Winter. Coming out and play is in order, decided the viruses.
Deep winter. The mischievous viruses knowing no more boundaries, reared their ugly green heads and wrecked havoc on their defenceless quarries.
Vulnerable victims such as the Hoonie was warned by the well-meaning friend of the looming danger at the recent get-together. Alas, lured by the dark force disguised in the black cloak of gluttony, the Hoonie turned up at the party against her better judgement.
Immediately, the virus closed in on its unsuspecting prey. The very same moment, Hoonie was shrouded in the warmth and affection from the friends.
No trace of regrets later even when the indication of the infection manifested. Except for having to postpone a dinner.
The dinner was scheduled weeks before and must be put-off again to the great disappointment of the partners in binging.
How not to when samgyeopsal gui (Korean grilled pork belly) was supposed to be the feature of the day? SIGH...
But better to be safe than to knowingly let more victims fall prey to the dark side.
P.S. And a diet of bland porridge for days has its devastating effect: the craving of a bucket of KFC.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Horse scent
The bestie secretly stashed my birthday present among the packs of Prima Taste. The gift was disguised in a Body Shop bottle. How naughty!
I was so thrilled to discover it's my favourite shampoo. But this is no ordinary shampoo okay. This is a shampoo made from horse oil.
When the bestie was at an onsen during her Japan trip, she chanced upon this hair product, fell in love and bought it despite its hefty price-tag for a shampoo.
She then very sweetly gave me some to sample. There's no looking back. It was love at first sight. Naturally, I've been raving about it ever since.
Apparently, horse oil is a popular ingredient in the Japanese folk remedy for hundred of years. Due to its strong moisturizing properties, it is also used in beauty products to treat dry hair or skin.
After a week of using the shampoo, the texture of my hair is indeed softer to touch. And there seems to have a shine to it too. Or was it the light reflecting??
But what really wooed me was its scent. I cannot put my finger on what fragrance it actually is. Could it be lavender? I really can't tell. Its sweet gentle scent soothes me each time I catch a whiff of it from my hair. I love it that the perfume lingers all day long. It clings to the clothes and to the pillow case. I am now hooked. If I can help it, I avoid using hair products or perfume to not mask the scent.
With our lives now taking a new direction, I guess a calming agent such as this to hush my fears and worries (not forgetting the joy and excitement) is in order. Obviously, the bestie shares my sentiment too.
So months ago, she quietly got my poison through her colleague who went to Japan. Ain't she thoughtful?
I was so thrilled to discover it's my favourite shampoo. But this is no ordinary shampoo okay. This is a shampoo made from horse oil.
When the bestie was at an onsen during her Japan trip, she chanced upon this hair product, fell in love and bought it despite its hefty price-tag for a shampoo.
She then very sweetly gave me some to sample. There's no looking back. It was love at first sight. Naturally, I've been raving about it ever since.
Apparently, horse oil is a popular ingredient in the Japanese folk remedy for hundred of years. Due to its strong moisturizing properties, it is also used in beauty products to treat dry hair or skin.
After a week of using the shampoo, the texture of my hair is indeed softer to touch. And there seems to have a shine to it too. Or was it the light reflecting??
But what really wooed me was its scent. I cannot put my finger on what fragrance it actually is. Could it be lavender? I really can't tell. Its sweet gentle scent soothes me each time I catch a whiff of it from my hair. I love it that the perfume lingers all day long. It clings to the clothes and to the pillow case. I am now hooked. If I can help it, I avoid using hair products or perfume to not mask the scent.
With our lives now taking a new direction, I guess a calming agent such as this to hush my fears and worries (not forgetting the joy and excitement) is in order. Obviously, the bestie shares my sentiment too.
So months ago, she quietly got my poison through her colleague who went to Japan. Ain't she thoughtful?
Monday, January 25, 2010
I can't remember....
We were about to roll out with our overstuffed bellies after a steamboat dinner when I told S just how forgettable I have recently become. Realising the mistake, I corrected myself, 'No, I mean unforgettable.
I only recalled my boo-boo much later. Oh dear! I can't even remember the word to explain my absent-mindedness. Need I say more?
The poor girl must have thought I was speaking in tongues. No wonder she was quite silent while I fumbled for the right word in my scatterbrained trance.
How embarrassing!
I only recalled my boo-boo much later. Oh dear! I can't even remember the word to explain my absent-mindedness. Need I say more?
The poor girl must have thought I was speaking in tongues. No wonder she was quite silent while I fumbled for the right word in my scatterbrained trance.
How embarrassing!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Immaculate Collection
Our mini fridge doesn't come with a freezer. Due to space constraint, the basement is where the separate freezer currently resides. Thus one would see me running to the basement at any time of the day or night getting those frozen whatnots. In my frumpy, colour-faded homewear and glasses with matching unkempt hair no less.
And yes, that means I would always be literally running back to the pad as I have no wish of bumping into the neighbours in the alluring ensemble.
But I am not always lucky.
Talking about the neighbours. Either they have the most stylish loungewear to be worn at home, not unlike those you saw in Desperate Housewives, or they are diligent enough to make pretty every single day once they are out of the bed. Because I have never once seen them with a hair out of place or a bare face. No matter at which time of the day or night. Such arduous labour is indeed admirable.
But I am not alone. I found another pea in the pod:
And yes, that means I would always be literally running back to the pad as I have no wish of bumping into the neighbours in the alluring ensemble.
But I am not always lucky.
Talking about the neighbours. Either they have the most stylish loungewear to be worn at home, not unlike those you saw in Desperate Housewives, or they are diligent enough to make pretty every single day once they are out of the bed. Because I have never once seen them with a hair out of place or a bare face. No matter at which time of the day or night. Such arduous labour is indeed admirable.
But I am not alone. I found another pea in the pod:
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Torn between a durian and rambutan
I recently developed a habit which I find most insufferable. Reading a book halfway and for some reasons not able to finish it. I could not fathom the rationale behind it because back in Singapore I never had that problem.
Okay, maybe once.
I attempted Peter Carey's Oscar and Lucinda but I guess I was probably too young and too ignorant, not to mention too impatient to fight my way through the long thick book that I gave up eventually. Till today, I still wonder about the plot and the characters development. I kick myself for not sticking it out till the end and be rewarded by its (as claimed by many) beautiful literacy style. Like how I did with Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie.
I might have grumbled to the friends just how long-winded Rushdie can be that it takes pages before he reaches a point and not forgetting his weighty political talk. Midnight's Children remains however an extraordinary piece of work because Rushdie is without a doubt a literary master. His wittiness and intellect and his knack for an array of puns, wordplay and rhyme is dazzling. His cleverly crafted lines left me mesmerized and yearning for more.
Naturally after such a masterpiece, it is almost impossible to find another book of the same caliber. Not that the current book, Absolute Friends by John LeCarre, is mediocre. While it is rather engaging, it lacks Rushdie's Midas touch of witty wordplay which I often devoured with relish. Sure, the comparison is unfair to LeCarre. But it's like having to choose between a durian and rambutan, the choice is very obvious. The durian, the king of fruits it is of course.
Hence, I am currently stuck. I am itching to get another Rushdie's book to quench my literary thrist. And many other books on my list as well.
But to avoid history repeating itself, I have to repress that temptation for now and bloody finish my current book first!
On second thought, having the humble rambutan once in a while is not such a bad idea at all.
Okay, maybe once.
I attempted Peter Carey's Oscar and Lucinda but I guess I was probably too young and too ignorant, not to mention too impatient to fight my way through the long thick book that I gave up eventually. Till today, I still wonder about the plot and the characters development. I kick myself for not sticking it out till the end and be rewarded by its (as claimed by many) beautiful literacy style. Like how I did with Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie.
I might have grumbled to the friends just how long-winded Rushdie can be that it takes pages before he reaches a point and not forgetting his weighty political talk. Midnight's Children remains however an extraordinary piece of work because Rushdie is without a doubt a literary master. His wittiness and intellect and his knack for an array of puns, wordplay and rhyme is dazzling. His cleverly crafted lines left me mesmerized and yearning for more.
Naturally after such a masterpiece, it is almost impossible to find another book of the same caliber. Not that the current book, Absolute Friends by John LeCarre, is mediocre. While it is rather engaging, it lacks Rushdie's Midas touch of witty wordplay which I often devoured with relish. Sure, the comparison is unfair to LeCarre. But it's like having to choose between a durian and rambutan, the choice is very obvious. The durian, the king of fruits it is of course.
Hence, I am currently stuck. I am itching to get another Rushdie's book to quench my literary thrist. And many other books on my list as well.
But to avoid history repeating itself, I have to repress that temptation for now and bloody finish my current book first!
On second thought, having the humble rambutan once in a while is not such a bad idea at all.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
A hazy shade of winter
I was hankering for a quick bite after merrymaking at the friend's on NYE. The dozens of scallops, pork fillet and whatnots earlier didn't help to curb those hunger pangs.
We decided to swing by Burger King to grab a burger. On our way there, we were hit by an unexpected heavy fog. The visibility was very very bad. We couldn't see a thing from the windscreen. NOTHING!!! NOTHING!!! NOTHING!!!
I was seriously freaking out. Terrible thought raced through my mind. What if we hit the curb? What if we hit some car in front of us? What if some idiot or some cat or dog dashed suddenly across the road?!
If it was me behind the steering wheel, I would have bloody stopped the car and gone into panic mode! On second thought, not such a great idea at all. A car coming from behind might have missed seeing us and banged into our car. Luckily for us, it was the man who was driving. He kept his cool and drove on very slowly. It also helped that the road was a long straight one.
In my fright, I failed to notice the faint white road markings which the man had been following. I breathed a little easier.
Eventually, we had to exit from the road and I cried out to the man, drive on and do not exit! My reason was the next road was full of curves and it's simply too dangerous to use that road in this condition. The man argued we would never get home if we did not exit then. Plus the fog might not be as heavy there.
Okay, what do I know? He should be more experienced than me in such situations. This is after all my first brush with the thick heavy fog.
Well, true to his words, the fog was not as dense on the next road. Phew! What a relief!
The rest of the journey was rather uneventful except we hit-and-run some remains of firecrackers on the road.
Wow, what an unforgettable way to start the new year, eh?
Once I stepped into the pad, my hunger pangs returned. Great.
We decided to swing by Burger King to grab a burger. On our way there, we were hit by an unexpected heavy fog. The visibility was very very bad. We couldn't see a thing from the windscreen. NOTHING!!! NOTHING!!! NOTHING!!!
I was seriously freaking out. Terrible thought raced through my mind. What if we hit the curb? What if we hit some car in front of us? What if some idiot or some cat or dog dashed suddenly across the road?!
If it was me behind the steering wheel, I would have bloody stopped the car and gone into panic mode! On second thought, not such a great idea at all. A car coming from behind might have missed seeing us and banged into our car. Luckily for us, it was the man who was driving. He kept his cool and drove on very slowly. It also helped that the road was a long straight one.
In my fright, I failed to notice the faint white road markings which the man had been following. I breathed a little easier.
Eventually, we had to exit from the road and I cried out to the man, drive on and do not exit! My reason was the next road was full of curves and it's simply too dangerous to use that road in this condition. The man argued we would never get home if we did not exit then. Plus the fog might not be as heavy there.
Okay, what do I know? He should be more experienced than me in such situations. This is after all my first brush with the thick heavy fog.
Well, true to his words, the fog was not as dense on the next road. Phew! What a relief!
The rest of the journey was rather uneventful except we hit-and-run some remains of firecrackers on the road.
Wow, what an unforgettable way to start the new year, eh?
Once I stepped into the pad, my hunger pangs returned. Great.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With the snow chaos all over the news in the last days, I was dreaming of a white Christmas in this land of sausage and beer. Especially when we woke up one morning to a white blanket of fresh snow everywhere and feathery falling snow flakes. I was thrilled.
Are we finally going to have a white silent Christmas this year? What is Christmas without snow right!!!
But nope. Like in the past years, I was hoping against hope. The blanket of clean serene snow has since melted away as silently as it has arrived. The magic is broken.
On the bright side, we have a huge white fir tree this year. The fir does look magically imposing with the lights turned on.
The one thing left to complete the festive mood: Presents!!!
Happy Christmas!!
Are we finally going to have a white silent Christmas this year? What is Christmas without snow right!!!
But nope. Like in the past years, I was hoping against hope. The blanket of clean serene snow has since melted away as silently as it has arrived. The magic is broken.
On the bright side, we have a huge white fir tree this year. The fir does look magically imposing with the lights turned on.
The one thing left to complete the festive mood: Presents!!!
Happy Christmas!!
Monday, December 14, 2009
How do you like your coke?
I have never been a big fan of coke. (Yes, the carbonate soft drink coca cola, not the other coke.) When given a choice, I'd rather have an ice tea, green tea, or water anytime. But when fancy does strike, I'll still get that occasional coke in the hope that the thirst would be quenched. Thing is, it doesn't work all the time, does it?
When serving me the coke, one must however observe my two big no-nos:
Do not serve the coke straight from the can. I totally hate that as the coke would be so gassy that most often than not, I couldn't finish a quarter of the can. And that is so wasteful, innit? So well, the only way out is to ask for a glass lor.
Do not serve the coke neat in a glass. Which is how they love to do it here in Germany and apparently the Germans including the man have no complaints about that. As for me, the coke is insufferably sweet without the ice. And I suspect the term ice cold coke somehow got lost in translation in this country.
One might argue that you can have more coke without the ice. Well really, who wants more coke when you could drown down a nicely chilled and not overly-sweet coke? So I say hell with more coke! Gimme a coke with plenty of ice anytime man! That's how I like my coke!
And so weeks ago, I was badly in need of a fix of caffeine high in my bloodstream. We were hooking up with the friends one evening at our favourite greek restuarant in a quiet litle nook. I jumped at the chance and got myself a coke with extra ice.
Several big gulps and thereafter with the cold caffeine cruising down my bloodstream, was I already tripping in my own happy high? By the time my fish came, I was into my second glass and beaming merrily at the friends and giggling silly at anything lame.
More than 3 years in Germany, what took me so long to ask for extra ice?
Or has the caffeine done its damages already?
When serving me the coke, one must however observe my two big no-nos:
Do not serve the coke straight from the can. I totally hate that as the coke would be so gassy that most often than not, I couldn't finish a quarter of the can. And that is so wasteful, innit? So well, the only way out is to ask for a glass lor.
Do not serve the coke neat in a glass. Which is how they love to do it here in Germany and apparently the Germans including the man have no complaints about that. As for me, the coke is insufferably sweet without the ice. And I suspect the term ice cold coke somehow got lost in translation in this country.
One might argue that you can have more coke without the ice. Well really, who wants more coke when you could drown down a nicely chilled and not overly-sweet coke? So I say hell with more coke! Gimme a coke with plenty of ice anytime man! That's how I like my coke!
And so weeks ago, I was badly in need of a fix of caffeine high in my bloodstream. We were hooking up with the friends one evening at our favourite greek restuarant in a quiet litle nook. I jumped at the chance and got myself a coke with extra ice.
Several big gulps and thereafter with the cold caffeine cruising down my bloodstream, was I already tripping in my own happy high? By the time my fish came, I was into my second glass and beaming merrily at the friends and giggling silly at anything lame.
More than 3 years in Germany, what took me so long to ask for extra ice?
Or has the caffeine done its damages already?
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Dying an early death?
I guess I've probably flunked most guidelines on blogging where its main objective is to help increase traffic to a blog.
Instead of updating frequently, I post only 2 or 3 times per month. And then of course I had to go block my blog recently. That is a definite big no-no in the blogosphere. Unfortunately the break actually freed up my time. I could finish up my half-read book, and idle on my couch in front of the TV. Sometimes it's just great to do nothing at all. That really helps to loosen me up.
Sure, I do feel guilty knowing that a handful of the loyal readers aka the friends would be disappointed in finding the closed blog. But I soon discover my worries are unfounded because I doubt anyone ever noticed the blog was even closed. All I got was the usual cold stony ringing silence. So much for the traffic to the blog.
Someone then wrote, if you are going to blog about yourself, you better have an uncanny knack for wit, humour or cynicism or your life got to be damn interesting or exciting. Because no one wants to read about the colour of underwear you wore last night, the fried rice you ate for lunch or that 98th travelling you did recently.
Err, my life is neither interesting nor exciting since I do not have glamorous friends to hang out or party with. A knack for wit or humour is beyond me...
Eh, everyone still there?
And according to a professional blogger, it is important that you include your blog's content in an RSS feed to increase readership and distribution. Well, firstly I had no idea what RSS was all about until I wikipedia-ed it seconds ago. So no, the blog is definitely not on RSS.
For reasons even unknown to myself, I somehow have this perverse obssession to keep the blog as invisible as possible. I don't do fellowship with other bloggers. I don't belong to a blog community. I hardly comment on other blogs. I forbid friends to link the blog. Not many are in the know of the blog.
And the last I checked, only less than 100 hits have ever graced the blog.
I think I might have single-handedly killed my own blog. *grin*
Instead of updating frequently, I post only 2 or 3 times per month. And then of course I had to go block my blog recently. That is a definite big no-no in the blogosphere. Unfortunately the break actually freed up my time. I could finish up my half-read book, and idle on my couch in front of the TV. Sometimes it's just great to do nothing at all. That really helps to loosen me up.
Sure, I do feel guilty knowing that a handful of the loyal readers aka the friends would be disappointed in finding the closed blog. But I soon discover my worries are unfounded because I doubt anyone ever noticed the blog was even closed. All I got was the usual cold stony ringing silence. So much for the traffic to the blog.
Someone then wrote, if you are going to blog about yourself, you better have an uncanny knack for wit, humour or cynicism or your life got to be damn interesting or exciting. Because no one wants to read about the colour of underwear you wore last night, the fried rice you ate for lunch or that 98th travelling you did recently.
Err, my life is neither interesting nor exciting since I do not have glamorous friends to hang out or party with. A knack for wit or humour is beyond me...
Eh, everyone still there?
And according to a professional blogger, it is important that you include your blog's content in an RSS feed to increase readership and distribution. Well, firstly I had no idea what RSS was all about until I wikipedia-ed it seconds ago. So no, the blog is definitely not on RSS.
For reasons even unknown to myself, I somehow have this perverse obssession to keep the blog as invisible as possible. I don't do fellowship with other bloggers. I don't belong to a blog community. I hardly comment on other blogs. I forbid friends to link the blog. Not many are in the know of the blog.
And the last I checked, only less than 100 hits have ever graced the blog.
I think I might have single-handedly killed my own blog. *grin*
Saturday, October 31, 2009
My Halloween rocks!
The man, all dressed up in his black robes, has left to rock the halloween party while here I am wallowing in my self-pity.
The fever, of all weeks, chose the week leading up to All Saint's Day to visit. Well, I can't really blame the virus and bacteria as how could they possibly know I've been looking forward to the party since weeks?
Minutes ago NW likened Halloween to our Chinese Ghost Month. Thanks to her, I am now keenly aware that I am all alone in the pad.
Or am I? *look over shoulder*
The doorbell shrieked just then. Repressing my thudding heart, I answered the door to have a trick-or-treat thrown at me. I mumbled briefly to the boys I had to see if I had any treats for them and found the kids all gone when I came back. They were probably too freaked out by my oily and unkempt hair and ran away. No need to even put on my war paint to do scary.
Anyways, I resolve to not answer my door anymore tonight to save myself the embarassement and the kids, a fright.
Like a conspiracy, the TV is dishing out party tunes and anything halloween to rile me. Oh well...
The last days were spent drifting in and out of a feverish trance. When I finally woke, the cobwebs in the head casted a haze over everything in sight.
TV was boring. Being online for too long gave me a throbbing headache. I couldn't register the dancing words on the book. With nothing else to do, a movie marathon transpired.
But the cheery bright sunshine was too dazzling for my newly-acquired vampire eyes. Thank goodness for the german blinds which are able to block out each single ray of sunlight.
In the darkness of my living room-cinema, dishy young Al Pacino was ruthless villain Michael Corleone and Robert De Niro the streetsmart and cool as a cucumber Vito Corleone. Part II is definitely my fav among the trilogy simply because De Niro rules in it! Albeit scrawny, his portrayal of the Don was vivid and beautiful. His mannerism spoke of his cold-bloodness, his family values and his rise to power. He was Vito Corleone and not De Niro.
Then Robert Downey Jr was incredibly hawt and sexy with or without his iron suit. Let's hope he stays clean and gets casted in more films so that we will not be deprived of his mastery.
Now, cobwebs are being spun and and the head throbs...
The fever, of all weeks, chose the week leading up to All Saint's Day to visit. Well, I can't really blame the virus and bacteria as how could they possibly know I've been looking forward to the party since weeks?
Minutes ago NW likened Halloween to our Chinese Ghost Month. Thanks to her, I am now keenly aware that I am all alone in the pad.
Or am I? *look over shoulder*
The doorbell shrieked just then. Repressing my thudding heart, I answered the door to have a trick-or-treat thrown at me. I mumbled briefly to the boys I had to see if I had any treats for them and found the kids all gone when I came back. They were probably too freaked out by my oily and unkempt hair and ran away. No need to even put on my war paint to do scary.
Anyways, I resolve to not answer my door anymore tonight to save myself the embarassement and the kids, a fright.
Like a conspiracy, the TV is dishing out party tunes and anything halloween to rile me. Oh well...
The last days were spent drifting in and out of a feverish trance. When I finally woke, the cobwebs in the head casted a haze over everything in sight.
TV was boring. Being online for too long gave me a throbbing headache. I couldn't register the dancing words on the book. With nothing else to do, a movie marathon transpired.
But the cheery bright sunshine was too dazzling for my newly-acquired vampire eyes. Thank goodness for the german blinds which are able to block out each single ray of sunlight.
In the darkness of my living room-cinema, dishy young Al Pacino was ruthless villain Michael Corleone and Robert De Niro the streetsmart and cool as a cucumber Vito Corleone. Part II is definitely my fav among the trilogy simply because De Niro rules in it! Albeit scrawny, his portrayal of the Don was vivid and beautiful. His mannerism spoke of his cold-bloodness, his family values and his rise to power. He was Vito Corleone and not De Niro.
Then Robert Downey Jr was incredibly hawt and sexy with or without his iron suit. Let's hope he stays clean and gets casted in more films so that we will not be deprived of his mastery.
Now, cobwebs are being spun and and the head throbs...
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