Homebound

For those who travel alot for work, tell me it's a pleasing sight to see your Singapore Airlines plane cruise into the terminal (at Ho Chi Minh City, in this instance) 15 minutes before its scheduled arrival. It meant that it had plenty of time to turn the plane around for its return flight to Singapore with us on board.

As I did a little jig of happiness upon seeing the plane, I realized that this is my last work trip for the calendar year. Hurrah! I don't mind travelling for work at all. It keeps my edges sharp. I find it refreshing, although the dual shifts of meetings, dinners (drinking) and emails can be a little draining.

On work trips, I'm quite happy wandering around alone. When there is stable internet connection for company, I don't exactly miss home or the man. Hahah. The man and I are quite fine with each other's travelling. He's happy that I'm not around to bug him about the volume of his tv and guitars. It's pretty cool to have good long stretch of solitude. Although often, I miss the conveniences of home (clean hot powerful rainshowerhead, clean air-conditioners, plenty of clothing choices, etc). And depending on my location, I might miss the food at home of course.

After landing at Changi Airport on a Singapore Airlines flight, the almost mechanical sounding "For Singapore residents, a warm welcome home" never fails to put a smile on my face. Some stewardesses who are more eloquent and put effort into saying the same words do manage to elucidate a warm feeling of happiness. I'm not shy to say it- I like Singapore Airlines. VERY MUCH. Wherever and whenever possible, I will fly on Singapore Airlines for both work and personal trips.

Ahhhh....back to all the usual comforts and humdrum. Not too shabby at all.

Pork In Everything

If you can eat pork and you like pork, you're so going to love Vung Tau and Vietnam in general.

I see pork in every single dish. There must be a reason why chicken is not a popular meat in Vietnam. Could it be because it's less flavorful than pork? I don't know. I assume those well versed in Chinese cooking ingredients and tastes would know better.

Faced with a staggering array of pork in the breakfast buffet at the hotel, I tried to look at the more filling hot soups or porridge. But there was minced pork in there too! I had to eat 2 pieces the other day because I needed to pad my tummy with meat. I do eat pork, but I'm fussy about the taste and smells. If I don't have to, I'd prefer not to.

In the meal options which are plentiful, there was, unfortunately pork everywhere. There were Bún Moc (rice noodle soup with pork balls) and Nouille Thit Heo (macaroni soup with pork). FAIL. While I wanted soup, I didn't want its meat. At home, I don't take much pork at all, save for the occasional wonton noodles doused with a ton of chillies. So you can guess how turned off I was in Vung Tau.

Vietnamese food in Vung Tau is no fun for vegetarians, but its seafood is perfect for pescetarians.

Writing My Notes

The work (and the drinking) is done.

Let's hope that we've pulled in enough revenue for the next year so that we won't be in the red. Come end of financial year in April, we've got to justify my (and the team's) bonuses and existence. BIG SIGH.

As usual, there're plenty of matters to note for records or for action. I can't keep track of them in my head. The brain's already full of dates for my social calendar! Neither do I want to lug a laptop around during the meetings. Of course a notebook (the hardcopy type) is essential.

See, it's this notebook again. kikare swears that I use it as a prop. I declare that it's not an empty shell! The notebook comes in real handy okay! I use it specifically during work trips. It's well bound, lightweight and made of great quality paper. The size also makes it the perfect notebook to stuff in the handbag.

This notebook is a year old and its pages are almost filled. How nice. It's like a messy little journal of all my work trips and meetings for the year.

And as much as I love paper, no, this isn't a hint to get me notebooks for Christmas. :p

Vietnamese Bread Rolls

The one thing I fell in love with all over again on this trip was the humble baguette and breads.

I like baguettes generally because they're crispy on the outside and so soft on the inside without any preservatives. It's the perfect sandwich bread.

The Vietnamese could really make fantastic baguettes in any manner, be it in the traditional bánh mì or western style sandwiches. There's something in the way they knead the dough and how they bake it that make the baguettes in almost any stall taste good.

I was most intrigued by this dish of roasted chicken (Vietnamese style) that came with a thick brown gravy. Of course I avoided eating the chicken lah. EEEPS. "Organic chicken! Kampong chicken! You can eat this!" the colleagues teased me, knowing my preference for free range chicken if I had to eat any. But the chicken was kinda strange. The meat was tinged with yellow and had a different stink from the ones I'm familiar with.

Anyway, it was the brown gravy and how we were supposed to eat it that was unusual. I couldn't quite make out what went into it. Very probably oyster sauce and pure chicken oil and stock. The counterparts spooned out a bowl of gravy for me. There was so much oil in it that if the bowl stood, a layer of oil rose to the top. A huge tray of sliced baguette came along with the chicken. We were supposed to dip the bread into the brown gravy and eat it. Super oily, but man, it was so good!

Instead of eating that US$6 bowl of lousy beef pho at the airport before our flight, I should have followed the colleagues and quaffed a yummy sandwich instead. The cackling sound made by tearing the bread apart was oooh-so-delicious!

Doing The Meow Meow Round

The moment I stepped into the meow meow shop (Hikosen Cara), the heart melted.

The colors are so vibrant and cheerful. These meows meows are so cute. How could I not bring one home?!!! Unlike the last round, I didn't have to buy anything for the office or friends. So if I want to get stuff, there's plenty of luggage space to store big cushions and pouches.

The shop has stocked the Christmas cushions! I could buy Christmas pressies here. But this year, I'm not really inclined to do any gift exchange sort of things. Suddenly I don't feel as though I could garner enough energy to fight the crowds in town. Neither do I have any inspiration for a theme for gifts this year. I think I'd rather do meals with the friends or send them shopping vouchers. For the closer ones, charity gift certificates are our choice of a present.

Some of the pouches are great to be squeezed into envelopes and sent out to the friends. I also got the maid a pouch. It'd be useful for her to keep her cellphone, money and little things when she goes out. I don't always buy gifts for her when I travel- many are not quite useful or meaningful to her. When I saw the range of pouches, I knew exactly which ones she'd like. I got quite a few of them for the maid and for the girlfriends who won't yell at the sight of cats. :p Just can't quite decide which color is nice for which girlfriend!

Walking By The Hair Salon

I walked by the shops and was really taken with the old school and super basic hair salons for men and women. I don't see these at all in Singapore. We get the upmarket, too clean and too savvy ones at home till they're just utilitarian and not charming at all.

The barber shop included shaving services too. Me is the dumbdumb tourist- I stared and stared for the whole 15 minutes while a customer sat in the chair and had white foam splashed all over his jaw to the sound of the shaving knife. I was completely fascinated. I shuddered a little at how easy it is to have one's throat cut by the barber.

I really wouldn't mind getting my hair washed at this hair salon. I don't quite like getting the hair pulled and blown. But getting the head and scalp rubbed would be such a luxury!

Unfortunately, there were other activities on the agenda which didn't include a stop at the hair salon. Boo.

The (Beer) Party

Here we go again. The food isn't the focus at work dinners in Vietnam. The alcohol is. I'm just not sure that it can be termed as 'social drinking'. It's more of a 'drink-till-you-fall-flat-on-your-face' kinda networking session.

I fucking hate beer. Although I do like it marginally better than wine. I can't do wine. So I rather down beer than gulp wine by the glass or 50%. Wine would kill me. Beer, on the other hand, couldn't be gotten rid of by sticking a finger down my throat. I'm damn glad that they drink beer with big pieces of ice cubes in Vung Tau.

I ate plenty at dinner so that it would be easier to puke. At some point, I decided I didn't want to drink anymore. So I declined all 'challenges' and 'toasts'. I immediately hopped into the toilet to heave out all that liquid and food. Bliss, I tell you. No beer buzz.

Vietnam is part of my work portfolio. The drinking is only going to increase in frequency. Thank gawwd that I don't exactly need to die-die drink my liver dead to pull in revenue to make the figures. But between now and the next trip, I should really brush up on alcohol tolerance to wine. I can't very well run away from wine forever. There're others in the team who can take wine and beer better than I can, so they've been doing that part of it. I would prefer to have vodka and whisky, which our hosts won't exactly bring out for little minions like us. On second thoughts, dammit, I don't really want to have to finish a bottle of vodka or whisky. *gags*

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying this cup of masala tea. It's chasing away a potential headache and an upset stomach.

Preparing To Drink

We were taken out to a lunch buffet at a local Vietnamese restaurant that very quickly filled up with locals or visitors from Ho Chi Minh City.

I don't know the restaurant's name or address. But it's obviously very popular. It's one of those tucked away at a location I've no idea how to return to and will have to ask and depend on local knowledge.

I was VERY HAPPY with lunch. I didn't intend to have pho. If there was going to be heavy drinking in the evening, I'd like to fulfil my routine preparation to minimize the ugly effects of alcohol.

The prep for heavy alcohol ingestion is rather ritualistic and personal, differing from individual to individual. I believe in having a big greasy cheeseburger or mash to line the stomach. However, I don't have that luxury here in Vung Tau. So I settle for the next best- carbs and fatty meat- exactly what the dishes at lunch offerred.

There was the bittergourd soup that was quite tasty, but so so oily because they cooked it with pork bones and fat. There was so much pork in the selection of food. I gingerly tried a piece fatty pork belly. UGH. Not that nice unless you relish the fats. I chewed on the chilli padi to rid the stinky porky taste in the mouth. I ate plenty of egg and rice doused in fish sauce. Those were tasty.

Very much dreading the evening session which promises lots of beer.

Thanksgiving

At this moment, I've alot to be grateful for.

1) I'm thankful to have my favorite Indian food for dinner tonight that is authentic and yummy, but not cheap by local prices. Alibaba Indian Restaurant's food is nowhere near alibaba standards.

2) I'm thankful for a great bunch of mates as travelling companions. We just giggled ourselves silly from watching the second half of 'Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo'. When things change, I'll miss the camaraderie very much.

3) I'm thankful for excellent internet connection and to all open windows feeding me messages from home via skype, msn, twitter, forums, news sites and blogs. (But screw you, VPN and my too rigid office server, for spoiling my absolute intention to be productive in clearing work emails.)

4) I'm thankful to have a partner who's incredibly supportive of my wild ideals, strange beliefs and warped values. He sends text messages that read, "The bears all say good night to you!"

5) In remembering terrorist acts on this day and wishing stability to Pakistan and South Asia, I'm thankful for the relative precarious peace we have in this region. We must never take it for granted while living in our little sheltered bubble of complacency.

I'm deeply thankful for my home, family and friends, for health and for grace. May we live this and every day conscious of all that has been given to us.

It Would Tug At Your Heart

It's interesting that there're more orphanages in Vung Tau than old folks' homes. As it is in many countries, there is a trend of parents abandoning their disabled or ill newborns at the orphanages simply because they can't afford to upkeep children who aren't 'normal' and won't be able to contribute to the family income.

It's the reverse for Singapore. We lack babies on a national scale. There're less orphanages in Singapore than centres for old folks. In Vung Tau, married couples rarely live on their own. They live with either set of parents still, or with their siblings, i.e. extended family; unlike Singapore where the social trend leans towards a nuclear family. It's either a necessary evil of urbanization and turning cosmopolitan or an erosion of our so-called Asian values. It depends entirely on one's perception.

We visited a state-run orphanage with 2 cartons of soft toys and baby clothes. I'm not hot about donating these stuff, but the office thought it was a good idea. I mean, yes, the orphanage would appreciate our gesture. But does it really help? Giving certainly makes us feel good. But are we giving in the right way to meet the real needs of a particular charity? You know me- I staunchly believe in either giving time or cash, or better still- arrange for delivery of milk powder, diapers, vitamins, disinfectant, milk teats/bottles and other necessities, the usual way I've done with my old folks or things I've been sneaking around doing in other ASEAN countries.

This branch takes in newborns to children under 10 years old. About a hundred of them live in the 3-storey compound. Most are born with physical disabilities and illnesses. They're so aware of strangers intruding upon them. They followed our every move and responded to our grins and waves. We didn't dare to step into the rooms to disturb the peace, but stood to watch from beyond the windows.

Digressing, if fate ever intervenes and I miraculously change my perception about raising a child in Singapore, I'd opt for adoption, not pregnancy and having children of my own. If and when that happens, I believe I'd possess the altruistic ability to adopt a child who's disabled or disadvantaged. Those are the ones who truly need my care and love. I'm not the sort who should have my own children because I'll be very very hard on them to be nothing but the best. They need to be better than I (or the man) am. I'll not be able to give them unconditional love till they show me that they have earned it through depth and breadth of character or abilities. Ah well, that's another discussion for another day. :)

Moving on, if I get involved in the work of Vung Tau's orphanages, it's a conflict of interest with my job. Plus children issues are really not my area of specialty. Not quite enough- it's never enough. There can only be a sustained effort. The friends are well versed in them. So I'm very clear that it's more important that I pass on the information to the right people.

Too bad I don't have time to visit the old folks' centre here. I would really like to see how it is- the level of facilities, care and quality of living versus what we have at home.

Busting The Daily Cholesterol Limit

Like many coastal cities, Vung Tau is known for its seafood. It's fresh and plentiful. One can't help but eat lots of it.

Today, our Vietnamese counterparts took us out to lunch. We were really scared. That could only mean an alcohol-fuelled meal which wouldn't be a good idea. Alcohol and sunlight don't seem to go well together.

Our hosts were very hospitable. Besides drinking ALOT of beer (3 crates), there were a number of dishes placed on the table to go with the beer. Think grilled squid with garlic, dried fish with assam sauce and chilli, vingear-soaked sliced pig's stomach with kiam chye.

We also had lots of prawns and a crab each. Woah. At the rate we're going, we've completely busted our cholesterol intake for the month.

I couldn't very well say no to a prawn that someone helpfully peeled for me. It wouldn't be seeming to reject it. So I had two. I stared at my crab with a little tinge of dismay. Ummm....I don't know how to dissect a whole crab. I don't quite eat crabs. So the skilful colleagues came to my rescue and cracked it open. I was rather ginger with it. Using the nutcracker, I managed to open a little claw and palmed off the rest of the roe and all to the Singaporeans. Our counterparts probably had a good time laughing at this city girl who doesn't even know how to appreciate a delicacy.

Between the photo-taking and the shouts of '100%' to down the mugs of beer (with ice), I surreptitiously popped an antihistamine pill! I couldn't afford to let the eyes or fingers swell. It's not a good idea to be sent to the hospital.

Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner

I really felt like having lobster. I was hungry too. But when I saw the lobster scurry to the other side and hugged the corner in a clear effort to evade the net, I lost my appetite.

The thing about seafood is, one really shouldn't see it alive in its blue, grey vibrance in the water and then see it in a bright artificial orange or whatever on the plate. I can't get past the fact that it's dead because I want to eat it. Well, that's the fact. But it's a little more than a tug at my heartstrings when I'm staring right at it. It's disconcerting.

Anyway, after eating almost at every touristy and sorta local joint in Vung Tau for weeks, the colleagues have decided that while there are fancier seafood joints, the food at Ganh Hao is the best.

The table lapped up the flower (or blue swimmer?) crabs cooked bbq-style. Those were really fresh and priced very reasonably. The best dish of the restaurant I'd say. Anyway, because I don't know how to appreciate crabs, my plate was piled high with vegetables and the seabass.

Then, there were the HUGE prawns. So huge that they seemed like baby lobsters. One could dig out the fleshy bits from the legs too. Those prawns would give me rashes. But I like prawns. So I gave in to the cravings and had half of a prawn.

Al fresco dining by the beach is wonderful. I like the sound of the waves crashing against the rocky shore. The weather in Vung Tau now is cool. It isn't so humid and average at 25 degrees in the evenings. Nice.

Xin Chào HCMC

So instead of a comfortable private car transfer for the 3-hour ride from HCMC to Vung Tau, we were squashed into a small van with 10 other strangers plus a baby because the transport company screwed up or got greedy.

Those hacking coughs into the air made by the people at the back were really disturbing. Thank god I took the H1N1 jab. I turned up the volume of the ipod. What was irritating was the guy who kept switching off the air-conditioning because he was cold. I was perspiring buckets. Hmmmpf.

We had boxes and suitcases. We asked for a bigger vehicle for us. We didn't bargain for the additional humans for company. I'm so not paying US$85 for this nonsense and said so with a smile. We're guests here, we don't yell.

So I didn't lose my temper at the annoying people in the van. I don't speak any Vietnamese to register my displeasure. I wouldn't do that there and then anyway. That's not going to work. We were at the driver's mercy till we reached Vung Tau, in one piece. And that was all we wanted- to get to the destination.

The 3-hour ride seemed like a bad dream. Wait, make that a typical episode in a Vietnamese drama series. All we needed were a couple of live chickens clucking at the back or on top of the van to complete the scene. Haha. That would make a great photo.

White Truffles!!!

Some wanted pasta. Some liked the bone marrow agnolotti served with walnut pesto. I had a craving for the simplest egg tagliolini topped with shavings of white truffles.

It was a unanimous choice of Otto Ristorante for dinner. We were very specific with tonight's dinner. The dishes must all be topped with white truffle shavings.

When the little trolley was pushed out along with a little digital weighing scale, there was a collective gasp. Year after year, we do this. We dissolve into a frenzy over white truffles for a month. Tonight, we melted into little puddles at the sight of the beautiful white truffles (Alba).

I sighed a little contented sigh. Nothing beats a well-made dinner with white truffles in good company. That was our little pre-Thanksgiving dinner together.

More please.

Chanel At Costco

So Twitterverse is flapping about over the fact that some bags from Chanel and Louis Vuitton are available at the newest Costco on New York East 116th Street in Manhattan.

I'm quite amused at the reactions in all the fashion blogs. So much debate over the authenticity of the bags. Costco isn't Chanel's authorized retailer. I'm fairly sure that Chanel is rather concerned about the dilution of its brand image. It's up to the brand's legal team to protect the brand's integrity. Much discussion points to the fact that these bags are probably not fakes, but are limited in stock and probably procured from the gray (not black) market.

I suppose, it's akin to having these labels on the shelves at Mustafa Centre. Mustafa sells everything at a lower price. You know how they say it- if you really want to buy a car at 2am in Singapore, go to Mustafa's. I'm doubtful about whether you get instant drive-away gratification.

It's probably good news for consumers who want to buy the bags at at a rate lower than pegged. Likewise, I'm sure some are happier buying bottles of lower-priced perfume from Mustafa and Sasa. I don't, because there is this trust issue. I need to be able to trust the retailer before I buy from it. Logically, I'm sure all the bottles of perfumes are authentic. My question is- what kind of stock did these bottles originate from? Have you noticed that the colors of the perfumes within are kinda different from those bought at the authorized retail counters in the mall? I prefer to place my trust at the airport's duty-free shops or retail counters at the malls.

The friends (both living in NYC and visiting) were kaypoh enough to make a trip to that Costco to see the bags and took goofy photos for facebook and twitter. I'm very tickled by them doing silly poses in Costco with the said labels. There are many other labels there too, but of course those labels didn't stir up much controversy. Only the presence of Chanel would ruffle people's feathers. Let's see what the reactions are if a Birkin or two ever turns up at Costco.

Fairy Tales Do Exist

This wedding dinner has left me in a deeply reflective mood. I thought it would be too personal to post it here. But Aunty MK told me to tell. She said she trusted my editorial integrity. So I'll tell you a story of the wedding dinner I attended tonight.

(See here for the long story of the background of this wedding dinner.)

CH is the sweetest, but in reality, he is not much different from an angsty 16-year old kid. Aunty MK knew that the chances of CH having a wife would be next to nothing. Like all mothers who want to protect their children, she still tries to seek a wife for him. After much deliberation and debate over whether it's fair to the future wife, she finally found a Vietnamese mail order bride willing to marry CH.

However, Aunty MK did the honorable thing. She invited the potential over to live with her and CH for a month. She sent CH away to live with a friend for for the nights during the month lest the potential felt unsafe and also to minimize any consequences that might arise should the potential turn nasty. She played chaperone at all other times of the day and took calculated 'risks' in letting them lunch at the food centres, watch a movie, etc, before picking them up later.

Not surprising, the potential left before the month was up. It was followed by a second potential, a third and a fourth. We asked Aunty MK why she was doing this, putting her hard earned money and savings into this effort. We gently suggested that it could be more practical to hire a nurse for CH and make arrangements for him at the care centres should she suffer a mishap. After all, it's a gamble. A potential who finally stays might not be so nice when she gets the humble flat and bank account after Aunty MK's death. Aunty MK insisted on her way. She views it as her sacred duty to secure a wife for her son. ARRRGH. Traditions be damned. We could only watch helplessly and hope.

The seventh potential stayed the month. Let's call her Dinh. Meet Dinh and you'll be blown away by how genuine and kind she is. I've not met many girls who are such down to earth humans without a trace of wile. She is unpretentious, raw but not rough or crude. She has the healthiest glossy hair and a pleasant shy smile. Cautiously optimistic, Aunty MK held out for another 2 months. That was in February this year. Dinh affirmed her wish to stay, marry CH and take care of him and Aunty MK.

We couldn't believe our ears when we heard the happy news. We received it with mixed feelings. Some cheered. The rest of us were broodingly pessimistic. Aunty MK had stupidly (we thought) given a fairly sizeable cash 'dowry' to Dinh 1.5 months before the wedding. We kept thinking Dinh was going to run away or something. She didn't. She proved the cynical humans all wrong.

Seated at the table tonight, we still couldn't believe that they had signed the marriage contract and held the wedding dinner for the friends and relatives. CH suddenly seemed so mature and solemn. He held his bride's hand tight all night. We believe he understands the gravity and happiness of the situation. In his own way, he is capable of sustaining this relationship in the most innocent manner of 16-year olds. His bride looked really happy to be doing this. She was very mindful of his needs and patted his hand or arm constantly. I don't think Dinh has learnt to love CH. But I'm quite sure she's not grossed out by him. In time, I hope she finds happiness in this relationship.

Something was churning in my guts- not that the food was bad, but the fact that tonight, I realized that no matter how pragmatic I was about things, I still wanted to believe that fairy tales happen. I wanted to feel that I'm looking at one. The modest community club function hall was filled with magic tonight. But ummm.....the karaoke videos and enthusiastic singing weren't so enchanting.

Oats For Lunch!

I loved lil Missy's oats so much that I dreamt about it all night. I asked the maid to do a bowl for me in the adult's version for lunch today.

She melted cubes of frozen chicken stock and cooked the oats in them. I shall ask her to try the vegetable stock the next time to see if there's any difference to the taste.

I felt like something savory and salty. So the maid added fried shallots. She put out the sea salt for me. But I didn't add any. I like the flavors of the food. The oil and salt from the fried shallots would be more than enough.

I definitely prefer my oats done this way than the breakfast version with fruits. That's probably because I don't quite like the original taste of the oats per se. So I can't quite stand that overwhelming powdery taste for the morning. Gimme this savory version and I'll happily have it for lunch every day. YUMMMZ.

Onigiri!!!

V and I headed to Harry's at Robertson Quay to check out the Saturday night crowd. There was a jazz band playing at the centre to up the weekend vibe.

More importantly, we wanted to get some alcohol into the system. If I'm heading to Vietnam, I suppose I better step up on the drinking. Last night's whisky already left me woozy. So tonight wasn't going to be anything heavy. Not a boisterous night. Slow and steady drinking yo.

Feeling peckish, we decided to be good girls and get some real dinner instead of quaffing liquid fuel. We went into Menya Shinchan just for its kombu onigiri.

V and I have a current obsession with onigiri. It's our favorite food of the month. It's kinda strange because we've never really bothered about it. Now, we can discern between mediocre, good and excellent onigiri!

At Menya Shinchan, we weren't quite interested in the ramen. But the pure carbs of the onigiri were really sinful, even if V needed it for her Sunday exertions. So we compromised and ordered a daintier version of the mega Sinjiro- the Madame Sinjiro. We shared. We devoured the crunchy cabbage and beansprouts. The tasty broth was sipped. The noodles were prodded and tasted, but largely left untouched.

We strolled home without feeling like our stomachs were going to burst. The skies held and didn't pour except ooze a little for all of 3 minutes. What a good evening.

Play Date

After 2 weeks of torrential rain and dreary skies, I couldn't be happier to see the sun was out in the morning! There was a swim date planned with a cute little girl!

The sky held bright. We pumped up the floats and took them down to the pool. So glad that after the initial howls of protest, the lil Missy was all gurgles and giggles in the pool. She protested when we had to stop the paddling and dry her before her skin turned into a dried prune!

Lil Missy was very obviously the Princess for the day. Total diva. We were at her beck and call. "Tilt my float, Aunty Imp!", "Go away, scary human with grey goggles!", "I want to go there please!" "Give me the bear please Aunty V!" Not that we minded. She was quite the angel- didn't fuss, didn't scream, ran around on her own and allowed us to chat the day away. She signed alot to let us know what she wanted. She signed many many "Please". So sweet lah. Exhausted, she finally fell asleep. While she napped, her mommy's shoulders got a bit of rest.

Come twilight, it was time to feed the Lil Missy. I, obviously didn't know what I had in the kitchen that could possibly feed a 1-year old! The maid helped out and brought out the stuff that Lil Missy's mommy needed. The mommy whipped up the tot's evening meal in an amazing 15 minutes. She cooked oats with lettuce, honey tomatoes, eggs and added a dash of pepper and a freshly plucked basil leaf.

Lil Missy's mommy also brought us delicious homemade muffins. While we munched at a couple, we also eyed lil Missy's dinner most expectantly. It looked quite droolicious. The mommy said it was going to be really bland. But it wasn't! When the little one decided not to eat anymore, I swooped in and added a little bit of sea salt and ate up all her leftovers. Heeeeeeeeee.

Laughter On A Cold Dreary Day

It's one of those days- rain, hot soup and general zzzzziness... What might usually be not quite funny, when placed into a certain context, is absolutely hilarious. When we were walking around Bugis Junction When eveeleva told me about this phrase used by a judge, I couldn't stop cackling. I haven't heard this phrase used for such a long time, and a courtroom is the last place I expect for it to pop up at!

(The phrase is in red bold in the extract below. Click here to read full article.)

"Justice Chao asked Lee, 63, if he was a grandfather. When Lee said yes, the judge continued: 'We are supposed to act more responsibly. // 'I would expect things like this to be said by a youngster trying to 'act hero'...but I don't expect such things to be said by you, especially after serious proceedings in court.' "

Later in the afternoon, back in front of a laptop, I googled the piece of news for more details. I read it and dissipated into further peals of giggles. Truly 'act hero!' No other phrase better encapsulate the offender's actions. Justice Chao is as Singaporean as any of us- he has demonstrated complete comprehension of the phrase. And pfffft- the Laguna Park saga is truly a what I call a shining example of Singaporean narrow-mindedness. What neighborly feelings?! I suspect we all secretly want to murder our neighbors, especially all these people living in fancy condominiums or old condos ready to be sold off en-bloc.

To the offender's increased fine, I could only think, "Orbeee-good." Heeeeeheeeeheeee.

Vegetable Juice

No wonder they say the rainy months are best to lay on the fats. We can't do squat outdoors in this fickle weather with its recent inclination to rain buckets in the evenings (after work hours). Neither do I want to hide in the gym nor swim in indoor pools.

But I can eat, drink and be merry! Haha. Those are rain or shine events! Since the ambitious exercise plans have melted away into puddles, the girlfriend and I plonked ourselves on a big sofa at Postbar and exercised our rights to alcohol.

Since we were at Postbar, of course we had to have Bloody Marys. My favorite cocktail!!! The tangy spiciness! The girlfriend was in the mood for Bloody Marys too. She refused to do her usual martini dry and eat those juicy olives. She insisted that our current choices were healthier than a martini. Riiiigght. The girlfriend proclaimed Bloody Marys as 'veggie juice'. Such lovely liquid sloshing about in our stomachs.

What a luxury to get off work at 6pm and chill out. Plus we still get time to do other stuff after drinks and dinner.

What A Great Couple of Lines

I read the papers this morning and rolled my eyes so far back till the colleagues peeped at what I was reading to see what could cause such a reaction. Oh dear me. There was a quote from an article in Today that sent shivers down my spine-

"Mr Lee also said that while he started wrong, "I'll put it right, and it's not completely right but I will get it right if I live long enough." "

Aiyoh! Is he ever going to retire and behave like any other sweet old man who is a doting grandparent?! He should really really let it go. Further lines gave cold comfort. He should have listened harder then, isn't it? Not to his aides, but to the young children who are sitting in the classroom and resent learning the language.

"He also admitted that he was wrong to insist on bilingualism in the early years. "At first I thought, you can master two languages. Maybe different intelligence, you master it at different levels." But his conclusions after over 40 years are different. Reiterating a point he has since made several times, he said: "Nobody can master two languages at the same level. If you can, you're deceiving yourself." He added: "Successive generations of students paid a heavy price, because of my ignorance, by my insistence on bilingualism. And I wasn't helped by the ministry officials, because there were two groups, one English speaking, one Chinese teaching." "

It's easy for me to criticize, but let's think at a lower level before expanding it to the national level. How many adults actually listen to the children and are able to discern the little ones' real concerns in their (music, ballet, art, calligraphy, judo, yoga, pilates, etc) classes amidst whines and whims? Since when do we ask the young ones if a certain curriculum and pedagogy suit their needs? Allow me to make a sweeping statement- appropriate curriculum and pedaogy have always been dictated by certain guiding principles; pedagogy committees don't exactly go out to survey students to ask what they want or what they think they would like to see in schools. Perhaps we do have more enlightened educators nowadays who are better attuned to learning development trends. Still, we face the perennial argument of the quality Singapore's public schools vs (non Singapore) international schools in all fields.

What is especially scary, is how he more or less admitted that the bilingual policy was pushed through at his insistence. What happened to making team decisions and group wisdom? Our bilingual policy should be made into a case study for our policy makers, a lesson of what to confess and what not to after 40 years at the helm of any organization.

To Osvaldo We Go

What better than hearty Italian fare at Osvaldo Ristorante for dinner on a rainy evening?

Well, I saw many well dressed people tonight. The after-work crowd definitely. But yours truly was in jeans, ratty tee and rubber flip flops. I got wear edgy leather jacket and toted a big Prada slouchy though. Still. I'm just trying to say that this is a casual place. Not bermudas-birkies casual (Although if you look damn good, I bet you're not going to get thrown out). But casual, ya know?

See this little blob of cheese wrapped in parma ham on a bed of rocket all so lightly grilled? The tomino was the special for the evening. It was such an appetizer indeed.

The man had a not-mindblowing but decent braised lambshank. His spinach and ricotta pansotti with butter sage and parmigiana was really good and surprisingly light. I went for the deceptively simple saffron risotto. I judge all Italian restaurants by their risotto. It takes a good kitchen to churn that out. I liked Osvaldo's version of it. It's a good, proper saffron risotto alright. I wonder what went into the stock. It definitely wasn't vegetable stock, probably a mixture of veal and chicken? But honestly, the man's saffron risotto equals it.

The new Osvaldo is refreshing. It's homely. I don't mind at all. It's a convenient location for us and the friends. Casual, back-to-basics fare that is great for a quiet night out. The kitchen is really focused on bringing out the full flavors of each dish. I like it that they're very lighthanded with the salt.

I was a little scared of the service since many early reviews commented on the splotchiness of it. I had full confidence in the Forlinos, but wasn't so sure about the floor staff. However, during our visit, service was rather excellent. The restaurant was humming nicely at full house. Floor staff was unhurried, efficient, amiable and pleasant. Except for 2 dour-faced skinny girls who didn't so much so as smile or say thank you. One of them told me that no photo-taking was allowed. VERY STRANGE. Nobody else stopped me from taking photos even though they walked by all the time. Maybe they sent her to do the dirty job. *shrug* Chef Osvaldo Forlino, as usual, welcomed us and brought us through his specials for the evening. When we left, the ladies yelled a cheery bye to us from the kitchen and we were graciously walked to the door. Service was ummm.....good.

Obviously, we had no space for dessert. I'm so lazy and so not a food blogger. I only know how to eat. For specifics on other food items and desserts, do hop over to check out ice's thoughts. :D

That other oddly-named Forlino restaurant by the waterfront should really change its name, stat.

Lloyd Cole @ Esplanade Recital Studio

We didn't have to hustle to Sydney or Melbourne for an evening with Lloyd Cole. He made a stop in Singapore to hold an intimate acoustic set for an audience of 245 or so.

We couldn't stiffle our giggles when he told us how he did the romantic thing- went to the Long Bar and had a Singapore Sling, and sheepishly commented that the drink wasn't very nice. AIYOH. If he tweeted, we'd have told him that way before! Whatever you do, do not recommend any of your foreign guests to have a Singapore Sling. It is so medicinal and vile tasting. Singapore Sling is NOT a yummy cocktail at all. We'd have directed him to any fruit cocktail at Orgo upstairs or a chilli padi Bloody Mary at St Regis' Astor Bar.

There was a 15-minute intermission. Half the audience didn't make it back in time and was locked out. They missed a song. So he very obligingly repeated it for us- "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?"

He also covered the first stanza of The Killers' 'Human'. DOH. What was that all about? But it wasn't too bad. It seems like the covers of the song sound better than the original. :p Heh, nope, I'm not a fan of The Killers.

I overheard a remark that Leonard Cohen would be better than this evening's set. Oh no no no. I beg to differ! This is way more interesting than (with all due respect) a Leonard Cohen gig. I'd watch still though. Hello, little red dot people are deprived here. But I'd prefer a slightly more raw Darren Hanlon. I'm not sure if he'd come back to Singapore again after that dismal turnout 3 years ago where there was no publicity for his very good gig at this same venue.

During the set, I saw a couple of people sneaking photos (or recording). Even though hidden under a jacket or bag, those little blinking lights were so obvious! I really wanted some photos too. But I sighed and didn't turn on the camera.

And Lloyd Cole is finally looking like his age.

Fark, I Am A True Blue Aquarian

I cancelled a dinner date with the man yesterday because I had a big fight with him. Eating at Osvaldo and smiling at him across the table were the last things I wanted to do. Till now, I haven't quite smiled at him kindly.

To be fair, he only gently questioned my decision on not attending the friends' wedding dinner. I definitely over-reacted, because when it comes to discussions about weddings, I'm completely illogical, insane, unreasonable and unforgiving.

I also didn't like it because the man questioned my editorial rights and integrity on this blog and twitter. WTF. As it is, when I blog or tweet, I indulge in heavy self-censorship. It has only gotten more stringent through the years. I don't tolerate his questioning of my ethics. It's my farking blog. Would he rather me remove posts and act like a hypocrite then, just to please our friends? I damn well won't. This is me, take it or leave it. The entire world reads it (for dunno what reasons)- my bosses, colleagues, my friends, acquaintances, friendlies, enemies, weirdos, and a mishmash of humans. I'm well aware of that. I can bloody track the IP addresses. (I paid for that function to provide a breakdown of details!) If I want privacy, I'd have turned this damn blog private and lock it all up till autoscripts can't crack the password.

I've got some hard decisions to make. I'm not afraid to make them. Since Somebody Important doesn't want me in Ho Chi Minh City, I'm resigned to being in Singapore. But that doesn't mean I'm going for the friends' wedding dinner-regrets have been sent for that and informed that I would attend their solemnization only. As much as I love my friends, everyone knows my aversion towards Chinese wedding dinners. There's a calculator in my head to decide which to attend.

What I have chosen to do, is to attend another Chinese wedding dinner that same evening and give a bigger angpow for that bridal couple. I've told the man that if he faults me for making this decision, he should bloody examine his conscience. And no friends of mine/ours, if they have a strong moral compass, would take this as a snub. To this accusation, he objected. Loudly so. He said he understood. Well, he'd better.

I don't make decisions in my personal or work life because of friendship or guanxi. (See why I will die if I work in China or any other ASEAN country?) I make decisions based on necessity, integrity and the greater good. I especially make sure that I adhere to this principle in my personal life. I do not make concessions just because you are my friend, not for anything. All the more, I expect you to understand what it means to be my friend. I will miss my friends', the man's and whoever's birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations, whatever, if my roster needs me. Now, because I love my job, there are certain things I will give up for certain work commitments too. The man and my friends must understand that. This explains why my inner circle is so narrow.

Aunty MK's only child is getting married on the same date. Aunty MK is a single mom who braved tremendous difficulties and overcame them to bring up her low-IQ son. Yet, for the past decade, she found time to volunteer with us. She unerringly cooks and packs the food for our twice-a-week lunch deliveries. If she can't make a date, she takes it upon herself to secure a replacement so that our lunch deliveries are uninterrupted. More than that, she has been a mother figure to us when we fought with our parents during those rebellious years.

Her son CH has grown up with us. CH doesn't have the healthiest constitution. But he's got the most cheerful outlook in his life. We remember the nights/days when CH was in hospital and Aunty MK still cooked for us or pretended to be our guardian to get us from school or out of detention when we were naughty.

CH is getting married. I'm sure you know how significant that is to Aunty MK. This milestone is Aunty MK's best gift in her life. Like all mothers whose son finally marries, Aunty MK is a proud and happy woman. She doesn't have much family left. She has personally asked if we (the volunteer group) would go, if I could go, because it would mean the world to her if we are there. This morning, I called to accept her invitation.

This Chinese wedding dinner will be a modest affair to be held in the function hall of a community club/centre. There will be no sharks' fin, no fancy table decor or lighting. But there will be good, homemade food. I look forward to the promised handmade fishcakes and sambal. There will be tears, and there will be faith within our close-knit group to affirm that something beautiful does happen to good people.

This is one wedding I must attend because I feel very strongly that it is the right thing to do.

Tung Lok Signatures

We watch alot of movies at Vivocity. Invariably, we end up having alot of meals in the mall.

As much as we like Carl's Jr, we don't quaff the burgers usually. Although I like the low-fat version with lots of greens. Fast food works great when we're, well, rushing for time.

But when we manage to catch an early show that ends at a reasonable time, we have the luxury to have dinner at 9.45pm or so. But when we're not inclined to drive out of the mall or eat at Brotzeit, that's when we head to Tung Lok Signatures at the ground floor.

The friends introduced us to the restaurant. Since then, I've grown quite fond of the food. It's decent. The man and I pop by rather often. By and by, Tung Lok Signatures have learnt that we don't like the xo special sauce or whatever on bamboo clams. We aren't adventurous. We like bamboo clams steamed with garlic and light sauce. The man loves the spinach and egg yolk thingy which is done really well at this branch.

I like it that they have a range of lobster noodles for me to choose from. So depending on the mood for the day, they offer me noodles ranging from S$18 a serving to whatever daily market price for an Australian lobster. I've tried what they term as 'local lobster'. It isn't too bad! The sauce/gravy saves the dish.

As often as I eat at Tung Lok Signatures, I haven't tried the range of its dishes. You know how severely limited my tastebuds are when it comes to Chinese food. So in every other restaurant, I kinda stick to eating the same stuff. Boring, I know. But that way, I can suss out my favorite restaurants and see if they maintain the quality of food purely through the tastebuds! Very dependable. :D

Bright Red

Decided that I needed a little color to add to the wardrobe. I couldn't seem to shrug off the consistent inclination to buy clothes and shoes in black. In that case, it would be very acceptable for my accessories to be brighter.

Since I was still annoyed with Somebody, I figured that retail therapy would be the most suitable avenue to vent my annoyance.

While the purchase made me happy, a bunch of customers in the shop made me frown. But in the end, I found them quite hilarious actually.

This bunch of loud people in trousers belted at the waist zoomed into the shop, interrupted the sales executive and I to ask in Mandarin where the men's section was. We were a little stunned. The sales executive wasn't even Chinese, but she made a good guess and pointed to the far end. The bunch of loud people still repeated their question in Mandarin, directed it at me and asked if that far end was it.

WTF. They thought I was also an employee of the shop! I so wanted to glare and ignore them. But you know what this loser did? I automatically replied them in Mandarin and affirmed the direction of the men's section.

Bloody hell. I blame my reaction entirely on the conditioning received at work.

Plans Awry

I've a work trip coming up in Vung Tau. The dates have fallen nicely into place. So I intended to spend the weekend with Somebody Important in Ho Chi Minh City and then have the driver send me down to the province.

Truth be told, I don't just want to spend time with the Somebody. That would be nice, but not completely necessary. I'm not a needy baby. What I want to create, is a valid, solid excuse/reason to be away that weekend. There is a wedding that I've been invited to where the later half of it goes against all my beliefs and principles. Rather than to hurt my friends' feelings because I don't share their beliefs, I rather take myself out of the whole equation by being properly away, out of the country.

But the Somebody refused to let me do that, citing all sorts of nonsensical reasons. Somebody didn't even want to loan me the house to bum around in or the driver for a short drive down to my destination. I'm very annoyed. What happened to special privileges accorded to the imp??!

So this rejection by Somebody, leaves me in a bit of a quandary with regards to attending the friends' wedding. While I would very much like to witness the earlier part of their solemnization, I can't bring myself to do the Chinese wedding dinner anymore. I'm happy to pop that angpow into the box and sneak off. I'll have to skip the dinner somehow. I can't sit at the table and look at the bowls of sharks' fin without feeling a stab of pain and wishing I am somewhere else instead. Besides, there's nothing I'd eat at the dinner.

At this moment, I don't like the grouchy Somebody very much.

Happy Days

I've been quietly following Happy Days.

It is a good set that explores urban living in today's seemingly depressed world, trying to make sense and happiness out of the madness we know. When I live in a time where I'm not optimistic about the future and want more out of my life, I like to know how the others feel. And no, religion is not the answer to everything. I'm not lost, thankyouverymuch. I'm simply very interested in the academic and intellectual pursuit of this matter.

I enjoy the different styles of writing put through by each blog contributor. The stories, the musings and ideas are beautifully presented and carefully thought out.

Publishing moderated comments isn't a bad thing. At least the editors could exercise a modicum of control over the discussions in a public sphere. No one goes too off tangent or wander into a black hole. Sometimes, the measured comments throw up more food for thought than the blog posts.

The Indie Dollar

I think concert promoters in Singapore have realized that the gig scene is vibrant and quoting a friend's musing on fb, the scene is not just about "Westlife, Engelbert Humperdinck and Air Supply performing year after year" anymore. The power of the indie dollar in our English music scene is a force to be reckoned with.

Indie promoters have been steadily bringing in indie acts. We've had Darren Hanlon, The Album Leaf, Jens Lekman, Broken Social Scene, Aimee Mann, Zee Avi, the metal bands, etc. We've had greater support from international acts. There is a significant increase in bands and musicians willing to place Singapore on their tour schedules. I'd say Deathcab for Cutie at The Esplanade Concert Hall last year seemed to be the one that woke the promoters. Their tickets sold out within hours.

The pace seems to have picked up. Take Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Tickets to their gig on 12 January 2010 went on sale yesterday. The gig is sold out by today. Few ticket sales to concerts in Singapore move at this lightning speed. Singapore is known for being late ticket buyers unless it's a supberly commercial headlining band or if it's the New York Philharmonic, or something. (Note that I'm not saying anything about Maksim).

2010 will see a whole slew of indie and mainstream bands take Singapore by storm. Cat Power, Green Day, Patrick Watson, Muse, etc. I bet you a bottle of Bowmore 15 y.o that Amanda Palmer's coming back for a full length gig.

I hope Singapore doesn't become labelled as a sucker. You know, akin to how the West viewed Japan back in the 80s and early 90s; bands charged an arm and a kidney for gig tickets in Japan. When Stars played early this year, they were amazed that there was a huge audience present and even more wowed by the sheer 'opulence' of Esplanade's Concert Hall. I cringed- Stars don't usually play at this sort of 'concert' venues.

We need an alternative music venue to Esplanade's Concert Hall. It's too rigid. But yes, the sound is wonderful with a capital W. Our current other venues are Fort Canning Park (eioowww Portaloos and humidity!), Indoor Stadium (too echo-y and too expensive to rig properly for sound) and goodness knows where- our tiny clubs which can provide better sound like Stereolab, Dragonfly, DXO and even Home Club.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs' tickets go for like £21.50 elsewhere. In Singapore, the cheapest ticket is S$68 and their most expensive- S$148. Fair enough. Moving on to late January 2010, the cheapest tickets to The Killers is pegged at S$128 (++). And hopefully we get them on 24 January 2009, not London.

Since we don't produce many bands of this calibre, Singapore would naturally have to pay these bands to fly in, settle the crew, accommodation, gear, sound guys and shite like that. But at what price? My grouse is, the cheapest ticket prices shouldn't be S$128 (++). That is not being fair to the audience. Being willing to pay doesn't mean concert promoters should milk us because at some point, we will say 'screw you'. Concert promoters can only bank on these bands the one time. Mogwai tickets didn't do so well the second time they played here.

Some day these bands will be like The Police who can command S$500 a ticket for the pleasure of sitting on a crappy plastic chair at the sound-challenged Indoor Stadium. But for now, they're NOT The Police.

(Although I'm fairly sure I'd pay a kidney, a liver and then some for a front row seat at a John Mayer gig in Singapore. If, it ever happens.)

Interpretation

I'm quite put out with the interpreter, and I've told her so sternly.

My guests have noticed that the interpreter isn't quite doing her job. As a defence, she said "Their English is very good!" But that's not the point. Whether my guests' English is decent, is totally irrelevant. I've hired an interpreter at their request. Both my guests and I expect consecutive interpretation to be done, regardless.

The interpreter is supposed to do consecutive interpretation from English into Bahasa Indonesia for my guests. But she really isn't very good. My Bahasa isn't fantastic; when I can understand and realize that certain phrases or words she used as rather juvenile and don't reflect their true meaning, I'm sure it's not a good thing. I'm also not quite happy that she only interpreted about 70% of what the speaker said. She is too slow. It's almost as if she doesn't really have the macro view of certain strategies, concepts and details.

This isn't a very technical discussion. The speaker understands the audience and has drawn simple yet illustrative examples for the topic. I'm sure the interpreter's not that dumb. But she really isn't very intellectual either. I want to give her the benefit of doubt that she isn't trained in this area of discussion and hence she struggles to find the words. However, the longer I listen, the more I realize that her grasp of English isn't that strong and it's still way better than her grasp of Bahasa, which is, supposed to be her native tongue.

It's almost like how I can easily translate/interpret Thai to English or Mandarin to English. But I can't do it the other way round.

She is helpful and tries her best. She flips through her handwritten notes and has a google page open in front of her to a translation site. But really, I think in this case, her competencies are insufficient for my needs. SIGH.

Tell me where I can find effectively bilingual interpreters/translators who are highly educated and well aware of political situations along with various academic topics of fiscal practices, human resource management, urban planning, etc.

The Gold Completes The Trilogy

I've been so looking forward to The Bowmore Dinner. It is the night I get to sample the last of Bowmore's Trilogy- the Gold.

I was a very happy girl when the first drink served was a bottle of Dom Perignon 2000. Then, the table simply couldn't tear itself away from the Bowmore 25 y.o. For the purpose of refreshing the palate for tasting, I chose still water over sparkling to accompany the dinner.

I'm not inclined to share the full menu that is specifically arranged and intended to complement the different years of Bowmore whisky. Les Amis' Chef Armin has worked really hard to create this 4-course whisky dinner that is on par with the finest restaurants in the world.

The pairing that I enjoyed the most was the Bowmore 15 y.o with the slow cooked Atlantic salmon with braised leeks and white truffle foam. Those truffles went superb with the characteristic peat of the Bowmore 15 y.o. Very invigorating. The dish that went strangely with the Bowmore 18 y.o was the chargrilled Black Angus beef entrecôte, mushrooms, spinach and pommes maxim. The beef was too robust for the placid Bowmore 18 y.o. imho, I think the Chef could have chosen a cut of ribeye or wagyu where the fattier meats would have better complemented the mellow single malt.

The casks of the Gold Bowmore are aged below sea level in Bowmore’s coastal cellar – the Number 1 vault. The oldest of them all, this Gold Bowmore is the third and final release of the 3 limited editions:

- Black Bowmore – 827 Bottles Released in 2007
- White Bowmore – 732 Bottles Released in 2008
- Gold Bowmore – 701 Bottles Released in Fall 2009

Out of the 701 bottles (retail) of Gold Bowmore released worldwide, Singapore has been allocated 20 bottles. The 44-year old single malt whisky is surprisingly not peaty. There is only a light trace of Bowmore's trademark peat. Upon nosing, there was plenty of curiosity. The moment the whisky touched the lips, the exclamations began.

Well aware of how the Black and White Bowmore tasted, we knew the Gold wouldn't deviate from its recurrent theme of tropical fruits. The tasting notes declared that the aromas would remind us of vanilla, papaya and passionfruit. But we decided to chuck those aside and create our own. While the western hemisphere might struggle to find descriptions for the flavors, tonight's table had no such issues.

"Very 'lemak'!" yelled one. We chortled. Only in Singapore. Truly, there was this coconut tone somewhere. "Mango, cassis, ribena!" Another proffered. I frowned. There was something strikingly familiar. It was a fruit I had eaten just the night before. "Pomelo," I pronounced. "Pink!" And yes, the table agreed that while guava and lychee flavors stood out strongly for the White Bowmore, pomelo seemed to be the underlying taste of the Gold.

At the end of the evening, I am totally wowed by the subtlety and strength of the Gold Bowmore. Thanks, Joyce and Khoon, for the gracious invitation to such a beautiful evening.

Trying To Cook Japanese Food

Since the man was on a cooking streak, we called the friends over for dinner.

The man decided to be adventurous and do a Japanese menu. Asian food's not his forte. But he wanted to try those that he felt he could. Nothing fancy, just simple cooked food. We went to the supermarket. He disappeared amongst the shelves while I zoomed off elsewhere to buy umbrellas and look at shoes.

All afternoon, there were delicious soup-like smells wafting from the kitchen. In the big pot, there was oden (Japanese stew). Big slabs of miso cod had been earlier marinated and sat grilling in the oven. The man fried up some mentaiko pasta. There was good old Japanese rice boiling in the cooker. There was also a beef salad that came with an unexpectedly tasty spicy ginger and vinegar dressing.

The friends loved the man's experiments! They especially enjoyed the oden. The man is watching a concert of The Pixies on dvd and feeling really happy now.

Dessert was, unfortunately, store bought. The rich nutella cake and marscapone cheesecake from Da Paolo's deli were adequate. 2 big squares of cakes to share among 8 of us. Both cakes were rich, so a nibble for each was more than enough. Feeling really healthy now.

The point of the evening was also to check out the first episode of V, the remake. Don't know what to make of it yet. So can't wait for more episodes to compare to those we saw when we were children!

Terms & Conditions

I was doing a very quick stop at Dorothy Perkins for easy tops. The very helpful sales executive said that she would be able to give me a 10% off when my bill totalled more than S$100. She said I'd be eligible for their membership/privilge card and passed a form for me to fill up.

I didn't like what I see in that form. The application form requested identity card numbers, income, occupation, address, contact numbers, etc. The terms and conditions stated,

"I understand and agree that personal and other information about me, including my use of the card, will be collected on behalf of Wing Tai Clothing and may be disclosed to Wing Tai Clothing and Programme Partners for the administration of the programme and for researching, promoting and marketing goods or services of Wing Tai Clothing or the Programme Partners. I also authorise Wing Tai Clothing and the Programme Partners to use my details to check or enhance information held on their consumer database and to disclose this database to third parties for marketing purposes. I have read and agreed to the above. I acknowledge that by signing this enrolment form I accpet and agree to be bound by the Fashion Fast Forward Programme Cardholder Terms and Conditions."

I wasn't at all comfortable with the tone of the paragraph. Those conditions that I would have to agree to weren't in my favor. So I told the cashier to rescind the 10% discount and I'd pay my bill in full. The earnest sales executive was troubled and asked why. I told them. She didn't get it at all. She said the card wasn't just applicable at Dorothy Perkins, I could use it at Topshop and dunno where else. That's really not the point isn't it?

It was the same issue the other time with the FJ Benjamin discount card for Liz Claiborne, Levi's and dunno whatelse.

So nope. Since I didn't agree with the conditions of membership, I didn't bother to sign up for the card. For a measly 10% discount at the stalls, my personal details are at the retailers' mercy. No thanks. The long and short of it, I don't own any of these discount cards.

I cannot say this often enough. I hate it that Singapore doesn't have privacy laws to cover all aspects. On merchants, while they are allowed to request for certain personal information, there should be a law governing what they do with these details. There isn't just integrity involved.

I don't trust merchants to have the integrity to keep my personal details confidential like it should be. They release their membership databases to third parties. By that, I don't mean their advertising firms or public relations agencies. If you interpret it strictly, "to disclose this database to third parties for marketing purposes" could also mean selling it to another commercial entity or otherwise.

Dinner At Home

After days of eating out and mired in work till sundown, our brains are exhausted. We've no desire to head out to see bright lights and fake laughter. No partying, no drinking, nothing.

The man wanted to cook. He hadn't turned on the stove for a long time. "Something simple." I requested.

He broke out a bottle of prized herb vinaigrette for the salad.

There was an amuse bouche of pan-fried scallops in asparagus sauce. The man excitedly explained how he kept the color of the asparagus nice and green, he had to boil it in water and salt, then soak it in ice-cold water. I thought it was alot of work indeed.

There was his lovely anchovy pasta. (But I very very much prefer Big D's! :p) The secret is in the brand of anchovies used. The man hasn't managed to find the right ones. I think he needs to import it in from somewhere. Heh. The man is very perturbed that he's tried all anchovies sold at the supermarkets and his pasta still doesn't quite taste like Big D's.

The man shooed me away and busied himself in the kitchen. Much later, he came knocking on the door to tell me that dinner was ready. A girl could really get used to this. Wait a minute, I think I've been thoroughly spoilt by the man's cooking already! I'll just stick to washing dishes. No cooking is required of me. Heh.

Taste Paradise (Ion)

Whenever we run errands at Ion in the evening, we're more or less stuck with having dinner at Taste Paradise.

There's a trendy Thai restaurant next door 'Soht and Baay' that I want to try. But I'll wait till end December or so, just to make sure it has ironed out its opening glitches.

Back to Taste Paradise. I like this branch at Ion quite a bit. The staff always take and store my shopping bags for me. I don't know where the bags go, but they magically re-appear when I'm done with dinner and ready to leave. They also know that I like sitting at the booths where it offer more privacy and less noise compared to the main open dining hall. I eat late anyway. At 9pm, there's always a booth or a private room available.

I usually end up having alot of soup, tofu, the cold tomato and vegetables. I'm not quite interested in other items on the menu, except for the occasional abalone or lobster noodles.

The good thing about Taste Paradise is, they serve food in individual portions. So the man could have his lamb chop and meats even though I'm not having them. The soup usually fills me up nicely. I don't eat the stuff inside, but I could finish a whole pot of sea whelk soup meant for 4 persons. Hot and nice! But I wish they don't use so much pork for the stock. On different days, the pork smell and taste in the soup can be overwhelming. On those days, I reject the whole pot of soup and will order something else.

Oh, importantly, Taste Paradise always serve me freshly chopped garlic. You know I'm very touchy about restaurants and freshly chopped garlic.

Kyte @ Red Dot Museum

It was kinda strange that the label brought Kyte in for an anniversary celebration.

I didn't think the brand image gelled with the band. But I guess the label is reaching out to a younger crowd.

Now, Kyte. They're fairly popular now. Quite a buzz band. A little bit of shoegaze, post rock. Soundscapes. Quite a chillout vibe. The music is relatively pleasant. Great driving music.

But Kyte, heard and seen live. Oh, very very underwhelming. Where's the stage presence, dudes?

Sure, we appreciated the band playing and all. They wore the label and looked like such clean cut college boys. But not everyone in the crowd was enthralled. Not us for sure. We weren't going to go gaga just because an indie foreign band was on stage. We were discerning audience. I was not at all mesmerized. I'm not too sure I understand this sugary sweet indie sort of stuff. I think I like this sort of music edgier. More Sigur Ros and Postal Service instead of being alluded to them.

Suffice to say, imho, Kyte sounds better on a cd played over a good stereo system. Or just over myspace on damn good speakers will do too. Having said that, at a fashion show, I rather listen to a live band play chillout than to have a DJ spin tracks or worse, suffer through piped music.

A Princely Gift

The friends swung by with a beautiful bottle of Dalmore 1263 King Alexander III as a gift to us. They even wrote lovely long lines in the card just so that I wouldn't scold them for being naughty to do this.

They are such thoughtful souls. In the middle of their busy work schedules and juggling parenting chores, they took the trouble to go down to The Whisky Store to pick out a bottle that they thought we might like.

The man and I haven't tasted this bottle. We surfed online to check out its tasting notes. From all the accounts, the bottle promises complexity and harmony. Of course, nothing beats tasting it for ourselves.

We're not going to open the bottle now. Perhaps we might save it for this time next year and have it in the company of the friends, and you guys, of course. We missed you at The Lunch!

Scholarships and Whatnots

There was a speech delivered in London last week by a Singapore senior civil servant. When I read the text, I was a little nettled. The phrase "ivory tower" kept popping up in my mind. Yes, I absolutely agree that the system should "guard against elitism and arrogance".

There is alot alot alot I want to say about government scholarships, young scholars, in service scholars, perceptions and expectations in Singapore.

At this point, I realize that those thoughts I held as an 18-year old still hold true now as a 32-year old. I never wanted to work towards getting one of those scholarships then because I never thought it would do me any good. I still think so.

I'm pleased to say that only a small percentage of my inner circle are government scholars who do not work or live in Singapore currently. I don't know if I wish them to come back (because I love them) or to stay away (because I love them). We are put off by the rigidity of bonds, regulations and inflexibility. Yet these friends are dazzling in their contributions to the world because they're NOT in the Singapore system and thus given a free rein in research, analysis and failures. They do not have funding cut because they didn't hit last year's KPIs. The scholarships gave them the opportunity, but that's not the end all. The rest who decided against taking the government scholarships are today, stellar in their achievements and commitments to the community and our country.

Yes, we don't deny that our decisions then, were influenced by the fact that securing funds for university was not an issue. We did not view those scholarships as prestigious. We thought it stiffling and getting it wasn't even an option. We thought we shouldn't even apply for scholarships because someone else who needed it should do so. Isn't that the spirit of a scholarship? We had a wide range of choices for further education, or not. We weren't going to get yelled at because we wanted to do theatre studies, human rights, environmental studies or something equally fluffy 'ya know.

But oh, the irony now. You know. I will not speak further. So I hold my tongue.

However, I point you to this short post at tym's. Draw your own conclusions.

AFP In Singapore!!!!!

When I first heard that Amanda Palmer would be here on Halloween and she was looking for a gig venue, my heart sank. I wouldn't be back in time to catch it!

When the date of her gig was confirmed to be on 1 November at Stereolab, I couldn't be happier. The friends already sorted out the tickets. I'd make sure that I die die also got back in time!

I'm a huge huge fan. Amanda Palmer is one singer that I really want to catch live.

Charmingly quirky and incredibly talented, she owned that stage and the crowd. She wasn't just vivacious. Her energy was positively infectious. Her powerful vocals and wacky lyrics punctuated the room. Her gig was spellbinding. Amanda Palmer is one to watch and listen live, not just on a cd. I was so blown away. I tweeted a whole stream of updates specially for the friends who couldn't make it to the gig.

We were secretly hoping to hear Neil Gaiman read from the companion book he wrote for her album "Who Killed Amanda Palmer". We got our wish. Thrill! What we did not expect, was for the power couple to do a signing after the gig. I mean, Neil Gaiman shuffled in bleary-eyed and exhausted after a signing for 900 people over 4 hours. I didn't think he'd have the patience to sit through another 2 hours of signing with Amanda Palmer at midnight! But he did.

The power couple didn't just mechanically sign. They interacted and talked to the fans. Considering that they were headed to the airport at 3am, I honestly couldn't fathom how they could remain so chirpy. Goodness. I wonder how they keep up this lifestyle. Their schedules are completely crazy.

Like a groupie, yours truly stood in the short autograph line for 45 minutes just for a moment to talk to her. The man jabbered excitedly to Neil Gaiman. We secured both autographs on her cds and posters.

I eyed Amanda Palmer's gold signing pen for a long time because I was VERY tempted to get her to sign on the back of my Berry. Heee.

Goodbye Vientiane

Going through the thick file of papers was tedious. But the content was substantial and they kept me awake through the long drawn meetings. Plenty of patience, tact and equablility was needed.

I was quite nervous about this trip because I didn't know what to expect. Plus the big big boss was around. That scared me.

The big big boss left Lao PDR a day earlier. When we sent her off, she turned around, wagged her finger at us and grinned, "Don't be naughty." I almost fainted. The colleagues poked my ribs, "That line's for you!" Grrrrrr. Hello, she meant it for all of us okay!

When I flipped through my trusty notebook, I realized how far I've come in this job- from a blubbering novice to one who wouldn't be too flustered in the face of negotiations. Not an expert by any means, but a little wiser certainly. I guess the demands of the job have shaped a corner of my personality. I only hope that when I leave, my contributions would have been somewhat concrete.

Importantly, I'm grateful to these work trips which allow me to revive languishing personal side projects, actively and aggressively pursue these projects to fruition. So far, there hasn't been a conflict of interest at all. Perfect.

Sunset Over The Mekong

One evening, we stood at the balcony to watch the sun set over the Mekong.

Looking out at the body of water and vast expanse of space, we soaked in what nature had to offer. Along with twilight, a silent peace and serenity fell upon the river banks. Human voices spoke in hushed tones. The silence was broken by intermittent shouts of a merry crowd playing soccer in the field.

In the gathering dusk, I felt pensive.

The Mekong is unfathomable. It has seen so many humans through time and history. Lao PDR sits within the Mekong basin. It sees the fast flowing Upper Mekong that is rich with biodiversity. The giant fishes of carp, catfish and stingray that live in its waters are quite amazing. Unfortunately, they're going to succumb to overfishing, dam projects and strict flood control measures to protect human beings who plunder the river's nutrients. Just like how the Lower Mekong Irrawady dolphin has virtually disappeared. One won't see crocodiles around either.

Ever tried diving in the Mekong? It's quite an experience. :p

Lao PDR's economic progress is disturbingly slow, but no slower than any other third world economy. In the pace of modernity, this spells good news for the environment. There is much that can be protected in this country still. I only hope that the government truly recognizes the riches it possesses.

Grocery Shopping

Of course I zipped into the fancy Phimphone Market on Setthathirath Rd near Nam Phou Fountain, across from Khopchaideu Restaurant. I've gotta check out its shelves.

(There's a smaller Phimphone II at Samsenthai Rd at Chanta Khoumane)

I swooned when I saw the range of stuff. This wasn't quite a supermarket. Close, but not a Tesco for sure. In terms of the look and feel, it felt like a Culina. Obviously it was an air-conditioned supermarket intended for expats in the city.

The imported labels at the supermarket were expensive when you consider that the prices were similar to Cold Storage outlets in Singapore. However, Phimphone had everything I would need if I were living there. Naturally, the vegetables and fruits section stocked the freshest products delivered from local fields and farms.

I loved that dry, chewy sticky rice too much. White and brown both. I had to buy some of those packs to take them home. There was also the matter of grabbing a couple of packs of Laos' famous coffee brands of Dao and my preferred Sinouk.