Sunset

Another Sunset ~ Haiku

Another Sunset
A re-creation of creation
Life begins on Earth

charles garcia
March 2005

Slurp

A nice dollop of chocolate gelato with a sprinkling of colourful "rice" for dessert, at Sarpori's. Mm-mm.
R, G and her family, and I met up again this late morning for a quick bite before sending R on her way back to Hong Kong. We decided on the Chinese Swimming Club's "满足" so R could taste a selection of local fare, including...
laksa! * burp*

城里的月光，把梦照亮

Mid-Autumn Festival was last night. But the moon tonight seems more alluring than the night before. A case of "the grass is greener" since the actual day is past? It brings to mind a song I haven't heard in a long, long time, in a land far, far away (Ok, Hong Kong's not all THAT far...).

I admit it. The only reason it calls to mind this old song is because there's the word 月光 in it...I'm not usually one who listens to song lyrics. That's why I can only ever hum to the tune of a favourite song, and not sing it...

城里的月光 (许美静)

每颗心上某一个地方
总有个记忆挥不散
每个深夜某一个地方
总有着最深的思量
世间万千的变幻
爱把有情的人分两端
心若知道灵犀的方向
那怕不能够朝夕相伴
城里的月光把梦照亮
请温暖他心房
看透了人间聚散
能不能多点快乐片段
城里的月光把梦照亮
请守护它身旁
若有一天能重逢
让幸福撒满整个夜晚


Update on Project NH - The flooring's in! Yippee! I love the "herringbone" design! This is the view of the living/dining area
And this is the bedroom. :)

365

365 days. 117 posts.

A year ago, I stared at the screen of my laptop, wondering how I should start this blog, creating a documentary record of all the frivolous and ridiculous thoughts that flit through my mind in the course of everyday life.

Looking back at the year spent travelling up and down the hills and valleys of life (and hiking up and down Bukit Timah Hill. Haha), the coffers of my life has been the richer for it. Some achievements and experiences more tangible than others, but all valuable to me.

I'm glad I made the leap (in more ways than one).

World around us

The incredible paper building from another angle, ladies and gentlemen!
Tell me you see an evil face there too... Isn't nature freaky? What IS this thing? Found it in a supermarket, in the vegetable section. Eewww...

A Toast

Repaying the favour M did me three months ago, I dragged her out for a celebration on the anniversary of her birth. We headed to a restaurant I haven't been to in years - Silk Road at The Amara. The last time we were there, it was for a family dinner of sorts. It's been a while...

The atmosphere was still there, but the Szechuan peppers in the dishes weren't as tongue-numbing as I recalled.

Somehow, I remembered this being done with more flourish and skill when we were last here...and no hot water was actually spiilled the last time around!
Rosemary tea. Again, I wish I'd ordered the "8 Treasures Tea", which I remembered to be more fragrant and sweet than this...
The wasabi prawns were fresh. And check out the peppers in the veggie dish! Lethal-looking!
Yam paste dessert - very smooth. Rather excellent.

Birthdays.

Just another day in the calendar year. I don't need an excuse to buy presents for myself. :) On this anniversary, do you take the opportunity to look back on the year past, and pat yourself on the back for a year well-spent? Of having done things, lived life, met people, shed baggage, moved on, seen places? You are not the person you were a year ago, having tucked life's many experiences under your belt. "You've come a long way, Baby!" should be the mantra for the day! Why not celebrate a fruitful year gone by, and toast to the hopes of a happier year ahead? * Salut *

Grow Old With Me

It's a day Mum would probably have been very excited about - her godson finally getting hitched. A chance to get all decked up and partake in the festivities with her circle of friends.

In many ways, it was a strange wedding. We were there in attendance, representing my parents. Made nice to all the aunties and uncles, who kept asking how we were doing (ad nauseum). I don't want to sound like an ingrate, but we're all well into our 30s. How did they think we would be doing? There was a bit of confusion upon arrival, when the girls handling the guest list couldn't cross off our names correctly (DUH). Then there was a super long wait for the food after the newly weds came in (apparently, there were 3 weddings on that night, so I guess the kitchen was having a tough time coping?). There was also much waiting in between courses, and we only managed to finish dinner close to midnight!

The newlyweds did the obligatory toasting rounds around the room, whilst the parents of the newlyweds did their OWN separate toasting rounds simultaneously. Several times, there seemed to be more enthusiasm exhibited at the tables where the parents were making the rounds instead of the tables where the guests were toasting the newlyweds...and the dance floor started up in the midst of all this, with the newlyweds forgotten instead of warming up the dance floor with their first dance...

Somewhere in the midst of all this chaos, the MC made an announcement that one of the guests had lost his black wallet. And since "there's not much cash in there, so please return it to the service staff if you find it". Nice going. Calling your guests thieves...

When we finally arrived at dessert at close to midnight, everyone was just dying to get home and out of their finery. There was no wedding entourage waiting at the main door to thank guests for helping to celebrate the newlyweds' start of a new life. Instead, we all slunk off quietly into the night, wedding token of a salt-nad-pepper shaker safely tucked into our handbags...

This is, by far, the most bizarre wedding I've attended in recent years...

Slow and Steady

New WC in - check.
New shower attachment in - check.

Moving right along, we are.

Retail Therapy

Inspired by the decor in P's new home, I went back to a much-neglected hobby today - furniture shop-hopping and bits-and-bobs a-hunting. Spent a couple of pleasant hours, brushing elbows with the tourists in the Chinatown shops. Lots of cheapie touristy stuff I liked, but resisted temptation several times. After a morning of browsing, I came away with some bits-and-bobs, and two prints of photos from Yip Cheong-Fun, Master Photographer, elected Honorary Outstanding Photographer of the Century by the Photographic Society of New York (the Century's Seascape Specialist) and who was conferred the Cultural Medallion by the Singapore Government in 1984 for his achievement and contribution to art and culture. If you look closely at the photo on the left, at the reflection in the water, you might see a dragon and some fish! Simply amazing!
Arms ladened with several plastic bags, this very satisfied customer then tucked into a delicious bowl of pork rib noodles. Mm-mmm! *slurp*
This is the prized purchase of the day! My new shoe cabinet, and at 40% off too!
A closer look. Butterflies signify signify luck and happiness, apparently. I could certainly do with lots of that! Bet we all could... :)

Slow Progress

Slow progress on the flat. Ah Ho has obviously taken my comment that there is no hurry to finish this project to heart... The dark chocolate floor tiles have finally been laid, and the water piping has just gone in. Still waiting for the rest of the shower stuff and sanitary ware to be installed. Waiting rather impatiently...

Highlight of the buffet dinner last night was dessert. Couldn't bring myself to take a pic of the actual highlight - mashed up durian with coconut milk! Ok, it really tastes better than it sounds (or looks)! Really! This one's not half bad either...:P

Autumn

Beautiful, eh? Seems, autumn has arrived early in Singapore! Since I started the hike earlier today, I went one extra km further, just to see what's "around the bend". Stopped at the edge of the golf course and made an about turn. Amost got attacked by a long-tailed macaque, out for my bottle of water. The cheek!
The reservoir was teeming with life! And we're not just talking about the walkers, joggers, and long-tailed macaques...Lampans here, lampans there, lampans EVERYWHERE! Like a roving mob, they were moving in schools around the alcoves of the reservoir. Saw a BIG earth-eater, much larger than the one I had caught some months ago. All by its lonesome self. Hmm...maybe the lampans have driven out the earth-eaters!
Yet another giant leaf, rescued from the reservoir waters (not by me) and lying limp on the boardwalk
An extra tall jogger...HAR HAR.

One last look around

The sale of SC was completed this week. After over 20 years in my parents' possession, we handed over the keys to the apartment this Wednesday morning. These photos were taken on my one last look around... *poof* Bricks and mortar are being demolished at the speed of light these days. And along with them, the memories that they hold...

中秋节到了！又是赏月时候！These are the chocolate truffle snowskin mooncakes W got with her employee discount. Mmm, yum yum...*slurp*

WC insisted on going on a diet during her visit to Singapore (this is SO not right!), in preparation for her coming months in Europe. So we had the sliced pomfret steamboat for dinner. A supposedly "healthy" option, until you realise there's MSG in the soup... :P

W-I-P

Proj NH update -

I was a little disappointed on visiting the flat this past weekend and finding no progress on the Project since the laminate flooring was removed.

But, Ah Ho sure moves fast when he gets going! Went down this evening and the new mosaic tiles have been laid! Ah Ho complained about the cost of the mosaic, but I'M very pleased with my choice :)

Raced through Hoe Kee and in a frenzy, bought all the necessary sanitaryware and shower stuff within half an hour. *fingers crossed I don't have any regrets living with them* Delivery will be tomorrow. Can't wait to see the finished product by the end of this week!!