Moving the energy?

Here's my new doggy which I bought from a charity sale. I have placed him on my writing desk, next to my laptop, together with ingot, abacus, name cards, qilin, crystals and my photo. Strange as it feels, I feel good things have been happening ever since I cleaned my cabinet and rearranged my desk and put the doggy there. I don't know what is the reason, and I don't think it can be attributed to this doggy alone. But dogs have been something close to my heart all the time, after which comes the pig. It feels better than, say, having a cat or rooster or rabbit or dragon. I would love to get a bigger desk but there is simply no space in my room, as it is already occupied by the queen-size bed. And I would not forgo the comfort of a huge bed for other stuff (I used to sleep on a king-sized bed!). I really feel good with the current arrangement and let's see how it goes....

Star Awards 2009

Star Awards 2009 nominees are out and let me 'ti-kam ti-kam' and guess who will win this year, for the fun of it. The above are LOL8's choice winners (highlighted in red below). Disclaimer: I did not catch most of the shows.

最佳电视剧
一房半厅一水缸 Nice heartland theme
心花朵朵开I Quite disappointing no actors nominated
一切完美 Which show is this?
黄金路 Which show is this?
小娘惹 Need we say more?

最佳男主角
彭耀顺／奶爸百分百 Too comical to throw in the weights
陈汉玮／不凡的爱 He's the best among the rest no choice
黄文永／一房半厅一水缸 Not much airplay
方展发／小娘惹 Singing & dancing pantun will win?
戚玉武／小娘惹 Hero with no meat
郑斌辉／黄金路 I did not catch this

最佳女主角
陈莉萍／一房半厅一水缸 She may win this
陈莉萍／黄金路 There're 2 nominations, sure win?
范文芳／沸腾冰点 Not impressionable
陈靚瑄／黄金路 A tad boring character
欧萱／小娘惹 She will due to hype but Chen Liping will be a threat
白薇秀／小娘惹 Not too many scenes although memorable character

最佳男配角
周初明／黄金路 Sympathy votes? I think not
戴阳天／小娘惹 Will handsome looks win?
林明伦／小娘惹 This weakling did not have much air time
姚玟隆／小娘惹 It's a tie between him and Robert
章缜翔／小娘惹 He's so bad that he may win
朱厚任／沸腾冰点 My fav is him, very versatile

最佳女配角
郭蕙雯／小娘惹 This dreadful lady was good but no oomph
李茵珠／小娘惹 She won't win by "eating"
林梅娇／小娘惹 This dreadful lady was so bad she may win
黄慧／小娘惹 Everyone's pet but I think she won't win
向云／小娘惹 This weakling may only have sympathy votes
蔡佩璇／黄金路 This one is uprising

最佳新人奖 Goodness, I don't even know who they are
陈邦鋆
戴阳天
杨伟烈
许雅慧
蔡琦慧
张振寰

最佳新闻播报/时事主持人
林启元
黄秀玲
董素华 She won too many times
王征
张海洁 My perennial fav
赵文蓓

最佳综艺主持人
李铭顺／心晴大动员 Long way to go
权怡凤／心晴大动员 My perennial fav, motor-mouth
鐘琴／抢摊大行动 Star fading
李腾／都市大发现３ Not much impact
陈建彬／黄金年华之斗歌竞艺2008 He can't shake off his comic image
郭亮／艺点心思 He deserves to win

Doubly blessed

Many people all over Singapore did chanced upon that wonderful beautiful rainbow on 25 Feb. These are the photos that people in the net has snapped. It was a huge rainbow with its arch that spread across the island. And many people confirmed that there were actually 2 rainbows, one on top of the other at the same time on that day. So this was undoubtedly double blessings indeed. What a beautiful nature phenomenon before our eyes.

Expect the unexpected

Had an interesting day. Went to the Central again, this time to meet someone there for a discussion. Although she was a perfect stranger, she was quite an interesting person. I could see she was sincere and frank, as she told me a lot of things which could be quite personal. Had the chance to tour the soho area upstairs which seemed like a resort itself, had a pool, a steam room, many conversation areas as well as a great view of the cityscape. A beautiful escape from the city in the city. We had another chat there. She made a wonderful proposition which was really tempting to me.

It was really coincidental that these few days I received many calls from perfect strangers, through the recommendation of people I know, who called me and all of them had something to discuss and offer. As it goes, "when they don't call, they don't call. Once they call, everyone start calling". Now I really had to sit down and evaluate which proposal should be a viable option for me in the long term and which of these wonderful people I met would made me most at ease, and whom I could relate to and whom could be of help to me. And I must also thank all the people who recommended me.

Like this banner which I snapped today... it seemed I have to gear myself up to expect the unexpected, as the near future unfolds...

Unmistaken Child

I can't wait to see this movie "Unmistaken Child" which was just released in Berlin. Directed by an Israeli filmmaker, Nati Baratz, this movie is about the search for the reincarnation of Geshe Lama Konchog, a great master who attained full enlightenment within one lifetime and who left behind many wonderful relics. It is about how his disciple, Geshe Tenzin Zopa, found his master's reincarnation from the many signs that were manifested after Geshe Lama Konchog's passing. And whom His Holiness the Dalai Lama eventually enthroned the boy as Phuntsok Rinpoche.

I have already read the actual story and background of the Geshe Lama Konchog and his reincarnation, through the narration and account by Geshe Tenzin Zopa. In fact in my earlier blog postings, I mentioned about my dream of Geshe Lama Konchog even though I have not met him in this lifetime, as well as meeting his reincarnation Phuntsok Rinpoche when he visited Singapore in 2007.

I last saw Geshe Tenzin Zopa last month when he was in Singapore briefly to attend teachings by my guru, His Eminence Lama Zopa Rinpoche. I consider it an honour I have the chance to have known about Geshe Lama Konchog through his reincarnation in this lifetime. So I can't wait to see the movie.

月亮代表我的心

This is my favourite version of the popular oldie by Teresa Teng 月亮代表我的心, given a different rendition by 齊秦 Chyi Chin, a Taiwanese singer. It is a simple and easy song, with simple lyrics and straightforward message. Nothing profound yet a marvelous song which thousands of people love.

Years ago when I saw this MTV on TV, I liked it. I also saw the interview Chyi Chin gave when recording this song. He related something about a man who sang this song to his dying wife who was then in a coma. After he finished singing the song, tears rolled down his wife's eyes and she passed away. It was pretty touching. When I mentioned this touching story to someone, she sang it at a concert. I, in turn, became the one who was touched. So this song has always been a beautiful memory to me. Dedicate this to my friend and also everyone who loves this song.

First timers

I am extremely pleased with myself. I tried cooking the above dishes for the very first time or the first time in using a different method.

For dinner with plain rice and dishes, the usual way we had our eggs done were usually fried, and sprinkled with dark soya sauce and pepper. So I tried a different variation. I tried to create a sweet and sour sauce - by mixing ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar and water. I sliced onions, and cut cherry tomatoes into halves. After frying the eggs, I stir fried the onions and tomatoes and then added the mixed sauce to be cooked. When boiled, the hot sauce was poured onto the fried eggs. The Sweet N Sour Eggs was ready, and the sauce was very nice and appetising!

I had tried meat wrapped in fried lotus roots in Old Hong Kong restaurant before, and I liked it. So thought I had try cooking it myself. I marinated minced pork and fried them with chopped onions then sieved them up. I got ready the mix consisting of beaten egg, water, salt, and flour. I failed to get the minced pork to be sandwiched between 2 slices of lotus root even after dipping into the mix. So I changed method. I fried the lotus roots individually and when they were about to turn golden brown, I added the half-cooked minced pork and stir fry them together for a minute. So my Porky Crunchy Lotus Root was born. I am going to try this dish again and also to make lotus root chips as well.

I love asparagus and young corn alot as they were crunchy. At home, mom seldom cooked these. I boiled both the sliced asparagus and young corn and sieved them up. Next I prepared the sauce mix - oyster sauce, water, salt, sugar, and cornflour. I stir-fried slices of bacon and minced pork and chopped garlic till fragrant and added in the sauce. When the hot sauce was ready, it was added onto the asparagus and young corn. The feedback was very good, the crunchy veggies with the fragrant sauce and bacon was really special.

Lastly I actually cooked Sayur Lodeh, mixed vegetables in sweet curry sauce. I was searching for some veggies in the fridge, and there were none. Only a few strands of long beans, one carrot and some cabbage leaves were found. So decided to cook Sayur Lodeh! Ok, I had the ready premix sauce so it was a breeze. For added oomph, I chopped some onions and coconut milk and sambal chilli. The curry sauce was so milky sweet and sinful.

I am glad the dishes turned out to be highly delectable, although it was the first time I cooked them or the first time I improvised them. I like to cook but not bake. I feel cooking can relieve stress. It gives an excitement of creating different variations and the anticipation of how the food would taste like in the end. The good thing about cooking myself was I tend to eat less because I would be tired out after cooking while the others would eat more. I also like moving my hand in a stir-frying motion of the wok ladle in the pan. It just feel so kick-ass good.

Sleepyhead

I am overwhelmed with sleepiness. I don't know why. Last night I was so sleepy that I slept 10 hours straight. Today when I woke up, I was still sleepy. Whoever said you do not need alot of sleep as you grow older?? I had been craving sleep for the past few days. At bedtime, I could not even hold onto a magazine or book for a minute before I dozed off. Maybe I am at the post-stage of recovery from the bad cough. Maybe I have a few urgent things on hand (eg. paying bills, replying emails, arranging to meet someone) to do that my natural instinct was to avoid and sleep? Maybe my body is getting jealous and telling me to stay away from the other party - the laptop.

The internet is the main culprit which deprived me of sleep most of the time, because once you were online, you had dozens of things to do - work, surf, blog, play, read, chat, explore, learn and being in touch with friends. A Facebook friend sent me this, which said "I LOVE my computer because my friends live in it". Isn't it sound a little too sad? Well, I suppose staying in touch with friends online is not as costly as going out with friends, especially when you have overseas friends. In times like this, I guess we have to be selective on how we spend our money, what we do and where we go, and also what company we go out with. To me, catching up with friends need not be a costly affair; we can go for a stroll and chat at the beach or somewhere quiet, or we can meet up at each other's place and laze. Or worse come to the worse, just sms with each other. That's how I keep in touch with friends. But first, I need my beauty sleep again.

Rainbow sighting

This evening about 7pm, I managed to catch a glimpse of a beautiful rainbow. It came after the late afternoon showers. It was a huge rainbow, its arch was far and wide. I believe many people saw this rainbow, from the city all the way to Tampines. And today being the 1st day of Losar (Tibetan New Year) and the 1st of the lunar month, made this sighting even more meaningful and auspicious.

Happy Losar!

Today is the 1st day of the lunar 2nd month based on chinese calendar. Today is also Losar, which is the Tibetan New Year. The first 15 days of the New Year are extremely important as it was during this time that Shakyamuni Buddha displayed a different miracle each day for fifteen days and defeated the leaders of India's six main philosophical schools. Upon seeing the miracles, many beings were inspired, developed deep faith in the Buddha and were led onto the path to enlightenment.

During these 15 days (25 Feb to 11 March), all of our positive actions are multiplied many times. It will be good if we can make offerings of water, flowers, incense, light, perfume and food from now till 11 March. By making offerings to the Buddhas, we accumulate extensive merit which is the main cause of happiness and success.

"When you cherish others, all your wishes are fulfilled."

- Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lost & Found

A long lost friend found me in Facebook. In fact, she was a friend's friend. We used to hang out together a few times many years ago. Although we were not that close, it was a real pleasant surprise we reconnected back. I am touched she still remembered me and found me.

She married a Brit a few years ago and is now living in Hertfordshire, UK. She has 2 beautiful kids, a girl and a newborn boy. Both of them really resembled her.

The only memory I had of her was, we used to patronise a shop in the old Marina Square which was selling gigantic precious stones in the form of rings, pendants, accessories, and both us loved the different types of stones and designs. Another memory was, once we made a group trip to the Genting Highlands for a couple of days. She was really a nice and friendly gal. Hope I would have the chance to visit her next time in UK.

It was nice to reconnect to friends who had lost touch. It has been a really long time. I think as I get older, friends (whether they are close or not-so-close) are getting more and more precious to me. I am really glad that there is such a medium like Facebook and the internet, for us to be able to find our long lost friends.

The darker and deeper side of it

These are a collection of photos I snapped from time to time - when it was raining. My photography skills do not do justice to the beauty of the weather. I remember once upon a time, a girlfriend was waxing lyrical about how beautiful the photos a guy has taken on their maiden trip to somewhere *roll eyes*. The guy was just an amatuer pro, plus his camera was even better. To me, anyone could take a good photo or two. I am just using my mobile phone most of the time or my very old and reliable Panasonic Lumix. So I could not do wonders to my snaps. I am thinking of getting a DSLR.

Anyway, back to the topic of rain. Dark skies, threatening clouds, and the rain, all conjure a melancholic mood. To me, melancholy does not necessarily mean sad. When it rains, it is just a chance for me to quieten down, breathe in, and just relax, without thinking of anything, and to just enjoy the downpour and the coolness that comes with it. It sort of calms me down, it sort of invigorates me. When it rains, I hear the pitter patter of the rain, I see the accompanying darkness, I feel an invisible shield envelops me, and a silence swamps me. And this is the time when my mind can be near empty. And once the rain stops, it is also when the sun comes out, and everything becomes brighter, everything returns to normal. It's time to start afresh.

A bread thing

After a meeting today, I went to The Central for my lunch as it has been a long time since I was there. Next to Central was Clarke Quay. I managed to have a short stroll (5 minutes) besides the river after my lunch, until it began to drizzle. Captured a shot of the river and Clarke Quay, through the eye of this art piece. Beautiful cool afternoon.

At the basement of Central where all the F&B shops were, I bought bread from Petit Provence Bakery, another Japanese shop selling bread. Whenever I visit the Central, I would buy back the bread. I love soft bread. These were the 2 types which I always buy - the Cheese Ball and Choco/Cream Wassants.

I have not tried the others because these 2 types I tried and I liked them, so everytime I would just buy these. The thing about Japanese bread is they are really soft and light. Hence, you would not get a bloated feeling after eating them. And these in Petit Provence were bite-size, so very easy and convenient to pop into the mouth.

I like the Cheese Ball because it did not taste like normal bread. It was very chewy and there was hardly any faintest hint of cheese in the bun, which was fine with me (I personally do not like cheese). The Choco and Cream Wassants came in packets of 10 inside. It was small in size too and looked like a croissant. Both were again very soft and not too sweet.

I am a bread lover, especially soft bread that was not too sweet. Mostly, I like to eat my bread "as is" without anything inside, just plain. I do not really fancy wheat bread or oat bread or whatever bread that is hard and belongs to the "healthy" category. Unless they are from Europe, those freshly baked crusted bread that was hard on the outside and soft inside.

Blessed with happiness

I have an aunt who is very pious and who goes to temples very frequently. On special occasions like Chinese New Year or whenever she visits temples overseas, she would pray for a lot for each of us. She would say prayers for each member of the family and ask for a lot. When given, she would note down that person's name on the lot. I think she prays for almost 20 of us individually.

For this year, this is the lot she got for me. I was surprised it was written not only in Mandarin but English as well. Normally those in Mandarin are written as poems and what-nots, and sometimes I do not know exactly what they mean. So this time, I am happy there was a English translation.

This scene describes a person going to court with an audience with the emperor; everything is auspicious and works out for the best. You will receive an appointment from the emperor. It is like a beggar suddenly making it as a millionaire, you shall obtain all you want and none to share.
- A favourable year for you, you may have whatever you wish
- Marriage will be successful
- Business is smooth
- Residential change is recommended
- Everything points to blessing and good fortune

Wow, this is a good lot, I must say. So I must really remember to seize the opportunities as they come. Maybe I will meet benefactors who can help me. Maybe I would become rich or just maybe I would get to meet President Obama ("the emperor"). All the maybes and possibilities. I will only know if it comes true by the end of the year. Haha. Sometimes this is too generic to believe in. But I must thank my aunt for the effort.

Kai Lan in oyster sauce

This was part of my dinner tonight, with rice. It's been a long time since I had Kai Lan In Oyster Sauce, so I made this very very simple dish. These were 2 big bunches of Kai Lan veggies. I steamed them in boiling water for a minute with a dash of salt and oil and quickly sieved them up. I mixed the oyster sauce with water, with dash of salt, sugar, sesame oil and corn flour. I stir fried chopped garlic and put in the sauce mix and cooked for a minute. Then I poured the hot sauce into my steamed kai lan. After adding some fried shallots on top, the dish was ready.

Sometimes when I have craving for certain type of veggies, I would just buy them from the supermarket and had my mom or myself cooked them for dinner. I love my greens, especially crunchy veggies. I can eat them on its own.

Advertising Photography in Japan 2008

This is the APA Award 2008 Exhibition being held in NAFA (Nanyang Academy of Fine Art). This exhibition presents the results of a public competition sponsored by the Japan's Advertising Photographers' Association. The display of 96 works demonstrates the alluring prowess and influence of advertising photography as a medium of communication.

Ms Bridget Tracy Tan, Director of Art & Corporate Knowledge, NAFA, said: “Our persistent engagement with the Japanese aesthetic gives us much to reflect on, as over 90 works of leading advertising photographers arrive on our shores and into our gallery space. From anime, manga, graphic arts to Zen, ukiyo-e and contemporary photography, iconoclasts in aspects of Japanese life and culture have proliferated popular culture in Singapore. One significant thread that appears throughout is the natural vibrancy that connects spiritually to a hidden aesthetic, a quiet thirst for life that demonstrates knowing how people imagine, live, work and play. The sensory palette of Japanese art and culture is richly intertwined with both nature and artific. It is hoped that our students will benefit from exposure to the fullness of the Japanese approach and aesthetic, but also find themselves in the imaginative labyrinth of Japanese culture and civilization, that regardless, continues to create impactful waves in the realms of our art, our lives."

The exhibition is on till 17 March 2009.

Mama Bakery

Hidden in one of the meandering shops in Novena Square 2, the newer wing, was a Japanese bakery, Mama Bakery, on the 2nd floor. It was owned by a cute and very friendly old Japanese lady named Madam Kaneko. She was especially friendly to children. I saw her stuffing sweets to the kids and playing with the babies.

I just discovered this bread store cum cafe. I like the al fresco styled ambience on the outside, where you could have coffee or tea with their bread. With just a few tables and water feature, it overlooked the private residences and big field of nearby Novena area.

I had a cuppa tea and a loaf of their signature chocolate bread. As it was raining, it was lovely and relaxing with a cool breeze. I enjoyed their wonderful not-so-sweet chocolate bread which was so soft.

I understand the bakery already had its share of regular customers during lunch time, tea time or dinner time. I saw steady streams of customers flowing in all the time as I sat there.

As I was not fully recovered yet, I did not try the rest of the other bread and buns like the light cheese bread, peanut butter, melon bun, potato ham, choco custard, seafood mayo, banana caramel, cranberry and cream cheese, caramel chocolate banana, curry lobster, choco pear etc...

I heard every evening after 6pm or 7pm, all the breads were going for half price as they always ensured their bread was freshly baked and not overnight. I would go back and try the rest soon.

Great finds

I noticed the Bugis area where Waterloo St, Bencoolen St and Armenian St are, there were so many small eateries among the buildings that people are spoilt for choice. I stumbled upon this great find in Sunshine Plaza along Bencoolen St. It was a small shop selling takeaway muffins and puffs with just 2 tables for dine-in customers. It was simply called Delicious Muffins.

Ordered the Chicken Pie and it was the last one on display. The rest were already sold out. The Curry Puffs were also sold out. Ordered the Chocolate Muffins as well. There were other choices but they were all sold out. I overheard a couple ordering Banana Muffins and was told to come back in one hour's time. When we chanced upon a muffin or curry puff on the side table, we were told they have been reserved.

All the puffs and muffins sold here were truly "Freshly Baked" as displayed on a sign outside. So there was normally almost nothing on display as they would make some more once the items were sold out. They did not believe in mass production.

My burning question was, "they were so good meh?" Well, both the Chicken Pie and Chocolate Muffin did not disappoint at all. The Chicken Pie was one of the best I have ever tasted for a long time. The pastry flaky puff was crispy and light and the ingredients were of the right mix and taste, very hot and soft, with the peppery flavour. It was so good. I was glad I got that last Chicken Pie of the day.

Likewise the Chocolate Muffin was a delightful try as well. The top of the muffin with the chocolate bits were crispy, while underneath, it was soft and fluffy that it simply melted in your mouth. Then I understood their policy of having them freshly baked and served piping hot. The prices were slightly high, the Chicken Pie was $2.80 while the Muffin was $2.00 each. But compared these to those commercialised brands, they were clearly a winner and the price was worth paying for.

A few doors away from Delicious Muffins, I chanced upon an ice cream eatery called O'Divino. They reminded me of Awfully Chocolate but with a few dozens of flavours, the list was impressive. Ordered the Coffee flavour and Dark Choc Fondant (which was basically dark chocolate). The coffee ice cream was a tad too soft while the dark chocolate was just right. It was similar to Awfully Chocolate. While I still prefer Awfully Chocolate's ice cream, I think O'Divino's was not bad either.

Turn back the clock

Suddenly thought of this old classic which I'm sure my buddies would remember. Yes, sometimes I wish I could turn back the clock.

At dusk...

Saw this beautiful sunset today while on the road. The sun was setting behind a huge mass of cloud and thus made a beautiful outline of the cloud. And the huge mass of the highlighted cloud looked like the head of a dragon to me, which seemed to be looking up slightly and flying high towards the right direction.

Being able to witness and capture a beautiful sunset or taking a beautiful photo always never fails to brighten up my mood / day.

Surge of energy

I was knocked out for pretty much of the afternoon due to medication. However late afternoon, when I woke up, I suddenly felt a huge surge of energy. That meant I could be getting better. Went for a meeting with someone in just my neighbourhood. Hope what we discussed will turned out well.

Then rushed down to an aunt's place to meet a potential business associate. We discussed till almost midnight. Again, hope whatever we discussed would work out and it meant good money. The ball is in my court now.

My aunt made Mee Rebus for dinner. It was good, although I did not dared touch the chilli, lest my cough worsened. I like Mee Rebus, the thick yellow noodles and its starchy, slightly sweet, slightly sour gravy was appetising after 2 weeks of bland food.

While eating my Mee Rebus, I noticed a framed picture in the dining area. It was a picture of a Japanese lady perhaps a Geisha, carrying a sword. It was a gift from my uncle's boss. Somehow, whenever I see pictures of sharp menacing objects in a house, I do not like it. I do not know in terms of fengshui, does it mean anything. To me, it seemed harmful as it might affect the energy of the house. Likewise, all along I somehow feel strongly and against the idea of hanging or displaying any objects sharp or fierce looking in a house, for example, knife, sword, gun, and anything sharp. Something like this seemed to encourage something dangerous to happen, and worse, life threatening. I have seen something like this in a friend's house as well.

Not sure if I should tell my aunt about this as she is a Christian and she would not believe in such things. Nevertheless, I had a great evening at her place.

Rascal in the making

Found these photos of nephew when he was a few months old and he was wearing this silly colourful orange jumpsuit. He had so many funny and cheeky expressions wth his big eyes. And his hair was always dripping wet from sweat. He was rather impatient with his milk and mommy. Who would have known he would turned out to be such a straight-talking rascal now? Haha.

HK style Taiwan mee sua

Seen my old doctor in my old neighbourhood, because the previous medicine and the chinese medicine also did not helped me much. The chinese medicine was trying to help me purge out all the phlegm in my throat but it made my throat extremely itchy all the time that I kept coughing non-stop. Aaarrggghhh it was so bad the cough kept me awake at night, because once I laid down in bed, the cough started. This was not the first time Chinese medicine took such a long time to heal me.

So desperate I was to get well, I went to see my old neighbourhood doctor who knew all my allergies, what I could take and what could not. I asked for anti-biotics that I could take. She gave me 5-day medication. Let's see if it will work this time! I dread cough because once in 2005 or 2006, I had cough for 3 months on and off (we Chinese termed this the 100-day-cough). I certainly do not want this current cough to stretch to 100 days!

Found a packet of Mee Sua (longevity vermicelli) which mom bought from Taiwan (Taiwan is famous for their Mee Sua) and it was about to expire soon. And it was Taro Mee Sua. So decided to whip up my simple lunch. I fried an egg, and pieces of bacon. Then I cook the soup base with chicken stock, added the Mee Sua and some veggies (chye sim). When cooked, I poured the Mee Sua in the bowl, and added the egg and bacon on top as garnish. My nice simple refreshing lunch was ready in 15 minutes.

Taro or no taro, there was no slightest taste of taro but the Mee Sua did looked greyish-purplish. The egg and bacon were nicely blendly with the soup noodle. I think this should be Hong Kong style - with fried egg and ham (except I used bacon). I like anything bacon as it was very fragrant and the little saltiness of bacon added a dash of flavour to the simple Mee Sua.

Another NUTS case

We heard of Filip Lou, a Dutch national visiting Singapore, who had saved a woman from drowning in Singapore River the other night. When he was warded into Singapore General Hospital for his bruises afterwards, he was billed $90, as the hospital maintained they would not waived the fee for medical services rendered.

After news broke, many volunteered to pay on behalf of the Samaritan and he got his $90 back. Mr Lou was touched by the generosity of Singaporeans, and while he understood the hospital's policy on charging a fee for a service rendered, he added: "What there should be is a policy looking into treating someone who got hurt trying to save another. Mine was a small injury. What if it had been a broken leg or dislocated joint?" he asked.

I am sorry Mr Lou has seen the 'darker' side of our Singapore's by-the-book culture, what Mr Sim Wong Hoo of Creative would have considered as a case of NUTS (a term he coined), see my earlier post. To me, for a mere $90, the hospital's image has taken a serious beating, by simply not being sympathetic to the plight of its heroic patient. Probably they did not know the media would have reported and made such a hooha over this case. What was SGH thinking (or not thinking)? Who would dare save a drowning person next time?

I think SGH did not managed this case well. As a medical institution providing healthcare services to save people, it has done the exact opposite by being just like any callous profit-making organisation. If the staff was not empowered to make such decision (to waive or not), at least the case should be referred to a higher authority. Or at least 'buy time' and give the excuse "we will check and get back to you, sir". $90 is too high a price to pay for the hospital's reputation?

This incident has left a bad taste in my mouth. It's like asking me to pay for the used syringes after donating my blood at the Blood Bank. Duh. Buay paiseh.

Change

Obama's campaign slogan:

"Change we can believe in"

HH Dalai Lama's quote:

"Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values"

My own dessert

This was my dinner tonight. A simple spaghetti with pork balls for dinner and banana prata for dessert.

For the spaghetti which was pretty straight forward, I marinated the minced meat, sliced the mushrooms, and chopped tomatoes, as well as added chopped streaky bacons so that it would be more flavoured. Think I added too much salt on the tomato sauce, as it turned out a little too salty but still edible. I love meatballs but I do not take them anymore as I do not take beef. So thought the pork meatballs could be a substitute. Far from the real thing.

The dessert, banana prata, was an inspiration from what I ate in Botanic Gardens foodcourt and from what I found from the net. Cut up slices of banana and stacked them on top my roti prata dough and spread condensed milk on top of it. Then I used another dough to cover the top before throwing them to the pan. The result was ok, a sweet dessert. However I think the banana needed to be real ripe and soft so that it could really merged into the prata. The banana used was not ripe enough, hence it tasted a tiny bit sour. It was a reasonable first time try. I will do it better next time!

Pet mania

Ok, the fever made me do it. Was down with cough and then intermittent fever since last week, so I was up on most nights nursing that cough as it made me unable to sleep properly. So I went Facebook and accepted the invitation by many FB friends to join the Pet Society. Thought it was another pet thingy.

Boy, was I hooked for a while. There were so many stuff you could do with your pet. You could design your own pet, choose its sex and name, and choose from many different details, from the different types of ears to heads to crowns to eyebrows to eyes to noses to cheeks to chins. And if you change your mind about your pet's look over time, you could still change the different parts. This is my pet, it ended up looking like a cross between a pig and rat, I think.

You could also dress your pet with tons of accessories, from the caps to eyewear, to tops to bottoms to shoes to hand accessories. Wah so many choices you were spoilt for choice. Then there was a house allocated for you with one room. As you accumulate your Paw Points up different levels, you were awarded with more rooms.

Within a short one week whenever I was home, I login Pet Society. I shot up different levels, now I am already at Level 29, got the biggest house there was - 6 rooms. You were free to decorate the rooms in the house anyway you like with zillions of choices again - there was a Furniture shop, a Cafe (where you buy stuff, meet and possibly visit other strangers' pet friends), a DIY shop, a Clothes shop, a Stylist shop, a Luxury shop and a Food shop - everything a pet might need, or was it? All the items were so cute and tempting. The designer in you automatically would be tempted to buy the stuff to decorate your house as well as the clothings.

You had to accumulate Coins and Paw Points to buy all those stuff. And how you did it was to do stuff like bathing, feeding, brushing your pet, buying stuff and also visiting your Friends' pets. You are automically linked to all your FB friends who owned a pet, and you see a neighbourhood with all the different houses and different shops. You could also compete with your pet friends for a race, and bet who would win at the Stadium for more Coins.

And the ultimate thing had me floored, there was also a Bank where you could get money. Yeah right, get money by paying to Paypal or through your mobile service provider, and ka-chink!.... all the coins would be automatically transferred to your account. For US$39.90 you get 26,000 Coins. I think that was terribly expensive, because the stuff on sale could be very expensive as well. And they had new items every week (to make sure you spend more). So if you did not want the easy way out by paying real money, you had to painstakingly earn your Coins through all those above activities and there were many more stuff you could do.

Was I ambushed or what? It was cute while it lasted. And I had finished decorating all the 6 rooms in the house. BTW, my pet is called Piggobama and I think he is already a multi-billionaire in Pet Society. :D

25 random things about me

25 random things about me I would NOT write in Facebook. So don't bother tagging me.

1. I was the Head Prefect in secondary school, although I think it was a fluke. They had not many choices, other than the fact that I had a more stern and serious look. Heh.

2. On my left hand, I can "dislocate" 2 of my finger bone joints and make them move freely, without causing pain. On my right hand, it's 1 finger.

3. I am rather accurate in judgement of character, apart from last year, the only time when I failed to distinguish 3 bastards from gentlemen. BTW, they are already "extinguished" from my life.

4. I love my only niece and nephew to bits, could not stop showering them with pressies and granting their wishes all the time, so much so I think I am much more than a godmother, maybe even a fairy godmother.

5. I have not met my soul mate. Many came close but left.

6. I do not have many friends whom I would call buddies. In my life, I think I will have only 3-5 close buddies. The rest come and go. The quality of friends is more important to me than quantity.

7. Coincidentally, I have affinity with people with surname "Lim". My past bosses were all Lims (those non-Lims, I did not have a long stint with them, and I do not count them as my bosses), one of my buddy is a Lim, another buddy married a Lim, my favourite client is a Lim and many more. Lim is 林, double wood in chinese, and imazingly, my bazi needs wood!

8. I used to read and still read everything fengshui in English and minimally Chinese. I am superstitious to a certain extent although not extremely head over heels.

9. I don't like to 拖泥带水 (to dwell on things). I prefer to confront problematic people upfront and thrash out the problem/misunderstanding, then conclude and settle the matter amicably. At least both parties know each other's stand. At least there was action, and there was an ending. I do not like "hanging in the air".

10. I have no particular favourite cuisine, I love them all - Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Muslim, Italian, Mediterranean and local street delights.

11. When I was a kid, I remember watching the 3 Stooges, Six Million Dollar Man, Hawaii-Five-O, Wonder Woman, Man In the Net (HK drama starring Chow Yuen Fatt and Carol Cheng),浮生六劫 (HK drama starring Leslie Cheung and Yue Hua), Charlie's Angels and those soppy Taiwanese films starring Chin Han and Lin Fong Jiao and Lin Qing Xia.

12. Advertisements on TV are a waste on me. My mind is automatically switched off during TV breaks. I can be seeing the ad, watching, listening but ask me what product or company afterwards, I will give you a blank look.

13. There was a period when I was working in Parkway Parade and I used to cycle to work everyday, about 30 minutes per trip. I even rode to Orchard Road once and rekki the entire stretch from Tanglin Mall to CK Tang to Plaza Singapura to Tekka Mall to Bugis and home. Great for slimming.

14. My christian name given by Mom has Irish roots and means "the light". My Dharma name, Thubten Legzom, given to me by Lama Zopa Rinpoche means "Buddha's way" and "an assembly of goodness". When I renewed my refuge vows once with HH 101st Gaden Tripa Rinpoche, I was given a chinese dharma name which coincidentally means "the light" too.

15. If there are wedding bells, mine will be a quiet affair. Prefer going on 2-month long honeymoon.

16. If I was a boy, my name would have been Adrian (according to Mom). My sis' name almost became Barbara, which thank God it wasn't. Think she would have preferred Barbie. Heh!

17. I have a growing dislike for some youngsters, their lifestyles and their principles in life. I observe so many of them being spoilt by parents, being utterly self-absorbed, everything is living for themselves and they are pretty lacking in the EQ compartment. I should open an old folks home next time, as I think the future isn't rosy for the parents.

18. I can't save. Honestly, I think my old age will be a sorry state unless I meet a sugar daddy.

19. I love travelling. Honestly, I will be most happy just travelling and writing a journal of my travels and thoughts, maybe even publishing a book, or a collection of snapshots of the places I have been to. I just need kind sponsors.

20. I wish I have more siblings besides my only sis. It would be nice if I have an elder brother to dote on me or a younger brother for me to dote on. I'm quite sure our relationship will still be great with more siblings. What to do, I have too much love to give.

21. My favourite luxury car is a Jaguar S-Type or XJ Series, the "old man's car". There's something about that jaguar perched on top the car that made it irresistible to me, which I also can't fathom. My regular fav car is still a rugged jeep, a Toyota Rush or RAV4.

22. I don't wear black. 99% of my clothes are non-black. Black is my unlucky colour and I look extremely dull wearing black.

23. If I have children next time, I hope they will be twin boys (because most likely, I will have only one birth). I have always like baby boys and boys are more independent. I love girls too but I think I would be over-protective with them.

24. I'm not musically inclined and I don't play any instrument. But I appreciate music and songs with super sad lyrics.

25. My dying wish: to have travelled to all parts of the world with a loved one and tasted each and every good restaurant in every corner of the earth. The "loved one" part ... can be with or without.

Healing

I finally could not take it anymore. The medicine given by the doctor last week was not taking any effect. This was the first time I was seeing that doctor. If not better, it has taken a turn for the worse instead. I have intermittent fever although I was still up and running. But having the heat on my forehead was not something I liked. And the cough got worse that everyone kept asking (to my annoyance) if I had taken medicine when I already did. This was the first time it took so long to heal a simple case of flu. I figured maybe it was because I could not take any fever medicine and antibiotics due to allergy, as well as maybe I had been keeping late nights that I did not have sufficient rest.

So I went to a popular chinese physician instead. On top of the consultation, I also requested for 'tui na' (chinese massage). And this included using the electric shock on the acupoints, and using the cups, as well as the massage, to release the tension on my body. I did everything except acupuncture. The chinese way of healing was something I like : healing through herbs and massage. The healing by the above 3 methods was something I relish. Yes I liked getting poked and tucked and rubbed at, all to release the bad energy and tension trapped in the body. The result was instantaneous. The sinseh joked, "since you are allergic to so many western medicine, then you have sealed your fate with chinese medicine".

Streets of Melbourne

Some shots of Melbourne my cousin took upon his arrival. Like me, he also likes to take artistic shots of anything under the sky. Melbourne is absolutely so modern with its share of interesting architecture and musuems. These are some of the shots I like. The fish and chips, by the way, is just to show you the supposedly best in Melbourne found in Clarenton Street.

I did not have time to explore Melbourne in its entirety when I was there some years ago. If I have loads of time, I would love to snap the different facets of street life, its people, from different angles, different perspective. For me personally, I prefer the more laid back charm of the other smaller Australian states. I crave the days of travelling especially to those outskirts places of China, Rome and Holland and many other places. Like to be my companion when I next embark on a new destination?

你曾被感动过吗？

Let's take a breather from the lovey-dovey mood of Valentine, take a back seat and check yourself on your inner feelings.

在这物欲横流、似乎冰冷而落寞之中，你曾被感动过吗？

有感动，说明你还有知觉；

有感动，说明你还会思考……

感动，也许就在那一瞬间；

感动，也许将伴随着你一生.

有没有感动过你的人?

有没有感动过你的事?

还是完全一片空白?

Fund-raising fiesta

The school that Mom was working in, was having a fund-raising fun fair. Mom volunteered her whole day to man the ticket booth and other activities. Although I was not exactly keen on going to a fun fair while still nursing a fever and cough, we still went to give support to Mom anyway. Although sometimes Mom might complain of being tired (she is already a retiree) but I think she was most happy volunteering her time for a good cause. Also when she was in the company of the students, she was happy and enthusiastic. She was most enthralled when the students scored very well for their exams, and the school did very well in the last GCE "O" Levels. And I think, to her, that is very important on the happiness quotient.

Besides volunteering her time, she also contributed in buying those fun fair tickets too, so that her grandchildren can play and eat at the fun fair. The kids played lots of games and got many little little goodies and souvenirs. There was the signature teddy bear of the school as well.

The crowd was horrendous. I think there was probably about 2000 people at one time in the school compound (they expected probably about 5000 visitors). And the noise with the loud music and DJ and the students' chatter was .... wow, extreme loudness to me. I did not liked rubbing shoulders with the crowd, squeezing our way around. But it sort of brought back memories of my own school days.

As adults, we could observe and notice what the students did to run their own stall, the games they thought of, the food they were selling, and you could imagine the time and effort these kids and teachers had put in. As adults, we could also be critical and thought some of the things could have been done better or thought the prices charged were not worth the value of what you got in return.

But as a student in those days of school fun fairs, I remembered we were equally excited and pompous as well. As students then, we were so "preoccupied" in doing our best to raise funds and brainstormed for ideas on how to make the most money for our stall. I remembered my class used to sell fried rice with little round fried potatoes, and also we sold Magnolia ice cream in a cone. Both were best sellers and we topped the school as the class with the highest profit. It was so fun.

So I guess we could be more forgiving when we see these kids doing the same as what we did umpteen years ago. We saw the effort they put in, we felt their pride to contribute something for their school. It was something praise-worthy. Thus I know Mom might have felt the same sentiments.

For me, I "contributed" to the fund raising by buying food and buying 3 decorative doggies on sale. I let niece choose one (her blonde doggy is not in the pix) while I chose the one on the right. Think I will give the doggy on the left to Rich Friend since it resembles Muffy.

Happy Friendship Day

I read a posting by Confessions of a Human Being and could not agree more with what she wrote. I empathise with her on her feelings. Sometimes it happened for no real reason. Sometimes you just stop trying on certain things and just let it go, even though you know in your heart, you will never let go. Below was what she wrote.

The last time I saw her was during her wedding in 2006. The last time I contacted her was her birthday about ten days ago. The time before last was her birthday last year. I make it a point to send my friends a birthday wish on their birthday even if they didn't do the same.

When somebody send you a message on your birthday, I guess you will never ask them who they are even if you don't recognise the number. You'll reply them a simple word of thanks. She did not lose my number. My name and contact had been sitting in her memory card all these years and my name only appeared once every year. Hers never. When you look at the figure it is only 1/365 percent. It's not that I didn't try, just that I got tired of trying.

Time after time and year after year. Coffee sessions never materialise even when it was initiated by the other party. I did not want to demand a friend's time, so I let it go. Again, again and again because I thought there will always be a next time. If only I knew there is no such thing as "always a next time"..

Like all relationships, when you stop asking for your fair share of attention, the other party stop allocating it for you. Sometimes you stop demanding because you understand their situation. Fact is, they didn't know the fact. Maybe they thought you didn't care.

我們的愛

Saw the lyrics in a fellow blogger's blog. So I found the song and video. It's the chinese version of Ave Maria. Thought it's pretty apt for V-day.



手交給你 一生交給你
在你眼裡 看見我自己
直到白頭 誰都不會離棄
永恆看得見 幸福在心底

牽你手心 相伴一世紀
我會永遠 承諾保護你
直到我們 連皺紋都老去
也會讓你開心不哭泣

我們的愛 沒有四季
每一分鐘都二十五度Ｃ
我們的愛 今生不渝
天涯海角也都會有痕跡

我們的愛 心有默契
不管是誰會先停止呼吸
AVE MARIA...

But I think I like this soppy song with the soppy lyrics too.

......

Shucks, I thought I had already recovered and was feeling much better. But just now, after eating the fantastic Hokkien Mee from Kallang Leisurepark's foodcourt, I am now having fever. Was sick of eating porridge and soupy stuff and was craving for something I like. So I ate Hokkien Mee. The stall in the Koufu foodcourt is named "Newton Hokkien Mee" and they were quite good. The Fried Oyster was not bad either.

The fault did not lie with the Hokkien Mee or the Fried Oyster. I am sick till I lembek (Malay for physically weak"). I am just sick of sleeping all the time.

All in the family

I have many little cousins from my mother's side, since she is the eldest. Hence the age gap between my cousins and us (me and sis) is quite big. The only cousins around my age are all overseas. So we are the only "big sisters" to this troop of the younger brood. Maybe that explains the generation gap. My little cousins are not that little any more. Most of them are already in their teens and a few in their early 20s.

We used to babysit some of the older cousins when they were babies. All of them were such a rowdy, fun-loving kids when they got together. I remember when they were little, sometimes the whole family would go for picnics or beaches or the parks or had our own parties and gatherings. My sis and I doted on them a lot, some of them were so adorable and cute. Each of them has their own unique character. The departure of one of them for further studies and the few who are coming of age, set me thinking of them in the past and now.

Shawn was very chubby when he was a boy and he had a smile on him most of the time. He has a caring patient character. Everyone loved him and wanted to pinch his cheeks. Now he is a handsome hunk. He will make a good boyfriend and husband one day. Royce was more individualistic and independent and very bold as a kid, who dared to take planes or travelled alone. He has grown to be a perfectionist (good and bad, I think). Deane was very skinny and light as a kid and it was a breeze carrying him. Like Shawn, he too was always smiling whether you kissed him or scolded him. Now he is a quiet responsible young man with the talent for the arts. I did not have much chance with Ryan as he was overseas most of the time. But I think he is a very down-to-earth young chap who is willing to listen to the older generation. I think he will make a good businessman next time. Valda has grown to be quite pretty and smart. A bookworm, she has an unique cool character too, and she is seldom affected by anything outside of her world, unfazed by others. Maybe that is why she will make a good lawyer. Dion was a quiet boy but with a little temper sometimes, especially when his parents scolded him. He is a budding animation specialist. Everyone loves Lynn, because she is our PR girl, very vivacious and angelic as a little girl. She has the innate ability to get her own way. She will make a very good sales person next time.

Some of them as they grew older, we have grown apart or did not have much chance to get to know each other more. For example, the younger ones like Isaac, Sarah and Jared we hardly meet them as we are busy with our own working life. They are the intelligent bunch as they do very well in school. We meet the twins Daryl and Darren more often. Both of them are the real terrors of the family because they are very active, eat alot, play alot, and very gungho is getting their way. Once I heard their teacher called up their mom and complained that the twins brought little stationery from home to sell to their classmates in school because they needed "more pocket money". I think they will make very enterprising entreprenuers one day. Haha.

Although we do not spend as much time with the cousins anymore, I do hope that as they become adults dealing with the real world, they would have a good character, integrity and lots of good luck. I hope they will be filial and understanding towards their parents. I hope besides IQ, they will also have the EQ to interact with people of all levels as they get busy with their budding careers as well as having their own families next time. And I pray that they value family love, 亲情.

It takes many lifetimes of merits to become family. If we have the fate to be in the same family in this lifetime, so somehow or another, we must have been related to each other from the past. May my family's future generations be fully blessed.

A tall order

I find the price of spoiling yourself is rising rapidly. Having a cuppa Cappucino, Frappucino, Latte or the likes at Starbucks or Coffee Bean or Gloria Jean's, all the high-end coffee retailers, is really exorbitant nowadays.

For example, a Tall order (that's the smallest size or was there a "Short" version?) of a cuppa Mocha, can set you off at a minimum of S$6.80 and above. There are also sizes of Grande, Venti etc... so confusing that make you just pay. If a drink is not enough, normally you had to order a piece of cake to go along with your Frappucino. And a piece of, say Oreo cheesecake, or Chocolate cake or Carrot cake also costs about the range of S$6.00. So the cheapest price you need to fork out is at least $12.00 or more, for only one person. If there are 2 of you, your coffee break will most likely cost you almost $30 per visit.

What can you get for $12 in Singapore?

1. A Nonya buffet at Chilli Padi Restaurant costs $10.80 per pax.
2. 2 whole cheesecakes (not just one piece) at Phoon Huat Bakery.
3. 12 pieces of assorted donuts from Donut Factory at $11
4. A dress costing $12 (promotion price) at Alano
5. A hearty Bak-kut-teh meal for 2-3 persons in any bak-kut-teh shop
6. Eye-brow shaping service starting from $8 in most beauty shops
7. 6 bottles of Brands Chicken Essence
8. Babysitting/Housekeeping services at $12 per hour at your home
9. Xbox game on offer at $12
10. One Kingston 1GB microSD card at $12

You get my drift. So nowadays, spoiling ourselves is not just a piece of cake anymore, you know.

Joy beyond description

During the last few days of CNY, while watering my plants, I noticed there was a particular plant with big leafy greens, has started to sprout white flowers ... 2 buds to be exact. We have this plant for like donkey years and it did not once grow anything before. So we were pretty surprised and delighted it has started to sprout flowers. We did not know and did not expect there would be flowers from this ordinary-looking plant, compared to our other CNY plants with bright beautiful flowers. Although the white flowers have not fully bloom yet, Mom was especially happy, she said "Sprouting flowers in CNY means got luck".

I read from an article about miraculous flowers being sprouted on a Guan Yin's golden statue in South Korea.

According to the monks in Chonggye-sa Temple, 21 threadlike stems were growing from the statue of Kuan Yin, each with a tiny white flower no bigger than the tip of a ballpoint pen. It was the first time in the 1000-year history of the monastery that flowers have blossomed which was "a delight that gives joy beyond decription."

These were flowers that bloom only once every 3000 years. Buddhist priests said the legendary flowers blossoming on the forehead of Kuan Yin The Compassionate One only appear when the 'Sage King of the Future' (Coming Buddha) comes into the world. Kuan Yin is a gentle Buddhist bodhisattva who refused to enter Nirvana (paradise) because she heard the cries of suffering humanity.

Buddhists said sighting the flowers was like witnessing the birth of Buddha. Experts said it was unthinkable that the 500-year-old statue of Kuan Yin, gilded every 3 years over the (original) woodwork, could produce growing flowers without divine intervention.

A religious expert, Dr Kenneth Ireland, said that flowers were regarded as divine in India, Japan and China and were believed to bloom only when a momentous event is about to happen.

To me, it is always a delight to see flowers sprouting anywhere, especially if it is in my own home.

Parkway Kway Chap

Sometimes when I am in Parkway, I would order from this Duck rice stall. They sell braised duck, and braised eggs, braised tofu, braised taupok, braised veggies, braised innards etc ... anything braised. And they are served with rice, or kway teow or kway chap. They have the Teochew set which comes with the braised duck, taupok, egg, or the Kway Chap set which comes with the taupok, braised innards and veggies. Or they have the normal duck rice - braised duck with cucumber. I normally prefer to take the kway chap. The sour chilli made the meat stuff taste more appetising.

Why I like this stall is because of the soup. Their soup is not like any normal soup. The soup is dark in colour and brewed with herbs. Rich Friend was the one who recommended this stall to me. It was because of its delicious soup. When we eat here, we normally ask for an extra bowl of soup. By the way, they have a branch in Suntec basement foodcourt too.

Virus attack

I got the virus from my mom's terribly bad cough. I am having a case of sore throat with almost no voice, although mine is not as serious as hers. Other than that, I am fine. And both my niece and nephew also got the virus from my mom as well. It seems my father is starting to cough too. Tsk tsk tsk.

I am allergic to a number of drug medications. Even simple fever medicine like Paracetamol and Anti-biotics I cannot consume, which means logically I will take a longer time to recover even if I have a simple not-so-serious fever. Which also means I cannot self-medicate. Whenever I take the wrong medicine, I will get mini red patches which look like mosquito bites around my eyes. Or the entire eye will be swollen (see inset photo). I have looked worse than this before. Once, my eye were so swollen I could not even open them. I would look "macam" like being bashed up. When this happens, I need to rush to the doctor's to get a jab immediately, with my sunglasses on, of course.

Finale to CNY

Today was actual Chap Goh Meh day. Had a steamboat spread this time, just the 8 of us. Compared to the last steamboat we had at home last time, this was not too much stuff and we finished almost everything. There were tiger prawns, fish, shabu shabu pork, scallops, 2 types of crabsticks, tofu, fishballs, shitake mushroom balls, HK noodles and wong bok veggies. The HK noodles was not bad compared to using instant noodles.

In addition to the spread, I cut some century eggs to go with the pickled ginger because we like century eggs. The niece got her salmon sashimi while the nephew got his tomago egg. This completes our CNY celebration this year and we hope to sail through this year with breeze.