EVERYBODY'S GOING TO SMACK MY HEAD

EVERYBODY'S GOING TO SMACK MY HEAD


Was checking out for any possible discounts for tomorrow's gathering dinner when... I... Just... Realized... Ehhh... Hmmm...

There cough is cough 10% cough off cough at cough both cough cough cough Just Acia cough cough cough and cough the cough cough cough Coffee Club cough cough cough with cough Citibank cough card cough and cough.

Ehhh... Hmmm...



GASPS???!!!









Please.dont.tsk.me.when.you.see.me.

My head is in a pretty precarious situation. Geez...

THE YOUNGEST HOUSEWIFE

THE YOUNGEST HOUSEWIFE

Milk! Milk!

Oppps! Dropped!

Eeee... Dirty... Neh mind... I wipe....

... And I wipe somemore.

__________________________________________________

30th (Tues): Buy additional materials for cards-making, followed by polymates gathering at PS with LH, Dee, WW, KelT, and DY, followed by supper with RY.
31st (Wed): Morning health checkup appointment at Raffles Hospital (8.30am! How to wake up! So far, somemore!).
1st (Thurs): Meeting Kiki, followed by CGM at night.
2nd (Fri) - 9th (Fri): Orientation! (well, hopefully. I don't even know what time and where to meet yet! Grrr...)

Eventful. Tiring. I'll be out everyday. Hoho!

LONG DAY

LONG DAY


Woke bright and early at 8am today. Ate lunch at Just Acia. Wanted to try something different other than the usual Kimchi or Bibimbap or Ramen or Bulgogi, and thus ordered Spicy Chicken. I thought the Spicy Chicken was perfectly addictive and fine; though a friend commented it's too spicy and backed off just having sampled a piece. Of course, I nipped some of their Bulgogi Beef as well. Bulgogi is just too good to resist. Hohoho! I seldom eat out, however, that lunch, my stomach was so filled with food. Other than the occasional Sakae Buffet meal, I can't recall when was the last time I had such a healthy intake of food portion outside. I was bursting at the seams! Gah! Ok, honestly; was forced to eat. Gah!

After lunch, we shopped for a short while in PS. At 3pm, I made my way to City Hall to meet with J, who'll be arriving earlier. Because KelL has not arrived yet, the both of us popped by Pennisula Plaza, and I checked out the prices of the guitars. Pleasantly surprisingly (YEAH!!!), a couple of Takamine series were selling at 200-odds. Of course, some of the more higher-end Takamine series were selling at higher prices; 600-odds, 700-odds, or a 4-figure digit. Just there and then, it was just so reasonably tempting. 200-odds is somewhat affordable, and it'll make my life alot easier. AND, from what I've heard, Takamine is a reasonably good manufacturer brand. It was quite tempting - right there and then - to set eyes on one, swipe the card, sign the receipt, and voila! However, spending so much of my own money on one single piece of item makes my heart ache so much. Not forgetting, cash would most probably be tight for the coming year, and maybe even continue into the next next year. Guess I'll just sit around for a bit and, when I'm done psycho-ing myself up for the heartache, I'll swipe the card.

We were en route back to City Hall station when KelL arrived. We met him at the station and decided consensually (but spearheaded by me, of course) to pop by TCC (YES!!!) for a chilling out session. Somehow, we arrived at Marina Square (I think it was because KelL wanted to check out some Thanksgiving gifts).

Purple and pink is a girly but pretty combination!

Because we were too lazy to walk all the way back to Suntec City or Citylink Mall where the nearest TCC is located, we settled on The Coffee Club instead. We ordered our drinks which arrived within minutes. The first glass the waiter served was some Milk Tea (we gestured to J), the second glass was Black Forest (KelL raised his hand slightly and nodded his head). The remaining glass was an Irish Coffee. The waiter looked at me enquiringly. I acknowledged with an embarrassed grin. The guys lowered their heads and snickered. The situation was, admittedly, kind of weird. I could imagine what was running through the waiter's head: 2 big guys; one is having Black Forest, and the other is having Milk Tea; and the only lady among them is having Irish Coffee! It's totally reversed!

Anyway, we stayed at The Coffee Club for about 2 hours. I think the most fruitful of all is the fellowship. We talked randomly and our topics ranged from Christmas to singlehood to matchmaking to NS to pontianak; to name a few. We crapped so much that KelL and J nearly died laughing. J's friend, A, joined us later. At 6.15pm, KelL went off for a dinner appointment, while J, A, and I catched Bedtime Stories at GV Marina.

The movie ended at 9.15pm. We walked down to the Esplanade, and spent a couple of minutes listening to a live band performance. Following which, we went up to the nearby roof terraces, snapped some pictures and, from up there, continued listening somemore to the live band performance. The view up there is tranquil and breathtaking, but the bad thing is: it is so high up that I felt terribly giddy when I looked down; so much so that I nearly lost my balance. Thus, half the time, I kept the parapet at an arm's length.






From Esplanade, we continued walking to Boat Quay; and it was at Boat Quay where we spotted a weird-looking Xmas tree.

Red in colour!

We continued walking, and arrived at Clarke Quay. We settled at Cafe Iguana, and the guys ordered a jug of Mango Margarita. Because I don't like Margarita (a Tequila-based cocktail), and because I already had a glass of Irish Whiskey-Coffee in the afternoon, I thus only consumed half a glass of Mango Margarita + another 2 mouthfuls (see, I'm a good girl); because I lost twice in a game. We left early at around 11pm (see again! I'm a good girl!), and I reached home at 12am. After taking a shower, I was quite tired - from the alcohol or the long day or the lack of sleep, I couldn't tell. Without bothering to wait for the hair to dry, which I usually do, I plonked off to dreamland with damp hair at 1am.

_____________________________________________________

Anyway, I made these today!

C______ Chicken Wings. (Sorry for the shaky hands)

If the Bulgogi tasted good, this is a!w!e!s!o!m!e!. And it's so ridiculously simple to make that I feel stupid. The best part is: everybody in the house likes it and gives it thumbs up! And even Mum and Dad would like to cook it for dinner someday!

Anyway, before anyone has tried it, I'm not intending to reveal what on earth is this C_______ Chicken (please shhh!!! if you do know.). Chances are, if I reveal what it is beforehand, everyone will just wince and "yyeeoooww..." and "uurrgghhh..." and "errrmmm..." and "hhhuuuhhh...", all these while throwing skeptical looks at the same time. And I hate having to explain myself. The C______ Chicken shall, and is totally able to, speak for itself.

So, I guess, the best way is to reveal what it is after having tasted it, and get entertained with all the s!h!o!c!k!e!d! expressions. But, honestly, c_______ and chicken blends surprisingly harmoniously and superbly! When the family first heard with what the chicken wings will be made, they threw me dubious looks and said I'm weird. BUT? In the end, they all raved and passed favourable comments. The elder brother was like, "What did you add? You sure you only used soya sauce and c_________? Only these, ah? Nothing else?"

In addition, I love how beautiful the glossy coat of gravy looks! Albeit it stretches the imagination a tad, C_______ Chicken is, I repeat, awesome! Sweet and juicy!

PERCEIVING

PERCEIVING


The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.

- Helen Keller

POST OF FOOD

POST OF FOOD


It tastes good and tasty! The meat is sweet and tender. The gravy, too, is fantastic! It goes so well with rice. The family likes it! And the best part? Not even a grain of salt was used to make the Bulgogi! Good for the health-conscious.




One thing that I really like about Korean dishes: they're healthy. Spring onions (scallions), carrots, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, onion, pineapple rings, black pepper, sesame seeds, meat.
Just the colour alone is so appetizing!

Bulgogi Chicken!

___________________________________________________________


All I had wanted to do, was to make a bowl of Bulgogi Chicken as one of the accompanying dishes for dinner, but I ended up helping Dad cooking the other dishes as well. I was frying these when I received the biggest shock of my life.

Fish fillets!

You know how some parts of a fillet, while frying, will have air pockets in it, and pop out like bubbles? While I was frying, one of these fillets actually bloated up big time. Just like that, in the blinking of an eye, it ballooned up big time. LIKE A PUFFERFISH. TOTALLY! IT WAS THAT ROUND AND BLOATED, NO KIDDING! I was frightened out of my skin. What if it pops?! It's not a problem if there's only air inside. But what if there's oil in it?! It'll splatter out like a dungbomb!

I shrieked and yelled. With the ladle still in hand, I yielded it with the air of an orchestra conductor in distress, retreated as far as I could, and cowered behind Dad fearfully. "Pa! Pa! SO FAT LAH! SO BIG! Look at that! Oei! SO BLOATED! How?! How?! Explode lah! It's going to explode! It's going to explode, it'sgoingtoexplodeliaolah!"

Needless to say, he was amused. After he was done laughing, he fished out the "pufferfish" fillet with a sieve ladle. "So scary meh? Like that also scare... You think what? Atomic bomb, ah?"


_____________________________________________________




Anyway, last night, I was chatting online with a polytechnic coursemate, KelT. And it's startling, at how the human brain can retain memories. And it's even more so surprising, to realize what a creature of habit humans can be. And it's even more shocking, at how - sometimes - some random words or thoughts that others express at a seemingly innocuous moment, is exactly what is going on in your mind. It's just like, WHAM! GASP! WOW!

BULGOGI

BULGOGI






I have been meaning to attempt making Bulgogi. The 2 main sauces required are Teriyaki Sauce and Mirin. Most supermarkets I've been to, however, only offer the former. On such instants, I often leave the store empty-handed.

On Monday afternoon, I was at City Hall area, and adjourned down to a supermarket nearby after having settled some stuffs. After searching the shelves and still not finding any bottles of mirin in sight, out of frustration, I decided to just purchase the Teriyaki Sauce first. Mirin, well, I'll see it when I see it; and I'll purchase it when I do see it.

The following day, on Tuesday, I popped by one of the shopping malls near my house after a morning briefing at Buona Vista. I decided to try out my luck in the supermarket store there, and lo and behold! MIRIN!

Anyway, for optimum results, I'm leaving the chicken (yeah yeah, I know Bulgogi is usually made with barbecue beef or sirloin. But too bad my parents don't take beef) to marinate overnight. I seriously have not the slightest idea how the Bulgogi will turn out; considering that it's my first attempt. Oh well, oh well. If it tastes good enough, I'll blog about it. If you don't see any further updates on Bulgogi, please wise up. Ask at your own risk. Hohoho and Merry Christmas!

BALLS AND SPEECH

BALLS AND SPEECH


I'm not sure if it's a good thing, but apparently, Grace likes balls (Qiu! Qiu, qiu!). Owing to the 2 brothers at home, we have a soccer ball in the house. She likes to hug it; kick it; toss it; and bounce it around. Thankfully, she does not yet has the physical strength required to throw it around. Otherwise, it'll be totally disasterous.

Qiu! Qiu!

Of late, her speech development is improving remarkably. These past couple of weeks, at 17-month-old, she has been displaying greater capability at stringing individual words together into (incomplete) sentences. When her mother left in a cab, she chirped, "Mummy... Zhuo che (sit car)... No more...". When we were departing the house to Wild Wild Wet on Sunday late morning, she gave me a wave and said, "Jie Jie... Jie Jie... Bye bye". Previously, it was usually only a quiet wave.


Apart from these, my Ee-ya-ee-ya-ooo has "upgraded" too. Apart from her all-time favourite "Old MacDonald (Had a Farm)", she can now hum the opening melody of "Jingle Bell" and "Ke Ren Lai"! And guess where she learnt "Jingle Bell" from? The KFC commercial! Already told you my girl is bery the smart, hor!

AU REVIOR

AU REVIOR!


For these past few days, one of the main worries is that I'm going to flunk the stupid module that was conducted by the cheem-cheem Visiting Professor from Imperial College of London, but hey! I passed! Even though I just barely scrapped through and got the lousiest grade in my entire varsity life, but still, at least the module is cleared, and I CAN GRADUATE! What can be compared to seeing the online examinations results SMS, reading: "Status: Fulfilled degree requirements"? Woot!

These past 2.5 years have been treacherous; and my conclusion at the end of the day is that it's crazy to attempt taking on a degree in a subject where there's not even a slightest background in it (I took Physics and Biology in Secondary School, and Biomedical Science in polytechnic). As can be seen, it has been Biology all the way. I've never liked Chemistry from the beginning, and I loathe it even more when my virgin interaction with the subject is a direct leap straight into varsity level. I nearly foamed and concussed and died.


BYE, CHEM, BYE!!!



Anyway, there are quite a number of things coming up in these few days.

23rd (Tues) - Morning Briefing at Buona Vista
25th (Thurs) - Morning Xmas service
27th (Sat) - Service
28th (Sun) - Mad's house
29th (Mon) - Probably Sakae Buffet (FINALLY!!! The unbearable craving's killing me!!!) with the younger brother, followed by CGM at night
30th (Tues) - Old friends gathering-cum-dinner at PS
31st (Wed) - Pre-employment health checkup appointment at Raffles Hospital
2nd Jan (Fri) - 9th Jan (Fri) - PGDE Orientation
12th Jan (Mon) - 13th Sept (Sun) - Duration of course!


So packed. Not forgetting, there is hostel accommodation to look into. AND I've not enjoyed my vacations enough. Not yet. Sigh!

By the look of it, i'll be out almost everyday for this coming week. Time to purchase concession pass! Money! Sigh!

Bye, holidays, bye...

IF DON'T TRY, HOW TO KNOW

IF DON'T TRY, HOW TO KNOW


Barely an hour before, I was feeling hungry; thanks to an early dinner at 5pm. And that round of dinner was only half a packet of rice! So hungry and peckish was I; I scooted off to cook a pack of instant noodles. Heck about late night suppers and calories and fats! Humans ought to pamper themselves once in a while. I barely eat enough on most days, anyway.

Opened the refrigerator in search of an egg, only to find out that we've ran out of precisely that. So hungry was I; a bowl of plain noodles sounds dismal.

I gave the insides of the refrigerator a cursory glance, and grabbed some shiitake mushrooms, a slice of cheese, a chilli padi, and a bottle of ketchup sauce. I know this sounds alien. But hey, if we don't try, we'll never know, right?! After all, there are melted cheese on Italian baked rice, what! AND a lot of the world's greatest discoveries are accidental, okie? And my Dad once added in Black Pepper Sauce into a can of Sardine. The result? It tastes wonderful. Who knows, maybe my instant-noodles-with-cheese would be a national hit in the far future!

I thought for a moment. How shall all these ingredients be cooked? This is going to be quite a complicated meal in terms of preparations. The mushrooms are hard and thus need more time to be cooked; the noodles need only an average of 3 minutes in order to be cooked; the noodles have wax on them; I like cheese only when it's melted; and I hate soggy noodles. Given a choice, I would rather have undercooked instant noodles than overcooked ones any day.

Filled a pot with water and began heating it to a boil. With a pair of scissors, the stem of the mushroom was first cut off. Mushrooms were then rinsed and soaked in water for a few minutes. While waiting for the water to boil, I added the packet of seasoning into a bowl, tossed in some ketchup sauce, cut the chilli padi into slices, and randomly tore the slice of cheese into manageable bits. (So that the cheese will melt properly! More surface area, mah. Ain't I smart?)

The water began boiling. I threw in the pre-soaked mushrooms. To prevent nutritent loss, the chunky shiitake mushrooms were not cut or even sliced. Boiled the mushrooms for a couple of minutes. That's when I hit the 1st problem: should I take out the mushrooms first before putting in the noodle cakes, or do I take them out first?

Decided to do the former. The image of wax permeating into the chunky mushrooms is simply too terrifying. Using a chopstick, I fished out the mushrooms and placed them into the bowl. I threw in the noodle cakes next. This is really so satisfying. Firstly, the mushrooms are wax-free. Secondly, the noodles are being cooked in mushroom-essenced soup. Woohoohoo!

The noodle cakes were only cooked for a couple of minutes. Already mentioned that I prefer noodles to be hard and springy and bouncy, instead of soft and soggy. Was about to turn off the fire when I hit the 2nd problem: normally, I would discard the wax-water, rinse the noodles umpteen times in tap water, followed by a final wash in clean, pre-boiled water. But this time round, it is necessary for the noodles to be HOT in order for the cheese to melt! Oh, crap! Although the microwave is an alternative option, but I prefer not to microwave food.

I was stumped. It's a difficult choice to make: soggy noodles in melted cheese (but with wax), or springy noodles without wax (but un-melted cheese). It was such an excruciating moment in living history. Without a proper plan in mind, I decided to just anyhow whack. Afterall, sometimes, when at a loss, it's best to be natural and flow with instincts.

Took a sieve ladle and drained the noodles off the wax-soup totally. Quickly, the still-hot noodles were transferred into the bowl. Quickly, very quickly, the contents in the bowl were mixed together. After ensuring that the cheese has melted, sufficient pre-boiled water was poured in so that the noodles would not be too dry. Voila!!!

After yakking so much, you must be curious about how the mushroom-cheese noodles turned out, right? Well, the noodles were springy, and the cheese totally melted. The marvelous thing about the cheese is that it makes the soup thick, so much so that it seems like the noodles are bathed in gravy. The bad thing is that the taste of the cheese is so overpowering; so much so that noodles doesn't taste like Curry Chicken noodles at all. Rather than spicy (due to the chilli padi and Curry Chicken seasoning), it was strangely sweet and milky.


Perhaps I shouldn't have added in one whole slice of cheese. Hmmm...

THAT'S MY GIRL!

THAT'S MY GIRL!


Oh my! My girl has learnt how to dance!

Like I've mentioned before, she's a smart kid. Last week, I was using the family computer to surf when she came forward, pointed to the computer, and said, "Ee-ya-ee-ya-ooo". Did I mention this before? The smart girl is able to associate laptops and computers with her favourite song! Since I was just surfing around aimlessly, I decided to oblige the kid.

I carried her up and plonked her onto my laps. She was behaving herself so well instead of figeting around and banging on the keyboard, for she knows she's getting a treat. I entered into the website, and started playing the video of her favourite song. Because I was bored, I began entertaining her. Sang along to the tune in a weird, Donald Duck voice. Rocked her on my laps. Bounced her up and down. Took her hands and gestured aesthetically to the tune.

I only lasted for 4 rounds. Seriously, there is just THIS MUCH of "Old MacDonald (Had a Farm)" and "Ee-ya-ee-ya-ooo" that adults can take. No kidding. At the 5th consecutive replay of the video, enough is enough. This was becoming to be a torment. I got off the armchair and left her seated alone on it.

It was then I realized, Grace has learnt to dance! She was bouncing and rocking on the armchair! All by herself! Normally, my girl would just sit down placidly on the chair and be totally engrossed in the video.





Told you my girl is smart, didn't I?


The up side of leaving her alone to her favourite song is that I can be freed of the "Ee-ya-ee-ya-ooo" torture. The flip side is, I have to go back to the computer every 3minutes to click on the "replay" button. My pouty girl likes the song so much that she starts to whine threateningly the instant the video ends. Haha!.

YUMMY

YUMMY





For the past month, I've been, and am still, as pricky as a hedgehog and mild as Naga Jolokia chilli.

___________________________________________

Anyway, last Wednesday night, I was surfing the TV channels randomly. Well, it is holidays, afterall. For these past couple of weeks, I'm glued to the TV set more than I've ever been for the year 2008. Having no target shows in mind, I settled on a local reality show.

This guy on the show was on the lookout for a job and, through the help of the media, became a Sushi apprentice. And, oh! When I saw the sushi rolls, something magical took place! Out of nowhere, my mind got saturated with delicious images of sushi rolls and handrolls. My heart fluttered, and the stomach lurched and churned. I was sold; hook, line, and sinker.

FOOOOD! SUUU-SHI! I NEED SUSHI NOW! NOW!!! I NEED IT! I'M DYING! I'M DYING! I'M DYING! SOMEBODY, QUICK! BRING ME SOME SUSHI! PUT THEM INTO MY MOUTH, NOW! I'M DYING ALREADY, DAMN IT! QUICK! QUICK! QUICK!


It was totally crazy. The craving was so unbelievably strong and overwhelming that if I didn't know better, I would have thought I'm pregnant. Gah! I was even salivating! I could taste the vinegar-soaked Calrose rice already! With Green horseradish and Soya Sauce! Ajitsuke Idako Gunkan Sushi! Ebi Nigiri Sushi! Tako Nigiri Sushi! Chuka Hotate Gunkan Sushi! Shime Saba Nigiri Sushi! Kanikama Nigiri Sushi! Amaebi Nigiri Sushi! Tamago Nigiri Sushi! Fried Hotate! Gyoza! Kani Tempura! Soft Shell Crab Temaki-Zushi! Unagi Nigiri Sushi! Anago Nigiri Sushi! All 5 of my senses were clouded with sushi! I can hear it! I can touch it! I can see it! I can feel it! I can taste it! OHOHOH! Somebody, help! Someone's dying! AHHH!!!

XIAN REN ZHANG

XIAN REN ZHANG





I might be mistaken; but despite having lived for 22 years, I dare not declare I'm blessed with a green thumb.

Tried to be creative; but still could not come up with a good name for the latest acquisition. In the end, decided to simply just name it as what it is known as: "Cactus". Yes, how original, I know.

Now, I don't really know much about caring for plants. The only experience I've had thus far is growing a bean stalk using cotton wool and a plastic cup; courtesy of primary school Science education. The only things that I know of cacti are: they're pretty; they're thorny; they're resilient; and they need little water. Fullstop.


I have no idea how long Cactus will live out under my care. Come to think of it, I don't even recall if the thorns on the yellow flower bud have brown ends when I purchased the potted plant on Friday. Probably not. Perhaps Cactus is not getting enough sunlight. Maybe I should not have placed it on top of the shoes cabinet, safely hidden from even the softest rays of sunlight. Hmmm...

Have tried to be a responsible owner by reading up off the internet on cactus plant care. But it's really super boring, with all the senseless planting terms and jargon. What's with the low-nitrogen soil feed? What are peat and perlite? And whoever said that cacti are the most easiest plant of all to care for? From what I've read, too much water, and as well as too little water, will cause cacti roots to rot and die. If anything, this sounds painstakingly fastidious to me.

Eventually got bored with reading up on cactus plant care, and thus decided to just let Cactus be and thrive on its own. What a bother. Chances are, I'll only go back to reading up more on cactus plant care when Cactus starts to shrivel up and threatens to kick the bucket. Perhaps, by then, I'll be more gan chiong over it. But then again, maybe not. Afterall, Cactus did not cost me an arm or a leg. Only 3bucks.

FALLACY

FALLACY


The contents are still dear and true to heart, but of late, it's obvious that recent post entries are getting increasingly comprised of pictures or videos; while the number of words seems to have dwindled. Perhaps I'm just not into blogging right now. Somehow, there's this nagging perception that blogging is doing more harm than good. Sure, I still enjoy writing, and indubitably, people are able to get the gist of my everyday life through the posts. But honestly? These blog posts are just only tiny weeny bits of quick flashes of my daily affairs. Being on the receiving end, the vibe I get is: "It's okay. I am reading, anyway. I'm still considered up-to-date." Yes, you may be reading. Yes, you may be well-aware of what I hold close to my heart. Yes, you may feel "connected"; because what you're reading about are things concerning the person behind the posts. But the point is: I don't. Through the blog posts, you may feel "updated" and have this false sense of "connection"; but contrary to my perspective, we are no more than acquaintances who barely talk verbally despite meeting regularly once in a while, and might as well be living on separate planets. Therefore, don't be too assumptive. We might NOT necessarily be as close as you may think we are. Please gauge well and get a proper picture of where you stand.

This is a very grave misconception that people, friends even, often wrongly assume; and fail to realize. Communication and rapport are - and always will be - a two-way thing. Blogging, instead, seems to have defeated the very foundation of effective communication; and being on the receiving end is not an enjoyable feeling. It's kind of disappointing; because personally, I don't see how intimacy and basic trust - even for simple mere friendships - can be built on blog reading, MSN messaging, SMS texting, or anything electronic. It's too superficial. It just lacks of something real, something sincere, something personal, and most importantly, something that's of effort. All these speak volume of the value and importance attached to the relationship. Where you focus on and invest in, there you'll get the results. Similarly, what you neglect, that you'll lose. It's mainly works on the principle of quid pro quo.

The internal form of thoughts and character of people can be so highly individualized that it can never be accurately translated into words that are concrete and easily understood. There are loads of other important, telling areas that are glaringly omitted. Voice tone and body language, for one. Poise and mannerism of conduct, for another. A simple analogy: reading an autobiography is not quite the same as being personal friends with the Prime Minister upfront and enjoying a conversation with the man himself over a cup of Earl Grey.




_____________________________________________________



Anyway, of late, I've been doing more reading than typing. It's just so enjoyable! I really like literature and anything philosophical. Such as Meno by Plato. Or Love is a fallacy, for example. Even though it's already the umpteen time I've read and re-read it, once in a while, I'll still go back to it. It has never failed to entertain and amuse me. Greatly. Speaking of which, if anyone has any literary recommendations, do kindly keep me updated!

SNAILS

SNAILS





If there's one thing worth mentioning about my area of residence, it's the (surprise!) snails. They're practically everywhere. Especially during the night; AND even more so if it has been a rainy night. Like magic, they spring up out of nowhere; and oh, how they flourish and bloom! The rain seems to act as a secret signal between ill-fated lovers. The rain comes, and the snails emerge from their hiding places to mingle at the sacred hour. On any day, I could be walking to the bus stop, or heading to the nearby Econ minimart, and lo and behold! There's one on the ground, squashed to bits. It must has been killed while on its' midnight rendezvous the night before. What a misadventure!

On some rainy nights, while walking up the pathway leading to my block, there can be as many as 20 odds of snails lining the pathway. In a way, it's really nice and pretty and cool. Mother Nature is always pretty! But because snails are such slimy and disgusting creatures, being surrounded by 20 odds snails is kind of creepy and freakish. AND no, in case you're wondering, it's not romantic.
Sometimes, playful thoughts pounce my mind: if I were to give one of them a good flying kick, how far would the snail sail? Would I score a goal with it?
How about if I sprinkle some salt on it? I've never tried that before! Would it really "melt", as it has been said?
At moments when I am more humane benevolent, I wonder what are the maximum number of snails that can be stacked up on top of each other without toppling over. 3? Or 4? Or more?
On days when I'm bored, I just simply wonder where do snails come from.

Honestly, where do they hide? Especially on days that are scorching hot and sunny and dry? How is it that they can appear so magically on rainy days - as though out of nowhere and at the snap of a finger? Do comment if you have any idea, yeah?

TIPTOES

TIPTOES


Last Wednesday afternoon, I was on my way home after finishing my paper. I was in a hurry to get back home, you know, because the next paper is on the very next day.

It was then, I noticed a particular man sitting on the aisle opposite me.

Barefooted!

Pardon the mistake. Somehow, the face-detection on my phone-camera zoomed in on the hairclips. The main focus of the picture, I clarify, is not on the hairclips.

So curious. Why is that guy barefooted?

My first thought was that he's financially hard-up. But hey! He looks neat, clean, and is decently-dressed! Oh! He even wears a watch! He can clearly afford a pair of slippers.

How about losing the slippers? Maybe he dropped them into the drain or something. It's plausible! But hey! Even if he has no cash with him, surely there are ATM cards or Debit cards.

I was so curious. The question kept me entertained and occupied throughout the MRT journey; that is, until he stood up at his stop.




HE WALKS ON HIS TOES!



I watched him as he went up the escalator. He was still on walking on toes.


I truly wonder why.




Perhaps he has a medical condition.
Come to think of it, is there such a medical condition or medical complication that causes one to can't help but to walk on toes?


EDIT: Found out from a friend that, apparently, there's a medical complication known as "Foot Drop". Thanks! It's good having a friend with a nursing background, I tell you!

INDIAN DANCE

INDIAN DANCE


Because her motor system is still in the developing stage, Grace's neck wobble comically whenever we rock her side-to-side. It's totally funny. She looks like she's performing an Indian dance. We tried to do it on her again last week.




The pouty lil' darling is smart. I suspect she knows what the younger brother and I were up to and, thus, deliberately controlled her neck muscles consciously. A pity really; because by doing so, I could not capture her cute little "Indian Dance" on video.

But the smart girl did shake her head playfully, though. She really did know what we were trying to do! She's just so sweet and accomodating. Cheeky girl!


Towards the last few seconds of the video, you can hear her clearly calling out, "Mummy", "Ah Yi (my mum)", and "Jie Jie (me!!!)". It might be a biased judgement; but I honestly think she sounds the happiest and brightest when calling "Jie Jie".

*beams*

WAKE UP

WAKE UP


I want to practice the 6 strings, but Serene, Grace, the older brother, and the Aunt are all having their afternoon nap.


Okie, honestly, the concern is mainly applicable for the sake of the first 2. I won't have cared for the remaining 2. Babies and toddlers cry and whine and kick up a ruckus when their sleep gets disturbed. Adults? Most probably sleep through it.


The ulcer still hurts terribly. If anything, it seems to be getting increasingly swollen by the day. Now, it feels like I have a cockroach egg growing under the membrane of my lower lips.


P.S. Serene and Grace. Please wake up soon.
Don't force me to p!o!k!e! you.

OVERDUE

OVERDUE


Had wanted to blog this from way before, but was totally tied down with examinations preparations.

Anyway, Mr. Postman delivered my DBSK's 4th album some weeks back! In the midst of the Study Week!

You're My Melody

As usual, Joongie sweeps me off my feet with his simple charm. Junsu is awesome, too! He's the guy who crooned so beautifully at around 2:24s.

Picture of You

My two favourites of the album!

DBSK. Awww...

LAST WEEK

LAST WEEK


Accidentally hit my lips on the edge of a table top. Hard.

The outer surface of the lower lip bled from the impact with the wooden surface.

The inner surface of the lower lip bled from the impact with the teeth.

The outer lip has recovered since then. The skin tore off, the blood dried up, and was peeled off after a couple of days.

The inner lip is swollen still. Terribly swollen. With an ulcer. A super big ulcer.





Stupid table.