An Amazing Weekend!

The weekend that just passed was filled to the brim with fun-filled activities and it was kick-started by a drinking session on Friday night. I was invited by JW to meet her friends who were visiting from UK for a chilling out session at Sound Bar. I actually recommended she bring her friends there cos its kinda out of the bustle of the city and the music is soft enough to hear each talk without having to lose our voices. I also asked a colleague - JM, who was touching down from Thailand to join us since we've been having this drinking session thingy going on for a few Friday nights.

Before I arrived at Sound Bar, I expected to only see JW and 4 of her friends whom she got to befriend during her studies in UK.. 2 British Born Chinese sisters, 1 Malaysian girl and 1 cool BBC dude who's a rocker.. but when I arrived, I was SHOCKED to see a crowd of 10-plus people seated on high stools chit-chatting away.. and the only person I knew was JW.. i wasn't prepared for this at all.. i thought maybe i could make friends with 4 people.. but 10-odd was a no-no.. i really didnt wana have small talk with sooooooo many people.. esp after a tiring week of work.. so i actually shyed away and ran to a corner and started thinking of an escape plan.. some crap excuse just to leave the group.. (I am very shy for those who do not know.. haha) but I couldn't think of any credible excuse and besides i've already invited the other colleague who was arriving from Thailand and its bad to cancel on him..

So with all shyness i headed back to the tables.. already red from ears to cheeks.. and sat down beside JW.. and soon found out that it was a gathering of people who have studied in various universities in UK.. there were would be lawyers, economists, marketeers, consultants.. all in one table.. to my pleasant surprise, things worked out very well.. and i was soon able to assimilate into the group and was actually enjoying myself very much (though i only stuck to the 4 core friends).. we moved on to Zouk after an hour and i met up with JM there and had a merry time drinking and dancing.. its been a while since i got into the dancing mood.. these days i jus prefer to drink and watch others dance.. and even for drinking.. i've been controlling a lot.. ever since i got so badly drunk on my company's D&D.. so these days i drink with moderation and if possible, i stick to beers since i handle them better.. haha..

Saturday afternoon was spent in office doing work which was fine by me.. i can't recall the last weekend where i haven't gone back to work.. but oh well.. it doesnt disturb me much since i don't have any other commitments (no life basically).. and besides i had Saturday night to look forward to!! I was going to the Night Safari with JW and her UK friends.. I've never been to the night safari and have always been wanting to go! The adventure started at about 8pm for us and off we went on the tram ride that lasted about 45mins where we had a tour of the animals.. some of which were near enough i could literally stroke their heads.. my favourite has to be the Lions and the Tigers.. i've always been a fan of both.. haha.. this was followed by a trip to Bongo Burgers.. where I had a juicy beef burger with huge fries and a diet coke..

After dinner, some of them caught the animal show - Creatures of the Night.. but me, JW and LL did not make it as it was just too crowded.. when the rest came back to join us, we set off on foot to comb the safari.. it wasnt too difficult since there are trails for you to follow.. the highlight of the night had to be the Bat Enclosure where bats were allowed to fly freely above your heads.. i'm not sure if they were bats.. or birds.. they were soooooo freaking hugee!!!! and cos the enclosure was rather low-lying, you could feel the wind that comes from the flapping of the wings of the Batty-Birds! that was how close we were with these "friendly" bats.. haha.. it was fun! By the time we finished with the trekking, it was almost midnight and it was time to leave.. we took a cab back to JW's house.. she was very kind to open a bottle of red wine for us to savour.. but me and her rocker friend, SM, had the horrifying job of picking a bottle from her dad's collection.. i know next to ZERO about red wines and i surely do not want to end up picking an expensive bottle without even knowing it and when her dad comes home to find that bottle that we polished off (without even knowing how to appreciate it!!) is his best-kept bottle then i would so lose my head.. in the end, we choosed the bottle with the most recent year, 2004.. methinks we should be safe.. haha.. we had the privilege of getting SM to play the guitar to entertain us.. but only for a short while.. he was shy to perform i guess.. haha..

Sunday was another great day cos we celebrated my good ol' brother's bdae! Hua-ge hasn't been in the best of moods lately and it was cool to get together with him and Lewis and Sok and Duck.. we had a little celebration at Settlers Cafe in Holland Village, playing board games.. the bdae cake was a very sinful chocolate cake from Sweet Secrets.. this was followed by a tea session at Essential Brew and then topped-off with dinner eating Katong Laksa.. I hope my best bro had a good time and hopefully with the passing of time.. and age, he would continue to enjoy his life and make the best of it! bro.. as long as you are happy, i'll always support whatever you do! a toast to many more bdae celebrations!

Weekend in KL

Just returned from a weekend getaway to KL to attend my colleague's wedding. We made our way there by car and it took a little over 4 hours to get there which is amazingly fast. The entourage consists of Timothy, the car owner, a very funny character who is also my immediate supervisor, Chee Wai aka Winnie the Pooh (a nickname I coined for him cos he really looks like Pooh and his entics never fail to put a smile to my face) and last of all Her Majesty, my lady boss, CLP....

When CLP told us that she was going to "tag along" with our carpool last monday morning, I almost choked on my breakfast. I could hardly believe that I was about to spend 4 hours in a 3m by 2m box with my lady boss on a trip to KL.. these are the things that nightmares are made of and I was about to experience one LIVE! thoughts of having to make small talk, and not being able to bitch about work and life crossed my mind.. and worst of all.. i imagined she would be screaming directions to Tim and breathing down his neck for either driving too slowly or too fast!!! I could so hear her go "WHAT THE F**K?? CAN'T YOU SLAM ON THE GAS?? WE'RE BEHIND SCHEDULE!!!"

When Saturday morning came, I had my apprenhensions about the trip.. I tot maybe I should get MC.. but I cant leave the guys in the lurch.. and considering that Winnie isn't exactly CLP's favourite guy.. i figured i better be there to do the small talk so Tim can concentrate on driving.. besides I really wish to get out of SG for a while.. even if to Msia.. so finally i made my way to Redhill MRT to meet the gang and soon all of us were nicely packed into Tim's maroon Nissan Sunny EX Saloon.. off we went.. headed for the 2nd link..

I had the "fortune" of sitting at the back with Her Majesty cos Winnie was the first to reach and he got the front seat.. Why oh WHY did I wake up late!!?!!?? seeing Winnie seat beside CLP would be such a kick for Tim and me.. haha.. anyways the small talk began and we talked about work (what's new).. and then travelling.. the different countries she's been to.. and then the different countries i've been to.. and this went on for a good hour.. with topics ranging from education to homosexuality.. and that was about as long as I could make small talk with anyone.. besides I was sleepy.. so I took out my shades, put them on and went off to slumberland.. haha.. At our first stop, CLP took over the front passenger seat from Winnie.. and without so much as asking him if he minds, she pushed her seat back.. and poor Pooh had to contend with such miserable leg space I wonder how he survived without any cramps.. (and poor Pooh is not exactly the slimest guy on earth.. hence the nickname right? hehe)

Finally we reached KL and things got better cos CLP went off to do her own shopping and the 3 guys were finally allowed some male bonding time aka bitching time.. when we checked into our room, there were only 2 single beds.. so we resorted to drawing lots.. and I must say Heavens is very fair cos Pooh got one bed to himself and Tim and I were to have a special heart to heart bonding session at night since the bed would be soooo small I swear I will be able to hear his heart beat.. but alas it was not to be cos all I heard that night was his freaking SNORING!!!! Tim is a champion.. he snored within 3mins of lights off.. I was impressed.. but then.. little did I expect that the REAL champion is Winnie.. his snoring was of such gargantuan magnitude I tot the room was trembling.. I know I snore too but I am pretty sure I was in the presence of GREATNESS.. people who define the word SNORING like never before.. :)

Next morning CLP went to have her hair treated and Winnie went to catch X-Men whilst me and Tim happily slept till the high noon.. not cos we were enjoying the bonding but cos we were both tired out by the contortions our body underwent throughout the entire night (so that there was still enough space between us and not scream "YOU GAY" at each other!!).. after satisfying our sleep demons.. we went to satisfy our hunger demons with a high-tea buffet at the hotel.. and by the time CLP and Winnie returned.. we were all set to make the gruelling journey back home.. only this time, I didnt wait too long to put on my shades and pretended to fall asleep.. but in all fairness.. i would say Her Majesty was not as hard to please as I expected and overall I had a pretty decent trip.. oh i also realised that exactly 1 year ago on 27th May, I went into Msia too! That was for a scuba diving trip with John to Tioman.. what a freaking coincidence.. haha.. now i'm looking forward to my next getaway and something tells me its going to be sunny, friendly Bangkok.. :)

Starbucks coffee or Kopitiam kopi?

A few years back I asked a friend who has been used to drinking Starbucks (or any other western brand) coffee if she would one day consider drinking kopi from a hawker centre. To further illustrate my question, I told her that kopitiam kopi has a rich flavour and is really authentic albeit its less glamourous image. And the variety is usually rather limited. You either have "Siew Dai" aka less sweet or "Kopi-O" aka without milk or "Kopi-C" which is with evaporated milk and they all come in the same standard size. Starbucks coffee as we all know it costs almost 5 times more than kopitiam's kopi and has many flavours such as espresso, cappucino, frappucino.. and god knows what other cinos.. and u can have whip cream or without and you can have it ice blended or just ice or hot.. and then u have 3 different sizes with fanciful names such as Tall, Grande and Verde.. and Grande is actually large in Italian.. not sure about Verde though..

anyways.. I remembered clearly her quick answer was "Why not??" and I persisted by arguing how she would not enjoy the kopi at all cos its just so different from the western coffee that she is used to and that she would be torturing herself if she tries it. Nevertheless, with her stubborn nature.. she insisted that she wouldn't mind and she do not see a problem at all.. years later and I'm not sure if she has really tried the kopitiam kopi.. but my gut instincts tell me that she still very much prefers Starbucks coffee and I don't think that is going to change for a long time to come..

morale of the story is: if you r a Starbucks coffee lover.. don't bother trying kopitiam kopi cos its just not suitable for you and you really shouldn't even taste it.. on the other hand if you r a kopi-lover.. you may have tried Starbucks coffee since you can find one at almost every corner in town.. but ultimately since u r a kopi-lover dun bother with Starbucks (or any other western brand) coffee cos it just ain't ur cup of tea (or in this case kopi)...

Look What You've Done

Take my photo off the wall
If it just won't sing for you
'Cause all that's left has gone away
And there's nothing there for you to prove

Oh, look what you've done
You've made a fool of everyone
Oh well, it seems like such fun
Until you lose what you had won

Give me back my point of view
'Cause I just can't think for you
I can hardly hear you say
What should I do, well you choose

Oh, look what you've done
You've made a fool of everyone
Oh well, it seems like such fun
Until you lose what you had won

Oh, look what you've done
You've made a fool of everyone
A fool of everyone
A fool of everyone

Take my photo off the wall
If it just won't sing for you
'Cause all that's left has gone away
And there's nothing there for you to do

Oh, look what you've done
You've made a fool of everyone
Oh well, it seems like such fun
Until you lose what you had won

Oh, look what you've done
You've made a fool of everyone
A fool of everyone
A fool of everyone

- Jet

4mths into working life..

wow.. its been 4 full mths now that i've started work for company A.. things have been hectic and non-stop.. constantly bombarded with new stuff and meeting new people.. and working very very long hours.. haha.. i dun usually get to see the sun set when i leave office.. so u're looking at about 10pm every night.. i doubt anyone visits my blog anymore.. but its fine.. i actually enjoyed reading my past entries.. acts like a diary for me.. wish i still have the blog entries for my California days.. have some really hilarious and great moments there all blogged..

the last time i blogged i was on my way to australia for a 3 week backpacking trip.. and i was still joking with aug how i wish the trip would end soon.. haha.. and of cos time waits for no one and indeed fulfilled my stupid incoherent wish.. and tada.. 4 mths later.. i am here typing in front of my comp like i dun see enough of it.. haha..

this 4 mths has been very interesting for me.. many twists and turns.. ups and down.. but mostly i am at peace with myself.. maybe cos i put in almost every waking hour in work that i dun have time to bother with other stuff.. oh and it doesnt help that i am taking CFA classes on Sun from 10am to 5pm..

although this is my blog i am still unable to bring myself to be totally transparent here and put down every bit of my life here.. i wish i could.. so i can remember all that is happening.. but i guess i treasure my privacy and only a very selected few get to know all the skeletons in my closet and the demons that hounds me.. haha..

ok this entry is jus to kick start my blogging again.. will try to do it more often if life gets more interesting that is... haha.. to sum it all up.. the past 4 mths has been very very eventful.. cant wait for more.. i am running out of time.. better do as much as i can as soon as possible..

4 hrs to leaving on a jet plane

What's playing: Good Times Gonna Come - Aqualung

Well well.. in about 4 hours I'll be boarding a Boeing 747 to Hong Kong enroute to Sydney! I know it seems kinda dumb cos its a big detour but Cathay Pacific has this promotion where I get 2 nights of free hotel stay in HK if I do a stopover there.. since I have been dying to go to HK i guess this promotion makes sense! :)

This is a graduation trip for me.. finally all exams are over, no more honours year project.. no more studying.. no more tutorials.. i'm not sure if this is necessarily a good thing but well its a close to one chapter of my life and a new chapter is about to begin.. Although i'm having a mixed feeling of anticipation and anxiety, methinks it should be a good thing to move on and take on the new responsibility of bringing home the bacon.. (well i brought home chicken wings on the last day of my exams.. a taste of things to come! haha..)

I'm having a bad premonition about this trip though.. i wonder if this is just a feeling I have everytime I leave for a long trip.. the last time i flew to States for a year i was feeling downcast as well.. the wet weather today aint helping things.. I'm not sure what "bad" stuff may occur.. but i'll be on the plane 8 times (of which i'll be jumping out of the plane once cos gng skydiving in Brisbane on the 5th of Dec!) and then going to a country that's now having some grudges with Spore cos of the death penatly meted out to drug traffickers, having high terrorist alerts.. But i know deep inside its not these things that's bothering me.. in fact they are the least of my concerns.. its that baggage that i've left behind.. argh well.. hopefully it will still be there when I come back for it..

Ok guess i'll leave now..

What's playing: Left Behind - Aqualung

I'm loving it!

Wow i haven't been blogging for almost a month now.. and I must say the past month has been a whirlwind.. but i'm loving it! Finally I've moved out of the birds dun lay eggs place to a flowers are a blooming place!! I love my new house! Its not new.. it's a resale unit but hey i think my dad did a GREAT job of painting the house and plastering the walls (esp. my room) and the place is just sooo cozy! Every night I go to sleep literally with a smile on my face! :)

I haven't been taking the mrt since I moved.. there's just way too many buses here.. i can get to school in 15mins with a direct bus (compared to previously where 15mins i'm still at Woodlands MRT station, if i'm lucky..) and the best part is i get to town in 10mins.. and then there's the huge hawker centre jus a stone's throw away.. good food at cheap prices! It's been a super long while since i get to eat my fav wanton noodles for only $2!!! (besides eating in sch lah) and there's sooo many wanton noodles stalls here I can't decide which to eat from... of cos its not all rosy.. the void decks are a little dirty and there are many big fat cats stalking this area.. but other than dat i'm cool!

Last weekend I was given a tour of my vicinity by Feng who drove me around the estate and brought me up to Mt Faber (which i'm ashame to say i've never been to) and Telok Blangah Hills.. the two hills are like just next to each other and within jogging distance for me.. and I must say the view up there is really good.. reminds me of the good old days in San Fran where I would drive up this cliff that overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge and the city skyline.. i love mountains and i love the sea.. and i never expect that Sg actually has that to offer.. ok not mountain but at least its a knoll.. so.. beats nothing.. Funnily my army officer brought me on a tour of my estate again the next day.. and seeing his enthusiasm i couldnt bear to tell him that i have been given a tour already! haha.. but its cool.. he brought me along his jogging route and showed me a 6km route and a 10km route.. oh and he just got back from Hawaii and he bought me a surfers tee and a signboard that says Aloha! with a dolphin engraving and its hanging nicely on my bedroom wall to greet anyone who walks into my room!

Oct has been great cos of other reasons as well but I rather not put it here.. i dun wana jinx it.. haha.. I wish it stays this way for as long as possible.. i have no expectations or high hopes whatsoever and everything that comes along is going to be a bonus.. besides I'm gng to start working soon and there are some uncertainties there.. so we'll see how long this last..