AWAREness

Everyone who knows me, knows well enough how little interest I pay to politics. Apathetic would be an understatement. Oddly enough, since I've become a citizen 8 years' back, I've had the privilege to cast my vote twice in the General Election. Some of you may not realize this, but that IS a real privilege on The Little Red Dot. Some citizens have lived to my age without ever having had this privilege.

Having said the above, it surprised even myself to know how much I have been riveted by the recent saga that had been unfolding at AWARE - a 26-year-old organization which is devoted to "promoting equal opportunities for women, so as to improve the quality of life of women in the Singapore" (mission taken from their website). 

I'm moved to blog just this little bit of my opinion, chiefly because I can't help drawing parallels between this and what is currently playing out at the workplace - that the legitimacy of leadership rests on more than just procedural compliance. Without honour and integrity accompanying the process, there can be no respect. 

Those who have no choice may do as they're told. But you'll never have their whole-hearted support. And why should this matter, you ask? Because you'll soon realize the weight one should accord to such terms as loyalty and support when the tide turns against you. As the new guards are now finding out.

And, it just seems odd to me for people to only want equality for SOME people. How soon before things descend into, "Four legs good, two legs better" territory? Where do you draw the line on that slippery slope? 

Back on the Road

Go, go! Go after the little piece of rock thrown into the canal!

Er...maybe not...one gives up and turns back...

It's been a while since I managed to get back to my morning rounds in the neighbourhood. We overslept again this morning, but managed to haul our asses out anyway. We were just having lots of fun, enjoying the wind in our hair and the fiesty Jack Russell's attention, when the bike Our Friend was on popped its tyres with a very loud crack. Sigh. This meant pushing our bikes all the way back to the old fashioned bicycle shop downstairs for repairs...Mr. Yellow Bicycle's time may be up. Time to move on...

On our way back, we bumped into... The Little Grasshopper, basking in the sun! Tsk, still frolicking and singing the day away... *Heeby-jeebies*

Culinary Adventures (Part Deux)

The evening begins - Sexy Sangria and Paella Night at The Palate Sensations Culinary School! Ola!
Here we are, stirring the Valencian paella bubbling away on the stove after taking instructions from Chef Dean Fisher. Smells divine!
And while the paella's being cooked in the oven, we (finally get to) start on the sangria!
Finally! Busy hands are thirsty! Fill up those glasses!
Finally, at the end of the evening, we all sit round around the table to eat our fill of each other's efforts. It's funny how, even though we all had the same ingredients and the same teacher giving instructions, our paellas all came out tasting slightly different. It was an excellent night out with the girls. Much less hard graft than the baking class, and we got to eat and socialize with our "classmates" in the end. Must scour website for more fun! :)

No Gahmen

With Boss on the road, it's "no gahmen" time! Scooted off work early, and took the chance to finally take the newly-inherited bike for a tour round the neighbourhood. It's lighter, steadier, and at least, the gears can be changed successfully...Haha. Took it for a long cycle, detouring off to a PCN offshoot, and took a shot of the sunset this evening along the canal. Times like these, I feel really lucky in life... :)

Felt a sudden craving for 'ABC' soup last night, so I bought the ingredients and hurriedly boiled up a huge pot just before yoga class. You think I overdid the quantity a little bit?? :P

Culinary Adventures II

Part One of our Adventures at the Cooking School!

*chop chop* busy hands are roughly chopping up the nuts! Wait, where's the electric whisk??

Our carrot cakes are out of the oven! Smells heavenly! All that whisking by hand had better be worth it! 

Carrot cake, decorated with icing made from scratch. More whisking by hand! Urgh! Topped with walnuts and lemon zest.

Our lao shi, Dean Fisher, all the way from Great Britain! 

And more ganache topping for our chocolate cake! Yum yum! Slap it on liberally, girl!

Coming up, Sangria and Paella Night with the girls! *hic*

Eating Out Together

It's been an endless spree of gatherings and eating out all month.
On a family lunch outing, pork chop at Aston's in Bedok. This place has been causing queues to form outside, for the good quality of western food served, hawker centre style. So now, the franchise is growing...growing... The pork chops were good. But Big D's were better. *burp*
Marmite pork chops on an outing with the girls and a guy. Cz' Zhar at Great World City. I'm not a fan of Marmite, but these were GOOD!
They're not actually hunched over food...these are the next generation after us. SM's recent trip to the Little Red Dot spelt more crowding round the dining table. This was one of those moments when we had a breather from all the binge-ing. The boys (and girl) were constantly on their little DS machines. The funny thing was how well they got along, when two of them spoke English, and one of them was well-versed in French...I guess blood IS thicker than water! Haha!
The little doll who charmed us all, until she started getting stroppy from the heat and kept wanting to lick everything she could get her hands on...including such tasty morsels as doorstops...

The Weird and Wonderful

A colourful Moray Eel darting out from its hiding place in the rocks.

Jelly fish! Ghosts of the Deep...

...or Angels?

Davy-Jones!

Garden eels!

Some weeks back, since we were already "offsite", Our Friend and I did our bit to keep the tourism industry on the Little Red Dot alive by fighting our way through the thronging children at the Underwater World. Plastering our faces up against the glass aquariums separating us from the creatures inhabiting the deep blue, and gawking. Dipping our tentative hands into the water to touch the star fish and other swimming inhabitants of the "touching pool".  Recoiling with fear and laughing nervously when the stingrays swam past and playfully splashed water at us for taunting them by waving our hands in their pool. It was all for fun, and fun for all. 

The Underwater World is well worth a visit, even for (childish) adults. :)

Pot of "Gold"

View from the front of The Cave, after a storm in the late afternoon (21st March 2009)

The Rainbow Connection

Written by Paul Williams and used by Kermit the Frog, of The Muppets, Jim Henson Productions

Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
And rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
when wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that
and someone believed it,
and look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing?
And what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
the lovers, the dreamers and me.

All of us under its spell,
we know that it's probably magic....

Have you been half asleep
and have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name.
Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
The voice might be one and the same.
I've heard it too many times to ignore it.
It's something that I'm supposed to be.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
the lovers, the dreamers and me.

* you know to do the la-ing bit on your own... haha*