BIBIMBAP-ED

I made Bibimbap (비빔밥) for tonight's dinner. If I like Bulgogi, I LOVE Bibimbap.

Thus far, it is definitely my favourite Korean dish. I adore the harmony of the condiments; the magical way in which the various herbs, spices, veggies, and flavours complement each other into a delectable blend. In addition, the dish is healthy; and the visual aspect is absolutely colourful and eye-pleasing. Totally whets ones' appetite!

Carrot. Green onion (scallions). Shiitake mushroom. Enokitake mushroom. Bean sprouts. Minced garlic. Zucchini. Spinach.

Ta-dah!

Furnished with the last ingredient - egg!

I got the recipe off a website set up by a Korean woman. The dish turned out to be truly wonderful! It was even better than what I had hoped for! Absolutely delightful!



The process of cooking is beyond intriguing; the way how the various preparation steps come together, combine, and transform an original, raw ingredient into something tasty.



The best part about cooking your own food that you can tweak the recipe to your taste buds. I'm a fanatic chilli lover, and thus was more generous with the gochujang. I prefer eating healthy; and thus boiled the egg instead of frying it sunny-side up. A garlic enthusiast, I doubled the cloves of garlic. The original recipe had only called for shiitake mushroom (香菇); I threw in enokitake (金针菇) as well.



Good dinner tonight.

I'm feeling healthy already! I've plans to take extra care to eat healthy for, I don't know, the next 2 weeks? Do me a favour: please smack me if you spot me eating/drinking sinful food (with the exception of coffee and milk tea, please). I had 4 cups of coffee on Sunday, and 3 cups of coffee today. Shucks!

CONFESSION 1

The reason why she was "suddenly" all eager to get a hard drive during the recent Comex is because...



Her thumbdrive went through one run in the washing machine (yes, go ahead and roll your eyes); and she wanted to retrieve all the documents before the thumby die out on her.



Anyway, she's amazed; because the thumby is still alive and kicking today!

READ AWAY, SOON

2 weeks ago, following the completion of a 10weeks practicum, I was back - in campus - re-tagged with the status of a "student". Had 2 modules' of lessons on the first day back at school, and I met a pretty interesting professor.

Being the first lesson of a new term, it was - predictably - quite boring. There was the usual course introduction, what is the workload, what are expected to be done to complete this course (read: boring essays, boring essays, and more boring essays), and - of course - the usual get-to-know-each-other introductory speeches.

This particular professor is interesting. He shared some insights and lessons from his personal life experiences which gave listeners delightful glimmers of optimism, hope, and courage. He challenged my mind and introduced to it ideas and adages which I've always so readily dismissed as cliche or yawn-it's-oh-so-predictable-please-tell-me-something-new.

Most important of all, what really amazed me is the way he lives his life. Man, this man REALLY reads. At any one time, he has as many as 10 books on the go.

What spoof. I thought. Reading 10 concurrent books is the same as having a supposedly undivided attention divided 10 times over. There is no real focus; and what's the point of having a focus if it is not even going to be focused in the first place? In addition - though rocket science it is not - but it's common sense that it's silly to start reading another book when you're not yet done with the previous one, isn't it?

As though hearing the invisible thoughts in my mind, Prof continued speaking.



"Yes, don't you all believe it?" He addressed to a bewildered class, "It is a fact that at any one time, I can be reading as many as 10 books."

"That's how it is, isn't it? Most people think that it is only appropriate to finish one book proper before moving on to the next. But, com'on, let's think this over now. When I say that I read 10 books, does it necessarily mean that I have to read all 10 books concurrently?

No! On some days, I read this book. On other days, I read that book. It's the same; humans eat 3 meals every day; but do you eat the same dish for all meals throughout one whole day or one whole week? No, we don't. So, on some days, I might be in the mood for sci-fi. On other days, I might be in the mood for inspirational non-fictions. On a certain day, I might be in the mood for romance. On another particular day, though, I might be in the mood for business magazines or documentaries. There should be diversity; something fresh, something spontaneous, to keep things going.

So, now, with this in mind, I make sure that I have a wide repertoire of books among the 10 chosen ones. Depending on the current state that my brain is in, I would just choose any one of the 10 books and continue from where I left off previously. Go with the flow. Sometimes, it is a few days or weeks later that I pick up the original 'first' book again. It may be slow, but remember: Balance is the key. You can't eat nasi lemak everyday.

This is how we should all grow in knowledge. You see, the problem that most people have with reading, is that they tend to only stick to one type of book; or read only one book at any one time faithfully. Compare this to another who, at any given time, reads a wide diversity - fictional, non-fictional, sci-fi, romance, detective, thrillers, documentaries, autobiographies etc. Certainly the latter would be able to hold far more interesting conversations. This is because as he exposes himself to more things through the habit of reading, he is opening himself to different types of mindsets and perspectives. Within the same time frame given, he has more to gain. He is thus, in general, more open-minded and well-rounded. He can throw out new, fresh ideas; his mind is always sharp and thinks out of the box; because he is receptive to - and takes in - ideas all around. Don't be narrow-minded.

This is mainly why some people find it hard to cultivate a consistent reading habit: they only read or focus on one genre; while closing off the possibilities of others. Not only that, but don't be ambitious too. Don't start off with a 5-inch thick book. For sure, I can guarantee you that the reading habit won't last. Would you eat chicken rice for every single meal for 2 whole months straight?"



His words got to me; and I think there is some truth in all that he has said.

For one, I'm - to a certain degree - guilty of only reading certain books. Books that are written by authors whom I have built a history with. Authors whom, based on experience, I would dare to safely state that I would enjoy any random books which are written by his/her pen. Max Lucado. Joel Osteen. Sidney Sheldon. Dan Brown. Nora Roberts. Mitch Albom. J. K. Rowling. Dave Pelzer. In primary school days, it was mostly Readers' Digest, Sweet Valley High (by Francine Pascal), R. L. Stine, Ronald Dahl, or Enid Blyton. Other than these "reliable" authors whom I've built a "rapport" with, I rarely venture out of the safety walls. In contrast to adult life, I read more voraciously when I was younger. I was hungrier to read then.



I also realized - to my disgust - that, unconsciously and unknowingly, my life appears to be getting increasingly routine; and I don't really like that. Evening jogs. Digging out and trying out recipes. Cooking and baking for my own pleasure. Going back to campus for lessons. Giving tuitions. In, out, in, out, in, and out. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, then Sunday; and it's back to Monday again.

Don't be mistaken; I thoroughly enjoy jogging and cooking; but something - somehow - is STILL lacking. I don't feel truly fulfilled; I'm not on the go enough; I'm not meeting enough people from all across; I'm not having real, genuine, and sustained conversations that directly challenge my mind or perspectives or impact the way my life is lived.

The brain feels like it has already slipped into a dormant, semi-hibernation mode. I practically feel myself getting increasingly dumb with each passing minute. Disgusting feeling. I hardly feel engaged, stimulated, or challenged most of the time. Truth be told, at times, it honestly even feels as though I'm not REALLY thinking per se. At worst, I am occasionally operating at just the very bare minimal; working on mere common sense or autopilot reflexes/responses. Suppressed. Idled. I just don't feel challenged or stimulated enough. I just feel, dull. As colourful as a polar bear.



I just so happened to browse through Popular's catalog for the month of September.







I WANT TO GET ALL THESE! (forget about the movies. Nothing beats reading the book itself.)

Now I know the power of a catalog. It is a powerful platform for stores to promote their wares, with words such as "SALE", "20% DISCOUNT", "MEMBERS' SPECIAL", and the likes practically screaming conspicuously here, there, and everywhere; in the hope that customers (like me) will get enticed to spend invest.



If only books rain from the skies.

THE RING

SCAM

She has yet to meet anyone who tries so hard to cheat GIVE her money.



She's so amused touched.



More about it later! Off to meet a good old' friend for coffee and meetup! =)

TACO BELL

Iʼll start with a taco, soft like a cloud
I want mine crunchy, I like to eat loud.
Iʼll choose a chalupa, Iʼll grab a gordita,
and two taco salads for our senoritas.
And a Burrito Supreme, with extra sour cream
Itʼs a cylindrically shaped seasoned beef dream.
A taquito. An enchirito. Some cinnamon twists.
A chicken border bowl. Are you gettinʼ all this?

And you know that nothing beats a
hmmm, mmmm...Mexican Pizza...
Weʼll take two of those, but please hold the diced tomatoes.
And I admit, Iʼve always felt,
like Iʼm in love with the meximelt.
Make mine with a little extra love, and think of me...
as the cheese drops from your Taco Bell glove.
and thatʼs it.

No! Iʼm not done...Iʼll also take a...

Double-decker taco cause Iʼm feeling wild
And make my sauce Fire. Uh, heʼll take mild.
and weʼll take two Mt. Dew Baja blasts
for a chance at 25 dollars cash
Iʼm told thereʼs a winner for every 5 minutes
Iʼm stealing your online code if you win it.
Why would you do that? You owe me 25 bones
I owe you 5. Plus interest--it was a loan.
And I think weʼll be satisfied, if we get some mexican rice on the side.
And thatʼs it.

I'M YOURS; AND I'M HUNGRY!!!

The lady behind the counter was actually saying/singing, "Well I'd like to help you but is it large or medium size for your combos? Large or medium."

The local version. Rumoured to be at Rivervale Plaza.

These videos are awesome!

Fun + creativity + humour is a lethal combination.

RAVENOUS

12 (confirm-plus-guarantee-plus-chop) times per year, I am super ravenous.

This feels more like a curse. During times as such, I am a true-blue bottomless pit. I practically talk food, think food, and dream food. I could eat an elephant! What a curse! I would rather the mood swings.







I was in a pretty mood just now. This explains the additional treat of shiitake mushrooms and egg. I sprinkled cayenne pepper over the noodles as well.


Instant noodles at 9pm; AND I had dinner at 7pm. Sigh!



肥死我了！

IT'S NOT JUST ONLY ABOUT GETTING A SUCCESS

The standing score was 2 -2.

At the 80th minute, Fletcher netted in a ball.
3 - 2; in favour of Man U.

I smugly told the younger brother to save electricity and switch off the TV. This is, surely, no fight. With less than 15minutes left, the winner is quite obvious.

At the 90th minute, Bellamy scored.
3 - 3.
I couldn't believe my eyes. I was practically seething. WHAT THE!!! At the 90th minute?!

This is going to be a draw! Preposterous! Man U is supposed to win the match! HELLO???

The minutes crawled by. 1 minute. 2 minutes. 3 minutes. Before long, it was now the 95th minute; and the score board is still at 3 - 3.

Just then, at the 96th minute, THE Owen saved the day! He turned the table around!

THRILLING!

(pardon me for the conspicuous lack of descriptive terms and punch lines. I would make a boring sports commentator, I know.)



I had thought it was impossible; that it would be a draw between the teams at best. But, at the very last minute, a new history is created. It had seemed utterly impossible; but Owen fought till the end; until the very last second; even at the 96th minute.



It's ultimately not about the question of how high are the odds of success in the end.
It is a matter of - regardless of the end results - do you want it enough to AT LEAST DO something in that direction in the first place.

JUST WHEN YOU'RE NEEDED...

Just realized late last night, to my dismay, that the previous prescription of anti-histamine pills is nowhere in sight. Now, where have I put them? I don't remember discarding them. Therefore, it's either I left it somewhere in my room (but conveniently forgot where the "special" place is), or I left it in the refrigerator/on the kitchen cabinet and the parents threw it away.

I think that medication is just like cabs - they are never there just when you needed them.



Nevertheless, a part of me is secretly rejoicing over the loss of the tablets. It is super drowsy! The only regrettable loss is - without the pills - the production of histamines can't be curbed for the time being; which translates to a continuation of this rashes torture. Grrr!

Anyway, I'm pretty upset because this is a recurrence of the rashes. Up until last month in mid-August, NEVER EVER in my life have I an outbreak of rashes before. It had affected the arms, hind legs, and calves. For this recurrence though, it is mainly affecting the collarbones and shoulder blades; with a couple of random dots down the front and up the neck. When it itches, it really itches. I feel hideous, and I feel that I look like a hideous monkey!







Might be going to the Doc tomorrow to get another prescription of anti-histamines (I'll be sure to ask for the non-drowsy line of pills this time round!) and another bottle of calamine lotion.

IT'S BACK!

They're confirmed back. Sigh!

Dotted on the collarbones; spreading down the shoulder blades.

Don't ask. I'm just as equally clueless.

URBANIZED JUNGLE

I was walking home from the bus stop earlier just now.

I thought I saw a lizard and nearly let out a Y!E!L!P!. Turned out to be a frog. It paused for a moment before continue hopping (rather energetically) across the pavement and onto the grass patch.

This is the, what? 4th time frogs are spotted in my area of residence?

Hihi! I am Frog No. 3.

I literally live in an urbanized jungle. Lizards. Snails. Bats. Centipedes. Millipedes. Frogs.



I'm expecting to see snakes next.

BETTER THAN

It is always more commendable to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.

Even if you fall flat on the face, you're still moving forward.



Move it, girl!

EXPERIMENTS

Time flies, really.

The very first time I tried my hands at baking is earlier this January, which is less than 8months ago. That is not even considered real baking, to be concise; but nevertheless, it had been such a bother (right, PH? DH? Remember how the bones in our poor fingers nearly broke just by crumbling that ONE WHOLE ROLL of digestive biscuits? Should have thought to use a hammer or something. Anyway, to be fair, we did 偷 吃 a little here and there while crumbling the biscuits. Heh!) that I remember telling myself something to the effect that never again would I bake.

Promises of this nature - more often than not - usually do not stick out till the end; which is why one should always be prepared to expect the unexpected, I thought ironically to myself while peeling, de-core-ing, and slicing some Granny Smiths. It has only been 8months, and since that January birthday cake, things have progressed to chocolate cakes and, now, the current apple pies.

The first attempt at apple pie turned out fine; except that it was a tad way too sweet, and the crust was a little odd-tasting; so much so that I personally doubted its' edibility. Thus, this time round though, I kapok-ed my mum's dough recipe and reduced the amount of white sugar by half, choosing to leave the quantity of brown sugar as it originally is because, you know, the gooey sauce in apple pies are supposed to be brown in colour.

Mum's dough was, of course, way much better than my first attempt. It was, however, dry and flaky. It was almost impossible to roll a good piece out of it. Just then, I remember reading somewhere that the main causes of flaky doughs are most probably due to either: insufficient thawing, or lack of water. The former was not a very likely cause (since Mum's dough does not require refrigerating unlike some other recipes which call for it). Mum's recipe had not listed water as one of the ingredients. As a precautionary measure, I tore off a small chunk of dough and added a little water to it, and voila!

Anyway, as I was saying, the dough has been my area of biggest concern. That had been Friday night. After baking, I kept the pie in the refrigerator overnight and took it out the next morning before heading out for tuition; adjourning down to Simei thereafter. Had originally planned to warm it up before serving (food tastes best when served hot!), but didn't get to do so. I was worried, too, as to whether would it upset stomachs; since I took it out from the refrigerator at 10am in the morning.

I didn't realize how concerned I was over this whole thing until this little chat with WL while walking out of Expo together later the same day.

"The apple pie just now, you're the one who brought it, right? Buy one ah? Or make one?"

"Made it. How ah? How was it? Is it ok?"

"Nice." My heart danced, and she continued, "I LIKE the crust!"

I flipped. I couldn't almost believe my ears. The dough? The LEAST confidence I had is the dough! And I know that many people - myself inclusive - prefer fillings to crusts. The unexpected stone in my heart suddenly felt lifted. Strangely, this alone certainly beats having 10 people saying that they like the fillings.






Anyway, I just suddenly came to realize that - unknowingly, inadvertently, and subconsciously - the CG has become the (un)official food tasters. To put it plainly, apart from the family, it feels like there is also another bunch of supportive, long-suffering, and awesome food tasters (read: guinea pigs) who readily and gamely help to wipe out the "products" of my "experiments". Hohoho!

Anyway, before I start working full-time, I would like to use this period to experiment and try out different stuffs. I have a feeling that starting from Jan 2010, time would not be such a luxury as it is now.

My next conquer? Cookies!



Edit (12.09am): Next on the list: CHILLI CRAB!

HOME-COOKED WITH LOVE

"So, I was waiting for the lift the other day." shared Dad, "The lift doors opened, and I stepped inside. The upstairs-neighbour was inside. We greeted each other. Then, you know what? She told me that just the other day, when I was cooking dinner, her little kid was telling her, 'Wah! 妈, the downstairs-neighbour's cooking very 香, hor?'" He preened brightly. "厉害 anot?! I cook, the neighbours upstairs also can smell!"



That's why I like home-cooked meals. Dad has always been a fantastic cook. The food is always great; but more than that, it is heart-warming. Nothing beats coming home to a meal that is personally cooked by a loved one. It is just different.

Nothing beats home-cooked meals.

SELECTIVE

With the exception of ba zhang and sushi, I don't really like rice. I know I know, rice is THE staple food of Asia; but I'm just sooo sick of eating rice and grains for almost every other meal for the past 20-odds years; so much so that nowadays, I would usually eat the 料 and discard away half a pack of 菜饭.

Sans laziness to chew and a general tendency not to eat outside, I have quite a healthy appetite for other things, though. Tapoica chips, for one. Chocolates, coffee buns, ba zhang, sushi, milk tea, Old Chang Kee's gu cai, Swensen's fries, Subway's cold cut trio, kangkong, prawn, crab, topshell, sotong sotong and more sotong, ham, noodles, instant noodles.

This reminds me, I had instant noodles for breakfast this morning. This is the second meal of instant noodles for the week. NOT healthy, definitely!




Anyway, I really like instant noodles.

Usually, I would firstly cook and soften the noodles in boiling water. After which, I would drain the noodles and cool them down by washing in normal, drinking water. This step is something personal, something akin to a strange habit; although it is kind of redundant. I'm aware that all the ruckus about the supposedly wax in noodles is just a bunch of hoax. Somehow, despite this knowledge, I STILL prefer to wash the noodles in clear, drinking water. Strangely, it just feels healthier (remove oil, hopefully?). In addition, it also prevents the noodles from being all too soggy. I don't know about you, but I hate limpy noodles. Noodles are supposed to be Q and bouncy. Toooiii!

I like the curry seasoning. Apart from the seasoning, I would also usually add in a dash of sesame oil, a generous dose of black pepper (don't add this if you're not an arrant chilli/spicy lover), and a little of tomato sauce and chilli sauce. Yes, preservatives overload; but hey! I don't eat instant noodles every single day!

Occasionally - if I remember - I would throw in shiitake mushrooms, or enokitake mushrooms (金针菇!!! 一级棒!!!), or an egg. The end result? It is always fabulous (at least, to me, it is)! Not only is the colour pretty (a nice orangey-red), but the noodles is springy and Q as well; bringing along with it a fiery dash of hot spiciness, masked with a tangible - but yet mild - tinge of delightful sweetness (thanks to the tomato sauce!). I always take special care when it comes to the chilli sauce and tomato sauce though, because I would not like the noodles to get too creamy or gelatinous.

Eat me! I am Q!

Ok, this morning's shall be the last packet of instant noodles for this week.

BACK TO NATURE III

On Tuesday, my first lecture starts at 8.30am. A friend who is working near the vicinity of my campus kindly drove me to school.

We passed by BKE.

Caught unaware, I found myself picturing the animals sleeping soundly in their own tranquil, serene world. I could practically see the fog, smell the air, and hear the peaceful silence.



I think it's high time to stop living in the past. My heart, mind, and soul is still with the zoo. Hello, Houston? Come back to the present, girl!

ONE SHOULD ALWAYS...

... Feed the otters.









They're cute.

BACK TO NATURE II

We went to the zoo on 10th the Thursday.

It has been a really long time since I've last been to the zoo. So long; I can't even remember what and how the zoo looks like.

The last time I bothered to do as such is in late January this year, when we went to the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve for a Biology field trip; but undeniably, it always feel good getting back in touch with Mother Nature. There is always this twinkling excitement that is residual of a fresh touch from Mother Nature. For the couple of days after the visit to the zoo, it STILL feels good. So good; that on those days, I still mentally visit the zoo in my mind.

Perhaps we went to the zoo at the wrong timing. Almost all the tigers/lions/emus/kangaroos/wallabies/you-name-it were in a lazy mood. Tigers and lions are supposed to roar resoundingly. Kangaroos and wallabies are supposed to jump and bounce around dynamically. Emus are supposed to... Well... Anything but sleeping.

I had wanted to see the ostriches; I've never seen a real live one before. What a pity that none was sighted when we visited the zoo. I've always thought that ostriches are really strangely clever-looking; especially with those disproportionally-sized small head and big eyes. Their necks have always amused me as well. I've always wondered, too, if it is actually possible to tie a knot with an ostrich's neck.

The giraffes are awesome too. You should have seen their tongue. Awesome; awesomely long.
The monkeys are wide in diversity - all of which are adorable. Their agility amuses me deeply. One of the monkeys tried to give me a "high-five" through the window plane, and ended up falling off the branches time and again. Oh, we also saw the baboons and their iconic red butts as well. Do you know that the bigger the red butt, the more dominant a male baboon is? Well, apparently so.

We saw the Giant Tortoise as well. They look sooo ancient and cranky. Tortoises of this gigantic size blew my mind away. There are two domestic tortoises at home, and my eyes nearly popped out at the sight of those giant tortoises. Anyway, just as the name implies, the giant tortoises are outrageously humongous! Their scaly limbs are shamelessly fatter than any pigs' trotters! Their gargantuan size shocked me so much that I was initially skeptical of reaching out and touching them; lest they swerve around and snap at me venomously like Jaw the shark. Eventually, after some persuasion, I did (KC: Aiya! They're so big! They won't even feel you touching them!). Using two fingers, I hesitantly stroked the shell of one of the giant tortoises momentarily. It seemed totally oblivious to my presence. It could have died and no one would be none the wiser. Feeling more brazen now, I placed three fingers on the side of the shell, and PUSH against it heavily. The obscenely fat reptile didn't even move an inch. It didn't even so much as bat an eyelid! I can't believe it! I JUST GOT DEFEATED BY A FAT, UGLY, AND ANCIENT TORTOISE!

We also visited the Rainforest Show and Splash Amphitheater. Personally, I prefer the latter to the former. The baby penguins and otters are oh-so-cute! I won't mind being up close and personal and hugging the otters. As usual, the seal is the star of the show. The seals are also one of the animals that have always intrigued me. The black, shiny, thick coat of skin. The powerful fins and flippers. The stream-lined body. The friendly demeanor. The smart lil' brain that picks up tricks easily. The small, beady eyes. The cute lil' whiskers.

We also saw the polar bears. One of the polar bears was happily basking in the limelight, proudly and elegantly swimming in and out of the waters through the see-through windows; while the rest of his/her companions were lazing around inside the land enclosure. The attention-seeker, we nicknamed him/her fondly. Anyway, the polar bear is so mightily huge! It is at least twice my height! I doubt it would be a difficult feat to squash me flat if the polar bear so chooses to. It seemed to be just like a white, massive FURBALL. The polar bear was swimming so gracefully and gently; momentarily, it seems utterly unbelievable that these harmless-looking furball of polar bears are capable of brutal aggression. If not for the glass enclosure, I would be so sorely tempted to climb in and nestle my head in one of those massive furball. But then again, I've read of a news report which involves a drunken man in China who - in a drunken stupor - climbed into a panda bear enclosure; thinking that the panda bear (named Gu Gu) looked lonely and so, wanted to give him a hug. Of course, the startled Gu Gu ended up biting the man. The man's response? He opened his mouth and bit back the poor panda. Alcohol can really make one do stupid things, I tell you.

We saw the meerkats too. Meerkats, I don't know, but they've always had a soft spot in my heart. The first time I heard of meerkats is when I was in primary school, when I read an article about them in Readers' Digest. I've always thought that not only are they cute, but they're also an independent and loyal bunch (talk about guard sentry duties!). Though small in size, they have a beautiful spirit!

We also visited the Reptile Cage thingy. Halfway through the journey, my eyes got teary. Because the lizards are frightened the soul out of me.



Anyway, I think that a zoo is only a real zoo when the animals are carefree instead of lying around idyllically waiting for feeding time. And what's it about paying $8 to get an elephant ride, or $5 to ride the tortoises or feed the giraffes? It makes everything feel so commercialized. A zoo should be a place where everything is spontaneous. Mother Nature has always been spontaneous and pretty; rather than structured and restricted. If anything, all these should have been included in the entrance fee, I feel. Well, just my personal thoughts.

Anyway, I also think that all lizards/chameleons/iguanas/kodomo dragons/anything-that-has-relation-to-the-lizard-family should just drop dead on the ground and die. Really. Simple as that.



My secret wish is to get kissed by a seal, or hugged by a dolphin at least once in this lifetime!

LOVE THE BABIES

I thought the story of Baby P was among the worse and tragic ones.

This here is just as bad.






Not mentioned in this clip is that Brianna had been sexually assaulted too; and she was only 5months old at the time of her death.

Some people are just sick.



Argggh... What a bad video clip to start to day with.

BUSY! Got to prepare for tuition now! Ta!

HELP!

Using a magnet, Dad posted this letter up on the door of the bomb shelter for the benefit of all.




SHUCKS!


Somebody, please jio me out on Wednesday from 2pm - 4.30pm!



P.S. I stay on the 12th storey! No lifts?!?!? 完蛋！

P.S.S. I initially thought that Dad was scolding a certain vulgarity. (N.B.).

P.S.S.S. I don't have the heart to tell him that he has misspelled "wednesday". Kekeke!

COMEX?

I'm considering purchasing an external hard drive. It just feels risky storing all the teaching materials in a flimsy thumbdrive.

But then again, I've been yearning for a digital camera since ages ago.

AND then again, I'm a hopeless IT-idiot.



Therefore, firstly, I've got to choose between an external hard drive OR a digital camera.

After which, having made a decision, I've got to "research" and 打听 on what are the good brands to go for, and the specifications to look out for.



Perhaps I should not go to the Comex afterall. What a bother!

THE HUNGRY CAB DRIVER

It was the 30th of August; a Sunday morning at 7.15am.

She hailed a cab.

JW, please. She requested groggily.
"Which route? TPE-CTE-PIE or KPE-PIE or KPE-AYE-*****************?"
Errr... The shortest one.
"It's all about the same distance, Miss. Not much difference actually. It's basically from one end of the island to another." He explained.
Oh... Any route then. I have no preferences.

The uncle picked a route, to which she agreed to. The taxi took off. She looked out of the windows. It's going to be a good, long, smooth (expressways all the way!) 30minutes ride.

"You're going to the church building, are you not?" The uncle asked.
Yep, I am.
"Ahhhh... Attending service?"
Nope, mine is on a Saturday.
"I see. I'm a Christian myself, too! I'm going for service later at 9am."
Really? Where is it at?
"(insert here). And I'm having a renewing of marriage vows later. They're holding it for all the married couples in the church."
Wow! That's sweet. Are you excited for it?
"Oh, well. Ok, I guess. It's usually the ladies who are more enthusiastic over these things. Oh, well, so long as the wife likes it, I don't mind the hassle."
She laughed. Have you bought anything for the occasion? A rose, perhaps?
"Oh, our god-daughter is getting something prepared for us."
That's good. It'll be good to have something on hand. Women like surprises.
"Oh, yeah. I'll be getting prepared for the vows event after this trip. Hopefully, I would be able to pick up a passenger from JW on the way back down."
She smiled. That'll would be the most ideal.
"Then what are you going there for?" He asked. "From here all the way to JW?"
Ministry.
"Ah... God is good. He is faithful. You know what? You're my 4th passenger of the day. And all trips I've made are good ones. Adding yours on, I would have enough to cover the day's rental!"
She widened her eyes. It is only 7.15am. Wow! It's still so early in the morning! This is YOUR day, isn't it? She teased.
"Yep. With these good trips, I can have a good, relaxed time at the renewal of vows later. You know, without feeling..." His voice trailed off, clearly searching for a better word to articulate his thoughts.
The heaviness? She offered. The burden?
"Yes! That's right. Without feeling burdened or heavy, because the rental cost is covered; and whatever I earn now from this trip forth goes into my pocket. God is faithful. He takes care of things on our behalf when we place Him first. You know, I have a Christian friend who only drives taxi on only 3 days out of a week. Other days, he's busy with family, ministry, service and etc. And guess the income he makes? It's in the range of $2000 -$3000!"
Wow!
"Yes! Amazing, isn't it? I tell you, this God is real. Really real. How to deny? Who can deny?"
She leaned her head back on the backrest. Yea, she smiled and agreed. Indeed.

"Can I share with you a radio station?" He asked.
Certainly, of course.
"This station; FM***. It's an overseas broadcast. But, anyway, it's quite good. They have 3 slots per day; and sometimes during the broadcast, they'll invite listeners to call in and share testimonies."
Oh, really? I've never heard of this station before.
"Yep. It's really pretty good. Anyway, is your family Christian?"
Nope.
"Ahhh... Only you?"
She smiled.
"Anyway, as I was saying, this station is really quite good. Whenever the slots are on, I would tune in to this station and listen to the gospel music and testimonies. It's really good to listen to radio stations like this one, you know. It cheers me up and reminds me of His goodness. And, well, there's only so much a person can do. We can only do this much, the rest is up to Him. So, whenever this radio slot is on, and when I have passenger(s) in the car, I would let Him do the work. Same to you too. When one is saved, the whole household shall be saved."
She smiled, gratified and yet ashamed that a complete stranger has greater faith to proclaim this promise than she has.

"Then have you fall under the power before? How does it feel like? Oh!" He added as an afterthought. "Can you speak in tongues?"
She blinked. Yes.
"Oh, really?! Then, can you pray for me?"
She blinked. She looked around. This is a taxi. She found her voice. Eh? Pray for you? As in... For your tongues?
"No, no. Just, you know, general praying. Pray FOR me. It's a "secret language" between us and God, right?"
She blinked. Yes, it is.
"Ok! Then can you pray for me?"
She blinked. She looked around. This is a taxi. She found her voice. Me? Yea, sure, she answered and leaned forward against the resistance of the seat belt. Ermmm, if you want.



"Thanks. Really thank you so much. It feels different. You know, starting the day with someone praying for you; praying over you. And in a language which only One understands. The deep things of the heart and all. I'm sure He hears it and knows my heart. Thank you so much."

She blinked. Don't mention it. You're welcome. It's not me anyway. And it's my pleasure.

They arrived at her destination. She gave a $50 note. Have a good time at the vows later. She took her change and alighted the car.

"God bless you!" He called out.
God bless you, too.

She closed the door. The car drove off. She looked at the change.

The uncle has given her a 10% rebate.



It was only 7.45am. She felt different from half an hour ago before the taxi ride. Ashamed of herself, yes, but more than that. Inspired. A wake-up call.



When is the last time you initiated and asked someone - what more a COMPLETE STRANGER - to pray for you; to pray over you? Or, for that matter, have you ever?

He has just shown her what being really hungry and hankering after Him is all about.

APPLE PIE

Baking my FIRST ever apple pie. It's in the oven right now.



Don't really feel optimistic about it. Hohoho!

A COMPLETE MEAL

FRIDAY
5.30am : Woke up. Popped the prescribed daily dosage of Vit. B, Vit. C, and iron tablets.
5.35am : Back to dreamland.
6.30am : Woke up. Washed up. Had half a glass of milk (that's why I woke up earlier at 5.30am. The pills have to be taken 1 hour before food)
7.15am - 10.10am : Work work work. Had a small pack of Vitasoy
10.10am - 10.30am : Early lunch with DC and EL. Lunch consisted of a serving each of sotong, crabmeat, and kangkong from the muslim stall (without rice, 'cos - with the exception of rice dumplings and sushi - I don't really like rice)
10.30am - 11.30am : Work
11.30am - 12.20pm : Teach
12.20pm - 2.30pm : Gave tests, marked test papers, cleared all the admin stuffs, returned and signed in the personal locker keys, return of exit pass, cleared work station, went home to deposit laptop and paper
3.30pm - 7.30pm : Met up with PL! First to Bugis (the sinful land of temptation), then to PS. Shop, shop, and shop! Milk Tea from SweetTalk. A snack (Fried Mars Balls from Chippy)
8.30pm : Reached home
8.40pm - 9pm : Jogged with the younger brother
9pm - 11pm: Bathed. Came online. Blogged. Ate a couple mouthfuls of vermicelli for dinner. Off to bed

_____________________________________________________________

SATURDAY
6.00am : Woke up. Lazy to eat the tablets, so I went back to sleep immediately
7.00am : Woke up again. Ate a couple of mouthful of tapioca chips + a cup of coffee
7.45am : Went out
8.30am - 10.00am : Tuition
10.30am : Home. Showered. Online
12.30pm : Ate 1/3 of a pack of 菜贩. Got dressed and prepared to go out
1.15pm : Went out
1.45pm - 5pm : CGM. Had a White Rabbit sweet (Thanks, WL!). Ate a small piece of... Erm... What's it called? 老婆饼？
5.30pm - 8pm+ : Svc
8pm+ - 9.30pm : Food court. Lazy to bring the birthday cake home, so I stored it in the stomach instead
10.45pm : Home. Showered. Online
12am : Slept
_____________________________________________________________

SUNDAY
6.30am : Woke up. Lazy to eat the pills (again), so I went back to sleep immediately
7.30am : Woke up again. Gave a morning call. Washed up. Got dressed. Had a cup of Milo. Went out.
9.45am - 12pm : Svc
12pm - 1.15pm : MRT-ed. Loitered at White Sands. Had a stick of Gu Cai and Seafood Gyoza from Old Chang Kee. Parents picked me up from White Sands in the car
1.15pm - 2.00pm : Visited Grandma
2.00pm - 5pm : Court (Tampines)
5.30pm : Ba Cuo Mee for dinner (finally a proper meal!!!)
6pm (which is now!) : Online. Blogging. A cup of coffee

_____________________________________________________________

Just realized that for the whole of Friday and Saturday, and including most of today (Sunday), I have not REALLY eaten. The last time I had a proper, complete meal is... Thursday evening. And this is already Sunday evening. Crap!

Honestly, more often than not, whenever I'm posed the casual question, "Have you eaten?", I find myself thinking really hard. By "eating", does it include snacking? I realize - unless I really sit down and firmly order a proper bowl of (insert here) - I tend to snack a little here and there throughout the ENTIRE day. A cup of Milo. A stick of gyoza. A stick of Gu Cai. A cup of Milk Tea. A curry puff. A chocolate bar. A cup of coffee. A glass of milk. A pack of Soyabean. Anything. As long as it keeps the hunger pangs at bay. There's no need to feel FULL per se, or to eat until I'm bursting at the seams. If I'm not hungry, it simply means I'm not hungry which, in turn, implies that there's no need to eat as of yet. Simple as that.

Perhaps I should contemplate keeping a proper record of the daily consumption of food (but then, hopefully, I would procrastinate my way out of this). Think I'm a tad way too sliphood in this area for my own good. But, you know, I find eating a chore. Chewing is boring and tiring!

And I still wonder why am I deficient in iron. Duh!

CAN AND WOULD

It's often not really a question of "Can you?", but "WOULD you?"



Would you?

NIGHT

Tuition tomorrow at 8.30am! Enough said.

Night!

NOT CHEAP

Going SHOPPING with PL tomorrow afternoon! I need to buy some essential stuffs; and she is such a great and ideal help! I'm so relieved for her offer of help! *Woot*

Anyway, it'll cost such a bomb. Think I would thank my lucky stars if I need not exceed 300 bucks; and yet still manage to get one whole full set comprising of the essential stuffs which are of reasonably good quality. Arrrgh! Pastor says it so aptly: it takes a lot of money to look good. And I'm not even purchasing all these stuffs for my own use! Have been getting my heart ready; that it's a blessing to others in a way; but can't help but to feel twinges of... 心痛！Especially when it comes out from your own pocket. The "fertile" brain can't help but to imagine ridiculously how many meals would one have to skip just to "recoup" it back. Arrrgh! Knowing myself, think I might just revert back to "puasa-ing".

The bank account is not growing fast enough! Infuriating, certainly. But then again, what's the definition of "fast"? I think mine would be a lil' demanding.

MUSTACHE-D

Took us a couple of attempts just to get the mustache(s) and the timing right! DUH!