What's wrong with human beings nowadays? Where is the humanity of Singaporeans? Aunt Antsy forwarded me some articles on animal abuse happening in Singapore recently, here and here. I am in complete agreement with her sentiments to advocate stronger laws to deal with these criminals when caught. Cut off their balls and display them in the museum. Let's publicly humiliate them. Shame them. Let's do the same thing to them as they do unto those animals. These news on animal cruelty are not funny. Appalling.
Animal abuse is so not cool.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Out for blood
Banks are such parasitical, wretched bloodsuckers! Especially those that issue credit cards. Specifically, Citibank. Particular Citibank in Singapore. I swear they will suck the patience and life out of me.
It felt like only yesterday that I lodged a complain to them when it took them ages to sort 5 fraudulent credit card charges on my visa card. To date, they have yet to explain to me how on earth they had managed to allow fraudsters to continue transacting on my blocked credit card two days later. This was right after I made an immediate report the moment I discovered the fraud charges and they assured me there and then that they had blocked my card immediately. I knew they did coz I checked and I couldn't log in to my account anymore. Yet, they approved further transactions to an already blocked card. That was sometime last year. I never did get any answer for that, even though they compensated my loss eventually. I supposed they have buried the matter deep into their hell-hole, devoid of explanations that might jeopardize their standings.
Seems like I did nothing but complain lately. It is not without a reason, though. Citibank is slowly pushing me to the edge with their recent antics of extorting money from me. They really are behaving like thugs as they slapped me a late payment fine of SGD 50 on my previous credit bill of SGD 126.98. While I wasn't too happy about the fine, I decided to be a good citizen and took it in my stride without any complains. I figured, the oversight was partly my fault for something I bought online months ago. But, let me get this straight: The only reason I missed the payment was simply because Citibank did not in any way, send me a statement of outstanding bills. Not even a reminder. That's just plain unfair considering:
a) The late payment fine for May was charged to me on 3rd June. This is not even a month from the last amount that was charged dated 5th May 2009.I definitely was not aware of applicable non-payment late charges before the month is up. It was only just ONE goddamn transaction.
b) As far as I’m concerned, I have always been a good customer. I don't owe the bank any money, I have never ever over-drawn on my credit line and any amount charged to my credit cards are always paid promptly upon usage. And that's usually within 48 hoours.
Like I said, I was willing to suck it up without creating havoc about it. I grudingly shouldered the blame and cursed myself silly for not checking my balance online. This was so, until I received a chaser from Citibank just last evening via snail mail, telling me that my bill is overdue, that Citibank is unable to reach me by phone and that I should make my payment within 5 days. (The letter had a "pay or or else" tone to it) ! What kind of nonsensical crap is that? They claimed they can't contact me or even bothered to send me a reminder before slapping me with the unnecessary fine, yet they are able to send me a letter to demand payment from me? For crying out loud, Citibank has my email address. How is it that they cannot contact me? Absofuckinglutely ridiculous.
Naturally, I blew my top. It does feel like Citibank is really out for your blood, hounding and demanding for payment, to the point of being unethically bothersome. If I'm a terrible debtor, yes I can understand their anxiety. But the fact is, I am not, have never been, don't intend to be, and so, isn't it only right to cut me some bloody slack? I seriously question Citibank's ethics and sincerity. If this is the way they treat their good and reliable customers, I'm seriously considering to move my business somewhere else. I hate the way they treat people. Morons.
It felt like only yesterday that I lodged a complain to them when it took them ages to sort 5 fraudulent credit card charges on my visa card. To date, they have yet to explain to me how on earth they had managed to allow fraudsters to continue transacting on my blocked credit card two days later. This was right after I made an immediate report the moment I discovered the fraud charges and they assured me there and then that they had blocked my card immediately. I knew they did coz I checked and I couldn't log in to my account anymore. Yet, they approved further transactions to an already blocked card. That was sometime last year. I never did get any answer for that, even though they compensated my loss eventually. I supposed they have buried the matter deep into their hell-hole, devoid of explanations that might jeopardize their standings.
Seems like I did nothing but complain lately. It is not without a reason, though. Citibank is slowly pushing me to the edge with their recent antics of extorting money from me. They really are behaving like thugs as they slapped me a late payment fine of SGD 50 on my previous credit bill of SGD 126.98. While I wasn't too happy about the fine, I decided to be a good citizen and took it in my stride without any complains. I figured, the oversight was partly my fault for something I bought online months ago. But, let me get this straight: The only reason I missed the payment was simply because Citibank did not in any way, send me a statement of outstanding bills. Not even a reminder. That's just plain unfair considering:
a) The late payment fine for May was charged to me on 3rd June. This is not even a month from the last amount that was charged dated 5th May 2009.I definitely was not aware of applicable non-payment late charges before the month is up. It was only just ONE goddamn transaction.
b) As far as I’m concerned, I have always been a good customer. I don't owe the bank any money, I have never ever over-drawn on my credit line and any amount charged to my credit cards are always paid promptly upon usage. And that's usually within 48 hoours.
Like I said, I was willing to suck it up without creating havoc about it. I grudingly shouldered the blame and cursed myself silly for not checking my balance online. This was so, until I received a chaser from Citibank just last evening via snail mail, telling me that my bill is overdue, that Citibank is unable to reach me by phone and that I should make my payment within 5 days. (The letter had a "pay or or else" tone to it) ! What kind of nonsensical crap is that? They claimed they can't contact me or even bothered to send me a reminder before slapping me with the unnecessary fine, yet they are able to send me a letter to demand payment from me? For crying out loud, Citibank has my email address. How is it that they cannot contact me? Absofuckinglutely ridiculous.
Naturally, I blew my top. It does feel like Citibank is really out for your blood, hounding and demanding for payment, to the point of being unethically bothersome. If I'm a terrible debtor, yes I can understand their anxiety. But the fact is, I am not, have never been, don't intend to be, and so, isn't it only right to cut me some bloody slack? I seriously question Citibank's ethics and sincerity. If this is the way they treat their good and reliable customers, I'm seriously considering to move my business somewhere else. I hate the way they treat people. Morons.
Monday, June 29, 2009
I Heart Paws...
Before:
After:
After:
Both are pictures of the same cat. Only, the "after" picture do look much better, nicer and certainly exude some sort of delicateness as compared to the before-going-to-the-groomer's-effect. The looks of Andy's freshly groomed, smooth and roundish-shaped paws always intrigue me. I heart groomed paws!
Comprain comprain
There's always never a harm to lodge a complain. Any complaints at all. Even when you think the probability of getting a civil reply is close to zero. Sometimes, you just gotta bite the bullet and put it in writing. Comprain...comprain....that's what Silver Bullet just did with regards the recent insensitive reply from a certain Mr Bruce and my food poisoning incident. Silver Bullet gave an earful in a long and garang email the next day and received the following reply within the same day:
From: On Behalf Of ChefsXP
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2009 04:21 PM
Subject: Re: Order received by the restaurant
Dear XXX,
First of all, I am very sorry to hear your wife was ill last night. I myself had food poisoning many years back and it was NOT a pleasant experience. I have called the restaurant and specifically inquired about ingredients in the Spaghetti Kamut with spicy seafood, which I gather was the item your wife ate. They claim to use frozen ingredients and suggest it is not likely their food was tainted. That's not to say it wasn't their food that caused your wife's illness, only that we cannot know for sure. Could it have been something else? They are reletively new to Chefsxp and we have not had any complaints about them to date. Of course, I will monitor their sales for any other similar claims and take appropriate action should it come up again.
On the other matter: my appologies if my attempt at levity was misplaced. When I checked our system to compare times, I noted your order was called into the restaurant at 7:14. When I checked with the driver, he said he delivered it at about 8:15. And your email came in at about 8:04. I am checking this 7:35 time stamp...it doesn't jive with the way the system is meant to work.
Nevertheless, and considering even the possibility of tainted food, I would like to offer you a credit on your next food order with chefsxp.com as my way of saying sorry. 50% value of your last order (335baht incl VAT) will be credited to your account.
I hope we will see you again soon.
Bruce
08412xxxxx
My take on this? I don't understand why he thought that it's necessary to put in his personal experience from a few years ago into context. Who gives a crap? From the tone of his email, it did appear like the guy doesn't really wanna take the blame from the onset, too. But at least he was civil enough to apologize and offered a 50% off from our previous bill to be credited to the next. As such, as far as we are concerned, this case is closed. It also wasn't in our intention to boycott ChefsXP and it was only necessary to let them know what we thought of the intial email response. However, that being said, I'm pretty certain, that we definitely will not be ordering from Olivie Cafe. Make that E.V.E.R. A.G.A.I.N.
* garang = fierce in Malay
From: On Behalf Of ChefsXP
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2009 04:21 PM
Subject: Re: Order received by the restaurant
Dear XXX,
First of all, I am very sorry to hear your wife was ill last night. I myself had food poisoning many years back and it was NOT a pleasant experience. I have called the restaurant and specifically inquired about ingredients in the Spaghetti Kamut with spicy seafood, which I gather was the item your wife ate. They claim to use frozen ingredients and suggest it is not likely their food was tainted. That's not to say it wasn't their food that caused your wife's illness, only that we cannot know for sure. Could it have been something else? They are reletively new to Chefsxp and we have not had any complaints about them to date. Of course, I will monitor their sales for any other similar claims and take appropriate action should it come up again.
On the other matter: my appologies if my attempt at levity was misplaced. When I checked our system to compare times, I noted your order was called into the restaurant at 7:14. When I checked with the driver, he said he delivered it at about 8:15. And your email came in at about 8:04. I am checking this 7:35 time stamp...it doesn't jive with the way the system is meant to work.
Nevertheless, and considering even the possibility of tainted food, I would like to offer you a credit on your next food order with chefsxp.com as my way of saying sorry. 50% value of your last order (335baht incl VAT) will be credited to your account.
I hope we will see you again soon.
Bruce
08412xxxxx
My take on this? I don't understand why he thought that it's necessary to put in his personal experience from a few years ago into context. Who gives a crap? From the tone of his email, it did appear like the guy doesn't really wanna take the blame from the onset, too. But at least he was civil enough to apologize and offered a 50% off from our previous bill to be credited to the next. As such, as far as we are concerned, this case is closed. It also wasn't in our intention to boycott ChefsXP and it was only necessary to let them know what we thought of the intial email response. However, that being said, I'm pretty certain, that we definitely will not be ordering from Olivie Cafe. Make that E.V.E.R. A.G.A.I.N.
* garang = fierce in Malay
French Onion Soup
If you are a vegetarian and think that it's ok to order French Onion Soup when you dine in a restaurant, think again. As I found out, it is not as vegetarian as I thought it would be as they tend to use both chicken and beef stock in the soup. Traditionally, (and apparently) only beef stocks are used. That's new news to me - something I would have never found out until I decided to make it yesterday. So for vegetarians and non-beef consumers out there, if you don't already know about what actually goes into a French Onion Soup, just be aware.
If there's anyone to give credit to for me appreciating an otherwise repulsive bowl of French Onion Soup, I'd give the sole credit to Chef Heaven. He single handedly made me a convert with his humble yet super-delicious French Onion Soup. I've had several other French Onion Soups after that, but none tasted like Heaven's. Coming from a former onion-hater, that's a pretty loaded thing to say! I really used to detest onions but now, let's just say that I've come to appreciate them better in the recent years.
If there's anyone to give credit to for me appreciating an otherwise repulsive bowl of French Onion Soup, I'd give the sole credit to Chef Heaven. He single handedly made me a convert with his humble yet super-delicious French Onion Soup. I've had several other French Onion Soups after that, but none tasted like Heaven's. Coming from a former onion-hater, that's a pretty loaded thing to say! I really used to detest onions but now, let's just say that I've come to appreciate them better in the recent years.
Here's my version of French Onion Soup. Simply Filling!
INGREDIENTS
• 6 large yellow onions, sliced.
• Olive oil
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon of sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups of beef stock, chicken stock, or a combination of the two
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon dry thyme
• 1 tspn mustard
• 2 tspn Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, pepper, oregano
• 8 slices of toasted French bread
• 1 1/2 cups of grated Swiss Gruyere with a little grated Parmesan cheese
Method:
1. In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in the olive oil and butter until well browned (but not burnt) about 30-40 minutes (or longer). Add the sugar about 10 minutes into the process to help with the carmelization.
2. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the stock, bay leaf, thyme, oregano. Cover partially and simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. Add in mustard and Worcestershire sauce and simmer.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf (optional) and continue to simmer
4. Separately, prepare the french bread (or use other bread substitute) and top it with cheese. Grill them in an oven until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned.
5.To serve, ladle the soup into the bowls or casserole dish. Top the soup with the toasted bread with cheese and serve.
Double Take
This made me smile. I had to do a double-take on my way out from the kitchen to go to the bathroom when I thought I saw Fudge kaypoing away as Silver Bullet connected his laptop to the LCD screen.
You gotta wonder what goes inside her pretty little head.
You gotta wonder what goes inside her pretty little head.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Stoned Wallabies
Wallabies are apparently hopping around "as high as a kite" somewhere in Tasmania. You just gotta read this article. Make sure you read the comments at the bottom as well. Funny as hell!
R.I.P.M.J.
Looks like the entire world is in shock. Every news channel is covering Wacko Jacko's death today. Almost everyone on Facebook has something to say about him. Betcha the entire world is also blogging about it right this minute or have already blogged about him hours ago. The entire world is in grieve.
I first heard about it as soon as I opened my eyes this morning. And that's only because Silver Bullet had whispered "sweetly" in my ears with a "Oh, by the way, breaking news today: Micheal Jackson is dead", as he woke me up from my slumber in his usual morning routine of kissing me goodbye before he leaves for work. Since then, I've got "Heal the World" playing in my head over and over again. A song I've long forgotten. 7 hours later, the song is still in my head. Just bizarre.
Honestly, I don't know what to think of it. At one time in my life when I was a little kid, I did like Michael Jackson. Over the years, I outgrew him. All those nasty stories about him did little to rekindle my fondness for him. For a long time, I thought he's a certified cuckoo. For a long time too, I could only shook my head and roll my eyeballs each time there's a media frenzy about him and his life. For a long time, I had only felt sorry for him. He was, otherwise, a man of great talent indeed. He may be a celebrity, but like us, he was not immortal. Like us, he was only human. No amount of glory in one's lifetime can prevent anyone from a certain death. Michael Jackson, the King of Pop is certainly no exception.
One thing is for sure, the world will continue to grieve. All that's left is his legacy. A legacy that's to be remembered for a long time to come.
What pains me is what will happen in the next few days to a month or so. The untimely death of Michael Jackson will continue to grace the headlines of all news and entertainment channels. I’m not really looking forward to 24/7 coverage on Michael Jackson for days on end. I need other news feed too, please.
There are people dying…If you care enough for the living…make a better place for you and for me. What Michael sang countless times can never be more apt in this case. Heal the world. Move on. It will be a better place for you and for me.
I first heard about it as soon as I opened my eyes this morning. And that's only because Silver Bullet had whispered "sweetly" in my ears with a "Oh, by the way, breaking news today: Micheal Jackson is dead", as he woke me up from my slumber in his usual morning routine of kissing me goodbye before he leaves for work. Since then, I've got "Heal the World" playing in my head over and over again. A song I've long forgotten. 7 hours later, the song is still in my head. Just bizarre.
Honestly, I don't know what to think of it. At one time in my life when I was a little kid, I did like Michael Jackson. Over the years, I outgrew him. All those nasty stories about him did little to rekindle my fondness for him. For a long time, I thought he's a certified cuckoo. For a long time too, I could only shook my head and roll my eyeballs each time there's a media frenzy about him and his life. For a long time, I had only felt sorry for him. He was, otherwise, a man of great talent indeed. He may be a celebrity, but like us, he was not immortal. Like us, he was only human. No amount of glory in one's lifetime can prevent anyone from a certain death. Michael Jackson, the King of Pop is certainly no exception.
One thing is for sure, the world will continue to grieve. All that's left is his legacy. A legacy that's to be remembered for a long time to come.
What pains me is what will happen in the next few days to a month or so. The untimely death of Michael Jackson will continue to grace the headlines of all news and entertainment channels. I’m not really looking forward to 24/7 coverage on Michael Jackson for days on end. I need other news feed too, please.
There are people dying…If you care enough for the living…make a better place for you and for me. What Michael sang countless times can never be more apt in this case. Heal the world. Move on. It will be a better place for you and for me.
Does this seem right?
Having made our order online from ChefsXP yesterday, it somehow felt like we had to wait for a darn long time before the food actually arrived at our doorstep. Perhaps, we were spoiled, but usually, our order would arrive within the hour or even less. It did seem like we have been waiting for ages, so Silver Bullet sent a polite email to ChefsXP to just ask on the delivery status. I hardly think it was a petty thing to do, sending an email to confirm on the status. Since this is Thailand, there have been occasions where orders were forgotten or didn't get through. It is, in fact, the right thing to do.
This was the reply from ChefsXP which came 44 minutes later:
From: On Behalf Of ChefsXP
Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 08:44 PM
Subject: Re: Order received by the restaurant
Hi,
I've done that before. Soooo hungry it feels like a really long time! After checking the time of your order, the time of your email, and checking with the driver, I think we were pretty much right on time!
I trust you are enjoying your meal. We'll try to knock a few minutes off the delivery time next time.
regards
Bruce
08412xxxxx
Seriously. Is it just me or there is really something not right about the tone of that email? WTF? Whoever that person behind that email was, it is just not funny. We are your paying customers, not your fxxxxng buddies! All we did was ask you a polite question on the delivery status and even if you are blasé about it being "just another annoying complain", where is the respect for your paying customers? Really not tickled by the highly displaced sense of humour. Am I right or am I right?
This was the reply from ChefsXP which came 44 minutes later:
From: On Behalf Of ChefsXP
Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 08:44 PM
Subject: Re: Order received by the restaurant
Hi,
I've done that before. Soooo hungry it feels like a really long time! After checking the time of your order, the time of your email, and checking with the driver, I think we were pretty much right on time!
I trust you are enjoying your meal. We'll try to knock a few minutes off the delivery time next time.
regards
Bruce
08412xxxxx
Seriously. Is it just me or there is really something not right about the tone of that email? WTF? Whoever that person behind that email was, it is just not funny. We are your paying customers, not your fxxxxng buddies! All we did was ask you a polite question on the delivery status and even if you are blasé about it being "just another annoying complain", where is the respect for your paying customers? Really not tickled by the highly displaced sense of humour. Am I right or am I right?
Blacklisted
Yesterday was one of those evenings where home delivery became the order of the day. Simply because, I wasn't really in the mood to do anything in the kitchen. Come to think of it, I should have just sucked it up and cooked! Instead, we regretfully made a wrong choice of ordering from Olivie Cafe, one of the restaurants listed in ChefsXP.
Take the Chicken Pesto Panini aside, the rest of the food we ordered from Olivie Cafe simply sucked. The Fried Calamari was awfully chewy and usually, being a big fan of calamari, I'd have no problems finishing them all. I only had ONE yesterday and decided I couldn't really eat the rest as something was really off about it. The Banana Choco Crepe tasted fake, as if it was being chemically processed. I have reasons to also believe that the Spaghetti Kamut Spicy Seafood I had as my main dish was the cause of my food poisoning late into the night. I should have said something when I thought the prawns in my spaghetti didn't appear too cooked; but instead I shrugged it off, decided not to be too anal about it and stuffed it in my mouth. I paid the price 4 to 5 hours later when I woke up several times with diarrhoea and spent quite sometime hugging the toilet bowl, puking my guts out.
That's definitely one restaurant to blacklist. Safe to say, we won't be ordering from Olivie Cafe no more.
Take the Chicken Pesto Panini aside, the rest of the food we ordered from Olivie Cafe simply sucked. The Fried Calamari was awfully chewy and usually, being a big fan of calamari, I'd have no problems finishing them all. I only had ONE yesterday and decided I couldn't really eat the rest as something was really off about it. The Banana Choco Crepe tasted fake, as if it was being chemically processed. I have reasons to also believe that the Spaghetti Kamut Spicy Seafood I had as my main dish was the cause of my food poisoning late into the night. I should have said something when I thought the prawns in my spaghetti didn't appear too cooked; but instead I shrugged it off, decided not to be too anal about it and stuffed it in my mouth. I paid the price 4 to 5 hours later when I woke up several times with diarrhoea and spent quite sometime hugging the toilet bowl, puking my guts out.
That's definitely one restaurant to blacklist. Safe to say, we won't be ordering from Olivie Cafe no more.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Life is too short for the wrong job
Monday, June 22, 2009
Weekend Frenzy
Weekends are always too short. Two days are just not enough to recuperate from the drudgery of a 5-day work week. Those 2 precious days seemed awfully shorter if there are already due obligations to fulfill. Having to deal with unexpected obligations sometimes makes it even shorter than it already is. Juggling things around can really be exhausting. With so many things to do, we spent our two precious days last weekend, running around town to make good of unexpected obligations. Needless to say, the hours flew by, leaving us in a complete daze, utter confusion but still lucid at the end of the day. Here today, gone tomorrow. Sometimes, things can be predictably unpredictable.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Nachos
A bunch of nacho chips topped with chopped fresh tomatoes, shitake mushroom, some parsley layered with generous layer of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese, all chucked into the oven for a quick snack.This is so, so good when served piping hot, especially when you are feeling peckish.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
A change is good.
"Be very careful of what you wish for, it might just come true. And sometimes, if you so much just fleetingly think about it and if you want it hard enough, you might just get it. Eventually. When the time is right. Take things as they come...see what happens. These things will somehow find their way to you in ways you can never imagine."
Wise words Mom used on me as a reminder whenever I happened to bitch to her about things I'm extremely unhappy about, mainly career-wise. Those quotes I hold dear, juxtaposed and extended to my personal life.
The "it" in this case are the happenings in your life; your very innermost desires and thoughts...things that you only share to those who are close to you or perhaps, something only you yourself know. Could be big, could be small. Either way, when they happen to you, they are likely to make a dent in your life, inevitably shaping your future. These things work in their own mysterious ways.
Changes abound! I've been bitching about it for a while now. But soon, life at work is gonna go on a little detour. A change I've been waiting for. I'm psyched and ready for it.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Dexter
Would you root for a serial killer? Seriously. Think about it. Probably not.
The irony of it all. Here's a nice serial killer working for the police department. You will be on the edge of your seat hoping that he will not get caught each time he kills. Trust me. You'd actually cheer for him. And as it turns out, his boat which he uses to dispose the dead, bears the same name with my blog. Well, not that it means anything.
With Dexter though, you might just change your mind. It is intriguingly dark, twisted and just gripping. Dexter Morgan is essentially a Miami-based blood spatter analyst. Nothing wrong in that, except that he is also a serial killer by night. He doesn't just kill anyone. He only kills if they are killers. He would also stake out killers who somehow managed to beat the judicial system. It is all for a good cause in making the world a better place. Or is it? On one hand, he definitely is a killer, yet, he only eliminates the really bad guys. To top it all, he is smart, appears nice almost all the time, makes people laugh and good with children. So where do you draw the line to not like him? That's what makes this series worth watching...it's hard to categorize the black or white. His narratives throughout the series are pretty hilarious, reflecting his inner voice when he is subjected to the different circumstances in his day job working for the Miami Police. Each episode is just intense.
The irony of it all. Here's a nice serial killer working for the police department. You will be on the edge of your seat hoping that he will not get caught each time he kills. Trust me. You'd actually cheer for him. And as it turns out, his boat which he uses to dispose the dead, bears the same name with my blog. Well, not that it means anything. Get your hands on this if you can. It's too cool to be missed. Can't wait for Season 4.
WTF!
I'm a bit peeved. Just realized that my Calvin & Hobbes gadget on the site of my blog has some copyright issues and has been taken off the blogger's gadget. That means, there'll be no more Calvin & Hobbes strips to read for now. I'm not too happy about this. WTF!
Haven't decided what to replace it with...so for now, it will be N.O.T.H.I.N.G.
Haven't decided what to replace it with...so for now, it will be N.O.T.H.I.N.G.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Where are all the smiles?
Does anyone ever smile anymore? It’s ironic that while Thailand is purported to be the land of smiles, smiles are rather scarce these days. Didn’t someone say that a smile can be infectious?
Apparently not so with this particular service person whom I encountered today. She’s this tiny, puny, little lady and works at this coffee place in my office building where I get my caffeine fix every morning. I usually get served by another friendlier lady, but today, only this little person was there. For someone so tiny, she had a frown the size of an industrial coffee machine! She was grumpy as hell and didn’t even return my smile when I said sawadee-kah. She looked like she was about to consume her customers with her “tu-lan” face and when she is done making her coffee, she just shove the cup to them. Fancy how such behavior can affect you. She almost ruined my morning with her attitude. Is it that hard to smile just a little?
Hell! Even always -grumpy-in-the-morning me would smile back at the doorman of the building who relentlessly opens the door for office workers every day, greeting them with his huge, never-give-up wide smile. He does this day in, day out, greeting and smiling away like an energizer bunny. Yet, not everyone who walks through that door smiles back at him. Sad.
I like this quote (author unknown): “If you would like to spoil the day for a grouch, give him a smile.” I guess I should start smiling myself silly! ;D
Apparently not so with this particular service person whom I encountered today. She’s this tiny, puny, little lady and works at this coffee place in my office building where I get my caffeine fix every morning. I usually get served by another friendlier lady, but today, only this little person was there. For someone so tiny, she had a frown the size of an industrial coffee machine! She was grumpy as hell and didn’t even return my smile when I said sawadee-kah. She looked like she was about to consume her customers with her “tu-lan” face and when she is done making her coffee, she just shove the cup to them. Fancy how such behavior can affect you. She almost ruined my morning with her attitude. Is it that hard to smile just a little?
Hell! Even always -grumpy-in-the-morning me would smile back at the doorman of the building who relentlessly opens the door for office workers every day, greeting them with his huge, never-give-up wide smile. He does this day in, day out, greeting and smiling away like an energizer bunny. Yet, not everyone who walks through that door smiles back at him. Sad.
I like this quote (author unknown): “If you would like to spoil the day for a grouch, give him a smile.” I guess I should start smiling myself silly! ;D
Saturday, June 13, 2009
A Reflection
WARNING: A VERY LENGHTY BLOG POST
It seems like ages ago since I was in a “I hate Thailand and everything about it” mode. As I suspected, it was a phase. Thailand can wear you down and sometimes, such feelings creep up on you, right at the point where your patience is wearing thin. At such point, everything else will be perceived to be in an abysmal mess, almost irreparable.
Yet, another year has passed as I marked my fourth year in Bangkok end May 2009. Time flies. Another year to look back, since I extended my planned 2-year stay by another 2 more years.
Thailand can get to you sometimes and, there are moments where I would just want to bite people’s head off and get out of the madness. For me, that usually happens in the office environment. As much as I bitch about Thailand at times though, I have to say that a lot of things may not have happened if not for the very fact that I’m actually in this eccentric country.
As far as I remember, I’ve always wanted to work overseas. I yearn for the experience, the exposure outside my own comfort zone, the culture-shock, unknown challenges...things money can’t buy. Even though Bangkok was not the first place on my list, I could hardly believe my luck when I was offered a job here. While I did wish for the opportunity, I never would have thought that someday, my yearnings became a reality in this lifetime.
I mentally wanted to grab the job callously with open-arms when my boss told me about the posting. But circumstances at that time made me think about it long and hard. It was not an easy decision to make to say the least. I must have kept the thought to myself for at least 2 months before I wanted to tell anyone else about it as negotiations with my Thai office was underway. Had it not been for my mom, I would likely keep that knowledge to myself (with the exception of my twelve-minus-two buddy who knew about it just a tad earlier) until I was very sure of my decision. For some reason, my mom seemed to have the hunches, which spooked me, to say the least. I remembered the incident very clearly: I was helping my mom making pineapple tarts and out of nowhere, she started steering our conversation to what’s going on in my head at that time. She did it ever so subtly, dropping hints on overseas posting and mentioning, Vietnam and Indonesia (but strangely, not Thailand). It’s as if she knew! I finally relented after her half hour “digging” and told her about the offer on the table. Till now, I cannot forget the calm smile on her face as she clipped the pineapple tarts as soon as I told her what was going on. At that time, I was half-expecting of her disapproval, but instead, she supported me whole-heartedly citing, in her own words: "the experience is yours and it cannot be bought, measured or compensated with money." I was, and still am, moved by my mom’s positive encouragement. It took a while before my dad came to terms with the fact that I’ll be gone. I can understand why. To him, I’m always his little girl who needs to be protected. He eventually gave his blessings.
When other people finally got wind of my move, there were mixed reactions. While some were supportive, some started asking me (which I thought was a ridiculous) question as to why I would even think of going out of Singapore. Everything I need is in Singapore and Singapore this, and Singapore that, and Singapore offers everything. Some insinuated that Thailand could be my doom…of all places! Thailand! Thailand would be a career suicide! People move to Europe or US…but Thailand?! That’s unthinkable! By the same token, some weird beings reprimanded my parents for being irresponsible to let a girl live out on her own in some strange country. Call it the Asian values as I’m certain they probably couldn’t fathom or understand why any sane person would want such things. My answer to the annoying question was simple: It’s going to be good for MY soul. There’s no Europe, there’s no US and Thailand is willing to give me that one opportunity in a lifetime. An opportunity that’s hard to come by. Thankfully, they didn’t argue more with me.
Generally, I approach things with an open-mind. Anything goes, let it ride. It was, however, a depressing time for me after about 3 months, and mind you, I’m not the manic depressive type. It takes a lot, and I do mean A LOT out of me to make me all down and depressed. While work was fine, friends or social life is just NADA. It is hard to make friends in this country. Bangkok being infamously Bangkok is not an easy place for a lone, single woman. Not having shopping as one of my past-time wasn’t helping much for my well-being. Being naturally introverted made things worse, but even so, I had actually gone out of my way to join some writing club in my bid to make friends. Imagine an introvert going out of her way to make friends…it’s like asking the mute to sing! That, however, did not last long as the horrible traffic ensured my perpetual impunctuality. Besides, let’s just say that the crowd wasn’t really my type.
While I do like being alone, it was probably the first time in my life that I felt real lonely. Everyone I knew seemed so far away. A phone-call doesn’t quite cut it. It takes a lot of effort to get to know people. So much so that I felt so worn out from the routine “question-and-answer sessions” of trying to make friends, and later realize there was no real connection. The loneliness was almost unbearable and even though I had known Silver Bullet as an acquaintance then, my pride made sure that I wasn’t being too dependent on him for company. After all, it is Bangkok we are talking about here. I am too aware of the fact that Bangkok is a boys’ haven. In my mind, given a choice, men would generally prefer multiple Thai beauties as opposed to hanging out with 1 loony female from the one-dot city on a map. That, and top it up with my crass attitude, I’m more likely to scare the crap out of the boys rather than attract them. Fortunately for me, Silver Bullet took to my looniness and seemed to enjoy my random company. His presence as an honest friend really did ease up my bouts of depression.
So many things happened in the last 4 years, some things I couldn’t for the life of me, imagine happening. I’d more likely to laugh in your face if you’d tell me 10 years ago that I’ll earn my bread and butter living in Thailand and actually got married. I think that’s probably the biggest joke amongst my close friends as I was pretty adamant of living my life as a singleton. I’m sure my parents are both relieved now that some guy has saved their daughter from the imminent spinsterhood.
At the end of it, Bangkok, offered me a chance at something. A chance to be a better person, a chance to learn, a chance for happiness, a chance to love, a chance to proof myself and a chance for a better appreciation. I think my awareness for such chances are heightened just because I’m far away from the familiarity of home base, which otherwise, from my perspective, (I) might just take it all for granted.
It's still looking like Bangkok will be our home for at least the next few years to come [hence the LCD TV ;p] with Silver Bullet's contract extended and mine, open-ended. As long as both our employment services are required by our respective employers, I guess we’ll be here.
Despite the frustrations, it is no doubt to me that the last 4 years here has been good for my soul. I learnt that for the sakes of sanity, some battles relating to Thai culture and beliefs are just not worth fighting; be it within or outside the office. Live and let live, but I promise, it will not be without the occasional oh-so-sanguine bitching.
It seems like ages ago since I was in a “I hate Thailand and everything about it” mode. As I suspected, it was a phase. Thailand can wear you down and sometimes, such feelings creep up on you, right at the point where your patience is wearing thin. At such point, everything else will be perceived to be in an abysmal mess, almost irreparable.
Yet, another year has passed as I marked my fourth year in Bangkok end May 2009. Time flies. Another year to look back, since I extended my planned 2-year stay by another 2 more years.
Thailand can get to you sometimes and, there are moments where I would just want to bite people’s head off and get out of the madness. For me, that usually happens in the office environment. As much as I bitch about Thailand at times though, I have to say that a lot of things may not have happened if not for the very fact that I’m actually in this eccentric country.
As far as I remember, I’ve always wanted to work overseas. I yearn for the experience, the exposure outside my own comfort zone, the culture-shock, unknown challenges...things money can’t buy. Even though Bangkok was not the first place on my list, I could hardly believe my luck when I was offered a job here. While I did wish for the opportunity, I never would have thought that someday, my yearnings became a reality in this lifetime.
I mentally wanted to grab the job callously with open-arms when my boss told me about the posting. But circumstances at that time made me think about it long and hard. It was not an easy decision to make to say the least. I must have kept the thought to myself for at least 2 months before I wanted to tell anyone else about it as negotiations with my Thai office was underway. Had it not been for my mom, I would likely keep that knowledge to myself (with the exception of my twelve-minus-two buddy who knew about it just a tad earlier) until I was very sure of my decision. For some reason, my mom seemed to have the hunches, which spooked me, to say the least. I remembered the incident very clearly: I was helping my mom making pineapple tarts and out of nowhere, she started steering our conversation to what’s going on in my head at that time. She did it ever so subtly, dropping hints on overseas posting and mentioning, Vietnam and Indonesia (but strangely, not Thailand). It’s as if she knew! I finally relented after her half hour “digging” and told her about the offer on the table. Till now, I cannot forget the calm smile on her face as she clipped the pineapple tarts as soon as I told her what was going on. At that time, I was half-expecting of her disapproval, but instead, she supported me whole-heartedly citing, in her own words: "the experience is yours and it cannot be bought, measured or compensated with money." I was, and still am, moved by my mom’s positive encouragement. It took a while before my dad came to terms with the fact that I’ll be gone. I can understand why. To him, I’m always his little girl who needs to be protected. He eventually gave his blessings.
When other people finally got wind of my move, there were mixed reactions. While some were supportive, some started asking me (which I thought was a ridiculous) question as to why I would even think of going out of Singapore. Everything I need is in Singapore and Singapore this, and Singapore that, and Singapore offers everything. Some insinuated that Thailand could be my doom…of all places! Thailand! Thailand would be a career suicide! People move to Europe or US…but Thailand?! That’s unthinkable! By the same token, some weird beings reprimanded my parents for being irresponsible to let a girl live out on her own in some strange country. Call it the Asian values as I’m certain they probably couldn’t fathom or understand why any sane person would want such things. My answer to the annoying question was simple: It’s going to be good for MY soul. There’s no Europe, there’s no US and Thailand is willing to give me that one opportunity in a lifetime. An opportunity that’s hard to come by. Thankfully, they didn’t argue more with me.
Generally, I approach things with an open-mind. Anything goes, let it ride. It was, however, a depressing time for me after about 3 months, and mind you, I’m not the manic depressive type. It takes a lot, and I do mean A LOT out of me to make me all down and depressed. While work was fine, friends or social life is just NADA. It is hard to make friends in this country. Bangkok being infamously Bangkok is not an easy place for a lone, single woman. Not having shopping as one of my past-time wasn’t helping much for my well-being. Being naturally introverted made things worse, but even so, I had actually gone out of my way to join some writing club in my bid to make friends. Imagine an introvert going out of her way to make friends…it’s like asking the mute to sing! That, however, did not last long as the horrible traffic ensured my perpetual impunctuality. Besides, let’s just say that the crowd wasn’t really my type.
While I do like being alone, it was probably the first time in my life that I felt real lonely. Everyone I knew seemed so far away. A phone-call doesn’t quite cut it. It takes a lot of effort to get to know people. So much so that I felt so worn out from the routine “question-and-answer sessions” of trying to make friends, and later realize there was no real connection. The loneliness was almost unbearable and even though I had known Silver Bullet as an acquaintance then, my pride made sure that I wasn’t being too dependent on him for company. After all, it is Bangkok we are talking about here. I am too aware of the fact that Bangkok is a boys’ haven. In my mind, given a choice, men would generally prefer multiple Thai beauties as opposed to hanging out with 1 loony female from the one-dot city on a map. That, and top it up with my crass attitude, I’m more likely to scare the crap out of the boys rather than attract them. Fortunately for me, Silver Bullet took to my looniness and seemed to enjoy my random company. His presence as an honest friend really did ease up my bouts of depression.
So many things happened in the last 4 years, some things I couldn’t for the life of me, imagine happening. I’d more likely to laugh in your face if you’d tell me 10 years ago that I’ll earn my bread and butter living in Thailand and actually got married. I think that’s probably the biggest joke amongst my close friends as I was pretty adamant of living my life as a singleton. I’m sure my parents are both relieved now that some guy has saved their daughter from the imminent spinsterhood.
At the end of it, Bangkok, offered me a chance at something. A chance to be a better person, a chance to learn, a chance for happiness, a chance to love, a chance to proof myself and a chance for a better appreciation. I think my awareness for such chances are heightened just because I’m far away from the familiarity of home base, which otherwise, from my perspective, (I) might just take it all for granted.
It's still looking like Bangkok will be our home for at least the next few years to come [hence the LCD TV ;p] with Silver Bullet's contract extended and mine, open-ended. As long as both our employment services are required by our respective employers, I guess we’ll be here.
Despite the frustrations, it is no doubt to me that the last 4 years here has been good for my soul. I learnt that for the sakes of sanity, some battles relating to Thai culture and beliefs are just not worth fighting; be it within or outside the office. Live and let live, but I promise, it will not be without the occasional oh-so-sanguine bitching.
Best Chicken Rice in Thailand
For the life of me, I have absolutely no idea what this little restaurant in the tent is called, but it sure serves a hell chicken rice! I can't quite pinpoint the address or direction to this place, simply because it is located in Chatuchak Market. Now, Chatuchak Market is MASSIVE. It is about the size of at least 10 Olympic football fields and you are bound to get lost the moment you are in there. Because of its sheer size and the fact that almost every shop looks the same, the chances of you finding that same shop you patronized earlier can be really difficult, frustrating and almost impossible. All I can tell you is that it's somewhere along Soi 11 or 12.It was by chance that I found this place a few years ago. Finding it the second time was really difficult and I remember walking around for at least an hour around the area just to find this stall. Whenever I have to take a friend to this place for lunch if we are at Chatuchak, I'd warn in advance that we might be going in circles, and god forbid that we may never find it that day. It took a few tries before we master the navigation to this place and now, I can depend on Silver Bullet to remember the directions.
Definitely one of the best tasting chicken rice in Thailand ever. It is also probably the only halal chicken rice stall in the entire Chatuchak Market. To most, Chatuchak is a shopping haven. To me, Chatuchak is about THIS very chicken rice. It's so good that we decided to tar pao* it home for dinner, even after we already had lunch there. This chicken rice always make a trip to Chatuchak worth it.* Tar Pao: Hokkien term meaning “takeaway”, “takeout” or doggy-bagged food.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Epiphany
Mornings are just plain awful. It takes a whole lot of energy for me to actually get out of bed. And that’s usually after pressing the snooze button several times. Most mornings are as unmemorable as after my last pee break. Being on auto-pilot ensures that too, as I don’t wake-up till after I get to the office. Mornings accentuate my grumpiness, zombified my existence and, it’s certainly not a good time to ask me questions or make small talks. Not even asking for directions. My brains are still asleep even though my body is physically moving. I’m not particularly a morning person and that means getting to the office by 9.30 am everyday is a feat for me. I would only attempt to be in the office earlier if I’m really busy (ended up working late anyways) or if there’s a meeting I need to be in; which fortunately, is not that often.
In the last few days, however, I managed to drag myself out of bed and actually be in the office before 8 am. The fact that Silver Bullet drops me off at the BTS station on his way to NonthaNowhere helps. Short ride, but at least my lazy butt gets a morning ride! 3 days in a row, too and it’s not because of piling work load!
The thing is, it’s really nice to be in the office where few people are around and the silence is just beautiful. For some reason, I’m also more productive with full battery of concentration. Then I had an epiphany. After the 3 consecutive early days, I actually feel happier and liberated. Although, I have to admit that I did somehow feel guilty for leaving early as the staff are still working. But then again, they sauntered in the office after 10 am even! Worse, most are just chatting on MSN and playing games on Facebook! So screw the guilt. I’ll leave as and when I want if I’m done with work. That’s what matters and if that makes me happy, it’s worth it.
It’s really nice to be able to leave at an earlier time and be home before the sun goes down. The feeling is great and I guess, no harm reminding myself that I do have other life besides work! I should really maintain this habit of getting to the office by 8 a.m.
In the last few days, however, I managed to drag myself out of bed and actually be in the office before 8 am. The fact that Silver Bullet drops me off at the BTS station on his way to NonthaNowhere helps. Short ride, but at least my lazy butt gets a morning ride! 3 days in a row, too and it’s not because of piling work load!
The thing is, it’s really nice to be in the office where few people are around and the silence is just beautiful. For some reason, I’m also more productive with full battery of concentration. Then I had an epiphany. After the 3 consecutive early days, I actually feel happier and liberated. Although, I have to admit that I did somehow feel guilty for leaving early as the staff are still working. But then again, they sauntered in the office after 10 am even! Worse, most are just chatting on MSN and playing games on Facebook! So screw the guilt. I’ll leave as and when I want if I’m done with work. That’s what matters and if that makes me happy, it’s worth it.
It’s really nice to be able to leave at an earlier time and be home before the sun goes down. The feeling is great and I guess, no harm reminding myself that I do have other life besides work! I should really maintain this habit of getting to the office by 8 a.m.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Auto War
This was circulated via email more than 3 years ago. Was surprised to find that I still have this in my inbox. It certainly was not the cheapest way of communication...but it's pretty hilarious where:
1. BMW starts a campaign
2. Audi reacts
3. The Japanese have something to say too...
4. Finally the CEO of Bentley starts a campaign as well...
1. BMW starts a campaign
2. Audi reacts
3. The Japanese have something to say too...
4. Finally the CEO of Bentley starts a campaign as well...
Paragon
Call me daft, but I had no idea that there's actually a meaning behind the word "paragon". All along, I would associate the word "Paragon" with pretentious shopping malls that blast way too much air-con, selling only over-priced product and services and an utter snob. Blimey! I wouldn't have thought for a second that there's actually a meaning behind that word! But if you already knew, good for you as it's actually something I never thought about till today.
According to Dictionary.com's Word of The Day, paragon really means:
paragon \PAIR-uh-gon; -guhn\, noun
A model of excellence or perfection; as, "a paragon of beauty; a paragon of eloquence."
Ahh! I guess my initial mental association to the word is not too far off. Pretentious, Expensive, Over-rated, Snobbish.
According to Dictionary.com's Word of The Day, paragon really means:
paragon \PAIR-uh-gon; -guhn\, noun
A model of excellence or perfection; as, "a paragon of beauty; a paragon of eloquence."
Ahh! I guess my initial mental association to the word is not too far off. Pretentious, Expensive, Over-rated, Snobbish.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Finally
See the difference between the two photos? Bwahhaaahahhahahahaaaahhaha! A new TV we finally have!
We have been eyeing the LCD screen TV for a while. Since we do watch a lot of movies, we have always contemplated on getting a decent TV. Not to mention that the TV provided by the apartment is quite the piece of crap. We tolerated the old TV just because we were always so unsure if we should be buying one, since we don't know how long we'll be living here.
Just out of sheer luck, Samsung's LCD TV was on sale last weekend at 40% off the original price. It was a bargain for a 40" and not having to fork out a single cent out of the lifetime savings was the deal clincher. The furniture, however, is not new. When we told the apartment what we need, they obligingly removed the old TV set and agreed to our request of having those shelvings removed. No fuss, no nothing. The service is our apartment here is simply top notch! They really go out of their way to make it feel like it's your own home. No wonder there's hardly any vacant apartments as the tenants here are all, but long-term stayers!
Finally a decent and proper TV set at home with amazing colours, contrast and sharpness. I like! I like! I like! I like!
We have been eyeing the LCD screen TV for a while. Since we do watch a lot of movies, we have always contemplated on getting a decent TV. Not to mention that the TV provided by the apartment is quite the piece of crap. We tolerated the old TV just because we were always so unsure if we should be buying one, since we don't know how long we'll be living here.
Just out of sheer luck, Samsung's LCD TV was on sale last weekend at 40% off the original price. It was a bargain for a 40" and not having to fork out a single cent out of the lifetime savings was the deal clincher. The furniture, however, is not new. When we told the apartment what we need, they obligingly removed the old TV set and agreed to our request of having those shelvings removed. No fuss, no nothing. The service is our apartment here is simply top notch! They really go out of their way to make it feel like it's your own home. No wonder there's hardly any vacant apartments as the tenants here are all, but long-term stayers!
Finally a decent and proper TV set at home with amazing colours, contrast and sharpness. I like! I like! I like! I like!
Better than KFC
This guy here would give Colonel Sanders a run for his money. One of the better tasting fried chicken and really good deep fried chicken skins in Bangkok so far. His stuff is better than the elusive chicken skin man found along Phrom Phong, and definitely much better than KFC. I am, by now KFC-ed out. Just the smell alone made me gag, and I can't seem to be able to keep the KFCs in once I've had them...even if I had just a little bit. One piece of chicken and a pack of deep fried chicken skin set me back by a mere 50 baht (~2 SGD). He can be found right outside my office building almost everyday. No more searching for the elusive chicken skin man now!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Calvin & Hobbes
I just love the look on his face captured on the 2nd frame. Not to mention on how he attempts to emo-blackmail his mom.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Book Addict
While waiting for Silver Bullet to get his haircut, today, I strayed. I strayed into a sanctuary of imagination. The next thing I knew, Silver Bullet was done with his hair-cut and appeared right before me with his “I knew you’d done it again” grin. He knew me too well, Silver Bullet. Before parting our ways – him to the hairdresser, me to AsiaBook store, Silver Bullet shouted over his shoulder with a “don’t buy out the bookstore” remark to me. In all honesty, I had only wanted to browse while waiting for him but I walked out of the store with 5 books half an hour later. .
Bookstores are a perennial problem for me. Each time I pass by one, I just need to have a look at what they have. More often than not, I would come out of the store as a proud owner of several new books; even when I don’t have the initial intention of buying any in the first place. I can’t stay away from a bookstore and so far, no forces of nature could have repelled me from its calling. I am a self-confessed book addict.
As far as I remember, my childhood has always been surrounded by books. I would spend hours reading away, oblivious to the world. I would usually bring a book with me…be it visiting a relative or travelling with my parents. That’s also when I discovered to never ever read in a moving vehicle as it made me really, really sick. That happened when I was probably about 11 years old. We were travelling in a van to somewhere in Malaysia and one of my uncles was driving. I started reading the moment we got on board. 3 hours later, I had a massive headache and started throwing up. I’ve never attempted to read while in a moving vehicle again. Well, in truth, I did try several times more, but I recognized the symptoms and it’s just not worth it.
Nowadays, it’s hard to find time for a proper reading. I miss my student days when I was able to have extended book-time to immerse myself for hours on end without having the obligation or responsibilities in tow. I would only care getting to the last page of any book that I was reading at that time. Those were the days.
The only challenge now is for me to find time reading those 5 books plus a couple more which I bought months ago. Haa..haa! Yes..I still have a few new books lying around prior to the ones I bought today. I can smack myself silly for “doing it again”, but hey, at least books are for keeps. I’m only happy to lend it to anyone who wants to read them, as long as they are returned to me. Or at least, I hope they will eventually return it to me.
One other issue with buying books is that we are running out of storage space. But that could just be an excuse to go look for proper bookshelves!
Bookstores are a perennial problem for me. Each time I pass by one, I just need to have a look at what they have. More often than not, I would come out of the store as a proud owner of several new books; even when I don’t have the initial intention of buying any in the first place. I can’t stay away from a bookstore and so far, no forces of nature could have repelled me from its calling. I am a self-confessed book addict.
As far as I remember, my childhood has always been surrounded by books. I would spend hours reading away, oblivious to the world. I would usually bring a book with me…be it visiting a relative or travelling with my parents. That’s also when I discovered to never ever read in a moving vehicle as it made me really, really sick. That happened when I was probably about 11 years old. We were travelling in a van to somewhere in Malaysia and one of my uncles was driving. I started reading the moment we got on board. 3 hours later, I had a massive headache and started throwing up. I’ve never attempted to read while in a moving vehicle again. Well, in truth, I did try several times more, but I recognized the symptoms and it’s just not worth it.
Nowadays, it’s hard to find time for a proper reading. I miss my student days when I was able to have extended book-time to immerse myself for hours on end without having the obligation or responsibilities in tow. I would only care getting to the last page of any book that I was reading at that time. Those were the days.
The only challenge now is for me to find time reading those 5 books plus a couple more which I bought months ago. Haa..haa! Yes..I still have a few new books lying around prior to the ones I bought today. I can smack myself silly for “doing it again”, but hey, at least books are for keeps. I’m only happy to lend it to anyone who wants to read them, as long as they are returned to me. Or at least, I hope they will eventually return it to me.
One other issue with buying books is that we are running out of storage space. But that could just be an excuse to go look for proper bookshelves!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Fatso in dreamland
Donut has always been one of those cats who hardly would come near you, but near enough for him to see you. This was one of those rare moment when he decided to stumble on me and plopped himself right next to me while I'm on the couch. He immediately snoozed away to dreamland, but only after contorting himself in several different positions to get comfortable.
Reminds me of one of those Calvin & Hobbes strips where Hobbes stretches, yawns, arches his back, scratches his ear, curls around, and plops on the floor. He falls asleep. Calvin, reading a book on the sofa near Hobbes starts yawning and says he shouldn't have watched.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Hummus Craving
This time, it was Silver Bullet who has a sudden craving for hummus and was quite hell bent on making it himself. He does make a pretty good hummus, though. They really do taste so good with soft, warm Turkish bread.Hummus is a Levantine Arab dip or spread made from mashed chickpeas, blended with sesame paste called tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. Very Mediterranean.
Silver Bullet has added cumin into his hummus here. This thing was pretty much cleaned out in just two days! Yummy, yummy!
HDR Series: Tanzania
Silver Bullet's recent creation of 3-into-1 HDR images of Tanzania. The beautiful landscapes are pretty well-captured here and the depth in these pictures are really amazing. It is sights like these that would no doubt, just take your breath away.
Serengeti
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Ngorongoro
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Serengeti
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Ngorongoro
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