Come Dine With Me?

I have to confess my addiction. It's my obsession with curry at its peak.

I have curry every morning if I could, and I'm rarely satisfied with any other food that I rather have plain o nothing.

And I know, I have a 'unique' taste in cooking. A fine line between unique and weird.

This time though, I have to admit, I'm crossing the line...

Variations of Curry:

Curry with Pear & Tomato with Crouton

Curry with Cucmber & extra Yoghurt on Brown Rice

Curry with Cucmber, Squid & Squid ink (accidental) on Brown Rice

What Is LOVE?

This has been and more strongly so now, an ultimate question of my life! (call me however you like. I admit I'm a hopeless lover who's bad at it).

Let's see what's the definition of LOVE. 1 describes feelings, almost dreamy idealism. 2 describes the science, more physical.

love (lŭv) n.
1. A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.
2. A feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person with whom one is disposed to make a pair; the emotion of sex and romance.

And this site from Australian program was one of the best readings I had this year. (just shows how much I read)
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1210487.htm

So when the good old trusty instinct, the cusmic energy and all the good advice from the people who actually cares, fails, these scientific explanation is a comforting rationalization to what the drama is all about.

Precious Illusions

you'll rescue me right? In the exact same way they never did
I'll be happy right? When your healing powers kick in
You'll complete me right? Then my life can finally begin
I'll be worthy right? Only when you realize the gem i am?

but this won't work now the way it once did
and i won't keep it up even though i would love to
once i know who i'm not then i'll know who i am
but i know i won't keep on playing the victim

These precious illusions in my head did not let me down when i was defenseless
And parting with them is like parting with invisible best friends
this ring will me yet as will you knight in shining armor
this pill will help me yet as will these boys gone through like water

but this won't work as well as the way it once did
cuz i want to decide between survival and bliss
and though i know who i'm not i still don't know who i am
but i know i won't keep on playing the victim

these precious illusions in my head did not let me down when i was a kid
and parting with them is like parting with a childhood best friend
i've spent so long firmly looking outside me
i've spent so much time living in survival mode

- Alanis Morrisette

Life in my own hands....

Yes, I am finally realizing my dream to start my own label.

It's been almost 6 years since I left University. I have always majored in Fashion since high school.

Along the way, many factors in life have distracted me from the basic purpose of why we, fashion students even study fashion..... It's never about working for a famous fashion company nor to get a certificate.

It's only because we want to create what we want.

So I have decided. After working for citigroup, I will leave the corporate world for good!(hopefully)

And despite of a premonition of going partnership with a buddy, teaming up with my 'girlfriend', an ex-flatmate and a long time schoolmate, seemed like a natural idea. Especially when timing is just right that she was also feeling tired of working for others, when she could do her own.

So we decided to take "MaNic", Inez's T-shirt company label to a new level.

Wish us luck for our new venture!

Obaachan

幼なじみの久美ちゃん。おばあちゃんが８８歳になった！！のをお祝いに、３世代揃って（久美ちゃん、お母さん、おばあちゃん）とで、グアムに行ったときの写真を送ってくれました。それにしても、おばあちゃんは本当に若い！これからもずっとずっと元気でいて欲しい！

Kumi-chan is my oldest and closest neighbor and family friend. Obaachan turned 88years old this year so they celebrated her birthday in Guam. (But Obaachan's first travel to overseas was Jakarta last year!)

True to the statistic on the average life expectancy of Japanese women which is 86years old, Obaachan is still going strong and healthy! And I hope she will stay healthy for more years to come!

Post Card from Tokyo

さ～く～ら～♪
さ～く～ら～♪
Chiori-san, (my ex first flatmate) from Tokyo.

Despite of the full bloom sakura, this week, it snowed in Tokyo! That is just too unusual. We really have to do something about the global warming man!!

Ayurvedic Food

After a night of guilty indulgence in high toxin intake, I awoke with an obsessive need to compensate with some healthy food.

So I tried Brown Rice and challenged Bitter Ggourd and egg in Turmeric rich curry flavour stir fry accompanied with fresh Tomato in Vinegar and sprinkly of Seaweed.

"Bitter gourd contains vitamin A, B1, B2, and C. It also contains minerals like calcium, phosphorous, iron, copper and potassium. From the ayurvedic perspective, bitter gourd is excellent for balancing Kapha. It helps purify blood tissue, enhances digestion, and stimulates the liver. "

"Brown rice helps control blood pressure and also reduces wide fluctuations in blood sugar. The high fiber content of brown rice has a good effect on controlling cholestrol and cholestrol control is of prime importance in keeping away heart disease."

"Turmeric is highly valuable for the influence it exerts on the digestive system and the liver. In both Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is considered a digestive bitter and a carminative. It can be incorporated into foods, including rice and bean dishes, to improve digestion and reduce gas and bloating. It is a cholagogue, stimulating bile production in the liver and encouraging excretion of bile via the gallbladder. This improves the body's ability to digest fats. "

Having said that, how about the taste?

YUCKs!!

She's really gone

Little that I know, this picture would be the last picture of her....

She usually does whatever makes her happy on Saturday nights and comes home on Sunday afternoon.

But last week she didn't come back. Another week passed by and still no sign of her.

Probably she's lost, found a better home or ....

Whichever way, that's what cats are. Damn unfaithful one...

TRAGIC FALL

Chiori, my room mate was packing to leave Singapore on her last night. I bade farewell to her and went to bed. It was past mid night when she was waiting for her friend to send her off.

Chiori was very good to Mio, feeding her and playing with her, more than I was. We were just talking about how Mio is so energetic and naughty, it's hard to believe she is a female cat. Mio also liked being around her and always jumped into her tall laundry basket, often surprising her when she springs out from it.

At 4am, Chiori woke me up. Her voice shaking and her face stiff with shock and disbelief. She said she was clearing her stuff and wanted to throw trash down the garbage chute, which is placed under the sink where Mio loves to go. One of the garbage was too big so she treid to make them into smaller lots. She did not think much and left the garbage chute's door open. Then suddenly she heard the door closed. BOMB!.......

We live on 11th floor, the top floor of a gigantic residential block.
Mio is nowhere to be seen. The garbage chute door tightly closed. What happens to a cat when it falls down a garbage chute from 11th floor?

The garbage collectors only come and clear the garbage in the morning 10:30am on Saturday. Otherwise the door on the 1st floor is locked. Who knows what's thrown down by the residents by Saturday 4am.

I do not blame Chiori. She was just trying to throw the trash. I can understand Mio. She's such an adventurous little cat. She was always looking at me curiously, when I threw those garbage.
so what can I say?.........tragedy. poor Mio. I didn't want to think too much about how it is like in the garbage shoot or how she's doing. As I went to bed I missed her annoying but cute presence.....

I woke up to a first day without a room mate and Mio.

I got out of my room, sat there for a while when Mio quietly tip toed in the house from the window oblivious to my delight......!

I now appreciate her on a new level.

Gorgeous Chandelier

Now, this is what a call a bar with GOOD interior;

There are about 6 of them in a row inside. Smaller in size coz this one in the picture is hanging at the entrance stair case when we come up.

the white thing at the bottom is a projection of the sign "BARFLY" on the wall, moving around. it's really impressive.

But rather empty....

I've only been there 1-2times but i think the music is too loud for a lounge. (there are more sofas than standing area like clubs).

CFJ

Jonathan & Kohiyama san came to Singapore for 2 days intensive meeting.

So we did the typically original Business Visit rounds of East Coast Chill & Pepper Crab dinner, Boat Quay Thai food, Robertson Walk Bar hop etc etc...

Homemade Yoghurt

私も自家製ヨーグルトに挑戦しました。
粉ミルク＋低脂肪プレーンヨーグルト！結果は、飲むヨーグルトと食べるヨーグルトの間のような物。

酸っぱさが全然無い。最初にしてはＧＯＯＤ！

So I challenged to make a homemade yoghurt too.
From Anlene (the powder milk) + low fat plain yogurt.
The texture is a little like drinking yogurt but it's not sour at all!

teenage angst

Like a clueless mother of a rebellious teenager, I got hurt being over protected.
Mio is a free cat now, and the windows of my house is wide open again. I'm going to trust her judgement and survival skills in a big world out there. I let her have the key and go to parties with no curfew.
There are so many reading materials on how to raise a cat. I also have so many experienced friends who can give me advice. (Diaz just smsed me consulting about his first cat Naima http://www.catster.com/cats/456627 's heat & the trip to doctor).
Yet I made a classic mistake in bringing up. I shunned her curiousity and sterilized her when she was very young. I locked her up and got angry with her for scratching and spoiling the furnitures... etc etc
Poor girl I didnt' realize I was in denial of her 'growing' up and ignored her frustration of being grounded.... She deserves to see the world out there, the world that I don't know. She's not a baby anymore... I hope by understanding her needs and respecting her as an adult teenager, there will be no more domestic violence.

CNY gatherings

Marc fixed an absolutely fabulous Portobello mushroom with ham & cheeze for dinner!

Then we went to Pump & China 1 at Clarke Quay to meet up the whole bunch.

More pics coming soon from the professional.

Gong Xi Fa Chai

Raymond & Jem was in town so we catched up with their friends to Zouk.

Reminicing their 'ah beng' time was their theme, they bought bunch of orange combs!

(Yes, I'm working on improving my phone camera lighting)

Short Drink

....what is a 'short' drink anyway?

Catched up with Inez, Ben, Robbie, Oman in the east.

Where have all the Public Phones gone?

Japanese gathering

Catched up with bunch of Japanese friends at Vino Vino, and true to the ways of Japanese drinking, we emptied 8 bottles of wine plus complimentary bottles & food... among the 9 of us. End up dancing and controlling the music. Such demanding customers we are.

Mega Mac

This Mega Mac is currently a fad in Japan. It looks like they did it again! Very smart sales strategy? They only had to come up with new packaging and some ads, right?

Personally, I can barely finish the normal Big Mac. And check out Macdonals' way too exaggerated ads.

The only difference in Mega Mac is, they added 2 of that kind of dry beef patti to the usual Big Mac so the dryness also doubled up. I get tired just thinking..... I think I'm going to stick to my kids meal.

Paint MOB

It was the first painting party Wee Lim & Wei hosted at their Tomlinson place. Many people turned up, but the later part turned to a cozy gathering together with flatmate Brad & a good friend Tiffany.
Did a little make over for Brad who was ready to go St. James. Then did the smoky eyes for Tiffany. Yes any canvas will do!

I guess I will see more of them, now that I have to finish my painting.

Wei, the host with the most!

Flee & Easy

Inez, Peggy & Rachel had a stall at Zouk's flea market, so did Oby. I sold the Playstation Wheel and made $35 from it. Inez helped me push to sell few of my accessories for $5-8 which I bought for $0.50. Not bad for a Sunday afternoon. I always love Zouk's flea market. U actually see the faces of people you normally see at night in the dark on a bright afternoon (well, indoor and lighting is still tricky inside...thank god). Beer tastes better with friends, good music & making the money to pay.

Delicious Door

.....I think the name of the yellow paint I got wrongly for my door is Durian... hm... i guess I can grow to like it....

Simon got Married!

Simon Stanford & Tran Yen Nhi's Wedding Feburary 2, 2007.

What an auspicious day for a wedding!
Big wishes to a happy married life!

Never ending headache for President of Indonesia

What can they say?

Fullerton

Magnificent flower arrangement of Fullerton Hotel's lobby.

I got a Flatmate!

I got a flatmate, Chiori-san. Actually the rent of her previous place expired but she's staying another 1 month before she goes back to Japan so she needed a place to stay.
I thought, why not... She's a lovely girl who came to Singapore 10 month ago as an attachment to JAL. She now has to go back and serve another year in Japan. After that she's planning to quit and come to work in Singapore again! Why? well, maybe it's that nice boyfriend of hers ;)

ahh.... young hearts run free....