would you like fries with it?

It's the best £27 I've ever spent in the last 10 months - me new Logitech Premium Notebook Headset

Just 3 weeks back I was on MSN with ah bons telling her I was tempted to order the headset, but at £34.99 it was kinda steep (this was off Logitech's website price). But I ordered it anyway. Good thing it was rejected the first time round, some credit card verfication that didn't permit my order to go through. Was a sign, I saved like £10 when I ordered it though Amazon.co.uk.

"Eh, then next time I want burger call you lor." That was Bons' first statement to me.

"Simi burger lah?" I asked.

"Machiam like those take orders one for drive through at Burger King lor."

"Hmmmm that's a thought."















Top pix: Me with live demo - Uncle, you want ketchup or chilli sauce?

Anyway, I was so happy it came, and as usual excessive packaging in a HUGE box. I really hate stuff which are packaged the way it is shown in picture below. So damn hard to open. I mean, when I buy a new gadget I am dying to try it out. I do not want to fight with plastic packaging for 20 minutes only to be all hot and bothered to try the product out.



















Picture above: Example of baaaad packaging. Baaaaad

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So first order of the day - call my darling rascals.

B1 was going on and on about his birthday. My mom was saying B1 is so excited and keeps telling her that I was going to get him the transformers optimus prime voice changer helmet.

Oh yeeeeaaah, trust the little rascal to remember that.

Apparently he is planning for his birthday, which will happen only 2 months down the road.

"Then we'll have a piñata (he said it with perfect spanish pronounciation too) and there will be a lot of sweets in there, and we'll need 2 sticks to beat it. The person who can hit it down will win the the BEST prize of all - the Optimus Prime helmet. What do you think Yee yee? Is it cool?"

"I think it's a fantastic and cool idea for a party."

"Then I am the organiser, but I can play in the games too."

"Can the organiser win a prize?"

"Yah, if I hit the piñata, I will get the best prize, and since you are getting the Optimus Prime Helmet, you will be getting the prize for me."

"That is really exciting sweetheart"

This went on for a bit, till my mom decided 10 minutes of party organisation and Spider-man talk was a bit too much for an IDD call. Then I asked for B2, who surprisingly, wanted to talk to me.

"They have this in UK too!" said B2.

They have Baby Alive? What does Baby Alive do?"

Some muffled conversation about feeding the baby and then...

"Bye yee yee." in her sweetest little voice.

Now job for the weekend - hunt for the Optimus Prime helmet and Baby Alive (or imitation) for the rascals.

work power - reactivate!

I am knackered! Me body seems to have adjusted so well, erasing all thoughts of how tiring work can be. I actually slept through S's loud snores last night, that almost never happens.

I've just settled into HP Labs and actually knowing exactly what to do next on my project. It has been a month of groping around in the dark. But thankfully my supervisor has been most patient and keeps initiating talks to make sure that I know what's going on.

For the first time in months, I am sitting in front of my computer watching youtube and not feel guilty about it. No thoughts of "Oh shit, I've got to finish another 4 articles of reading" or "Dammit, another 2,400 words to go."

Today I am completely at ease, sitting here with a clear conscience that I've cleared all my work and I truly deserve this break and it's okay not to do anything.

I'd forgotten what it feels like to blank out all thoughts of work and just have time for myself. I needed those periods of blanking out especially when I was at CCH and dreaded work days so much that during weekends my mind would completely switch off.

On the subject of work, I officially applied for a job in the UK yesterday and it is scary. It is a consumer marketing manager position for EMEA and I have all the qualifications that they want. Including an MBA.

*Gulp*

Today a colleague (A) at HP was just discussing with another colleague (B) and A was prompting B to do a business plan. That was where I heard my name come up, and not just once.

"Go ask T how to do it, she has an MBA, she'll be able to help you do the business plan."

*Double gulp*

Expectations. Okay, sure if guy B had approached me, I would have been able to help. But that was just more from work experience than my MBA course. After 10 months and £20,000 later, I am not quite sure if I've gotten smarter and more analytical than when I first started. One thing I do know though is...I can speed read now.

It'll be really interesting to go back to my friends and back to work and see if I've changed with this experience and if I am supposedly more astute in my views of the vicious and backstabbing business world. (Highly unlikely) Some people, it seems that their MBAs have changed their lives. Almost a religious experience (no offense to the religious), but you know what I mean.

Weird thing is, I feel less confident about myself in terms of work than I before I started my course! hehe, Best that I get my ass down to applying a few more jobs and trying out for some interviews!

renault clio

I am utterly in love with the new Renault clio.

By sheer accident, went up to Stratford today (again). A friend of mine rented a stickshift renault clio and didn't know how to drive on left hand side. Initially I was reluctant to go, cos I'd gone to Stratford with Sue May just 2 weeks back. But when I saw it was the Renault clio, I was just dying to test drive it, and before I knew it I heard myself say...

"If you want, I could go up Stratford with you gals." DOH!

Of course my friends weren't expecting me to go with them and spend the rest of the day on a road trip, instead of reading glorious articles on advertising, ad recalls, digital media trends... But under yesterday's circumstances, they were stuck and asked if I would go with them.

But am glad I did.

We went to Stow-on-the-wold and it is this little quaint village with lots of delicatessens (hear hear) lots of pastries, cafes, restaurants and kitchenware shops. You know me and kitchenware - I could have stayed there for the rest of the day looking at them.

Of course we had to go the Eagle and Child - which they claimed to be England's oldest inn. Seems like their cooking time lasted just about as long since the inn existed - AD947.

Okay it could be me. But when I pay £9 for a sandwich, I kinda expect more crisps and less wilted salads. And when the waiter takes my orders and tells me he can exchange crisps for chips, you expect chips. But noooooo.

The sandwich was kinda small too. It probably shrank in size while sitting on the counter waiting to be served. It took them a good 30-40 minutes getting our sandwiches. Honestly, after paying £10 for a sandwich and diet coke, I felt cheated and had to have an ice-cream to compensate.


Oh but the best part of the trip - the Renault clio, how could I forget...

It's fantastic. The interior is a lot more spacious than you expect. The pick up speed is definitely better than my good old Nissan March, the Vauxhall Corsa or Zafira. It was just such a smooth ride! Plus for the same distance that we travelled from Bath to Stratford on the Corsa, it was a half tank fuel consumption, but on the clio, to and from, the fuel gauge hardly budged!

I need to strike lottery and buy that car, so that I can use my tiffany key chain with new car key. Muahahhaha!

DAMMIT suffering from car ownership withdrawal symptoms

Top photo: Picture of the town centre in Stow-on-the-wold. Bottom picture: Nina standing outside Eagle and Child

summer solstice

Today is summer solstice. The longest day of the year and where the sun is farthest north in the sky. At this very minute as I write too - 18:08

Which never used to bother me, cos all days are roughly the same in Singapore, variation is about half an hour of the sun setting early and late. But here, I kinda appreciate the sun more.

It's the day when Stonehenge is open overnight to allow hippies and druids in. I can understand why they celebrate this paganistic event, particularly when you're in this part of the world.

Here's an extract from BBC- Science and Nature

Summer

The day the north pole is nearest the Sun is called the 'summer solstice'. Looking from Earth, the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky all year. This means it takes the most amount of time to cross the sky. So this is the longest day of the year. Its called the 'summer solstice' and happens around 21 June. Astronomers call this the start of summer and after this date, days start getting shorter.

The sun rose at 4:50 this morning and will set at 9:30hrs tonite.

The bright side (no puns intended) is that it is officially start of summer - woohoo shall go submit my essay in my bikini tomorrow! The not so bright side is, we lose the day a few minutes a day. Till it gets to be that horrid horrid time when it gets dark at 3pm.

Oh well, you gain some you lose some. I just have to start scheduling some vacations in winter then. Muahahha.

suddenly stefanie

Got a sudden karaoke attack! Haven't gone to my fave karaoke place in Bishan. Sigh... the sacrifices I make!

New song which I am determined to master.



These are the lyrics to the song

• 歌曲：我怀念的
• 歌手：孙燕姿
• 专辑：逆光

• 作词:姚若龙作曲:李偲菘
  
  我问为什么
  那女孩传简讯给我
  而你为什么
  不解释低着头沉默
  我该相信你很爱我
  不愿意敷衍我
  还是明白
  你已不想挽回什么
  
  想问为什么
  我不再是你的快乐
  可是为什么
  却苦笑说我都懂了
  自尊常常将人拖着
  把爱都走曲折
  假装了解是怕
  真相太赤裸裸
  狼狈比失去难受
  
  我怀念的是无话不说
  我怀念的是一起作梦
  我怀念的是争吵以后
  还是想要爱你的冲动
  
  我记得那年生日
  也记得那一首歌
  记得那片星空
  最紧的右手
  最暖的胸口
  谁记得
  谁忘了
  
  想问为什么
  我不再是你的快乐
  可是为什么
  却苦笑说我都懂了
  自尊常常将人拖着
  把爱都走曲折
  假装了解是怕
  真相太赤裸裸
  狼狈比失去难受
  
  我怀念的是无话不说
  我怀念的是一起作梦
  我怀念的是争吵以后
  还是想要爱你的冲动
  
  我记得那年生日
  也记得那一首歌
  记得那片星空
  最紧的右手
  最暖的胸口
  谁忘了
  
  我怀念的是无言感动
  我怀念的是绝对炽热
  我怀念的是你很激动
  求我原谅抱得我都痛
  
  我记得你在背后
  也记得我颤抖着
  记得感觉汹涌
  最美的烟火
  最长的相拥
  谁爱得太自由
  谁过头太远了
  谁要走我的心
  谁忘了那就是承诺
  
  谁自顾自地走
  谁忘了看着我
  谁让爱变沉重
  谁忘了要给你温柔
  
  我怀念的
  我还有想要爱你的冲动
  我记得那年生日
  也记得那一首歌
  记得那片星空
  最紧的右手
  最暖的胸口
  
  我放手
  我让座
  假洒脱
  谁懂我多么不舍得
  
  太爱了
  所以我
  没有哭
  没有说

darling B2

It's been almost a year since I last saw B2. And when I left Singapore in September, she had just about turned 2 and could hardly say a word, much less a sentence. I believe her vocab at that time were: - mama, kor kor, yee yee, mommy, oh oh, oh nooooo.

So that's the impression that I have of my favourite darling niece whenever I chat with my sister.

Last Saturday, I was determined to get the little girl to talk to me. She has been successfully evading all mandatory "hi yee yee I love you" phone conversations just by screaming,"NOOOOoooooooooooooo." Well, it worked for me as a kid, so I thought, in all my yee yee biased-ness, that it was a smart tactic for a 2 year old.

It got to a point where, while trying to get me mom to get her to talk to me, and at the very slight mention of the word "mei" she'll scream,"Nooooooooooooooooooooooo." So I told me sis that I wanted to do a webcam with the little girl. And at 815pm on Saturday nite, I called me sis, and heard the little girl over the phone, just before the webcam was connected.

"Hold on a while yee yee, hold on alright?" the little girl parroted me sis.

"Princess, will you do a picture for gong going?"

"TOMORROW YEE YEE, I WILL DRAW A PICTURE FOR GONG GONG TOMORROW!"

I can't believe the little rascal can now speak so much, and she was even doing a muffled version of Christina Aguilera's song from Mulan.

Apparently she told some of the big boys off for cutting the queue at a birthday party, and had a conversation with me sis's friend's aunt about going to China. At 2!

I can't wait to see her in September. And have a feeling will be crying buckets when they both go home.

strawberries and cream

Past few weeks strawberries have been on sale. :) So I bought them a couple of times, they've been soooooo sweet. I've never tasted such sweet strawberries without piling on the icing sugar before.

As I held one up to close scrutiny while happily scoffing down a whole box of it, I decided to do something...cos at that point in time, it struck me - the little yellow seeds on the strawberries looked like blackheads.

So you can pretty much guess the rest. All I can say is, the entire experience was satisfying. And that coming from me has to be true. (Somehow sense a sigh and some head shaking coming from my cousin.)

It felt so much like the real thing! All the fun, and none of the red blotchiness and pain! Just that the seeds got under my nails. Ugh.

Bet you'll never view strawberries the same way again. Muahahaha

11 Keppel Road

Back in my previous life when I had a job, I would walk pass this furniture shop at the bottom of the building where I worked. This shop, presumably, was a showroom and sold office furniture. The furniture was mighty fancy - design and ergonomics all rolled into one. (Go check out the furniture layout under their "Projects" on their website.) And the use of such furniture would mean that you will have to have a certain amount of space within the office to house it all.

And everyday for the few years that I worked there, while walking pass, I would ask myself,"Who the hell buys these furniture?"

Well, HP does. At least HP Labs in Bristol does. It's one of those places that has a cube that's about 2x the size of what I had at CCH, (bearing in mind I am only an intern there and need only to go in like 1-2x a week). But I have a cube, with my name on the side board. The table is divided into two areas, one is specifically for the monitor, and there are some levers that I can use to adjust the height of where that should be. The chairs are those that not only allows you to adjust height, you can tilt it forward or back at the angle you want and armrests are also adjustable.

And oooo, the key to small drawers even has a built-in magnet, so that you can stick it on the partition boards which have metal parts on them - GENIUS!

And if that's not good enough, working at HP that is, is that they are the printer makers of the world. So, ie, I've been offered the opportunity to print out my dissertation there! Muahahahha! Eh that's a lot of savings, considering one piece of colored printing is 30p. A 100 page dissertation (estimate, not that I will actually write 100 pages), is £30, excluding binding!

Call me a cheapo...I like.

*******
A btw, the stain on my very expensive dress came off - phew!
A second btw, found a food blog that's fantastic, no thanks to Ms. Woo who tried to make me crave more for my chai tao kway - yin yang one with no chili thank you. It's called ieatishootipost - brillant pictures, and makes me so wanna go home!

baby's first "cheers!"

Had a glorious 3 days off work and just romping around the streets of Bath, showing Sue May the Roman Baths, Pump Room (with it's yucky 43 mineral free drink), Sally Lunn's, Royal Crescent, Circus and of course, what we do best - eating and shopping.

To top it all off, we went to Stratford-upon-Avon yesterday. I really like that town even though I don't really like the Bard. But the houses were done Tudor style and most were quite old, as the wooden planks weren't exactly straight but it all adds to the charm of the city. Like Bath, Stratford was swamped with tourists. I walked by the Crabtree & Evelyn cafe that Bons, Janet and I went to in December last year.

Sue May and I went to Shakespeare's birthplace at Henley Street. My last trip there, the girls didn't really want to go in.

But Sue May and I did. It's amazing. Structurally, the house is still about 60-70% the original building from when John Shakespeare and his wife stayed there in the late 1500s. The floor has been unchanged. Why, with all the Shakespearean air about, I almost sprouted a few sonnets. Sue May tried composing a poem, to which we both cringed upon her reciting it.

The drive to and from Stratford was very scenic. There is this stretch of road just before you hit Northleach coming down the A429 from Stratford, which we called "The Viking". It's like a really steep valley, and you can almost see a vertical drop down to the bottom and then a sharp hill up on the other side. Like a roller-coaster ride! Was really fun!

I had to return the car today, and went back to Enterprise. They have this drop you off service, which is great. So I waited while someone arranged to drive me back to Oldfield Park. Just before leaving the boy at the counter who served me said,

"Thanks for waiting, see you again. Cheers!"

"Cheers!" I replied.

Me first "cheers"

Hmmmm I've always found it hard to say "Cheers" or "Ta" in replacement of "Thanks" and "Bye". Could this be the start?! I've started using words like "rubbish" and pronouncing words differently. CANNOT!!!! Go back sure kena big time from rubbish people like crabs. hmmm

Crabs are you reading this?
































Top to Bottom: Sue May holding the audio phone at Roman Baths; Royal Crescent - Bath's most expensive piece of real estate

summerball-ocks

Had my summerball yesternite. Yup please conjure up images of beautifully dressed gals and handsome young men in their tuxs, all having a formal meal and drinks and lotsa dancing.

I wore my expensive Ted Baker silk dress, $200 shoes and went out earlier in the day to get a purse and some cheap earrings. See below for stunning pix of me.

I paid £29 for the ticket, which was just for admittance to the Bath Racecourse grounds OH OH OH... the rides were free.

Hang on before we get there...

A whole group of 14 of us gathered for a meal at Aqua Restaurant just before the ball. And I pre-ordered the yummilicious sounding dish on the menu just days before. Calamari, with prawns & langostine. So I haven't had much food since breakfast so that I could eat my £12 worth of food and enjoy it. For £12 I got 6 calamaris, 2 prawns and 1 tiny langostine. I thought it was an appetiser. And I had to order more bread to keep myself full.

K ... fast forward toBath Racecourse. First impression when I got there.

"I got dressed up for a carnival?"

Almost immediately I had to head for the drinks tent to get a Pimms. And it was a half pint for £3.60. Day light robbery.

So we got talking, me and some of my mates and their pals. And suddenly one of them drops her Pimms on the floor, splashing cheap alcohol on my silk dress and shoes.

"ARGH!!!!!" Yup. Those were my exact thoughts. Hmm no my exact thoughts were "WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!??!?!"

Was told the stain would come off.

"It had damn well better come off, YOU STUPID BITCH WHO CANNOT HOLD YOUR DRINKS!"

But couldn't exactly scream, cos 1. it's gf of a friend. 2. it was a pure accident

"Butterfingers"

Anyway since the Bath Racecourse was on a hill, it started to get cold. Really cold. I only had my one thin cardigan to keep me warm. All the gals were dressed to the nines but were shivering and had their arms crossed and hands rubbing their arms to keep warm.

There was nothing to do at the Ball, the band playing was from the 1970s. Most people by 11 were piss drunk, of course they were having a fun time. I would drink more if not for the fact that the eczema patch on my chest looked like it would take over my entire body if I tried. The girls who started the evening looking all pretty and sweet were drunk, eyes dazed and couldn't walk straight - not a pretty sight.

We walked up and down the grounds trying to keep warm. And in the end I managed to convince a few people to sit on the rides (ie. Yohsuke, Aor (in pix above) and abz) So it was the most expensive ride of my life at £29.

That was essentially the highlight of the nite. SAD. And utter waste of money.

no panadol thank you

What I don't understand about some people, is their unwillingness to take painkillers, which were invented for the sole purpose for removing pain.

Have a friend in Singapore, who suffers from migraines, and as a fellow migraine sufferer* I can fully understand the torment. It's just so painful that sometimes knocking your head against the wall seems to provide relief. (Makes you look like a mental patient, but hey whatever that works!)

For me, at the first sign of an impending migraine - the thickening of the saliva, small pulsating pain from inside the head, I grab two panadol extras to kill it, before it turns into a monster.

And when I tell the same gal to take panadol, she would go,"oh no, it's not good to take too much medication, I'll ride it out."

Which you never do, at least not for me with migraines. So rather than save time and having some decent quality of life, as opposed to headbanging and crouching over table like some dead animal for the rest of the day, it is better for her, to endure the pain.

Go figure.

*No more migraine, thanks to another medical invention aka the Pill. The crap women have to put up with each month!

knowledge by osmosis

Hehehe, just had last of my exams, in my whole entire life... I mean, surely after working, exams are like nothing, and in retrospect they are not a big deal, but the days leading up to the exams - I nearly died. I started revision too late, and tried to cram all 5 days' work in 1 day PLUS a textbook. Needless to say, my brains almost nearly exploded. It was hilarious, all of yesterday while revising for exams, my classmates and I were furiously logging onto Facebook and all replying each other's messages within seconds. Glad to know that I wasn't the only procrastinating.

Don't know why the cheesy chinese song "Love is oveeerrr" is in my head at the moment. But just that line, since I can't remember the rest of the words.

Okay so now that my life will now evolve around - assignments, dissertation sans exams, I may have something may be more interesting to write about.

OH! yes, I got S a citrine bed cos his business has been a bit low lately. And thanks to me cous who said that citrine is a money stone good for business etc, I asked S if he would allow me to decorate his house with citrine (He did ask me to decorate his house with "chinese" stuff. Hah, me with chinese stuff...that'll be the day. I'll like to say crystals are more hippy stuff than chinese, in case someone is reading this post and screaming that while reading.)


Anyway he said okay (surprisingly) and I did. And I am not sure if it was coincidence, timing or that the crystal really worked, but he got more work calls this past week and also an unexpected "windfall" when his neighbour gave him some vouchers (as opposed to a £6 bottle of wine) for him helping them out some weeks back. Cool. And now he wants more fengshui stuff in his house. hmmm

Now I'm going to get moonstone for weight loss. Though I suspect dieting and exercise are still part of that deal...dang!

Sue May is coming next week, on Wednesday, I can't wait! I'm dragging her to one of those free walks on Bath, Pump Room (where the aristocrats used to hang out as it was a place to be seen), Sally Lunn's (oldest house in Bath), Royal Crescent, Circus, Thermae Bath Spa, Comedy Cavern, Royal Victoria Park, Roman Pump and we'll be renting a car to go see Stonehenge (my third time!), and Lacock Abbey where they filmed Harry Potter. Can't wait!

ooooo. Talking about Harry Potter, I think I should book for the book so that it arrives in my post the day it is released. Something other than strategy, price and product differentiation to read about.

hellos and goodbyes

Time seems to fly. After nine months, some people whom I've just met and have grown really close to are leaving.

Annie, or Aunt Hilda (since she is from Norway and we all can't read her Norwegian name, so decided to christen her Aunt Hilda) a really bright, smart and cheerful girl who lives in the room next door is leaving next Monday. It is weird, but the people on my floor have grown really close and largely because through her. She has an amazing ability to bring people together, and she is honest and very sensible for someone as young as she is.

She was my accomplice in using garbage bags to seal up Keith's door, a birthday gift for him. awwwww. Well it didn't stop there we ended up taping Keith's food cupboard, weetabix and milk. Then continued taping the fridge.

Feeling a bit sad that she is leaving soon. I still have all of June, July and August before my dissertation is up and the rascals come over.

On the plus side, I now have an invite to visit Norway anytime I want. :) I just recalled having this picture book on Norway which my dad bought for me when I was little. It showed pictures of fjords and rivers, lots of natural landscape.

Anyway, more pictures and curry tonite. :) Am looking forward to it. In the meanwhile, back to crappy Change Management essay.

anyone missing me yet?

okok, I haven't exactly dropped off the face of this earth... just fallen off my friends' email lists and MSNs.

The past few weeks have been so busy (re: all 200 other posts before this screaming my awful schedule)

Just like Rupert who was in the MBA computer room said today,"Enough, I'm sick of this fucking MBA, fucking Claverton, fucking assignments, fucking essay..." (you get the drift)

I am actually quite looking forward to NOT doing an MBA now. Hear, hear McKinsey, isn't it about time you post that job offer to me?

Well all I can say is, at least the weather is cooperative. It's been rainy past three weeks, if it had been sunny I would have killed someone by now.

The silver lining, light at end of tunnel, sunshine after the rain...is that Sue May my friend from kindergarten is coming over to visit! That's going to happen just the week after my final, final FINAL exam, ever... for the rest of my life. So she is camping in and it's going to be Grrrreat! (think Kellog's Frosties Tiger)

These days it gets dark close to 9pm. So now, when it's 801 feels like it's 5-6pm in Singapore. I feel cheated when it gets completely dark and mentally I'm thinking - no problem still have some hours before 12 to get stuff done.

And when it actually gets dark it's 10 and TIME TO ZZZ! K 9pm now, time to do some work.

foodle moodle

This is a message from Foodle's CEO.

I got promoted 2 days ago. From Project Manager to CEO. The C though, stands for coffee; was mainly running to the coffee room to get coffee for the boys. E and O I haven't quite figured out.

I've been up to my ears doing this entrepreneurial project that combines all my knowledge gleaned from my 1 year on the Bath MBA. Ended up, I STILL did the marketing, dang!

But it's been an eye opening experience, and it just re-affirmed some of the stereotypes about people that I've always had. Some people were just not pulling their weight on the project, which meant that those who were, were punished for being responsible by getting more to do.

Or maybe they'll like to write it off as a cultural difference...what the hell. Not doing work translates to not doing work in any damn language or culture. (As you can see, am not very happy)

I mean, how can you learn if you don't start speaking English? They complain that English is too hard for them, yet they like to fall back into their comfort zone speaking their native language.

Anyway one 85-page essay down, 5 more to go.

It's 1.22am. Time to shower and hit the sack.

crashing and burning

What I really need now... is a month of no work, just sipping Pimm's by the beach and taking in the sun.

With Claverton project (our business venture idea that has to be presented), 2 assignments, a graded presentation tomorrow and readings not done...I am losing the will to live.

Gotta crash now. zzzZZZzzz

under attack!

My limbs are under attack. From insects. Cos the welts on my arms look suspiciously similar to sandfly bites.

Sometimes it gets really itchy. And they are only on my arms, just behind me shoulders and ankles. Ankles are the newest collection of itching welts.

I should take a few pictures and post it here, but it'll seem like some skin disease centre ad. Not too appealing.

But bloody hell, stop biting me!!! And just when summer is here too! I suspect may be all that going to the park thing. DAMN YOU ENGLISH INSECTS!!

Day before was in S's garden doing gardening (don't ask me why), and kena bitten by this blood sucking caterpillar/mosquito look-a-like. And after that it was just a red dot that spread from .05cm to about .1cm in diameter. S looked at it and said it's weird cos he's never come across it before.

grrrrr.

So may go to the medical centre and get some medication. Or maybe to Boots to get some cream, under the section isle of "cream for diseased".

Nose also peeling and red, I think it's eczema, but it's been there for about 2 weeks now.

Sigh. To have good skin.

On another note,... I miss my Ali G.

Keynesian Theory

If it was anything that came out of my education in Economics, it sure wasn't that of Keynes' theory of aggregate demand and supply (*gulp* got visuals of the graphs already). What I do remember of Keynes was his dismissal of all events in the long run.

And it struck me today, that that is sooooo true. With things changing so rapidly, what is permanent? Practically nothing.

Certainly not your job. Not all friendships...relationships? Hell no!

It's weird. I've always hated change, and I still do. But at this point in my life, where nothing is going to be what it is in 6 months' time, I've come to terms, albeit grudgingly, with this state of ephemeral confusion and chaos.

Makes me wonder that sometimes, should I just live for the moment and abandon all thoughts of "how will this affect me down the road? what long term thinking and investment? Should you invest long term in a career? In a relationship?

What's the point anyway? If it doesn't work - NEXT!

All that carpe diem crap does make sense and when things hit you good while you are carpe diem-ing... it is really good. And when shit hits the fan, so what? Things will all even out anyway.

So Mr. Keynes does have a point doesn't he?

"In the long-run, we're all dead"

things you never thought you'll do

For me, that is taking really long walks, sitting out in the sun, lying on the grass having a picnic. But those are exactly what I've been doing the past few weeks.

Took a really long walk from school to home. Was nearly 1 hour walk. (To see where I've covered, just follow the yellow brick road on map I've extracted from Google Earth*

Thanks to my new birkies, would have died without them. Sure, sure I know they are not the best looking of shoes, but in the right colour, and right design, (ie the Madrid, cos I have them dammit!) they can be fashionably cool and chic.

Though must say, the smell of sweat plus suede sure don't go together. Got a bottle of Scholl shoe odour spray from Boots today. Hope it works, or will have to do the horrid German fashion of socks with birkies! Fashion faux pas!













View of Bath Skyline from North Road


*Best invention on earth, after the air-conditioner and radiators. Costs you next to nothing to fly from UK to Singapore and BACK!

damn you jeans!

After 30 something years of pui-ness*, short-sightedness, shortness, fat arms, bow-leggedness, higher propensity towards:

- high blood pressure
- SLE
- diabetes
- heart problems
- stroke
- eczema

I have found another reason to curse the very existence of the double helix that have brought about my being.

I am starting to look like me sis! ARGGGHHHHH

All my life, most people have always said that we look different. But in recent years, people have started commenting that we're looking alike.

The first few comments I waved it off...then along came the pictures and even I thought that I looked like me sis... god forbid! Sure she has always been the prettier one... but I don't want to look like her! Muahahhaha We even have the same - one eye smaller than the other problem when we smile, comes out real obvious in pictures!!

Just like me dad and his bros, they've all merged into ONE LOOK. The Leo Brothers Look.

Scary.











Me, with new hair-do. Think me eyes look like L from Death Note. (cousin will know what I'm talking about.)


*While trying on my trusty ole' sisley jeans the other day, realised that the fly kept coming down. Initially tried to attribute it to a spoilt zip. But I think it's cos I've put on too much weight! Pui-ness: Hokkien and singlish-nised for fat-ness.

the pop effect

A closeup in the mirror revealed a little white spot. Using the edge of a tweezer, I prodded it and goodness gracious me...there was a little tail sticking out from the little pore opening.

The squishy, gelatinous, white head was like a little plug, plugging the pore. I raced to the bathroom, got tissue and then opened cupboard, which had a huge mirror in it.

With my face just 2 inches from the mirror, I examined the whitehead. And slowly but surely, I coaxed the little bugger to reveal more of himself in the open.

"Stop hiding and come out!" I said to him.

Blood and serum came gushing out from the surrounding sore tissue.

I eased its little tail in all directions, and used the edge of the tweezers to hold its tiny tail, then kiaped* it tight and "POP"! The white head was out!

The feeling was one kind of shiok.

Super shiok.

Last week, saw 3 pus-y spots on S's back.

"May I squeeze them? Please?"

"Alright, go on then." said S.

"Seriously?" I replied in disbelief, cos this was the first time he's allowed me to squeeze a spot.

And before he could change his mind, I hurriedly dragged him to the window for better light. Then drawing on my years of experience, I gently eased the pus out. It went POP.

Pus was green, semi solid. So shiok.














Me at North Parade Park on a Sunday afternoon. The life!

*Kiap: Onomatopoeia. Hokkien word for clasp

coffee?

So much so for being diligent and finishing work on time. I am done with my assignment, which is due on Monday. I finished it on this Wednesday. Which leaves me Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday free. Thursday and Friday was spent with S, so that kept me occupied. Saturday and today, Sunday I am so bored, cos all my friends are still on their assignments.

I've no one to ask out for coffee. S is busy car hunting and seems to think it's a guy's thing, so didn't bring me along. Can't ask friends out cos every is busy.

I should have gone London this morning.

Suddenly miss my coffee sessions with Geraldine, or Janet or Salinah. Or just driving by to the rascals' place to play with them. Or go hang out with my cousins. I don't ever recall being this bored and lonely before.

xxx break xxx

Just back from kitchen, just ate semi-cooked chicken... now feeling utterly sick in me tummy. Hope I don't get salmonella poisoning.

2 hongkies and a malaysian

2 Hongkies and 1 Malaysian popped into town today. It's Fanny, her mom and Fanny's hubby Walter.

It was really nice of them to pop into Bath, and fetched me from home. We did a roundabout to school, Roman Bath (Just the outside), Java, Circus, Royal Crescent and popped back to the City Centre for a walk.

It's so nice to meet people from back home... I miss THEM!!!!!! We talked, gossiped, and gossiped more about Mrs Lim, aka Pauline Peh. I do miss the bunch at work.

Fanny came on a fantastic day, the weather was so great, and the sun was hitting Bath in really beautiful light. Seeing Fanny's mom reminded me of me mom... wish she was here to see the spring flowers, I know she'll love them.

Anyway, today was actually warm. I was sweating!

Look at the tulips? Aren't they pretty? I think I shall develop some of the pictures of the flowers for my mom. :)

one a penny, two a penny...

hehehhe, Easter, what does it mean to you?

Bunnies, chocolates, easter eggs, and in this country, hot cross buns!

Always wondered what they were (I bet my cousin Yann did as well) cos the ladybird nursery rhymes book had that "Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns" and the illustration always looked so yummy.

Well here it is - it's raisins bun with some spice in it. When you toast it and put butter on it, ooooooooooooo sedap!* BTW, the cross on the bun doesn't taste of anything, in case you are like me, wondered my whole life...

Oh forgot there is Simnel cake as well. It's fruit cake with marzipan!!!!

Somehow the food for easter seems pretty much the repeat of Christmas. I mean look at the list:

Christmas - Easter
Minced pies - Hot cross buns
Fruit Cakes - Simnel Cakes
Chocolates - Easter Chocolates (same type except now egg shaped)
Mulled Wine - Cider/Beer/Wine

Not beri creative leh.

Mac is making a whirling sound. Back-up! Back UP!

*Can put peanut butter, jam, or PEANUT BUTTER N JAM! hmmmmmm

the grass is always greener

It's funny that at the start of the academic year, almost everyone I know in my class had hopes of staying on in the UK to work. But gradually one by one resolved either to go back to their home country or to leave the UK.

As for me, I still harbour hopes that I'll get a job offer here and stay on. Not just cos of the grass is greener idea, but the patch at home is stinking of cow shit. Just as the economy is recovering slightly the government (meaning the ministers themselves) wants to bump up its pay.

And why? Oh, becos earning $1.2million isn't enough for them. And nevermind that GST rate has and will increase, cost of living in recent years has shot up tremendously; and yet, they tell us to be contend with a "high" income of $4,500 a month? The basket of goods used to measure inflation probably hasn't changed since 1965. So by right, if $4,500 can get you a house, pay for your parents livings, living expenses, insurance, and dare we common folks even dare dream...a car(!) and still have money to save after all that, shouldn't $1.2 million be plenty for you?

I mean, pardon me but try living at that a take home salary of $4500 (less CPF) or less, and see if you survive a month. Oh maybe then I should be ever so grateful as to get the 80% government subsidised housing that I am staying in?

Ooooo Honestly, what will I do without the government?

They talk about creating jobs for 3.something million people, and giving another 1.3 million jobs to others.

Where were you when I needed my job?...Oh I forget, creating jobs for the other 1.3 million other people.

Catherine Lim wrote that the government should not just compare their salaries with the private sector, but with other highly efficient and uncorrupted government. And indeed they should. But would they? I think not.

So, with any given chance to get out of that shithole I will. If you want that tiny island to grow to a population of 6 million, you're very welcome to, cos I want no part in this nepotic, egotistic, autocratic, socialist madness.

£200 poorer

Okay, here's the verdict on Bicester Village.

It's fantastic. All I need now is a credit card that doesn't belong to me - stolen, borrowed or given, I don't care. Oh, and the ability to charge, charge and charge!

I told S that I spent £200 shopping, and he thought that was a bit extravagant, till I reminded him that things in the UK cost a BOMB!

It was quite a long drive from Bath, and a bit intimidating at first, since this is the first time I'm driving in the UK without a GPS!!! Thank goodness for road atlases.

What's good at Bicester:

• Reiss - High street fashion (in-season clothes) at discount. Plus they were running additional 10% off.
  
• Ted Baker - OMG I think my chow atas taste for all things expensive have just gone up a notch, but bank account seems to be er...going in the opposite direction
• Paul Smith - had really nice clothes, but I couldn't afford it.
• Anne Fontaine - Had some interesting nice white tops and shop smells damn nice too. But shirts were going like for £80 and upwards.
• French Connection - What else can I say? It's French Connection.
• Burberry - If you're into it, I'm sure there are deals to be had. Except it wasn't exactly my cup of tea.
• L'Occitane - So many things, so cheap!
• Anya Hindmarch - So nice, so nice, soooooo nice. Anyone got £400 to give me?
• Karen Millen - this was a bit of a mixed feelings thing for me, while I like their stuff, it's still too ex and no different from high street prices.
• Bodum, Bodum, Bodum!
• Jimmy Choo - I touched god today.
  

What was disappointing:

• Tod's - Offered only 10% if you buy 2 items. I mean this is an outlet, want to be so atas, don't have outlet lah!
• Furla - Damn ugly bags they have. What happened?
• Calvin Klein - machiam pasar malam shop
• Folli Follie - Everytime I think there's something nice in there, I go to the shop and it's a disappointment.

training

Since we're all off from school the next couple of days, a few of us have decided to take tomorrow off - no school work, no discussions, no nothing...except SHOPPING!

We've hired a car and yours truly will be chauffeuring 6 other people to Oxfordshire, to the wonderful retail outlet of Bicester Village. So this will be the start of my training for the Heathrow bus driver position. We'll also go by Oxford to look at some abbeys, buildings boys on rivers punting, but that'll take probably all of 20 minutes hahahah.

We're all so excited, I cannot wait. Which makes sleep tonight a lot harder!

Full writeup of Bicester Village to come.

i want mommy!!!!

These couple of days been longing for home-cooked food. Sunday lunches at home are usually my favourite fan shu zhou (sweet potato porridge) with a few side dishes. My mom knows that it's my favourite.

Anyway yesterday I got tired of the range of food at Sainsbury's & Asda. I just wanted something soupy. Like Ban main. So I ended up buying pot noodles, adding a lotsa water to make it soupy.

Today I wanted just the usual stuff that my mom would make for me. So I went to the kitchen and ransacked the stock of Chinese food that I've been hoarding for moments like these.

Of vital importance... Ma-Ling luncheon meat - fried to a crisp and with loads of ketchup. See exhibit A.

Second was the load of ikan billis that my mom sent over. Fried as well with loads of sugar on it. So it was sweet and crispy. Yummy.

Third, rice... with ketchup. Nothing like rice with ketchup to remind you of home.

The vege was an incidental dish as I thought I needed some fibre etc. You know, the healthy stuff, tho these were all frozen veg so I can't imagine they had any vitamins left in them.

While it is not as yummy as mommy's home cooked food, just munching on food with eyes closed, it almost feels like it.

A by the way victorious achievement this week. I got offered projects from Intel & HP this week. Initially thought Intel didn't want me (HOW CAN ANYONE NOT WANT ME???!?!), but I was on their reserve list and they called me only on Wed.

Of course I was feeling damn tulan after Intel offered my friends and not me, so I worked really hard for HP and was offered the position 10 mins after they interviewed the last candidate. wooohooo!

Sad thing is, HP is in Bristol, while Intel is in Swindon. And most of my friends have projects in Swindon and so they will go there together. :'( Well it's an experience. It'll be interesting to see what it's like working in 1. an angmo country and 2. almost all guys environment.















Exhibit A: Clockwise from left: Ikan Billis with sugar, Luncheon meat, veg with oyster sauce
Exhibit B: Layout authentic with rice and chopsticks from home.

well pissed off

I didn't get that project with Intel. And I should have known that I wouldn't because I wasn't that prepared for the interview.

Another friend, though wasn't given topic of her choice at Intel, was wanted very much by the team. She was very well prepared. She has slides, diagrams, statistics - you know, the kick ass stuff.

Now why wasn't I fucking prepared to do that kind of work if I wanted that job that much.

And to think some others got called back and I not, I feel like fucking kicking my ass.

This is a reality check, the final project is a foot back into the working world. Sure...fine and good that I am living in an unreal world, and DO NOT want to return to work yet, but it fucking pisses me right off that I have not been accepted by Intel.

Fucking pissed off that I am so laid back and not doing anything about it. This is what I wanted right?! An MBA and a better job, so fucking stop sitting on your fat ass and do something about it!

knn hurry up lah

While standing in line at the cash register today, just before a couple who bought 95 items, I really felt like socking someone.

Firstly, the uncle and auntie (actually they were like around my age I would imagine) had NINETY-FIVE items. So it is taking longer than usual to process their transaction.

Secondly, the girl was trying to be chatty and cutesy, pretending to punch the guy while packing. Knn...95 items don't even try to pack a bit faster. And the guy was useless. Standing there, taking forever to open those plastic bags to put 2 items in.

Annie shouted to me, in sarcasm directed at them,"Tricia! Stop holding up the queue!"

My eyes rolled in their direction.

Moral of the story:
Women late 20s, 30s, shouldn't act cute in unnecessary situations.

you can now leave your comments on kittyblankie.blogspot.com

My cousin told me that she couldn't leave comments on my blog. For the longest time, I was thinking - why doesn't anyone leave comments. It seems that I've set it to "Only registered users" can leave a comment.

Anyway that has been rectified. So fire away those comments!

The next couple of weeks will be pretty much on our own. I kinda feel that the school term is ending. Our last lectures together, in a class of 30, will be on 16 April 2007. My last class for the year is on 11 May 2007. It does all sound quite soon doesn't it?

While taking the bus home today (today being a brilliantly sunny day and yet still chilly to remind you that winter is not over yet), I realised that I haven't explored all of Bath yet. I haven't been up to Beechen Hill, Lansdown Road, Priory Park. Nor have I gone to visit the Tate, Science Museum, the National Gallery or just sat in Trafalgar's Square in London.

I can't be going home yet!

But 2007 will be over, sooner than you think.

sainsbury's should employ me

Since it's almost 6 months to graduation, and my career options are slowly being struck out from either lack of interest or lack of a brain to comprehend the kind of information that needs to be... so the solution is simple

I think Sainsbury's should hire me.

I mean look at my blog, here, here, here and here. All comments and endorsement by me of Sainsbury's. And you know that I'm not being biased, cos I do give bad feedback on their food. Muahahahaha


Anyway latest food review Sainsbury's Onion & Roasted Garlic Houmous Super good man. I can eat a whole tub of it!

So. J. Sainsbury's CEO, ex-Bath MBAer, wanna hire a fellow Bath MBA soon to be grad? :)

pooi, pooi, pooi, pooi, pooi!

Taken from Sainbury's website of their Vegetarian Vegetable Butternut Squash and Goat's Cheese Lasagna

"Layers of fresh lasagne pasta filled with roasted red onion, roasted butternut squash, spinach and roasted leek with creamy goats cheese and tomato sauces."

Sounds good right? I had to add salt, soy sauce, sugar. And even after all that seasoning, it was TASTELESS! What a waste of £2.49!

heh, though somewhere at the back of my mind, I can hear my cousin going,"eh, you should have known that of a vegetarian meal!" heheh this time I have to concur with her!

Interview tomorrow. Wish me luck!

drumroll...another rascals update

Called my darlings again today. B1 was in an extremely good mood and was talking to me. He was so excited about going to the UK in September, after his birthday (which is still a good 5 months away!) But can sense that he does miss me. Both of us were planning to go to a toy shop. He said I could stay at Linda's house ...he would pretend to faint and I would laugh at his jokes and how he will do somersaults on the fields outside in the garden I can't wait.

My mom then said that yesterday, my dad threatened to hit her (not sure if he said that seriously or as a joke, either case it is sad :( ) and B1 went up in front of my mom and said," if you hurt mama, I'll fight you." B2 saw her bro doing that and did the same to protect my mom. So it's a good thing my mom has the rascals who love her.

B2 was still high about her zoo trip, which happened on Sunday! And she told me that she saw something.. wasn't sure what she said. And then told me she had dinner and ate rice. She sounds so much like B1

a wedding ring

I got a HUGE surprise today. :) I thought it was a 2 carat solitaire proposal in Royal Mail, since it came in a signature robin egg blue box and white ribbon - one that I adore.

Gotta admit, I am a sucker for Tiffany anything. As long as it comes in that blue box and luxurious white ribbon - I'm sold!

As it turned out, it was a beautiful keyring from Tiffany. Great birthday gift too. Cos it's one that I will NEVER buy for myself, and it's just great to get as a present. So here I am absolutely pleased and grinning like an idiot while holding onto it.

Anyway, it's starting to get warm now, and the floral landscape is changing - from barren to one full of flowers and colours. I have to bring my camera to school and take pictures of the spring flowers. Fields of daffodils, primroses on the roundabouts in Bath, trees with pink blossoms. It's just absolutely beautiful. I took a picture while doing work at S's house that day - it was of his garden, and it's really pretty. There is this tree just beyond his garden that has the prettiest pink flowers on it - no leaves, just flowers. I've never seen anything like it before.

Yesterday did the most chow ang mo thing. I actually shifted my work area to catch some rays of the sun. :) As much as I love the difference in weather - that it's bitingly cold when the wind blows, and how soakingly wet when it rains in winter - it's nice to just lay out in the sun and catch its warmth. Hard to believe that this is the same sun that practically fries your skin in Singapore. :)

Ahhh, almost makes me not want to go back.

12,056 days old

Happy birthday to meeeee. My 21st birthday was quite uneventful. Since I had school that day. And then it was meeting S for dinner. He got me a cake, card and a lucky bamboo plant, seeing that I was eyeing it the last time. Then treated me to dinner. Which is a lot, considering i gave him a card telling him he can claim a gift from me within 30 days.

Hmmm it's always so hard to buy stuff for men!!!

My mom called me at 5am, thinking it was 6 (it's still too early mom!!) to wish me happy birthday. And I got a load of pix, videos and cards from the rascals. B1 initially didn't want to talk to me, but 2 mins after my mom hung up, he told my mom,"Call yee yee I want to talk to her." And of cos got a shelling from my mom. So he was super tearful when he called me. And wished me happy birthday. Then said mama's finger is getting better, so I must be getting better. (Don't know what he meant by that)

Then after 2 mins, he gave the phone to my mom. But then returned to the phone, now all happy, and talked about Lazytown, and how he wanted to be Spartacus.

Have uploaded video of B2 who has grown so much! She is such a darling!

chaucer

It dawned on me while I was on my way to school 3 days back, how connected I've become with the city of Bath. I passed by a restaurant in Bath known as the Wife of Bath, which was taken from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

Now I heard about Bath at about 17-18 while doing The Canterbury Tales by Geoffery Chaucer for my A levels. It is a series of stories narrated by pilgrims while they were making their way to Canterbury. I did the story "The Franklin's Tale", and as the Canterbury Tales holds many stories, I actually bought the book to read the other tales within.

I remember my Lit teacher Mr Burrows*, English no less, made copies of the Franklin's Tale for us. It was written in middle English, more archaic than Shakespeare's English and for a few weeks after we got the core text, we were trying to figure out what it was saying. Terms such as "noblesse oblige" and "gentillese" were discussed, we had to understand the content in the context, genre and time frame that it was written.

Literature is a really interesting subject albeit commercially useless but still interesting subject.

Heere bigynneth the Frankeleyns tale,
In armorik, that called is britayne,
Ther was a knyght that loved and dide his payne
To serve a lady in his beste wise;
And many a labour, many a greet emprise
He for his lady wroghte, er she were wonne.

- The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin's Tale, Geoffery Chaucer

And of course then we had to do the literary critique of the story.

Anyway there was the Wife of Bath tale, which even by today's standard was risque. The stories within the Canterbury Tales all had a moral behind it. The Wife of Bath was about sovereignty of women over men, the Franklin's Tale was about chivalry, and noblesse oblige. Some stories would refute earlier ones.

At 17, I thought it was funny that a city was called Bath, and of course at the ripe old age of 31, while my mom and I went to the UK, subconsciously, I wanted to go visit it.

And then I met S, and now I am living and studying here. It's been five months since I've been to the UK. I can't believe that in 3 months' time, I'll not see many of my classmates for a long time to come. Perhaps till graduation, and this MBA deal will all be a thing of the past.

*Burrows, or burrowsaurus as he was known to all my classmates in SRJC then also introduced me to Stilton cheese with crackers, Mr Bean comedy.

-----------------------------------Rascal update-----------------------------------
I got mei a pink bag with some pink feathers on it. She was sooooooo pleased with it and carries it everywhere and tells everyone that "My yee yee sent to me". Of course she keeps telling my sis that! My sis was going - as if I don't know that! muahahhaha.

Anyway she loves playschool and for the first time day before, Mei didn't want to go to school becos my sis won't allow her to bring her bag to school. She was almost in tears. The rascals were really pleased with their gifts and happy that I remembered them. Of course I'll remember them, as if I would forget!!

On a side note - I passed my exams! Everyone paper, :) okok, I was happy till I found out others were scoring distinctions...as in "s" in plural, and I only have one. Sigh... guess I gotta work harder then.

mistaken box of chocolates

It's finally arrived! My box full of goodies. With lots of stuff inside. One angpao, 3 cards - 1 from my 2 cousins, 1 from B2 and one from B1, who drew Nian, 2 boxes of pineapple tarts, Bak kwa, some Chicken Rice and Pineapple Fried rice, Prawn rolls, and a mistaken box of chocolates*. :) Terribly pleased with it.

Funny to open a box full of red stuff and new year goodies, when it doesn't feel like it's Chinese New Year at all. But of course, what's priceless are the 2 cards from rascals (sorry cous, hehehe, but you know me - jian jian jian!)













Left to right: Card drawn by B2; a picture of nian from B1

Today was the birthday of one of my classmates from China, and I wrote out happy birthday in hanyu pinyin and the boys started singing it. They were quite good at it too! Maybe I can get them to learn Chinese the way I did. Hmmmmmm hahah tho I can't say me super success with that language.

*Box of chocolates were supposedly for B1, but mom packed it in. Weighs a ton!

dong dong chiang

Chinese New Year today, and I don't feel like it is at all! Absolutely no festive cheer. My box of stuff from home is still on its way here. Mommy said she accidentally packed Bear's chocolates in the box.

S was really nice though, he got a card and an angpao for me and placed it on the sofa early in the morning when I came into the living room for breakfast. :)

Of course I called home to wish everyone Happy New Year...and the princess said to me,"xin nian kuai le yee yee" The way an angmo would said xin nian kuai le to me. But she said it a few times. So super cute.

And Jamesy was telling me he performed at school and it was the best stage that he had. Either that or that it was the best stage performance in school. Mei also performed. Must be so super funny to see them.

it's really snowing!

So after months and months of grumbling, I woke up at 729 this morning to a text from my classmate Henna. (She had to hear my complains about no snow for a good 1 and 1/2 hours from Bath to Swindon). So obviously, she had texted me to tell me it was SNOWING!

And it was! :) Just flaky bits dropping down, covering the floor like a layer of dusted white carpet. The Norwegians and Eskimos probably say it isn't. Since they have 15 and 40 different definition of snow, respectively of course. Then again, what else is there to do in the north pole? My first thoughts were there it's more like ice-kacang ice. Except without the yummy syrup, but lovely nonetheless. But all melted by 2pm in the afternoon. Sigh, and it seems like there will be no more snow for the rest of the season. Well, at least I saw some.

---------------------------------Rascal Update--------------------------------
My little prince hanging upside down, with his glow-in-the-dark dino footprint PJs that I bought for him.

imprisonment

This is how prisoners in max. security go mad. You lock them up in a room, with just a bed, and bathroom. Small window or none at all. No TV, no radio. Give them crap internet connection, so that it basically means you can't watch youtube or chat or do anything. Put them in a timezone different from everyone else they know, so that when prisoner is awake, her friends are sleeping & vice versa.

Hmmm hey that sounds like how my life has been past week! Only view of the outside world is through the window. I swear - if anyone were to interrogate me and ask me to spill names of my informant, just put me in my Thornbank Gardens room for a couple of days and I'll definitely spill!

So please, no country secrets, I can't keep secrets...

Feeling restless and frustrated all day. Can't think of topic for dissertation...argh!

what's for lunch?

I'm proud of myself, even though I wasn't that hungry this afternoon, made a frittata, roasted potatoes and baked beans. And it was really good!

Crabstick Frittata With Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 3 sticks of crabstick (roughly chopped up)
• 1 whole medium-sized chilli (chopped up)
  
• 4 slices of turkey ham
• 2 stalks of spring onions (chopped up)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Heinz baked beans (of course!)
• Sainsbury's frozen oven-ready roasted potatoes
• 1 wedge of Whisky flavoured crumbly cheese
  

• 50 mL fresh milk
• 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs
• 3 dashes of Henderson's Relish or Worcestershire Sauce
• Salt & Pepper
• 20g Butter
  

Serves 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Start by greasing oven-tray with olive oil and dust roasted potatoes with black pepper and pop into the oven at 225 deg C for 30 minutes.

Mix milk, spring onions, turkey ham, herbs, Henderson's relish, salt and pepper with eggs. Beat well with fork.

Heat olive oil, butter and fry chilli, garlic and crabstick together, till garlic turns slightly brown. Pour in egg mixture, crumble cheese all over. Leave to fry on low heat for 8-10 minutes. Slowly ease cooked underside of frittata on plate, and invert plate to cook other uncook side of frittata. Leave to fry for another 5 minutes.

Once done, put aside to cool. Arrange to cut a slice of the frittata with roasted potatoes, baked beans and a dash of ketchup (heinz of course!)

yummmmmy.

turn up the radio, nian is coming!

My nephew has an updated version of the story of Nian for Lunar New Year. Instead of firecrackers, he told my sis,"Mom, let's turn up the radio and TV to scare Nian away."

I was on the phone with my sis when Bear said that. I was like thinking,"hmmmm yup." And my sister laughed, cos she thought it's funny that instead of firecrackers, Bear would ask for loud noise from radio and TV.

It took me 30 seconds to realise that Bear had updated the Nian story, but I was in agreement with him all along.

:)

Poxy table lamp blew, so now I gotta go homebase to get one. grrrrrr. Troublesome man.

a piece of my rainbow

Came out of my shower a few minutes ago, and what do I see? Some indigo on the carpet. :) It's a brillantly sunny day today, the morning sun shines through my window, which can be blinding on mornings when you want to sleep in.

Aren't the colours pretty?

Good news is: I finished a crappy piece of assignment in 4 hours, handed it in and now really keen to do some reading. *what's wrong?!*

School officially started, for me, on Thursday. So now it's back to getting up at 7.30am. This term is going to be a lot more jialat, just because there are going to be so much more projects and team work that we're expected to do. I have to start looking at some dissertation topics as well. :) Somehow I am really excited by the work for this semester. Really weird.

A few friends have changed jobs. :) They've been stuck in jobs they've been unhappy in and now will get better prospects and pay. While I am happy for them, I am starting to get a bit worried for myself about the job situation that I will not be able to catch up with all of them when I do get back home. There is no promise or guarantee of a job offer when I go back, and knowing my luck with job hunts, I'll get a really crap paying one. So yes, I am worried.

Called the sweethearts last night. I asked B1 what is his favourite book of all the titles I got for him the in the ladybird series. He said,"Stories for 4 year olds." Of course I thought of him when I got that title for him, the angel. So I said, "What happens when you are 5 then?" So the angel said,"Then you have to get Stories for 5 year olds for me, okay yee?"

Then mei, spoke with me,"Yee yee I am eating raisins,... then BYE!"

Anyway B1 got a ByeBlade (don't know what it is exactly, but something that spiiiiinnnnns). So I said I'll get one in the UK. The sweetheart went,"Yee, they only have it in Singapore, not in England, so I will buy one for you in Singapore and send it to you okay?"

Firstly, hmmm it'll be on my mom's account if he buys it.

Secondly, he doesn't know how to post stuff!

Ain't he a sweetheart?

Like Kylie said, likely that the person I'll willingly give my entire worldy possessions* to will be my favourite boy B1.

*Worldly possesions at the moment:
1 plate, blankie, 1 samsonite luggage, depreciated to nothing iBook, 1 mug, 1 omega watch that isn't working, a million pairs of shoes, lots of textbooks and Bath MBA files, 2 moisturisers, 2 bottles of perfumes, coats and clothes, 1 99p IKEA frying pan, 1 table lamp, 1 IKEA reading lamp.

That really is about it! Sad!

addiction

I am soooooo dead.

This is what I did today:

Woke at 9.30 with the intention of studying (reading strategy, a course that should be damn interesting and super important to me, cos I want to do consultancy) but of course I switched on my computer, watched Bleach from 9.30 till 12. Then watched more Bleach till 3, and finally picked up my strategy book, read 2 pages, then fell asleep 2 hours.

Then back on Bleach. So I kinda covered 20 episodes in one day. *applause please, and pat on back* super proud of my achievements in life.

Oh. and I found the clip on Clifton Suspension Bridge. Here it is:



Enjoy.

a mail from one sister to another

papa was talking to me
then b2 tot it was u.. wanted to interrupt
then took the fone.. n said HI MOMMY
i said b2 its yee yee not mommy
and she went - NO! i love mommy, not yee yee
then put the fone down...super kns

then b1 n i had long conversation abt masked rider

then he told me to flip the phone n call 11607... so i said okay.. can hear ma in the background - aiyoh dun tok to yee yee abt such things

then after that i told ma to tell pa to buy 4D of the numbers bear gave.. and ma was trying to get the numbers from me... then can hear bear in the background going - I know the number its 1-1-6-0-7 ... .like so proud like that.

so super cute cute cute...

make way, singaporean coming thru!

Had my final paper on statistics today. Although it wasn't hard (with a bit more practise I am sure I can handle it all), I found myself becoming depressed after the paper. Felt that I wasn't giving it my best, and since I'm spending £20,000 on this course,...yadda, yadda...

But in retrospect, I think I may have done okay. Still. Everything got on my nerves today. One of my classmate, who is a really nice person, talks a lot and it got on my nerves. And then the paper, and then I had to wait forever for 3 people to move to have lunch, boy next table took forever to move his butt out of my seat, and the bus took forever to get back to home.

Sure I know, I appreciate how polite and nice, and how they take time to address your problems, but sometimes, I just wished that they'll do it double time.

Quick lor, pick up one stupid bag take so damn long one meh?! Nb. Sigh wish my vulgarities ridden friends were here.

was that the first sighting of...*gulp* snow?!

As they say, it's always good to start a conversation with anyone in England about the weather. And of course I've talked about the weather quite a few times on my posts. Just because it's sunny one minute and then the next its just grey, cloudy and can die weather.

The strong winds actually killed a few people in the UK and in Europe the past week. So its seriously some crazy weather out there.

I was grumbling cos there was potential sightings of snow in London, but none in Bath. But yesterday the temperature fell to 2 deg. Plus strong winds. And I thought I saw snow. It was just flaky-ish kinda of rain? I thought that's funny rain, then realised, that it may be snow! Of course I was in a building then, and by the time I got out, there were just like 2 flakes of snow falling, and I couldn't be sure if it was it.

BUT... I shall call it anyway - time of first snow sighting: 250pm on 22 January 2007.

OMG I can't believe that January is almost over. Some of us were talking about job hunting again. The thought of working. *sigh*

Though my classmate said that those bus drivers who drive in Heathrow between airport and airplanes earn like £50,000 p.a.

New ambition liao - I want to be bus driver.

---------------------------- Rascals Update --------------------------------------

Good news is my two favourites might possibly be coming to the UK, mostly to visit their grandparents. But I am way over the moon. I know it's like EIGHT months away and in between I have 5 more modules, 1 group presentation and my 20,000 word dissertation PLUS job hunt, but, but, but I will see my darlings soon!

And I have it all planned out - will meet them at airport (if job application for re: above) goes through, I might even pick them up from airplane!

:) happy, happy, happy.

But also tired. In the words of my classmate Barrie,"I just spent 3 hours of my life writing bullocks."