected appearance of the RCB, dinner plan was somewhat pushed back and what followed was some aimless shopping with moments like 'wonder-how-long-will-this-shop-survive'..'wow-how-do-they-make-the-candies'..'i-wan-a-drink-but-dun-wanna-q-for-it'..

By this time, it was close to 8pm and the skies have darkened considerably..we backtracked to the riverbank and sure enough we saw 2 bursts of fireworks in the sky..followed by..nothing. 'Huh? Tats all? Cannot be right..' A few neck-craning minutes later, the skies lit(not lit-ted) up again..and this time, we were rewarded by some pretty awesome fireworks..got crescent and stars leh!

Satisfied with the pyrotechnics display, it's time to hunt down dinner(i think tat's the modus operandi for the day - feed the senses, followed by feed the tummy)


A 5 mins bus hop brought us to the orchard area..must give myself a pat for being brave enough to set foot in orchard on a sat nite. Went to restaurant animal-with-a-long-neck and managed to secure a table on the upper level..hmm..it's actually not too bad a place to chill out..should come here more often(with my hard-earned vouchers..heh)

With the dining companion not perfoming, i had to shoulder the responsibilty of clearing wats left on the plates..result? a stuffed tummy for the 3rd time in slightly more than 4 hours..And now, ladies & gentlemen..it's time to check-it-out at the night fest..afterall, the night is still young!

Glad tat the night fest was some 400m away..provided another quick workout after dinner...

There was a myriad of things going on..singing..dancing..boxing(really!)..and of cos, the 'arty' performances..they ranged from the 'simple-but-cleverly-funny' sms billboard to 'huh-wat-meaning' spaceship performance to the 'finally-i-can-understand' drag queens' performances'..interesting..very interesting..

Compared with the pls-try-harder-next-year food fest, i thot the night fest was much more successful..

All along you'd always given me the impression that you're very serious..not capable of having some fun..but after spending a day of arts, quirky entertainment with just the right dash of romance..i think i've seen a different side of you..and i must admit, the thought of spending the rest of my life with you did come into my mind..

And to you..my one and only..Singapore..have a happy 45th birthday..

Cheers!

Sunday 25 July 2010

Life's Simple Pleasures

#128 - A good run with the sunrise as the backdrop(actual running or eye-power also can), followed by a good cup of teh on a Sunday morning..

Tuesday 22 June 2010

I Caught The Fever..

More literally than figuratively..

Yes, the World Cup fever is on..and i'm sure many people out there have caught the fever..me, not exactly siao-on football fan..but the sports junkie in me brought me out to catch a few matches here & there(drinks & prata are 'bonuses'..)


While i'm still not able to differentiate between 4-4-1-1 and 5-4-1 formations, i like to see the 'emotions' of the players..from the pained anguish in missing a penalty to the sheer ecstasy of scoring(not withstanding some overacting from the players sometimes), every form of emotion is on splendid display during this season..

And the other fever i've caught is..well, fever..

Again, i fell victim to the erratic weather..what to do? i'm at the mercy of the weather more than most people(people who work in air-con comfort from 9-6 do not bear the full grunt of the weather..in my opinion). Just when i was wondering what should i do on a relatively-free weekend, i woke up on sat morning with a splitting headache(i swear it wasn't from the 2 drinks while watching Germany lose)..by evening, the headache had developed into a full-blown fever of 38.5..and my temp yoyo-ed up and down over the entire weekend and it took me half a box of panadol before it came down to a level which i can function decently..@_@

Hope one fever will clear up soon enough so i can concentrate on the other fever..

p.s. Wei, you can jio me to watch WC one ya..

Thursday 10 June 2010

Random Ramblings

so 9/6 has come and gone..& i still dun have durian abs..

yet..

ok maybe i didnt exactly had them before but i definitely was a bit 'leaner and meaner' at some point in my life..yea yea..it could be age is catching up and metabolism is slowing down..and i need to work out just tat bit more, to see tat bit more results..but of cos it could also be i'm also lacking in tat bit of discipline..watever working out i'm doing is simply no match for all the pigging out i'm having..

*******************
Still on working out..i must say i was quite impressed with someone's stamina..someone who did no/limited training could clock 10km in under 1 hour..and me, despite trying my darn best to build up my stamina..but still could not catch up with someone who had ran 7km..can u just see my ego being deflated..

*******************
A few days ago, i received a compliment on how 'bilingual' i seem to be..and i happily accepted it, secretly 'arm-chio'..until someone suddenly, randomly, threw me a challenge of reading a chinese paragraph(in science centre no less, cant get anymore random than this)..while i don't think i 'failed' the test, i certainly wasn't as fluent as i was back in my school days..in fact, it was bad enough for tat someone to comment that my reading was 'one piece one piece'..(once again, there goes my ego..piew..)

It's not like i can't speak mandarin..in fact, i'm pretty confident i'm in the above-average half of the population in terms of conversational mandarin..just didn't expect my reading to be so 'off the mark'..my excuse? i speak minimal mandarin now..which is quite true..

If i'm out of office for work, i mostly speak english(or dun speak at all, given the non-verbal nature of some of my students)..and if i'm in my office, well..i dun exactly have colleagues to 'chit chat' with..(which, in my opinion, is when most people speak mandarin)..so when i do 'chit chat', it's mostly via msn..and of cos that'd mainly be in english(long gone are the days when i type faster in chinese than english)

So i guess it leaves me with my social interactions..I've said this before, and i wanna say this again..i'm not a kantang..never was, never gonna be one(in fact, i was one of those who was rather outraged by the recent 'miscommunication' about lowered weightage for MTL) I dun make a conscious attempt to 'purposely' speak english or mandarin, though i'm aware that i tend to speak more english with certain people and more mandarin to others..

Well, i guess..by my own warped definition of being bilingual, i AM indeed bilingual..

Tuesday 18 May 2010

@.@

tat's how cartoon characters look when they get woozy right..yea, that's how i'm feeling in my head these days..


maybe its the weather(my fave excuse for feeling less-than-perfect)..its really going quite crazy..hot to wet to hotter to wet to wetter..not good for my head..not good for my pocket$..


another reason tat is floating around my head is that..there's this 'stuff' in my head..stuff that i cannot say..dunno how to say..who to say to..and it seems to be increasing in intensity..expanding exponentially..sometimes i feel like my head's gonna explode soon..

@.@

Tuesday 4 May 2010

9/6

That's the deadline i set for myself..

By 9/6, i will regain my 6-pack..

( I )
( I )
( I )

Monday 3 May 2010

In reference to previous entry..I just dun understand how can one be happy and yet dissatisfied and not enjoying life..?

Anyway, i checked into my blog and was reviewing my entries(published & not-published)..hmm..i really think i blog more when i'm feeling down..i guess it's sort of natural ba? at least to me..to whine and wallow in self-pity when things dun go right..

So ya..the lack of 'serious' entries meant that i'm generally happy these days..and i think i'm enjoying life..ha

Work-wise..not making big money(dun foresee it in the near future), but i'm quite happy..despite complaining about them sometimes, i do look forward to seeing my students(mostly)..

Personal-life-wise..can hardly complain..not exactly blissfully married with 2 beautiful kids(dun foresee it in the near future either), but hey, i'm blessed with frens..quality frens..meeting up, going out..sometimes on random 'dates'..ranging from ordering some unknown pig parts for bak kut teh to watching not 1, but 2 'wrong' movies..life's interesting enough for me..

Oh, and i'm starting my exercise routine again..even went for a fart-lek run the other day..almost bursting my lungs in the process..now..if only i can see my old fren, the 6-pack again :Þ

Savaged from earlier entries..

'A recent survey by the NUS Biz Sch found that Singaporeans who have university degress or earn $5000 or more a month are the happiest. Yet, they are dissatisfied with their lot and enjoy life the least, compared with those who earn less.

Their dissatisfaction could stem from their higher, unfulfilled expectations. But if discontent is not crippling, it may be what would drive them to achieve more. It is said that contentment is happiness, but it is a thin line that separates contentment from complacency. When complacent, one tends to spiral downwards. There can be no happiness there.

When they say they don't enjoy life enough, many higher-earning Singaporeans probably relate 'enjoyment' to fine foods, fancy cards and luxurious homes. But there is only so much one can enjoy of these things. One enjoys life fully only when one is purposefully engaged, and is passionate about the things one does. Happiness comes as a fleeting by-product. Recognise that and one can be a more fulfilled person'

Friday 30 April 2010

^.-

I was trying to draw a face with 'raised eyebrows'..wasn't tat successful..eh?

There're a few things over the past couple of weeks that made me raise my eyebrows..those i can share here, i will..

TV Progs - Well, i'm of the few who survives on free-to-air tv..it could be cos i dun really watch tv(or maybe tats why i dun watch tv) but anyway, what i happen to chance upon the other day really made me wonder the standard of tv programmes these days..

i switched on the ang moh channel..and for a while, i thought i was on the wrong channel..cos what i saw was some makan programme(every other prog is food-related these days)..nothing wrong with tat..wat made me really went 'huh?!' was that it was actually a local cheena prog dubbed in ang moh..oh my..this is such a lazy way of tv programming! It was shown on prime time too..8pm..oh c'mon..surely the tv station can do better than to dub some cheena prog and show it on ch angmoh? i dun think it was even tat popular on its original channel..

The other thing that made me raised my right eyebrow(yes, i can only do it with the right, not the left..dun ask why)was that, again, i accidentally came across this scene(nothing to do with our local tv station this time): it's a chinese period drama..about this couple lost in the wild(at least this is wat i gathered from the 2 mins i spent watching)..and they're at this god-forsaken place..it's cold..it's snowing..and it has 2 polar bears! The polar bears scene is obviously 'cut & paste' from some natgeo prog..oh my..

*******************************************************************************

In my job, I dun usually teach children below 7 yrs..it's rather different teaching 3 years old vs 13 years old vs 30 years old..and while i'm ok with kids, i dun see myself as kids-loving as some other people i know..

I just realised how much i 'lowered' my age limit when one of my students kept scratching his backside(seriously!)..i thought he needed the loo so i brought him up to his apt..one look and the mum said, 'must be fussing about his pampers again'..then proceeded to take off his shorts and remove his pampers..for a moment, i was like @.@..

Monday 12 April 2010

Nuah & nuaher..

Tat's right..i feel myself getting nuah & nuaher..and for me to say this..means i'm really getting nuah..

I keep saying i wanna do this..i wanna da tat..most of the time, i get started on half of them..and of this half, half gets really done..

Just take my blog entries for eg..there's at least a handful entries which i've started..but yet to complete..

And i've not been exercising lately too..yes, i chase after students..but that's hardly 'real' exercise..my visible-only-to-myself abs are threatening to disappear too..

Aiyo..do something ZXL..do something..

Tuesday 30 March 2010

Just some random notes..

Had a badminton game with wei the other day..nothing 'special' mah..since wei was once a school player and these days i play badminton quite regularly..despite these 2 facts and the fact that we've known each other half our lives..it was the FIRST time we're playing together..

Anyway..not bad pal, just a couple more sessions and i'm sure you'll regain some of your past 'form'..but first, how about getting a racket of your own?


Anyway..yes, i've completed my modules..just one more final essay to go before i receive my dip..

**********************************************************************************

Another thing contributing to my free time for the past month or so..it's been raining..it's not good for me..esp it tends to rain in the late afternoons when i usually teach..bad for my pockets..

************************************************************************************************************************************
I guess it's one thing that's more random than me - the weather..

Tuesday 23 March 2010

..Cont'd..

We were sitting down at home..having the dinner 'da baoed' earlier on..it was peng cai..never had peng cai in Sg before, so i can't compare..?

Halfway through the dinner..i 'discovered' something..it was the first time i'm meeting big fish in macau(big fish is of cos, fish's big sister), who was previously based in UK ..i've meet her many times..ok, maybe it's not tat many times(just as many times as i went over to UK, which is like 3 or 4 x)..but i've spent quite a bit of time with her..considering i was staying in her house for almost half a year..the last time i met her was when she came over to Sg last yr..but for me to 'see' her in macau..it's a first..

Overheard the weather forecast on tv..'today is the lowest temp in this year's winter so far and temp is set to drop even further over the next days'..great, every time i come over to macau, i experienced a new 'low'..how fantastic..and all i brought over was a couple of long sleeves and my beloved timberland 'lightweight' jacket(which never failed to amuse their entire family everytime - 'is that flimsy piece of cloth your winterwear? you gotta be kidding..you'll freeze!') Of cos, my sheepish nod will then activate the entire family to dig out a 'decent' winter jacket for me(it doesn't help that none of them are of similar build as me)..such hospitality..sigh..

I stepped out of the shower in my usual 'sleepwear'..and 3 heads turned to stare at me..middle fish couldn't take it anymore and burst out 'i haven't seen anyone in short sleeve in the longest time' @_@

Some messages before we continue with macau trip..

Just when i thought..wah..twink has really changed..no, she hasn't doubled in size(yet)..but her taste(in food lah) has taken a dramatic change..

From the time i knew her, pasta dishes have always been a nono on her menu..but the other day, while we were out searching for lunch, she told me she felt like eating pasta..and eat she did..finishing one whole serving(i used to 'sweep' her leftovers)

More shockingly, she revealed she recently has cravings for veg and even admitted to buying a salad bowl and finishing it all by herself..coming from someone who used to reject anything 'green' or 'white'..

Ya, so while food tastes may change, other things in her life remain constant..like the no of times she visits the loo..


She came over to my place the other day..and the first & last thing she did was to go to the loo..and we're talking about a timeframe of 45 mins..?! This 'peeing' routine was later 'reinforced' when we were out for dinner, she had to pee before we went into a restaurant and immediately after we left the restaurant..and again before we embarked on our journey home..

Well i guess some things change..some things don't..

Sunday 21 March 2010

My trip..

I was still thinking if i should blog about my macau trip afterall..since it's not exactly a terribly exciting place and most people would have been 'bored' by my macau trip(s)..

But of cos, my good ole buddy wei sent me a 'gentle reminder' on my promised entry..so here goes..


I started planning for this trip, like really early..i started hunting for air tics back in Nov..tat's a good 3 months before intended travel date..to me, tat's almost like half a lifetime..but then again, maybe that's a good thing, because i read this article somewhere that says the 'anticipation high' of a holiday in fact, outweighs the actual 'holiday high'..(this is in line with pooh's theory - see blog header). So this effectively means i got to enjoy the 'anticipation high' for close to 3 months..good deal right?


Even before i flew off, i had my adrenalin flowing quite a bit liao..no thanks to pandan cake..yes, that green fluffy cake that we hardly pay any attention to it..my hosts had requested for some food from Sg and pandan cake tops that list(yes, it's really a very-much-requested-for food among foreigners)


When i reached the airport, i went to look for my 'all-in-one' Bengawan Solo..alas, the outlet in T1 is undergoing reno! my pandan cake? my kueh lapis?


Stay calm..i told myself..check the directory..heaved a sigh of relief when i realised there's another BS at T3..without tat, i cheonged off to T3..but alas, i had neglected one detail..i was flying off on the 3rd day of CNY(which was still a PH)..imagine my horror when the sales asst told me, there's no pandan cake available cos the bakers were still on holiday..?!! How how? Boh bian..i decided to buy every other item that has the slightest hint of 'pandan' flavour..ondeh ondeh, some green kueh, more green kueh...hoping to make up for this 'loss'..


I was flying budget and had intended to grab some food before boarding..but this hunt for pandan cake left me with little precious time for a meal(okok, i reached the ariport a bit later than expected but i had travelled half the island before coming k)..and i only managed to gobble down half a bowl of mee rebus before dashing off to my gate, leaving a no-doubt-by-now-very-amused someone behind to enjoy her mee siam and teh peng..on her own..


3.5 hours later, i arrived..stepped out of the airport and immediately regretted not bringing my power jacket..it was a lowly 10 degrees..and i was still in my 'Sg clothes'..(damn the stupid weather forecast at changi..17 - 19 degrees?!)


Mobile rang..'oi, we're going to pick up dinner before coming to fetch u, u wait a bit ok?'..this was my welcome to macau *.*



Monday 8 March 2010

Me & Macau

Of cos, half the world would have known by now that i'd just came back from macau..i realise there're some misconceptions about me going to macau, so let me set the record straight..

I do not ALWAYS go to macau. And i certainly do not go every year. In fact when i checked my passport, the last time i went was in 2005. That's a good 5 years ago..i know of many frens who make trips to Thailand, Hong Kong, US, etc on a much more regular basis..

I do NOT travel to hong kong and make day trips to macau. I do the reverse; i go to macau and then, make day trips to hong kong, and only occasionally too. Effectively, i spend much much more time in macau than hong kong(a fact that baffles some people)

I do NOT go to the casinos in macau..ok, this is no longer true..since i made an 'exception' this year and stepped into a casino in macau for the first time..though this is somewhat a 'push' rather than a 'pull' factor. Afterall, Singapore has its own casino now..and i grew curious about how does a casino actually look like..BUT with a casino in which i will most likely lose $$(with the $100 entrance levy)..so no thank you, i had my fill of casinos this time round..spending one whole day hopping between some 10 casinos(oh, and i WON $$ too..haha)

I do NOT have a fantastic grasp of Cantonese. Yes, of cos i speak enough Cantonese to get by..but mostly i have 'translators' with me or i will simply speak english. It can be rather amusing to see how we communicate - i speak english, she speaks cantonese(another fact that baffles people)..we communicate on 'parallel and yet, identical' planes. We went for a documentary film at the macau science centre and at the end of the 45mins, all i knew was that the Russians and the Americans were the first 2 countries that sent space missions to the moon..all other technical details were simply 'lost in translation' . Conversational cantonese ok lah, proper technical cantonese..you might as well be speaking russian to me..

Another case in point: i had gone and made a pair of glasses over there and when i tried on my new glasses, i felt a bit giddy(this happens when the power/degree is not quite right)..fish's conclusion: i must have given the wrong answers when the optician went through the standard questions with me..hmm..which is highly likely since i answered 'ok' to most of his questions, whether or not i understood what he's asking..and even if i did, i was too lazy to formulate my replies in cantonese..@_@

There are many things i can blog about my trip..but i think i shall save it for the next entry..it's been a really good trip..with lotsa discoveries..well..i won't be saying 'i can't wait to go back again' ..afterall, good things come to those who can wait..

Sunday 7 March 2010

@o@

This is what happens when you take an afternoon nap from 3 - 6pm..despite waking up only at 1pm..you feel really alert..at 1150pm..

Oh well..maybe i should take this time to tidy up my blog notes..got a handful of 'virtual scribbles' accumulated over the past 2 weeks..when i was rather busy..Remember i get the urge to blog whenever i have 2000 other items to do? Yep, it's been proven to be the case again.

So when i was surviving on 6 hours' sleep everyday for the past 2 weeks(this might be quite a lot to the average working adult..but i must emphasize, i'm not the 'average working adult', so there), i couldn't help but to log in and just type something on my blog. Of cos, now i look at them, some are really petty issues - things which felt really important at tat moment, are no longer as important, and some when i look at them now - maybe it's not such a good idea to publish to the world afterall..

Let me go through it..and let's see what will eventually survive my editing..

Monday 18 January 2010

v_v

Bad..this is bad..i did bad for my written assignment..

And it pulled down my overall grades..

Tuesday 12 January 2010

The older u get..

..the more competitive u are..so says someone..


This comment came after i told her that i dropped from 2nd to 3rd position is my latest exam results..she said it was the same case for her when she did her post-grad in recent years..


This was further confirmed by twinky(who dropped by on a random visit and ended up having to break into my room for me - using a paperclip & credit card) But of cos, the common consensus was that we're studying something we're much more interested in (since we took them up out of our own accord)..which explains why our grades matter much more now..though they probably have much less 'impact' on our lives..who cares if i scored 90% in my psychology test right? But it was a really big deal if i'd scored A1 in my GP back then..


The irony of it all..

Sunday 10 January 2010

random..or not?

i was just scanning thru my entries..& then it struck me..

As random as i thought my activities were..i realised there're some common factors..i mentioned in my previous entry that i went for a bbq on nye right..in fact, i went for a bbq last last year's nye too..

Okok..i know that's nothing 'wah' in that..but i went home from the same place..it's not a place where one usually find themselves on nye..i went home from my (ex)office..though last year's & last last year's reasons are totally different..

AND..i took the same route home..again, nothing surprising about taking the same route home right..i mean we take the same route home all the time..but it was EXACTLY the same, but different route...confused?

From my (ex)office, i always take the CTE home..but for 2 nyes, i took another route home..through the city..cos i thought i'd be kaypoh and check out wat's the party scene like..

It's a case of same same but different..u know wat i'm talking about?!

Thursday 7 January 2010

2010

New year, new decade, new post! Sounds quite lame actually..

Some 'exciting' stuff has happened in 2010 so far..by exciting i mean, it triggers the 'maybe i should blog about it' button in me..and they're stuff which would happen anyway..whether 2010 or not..yes, the point is..i'm not going to make a big deal out of the new year..or have i already?!

Thing is..i have quite a number of half-written blogs stashed in the drafts section..should i work on them first before moving on to new posts..or leave them in 2009 as..well..half-written blogs?

There was this day when i was just chatting with MOM and she commented i'm 'anti-social' & 'selective'..of cos i refuted them..i replied i was just being 'random'..

Indeed, i looked back at some of the things i've done over the past month or so(one can only be truly random when one is free..right?)..some of them are really quite random..including:

  • Going for a 3 hour dim sum brunch(with a char siew bao tat tasted like dou sa bao), followed by a 30mins bike ride and followed by a HUGE plate of rojak with only yau char kway..
  • Eating curry fishhead for lunch on Xmas eve with 4 other people, whose only common link is through me(more or less)
  • Counting down to Xmas at the KTV with 2 other people who also like to thrust the mic to others(& i thot i was the only one)
  • A random list of Xmas presents given - this is one of the years where i bought some of the random-est stuff(which includes a box of the famous everton park ang ku kueh - at least it's practical k) to some of the random-est people (though this is partly due to a somewhat random are-we-are-we-not-going-trip)
  • A last min, even more random BBQ on new year's eve where i hardly knew the people..

The strange thing is..i like this kind of random-ness..though i know some people don't really like it..and are, in fact, put off by it..

Oh well..i guess ZXL is ZXL and ZXL is as random as it gets..