There's always time

Despite being bogged down with work during our oxymoronic study break, I'm touched that you guys bothered to turn up for dinner! After watching Joshua (very good creepy show which makes you never want to have kids), we trooped to Central but all the restaurants had a line (not true that Singaporeans only queue for free stuff) so we ended up at Fishermen's Wharf. It's the place for fish and chips - at least 10 kinds of fish and hand cut chips.

Yes Des, your absence was felt by all of us! Anyway you can see that we all look pretty much the same (WH joined us for once!).


And I got my fav choc cake from Rive Gauche. You all do know me quite well. Thanks for the tunic too!

We had a hilariously difficult time lighting the candles. I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into the cake. Choco craving!!

And I finally got my wish of seeing some lanterns before the Mid-Autumn Festival ends. But those by the Singapore River were nothing impressive. SY and Yilynn involved in fishy affairs.

Group pic by one old uncle who gamely agreed to use my digital cam.


Standing in front of Chang-Er who looks like she can't wait to return to the moon after being gawked at by nosy passers-by.


Daryl and I looking like ghosts (ok just me in my white sack).


I like the whimsical lamp XX gave me very much. It has this cool contraption that allows you to adjust the brightness simply by tapping the rim of the lamp. Thanks!


Just watched the President Star Charity and it's one of the more enjoyable ones. A musical! Same old performers but I note a multi-racial cast and greater involvement of non-actors : Woffles Wu jiggling to Saturday Night Fever, socialites sashaying across the "ballroom", Dick Lee singing Fried Rice Paradise, Jonathan Leong attempting a Chinese song (commendable effort but pls stick to Chasing Cars), Singapore Idol contestants doing a High School Musical, Dr William Tan and Gurmit grooving to Grease Lightning and our President reciting Desiderata (according to my dad) - a poem by Max Ehrmann about attaining happiness in life. Sweet.

Too helpful

Drove again today for the 7th/8th time since i passed 2 years ago. Easy, breezy glide through the drizzle.

Reached home and got ready to reverse into the lot. Saw somebody gesturing, grinning and giving me the thumbs up in front. My neighbour, my driving instructor. It was probably the first time he saw me drive a car other than his. I on the other hand was not so thrilled to see him and disappoint him with my atrocious parking skills.

Fate has it that his car was parked directly opposite me. So Very-Nice-Uncle wasted half a min standing there, gesturing to me to turn the steering wheel left/right while I struggled to park under his scrutiny. Stress/nervousness won and I waved frantically for him to drive away first before I moved an inch further.

Embarrassing ordeal's not over. While everything was happening, a guy happened to walk past and decided to observe the little scene before him. I saw the amused look on his face as he turned his head left (me) and right (Uncle). Uncle drove off but random stranger (ok he stays in my block) stood there and took upon himself to be my traffic controller No. 2.

Another round of gesturing began. I bet he didn't know that Uncle is my driving instructor who will probably ALWAYS correct his students whenever, wherever (like how I correct my tuition kids outside class). I bet he thought that he should take up the unfinished act of neighbourly kindness where it stopped (when Uncle drove off).

It is time to remove the P-Plate (expired lifespan + 1).

Kopi Shop really Rocks!

My mom is sulky because I didn't ask her to go for our Law IV production - Kopi Shop Rocks. Dunno why I just didn't think of asking her. I'm regretting now cos our musical is FANTASTIC and everybody should go and see it! Though Law IV is supposedly the graduating batch's performance, only half of the cohort is involved (hey they also need an audience).

Yixian and I arrived kiasuly early and we managed to get good seats despite holding the cheapest tickets. Cass looks extra pretty (right HM?) so I'm putting up a close-up pic of her haha.


I'm very proud of my friends/classmates for putting up a musical from scratch! The vintage props were great, retro costumes were very cool, music and lyrics were catchy and I guess the most enjoyable part was just watching people you know act, dance and sing.

It suddenly dawned on me that law people are musically inclined (they should have a Law School's Got Talent). Nearly everyone I know plays one or more musical instruments. Yixian for eg has mastered the piano, keyboard, drums, guitar and saxophone. I feel totally depressed and un-gifted with my half-baked, no, fully uncooked organ skills. Arrgh.

ZQ was so uncharacteristically grumpy and curt that I couldn't help chuckling each time his Mr Kwan comes on stage. I finally had the chance to hear him croon (Yixian says he has perfect pitch!) but didn't video his solo because it was at a romantic part and I was distracted. Here's him looking his usual cheery self:


Here's a clip from the Cabaret scene. Julia has a (surprisingly) pleasant singing voice!



Excellent finale!



JH on the other hand was in his element as a half-naked bawdy gangster. (Cui if you're reading this, he is the guy we met on the bus) Here's a clip on his antics:

Delighted!

The postman proved a wonderful distraction when he came knocking in the midst of my energy law paper. I had a parcel! The feeling of receiving a gift/letter through snail-mail is something technological advances cannot replace.


Thanks Cui for the scrapbook album (and Andy for spotting it)! It's totally something I want but cannot afford to buy. And I really appreciate how much it cost to ship it here. US$21 is absurd.
(Quaere: Do they have low-cost carriers for freight too?)


Anyway I'm probably the last one who knows that she is working part time in the HR dept. of DKNY! Yes, DONNA KAREN NEW YORK! Think Ugly Betty but a much much thinner version. DKNY offers lust-inducing chic basics. I think my jealousy is justified!

Blessed

I feel especially gratified and loved on my birthday when friends and family send their well-wishes. THANK YOU! I guess as we get older, busier, drift apart or leave the country (thanks Yiwei for your messages! I can't wait to receive the parcel from Cui!), a simple SMS from friends whom I’ve not seen for years is all the more meaningful.

I'm a sucker for birthdays because they are a celebration of LIFE! They mark the existence of every person on earth. Birthdays don't end when we turn 21.

Thank you to my parents, grandparents and aunt for their generous ang baos. And my bro for getting me 2 of Olivia's bossa nova CDs when I requested for 1. And also my aunt for the charming present (yes, I’m still a Disney princess at heart).

Thanks Niccole, Yixian, Jiawen, Joseph for the blue dress (I’m so glad you all chose blue over black!) and the personalized card. Commanded to wear it on my bday, I wore it to lunch at The Tea Party today.

I picked The Tea Party mainly because it is near school and because the second level has totally chilloutable couches for slouching and gossiping.

And of course the lunch wouldn't be complete without their famous teas (with the weirdest names. Mine was "Silver Needle") and utterly heavenly scones! The duck pizza was different and I like the juicy prawns in my aglio but there was a dash too much chilli flakes.


A sign of a chilloutable place is the availability of cushions. Caught a cushion-fight in action.


Thanks Bing and ZY for the illustrated Stardust! Of course will read it before watching the screen adaptation. Thanks Gen for Camomile Blend (prettily wrapped. took forever to extract the CD in fear of spoiling the wrapper).


I was mortified when ZQ shouted "happy bday" across the classroom and started a bday song! But yeah, it's something I would do to sabo my friends too haha.

Had dinner at Miss Clarity Cafe with Gill, Julia and TR. Appreciate you busy people with morning classes for spending the night with me. Thanks for the inspirational book (yes I know Virgos are a pessimistic race)!


My fav Mud Ooze was as decadent as ever. Too stuffed to eat my bday cake!


The last few good pics at Raffles Hotel before battery was exhausted.


Two unexpected incidents cropped up. Yixian was fined $70 for parking within 6m from the junction. What bloody unheard-of rule is that?! The worse thing is we parked at a RESIDENTIAL area - Bukit Timah - and NONE of the cars parked in front of her were fined. Parking at Bukit Timah is a nightmare. Don't know how the rest managed to find a LEGAL space.

I was wholly to be blamed for the other incident. Yixian parked at House 5 in school under a Saga tree. The whole carpark was scattered with the pretty red seeds. So itchy fingers me couldn't resist picking one and attempted to kick it. Law of gravity dictates that the seed will fall (and I will miss) but I was unprepared to see my shoe fly in a perfect trajectory over the fence to the construction site next door! A LOCKED fence. In hysterics, we managed to use a branch to fish my shoe out. Thank goodness for the gap below the fence!

Changes

Had a rude shock when I visited my grandparents yesterday. Condos were shooting up everywhere. An intimidating condo of countless floors now stands where Times House used to. Even my favourite part of the Singapore River was blocked by a sprawling new development called "Tribeca" (I know the condo is inspired by NY's hip and funky district but is the condo really at the "triangle-below-canal"?) Another quiet jogging spot surrendered to consumerism.


Even Great World City has changed. Barang Barang has been replaced by iwannagohome (please lock me in there for 1 night! totally fab, funky, quirky, pretty, glam, chic furniture and other frivolous lifestyle stuff store- a hipper and ex-er Ikea). The cinnamon bun store is now replaced by Da Paolo Gastronomia - gourmet Italian grocery/bakery - where choc frosted cupcakes go for $3.30. Well, not all changes are bad.

My grandma's cooking resembles those good old-fashioned kinds you read about in stories involving grandmas. It's amazing how she single-handedly whipped up a meal for 3 families. Here are some of my favs: fishmeat/carrots/black fungus/chestnut wrapped in popiah and beancurd skin, stewed mushrooms and fried egg with crab meat and carrots.


Grandpa's bday today. Can't help noticing that he looks older but still cheerful thankfully. We had dimsum buffet at The Teahouse and now I'm paying for my surfeit.

Delighted with our simple gift.

Division of labour - quick hands to feed the hungry.

With mom. The half asleep look.

With the 3 oldest grandkids.

BH3 trying to be funny, again.

Family gatherings are always marked by food, food and more food. Here's another lunch at Japanese ramen house Beppu. We all look the same except for my bro's crown of glory (then) and the disappearance of it (now).

Unexpected

I like excitement but when something really happens I wish otherwise.

Returned from school at 7 p.m. Changed into jogging clothes at around 7.10 p.m. Heard my dad shouting from the other room that the building was shaking and he felt tremors (while sitting on his rockable armchair). I was like “no it isn’t shaking!” until I saw the wardrobe doors swaying. Dashed out and saw the dangling lights in the living room swaying precariously. Ran to the fish tank (my seismometer) and saw the water swishing around.

Earthquakes are no big fuss cos we’re usually at the outer circle of the shockwaves. But this time, it was alarming because of the intensity and duration of the vibrations (even now as I’m typing this, I keep imagining that the flat is suffering from after-shocks). My dad (who lacks any self-preservation instincts) finally agreed to get out of the flat with me. Decided to take only my handphone and keys (regretted not bringing money when I wanted to buy bubble tea).

Half the neighbourhood was rushing down the stairs too. The swayings were apparently substantial enough for people to evacuate (this has never happened before).We could hold a block party downstairs considering the number of sensible people who decided that safety is more important than reputation (many were clad in PJs or un-glam home clothes like me). Called my mom in Shenton Way (office was shaking too), friends and family around the island to check the situation there. Grandma complained of giddiness. Told her to GET OUT.

I really don’t understand Singaporeans. Don’t they have any sense? Why are so many people peering down from their corridors upstairs instead of heading down?? I think we are totally unprepared for earthquakes or any natural disaster for that matter. Complacency is the problem. Nobody expects anything to happen. Nobody knows what to do when something happens.

My house feels unsafe now. I refused to return (hey it’s the 11^th floor) until I could be sure that the foundations are safe, there are no gas pipes leaking etc. So after pacing about for a while watching my excited neighbours chatter, I decided to call the Civil Defence. Dialed 100 and the operator gave me a number that was NOT IN USE. Debated and called 995. A telephone operator answered:

“Erm… yeah. The buildings should be safe lah. Maybe your town council will come and check soon. Why don’t you go upstairs? Then can watch the TV. ” Hello! I’m calling you so that I know I won’t get squished if I return upstairs

Defeated, I took the lift up (felt nervous) and called the Town Council. Had to check the Yellow Pages for the number (see my point about Singaporeans being unprepared). A maintenance guy answered. He said the Town Council’s closed but was there anything I need?

“Yeah I heard about the quakes. I received a few calls. It’s normal to feel afraid. Our HDB flats are safe. Usually no problem. This has happened a few times.”

“Yeah, I know. But it’s rather bad this time. Half my neighbourhood is downstairs.”

“Don’t worry. Our flats have good foundations. Our land very solid too. Where do you stay? HDB will come and check soon.”

“Ubi Ave 1, which btw, is built on soft rock and not bed rock like central Singapore.”

Channel NewsAsia reported two earthquakes, 8 on the Richter Scale, originating off the coast near Jarkata. Their epicenters were 39km below the sea near the legendary volcano – Krakatoa. Tsunami warnings ahead.

September

September is a significant month. Obvious reasons aside, Sept signals the end of summer and welcomes autumn. It is also the start of a new school term. This is how I imagine Sept would look like if I could put a face to it:
Do you notice how songs always refer to September, not October or February? Like Greenday's Wake me up when September ends or the final verse of Seal with a Kiss - "Oh let us make a pledge to meet in September.... and seal with a kiss."

And of course Sept 11 (11/9 not 9/11 as a friend pointed out impatiently). I'm surprised that nobody mentioned it during Aviation class today during our discussion on open skies policy. Come to think of it, a more liberalized industry means more security concerns. Bing was commenting on how the incident took place a day before our literature exam and all of us could think of nothing but the horrifying images.

I visited the WTC site but somehow under the sunny sky and rubbing shoulders with the endless stream of tourists, the feelings of terror and sadness were absent. All I saw was a fenced up up area which resembles, and probably is, a gigantic excavation pit. It only hit me when I saw the pictures displayed at the mini exhibition there. I can, then, almost feel the unbearable sadness of that fateful day.

Entrance to the Subway beside the WTC site

Work has begun on the Freedom Tower

Happenings

Sent Des off at the airport last night - he's going to the land of chocs, cheese (perfect for fondues!) and snow. Here's a cyber HUG. His friends came in groups (one bunch looking like an emo rock band) so he was a little stressed trying to entertain all of us.

Anyway I promised to blog diligently so here's more unimportant bits of my life (To Cui: pls blog more too so that I know which Corelle set you chose).

Was surprised and glad that WH (same initials, different personalities) materialized cos I didn't know anyone there. Come to think of it, the last time I saw him was 358 days ago at the party. I probably talked him to death last night. He agreed to find out how they attach the arteries to plastic hearts.

Visited Terri at the hospital today. She had a bad bout of food poisoning resulting in intestinal inflammation and she's on the drip. Ouch. She told me she lost some weight and I couldn't help thinking about how food poisoning is as effective as a 3-day detox programme. The good thing is you have no appetite. The con: it hurts. Puking hurts.

While some people detest hospitalization, I actually find lying in bed alone quite peaceful and therapeutic (that lucky girl has HBO which was playing Pride & Prejudice). You are forced to do nothing and rest, which sounds great. You can choose your meals and people will serve them. It's like traveling on a plane with good service.

Cass felt maternal so we visited the maternity ward and gushed at babies. Actually the newborns look like teeny wrinkled sunburned rats but their fragility makes you feel protective. The poor mothers were wheeled around on steel stretchers and looked positively drained. The Glow has not set in yet.

Midnight madness

My bro just described in explicit details about how he smashed a lizard leaving it flattened and bleeding from the mouth. I feel inexplicably more upset than I should be.

I keep picturing a creature, half dead, shuddering in pain, knowing it will die eventually. ARRGGHHH. How can I get emotionally worked up over a lizard?

The worse thing is it tried to escape. It kept fighting for a chance to survive. IT WANTS TO LIVE. And my idiotic bro had to smash it a few times. A scout is kind to all living things? Bullshit. Totally bad karma man.

Luna reflections

By the light of the silvery moon...
...We were sailing along... On moonlight bay...

This pic was taken at Bedok Jetty at midnight. I'm nostalgic for some good old campfire singing under the stars but it seems that my guiding days are over. Anyway nobody actually admires the moon or stars during campfires cos we're too busy eyeing the scouts (vice versa). Stayed over at Yivon's chalet so we rented bikes overnight. ECP was crowded even at that time but there was enough sea breeze to go around.


The crisp and cool air was refreshing in a way we never get in the day, inland. And I suddenly remembered what the Phantom sang "Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar...." (the night makes me disgustingly sentimental).

Why doesn't moonlight burn since it's the reflection of sunlight? Is it cos the sun rays travel too far when they are reflected and lose their energy?

Tuesday blues

I was involved in an accident today without knowing that the accident took place. Tres anti-climax.

Double decker 154 stopped at a bus stop along Macpherson Road as usual. Sitting at the back row, half asleep, I felt a medium (neither small nor large) jolt. I wondered idly what the heck the driver was doing and whether the passengers will complain. A few passengers started coming down from the upper deck. Normal. We're at the bus stop afterall. More people alighted. I still didn't sense anything wrong. It was only when people turned towards my direction did I turn my head too (herd instinct again).

Horrors. The back window was smashed and so was the windscreen of the coach which crashed into us. I don't see how it could have crashed into the bus because the bus was stationary. The driver must be as lucid as me this morning.

Tuesdays are not good because of the morning and night classes and the 6-hour break in between. But today was our first Legal Anthropology class so not good to pon.

Our Prof is an Iranian anthropologist and an aspiring film maker. It's really strange to see an anthropologist teaching in a classroom! Like how an archaeologist will look incongruous in an office. I guess I've always had a romanticized view of anthropologists, how they should be living in Amazon jungles or pirate colonies. Did not imagine myself studying anthropology in law school either or that they will offer a course on anthropology for that matter. It's a mind boggling mix of sociology and jurisprudence. More mind gymnastics!

The Prof is not very pleased with us cos we're typically unresponsive, presumably unlike the NY students she teaches. Hence she is going to impose the dratted group work and panel discussion. Annoying!

Sunday night movies

Every Sunday night at 9pm, Arts Central screens a foreign movie. Last few weeks comprised of French and Singaporean selections. Managed to catch Singapore Gaga and bits of House of Harmony (totally predictable, melodramatic East meets West love story where all the ang mohs in the show speaks (dubbed) Chinese. Fann Wong acted as Maggie Q’s mother. Yikes!)

Tonight was the start of the Korean fest and they screened My Teacher, Mr Kim – a sweet and touching story about a teacher (dashing and unshaved) who reluctantly taught at a rural village school where everybody was eventually charmed by his eccentric ways. Very predictable plot and the teacher was a little emo but it’s those weepy, feel good movie you just can’t help liking.

I feel a little envious of his students’ devotion and love (probably not very realistic in the 21^st century) and I’m reminded of the bunch of rude and boisterous kids I teach. No doubt all kids are cute in their own guileless ways but I am probably too busy shushing and glaring at them to appreciate their cuteness.