Surprise, surprise! It is my birthday!
For those of you who remember, thank you so much for the wishes!
For those of you who don't, don't be guilty, I don't and I won't remember yours either! I am done with remembering birthdays!
Frankly, so what if today is my birthday? I am not really crazy about it. It's just another day to me, nothing special (except of course, 25 years ago, my mum was in tremendous pain)! If you must know what I did today: in the morning, I went to the dentist to get my tooth filled and cleaned. After enduring 3 hours of lip numbness and looking like a retard (no offense, I kept on drooling when I gargled and drank water), I went for picnic with a bunch of friends at the botanical garden. I know it's insanely hot but we never fail to act high class with wine. The evening ended at Island Creamery enjoying a free scoop of ice-cream.
You see! It's just another Saturday, except for the addition of a cake on which the candle wasn't lit in the middle of windy grass lawn.
Earlier in the day, I received an sms: 'Njoy today, do something that make you happy today!' In my mind, what on earth are you talking about?!?! Why do I only want to do something that make me happy TODAY? I will do something that will make me happy EVERYDAY!!!! It's the same like commercialized Valentine's day, why do you show love and affection only on February 14th? Can't you do it everyday? Mom's Day, Dad's day, same concept!
Once again, thank you once again everyone for all those who sms-ed or left facebook wall messages! Oh that reminds me, last year I have loads of people, including acquintances, who wished me birthday on facebook. This year, I have removed my birthday from my profile (for a tiny experiment) and less than 20 people wrote. Just to prove another point: nobody genuinely remember your birthday anymore!
I think that's enough rambling! And with that, another day has ended! Had loads of fun, exhausted and I am going to retire now. When I wake up tomorrow, it's just going to be another Sunday!
P.S. @nat, if you are reading, email me today's photos!!!
Update: I just read an entry from a travel blogger that I have been following for a while. Coincidentally, his birthday was yesterday too! Guess what?!?! He has the same views on birthday! Are all June12 babies so indifferent about when they are brought to Earth?!?!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Pantry Trash
I have been angry all week, over one stupid thing - the pantry!
Pantry, to me, is the most "sacred" place in a workplace. It's a place where you eat (obviously) and basically relax. You can sip coffee, read magazines, tell tales and bond with your colleagues over office gossips.
In summary, the pantry in our office is pathetic!
First of all, it is missing the basic essential - the high-tech coffee machine! Our coffee machine is a two-parter. You have to grind the coffee manually using a blender first, followed by brewing it in a coffee pot. Not to mention, you need to walk for about 15 steps away to get hot water. It's kind of frustrating because you brew the same coffee for everybody else. If people don't appreciate your coffee brewing skill, your effort and coffee will just be thrown down the sink. Don't get me started on premium coffee beans! Our boss is all about automation and getting people to be efficient, but he doesn't think that people struggled by the coffee machine in the pantry everyday. Every single morning, we are stumped about making choices - how much coffee beans, how much water, how fine is it have to be grounded - for others. If you invest in a better machine, people can just press a button, wait for 10 seconds and get lost.
Not to mention, the beverage collection is pathetic. It only has coffee, Lipton tea (English tea? I don't really care), Japanese green tea and occasionally Milo. I said occasionally because people lock their Milo!!! I mean, R U KIDDING ME?!?!? I know how people are being possessive over glassware, chemicals and equipment in the lab. But Milo in the pantry, is it necessary? God, I can rant whole day about this! It's so ridiculous! I was kind of reluctant to get the Milo supplies refilled last week because it's like begging to your Mum for permission: "Mummy, I want to drink Milo right now, could you be kind and benevolent enough to spare me one packet? I promise that I will share with the others. I will not be selfish and stash it away in my personal drawer. I promise."
The food? Boring, cheap biscuit. I have been into a pantry with vending machines (not free, though) and one with vast variety of cookies. My hope is not high for food in our rotten pantry, it will never change.
Utensils? There was once when ALL the forks are missing. Someone kept it away in preparation for a birthday cake cutting. She is scared that within 2 hours, all the forks will grow legs and walk away. OMG! OMG! OMG *gagging, totally speechless*. Moreover, you cannot wash your utensils because the office is too poor to get you fresh supplies of scrubs and detergents. The scrubs is bald and black. The soap is even thinner than water. The latest craze: everyone bought their own bottle of soap. Talk about being possessive and selfish!
Lastly and the most important, the location is the worst. It's directly in front of a new boss' office. It means that he knows who has been skiving at the pantry and for how long. We have to keep our voices down lest he will know what we are talking about. Conversation of juicy office politics have to be simmered down to bland and repetitive hi-byes exchange.
A: Hi, are you heating up your lunch?
B: No, I am just doing some experiment whether slaughtered chicken will lay eggs if I put them into the microwave!
A: Wah, impressive! You cook it all by yourselves?
B: No, I hire 5-year-old child slaves from Africa for a cheap labour of 10 cents a month!
A: What did you put inside your chicken? It smells really good!
B: Nothing, just salt, pepper and a dash of fresh marijuana.
ARGH!!!!! Can people stop asking the obvious?!?! Geez!
Now, tell me how not to be cranky when the only place you considered welcoming has become a cold and empty room. I will still stand by the notion that salary is the greatest motivator of all. However, if you cannot keep up with giving the big, fat cheque, staff pantry welfare is the very least you can do. Nobody rejects free food!
Pantry, to me, is the most "sacred" place in a workplace. It's a place where you eat (obviously) and basically relax. You can sip coffee, read magazines, tell tales and bond with your colleagues over office gossips.
In summary, the pantry in our office is pathetic!
First of all, it is missing the basic essential - the high-tech coffee machine! Our coffee machine is a two-parter. You have to grind the coffee manually using a blender first, followed by brewing it in a coffee pot. Not to mention, you need to walk for about 15 steps away to get hot water. It's kind of frustrating because you brew the same coffee for everybody else. If people don't appreciate your coffee brewing skill, your effort and coffee will just be thrown down the sink. Don't get me started on premium coffee beans! Our boss is all about automation and getting people to be efficient, but he doesn't think that people struggled by the coffee machine in the pantry everyday. Every single morning, we are stumped about making choices - how much coffee beans, how much water, how fine is it have to be grounded - for others. If you invest in a better machine, people can just press a button, wait for 10 seconds and get lost.
Not to mention, the beverage collection is pathetic. It only has coffee, Lipton tea (English tea? I don't really care), Japanese green tea and occasionally Milo. I said occasionally because people lock their Milo!!! I mean, R U KIDDING ME?!?!? I know how people are being possessive over glassware, chemicals and equipment in the lab. But Milo in the pantry, is it necessary? God, I can rant whole day about this! It's so ridiculous! I was kind of reluctant to get the Milo supplies refilled last week because it's like begging to your Mum for permission: "Mummy, I want to drink Milo right now, could you be kind and benevolent enough to spare me one packet? I promise that I will share with the others. I will not be selfish and stash it away in my personal drawer. I promise."
The food? Boring, cheap biscuit. I have been into a pantry with vending machines (not free, though) and one with vast variety of cookies. My hope is not high for food in our rotten pantry, it will never change.
Utensils? There was once when ALL the forks are missing. Someone kept it away in preparation for a birthday cake cutting. She is scared that within 2 hours, all the forks will grow legs and walk away. OMG! OMG! OMG *gagging, totally speechless*. Moreover, you cannot wash your utensils because the office is too poor to get you fresh supplies of scrubs and detergents. The scrubs is bald and black. The soap is even thinner than water. The latest craze: everyone bought their own bottle of soap. Talk about being possessive and selfish!
Lastly and the most important, the location is the worst. It's directly in front of a new boss' office. It means that he knows who has been skiving at the pantry and for how long. We have to keep our voices down lest he will know what we are talking about. Conversation of juicy office politics have to be simmered down to bland and repetitive hi-byes exchange.
A: Hi, are you heating up your lunch?
B: No, I am just doing some experiment whether slaughtered chicken will lay eggs if I put them into the microwave!
A: Wah, impressive! You cook it all by yourselves?
B: No, I hire 5-year-old child slaves from Africa for a cheap labour of 10 cents a month!
A: What did you put inside your chicken? It smells really good!
B: Nothing, just salt, pepper and a dash of fresh marijuana.
ARGH!!!!! Can people stop asking the obvious?!?! Geez!
Now, tell me how not to be cranky when the only place you considered welcoming has become a cold and empty room. I will still stand by the notion that salary is the greatest motivator of all. However, if you cannot keep up with giving the big, fat cheque, staff pantry welfare is the very least you can do. Nobody rejects free food!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Toilet Talk
I have been wondering for the longest time: What is the use of the toilet seat cover?!?!? In standard flush toilet, there's a seat and a cover hinged to the toilet. I understand the use of the seat, but why cover it up?!?! Isn't it more convenient to let it open in case of emergency? Why would you waste another second lifting something up, right? Sadly, I have finally learned its use, the hard way, today!
In my ageing house - alongside with pump leaking, washing machine breakdown, crisp light bulb - the ceiling on bathroom floor decides to collapse! The crack has been there since I came in in 2008 but it decided to finally crumble this morning. Debris and chunks of cement and paint coatings were all over my bathroom floor and into the toilet bowl. Stupidly, I flushed. The mess remained at the bottom. I flushed again, the big chunks did not disappear. For the third time, the mess was flushed away BUT water kept on rising and rising and rising! It clogged my toilet!!! Helpless, I had clean up this shitty affair!
Lesson learned: toilet covers prevent things from getting into the toilet and clog it up!
Of course, that wasn't the only use of the covers. I did a little research (I cannot believe I did this!) and found out the 'philosophy' behind toilet seat covers. First of all, it is used to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the toilet. What? It doesn't matter! In case of emergency, as long as you take in my crap, I don't care how you look! Is cover useful?!? I don't think so!
Toilet cover seat covers ugly sight and smell if it's not flushed properly. The view and smell of the rubbish can really turn anyone off. Yes, it can cover it up BUT it does not hide!!!! The toilet seat does not flush away your rubbish. Imagine you walk into a closet, you need to relieve fast and when you opened it up, SURPRISE!!!! I certainly do not appreciate this unexpected welcome. Gross! Yucks! I will turn back and put my business on hold. I don't reckon this is a strong reason to add the cover to your toilet seat.
However, interestingly, it has a wonderful use - hygiene! I bet we all know that toilets and sanitation is the the basic infrastructure that we have to improve the health and well-being of humans. How does this linked to our cover issue (no pun intended)? It's everything! It's the gateway to hygiene! After you are done with your business and before you flushed it, you are supposed to cover your toilet up. It's because nasty little things, called germs, can jump up to 1 meter in the air and stick to your towel, tooth brush, etc. Wow!
The most important of all, in my opinion, the use of the toilet seat cover is: to end the who-should-lift-up-the-toilet-seat debacle! Who is responsible? Is it the man or the lady? I cannot believe the vast amount of articles that's written around this issue. You should try to google it up. There's sociology review papers, there's efficiency research (What? What's the purpose?), economic impact review (What does your toilet habit have to do with your wealth? Don't tell me feng shui!). One interesting argument that I came across:
"Men need it up, women need it down." This is the argument that is often made in defense of not closing the toilet lid. However, this is a misrepresentation of the truth. Men need it down to complete a bowel movement and up for a bladder movement, women need it down for both. Therefore, only one fourth of the time does the toilet seat need to be up and three fourths of the time it needs to be down. Assuming that members of both genders then it are using the bathroom in question with equal frequency is overall far more efficient to close the seat every time.
Seriously? Isn't it an overkill to use statistics to get the answer to the dumbest question of all time? With toilet seat covers, case closed! You need it, you lift it up and cover it back! Both sides shared the same responsibility, both sides happy and both can do more interesting stuff togetheron the bed elsewhere.
In my ageing house - alongside with pump leaking, washing machine breakdown, crisp light bulb - the ceiling on bathroom floor decides to collapse! The crack has been there since I came in in 2008 but it decided to finally crumble this morning. Debris and chunks of cement and paint coatings were all over my bathroom floor and into the toilet bowl. Stupidly, I flushed. The mess remained at the bottom. I flushed again, the big chunks did not disappear. For the third time, the mess was flushed away BUT water kept on rising and rising and rising! It clogged my toilet!!! Helpless, I had clean up this shitty affair!
Lesson learned: toilet covers prevent things from getting into the toilet and clog it up!
Of course, that wasn't the only use of the covers. I did a little research (I cannot believe I did this!) and found out the 'philosophy' behind toilet seat covers. First of all, it is used to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the toilet. What? It doesn't matter! In case of emergency, as long as you take in my crap, I don't care how you look! Is cover useful?!? I don't think so!
Toilet cover seat covers ugly sight and smell if it's not flushed properly. The view and smell of the rubbish can really turn anyone off. Yes, it can cover it up BUT it does not hide!!!! The toilet seat does not flush away your rubbish. Imagine you walk into a closet, you need to relieve fast and when you opened it up, SURPRISE!!!! I certainly do not appreciate this unexpected welcome. Gross! Yucks! I will turn back and put my business on hold. I don't reckon this is a strong reason to add the cover to your toilet seat.
However, interestingly, it has a wonderful use - hygiene! I bet we all know that toilets and sanitation is the the basic infrastructure that we have to improve the health and well-being of humans. How does this linked to our cover issue (no pun intended)? It's everything! It's the gateway to hygiene! After you are done with your business and before you flushed it, you are supposed to cover your toilet up. It's because nasty little things, called germs, can jump up to 1 meter in the air and stick to your towel, tooth brush, etc. Wow!
The most important of all, in my opinion, the use of the toilet seat cover is: to end the who-should-lift-up-the-toilet-seat debacle! Who is responsible? Is it the man or the lady? I cannot believe the vast amount of articles that's written around this issue. You should try to google it up. There's sociology review papers, there's efficiency research (What? What's the purpose?), economic impact review (What does your toilet habit have to do with your wealth? Don't tell me feng shui!). One interesting argument that I came across:
"Men need it up, women need it down." This is the argument that is often made in defense of not closing the toilet lid. However, this is a misrepresentation of the truth. Men need it down to complete a bowel movement and up for a bladder movement, women need it down for both. Therefore, only one fourth of the time does the toilet seat need to be up and three fourths of the time it needs to be down. Assuming that members of both genders then it are using the bathroom in question with equal frequency is overall far more efficient to close the seat every time.
Seriously? Isn't it an overkill to use statistics to get the answer to the dumbest question of all time? With toilet seat covers, case closed! You need it, you lift it up and cover it back! Both sides shared the same responsibility, both sides happy and both can do more interesting stuff together
Monday, May 3, 2010
My Feeble Attempt at Leche Flan
I am so hating myself! I am planning to finally post an entry with pictures but I lost my cable and SD card reader. What's the odd that both are buried under the mess at the same time? In my cluttered room, 100%, I guess. I need to do some re-organization, soon, and real bad!
Nonetheless, I was so bored at home last Saturday that I attempted to make leche flan - Filipino's custard pudding. I was given the recipe by my colleague: 10 yolks, 1 can of condensed milk and 1 can of evaporated milk. (Disclaimer: the size of the egg and the milk cans vary from country to country.) Mix them up and steam until it's hardened. Let it cool and fridge it.
If you see the picture above (of course it's not mine, it's taken from here), it looks exactly like custard pudding with brown caramel on top. It's pretty combination of yellow pudding drenched in sweet brown goodness. Mine was... ordinary-looking! I was too lazy to wait for the sugar to caramelize, hence, I lost the nice burn coating on top. It was yellow all over and the 'sauce' was transparent. It was a plain Jane. 1 thumb down!
In the smell department, it was pretty decent. It smells egg-y and milky. What other smell do you expect?
Finally, the nerve-wrecking taste test! Some of my friends said it was too dense. I agreed! Some said it was too sweet! I tried the original recipe and it was too sweet for my taste bud. In my attempt, I had tried my best to reduce the amount of condensed milk and sugar. Overall, it was really not that bad, if you want me to tell the truth.
Personally, I was not really keen on the egg-y and milky taste. I recalled that my colleague recommended to mix in some lemon into the mixture to add some 'kick'. Light bulb switched on, lemon can mask the taste too! I did not ask which part of lemon that I was supposed to throw in. It's a common knowledge that the zest is used widely as desserts and the lemon oil in the skin is more concentrated. Therefore, I was getting all high-class and threw lemon zest in! I was too excited over the mini-grater that I bought that I grated the whole lemon skin off. I bet you can guess what was the reaction of my colleagues when they tried it. They said that it tasted like detergent! NOOOOO!!!!! I was scratching my head, in total denial. One of them did not even dare to try! Sobs! It wasn't that bad, right?
However, the more I think about it: HOW ON EARTH DO YOU KNOW HOW DOES DETERGENT TASTE LIKE?!?!?!
Nonetheless, I was so bored at home last Saturday that I attempted to make leche flan - Filipino's custard pudding. I was given the recipe by my colleague: 10 yolks, 1 can of condensed milk and 1 can of evaporated milk. (Disclaimer: the size of the egg and the milk cans vary from country to country.) Mix them up and steam until it's hardened. Let it cool and fridge it.
If you see the picture above (of course it's not mine, it's taken from here), it looks exactly like custard pudding with brown caramel on top. It's pretty combination of yellow pudding drenched in sweet brown goodness. Mine was... ordinary-looking! I was too lazy to wait for the sugar to caramelize, hence, I lost the nice burn coating on top. It was yellow all over and the 'sauce' was transparent. It was a plain Jane. 1 thumb down!In the smell department, it was pretty decent. It smells egg-y and milky. What other smell do you expect?
Finally, the nerve-wrecking taste test! Some of my friends said it was too dense. I agreed! Some said it was too sweet! I tried the original recipe and it was too sweet for my taste bud. In my attempt, I had tried my best to reduce the amount of condensed milk and sugar. Overall, it was really not that bad, if you want me to tell the truth.
Personally, I was not really keen on the egg-y and milky taste. I recalled that my colleague recommended to mix in some lemon into the mixture to add some 'kick'. Light bulb switched on, lemon can mask the taste too! I did not ask which part of lemon that I was supposed to throw in. It's a common knowledge that the zest is used widely as desserts and the lemon oil in the skin is more concentrated. Therefore, I was getting all high-class and threw lemon zest in! I was too excited over the mini-grater that I bought that I grated the whole lemon skin off. I bet you can guess what was the reaction of my colleagues when they tried it. They said that it tasted like detergent! NOOOOO!!!!! I was scratching my head, in total denial. One of them did not even dare to try! Sobs! It wasn't that bad, right?
However, the more I think about it: HOW ON EARTH DO YOU KNOW HOW DOES DETERGENT TASTE LIKE?!?!?!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Get Lost, Queue Cutter!
Queue cutter, is that what you call people who cut queues? Doesn't matter, I was the lame queue cutter. Damn mad! The story goes...
Last Friday, it was raining cats and dogs and I was waiting at the wrong spot for a free shuttle bus to a shopping centre. When I spotted the bus, it drove past me and stopped at another point. I ran over and WOW, the queue was ridiculously long!!!! You know how hideous the queue at a bus shelter is when it is raining. Everyone was dying to board the bus and, at the same time, was busy keeping themselves dry. The queue was not a perfect straight line and there were probably thousand ends to the darn queue. I was rushing for time and I could not bother to locate the end (or ends) of the line. I walked up straight to the bus entrance, IN THE RAIN, and tried to board the bus.
One lady, of certain race who are stereotyped as rude and rough, walked past me and shouted: "Wah, some people just don't know how to queue!"
I know queue-cutting is wrong and it's not something that I was, am and will advocate. However, it's definitely not something that is worth hollering at! Life is too short for you to get mad at this lame queue cutter, really! If you were to tell me nicely, 'I am sorry sir, the queue starts at the back' I will try to go to the back of the line (okay, I lied, I might not!).
The next moment, she STEPPED into the bus!!!!
Geez, I was furious!!! She was such a hypocrite! She hollered at me, tried to be morally correct but in a split second, she acted like a stupid bitch! Does she understand what she, herself, was scolding about? It's about being a moral human not cutting the damn queue! Remember that she walked past me from the back? It means that she cut everyone else in the queue too! So much for being such an upright lady, kiss my ass! Pressed for time, I brushed that snide comment aside and get on the bus.
The ordeal did end there. She STARED at me from the moment I boarded the bus until I walked past her seat.
Are you kidding me?!?! Why you even bother wasting another breath at this dimwit who didn't even know how to form a queue. Getting angry at him just drained your energy. Life goes on, you board the bus, you get to your destination, you could enjoy the rest of your evening. I could not be bothered! She could get mad at me for all I care. I did not even give her a damn, not a wee bit! In the end, she was looking like a total idiot (I think she was!). She was angry and nobody gave her the attention. She was getting angry at empty air!
The more I think about it and if I were irrational enough then, I might:
- Holler back at her and ruin my evening,
- Stare back and start getting physical,
- Get something to gorge her eyes out,
- Give her a punch in the face (or might not, she is not worth for dirtying my hands).
If I were really going to do those, it's going to be interesting, right? I KNOW!! Might be worthy for an Oscar, it's dramatic and it has a climax.
Phew! Thank God for giving me the clear head to deal with the situation! No matter how bad the situation is, staying positive is always the best answer!
No, that is NOT the moral of the story.
The moral is: if you want to cut a queue, just act blur!!!!
Last Friday, it was raining cats and dogs and I was waiting at the wrong spot for a free shuttle bus to a shopping centre. When I spotted the bus, it drove past me and stopped at another point. I ran over and WOW, the queue was ridiculously long!!!! You know how hideous the queue at a bus shelter is when it is raining. Everyone was dying to board the bus and, at the same time, was busy keeping themselves dry. The queue was not a perfect straight line and there were probably thousand ends to the darn queue. I was rushing for time and I could not bother to locate the end (or ends) of the line. I walked up straight to the bus entrance, IN THE RAIN, and tried to board the bus.
One lady, of certain race who are stereotyped as rude and rough, walked past me and shouted: "Wah, some people just don't know how to queue!"
I know queue-cutting is wrong and it's not something that I was, am and will advocate. However, it's definitely not something that is worth hollering at! Life is too short for you to get mad at this lame queue cutter, really! If you were to tell me nicely, 'I am sorry sir, the queue starts at the back' I will try to go to the back of the line (okay, I lied, I might not!).
The next moment, she STEPPED into the bus!!!!
Geez, I was furious!!! She was such a hypocrite! She hollered at me, tried to be morally correct but in a split second, she acted like a stupid bitch! Does she understand what she, herself, was scolding about? It's about being a moral human not cutting the damn queue! Remember that she walked past me from the back? It means that she cut everyone else in the queue too! So much for being such an upright lady, kiss my ass! Pressed for time, I brushed that snide comment aside and get on the bus.
The ordeal did end there. She STARED at me from the moment I boarded the bus until I walked past her seat.
Are you kidding me?!?! Why you even bother wasting another breath at this dimwit who didn't even know how to form a queue. Getting angry at him just drained your energy. Life goes on, you board the bus, you get to your destination, you could enjoy the rest of your evening. I could not be bothered! She could get mad at me for all I care. I did not even give her a damn, not a wee bit! In the end, she was looking like a total idiot (I think she was!). She was angry and nobody gave her the attention. She was getting angry at empty air!
The more I think about it and if I were irrational enough then, I might:
- Holler back at her and ruin my evening,
- Stare back and start getting physical,
- Get something to gorge her eyes out,
- Give her a punch in the face (or might not, she is not worth for dirtying my hands).
If I were really going to do those, it's going to be interesting, right? I KNOW!! Might be worthy for an Oscar, it's dramatic and it has a climax.
Phew! Thank God for giving me the clear head to deal with the situation! No matter how bad the situation is, staying positive is always the best answer!
No, that is NOT the moral of the story.
The moral is: if you want to cut a queue, just act blur!!!!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Daddy's Words of Wisdom
My dad has always been a very interesting character in my life. Whenever I am with him, I felt that I am under a HUGE pressure to match his expectation. I hate his nag so much that I wanted to kill him! *Come on, who likes being nagged at?!?* However, whenever I am away, I always miss his stories, jokes and of course, his words of wisdom! Here's a few words that I remember from my trip home a couple of months back!
Wah! A geeky dinosaur knows Facebook! I bet in another couple of month, he is going to get himself an account and start suggesting friends to me, ONLINE!
Yes, he is extremely naggy in the past few months for me to get a girlfriend. I understand that I should make the extra effort to go out and meet girls. Unfortunately, with so many dramas to catch up and so many trips to plan, where's the time? *lame excuse, I know!*
However, in my opinion (as of now, because I might change my mind later!) getting to know girls from the virtual world is sooooo wrong on so many levels. The reasons I don't bother getting to know people from Facebook is because:
1. I am drifting away from Facebook. It's slow to load and my homepage is only filled with people boasting their livestock from virtual farm. All my friends are now tagged with commercial items from blogshops.
2. I don't add strangers as my friends. Why do I want to add a stranger to stalk myself?
3. What does it say about a girl who accepts anybody as 'friends'?
So, just let the ball rolling and we shall see where it lands.
Wow! This is the very first time that I got an advice that is opposite from the mainstream. Everyone said that buying stocks is akin to gambling, with high profits come high risk.
On the contrary, what he said totally made sense! There are strategies on how to play this 'game' and loads of hard work is required in order to excel in trading stocks. I have learnt a couple of strategies and dad has offered me some capital to try my luck. I just need the hard work part of the equation. I lack the patience to do research on profiles and the dedication to keep myself updated.
I need a jump start. Anyone has any advice?
Exactly! If it looks good, eat it!
I have been arguing back and forth with my colleague about eating frozen food that I brought back from Indonesia for lunch. They always said that I should stop eating all these 'expired' food as it might cause cancer. So I rebutted that it is perfectly fine to eat them with the following reasons:
1. In the olden days, people preserved their food with spices. They exact same thing that I did. Most of my frozen food are traditional Indonesian with loads of herbs and spices. It will last long! Unless worms crawl out of them, there's no such thing as expiration date!
2. Even without a fridge, in the past, people preserved their food UNDERGROUND to have enough food over the winter. At least, in my refrigerator, the temperature is cold and bacteria won't grow. But under the ground? And guess what, people live a long, prosperous life!
3. One of my colleague said that's the reason why cancer rate was higher in the past because they ate all these preserved food. I can't confirm this trend but I do know that (from my O-level Geography textbook) life expectancy is decreasing over the years. It means people in the past live longer!!!! Besides, it's not just the food that they eat, it's the lifestyle that might cause cancer too. Too many couch potatoes in our era.
4. It's most probably degraded chemical preservatives that cause cancer. If that's the case, my food is perfectly fine for consumption. My food are made from natural ingredients, there's no chemical preservative or coloring!
Well, the truth is that you cannot find good Indonesian food in Singapore! It might be easy to say that I can cook with fresh ingredients. Unfortunately, Indonesian foods are complex and it requires a lot of spices and tons of work. With me, being such a lazy bump and limited collection in my spice rack, what's the next best choice? Froze it directly from the source! It's authentic and it reminds me of home! Period!
Ah, I miss my dad (and my mom, and my sis and my bro, of course!), I miss home!
P.S. Wanted to write this as a Father's Day entry so that I can write 'Happy Father's Day' as ending. Unfortunately, other inspirations are not ripe enough to be typed out. Hence, the abrupt last sentence as conclusion. ;)
P.P.S.Who is haitian nightmare who left comments on one of my 3Smiles entry?
Daddy's words of wisdom on new-age dating: "Join Facebook, get a girlfriend!"
Wah! A geeky dinosaur knows Facebook! I bet in another couple of month, he is going to get himself an account and start suggesting friends to me, ONLINE!
Yes, he is extremely naggy in the past few months for me to get a girlfriend. I understand that I should make the extra effort to go out and meet girls. Unfortunately, with so many dramas to catch up and so many trips to plan, where's the time? *lame excuse, I know!*
However, in my opinion (as of now, because I might change my mind later!) getting to know girls from the virtual world is sooooo wrong on so many levels. The reasons I don't bother getting to know people from Facebook is because:
1. I am drifting away from Facebook. It's slow to load and my homepage is only filled with people boasting their livestock from virtual farm. All my friends are now tagged with commercial items from blogshops.
2. I don't add strangers as my friends. Why do I want to add a stranger to stalk myself?
3. What does it say about a girl who accepts anybody as 'friends'?
So, just let the ball rolling and we shall see where it lands.
Daddy's words of wisdom on investment: "Buy stocks! It's not gambling, it's statistics!"
Wow! This is the very first time that I got an advice that is opposite from the mainstream. Everyone said that buying stocks is akin to gambling, with high profits come high risk.
On the contrary, what he said totally made sense! There are strategies on how to play this 'game' and loads of hard work is required in order to excel in trading stocks. I have learnt a couple of strategies and dad has offered me some capital to try my luck. I just need the hard work part of the equation. I lack the patience to do research on profiles and the dedication to keep myself updated.
I need a jump start. Anyone has any advice?
Daddy's words of wisdom on food wastage: "In the olden days, there's no such thing called 'Expiration Date'"
Exactly! If it looks good, eat it!
I have been arguing back and forth with my colleague about eating frozen food that I brought back from Indonesia for lunch. They always said that I should stop eating all these 'expired' food as it might cause cancer. So I rebutted that it is perfectly fine to eat them with the following reasons:
1. In the olden days, people preserved their food with spices. They exact same thing that I did. Most of my frozen food are traditional Indonesian with loads of herbs and spices. It will last long! Unless worms crawl out of them, there's no such thing as expiration date!
2. Even without a fridge, in the past, people preserved their food UNDERGROUND to have enough food over the winter. At least, in my refrigerator, the temperature is cold and bacteria won't grow. But under the ground? And guess what, people live a long, prosperous life!
3. One of my colleague said that's the reason why cancer rate was higher in the past because they ate all these preserved food. I can't confirm this trend but I do know that (from my O-level Geography textbook) life expectancy is decreasing over the years. It means people in the past live longer!!!! Besides, it's not just the food that they eat, it's the lifestyle that might cause cancer too. Too many couch potatoes in our era.
4. It's most probably degraded chemical preservatives that cause cancer. If that's the case, my food is perfectly fine for consumption. My food are made from natural ingredients, there's no chemical preservative or coloring!
Well, the truth is that you cannot find good Indonesian food in Singapore! It might be easy to say that I can cook with fresh ingredients. Unfortunately, Indonesian foods are complex and it requires a lot of spices and tons of work. With me, being such a lazy bump and limited collection in my spice rack, what's the next best choice? Froze it directly from the source! It's authentic and it reminds me of home! Period!
Ah, I miss my dad (and my mom, and my sis and my bro, of course!), I miss home!
P.S. Wanted to write this as a Father's Day entry so that I can write 'Happy Father's Day' as ending. Unfortunately, other inspirations are not ripe enough to be typed out. Hence, the abrupt last sentence as conclusion. ;)
P.P.S.Who is haitian nightmare who left comments on one of my 3Smiles entry?
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Back To Basics
After a month of doing 3Smiles, I realized that it did not get the reaction that I was expecting. Despite having a lot of fun myself in staying positive and counting my blessings, I am only able to give short snippets but not the whole stories. It's a pity that writer's block got in the way and you did not the full juicy gossip. I hated that I am not able to share. Hence, I believe 3Smiles (along with 3Hates, 3Angers or 3Sadness) are best materials to tweet. Check out the right panel if you do not know that my twits are linked to this blog!
So, the question now is what will I write in my blog? After (little) consideration, I reckoned that this is MY blog!!! I can choose whatever I want to write. It's my platform to express my views. My stage! Took myself back to why I was setting up this blog in the first place. It's to share my world to my friends and anyone who cares. For the past few months, I am blurred by the fact that I wanted to draw traffic to my site. I have all sorts of vision for this blog: travel blog, lifestyle blog, silly Singapore blog, the list goes on. Finally, the light dawned on me, if I wanted to get traffic and be popular, I would have just left my day job and be a full-time blogger and do stupid advertisements. Hence, from this moment on, this blog is going to be about me, silly stories and fun nuggets of my life! Who cares about the traffic?
Nonetheless, here's what I can promise you, this blog will be MORE FUN!!!! No more sappy stories about how pathetic I am spending birthdays alone. Of course, not forgetting the juicy and angry gossips! And also, more photos!!!! I just exchanged my 'semi-pro' camera with a compact camera to do more (supposedly) spontaneous shots, hopefully with more photoshop fun. Deal is signed, sealed and, hopefully, delivered.
For today, to kickoff more goodness to come, I shall give a little how-well-do-you-know-me fun quiz! I think I am a little lagging behind as everyone has created their own quiz in Facebook. I have not opened Facebook in ages as it took ages to load a page! Long story short, let's start! Highlight after each question to reveal the answer. There might be multiple answers in some questions. Be honest, no peeking early!
#1: From number 1-10, what's my favorite number?
a. 1, because I am number 1!
b. 5, because it smacks right in the middle!
c. 6, because it's my birthday month!
d. 8, because it's auspicious in Chinese culture and I am proud to be one!
Forget 1 and 8! I don't care about them! If you ask me today, I might answer 5 because it's in the middle, I am a middle child and my family has five members! Tomorrow, however, I might answer you 6 because 6 too may be in the middle and a plus point, it's my birthday month. Hence, it might be 5 today and 6 tomorrow, or the other way around. Give yourselves 1 point if you answer either 5 or 6.
#2: What is my favorite color?
a. Red
b. Yellow
c. Green
d. Blue
This should be easy but I don't think a lot of people know this. To rank, I hate yellow the most! It's the color of the sun: bright, blinding and stifling hot! I am neutral about green, sometimes soothing, sometimes dirty! Don't forget the green-eyed jealousy. Blue WAS my favorite color, especially dark blue. Light and sky blue is a definite no-no, too girly. Unfortunately, being blue is kind of depressing. Hence, my most favorite color is red! It's fire, it's passion!
#3: When I was in secondary school, my favorite subject is....
a. Chemistry
b. Mathematics
c. English
d. Home Economics
I flunk my 'O' level English but I do enjoy (not particularly like) General Paper in JC. Give me a reason why am I supposed to love a subject that I always fail.
As much as I took a degree in Chemistry and I do have some passion in cooking and home improvements, Chemistry and Home Economics are not my a favorite subject. Love them but not favorites.
Mathematics is the answer! It is my favorite subject. I excel in them and people always asked for my books to copy. Even the teachers wanted my books to be shown to their future students as my work is always perfect and neat. Maths made me a popular kid in school.
#4: During my secondary school and JC days, I have been in the following extra-curricular groups, except:
a. St. John's Ambulance Brigade
b. Arts Society
c. Swim team
d. Librarian
I joined St John's for a naive reason that could help me pave my way to become a doctor. I was thirteen when I chose that!
I made the cut to be in JC's swim team but passed the opportunity for a stupid reason to join the Arts Society. ArtSoc is JUST a drama club which, if I knew, I would never put my name down in the sign-up sheet. I thought it would be everything about arts (performing, visual, graphic, etc). The stupid reason on why I joined is that it would be dominated by girls that they might (just might!) picked me to be in their executive committee. Hence, raising my ECA points that was needed for me to edge out during University applications.
Librarian... It was a short stint that I have no recollection about what I did in there. I only recall that I was rejected by performing arts and sports groups. I then chose an easy group as I was persuaded by evil friends to slack during JC.
Therefore, nope, I was never in the swim team!
#5: What's my greatest fear?
a. Height
b. Darkness
c. Creepy Crawlies
d. Water
The most honest answer to this question is to actually reveal what is exactly my greatest fear to the world! I know I should have not asked this question for I will get a bite in the ass during birthday pranks (if anyone bother to make me angry on supposedly-happiest day of my life!).
Strike water out as I love it to the max, except for the vision of someone dragging my feet if I were to swim at night.
Height? Sometimes, I might have the urge to pee in my pants, but I think I can handle that.
I can take darkness if you don't plant scary thoughts in my head before I enter a dark room. I don't really go into a haunted house for that reason.
Creepy crawlies - snakes, lizard, anything with scales and doesn't walk - HATE them! They make me shudder.
#6: When did I first step into Singapore?
a. 1992
b. 1996
c. 1997
d. 1998
1992: My first time out of the country and the first time I step into Singapore as a tourist
1996: My first step into Singapore as student wannabe
1997: My first step into Singapore as trainee-student (in preparation for the school's entrance exam)
1998: My first step into Singapore as a student legally.
Hence, technically, 1992 will be the correct answer!
#7: On the same note, why do I want to come to Singapore to study?
a. My parents wanted to screw my life.
b. My parents wanted the best for me! A bright future ahead! What's best? Singapore is near, more Chinese people (less discrimination, I guess) and similar background as Indonesia.
c. I knew what I wanted and it was my choice to be sent here!
d. I have no idea what the hell I am doing here! One day, I boarded a plane, landed in Singapore and mummy left me alone in a stranger's house filled with bookworms.
Who are you kidding? I love my parents and I know they only want the best for me. Hence, a is out! On the other 3, there's a little truth in every single answer.
The story goes like this: before the end of primary 6, my parents asked where do I want to study. They heard success stories about students in Singapore who adopt well (for having similar culture) and get successful. They brought me to meet them and have a little chat. Not wanting to follow my brother's footstep to lead a miserable life in Malang, I firmly choose Singapore! Remember, I was twelve-years-old then. You think I know what is good in Singapore? I only knew that Malang is hell and I do not want to be there. And staying in Bali, frankly, I have never think of that as an option. I have no idea why the idea of staying put never crossed my mind. So, a week just before my departure, Daddy asked: 'are you sure of going to Singapore? Mummy cannot fly over every week to accompany you when you are lonely like she used to do when your brother was in Malang.' 'Yes,'I firmly replied. Hence, here I am! 12 years in Singapore and counting.
So, in my opinion, the best reason why I was here in the first place is probably 'b'! I love my parents and they know what's best for me. If you choose c, knock yourselves! I was twelve! I don't even know that I want to be, much less choosing Singapore as a place to advance my education. For those who chose d, I wasn't really hypnotized. It was my choice.
For those of you who think that I choose Singapore because I love the freedom of being away from my families, it is an immediate failure in my quiz!!!
#8: My plan is to have visa from all continents in the world on my current passport. Which continent's visa is NOT in my current passport?
a. Asia
b. America
c. Australia
d. Europe
Come on, this is easy! I flew to Europe for an immersion program in 2007, to the US for training in 2008. I have never been to Australia and I do have China's visa but it was in my old passport. Hence, visa of Asia and Australia is not in my current passport!
#9: Which of the following is not my cup of adventure tea?
a. Trekking jungle and scaling mountains
b. Treasure-hunting in a shipwreck under the sea
c. Wandering aimlessly in a country where it is not popular with the tourist
d. Bungee-jumping and skydiving
I love the fresh air and woody smell when I am in a jungle. To enjoy the beautiful scenery from a height is a wonderful experience that I won't miss.
I might be a little shy to interact with the locals but I like to bask in the atmosphere of the local culture.
Bungee and skydiving. A little scary to think about it but I have penned it down as activities in my to-do list before I turn
I love diving in spots where there are beautiful schools of fishes and corals. However, I do not like the idea of confined space diving and past experience with a shipwreck dive spoils it all.
In conclusion, B is my worst idea of adventure!
#10: What is my shirt size?
a. S
b. M
c. L
d. XL
Seriously, please throw the thought of me in XL-size shirt. It makes me looks like a clown from some weight-loss competition. L is my t-shirt size that I wear to bed. M is the t-shirt size that I wear when I am going out. My shirt size is really S! (even though I MIGHT look good in M-sized slim-cut shirt! case-by-case!) My dad did not even believe that both of us wear shirts with the same size! Oh, FYI, if you decided to get me a piece of clothing as present: my waistline is 34 inches (some pants are good in 36inches and I am working to get 32inch or maybe 30) and shoe size is 9.5(US), 8.5(UK), 42.5 (EU).
How was that as a little trivia quiz? Do you know me as well as you think you do? How do you score? Please post a number in the comment sections. I desperately wanted to know how you score!!!! And do come back soon, I bet there are a lot of me that you do not know!
So, the question now is what will I write in my blog? After (little) consideration, I reckoned that this is MY blog!!! I can choose whatever I want to write. It's my platform to express my views. My stage! Took myself back to why I was setting up this blog in the first place. It's to share my world to my friends and anyone who cares. For the past few months, I am blurred by the fact that I wanted to draw traffic to my site. I have all sorts of vision for this blog: travel blog, lifestyle blog, silly Singapore blog, the list goes on. Finally, the light dawned on me, if I wanted to get traffic and be popular, I would have just left my day job and be a full-time blogger and do stupid advertisements. Hence, from this moment on, this blog is going to be about me, silly stories and fun nuggets of my life! Who cares about the traffic?
Nonetheless, here's what I can promise you, this blog will be MORE FUN!!!! No more sappy stories about how pathetic I am spending birthdays alone. Of course, not forgetting the juicy and angry gossips! And also, more photos!!!! I just exchanged my 'semi-pro' camera with a compact camera to do more (supposedly) spontaneous shots, hopefully with more photoshop fun. Deal is signed, sealed and, hopefully, delivered.
For today, to kickoff more goodness to come, I shall give a little how-well-do-you-know-me fun quiz! I think I am a little lagging behind as everyone has created their own quiz in Facebook. I have not opened Facebook in ages as it took ages to load a page! Long story short, let's start! Highlight after each question to reveal the answer. There might be multiple answers in some questions. Be honest, no peeking early!
#1: From number 1-10, what's my favorite number?
a. 1, because I am number 1!
b. 5, because it smacks right in the middle!
c. 6, because it's my birthday month!
d. 8, because it's auspicious in Chinese culture and I am proud to be one!
Forget 1 and 8! I don't care about them! If you ask me today, I might answer 5 because it's in the middle, I am a middle child and my family has five members! Tomorrow, however, I might answer you 6 because 6 too may be in the middle and a plus point, it's my birthday month. Hence, it might be 5 today and 6 tomorrow, or the other way around. Give yourselves 1 point if you answer either 5 or 6.
#2: What is my favorite color?
a. Red
b. Yellow
c. Green
d. Blue
This should be easy but I don't think a lot of people know this. To rank, I hate yellow the most! It's the color of the sun: bright, blinding and stifling hot! I am neutral about green, sometimes soothing, sometimes dirty! Don't forget the green-eyed jealousy. Blue WAS my favorite color, especially dark blue. Light and sky blue is a definite no-no, too girly. Unfortunately, being blue is kind of depressing. Hence, my most favorite color is red! It's fire, it's passion!
#3: When I was in secondary school, my favorite subject is....
a. Chemistry
b. Mathematics
c. English
d. Home Economics
I flunk my 'O' level English but I do enjoy (not particularly like) General Paper in JC. Give me a reason why am I supposed to love a subject that I always fail.
As much as I took a degree in Chemistry and I do have some passion in cooking and home improvements, Chemistry and Home Economics are not my a favorite subject. Love them but not favorites.
Mathematics is the answer! It is my favorite subject. I excel in them and people always asked for my books to copy. Even the teachers wanted my books to be shown to their future students as my work is always perfect and neat. Maths made me a popular kid in school.
#4: During my secondary school and JC days, I have been in the following extra-curricular groups, except:
a. St. John's Ambulance Brigade
b. Arts Society
c. Swim team
d. Librarian
I joined St John's for a naive reason that could help me pave my way to become a doctor. I was thirteen when I chose that!
I made the cut to be in JC's swim team but passed the opportunity for a stupid reason to join the Arts Society. ArtSoc is JUST a drama club which, if I knew, I would never put my name down in the sign-up sheet. I thought it would be everything about arts (performing, visual, graphic, etc). The stupid reason on why I joined is that it would be dominated by girls that they might (just might!) picked me to be in their executive committee. Hence, raising my ECA points that was needed for me to edge out during University applications.
Librarian... It was a short stint that I have no recollection about what I did in there. I only recall that I was rejected by performing arts and sports groups. I then chose an easy group as I was persuaded by evil friends to slack during JC.
Therefore, nope, I was never in the swim team!
#5: What's my greatest fear?
a. Height
b. Darkness
c. Creepy Crawlies
d. Water
The most honest answer to this question is to actually reveal what is exactly my greatest fear to the world! I know I should have not asked this question for I will get a bite in the ass during birthday pranks (if anyone bother to make me angry on supposedly-happiest day of my life!).
Strike water out as I love it to the max, except for the vision of someone dragging my feet if I were to swim at night.
Height? Sometimes, I might have the urge to pee in my pants, but I think I can handle that.
I can take darkness if you don't plant scary thoughts in my head before I enter a dark room. I don't really go into a haunted house for that reason.
Creepy crawlies - snakes, lizard, anything with scales and doesn't walk - HATE them! They make me shudder.
#6: When did I first step into Singapore?
a. 1992
b. 1996
c. 1997
d. 1998
1992: My first time out of the country and the first time I step into Singapore as a tourist
1996: My first step into Singapore as student wannabe
1997: My first step into Singapore as trainee-student (in preparation for the school's entrance exam)
1998: My first step into Singapore as a student legally.
Hence, technically, 1992 will be the correct answer!
#7: On the same note, why do I want to come to Singapore to study?
a. My parents wanted to screw my life.
b. My parents wanted the best for me! A bright future ahead! What's best? Singapore is near, more Chinese people (less discrimination, I guess) and similar background as Indonesia.
c. I knew what I wanted and it was my choice to be sent here!
d. I have no idea what the hell I am doing here! One day, I boarded a plane, landed in Singapore and mummy left me alone in a stranger's house filled with bookworms.
Who are you kidding? I love my parents and I know they only want the best for me. Hence, a is out! On the other 3, there's a little truth in every single answer.
The story goes like this: before the end of primary 6, my parents asked where do I want to study. They heard success stories about students in Singapore who adopt well (for having similar culture) and get successful. They brought me to meet them and have a little chat. Not wanting to follow my brother's footstep to lead a miserable life in Malang, I firmly choose Singapore! Remember, I was twelve-years-old then. You think I know what is good in Singapore? I only knew that Malang is hell and I do not want to be there. And staying in Bali, frankly, I have never think of that as an option. I have no idea why the idea of staying put never crossed my mind. So, a week just before my departure, Daddy asked: 'are you sure of going to Singapore? Mummy cannot fly over every week to accompany you when you are lonely like she used to do when your brother was in Malang.' 'Yes,'I firmly replied. Hence, here I am! 12 years in Singapore and counting.
So, in my opinion, the best reason why I was here in the first place is probably 'b'! I love my parents and they know what's best for me. If you choose c, knock yourselves! I was twelve! I don't even know that I want to be, much less choosing Singapore as a place to advance my education. For those who chose d, I wasn't really hypnotized. It was my choice.
For those of you who think that I choose Singapore because I love the freedom of being away from my families, it is an immediate failure in my quiz!!!
#8: My plan is to have visa from all continents in the world on my current passport. Which continent's visa is NOT in my current passport?
a. Asia
b. America
c. Australia
d. Europe
Come on, this is easy! I flew to Europe for an immersion program in 2007, to the US for training in 2008. I have never been to Australia and I do have China's visa but it was in my old passport. Hence, visa of Asia and Australia is not in my current passport!
#9: Which of the following is not my cup of adventure tea?
a. Trekking jungle and scaling mountains
b. Treasure-hunting in a shipwreck under the sea
c. Wandering aimlessly in a country where it is not popular with the tourist
d. Bungee-jumping and skydiving
I love the fresh air and woody smell when I am in a jungle. To enjoy the beautiful scenery from a height is a wonderful experience that I won't miss.
I might be a little shy to interact with the locals but I like to bask in the atmosphere of the local culture.
Bungee and skydiving. A little scary to think about it but I have penned it down as activities in my to-do list before I turn
I love diving in spots where there are beautiful schools of fishes and corals. However, I do not like the idea of confined space diving and past experience with a shipwreck dive spoils it all.
In conclusion, B is my worst idea of adventure!
#10: What is my shirt size?
a. S
b. M
c. L
d. XL
Seriously, please throw the thought of me in XL-size shirt. It makes me looks like a clown from some weight-loss competition. L is my t-shirt size that I wear to bed. M is the t-shirt size that I wear when I am going out. My shirt size is really S! (even though I MIGHT look good in M-sized slim-cut shirt! case-by-case!) My dad did not even believe that both of us wear shirts with the same size! Oh, FYI, if you decided to get me a piece of clothing as present: my waistline is 34 inches (some pants are good in 36inches and I am working to get 32inch or maybe 30) and shoe size is 9.5(US), 8.5(UK), 42.5 (EU).
How was that as a little trivia quiz? Do you know me as well as you think you do? How do you score? Please post a number in the comment sections. I desperately wanted to know how you score!!!! And do come back soon, I bet there are a lot of me that you do not know!
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