Monday, September 28, 2009

Wandering Feet

I headed out around 1pm today. Didnt feel like eating at home, though I have been eating out for the past few days, I wanna eat something else. Hence headed out, went to hawker centre next door and ate Mee Siam with Coke Zero.

After that, headed to Driving School for Basic Theory Evaluation. FYI, must pass the evaluation before can take the actual test. From the Bukit Gombak MRT, I walked 900m to arrive there just before 2pm. The reason why I walk instead of taking the free shuttle bus provided by the school, is that I wanna exercise, hence I have been walking to and fro everytime I head there.

From the time I sat on the bus, even until I reached the school, I was listening to the radio on my Walkman phone. Guess nowadays I cant stand having no music to drown out the noises of daily life. Sometimes the music can help my wandering mind drown out the thoughts, others at times, it helps focus the thoughts or lead to thoughts.

I read through a bit of the Basic book, then started reading the Advanced book. Later around 3pm, went in to do the Evaluation test. Its 70 questions taken from the system, the practice session consisted of 4 booklets, about 265 questions to try. So they randomly take 70. I read carefully and did quickly. Passed 68 out of 70, so now left doing the actual test on 8th Oct, Thursday. That was the earliest slot I could get.

Then walked back to the MRT station to head for a swim. I was undecided whether to go get train tix to Segamat first or swim first but decided to swim first cos I didnt want to become lazy. I actually went into the swimming complex already and then saw a huge bunch of kids having their lessons, 3 groups in the medium pool and even half the deep pool was taken. Alright, no swim instead, went for a shower. After showering, I dried up and headed to buy train tix. Kinda felt hungry a bit, so ate Sesame Sauce chicken with rice and Sugar cane drink. Hopped on the mrt towards Tanjong Pagar.

At TP, got out and walked towards the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. It was a long walk, think I under-estimated the distance from International Plaza to there. I had taken some bus before and it felt not that far away. Hmm.... must remember sitting on bus is not the same as walking. K walked, looked around and finally arrived there after 20mins+ of walking, around there cos I didnt look at any time. I bought a ticket for this Thursday 2pm. I also enquired about the train tix to CitySquare, they depart daily 7am, 2pm, 6pm and it costs SGD$3, good to know in case I need to head over. At least can avoid the jam over and also the Curvy Malaysian Immigration.

After that, I was contemplating whether to go home or walk around. Sent out sms to ask if anyone was heading out but no reply. So I walked towards the Tanjong Pagar area, the shophouses and pub area to explore. It was around 5.30pm by then and people were knocking off from work. There were throngs of people and I somewhat followed a bit and continued walking around. Ended up at the NTUC near TP, bought some drinks and a bar of dark chocolate. I kinda needed to munch a bit to fill up the tank after all the walking. Continued, though at the shophouses area, there were a few ways to walk, I just chose one way and walked until I reached another point that branches out, chose and continued walking.

Walked and saw quite a variety of shops/pubs/food places. Some areas I have passed by many times via bus but not actually walked. Dunno how, ended up at China town area, went towards the Maxwell Food Centre. I contemplated eating but after the dark chocolate, my appetite kinda spoilt. Remembered a time long ago, when the whole bunch of us headed there to eat. I remembered eating Samba Stingray and some other stuff or porridge. Then continued onwards, finding some Arty-Farty shops selling Atas-looking stuff, continued on. Reached the back of the Chinatown area, stopped at M11@Chinatown Square, and looked around a bit. Basically its a building with coffeeshop, HK food, Pasta@sakae, Mos burger. Walked around a bit and reached Chinatown Square, where I bought a Ice Teh Halia from Mr Teh Tarik which I remembered from previous temping days to sell very worth-value drinks. A huge cup cost only $1.60 and continued walking around. Passed by a whole bunch of eating places over there and somehow reached the back of ChinaTown Point. Where I decided I had walked about enough. The skies had darkened much already. I walked passed Hong Lim Garden with a whole bunch of ladies doing some-sort of towel exercise. Hopped on my bus and sat and stoned on the way home.

____________________________________________

Lots of thoughts did pass my mind today.

Starting with 'What am I doing?' when I first headed out towards the driving school. Thoughts about what exactly am I doing with my life? How its kinda meaningless, repeatitive, dull, boring... and also what are my plans about the next job and stuff. Guess this no-income stability thingy is somewhat bothering me. I had to remind myself that there are many who are less fortunate, handicapped, living lives which were worst off financially, mentally, physically. I am lucky to be able to move around independently, have money in bank account for expenses and not worried about a place to stay. Reminded myself have to count my blessings for that. Yet on the other hand, what I feel about this is that it is not the material needs that is bothering me, is another, maybe emotional, spiritual? Dunno.

Everyone around, cos they seem to appear to know where they are heading to, seems contented with life, seems to know where to head to, what to do. At least it 'seems' so to me. Yet when I was in the 'race', I still didnt know where I was heading. I wasnt contented to just blindly continue on.

Yet I asked myself IF being too forward looking meant missing out on things currently. I also have no idea of where I am heading to. I am not sure if I am of any VALUE-ADD to any other jobs, also the skills that I have are mostly generic skills. I dont see anything special or high-value adding. This part has me a bit worried. Cos being an Educator, the job experience is still related to Education yet not specialized enough to go higher up or what. So some worries and self doubts passed through my head in the form of questions that I dont have ready answers for.

While I was eating, after the shower, I answered my own doubts, things WILL work out somehow. Its just that simple fact that LIFE has to go on, the WORLD continues turning and its just whether you will be happy with how things turn out later on. No point having worries.

Then after I got the train tix and explored TP area, thoughts turned instead to Nostalgia. As I walked through, I remembered some time back, exploring with Tab, then remb a bit of temping days when I came upon the familiar eating places in some of the shophouses. It became a sort of trip down memory lane with exploration. Came upon new stuff too.

When I got on the bus heading home, my thoughts somewhat calmed down, think a whole day of thinking, processing and reminscing is enough. Thoughts just shut down as I listened to the radio and stoned.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

The Beautiful Skies *daytime*

As most would know, my blog entries have alot of looking at the skies references. Cos I guess, the inner me wishes to be free and the blue skies are the epitome of pure freedom.

Today I headed out around 2pm to the driving school to do the last Basic Theory Practice that I've scheduled. Next mon, I be doing the Evaluation, then 2 weeks cos that's the only earliest slot I could get, is the Test.

Anyway, I headed out and found to my pleasant surprise that its a nice, sunny yet not-too-hot day. The sky is beautiful with the few fluffy clouds floating lazily. Looking at it, I tell myself, that I should get out of the house around this type of timing to I can see such skies more often.

After the practice,3pm, I headed back to Clementi. Had brought along my swim gear with the intention to drag myself to the pool. At first, I was a bit reluctant of the thought, those where you kinda feel lazy and dont wanna go BUT the sky and weather was too good. I was walking with some of the sun hitting me, but its not the warm, scorching rays, its just nice sunlight. With that, I headed there, changed and went to the medium pool. The skies looked magnificient, with its soothing warm rays, shining down, in a pool relatively unoccupied, with palm trees lining the sides. Its kinda like a paradise. Started swimming around 4pm. Cos the sun is not overbearing, its just gentle, warm so the swim is immensely enjoyable. Not to mention, few people/kids using. A lot of freedom. I did 16 laps, surprising myself. Its been a long while since my last swim, still have the stamina to do that which was the usual number of laps I swim everytime. Alright!

Sadly around 5.30pm, the sun's rays started to get glaringly hot, the scorching type, but by then I was done and had a good, long, cool shower. It was very refreshing and I felt very accomplished. Felt like heading out but with no one to go out with, no where in mind, plus wore home style clothes, didnt in the end. Went to Ginza to check out the bookshop and also to buy a clip for my bag. With that, I reached home, ate dinner. Then practiced guitar for an hour.

Though I wont say the home situation is as bad but I felt that the mental stress taking its toll and I am reaching the stage of Apathy but today things felt better, cos of the exercise, I guess. Think I will sleep earlier tonight.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Big Boys' and Girls' toys

Nope this is not an explicit post in any manner except for those with twisted minds.

Many a times, while I am travelling on the public transport, certain thoughts appear to me, that I forgot shortly after, yet remember once again when I see the same things. Decide to put down a few of those.

Toys
You know how its like when we were younger, at least for my generation, where parents were not that well off when I was a kid. So dont really have that much toys as compared to kids nowadays. The era where you share your toys, play the same toys until spoilt, and yet some of those toys you keep and treasure as you got older cos they reminded you of childhood.

Then as one got older, with more savings, even income, comes the toys for Big Boys and Girls. Boys go for cars, real ones. Imagine spending $100-200k on a car which you only sit in to drive around, other times just leaving it in the car park. Powerful handphones that can do numerous tasks, branded watches, clothes. Girls go for the bags, costing from $200-$20k depending on brand, makeup, clothes, shoes and others. What struck me is that alot of these costs quite a bit. Toys for the Big Boys and Girls, I guess, that as one grows older, have less time to spend, hence they spend it in larger amounts on the few items.

Hmm what ever happened to the simpler things that gave great pleasure during youth? Things like comics, music cds, books just to name some. Some times I find myself kinda caught up in the race that I forgot these are the simple things that I enjoy a lot through the years. Then I stopped the race and looked around me. Others are rushing forward in a sea of frenzy, going somewhere I guess, which I cannot fanthom. They carry with them these NEW and more expensive toys. I am still somewhat a person with little wants. What I want, materially, I can somewhat afford but what holds me back from buying is the consideration of Need and Storage and Usage. Hence at times I dont hold back, but its kinda hard sometimes to find something I want. Its not the material want that I am searching for, but something else, though not sure what it is.

Hmm I dont really know WHAT I want.

I do know that at times, when I really neglect the OLD toys, somehow some time later, when I finally pick it up again to play with it. It gives me satisfacation. At times I find the greatest of satisfaction in the simplest of things, a cool breeze against the face, a cup of hot tea to sip, a nice tune over the mp3, a game in the PSP, the plot in a manga, even after tidying up my stuff a bit, looking at the sunny, cloudy skies.

Hope I can recover back more of the simpler pleasures and enjoy them instead of filling the void with new, expensive toys.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Highlighting and Cutting Hair

My intention was to get my hair cut and dyed straight off once I resign, which was early August. But that month, had a few series of very large expenditure, mostly not on myself but in things like co-paying for water filter replacement, last money for mom plus accumulated $600, and Jap classes.

Hence I decided to push to Sept. Then inbetween kinda tired on weekends after all the classes and running around and going out during the weekdays, mostly I wanna hide at home. Actually home environment is not that nice so I rather sleep if I could but mostly just spend time infront of laptop, practice a bit of guitar.

Yesterday, finally when I kina reached the limit for hair cos of the hot weather. Woke up a bit late cos of the heavy rain. Later called to make an appointment with that Shuai Ge stylist, partly cos I dont have a fixed stylist after my previous one left, I let him and then another cut before and his is a better interpretation, also his own hairstyle is kinda j-rockish, so I thought that he would be more skilled in the highlighting. Okay then I headed down.

The shop is very very busy. Good biz. He was attending to another customer and then I sat down. After asking about the colours for Highlight and Lowlight, decided on a set. He gave directions and the rest of the crew helped out with applying the highlights, washing. I took off my spectacles and couldnt really wear them cos of the covering to protect the ear from touching the dye. AND I was kinda bored. Dunno why some girls/women find having a haircut/colour/treatment thereuptic? The magazines dont appeal to me. So I looked left and right, observed, and finally decided to close my eyes to rest. Still feeling very sleepy cos body clock is still tuned to 3am timing, been trying to adjust it.

After the first wash with treatment added. I was left to sit and wait. So I put on my spectacles and took out my PSP to play. Yar been trying to finish off that FF Crisis Core, I kinda stopped for a long while and almost forgot the story. Decided to pick it up and continue. So I have been playing FFCC on bus journeys back home.

The stylist peered over and we chatted a bit about games on PSP. Then when the other customer is waiting for treatment, he came over to cut my hair. The length is preserved but thinned as I was asking whether can cut a bit shorter cos of the hot weather. It seems that for the style, if the length is too short, not as nice. Alright then. Then he styled it using wax and a bit of spray. I asked him to teach me how to style cos mostly I dont do it. Just let it hang. Within 5mins with a few pushes here and there, a bit of spray, viola, done. Wow, I think I need a lot of practice. Paid $133 for colour, treatment and cut. Overall I really like the interpretation of this with the colours cos the Gazette guitarist, Aoi with this hair style, his hair is completely black or at most is brunette, without highlights at all.

Met up with the rest in Orchard for dinner. Well if your hair is all nicely styled up and stuff. Even met an ex-collegue from workplace no2 who came up to say hi and then bye. Continued on then ate dinner at Soupspoon and then dessert in Cenele. The macha cake is very nice. Not sweet just a tiny tinge of it. Luckily its so cos the Rose Meraine I bought was super super sweet! We all had a damn sweet time eating it. Later after taking pics of my hair style, esp the back since they keep saying its nice and stuff, but of course, I cant see it. The hair style is meant to be like that, more plain in front, but side and back is nice. Previously not that obvious with black hair but guess easier to see with the colours. Went home on bus and playing more PSP.

Think its alright cos its been 5 years since my last hair colour. Made $700 this month on the share market. Think alright. Though I had a bit of expenses this month too, signed up for driving, bought 4 new bras at a go, went shopping at Jusco, spent RM$400. Hmm the lack of income aspect is something I would have to learn to tolerate a bit cos IF I sell off in a rush to hit 1 month's income, then when upside comes, I could have made even more, a lost opportunity. Hmm... I still have no idea of what or where I am going to head to. Would start looking a bit around 1 month's time. Hope to settle more stuff. Ive finally finished tidying up my boxes of stuff, I consolidated them into 9 boxes and stacked them neatly. Then the room has a bit more space.

I aim to tidy up my cd, vcd, dvd, ps games, clothes, and make the room much more spacious that I can hide inside. Think this is one of the reason why I am sitting at my table with laptop and listening to crap or complaints or criticisms from Dad and getting irritated over it or have to put up with loud tv volumes. K tomorrow aim to tidy room a bit more. Dont think I can clean up properly all in a day. Need several servings.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Mundane yet I wanna stop and stare

Hmm Life is kinda mundane. Why? Not that I minded the free-er hours without having to work.

Its more of the home environment and myself perhaps. I have been sleeping in the wee hours of morning for a few weeks and waking up later and later *no surprise* then shortly after its going out to pack lunch back, eat lunch, online and then especially on days with lessons *driving/jap/guitar*, I head out around 5.30pm, then reached home around 11pm that is if I stayed out a bit for dinner and stuff. Then its online, then sleep.

This routine has been repeating itself for quite a while now. I am NOW trying to adjust my sleeping hours back to normal, ie sleep around midnight, wake up around 9am. Last night I slept earlier around 1.30++ and today woke up near 10.30am, an hour improvement. Tonight, I aim to sleep near 12am instead and wake up earlier.

The home environment is not welcoming. I wake up have to do some chores, eg washing clothes using machine, then dryer, washing plates, sweep floor, water plants, checking oil lamp and adding oil just to name a few. Have not been cooking much cos this week alone, quite a number of days taken up. Mon straight to Wed, thurs rested a bit, today is guitar. Cos I wake up late, by that time, its lunch time. Buy instead. Then cos I head out later around 5.30pm, didnt prepare to cook. The vegs that my mom just bought before she SUDDENLY did her thing and ran off, is left mostly untouched in this case. The previous time, I did finish cooking them off. I rather she not buy all these, so I dont have to try to cook them off.

Another thing is that though there are things to do for me. I feel a lack of focus. Its not that I think my previous job gave me any focus at all but guess that's what a job is. To 'distract' you from thinking about things, to give you an income for all those hours instead and let the time pass by faster cos you are too taken up by all the stuff that each day just passes by. Yet that is not I wanna take up yet. I still have no idea of where I would be heading out to. Guess that is why though there are things to occupy me, there are thonnes of things to do, yet cos there is no direction to take, there is some sort of anxiety.

Yet I wanna enjoy the process instead of focusing on the direction or the end. To stop and smell the flowers at the side of the road, to look up at the blue skies, to feel the cool breeze, to feel the sun shining down, before I get too caught up in just walking down the path hurriedly.

Am I just thinking too much? Hmm...

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Sweet Potatoe

IR, Quetzal, Tab and I drove into JB, Jusco Tebrau do some shopping as well as to get much needed massage for my stiff shoulders and crackling neck yesterday.

It took quite a while to get in though, I spent some time in Causeway point walking around, looking at the 3-on-3 basketball tournament held for under-14 boys. Some are really tall and quite a few teams are really good. You watch them, and you would think "Wow, I wish I could do that. Now what was I doing again in Secondary?" I felt the need to exercise come upon me.

Later on around 4.30-5pm, we arrived safely. I was walking around and thinking of food. Ate a pack of rice for brunch but just felt really hungry. After walking the first level and reaching the second level, I left them looking at the shoes to go toilet, draw cash from atm, buy newspapers for dad, bought a drink, chewing gum and a Share Investor book about Malaysian shares. I grabbed the sole English copy I saw. Then I bought 1kg of sweet potates. Its not just ordinary sweet potatoe, its Honey sweet potatoe and its roasted nicely and stuff. I spent RM$20 and was munching them happily. Went back up and the rest were surprised with my buy.

Well its not like I can eat such nice sweet potatoe in Sg. Though I was telling them how the poorer in the past used to eat lots of it cos its filling and cheap. Yet as we got affluent, I still like the taste of it. Its some childhood thing, cos my grandma always put some bits of sweet potatoe into porridge, and it made the porridge sweeter tasting. Got a taste for it. Its a rather Hokkien thingy.

We walked around and I bought 2 tops for RM$36.80. Ate Chicken and Portuguese egg tart. They left me to walk around after I found the Game shop. Bought a PSP casing, a new high speed 8gig memory and loaded in all the FF titles I dont have. That took a while. Then rushed to the session of massage. But was 10mins late. So have to settle for 1/2hr half back. I really like the half body instead of full body massage. My problem is my neck and shoulder and it does hit the spot. My neck didnt creak after that, today is stil not creaking. Very worth it even if its RM$42. Still way cheaper here.

Then I went to the supermarket to get stuff. Wanted the coconut but they sold out. Bought shampoo, pad and toothpaste instead. The tooth paste is cos that is a very very refreshing flavour. Its under Darlie - lemon lime flavour. Its very nice, makes me look forward to brushing teeth, costing RM$70 in total. Wow, easily spent about RM$400... woo wee

Hmm I would often think that spending ringgit is still better than sing dollars cos of the exchange rate and also, since I hold both, Sing is more valuable. Ringgit is like for spending. That is something I grew up with by heading back to Msia every holiday to visit grandparents. Also due to share investments, I do have a larger amount of RM than previously, though most are in malaysian shares but still have several k of RM sitting there. The irritating thing about malaysian banking is that every year, there has to be at least 1 transaction, be it to deposit money in or withdraw money. Most of the other times, I am always putting money in to avoid it getting locked up. Hardly spend, in fact, often is I changed in excess and extra are thrown in. Good to take out some and spend. Though I still have RM$2k sitting idly my Poems account. Also dunno to buy shares or to draw out as in a cheque and deposit into malayan bank account.

Overall if I go back, would go for the half body massage again, games, some clothes, coconut, sweet potatoe, and if only they have dvds to buy... that would be perfect.

Friday, September 11, 2009

The Night Skies @ Esplanade and Cinderella

"You must try out this unagi. I tell you, you will die with regret if you dont try it", Tab was telling me during Jap about this place where she and Quetzal had visited somewhere in Parkway.

"Okay, next week we go and try." was my reply.

When we saw Candle on Wed, we actually asked her for directions on how to go to Pakway. which is rather near her home. Her famous words "Can take 36 or 197. Infront of lucky plaza can take 36."

So on thursday, Tab and I met up infront of Lucky Plaza. I was talking with her when she decided, she better double check whether the buses actually stop there. I had some trust hence didnt think to do so. To our horor/astonishment/disbelief, there is no bus 36 at all!!! Then we looked at the bus directory, there's bus 14 and 16. Then I remembered many a times, Candle had gone to take bus 14 so we hopped on one. On the bus, we were disillusioned... and reached there safely.

Its a jap supermarket, inside they have a counter that cooks ur choice of the fish. The unagi is fattier and bigger and served piping hot. Taste wise, is about there. *owwww* Nevermind, watching Tab eating the salmon and hotake sashimi happily, i took a smal itsy bitsy bit to try. Hmm rather fresh, but the wasabi is good that it can cover the fishy smell that I dont really like in raw fish.

After that we walked around, bought a scoop of ice cream in cones, I ate Watermelon and Tab had Peach then Candle came. We walked around Parkway Shopping. Inbetween Candle came and went off to eat dinner then came back again. Think we stopped the longest in the Aussino shop. They have very very nice Autumn designs. Man the one I was bioing cost $84 after discount for bedsheet and quilt cover set. They took photos of the various designs incase the one at Paragon didnt carry the same design.

And we went to the Giant where I bought 6 can pack of Lychee Shandy. Yes they stock in 1 flavour. Bought a pineapple tea but its rather sucky. I bought lots of Sho Yue Mee chips, 4 packs to be put into the feeding bowl at home. My sisters would often look at the snacks I put in and ask for permission to open and eat. Soon it would be gone, hence the name feeding bowl. Previously my mussli bars were cleared off this way too. We headed to the bus stop to take 16 which dropped us at Esplanade.

We headed in to use the toilet and I mentioned that its very very long since I ever went up to the top of Esplanade. The first and last time I went there was almost 6 years ago, on Krynnder's first date with ZX. We went up and talked some before she went off. Thereafter I had gone numerous times to Esplanade but never up to the rooftop. So being spontaneous, we went up and found that its open even late at night. There's a beautiful view of the city and the waterfront, much fewer people, no cigarette smoke and even a cool evening breeze. All the things that I often complain about when standing at the water front, how its full of smoke and worst is there's no breeze. This will be my solution.

Then Tab took photos here and there, we sat down to drink a Shandy. Then went home.
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Stroke of Midnight
I really feel like Cinderella. Imagine this, she has to reach home before midnight or else her beautiful clothes would disappear, rendering her in rags.

I need to reach home before midnight otherwise I might risk bringing 'more friends' home, though again I wonder how they make it into the home with so many amulets, idols around. But though I reached Clementi interchange around 11.45pm but the bus came around 12am, hence I reached home near 12.20am. Hmm hope nothing followed me... signz

Monday, September 07, 2009

Rant 3 - Dad

Another rant post, ignore if it bothers you.

The thing is that living with my Dad is not an easy task.

Why?

The reasons are too numerous to count but lemme classify them. Though I understand that I am not perfect myself but there are times like NOW when just by saying one sentence, it irks me and sets my irritation and anger meter soaring. Hence instead of opening my mouth and getting into verbal tiffs, I choose to vent my frustration through writing it out.

1) I-am-godly-than-thou attitude
Why? Cos he has a PhD aka doctorate. Hence its a big deal to him. He has this air and attitude that he is smarter than you. When you talk to him, he would be the one dominating by just going on and on and on.

And because of this, he does not want or like to ask for help. He cannot ask for it nicely one. Must gruffly ask and even that the tone or way he asked, just irks me...

2) Lazy-as-a-pig MCP
Lying there in his chair and just watching tv and eating. He just kinda spits out things that are stuck to his teeth, irregardless whether there is a bin or not. Hence there is like bits of whatever he spit on the floor. That area he sits in is SO very dirty in that sense, that it disgusts me to walk over that area daily to switch on the internet connection. He doesnt really lift a finger to help in household chores only when my mom ran off to Msia then he machine washes his own clothes... (If men are all like THIS, then I rather be single)

3) Stick-in-the-Mud to the extreme
Everything sticks to the only way he knows, be it roads, food, even controllers. He has just successfully greatly irritated me by making a statement. The StarHub people just changed the cable box from the normal to the recordable type cos I signed a contract of 1 year, cheaper rates, can record, so I took it. Then shortly he tried to use the new controller which has a bit more buttons but the basic and familiar buttons are just positioned differently. He doesnt even know how to switch on the box, even though there is only a PINK button on it with a power-on sign. Asked me how to switch on while I am seated infront of laptop. Just answered him Pink button. Then he doesnt even know how to press a number button to go to a channel. OMFG.

Instead of going over to teach him, which I might have if he hadnt irritated me with this line where he muttered like "The previous one is working just fine and then go and change for what, now I dunno how to use."

Blood pressure sky-rocketed. Fine you dont want to ask nicely, say this type of crap, dont even want to try to figure out yourself, then dont watch. Duh! He tried a few more times, switched off. And just a few moments ago, asked me gruffly for the instruction menu. Fine, go on ahead. So good at reading books and learnig. Do your own learning. Will it harm one to wait a bit and ask nicely? Its just like that incident when he asked about the dates of the school holiday... Just a sentence and I felt like blasting Linkim Park music to calm my angry nerves.

This is not the only incident though. Every 1-2 months, he would ask my sisters how to read and delete sms and call for the nth time *where n is greater than 8 already. Even though they had both taught him several times now. I had the unfortunate task of teaching him one day and puked blood. And what does he do. Doesnt practice it and then conveniently forget everything. His phone is non-existent. Doesnt switch it on, doesnt use it to call. Then what's the use? Everybody in the family say is waste of money. My mom picked up her hp much much later than my dad yet within a short while, after being taught by my sisters, she could sms both english and chinese, call. The difference is the attitude.

I know age is catching up. BUT this is not ENTIRELY that, cos just like going online to the Internet. He doesnt know cos he doesnt do that often. Even things like open email is such a big deal. Just 2 years ago, he uses computer in his work. Dunno. I do feel my anger subsiding alot more now. Maybe a few more mins, I will go over to teach him....

Seriously if MEN are like this, I rather be single. For my own sake. No wonder married men live longer than single men. The women helped them. Then married women lived shorter than single women cos they puke blood helping the married mcp men.

MEN.... signz
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K I have just taught my dad how to use the buttons. There is an additional step of pressing the STAR button. No wonder the controller was kinda useless before that. Then to be fair to my dad, he's not THAT stick-in-the-mud but still is.

The Stuff of Legend....

Today I didnt go cut and dye my hair yet cos I was feeling tired, it was raining. Hence decided to make the Tuna potato patties and keep some potatoe for rosti experiment tomorrow.

I boiled and peeled the potatoes inbetween the gaming. Then finally settled down to mash the potatoes in the kitchen. My youngest sister, Geoky came in unexpectedly and decided she wanted to mash too.

She got a plate, used a wooden scoop and proceeded to mash some. She suggested adding ham to the potatoe. I replied that she could make a batch of that. Mine was to be tuna added in. So she continued to mash for a very short while before crap began...

She started her crap first about how she could mash better than I could using the wooden ladle than me who was using the potato masher, how hers was more finely mashed, how its better to use 'primitive' tools like our ancestors did, how using love, can make a delicious dish.

So after a while, I started showing her my eye whites. "Look again, if u didnt know ur sister has eye whites, lemme show u again... See that?"

After that, it became Iron Chef, which is a cooking competition show between 2 chefs, the iron chef and challenger. I was the challenger against her, the Iron chef. Apparently she's trained in France and specialty is baking and seasoning... while I am a chef-wannabe. She worked in SC-restaurant while I was in Citi-restaurant doing menial kitchen work, short of toilet cleaning. So that's why she wasnt so concerned about 'my challenge'. She kept me laughing with all these crap and more.

After we made the patties and took turns to fry it.

Here's the pics.

The inspiration from SpongeBobSquarePants, Patrick the star and BrownBob the square.


Iron Chef Geoky's creations


Chef-wannabe HB's creations.


Our Joint-venture. *PS*- Any resemblence to any anatomical part is purely coincidental and part of ur own OVERLY ACTIVE IMAGINATION. Its just a long croquette in long strip and in ball shape... really


Though my mom didnt see these pictures. But taste-wise Geoky's are nicer cos lots of ham and the overall is very tasty. Mine is crispy on the outside but not enough tuna cos I only put in a can. I personally found the tuna and potatoe didnt match up this time. Hmm it seems Iron Chef Geoky does have talent in cooking besides blowing her own trumpet.

She suggested that I try out Ham Potatoe Patties next time, winning combination, nice taste, and nicely fried. Hmm...

Friday, September 04, 2009

Throwing away WORK stuff

Right, I just wanted to write about my experience with cleaning up the stuff I brought back from work.

I brought back abt 13 boxes of stuff, with 4 bags of presents. I went about going through 9 boxes about 2 weeks back. I consolidated the excess stationary, assessment books, certain own-made and other resources into 5 boxes. Threw in a couple of moth balls per box and labelled them. Found a nice corner to stack them up. Then that took me the whole afternoon that I deferred tidying until another day.

Which... turned out to be today after a span of 2 weeks. The room was seriously cramped up and I had about enough that I took another shot at tidying up the work stuff still not unpacked. I went through 4 boxes of notes and stuff. Amongst them printed resources, lesson plans from nie, lecture notes from nie, lots of own made stuff accumulated since Contract times. I took my time to look through and threw about 95% of the stuff away. In fact what I am left with are empty folders and files, 2 sets of dividers, and some ws and resources that I would want to put into a consolidated file either to keep, pass to bro or Tab. So that means another 4 boxes gone.

It was near 12am by the time I was done, I was clearing and listening to music, inbetween checking out facebook - Restaurant city and Evony. By then I quickly pushed the rest of the stuff back so that I can have a bed to sleep on. I took a quick look, think I still have 2 more boxes to go through. One is a box full of construction papers, which I just want to organize and put with my sorted boxes of stationary and stuff. The other, I shall find out when I start the 3rd session to finally sort through work stuff.

As I was clearing through NIE notes, lesson plans and stuff, I read through some of the stuff which I did and went through. Certain things I supposedly learnt in Nie are seriously useless. The other part being that I am not that hardworking to sit down and relook and do up nice resources. Seriously certain notes were rubbish and crap. I should have thrown them earlier but you know how things are, you put them in a box saying that you will sort through but still didnt after years, due to tired, no mood, lazy or lack of time. Its only when you are really lacking space for storage then one is forced to really look through the junk accumulated. Lesson learnt for me, is not to accumulate anymore, by knowing what I already have, then what I really need, and space available for storage. I should apply it to work also. The matter of fact also is that I might not go back into education, hence wont know when certain stuff will ever be used again, hence alot of stuff goes into the dustbin.

Hopefully by the time I wake up (cos tomorrow is already here), I would have sort through the last 2 boxes, then finally finish tidying up the stuff from work, and then tackle my clothes and bags. Need to find efficient use of space in the cluttered room. Hmm...

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Nescafe Smoothie

Since there is nothing much else exciting happening in my life. I shall mention my ktichen foray - Nescafe Smoothie

As those who saw the facebook comments by sister, aka guinea pig in my Macha smoothie attempts, she kena stomache twice. Hmm... so this late morning when I woke up late and was logging in, I was kinda struck my coffee craving.

The funny thing is that I usually drink 1 cup of coffee on weedays only and only IF I had to work or wake up eg for classes. Hence I was surprised recently to find that I have coffee addiction! Imagine that. I felt rather cranky and even had a bit of headache. Then I realized that its cos I didnt drink the coffee. So then I gave in. But in recent 1-2 weeks, I am NOT drinking it everyday. Toki-doki, a couple of days, then one cup, pack. I try to replace the caffine from Green tea, Oolong tea and even Coke Zero.

Today I gave in, cos have jap later. Suddenly an idea struck me. To make a coffee smoothie. The new fridge delivered just yesterday can make ice cubes, I have vanilla ice-cream and 3-in-1 instant coffee mix.

Using the mini-blender, I put in vanilla ice-cream, melted instant coffee in a small bowl of hot water and poured in, add a bit more of low fat milk, put in ice cubes then blend. Cos the blender is a mini one, hence it doesnt blend the ice very nicely but it'll do.

The result



Yup, in my place, there isnt much transparent glass, so its the same glass used in Macha photos. But its a nice coffee smoothie, not overly sweet cos I didnt add extra sugar in, though that ice cream is already enough. A nice way to fulfil a craving and get a kick. Hope it lasts until the end of jap class.

Hmm think the recipe can be varied easily for mango, nougot etc so long as the ingredient is available.