Friends, Music & Whisky

Good whisky and music filled Saturday night.

Bowmore and Ardbeg.

Sashimi, sushi, beef yakiniku, gyozas and udon,

A random jam. Rock and blues. Happy thoughts. I promise you, we were not writing a song about 'Ruminate and Regret; Live and Repent."

Friends. Laughter. Trust.

Have You Seen My Nails Like This?

The nail and hair salons are the first places I zoom to after each trip out of town. This round, I've been completely lax and didn't turn up at the nail salon till this week. I can sort out the hair next week.

When the nail therapist saw my fingernails, she literally screeched. I winced. She has probably never seen my nails this short. I don't own a nail clipper, and naturally forgot about buying one for the month-long trip. There was only a nail file in the toiletries bag which worked okay, until the nails grew and tore. I had to grab one to chop off all nails to the flesh. See lah, all these years of vanity resulted in brittle nails due to layering gel to it for that perfectly manicured look.

Previously, I had to layer a thin shine of gel onto the nails still, even though they were short. They were too brittle to withstand even water. They were like, paper thin! But after the trip, the nails grew and grew, and regained some strength. So today, I didn't bother with any more varnish or gels. The fingersnails came out of the salon bald and bare, save for a thin layer of base coat. I bet you've never seen me with nails like this. There's more growing out to be done and it'll be another 2 months before the fingernails regain their full strength. My natural nails are strong and I can't wait to have them back!

My right toenail has always been slow to recover from injuries and is always the one that kena the worst. Since 2007, I've only had half a toenail. In spite of all the jumping, swimming and stubbing it repeatedly, that stubborn stump of a nail refuse to fall out. Often, I've been sorely tempted to go to the doctor and have it removed. But I never did pluck up the courage. So the toenail was left to wilt and shrivel or whatever.

It was tender and after putting on acrylic covers for months, the bit of nail thickened and the skin hardened. I stopped with gluing on the fake nail and decided that it was time to let it grow naturally. It's been a couple of months and the thickened nail has indeed grown to an almost normal length. It doesn't look too good though. Still thick, and mis-shapened. But at least it's healthy enough. So I'm not bothered with putting pretty colors on them either.

It feels quite liberating to have bald and bare nails. I can live with not appearing polished all the time. I don't mind the au naturel feel either. I can play the piano without sounding stilted and when I punch the sandbag or jump the ledges, there isn't any sort of restraint. Full-on violence and some amazing leaps have been executed. Best.

Checking Out Hokkaido Sushi Again

What would an omnivore, a pescetarian and another pseudo-pescetarian (me) have in common? Japanese food at Hokkaido Sushi where Chef Thomas knows our individual preferences and can arrange for items that we like without too much fuss.

After a couple of tweets and emails, Ivan of food.recentrunes, M. and I finally found a date when we would all be in town for an evening of food and laughter. Can't believe we made it without crazy schedules interfering. Off we went to an old familiar venue of Hokkaido Sushi at M Hotel.

I haven't been to the restaurant for over a year. The last visit was quite eeky and I wasn't in a hurry to return. It's now timely to try it again. The sushi and various selections tonight were very decent. Chef Thomas hasn't exactly lost his touch, but his focus seems to have dissipated just that little bit. Still, it's a huge improvement from a year ago. The food is finally back on track, and he's got a team that seems competent. I don't look for innovation in my Japanese food. I just want solid basics and traditional flavors. I found those in my grilled fish cheek, big scallop and teapot soup tonight. Very comforting.

Aside from the food, it was the conversation which made the evening so enjoyable that I was quite surprised that it was already 10.45pm by the time we left! My dining companions are fabulous conversationalists, witty and hilarious. Did we talk about the upcoming elections? OF COURSE. I'm insanely jealous that they can vote and I can't. Hmmmmpf. Hot stuff, but we didn't bother going into a protracted rhetoric about it. We've had enough of it for now and during these few hours, we could roar with mirth over other topics.

Ivan and M. are as genuine as they come. I'm the one who blogs under a pseudonym, and as anti-social as can be. I don't even know why they bother with me! But I'm damn glad they did. They're the awesome people. Wanna bet that if we play Taboo together with other like-minded people, we will bring down the roof? Then, there're the nice bloggers whom I've been acquainted with through their online presence, but it's just not possible to really adhere to the 'keep in touch' and do regular meetings simply because the 'frequencies' and humor aren't quite mutually understandable. With Ivan and M., it's almost as if we've already been friends for a while because we just yakked and yakked, and that's not because we love the sound of our own voices. Till the next dinner, people. Let's not wait too long. And the next time, M. and I are going to pick a venue in or near a mall where we've OTHER things to entertain ourselves with if Ivan oddly gets lost again. :P

Counting The Days To See The Girlfriend Again

Yet another girlfriend has taken the plunge of doing a year's no-pay leave to find her inner peace. Part of this includes heading out of Singapore. I'm going to miss her a little. But this trip is essential for her. It's something she has wanted to do for a while, and there's no better time to finally do it so as to have little regrets in life.

It's hilarious that she got me a going-away present. Hullo, you're the one going away, not me! She calls it 'Mr Sad Bear' who'll sit with me while she's not around. The moment I saw the flat cushion bear-thingy, I knew what I'll do with it. It's a cushion that's the perfect size for the iPad and Kindle, or to prop up a book and a magazine!

Just as I have Mr Sad Bear for company, I hope she'll find company and be fine alone too. She's more of a social creature than I am. She doesn't have friends who are in the city. I don't know how she's going to get by without friends. It's kinda far for us to fly over with just a snap of the fingers. It isn't her first trip out, of course. I keep forgetting that her university years were spent overseas, but with good friends made then. So hopefully on this trip, she'll meet some sane and nice people; her faith and the word of God will carry her through with strength and cheer. It's like, Singapore has broken her heart. (Metaphor metaphor! No political insinuations here!) In going away, I hope her heart will be healed. She deserves so much more happiness.

I love you very much, and I wish you well, babe. Find yourself and come home refreshed. I will keep you in my thoughts with a prayer of St Teresa of Avila, "Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All things pass; God never changes. Patience attains all that it strives for. He who has God finds he lacks nothing: God alone suffices." And, you alone, hold the key to your own happiness.

Bye For Now, Girlfriend!

It's inevitable that welcome and farewell meals among our circle are held at Tatsuya. Before and after a trip, we just want Japanese food! It's our comfort food in so many ways. We've had good times and fabulous memories in this restaurant.

A very dear girlfriend's off to spend 2 (or more) years at her UK office. She's bundling the husband and 2 kids along. I've utmost respect for her husband who's quit his higher-paying job and is going along to support her. He's going to be a stay-at-home-dad to the super vivacious and active kids.

It was wonderful chatting over dinner and remembering how we were just 21 years old, shared the darkest secrets, and roamed the world together. So many things have changed since then, but our friendship has only deepened and evolved. She's never lost that burning edge to climb the corporate ladder and freely admits that she places the sense of self worth and satisfaction paramount; their relationship as man and wife takes precedence over their identity as parents.

This is going to be a whole new exciting chapter for her. She'll be the parent holding a bloody demanding full-time job, and the husband will be the home-maker. I tell you, the husband is absolutely thrilled to bits with this idea. He's got his days all planned out, and he can't quite wipe that silly smirk off his face. After his gruelling regular 16-hour work days, he's really going to enjoy this stint.

So babe! I wish you much fun and happiness! We will be as we have always been. :)

Found My Asian Empanada

We've heard so much about Maxwell Road Food Centre. But I've never been to Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre. It seemed to be a significant day (date) to hang out in the area isn't it? And no, I'm not starting on a series of posts about the sights and sounds of Tanjong Pagar or within the rather long-ranging boundaries of this massive GRC. :P

At the food centre, it was hot, crowded and a tad annoying with people elbowing me out of the way to either get to the queue for their favorite foods, or get to a seat before I did. Then, there was the famous practice of chope-ing seats with umbrellas and packets of tissue. Okaaay. The uniquely Singaporean Central Business District lunch behavior displayed in full force. And we chose to eat there smack in the middle of the office crowd at high noon on a seriously blazing day. We must have been out of our minds. But it was something I wanted to do.

Apparently many of the stalls possess alot of accolades for local food. Not that I know anything about them. I randomly picked the corner char kway teow stall which sells the traditional black version and the white version known as 'Penang char kway teow'. Wah lau. The dish was a major fail. It didn't taste like any Penang char kway teow I know. It tasted way worse than the already toned-down char kway teow from the twice-a-year Penang Hawkers' Buffet held at York Hotel. Didn't finish it. I couldn't bear to eat all those unwanted carbs.

AND. TA-DAAAAAHHHH! Canned drinks at one stall in this food centre went for S$1 per can, with ice cubes!!! When the drinks' stall auntie said "S$1" for my green tea, I did an audible gasp. I haven't had a canned drink for S$1 in a long while. Aren't most at least S$1.30 nowadays? Remind me, which restaurants want to charge for tap water again?

I was still hungry. So I went in search of more food. The heat persuaded me to buy something to to-go rather than sit, stew and perspire. Then I saw the stall selling curry puffs. Asian empanadas!!!! I haven't had a curry puff since I got back. So I bought one. Man, it was satisfying! This Rolina Hainanese Curry Puffs' stall is good! It could be more spicy, but it's yummy enough. There're bits of chicken in there, although I'd prefer it vegetarian, but I'll deal with it. It doesn't carry a strong taste, so as long as I pick out the bits, it's alright. I hate chicken. The stall has sardine puffs, but naaaaah. Rolina Hainanese Curry Puff has got a main stall at Serangoon Garden Market.

I don't like the Old Chang Kee sort of curry puffs. I prefer this sort by Rolina. How do I describe it? It's almost homemade. The best curry puffs I've had are made by someone's mom or grandmother. The pastry ought to be crusty, thin, fried and non-flaky; the filling must be of potatoes in flavorful robust rempah with bits of an egg. YAYY! I never knew of the good curry puffs in town simply because I haven't paid much attention to them or went on a hunt. Rolina's worth coming back for.

Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre
(non-airconditioned and damn hot)
6 Tanjong Pagar Plaza (it's on level 2 above the wet market)
Singapore 081006

I Just Care About The Food

Since the friends dictated Hinoki to be the venue, I wasn't going to say no. It isn't Italian. I typed out an 'audible' sigh of relief upon knowing the venue. The friends were ravenous and went the the whole hog of an omakase meal.

I was a tad caught up in the office and turned up late. Anyway, no one had to wait for me. I already said I wasn't going to part-take in their big meal and just wanted light bites. I ordered some appetizers and fish. All I wanted to eat was fish. So I got a beeeg fish all to myself. Sake featured quite largely tonight. Heck, it's been appearing alot on my dinner menu because I've been having alot of Japanese food to make up for those evenings I couldn't!

The friends were clearly in a very talkative mood. These upcoming elections are quite interesting. But when it comes down to it, I'm not giving any money at this very last minute to any political party to contest a GRC. I dislike the GRC system which has ten thousand loopholes, like getting a candidate I don't want as part of the team. I want to vote, but I'm not that desperate. The opposition must be quite terrible at planning to confess only at this juncture that they lack money. Dear Gawwwd, it's only money. Couldn't they have opened their mouth like 2 months EARLIER when the machines started abuzzing? I don't know what's going on. But I'm an average voter. If you can't even budget credibly in the past year that you know you're going to run in this particular ward, why should I trust you with more money? So that you can make a point or send a message? But apparently, I'm getting updates that deposits have been secured as of now. Hmmm....exciting and exciting-er.

It's getting to be fun. The run-up to the elections have turned my usually non-vocal friends into noisy birds and the usually opinionated ones into something close to being an obnoxious orator. I decided to shut up and shove food into my mouth, and drink, while nodding sagely and making appropriate noises at relevant pauses to the strongly and persuasively argued points on both sides. Being bombarded online and at face-to-face meetings can be quite painful and tiresome. Still, I rather listen to this sort of conversation than to discuss inane topics.

Hinoki
22 Cross Street,
#01-50/53 China Square Central
South Bridge Court S048421
Tel: +65 6536 7746

Back To The Grind

I've been firmly back in town for a week, finished the entire filing and documentation for the work trip, met friends, got back onto the duty roster, said a big hello to all the old folks who thought I had quit on them, ate lots of spicy sambal, salty chwee kueh and awesome dhaal. If you ask me what local food I miss, it's sambal, chwee kueh, dhaal, and palak paneer. In that order. Of course these included painting the town red and drinking copious amounts of sake and whisky.

It says alot when I haven't fixed appointments with the nail therapist or the hair stylist. These are about the only things I'm quite fussy about and they're the first places I head to when I touch down at home. Anyway, I'm very busy thrashing the nails through jumping, swimming and extended minutes on the piano, so they can remain ugly for a while more. I'll figure out about the hair when it gets really bad. Needless to say, I don't even bother with a facial since I never quite paid attention to that normally.

My entire RSS feed and social media channels are continuously flooded with news of the Singapore elections. The number of new updates has tripled! I've been pulled between laughter, anger, analytical neutrality, then anger and hilarity. No matter, I've been kept rather entertained day and night with random comments, carefully worded and dissected thought pieces, proffered academic theories and political discourse. Of course I know my vote. I've always known it. These 2 fun weeks of watching mud-slinging and reading terribly written pieces and horrible headlines in the newspapers aren't going to swing my vote too much. That is, IF I get to vote. I highly doubt it though. Dammit, I should have booked that flight out of town on 6 May. Well, at least now I can have 7 May very free to do all these vain grooming things I've intended. Muahahahha.

I stared at the S$12 blouse bought from a stall at Project Spare Attire. I decided to put it on and pair it with a severe pencil skirt (black, what else?) and sky-high heels. I didn't want to buy the blouse because of the frills on the shoulders. I don't like frilly and ribbon-y stuff. Clean lines appeal. Then I thought, what the heck, just buy. It isn't too bad, and the frills are minimal. Very happy to find out that it's a good fit and falls well. What a bargain, really! I should have bought it in pink as well! I shall wear it again. No, the color is not indicative of ANYTHING.

Limoncello Pizza & Grill

I loved seeing the friends, but groaned very loudly when they wanted to have Italian for dinner. WAH LAU. If it sucked, it would be a pure waste of stomach space. I wasn't quite ready to have pasta just one week after all that Italian fare in Argentina.

Limoncello, an Italian eatery has replaced the other vapid Italian restaurant. When I scrolled through my blog archives, I was a little amused to see that it was almost a year to the date the man and I were at the old place! Although it was convenient, we never returned for a second try for so many reasons. And now, we were at this new replacement with the friends. I flipped through the wine list and dryly commented, "They've neither Malbec nor a proper website." You don't want to know how far back the friends' eyes rolled.

It was packed out this evening. Hmmm...I was quite skeptical as to how good the food would be.The restaurant's a very casual place, and noisy. Not a white-tablecloth affair. Full of sensible seemingly-solid wooden tables. It's an ideal venue for brainless evenings if you don't know what to eat. They played Corrine May's cd in full. As much as I didn't mind that, it got a bit grating after a while. Playing the full length cd of any album from any singer isn't a good idea in restaurants. Service isn't top notch, but it's earnest. That's enough for me. The servers forgot our pizza and told us that they accidentally sent it to another table. The line was so bad that we knew it was a lie. But they were very apologetic and served us our 'forgotten' pizza within 10 minutes, so all was forgiven.

The table shared the food. I definitely couldn't deal with a full portion of pasta. I wasn't going to eat alot. A mouthful of each pasta was more likely. I picked the plainest fettucine with truffle cream. It didn't disappoint. There were seafood pasta, lasagna and ravioli, all priced very reasonably. What a surprise, the hearty fare was more than edible. The pasta was done properly al dente. Overall, dinner was fairly good. Unpretentious and the food almost tasted homecooked. If you eat meat, order the ravioli and lasagna. If the restaurant doesn't change its chef, I'll come back here to eat ravenously when I've gotten over my dread for pasta.

Limoncello Pizza & Grill

95 Robertson Quay

Rivergate #01-19/01-20

(facing the river and the back of King's Centre and Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel)

Singapore 238256

Tel: +65 6634 5117 Fax: +65 66345119

Email: limoncellosg@gmail.com

In Florals With The Girls

I woke up, bounded out of bed and decided to wear not to wear black today. (It must be lady J's influence.) I dug out an old dress (flea market buy!) from the dusty depths of the wardrobe and put it on. I'm not sure if it screams 'me!', but it was a comfortable get-up for a day out.

There was a lunch date at Tatsuya with the girlfriend and her little lass. We plonked ourselves at the table, and once the little lass charmed the servers, we terrorized them with our orders for some tweaking to the usual dishes. Some sashimi and sushi were in order, along with toddler-friendly eats.

We shared had a fruit and vegetable salad. Loved those pear strips within. Made the salad crunchy and sweet. For lil'Missy, lunch consisted of steamed Japanese rice, tamago, tofu, a big bowl of clear mushroom soup, and a whole steamed yellowtail cheek. Yes, you read right. Lil'Missy loves her fish. She gingerly took a dainty bite of the yellowtail cheek and gave us a bright smile. She emphatically nodded "More fish." It wasn't a giant fish cheek, but it was sizeable, and she steadily finished it all by herself. I was majorly impressed.

Come to think of it, lil'Missy probably ate more than her mommy and I combined. I mean, sure, we polished off the sashimi and chirashi. But the little lass finished all her rice and soup which came in adult portions. And there was that fish. Her preferences have shifted since a year ago, but her very healthy appetite remains unwavering.

She was quite upset when we didn't allow her to part-take our desserts of plum wine jelly and melon. She's still got a cough and shouldn't be eating melon. The other contained alcohol. So that was that. We distracted her by telling her that she would get strawberries. Luckily she loves strawberries. So the server went off to the kitchen to get 6 beautifully deep red sweet ones for her. She merrily ate them up and didn't share any with us. Hmmmpff.

We rounded to 40 Hands for good coffee to-go and headed home to chat and have some down-time. Lil'Missy accepted my offer of more strawberries at home, making it a total of 9 strawberries she ate today. While the girlfriend and I chatted, the little lass entertained herself with some giggly iPhone game, fiddled with all the remotes on the table and rolled about on the floor. She was so pleased with herself because she thought she had pointed the right remote to the fan and turned it on and then off. I held my grin and didn't tell her that the remote she used wasn't quite the one for the fan. Kekekekkekeke.

Then we plunged into the loud music and Project Spare Attire at Home Club where there were plenty of colors and cheer. We waved hello very enthusiastically to Corsage and Bubbles. It was awesome to see them. We came away with some cool buys and a load of fun. The girlfriend found great dresses that fit well and vintage-y earrings. I was very thrilled with a couple of easy tops and a fun statement ring! Saturdays should be filled with laughter and warmth like this!

Food For Thought, Certainly

Fresh out of the plane last Sunday, sitting at the very local, superbly Singaporean Bedok hawker centre to satisfy the chwee kueh-porridge cravings gave me a little more food for thought than I bargained for. It reminded me about the elections (which I've largely and conscientiously ignored) and everything else about people, ground sentiments, government and this leeeeetle issue of something called 'reality'.

Working till 70 and beyond

We sat down at a free table littered with empty plates. At a packed hawker centre, the limited number of elderly cleaners couldn't clear all tables in time. They couldn't cope. So I shrugged and cleared the plates, and wiped the table. Not a big deal. I grew up seeing elderly cleaners shuffle around Singapore. It seemed a bit sad, but since it was common, it wasn't a big deal. I truly believed these old people wanted to work for the sake of being self-sufficient. There wasn't anything odd about that. It isn't till about 18 years old, when I began roaming the world, then realization sank in that we're about the only country in the world with this odd social phenomenon of bent white-haired people coming out to do menial, exhausting work as cleaners in public spaces and office buildings.

The Forgotten

In that 35 minutes of eating or so, I freely admit I was a tad annoyed by no less than 10 elderly and disabled people coming up to sell packets of tissues. I haven't sat down at a hawker centre for a really long time. So this continual stream of people thrusting packets of tissues in my face came as a bit of a shock. People do that in the past, but it seems as though the numbers have increased. Is this indicative of a social trend? Clearly, these elderly and disabled, even if they're on social assistance, feel it keenly that the amount handed out isn't enough to tide them over month-to-month. And don't give me the bullshit about them wanting to do something and be self-sufficient. Is this phenomenon seriously tolerated and quietly encouraged?

Shifting Grounds

It was just the man and I at the table of 6. A family of 3 asked us in Mandarin if they could sit with us. Of course. The man is Singapore. He used the Singlish-Hokkien terms. The wife is from mainland China, and spoke in putonghua. The 3-year old little kid spoke excellent Mandarin with precise enunication. As I listen to the conversations of the tables around, I realized that half of the tables were made up of foreigners who live and work in Singapore. Not that I particularly cared. I've no issues with an open-door policy for immigrants. Fair competition, I say. But I dislike being made to speak Mandarin at chic restaurants in a country where English is purportedly the working language. I want to strangle these servers at the restaurants. I certainly do not appreciate being squished into 700 square kilometres with 5 million people. Everywhere I go, it's a constant fight with people for space. Each time I get out of Singapore, I see less people and a great deal of space, and I'm pleased as a bird.

*********

I dislike the integrated resorts GREATLY. Have you been there? So tell me, what nationalities are the bulk of people working there? They're certainly more beneficial to non-Singaporeans than Singaporeans per se, in many ways. Political systems need to evolve. If we're supposedly first class, then government structures and systems have to move forwards. We're an economic stronghold, but we're nowhere near mature in terms of citizenry and political structures. For a long time now, I don't equate a country's standard of living as being proportionate to its quality of living.

I'm not liking the tone of the current candidates thrust out by the incumbent party. Their speeches smack of utter arrogance and tell of a disconnect. I'm generalizing here, but I find the content of the speeches, the delivery and the attitude disrespectful to the masses and proletariat, and insulting to the bourgeoisie and intellectuals. I'm not a clueless child who needs to be told what to do. You say good means good meh? I've a brain and a choice. If I can, I fully intend to exercise that right.

What's In My Bag : Weekend

With the post on the daily bag done, I thought it'd be fun to do a post for the weekend bag as well! When I needn't head to work and need to carry my whole life around, the chosen bag is often stuffed with less items.

As much as I love black, it's really only for the clothes. My bags are full of happy colors. But I don't quite like prints still. I still pick out the solid colors. Heh. The weekend bag is light-hearted and casual. Today, I picked out a brown bag. I like this Hermès sling very much. So I got it first in brown, then blue, dark rose and orange.

Often, I don't bother with a wallet, especially during the weekend. A card holder is sufficient. The usual suspects of the camera, my dependable Chanel lip balm, a Guerlain lipstick (I'm currently VERY into Guerlain products), a different scent of purse spray and a colorful foldable carrier bag are placed within. I don't bother carrying namecards or the work Berry. I don't need a make-up pouch even! No need to touch-up because I won't be out for more than 4 hours at any one session!

Today's sunnies of choice is a pair of easy brown-rimmed metal frame Tom Ford. And I have the teeny crochet bear sitting in there just for fun. I like her because she kinda means something to me. It's an unexpected handmade gift. The bear comes in handy when I need to take photos of stuff....or like today at mass where she occupied the friends' bub for a bit before she attempted to bite her. She (the bear) makes a good photo point, don't ya think?

Chilling Out With Lady J

Before lady J leaves for an exciting new chapter in her life, we had to do drinks. We couldn't just continue reading each other's blogs and not meet. How and when to squeeze out a date was a mega headache, between her work, packing, catching up with her friends, and mine. She was free to schedule dates in the day for the week, but I could only do evenings. But we managed to make it happen. Awesome.

Orihara Shoten is a tiny standing sake bar. But lady J had the foresight to make reservations and we got the only table available. Heeeeee. She had earlier warned me about the bar not having seats, so I was already in flats and carried an easy sling bag. I wouldn't mind standing for the evening, but sitting down was definitely preferable!

I possess no knowledge of sake, or the bites which would complement the drinks, so I left it to lady J to pick out everything. That sake was a great choice. I don't do so well with dry sake. But her choice was not dry, and not too sweet- the dangerous sort. Yes, we finished a bottle of sake. It wasn't very difficult. Luckily I had some measure of training back in the old office where we gulped sake. Now, I've no idea where lady J got her training from, but I'm NOT doing more than a bottle of sake with her at any one sitting, not even if there's good food abound. You think I can drink? This woman can drink me under the table ANY day.

It was an evening I looked forward to after a very strange crazy week back in the office after the trip. The man just got in from his work trip, but I dumped him anyway for this exciting date! Conversation between lady J and I flowed so easily. That's half the fun about blogging. It's so easy to suss out people you can talk to and share common conversation topics with. Did the alcohol help in this case? No. We're too good at this drinking thing. :P Was it fluffy fun, hell yah. Was it superficial? No. Was it comfortable? Yes. Once we got past the introductions, lady J displayed her powerful sense of humor that got me all doubled up cackling. I tell you, she's definitely my shopping guru.

Travel well, lady J. Our drinks' session was too short! It was fabulous. I truly enjoy your company. Till the next time you're back. I want to dog-nap Sparky, and I owe you dinner. xxxooo

So Good To Taste Tatsuya's Flavors!

If you're wondering when the Tatsuya makan took place, it was yesterday!!! Heheh. A full month without good Japanese food, I sorely sorely hunger for it.

So with no prior reservations or warning that I was turning up, a foot was stuck into the doorway of Tatsuya, When the servers saw me, they went into a bit of a fluster because they were full for the evening. Now, I don't recommend you try it, because chances are, you'll have to sit al fresco in the stifling heat where no fans help. But for me, they somehow squeezed out counter seats and sat me down with a disapproving look. "Call us first next time lah." I grinned and promised to eat fast.

I didn't bother with a full course of omakase. I just wanted a quick fix in the form of chirashi with the specific preferred ingredients, and a salmon skin handroll. That would be very quickly done, as long as the chef found time to prep my order. There was once when I was in a huge hurry and they did it in 10 minutes. Tonight was almost as fast, except for that they knew I wasn't in a hurry, so they took 15 minutes. Heh.

I was quite tickled when Chef Ronnie Chia came around to show us a list indicating the sources of his current supply of fish. He really didn't have to, by virtue of us being there. But he still did. I told him he was being naggy and I'd still turn up no matter what. His chefs and girls already knew I was out of town for the month and should not link my non-appearance to a display of no-confidence due to the recent events. Between 80% - 90% of Tatsuya's fish come from Japan. Now, it would be less as they had to stop the imports from the restricted zones. I could taste the difference in certain fish sourced from other areas. They aren't too bad really. Certainly not completely authentic, but interesting enough for me not to mind it. Like I said, I trust the integrity of these restaurants.

What's In My Bag

I vaguely recall doing something like this a long time back. But I can't seem to find that post. So I can't cheat, Lady J! I didn't know when I'd find time to tumble things out of the bag, but I did. So here you go.

So whatever you see here, are my choices for the day. This is my default roughwear Prada bag, which is to be placed on the floor, thrown around, stuffed to the max and often, kicked under seats in a plane. You'll soon realize I'm not very bothered with names of bags or the special names of the colors under the label. I'm very boring too. When something works for me, I buy them in multiples. I've this Prada bag in identical designs of beige, red, blue and orange. Heeeee.

I carry a different bag each day, according to my mood and depending on the the activities on the calendar. That includes my wallet too. I rotate 3 wallets a week, each from different labels but about the same shape and size. I like small wallets. I have only 5 essential cards and a bit of cash. That goes for the make-up pouch- same pouch from the same label, but in 3 different colors. The folded carrier of the day will match the colors of whatever bag I choose. Ummmm.....same goes for the foldable umbrella. The color of the brolly is supposed to match my bag and outfit. But I don't usually carry a brolly, unless I expect to be out in the open.


Different pairs of sunglasses follow the bag out each day. Kekekekkekeke. Different sunglasses give a different vibe! Frames in metal or plastic, polarized or otherwise. It all depends on what I'm doing for the day. I love sunnies and wear them all the time out in the sun. Today, it's a Rayban with a red frame. And yes, if you must know, the drawer has Raybans in ummm.....MANY colors.

There's the trusty camera which I lug around every day. There're the assorted necessities of 2 Blackberry handhelds, hand cream, pen, purse spray, namecard holder, dumbdumb pouch for office keys/access card, etc. Speaking of which, if I stay on after probation, I need to get a new pouch. This brownish wristlet is very tak glam to carry around the office into meetings.

My make-up pouch is fairly basic. It contains compact, lip gloss, lipsticks, blusher, brush, eyebrow pencil, eyedrops, facial oil blotters, and of course, industrial strength earplugs. I go to way too many gigs and bars not to carry earplugs. I don't stick to one brand of make-up or anything. I mix them around and once I finish, another brand is sourced.

If you think I spend alot of time deciding what clothes to wear, which bag to swing, or which wallets/pouches to use, I don't. I make my decisions in the morning when I wake. Between peeling the eyes open to lazing around, to showering, grabbing vits and scanning headlines on newspapers and tv channels, I'm usually out of the house in 45 minutes. 30 minutes, if I'm in a hurry. I preen faster than the man. I'm the one usually twiddling thumbs in the living room waiting for him to be ready.

Are you bored yet? You must have realized that I've a very boring color palette across the board for all my clothes and accessories. That goes for bedsheets, wallpaper and whatnots. Minimal prints, few lines, graphics, no nothing. Almost monochrome. I don't know, it's just a visual thing for me. I assure you I'm not that boring in real life. At least I hope the friends think so! :P


Here's a glimpse of exciting stuff in these lovely ladies' bags:

• Lady J at Musings
• R at The Pleasure Monger
• Miss Ene at Miss Ene & The Boy
• Z at Scribbles and Snapshots

Hinoki

I've popped by Hinoki a couple of times, before it was officially open, and thereafter, but I've never gotten around to mentioning Hinoki.

Remember Kome at Keppel Club? It's still there, but with new chefs and not the Chef Lawrence and Chef Gary we're familiary with. So Chef Lawrence and Chef Gary have gone on to the latest incarnation called 'Hinoki' at China Square Central. A much better location, methinks. To many of the friends, it's way more convenient than its secluded location in the far south of the island where we've to fight heavy traffic to get there. Now, it makes for an easier venue when doing impromptu meetings.

Hinoki still isn't fine-dining by any mark, but retaining the feel of a casual eatery. The food is just as decent as it used to be. I don't care about the nonsense of radioactive seafood from Japan. I place my trust in AVA and the integrity of the restaurants I frequent. I assume they're vigilant on our behalf. Not going to avoid sushi and sashimi just because of all the hooha. How can we possibly eat enough to fall ill?

Anyway, it's good to have Hinoki back in the thick of action. I rather missed it when it wasn't around. But I certainly didn't miss Chef Lawrence's annoying way of introducing all customers at the sushi bar. Mid-range decent quality Japanese food isn't easy to find, and by now, you know how picky I'm about Japanese food, and no, ramen and tonkatsu wouldn't do. If I don't feel like paying S$250 for a meal on days with little appetite or cravings, Hinoki's prices are very much kinder, minus the associated lower-priced crappy food served at other self-proclaimed Japanese restaurants.

Hinoki
22 Cross Street,
#01-50/53 China Square Central
South Bridge Court S048421
Tel: +65 6536 7746

Cheerful Colors For The Evening

Such fun that Corsage and I arrived at Hua Ting at the same time- which was earlier than scheduled. Yay. I couldn't wait to catch up with the woman. It's been too long!

I've missed chatting with her about anything and everything. We've been so busy. She's one of those women who are also wonderful mothers, but hold on to their individuality. She's got amazing insight each time it comes to work issues- always different from mine and offers a sensible alternative angle, which is often a better way to manage outcomes positively.

We talked about her sister and the friends' 'Project Spare Attire' which has culminated in a flea market happening from 3 - 8pm this Saturday at Home Club. There's been overwhelming response from people donating clothes- ratty, used and new. Awesome. People do respond to community calls. But come Saturday, it'll be a bigger challenge to get people (and friends) to part with their money to BUY these clothes.

I'll gladly donate an amount in place of buying the clothes, because I don't want to end up getting clothes that I don't particularly want. But that's not the point, is it? The mission is to recognize the volunteers' enthusiasm, their efforts and commitment into putting this event together. That, I admire, and acknowledge. So please let me find something pretty this Saturday!

Corsage was in this stunning blue dress that fit her perfectly. I loved the color, the fabric; how it's cut and the scoop neckline, and how she jazzed it up with the belt. I loved the whole vibe of her get-up which was absolutely sexy, sassy and oozing total confidence. I stared a little harder at the belt and dissolved into embarrassingly loud giggles. I brought stuff for corsage and husband in a colorful gift carrier, which kinda matches her colorful belt. Hehhehee. She looked really chic swinging the bag off her arm. Everything matched! I had to take a photo of bag and belt side by side!

Back With The Friends

Contrary to what you people think, I haven't been drinking that much alcohol. Okay, that's not quite right. Very lovely Australian wines featured largely at dinners in March; Argentine Malbecs and chardonnay were present at every lunch and dinner for the last 3 weeks.

So, yes, there's been ALOT of wine, but you know wine is neither something I understand or feel for. The glasses of Penfolds Grange and Henschke Hill of Grace, along with the boutique bottles of Malbeck made me go...."mmmm...nice". And that was all. Whisky was the rare indulgence on three nights when I had access to a free hour, and the bar stocked single malts that weren't shite.

But I haven't had beer at all. It was a very welcome drink on Sunday afternoon. Admittedly, it wasn't the best thing to go with the earlier lunch of spicy nasi lemak and sambal chwee kueh AND zi char dinner. The combination of all that chilli, beer and sambal petai, curry fishhead, sambal fried rice and chilli-everything-else did violent cartwheels in my stomach and resulted in unspeakable horrors. But what the hell, I was pleased as punch. I had the man for one day before he left on his work trip with no specific return date, and the friends who were a tad taken aback by the weight loss and were determined to fatten me up.

Today's lunch with colleagues from the previous office made me really happy. Since I haven't had much Chinese food, it wasn't even annoying that we met at Wah Lok. They were super efficient in pining down a date and time 3 weeks ago. I looked forward to it so much, and when it came to pass, it was a lovely long 2-hour lunch. I really miss working with these cool people. They're now friends instead of just ex-colleagues. I hate that label. I don't bother to catch up with ex-colleagues. What a waste of time. I meet friends.

I get unsettled and restless being stuck in Singapore. I'm fine being away, and not at all unhappy at the length of the work trip. People thought I might grumble and my boss thought my partner would not be too jaunty about it, but we're okay. However, it always feels good to be home. :) For a bit, anyway!

Adiós Argentina

Right from the start, I knew it’s going to be an exhausting trip, but I’ll learn so much from it. I’m right. At the end of the trip, it doesn’t seem to be so bad. Yes, it’s a long time away from home, and work frustrations have made me feel trapped for a bit, but it’s not horrifying. It’s just the shock of a new job coupled with an immediate lengthy work trip of which I don’t know shit about the agenda.

I’ve learnt so much about new destinations that I might otherwise not have taken the courage to travel this far on a vacation with limited time. I’ve had some fun working in different teams operating on polar frequencies, met many people, come to understand my new boss and his preferred management style really quickly; how the new job shapes up and the full extent of the tasks and responsibilities. As the days pass and fill up with quite exciting matters, I know I will last the 3 months of probation. Then the company and I will decide.

I like Argentina. If you notice, there're very few countries that I dislike. I firmly believe that as a traveler and not a resident, there's something nice and fun to be found in each country. Every destination has so much to offer. If you're in the right frame of mind and are prepared to embrace all inconvenience and a new set of culture, then you'll truly appreciate all that lies within the eye. The friends and I have suddenly talked about Peru, and we might just be able to swing a trip. I shall probably offer my services as their exclusive travel concierge, not that I know Peru, but more of for the fact that I can do all the logistics so easily, with my eyes closed. Heeeeee.

I'd love to have a direct flight home. That would be really convenient and less of a hassle. Too bad SQ doesn't fly direct from Buenos Aires to Singapore. SQ has no foothold in South America at all. Com'mon! Let those negotiations on air services work its magic like how Sao Paulo has materialized (You know that Barcelona's a technical stop, right?)!

Unfortunately, I can’t buy any sort of wood or food items, dulce de leche, jams and whatnots. Flying through Sydney means I can’t take them in. Oz customs are damn vigilant about flights coming in from South America. But it’s okay. This is one of the fastest and kindest routes to and fro Argentina with no worries of lost luggage and induces minimal jet lag. I’m not keen on flying through Mexico to Sao Paulo or Santiago, then Auckland, or do the Frankfurt, Dubai or Johannesburg route either. I wouldn’t mind the London route, but that’s crazy unless I want a couple of days to chill out there. For now, this Sydney-Singapore route is ideal. The flight timings are kind, and don’t bother me too much because I sleep like a dead log on planes. And no matter how I bitch about Qantas, it’s bearable, and its economy class baggage allowance is 2 suitcases at 23kg each. Ha. That seals the deal for many travelers. Plus I get to fly SQ from Sydney to home, and that matters to me, very much.

As I zip up the suitcases, it’s with a pang of wistfulness that this trip is finally ending. I’d like to go home, but there isn’t thick homesickness. I miss sambal and chwee kueh, but no other food. If the man isn’t flying off to somewhere else on his work trip, I’d have asked him to come join me and we head off for another week to Mendoza and Patagonia. I don’t quite care about the shopping and having no gifts for friends. Sometimes, work trips aren’t about buying souvenirs. It’s to be selfish and hold those memories and experiences in your mind. The friends have been awesome in sending me lots of chirpy emails, links and photos. You guys on this blog have kept me company through late nights and early mornings. I almost miss those hectic days. :P

A Most Talented Musician

My hosts arranged for a private showcase by some musicians. I was dead tired that evening. My brains weren't quite functioning. When the music came on, I zoned out, and didn't pay much attention to the musicians. Neither did our hosts go into details about them, except that they're very famous local musicians. The singer is good, but there're many awesome singers in the country. The bandoneon player isn't as enthralling as the other one. The outstanding musician is the elderly pianist. He is extremely experienced, talented and possesses the most nimble fingers ever.

The musicians have put together a cd and gave me a copy. When the evening ended, exhausted, I fell into bed and slept, and slept. I forgot about the performance till I saw the music cd in the suitcase last night. I put it on. Poor recording and mastering made the cd sound really raw, but the shiny talent of the musicians can't be masked. It sounds quite beautiful. As I listened, something clicked. I remember the fabulous sounds that came out of the piano from the pianist's hands. His playing and unique touch of the keys are unforgettable. I did some determined googling and almost fell off my chair at the results popping up on the screen.

OMG. OMG. OMG. This is way better than running into U2 and Muse at my hotel! Or catching The National 2 weeks later in another city after they cancelled on Singapore. The pianist I saw, is Armando Blumetti. OMG. Armando Blumetti! The maestro is 85 years old. He's one of the most talented tango/jazz/bigband pianists in all of Argentina. I had the fortune to hear him play for 2 hours in an intimate setting, and tragically, didn't recognize him till NOW! See what happens when ignorance takes over. ARRRRRRRGH.

Argentina & Harrods

Before I came to Buenos Aires, the friends had just returned from visiting in the city. We had a discussion about the rich-poor divide in the city, and wondered how and why Argentine friends said that there aren’t any bank loans available in the city. We have all been warned not to be flashy and stride along the streets of Buenos Aires thinking we're safe.

The Argentines I met also mentioned about the crime rate in the Buenos Aires. It’s common to be robbed at least twice in your residence there. Now, that’s not an assuring idea at all. The locals are quite blasé about it. Not just one, but many said that it’s cool to wear fakes so that at least when robbed, the monetary losses are minimal. !!! There's a sort of warped logic in that, yes. I’ve been hanging out at affluent Recoleta, which is a chic and fairly safe area in the city. Even the areas of Palermo seem okay. Our trips to anywhere are chauffeured, and I haven’t really felt unsafe in this city even when walking around the adjacent streets. I’ve been traipsing in the better parts of the city. I saw the slums though. After the associate told me about it, I went out of my way to drive past the slums. Sobering.

After some weeks here with a fair bit of interaction with Argentines, and a lot of background information gleaned from the necessity of research for work, I’m beginning to understand a little more of this vast country. The city functions, of course, somewhat. It’s in the middle of the run up to the October Presidential election which seems to sway towards no changes to anything. A lot of it has got to do with its current economic policies. The financial crisis of 2007 remains painfully fresh in people’s minds when the government slapped a tight withdrawal limit that’s almost ridiculous. It has since lifted, but people remember, and fear. The banking system in Argentina is generally non-existent, rather, its structure leaves much to be desired. The official stats of 12% inflation don’t reflect the reality. Your money is best kept in foreign banks.

Harrods came in 1914, expanded in 1920 and went bust in 1998. Then it got tied up in a mess of lawsuits. The building now stands empty and a portion of its floors serves as a venue for cultural events. There's talk of Harrods re-opening in Buenos Aires. It's been a long time coming. Last I heard, that was in 2003. I peered through the dark dusty windows and the interiors were desolately empty. If they don’t finish the discussions to refurbish and re-open soon, in another couple of years, the building will be derelict.

Tango

Tango is a huge thing in Argentina. Anyone who first steps in must watch a Tango show. I haven’t been to those in the 2 mega theatres in Buenos Aires, but I’ve seen the dancers flit in and out at our dinners. I wasn’t at all impressed.

They were going through the motions of a paid performance for the night rather than genuinely dancing, or stepping well. Their facial expressions were fine, but the steps were not clean and sharp. The hand movements were not clear and decisive or soft and sensual, but half-hearted and not completed. And, the colors of the costumes were horrendously matched, and badly sewn. If they had passion for their craft, I didn’t see it. I’ve been enjoying the music more than the dancing.

It’s annoying to see run-of-the-mill sub-par performances milking the tourist dollar. Show ‘em some flesh, and the audience is hooked. There must be good tango dancers in Argentina of competition standard. But where are they?!! I was pointed to a dance studio in Buenos Aires which offers tango lessons, and also a shop selling dancing shoes. No tango can be done well without proper dancing shoes. So I bought a simple pair of heels.

I’m not very likely to go dancing in Singapore. The man doesn’t dance, at all. Gaaaah. I took a 2-hour refresher lesson. It was exhilarating. I’ve almost forgotten that I could dance. After hearing me mention about the poor standards at the tango shows, my dance instructor was highly amused and she took me to her favorite private dance club. And woah, the good dancers were all there! None were professionals save for some anchor dancers to partner the paying customers. But the best are the ones who do it as a hobby. Very nice. But instructor sighed in disapproval at my short hair. She said long hair is much preferable to bring out the sensuality of tango. Duhhhhhh. What, can’t short hair be sensuous too?

Crizia

Before we leave Buenos Aires, we’ve somehow earned half an evening off. It was already 8.45pm. We heaved a sigh of relief. Neither of us wanted to stay in for dinner or do any sort of work on the laptop. I’ve largely left the choices of makan venues to the associate as he will sniff out the good ones. He decided to have dinner at Crizia.

The server said that all produce was local (but of course) and the oysters were from Patagonia. So I bravely ate 2 oysters. Not too briny. Pretty fresh. I skipped the appetizers and went straight to a main of saffron linguine with king crab. Creamy, but ooh so good. I like this restaurant.

It was an evening when we could finally wind down and not think about work, negotiations, reports or briefs for a few hours. So we ordered wine. We’ve tasted many reds from Mendoza. Tonight, we tried a bottle of Malbec from Salta. It was as expected- fruity and easy on the palate. I was doubtful that we could finish a bottle. But we did! Or rather, I had 3 glasses and the associate finished the rest! He’s way more into wine than I am. I’m so jealous of him because he’s not flying home via Sydney and he could take a bottle of Malbec in the suitcase.

Hmmmm. My tolerance for wine seems to have increased by a fair bit over the last month. I’ve had a glass red wine for almost every meal- I refuse to do more than that because the wooziness sets in after one glass. However, with all these ‘one glass’ here and there, the body seems to be more amenable to wine now.

Coffee in Argentina

The coffee at the hotel sucks. They should really change their silly machines which break down every other day. The cappuccino is made up of more milk than coffee. I'm forced to look for coffee outside of the hotel. The coffee served at the cafes dotting the city is much better. And luckily, the black coffee served at meetings work fine too.

There're many sidewalk cafes around the city and the provinces. Chilling out is quite the thing to do here. But, you'll have to try hard to ignore traffic dust and noise, including sewer stink at times. At cafes where there're no mozzies, we sit outside. The weather's great. Why not. I think we've been so cooped up in rooms that we simply ask for outdoor sitting each time we saunter into a cafe.

The closest to a flat white that I can find here is a café au lait , or as the language calls it, café con leche. Otherwise, I'll just stick to their cortado- black coffee with a dash of milk. I'm quite happy with it. It does give me the much needed caffeine. I'm careful not to drink it in the afternoons though. It's so strong that it can keep me awake past 2am, and I need to sleep!

At The Shops

Argentina is also famed for its leather. Quality varies from shop to shop, source to source. However, not all shops stock good stuff and not all styles are pretty. You need to be really selective to pick out the well-stitched ones.

Last week, my heels were killing me. Wearing heels all day, no matter how comfortable they are, hurts after a while. No blisters, but the bunions sent excruciating pain. I wanted to buy the soft leather moccasins which could ease that sharp pain. They're ugly shoes, alright, but some aren't too bad and they're practical. But you know what, they didn't stock the chosen moccasins in blue at this outlet, so I refused to buy them. Muahahahha. After all, a hot soak and a good 7 hours in bed will make the feet feel better. I never quite saw a pleasing design to buy. Or rather, I didn't want to go to the shops to find it.

The bags were quite interesting. The shops in Buenos Aires carry the well-made ones. But it's kinda odd to see all the Mulberry and Hermès designs replicated in other local labels. It's a little tough trying to find something of an original design in a shop. I didn't bother with the bags at all. I've too many bags anyway!

However, a leather jacket is what I want to buy in the country, if I should somehow stumble across one. They've an amazing array of soft leather jackets in various designs and colors. At the boutique with the work associates, I saw one, but hesitated because of the price tag and the only color in stock- brown. But it's well tailored and stitched. The price tag honestly, isn't as hefty as any from the designer labels. When I returned the next day, they found one in black for me. Perfect. I couldn't say no anymore. :)

Not That Royal China

There’re almost no Chinese restaurants in Argentina, but there’re some in Buenos Aires. One edible and presentable restaurant, to be precise. Royal China. It’s got no affiliation to the chain of Royal China we know. It’s just the name used that’s the same. A tad misleading, I would say. Whatever happened to trademarks ah?

When a restaurant of today has no website, I’m almost skeptical. We thought it's some dingy little eatery. We felt better when we saw it. The décor is assuring in the modern chic familiarity of Chinese restaurants. Located in the touristy stretch along the river at Puerto Madero, Royal China has its fair share of customers in the form of locals, expatriates and tourists.

It’s edible because the Chef is from Hong Kong. It was a little disconcerting to have the Chef walk out of the kitchen and speak in Cantonese-accented Mandarin to the manager who’s a Chinese lady. The rest of the staff is Spanish. They do speak a little bit of English. Aside from pointing to the menu when ordering food, it'll be a little tough to ask for other things unless you speak Mandarin or Spanish.

However, the steamed white rice used isn’t the jasmine fragrant rice we know. It’s Argentine long-grain rice. To me, I eat so little that I don’t quite care about it. But the others on the table scrunched up their faces at it and pronounced it “not nice”. Alamak, this isn't a white-rice eating city lah. Their rice is meant to be buttered rice or used in salads. Or as risotto. Duhhh. Anyway, the Chinese dishes were fairly good and OILY. Luckily I didn’t have to eat there more than twice, otherwise, I will not get to eat all the empanadas I want.

Royal China Restaurant, Tel: +54 11 4313-8121

Alicia Moreau de Justo 1808, (at Puerto Madero) Buenos Aires, Argentina