Premier SIlver cab - brickbats

That day, I got up a Premier Silver cab. The first thing the cab driver asked was if I had any small change. Fair enough, I checked and said yes I have small notes and coins. On the way I discovered I have lots of coins. So I gave him mostly $1 dollar coins and fifty cents coins. The driver seemed frustrated having to have many coins to count. In the end, he threw all the coins into his container loudly. I thought that was a tad too rude. And just when I got off the cab, he stepped on his gear and zoomed off. I was shocked wth his attitude. He asked for small change and I gave him small change. Most cab drivers would be so happy I gave them coins. I would never take a Premier Silver cab again. I think his cab number is 5231 if I am not wrong. I hope his company sits up and read this. Please train your drivers to be more professional.

A moment defined

I happened to think that in the 9pm show "Defining Moment" on Channel 8, veteran Zhu Hou Ren and Fann Wong acted splendidly in their "mad" moments when they were supposed to be lunatics. Fann was misled to think she inherited the mental illness from her late grandmother. Her emotions, endless tears, her fears and anguish and helplessness, was splendid, portaying someone who thought she was going mad. I have always liked Zhu Hou Ren's great acting ability. He played Fann's uncle and he was supposed to be the one in the show who turned mad eventually, and who inherited his late mother's genes. He was convincing portraying a greedy, edgy, conniving, temperamental cunning man who turned mad in the end. Last episode coming monday night.

Indeed, sometimes in life, as Fann puts it in the show ....."we've been through so much but why is our relationship so fragile?"

TGIF and time to R&R

I just login to my office email at 11.15pm tonight and I saw my client's email and it was good news. Yes I closed another deal. This made my friday night a relief. Was chasing for more final closing because it's the end of the month. Was a little exhausted this week but I think it has been a good week and month. Sometimes I think there are so many things and plans and strategies I want to try out for this business but I just don't have enough time everyday. Ultimately, my aim is, every company will get to know me in my type of business, in say, one year's time. If I succeed in doing that, business will flow in naturally. By then, I would like to grow the business by leaps and bounds. The picture seems clearer now.

TGIF and thank god it has been a good month.

Aw....A&W

For those of us old enough, we would remember those days when A&W was in town. Yes I remember when I was a teenager, my friends and I used to hang out in A&W fast food chain, having my favourite root beer float and curly fries. Those were the days we felt "cool" and chit chatted and watched people. I really miss A&W especially the root beer float. Maybe that explains why I still drink A&W root beer can bought from the supermart. Who knows.... maybe A&W is coming back to Singapore again one day.....

Open book, open doors

I closed 2 good-size deals today. So I am as happy as a lark. I really liked to be out of the office, running around. I do not like to be confined to the office, especially when the office is not a comfortable place. Hope when we move to a bigger unit soon, things will be even better. Things are slowly picking up for me. These few months have been ups and downs, actually mostly downs since late last year. But 1 - 2 months ago, situation began to improve. I believe it should get better and better. For they say...."when it is dark enough, you can see the stars". I should strive to be an "opener of doors" .... because when a door closes on us, another one will open.

Are you a gem?

Today I was not in office the whole day. Spent the whole morning with a potential big client and my boss. Nothing fruitful came out of it, because the client was not prepared for the meeting, but we can wait. Relationship building takes time. After the meeting, had a long discussion with my boss over Kopi-C talking about our business and as usual, my updates.

Then I was off the whole afternoon to Sentosa to see my client. Before that was in Vivocity for my lunch. Saw an interesting cafe, the Green House Cafe which sells western food as well as part of the shop was selling flowers, Pocket Full of Posies. I liked the concept. I took a few snaps of the shop while waiting for the food. But then the friendly aunty serving me stopped me. She was wary that I was some competitor. I was a little disappointed. Because I wanted to compliment the mushroom soup I had, which has chunks of mushrooms. And the breaded dory was fresh with fries and salad. Too bad I could not take proper pictures. So I cut and paste this from their website.

I wonder, with the world of IT now, how much can we hide from one's competitor? As Jin put it justly ..... "Winners don't do different things. They do things differently". She said "Today, in this competitive world, there are tens of thousands of salesmen out there. Everyone is selling the same things but everyone uses different methods. So what is it that sets these people apart from the rest? It is service that matters more than the product. Don't forget Singapore is promoting Gems - Go the Extra Mile for Service."

One World, One Dream

Last night with my new mobile E71, I wrote the below post half way but fell asleep.

"I am starting to feel a little under the weather. But one good thing is now I can blog even when I am lying in bed or anywhere using my phone. After watching the world class performance of the olympics closing I think the chinese did extremely well as organiser and as trueblue sportsmen. They proved to the world that they can do it. Look at their ...."

So now I continue. Luckily in the morning when I woke up, I was feeling much better. Thought I had to see a doctor if I was more sick today. But I was fine! As I was saying, yes, China should be proud of themselves for being able to play a splendid host to the Olympics, despite the many obstacles before that... eg. the Tibet riots, the Szechuan earthquake, the great Beijing clean up campaign .... Of course there were many criticisms against them, but in spite of all that, I think we should salute them and the people who made it all possible, who proved to the world that the Chinese (Asians) can do it as well. And best of all, the spirit of sports, the spirit of the Olympics continues.

There were criticisms levelled at our winning silver-medal table tennis team of China imports. Many said that Singaporeans should not be that proud of ourselves because the 3 girls from China won the silver medal for Singapore after 48 years. Yes they are our imports (and they are hugely rewarded for winning that medal), and they deserved it. In fact, many of Singapore's achievements are actually "imported" or "foreign talents". Just because the table tennis trio has the whole world's attention that made Singaporeans questioned our "Singaporean" win.. Many researchers, and businessmen from all over the world has made Singapore their home, slogged and contributed in the building of our country and economy. Many students from all over the world, especially China, have also chosen Singapore to further their studies and eventually to settle down here. And many foreign labour (or talents) have contributed to the different sectors of Singapore, by taking up jobs shunned by glamourous Singaporeans. Think... the Bangladeshi construction worker sweating it out at our IR work sites. Think... the China waitress serving us our McDonalds and in almost every restaurant. Think .... the Filipina telemarketer calling you on behalf of your bank. Think ... the Indian software programmer in your company crunching data and programs. Leaving Singaporeans or our younger generation with the more glamourous job of topping the grades in school and eventually becoming a CEO one day. So are we just focused on developing our kids to be future CEOs? Does your kid want to be a waiter?

There is an opportunity cost in whatever venture or dreams we go after. We just have to make sure we toe the line, we keep things in perspective, give and take a little, live and let live a little.

My new toy

I just bought my new nokia E71. Singtel has special promotion this weekend quite cheap. And I have changed a new number that ends with 988. And it's a free special number. I am blogging this post from my phone now. Happy...

Roti

After dinner with the family tonight we passed by an old shophouse in Whampoa Drive. This shop sells the traditional Chinese bread. My mom quickly bought a loaf of this nice brown crusted bread. We ate this when we were young, when the bread was mostly handmade. The top of the bread crust is normally burnt but it doesn't matter because the top would be sliced off before they are sold off the shelves. This bread tasted mildly sweet and very fluffy and very soft. It is very different compared to the Gardenias and Sunshine breads of these modern times. Old shops selling these bread are a rare sight nowadays. I hope they will stick around for a long time to come.

P.S. I Love U

Excellent piece from Moonpointer's Buddhist blog , lesson from the movie “P.S. I Love You”...

Holly: I see people buying bigger apartments and having babies, I get so afraid sometimes that our life is never gonna start.
Gerry: Baby, we‘re already in our life. It’s already started. This is it. You have to stop waiting, baby.

Comments: How well we live this moment conditions how well our next moments might be. If we do not truly start living now, by appreciating this moment, by not fretting about it, how can we ever learn to be happier in the next moment? Moments are all we have.

David: What do women want? I mean, I can't figure it out. They want us to ask. They don't want us to ask. They want us to make a move. They don't want us to make a move. They want us to be on bottom. They want us to be on top... What do you people want?
Holly: I‘ll tell you, but you have to promise not to say I told you.
David: I swear.
Holly: Because it’s a sacred secret.
David: Sacred secret.
Holly: You ready? You sure?
David: Yeah. I think so.
Holly: Okay, come here [whispers] We have absolutely no idea what we want!
David: I knew it!

Comments: Hmmm... even Freud is supposed to have died not knowing for sure what women really want. I think many men don't know what they want too. Either way, humans are often irrational emotional masses of contradictions. Am not sure if it tends to be gender-specific.

Mother: [On Holly's loss of Gerry to death] Thing to remember is if we‘re all alone, we’re all together in that too. It helps me sometimes.

Comments: Is this empathy for all, or is this rejoicing in the fact that we all suffer together? Is this notion spiritually healthy, or a little twisted in a romanticist way? Buddhism teaches in the rejoice in the happiness of others, not in the unhappiness of others - including our own.

Notes: Every heartbreak in life is a lesson to help us - to love better (with less strings attached) - not to love less. In his final letter to Holly, Gerry encourages her to let him go, to learn to love again, telling her that he is just a chapter in his life. Love never hurts - it is attachment to the beloved that hurts - when we have to part with the beloved. The quest for love is often in the wrong direction. We seek to be loved by one, a few, or even all - though that is super-egoism at play.

When we learn to love one, a few or even more instead (beyond the boy-girl relationship sense), it becomes super-altruism, and something interesting happens... The more you truly love unconditionally, the more you will be truly unconditionally loved. This is a natural karmic effect. As Stonepeace put it, “To find true love, be truly loving.” Tough call maybe, but unconditional love includes not expecting the slightest reciprocation.

There are many kinds of love. David realises this when he kisses Holly, whom he had thought he loved in the romantic way. He exclaims that it was like kissing her sister, that they had better just be friends. Hmmm... is this why some kiss early in their relationships - somewhat to see if they can work out as a couple? If not fueled by enough lust, friends will remain friends? The truth is, many, if not all of us, have probably been siblings before - in countless past lives - even if it feels nothing like it now. Whatever it is, all forms of love, be they perfect or yet to be, are built upon friendship. And the point is to make our love more and more pure, for more and more.

Yesterday once more

I think I have both of my parents' features, although I tend to look more like my mom. I think both my parents look ok when they were younger. Mom looked hilarious with her super thick black rim glasses and dad looked trendy with his Elvis "curry-pok" hairdo. I notice when I was young, my mom kept my hair short all the time, I think for the practical reason of being easier to manage. I never did have long hair when I was a baby/toddler/kid, otherwise I think it would be curly and thick. And my mom did not have time to dress me up, as both of my parents are always working, I guess that's why I looked like a boy with my short hair.

I was taken care of by my paternal grandpa. And because he doted me a lot, he would buy me anything from toys to crayons to drawing board, to even guns! When my grandpa was babysitting me in the day time, bringing me to childcare center, he would also bring me with him everywhere he went, to the neighbourhood park, visiting his friends, going to town, and everywhere. He would bring me to eat my favourite dark fried noodles selling by the roadside. My mom said she remembered each morning she would bathed me and dressed up clean. But usually by the evening, when my grandpa brought me home from his walks, I would be so dirty with untidy unkempt hair.

Also I remember since I was a baby, I discovered I have a pair of thick long fleshy ears. Whenever I am drinking my milk from the bottle, I would rub my thick and smooth ear lobes before I could fall asleep. I did not need a pacifier at all. This is called, self entertainment, haha!

When I was young, I'd listen to the radio
Waitin' for my favorite songs
When they played I'd sing along
It made me smile.

Those were such happy times
And not so long ago
How I wondered where they'd gone
But they're back again
Just like a long lost friend
All the songs I loved so well.

Every Sha-la-la-la
Every Wo-o-wo-o
Still shines
Every shing-a-ling-a-ling
That they're startin' to sing's
So fine.

All my best memories
Come back clearly to me
Some can even make me cry.
Just like before
It's yesterday once more.

Handphone freak

I have a weakness. I am a handphone freak. I can avoid spending money over other stuff, but I am absolutely gamed/proned to get the latest mobile models when they were just launched. For more than a decade, I have changed handphones every 6 to 12 months. I am a hopeless incorrigible phone flirt who changed mobile mobiles more than I probably changed new underwear! I tire of my phones pretty often - it's a phenomenon I can't explain. The only way I could avoid buying phones is... don't let me see them (on display, in internet reviews, aggressive adverts etc....). Over the years, I went gaga over the slightest features and functions as technology evolved and phones got prettier and more sophisticated... be it slim and slick size, camera xxx-megapixel, voice dial, sms thread, 3G-enabled, internet-surfing, games, smart calendars, clamshell phones, swivel phones, numerous cases etc... imagine from the humongous 大哥大 in those days to my latest mobile Sony Ericsson W890i. Allow me to share with you, my phones through the years... in fact I think I have left out some models because there were simply too many to remember. I am posting them here now in case I grow old and senile next time to remember.

And next on my (itchy-hands) list which I am eyeing, is..... tadah! ....the slim NOKIA E71. I have compared it to HTC Touch Diamond, IPHONE, and Samsung Omnia, and I think it is a worthy opponent with equal great features (plus QWERTY keyboard) and with a price which is not over rated than the famous 3.

Koo Kee Dumpling & Ramen House

Went for a drive and shopping and early dinner just now with 2 buddies because we wanted to be back home by 7.30pm to watch the crucial table-tennis match (of the year) between Singapore and China. Tonight will be the day to see if Singapore will realise our dream of an Olympics gold medal after 43 years?

Went to Koo Kee Dumpling & Ramen House restaurant in the basement of Parkway Parade (next to Cold Storage). This is the 2nd time we came here, as this place is the "it" place now for my gang. The "it" place was usually the Lao Hong Kong restaurant in Katong. Now, we discovered the Beijing fried la mian, the Xiao Longbao, the Fried Beancurd Roll, the Guo Tie and Har Kow (prawn dumplings). All were quite good. The interesting dish of Fried Lychee Prawn, didn't go down well with my friends because it was sweet and savoury at the same time. But I quite liked it. And all went well with the 8 Treasures Tea.

In the older days, Koo Kee is famous for their Yong Tow Foo noodles, now they seemed to have diversified to restaurant specialising in dumplings and ramen. Quite a bold move for a household name if I may say, judging from the numerous competition in dim sum.

Sonnet to the moon

This evening, as the sun sets, I chanced upon the full moon as I sat by the window. The moon was making its way into the night. I captured the rapid changes in seconds. The dull blue hues served as the vast background as the sun set, the round full moon struggled and danced with the passing clouds, its light luminating the sky, becoming clearer and clearer and sharper. Till finally the clouds deserted the moon, it emerges vibrantly against the pitch-black sky.

Fish Mart Sakuraya

While in Parkway, I had a little snack at Fish Mart Sakuraya. This eatery is one of my favourite places for very fresh sashimi. At first glance, Fish Mart Sakuraya looks like a Japanese supermart selling Japanese food and condiments. However, right inside is a huge stainless steel kitchen which is so busy. They sell slabs and slabs of fresh sashimi. There are only 4-5 small wooden tables at the end of the store for diners.

Displayed in the counter refrigerator, are swordfish belly, tuna belly, fresh huge clams, trays of sea urchin, squid, bamboo clams, giant oysters, as well as salmon, tuna, scallops and prawn. We just need to order the slab we choose and they would slice and serve us immediately. I usually order the sashimi, squid (very chewy crunchy) and their potato salad (very nice) and they go well with the very hot green tea. Do not order rice in this place, as their bentos are prepacked, and does not taste as fresh.

In the store there are also shelves stuffed with bottles and packages of ingredients imported directly from Japan. They also sell Japanese desserts (calpis popsicles) and frozen fish.

The complement

In the afternoon I went Parkway (Parkway Parade is my playground) and bought a medium size money plant, for the spot next to my water feature. What a nice complement to the water feature and also I wanted the plant to hide the awful looking plug behind on the wall. This picture taken was a bit dark because it was already evening. At least now it does not seem too bare, with the plant besides it. You see, when I want to do something, I need to do it immediately eg. buying the money plant for the water feature, buying the water feature, buying the froggy, buying my leather chair etc... I am not a spendthrift (they didn't cost a bomb) and I did not deliberately sourced for these stuff. They just happened to be there at the right time.

Water water water

My new water feature, and I got it for a steal. I like its rustic mix of colours - brownish, greenish, greyish. It is placed in my wealth area which is near my main door. It's a nice spot to put the water feature because that is where my pebbled floor area is. The water cascades down about 1.2metre to the tank below, and the length and width is about 2-feet by 1-feet, and one can hear the sound of gentle water fall when we open the main door. Also, the three-legged frog is made of very very heavy dark solid wood, very nicely crafted and it matches with the water feature. Its scaly body was draped with chinese coins and ingots. I like the Zen looking colour. Frankly I do not like those versions which are gold and brightly adorned, simply too garish for my taste. The froggy is staring at the main door. I need to get a plant or two to put next to the water feature so that it does not look too bare.

如果云知道,如果你知道

On my loooooong ride to Tuas this morning, captured the blobs and blobs of clear moving clouds. It's very nice to be early in the morning, especially on a weekend (although I am working). The air was fresh and relaxed and the sun shines through. However when I was on the way back, the weather gave way and it started pouring and pouring, so I headed for home. Looks like the start of a lazy weekend. But I refuse to be confined at home and waste my precious weekend. Still thinking where to go....

Sunny side up

Every morning, the sun shines into my room (faces East) and bed. The entire room has nice green hues with the green curtains and green wall on one side. The room brightens up immediately once I drawn the curtains for the day. I made sure the windows are a little ajar for sufficient ventilation. A pair of yellow daisies lie on the bed, a reminder to welcome a beautiful day.

The stuff we do during full moon

I love Fridays. And today is the lunar 15th of the month, meaning there is full moon.

- I made an important appointment with a client, but that means I need to work tomorrow (Saturday).

- During lunch I went temple to pray and offer flowers.

- Office was unusually quiet as all were not around, meaning peace for me.

- This evening Wendy did the traditional face threading on me and it was painful, but my face felt smoother. She had a fun time laughing at me for causing me pain ><

- For dinner I bought braised duck wings for my family, and they tasted marvellous. We ate lots of other stuff.

- I finally got my water feature tonight, bought from someone at a very cheap price. I always love the sound of water in the silent of the night and the design suits the theme of my house. Thanks to sis and bro-in-law who helped me lugged the huge thingy back.

- I also got a 3-legged frog, a huge dark wooden Zen-looking one. It was placed next to my water feature in the wealth area of my house. It was supposed to bring more good luck.

All in all, I am glad 15 Aug is finally going to be over. Since Sept last year till today, it was a up-and-down period, loads of bad luck, as well as misunderstandings with friends, and financially burnt out time. Hope after today, everything will start to pick up.

Unbreak me

I rearranged my desk today. Moved it against my green wall. I bought a 2nd hand leather office chair, as I wanted to be more comfy and less hurting for my back. Before that I was sitting on my bed to work on my laptop, which was horrible for my back. Finally found the leather chair i want, and it's cheap, so I quickly bought it. If I want something, I would normally buy it. I can't wait and wait and wait, because I would keep thinking about it. So this is my weakness sometimes. But this time, at least "my back wont break". Hehe...

Pain

The threshold between

right and wrong

is pain.

- H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama

The black dot on white paper

I came across this office today. A nice, very simple and primitive design - in white and black. Simplicity and quiet permeates the room. It's the room you see when you enter the office, the rest of the office is at the back. Goes to show there is no need to spend an exorbitant sum to decorate an office too.

Which reminds me.... our own office needs to be "upgraded" soon as it's getting a bit too squeezy for comfort as more and more people join us. Either we take over the bigger unit next door or we find another place. In 2 years time, if all goes well and as planned, we should be moving to an even bigger and new building which we can hopefully call our own. I don't care wherever we move, so long the fengshui is good!

Anyway don't you think this room reminds you of the black dot and white paper analogy? Adapted from this blog.

On a piece of white paper, there is a black dot on the centre of the paper. Do you see the black dot, and yet didnt notice the white paper?

How you view things is also how you view your life, which is like the big white piece of paper waiting for you to write your future on. And the obstacles, challenges, and misery that you face are represented by the small black dots. You are the one who have to decide what to do with those dots. It's a complete waste if you throw away the paper just because of the black dot.

Same goes for your life. Will you ever give up just because of one small obstacle in life? Of course the existence of those dots is undeniable, but instead of making more of them appear, look at them in a different perspective. An optimistic person always can see opportunities within any challenges, while a pessimistic person can only see challenges within any opportunities. Somebody may ask me if the paper has too many dots, shouldn't we discard it?! Well, then you merge it with other pieces of paper to make the paper wider, and those black dots will become smaller. That is what friends are for. Always stick together, and every challenges you face will seem to be non-existent.

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts"~ Winston Churchill

Star of David garnet

Since it's 6 months of water starting this month, I should wear a gemstone which is red or yellow (my lucky colours) to protect myself.

So I chose a Garnet crystal with the Star of David shape pendant. I realise that many times, I do not consciously choose Garnet, but somehow I always ended choosing this red colour stone, without realising it's Garnet in the first place. So far for a few occasions, I have bought a Garnet ring for the little finger, another huge rectangle ring, and another huge raw garnet pendant the size of a 50cent coin, as well as I have a bracelet which is Garnet too. So this Star of David Garnet is another one to add to my collection. Hence I can't help but to believe I have some affinity with this stone.

The shape of Star of David holds a neutralizing and stabilizing field around your body. Cut on the c-axis, it’s a powerful amplifier and transmitter of energy. When worn over the thymus gland, it emits a protective shield from unwanted energies. Where the two triangles intersect represents the center point where the two forces of duality; Shiva/Shakti, Yin/Yang, male/female energies merge in balance, as well as the center point where matter and spirit merge and commune. It is a supreme symbol of Balance, Harmony and Wholeness.

The Garnet is known as the stone for a successful business. It is believed that if a garnet is put under a pillow it will cure depression. Garnets can be used to make a person popular and have self-esteem when worn as jewellery. It helps protect one on trips. This stone makes one very attractive to other people by bringing out one's best qualities, attracts new friends who will be attracted to you for who you really are. Garnets bring constancy to friendships. Garnets are also known for stimulating success in business, stimulating people to want to work with you, and helps you become more motivated and productive.

短暂的幸福，永恒的瞬间

I read this excerpt somewhere, somewhat bittersweet, somewhat heartwarming. Mandarin always has the ability to describe the emotions beautifully. Although I am not fantastic in mandarin but I can appreciate it thoroughly, the language has such a powerful way of expressing a situation, an emotion, and anything under the sky, much better than what English would have done.

总以为自己是坚强的；却突然发觉自己很脆弱；
就像鱼儿总在水中哭泣，直到有一天，
鱼儿的池塘里只剩下了咸咸的泪水.....

幸福是没有终点的圆形轨道,
无论站在哪里都是幸福的起点.
我们都是只有一只翅膀的天使，
惟有相互拥抱才能飞翔。
与其哀怨现实，不如拥抱希望；
与其拥抱希望，不如实践希望。
想抵达彼岸，不仅要学会划船，还要学会游泳。
惟有今天无悔，才能今生无悔。
存在或许不是最重要的，
但拥有存在的价值却非常重要。

爱一个人能够付出的
恨一个人能够坚持的
想一件事能够入神的
追求一样东西能够牺牲的
听一段音乐能够反复的
等待一个时刻能够忍耐的
其实都是极有限的
可知道 有些事有些人
停留在发生的那天不肯走

看时光的惨酷，舍不得被遗忘，这命运我很满足
不要害怕会忧伤难过 也不要害怕会孤独寂寞~
你可以放心去面对 我会一直一直在你身边~
朋友也好 情人也好~
我的肩膀 会永远让你依靠~
虽然生活在同一个世界里，
但却被一面玻璃墙隔开。
在彼此的世界里面，
我可以看到你在哭，
你可以看到我在笑，
但是我永远也无法感触到你的体温，
就像你永远也无法感觉到我的心跳。
当你以无法选择，放弃选择
放弃该放弃的是无奈,
放弃不该放弃的是无能
不放弃该放弃的是无知,
不放弃不该放弃的是执著
该面对的绝不逃避 ;
该执着的绝不怨悔 ;
该舍弃的绝不留恋 ;
该珍惜的好好把握 ;
这才是人生的承诺!

如果别人认为我没希望，那是他们没眼光！
心若在，梦就在，只不过是重头再来
不为了一个人而活。为了活着而活着。
因为执着，所以我们永恒
所以 永恒终于相信了幸福的瞬间！

Peony Jade Restaurant

On Singapore's birthday, my buddies and I went to Peony Jade Restaurant for a nice relaxed dinner. Peony Jade is located in Clarke Quay. The food they served were exquisitely done. It was ala carte buffet, with 40 over dishes. We had a good time with chit chat and the food and especially the Lemongrass ice cream dessert. Between 4 of us (the other one hates lemongrass), we gobbled down 20 scoops of the ice cream each scope individually by a bowl. And that is on top of the wonderful dishes we had about 21 dishes. The price was $40.80+++ per pax. I must specially commend the captain who served us, her name is Mun Mun, and she was top notch in service, which is rare in today's service industry. Do look for her when you dine there.

Braised superior shark's fin with seafood

Steamed cod fish with chilli chips

Deep fried scallops in japanese sauce

Stir fried crabs in salted egg york

Peking duck

Deep fried pork ribs in golden garlic

Prawn salad with fruits

Crispy soft shell crabs

Sliced pork belly with garlic sauce

Bailing vegetable and mushrooms

Crispy eel in szechuan sauce

Szechuan hot sour soup

Crab meat and sweet corn soup

Crispy prawns with oat cereal

Braised ee-fu noodles

Lemongrass ice cream

Fruits platter

080808

Awfully exciting day because it's 080808. Met my boss for breakfast for our weekly review, I see him maybe once a week, the rest of the time I am on my own, running around chasing deals. It's a good start for the month of August as I have already hit my quota, and he said I would be doing very well by the end of this month. Spent the rest of the day in the office with many follow-ups to do. I didn't have time to go temple to offer light to Buddha. And this evening since it's such a special day, went out for dinner with the family. Enjoyed devouring our Beijing Duck while the Beijing Olympics ceremony kicks off on the big TV screen. This moment was what many people from the Republic of China and the rest of the world has been waiting for for the last few years. Good luck!

Tranquil living

Today I was at an exclusive high class serviced apartments in Orchard. This establishment brings nature right to your doorstep. The entire place was beautifully landscaped with exotic plant species, flowers, water fountains, ponds. Thus is a quiet tranquil resort-style place to live in. For staying there, they also provide many facilities and amenities with staff to cater to the residents' needs. I don't mind staying in such posh surroundings and a stone's throw away from Orchard shopping hub. I was also at a Thai restaurant in Orchard. I have another deal signed. Yoohoo! :P

Wind + Water

My father striked $500 on Sunday. Thus we see the power of fengshui when it was done properly. And my water feature is not even installed yet! Marvelous! I did not striked because this coming 6 months are water period, hence not that fantastic for me whose bazi has a lot of water. My father needs the "water" and hence that's why he striked. It's not a big amount of money but at least it made him, a retiree, happy. And I have a happy home which is quiet and has a calming effect, with the right amount of wind.

Come to think of it, I have many gui ren 贵人 (benefactors) in my life. Eventhough at times when my life has not been smooth, I will meet many benefactors who gave me advise, lifted me up when I was in the doldrums, and helped me in many ways. They can be lamas, fengshui masters, or friends or family or clients or colleagues or even strangers, they are just angels in disguise (or living buddhas that manifested in my life). Many of these kind souls appear at my lowest time and made a difference.

That is why I have decided to be brave and to be very motivated in my new found job, my new found passion. The past "downtime" is over, or rather, I ended it. I ended whatever unhappiness and bad luck I was stuck with. I made sure it ended 3 months ago when I started a new job. I had lunch with my ex boss today and had a good time sharing my new job experience and the business and the market trends. Who knows, maybe I will have a chance to work with my ex-boss again next time in whatever venture that comes along. Thanks, LSP, for the past guidance and support. My ex-colleague commented I looked very motivated. Yeah, I have to be, in order to make sure what I wanted to achieve materialise. I love my new-found confidence.

"Hatred is blind, as well as love"

My eye sight is failing me. Even after making a pair of red spectacles, it seems I need to wear it all the time now. One of my eye is short sighted, and the other is long sighted. I tried to wear it only when I am in the office in front of the computer. But now it seems I increasingly need to wear it everywhere I go because I can't see clearly anymore. So pardon me if I don't recognise my friends on the streets. I'm not stuck up. It's just that I can't see you clearly.

Signing off with some blind quotes ....

"If we meet again, will I be blind by then?"

"An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind."

"Love is not blind; it simply enables one to see things others fail to see"

"The minute I heard my first love story I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along"

"But the eyes are blind. One must look with the heart"

"They are wrong who say that love is blind. On the contrary, nothing - not even the smallest detail - escapes the eyes; one sees everything in the loved one, notices everything; but melts it all into one flame with the great and simple: I love you.”

Long before Beijing Olympics 080808

Many years ago, I spent 5 days in Beijing. It was a nice trip with friends. We climbed the Great Wall, we strolled the famous parks, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Beihai Park, the Temple of Heaven, we hanged around at Tiananmen Square and walked the streets shopping and eating. I like Beijing among other Chinese cities, because the feeling I had when I was there was very relaxed and happy. I love its profound history and splendid culture.

Beijing food, or Northern food, I had a little difficulty getting used to. One night we wanted to go out for supper as the dinner earlier was not exactly delectable. Well, let's put it this way, the dishes we had, half of them I hardly knew what I was eating. I remembered eating a dish of vegetables which was purple in colour, I remembered eating something soft and white, which they said was "camel's feet" (what the hell is that?!). So we ventured out in the streets trying to find supper. There were not any stalls along the Beijing streets compared to Singapore. Most shops were closed. We finally chanced upon a small eating house. We ordered some Jiaozi (dumplings) and wanted a bowl of soupy noodles. We waited for more than one hour (and we were the only customers). Finally the noodles were served. It was some La Mian (handmade) but it was served cold with some sauces and minced meat. And the thick long noodles tasted of flour. It was an awful experience. And I lost 5kg in the 5 days there.

Nonetheless, I love Beijing, and I would love to go visit again (after the Olympics though....)

Don't get choked

From a korean drama dialogue ....

"Whenever I think of you, I will have a lump in my throat"

One fine apple

My backache has been acting up again. I suspect it's the super uncomfortable chair in the office. So I have gone for massage twice in the last 10 days. Everytime when any masseuse touches me, they will exclaim my shoulder is so stiff. Anyway, I know it's good to have a massage, whether it's body massage or foot massage. It recharges our internal 'qi' (energy) and good for blood circulation. Ideally I would love to have a massage once a week, if it is affordable. Everytime I have a massage, I will sleep even better. When will I ever have the luxury of having a massage every other day?

Last week's session, I befriended a pretty therapist. She is Wendy from Hainan Island,China. I was impressed by her and any bad impression of the "dragon lady" (Singaporeans' nickname for women from China who are here to rip men off) disappeared. She has studied and worked here for the past 4 years, and she told me, she is just a normal person here to earn a decent living. In fact, her family is averagely well to do, and yet she did not depend on them on her stint here. She said she is aware of the reputation of her some of her counterparts here but not all the apples in the basket are rotten. She is hardworking and sincere in her work, and I did not detect any sign of her being "materialistic" and her work attittude is commendable. She is also soft spoken, compared the loud and rough ladies I have come across. Hope I will meet more people like her.

Where's the thought?

The other day, before my appointment with a client, I was lunching in a foodcourt. Next to my table, I saw a middle-aged man with his mother, who was in a wheelchair, and another lady ( I assume she was the maid) having their lunch. The maid was feeding the elderly lady with a plate of rice. The elderly lady was coughing quite badly, amidst chewing her food. Then to my horror, the younger lady (or maid), she also started eating from the same plate of rice. They were sharing.

I was a little disgusted and perturbed, and many questions ran through my mind. Why did both the ladies have to share a plate of rice, when the man was tucking into his own plate of rice? Why didn't they buy the maid her own plate of rice, when she is supposedly taking care of a wheelchair-bound lady (and the maid definitely needs the energy)? As the elderly lady was coughing badly, did they think of the hygiene when they share the food, especially for the maid? What if the maid falls sick? Even if the elderly lady couldn't finish the food, they could have shared by transferring a portion of the food into another empty plate and different cutlery! AND they were also sharing the same bottle of mineral bottle! *faint* I was truly stumped and flabbergasted.

"heng heng" wallet

I have been wanting to buy a new wallet for a while, as I have been using my Elle red wallet for 3 - 4 years. I did not want to waste money, so I keep putting off buying and plus I have not seen any wallet that I like. Finally last week the coin compartment of my wallet gave way, and all the coins fell out. So it was time to buy a new wallet.

Even then I did not immediately go out and buy it because I want to find one that I like. Have browsed through the shops and seen the usual brands, and I didn't really like them. Finally today I was browsing in Takashimaya, and found it, a Fion Platinum red leather wallet. It was not a bright red, but rather dark red with nice pattern. The salesgirl said all Fion Platinum wallets are limited edition. Since it is not so common, and I like it, so I bought it. I paid $100+, not that expensive, compared to the branded ones like LV, Coach, Agnes B etc...

My lucky colour is red, hence my wallet has got to be RED RED and RED! Heng heng (teochew for 'lucky") ah... All those items that are important I would normally made sure it is red, or one of my lucky colours. For example, wallet, bag, namecard holder, notebook etc..

Saucer-size chwee kueh

This morning my mom bought a pack of "chwee kueh" for my breakfast (or rather my brunch).

Chwee kueh 水粿 is a type of steamed rice cake, a cuisine of Singapore. In Hokkien it means "water rice cake". To make chwee kueh, rice flour and water are mixed together to form a slightly viscous mixture. They are then placed in small cup-shaped containers that look like saucers and steamed, forming a characteristic bowl-like shape when cooked. The rice cakes are topped with diced preserved radish and served with chilli sauce. Chwee kueh is a popular breakfast item in Singapore.

However what I saw this morning, I didn't know that nowadays, chwee kueh is packed in a one bigger size bowl-like container (the left pix), the size of a small plate. Normally chwee kueh comes in few smaller pieces (the right pix) rather than one big piece. I supposed it is easier to eat this way, especially for takeaways. I must be really suaku (hokkien for "hill billy")!!!!!

Cat Mountain Durian

Had craving for durians today. The seller recommended me the most expensive type, the Cat Mountain Durian, 猫山王. They are even more expensive and supposedly taste better than the D24 Durians. I bought 2 Cat Mountain durians and had them packed and takeaway for my parents. The seed was small/little while there was lots of flesh which was sweet and thick and creamy. In fact it was so filling that I was full after 4 seeds.