Here's My Truth

I've finished reading Hard Truths. Twice.

All other political opinions aside, I'm holding on to scathing personal opinions about our education system, and how it has brilliantly contributed to my unwavering decision not to breed.

That is all.

Dancing In The Rain

(photo stolen from a certain Mr Thomas)

We trained up at Glastonbury and Big Day Out mainly. The moment we knew St Jerome's Laneway Festival was coming, the tickets were bought in bulk, literally. Already, the friends made plans for boot parties and tanked up on supplies. Nobody wanted to pay for expensive alcohol at the tents that were selling the booze.

The friends' cars managed to find slots next to one another. The cars lined up in a row, and the boot parties were underway! The afternoon was well spent in tanking up on liquid fuel. With or without the festival, the boot parties could probably happen every other week! Heh. But of course, with the bands going on, that whole vibe was awesome. For many moments, you wouldn't think we were in Singapore.

Although we expected unkind weather, we weren't quite prepared for it to be this pissing wet. The weather held for half the afternoon before it went downhill. Can someone tell me who forgot to put the powerful combo of chilli and bawang in all corners of Fort Canning Park? The skies opened and rain poured forth, non-stop, increasing in intensity towards nightfall.

The grass fields became mudpits. Many pairs of Converse were totalled. Alot of us wore Crocs and friggin' awesome Wellies. Ponchos worked for a while. People who stood in the middle with umbrellas probably got very dirty looks. Ziplock bags were a heaven-sent. Poor iPhones and cameras. But if you could just throw caution to the wind and enjoy the rain pelting down, dancing in the watery beat to the sizzling rhythm from Foals and Temper Trap was the best thing ever.

Was Laneway Festival in Singapore a wash-out? Hell, no. Look at the crowd. (Don't say anything about hipsters ah.) It was still one of the better-organized outdoor festivals at Fort Canning so far. At least the sound system wasn't shite and held up in the storm. What a scream. Porta-loos aside, of course. I hate those damn things.

Finishing Up At Tatsuya

On the last day in the office, rounding up the day with a dinner at Tatsuya with the girlfriend seemed like a good way to end this chapter. It was one of the days when I left office early, and head out to a date at a sane hour. I should enjoy this while it lasts.

We had the misfortune of walking into the restaurant when the media visited and there was some sort of strange filming was going on. So annoying. Didn't want to be an extra in those frames. So we simply turned away and looked at our food. The Japanese media people were nice and quiet. Not too much of a bother. Whew.

The food was brilliant, as usual. I ate all the sushi I wanted, with the chef making a conscientious effort to knead less sushi rice for us. The girlfriend declined the huge oyster and went for the mega bean instead. Since she wasn't big on it on uni, I also stole most of it from her. Muahahahahha. Sake was absolutely unnecessary, but oh well, why not. It was a good accompaniment to the meal.

Last Day In This Office

Quietly, and without fanfare, it came to the last day of work. It was a busy last day. I had a project Closing to oversee and a Lunch to co-host. I wouldn't want the last day to be quiet. I was glad that this enjoyable 2-week project occupied the mind. In spite of all that I declared about being scared of hard work, keeping busy is good.

Time has flown by so fast since I put in the resignation in mid-August. I voluntarily served this longer-than-usual notice period because it made sense to. There was enough time to say goodbye to the colleagues I treasure, and to the job I love. By 4.45pm, my desk was clean. The IT and admin people had completed their checks and retrieval of all issued items.

I ran into plenty of people when I handed in the last bits of papers to HR. They were actually surprised that I was still around at this hour. People who left earlier than I did came to bid farewell. I was very touched. At 6pm, it was time to leave. Some colleagues were still in, and they walked me to the door. SO SWEET lah. Hugs aplenty, and it was the final goodbye. I'm going to miss them.

I had brought home most items, and today, it was just one bag of stuff to haul home. The girlfriend was waiting in the car. She put the bag into the boot, and drove out of the carpark. I took one last look at the office building. Strangely, I didn't feel anything. Buildings are just that- impersonal. Getting through the last day at work was easier than I thought. It was still bright, and the shadows slowly lengthened as we drove to dinner.

So this is it. A chapter is closed.

Unbelievable

By today, enough is enough. When the same person annoys me for consecutive days with a consistent lack of common sense, I lost it, and made very snide remarks to this particular security/estate supervisor.

You won't get this story totally unless you're my colleague. Anyways, anyhoooo.

*********

Heavy rain meant we had to take umbrellas to shelter the guests out to the big bus by the road. My people were busy taking care of the guests. There was no reason why unlike other mao-mao managers who would melt in the rain, I couldn't go collect the umbrellas from the store. So I did.

Same supervisor was in charge of umbrellas. There were 2 large trolleys (1 empty and 1 filled) and 1 small empty trolley. I wanted to take both large trolleys. He stopped me, and asked how many I needed. "25, and an empty trolley", I said. He wouldn't let me take the full trolley and said he'd have a problem in the evening if all the umbrellas were wet.

Excuse me? What's the logic? The umbrellas shivering in these trolleys were ALREADY wet. He already had a problem on his hands. I don't care about his problem. I care about my guests. He's staying dry behind the counter. I'm going to be standing out there drenched.

Never mind. The next thing he did, completely boggled my brains. He started counting and transferred umbrellas from the filled large trolley into the empty large trolley. Of course by the time he filled that trolley, only 3 umbrellas were left in the original. He merrily passed me that filled trolley and looked perplexed when I told him that the empty one was also needed. It was ALIEN-WEIRD. I didn't understand one bit of his actions. It took all I possessed not to scream at him right there and then.

I asked him, "[insert name of supervisor], seriously, you did all that and it's back to square one? Why didn't you just give me the 2 trolleys in the first place? They now look exactly the same, and you wasted 6 minutes of my time." He stared at me blankly. "I can only give you the numbers you want. 25 umbrellas. Otherwise I'll have a problem this evening."

I backed away. O.MY.GOD. It dawned on me, he didn't understand, not.the.least. And he's the first point of contact with our clients and customers. How lovely. No wonder some people think we're second-class professionals and first-class idiots. Does he have a modicum of brain cells in working order? And perhaps some common sense? I don't know whether to laugh in his face or be sympathetic for his sorry ass.

The Ship Restaurant

Would you believe that I've never been to The Ship Restaurant at Shaw Centre? I've hopped into Shashlik, but not The Ship. Shashlik serves baked ikan kurau! They're in the same category of those Chinese-Western old school restaurants that your parents (if you're at least in the late 20s) might have gone dating at. These two restaurants have been around for 2 decades!

My team rustled up a last-minute date among all the horribly busy schedules and hustled me off to lunch at The Ship Restaurant. What an awesome suggestion. It's a place I've always wanted to try, had the audacity to recommend it to some friends to take their parents to, but never actually stepped in. What a thrill! They said it wasn't my usual atas dinner venues, but hoped I'd like it all the same. I did! I do! That's the thrill in a group makan- middle ground.

Oh my gawwd! The Ship's decor is absolutely tacky, but it's such a scream. It's like stepping back into time, and so very kitschy-fun. The rib-eye steaks were quite passable. There were the 'famous' escargots that the intarwebs raved about. They were alright. The butter used wasn't ideal, so the full fragrance of the dish was buried under all that strange oil. The escargots were ummm....shrivelled :P But it would do. The most horrible dish of all was the dessert of one fried banana with dunno what yellow sticky gravy splattered on top. They used unripe bananas that aren't pisang raja. And for a fried banana, it came stone cold. EIOOOW.

They told me to order the beehoon soup with fried fish slices. I didn't even bother glancing at the menu, and did accordingly. My goodness, that bowl of soup was not overly salty, well flavored and lovingly boiled. Those crispy slices of fish served on the side were crunchy, yet moist and unexpectedly delicious. I'm quite sure it's better than any of those served at overpriced local hotel cafes.

I was pleased as punch with a good meal and sitting down with a team I love, talking about nothing and everything under the sun, trading tales about Sri Lanka and home renovations. Ah...happiness on a rainy afternoon. Even quirkier, we spied our (ex)Boss taking a time-out at lunch and wandering around the mall with his wife. Heh. We called him up to tease him.

How could I have waited so long to come try the food at The Ship? I LOVE THIS FISH SLICE BEEHOON SOUP. I'm coming back, ONLY for this dish.

Where's My Inner Peace?

I wrote many farewell notes over the weekend. It was a painful exercise. The memories, oh the memories. These colleagues are not just distant humans anymore. My resolve crumbled and I went out to buy some trinkets and snacks. You know I'm not great at wrapping gifts and have taken to putting things into pretty paper bags and call it a day. But I decided to wrap these tiny gifts piece by piece. This morning, I lugged heavy bags of presents to the office.

It was a very busy day. But at some point, I found time to clear out my desk. There're lots of things which don't belong to me. But plenty more precious assets that I'm taking away. In the evening, I hauled a heavy suitcase home, filled with some personal knick knacks and paintings I had accumulated over the years. Despite not wanting the cubicle to overflow with personalization, there's still some sort of 'decor' that has been unknowingly done.

The bags and suitcase were both bulky and heavy, straining the arms just a little. Lots of people offered help with them. But I gently declined. It's a burden I must bear alone, literally and metaphorically. The physical load is of no consequence. My heart is heavier. It's filled with a tangible weight that's causing me to toss and turn in the nights. I'm a little sad this week, for all that I'm leaving behind; filled with some measure of regret at what I've chosen to give up, and alot of dread at what's to come.

吃饭

There're a couple of personal assistants (PAs) in my organization whom I work often. Initially everyone said they are the 'scary fierce types'. I don't think so. They must have not met the seriously scary fierce types whom I deal quite often, the ones who are curt and call to scold me, then hang up. Those ladies are angels compared to these! The PAs picked a date when they could have a longer mid-day break and took me out to lunch. They made me decide on the venue. I gave it a think and chose Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao.

I really like that plain spring onion noodles (葱油面). It's really kinda tasty, if you like spring onions. Apparently, none of them had tried it, so they were game. I was a little worried! It could be too plain for some people. They dismissed that. "How plain can it be? It's like rice only what." And promptly ordered plenty of other dishes to go along with the meal. WAAAAH.

We didn't bother with dessert since the table wanted some red bean pancake thingy and they didn't have it on the menu anymore. They said to have dessert elsewhere. They refused to let me pay. Then they were shocked that I hadn't been to any outlets of The Daily Scoop and promptly dragged me to try the one at Chip Bee Gardens.

There's also a tiny lovely gift. They decided it would go well with my usual black clothes. I'm overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness of the PAs. This is the first (and likely to be the last) time I've ever lunched with them. I never never expected the sweet gestures.

My Farewell 'Party'

I sternly told the office to do nothing for me by way of farewell. A card was more than treasured. I didn't think I would be up for any sentimental talk. I might just cry. Arrrrgh.

Still, I knew something was up today. I've got a week more to go. But zipping between meetings and having some colleagues travelling meant we're short on dates to sit down for a chat even. The colleagues could only pull a last minute thing. And that tactic worked. They picked a really 'strategic' date to do this today. Clever people.

The colleagues kept it so low-key that I could not protest. It was literally one drink. :) Two, for some of us. Those who don't normally drink, took a cup too. Some couldn't drink because they had to attend an evening work event that didn't permit suspiciously flushed red faces. I couldn't stop laughing when I saw the carton of Coke Zero. What's up with that man! It was just a loud "Cheers", and that was that. Nothing more on the subject was said, and we talked about other stuff. They kept it short too. Awesome.

Am touched by colleagues' well-meaning gift. They didn't just randomly buy an item. I voiced violent objections to gifts. Did they listen? No. They thought about it, went out together to get me a nice white Nike jacket in the right size! How to say no to such a thoughtful gift? Luckily they didn't buy it in S. They somehow decided to buy it in M, which is a perfect fit. S would have been too small. Now, I need to find a slot to wear it and grab a nice photo.

The Art Of Delegating

Agency X complained to high heaven to Agency Y and Z that our organization pressurized them to do a task that they didn't want at such last minute notice. They put it in not very nice words.

Of course I got wind of it. I was quite miffed. Excuse me, I did mention that Agency X had the right of choice and could say no. If they have an issue, they should have told us that in the face and not whine to a hundred people about how overbearing we are. We simply asked a question. Never mind, I'll let it go and remember how lucky we are to have covered our asses in black and white.

Anyway, Agency X farmed out the task to Agency Y. Agency Y was fine doing it. And a line in the email made me screech with laughter and promptly shared this with the colleagues.

Agency X: We're quite busy during this period. We can't spare the manpower nor resources to do it.

Agency Y: Okay then. We're fine with it. We'll do it.

Agency X: Good. Let me know when you're doing it. We would like to sit in for that 3 hours.

Well. Well done.

再见了香港

I'm not sure if bringing a suitcase full of bears and cows for a short trip counts as psychotic. But I know not many grown women do that. The housekeeper/s sure had some fun arranging the soft toys on the bed! So I don't think I irritated them too much.

In the mornings, I plucked soft toys off the bed and plonked them onto the chairs to allow space and minimize trouble to the housekeeper making the bed. When we came back in the late afternoons, I found the cuddlies quietly sitting on the bed. The housekeeper had taken the trouble to line them up. In the nights, probably during the turn-down service, we would spy the bears neatly tucked under the covers, holding on to tiny boxes of chocolates or mints. How very nice.

The long weekend flew by, and all too soon, it was time to go home. It's always the same in any country, on any work trip or vacation- there's a tinge of wistfulness towards the end of my time there. This was a totally random trip decided at the last minute. Okay, the dates weren't completely random. Sure, it coincided with some interesting events, so all the better.

En route to the airport, the man buried his nose in a magazine and read all the way. Lucky him. I get nausea when I do any sort of reading, including messages on the phone. I stared out of the window and soaked in the familiar sights that lined the road. Don't know when I'll be back again. But at least it's nearby and not to difficult to swing another long weekend in the city.

It's nice spending time with the man. I'm not given to calling him 'my husband'. It gives me the goosebumps. When other people say 'your husband', I generally ignore it and don't repeat after them. The term 'partner' slips out easier. Or simply his name. He has a name and an identity. He doesn't belong to me. I'm reminded that he is my friend first and foremost. He isn't my best friend. I already have a best friend. And two and three at that. He isn't my soulmate. I don't believe in the idea of soulmates. To me, that's a load of bullshit. But he is a trusted friend, an intimate, like those I hold nearest and dearest.

Bought Shoes

When I mentioned about the ridiculous prices of Tory Burch ballet flats at the boutique, the girlfriend smacked me. What did I do?! She glared at me. "Don't you get them online? Anyway, don't you know anything? It's on sale right now! There's the sign right there. 30% off and more."

Oh. Of course I dunno lah. I'm not a serious shopper! Yes, I get my supplies online, but hey, things are always kinda interesting if you do see them physically. Anyway, I was just passing by that day and didn't bother to walk in. I knew its prices from the online forums.

We had an hour or so to spare before heading to the airport. The man dragged me to the mall. I wasn't the least bit interested in getting clothes or whatever. I was in such a good mood that I didn't want to let mindless shopping spoil it. But I didn't mind going to 2 shops and to buy chocolate from La Maison du Chocolat. We went into the Tory Burch boutique and looked at the prices properly. After the discounts, the prices were comparable to US retail prices, and cheaper than whatever the online spree stores in Singapore offer. Items on discounts at the shop were limited in range and sizes though.

The man was quite hilarious. He was more enthusiastic about getting those shoes than I. He scanned the shelves and pronounced, "Grey, red, orange, gold, silver and blue!" He knew I wasn't about to cart shoeboxes home, and instructed the sales executives to dump the boxes, stuff the flats well, and wrap them up. I just sat on the couch in mild amusement. He even insisted on carrying my paper bag around the mall like it's a man-bag. Dohhh.

A Civil(ized) Evening

It was completely unnecessary, but for old times' sake, we went to The Chinnery. We like it because it's quaint, and totally locked in time- those dark wood glossy finish, booth seats and heavy silver cutlery. The overhead lamps at each table weren't retro though.

The man said it reminded him of the servers at the Singapore Swimming Club in the olden days when they dressed in suits. So the waiters were clearly more dressed up than we were. I was just in jeans, tee and a cardigan! The only concessions to being slightly dressy were my bag and heels.

The menu is as conservative as it gets, sticking to traditional gastropub food, not so much of the modern fare we know today. Their fish and chips were beautifully fried. However, they stated the use of cod, and I'm not a huge fan of cod. For some unknown reason, the smell and taste of cod are quite a turn-off nowadays. I miss having a simple haddock or plaice for fish and chips.

The list of whisky is quite impressive. Naturally, there will be a number of selections that we haven't tried before. But a gentleman's pour, is overpriced in comparison to Singapore bars. Still, we had a dram each. Couldn't quite resist it.

Whisky In The Room!

I wouldn't normally pick up a Glenmorangie at DFS, much less a Glenmorangie Finealta. But the man was adventurous enough to try it. I was like, whatever. He drinks more than I do anyway. So the bottle came along.

I nosed it. It was just that wee bit of peat. Then I swirled it around in the mouth. The flavors come through stronger and well-rounded when opened up with a dash of water or bits of ice. I don't think it's a whisky for the evening unless you prefer lighter floral flavors. I'm not keen on having whisky in the day. But a dram of the Glenmorangie Finealta on the rocks is almost refreshing because it's so light.

The man just likes to have whisky in the room I suppose. He pours a pre-dinner drink before we head out each night, well knowing there'll be more drinks to come with the meal and after. So you see who the true alcoholic is? Naturally, we finished the bottle quite easily during this long weekend. Ahemmm....in addition to all the other alcohol ingested outside of the room. It's ridiculous, I tell you.

To Che's Again

I remembered Che's (車氏粵菜軒) very well, and thought it better than Yung Kee in terms of the quality of food, its dim sum and overall presentation. There wasn't a dish that was particularly outstanding though. I just prefer Che's. It's popular, but it has got a slightly less touristy feel. And their porridge is good. I love their fish porridge. Yummmy.

So I nosed around and the friends were able to meet for dim sum! WOOHHOOOO. So we made up a table. It was a tad embarrassing when we arrived at the restaurant so super early that all the staff were just finishing up their morning meal. Oh dear. Still, a few got up to show us to our table and got us pots of tea. Such hospitality. We felt bad for interrupting their meal.

As usual, the table groaned with the weight of all these dishes. I wasn't sure if our eyes were bigger than our stomachs because no matter how loudly we protested, the food simply disappeared somewhere amidst the laughter and conversation.

At one point, someone asked the waiter how many more dishes were there left on the order chit. That was all, he indicated. Then he asked if we were Singaporeans. SOME of us nodded. The rest sniggered. The waiter grinned and replied this gist in Cantonese. "No wonder, Singaporeans always order alot of food." Our eyes opened wide. Is it??! Hmmmm.

車氏粵菜軒 (Che's Cantonese Restaurant)

香港, 灣仔, 駱克道 54-62 號博匯大廈4樓

54-62 Lockhart Road, 4/F The Broadway, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

T: (852) 25281123

At The Street Stalls

On the last couple of work trips to the city, the man had never gotten a chance to try the street stalls, those that are slightly more hygienic than the true blue dai pai dong (大排檔). How can he come to Hong Kong and not try the essence of a city? It isn't all about its private kitchens and its not-that-fantastic Michelin-starred western restaurants.

So this trip, I anyhow anyhow dragged him into one at an odd time. It was an in-between meal. Wahahahahah. He had beef brisket rice and the hot milk tea. He loved it. It was kinda amusing and sweet at the same time to watch him tuck into a simple dish with such fervor. But no, it didn't inspire me to learn to cook for him.

The man doesn't really speak Mandarin or understand Chinese, (in spite of a 12-year education at our finest schools in the language), so he makes me his interpreter. This weekend, he's damn happy lor. Since it's much easier to speak in Cantonese to get things done, he made me sort out logistics all the way. He simply pointed to some dot on the map and I would have to get us there and make the food appear by magic. Hmmmpph.

Reading The Newspapers

I'm not keen on hotel breakfasts whenever I'm in a city with amenities conveniently located. Especially not in Hong Kong. This is a beautiful room. Besides the free wifi, there's a Nespresso machine which provides a thoughtful perk-me-up in the mornings.

It's only during work trips or vacations that I strangely have the leisure to comb through hard copies of newspapers, as well as magazines. So I haven't slept in. I've been waking up at 7am to enjoy the view (and haze). It's awesome to be able to read 3 sets of newspapers and physically turn the pages and hear the rattle of the paper. I still like reading hard copies rather than scan them online.

The man too, has been utilizing the gym to the max. He likes the view of the harbor from the treadmill. He's having a great deal of fun with its giant Nespresso machine and all its choices of coffee flavors. I've banned the Nespresso from our flat, so he only gets to fiddle with them in the hotels or at the friends' homes.

Most of all, it's such a luxury to be able to appreciate and feel the passing of each minute. This is a really short trip, but it feels like it's been much longer. It isn't exactly a vacation, but not totally work either. (not office-job-related work, my own work-work) It's probably because I've squeezed quite a fair bit of things to see, meet and do.

Lung King Heen (龍景軒)

When we tried to make reservations for Lung King Heen (龍景軒) for a dim sum lunch on either a Saturday or a Sunday, we were told that it had been completely booked till Chinese New Year. I was not pleased. There must be something I could politely do to rectify that. Anyway, I got my reservations for a dim sum lunch with the girlfriend and her dad, and a dinner with the man. Heh. :) I was most pleased.

As usual, I'm quite conservative when it comes to food here. We wanted to try out the various types of abalone and of course order my favorite lobster vermicelli. That was done, along with its fabulous soups, fish maw and vegetarian shark's fin.

The restaurant offers a good range of Chinese teas which always pique my interest. I'm not too into tea at dinner, but at lunches, depending on the mood and palate, I'll pick either a light or a stronger brew. Imho, they do make the best cheong fun (肠粉). It's delicate and dainty. That soy is absolutely superior and light. And yes, I like the porridge here most of all.

When it comes to Cantonese restaurants in Singapore, London and Hong Kong, I do have preferences in each country. But if you ask me which is the one I truly like, Lung King Heen is easily the favorite-st of them all.

Cold Day Out!

We bundled up for an afternoon out at Hong Kong Park. We wandered round to the aviary and the almost strange conservatory. Of course being the sucker that I am, there was also a stop at the tea museum.

Well, the whole point was to check out the indie gig 'Sound In The Park' (公園好聲). It was fairly interesting to hear how the bands spoke in Cantonese, did some numbers in the same language and sang the others in English. Quite an eye-opener.

We wanted to listen to Noughts and Exes. They sound great on their album. We wanted to hear them live. They were missing a drummer today, but acoustic worked fine. The band was tight, and played well together. They were a joy to listen to. It was a rather enjoyable afternoon. But oh man, it was a long and periodically painful wait to hear the melodious sounds of Noughts and Exes.

The sunshine splattered the area for most of the morning and early afternoon, paving the way for cheerful blue skies to come through the haze. Later in the afternoon, the wind tore through the park and it was COLD! Thankfully we didn't underestimate the windchill. No boots were needed though. Walking shoes were sufficient. However, by the time the gig was over and we chose to walk back to the hotel, I had enough of being blown around and needed a very hot soak in the tub to warm the bones.

Coffee Shops

I've created a new label of 'coffee' on this blog. Heeeee. It's almost as though my internal radar will automatically zoom in on the nice coffee shops wherever I go.

While the Nespresso machine in the hotel room did the trick in the mornings, I wanted to check out lovely coffee places in Hong Kong. The girlfriend recommended Caffe Habitu and I figured that since there're 2 outlets in Central, the schedule might permit me to swing by a conveniently located outlet.

While I managed to hop by Caffe Habitu's branch at Harcourt Road, I couldn't sit down to enjoy a cuppa, and had to grab a flat white to go. It was really quite good. It satisfied a caffeine craving very well. I'm thrilled to have found good coffee in Hong Kong. I'm sure there're more tiny indie cafes tucked away in the side streets.

Then, walking by Fortis Bank Tower, I stopped and stared at the 3 coffee shops adjacent to one another. I couldn't stop cackling. Looking at the shop signs and customers moving in and out, it was hilarious, to say the least. There's the mega Starbucks that's like an unwelcome epidemic wherever I go, a local Pacific Coffee Company, and the fastest growing new chain Caffe Habitu.

There's also Cafe Zambra. I wasn't exactly looking for it. I was looking for the Gloucester Road outlet of Tom Lee and nothing could be more perfect than to have Cafe Zambra located right next door. Of course I hopped in. I was gleeful that time permitted a sit-down. Their flat white was fragrant and held the proportionate ratio of coffee and milk. Ahhhhhhhh. Very happy, I am.

Eat, Chinese Food

We were taken out to lunch at Yung Kee Restaurant (鏞記酒家). I think it's overhyped. And you know what? The porridge wasn't as fabulous as I expected! Not the fish or the century egg porridge. But they were decent. I had A LOT to eat. The man thoroughly enjoyed his beef brisket noodles. "It's better than London's!" He declared. I promptly and rudely burst out laughing. Oh dear me.

There was plenty of food on the table. Roast goose, soya chicken, pigeon, char siew, roast belly pork and beef. Good golly. That wasn't all. There were two kinds of fish done two ways- steamed and fried. Prawns, scallops, clams and crabs. There were three kinds of vegetables and seafood. It was amazing. It was more ridiculous that the table finished everything in two hours. What a banquet.

I saw many tables buy stuff and had them packed into rather big boxes. There was nothing that I would buy as no one at home would appreciate them. So I stuck to the rather fun job of staring at the other tables that tapau-ed everything in the plural- roast goose, century eggs and all. I marvelled at how on people were at lugging such bulky and unwieldy items home. But I understand their enthusiasm, which is the same way as how I've gone hysterical over transporting bags of coffee and other items of groceries home.

Night Out

It's been a long while since I've partied this hard. We painted the town red. Okay, 2 streets only, and not that many bars. It started with beer at Pickled Pelican (the name tickles the hell out of me), then the requisite hello round the corner at FCC. Finally hungry and wanting something else besides beers, we hit up Lily & Bloom for its cocktails. The food was secondary. Bloom for dinner and Lily for drinks.

I made the mistake of ordering a Bloody Mary at Lily. Good lawwwd, it was bloody horrible. I took 2 sips and flatly rejected the drink. The head bartender came over, took one sip and totally understood the grimace on my face. He apologized for that drink and personally tended to us after that. So I guess he's presumably the bar's most experienced bartender, and that made the night. Stick to the menu of cocktails at Lily. Do not deviate. They do the mojitos, Sidecar, etc quite well. I like their 'Old Cuban'. They use a very proper Zacapa rum in many of their cocktails, and that was certainly appreciated.

We graduated from rum to concoctions with whisky. We left it to the bartender to decide what he wanted to do. Plenty of good ones came up. As the night wore on, the bar packed out. So trust me, the only place to plonk yourself at, is at the bar. Do not move, at all. It would help if you're drop-dead gorgeous or the whole group looks glamorous. Only then, you'll be assured of getting your drinks immediately and without anyone forgetting it or directly snubbing your order aloud. So for the promptness of our drinks and attentive service we received, a grateful tip was left for the bar.

Happy Sights Upon Check-In

The best part about staying at one regular hotel in each city, or at an international chain, is how guest services have come to remember my preferences, and will always meet any demand I make. They offer complimentary services that I appreciate. Nothing is quite impossible. Once, I was most impressed by the choice of songs they uploaded onto the iPod in my room. That hotel's guest services obviously realized the genre of music I prefer.

The cheerful colors of the vases of cut flowers and fruit platter which greet me when I step in are most appreciated. Once they realize which fruit I mostly pick out from the platter to eat, then they add more of those. I'm very spoilt. Fruits come to me nicely sliced and placed, so I won't bother touching a fruit if I have to peel or cut it. :P

In cold weather, a temperature-regulated bathroom with a tub and a separate shower stall is essential for us. It was definitely a welcome sight to have 2 sinks in a bathroom when I'm travelling with the man. His messy placement of toiletries all over the sink irks me to no end. With 2 sinks, his mess doesn't bother me quite as much. Ha.

Seeing Bits Of Pompeii At The National Museum

Our big boss had given 2-month museum passes to everyone in the organization by way of a year-end gift. He gave us all cds of a Singapore singer for 2009. I gave my passes away to the interns. The man and I already have museum membership, rendering the big boss' thoughtful gesture more useful for others.

We finally found some time to saunter to the National Museum to view the exhibition, Pompeii: Life in a Roman Town in 79CE. But not before we skirted and circled the ridiculous Sunday traffic in town to park along the narrow road at the back of the museum. The traffic jams apparently lasted all day. We had such a tough time getting to brunch at Artichoke. Good lawwd. Don't tell me this is the start of the Chinese New Year traffic jams?

It was a small but compact layout. I was quite fascinated by the plaster replica of a bread loaf. The notes explained that it was a common bread loaf buried in volcanic ash and somehow carbonized over time. This was certainly a more cheerful sight than the replicas of plaster casts of human figures frozen in time.

It was a good recap of a city that is now no more as a result of nature's wrath. Well, the capricious Mount Vesuvius. It was a nice light stroll. Of course, nicer still, would be to stand at the site at Naples. Clearly, my earlier visits to Italy were sadly lacking in cultural education. Pathetically, I only covered Rome and Milan. I've not had a chance to visit the site where Pompeii once stood.

I Like Silver

Took me a good long while to hop by Society of Black Sheep. They've got some stylish pieces that I very much want to linger over. A pity I was in a hurry to get to dinner and couldn't stay to try on the dresses and tops. I've got to return.

What I managed to do, was to leave the shop with one item from Carrie K. I like her eye and creations a fair bit and will always try to see if that's any beautifully crafted piece that shouts my name. I like silver. But not any bit of silver will do. I'm very particular about what sort of silver, and how it's been crafted into its final design. The weight of it matters to me. I don't like them hollow. Whichever piece, be it a ring or a bangle, needs to sit right and feel heavy.

Tonight, the rings called to me. I loved how the weight of the stacked rings felt. It just so happened that they had a set that fit my finger snugly. There really wasn't much to think about. So a set of these rings are now mine.

Multi-colored Thoughts

When I returned to the office, my desk was filled with beautifully packed gifts. (My gawwd, was it only 5 days ago that the new year more or less began?! It felt like the I've aged so much in a week.) I like all gifts equally because of what's written on the gift tags, and the thoughts behind them.

However, one of the gifts from a colleague stood out. She crotcheted gifts of brooches for some of us. She's got such nimble fingers! *happy sigh

She's very thoughtful to pick out colors that we like. See this black brooch for me? It's fabulous. She somehow knows I like teddy bears. So she crocheted one for me! I pinched its nose and am very tickled! I decided that it's to be a girl.

(Do ignore that plastic Santa I stole from some restaurant's decor. You'll see it appear every now and then on the blog even if it's not Christmas. And it's not because I believe in Santa Claus. It's just a very cute accessory.)

I was at 1 Altitude. I placed the bear on the table for drinks and again at the table when we adjourned for dinner. The servers tried their best not to glance at it. My friends, to their credit, have stopped raising their eyebrows at my antics. They stared at the bear, actually said hello to it and promptly ignored it all evening, till almost the end when they asked her how was the food. I cracked up with laughter.

The colleague is one of the not-distant ones, but not too close still simply because I never really got to know her. The gift is such a lovely gesture. A pity I didn't make more effort to lunch and chat. She's always been one of those sweet ones who surprisingly didn't run away from being associated with me at work. Hehehehehhe. Yes, it's not really a good thing to be associated with me at work, or be identified as the imp's friend in the office.

Countdown

On a chair I perched, part of an ops meeting for a key event next week, running through the logistics with the team, sitting back and listening to the briefing, noting my portions and picturing it in my mind. It would be fun. Serious fun.

Amidst the chatter, it felt a little surreal, as though I'm out of it already. I'm already seeing the ops meeting as half an outsider, rather than a full-fledged team member. My role is the easiest, with hardly any effort. The rest of the checklist requires a tight eye, quick thinking and close coordination.

We've worked together for years. I trust them without a doubt. They've got common sense. You know how rare a trait that is? When they run ops, total situational awareness. These are competent, valuable people that I will not hesitate to recommend to any good organization. And I rarely, if never, recommend anyone to anywhere, least of all my friends. It's just a principle I practise. If I believe in someone, I might just make a mention, that's all. I don't push.

I'll miss the team, all of them, so much, quirks, warts, hearts and love. Damn glad that I missed the year-end party. I didn't want to be part of that bullshit and play a hypocrite. I'll make my farewells privately. They left a farewell card on my table, and that was lovely enough. I haven't read it yet. It's sitting in the tray at home marked 'UNREAD'. I'm not going to read it till after . The last month at work is harder to cope with than I have envisioned. Such a different set of feelings from December. I'm damn happy to be leaving still, but sad to leave this group of awesome humans.

Last lap. Countdown. And I'm willing the clock to slow.

Sweeping Out The Year

No better activity than to greet a new year with friends gathering around the table for Scrabble. Although I felt ostracized because I don't own an iPhone! Gaaah. The friends ursurped my iPad and began rounds of Scrabble before and after midnight.

There was to be no bad movies for the new year. But we did watch Mike Judge's 'Idiocracy' the other day which was so damn lame, and we caught the suspend-all-disbelief 'The Tourist'. In the words of Rolling Stone magazine, it was a "craptacular". We couldn't agree more. Not even if I think Angelina Jolie is gorgeous in there.

New Year's Eve was like any other day. It was good. We didn't bother about no fireworks, fancy parties, glamorous dinners or stuff like that. We could, but not this year. Maybe for the next. We've gone through many New Years' Eve doing all those items on the checklist. That transition to the new year didn't have to feel magical. It just had to feel right.