Accidental Food Tour

Guess what I did on the Eve of Good Friday? After an evening swim at SAFRA Mount Faber, I zipped over to town...



8pm @ Pervis St Had dinner with chummy army pals with whom I'd shared blood/sweat/grime/mud for 2 solid years... I digress.

Ate Hainanese food ("tze char") though not sure what exactly that is. One dish was Hainanese pork chop - freshly deep-fried pork cutlet in tomato-based sauce with peas, onions and potato chunks.

Yummy! *imitate Homer Simpson* Mmmm... Fried food...

Topic of the moment: Another army pal's getting married but not any of us there.



9pm @ TCC, Bugis Still with chummy army pals. Had German blend while pals had latte, cooler & macadamia nut blend - decaf, so no kick.

Hilarious moment: 4 grown men couldn't decide whether to go for 15% off with OCBC card or enjoy free desert with DBS card.

Common theme of the evening: Living, working, driving, getting married and raising a family in Singapore's bloody expensive. No wonder we hate the Gahmen.



After 12MN @ Mustafa, Little India G & I decided to check out late night shopping. Got out of car at Serangoon to hear "EH MACARENA!" blasting out of cheap Indian restaurant cum pub with sleazy red lights. FYI lotsa cheap deals at Mustafa's.

Absolutely fabulous if you love Indian food, groceries and all.

*cue Ab-Fab opening song* know what I mean, darling?

Curious moment: 2 S'poreans gawking at cheap everyday buys. Alright, at least I was gawking k??

Awe moment: Went into chocolate shock at chocolate aisle, esp. G who couldn't decide between Swiss premium dark and Lindt premium dark. Solution? The more the merrier.

Hilarious moment: G's over-zealous Stepmaster 3000 workout left her crying as she attempted to scale all of 2 flights of steps to get up 1 storey.

Ate at nearest cheap North Indian restaurant since G's quite immobile - freshly made Garlic & butter naan, tandoori chicken, dahl curry & muttom kima.

Sinfully cholesterol-filled and terrible satisfying.

Ed's Self-Discovery: I'm a closet-tandoor lover of all things Indian.



2pm @ Golden Mile Complex, Little Thailand Had Thai food to jointly celebrate mom and bro's birthday! Finally the brat's going to NS this year...

On the table: ultra-hot Tom Yam seafood soup (a tad oily), mango salad, green curry with chicken, pandan chicken (simply lovely) and pineapple rice. Left me sweating and sniffling... SHIOK!

Golden Mile's a sleazy little place with Thai discos and karaoke pubs. Cheap buys at "one and only Thai supermarket" and Thai-oriented departmental store. Oddly, shirts were drab and tight-fitting. Love Thai pop - haha!

Disappointed moment: No more stomach room for Ah-Balling at Beach Rd market.

Disclaimer: These aren't the actual pics of the foods I had but they look just as good :)

Give & Take

Glory of Love
Bette Midler

You gotta give a little,
Take a little,
and let your poor heart break a little.
That's the story of,
that's the glory of love!

You gotta laugh a little,
Cry a little,
until the clouds roll by a little.
That's the story of,
that's the glory of love!

As long as there's the two of us,
We've got the world and all its charms!
And when the world is through with us,
We've got each other's arms!

You gotta win a little,
Lose a little,
yes and always have the blues a little!
That's the story of,
that's the glory of love!

Curious Moment

Chatting on MSN with my manager who's only beginning to get the hang of MSN messenger:

"I'm feeling a bonding taking place with this new tool, even as I type ..."

Hearing Harsh Words?

Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov (c. January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992, IPA: /ˈaɪzək ˈæzɪmˌɔf/) was a Russian-born American author and biochemist, a highly successful and exceptionally prolific writer best known for his works of science fiction and for his science books for the lay person. Asimov's most famous work is the Foundation Series, which he later combined with two of his other series, the Galactic Empire Series and Robot series. He also wrote mysteries and fantasy, as well as a great amount of non-fiction. In fact, he wrote or edited over 500 volumes and an estimated 90,000 letters or postcards, and has works in every major category of the Dewey Decimal System except Philosophy.

Asimov received HIV-infected blood during heart bypass surgery in 1983. His death in 1992 was from AIDS-related complications, although this was kept secret by his widow for over a decade after his death.

Asimov was a long-time member of Mensa, albeit reluctantly (he described them as "intellectually combative"). The asteroid 5020 Asimov is named in his honor, as is Honda's humanoid prototype robot ASIMO.

Loss

Grief is inexpressible.

Welling tears and emotional presence I offer.

Dear friend, though I've lost not, I share your grief.

Outward Bound, Inward Leap

Went for an OBS retreat with my office over the past 2 days.

Though some came with apprehension and a few, resignation, the outdoor experience - though brief - certainly exceeded our expectations with what we ta bao (i.e. took away) from it.

And it's been a wonderful chaos of emotions and experiences - so saturated and eventful, it's hard to do complete justice with words.

Essentially, bonding, teamwork and fun were the primary elements. And these were evident in all the positivity, determination and camaderie displayed.

We were laughing, sharing, cheering, encouraging, jeering (in jest), and even crying (women...).

Personally I was amazed at how I tackled towering challenges with hardly a hesitation. Till I was many meters off the ground and momentarily regreting my impulse over cramping muscles.

Another personal lesson: learning to accept differences, be it of capabilities, mind or approach, and learning to be patient yet helpful to others who are weaker.

I'm thankful and glad to be where I am, doing what I do, with the people around.

Mere positivity talking? We'll see :)

Email Overload

Harvard Biz School - Tips for Mastering E-mail Overload

Mornings

Woman Stand With Mouth Open

Standing in the sleepy space between 2 MRT carriages this morning, I couldn't help but listen to the ceaseless chinese chatter of this mother talking to her teenage daughter.

"You shouldn't stand here on this piece here. This is the most dangerous part of the train."

She stood short of the small platform connecting the 2 carriages, pointed to it and gestured with conviction. "If the train collides, it will detach and you'll be the first to die."

I blinked while my mind flashbacked to images of train wrecks in the US and in India. Over my Runner's World magazine, I glanced up at her as did others standing around.

"Didn't you know this connects the two carriages?"

Her teenage daughter looked down on the floor and didn't respond. I could only empathize with her hapless embarassment.

"Yeah, this is reported by researchers who study accidents. Oh, did you know? The most dangerous place to be in a car is next to the driver."

Too much trivia about death at 7plus in the morning.

"Because human instinct dictates that the driver will yank the steering and swerve to the right. So you'll die first if you sit beside the driver. The safest seat is in the backseat."

The man standing next to the daughter turned to face away from the duo while the mother continued to expound on on accident-related deaths.

After a while, the teen squatted down on the floor like a prison convict with nowhere to run.

"Why are you squatting down?" She chuckled. "Haiyah, you know ah, Singaporean kids are so funny. They like to sit on the floor."

Her daughter remained silent. I imagined her sulking from the corner of my eye.

"Hey girl, get up."

Glum silence.

"Get up."

The girl gave up her silent protest and obeyed.

I got off at my stop and didn't stay till the end of this drama.

Trumped

I follow The Apprentice from time to time. As with any reality TV show, it's the interpersonal dynamics that are most entertaining and fascinating.

Tonight's episode began with the PM's (project managers) being told to dump members off of their teams onto the other - it's the corporate version of being selected to be on the baseball team.

Jesus Heals

Attended the Pst. Benny Hinn's Healing Crusade over fri & sat.

T'was amazing the many healing miracles that took place. Truly the deaf could hear and the blind could see and many diseases were healed!

To God be the glory!!

Heal the World

Whimsical... Entertaining... It's Fantasy, After All

Just caught Howl's Moving Castle (2004) by Hayao Miyazaki who also did Spirited Away (2001) which some of us remember fondly.

One word - whimsical.

Quirky characters are introduced in consistent Miyazaki fashion.

Almost like Harry Potter.

Except this time they're set in a pseudo-18th century European time in a fantasy world where magic & wizards & witches & a moving hodge-podge of junk passing as a castle are all accepted as the norm.

Could be a take on Japanese society but friends in sushi land had better confirm this for me.

All's fine as we plod along in this magical adventure that continually leaves us in wonder at the curious turn of events in a plot where magic sets no boundaries.

And of course, spellbound by the beauty of Japanese anime.

My only gripes: the cheesy ending and the gals who kept giggling at cutesy moments.

Perhaps I'm getting old and too cynical for this.

But it certainly was entertaining.

Choosing Relationships in an Electronic Society

Read Wired.com: Egocasting

Monday Blues

Boy Oh Loti Boy

Friday!

Bukit Merah Cuppa

Every morning I pass by Bukit Merah hawker center & grab my cuppa along the way.

Mind you, it ain't gourmet coffee from the likes of Starbucks or Coffee Bean.

It's way better - coffee's cheap & strong & my local barrista can take any order I throw at him.

My favourite? Kopi si kosong - coffee with non-sweetened evaporated milk & no sugar.

When this caffeine whore first patronized the stall, I was both impressed & amused by the adeptness and meticulousness displayed by the uncle.

Unlike coffee shops that prepare a few gallons of coffee in a big metal dispenser and ultra-efficiently fill each cup under the tap, this stall retains the use of traditional methods of brewing.

His 2 essential tools of the trade: a kettle with a straight long spout & coffee strainers made of cloth.

With a deft jerk of the kettle, our dear uncle, focused & well-experienced, painstakingly fills each cup to the brim while mentally ticking off orders en masse.

"Kopi peng!"

"Teh si!"

"Kopi O!"

"Kopi si siew tai!"

"Marlboro!"

Have a cuppa today, it's only 60 cents after all.

Curious Web Discovery

World War II Posters

Frog Boiled Alive

You do know what happens when you boil a live frog, don't you?

Knocking off, I managed to catch a lift home and had a curious conversation about career planning, organizational structure, global economics and life in the public service.

Never mind that my new balding acquaintance readily introduced himself as "strange" and began on a spiel of his career bloopers over the past decade or so.



To cut the story short, his take is that wealth will increase globally but wealth distribution will not improve - the richer get richer while middle classers like me will only have to slog harder.

He likened staying in the civil service to an island surrounded by rising waters and people scrambling to prove their strategic value to remain on the island. Kinda sounds like Survivor meets the Apprentice.

His take? Learn to swim. Even better, go swim in China or India.

I Love the Way You Look

Quote of the day: You look like you are from Mindef

Thankfully that remark wasn't directed at me, though the recipient didn't catch it till I repeated it with a chuckle.

Retort: 7 months is enough to get that comment coming



Attended the Spring-organized conference "Best Practices in Customer Service" today. Held at Meritus Mandarin, food and service were expectedly great. Attendance was overwhelming, there must have been 500 people present. But not surprising, given Singapore's positioning as a service hub.

Among the lessons learnt, I've realized that it ain't easy to be a customer service officer (CSO), regardless of which industry you're in, be it F&B, hoteling, healthcare, banking, tourism etc.

As one speaker surmised, customers have unlimited expectations but we have limited resources.

A major thread that ran across the discussions was the concern about motivating and training service staff. Considering how service staff need to be all of immensely knowledgeable about products & services, adeptly skillful, puffed up with pride, and displaying a professional AND amiable AND patient attitude, I think I really look at CSO's in a different light now.

Natalie Dee

Sniff

Busy-ness

Apologies to my fans *wave wave* for the lack of entries over the past week. Have been busy - attended a course on Business Continuity Management over 2 days & attending a Revival Conference over 3 nights. And generally not much inspiration.

Quote of the day: "You are what you eat... & read & think & say"

Today: Mr Brown's Fri Column

Life is getting scary, Mummy ...

An amusing take on the kiasu & kiasee S'porean.

Working

Leaving the office late, I walk out through the cold & quiet lobby.

The sky's darkening, the road's quiet.

A feeling of calm tiredness remains.

Work

V Day: D Day or The Day

Twice last week people's questions about my plans for monday drew a blank look.

"Eh... what's happening on monday?"

That's right, I'm single... and proud of it.

Today, I snorted and flicked my nose to every sms of heartfelt Valentine's Day greetings.

"Nuttin 2 celebr8."

What's so special about V day anyway?

The hopeless romantics say it's a day to proclaim one's love through the extravagant shower of intense affection.

*cue television ad*

Flowers, diamond necklace, lingerie, chocolates, dinner at Top of the M: $$$$$++++

Electric moment when eyes lock: Priceless

For everything else, there's .

The utter pragmatists (usually male, sometimes balding) protest against the wanton commercialization where florists, chocolater makers, jewellers and restaurateurs alike benefit from the simple rule of Economics 101 - Supply & Demand.

Yes, women demand.

Coyly, of course. Some will even reject it outright, yet secretly yearn for that bouquet of roses.

Beware, for hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn.

What else can men do but to hope that a greater reward is waiting at the end of the evening - usually a misguided thought that leaves him high and dry.

Hence the expensive wine.

Oh, don't forget, the bigger the bouquet, the more intense the jealousy aroused in colleagues.

Make sure you get it up to her office first thing in the morning.

So size does matter. Period.

Received this in the mail today: Certified Penetration Testing Professional.

Turns out this adult-oriented title is actually a course on computer hacking. But I'm sure our ladies could do with some reprogramming.

On this very same day, the sad singletons hang out and christen it Friendship Day.

Yup, who better to mourn your failures in one relationship after another than fellow failures?

WHAT?! Never been kissed?? I feel better now.

Remember V the TV series? The one where reptilian aliens disguised as humans invade earth and try to take over the world. When confronted, they shed their human skins to reveal their hideous green selves beneath.

Kinda sounds like marriage.

Happy Valentine's Day. Enjoy it while it lasts.

What Roots?

painting by Xue Jiye

Today's ST ran the articles of 4 Singaporeans each defining their own Chinese identity:

• What it means to be hua ren, a chinese
• Less rigid, not less chinese
• No getting away from my roots
• I won't toss out my salad bowl heritage

Incidentally, I recently wondered if my grandfather would appreciate a visit to his hometown in Shantou, China. After all, there's so much of my roots that I do not know. I also wonder how much of his hometown would he actually recognize, having been away for more than half a century.

When I visited my mom's eldest brother, there was a sepia-toned picture of my grandfather, his siblings and some sworn brothers. Posing with expressionless faces, they were all decked in Western-style suits with hair slicked back. My cousin then pointed out that the "gold" accessories they had on them were all painted on. And on closer look, the crude image-editing became apparent.

But knowing my roots wouldn't make me feel more chinese, would it? Or more Singaporean, for that matter. I definitely see myself as Singaporean, albeit a shallow sense of identity meshed with Singapore's brief history.

What then defines our roots for us? Is it tradition, customs or patois? If yes, then my roots are getting eroded pretty fast.

On the topic of living with parents, a friend commented wistfully that most young Singaporeans long for the day they can stretch their wings and flap off to their own nests (HDB or otherwise) in a proud manifestation of their independence.

In a different conversation about a coming house warming, another friend also voiced his desire to get his own apartment. "Isn't it a curse to be Asian?" he remarked.

Perhaps they, having seen how our Western counterparts are booted out of their homes the moment they turn 18, are more liberalized than I am. But it sounds like a fairly presumptuous to me to state that young Singaporeans value independence more than family.

For one, I love my family and see it as my obligation to look after my parents as they age and to continue to spend time with them after I get married. I've no statistics to prove my point but I would think that for the same reason I've stated, a fair number of young Singaporeans prefer to continue living with their parents.

Ah yes, I also hear the cynics out there pointing out the economics and conveniences of living with your parents. Honestly, that's not among my main considerations but it's definitely a pull factor.

Moving On

Accenture Paper - "Infrastructure: Consolidate, Standardize, Streamline"

You know you're definitely moving on when you're searching NLB's catalogue for books on IT infrastructure, IT service delivery and IT management.

Wanna Be

I recently decided to take up the guitar.

So it's me, guitar and a LIY book.

Actually I did take up the guitar before.

That was in sec 1 under Edward Choo the facially-inexpressive art teacher till he cracked the joke about the G string.

Ha ha.

Ok, I crack that joke too.

Inspired by my fave singers, esp. the folk ones.

Let's see, Natalie Merchant, Damien Rice, Jason Mraz, Joni Mitchell...

Once I was at Somerset's Jazz Bar @ Raffles City and a bluesey band was playing. It was a quiet weekday night so he decided to play on the acoustic guitar.

I was mesmerized.

So there.

Besides, the guitar is way quieter than the horn so I shouldn't suffer much persecution at home.

Damien Rice, Irish Songwriter

Doesn't reflect my state of mind, just think it's a haunting song.

the blower's daughter

and so it is
just like you said it would be
life goes easy on me
most of the time
and so it is
the shorter story
no love no glory
no hero in her skies
i can't take my eyes off of you
and so it is
just like you said it should be
we'll both forget the breeze
most of the time
and so it is
the colder water
the blower's daughter
the pupil in denial
i can't take my eyes off of you
did I say that I loathe you?
did I say that I want to
leave it all behind?
i can't take my mind off of you
my mind
'til I find somebody new

Reunion Blues?! No Way!!

As per Chinese tradition on CNY eve, my extended family of 3 generations on my paternal side gathers at my grandparents for our reunion lunch. We also take the occasion to celebrate my grandmother's birthday - this year she's 78 and I thank God for her good health! :)

Interestingly, I'd just found out from my mom that back then most people lacked calendars so they didn't know their exact birthdays except for the year that they were born in, unless their birthdays coincided with landmark occasions like my grandmother's with CNY eve.

This year's attendance was 14 adults and 9 children (thankfully grown up beyond the ultra noisy phase of endless screaming and running into walls).

And so, without fail, annually we tuck into regular steamboat fare and, recently added to the menu, red wine which also brought much red-faced mirth and mutual teasing about drinking limits.

I used to be awfully quiet at such gatherings because everyone's speaking in Teochew. At least this year I had a 5min conversation with my grandma - in Teochew!

And I found out that her sewing machine that I used to imagine was my war-torn battle fort for my Transfomers toys is actually 22 years older than I am. My grandparents had bought it for $264 in the 1950's and it became a source of income by making school uniforms.

Without fail, we also bring out the birthday cake and take an extended family photo when the same uncle has to set the camera on auto and to the children's excitement and glee, scramble back into the picture. Before the kids grew up, someone had to attract the infants' attention and hopefully solicit a cheerful smile.

After the mass photo, each family then take turns for a Kodak moment with my grandparents. Watching my uncles and aunts organize varying configurations and shouting for the missing members to quickly take up positions amused me to no end. More than that, I'm so glad to be a part of this big fat happy family.

There was the usual bantering, updating each other on the past year's activities (boasting for some), comparing children's growth spurts or performance in school, reminiscing old times etc. The living room was kept abuzz with chatter and the frequent piercing of children's laughter for the entire afternoon.

And then I remember PM Lee stressing family ties. Simply because these are ties that bind and they cannot be broken. These ties are ultimately what's important in life.

Happy reunion.

Know Thy Backyard

 

Against all rational thought and shedding all semblance of sanity, I visited Chinatown last night and spent the evening rubbing shoulders with fellow Singaporeans, buzzing in anticipation of Chinese New Year which is due in 3 days.

Actually the real reason was that I thought I would play the kind tour guide to a Canadian friend. Unfortunately the phrase "I'm ashamed to call myself Singaporean" was uttered or at least flashed in my mind more than once.



So there we were, 1 Canadian and 4 Singaporeans, one of whom hasn't been to Chinatown in 6 years and hasn't even been on the NEL. Granted he did spend 4 years studying in the UK but I didn't even know the street names (directing people on the phone turned out to be quite futile).

Thankfully I was able to educate with what little knowledge of Chinese customs I did have, such as the significance behind the colour red, pineapples and spirally bamboo sticks.

At times the crowd was so thick, we found ourselves stagnating in a pool of thick air and sweaty bodies, but I genuinely enjoyed the evening of endless sights, smells and sounds - all familiar and homely though I couldn't make sense of some.



After milling down two streets, I plainly declared that we had seen pretty much everything there is to see. But today's Sunday Times ran an article with the tagline "Think you've seen it all in Chinatown? Think again. Some sights will surprise you." Yes, there really are a few sights which we'd missed.

I've realized that I and many others are quick to dismiss our traditions and customs, without even trying to appreciate them first - ironically some even lament our brief history.

On a separate matter, my dear mother has taken it upon herself to make pineapple tarts. As proud as I am of her culinary escapades, I'm quite amused to report that batch #1 have turned out as pineapple cookies rather than tarts. Go figure.

Gong xi fa cai.

Of Flies & Bees

Everyday is a day of learning.

A curious phrase appeared in a document being discussed: luring flies with honey.

"Shouldn't it be luring bees?" I objected.

My manager offered, "you can do the same with shit, you know?"

The ensuing guffawing nearly had us tearing.

Over lunch, my colleagues voiced their common gripes about a particular government agency.

Gahmen bashing, I term it, and it seems quite fashionable.

Anecdotes and complaints offered lots of insights...

Eh, into what? I still gotta figure all these out.

Babes on Ice

Went Ice-Skating at Jurong East yesterday. 2nd time I'm there in my lifetime.

Wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be and somehow the rink felt much bigger than I'd remembered it.

Loved it. The lack of friction makes for such easy movements - with a shift of my body weight, I can do spins and twirls and cart-wheels.

Yeah right.

Saw some young girls practising their figure skating moves. Was absolutely amazing, the graceful movements and more so, their persistence in refining each move.

So why Babes on Ice? Because I was there with 3 other gals :)