Thursday, April 30, 2009

A Costume Of Sorts


With the borrowed top, I went for the dinner and pretended that it was a modernized baju panjang.

I'm glad that I went home to change. A fresh change of clothes threw out the weariness of the day and gave me renewed energy to schmooze. I hope it added a little color to the event.

Since the top was on loan, I was rather careful with it. I assidiously avoided the servers making their rounds precariously balancing red wine glasses.

It was so timely that the sweet girlfriend had sent an intricate handmade gift yesterday. When worn on the neck with this top, the gift added that 'authentic' feel to my get-up.

Somehow, I had a pair of long earrings in matching colors to complement it. It was a brilliant touch I thought, because I'm unmarried (but not single). In Peranakan culture, only the single and unmarried women wear dangling earrings. The married ones wear ear studs.

When I headed for after-dinner drinks at the store, the friends couldn't contain their grins. These clothes really aren't my usual. They rarely see me do this dress to the theme thingy unless it's for charity galas. The friends who had a long evening at the Le Cordon Bleu dinner organized by the World Gourmet Summit came by to say hi and probably giggled at my strange look too.

Too demure, they say.

Gotta Buy A Kebaya

There is a work dinner tonight that is themed Peranakan.

I realized I didn't have single piece of nyonya kebaya or batik in the wardrobe anymore. I bought too many of those Chinese tops meant for work functions. Those wouldn't do. So I just picked a silk tie-dye for the dinner. It was one of the many work dresses I usually wear anyway.

Unfortunately, the colleagues failed the dress. It wasn't anywhere near to the theme. Too corporate! Gaaah. It is a corporate event what! Oh well. So I snucked off home early to change into something else.

Honestly, I was very tempted to swim. Hot day, empty pool. I would have time for a quick couple of laps to work out. But I gotta sort out the clothes. So I went to ask the man's mom for help. She doesn't have anymore kebaya tops either. Even if she has, it wouldn't fit very well. She's thinner! But she has managed to find something that's suitable.

It's rather resort casual though. And I'm very tempted to wear slippers with it. But I guess I'll wear heels, lest my boss rolls his eyes at me. At least the look will fit the theme fine. Yay.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

10 Laps

When I stepped out from the last meeting of the day, it was still bright and humid. I was glad. After that torrential downpour in the morning, it'd be nice to hit the pool.

I'm quite happy that I blew off a work associate for the dinner appointment. I've had lunch with him last week and the colleagues, separately, had already bought him another lunch and a dinner. There isn't a need for me to eat with him this evening. I can have some quality me-time.

The water was surprisingly not cold at all. There were 2 neighbors in the pool, all evenly stroking laps. Another 2 were getting ready and putting on swim caps and goggles. I grinned at the scene. Everyone looked so serious.

After my 2 warm-up laps, somehow the 5 of us hit one end at the same time. We've met at the pool a couple of times. We usually just nod and smile in acknowledgment. Today, we kinda looked at one another and sensed this unspoken humor. We gave a thumbs-up and kicked off to some friendly competition.

Well, I guess everyone was in the mood for some serious workout. Man, did I work those arms. Today has got to be the fastest 10 laps I've ever swam.

《星期二特写: 一房世界》

我一向来都嘲笑八频道的连续剧。对于它的综艺节目,更是加以讽刺。但在编剧制作方面,有一项节目值得赞扬,举起双手支持。至四月七日,我都按时把八频道播出的 《星期二特写: 一房世界》 (Tuesday Report: Life In A One-Room Flat) 录下, 等晚上迟点或隔天才看。

我国一房式政府组屋居者大多数是老人家或低收入家庭。居者都缴廉价租金给建屋发展局。说实话,很多人对一房式组屋没有什么认识,更不知道这些组屋区在这小岛的哪一个角落。我做家访时也常去一房式组屋陪独居的乐岭人士。但对其他扇门后的人与事就不过问了。《一房世界》给予一房式政府组屋居者脸孔,描述了居者的生活,嗜好等,让电视机前的观众了解一下。

《星期二特写》系列已经有好多年的制作历史了。 三十分钟的片段反映了新加坡的另一面。每一系列的主题随着时代而变迁,从个人经历和社会关注的人与事题材- 未婚妈妈,残障人士,问题少年,毒品等等。共同点是,拍摄和编导都没有花容玉貌,就献上真实故事教育民众,开阔眼线。想看的话,除了坐在电视机前, 也可以从mobtv.sg下载。(当然要付钱咯。)

(编导:郑乔荭) 昨晚特写了70几岁的麦老先生和麦老太太是芽龙巴鲁大牌62座附近一带出了名的恩爱夫妻。他们苦恋8年才结婚,结婚时已经高龄40几。去年,他们庆祝结婚30周年,由于没有子女,他们更加珍惜对方。风雨同舟30年,看他们如何在一房世界里维系一段美满的婚姻。

《一房世界》每一系列每一集叙说的人和事都不同。私人感想也不一样。这系列值得我花时间看,启发一点反省作用。今时,若没有某方面的提醒,我只会以自己为中心,将会忘了身边其他人。

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Skipped The Swim

Skiving off an evening swim because the water would be cold was the worst excuse we could come up with. But the full day of rain did justify it a teeny bit.

We were not too interested in shopping. But we had stuff to stock up on at the supermarket. So it was grocery shopping at Meidi-ya and plenty of silly giggling over the wide range of salad dressing available.

Then, we decided to fill the stomach with a terribly decadent dinner at Bontá. The restaurant is celebrating its 2nd anniversary and would have 30% off all wines by the bottle and a la carte food orders till May 2009. Since I eat there at least twice a week, the discounts are fabulous to me.

Tonight, there was aglio olio tossed with black truffle and topped with shaved slices. We were sold. Add another lobster aglio olio to it, we overloaded on carbs. We went the full works of appetizer to dessert and coffee.

The evening was fun this way too! We decided that since the girlfriend would hit the gym in the morning, and I, to a pilates session, it was all good and not horribly guilty. We'd hit more cardio separately later in the week.

Anyway, V, decaf works. After watching a slew of brainless tv programmes and The Jane Austen Book Club, I'm feeling sleepy now.

Don't Touch The Food All Over Like That Lah!

Never mind that the cashier was so goondu to mess up our orders that she got relegated to making the sandwiches. The new cashier was more efficient.

The now sandwich-maker put the egg mayo on the bread, then scrapped it back with bread bits and all now meshed into the pre-readied tin of egg mayo. I realized it was because she forgot to butter the bread. Then she turned to talk to her colleague. She was so clueless as to stick her t-shirt all over the buttered bread on the counter.

I grimaced and told her to change the bread and skip the butter please. (It was probably margarine and not butter; not at S$3.20 for a basic sandwich.) She still asked why. So I said it very loudly that it was because her "shirt and bare hands straight from the register buttons touched the pieces of bread without gloves."

Again, she took out egg mayo from the tin and spread it on the new slices of bread. I told her to use egg mayo from a new tin instead and change the whole thing. I sternly stood by the counter to see that she prepared the sandwich properly. I continued lurking at the counter to make sure the colleague's focaccia was handled cleanly. The supervisor came over to assure me that he would prepare the spicy tuna focaccia himself. Okay lor.

I'm picky, to say the least and totally unforgiving to this sort of thing. Be it at a cheap hawker stall, high end restaurant or an average cafe, a high level of food hygiene must be strictly adhered to. You ain't my best friend preparing food for me at your immaculate home. So please stick to an acceptable standard. Even at home, we dish out food with serving spoons, not by using personal utensils slathered with saliva and dipped all over the shared plates.

I won't be in a hurry to eat at any of its outlets again. This is not the first outlet that I have encountered problems with their preparation of food. Their servers are obviously not very careful with food hygiene. You want to do this sort of thing, don't do it in front of me. My stomach will be judge of the standard of food hygiene 4 hours later.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Anchovy Pasta

I kept raving about the awesome natural saltiness of this anchovy pasta from a certain stall. The man is skeptical as to how good this pasta can taste. He also thought it a little overpriced at S$17. I shrugged. Since I cannot cook, I will have to pay for my food.

On my way back to office after lunch in town the other day, I received a text from him. I had to laugh. He had driven across town and zoomed to the said stall to ta-pau the pasta back to his office to try.

That night, he promptly went out to shop for ingredients to make anchovy pasta. Over the week, he cooked this pasta not once, but thrice. He tested out the flavors with different sorts of anchovies (bottled in oil or in salt) as well with added anchovy paste. He wasn't fond of using pickled anchovies in it at all. Finally satisfied, he announced that he could do this pasta better than said stall. "You'll see." He said smugly.

The next morning, he got up at 6.45am, busied himself in the kitchen and packed me a heavy lunchbox. Then he sent me to work with strict instructions to heat up the food before consumption.

Curiosity got better of me. Plus I didn't have a microwave oven easily accessible at the office. So at 10.45am, I had to check out the still-warm content of the lunchbox. Anchovy pasta!!! I dug into it rather gleefully.

My my. The man's experiment resulted in a creation that is wayy better than the pasta I raved about. Hmmmm. I didn't know he's got such a competitive streak. Heh.

All At Kome


We went to Kome to celebrate the good friend's birthday with an evening of good food, whisky and to the club after for more single malts and ridiculously complex vintage 55 y.o cigars.

Little did we know that we'd run into more friends at the restaurant. So it came to pass that there was a counter-ful of people yakking away and enjoying a long dinner.

Last night, Chef Lawrence was quite royally drunk. But he was still making his rounds at the tables to say hi and have a drink. It wasn't easy deciphering his words through the slur. So I really wasn't sure if he could even appreciate the full flavored notes of our bottle of Highland Park 25 y.o.

The other 2 chefs held fort for the evening. But it was obvious they were already tired out by the afternoon event. Still, they soldiered on and didn't compromise on the quality of our food. We thanked them warmly for their dedication.

The tai shirako in citrus sauce served this round was quite tasty. This time, the kitchen brought out a whole isaki (grunt fish) for each. No sharing. That fish was spectacular. It was simply grilled with sea salt and nothing else. Although it was rather sizeable, it didn't take tremendous effort to clean out the fish, leaving only the bones. There were some grilled dishes which I didn't particularly care for. Especially the sharksfin and crab egg custard.

Aside from fish, I'm really not fond of grilled/fried/cooked/steamed food in my omakase meals. I tend to get very very grouchy if the chef insists on serving me cooked food. By now, the chefs at my usual restaurants are rather ginger each time they ask if I'd like something cooked. But at Kome last night, I understood that the chefs needed a breather to serve the others at the counter too. The restaurant was packed out at the counter and on the floor. Plus I did have a great sushi lunch earlier. (Better don't complain so much!) Oh well. I passed the steamed items down the line to the friends to finish up.

I was significantly happier when the merry pieces of sushi were served.

Kome Japanese Dining
No. 10, Bukit Chermin Road, The Keppel Club
Singapore 109918
T: +65 6273 0118 F: +65 6273 0868
Email: komedining [at] yahoo [dot] com

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Sushi Lunch


I got up really early and zipped off without reading the papers.

I made the mistake of reading the newspapers at breakfast yesterday and got so pissed off by this arrogant self-proclaimed feminist mentor bigot that it spoilt half my day. I see utmost irony in her church's claims that "intolerance towards homosexuality is not bigotry."

Many friends similarly hit the roof upon reading that article. We don't advocate homosexuality, neither do we condemn people for it. Education is crucial in that while we gently discourage homosexuality, we don't crucify people who make informed choices on their sexual preferences. Only a bigot would presume to teach the ignorant. She's a hypocrite for her discriminating views in a women's advocacy group. So I thank this bigot for helping to make up my mind about 2 May 09.

So today, since I didn't read the papers, I was in a swell mood. I got all my swings right and vented everything on a poor little dotted ball.

After a morning of merciless sun, a light lunch of sushi and ocha with the girlfriend was very much appreciated.

The thing about Tatsuya, we go there so often that we simply turn up in birkies or flip flops. Luckily no one has thought to chase us out for flouting the dress code, yet. Today, we were both in flouncy dresses and rubber flip flops! They made for comfortable eating and conversation.

The walk back to the car was short but hot under the blistering sun. The girlfriend stared daggers at the hot weather. I was nothing short of thrilled. It meant that the afternoon swim would be wonderful.

Lunch was easily digested. While the man was holed up with his guitars in a cold dark room, I spent a glorious hour alone at the bright warm pool doing laps and losing count.

Members Only

An evening at the theatre with Members Only was a welcome way to chill with the friends.

Produced by Nathalie Ribette and directed by Tracie Pang, the play was fast paced and witty, the script was tight. At 90 minutes without intermission, this wasn't an easy play to be carried off with no set changes and just 2 actors. The lines would have to be incredibly pointed and humorous.

When these actors were Lim Yu Beng and Daniel Jenkins, we were assured of a good evening. Daniel Jenkins' Bernard reminded us so much of neurotic friends and often, sides of ourselves. At so many points, we just wanted to throttle him and stuff him into a garbage bin.

By the end of it, it wasn't so much about the power dynamics of the friendship between 2 men. We went away knowing that it applied to both men and women- the need for control and emotional security in our relationship with anyone who was remotely important to us. And we mustn't let this need drive our demons and make us into monsters.

The play explored deep emotional issues but was kept light-hearted. There was much laughter over the nuances in the play. We left the theatre happy and hungry.

Friday, April 24, 2009

I Heart CSI

Have I mentioned that I'm a huge huge huge huge fan of CSI? Like, all of them. NY, Miami and of course, the original Las Vegas. I love the music in all the episodes. We've got The Who to rule the opening sequences. Then we've got a smorgasboard of indie and mainstream bands and John Mayer parading through the seasons. Yummy.

When Grissom left at Ep 10 this Season 9, it broke my heart. CSI is not quite CSI without him. I don't know if Catherine Willows can hold it together. That night when I watched it, something popped the idea of going to Las Vegas into my mind. Heh.

I keep thinking that I should have switched an industry and be a CSI. Heh. I should have done better in my Math and Sciences. That aside, importantly, drum roll please......

There's going to be a CSI movie!!!!! *jumps up and down the sofa*

There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie! There's going to be a CSI movie!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Azhang Is Still Open


We wanted to have a meal at Azhang before it was due to close. We liked the place for its no frills vibe. But it wasn't a makan venue high on my priority list unless I was feeling patient that evening.

We finally found time to go by. The man loved the grilled squid. It was skilfully done and all the juices were kept intact. Each time we ordered it, it came piping hot and very very fresh. The homemade sambal went awesome with it. I really really dig its corn salad. Real corn was lovingly roasted and sliced onto the greens. Spicy and crunchy, it was really appetizing. I did wish that there wasn't so much coriander in the dish.

We asked Patrick and Ava where would the restaurant move to. To our relief, we learnt that Azhang was in the midst of negotiations with the landlord and would stay beyond the initially stated date of 26 April.

Times are bad. Hopefully, the landlord would have the decency not to raise rent to peg it at crazy prices. Azhang would be able to stay on at the present premise. It isn't gourmet food. But it serves edible and pretty tasty chow.

Gourmet


The man's bestie always knows exactly what to get him as presents.

This year, she has picked out a magazine subscription for his birthday.

He coo-ed and clucked over his first Gourmet that came in the mail today.

Woman, wanna know how much he likes your pressie?

He thought it was just another dumb magazine. That was before I took a closer look and squealed in delight. He snatched it from me and flipped through it. He promptly abandoned The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch and eagerly browsed through the May issue of Gourmet.

Making A Playlist

I just discovered that Journey's Separate Ways is an awesome song to kickbox to when training with a standing bag.

The pace of the song matches the speed of my strikes and sweeps perfectly.

And strangely, some songs from The Who work too. It stirs up images from CSI. That provides great inspiration.

Now I'm quite determined to scroll through itunes to find rock oldies to make up a kickass kickboxing playlist.

I Must Ask Why

The drama at AWARE has degenerated into almost 'name-calling'. Soon, it'll become seditious.

I really feel that this fight shouldn't be
about religion. Yet, the facts and statements plus historical baggage that have tumbled out prove that it seems to be so. Should I care? I honestly don't give two hoots about what goes on in AWARE. If the organization's vision and actions align to mine, then I support it. If it doesn't, I ignore it. Ha. That's apathy isn't it?

But I am bothered about the messages that AWARE is publicly signalling at this moment. AWARE has been a respected and credible NGO all these years. What happened? As an NGO, AWARE must remain secular. It must not lean over to any side. No matter how, the religion and personal values of the an organization's Exco will come into play.

I have no vested interest in AWARE. I'm not gay. My friends are. I don't see a problem with that. So don't you dare throw the Bible at me. I'd like to see you try dying and refusing aid from a gay dude, preferring to wait and probably die before the straight guy gets to you. These friends stand loyal and brilliant to our friendship. These are friends I have trust my tuglines to and they stood by me throughout. I have no problem with people who are homophobic. But I have a problem with people who condemn and openly denounce gays when all they've seen, unfortunately, is the promiscuity of a general few.

The unfolding saga at AWARE has riveted the island. It might be the only thing for a long time now that has made people sit up and think, and perhaps be urged to move off the fence. I believe that the voice of civil society must remain strong. When was the last time you believed in a mission or a vision (that is not a work or personal cause) and did something concrete for it? If the controversial AWARE leadership change means this much to voting members, then we must speak, or hold our peace till the next AGM.

No need to tell me why I should vote. I can read. On one hand, I know I can't live with myself if I sit by and giggle over the news reports, make random comments and not do anything. I can't speak my mind on politics in any sort of sphere except the mainstream. That isn't a route I will take. However, it doesn't mean I have to shut up on other issues. I need to be very sure about why I want to vote.

I must dig deep and ask myself, if I attend the May 2 EOGM, what am I truly voting for?

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Earth Day

My favorite Google event picture ever.

The man will just wilt in the heat without air-conditioning. I'm okay with heat actually. I don't even bother with fans. Fans that blow directly at the face give me a headache. That said, I confess I enjoy the constant temperature air-conditioning provides.

Be it at home or in hotel rooms, the room temperature is a constant fight between the man and I. I like it warm-ish at 25 degrees (celcius). He likes it at a minimum of 20 degrees. At home, we have separate blankets. Not because I have a tendency to monopolize the quilt if we just have one. It's for a practical reason- we can't agree on the thickness of the blanket. 2 blankets solve all issues! His is a light summer comforter and mine is a heavy duvet.

I've been draconian and increased our room temperature to 25 degrees for the past 2 years. He has given up on this fight. He can't get past the energy-saving argument anyway. It lowers the electrical bills too.

To celebrate Earth Day, we will sleep without air-conditioning for 2 nights. 1 down, 1 more to go. :p

Need Music

The stamina has been slowly building up. It takes more laps to get that ache in the arms and body. Great hot weather encourages numerous swim sessions. Daily even. I would like to do more laps just because it's fun.

Often, I use swims to clear the mind and think about niggly issues. By the 20th lap, I would usually be able to smoothen out the kinks. Once I sort out whatever's in the mind, I'm usually bored. Then I get fidgety and can't quite focus. It means that I'm ready to get out of the pool even if I can continue.

I think music would help alot. There're a couple of ipod shuffles lying around at home meant for use during gym or pilates. I need to grab one and waterproof it. Otherwise, keeping the mind blank is quite a challenge after 20 laps.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Duck, Medium Rare

I love duck, preferably the breast part of it. I love duck in all manner, but it isn't often that I have duck medium rare.

Tonight at DOMVS, the table must be hungry. In addition to all the pasta and appetizers, we also ordered a number of mains to taste. Among them was duck. The kitchen only served it medium rare. Alright. We thought we'd try, despite the table tittering about avian flu lurking and whatnots.

The kitchen whipped up a very tasty sauce to go along with it. At medium rare, the meat was a little gamey, but still nice. I thought it a little stringy. It didn't quite go down very well with me. I could only stomach 2 slices.

I definitely like my duck thoroughly cooked.

This Version's More Palatable

I've decided that this is quite the indie bag to carry to Ice Cold Beer, outdoor gigs and artsy fartsy events.

I think it rather cute and nerdy. The best part, the man could use it as a man bag too. A couple of (straight) guy friends went online and bought it in different colors. They have sworn to carry it out together. ???!!!

There's a girl version of the bag. It's called Miss Marc and I find that very ugly. Even Emily Strange isn't so grating.

The Chop2Pot

We love kitchen toys of all sorts. Not the overly fancy sort. We like the kind with a minimalist look but does wonders in the kitchen.

Our friends know us well. On a recent trip, one darling couple got us a little souvenir from the city. They got us the cutest chopping board from Joseph Joseph.

It's called Chop2Pot. We love the practicality of it. Such a clever design. And so prettttty.

I'm so completely fascinated with it that I keep barging into the kitchen to volunteer to pour things into the pot. That isn't very much help for sure. I think I must have annoyed the maid very much. HEH.

Monday, April 20, 2009

An Evening Of Chamber Music

The girlfriend invited me out for dinner and a wonderful evening with T'ang Quartet and guest Albert Tiu on the piano.

I didn't exactly read up on the pieces to be performed, so I expected a mellow night. When I sat down and scanned the performance pieces, I was quite excited. The second half of the evening with Albert Tiu promised to be sizzling with the chosen pieces from Astor Piazzolla.

The second half completely wowed the audience. I was blown away. When I listen to music, I conjure up dance moves in my mind, be it classical, indie or pop. Tonight, I had entrechat six and grand pas de deux in rhythm to Hadyn's String Quartet in G Major (Op 77 No.1). I was a little lost when Maurice Ravel took stage with his String Quartet in F Major. I'm not completely sure why, but it conjured up images of the Mongolian steppes and Scottish hillside. The girlfriend and I quietly muttered about not being able to understand Impressionist composers. When Tango Ballet came on, I really enjoyed the sound of the piano that emphasized and layered with the strings. I imagined powerful movements of grand échappé sur les pointes and grand jeté en avant intertwined with classic tango.

It was such an enjoyable evening with great company and 2.5 hours (+ 3 encores) of lovely vibrant classical music delivered by musicians of the highest calibre. We had the most yummy dinner at you-know-where. Bread was ordered solely to sample the delectable butter again. Naturally, the night ended with a peaty note on 18.y.o Glenlivet and Macallan.

What's there not to like about this Monday?

Sunday, April 19, 2009

A Recipe Book

The man flipped through a couple of books the other day at Chalk. He was enthralled with Giorgio Locatelli's Made In Italy Food And Stories. He had to go out to get himself a copy.

(He's got a trip to London scheduled very soon. So I bet you he's going to Zafferano and Locanda Locatelli.)

As interested as he is about internet recipes, I think he probably also wants to experiment with recipe books. The man always cooks a dish twice. Once to the instructions of the recipe (unless it's crap) and the second to his improvisation.

We haven't done any major dinners for the friends since January. We've been really busy- work trips and a packed social calendar and with the repairs taking up a full month, we've been lazy. I think this book will inspire him. He likes the language used in the book and how the dishes are presented to the readers. Let's see what comes out of his cooking pot after he's done with the new book.

Sunday Afternoon

The kway teow tng (soup) and Penang char kway teow served at lunch were delicious.

I had 3 servings. The stomach ballooned and I promptly felt so guilty. Overload of carbs. But I was happy because the sun was out. It meant that I could swim! These past few days saw great sizzling weather.

At lunch, the windows faced the club's pool. I had fun watching the adults wear hats and retreating to the shade under the umbrellas. The children shrieked, ran on the slides and splashed about in the pool. Too many humans to do a decent lap. This pool faced the afternoon sun and I didn't fancy getting baked. The pool at home should be nicely heated from the morning and shielded from the afternoon's rays. So after rejecting dessert and tea, I went home.

Oddly, there wasn't a soul at the pool. Yay! That water was so warm and beautiful. Long lazy laps. I forgot how many laps I swam. I lost count at 18. I rested, then I continued. 28 maybe. The water temperature was so perfect that I didn't want to stop. When I finally heaved myself out of the pool, I could feel the muscles tremble. The body felt so stretched and relaxed till I decided to ditch the earlier planned massage.

The maid had boiled up a large cup of ginger tea for me. After a hot soak, the spicy tea went best with Charles Elton's Mr Toppit. I love reading in natural light. I sat by the window and turned the pages till the last.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Chalk @ Mount Sophia


Knowing how food and beverage at Old School sucked big time, we hoped the new tenants of Timbre and Chalk would fare better.

After the film, we were hungry. We hadn't been to
Chalk. It had been operating for 5 months. So we thought we'd try it.

We walked into Chalk without much expectations and left rather pleased. I liked the bistro's easy vibe and the spaciousness. I also liked the WMF cutlery. I thought it most appropriate to have my very cute bear peek out of the bag and join us for lunch.

Their mushroom consommé was very nicely done with a tinge of truffle oil and fully flavored with porcini.

I picked a starter as my main- the wild mushroom timbale with poached egg and asparagus. The dish was exactly what I wanted for lunch today. It was tasty yet light. Not oily and rather healthy.

The man was off for a mean jam session all afternoon. With all the weight of the guitars and jumping around, he needed serious carbs. At S$27, his vongole spaghetti wasn't considered cheap. But when we saw it, we knew it was going to be worth every dollar. We tasted a mouthful and went "HMMMMM." Somebody (probably Chef Marcus Lau) in the kitchen knew how to do a good spaghetti and gave a generous portion of quality vongole. Those clams were the winner. Often, the supermarket wouldn't have what the man wants for his cooking. We shop a fair bit on
GreenGrocer. So we know the true value of those clams in Singapore. The ones Chalk served us today weren't the puny S$6 supermarket clams. These were big, juicy and tasty.

At the end of the meal, the man declared he must return to try the coq au vin, which made my stomach lurch in disgust just a little. Nowadays, the mere mention of chicken brings forth a wave of nausea.

I like it that the menu offers enough vegetarian options and choices for seafood. It's another reason why the friends wouldn't mind hanging out here too. Among us, we have a myriad of dietary considerations that would royally piss off any chef.

For now, Chalk doesn't impose the 10% service charge. The 7% GST applies though. The girl who served us today patiently answered all our questions. She is friendly, knowledgeable and pleasant. We left her a S$10 tip.

Owner-chef Marcus Lau once said Chalk would "go back to the basics, serving simple food and using the freshest products." We think he's actually delivering this promise.

Chalk
11 Mount Sophia Road
#01-03 (opposite Timbre and Sinema)
Singapore 228461
T: +65 6883 2120 F: +65 6883 2141
No website yet. An interim address: http://www.chalk.com.sg/

To Sinema

So the Singapore International Film Festival hits us again. We mark the shows we want to watch and clear our schedules to catch them. Obviously Anvil is a hot favorite this year.

On a lovely sunny Saturday morning, the man dragged me out bed unceremoniously, dumped me in the car and drove to Sinema to catch the free screening of 18 Grams of Love.

I hadn't watched this film. I didn't like the sound of it. But the man wanted to watch it. So off I had to go. I only realized it was a Chinese film when the show rolled on. And about romance at that. I was so damn grouchy.

Well, the film was really much better than many big and small screen Singapore Chinese films. This one was quite humorous at some points, not too cheesy and not too mushy.

Still, I don't like this genre of shows. They make the eyeballs roll. I wished I had spent Saturday morning in bed, saved for the yummy lunch we had after. I also cheered up considerably at the clear sky. That heat made for a wonderful mid-afternoon swim session.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Friday With The Parents


We had a craving for DOMVS' basil spaghetti and its ox heart tomato essence.

Plus we wanted to take the man's parents out to dinner. We hadn't been spending time with them recently.

The parents used to dine at DOMVS frequently before its renovation. Then with all the new restaurants popping up all over, they had also forgotten this place. We thought we'd take them there.

Before we met the parents, we chilled out over whisky and magazines. Then we swung over to the hotel for dinner. It was lovely to sit down to a decent long dinner and hilarious conversation at the end of the work week.

We don't dine at DOMVS often. One reason is that the hotel has got one of the most irritating carparks on the island. It's tiny and narrow. We have to check with each other to make sure we're driving a small car just so we all can get in. And often, it's a hassle to get home to switch cars just for dinner.

At the end of the meal, the restaurant gave out complimentary parking tickets. They didn't mind that we asked for 2!

The Limit Of The Personal Sphere

As I eagerly catch up on the dramatic proceedings unfold at Aware, I'm rather shocked at the public statement issued by the employer of their new president. The statement is tantamount to a public rebuke.

Papa Smurf makes a very good point in his article. Many members of senior management across private and public sectors are multi-taskers. What's with this one, I wonder privately. What is exactly the conflict of interest? While I'm in no position to speculate about the going-ons behind the scene, I do think the way the new committee has been elected is not nice. It leaves quite an unpleasant taste behind.

I'm also reminded that my employer is also more or less 'involved' in dictating the direction of my personal life somewhat.

I'm sure my employer has no objections to volunteering in the areas of elderly care, rural improvements and micro-financing. They might not take well to my previous work with cats since there's an ongoing quiet epic argument with HDB. But I'm (and the friends too) very very careful to fly under the radar, i.e. no media mentions, no magazine articles, no public statements, nothing of that sort. Since the personal stuff is not linked to major organizations and more on a private group basis, my employer is not likely to know any details of my activities so long they aren't illegal. I most certainly don't bother to seek prior approval before I embark on these activities done on personal time.

I had a visitor who said hi to me at the office the other day. He was at the office for another matter, but he requested to see me. I was puzzled and it was only after we spoke, then I realized a personal friend from Lao had bade him to look me up. The friend and I were acquainted through an ongoing charity collaboration in Luang Prabang and I had stayed there for 4 months. The meeting governed by 2 degrees separation was a scary encounter. I didn't expect my personal life to suddenly mesh with the work sphere.

If I raise awareness for HIV/Aids in rural areas, it would be okay. But you see, if I actively advocate gay rights, not only would I alienate friends into opposing camps, I would also earn a stern admonishment from my employer. My employer is unlike the friends' employers who also accord company privileges to employees' partners, regardless of gender and marriage.

If I ever dabbled in political or human rights campaigns, dubious advocacy agenda, I will definitely be fired.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

What Will You Do With Company-Given S$500?

My organization gives employees a reimbursible S$500 for anything we so choose. It could be a phone, air-tickets, dental visits, whatever.

Today, they introduced another option for claims under this reimbursement scheme. We could also claim for donations made to registered charities.

I received that news with mixed feelings.

It's great that our HR thinks through its policies and gets inventive about avenues of charity work for employees beyond the usual fundraising activities of flea markets, funfairs and auctions. This new policy would certainly spur many to think about donations to charity and concretely make them.

A small part within me finds it very sad that humans have to be motivated this way before they'd think about donating (money and time) to charity. Over lunch the other day, I realize that even within my own office, many simply focus on their families and that's about it. Not that being family oriented is a bad thing. It's a positive thing. We need a good balance. Our life shouldn't revolve around work. I'm just a little, how should I put it, wistful, that many don't seem to want to focus beyond their own little sphere. Charity, community work and environmental awareness don't feature largely unless they have time. People go deathly quiet when it comes to these topics.

Often, conversations revolve around 'my husband, my daughter, my son, my children, my mother-in-law', playschool, tests, school teachers, grades, HDB flats, bank loans, gossip, etc. Or it would be shopping, vacations and more shopping. Rarely is it about a hobby even. Very trying sometimes. I'm guilty of it. Are all these safe topics to stick to among colleagues and acquaintances? I guess so. I wonder sometimes why I even bother making polite conversation. Yes, at the end of the day, family matters. In fact, it will be all that matters. If these are the sort of concerns of the average Singaporean, then I fear for the soul of the country. Nothing else does, not even the state of the environment that we leave for the next generation.

It's very demoralizing to learn that organization-led learning journeys to the office of our national newspaper and television studios garner overwhelming response from the colleagues compared to a home visit to the elderly or children. Well, visiting children get a slightly better attendance rate than the elderly for sure.

My heart went very cold when I heard a callous comment of "Why would I want to use the S$500 to donate to charity when I can claim for airtickets or a new phone?!"

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. The last time I claimed for this S$500, it was for 2 pairs of shoes- stilettos. Similarly for this year, I shall put in the claim for shoes or sunglasses.

Money goes around anyway. In one way or another, it's going to be spent. So technically, it really doesn't matter where this S$500 donation to charity comes from as long as it comes from some individual.

Right?

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Graphs Keep The Bills In Check

Every month, I just pay the cellphone bill and be done with it. But sometimes, I just have to click on the tag and stare at the graphical representation of the cellphone bill for the past 6 months. I can't shake off the niggly feeling that I'm paying way too much for the usage.

I grimace at December's bill. The money is definitely spent on acknowledging and rejecting invites rather than accepting them. I distinctly remember partying a fair bit in January. Yet that is the month with the lowest usage charges. Very strange.

I'm not exactly a slave to my phone. My texting volume is nowhere near fiendish. I don't bother talking for more than 10 minutes on the phone to anyone. I'm supposed to get 700 minutes of free calls dammit. I don't bother taking the phone out with me quite often. So I think I'm not exactly getting a correct ratio pegged to the bill.

"IDD calls and texts, my dear." The man wisely reminded me. Right. I always forget to use the telco's budget IDD access code of 019. I simply key in the '+' sign whether I'm at home or overseas.

So when I factor in the IDD calls, it all makes perfect sense. I asked the friends about their phone charges. Many reported phone bills that are triple of mine. Oh well. My monthly phone bill is kept rather low then.

The Lamb At Oso

I think the friends are determined to educate me in how herbs look like.

For our weekly dinner, again, they insisted on dining at Oso. Not that I have any major objections to good food, but I'm kinda wanting to try out Fifty-Three which I thought could be worth a visit.

Anyway, most are in the mood for red meat tonight. Some of us still stuck to pasta and fish. I opted for a whole sea bream with rock salt and poached broccolis that was moist and lovingly done.

There was the 8-hour oven baked rack of lamb that was most interesting. Yes, it came with a sprig of rosemary too. Some like that braised flavor. However, I prefer lamb roasted. While the lean meat on this lamb was soft and tender, the delicious portions were the fats. They literally shared the fats around and went into orgasmic spasms. We could have sworn that the cooking method brought out the best tasting fats ever. It was completely mind boggling how fats could taste so good.

That plate of lamb isn't about the meat. It is all about the fats. Oh goodness!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Sake, Secretly


Due to a confluence of factors these 2 weeks, we had many snacks and bottles of sake lugged home all the way from Japan piled up at the office.

Again, due to unforseen circumstances beyond our control, we had to have a secret gathering where the main aim of attendees was to sip the gift of sweet sake.

We rummaged through the food corner and eyed another gift of prepared scallops.

The individually packed scallops looked so so gross. But once we popped them into the mouth, the sweet but salty scallops went swimmingly with sweet sake.

Happiness.

I don't know sake. But I like cold sweet sake. I appreciate it better than wine. However, I can't tell which sake is sweet unless recommended by friends or the servers at the Japanese restaurants. So I like this bottle very much.

Bliss is when I went straight to Meidi-Ya to get another 2 big bottles at 1800ml each. (at a higher than domestic price, unfortunately.) 1 for the office and 1 for the home. :)

A Title Is Important

There are just too many junk mails, spam and viruses crawling through msn and emails. The work email is superb at filtering out junk mails. That's great. I don't like having personal emails sent to my work account. I'm quite insistent on friends (and the man) to send personal emails to my personal email accounts. So on that front, it can be quite a battle keeping the home laptop and pc worm and virus free since they will never be as secure as the work laptop. (Thank god for Macs.)

I'm quite anal when it comes to email subject headings. The friends need to be really creative when titling emails to me. Otherwise I usually don't bother reading them. Many times, I've missed out on emails of substance because the friends randomly forward stuff without writing anything in the body of the message or adjusting the heading. I've been scolded quite alot by the friends. Then they got wiser. They become ingenious with their subject headings. They personalize the titles so much till it's very obvious that it can't be anything else but a legitimate email or msn message.

Anything with a "FW:xxxxx", "Can you take a look at this pls?", "Interesting- pls read.", "Invite: Party @ XXXXX" ...... the sort, are automatically deleted even from known senders. On msn, I flatly ignore pop-ups of links without an additional proper sentence.

Heh. In doing the filtering, it also helps to ensure the quality of forwarded 'jokes'. It almost guarantees that anything the friends send would be of a certain sort of humor (think New Yorker) or black, preferably. I refuse to read idiotic-ahahha-blah jokes, or worse, chain emails. If anyone sends me a chain email or a silly, uninvestigated request for blood donation type of messages, I'll write back and hammer them on the head for not using their brains to think it through.

Since I make so many demands on the friends, of course I reciprocate by properly titling the stuff I send over, lest I get an earful for non-compliance!

Monday, April 13, 2009

For Good Pasta

Often, the schedule dictates that we have late dinners. But when we can afford the time, we eat early, like 6.30pm or 7pm early. I'd invariably choose to have pasta. I so love pasta. It gives me a little more time to digest the carbs before I sleep!

When we want good pasta, nothing beats trooping down to Bontá for good service and dependable quality cooking.

It's a good thing that the kitchen knows we share food at the table, be it just the two of us or with the friends. So at each visit, they help us to split portions. We appreciate this sort of consideration from the restaurant.

The homemade tagliatelle with porcini comes with foie gras. I always try to tell the kitchen not to put foie gras into my order. But the rest of the table always interrupt and say they'll have that piece of tortured fat. Eeeeps.

We like the basil infused angel hair with white wine sauce, crabmeat and salmon roe. Pretty light and rather refreshing.

Our comfort food.

A Novella

A very dear girlfriend had finally finished writing a story. (Thank gawwd it isn't a romance.)

At first I balked at reading it. Sci-fi?! I'm so not into that! But my curiosity won out. I made her send it to me and appointed myself as ProofReader Number 3. (She probably has more hiding out there.)

I printed out all 109 pages of it (2 pages on 1 A4 sheet) and it accompanied me for the weekend. It isn't quite sci-fi. I really enjoyed it. Although her usage of tenses boggles the mind. She had to admit that she didn't write it in one sitting and originally intended it to be a novelette.

I had to gingerly ask her if she minded me going through the tenses. I'm not great with tenses, but at least I can provide a pair of fresh eyes to comb through and ProofReader Number 4 can continue the job.

Frankly, the story doesn't attract me until Page 10. Then I realize it's going somewhere and there is going to be a twist. There are all the elements in there that makes a story a good one.

Now, we wonder if she should get it to a publisher and how difficult that would be. But she must. She is an amazing writer and very witty with her words. To get a story published is one of her dreams. She's more than halfway to achieving it. In the country of her residence, that is entirely more plausible than getting it done here in Singapore.

Well done girl. We're very proud of you.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Have A Blessed Easter!


"And he departed from our sight that we might return to our heart, and there find Him. For He departed, and behold, He is here." ~ St Augustine

I think I've kinda outgrown hunting for Easter eggs. In fact, I only like eggs in its scrambled form. I'm not taken with milk chocolate eggs either. I've no objections if it's made of dark chocolate.

But Easter to me has taken on a deeper meaning. Sitting right at the end of the financial year also meant that it's a time of reflection for me. I do these periodic time-outs anyway and Easter happens to coincide with one.

If the passing of the year hasn't done much to soothe your soul, may the joy of Easter light new hope and inspiration in your heart.

May this Easter lend us strength to be a better human.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

My Thoughts This Easter

There is something deeply healing about what I term as a 'retreat'.

I look forward to 9-hour sleeps, 2 sets of 2-hour pilates sessions, quiet conversation, long walks amidst nature and light meals.

I've had so many polite arguments with humans about yoga and its demonic connotations that I've given up. Of course I tried out yoga here. But I am very clear about reaping the scientific benefits. I don't care about the meditation. I focus on the breathing and try to rationalize yoga precepts to the secular functions of pilates.

There is something awe-inspiring about taking pilates out of the studio and into the mountains. Without the machines, there is still matwork. Stretching out in the middle of the land and the sky lends a balance to the slow beauty of each movement.

My stretches are longer and deeper. I feel as though I can push myself further. The sounds of nature, the silence and that sort of calm, is something I can't even begin to describe. It is the sort of calm that drives away white hair and dark eye circles. I am in touch with myself and God here.

Contrary to what some narrow-minded humans have commented, I believe being in a Buddhist land during Easter does not make me a sinner. (No more than I already am anyway.) This is why between friends, the moment religion is discussed, we are no longer friends. I do not like being told not to read or watch Harry Potter. I do not take kindly to suggestions that Javanese massages will induce demonic matter into my soul and body. I certainly do not appreciate humans telling me they wouldn't visit certain countries because the people are unGodly.

I definitely do not care for the tone of superiority. If you are so morally righteous, why do I not see you bend down to pick up a toilet brush to scrub the cubicles? You certainly don't even have the patience to sit down with old folks to help them with their mail? You carry God on your sleeve, but not in your heart.

It is laughable to see how they speak without thinking and I pity them for their bigoted ways. I believe in purgatory, not just hell and heaven. That will be my cross to bear. I don't see it as anyone else's business.

A Very Good Ad

This is one government agency's ad that I have no objection to viewing and trying to understand its message.

I am not touched by the ad. Too immune to advertising gimmicks. I am, however, in admiration of Yasmin Ahmad's vision and how she can reach out to people's hearts. I'm very impressed by the ad agency's casting of 'talents' and how they found real humans with real emotions to star in this short clip.

Most importantly, it's multi-racial. I like this touch very much. I'm not going to delve into the messages of Funeral. It doesn't quite appeal to me that way. I like to keep it clinical and look at it as an example of what constitutes a successful advertisement.

Following Family, Yasmin Ahmad has given us the beautifully imperfect Funeral.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Bye Bye Vinyls

We finally gave away the huge collection of vinyls that has been languishing at home.

With a graduated interest in another sort of sound system, we no longer have a vinyl player or any further interest in another. However, we are reluctant to simply junk the records just like that. These records are precious. Many of these are first edition releases and autographed records. We prefer to wait till someone who can appreciate them swing along.

We are thrilled that a friend bought a vinyl player and the turntable. He's looking to start up his vinyl collection. So he came by the flat to pick up all the records.

Do not ask why. But I really really like Barbara Streisand. I am sorry to see that record go. Luckily I have it another version of her concert on a blu-ray disc. Although I keep thinking that Coltrane sounds more magical on vinyl than on a cd even on the best of sound systems. Vinyls are all well mastered and sound alot more dynamic. The sound comes through warmer. Of course much depends on how the LP is pressed.

Naturally, we have Pink Floyd on vinyl too.

Disliking Oriole

I want to say that Oriole Cafe and Bar totally pissed me off when we had lunch there. Not a single 'sorry' came out from anyone.

My gripe is that food takes so so long to come to the table. At the end of the meal, the vibe the severs transmitted seemed like "Relax lah! What's the hurry? We're a laidback restaurant here!"

From the moment we sat down and had our orders taken, our drinks took 20 minutes to arrive. And that was only after I went to query at the bar. The 2 guys at the bar were just merrily chatting among themselves and to 2 customers. Only after I queried, then the machines whirred to life and we got our drinks 10 minutes later.

At the 30-minute marker, I went to remind the servers about our food. The tomato soup appeared. I went to harrass them about our mains. Two had the cheek to tell us that they served appetizers before the mains and once our appetizers were served, the kitchen was told to prepare our mains. They treated me like I didn't know better and was some boorish Singaporean.

When the mains came, it was a good 45 minutes from our order. I was hopping mad. But I was more hungry than mad, so I let it slide while I filled the stomach. The fish and chips were pretty good. Good batter, boiling oil, not too greasy, fresh and moist snapper. However, the tomato sauce that came along was crap. The pasta was dismal.

Don't think they're quicker with the bill. They made us wait 15 minutes for the bill too. I had to inform them that we were leaving with or without the bill before the guy grudgingly punched it out.

The entire experience left a sour note in our mouths. Oriole wasn't at all apologetic that we had to wait 45 minutes to eat. The cafe was fairly empty by the time we sat down. We certainly weren't prepared for a 45-min wait. As the friends rightly pointed out, at S$15 or S$18 for a main, the prices at Oriole are in ratio to the standard of service. It was our fault to have expected anything more. In fact, we should have known that this place would be an utter disappointment even at the start.

Oriole is so different from its previous incarnation as Whitebait and Kale at Camden. That has always been a pleasure each time I visit. This one, sucks. It is impossible to tolerate snide service. Oriole should stop acting like a restaurant and start behaving like the cafe bar it's supposed to be- to provide decent and fast food.

Thursday, April 09, 2009

For A Quiet Weekend

Peeps, Manado in May is out for me. Sekali I'll go there and cry. Or worse, throw a tantrum.

Instead, a destination that's been off my radar for the last 2 years popped into my mind. It probably took seed during the last jaunt to Indonesia.

Remember how we used to party in the chic city, how much more fun it is than Jakarta? Well, I'm not exactly going to be getting drunk there. It's a retreat- a trip to absorb the natural beauty and wonders of the land.

I'm going to the mountains to mope for now, far away from the sea where it won't tug at the heartstrings.

That's it. Amanjiwo.

Staying On Land This Year

I pushed a little harder to do 30 laps in the pool instead of the usual 20 or 25. There were many reasons to just swim and clear the mind. Swimming is about the only thing I can do in the water now.

Well, I guess I'm a little upset. I've completed my medical and gotten pretty okay results. Of course there is a minor 'but'.

The doctor refused to clear me for any sort of diving this year. No deep diving, no 20-metre dives and not even mini freedives of 10 metres. "Haven't you done enough?" He asked. "Stick to snorkelling and frolicking in the water." Puiiiiiii.

What good would I be to the friends, their research and marine conservation without being able to dive and make tangible contributions? I need to mull over this.

In other news, the Tooth Fairy can continue to do her work. She'll be kept busy trying to grow my wisdom tooth out of the gum. The dentist said I didn't need to remove it. Hurrah! Plenty of space for it to grow. Meanwhile, it's going to be a long process of teething. I will have toothaches once in a bit when the Tooth Fairy visits.

Whatever. I wonder if I can ever dive again.

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Passover


"And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever." ~ Exodus 12:17

I always wonder why matzo looks so burnt.

Honestly, I don't like it on its own. It doesn't taste very good. Not very many unleavened products taste good. Obviously, I can't slap butter on it to go along. But I can use margarine.

I realized that when you fry matza dough and fish, they go pretty well together. Food on Seder night is very healthy, more symbolic than gourmet.

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

I Love Risotto

Between a Kaiser Chiefs' gig and a delightful night out at Oso, there was no fight.

Oso is a dependable chic dining venue that never fails to disappoint. It always provides comfort and cheer to tired souls after a long work day and a great meeting point for the friends. I don't like dining here when it's just the man and I. The tables for 2 are just too close for comfort. But when it's a group of us, we can hog a corner. Heh.

The servers have more or less given up on convincing us to do Prosecco or wine. We've done Prosecco on the rare occasions. But we always make them stock the Singleton 18.y.o (of Glen Ord) just for us. At fine dining restaurants, whisky is underrated. The flavors of whisky are so complex that it takes good knowledge to match it with the food. And I'm very confident that a Bowmore 15 y.o. would go beautifully with Italian cuisine. We must ask the bar to do that soon. The food is consistently good. It's quite amazing how many items out of the entire menu are perennial winners. By the end of the meal, I'm not sure if the food complements the whisky or the single malts complement the food.

The risotto at Oso is the one that the man seeks inspiration from. I went to Oso tonight for one reason only- to satisfy a risotto craving. It was no other than the risotto with tartufo (black truffle) puree and mascarpone. The pungent hints of the black truffle and cheese brought out the sherry undertones of the Singleton 18.y.o really well.

The entire table chuckled when we were reminded that they served the risotto with a sprig of rosemary. "There, imp, never forget how rosemary looks like okay?" Right. I took many photos to remind me how a real sprig of the herb looked like. Tonight's portion of rice was HUGE. Again, I forgot to tell them to give me a smaller serving of the rice. I had to share it around the table.

We like Oso because the menu has so many items that an amateur cook (i.e. the man) can't replicate. It will not taste as superb. But I have to state for the record, we agree that the man's mushroom soup is superior to Oso, and those in many other restaurants'.

I'm so so satisfied by the risotto. Good food, great whisky, fantastic conversation never fail to put me in the best of moods. The entire evening made me feel as though it's the weekend already.

Waiting


Sometimes, I like arriving early for appointments.

There is a certain sort of quietude in the in-between time of being alone and when the crowd arrives.

I use that transition period to wrap up the previous thoughts and contemplate the upcoming emotions.

A girlfriend recently blogged a short note on 'waiting' and the game that can be so profound. Ralph Waldo Emerson asked, "How much of human life is lost in waiting"? I beg to differ. Perhaps one could also look at it another way- How much of human life is lost in sleeping?

This evening, I watched the ice clink and swirl in the glass of Talisker 18.y.o. It numbed the remnant pain in the molar. I wished the Tooth Fairy would work harder and have that wisdom tooth burst out of the gums than bully the molar.

In that 20 minutes before the friends joined the table, I re-discovered the joy of forgotten flavors in a still-loved single malt, decided on the plans for the weekend and made some decisions about the month. All good.

An Afternoon At The Office

Some guy came down to the office for a presentation on laser tag.

I've never played laser tag. So once he was done with the talking, I grabbed the laser gun and checked it out. Laser tag is best played outdoors in a nature reserve or a park, or a dilapidated building. But in case it rains, we'd have to do that in the office. So I've gotta see how much noise the guns make and its true range!

Well. Whatever. More like my colleagues were benignly indulging me. They were all poised and cool. They simply held their laser guns. I dropped the corporate image and ran around shooting randomly at them. It was so easy to hit another target! Must be all the training from shooting zombies on the Wii. But it's also rather easy to get killed if I don't duck.

HAHA. That was fun. But not as fun as paintball. Direct and tangible hits are just so satisfying.

Monday, April 06, 2009

What Herb Are You?

Over at b.muse's, this thingy piqued my interest. 5 questions and it decided that I'm a Rosemary. *grumble*

I had to go google to find out how a rosemary plant looks like. Then the man brightly told me that we have a pot of rosemary out on the balcony. Not very smart I am.




You Are Rosemary



You are stable and grounded. You may take a slow, steady approach to live, but you're a survivor.

You are an intellectual and very rational. You can see things from a logical, detached viewpoint.



You are successful but not particularly ambitious. You have a way of letting success come to you.

You tend to be a bit understated and modest. You let your accomplishments speak for themselves.

Too Much Sweets Probably

I tell you, my molar is trying to be funny.

It's been fine and dandy. Suddenly, at 3pm, it suddenly started to hurt. Stupid molar. By now, the intensity of the pain's so bad that I can't chew and I kinda gave up on dinner. Cold water soothes it though.

The last x-ray revealed 3 wisdom tooth. 1's fine and grown out. The other 2 on the lower jaw are badly impacted. One doesn't quite hurt. This other one is probably pushing against the molar to find a way out. The wisdom tooth right behind it is struggling to grow, I think. The gums that contain the wisdom tooth usually hurt. But this time, a molar hurts. It indicates pressure on the nerves and maybe something worse.

I think this wisdom tooth would need to be extracted. SIGH. If it has to be removed, I might as well do it in the next 3 weeks. I don't have time next month to deal with annoying and recalcitrant teeth.

Shakespeare said, "For there was never yet philosopher that could endure the toothache patiently." If the pain pierces my sleep tonight, I need to get my ass pronto to the dentist at the first available opportunity tomorrow.

I'm hungry though. Very hungrieeeeeeee and can't chew. :(

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Creating An Easter Delight


After brunch, it was time for Easter Egg painting for the kids! (For some of us!) We went over to kaypoh also.

The brushes (I know where they bought it from! Art Friend!) and eggs were all laid out for everyone at the table. It was a good way to do painting if one didn't want to mess up her home or lawn. The Easter Egg Academy is such a colorful idea to create some really charming (edible) easter eggs. Those plates of edible colors looked really yummy. I so wanted to get my hands on a big egg and dribble paint all over it.

It seems very fun even for adults. Heh. Chef Frédéric Colin hid a secret smile as he watched us drool over the big eggs. I'm sure he was rather amused that the adults seemed more enthusiastic over the painting session than the little ones!

Dessert


The desserts at Les Saveurs are surprisingly just as good.

It's amazing that we still have space to squeeze in some sweets. They've a really large selection of pastries. We just have to try some.

We took one of each to share. I think it's very obvious that I love chocolate. Every dessert pick is chocolate. Wooohooo!

I normally dislike macarons. Those I've tasted in the commercial shops are really plasticky. The macarons I really love are from Madame Blanchet’s in St Emilion.

The friends declared that these were good, took one rose macaron for each. Then they practically forced me to try a rose macaron. I had to put one in my mouth. My eyes widened. I've got to say that it's beautiful. There are raspberry bits in between to offset the sugar. Maybe it's Chef Frédéric Colin's preference- apparently, the kitchen obtains its rosewater from Syria. That would explain the subtlety in flavor.

I was completely stuffed after mouthfuls of dessert. The only thing I could still stomach was champagne and sparkling water.

Sunday Brunch At Les Saveurs


The menu for Sunday Brunch at Les Saveurs has changed. (For the better, I think.)

The friends gathered everyone for a meal. We were here for the food today, rather than alcohol. So we had a hard time deciding whether to have Moët et Chandon or the usual Krug. No prizes for guessing which won.

I love it that it has a different take on buffets. Unlike other hotel buffets, it doesn't have that crass buffet line which I dislike. I don't go to buffets because they usually don't have anything I want to eat and I always end up not eating. (Think The Line, Straits Kitchen, Carousel, Aquamarine, Melt and even One Ninety.)

I love the Sunday Brunch because the hotel spends effort in creating companion dishes. The main buffet line is just 2 corners. A dessert bar and another for bread and starters. The mains are ordered off the menu. The companion dishes are brought around in tasting portions. Almost like 7atenine, amplified. (By the way, is anyone going for the official opening party of 7atenine on Tuesday?)

Typical of any restaurant's menu, there were hits and misses. The cod with mash was too strong tasting. Overly creamy and milky, mash wasn't the best complement to cod. Likewise, the scallop soufflé failed with its eggy and cheesy smells. The asparagus with mussels were plain strange.

There was a beef noodle and siew yok that tasted really good. But half the friends would be in Hong Kong over Easter. So they had to restrict themselves to western food. Hurhur. There was a savory creme brulée filled with foie gras and sautéed onions. I don't take foie gras. So I skipped that. But from all accounts, it was a total hit. I liked the smooth pumpkin soup. That was perfectly blended and the natural goodness of the pumpkin shone through. My vote went to the asparagus with risotto. Crunchy and flavorful, the carnaroli used brought out the best in this simple item.

We love this concept of Sunday Brunch. Those small servings are deceptive. By 3pm, we are totally stuffed. By early evening, the rain had finally stopped. At least I could go for a quick swim to work off all these calories!

Giving Something Up

The other day I had lunch with the girlfriends. When it came to dessert, one steadfastly refused her favorite ice-cream and chocolate. That wasn't the first time she resisted that. She announced, "I'm giving up those stuff till Easter."

I covered up a little smile. This woman loves ice-cream and chocolate. To give them up for this period takes enormous willpower.

Well, I've given up buying 2 bags that I really really like. One from Loewe and one from Chanel. By that, I don't mean rushing right out to buy them after Easter. I mean to give up buying them completely, ever. It's a big deal to me because these bags are the types I'd carry all the time. It isn't often that these 2 brands carry these sort of bags. They're seasonal and hop along once in a while. They're subtle and in the most lovely of soft leather and color. They're the exact kind of bags I'd regret not having.

I've given up on caffeine. Well. Perhaps not totally as I still sneak a cup once a month or so. And decaf on other days.

I've quietly cut down on meat as well. I only eat it for 3 meals a week. That is a little difficult to adhere to. I've had a recent insane craving for roast duck and lamb. So I usually save meat bites when eating out with the carnivorous friends so as not to inconvenience them. :)

I know! You guys will tell me to give up alcohol for 40 days! I concede that that would be something of a challenge. Maybe I'll do that for next year. :p

What have you given up this Lent?

Saturday, April 04, 2009

Too Oily

We went for the album launch of Ugly In The Morning. There was a troughful of beer that diminished rather quickly. Since I'm no good with beer, I went out to the vending machines to grab a can of green tea. It was a quick affair and we didn't bother with the post party at Red Dot Brewery.

We wanted some chow and an early night. For some unknown reason, we stopped by this zi char place on the way home. I remembered we had pretty okay food here one night after a number of drinks.

However, tonight, unspoilt by alcohol, the tastebuds were fresh and alert. When the food came, I eyed it with suspicion. It looked like what we had the last time. However, the shine caught my attention. I took a couple of spoonfuls. Ugh. It was full of foul-tasting oil. Everything was over-fried and oily. The rice was hard and tasteless. The stomach churned and I gave up.


Remind me why I'm not fond of foods from zi char or hawker stalls, save for a select few. The other day, the colleagues raved about this roast duck and pork stall that was supposedly good. It also served cheap S$2 Chinese soups. I stupidly listened to them and ordered it. That roast duck was over-salted and that roast pork was so so. The soup had huge oil globules floating in it. A spoonful of the soup yielded that plastic oil taste and nothing of the ingredients. YUCK.

Very random, but there was this social event and the table was talking about Japanese food. I was asked directly which restaurants I like. Obviously I stated my current favorites of Tatsuya, Nogawa and Kome. After hearing that, this couple could still insist that I should try Ten-Jyaku and get this, Waruku. I nearly died trying to hold back a smirk.

Anyway, after the non-dinner, I decided to go home and eat the aglio olio in the fridge that the man had earlier cooked. I'm terribly terribly spoilt when it comes to food.

Saturdays Are Fun

It's very nice to be taken out to lunch at Tatsuya for no particular reason except that maameemoomoo wanted to catch up with me. She also wanted to grab sushi to tank up on carbs so that she could get out to do midnight blading at the park! You go girl!

Then we did a quick stroll around Far East Plaza to check out the latest trends. I was hoping to find a dress. You know how shopping at Far East goes- sometimes you get gems. But many times, it's just crappy quality. Nothing caught my attention today.

But I was also in a hurry to get home. maameemoomoo had given a box of secret delights which was sitting in the house already. I wanted to go see what contents were and eat them!

I like yummy chocolate cupcakes. Not too sweet. Springy to taste. Very good. At first there were 6. Now there are only 2 left.

Singing Sappy Songs

With all his indie cred, obviously the man doesn't know a single sappy song on the guitars.

Well, if given a proper tab, he'd be able to play it for you. But he hasn't been able to play by heart all the easy campfire songs because he doesn't like them! Hummmpf.

Now, there're a couple of sappy songs I commit to memory and try to practise it once in a bit. For those occasions when I do need to sing, then at least I have a repertoire to pick from.

I'm quite a pain in his ass. I'm too lazy to go play it on the piano. I'm not talented that way. I can't sing and play at the same time. It takes enormous effort. The easy way out is to make the man play the guitar for the songs I want to sing. Like tonight.

The man's playing with his PRS SE Custom. It sounded pretty much like an acoustic because its semi-hollow. When he's done with the jazz licks, I made him play Billy Joel's "Just The Way You Are".

The man tsk-ed at the online tabs. Although the tabs are in the original D, they don't sound right. D is too low for me anyway. He had to transpose it to F and put a capo on it. Yay! At least I get to sing the song in a proper key! Now, I must remember that this is the key most comfortable for me. :)

Then the man got bored and told me my singing sucks. Then he went back to play very complicated non pentatonic progression chords. Boo.

Friday, April 03, 2009

Do You Like Foot Reflexology?

I normally have very cold hands and feet. In air-conditioning, it can be icy at times. For the first time at a foot reflexology session, the therapist managed to make the soles of my feet perspire. I thought it most interesting.

It was quite painful at each jab. But the feet felt so good after.

Anyway, the fun part is, 3 hours after the session, the bothersome kink in my middle back dissipated. I've remained pain free till now.

All the earlier swimming, stretches, twists and biofreeze only temporarily stayed the burning ache. It returned after an hour. But a foot reflexology managed to kill it completely.

That is something.

Fish Is Always Nice


Very naturally, at the end of the week, we needed the usual fill of sashimi and sushi.

Off to Kome we went.

So many of the friends are now vacationing in Japan to view sakura and hanami and enjoy the onsen. I'm jealous! I want a vacation too! But I haven't had the urge to go to Japan for a long time. The last trip was in 2006.

When I first discovered Japanese food, the friends and I used fly up to Tokyo and Hokkaido once a month to do long weekends. I didn't go there to shop. In fact, I never came back with any sort of loot except for supplies from DFS. The friends and I were there specifically to check out the restaurants. And went diving in the cold waters of Izu Peninsula and the freezing Sea of Okhotsk. I'm a little wary of Japan now. Each trip left me completely broke. I had to beg my dad to help me pay off the credit card bills. Heh.

The man laughed and said we should both do a weekend trip to Tokyo. We haven't been to Japan together. I think it wouldn't be surprising if we bust both our credit cards on food. Thank goodness that there are decent Japanese restaurants in Singapore to stave off that desire to hop out of town for now.

Tonight, the kitchen grilled a lovely fish for us. When we were done with it, only the bones and fins were left. *burp!*


Kome Japanese Dining No. 10, Bukit Chermin Road
The Keppel Club, Singapore 109918
T: +65 6273 0118 F: +65 6273 0868
Email: komedining [at] yahoo [dot] com