Tuesday, September 2, 2008

FaceBooOOOO

I know i'm a super duper laggard when it comes to Facebook. I have been resisting it for many many moons and months, and i've finally succumbed to sign up for it - well, no choice since everyone's on it and grumbling about my absence.

And when i'm finally on it, guess what?! I began to post my pics there instead, and now my poor musing lamb is not amused anymore. it's now lonely lamb.

however, i'm back! well the blogging experience is so lacking in faceboooo, well it's not supposed to be for blogging anyway.... so well, i'm here to do my ranting as usual.....

yak yak yak.......

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

moi new maid...

i got this new filipino maid from iloilo, and she arrived 2 days ago. i went to the agency @ bukit timah to fetch her and her 20kg luggage! whoa, she brought such a huge luggage i was amazed.
to welcome her, i let her choose what she would like for dinner - roast chicken rice - and i specially topped up 2 deep fried chicken wings for her cos she likes that too.

the only thing worrying is that she hardly ate the rice, though she loves all the chicken. and the loaf of bread i bought for our b'fast the next morn, she did not eat the 1st piece - guess she didn't like the skin of the bread....so i ate that :) another thing is that she leaves the floor soaking wet after mopping it, so i used a dry cloth to wipe it and asked her to do the next time. but unfortunately, she used a mobile stand fan to dry the house instead. aiyo.

that said, she's actually a very smart lady.....and i really don't know whether it's a good thing or bad. but one thing good is that she's a great cook! she can cook lasagne, carborana pasta, cantonese cuisine, portugese, western, chinese, filipino....and do it very well. and it's bcos she has worked in many countries before.

here's the 1st meal she cooked - for both of us: filipino pork adobo and stirfried cauliflower.

it's pretty good. pork adobo is her fave dish in philippines - stewed pork in dark sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, sugar, chilli, garlic & onions.

good lah, since she can cook pretty well, i can save money on eating out. hee.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

the day my world tumbled

my mum had a stroke 2 days ago.

i pinched myself to wake up from the nightmare. but it was real.
there was nothing i could do, but to pray and pray and pray to God that He'll save her.

i sat outside the emergency ward and stared at a huge green raintree against the azure skies. i cried out to the Lord, to protect and heal my mum. in my helplessness, He is my Help. in my weakness, He is my Strength.

i prayed and cried and prayed and cried. the tree is now dimmed against the amber skies. the world and all its riches meant nothing to me. my mum's love for me is so great that it's uncomprehensible and unimaginable. i know my Lord must definitely understand her love for me, for this is His love for me too - only infinite times greater. i sworn to myself that i'll do everything to love my mum in future.

the tree is now a mass of black, outlined against the dark skies. i still prayed and cried out to the Lord. He is all-knowing, all-powerful. He knows my requests and my desires before i lift them up to Him. what wretched man i am, but His Love still stretches to save me and call me His own.

after a night of sleeplessness, i felt even more helpless on seeing my mum's volatile condition. there is just nothing i can do. then i realise i must let go and let God. i have God's Peace and Assurance in me - that all will be good. I prayed and sang hymns outside the ward, and went home to rest. Today, my mum's condition is now stabilised and hopefully she could go to a normal ward if all is good by this evening. i have nothing but only Praises for my Lord.

Thank you my Lord, my King, my Deliverer, my Shelter, my Help in time of need.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Mario!

e shop @ suntec where i placed order for 2 Kon cushions....damn cute. (Kon fr Bleach)

Warcraft Meh

Was at a LAN shop playing warcraft with my bf - and to my surprise he constructed a MEH with structures in the game. Naughty naughty. I was so amused i took a picture of it on my screen.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

grazing spot

it's my bf's bday this sat - and i'm still clueless on what to do for him.

what to do? what to do?

at the recent IT show last week, i've bought a laptop for him while he's away in germany. it's really value for money, given the specs i got - 3G RAM and GEForce 8400 - great for playing any games he want, while he's travelling. it is also fortunate that i got a rather plump bonus this month so it has hardly bruised my pocket.

however i have passed him the laptop the day before so there is no more gift or surprises on his bday. i think i should do something nice for him though.... but what?

how about a 3 hr spa for him? full body massage for his aching back will be good. hmm, mabbe we go aramsa @ bishan gardens.

and where off for food?
i wanted to try Picotin (Horse Feed in french)- a joint venture by Sebestien ( Sebestien Bistrot, Les Amis Grp) & Emmanuel Stroobant (Saint Pierre). I was rather devastated when i heard Sebestien left Sebestien Bistrot - as it's my fave french place to go - it's pretty decent french food at good value. And i like its cosy laid back atmosphere. Sadly, Picotin doesn't seem to live up to the Bistrot's reputation. I wonder why they serve Pizzas at a french establishment. Maybe it's for an informal feel. But the reviews didn't get me hyped up at all. So i guess i'll give this new setup a miss, will wait till it's more settled.

Chef Chan? I was rather disappointed with the chef's famed 3 Signature dishes - shark's fin, black pepper beef, and roast chicken. And i know the reason why. It's exactly the same reason why Chef Chan closed down his restaurant and set up this new private dining one - he is unable to control and maintain the quality of the food if he is serving the masses. This time round he is the one doing most of the cooking - and hence i bet the quality must be much better. That said, the 'dish' that impressed me most is not one of the 3 Signature dishes, but their mango pudding.
It's so light when i tasted it at first, then suddenly there is a burst of mango, and best of it all, it leaves a desirable mango aftertaste. It's the most amazing mango pudding i have tried - having tried mango puddings in almost every chinese restaurant i visited. But will i pay $88 / person to try his mango pudding? I doubt so.

Should i then go Saint Pierre or Saint Julien? I think i can still manage, all thanks to my bonus and increment :) Or should we go somewhere more affordable but yet very fulfilling? Hmmm. OH, i'm beginning to miss Sebestian's Bistrot! :P

Dancing rays, marshmallow skies


It’s a beautiful morn.

The sun rays are shimmering brightly on the face of the ocean; the hues of blue swaying playfully in tandem to the dancing rays.

I sat by the window gazing lazily at the beauty of my view, lamenting slightly at my loss of missing many beautiful sunrise. I wish I can take in life at a slower pace, to enjoy and experience the beauty of God’s creation.

Life is a rat race in the land (or gutters haha) where I live. I have to stay competitive, dynamic, and to seek for excellence. It is always to maximize or optimize the time we have – to stretch every hour to do the most effective in the most efficient manner. As a result, I’m trained to focus and prioritize my tasks – I can’t conceive life without my Ipod calendar – it has become an integral part of me and is now the driver of my life. Yes I am quite like its slave.

Oh well, the reason why I can be sitting by the window appreciating the views today is because I am currently attending this boring Expert Excel class that is held @ Shenton Way, overlooking the sea. And I happen to be sitting by the window with the views. While I had expected them to teach Macros, Charts and Analysis for the Expert level class, they actually kicked off teaching how to format values and create shapes and format colors. But even for such basics, there are always some new tricks to pick up. Even if there’s nothing to learn today, well it’s a wonderful break from my work; so I’m not complaining. I just have to be patient and wait for the juicy part of the lesson.

Meanwhile I can spend my time gazing at the fluffy marshmallow clouds.

Monday, March 10, 2008

the curse of money

the fact is that money is neither good nor bad - it all depends on whether you are its master or slave. hmm, i really enjoy the short drama screened on every monday night - it is always exploring some heartwarming & meaningful stories.

today's story is about a man who once had a bowl of satisfying porridge and has since been unable to find any that came close to that. in his great dissatifaction and agony, he put up an offer of half million dollars for the best bowl of porridge. as the story unravels his past, the best bowl of porridge was one that was presented to him when he was penniless and shivering out of hunger. hence after having all the delicacies in the world, no amount of money could buy him the best bowl of porridge - for the best is something no amount of money can buy.

i was so touched, and for a split second i wondered if this is a sign for me, since i'm currently in a dilemma. i was just smsing my bf who's in germany right now - should i accept or reject the offer? it's enormous sum of money - should i give it up?

master or slave.....master or slave.........oh crap! the cursed money.....arrgh!

Saturday, February 23, 2008

what could be the worst?

we were on our way to attend my colleague's granny's wake yesterday night when the group brought up a discussion on the superstitions of attending wakes. someone asked - what could be the worst that can happen? i replied as a matter of fact - die lor.

as soon as the words went out from my mouth, i thought to myself - or was it not? if dying was the worst that could happen to a person, why then do most humans, at a point in time, wished that they would die? suicidal thoughts are not uncommon amongst us. my variant of it is to wish to be in heaven with the Lord - where there is no more pain and tears.

it has been a long time since i last teared - except at the funerals of the people i knew. it has been a long time since i felt miserable, hurt and helpless - to an extent that i sobbed. i had once resoluted not to cry easily - not to intentionally harden my heart - but that i may not be too emotional.

i told a friend recently that i have no dying regrets - i'm glad to know the Lord, and to have a family and fiance who loves me unconditionally. has death lost its sting? yeah, through Jesus we have overcome death. so i guess it's something i'm no longer fearful of.

am i then fearful of life itself? as much as i want to be strong, the inside of me just wishes to run away....and hide somewhere. i'm just a little girl, i thought to myself. why is life so harsh and cruel?

i want to run.....run.....run.................... but then again it's also because of the warmth and joy of life itself - brought to me by the people in my life - that i see hope in the land of the living. maybe it's because of the rain that makes the sunshine seem brighter and warmer.

i guess i have chosen to embrace life - and to live to its fullest!

Monday, February 4, 2008

Fragrant Plain Rice


Was watching a mini-drama serial just now and the 'moral of the story' striked a chord in me -
that it is sheer bliss to be able to dine with your family & loved ones, such that even a simple bowl of plain white rice can taste oh so homely and delicious.

in this materialistic world where everyone competes for more luxury items and food, we have soon forgotten the simplicity of our needs. was at church yesterday when my pastor told of the greatness of his mum's love. and i was reminded of how loving and forgiving my mum was - the time when i was in sec school and i was so worried that i'll flung my higher chinese (and i thought i'll be retained for a year), that i called my mum and instead of scolding me, she reassures me that everything will be fine, and all i need is to try harder next year. her love brought tears to my eyes. although i was just being paranoid and i did actually pass my higher chinese, yet this incident did etch deeply in my memory, reminding me of my mum's love.

bought a book - dying and rising with Christ - to prepare myself for Lent. hope i can meditate and pray more the next 40 days and be more Christ-like.

i have found it more and more unbearable at work these days - having to put up with some obnoxious fella whose every word is "this is your kpi...that is your kpi". whoa, big deal. okay okay, end of my tantrums. Back to my struggling meditations - love. forgive. love. forgive :)

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Hilarious!

my bf and i were at Hanoi Opera House when we saw beautiful brides posing for their photoshoot. inspired, i cajoled my bf to take a photo with me, and the process is secretly videod down by my cheeky friends:

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Oasis

the past few days have been quite turbulent @ work. feeling very mistreated, i ended up feeling a little sorry for myself. battling within myself, i kept struggling with thoughts like 'what the hell - i don't need this crap' but then again, thanks to the christians around me - somehow in one way or another, i was encouraged. i was reminded of what my ex-church pastor used to say: that rough winds and tough waves make a good sailor. well, recently i've also been more prayerful, leaning more on His Strength and Wisdom.

today is a joyous day! like an oasis in a desert, this is exactly how i felt - being away from work on a sat! yay! met up with an ID today for our new house. he says it'll be expensive to selectively revamp since they need to tear down 'part by part' - for eg. tearing down the wall will require them to patch up the marble that is already laid, and they have to buy that marble from the condo mgmt ( have to use the exact same marble as rest of the hse). and it'll be a waste of our money since we've paid for all the wardrobes, cabinets, bathtub etc so it's better to keep some of them. anyway let's see - he'll send us the design plan after we provide him with the floor plan.

supposed to go for my colleague's housewarming. but decided not to go since my bf is not interested and i'm not exactly too keen to turn up either. sick of seeing the ppl i wouldn't quite want to see - esp on weekends :P so we went to suntec - bf bought some Italian Roast Coffee from Wiener Kaffehaus (in Carrefour) and even a coffee pot to brew the coarse blend. the sample the lady gave to us is fabulous in aroma and body ( and thankfully, not acidic! in case you didn't know - i don't drink coffee nowadays because i have phobia of acidic coffee) - i was bought over.

then we headed to the cinema for Le Grand Chef - some Korean drama rama on a Royal Chef cooking competition. oh but one part was rather upsetting when the guy has to sacrifice his cow (which is his friend and comfort) to compete in the competition - cos he can't find a better marbled cow. i think i couldn't never be able to do that - that's why it's impossible for me to keep a pet - i'll be so grieved when it dies. the ending is somewhat expected but still meaningful - that a simple bowl of beef soup (rich with meaning and cooked with dedication) far exceeds that of a complex intricate soup made from despicable means. Simplicity - just like Ratatouille, just like
indiana jones - who rightly picked the carpenter's wooden cup instead of all the gold and glorious gobblets.

yawn! time to sleep - long day ahead :) hmmm....simplicity. yeah, just what the ID said today - what's the point of working so hard?

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

sulky lamb

i'm gonna spend CNY alone here again!
and my bf didn't tell me only until i started to make plans for CNY and asked his availability - that he's going kyoto for biz trip.

not again! he was in germany last year; and in london the year before.
CNY was so lonely, and now again....

sigh, i regretted not agreeing to going bali with my family....now how?

lonely and detestable CNY.arrrggghhhhh.

i shall go travel alone, somewhere, anywhere but be here alone, again.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Church for wedding

Visited my parent church today after service with the intention of checking out the Sanctuary interior, seating capacity, buffet area etc. But we went too late and it's closed. Anyway this is a picture of the front of the church. I like it very much, despite the photographer's jokes on how this resembles a firestation. Grrr. Haha.

Oh by the way, the name's Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church - the oldest servicing church in spore.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Look at what's in my hands

Was browsing through a book on achievers when it struck me that the world has been emphasizing on the need to structure our goals and lives to achieve, to outperform. Be an achiever. Oh man, little did we remember to focus on what brings true joy and happiness to us. And to look at what's in my hands. It's a real joy to do what gives us true happiness. This should be my focus.

It's another sin to wallow in self-pity. I must constantly meditate to remind myself that i should always do my best, and not easily take the shortcut or no for an answer. This should be my attitude.

And i must be hopeful, in the Lord.
A little in the Potter's Hands avails much.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

New Year New Beginnings

The watchnight service on New Year's eve has always been enlightening. This year my pastor chided us for being Thankful for nothing; Critical about everything. I'm certainly guilty of that - especially recently as i wasn't too happy about some ongoings in my workplace. Nonetheless, as Christians we ought to be people who give praises and thanksgiving to God continually, remembering the Goodness of God.

Let 2008 be a year of commitment to do what is right, according to God's standards. Well, i'll become what i'm commited to. I pray that i'll hold fast to this commitment, and may my life be pleasing to Him.

Also, i need to reassess my life a little. It's so true that when we are enjoying life, we don't question ourselves. It's when we hit alow that we start to reassess. One way to discover your metier may be to think about the things that you are proud of and enjoy. I need to pray and meditate on my life's path. I hope i'll have an answer by the end of this month :)

More of my idle cooking

Nothing better to do last weekend so decided to clear the leftovers from the fridge.


Lotsa rocket leaves left from Christmas. So opened a can of tuna spread & ate with the leaves on top of a loaf of 99cents freshly baked baguette i bought from NTUC hypermart. Gobbled up half a loave of baguette. My, i'm putting on weight!


Leftover Mascarpone cheese: Decided to make tiramisu with it. Got some Vicenzi ladyfingers from Cold Storage for the sponge. Didn't have kahlua, so made do with the Baileys in my fridge.


Layered the sponges in a tubberware ( cos i couldn't find the right size glassware) - i had used 2 of these tubberwares. Topped with liquored cream, and repeat the same again.


Refrigerate for few hours and dust with cocoa powder when done.


Leftovers from Christmas. I just bought some more brinjals.
Browned them in a pan with olive oil.


Added brown field mushrooms, and this time i made chicken meatballs and fish meatballs. The sauce was more watery this time round cos i ran out of tomato puree and stewed canned whole tomatoes. haha. But just made do with these leftover sauces cos i didn't want to buy them again and have more leftovers again :P
Cooked some Organic short-grain brown rice to go with the stew. Meatballs are much juicer than the beef ones i made in for Christmas. Though i still prefer beef over white meats for meatballs. Will try lamb in future :P