mum bdae

mum .: bdae

I woke up this morning realising that I have yet to buy my mum a birthday present. And her birthday is today! Erk?!

It sure doesn't help that both my dad and bro have been bugging me as to wat to get my mum. Like hello? Today's the 27th! What can I get on today itself? I'm working!
I had wanted to purchase something over the weekend but I end up going EVERYWHERE with my mum and so buying anything for HER with HER around is a big no NO.

I just told my bro who knock off early to purchase a bouquet of flowers before meeting us for dinner. I had asked my mum to choose a place for her bdae dinner (she had wanted to cook dinner, actually). My dad told me that she had wanted to visit the Egyptian eating place that appeared on last week's TGIF. I had no idea what the name was. All I know is that it's at Haji Lane.

Dropped my parents off at Arab Str and fetch my bro at Bugis cos' it was raining pretty heavily. My dad told me that the place was directly at where I had dropped them off (talk about instincts). I suddenly recalled that I may have passed by that place before. True enough, I had.
My dad, bro and myself had earlier hesitated at hearing my mum's choice but we just proceed, since it's the 'birthday girl's' pick. We've had Mediterranean food before but the experience hadn't been too pleasant.

But I sure don't regret going by my mum's choice (must be the blessing of a mother's instinct). The corner-shop is quaint but homely. Reminds me a bit of a Greek coffee house. And the service is superb, not to mention the food. The response is prompt and the owner is always around to make sure that everything's in order. Even the cook came out to ask about the food. We're so happy eating there that we ordered one dish after another.

The dishes all had the wafting, smoky aroma relevant to that of real grilled meat (over charcoal or maybe a kiln oven??)- be it fish, chicken or beef (all well marinated). I had a little problem digesting the lamb but the nicely spiced and flavoured gravy made up for that. The fresh side salad and crispy potato wedges made a hearty (and balanced) meal. The drinks come off as a bit tasteless but one can always ask for side syrup. The dishes are not too salty, which totally convinced my dad that the food here are made suitable for diabetics and ppl with high blood. Haha!

I laughed, yeah but what happened afterwards managed to shut my trap. My dad REALLY did ask the owner regarding that and he replied that it was prepared that way intentionally. He talked of his mum suffering from high blood and got to the idea to prepare healthier meals for his customers.

Oh, did I mention that the food is reasonably priced, too? The only boo-boo is that the menu has limited selections (talk about quality over quantity).

Anyway my parents had a small talk with the owner and he, upon knowing that it's my mum's birthday- cited some well-wishes which sounded really, really sincere (complete with a little prayer). I say, Thank You so much for making my mum feel so special.

Yeah, that's the name of the place, Al-Tazzag. (L-R) That's my dad, the owner, my bro and the ever helpful server. Something tells me that I may come down here again sometime soon...

After dinner, my dad talked about having a hot drink somewhere, since we had a lot of time till' my mum had to clock in for work. I suggested going to our fav. hang-out, ABC Rest'n at Jln Duku. We were pretty full but my bro & I were in the mood for some Prata Ice-Cream. Too bad the waiter told us it's unavailable.

Not hampered by that, my bro and I seemed to have the similar idea at the same time. I ordered a Prata Banana. When I saw the guy cutting the banana, I told my brother to quickly purchase the ice-cream in a cup from the 7-11 across the road. He came back later with TWO cups. Turns out, the prata shop also sell ice-cream. Haha!

As soon as the newly-cooked prata arrived, we quickly dunk the ice-cream on it and relish our self-made dessert. YUM!

The crispy prata with the steaming bananas inside and the cold ice-cream- better than any strudel served at those swanky restaurants, I tell you! We quietly chided the shop for not thinking of this. The ice-cream in the cup cost only 90cts. If they had charged an extra dollar for that Prata Ice-Cream, they could have made some good money, there.

My mother needed the toilet urgently so we head for the Mobil at Still Road. When my mum went into the shop to check their veggies, both my bro and I chanced upon this product on display. I asked my mum if she wanted it for her birthday. She just shook her head. I remembered the bottle of bath salt sitting on the toilet shelf so I just tell my bro to get that for her.

We're just so glad we finally found a present she might (hopefully) use. I can't help imagining seeing her with her feet ankle-deep in water infused with the rose-scented bath salts that she had bought, which she proudly claimed to have originated from the Dead Sea.

And she can put those days of soaking her feet in the pail behind her cos' she can now soak her feet AND get them massaged at the same time.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MUM! Love u soooo much. *muacks!*

shisha D

shisha .: D

It was spontaneous. Christmas friday. Bored. . . Then Ms. D suggested meeting up after work. Haiii.... Ibarat 'mengantuk disorong bantal'. Apa lagi, terkam ah!

I know someone is dying for a shisha moment. So she suggested hanging out at Bugis before heading to Arab Str for shisha. Knowing I ain't had much time since I gotta send me mum at 10.30pm, I suggested eating and shisha at the same place (the one that we've been to previously). Besides, I wanna check out their food.

However, a certain someone overshot one (mrt) station and by the time the both of us met on that cold, rainy day- we're both pretty hungry. Passed by Raffles Banquet and both of us gave the same, knowing look. Forget bout' dinner at Arab Str...

When we eventually got to Arab Str, we began wondering where exactly is that place we're headed to, located. Sure, we've been there before but that was when we've got transportation that lead us directly there. Now that we're on foot, every place looked the same. Well that's until we pass by this place that looks nicely lit and seemingly exude a pretty relaxing ambiance. I swore I heard REAL arab music being played from upstairs.

We checked their menu and a guy came by. I asked about the cost of the shisha and if there's space upstairs. He lead us. Whoa, that place is HUGE! I mean, unlike the previous places that I've been to, this place is made up of 3 or 4 shophouses. They have an outdoor seating area but it was drizzling so we sat inside. Boy, I'm sure glad we did that cos' we were directly facing the musicians playing LIVE MUSIC. Tee hee hee... I LIKE! The singer's voice... Both D and I were staring at their performance with mouth agape.

Unlike the other tables, which were filled with lotsa' food, our's had only beverages & desserts. A check into their menu proved to us that their food is very reasonably-priced. And after knowing that the place is opened 24 hours, I gleefully had ideas running thru' my head- with me bidding my boring, insomniac nights goodbye....

tv .: bro

I knew he had his 'company nite' yesterday. The company pretty cheapo. Fancy a 'company nite' at the workplace itself. After work, even.

He told me they're putting up a skit with him being the 'eventual hero'. Guess what he'll be...? C'mon, guess.... Clue?? Hmmm..... A hero from a decade back. A gang of 4 and 1 guru. Live in sewer and loooves pizza. And since he used a red plastic bag as his 'eye mask', I guess he's Raphael. Yeap, yeap... HE became a NINJA TURTLE, of all things. But I know why that decision came about. Why can't somebody who was annointed the company 'Santa' become a Ninja Turtle, rite?

ANYWAY.... I sms him to say that after all that shisha, I will be sleeping late so if he wanna have me fetch him, he'd better buzz me early. True enough, he called like 1/2hr later. Thing is, I can't find my phone amidst all the junk in my bag and ended up missing his call. And he call me on the HOME fone, thus waking up my dad.


him: Ti, fetch me can? I won a tv on the lucky draw, lah.
me: tv? cool! how big?
him: 21 inch
me: great..! I'll come....
him: eh.. wait. not 21 inch. sorry. it's 29 inch.
me: what???!! 29 inch? how will it fit in the car? wait, how are we going to CARRY it up..???



I was still in shock when my groggy dad asked me what's up. I told him bout' the tv. I tell you, that woke him up almost immediately. I was sure that I can see ideas running thru' his head.
He was like, "Ok, you can't bring it in with the box. Put it in the trunk. Bring down the back seat if necessary..." Before long, he came back into my room (again) and said, "If not, just put it in the back seat. Will fit, surely." Erm, dad, you're supposed to be ASLEEP.

I took my own time getting there. I LOVE driving in the wee hours of morning. The roads are just sooo empty. Bro called me to drive into the Downtown East Satay Club, where he was chilling with his collegues. The tv did fit into the trunk. I ended up chilling there with him.

He told me of the skit that they did. How he actually hid in the DUSTBIN because there's no way he going to come out from the MANHOLE. He thought of jumping out from someplace else but it had long been demolished. No one knew where he was and when he called his fren from inside the bin, that fella was shocked that no one's around him and yet someone was calling his name. Haha!

He then told me of how he joked about the tv being his and how he told my mum that he might just bring home a tv. Thing is, he had meant the 21" LCD tv. Guess he wasn't too specific with his wish...


I lived on the 10th flr. The lifts stop at the 9th. Meaning that we have to carry the 29 inch monster UP THE STAIRS.

Guess what we used to wheel that gigantaur around...? His trusty SKATEBOARD (that he just bought). Imagine this, 2 goons wheeling a huge tv on a skateboard at 2 freaking am. I wasn't surprised that my dad stayed awake just to welcome that tv home.


Welcome to the family dude. In case you're wondering, that's the 4th tv at home. Guess I now have a tv in every room (kitchen included). My bro & I had made a pact for a new buy - PlayStation, babeh! Or the X-Box???? Heheh..

something from the weekend

something from the weekend

Sat~17th Dec '05

My mum's company D & D @ Plaza Parkroyal Hotel. A pretty cheesy affair-where the theme was 'CASINO FUNTASY' (which they shamelessly admit that it's to celebrate the development of the IRs), where most of the activities held that night evolve around... yeap, u guessed right- GAMBLING. Every little thing has stakes. Small ones though. Like those $2/= or $5/= types. They even give free S'pore Sweep tickets, which they put in hongbaos and paste under the tables. However, gambling is still gambling, no matter how fun they make it to be.

There's even a game of betting on 'horse-racing', ok?

When asking for participants, they mentioned, "Ladies with short skirts preferred." My first thought was that it's so that it'll be easier got them to 'ride' the bloody horse. Turns out, there're no horses to be ridden. Well, not BIG enuff' anyway. What the ladies (with the short skirts) have to do are to bend forward and pull these wooden horses that come attached to this long line of string. So the winner is the one who roll the string the fastest, therefore bringing the horse closer to the 'finishing line' earlier.

Look at the picture above. Looking at the way that the ladies had to bend over, it's no wonder that "shorts skirts are PREFERRED".

Oh did I also tell you that there are 2 rounds of Bingo and that the 1st round has a winning prize of over $800? The 2nd Bingo has a prize of over $1800, ok?? Since the stakes are high, they made the game even more difficult. ALL the numbers on the card had to be marked. What I know, by the time we left at around midnight, we have yet to hear someone shout, "BINGO!".
Well, we did have one- minutes before, but he turned out to be drunk (free-flow of beer) and got all the numbers screwed-up. Everyone was so into marking their numbers (sure felt like in an examination hall) that no one saw us leaving. *phew!*

Sun ~18th Dec

My bro attended a BBQ organised by the Aussie guys who had been performing the 'Splash Gala' at both Wild Wild Wet and Escape Theme Park, Downtown East. They'll do the stunt diving all the way till Feb, I think, so you can still catch their show over the holidays.

I bugged my bro to bring the camera. Even charged the batteries for him. OF COURSE there's a reason why I did all that for him. So he'll DO SOMETHING for me... Heh

Woke up very groggy that Monday morning. Stumbled upon the camera beside his sleeping form. Browsed thru the images....

Ahhhhhh...... *sigh* Looking at 'him' (I won't tell you who, lest I should be labled 'shallow') gave me a temporary respite from the blues that's already creeping up on me that morning. Felt like a freaking hangover ( as if I know how a hangover felt like..) Ugh!

they lost

they lost didn't they?
Arsenal vs. Chelsea
0 - 2

On home ground, some more. Ok, I know that I've told myself before- "NO MORE soccer reviews" but I can't help it, lah. This is a match I've been looking forward to. Heck, I even mark it in my office & home calendars and even in my organiser!

Way before the match started, I've already lowered my expectations of Arsenal ever winning this match. They're getting weaker and the absence of Gilberto Silva and Ashley Cole further hampered any intial hopes. And Chelsea..? They're getting stronger with every match. Besides, Arjen Robben's back.

It's a match littered with fouls and it's practically raining yellow cards.

That's Lampard with his haphazardly-made head wrap bandage after a clash with an Arsenal player. Must have been a deep gash, there- considering the amount of blood that kept flowing.

Did I mention that Arjen Robben's back? After 4 1/2 weeks of absence due to injury, he's finally in the line-up, baby!

Determined to prove himself after his long absence, this wonderboy in his short-shorts is such a pleasure to watch. His speed , skills and strength is such a wonder to look at. I even vote for him to be man-of-the-match on ESPN and turns out, many other felt the same way, too. He garnered the highest votes of 25%.

Throughout the match, I have to keep reminding myself that as much as I adore him, he's from the rival team and his skills will only prove to be a great threat for Arsenal. Awww... sheesh!

Just too bad he was taken off later and Joe Cole's strong reflexes made him prove his worth, esp. after he saw Lauren's mistake as a great opprtunity to make his mark in this historical match (1st time they won in Highbury since 1990). Joe's the MOTM, by the way.

Many have expected this match to be a personal battle between the 2 managers, Arsense Wenger and Jose Murinho. The ensuing war of words between them had cause a somewhat dark cloud above the game, knowing that there's more than just the title-race in (their) mind.

Murinho had it easy while the uptight Wenger remained... erm... UPTIGHT. He knew he's screwed when Lauren made that fatal mistake which eventually saw Cole's shot hit the back of the net. Bet he was worried about the young players messing it up but for an experienced one to screw up???

At least the players didn't really respond to their bosses' battle cry. It's great to see the captains from both teams, John Terry and Thierry Henry giving each other a bear hug that could easily warm hearts in that chilly weather.

Bet the conversation goes something like this:
Terry: Hey, great game there. Don't let what goes on between those 2 goons affect us.
Henry: Yeah, right on. Congrats.

. . . And both head for the shower.

Anyway, frankly speaking, I much prefer the game that went on earlier.

Middlesbrough vs. Tottenham Hotspur
3-3

The pace is consistent and there's equal action from both sides of the field (hence the draw, I guess).

My favourite goal that night thad been the 2nd goal from Boro- courtesy of James Morrison (but scored by Yakubu).

However, towards the end of the game, he collapsed after crashing into a Spur's Robbie Keane. It's a worrying sight- seeing how he went limp, meaning he had been knocked out cold.

He did regain consciousness later at the dressing room. *phew!*

morning quote III

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morning quote:

Woke up with a throbbing headache. Definitely a hangover from lack of sleep... and Arsenal's loss.
The amount of sleep I've had over the weekend doesn't add up to much.

I also realised that forcing myself to stay awake without the help of any caffeine when I'm so darn tired is just hellish.

Relief came this morning, in the form of the pics of the cute guy that I've harboured a shallow silly crush on. Thanks to my brother. *sigh* :)
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friday shisha chill

friday :: shisha :: chill
Friday-16th Dec

Boss left early. Bored.

A fren, not seen since the pre-Ramadhan days asked bout' a possible dinner meet-up. Maybe Yan, my cousin might be joining too. Anything goes, man. Just break the routine.

One was on MC and he refused to be seen in the light of day. In his line of work, they have lotsa' staff on the road EVERYWHERE, so chances of him being spotted 'was high' (as quoted). He wanted to meet only 'after midnight'. Erk??!

The other is a teacher on her long break. Nursing a sore right eye though (hence the cute specs!). Upon meeting her, the first thing she said, "Today's gonna be my treat!"


She wanted to eat at Arab Street, maybe where 'we can sit on the floor'. So I intend to bring her to the one of the places where-I've-had-my-iftar back in Ramadhan- Ambrosia Cafe and El-Sheikh. Given a choice, I'd rather take her to the latter.

Though I've not tried their food, the ambience's great and it's more 'authentically' mediterranean. However, Ambrosia is nearer to the mrt station, while El-Sheikh is at the (other) end of Pahang Str. It's fine if I drive, but we're on foot.


She's a bit taken in by the relaxed atmosphere of the upper level, despite the fact that the dim lighting caused her to strain her sore eye.

The food I ordered came really late so we got a complimentary plate of pita bread with hummus dip. The food's (frankly speaking) just so-so. The price is tad steep, though.

Was glad to know that both of us do enjoy the shisha so we ordered one while waiting for my food order to come. It's weird, sharing the shisha just between the both of us (usually there's at least 3 ppl). Given Hajar's not-so-good condition, I end up being the one with the shisha and I used it till' I got high, liao. . .

. . .It's been really nice to meet up after a long while. Hope you get the tix to see ur fren!

PS: Come to think of it, it's the first time we met without the car. There's just so much that we talked about on our journey home. The change felt great!

baby mum

baby mum

Look at this little gem that I discovered after my grandma told my family to keep her foto albums when she moved...

That's my MUM and her elder bro.
No points for guessing who is who (although I admit that both look like boys)....

My grandparents and their 3 children (they eventually had 6). My uncle in the centre, my mum on my grandpa's lap (yes, she looked like a boy then) and my late auntie on my grandma's lap. *pic is blurred on purpose*

escape

escape
sun-11th Dec

Tell me this is not overdue... Well, who cares.

Back to Sat (before help my grandma move her stuff). I was at my aunt's to collect some curry puff and my cousin Imah showed me a letter that her dad got. Apparently, it says that by bringing the letter to Escape Theme Park, one is eligible for 4 FREE tix. Thing is, it's only available for that weekend. Like it or not, I decided to accompany her the next day. But not before asking my other 2 cousins (one of then brought her 3 kids) along.



I've been there like, 4 ... 5 times?? If not for the fact that it's free, I wouldn't have bothered. There's nothing much there (to me, that is). Especially after the accident incident at one of the rides recently, I knew that they will take extra precautions in handling the rides. So it's not surprising to see that 2 of the supposedly more exciting rides were 'under maintenance'. And the other 'thrilling' ride doesn't allow more that 5 pax per ride.



My recommendation will be The Haunted House. Definitely NOT for the weak-hearted. And small kids had better not enter. Unless they want to someone to accompany them everytime they go to the toilet or sleep with the lights on for the next few months. It's not those crappy/cheesy stuff you often see at other places, like a tram taking you down the 'road of horror' where goblins and vampires smile their evil smile at you. So faux pas.



Here, the ghosts are more 'local'. Especially the famed Pontianak (horrific female vampire). So darn REAL. Real to the MAX. And you have to practically WALK through the narrow passages at your own pace. So narrow are the passages that the 'ghosts' are mere inches from you. The turns are so tight, you never know what await you around the next corner. My young nieces and cousins almost went in. Luckily they chickened out before entering. I can't imagine having to console them should they really entered.

The first few turns, there will be some staff will pretending to stay still- then (abruptly) start moving and (try to) scare the hell outta' you as you pass. No wonder we've been warned not to 'kick' the ghosts. Seriously, my first instinct would be to kick or even punch that someone who jumped at me like that.

Our group had 6 persons. Leading the pack was this man and his young daughter who clung on tightly to his arms; followed by me, then my cousins Nor, Su & Imah. 1/4 into the 'journey', I dunno what really happened in the near darkness when the staff were scaring us but I suddenly felt myself being pushed forward, then pulled back, bump into someone before finding myself at the BACK of the WHOLE pack. What the...???!

Before entering,I had dismissed this place as crappy, seeing how it looked so small from outside. It looked more like a shack to me. Somehow, inside, it doesn't seem that way. We must have made at least 10 turns (definitely more) down the many passageways and the numerous 'ghosts'. Being the last one, I kept looking back to see if there were anymore blooming idiots attempting to creep up to scare us from behind. Eerily enough, right after we passed the pontianak there were no longer any staff hiding anywhere. It was just us and the... well, you know. Could it be that something had happened in this part of the journey, that not one of the staff wanna be stationed there...???

Our nerves were so frayed that we were disappointed when each turn did not bring us to the exit. "Oh no, not more turns... Where's the door?" The poor girl in front kept begging her dad to bring her out. I remember passing one 'ghost' in the form of a malnourished-looking man huddling in a corner, hugging his knees close to his chest. It wasn't just me but the 4 of us were VERY SURE that we saw his eyes FOLLOWING us as we passed him. Creepy, rite?

We were very exasperated at one point where we have yet to find the exit door when I looked back again. Saw some shadows. And voices. Then footsteps. So I shouted, "Someone's coming!" I dunno why, my cousins started running. Huh??! The door was after the next turn and we're out into the sun (finally!!). Turned out, the shadows I saw were the group behind us. We were supposed to be at least 5mins behind one another. How is it that they exit at the same time as us??

Looking at them panting, I realised that they actually RAN. They must have ran all the way, considering how close they were to us despite the time difference. I guess they must be that DAMN scared. Not surprisingly, we went to the ladies after that. Our bladder urgently asked to be emptied (after all that fright).

The only thing that kept me sane in that theme park was the stunt diving performance/show by this group from Warner Bros, Australia. Basically it's just one of the divers that kept me a weeny bit upbeat. He is OH-SO-HOT!!! Nicely toned bod with the uber-sexy pelvic muscle to boot. I LIKE! Went home after the 3pm show. Turned out, that cute diver walked beside us when we're at Downtown East Cheers. I wasted no time ogling at him. Hey, it's not like I'm gonna see him again! No harm embarassing myself right there.

I reached my car, only to find a parking ticket on my windscreen. DAMMIT! Yeah, I was a couple of hourse overdue. Fined for 10 bucks! Sheesh! And I saw an a parking officer standing in front of my car from far when I left Downtown East. I pushed my luck and switched on my car from across the road for fear that he'll give me another ticket (on top of the one already on my windscreen). He walked away after that. Phew!

Had our meal at Banquet Eastpoint. I missed eating shashimi. Oh yeah, the 4 adults + 4 kids all stuffed into my car. Of course it's like a can of sardines. And instead of quickly reaching Eastpoint so as to shorten their discomfort, I actually got lost. From Pasir Ris to Simei- so near and I still got lost! Tsk!

Later went to Bedok to look for my bro's Santa suit. Wasted effort. Eventually went home all bushed. Must have been the hot, hot weather that day.

morning quote II

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morning quote:

Just now was the latest that I've woken up on a working day. 08:45am.

My mum was nowhere in sight-she would have woken me up should I kill the snooze function on my alarm and doze off again.

And a new record- shower, shampoo & condition hair and something extra~ in under 20 mins! All that in less that 20 minutes? Wow!

But I'm late, nonetheless. Should be in the office at 09:00am.
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friday::saturday

friday::saturday (and a little bit of sunday)

I sure yak a lot in the previous post.....
Reminds me of the English paper during the 'O's. I always thought that I was too long winded in my story-telling. Was later told that I was 'narrative'. Whatever.

So here I will make a pathetic attempt at being brief yet precise, in dictating this entry.

Friday-9th Dec

Met up with Suzy (centre). It's her day off and I'm just plain bored. The girl went shopping with her mum before meeting me. Then the poor girl had to resort to wandering aimlessly alone (her mum went home) cos' I was an hour late. Planned to just have coffee and chill but becoz I got pissed after being given an urgent job in the last hour (hence, I was late)- I got hungry.

And she, having waited so long for me, got hungry too.
So we trooped down to Magic Wok @ Capitol Bldg.
We don't wanna eat rice so we settled for Pad Thai (thai fried noodle). I chose the $8 plate. Since the $4 plate serves 1, I simply thought that the $8 plate serves 2.
BOY WAS I WRONG.
Cos' when the dish came, it looked like it can serve FOUR. And that's ON TOP of the:
-Boneless Chicken with Thai Sauce
-Baby Kai Lan in Oyster Sauce
-Seafood Tom Yam Soup
I tot' that the small table for 2 would be just nice for us but Suzy reminded me that it may not have enough space for what we ordered. So we shared thus HUGE round table (you know, the one with the turnable glass panel in the middle) with a group of giggly girls. They kept looking at us cos' we DID order enought to feed THEIR group of 5.

Determined to work that heavy dinner off, we walked to Suntec for dessert (yah, it's a dumb idea, I know). I dunno how we eventually had space for that but we did pay her sister, who was working at Yami Yoghurt (she's the un' on the left) a visit. Got a regular cup at a discounted price. Then we walked back to City Hall mrt for home.

**End of Fri**

Sat-10th Dec
My grandma moved house. Maybe she finally grew tired of living alone so she moved in with my uncle, her youngest son.

Tell me if this is dumb. I knew my grandma's gonna move but I wore a skirt cos' I tot it will give me an excuse not to do the job. YAH RITE!
Luckily I got my 2 other cousins for company. All I can say is that we're glad my grandma didn't move the tv first. We did what work we can before settling on the living room floor to catch 'MULAN'.

My grandma insist on bringing her precious WROUGHT-IRON, 4-POST, KING-SIZED bed to my uncle's house. Do you know how heavy that thing is? The bed had to be dismantled and I have never seen a bed that came in so many different parts.

After the move, I realised that the whole bunch of us were hungry. I openly asked about supper before heading home. All my uncles jumped in on the idea and everyone excitedly dropped suggestions for good eating locations at that late hour. I dunno why I agreed but we eventually ate the famous Nasi Lemak at Boon Lay. I mean, it's MIDNITE and the other 2 families live at Jurong West- a mere 5mins drive away. Me? I have to drive 1/2hr or so back to Bedok. But a famous Nasi Lemak is still a famous Nasi Lemak. Curious & hungry, I'm all for the idea.

You should see the queue at that place. It's was never less than 7 persons in that line. Any time the numbers receed, more will join at the end. The Nasi Lemak wasn't a disappointment. The sambal was good and the rice was done nicely. The fried chicken could do with more seasoning though. Our group of ELEVEN actually finished up their remaining sambal sotong and sambal petai. My mum even got an extra plate of sambal for my cousin, Effy & me. Haha!

The guy at the stall asked my mum where she came from. So she told him, "Bedok". The guy was surprised that we came all the way to eat their Nasi Lemak. Little did he know that the other 2 familes actually live nearby. It's just my family who came that far. He actually thanked my mum to show his gratitude. Heh.

I ordered kopi kaw from the chinese drinks stall (their coffee stronger). Coffee+milk don't go well with all that chilli, I know but I need the caffeine to get me thru' the drive back. Eventually reached home at 01:30am.

As always, I can't sleep on a full stomach. Chatted with my bro. Surfed the Net and eventually watched 'Life or Something Like It' (starring Angelina Jolie) till' the end. Finally got sleepy.
Time check: 04:25am

**End of Sat**

Of course, at the end of this entry, I realised that I failed horribly at being brief in composing my entries. Sigh. I dunno how in the world I managed to excel summary writing during my 'O's...

morning quote

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morning quote:

"why is it that whenever I planned to wash my hair, it will rain that morning..?"

guess now you know who to turn to when wanting to know about the next day's weather....

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free coffee::great dinner

free coffee::great dinner

Yesterday was the Starbux Christmas special. They gave away free drinks from 5-7pm. No, it wasn't me who worked there. Tini just got stationed there to help out. She told me to come down to get the drink. Geez, I knock off at 6. And that's when things go my way and I ain't got much things holding me back.

But I remembered Tini saying... "Aiyah, early or late, you'll still get your free drink. I'll make sure about that." So I don't bother queueing (was choosing between my all-time fav, Caramel Macchiato & the Peppermint Mocha Frap. I opt for the latter, seeing how the Macchiato is always available while the P'mint Mocha is only avaibale during the festive period).

What amazed me is not the free drink. It's the amount of food that Tini consumed (or ALMOST consumed) that night. Before she knocked off, she ate some OCK fish balls and put aside a curry puff. While waiting for me at the bank, she bought some stuff from OCK-again. Told me it's for her fiance. But later gave me a wide grin before taking a big bite of a black pepper curry puff (note: she still had the other curry puff in her bag). I had recommended that to her and she can't resist trying.

While waiting for my family to arrive, we relaxed at Ya Kun and ordered coffee + toast. Thing is, Tini ordered kaya toast enough for FOUR people instead of two. And the reason we're waiting for my family? It's to have DINNER. Well, it's on her anyway. Who am I to complain?

My dad called to say he's arriving so the both of us gulped down the coffee, packed the remaining toasts (like *duh*. you think we can finish them?) and made our way to Kartini Restaurant to book a table for 5pax. I missed that place. Had always passed it but never thought of entering. My mum somehow had suggesteed to my dad about having dinner there and since it's my bro's day off, and I had already agreed to meet Tini at Parkway Parade, the timing couldn't be better.

I remember, the last time I stepped in there, the place was bigger and I was still a little tot (hey, maybe the place seemed bigger thru' the eyes of a small girl! MAYBE...). And the concept then was that you queue up, choose what you want and pay before taking a seat. Now, it's a true-blue restaurant. Tini was a bit apprehensive about having dinner with my family. I was like, "Hello? It's not like you dunno my family. You've even slept at my house!" She was like.. "Heh.." *sheepish*

Dinner was fun. My mum ordered so many dishes, I was wondering if we could finish them. Let see... There were 2 vegetable dishes, 2 diff. gravy, 2 bowls of crackers, fried chicken, fried prawns, tahu telor, and 2 WHOLE fish (diff. dish). Whether is the camaraderie among us in the family, the great food, the relaxed ambiance or all of the above- somehow Tini forgot about her initial discomfort and became part of my family. Maybe the presence of that 'little kid' (in the form of my 26-year old bro) helped her to relax with his open passion for all things fried & crispy and his exhilaration on being able to order (and consume) them.

Tini was waiting for her fiance (who had yet to knock off) so she chilled with my family at East Coast Park with some coconut juice to wash down that hearty meal... And my bro bought the all time favourite- freshly roasted chinese chestnuts (friggin expensive but nice, nontheless). My dad had asked for another coffee cos' the one he had at the restaurant was 'cold' and 'unsatisfactory' (by his standards, that is). I tell you, sitting by the beach at night is not always a cool/breezy experience. That night the air was still, the wind hardly blew and the leaves didn't rustle. I can sit in an old coffee shop and get more breeze, albeit an old fan blowing. Geez!

Sent my mum to work before ending the day with a petrol top-up and a car wash (car also need to eat and bathe, ok?). Tini arranged for her fiance to simply fetch her at the petrol station. Introduced her fiance to my dad. Bade one another goodbye.

End of Thu.

note: these are just sample pics of Tini and the food that I had in my files. Actual pics of that day is in Tini's cammie and I had yet to get the peeks from her.

Junk food confessions

Junk Food Confessions...


Elvis' Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

For this bit of culinary capriciousness, you will need:

2 - Ripe Bananas,
1/4 Cup - Creamy Peanut Butter
10 Slices - fluffy white sandwich bread
Lightly Salted Butter
a Large fry pan.




Here's what to do:
(Makes five sandwiches)
-Blend 1/4 cup peanut butter with two ripe bananas until the mixture is creamy smooth.
-Spread mixture on five slices of buttered sandwich bread.
-Top with remaining five slices of bread.
-Place sandwiches in hot frying pan, in which several pats of butter have been melted. (Don't let the butter burn!)
-Grill in butter until bread is lightly toasted.
-Grill other side of sandwich.
-Drain on paper towels.
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(Note from author of site where the recipe is taken from)
I don't recommend eating these things on a regular basis, unless you intend to die young, and leave a beautiful corpse. However, from the historical perspective, you have to try them at least once; they have a very unique flavor.
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You read the above recipe? Was that a kinda' indulgence? I mean, BLEND the bananas with peanut butter??? I've heard of banana-chocolate spread but this... Erk!

If you think THAT's bad... Wait till' you read what I've extracted from a certain website. Confession of people who have secret (and yucky!) indulgences. That mish-mash of junk that put heaven in their own, little earth...
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It was aptly named: Gross 'n Yucky: Hall Of Shame Special

Next Time Try Culinary School -
When our son was in college, he and his roommates ate anything available (to save their money for partying). The most gross to me was the one where they opened whatever canned foods they had and mixed it all together. His favorite was a can of tuna, a can of corn, peanut butter, jelly, relish and leftover fried rice from days before when he had Chinese take-out. It was all mixed together and sometimes placed on top of a slice of leftover pizza or a doughnut. Gross! Thank goodness he survived.
LeAnn

I'll Stick With The Steak -
Years ago I invented a sandwich that contained my favorite foods and provided all the satisfaction of a protein-heavy, filling steak dinner. I would melt a generous portion of butter in a frying pan. Then, using 2 slices of raisin or cinnamon bread, I'd spread on chunky peanut butter, some salted cashews, slices, jack and cheddar cheese, and a good heap of real mayonnaise. I would slowly cook this until every ingredient slightly melted together and the bread was brown. This was so heavy, greasy and better than a steak.
Sandra H.

Pour, Pour Pitiful Me! -
My boyfriend's favorite food is ketchup. He eats it with everything, and I mean anything that goes in his mouth at any time of day. This is gross: over the stove he cooks 2 cans of full-fat hearty chili with 2 handfuls of grated cheddar cheese and 2 handfuls of tortilla chips that he crunches into the mix. He then puts this mixture over 4 toasted cinnamon raisin bagels and tops every one of the eight pieces with ketchup. This whole process makes me want to run screaming from his house.
Sarah P.

My Cheesy Boyfriend -
My boyfriend LOVES cheese and I mean on EVERYTHING! He tops off his cereal and milk with pieces of American cheese. He adds American cheese to his pizza. But the worst is his favorite movie snack: Kit Kats dipped in hot nacho cheese sauce!
Adriana

Special Delivery -
When I was pregnant with my third child, my favorite sandwich was 2 quarter-pounder burgers barely cooked, each topped with 2 slices of cheddar cheese. I'd put mayonnaise on one side of the bun, chunky peanut butter on the other side. It also contained raw red onions and as many sweet pickle slices as I could get to stay in the sandwich. Thank goodness I'm not pregnant anymore!
Vanessa J.

Not-So-Fond Memories -
When I was younger, as an after-school snack I would make the "SODWE" as my family called it: Something Only Dani Would Eat. This sandwich consisted of two slices of wheat bread. On one slice I placed mayo, mustard, ketchup, paprika, salt and pepper. On the other were layers of kosher pickles and American cheese. Just thinking about it makes me sick now.
Danielle M.

We're Bacon For Mercy Here! -
I used to LOVE bacon and grape jelly sandwiches on white bread. I ate them all the time, until one day while eating one, I was like,"YUCK!" I never ate them again.
Kim

The Biggest Loser -
I was listening to a local talk show this morning out of Sacramento. The subject was about people who don't watch what they eat and don't exercise and don't care. A woman called in and said she knew someone who ate 12 Big Macs. They didn't believe her so she put him on the phone. Yep, he ate 12 Big Macs, fries and Cokes in a contest... and LOST to another man who ate 14! He went on to say that he weighs 470 pounds and eats at least a half gallon of ice cream every day. I heard this 5 hours ago and still can't get this off my mind.
Claire W.
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DID YOU READ ALL THAT??! Gross, rite??! But before you go, "Eeee Yeuuwww...!" why don't you just stop and think: Am I guilty of having similar indulgences?

We Asian like things spicy. Do you remember the time when you heaped spoonfuls after spoonfuls of chilli on top of all that spice in that dish? Or go bonkers when the place you go to does not provide chilli sauce? Or soy sauce. U gotta have kicap with everything. I have a cousin who even pour soy sauce ON TOP of the Soy Sauce Chicken (ayam masak kicap) dish that she's eating.

I used to go crazy over cheese. Esp. those hot, melted ones that drip. Yessss....! Grilled spicy cheese tuna sandwich is my 'pet recipe' which eventually became my brother's indulgence, too.
And dips. Whatever dips. Just as long as it's something I can dunk into.
Also the omelette that has almost EVERYTHING in it, even cucumbers. Yes, no joke!
And veggies. I get restless should I not eat some for a very long time. I remember eating bread with this salad that consists of celery, spring onions, carrots and parsley- Cos' I'm craving for some greens and they're the only ones left in the fridge.

What about YOU? Any secret indulgences...??

Family???

Family...?
















Oh, don't lambast me for loving them-when they're together, that is.

The shallow side of me says that this pulchritudinuos pair look sooo good together.
The sensitive side of me says that they have a nice family going. Even their family looks good together.

I don't hate the Brad-Jen relationship. I don't care if Angelina really 'took' Brad away. All I know, these two looked really good together, wherever they are (last I heard, they're in Pakistan).

Period.

Look at that. Sigh.... I LIKE!

PS: Pardon my asking this, but doesn't Zahara reminds you somewhat of Tiger Woods???

Stories with peeks II

Stories with peeks II

Here is my cousin's cat, Shakir. Personally, I'll call him 'Marmalade'.

Background check:
My cousin brought Shakir back when it was just a teeny-tot of a kitten. It grew up adoring my cousin and I guess my cousin always cuddled before dozing off.

Well, that is until my cousin got married. And moved out. WITHOUT him.



Shakir missed my cousin and with my cousin's every return to his parents' abode, where Shakir remained - this feline will cozy up to something that carries a strong scent of his owner.

....That will continue to linger in his senses even after my cousin had gone home. . .





...Guess at which corner of the house did I find this fella cozying up at?

There he was, nestled comfortably at where my cousin put his SNEAKERS. He rested his head on my cousin's sneakers for goodness sake!

*inhaled deeply* "Ahhhh... the scent of his feet.... My JOY. "

So that's us at my uncle's place (where Shakir is).

They served an array of sumptous dishes, one of which is bone steak. Yeap, nice huh?

Well.... try eating that; suckling out the bone marrow and nibbling bits of meat with the amber-coloured gravy - while watching THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.

Yeah and the idea of the 'dead-skin-mask'? Totally unnerving. Appetite diffusing. DEFINITELY.

After the hearty meal at my uncle's open-house, we trooped down to my other uncle's place. His wifey is a believer of 'being-a-good hostess'. Despite just knocking off from work and rushing down to her bro-in-law's open house, she actually found time to prepare Soto for us. I really appreciate the nice gesture but my tum-tum was already asking to wave the white flag...

Trooped down to my other uncle's place, next. Wahh... after all that food, my eyes were getting really droopy, liao. Seriously.

They were watching soccer. Not really my favourite teams playing, so my eyes got sooo heavy.... My mind got somewhat fuzzy, then . . . . Z z z z z z . . . .

. . . . G-O-A-L!!!!!!!!

I was jolted awake... Huh? Huh...? What? Oh, Chelsea scrored. Cheh..! My dad made me drink a a cup of black coffee. I downed another. Sheesh. I NEED ALL THAT CAFFEINE!

Gotta send my grandparents back first. Oh God, please. Wake me up. My car's gonna be filled with passengers. PLEASE...!

I did feel refreshed as the somewhat cool night air hit my skin. Phew! Yeah, we made it back safe and sound.

THE NEXT DAY. . .

My cousin came with her brood. She got 7 kids, total. She brought her step-daughter's family along. Her step-daughter is younger than me and already had 3 kids. Hmmm...

Hey, my cousin's step-daughter has kids. Won't that make the kids, my cousin's grand children? My cousin's already a grandma. Then me??? Erk?! Grandma??? Noooo....

Check this out. This is my cousin's littlest tot. The youngest. Yes. No. 7.

But that's not the deal, here. Look at the bottom left-hand corner of the pic. See that ghostly hand..?

That belongs to my mum, actually. And NO, my mum is NOT a ghost.

Just some motion-blur, lah. Cool effect, huh? I LIKE.

Stories with peeks I

Stories with peeks I

Ok.... both my physical and mental self are still showing NO signs of being sleepy... Geez.
Let me find something to blabber about... Maybe Hopefully that'll get me sleepy...

Hmmm...

I still have tons of pics-scraps from the left over days of Raya... The raya mood is already dwindling, esp. now that the time for weddings have started...

Since I had so much time, I figured I should do more that just upload the pics -
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This is Billa, taken when we visited her house. She was in her cranky mood I guess, so her mum was unable to put her down and had to carry her everywhere.
We used to wonder why this girl had difficulty putting on weight and was pretty small for her size. Now we guess it was a kinda' blessing in disguise....





This is Billa again. This time, taken at my house. She was bubbly, responsive and active, so much so that all glasses had to be placed in one side, just so that she couldn't reach them. She won't hesitate to smack her (elder) brother should he refuse to give her what she wants. Was that the same girl whom the mother had to carry around the other day? I wonder.

Yes, that's her and her brother. (Check out her doe-eyes!)



This cute little tyke is 'Yah' (that's what she call herself). I dunno what her name is. I did ask her but I can't make out her babbling. She is really cute, lah. I rarely see her around and yet, at my house, she talked and played with me like I'm her long-lost sister.

Yeah, her friendliness may come off as adorable to those around her. But I bet her parents are fearful that she becomes an easy prey to strangers with ill-intentions...

... I later discovered that her actual name is Insyirah.




This is Nurul, Tini's niece. She was supposed to come with Tini to my house for visiting (after my parents & I went to their's).

Somehow or rather, something cropped up and Tini told me she lost her patience and left without this little girl...



So Tini came alone. Aww... When she came, 'Yah' was still around. I realised that 'Yah' and Nurul are both around the same age. It'll be nice to see if the both of them could get along.

Anyway, it was while wanting to send Tini back that I tumbled down that stairs andTini had to venture home - alone.

Geez, some things are just sooo..... unexpected.

Insomniac Ramblings

Ramblings of an Insomniac

Just dropped by bro off at M.S and come back and find myself unable to sleep. GREAT. As if tomorrow is not a working day.... Well, at least it's Friday.

....Wait a minute. It is??! WOW!

Anyway, he had the cheek to ask me to join him. Haha. I know he does that just so there'll be someone to drive him (and maybe his frens) back. I know he's not the partying sort, hence his hesitation. If not for his collegues, he wouldn't even be there now, considering he's on the morning shift. Guess my mum & I gotta try harder at waking him up for work later.

Driving past M.S and looking at the nocturnal party animals living their life, I think back of my own version of nocturnal life, which seemed to have been more active since last year. But hey, night-life to me had been midnight movies, supper-either locally or at J.B, midnite shopping at Mustafa, joyrides to Changi or simply hit the beaches and the occasional pool sessions.

Clubbing? Naaaah... I'd rather sit down and chill to live music on stage (preferably some rock numbers) like in Aquadisiac. Last time I went to Planet Hollywood~KL, I just played pool. Luckily it was ladies nite, so entry was free. Besides, it was some R&B/Hip-Hop nite. Sooo NOT my thing.
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Loving my car now. My bro had sent it for its 20,000km service at C&C. An overhaul, more like it. They replaced most of the parts and balanced everything back. It felt darn new. Very smooth. Like the feel of your hair after you just stepped out of the salon. It's like a deja-vu of those days after I just brought it back from the Leng Kee showroom. Well, except that this time, it's a more experienced driver behind the wheel.. *ahem*

Aiyo

Aiyo, Aiyo!!

Boy am I glad that my boss is away!

Imagine this sight: My left left propped on another chair while I'm struggling to to figure out how to draft this image on this huge-ass A0 paper. My idea of getting orund the office would preferably be rolling around in these 2 office chairs (1 for me, 1 for my left leg)...

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Last nite, my parents & I went to Tini's hse. We later rushed home cos' someone's coming for visiting. Tini came by later.

As always the both of us chatted till late (almost 2330hrs) and I offered to send her home. My house is on the 10th flr. The lifts stop at the 9th. On the way to the lift lobby, I received an SMS. I checked it. I went down the stairs. Tini was ahead, already at the lift lobby.

I suddenly felt like I was stepping on empty air. You know, like nothing-under-your-feet kind of feeling? Next thing I knew, I lay crumpled at the bottom of the stairs. And I was hugging my handphone all the way. Holding it close to my chest. Protecting it.

While it's the cause of me tumbling down those steps!! Sheesh!!!

Ok... Ok... shouldn't blame anyone but myself... I mean, I can't blame those steps, right? It's not like they gave way under my feet. And I can simply check the message when I reached the lift lobby. It's not like the handphone chose to have an SMS coming in while I was going down the stairs... Geez!

I got my bro to assist me back home. Applied a cold pack to minimise the swelling on that sprained ankle while watching Bram Stoker's Dracula on cable (that show's cheesy, by the way and Keanu is hot! Oh, Kiera Knightley looks a lot like Winona, huh?).

Talking bout' icing, here's what u can do when encountering a similar mishap (courtesy of orthopedics.about.com) :

1. Get the ice on quickly.
Icing is most effective in the immediate period following an injury. The effect of icing diminishes significantly after about 48 hours.
2. Perform an 'ice massage'.
Apply ice directly to the injury. Move the ice frequently, not allowing it to sit in one spot.
3. Don't forget to elevate.
Keep the injured body part elevated above the heart while icing-this will further help reduce swelling.
4. Watch the clock!
Ice for 15-20 minutes, NEVER LONGER. You can do more damage to the tissues, including frostbite, by icing for too long.
5. Allow time between treatments.
Allow area to warm for at least 45 minutes or an hour before beginning the icing routine again.
6. Repeat as desired. Ice as frequently as you wish, so long as the area is warm to touch and has normal sensation before repeating.
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...Not supposed to ice for more than 20 mins... Hmm... I iced my ankle all the way till' the movie ended! When the cold pack became limp after it lost its cold, I used REAL ice to reduce the swelling....

Frostbite?! Did they say frostbite??

Geez!

Geez!

Was raining when I left the office. So the umbrella came in handy.

Got off the bus.

The people around me were walking around umbrella-less. So I forged ahead. Pitter-patter.
Still drizzling. I opened my umbrella and crossed the road. Walked on the open path to my block....

....Walked along to the lift lobby. There's a lift on the ground floor. Pressed the button. I entered. Or so I TRIED. I somehow can't enter the lift! Looked up...

What the??! My umbrella was still ABOVE MY HEAD!

Upon reaching my block, instead of closing the umbrella, I actually walked like I WAS STILL in the rain, the umbrella remained grandly opened. All the way to the lift lobby. Almost 50metres, ok?

First thing I did (after putting the umbrella away), was to look around. NO ONE. Phew!!
Can you imagine the embarassment should one of my neighbours had been behind me and saw this girl walking under the block with her umbrella???

In the solitude of the confined space within the lift, I screamed. LOUD. But I'm wise. I dun scream all the way to my floor. You'll never know who'll be getting in when you step off.

Uuugh. Geez!

pics uploaded

Erm...

I've already uploaded the Raya fotos (finally!) into an online foto album. However, I've decided to make it for-family-only. Therefore only those who are invited to view, are able to.

Those who think that they ought to be able to view, just email me. I think the link is on the side bar. Some Yahoo! address.

Meanwhile....

Just look at what will happen to you if you dun bother to lather on the sunblock. And you work outdoors and your choice of eyewear is a pair of big-ass shades similar to that worn by Steve-O.

That's my brother by the way. He had no idea why I was giggling hard when I took this foto. But kinda adorable, lar. If a panda has a white face and black rims around the eyes, he has a dark face and white rims around his.

Tee hee hee...