The Honey Wind Blows

For weddings

2012-02-04T18:57:00.001+08:00

Found this in an obscure shop in Hougang. Been looking for sth like this for a long time, as it's kinda hard to find. The only place that I knew would have plenty of this would be in HK's Temple Street.

Bring on the red bombs!

Progress.

2012-01-24T10:34:00.001+08:00

Written with Left supporting the pen, while Right does her best.

2012-01-19T22:19:00.001+08:00

I'm really, really sad about my hand. It's so stiff even after 4 days. Can hardly bend the wrist. Maybe I'm too impatient. I wish u could have a good cry, maybe I will feel better. But the tears won't come.

Pseudo fine dining at Pomo.

2012-01-19T11:37:00.001+08:00

For the service, food and presentation, it really was not bad at all. Really good. For $35 nett for the dinner menu.

Steak main was melt-in-the-mouth. They kindly sliced it up for me on account of the hand, yet the meat still retained its medium rare quality. Wonderful! And the cheese grilled fish was a pleasant surprise. Very savory.

Mushroom soup and the Japanese fish consommé were well done, as we're the appetizers. Washed down with copious amounts of refreshing apple rose tea and topped off with a creme brûlée.

Cast off.

2012-01-18T22:58:00.001+08:00

Depressed. Stiff stiff stiff. Can't bend or move my wrist. And X-ray of fracture was a little off. Have to accept that my right hand will never quite be the same again. Doc predicts 3 months to a year for full recovery. I'm so sad. And a little worried job-wise.

Day 1- tried to hold a pen. Fingers trembled so much. Gave up.

Day 2- took out my guitar. Could strum, to my delight. Without having to twist the wrist or rotate the radial axis too much. Noted for potential daily hand exercise.
Tried to use chopsticks. Gave up. Not being able to bend wrist led to difficulties putting food in mouth. Trembly, insecure grip too.

Day 3- tried to use spoon. Gave up for same reason. Played more guitar. This part was nice. Used hand to gingerly wash my hair. Success. Still too weak to press the tap in toilet sinks though. Tried to hold pen again. Managed a feeble scrawl of my signature. Good enough for starters.

2012-01-17T18:14:00.001+08:00

Liyue's guide to the annual CNY interrogation by curious relatives:

When you're single, they'll ask if you intend to get attached. When you're attached, they'll ask when are you tying the knot. When you've tied the knot, they'll ask about babies. When you have your first child, they'll ask if you intend to have a second one. When your kids are grown up, they'll ask if your kid is attached. And the cycle goes again.

The questions never end! So chillax everyone, answer with a smile, stuff your face silly while doing so and have a wonderful Chinese New Year!

Things that are Impossible to do with one hand

2012-01-15T14:49:00.000+08:00

Cast will be out tomorrow! I hope that with all the little hits and misses (and bumps) from the last couple weeks, my wrist did set properly.

In honor of my 6 week-versary of my right hand being in a cast, here is a list that I compiled of what I found a second limb most indispensable for. Without which, certain tasks are most impossible to perform:

1. Tying hair into a ponytail.

2. Ripping open packages. (Gotta use teeth)

3. Cutting open food packages (Need sth to create some sort of tension in order to cut. Who knew?!)

4. Eating steaks.

5. Eating bone-in chicken pieces

6. Loaded food on a plate at a buffet table at gatherings. (which leads to not eating much cos don't like to keep asking for help.)

7. Opening an umbrella. (Use the knees to help out. Must be in sitting position)

8. Carrying a tray of food.

9. Putting on a showercap.

10. Reading comfortably on the bed.

And yet, I'm amazed at how adaptable our body is to change. I'm impressed at how I managed to:

1. Fix my own sandwich. (a minute ago)

2. Put on a bra (Sorry male readers)
3. Read on my side on the bed.
4. Manage to single-handedly (hurhur) put up my hair on warm days.
5. Basically live a normal life.

But of course, I couldn't have done without my mum, who cooked and washed and swept.

So in conclusion, a word of wisdom: two hands are still better than one.

PS: Whoo.. heard I got an honorable mention at the all-staff present manufacturing meeting last week. No names mentioned of course, but thats a red mark against the company courtesy of MOM for workplace safety. In other words: I'm famous!

357 more days

2012-01-09T01:56:00.001+08:00

I just packed my favorite Christmas CDs away for another year. How sad.

(sent from the iPhone)
Hello micro blogging!

Lychee Martini Cake

2012-01-07T10:44:00.001+08:00

This is my first time blogging from my iphone. Let's see how it goes.

Featuring a lychee martini cake from a nondescript looking cake shop somewhere in AMK. Mmm.. Hint, bus 88 goes there. So does 156 and 159.

Other stuff we ordered were an orange chocolate cake and a pulut hitam one. But I must say, the lychee martini wins hands down.

Soft, light and spongy. With a distinct alcoholic taste and chunks of lychee. Yum!

Pine's Garden Cake
Blk 529 AMK ave 10, #01-2369/2329

Ringing in the New Year with feasting

2012-01-01T20:16:00.001+08:00

I apologise in advance for the photo diarrhea that is about to follow.

The story is, weeks before I injured my arm, a girlfriend and I decided to do a short weekend jaunt to KL. 2 days 1 night. After my accident, I had wanted to cancel the trip, due to the inconvenience of only having one working arm, my non dominant to boot. However, with reassurances from the company nurse as well as the wonderful girlfriend, who promised to protect me (her very words), I happily agreed.

We had a wonderful time. Literally ate our way through the place. It was my favorite kind of a holiday, plenty of lazing around in the comfortable hotel room, lots of eating and a little bit of obligatory shopping. Typical Liyue style, packed light, diy, armed with nothing but 2 screenshot maps from Google Maps, a camera (iPhone) and trippy feet. Oh and info gleaned from travel websites and malaysian food blogs.

We reached KL in the afternoon, just in time for lunch. So we made a direct beeline for the much hyped about food court in Lot 10.

First order of the day, fried Hokkien noodles, done Malaysian style with lots of lard, soy sauce and a distinct wok hei taste. V loved this so much she had it again the next day. It was very good.

Carb dish number 2 of the day was chicken claypot rice with a generous piece of salted fish. It was very, very good.

Appetiser. Popiah, one with an egg based skin and one done the normal way.

Later that night, we headed down to Lor Alor. A somewhat touristy food street.

Started off with the thickest opaque lime juice ever, with sour plum. Very refreshing.

Crispy, juicy BBQ-ed chicken wings.

And tender morsels of beef, mutton and chicken.

Back there the next morning for teh tarik from a street cart, mamak stall!

Nasi Lemak selling by the road, thronging with locals.

Wrapped in a newspaper with a plastic lining and an obligatory bit of banana leaf. We trooped back to have breakfast in the comfort of our hotel.

Exploring various shopping centres.

Headed to Petronas for a look-see.

My lunch.

Some miscellaneous shots including my old school cheng ting with quail egg and V's assam laksa.

Secret Recipe cheese cake is a must have when in M'sia! Just because it's cheaper by half :P

It was a wonderful trip! But a little jerlat at the end from all the good food. As you could see, there wasnt much vegetables and everything was rather oily. It's time to eat light for the next few days.

Christmas Block Party

2011-12-25T00:25:00.003+08:00

En masse

Arriving early for prep work

Singing some simple carols.

Last minute prep work on the skit.

Watching the play.

In action.

Sparklers at the end!

Dirty shoes

2011-12-13T11:12:00.001+08:00

The sands and dust of the Chihuahuan desert in New Mexico
Still rest on my pair of hiking boots
I loathe to clean it
For fear that in doing so
The beautiful dream will really be over

But perhaps
It really is time to wake up
For only in doing so can
Another beautiful dream begin

The Prodigal Son - A Christmas Play

2011-12-10T14:17:00.001+08:00

I've not been very productive the past few days at home, so I quickly jumped at a request to write a simple short skit for my small church group as part of the neighbourhood festivities we'll be organising for a block party in Hougang. My cell leaders were recovering from a week long flu, and needed a basic script, pronto. And here I was with a mind in need of stimulation and a working left wrist. I can't write, but at least I can type.

Fresh from (the pain of) watching this year's Wild Rice's production of Aladdin, my mind was fresh full of possibilities of a parable with a distinct Singaporean flavor. I wanted to portray the story of the Prodigal Son, in a parallel context that heartland Singaporeans will easily be able to relate to.

And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

(Luke 15:11-32 ESV)

And here goes...

Cast:
Narrator
Father (Lao Pei)
Elder Son (Tua Kia)
Younger Son (Say Kia)
Woman 1 (Say Kia’s friend/market aunty)
Woman 2 (Say Kia’s friend/market aunty)

Scenes:
1. “ Give me my inheritance’
2. The Squander
3. The Economic Crisis
4. ‘I am not worthy’

Scene 1

Narrator: Once upon a time, there lived a man with two sons, Tua Kia and Say Kia.

Say Kia:

(Speaking towards audience)

Hi everyone! My name is Say Kia. I live with my Lao Pei and older brother Tua Kia. My father, he owns Uncle Chow Kopitiam, selling the most famous roast duck in all of Singapore! That’s why, he’s very rich.

(Looks left and right, and whispers to audience)

But sometimes, I really wish my dad will pass away soon. Or at least give me my share of the inheritance. He’s so old fashioned, work in this Kopitiam his whole life and saves up every last cent. He doesn’t know how to enjoy life!

If I have money, I know how to invest in the right stocks and shares. No need to work and save so hard like him. Earn quick and good money, and also to enjoy life! Go travelling, eat in good restaurants, during Christmas, stay one night in Marina Bay Sands to relax!

(Enter Father and Elder Son)

Say Kia:

Lao Pei, I have something important I need to talk to you about.

(clears throat)

Lao Pei, I love you very much, but sometimes I really cannot stand you. You work too hard, don’t know how to enjoy life. Actually, I was thinking, can you give me my share of the inheritance right now? I want to go enjoy my life, not stuck here in this Kopitiam working with you and Tua Kia for the rest of my life!

Tua Kia:
(very angry at younger brother, putting his fist out, about to punch him. Say Kia, stunned and a little fearful, takes a step back)

How dare you talk to our Lao Pei like that! He is not dead yet and you already want his money! What kind of a son are you?

Lao Pei:
(puts his arms on both his sons, calming them)

My sons, do not quarrel over this. No matter where you go, or whatever you choose to do in life you will always be my sons.
(Takes out a chequebook and starts writing into it, turns to younger son)

Here, this is your share, take the money and use it wisely.

(Say Kia takes the cheque gleefully, and turns away. Father grabs his son’s arm, speaks sadly)

Lao Pei:
My son, before you go, always remember that I will always be here for you.

(All leave the stage.)

Scene 2

(Hip music in the background, Say Kia comes on stage with big sunglasses/Hawaii shirt/shiny wristwatch)

Say Kia:

(Speaking towards audience)

Wow! This is the life man. I put my money in secure companies on the stock market. Let my money work for me, then sit back and enjoy my life! My father, he refuses to take my advice, work so hard every day selling roast duck. I’m glad I took my share and left when I should!

(2 well-dressed women enter, laughing noisily with 3 glasses in their hands, passes the third glass to Say Kia)

Woman 1: Here’s a toast to our newest Towkay! Wow, you really made a killing on the stock market today! Dinner tonight at Marina Bay Sands will be on you okay? Let’s go celebrate!

Woman 2: Someday you have to teach us how you do it!

(All three make a loud toast and laughing, down their drinks)

Scene 3

(Suddenly, a powerpoint screen appears in the background. All three turn around and gasp)

Woman 1: What happened?!

Woman 2: The European markets are doing very badly…

Say Kia: Oh no…! All my money…!

(Say Kia, in shock, slowly sinks onto the floor, remove the fancy shirt/watch/sunglasses to reveal a tattered shirt underneath. His hands covering his face)

(The women, whispering, quietly sneak away)

Narrator: Say Kia found himself in the midst of the economic crisis. Jobless, without friends and family or a home, he took on the simplest jobs he could find, selling tissue papers.

(Say Kia stands up, holding a plastic bag, with a few packs of tissue paper in his hand. Sees two women walking by)

Say Kia:

Aunties, want to buy tissue paper?

(They look at his tattered clothes in disgust, ignore him and continue on their way)

(Say Kia sits back on the ground with a sigh)

Say Kia:

(speaking towards audience)

When I was still living with my father, even though life was simple, working in the Kopitiam helping my Lao Pei to serve roast duck to customers, I never lacked for anything. Now look at me, I am even worse off than before.

I will go back to my father, and say to him, ‘Ah Pa, I’ve sinned before heaven and before you. I am not worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired workers.

Scene 4

(Son enters slowly from one end of the stage. Father, from the other end, sees the son coming; He makes a shocked exclamation and runs across the stage towards his son)

Say Kia:

(sees father, kneeling down)

Ah Pa, I’ve sinned against heaven and before you, I….

(Before he can finish speaking, Lao Pei gets on his knees in front of his son and hugs him tightly. Still embracing, both stand up)

Lao Pei:

(In a gentle, loving voice)

Come, let’s go eat Char Kway Tiao.

(Tua Kia comes on stage just as father and son were embracing)

Tua Kia:

Ah Pa? What is the meaning of this? All my life, I’ve worked so hard for you, and I’ve never asked anything of you. Your son lost your money, and all you can say is ‘Let’s go eat Char Kway Tiao’! This is too unfair!

Lao Pei:

My son, you are always with me, and everything that I have is yours. But as for your younger brother, I thought that he was lost to me for good, but now he is found. This is a very good reason for celebration!

Narrator:
A long time ago, Jesus once told a story similar to this. Of a Father who loved His children so much that He would joyfully take them back into His family, no matter how far they ran away from Him or disobeyed Him. Such is God’s love for us. Merry Christmas!

THE END

Fracture

2011-12-07T14:02:00.001+08:00

Sigh... here we go. In true blogger fashion.

The x-ray aint pretty.

I guess my only fear is if the doctor says I can never lift heavy things with this hand any longer. Because this is what my job requires! And in an ironic, feministic way, I have revelled in the physicality of this current job.

Just hoping for a through recovery now... My precious hand... will it be the same again?

Will be out of commission for 6 weeks, followed by 2 weeks of physiotherapy. That's 2 whole months!
When he reset my bone... it felt almost like my wisdom tooth extraction..

Wild Rice's Aladdin - A case in point.

2011-12-07T12:47:00.001+08:00

Grabbed a couple of STRAT friends to watch a pantomime last Friday night. If I was expecting something similar to Beauty and the Beast I watched two years ago in 2009, I guess I was slightly disappointed. The singing and acting was not up to par.

This solidifies my opinion that it is really difficult for popstars to cross over into musicals. Hady Mirza was best when belting out those song numbers, but I'll rank him low in terms of form and expression.

However, on the bright side, Darius Tan stole the limelight in his drag-queen role as Aladdin's mother. And veteran Karen Tan was back, this time as the evil wizard ABBA-k'adab-rah.

Hady's performance brought to mind another perfomer just like him. A year ago, London held a 25th Anniversary Les Miserables concert series featuring Nick Jonas, and many were commenting on his unchanged frowning expression throughout the performance. Although I must say that he did a pretty admirable job holding himself against the other musical veterans and heavyweights in the field.

And onto another sad piece of news.. RJ Rosales passed away on the 4th December 2011. RIP RJ.. Asia has lost a talent..

Actor R.J. Rosales dies in Sydney

Cafe Fables and Bar Tales

2011-11-29T00:19:00.001+08:00

Wow. I have finally found my ideal bar in Singapore. With surprising tastes to unusual cocktails at every turn. As the owner reminded us of their slogan: Never come on a Friday or Saturday night. We dutifully trooped in on a Monday evening.

There is no menu. The concept of the place was to simply tell the mixologist your preferred taste of the moment, and expect to be surprised at every turn. It is a cocktail adventure! Cui had the showstopper of the night: A strawberry (cheesecake) martini. How they could make a DRINK taste like strawberries on a oaty pastry I have NO idea. And the coolest thing was, Cui requested for as little alcohol as possible, for in normal circumstances, 2 sips and she was a goner. By the end of the night, she felt perfectly normal while Shir (another light drinker) was already sleepy and I had a bit of a buzz going from (ahem) having two drinks. As you can tell, the alcohol buzz has subsided and I'm excitedly typing this at almost 1am at night.

Service was personable. Being a little shy and typical, we headed for the lounge chairs thinking of just drinking and chit chatting. It was only until I got up to head to the bar counter to order another drink that I realised that we were missing all the action. (ie. see last photo of some sort of lemongrass flambé in the making) Next time, I'm gonna sit at the bar.

Before leaving we chatted a little with the owner/chief mixologist of the place. He was so friendly and inviting! And he bade us to come from Mondays to Thurdays and also to sit at the bar next time hehe.

You could very well say that my social drinking activities peaked when I was in the US of A, when I discovered that cocktails could actually go beyond the usual mojito and bloody mary and singapore sling and actually taste... delicious. I do not like beer, and I dont know wines. But cocktails are fun and interesting. And sweet ones are like desserts that, instead of giving you a bloated stomach, makes you sleep deeply at night. I am no teetotaler (obviously), but I'd like to think that I drink in a healthy way.

Some personal points on drinking:

1. I never drink when depressed.

2. I never drink alone.

3. No binge drinking.

4. Not interested in getting drunk.

5. I drink cocktails the way I drink tea.

6. I miss hard apple cider.

Whoa. As someone mentioned yesterday. Think I really am getting atas. Oh crap.
Boon Keng hawker centre tomorrow, anyone?

There's so much I am thankful for...

2011-11-24T20:18:00.001+08:00

I ADORE wet markets. I would choose a place like this over NTUC or Cold Storage anytime.

Quick... take a picture before the uncle sees...

Candied Yams (although all the eye can see are marshmallows)

Happy Thanksgiving...

Okay okay... dont roll your eyes at me for celebrating an American holiday allright? I spent some bonding time with the Mum at Boon Keng Market on my day off today. And sweet potatoes were on sale and I was craving this Thanksgiving dessert. Few things in the world are as perfect as mashed sweetness with brown sugar and cinnammon and butter topped with gooey marshmallows.

New Mexico

2011-11-24T05:36:00.001+08:00

My last trip in America before coming back to SG. Action-packed days.

30 July Last day of STRAT
7-10 Aug New Mexico
12 Last min packing and 1 am flight
13 Aug Arrive in SG
14 Aug Day to rest
15 Aug Reporting to work

About to touch down in Albuqueque, New Mexico. This is the great emptiness that is the Chihuahuan Desert.

We immediately grabbed a car, got supplies from Walmart and drove 5 hours to our first stop, White Sands National Monument. Just in time for a ranger guided sunset walk.

Love the patterns the winds form on pristine sand.

Our rental car. And my last American road trip :(

Desert sunset. This place made me think of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's Little Prince.

The next day, it was 3 hours onward to Carlsbard Caverns National Park. It was a unique National Park in its own right. It was entirely underground! There was an option of taking an elevator 45 stories down, or hike down from the Natural Entrance.

On the way there.

Part of the fairytale room. Because it's so challenging to shoot in the dark with my medicore skills, this is all you get.

Next stop, Santa Fe! Founded by Spanish missionaries, this is one of America's oldest towns. The name literally means 'holy faith' in Spanish.

Decorative Indian pottery.

The colours and patterns were absolutely stunning.

Of course, we had to try their Mexican food! California has no lack of Mexican restaurants, but this was really yummier. And the rice was so tasty. Those are blue corn tortillas.

Green chilli stew. Another of my favorite! With melt-in-the-mouth chorizos and pork and beans, it was so flavorful. Eaten with a tortilla at the side and a golden sopaipilla. A Sopaipilla tastes like a sweet version of our Chinese you tiao.

Browsing the shops in Santa Fe in 40 degree heat.

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi

As you can see, we ate our way through New Mexico. We ordered only a portion of everything, the better to share and have a wider variety. Here's a twist on their burger, with green chilli on top, lending a nice bite to it.

Add caption

Restoration works going on.

Church interior.

I have travelled halfway around the world for a chance to finally taste this. And bugged my travelmates to make a pit stop here.

OMG the best hot chocolate I've ever tasted. On the menu, these chocolate drinks were described as:

Mesoamerican Chocolate Elixirs. Historic Aztec and Mayan drinking chocolate. Water based elixirs, slightly sweetened with agave or honey.

I chose a 1775 Marie Antoinette. It was described in the menu as: Representative of the historic French drinking Chocolate consumed by the French Court of Versailles during the reign of Marie Antoinette, Marie brought her own recipe for drinking chocolate with her from Vienna to the Royal Court of France. 72% chocolate, Almond milk, Orange blossom water, Raw unprocessed cane sugar, spices, Mexican Vanilla.

Girlfriend chose a Modern Mexican: The flavor and sweetness of this elixir is in the style of contemporary Mexican Hot chocolate. The people of Mexico have favored this milky sweet preparation going back about 60 years. Traditionally made with milk, 72% chocolate, nuts, spices, evaporated cane juice, Mexican Vanilla.

Conclusion. Both were equally delicious in different ways. The Marie Antoinette was slightly lighter, due to the fragrant water added to it. But no less in flavour. This was a drink to enjoy with the tastebuds AND the nose. Orange and chocolate goes so well together!

Modern Mexican packed a punch. This is the hot chocolate I have always dreamed of. No nonsense, thick, good quality drinking chocolate with just the right amount of milk and sweetness.

Next up..

We went exploring some ancient Indian settlements. Here are the remanants of foundations left by the Ancestral Pueblo people who used to inhabit this area.

Was this stone circle once used for worship or some other municipal uses? No one knows for sure now.

We hiked to a high spot at Bandelier National Monument

To view from afar some old Indian dwellings. The area itself was closed due to a fire warning :( 40degC remember?

And the last pit stop of our trip, to Taos Pueblo, a Unesco World Heritage site.

This village has existed here for a thousand years...

Now, about 150 people live here full time.

This is an outdoor oven, used for baking.

The publeo has other little residents too.

Hi there.

The classic view of the pueblo. No pictures of Indians were taken as there were strict rules in place about taking pictures of them, and we wanted to be respectful. But not to sound shallow.... they do look like what you would see in the movies.

Trying some of their original baked goods. This blueberry pastry was really good!

Bon appetit!

New Mexico was a cultural and culinary adventure. From Alaska to New York, San Francisco to Utah, Hawaii to New Mexico, it just shows how rich and diverse North America is.
Ok fine. Hawaii is technically not N. America.

Thus ended my last trip in the US.

Exploring Sg with the iPhone

2011-11-24T04:20:00.007+08:00

With the handy new phone, I realised I am more prone to impromptu walks and explorations. Today, after wrapping up an errand at Raffles Place, I strolled down to City Hall. Walking down past Collyer Quay and Esplanade Drive, I was seeing many of the new buildings with new eyes since I came back.

I must admit, the cityscape was stunning. And artfully laid out. A verbal anticlockwise panaroma: CBD buildings, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Flyer, Esplanade, WWII memorial aka chopsticks, Swiss-hotel, the spires of St Andrews cathedral, Victorian-looking Parliament Place - all amongst the backdrop of trees and sky, with the Singapore River and the (marina) bay in the foreground.

Typical monsoon weather.
On the way to City Hall. Do you remember how we used to walk past this landmark to get to Suntec before Citylink (mall) was built? Now that we spend so much time beneath the ground travelling or in airconditioned places, we hardy see the outsides of buildings! I have not been here in years.

A forgotten fountain in Esplanade Park (Since when was there an Esplanade Park???!!!), in front of the Padang. First commemorated in the 1850s and dedicated to Tan Kim Seng who contributed a sum of money to the Singapore waterworks. It was restored in 1994.

Slurpy prawn noodles to end the exploration (and errand)!

Random thoughts through the mind.

2011-11-18T09:18:00.001+08:00

1.
My mood swings from extreme happiness to loneliness. Everything else is in between, including greed (for food).

2.
There's a really snarky colleague at work, who likes to tease girls. But his form of teasing tends towards extreme sacarsm which tends to get him into trouble, especially when said girl gets hurt. He topped the cake when comparing me with another (much prettier, according to him) newbie girl on the opposite shift, wondering how this shift got the short straw (I'm that straw). Since he had the guts to say that in front of a couple other colleagues, I gleefully repeated what he said about me to everyone else; in his presence, of course, much to the amusement of everyone.

On a private side though, I had to give myself a stern talking to when I got home. My self esteem was trashed, even though I know I am no beauty with classic features. And thinking of this, my mind brought me back to a parting scene in US with my (male) housemate when he was about to drive away from Vacaville, leaving for Sg. It was a happy/sad/triumphant parting, of 1.5 years of our lives as friends, colleagues, housemates - sharing more than mere living quarters, but also many happy, sad, exhilarating , as well as scary moments. He was emotional, and hugged me tight, twice. 'You are so precious," he said. (He has a gf by the way, so this was strictly plationic.) I was a little surprised and uncomfortable by the tight hug. It was all I could do to sternly lecture him about keeping his room neat in Sg etc etc before shooing him goodbye.

Apparently I'm more affected than most people think. But whenever the sad memory of this colleague's remarks that 'I am ugly' comes back, I thnk of my housemate telling me how precious I am. And I am comforted, and encouraged. Thank you F.

3.
Am invited to a baby shower in 2 weeks time, based on a small group of friends who live a vastly different life from mine. Singaporeans, same age as me, have their own cars and condos etc. Somehow, I feel like I'm in a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, doomed to go and die dancing in my hot iron shoes.

4.
Sometimes, some FB comments make me wish very much to post an answer, but still I fear to as it may raise hackles. Re: "Lawyers are a bunch of people who fall in love with their own words. They seemingly speak/write in a language that wastes a lot of other people's time."

You only say so because you do not understand that language. For instance, I bet that the term ' humanised monoclonal antibodies' does not make much sense to most people. But every word is scientifically significant in my line of work. How I wish I could tell this gf of mine that should someone one day sue her husband's startup company for copyright infringement, a lawyer's words, depending on the substance and quality, could actually save the company. In the same way, what seems like mindless jargon to the rest of the people - every word is legally significant.

I don't mean to offend anyone, please take everything I say with a pinch of salt!

Scenes

2011-11-18T08:54:00.004+08:00

Happiness is a long walk in beautiful, unfamiliar mountains.

And long distance car rides on empty roads at 90mph.

One night in Beijing

2011-11-15T09:07:00.004+08:00

Woke up to this song ringing in my head. Why, I do not know. But it brings back memories of childhood waking up to music from the cassette player in the kitchen of the Tampines flat. Such bittersweet memories, and such a wistful song.

One night in Beijing, I look back with so many emotions
No matter what, it’s all history in the dust
One night in Beijing, I look back with so many emotions
Asking for the way at midnight, I fear of getting lost in the depths of a hundred flowers

They say within the depths of the hundred flowers lives my old love
Embroidering flower on shoes, she calmly waits,
Waiting for her man who will return.

One night in Beijing, please do not drink too much
i walk outside 地安门 where people show no feelings
One night in Beijing, I look back with so many emotions
the men singing drinking songs were said to be of the Northern Wolf Clan

they say the relentless northerners will stand outside the gates
wearing rusted armour, calling from outside the gates
tears streaming from their eyes

i’ve been waiting for a thousand years
why are the city gates still not open
i’ve been waiting for a thousand years
why has my husband not returned

I do not wish to ask where have you been
I do not wish to know when will you be back
Thinking of your heart
Thinking of your face
Wishing to be held against your chest, never letting go.
One night in Beijing

A classic.

2011-11-14T10:14:00.002+08:00

She is so, so weird. With her attitude, dress-sense, foot on the piano and all that.

And yet, I can see why she is wildly popular. She is very much a true artist when you strip away the polished studio sound systems and flashing MTV lights.

A Quickie Book Review.

2011-11-10T10:01:00.023+08:00

Written by Peter Hessler, a NYT correspondent and occasional Nat Geo contributer, he embarked on an American style road trip from Beijing into the interior of China. Beautifully written through the eyes of a journalist, it reads like a National Geographic article in book form. His experiences catalogues a rapidly changing China, with humor and realism - of the beautiful vast interior and isolated villages, of the Great Wall, once a fortress and now a conduit to modern technology with its height used by isolated villagers for better cell phone reception. And perhaps what drew me to this book was at the height of my 'homesickness', missing the wonderfull American style road trips I did with my friends. It helped lessen ther longing a little.

This is a young adults book, written more for teenagers. A modern day Bildungsroman written in the first person, it tells of a young boy living on an Indian reservation in America trying to break out of the poverty cycle. Of devastating poverty, yet written with so much humor, it was such a fun read. With lots of entertaining scribbly drawings among the pages. I highly recommend this book.

I loved this book. Written in the simple prose reminscent of The Little Prince (both are French writers!), it reminds me of what happiness is, what it means. For aren't we all searching for happiness in one way or another? This book brings things into perspective and reminds me again, of what is happiness. A feel-good type of book. Some of my favorite points:

Lesson No. 2: Happiness often comes when least expected.
Lesson No. 6: Happiness is a long walk in beautiful, unfamiliar mountains. ( I really love this one)
Lesson No. 8: Happiness is being with the people you love.
Lesson No. 13: Happiness is feeling useful to others.

A book about love written by a French guy? Forget it. I dropped it after the first chapter or two. For one thing, the premise has been narrowed down to romantic love, and he has affairs outide his relationship while pondering this. This enforces my idea that sequels often suck. This book has nothing to offer me in terms of insight. For the languages of love are numerous, but this writer only has one in mind.

Shocking. The kind that William might like. Classic fairy tales taken up by modern writers (Neil Gaiman!) and given an interpretative twist. The one on Sleeping Beauty was shocking. But then, as I'm told how the original Brothers Grimm tales were filled with sex and murder. I am too much a product of Disney.

Low-wage earners' pay stagnated over last decade: MOM

2011-10-13T01:10:00.002+08:00

Am posting this because this post was mysteriously removed from Yahoo news. I only managed to get it from the SG forums. And because I grew up in the same income bracket... and seeing the fear and frugality of my mum as she tried her best to make ends meet. And how grateful I am, to have the job that I have now. How I hope more can be done for these people. A lack of money may not be a terrible thing, but it does have destructive potential especially in young families. Even more so in the Singapore that we live in now.

Low-wage earners' pay stagnated over last decade: MOM
By Fann Sim Yahoo! Newsroom – 4 hours ago

The bottom 20 per cent of working Singaporeans saw their pay stagnate over the last 10 years, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

Though their nominal income rose to $1,400 in 2010, $200 more than in 2001, real income only rose by 0.3 per cent over the decade.

The figures, however, have not included various government transfers and schemes, which further raises overall income received from work by low-wage workers, said the ministry in the report.

Real median income for Singaporeans in the middle was found to have grown by 11per cent over the decade, from $2,000 in 2001 to $2,588 in 2010.

The report also explored employment rates.

It said the employment rate of Singapore citizens aged 25 to 26 rose to 77.0 per cent in 2010, 3.3 per cent higher than in 2001. Unemployment rate fell to pre-recessionary levels from 4.5 per cent in 2009 to 3.1 per cent in June 2011.

A seasonally adjusted 55,000 citizens were unemployed in June 2011, down from an average of 75,700 in 2009.

The report said nearly 8 in 10 citizens aged 25 to 64 are employed, making Singapore's employment rates one of the highest internationally.

Singaporeans are better qualified today, the report found.

About 23 per cent of citizens employed in 2010 were degree holders, up from 14 per cent in 2001. Including those with diploma and professional qualifications, the share was 41 per cent compared to 28 per cent in 2001.

Separately, the ministry, on Tuesday, also outlined its plans in its addendum to President Tony Tan Keng Yam’s address during the opening of Singapore’s 12th Parliament.

One objective is to ensure older and low-wage workers are able to enjoy the country’s growth over the next 10 years.

Responding to feedback from unionists that workers need to save more for retirement, the government will review the Central Provident Fund (CPF) contribution rates of workers from age 50.

It will also review the Workfare Income Supplement scheme to better help workers stay employed and earn a higher income, reported The Straits Times.

The addendum, issued by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Manpower Tharman Shanmugaratnam, said that it is shifting to quality rather than increases in the workforce as the basis of growth in Singapore.

“Helping our more vulnerable workers contribute to and share Singapore’s progress will remain a key priority,” Tharman was quoted as saying. “We will take further measures to help them upgrade, secure good jobs, and achieve higher incomes."

MOM also wants to find balance in Singapore's manpower policies and ensure Singaporeans have ample opportunities to acquire better skills and compete globally. Other plans include encouraging responsible outsourcing and promoting life-long leaning.

Source: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/mom-report-...st-decade.html

Blackbird

2011-10-12T07:46:00.002+08:00

1. I have been waking up to this song in my head since Sunday when i heard this song in a shopping mall at Isetan NEX on Sunday.

2. Dont we all feel so trapped or lonely sometimes?

3. Paul McCartney wrote this song in Scotland while racial tensions were rising in the US in 1968.

4. The lyrics are so simple and sweet, and the music soothing.

5. Such is the human condition. The whole world is heaving with yearning...

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free.

Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Judge Not

2011-10-04T10:30:00.000+08:00

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven’s door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp–
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, ‘What’s the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How did all these sinners get up here?
God must’ve made a mistake.

‘And why is everyone so quiet,
So somber – give me a clue.’
‘Hush, child,’ He said, ‘they’re all in shock.
No one thought they’d be seeing you.’

Out Sick.

2011-09-27T03:00:00.004+08:00

Out from work again. The co-workers must find it strange that I was out on Thursday and after a 3-day weekend, am out again on Monday. Thing is, I had the beginnings of THE FLU on Thursday, but lost my voice to laryngitis on Sunday night.

On a side note, it's wonderful to be taken care of by mum. Porridge and 4am 7-11 runs for raisin bread and herbal brews with dried bees in it. Yup, you read right.

Thank goodness I never got sick like that in America. Doctors appointments and pharmacy runs to fill prescriptions would have killed me.

Uncharted

2011-09-24T04:47:00.002+08:00

It's 4.50am now, on an early Saturday morning. And I've already been up for the past 4 hours. This is the downside of doing the graveyard shift I guess. Barely a month into my shift work, I fell sick yesterday evening. And LISTEN, I NEVER if not SELDOM get sick... with a really bad throat and feverish forehead. So instead of heading into work on Thursday evening, I called in sick and went to the doctor, popped some pills and slept the evening away, only to wake up at 1am wide awake.

It's Friday night going into Saturday morning now, and the cycle only repeated itself. I had originally planned to head down to Parkway Parade via the Circle Line (which I hadnt taken yet) to check out the 70% off at Borders in the afternoon, However, I ended up with a splitting headache at around 11am-ish, only to realise that "Oh, the body... SHE wants some SLEEP." So I lay me down to bed, and was unconcious until 8pm. I feel as if I am living in constant darkness now, that on the rare day off when I actually make an effort to head out it's more like: 'Arrgh... this sunlight... it burns my eyes...!'

Twice now, I've been late for weekday evening appointments on my off days because I overslept. And today I'll be meeting two groups of long-time friends. Been looking forward to these meetings, but I really hope I can stay awake and alert long enough to enjoy myself. I have learnt that my body's favorite way of protesting is by throwing a headache tantrum. Yes, something I've quickly learnt to obey.

Which comes to the next question. Is this job sustainable in the long term? And the answer is probably no. For a reasonably attractive salary that a non-engineering type like me could ever hope to earn, it's only the money that tempts me now. No wonder biotechs are leaving this job in droves. For such a relatively new plant, the process design is pretty bad, and everything is surprisingly manual. And everything is manually-labelled to death. Somebody save me.

The perks, though, are the frequent off days, which makes it easier to plan for trips abroad. And I really am grateful for the singlehood at this point in my life, given what I am doing now. I am currently unable to be an active contributor to many relationships. Heck, I'm a parasite to my mum, who cooks and cleans up after me, and I sometimes do not see my brother for days!

On another note, so many of my friends are in a transitional period of their lives right now. In between jobs, job-hunting, wondering where life will lead them. By this time, the fresh innocent glow and eager, child-like hopes of our younger years has left many of us. We realise how our parents are getting old, and all we wish for them now is good heath to enjoy their golden years.

Okay, okay, but before I get sidetracked, this song is for all my friends who are wondering where our life's paths will lead us. From one of my favorite singers, Sara Bareilles, here's Uncharted. Never, let our glow of hope in life diminish.

I'm back!

2011-09-23T05:05:00.008+08:00

Back to Sg, since the 13th of August.
Back to this little scratching/thinking post of mine since goodness knows when.

And can I say, I miss... miss... MISS my time there in the US. The roadtrips in rural America with roads and skies that seem to go on forever, the friendliness of the Californians, Max the puppy, my landlady and the closeness that I shared with my fellow STRAT colleague/friends. I miss the efficacy of the Vacaville plant - the one here is so manual.. no scanners and all handwritten labels everywhere its ridiculous.

I think I got bit by the travel bug real bad.

However, plane rides still make me uncomfortable even though I have been on no less than SEVENTEEN seperate planes in the last 6 months.
Hawaii in March - 3
NYC and DC in April - 3
Portland in May- 2
Vegas/Utah in June - 4
New Mexico in August - 3
Back to Singapore in August -2
Yup. thats 17 in total. Craziness, will probably never happen again in my life unless I become a pilot.

Here are some random pictures:

Dojo Ramen 30mins from SF, one of the best ramen I've ever eaten. Not sure if I can find one as good here in SG. I've been exploring a couple of ramen places in Sg recently and none have lived up to this standard yet. None in this case being Santouka in Central and Meiji Sinchan at Robertson Quay.

Going home! The last official picture of me in America. With all my lugguage. Wish I bought more.

On my birthday, the day before I flew off to New Mexico. Alone in SF. All the other girls were away on individual trips. My landlady took me out to lunch so that I didnt have to be alone on my special day. Which was good for me actually, left no room for emo-ing. Before she insisted on coming down, I had earlier plans to wander the city by myself. On my birthday! How pathetic that would have been. God is good.
On a country road some 30 minutes from Vacaville, we chanced upon a field full of sunflowers. They were all kinda dropping with the weight of their heads. And then we drove on and realised that there were fields and fields full of sunflowers. How pretty was that?

peopleofwalmart.com

2011-05-27T12:12:00.002+08:00

It's so horrifying, it's fascinating.

Lazy weekend

2011-05-25T13:30:00.005+08:00

Summer is here. And the sun is finally out. Pear cider with Mexican food.And a dessert chef...Lava cake! It was a weekend of movies; Pirates on Sunday, Thor on Monday, and we settled down at home for 'I am Four' today, replete with great conversation, Mexican food and dessert. A quirky weekend due to a strange date-like encounter on Monday. It was an interesting encounter, but nothing's gonna come out of it, except that I'll probably be a useful guanxi connection for that person maybe someday.

Booze and a dog

2011-05-16T09:36:00.004+08:00

Dog on my bed. It's only because it's Max that I allow this. That's because he's a non-shedding dog, I like how he smells (not that usual icky dog smell) and the fact that I'm about to wash my bedsheets anyways. And continuing on... my self-exploration of what Bevmo has to offer. Bevmo sells all sort of alcoholic and associated products. Wines, beers, coolers, ciders, sparkling water, various sodas as mixers. Cheese and crackers, peanuts, chips, chip dips, salty cured meats... you get the idea. I dislike the taste of beer and I dont know my wines too well, but I like Bevmo!

On the experiment block today is: (from L to R) Root beer (one of at least 20 kinds), pear cider (which I drank at a pub and absolutely LOVED it) and a non-alcoholic apple-soda (although it says apple-beer; thus continuing with my interest with ciders)

So far, I've drank the apple-beer... but I think I like Martinelli's better. Cant wait to try the root beer. I love sodas, can't you tell? I regularly take my VitC effervescent tablets just for a healthier version of a soda kick!

Max waiting for Dolly to come home from work.She is later than usual, and he seems to have a built-in sense. Cute enough, Dolly took a similar picture of him waiting for me one evening when that puppy heard my car pull into the driveway. How sweet is that! Love that dog. Here's one more of him. I will miss him when I leave!

Moving house Pt 2

2011-05-11T06:57:00.003+08:00

Having only 1 month left to hunt for a house, I was left with several options: to hunt for rental room vacancies on craigslist, find a new rental apartment or randomly ask colleagues if they had spare rooms to let out.

I was a little hesitant on renting a place from craigslist, as this IS America, and you can never know a person. What if the houseowner held drunken parties every weekend (not uncommon for Americans) or was an unsavoury character? I was reluctant on a new rental apartment too, with all its accompanying headaches of a 1 month security deposit, securing a new utility account with the local electric company and internet subscription.

So, taking the advice of a colleague, I decided to do up a poster, and hand it to the company’s HR to be posted on the notice board in the cafeteria, which was filled with nice, printed adverts of people wanting to sell their cars, upcoming local performances etc. I sourced out the lady who was responsible for the notice board, and handed my flyer to her at her desk with a smile. As I walked away, I took a quick glance back and I saw her staring intently at it...

Not 5 minutes after I drove away, my phone rang with a strange number, and I stopped at the nearest parking lot to return the call. For I had left my contact with several craigslist owners, requesting for a house viewing. And to my surprise, it was the same lady to whom I had handed my flyer to. She had 2 empty bedrooms available! A home viewing appointment was made.

And now, my dear friends, I have been staying here for 2.5months and counting. And guess what, this couple is a Christian family. The type that goes to church every Sunday and the husband holds a weekly prayer group at 6am on Tuesday mornings. The wife is part Filipino, while the husband is Mexican. She cooks huge meals and invites me and my housemate to have a part in it, while the husband hosts gatherings and church potlucks in the house, and I get to have interesting conversations with him about the state of Christianity in America and how in many ways it differs from or is similar to Singapore.

I feel so at home. And God had answered my prayer for a new place to move into – in such a complete way than I had ever imagined He would. Especially after I heard their part of the story, of how the empty rooms came to be, and God's preparing and healing of a mother's broken heart...

This post is unusually religious. So different from the way I usually blog! But it is what it is (As the Americans would say). And I am telling the story as how it all happened.

Updating

2011-05-06T13:09:00.004+08:00

Been lazy/busy/travelling/working to update this blog. And now the time draws near that I will be returning to Sg soon. I promise I will update this weekend! (That is, this coming Monday)

I still owe everyone the part 2 of my story of how I found my new housing.

And to Shilin and Sok Leng, I owe you guys a long talk...

Its moving time!

2011-03-01T01:22:00.004+08:00

Goodbye. The last meal at the apartment. We had beef rendang (Prima Taste), an omelette and vege stir fry for a little party of four.Hello. The new neighbourhood.Goodbye. Packing up my old room. How did I come to have so much STUFF in just a year??!!Hello. I just moved in yesterday. And managed to put my stuff away pretty fast! Goodbye! The site of many a hearty meal. Busy cleaning up the apartment today! Gonna hand up the keys in the evening.

Erm... I'm off to Hawaii tomorrow!!!

On the move

2011-02-01T00:16:00.008+08:00

Remember when I mentioned that I had to deal with a delicate situation? Well, the ridiculously high renewal lease made the situation such that the decision was taken out out my hands.

It was a sad day on Saturday as I said my last goodbyes to my favorite department (Cell Culture Manufacturing!) where I had been for the last 6 months, then headed home to meet up with the housemates to terminate our lease. Made some brief comment on FB about needing comfort food but deleted it shortly after as it was kinda too public.

And yet oddly, upon reflection, this new situation sits well in my heart. It WILL BE better this way, than have the third housemate bring her boyfriend in to live with us. It would have been most uncomfortable, given all our different characters, and I know I would have felt awakward and unhappy living together. Perhaps then, this is God answering my prayers and directing my paths.

A wonderful dinner at the girls' place got me to bed only at 1 am, while the morning shift body-clock left me wide awake and restless at 6am, which made me draft out this flier. In a couple hours, I'm gonna fire out this in an email attachment to the company HR to be placed on our cafeteria board. And then its time to pray again.

A little anxious about housing, but I'm pleased with the way things are heading.

Car Parts 101

2011-01-26T05:18:00.011+08:00

I took sometime (and quite some money) this weekend to take my car on a spa treatment. Actually, even before the incident on Sunday, I had already planned on doing this as I felt it was about time to get my car checked properly for obvious safety reasons etc, also taking its age (15 y.o.) into consideration.

Here's the menu. Would you like a hamburger or a cheeseburger? Supersize?

The insides.

Got the old girl 4 new spark plugs. And all fuel lines and brakes inspected and checked throughly.And the alternator belt was old and slightly cracked. Not good if it was to snap while I was on the freeway. So the mechanic swapped it out for a new one. No, I dont know why this picture is upside down,And the star of the show, my engine oil cap. One should always remember to replace it after checking and topping up fluid levels. Not saying WHO.

Thats the end of my show and tell!

Thankful for..

2011-01-21T12:04:00.002+08:00

I'm thankful for God who supplies all my needs, even down to the littlest thing. Remember that small slow cooker (crock pot)I bought at a garage sale for $5? Well, I stupidly put it on the hot stove, trying to speed things up a little and it cracked!

While recounting this story to a colleague, she generously offered to pass me her crock pot that she currently did not need, as she had only recently got married and in combining two households, she had an extra one. 'It's rather small,' she apologised as she handed it to me. But imagine my astonishment when she passed it to me! It was a regular-sized one that could feed a family of 4!

Here's the crockpot pictured against my small rice cooker that was the same size as my cracked one. In the abundance of God's blessings, now I can feed more people. Hehe. I used to struggle with the small size of the old one especially when I invited friends over for dinner. />

At the same time, she also passed me an extra pot. Here's it pictured against my small soup pot! And guess what? It is non-stick Tefal. Happy! I'm going to try my hand at coq au vin next, with a cheap $5 bottle of pinot noir I bought at a wine shop. Wish me luck!

Luna's eating adventures

2011-01-12T00:36:00.003+08:00

At Santa Ramen in San Mateo, the fragrant soup stock could rival Tampopo. Sadly for the egg, it was hard-boiled. But look at that huge dollop of mentaiko (pickled fish eggs). It was an extra on the side for $4. There was a line forming outside the small restaurant 5 minutes before it opened. Pretty UN-typical of Americans... and a sure sign of good food to be had. And the place was packed just 10 minutes after it opened. At Hooters, opposite the Kodak Theatre in LA, with our 50 pcs of chicken wings. I love Hooters wings!
Bubba Gump.
And an authentic Din Tai Fung in LA. My first XLB I tasted since coming here.And a super surprising chance meeting! We bumped into our colleagues who were posted to the Oceanside facility at the same restaurant. All Singaporeans think alike. Think, they were 1.5 hours away from home, we were 7.5 hours away from home. How coincidental was this? Most of us had not met for almost a year! I'm embarassed to say that we screamed and made quite a din in the restaurant.

When the Honey Wind Blows.

2011-01-11T15:36:00.000+08:00

My blog's namesake ;)

Post-party

2011-01-10T14:55:00.003+08:00

I looked tired in the few pictures I took at the work function as I had shift work that Saturday morning. Was totally zoned out by 9 pm. The pair of eyes staring at you were awake since 5 am that morning. And we left the party at 11.30pm. Goodness knows how I managed to drive back from Napa after that. Yay for another driving milestone for this timid driver?

Snippets from L.A.

2011-01-07T10:08:00.006+08:00

Welcome to Hollywood! The famous sign that seemed bigger in movies, but is actually much smaller in reality. On New Year's day, we made a 6-hour long drive down to LA. 7.5 hours if you count the Vacaville to South San Francisco leg.

At Universal Studios, Hollywood.
Sunset at Santa Monica beach. Kodak Theatre, of Oscar fame. In truth, the place was a disappointment - it resembled the likes of Far East Plaza.

The Walk of Fame. Posing with a fake Hollywood sign at Universal Studios, Hollywood.

A view of the valley of downtown LA.

Disneyland - Christmas mode.

I must say, LA was a disappointment. If you ever head here, do know that its main attractions are the theme parks at Disneyland and Universal. And its neighbourhoods are not for wandering in after dark. They are trashy and run down and frankly, dangerous.

But yup, this was how I celebrated my New Year.

While Driving.

2010-12-29T14:01:00.005+08:00

(Taken approximately 6 weeks ago)

Autumn is ending. And the trees are almost bare.

In the last golden radiance.

Peekaboo.

Almost decision time.

2010-12-29T13:19:00.003+08:00

God grant me the wisdom to do the right thing. It is so easy to keep quiet, sweep things under the carpet and run away from it. So easy to just let things remain in status quo, and see if things remain the way they are.. or blow up.

There are tough questions that I will have to ask a person soon. "Are you, or are you not planning to take this course of action?" And pretty bothersome ramifications should the answer be what I dread. And yet, I know, should the worst come out of this, there will still be a way out. And yet, what will happen to this already tenuous relationship? Should the answer be what I dread, I really dont think I can look into this person's eyes and smile sincerely ever again.

Yes, it is a pretty serious issue, and yet I know there is a way out of this, and solvable... just really, really troublesome. Just that the process of voicing things is so hard, because I dread the answer.

Maybe I actually already know what is the right thing to do. Father God, give me the right words to say, grant me the same wisdom that you gave King Solomon.

The Nutcracker

2010-12-17T12:10:00.007+08:00

So on Sunday, girlfriend and I watched a local children's production of The Nutcracker in our small town of Vacaville. It was medicore at best. Well, considering that it was in Vacaville. It was my first ballet performance! And most of the attendees were little kids as well as parents and relatives supporting the kids who were involved in the production. It was a commendable effort, but perhaps not the best performance you would expect. And so it left me and Rica hungering for more.

Ballet performance in Vacaville: Commendable try, but not too good.

Well, so it goes that we knew that there was The Nutcracker being performed in The City (SF) by the San Francisco Ballet. And what do you know... tickets for weekday matinees on the following 3 days were selling at 40% off! Mind you, it wasn't still very cheap though, after the discount, the tickets were selling at USD$49.

And so off we went into the big city, dressed to the nines.A view of the interior of the War Memorial Opera House:The Christmas tree decorated with nutcrackers! They look eerie to me..It was the prettiest kind of any performance I've ever seen! Especially in the snowflake dance, with the white stuff floating all around. And I've learnt a new ballet term. Pas de Deux. It is to ballet what a duet is to a song. Post performance. Where all little girls are now suddenly inspired to learn ballet too.

This one minute video is pretty similar to one of my favorite scenes in The Nutcracker. For one, it shows how diverse the repertoire of this art is... more than just tip-toeing about on stage.

Two ballet performances in 3 days, you can't beat that! The crazy things one tries to do when one is away from home..

Age shows

2010-12-14T12:11:00.009+08:00

I am worried. My car seems to have quite a serious engine oil leak, judging from the picture. That's not water, I poked at it with my fingers liao. It is oil. Sigh...

1. I recently did an oil and filter change, and the mechanic did inform me of the leak when he did a complimentary car check.

2. He did say that to track where the leak came from, would cost me $59. Just to check! Not counting the replacement parts! Auto services in America is expensive.. Sigh...

3. But he did say that it shouldn't be too serious a problem, if I routinely checked and topped up the oil - main objective is to keep the engine parts well-lubricated.... But look at that puddle!

4. Maybe... the puddle is large because of my newly changed, topped-up fuel oil? So it's kinda full, causing more sloshing around?

Signing off,
Ms Upset.

Driving across the Golden Gate Bridge

2010-11-15T23:34:00.007+08:00

I did it! With two experienced drivers in my car as co-pilot and lookout, I drove into San Francisco from Vacaville via the Golden Gate Bridge on Sunday, overlooking an awesome sunset. With the crazy-heavy city traffic and all. Coincidentally, my car CD was playing a cool song which suited the mood of my exhilarating experience of driving into the city.

This is not the usual way of getting into the city (San Francisco). From Vacaville, we would usually take the Bay bridge, which is another pretty cool mega-structure spanning a large expanse of water. But I've never gone across the Golden Gate before, and I wanted that experience. By making this detour, it lengthened the drive time by a half-hour to 1hr 45 minutes, as well as a slightly more challenging driving route along winding roads. Imagine taking on bends at 80kmph! I would only do this because I had my two experienced friends with me. I would have to think twice before doing this again!

Korean BBQ in SF!

Dear friends

2010-11-04T12:05:00.006+08:00

Sometimes I think I dont deserve you guys, even though I'm half a world away, I dont spend enough time talking with you guys through all the various electronic means so conveniently available. And I really miss those heart-to-heart talks with you. When you tell me you miss me, those words clamp down on hard on my heart. It is a wonderful feeling... to be missed, to feel accepted and thought of, wanted and loved. And I cant wait to be home to catch up face-to-face with all of you again.

But most of all, thank you, all of you, for the personal letters, emails, parcels, postcards, little notes dropped on fb, the calls on Skype. Every word in each letter is devoured, the candies and foodstuffs slowly savored.

Thank you.

Halloween at work

2010-11-02T01:38:00.005+08:00

Okay, these pictures are swiped from friend's Facebook with permission. Cause I did not bring my camera with me that day!

Some decorations. People brought their kids to work that day, and here they are gathered for a magic show.

The cakes looked AND tasted fabulous.

Here's a Hello Kitty.

Father and kids.

The winner of the Best dressed adult competition! Now we know for sure that the tooth fairy does exist. It was so bad that it was good.

Little ninja.

Such a sweet little cookie!

Cute! Can I take her home with me?!

Watching th show. Aww..

Awwwww....!!!!

Little dinosaur goes "Grrr...!"

Too much cuteness!
No pictures of me because my face look fat in the photos.

Halloween in the City

2010-11-02T00:22:00.006+08:00

Okay, K-zai and Shilin, this is how it looked.While the other three were all in reds and blacks! Just HAD to make them pose together! We strolled down Castro street in San Francisco, people-watching. There were some pretty amazing costumes... with others that left us gaping wide-eyed - that is, if you consider your birthday suit a costume.

But that shouldn't be surprising. We were at The Castro District after all, the very heart of gay activism, and the largest of such neighbourhoods in the US.

Went into a bar, which only now as I googled more information to type this that I realised that it was a gay bar. Had the most potent Long Island Iced tea I've ever drank, for only USD5. People-watched and stood about awkwardly as the others rocked to the music of the likes of Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

It was an intersting experience, and my curiosity is assauged. Everything was like a huge, big masquerade! But not something that I would do again! Heh.

Here's a 20-sec video clip of how it was like to walk the streets of SF on Halloween.

Playing dress-up again

2010-10-26T14:23:00.005+08:00

Erm. Ok I know that this looks a little sulty, but should I get this for Halloween? The girlfriends gave their nods of approval in the fitting room when we were trying out stuff. The top's pretty conservative, with exception of the short, short skirt!

As for me, I love the colours. I am a purple, turquoise kinda girl. Add in the whites and the gold ribbons and you have a winning combination.

How??! Ps. Oh btw, this is the Gypsy Princess Costume =P

Salmon Belly.

2010-10-17T23:44:00.005+08:00

This place is fast turning into a cooking blog! But in all seriousness, homecooked food has never tasted so good! Living in Vacaville, food choices are pretty much limited to the typical American fast food chains, restaurants selling the ever-present steaks and burgers and fries and pizzas. And Mexican food. Lots of Mexican food. Adding to the fact that restaurant prices are upwards of US$10 excluding tips, it's no wonder that I'd rather cook my own meals.

Groceries in my area comes at really cheap prices - if you know what you're looking for and where to look.

Introducing... salmon belly! I found these beauties at our local Asian supermarket, selling at US$2 per 550g. This entire tray of fish cost me only $3, and it fed a party of 5. The only reason for the cheap price that I can think of, is that the angmohs do not know how to eat or prepare these parts, with the odd fin sticking out. It is fillets for the Americans, but give me your bellies and fish heads please! It's a fantastic find for me! The whole demand and supply thing works out to my advantage.

Marinate the strips in soy sauce and sugar or honey and leave them chilling in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Then spread them out on a baking tray and pop them into the oven at 160degC for 20 minutes or until you see the marinate caramelise and look kinda burnt on the edges. It was a generous amount of salmon for 5 people, but we sure cleaned out the tray =P

Note to self - Must. Eat. More. of this before I go back to Sg.

Leftover Pork Stew

2010-10-07T08:55:00.005+08:00

One thing I love about living alone overseas right now is the absolute monopoly I get of the kitchen and fridge. It so happens that I only have a male housemate living in my apartment, who doesnt really cook. Because of that I get full reign of the kitchen, planning my own meals (and the housemate's), which suits this Leo really well.

If you remember this post when I first made stewed pork, well, this is my second time cooking it. And the leftover sauce was too flavorful to toss away! After a night in the fridge, I skimmed off the surface fats, tossed in some egg noodles and my delicious lunch was ready :)

update: ugh... i noticed the negative slant upon rereading this post. I meant, i relish the freedom in the kitchen that I get. And I do enjoy cooking for my housemate and myself. It is immensely gratifying when your housemate appreciates and eats everything you cook!

Mr. Horse is home.

2010-10-05T05:21:00.004+08:00

Guess who came home with me from the one-dollar thrift store?I washed and tumble-dried him when I got home, even though I didn't smell baby drool on it. It may have lined a baby's crib at some point, but he's mine now. It would have been fun though, to know his history. A little touch, to make my room more homely.

Sg Laksa

2010-09-30T08:56:00.003+08:00

Finally opened up the packet of Prima Deli Laksa that the bestie sent over and... gosh did it taste sooo good! No pictures of the consumers on this blog, but the housemate polished off his bowl with many sighs and groans of contentment. He said that it was tear-inducing, this familiar taste of home, and he proclaimed it the best dish he had eaten so far that was cooked in our humble kitchen. Even though it was pracctically instant mix. But it tasted THAT good to him. Not exaggerating. Thanks Shilin! It was shared and eaten with such joy!

Rica's Birthday

2010-09-27T23:15:00.004+08:00

KFC done in grand style...
Because there was a birthday to celebrate! And because the birthday girl LOVES Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Fast food is abundant in America. Arbys, Wendy's, Jack-in-the-box, Popeyes, KFC, In-and-Out etc etc. Not forgetting the ubiquitious MacDs. And yet, it is interesting how seldom I eat these stuff here, much preferring to cook my chinese comfort food. Burgers and fries... they all sell the same stuff. But KFC now, thats a different matter. I loved it while I was in Sg, and I adore it more so over here! I dont quite know how to explain it, but its sooo much more tastier here, the flavor of the spices more intense.

My mum will be proud of me.

2010-09-23T12:47:00.001+08:00

Lotus Root Soup.

Camping at King's Canyon National Park

2010-09-17T13:19:00.010+08:00

IT belongs to the same chain of glacier-carved rock formations to the south of Yosemite, on the eastern Sierras.

Camping! Sleeping on cold hard ground, frying breakfast bacon in the crisp morning air, toasted marshmallows on a stick in front of a real fire every night, idle days wading in creeks with crystal clear waters, short day hikes to lush green meadows surrounded by soaring rock, and a most charming hyperactive three-year-old as a distraction.

I love my first American camping trip. I'm not sure if Nepal counts as camping. It was so comfortable and luxurious!

Big Sur, California.

2010-09-02T12:51:00.010+08:00

I've finally arrived here. Big Sur. Of which I had first read about in National Geographic in Secondary School.

It was as grand as I had dreamed it to be. The fabled place where the sea meets the sky and land. Miles and miles of rugged rocky cliffs that meets the Pacific Ocean. Welcome to the wild Californian coast!

More pictures on FB soon. But actually the best pictures are already here. heh.

Our rental car that looks like a London taxicab, only that it was red. Bixby Bridge.

Us who made the 2.5 hour drive down south to Monterey on the weekend 2D1N trip.

I cant believe that I totally forgot to take a picture with this backdrop. That mesmerized I was. But then again, my face would simply have spoilt the picture.It was a sunny day, and fog was gathering on the ocean front, as it slowly rolled towards the shore. And so this was what we saw later on in the afternoon.The fog rolling in. You can still see abit of the ocean down below.

The fog soon caught up with us, making for quite a bit of tricky driving on the way back. Imagine, fog and windy roads. Thank goodness we had an experienced driver with us!

Jelly Belly Factory!

2010-08-24T13:29:00.004+08:00

One bright sunny Monday morning, on my day off, I tagged along with my housemate as he drove around to bring his friend sightseeing. Now that I am in a new department rotation, I work Wednesdays through Saturdays, getting my Sundays to Tuesdays off. Here's my housemate. We get along pretty fine.

The factory is in the neighbouring city of Fairfield, about a 20 minute drive along the freeway. At 100km/hr. So its near and yet pretty far by Sg standards. But it really is very near. What am I trying to say?!! Posing with a Volkswagen.

Free packet of Jelly beans at the end of the free tour! Free! Yay! No phototaking while on the tour unforunately. I felt like a school kid on an excursion. Still remembering those visits to Khong Guan biscuit factory when I was a primary school kid.

There was a sample stand where one could sample some of the flavours before buying them. And there were some pretty unusual flavours around too...

The only icky one I dared to try was the Pencil Shavings flavor. Omg, it REALLY tasted like pencil shavings. I should know. I used to chew the blunt end of the pencil when I was a little kid.

Am back with a drippy nose.

2010-08-13T12:53:00.007+08:00

hello!

dived right back into work upon returning from the trip. 5.30am mornings do not agree with me. New rotation in a new department, new faces, new things to learn. I am really a shy and quiet/reclusive/serious person by nature, and i always find making new aquaintances challenging. However, the 12k-litre tanks of cell cultures excite me, and i love the the beauty of the science behind many of the processes and equipment design. Welcome into the heart of cell culture manufacturing. I'm playing with the big boys now. Here is real life physics and chemistry in action!

Will update with pictures soon!

Okay, FINE, I get the point!!

2010-07-31T01:33:00.002+08:00

Breaking in the Crockpot

2010-07-23T11:46:00.002+08:00

I bought this little second-hand slow cooker at a yard sale for USD5. Its really a good deal, although you can get a similar one from Walmart for maybe $18? But still! And well, the best first dish to make is slow-braised pork of course!

The ingredients were really simple: a small piece of rock sugar, 4 slices of ginger, 3 cloves of garlic, and 2 star anise for the aroma. Eggs in shell, and about 400g of pork belly. 6 tbs of dark soya sauce and water to cover everything.

Set on low, twiddle your thumbs for 8 hours and when my housemate came home from work (thurs is my off day), we're ready for some melt-in-your-mouth pork!

On a side note, ironically, i dont like the fatty part of the pork. Usually toss that away. But I like how the fat contributes to the tenderness of the meat.

August Baby

2010-07-22T22:20:00.000+08:00

It has been a year since those big changes and opportunities happened. I dont know why, but the past few days, the old memories and pain came back for a fleeting moment. Just for a while, and then I'm fine again. Strange, and I realised belatedly that it had been exactly a year. And if you gave me flash forwards of scenes to come in a year's time, I wouldn't have believed it. Striding down the hallways of Genentech in my steel-toed shoes, owning a cute tiny old car, shopping at Walmart and Target for home goods.

I'm going somewhere special for my birthday this year and I'm so, so excited. Yes, it is true that I'm paying for this out of my own pocket, expensive in its own right yet still surpringly cheaper than say, the amount I paid the tour agency for that Nepal trip. Although it is a gift to myself, it feels like God's special birthday present to me this year. I wasnt supposed to go in the first half of August, but a combination of factors made this trip fall right smack on my birthday.

I've never gone on any cruises in Singapore, not even the famous Star Cruises that everyone seemed to have taken once or a couple times when young. That 2D1N Halong bay cruise in Vietnam doesnt count! So, this will be my first official holiday on board a cruise ship with the full trappings!

I'm going on a 10-day cruise to Alaska from the 31st of July to the 10th of August, stopping by Victoria in British Columbian Canada and three other Alaskan ports on the way. And on my birthday itself, the ship will be cruising along Glacier Bay National Park. Can you see why I am excited?

And I've said this that I've said before. There's an overwhelming feeling of gratefulness in me, because God is so faithful. In both good times and bad times, in joy and sadness.

Talking about bad times, I should start blogging more about some of the freaky things that have happened so far to me over here. Some of the stuff are downright frightening, keeping me tossing and turning in bed at night sometimes. The tally so far, the time I accidentally got locked-in and had to climb a barbed-wire fence, ripping my nice NIKE windbreaker in the process; the car accident, the USD250 bill for a 10 minute doctor visit that was mistyped as a $21,000.15 bill (yes, you saw the correct number of zeros). Ahahhaa... but all's well and I'm okay. Just that the the travelling's nice but living in America does kinda suck in many ways.

And the stuff your read on the news weren't exaggerating about the messed up healthcare system and the gang violence in some of America's most dangerous cities. Yikes.

This is Utah

2010-07-21T10:25:00.006+08:00

Amazing landscapes that change abruptly in a matter of a few hours' drive. Deep etched canyons stretching as far as the eye could see. Stack 'em up hoodoos as tall as a HDB building. And rainbows touching a wild, sun-kissed land.

Utah and her rocks. Well we were in canyon country after all, with the Grand Canyon down south in the state of Nevada.

I missed Curry Puffs, so...

2010-07-17T03:36:00.004+08:00

Grab an onion and toss it up in hot oil in a frying pan. When onions turn translucent, in goes the diced potatoes and minced meat. Meanwhile, add a little water to 4 heaped tablespoons of curry powder in a bowl to form a paste. Add into the frying pan and mix the paste into the ingredients. Next,add enough water to cover the potatoes for them to cook and soften properly. It looks a little stewish at this point. Simmer for 20-30mins until mixture becomes paste-like. Add 1 tsp salt to taste. I allow it to become a teeny-weeny-browny burnt at the bottom as i continue to dry fry it,in this way i know that all the water has evaporated or been absorbed into the potatoes.

Cool the curry mixture before spooning it out into spring roll pastry and fold into spring rolls using a water-starch mix as a binder. Pan fry until golden brown.

Ok bye I'm off to eat.

Green stuff, Growing stuff.

2010-07-11T13:05:00.005+08:00

Went to the supermarket to search for some sweet corn for the barbeque tomorrow night and found a table full of boxes of corn fresh from the farm with the floppy corn silk on the top still attached. Lol, this is a 'wow' moment for this paticular Singaporean! So unlike the sterile looking pre-trimmed ones in NTUC or Cold Storage!Chose 8 ears of corn, breathing in the wonderful earthy smell; not before quickly unhusking a few layers to check that the kernels were still good. Beautiful, creamy, yellow-white kernels... On a totally different note, I tossed some green onion stems into a glass of tap water. They add colour to my room, as well as providing a constant source for cooking purposes - then no need to always buy.It is growing well! Hello little bud! I cant wait to eat you!

Hummingbird outside my window

2010-07-09T12:28:00.004+08:00

I've seen this elusive fellow flitting about the flowers outside my apartment for many weeks. But everytime when I rush to get my camera, it flies away. Finally, I managed to get a good shot in today. It is a hummingbird! I'm so tempted to buy a birdfeeder to place outside my bedroom window. But I'm just not sure if it is allowed by the apartment management.

4th of July: Independance Day

2010-07-07T10:40:00.003+08:00

So while the rest of the girls working the normal office hours (non-shift) made full use of the long weekend to head down to Oregon, the other four of us poor working folks had our own little Fourth of July experience.

We headed down to the neighbouring city of Suisun (pronounced as Sassoon) to the marina to watch the fireworks.
Carnival-like atmosphere, not unlike our pasar malam.

A typical American 4th of July scene. Chop the good spots early for watching the fireworks.

Luxurious waterfront houses.

And the fireworks were splendourficious as usual, well matching any other show at Disney World or the NDP. I was glad that I happened to be videotaping when this particular one appeared. Never yet seen any firework 'pattern' quite like the one below before. Its so pretty!

Capital Children's Choir

2010-07-04T04:48:00.003+08:00

Here's a beautiful redition of the Guns and Roses classic, Sweet Child of Mine, as sung by the Capital Children's Choir from London. Ever since coming to the US, I've found myself falling in love with rock music; do a cover with a choral twist, and I'm completely smitten.

The voices of children does add a freshness, sincerity and innocence to songs don't they? And in this case, a song that is meant to be sung to one's lover is being interpreted in a totally new light. I can imagine this song being played during a father-daughter wedding dance.

Round 2.

2010-07-03T05:47:00.002+08:00

This time its for the brother. Timberland tees at USD10 each, and a DKNY tee at USD16. I can't believe I'm blogging about my shopping. I have sunk to a new low.

Fourth of July Sales

2010-07-02T12:39:00.005+08:00

I live 10 minutes away from the Factory Outlets - the only main draw for tourists in small town Vacaville. Despite having lived here for 5 months, it was only today that I finally got down to some serious shopping. Truth be told, most of them are necessities, as I only packed my barest necessities (tees, jeans and basic footwear of slippers and sneakers) when coming here.
Yay! Blouses from Banana Republic marks a nice change from boring T-shirts. USD30 sandals from Liz Claiborne and shorts from Gap at USD10 each was a steal.

Heh, it just occurred to me that my choices of clothes are still rather conservative and boring!

Mom's Birthday

2010-06-27T04:09:00.006+08:00

I bought this Coach bag from the factory outlet in my town for my mum's birthday. Bought and mailed, all in the space of three hours. And the significance being, I DROVE myself to the shops and post office. I drove there... the words taste so sweet in my mouth. As you can see, I'm still quite fascinated with this whole ohmygod-i'm-actually-driving thing. But only on the ulu country roads!

Do you think she will like it? Mum's clothes tend towards the range of light, summery, pastel colours. This should suit her. I quite like the bag myself.

I've not bought any branded bags for myself yet... they all seem too fancy and pretty on me, which is kinda sad. (I dont really like the repeated-C motif on the Coach bags though,but the above bag is an exception for its colours and quilted pattern.) Through the years, I have kinda evolved into a T-shirt and jeans girl. When will I ever get to wear dresses and heels again?

I got to handle a real gun!

2010-06-26T14:21:00.004+08:00

I handled a REAL shotgun today, got a perfect shot in, but forgot to have a picture taken of myself!

So here's a pic of my friend, Janice instead.

Oh boy it was so cool, the noise was deafening, and the recoil would have left me staggering if Doug's hand was not supporting my right shoulder.

Arches National Park, Utah

2010-06-21T11:07:00.006+08:00

The Balanced Rock, as seen from a parking lot.

We took a 5 hour tour that cost us 77usd apiece. But it was well worth it, as we wandered through a dizzying maze of towering sandstone and slickrock, where the general ranger-guided tours do not go.

Twin arches, with a lower slash that makes the entire thing look like a theatrical piece.

It was a fun hike, as we had to use our upper body strength to hoist ourselves up at some places. In this picture, Ken was last in the group. You can see the narrow path behind from which we came; after which butt and hands and feet were essential in moving forward.
Glorious views at every corner.

Crawling through tight slots.

The view from the final walk back to the parking lot:

And a favorite set of photos:

2010-06-21T11:00:00.003+08:00

Called home and reflecting on something my brother said to mum. A little sad, a little disturbing. But I can totally understand how he feels. Sometimes I feel the same way too. It is strange how the past never seems to go away, it comes back in little ways to haunt us all. I know, I am speaking in riddles. Heh. This blog is a little public and yet i want to stash these thoughts somewhere.

The heat is here.

2010-06-07T10:10:00.002+08:00

Believe it or not, temperatures hit a high 32deg this week, and at least 10 days of 40degC heat can be expected in the next few months.

I made my first drive to the gym today after work and dove straight into the lap pool. It felt so good!

Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida

2010-06-06T03:41:00.016+08:00

We spent two days at Universal Studios. The Simpsons 3D ride was fun.

So was the Spiderman ride.

Ok I refused to go on this one. Its the Incredible Hulk ride.

Group photos with the Simpsons.

Dr. Seuss' characters are really popular in the States it seems. There's a whole park for it!

Cam-whoring is fun!

As the get-ups get crazier.

I REALLY love the Thing 1 and Thing 2 t-shirts and caps. They are by far the nicest couple t-shirts I've ever seen. I would have bought them if I had a bf. I thought of my best gf but nah... doesnt feel right.

With Olive and Popeye! He has gigantic forearms which are just rubber gloves.

Jurrassic Park ride.

Checking out some eggs.

Ok, I'm not typically a cam-whoring person. But the following photo opportunities were simply irresistible! Marge Simpson's wig.

Some Afro thing.

Spongebob stuff.

A mock setup of Beverly Hills.

With Curious George.

Remember Woody Woodpecker?

In the Shrek store after the ride - a knight in shining armour.

Outside The Mummy ride.

There were these fun shoutouts littered throughout the streets in Toon Town.

Thats Universal Studios for you!

My car.

2010-06-01T10:59:00.007+08:00

She's such a sweet little thing, a 2-door coupe. A well-mantained 1995 Mitsubishi Mirage LS at USD1800. I bought it from my senior who is leaving for Sg tomorrow. She's tiny, which makes for easy parking. Has sensitive brakes, which is great for a new driver like myself. As an old car, I patiently warm the engine for at least 5 minutes every morning before setting off.

I'm in love.

I've been driving myself to work for 3 days now, just 5 mins away on small town lanes - so grateful to be in Vacaville, where drivers are friendly and roads less congested. I'm still religiously avoiding the freeways. They intimidate me, especially the skill of merging in from the on-ramp. I will eventually tackle that, i'm still trying to get comfortable driving on the small roads first. As you can see from the pic, the parking spaces are really generous in America. I've never learnt to park butt-end first, another skill on my learning list. Heck, they never even tested me on parking in the driving test!

Will make an attempt to the grocery store on Thursday.

PS. There is a profound feeling of gratefulness and gratitude everytime I think of where I am now and the things I am doing. And I cant help but thank God. Dont get me wrong, life is no fairytale here, and there are personal and people issues I deal with everyday. But coming to America, working in my dream biopharmaceutical company, passing the driving test at the first attempt and getting this car, they are like little gifts from Him... little reminders for me to remember that He is watching over me, and all will be well.

Locked out.

2010-05-31T11:12:00.003+08:00

What do you do if you accidentally dumped your car keys into your boot and slammed it shut?

1. Panic.

2. Call the emergency roadside service hotline and wait for them by the road. 3.Entertain yourselves.

4. Get really bored and take silly photos.

5. Rescue is here!

6. Watch in rapt attention as the guy opens the car door using some very basic tools.

7. Pose with the guy.

Jesus take the wheel

2010-05-28T14:49:00.004+08:00

It was a crazy, hectic few days. Working from 6am to 4.30pm, followed by last minute brush-up driving lessons from 5pm to 7pm. With my weekend starting on a Thursday, I scheduled it at late morning, hoping that traffic would be lightest then.

As luck would have it, it was raining steadily on the morning I took my test. Visibility was lower, which was probably what made them more lenient. In order to pass, one had to have no critical errors, such as failing to check a bike lane or mounting a kerb; and less than 15 other general errors, such as slow turns etc.

Fighting a mixture of tiredness and nerves, I took the test. The examiner was nasty, unsmiling and stern: ('Did I ask you to start the car yet? Turn off the engine now!') I was so nervous, yet so determined to give this a good go. I prayed, Jesus, take this wheel.

I passed. To God be the Glory.

To me in America, being able to drive is freedom. My housemates do not have to wait for me anymore and vice versa. I dont have to feel trapped at home on weekends. I can buy my groceries whenever I feel like it. Hang out at the departmental store after work. Drive myself to work.

Freedom!

Now comes the next challenge though. I'm still scared of the freeways. Gotta learn to merge and switch lanes safely. Need to take my share of the driving load on long road trips with the colleagues.

Magic Kingdom at Disney World, Florida

2010-05-21T22:34:00.004+08:00

Bought a 'boot-leg' tee for 10usd to wear on this special day!

I queued up 45 mins to take pictures with the Disney Princesses, with the kids scampering around us. We initially intended to take group pics, but after the long wait, better make it worth it lah. Individual pictures for all!

South Beach, Miami, Florida

2010-05-17T11:34:00.006+08:00

After 5 crazy non-stop days of theme parks in Orlando, Florida, it was pure bliss to lie on warm sands and do absolutely nothing.

And such crystal clear water, of a shimmering emerald green! I've never seen a beach so beautiful and clean. It comes as no surprise that pets and alcohol (i.e. glass bottles) were not allowed on the beaches.

And trust me, we were grossly over(under?) dressed, what with the gorgeous bikini babes and hunky-type guys lying all over the sands.

iTouch

2010-05-07T15:18:00.001+08:00

My brother returned me my iTouch just before I left for the States. Even though I had given it to him and never asked from him back. Extra sibling points to him for that. And I installed the iTunes software just today and synced my favorite music in. Like FINALLY.

Driving lessons

2010-05-07T14:34:00.003+08:00

I've had 8 hours of driving lessons so far. The initial nervousness of controlling a fast-moving vehicle is gradually wearing off and I'm starting to enjoy my lessons very much.

On one of my latest lessons, Peter, my driving instructor, decided that he wanted to work on my turns, and so he brought me out to the deserted countryside between Vacaville and Winters. It was a glorious, sunny afternoon, with clouds floating above a brilliant blue sky. We (I) drove uphill and downhill, along twisty mountain roads, giving me a chance to practise my steering, stepping on the gas when going up and braking when whizzing down.

The calmness of my instructor rubbed off on me, making me relaxed. In turn, I realised how I drove BETTER when I was calm. Cars are strange things, you drivers probably already know la, but I'm only just discovering that cars respond accordingly to a driver's confidence, like another limb off my body. Heh.

The scenery was beautiful. I saw farms and horses and grazing cows. A squrriel ran across the road. Some pheasants in a field I drove past. A blue lake. A llama from a petting zoo sitting lazily in the shade.

I exclaimed so much at the scenery that he said I could stop and take pictures if I wanted to!

And so I did.

Glee.

2010-04-29T09:23:00.007+08:00

Hello, my friends in Singapore! Okay, I heard that the latest musical Chicago is back with raving reviews. So I'm jealous.

But.

There's this cool new Oscar-winning musical-comedy TV series that opened the second-half of its first season with its highest viewer ratings of 13 million. And I think I'm addicted. Every episode has a musical theme. And the latest episode was titled The Power of Madonna. Yup, you got it, it was a Madonna-themed episode. And it was amazing. Also, my favorite broadway actress, Kristin Chenoweth, is a regular guest star on some of the episodes.

Featuring, 4 Minutes and Vogue. For Vogue, you have to see the original MTV to understand how well done this one was!

Todays' Daily Bread

2010-04-24T02:01:00.003+08:00

It’s been a long, cold winter, and I am eager for warm weather. I’m tired of seeing bare trees and lifeless brown leaves covering the ground. I long to see wildflowers poke through the dead leaves and to watch the woods turn green once more.

Yet even as I anticipate my favorite season, I hear my mother’s voice saying, “Don’t wish your life away.”

If you’re like me, you sometimes hear yourself saying, “When such and such happens, then I will . . . or, If only so and so would do this, then I would do that . . . or, I would be happy if . . . or, I will be satisfied when . . .”

In longing for some future good, we forget that every day—regardless of the weather or our circumstances—is a gift from God to be used for His glory.

According to author Ron Ash, “We are where we need to be and learning what we need to learn. Stay the course because the things we experience today will lead us to where He needs us to be tomorrow.”

In every season, there is a reason to rejoice and an opportunity to do good (Eccl. 3:12). The challenge for each of us every day is to find something to rejoice about and some good to do—and then to do both.

To myself: No more complaining. I am where I need to be right now. I will stay the course and set my goals in sight, and I will emerge all the better for having made this journey.

Among the fields of gold.

2010-04-23T04:38:00.007+08:00

First Short Trip.

2010-04-18T22:30:00.006+08:00

The tulips are blooming, and it's a beautiful sight at the base of the Seattle Space Needle. While walking along the streets, I see young women from the markets making their way home with bouquets of freshly cut flowers to beautify their homes.

The flowers. Such intense colours of reds, yellows, purples, greens and blues! I've never seen such bright colours on flowers before. Unedited colours from my camera do not do the flowers justice.

Wardrobe Emergency

2010-04-17T02:25:00.003+08:00

Right now, I'm packing for a short trip, hence the neatly folded pile of clothes all ready to be put into my duffel bag. One quick glance of my pile and I groan inwardly. Lune's dark coloured clothes are taking over her wardrobe! Everything is black, grey, or purple. Uh oh. And all t-shirts and no loose, flowing, pastel, feminine blouses.

For the past few years, I had somehow unwittedly started gravitating towards dark colours and tee-shirts. Its all YK's fault. Friends end up dressing like friends after all. Hanging around with her had somehow programmed into my subconscious that black is cool. I need to go shopping! (But I still think black is cool)

Take me out to a ball game

2010-04-16T04:07:00.003+08:00

For our manufacturing offsite, we went to a baseball game down at San Frans!

Entrance to the park.

The San Francisco Giants were playing against the Pittsburgh Pirates on their home turf. Pretty huge turnout for a Wednesday afternoon. And I must say, we got good seats.

Genentech owns a box. The execs are probably sitting somewhere up there.

The SF Giants won 6-0. It was interesting, for my first baseball game. I wont pretend to say I kow much about the intricacies of the game, but it just brought up memories of softball games back in Secondary school.

The Black Eyed Peas

2010-04-09T00:38:00.012+08:00

Just this Wednesday night, we drove down to Sacramento to catch them performing live! I paid $60 for the ticket. Costly perhaps, but way cheaper than if they were to come to Singapore.

Before the concert. Note the forming crowd standing in front of the stage. You have to pay USD90 just to have a place to STAND there. No seats. I guess its pretty worth it if you are a hard-core fan. It looks like a pretty tight crush to me.

And after. It was so packed!

Fantastic stage get-ups. Love the play of lights to produce the silhouettes.

Fergie simply rocked. She was an amazing performer, with a pretty strong sex appeal.

The hits were rolled out one by one. This one's for Where is the Love.
Ending with I Gotta Feeling. With lots of confetti.

Whoops.

2010-04-05T22:51:00.010+08:00

2 distinct tremors in the past 2 months. One at Los Angeles, another near the border with Mexico. Seismologists have since warned of another major earthquake in California that may kill thousands of people. Frankly, I'm not worried and I dont really care. And I deliberately omitted to tell mum that CA sits on 2 major plates of the Earth's crust. No point in making her worry needlessly.

Good Friday

2010-04-03T16:22:00.004+08:00

It's Good Friday today. An evening of reflection, of thankfulness, of gratitude. Of Him who suffered for me, who guided my life's paths, who brought around so many amazing people in my life at the right time. A time to look deeper into myself, to be more accepting, to do what is right, to be compassionate, to love the people around me, to be wise. To be all that I truly can be. Because of God's amazing grace.

Have a good friday.
p.s. I bought M&Ms shaped like Easter eggs. All ready to rip open on Sunday.

A walk in a park at Davis

2010-04-02T22:58:00.004+08:00

My Canon Ixus seriously rock. Here's a ladybug the size of my fingernail taken in digital macro.
Saw a couple of squrriels, wild turkeys, various species of ducks and a hummingbird.

What Luna did on a weekend.

2010-03-29T11:31:00.005+08:00

Half Moon Bay State Beach

Cruising along San Francisco bay.
The Wax Museum

Cycling along Fisherman's Wharf

De Young Museum

Academy of Sciences

More pictures to be uploaded soon on Facebook.

Just when I was at my low point in my last post, upset over the issue of driving and the numerous rejections, a fellow STRAT who was posted in the City texted me and asked me to join her in SF for the weekend. "Its ok that you can't drive! I'll do the driving!" she said. So, so sweet of her. And thus over a three-day weekend, I travelled down to the City from Vacaville to bunk over at a friend's place and do the touristy stuff. It was tiring but fun.

And it felt like a 3-day verbal driving lesson. As she drove, she described to me what she was doing as I observed and asked questions. The freeways in America are scary though. We dr0ve at 140km/hr (90mph)!

And I have come back recharged, with fresh determination to learn to drive, and to do so soon. In fact, my first lesson will be this saturday.

Paradox

2010-03-22T09:22:00.010+08:00

Thanks for e comments, YK and HC!

I need to buy my own car to practise on, so as to get my driver's license.
I need a license, so as to buy a car and register it with the DMV.

Frustrated.

Its pretty hard to ask my Sg colleagues to teach me, as everyone's tired after work and have their own schedules. Besides, I probably owe them more favors than they do, me. Small insignificant incidents they were, but I got three different versions hesitations and NOs today, two of which were sandwiched in a joke, but I get the hint. And yet, I understand? The cars are their babies. It would be so with me if I had my own too.

Big Sigh.

I'm looking through driving schools now. Its 3 x 2hr lessons for USD255 to 300, one of which offers a doorstep pickup. Apparently thats all it takes here to ready oneself for a driving test.

Chin up Liyue, you came here to learn to be independant. And yet at the same time, I am praying to God that He will help me find a straighter path in this.

Update: Not 15 minutes after I typed the above, a little thing happened to cheer me right up! Thank you God, and to a sweet girl in San Francisco.

Mount Vaca

2010-03-20T06:07:00.008+08:00

Mount Vaca conquered me. Utterly mortified. Today, I tagged along with my housemate's (really fit)colleagues as they were going 'hiking', not knowing where they were heading. I was looking forward to something more of a nature-type stroll, only to discover that it was a practice-hike for the group's upcoming trip to Mount Shasta, the highest point in California. Oh crap.

Here are some of the rules I broke.
One. Had Only a mug of tea and TWO pathetic biscuits before rushing out of the house.
Two. Inserted an untried pair of shoe-padding into my Hi-Tec boots that I had not broken into previously.
Three. Absolutely NO training.

The frst of the group of eight set a sturdy pace up the steeply paved road. The road wasn't even rugged!! Needless to say, my hunger pangs broke out, giving me that familiar nauseous feeling. I developed two giant blisters on the way up and i was breathless as my cardio/stamina couldn't sustain me. I was one mile short of the peak. And one of the guys stayed back with me, as we sat in the shade.

Ugh. Excuse me while I go hide my head under a rock.

Driving - Round One

2010-03-19T10:02:00.004+08:00

I passed my theory test with a perfect score!

Now comes the difficult part for a person who is really bad at machinery and stimulated computer games.

I wonder how long will it take me to learn ...?