Sum of the Year

It is that time of the year again. Gosh. I swear this year had flown past at supersonic speed.

Just last month I was working on an airline industry performance review and I thought to myself, SIA has just announced an 11% capacity cut, only to find out minutes later that the announcement was in fact made in February.

Yikes. Time passed faster than my mind could register.

Today, being the last day of 2009, a pretty wretched year for most people, I list the top ten things - good and bad - that shaped my year.

1. The year was speckled with woes from an economic crisis that was carried over from late 2008 and the A/H1N1 outbreak. These two factors casted a gloomy veil over the travel industry, making me miserable whenever I go a-hunting for news. When 10 people look you sadly in the eye and sigh, "Business is tough this year," you are bound to feel equally depressed.

2. I saw real snow for the first time when I made my first trip to Sichuan province! Alas, it was not freshly falling from the sky, but rather, a thin blanket that was formed overnight while I was snoring in bed. Still, it was enough to inspired me to save up for a holiday to somewhere that snows with Josh. I want to have a snow fight with that fella.

3. I went on an inking rampage this year. Maybe the depressing year got to me and I needed to inflict pain on myself to feel pleasure. I did my ninth tattoo - a romantic cluster of stars on my left arm - in April, and a back piece, which is still incomplete, in November. My parents do not know yet of this latest piece, and I bet they would threaten to leap off the building (again) when they do. :)



4. I headed to Pattaya with Josh and experienced a Muaythai camp for the first time. After that, I decided that I would never ever want to strain myself on holidays again. My holidays are best spent laying by the pool, sipping champagne and indulging in fancy dinners.

5. There were a couple of changes in the office, and some of my favourite colleagues left for better pastures. Life in office somehow was never the same ever since.

6. I experienced the divine Alila Villas Uluwatu in Bali, which was part of a holiday trip to Bali for Josh's birthday. The man loved it, and so did I. With every luxurious experience, my standards and expectations of material comforts rise, making it even harder to satiate me the next time. Gah. I think I would have to go to the Maldives for my next resort holiday.



7. I signed up for motorcycle lessons after falling madly in love with the idea of me zipping around town in a pink Vespa plastered with Hello Kitty decals. I survived only the first lesson. It made me realised further that I am destined to be chaufeurred around.

8. I discovered I have a stalker. Never again will I let my guard down whenever I see someone raising his camera in my direction.

9. I finally bought me a DSLR, which has so far given me many joyful trigger-happy moments and really nice photographs. :)



10. I hung out more frequently with a particular gin gang of friends, heading together to Johor for go-karting races, Malacca for weekend breaks, and having several impromptu BBQ parties and breakfast gatherings. I LOVE IT! They bring me such joy and I hope this continues for years to come.



So that's my 365 days summed up in a single post.

For 2010, I wish my days - and yours as well - would be a lot more satisfying and be filled with far more love and laughter.

Happy New Year, people!

Shopping Rule No. 1: Just Buy

Josh and I were at the supermarket a couple of days before Christmas, and there I spotted a bottle of Ranch dressing.

Perhaps to many of you, spotting a bottle of Ranch dressing in a supermarket is as surprising as seeing a woman with boobs, a giraffe with spots, an Indian whipping a prata deftly around his head at a prata shop... you get my drift. But to me, who have been facing GREAT difficulty - and there is no exaggeration here - in getting my hands on a bottle for the past few months, that was a great surprise.

I cannot explain why so many supermarkets around Singapore have sold out their Ranch dressing, and these supermarkets are not doing anything to re-stock. I went from supermarkets in the neighbourhoods to supermarkets in town, and I could not find any. It was like Ranch dressing has become the hottest salad dressing to have in this century.

So when I spotted that single bottle of Ranch dressing sitting so forlornly on the shelf, I was beside myself with happiness and wanted to make it mine, mine, MINE! I was sure that I would shower that bottle of Ranch dressing with such love that no other salad dressing have ever known.

Unfortunately, Josh has been too successful with his preachings on desirable shopping habits lately.

You see, I am every marketers' desire. Show me a good ad or tell me a good reason and I'll most likely buy, even if I have absolutely no need for it. I have clothes, shoes, bags, costume jewellery, make-up, skin care, blah blah blah sitting somewhere in this house and my parents' house with the price tag still on.

Josh knows that, so he would always chant, "Do you really need that? Would you use that right away? How often would you use it?"

And I have been quite a good pupil. Ever since my crazed dash to Harvey Norman to buy me a Nikon D3000, I have avoided all possible occasions of impulse buys and have managed to keep my bank account pretty plump.

So, as I held the rare bottle of Ranch dressing in my hands, I ran the three sacred questions through my mind.

Do you really need that? Well, I want it, but I suppose I don't need it. At least not now, cos I'm not planning to make my wicked potato salad.

Would you use that right away? No.

How often would you use it? Gee, I don't know. Once a month? I don't eat potato salad that often, although I love it a lot. I think the last bottle expired before I could finish it.

As a result, I returned the bottle to its lonesome existence on the shelf and walked away.

Days later today, Aunt Mavis called for a party at her new apartment at The Sail @ Marina Bay (yes, that expensive piece of property that would take me ten life-times of slogging to afford). It would be a pot luck party, so we each have to bring a dish.

I volunteered my wicked potato salad.

So after work, Josh and I hit Cold Storage for some shopping.

As luck would have it, RANCH DRESSING WENT OUT OF STOCK. AGAIN.

:(

The moral of this story is: IF YOU SEE SOMETHING YOU LIKE, JUST BUY. DON'T CARE IF YOU NEED IT NOW OR TEN MILLION YEARS LATER. JUST BUY. AND SMACK ANYONE WHO TRIES TO TELL YOU OTHERWISE.

Some Kind of Christmas

I'm sick again with a bad throat infection that has caused my nasal passage to be clogged up with bloody phelgm the size of a small wanton. The phelgm even felt as firm as a wanton.

I cannot imagine how something so big and firm could hide itself in my nasal passage. Eww. No wonder it hurts like hell whenever I swallow.

I should have taken a photograph of the big-ass phelgm and post it up here. It is a rare sight, after all.

And because the ear, nose and throat are all linked, my ears hurt too. :(

I don't think I deserve to be ill at all.

I have been a good girl this year, choosing to lead a very muted Christmas celebration. There were no late night parties, no cigar chain-smoking, no returning home in a drunken stupor. I did not even binge on turkey, honey-baked ham and Christmassy chocolates.

So why why why did I fall sick? :(

And because I was running a stubborn fever that hovered around 38.1 to 38.8 deg Celcius all day yesterday, Josh and I had to skip my family dinner gathering. I felt sorry for Josh, who chose to stay home with me, because I think he was looking forward to the dinner party.

Josh was really sweet. He stayed by my side all day yesterday, monitoring my temperature as I drifted in and out of sleep, and sponged me when my fever spiked.

While Josh was nice and tender, my mum chose to express her concern in her unique manner. When she heard I was sick again, she fired off in Cantonese, "You are sick again? Is it very serious? Are you going to die? What have you done to yourself? Are you going to die? Do you need to be hospitalised? Are you going to die?"

She has a strange obsession about me dying. And I guess I would have to disappoint her.

The fever did not subside this morning, so Josh took me to the doctor.

Sigh.

这个圣诞节火鸡、火腿吃不多。酒也喝不多。 药却吃了一大堆。 :(

Christmas Day Out

I like how this Christmas was spent.

We gathered five couples, two of them brought their kids, for breakfast at Chinatown.



After breakfast, we went to town to look at the gaudy Christmas street decor and to visit Ion Orchard because some of them have not seen the mall! :)



Later, we settled down at an ice-cream bar for some sweet treats.



I like this gang. They are all so spontaneous. Today's outing was only arranged the night before, and everyone was game to wake up this early for breakie.

And over ice-cream, we made arrangements for a leisurely stroll from Kent Ridge Park to Hort Park this Sunday and another group trip to Bangkok in early February!

So fun!

Should Have Stayed Home

Josh and I have been thinking all week of where to spend our Christmas eve.

We did not want to spend it squashed shoulder to shoulder with strangers. We did not want to spend it at a restaurant dining on exorbitantly priced Christmas set dinners that we could normally get for less than half the price.

Clubbing was out since Josh would be driving and there is no better time than tonight for the traffic police to nab drivers who drink and drive.

A couple of restaurants I was keen on that did not raise their prices sky-high were fully booked.

A week later today, we were still thinking. And by now, even the pricey restaurants were all full. *sigh*

So we decided to just head to Sembawang Park's Beaulieu House for a quiet dinner.



Of course, a couple of families shared the same thought and were there at Beaulieu House for dinner too, so it wasn't as quiet as we had hoped for. But hey, it would have been far more noisy in town, so I shouldn't complain.

To cater to the Christmas crowd, the restaurant in the colonial house offers a three-course Christmas set dinner that comes with a fruit yoghurt and iced tea for S$38.80. A little pricey for a restaurant in a park in a residential area, but it is a Christmas menu after all, and businessmen are expected to reap a little more during festive periods.

There must always be wine, especially on days like this one. So I ordered a bottle of Californian white zinfadel. It costs only S$50 a bottle so I had expected it to be an average wine. It turned out to be pretty alright.

Dinner kicked off with a sour fruit yoghurt, which I think was supposed to whet our appetite, and then a clam bisque. It tasted more like common minestrone than the usual shellfish bisque I was used to. But Josh liked it. Ahh well, as long as he likes it. :)

Josh picked out a roast chicken thigh that tasted far better than it looked, while I picked out a salmon steak that looked far better than it tasted.



I was disappointed. Really, I could have spent a lot lesser by staying home and order in KFC. I could sit like a trishaw rider and eat with my hands and watch TV at the same time.

But I had to hide my disappointment because it would make Josh sad. Even without complaining about my over-cooked salmon (the poor fish died for nothing), Josh sensed that I did not like my dinner and apologised for not taking me somewhere better. My poor darling.

Actually, all I care for is to spend tonight with him, regardless of where we spend it. :)

Dessert was red bean paste with vanilla ice-cream in a shooter glass. The ice-cream was thick and creamy, and I was sure it was not made in-house. Good ice-cream can perk up any blah dessert.



Because we were not quite pleased with dessert and chocolate lava cake was on the menu, we could not resist having an additional sweet treat. *rubs hands*



It was not too bad.

Still, the overall dinner was far from satisfying. And the total bill came up to S$145. :(

I shall remind myself next year to just stay home on Christmas and New Year's eve to cook, like what we did last year, then sit along the corridor sipping wine and smoking cigars. I was far happier that way.

Thirteen in Malacca

Josh and I, as well as eleven other friends, were really enthusiastic about the Malacca trip last weekend. But you know what happens when you embark with high expectations? You get cursed and suffer an anticlimax.

The road trip started off not too good. We were stuck in a jam at the Singapore side of the casueway and again as we made our way to the Malaysian customs, which is now located deep inside JB.

Mid-way it started to pour and we had to slow down. That was a waste of time because normally we could race through at 140kph, but wet roads are hardly safe for such speeds.

Then after crossing the toll right before Malacca, we met with another traffic jam that was caused by the rain, utterly stupid traffic lights that change at 99 seconds intervals...



... and a flood on a stretch of road that resulted in a massive bottleneck on an unaffected two-lane street.



It became even more frustrating when we were forced to make a detour enroute to Holiday Inn Melaka because the road we planned to take was flooded too. The GPS we relied on kept leading us back to that bloody road, so we had to find our way around ourselves. Gah!

Josh's perfect plan to reach Malacca in time for lunch at 2pm was dashed. It was past 4pm by the time we reached our hotel in Malacca, and 5pm by the time we checked-in and regrouped for dinner.

Needless to say, I was super pissed.

There are a few things I should never be deprived of, lest I fly into a fury: My bath, my sleep, my food.

And the inconveniences I experienced during the drive up had deprived me of my bath and food. Didn't help too that I was sleepy from having to wake up early for the road trip. So the stars were aligned for the hulk in me to emerge.

Poor Josh was so terrified he kept out of my way all evening as we walked to Jonkers Walk from the hotel.

My mood only improved after I got to sink my chops into this fab bowl of Nonya assam laksa from my favourite eatery, Jonker Dessert 88, which is also a heritage architecture.



Unfortunately, because we got there 30 minutes to closing, there was no more divine chendol for sale. :(

Nevermind, there are lots more to eat along Jonkers Walk, which transforms into a bustling night market not unlike those in Taipei when the sun sets.

Josh and I chanced upon a stall selling mini Portuguese egg tarts at RM$6.50 for a box of six. They looked so inviting, like glittering gold medallions. I bought us a box to try, but after popping one into our mouths, we both shouted for a second box.



We could have plouged through the plethora of stalls down Jonkers Walk for more than an hour. I don't really know for sure because there were just so much to see and buy that time whizzed by.

After Jonkers Walk, we proceeded to Mahkota Parade mall for more shopping. The rest were still hyper and eager to contribute further to the Malaysian economy, but my legs were tired. So Josh and I grabbed a drink and seat at Coffee Bean.

Although all of us were dog tired by the time we got back to the hotel, none of us wanted to waste the night by retiring early. So we made plans to regroup again for drinks.



It was funny how all of us were taking turns to yawn, and yet we insisted on hanging out for as long as our bodies could manage. Although it was only four hours since our laksa meal, we ordered more food to go with beer and wine to keep us awake. :)

We eventually called it a day at midnight. Josh and I fell asleep the moment our heads hit the pillows.

The next morning, we drove around town in search of breakfast and found this big-ass signboard that screamed D-I-M-S-U-M. We made a beeline for it.

The moment we sat down, we instructed the waiters to just load us with everything they've got. And we devoured every single morsel like hungry ghosts. I tell you, the boss was just grinning from ear to ear, as he unloaded trays after trays of dim sum on our table.



And when we were not eating, we took photos of the restaurant and dishes with our DSLRs.

"Are you all reporters?" the boss quizzed.

"Why would you think so?" I laughed.

"Because all your cameras are so big. If you are reporters, please write a nice review of us hor!" Then he urged us to eat some more.



When the bill came, it was only a little over RM$183, which made out to be S$6 per person! Incredible! And the food was pretty good too!

Oh, and I must tell you about the caricacture Josh and I went for. We were hoping to get a funny picture that we could frame and hang up in our room. Unfortunately, the artist made Josh looked so awful, that I swear it was another man!



Just before we left Malacca, the bunch of us decided to have a group photo together, and it must look really fun. So we decided to leap into the air.

Unfortunately, coordinating the leap was not as easy as we had thought. We made several tries and this was our best shot, with some still airborne and others, like me, were back on our feet:



It was hilarious.

To end this post I shall leave you with this beautiful shot of the sunset I caught on the way home on the highway. Nature truly is seductive.

Time To Share

The office played santa again this year and sent me a hamper of goodies from Crabtree & Evelyn.



How generous. But I rather they use the money to get me a hamper from Marks & Spencer. Crabtree & Evelyn is not known for making good food, and I very much prefer cookies and chocs from Marks & Spencer.

As usual, I will split the goodies among my family and relatives. I've been indulged by all those complimentary goodies that were sent to the office over the past two weeks, and I think I should share these with loved ones who were not as lucky to get free Christmas goodies. :)

A Little-Pre Malacca Post Ranting

I believe that everyone needs a vacation to recuperate from a vacation. I went to Malacca over the weekend and returned late last night feeling just as tired as I was before leaving for the holiday.

As I type now, I am contemplating grabbing my bag and running off on an urgent half-day leave application so I may go home and sleep. Yes, getting enough sleep is urgent business too.

While the time spent in Malacca was fun, the journey there was just too exhausting. I will tell you more when I find time to blog about it in the next few days.

Having to process over 400 photos and then select those interesting enough to post here is no joke. I cannot understand how the heck Josh and I took over 400 photos on a two-day/one-night trip! Yes, we were that trigger-happy.

Anyway, Christmas is just four days away. I don't know if I should cheer about it or not. The gatherings with family and friends are great fun, but Christmas also marks the impending arrival of the new year.

And new year means the start of a whole new cycle of (hard) work.

*sigh*

The Good Life

I enjoy doing hotel reviews. They give me something to do over the weekend.

And when I get to review a hotel like this one, it ups the fun factor a lot more.



The hotel had recently revamped its corporate suites and invited me to have a taste of it over the weekend. I was more than happy to oblige, especially since it was in a lively part of town and the hotel is known to be pretty good.

I loved the corporate suite to death. It was swanky and so utterly comfortable that I could live there forever and ever. I found out later that this suite was 96sqm - the same size as my new home! For a moment I felt less depressed about my pigeon hole apartment.



I loved how the hotel welcomed me with a complimentary bottle of champagne, which I kept for breakfast the next morning because there was just too much to do and eat the day I arrived.

I'm not sure about you, but whenever I get a suite that comes with a separate living room, I would end up neglecting the living room and spend more time in the bedroom. But it was not the case this time.

Firstly because Josh and I could enjoy several divine cuppas from the Nespresso machine as we lounged on the cushy sofa.



Secondly because there was a box of terribly good chocs that I cradled in my arms and fed off as I watched Discovery Channel. If life's a box of chocolates from Royal Plaza on Scotts, I would be helluva happy.



But the most important reason why we spent most of our waking moments out in the living room was this - the Nintendo Wii game console. It came with a bunch of sports games, such as baseball, boxing and golf.



I am not quite a fan of such games, but decided to humour Josh and played a round of boxing with him. I tell you, it was FUN!

And exhausting too, like I was engaged in a real fight.

Hours later, we peeled ourselves off the sofa and headed to the Club Lounge, accessible only by club floor guests - that's us, for complimentary refreshments. I was surprised when the service staff greeted me by name. I have never met him before, so I joked with Josh that the PR team had circulated my mugshot to all hotel staff.



After a drink, we headed back to the room for more rounds on Wii while waiting for dad and Kenny to arrive and join us for dinner.

Dinner was had at the hotel's Carousel restaurant, which is pretty popular for its crazy spread of dishes - 160 international and local dishes. It is impossible to sample every dish, I think, even if you take only one bite from each. Starving yourself for a full day before going to dinner at Carousel wouldn't help either.



So I had to set my priorities right. Seafood is a must-have for me, so I dug into freshly shucked oysters liberally. :)



Carousel had a really big crowd that evening I was there, but the service staff were able to pay sufficient attention to us and the other diners around. My plates were removed and used cutlery were replaced every time I left my seat to get more food. My glass of water was always filled, and my napkin was always neatly folded and placed at the side when I returned.

Lovely. I'm glad that good service isn't all dead in Singapore!

Later, we proceeded to the hotel's lounge for a drink. It was, after all, a long time since I got to hang out with dad and my brother for a chat and that evening was my perfect opportunity.

Then I invited dad and Kenny to the suite after dinner to have a look-see. They ended up having several rounds on Wii with Josh, and left close to midnight.



It was funny to see dad playing such games because he was usually such a boring solemn person. Come to think of it, dad was so relaxed that evening. He posed with monkey faces and was happy to stay out late. :)



In fact, he was so sporting that night that he agreed to take this shot with me and Kenny. Me thinks this is a cute photo.



Josh and I carried on for a few more rounds of boxing on Wii, then headed out for a stroll down Orchard Road to see the Christmas light-up. It felt like we were dating again. :)



We woke up too late the next morning and much of breakfast was gone. So we had a little bit to eat before heading back to our suite for CHAMPAGNE!

Thank goodness for brave men... and Josh. Although I love champagne, my weak heart cannot take sudden loud sounds and I would avoid popping champagne bottles whenever possible.



Needless to say, we had more rounds on Wii as we downed bubblies. :)

I could SO get used to this life. Alas, this was only a hotel review and I could only enjoy it while it lasts.

More Christmas Goodies

Just as I was almost forgetting that Christmas is fast approaching, a bunch of festive goodies arrived in office today, courtesy of generous trade friends.

The biggest crowd pleaser today would have to be the visit from a hotel's general manager and marketing manager who came armed with two perfectly chilled bottles of champagne and a bunch of disposable champagne flutes, delicate flora flavoured macarons, very pretty chocolates, Christmas cookies, fruit cake and all the yummy stuff.

We were so excited by all the goodies that we broke for a party on the spot. :)




And I must tell you that these boots aren't made for walking. They are made entirely of chocolate, and within these chocolate boots are more chocolates!

While I am all for visual presentation when it comes to food, I think food should never be made too pretty to eat. And these boots are just too pretty. Who would have the heart to break it apart for consumption?

Then there was also a huge honey-baked ham from another hotel's PR department and a log cake from an airline company.


I could seriously save on lunch money this week by just feeding off these complimentary festive goodies.