Reminiscence of Days of Reservist

Gotta say I kinda miss my reservist duty period, altho' I publicly loathe it througout its duration. Perhaps it's a once-a-year-chance to live up to my butch alter-ego.


my butch-alter-ego Land Rover 'save-the-day' ride!

Malaysia Truly Asia : Part V

back at the apartment, dark clouds were gathering. i swear i've never seen huge-ass storm clouds so ginormous in KL. and i went trigger happy snapping on my mobile phone digicam from the window of my apartment (doesn't take much to easily amuse me huh?)

i suspect that's the ampang jaya area, where one can see heavy rain is taking place. amazing sight!

mountainous belt area forming part of the klang valley (i think... heh!)

and this... is the kramat/jalan jelatek area...confirm! how come i don't get to see clouds like that forming over the skies of singapore? i suspect is Gahmen conspiracy to control the weather.

Malaysia Truly Asia : Part IV

having a tiramisu and iced coffee at alexis cafe at the great eastern mall along jalan ampang is one of the mandatory bit in my KL trip itinerary. it's interior, impeccable service, good food, wicked selection of cakes, good coffee and ultra-chilled atmosphere... it's the mecca of all cafes for me (ok ok, it's actually a tie with chinoz cafe in KLCC lah).

alexis' signature tiramisu cake and fresh iced coffee... one word sums it all up: wicked!

spent an hour, reading magazines, slithering the cake down my throat, slurping iced coffee... and onto the cold storage at the basement downstairs for some grocery shopping.

i bleddy love alexis cafe!

Malaysia Truly Asia : Part III

1pm, checked into lanson place serviced apartment. peculiar enough, the usual receptionists were looking extra gleeful and smiling at me rather... curiously. they prolly noticed i did not pluck my eyebrow this time round! haha!

and a pleasant surprise too:

smiling & gleeful female receptionist: by the way sir, your room number is 501, and it's a free upgraded apartment for you

woohoo!

and i made my way to my apartment, number 501

i had the huge-ass apartment with a huge-ass living room, a huge ass dining area, a huge ass kitchenette, a huge ass bed room and two huge ass bathrooms... over 1000 square feet in all.

the living area

kitchenette with bread, instant noodles, coffee, tea, butter, cans of sodas and eggs in the fridge to boot! i love lanson place already! all for free! free! i love my birthday!

Malaysia Truly Asia : Part II

i slept mostly through out the journey along the north-south highway... with my mp3 plugged to my ears... listening to the haunting sounds of the gamelan ensemble, playing music from the ancient royal courts of the kratons of jogjakarta and solo.

around 12.15pm, i woke up and saw one of my favourite familiar sights.

sungai besi airfield and approaching KL town... it was a superbly clear day, a far cry from the hazy months of october. the menara KL and petronas twin towers were in sight...crystal clear. i swore i could have smiled from ear to ear when i was greeted with the sight. and the clouds, i was in total awe!

my coach made its way into the heart of KL, passing through the old part of the city.

shops selling motor spare parts, school girls walking back home (presumably)...

and this motor workshop never fails to catch my attention. because a huge grand tree grows from inside the workshop, exposing its top-crown above the shop's roof.

Malaysia Truly Asia : Part I

close friends who have known me for a long time, will acknowledge that i never liked to celebrate my birthday, because it's a rude thing (for me personally) to publicly announce my coming-of-age. it's tough year after year telling people people that i have turned 21 when they ask me of my age. so year after year, i'd resort to hiding at home, switch off my mobile phone and not come out at all on my birthday. friends had come knocking on my door, wanting to drag me out and i'd just switch off all lights at home, pretending i'm not home and yelling at the door "dean's not in!"

this year, i decided the tide must change. this was after i promised someone very dear to me that i will celebrate my coming-of-age (yes...i'm 21 years old, loud and proud of it), not in singapore, but in KL. and so i did.

i made my way to KL for the weekend.

8am friday... all aboard my usual aeroline coach from harbour front

along the second link bridge towards the border... into malaysia... it's always exhilirating as your coach cruises towards the border...always

Porcky Came To Town & I'm Leaving Town

darling porkcy came back for a short visit. miss you lots girl. i keep saying i'll visit you in hk but that day will come lah ok. chilling out over drinks and conversation with the rest like lynn, fash and oh... fairy-god-martin! it was nice to see them all.

got home real late... after two rounds of laundry, packed my suitcase for the trip to KL later at 8am, cleaned up my bedroom, i was totally slumped in the living room's couch at 3.15am. it's something i always do the night before i make my way to KL...anticipating.

Botak Jones County

on one of those evenings after work, lynda posed the age-old parennial question which will send me racing to the deepest corners of my 2-celled brain, searching for an answer

lynda: eh where to eat dinner ah?

me: ah? where ah? you say leh?

lynda drives, and therefore, she makes executive decisions on venues we should head to for grub.

lynda: ah okay, we go "botak jones"! they serve damn big burgers and fries and many many meat there. you sure like!

and my eyes twinkled with delight at the prospect of chowing greasy meat and deep fried potato dipped in salt-and-vinegar-ridden ketchup

this is clementi neighbourhood, some block of flats where the coffee shop is, botak jones is the focal point amongst all food stalls in there. it's easy to identify botak jones' stall: super long queue, and a chalkboard scrawled with menu from botak jones. lynda says there are other few botak jones branches around singapore. blessed are the population who have botak jones in their neighbourhood.

i made my way to the stall and placed order for lynda and myself:

botak jones staff: yes sir, welcome, what would you like to have?

me: thanks, i'll have the regular sized fish and chips, and the burger dish listed on your menu

botak jones staff: and what size would you like your burger to be sir?

me: errr... what do you have?

botak jones staff: first, we have the regular single patty called the botak jones burger. second, we have the double botak burger for double patty, and the 'you crazy what' for the triple patty burger

me: (suddenly greedy) okay, i'll get the triple patty burger, the 'you crazy what' meal

botak jones staff: waaaah...!!! you crazy or what? triple patty ah? u crazy ah???

me: you botak jones people also crazy, serve triple patty to your diners, and yeah i want my 'you crazy what' triple patty burger meal

botak jones staff: *laughs*

and our dinner was served...

my leftover 'you crazy what' triple burger meal... BIG MISTAKE... by the time i finished the second patty, the thought of chowing down the third patty compelled me to run to the nearest bathroom and do a 'olsen sisters act' (hint: bulimia)

and so we went walk-walk jalan-jalan look-see-look-see around the neighbourhood

neighbourhood cake shop... very old school. i bet they use butter instead of milk to make cream.

more shops along the way... like an uber aquarium shop

"eh which fish good to fry for nasi lemak ah?"

"i think that other fish good to grilling leh"

"lynda ah, you buy this one lah, can make bbq sting ray with sambal chilli"

"then this colourful things all can cook make what dish?"

As Gay As A Christmas Tree

the usual lazy sunday evening on orchard road with c.y.

it's the time of the year again where the yuletide season's lights are up along orchard road.

i asked c.y. : "eh how come ah, even predominantly catholic or christian countries don't do these sorts of lighting up in their own cities, then how come very diverse country like us do these sort of things to the max ah? like very over the top leh"

and c.y. replied in his usual stoic but stunning fashion: "ah? you ask why ah? because ah... uniquely singapore... that's why"

me: "orhhh... uniquely singapore is like this one hor..."


along scotts road and orchard road intersection


arche d' triomphe looking like a christmas tree? christmas tree looking like the arche d' triomphe?


i'm totally perplexed by the artificial tacky gold tree which suddenly stood amongst the grand old trees in front of borders


and wheelock place perpetually gives us a lit-up christmas 'tree' all year round... thanks to kurokawa who has a habit of leaving behind an upside-down cone whenever he designs a building


the cone's interior. i do like the blue-ish somewhat asymmetrical snowflake though... defies convention i guess.

Bye Bye & Farewell Sandhya...

everyone else is leaving the country, and the latest to join the growing list of 'quitters' is sandhya, who is moving to the u.k.

i wanna leave too! arghhh!


they don't have my usual guinness draught at the pub where sandhya had her farewell partry... this was all they had... it felt like molten cough drops... bleagh!


kai sieng made me go to velvet... i have no part in it... i swear! at least velvet serves guinness draught.

Berry Slurpy

my new munchie muse at work

oh berries
oh berries
you make my life happy
especially in the office lately

i munch on you
you're so nice too
unlike some goo
that makes you poo

you're fresh and sweet
you're the best treat
no rivals to beat
not even weed

oh berries
oh berries
you make my life happy
especially in the office lately

Spa-ced Out

i think i should retire in a spa-home (if there's any) when i'm old.

or mebbe i should just work in a spa where everyone move so slowly, talk slowly, reply slowly... totally my kinda thang.


as i was waiting for my eye-massage treatment... i was thinking to myself, i can prolly die in a spa-retirement home... i hope the property-retirement-homes developers are reading this... there's a market now.

I So Don't Wanna Go To Work On Monday

after zhi char dinner on sunday night with alex, irvin and another other acquaintance who's back from LA for a short holiday, we sat down and watched madge's confessions concert on dvd at alex's office.

it felt totally disgruntling having to think about going back to the office the next day on monday morning.

irvin said i might as well fix myself an appointment with alcoholics anonymous to avoid work... which he claimed is a very valid and true excuse... judging the speed at which i downed the wine...

got a problem with my drinking audrey...?

Cow-Cat

smelly cat, smelly cat, what are they feeding you...?



this is one stray cat that has yet to warm up to me even after many months of me trying to cajole it into befriending me.

i call it a cow-cat... with all the black patches on its white fur. mooo!

Double Bubble Champagne & Trouble On A Saturday Night

saturday night, fashion week wrap up party in zouk.

with lynda, sean, royston, kenneth and the rest of the kindred.

trouble brewed when the champagne flowed freely.

at one point, i think i instructed the waiter to stand next to me to continuously fill up my glass.

eddie christened the fashion show...




then the fashion show proper... i swear it's something i always wear when i walk across to the village to buy my morning papers and iced latte on my weekend mornings...i simply don't get the 'fashion'... it's not stopping here yet though


while the thirsty ones wet their throats


*hic* *hic*

had no recollection when lynda drove me home

*hic* *hic*

BoBo Shooter

went for shooting test... FAILED!!! arghhh!!! gone were my marksman days...!

but shou chen consoled: "but i trust you shoot well in the other category...?"

buwahahaha! i am consoled then.

oh well, i passed my ippt at least...silver category hor! don anyhow say i not fit.

On Gahmen Service

i am required under section 14 of the enlistment act, chapter 93 to report for service at 0830hrs on 01 november 2006 up to 01 november 2006 1330hrs for the purpose of ippt in pt attire at jurong police division hq. i shall be guilty of an offence under section 33 of the enlistment act, chapter 93 and shall be punishable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or both, if i fail to report as required.

Lunch de' Rip Off

lunch today at vivocity's republic food court:

1. absolute insipid nasi lemak - $5.80
2. super-undersized bowl of iced cheng tng - $1.80
3. filled to the brim cup of ice, with a sprinkle of root beer - $1.20

that rounds up to almost a nine bucks lunch. thanks for the hole-in-my-pocket, i'll stick to my usual corner-coffeshop nasi padang stall in holland village.

it's intriguing why the workers manning the food stalls donned uniforms evoking what the street hawkers in the past would wear. even the stalls and ambient were recreated evoking nostalgia. but when it comes to prices... i guess that did take on a super progressive stance.

at least someone's happy with her chng tng desert

From Linz to Leningrad on a Sunday Afternoon

lynda and i made our way (we took the bus believe it or not! and we walked too!) to the esplanade for an afternoon performance by the philharmonic orchestra. poor lynda had to hobble in her high heel with aching thighs after a 15km morning run, in a race against time or else we risk being barred from entering the concert hall until intermission.

esplanade in sight... 10 mins before the performance... kancheong like mad! "lynda ah, faster leh, wait the 2nd bell rings ah, sure they won't allow us in" and the poor girl hobbled along despite her aching thighs


we made it in time...


uber-designed programme booklet... i have a strong suspicion that if this is Singapore in the 70s or even 80s, depicting the old USSR's proletarian emblem of the sickle and hammer might land you in jail and you'd be branded a marxist... perhaps lor...

repertoir
1. mozart's linz symphony - typically mozart... not at all my favourite composer from the classical era. he wrote 'music for softies' lah. i cannot bloody stand anything mozart (with the exception of one orotario, the requiem). almost made me fall asleep especially during the andante and menuetto movements... at least they ain't playing the blue danube or i would have knocked my head senseless *SPARE ME THE WALTZ...ANYTHING BUT THE WALTZ!!!*

2. shostakovich's leningrad symphony - one of the uber best pieces i've heard coming from a rusky comrade! woohoo! very much the style of ravel's bolero... i likeeey! but bloody helluva one long symphony lor, 1 hour 20 mins in all for 4 movements

conversations in between movements:

lynda: (in whispering hush hush tone) eh why they all never clap ah?

me: because ah, in between movements you should not clap, it is actually for you to cough as much as you want, or fart, or burp, or clear your throat of phlegm

lynda: orhhhh... liedat one ah...

me: ahhhh... liedat one... ok shhhh... next movement starting liao

When You're Forced Out Of Bed On An Early Saturday Morning For Latte

early saturday morning, i was still wandering far away in slumberland, hoping for the first time after a long time, to be able to wake up at mid-day.

but no... kai sieng had to call me, here goes the conversation:

*my mobile, on the work desk, next to my bed, rang incessantly and i picked it up*

me: bleddy hell... who's calling me this early? *looking at the screen for caller I.D.* oh... kai sieng *pressed 'accept call' button* hullo kai sieng... yeah whassup... *yawns*

kai sieng: deanna!!! where are you?

me: urmmm... home... in my bed... sleeping... early morning you know...

kai sieng: what??? why are you not up??? wake up! let's go for coffee... there are so many things i wanna talk to you about

me: i'm not up cos it's bloody early morning, darling princess... coffee? when?

kai sieng: like hullo... i mean coffee like NOW... i'm on my way to pick you up now

me: WHAT?! NOW?!

kai sieng: i am so on my way now honey

me: urghhh... yeah... well... okay... but ya hafta wait downstairs... cos i need to shower and all...

kai sieng: oh no... that will take a long time and we won't have time to drive to orchard for coffee, let's just do coffee in holland village then, i'll park downstairs at your place... call you when i arrive...see ya!

me: ok... yeah... see you

-end of teleconversation-

never in my life before have i managed a 10 mins work of - brushing teeth, flossing teeth, mouth wash, pee, showering, dressing up - for coffee on a bloody early saturday morning.

the arrival of the queen of sheba (or rather, princess kai sieng of spottiswoode park)... in his royal carriage... i showered and got ready so fast, i was downstairs even before he arrived

we had latte at haagen dazs in holland village, and conversation ensued. a part of the conversation went like this:

kai sieng: so... what happened to you lat night?

me: what do you mean 'what happened last night'?

kai sieng: i mean why did you leave alex's party so early when i had just arrived?

me: because... you were late? you came at 11pm and i was there since 8pm... and i told you i had to go for C.Y.'s birthday supper didn't i?

kai sieng: yeah i know i was late... like hellooo... i was fashionably late you know

me: (rummaging thru' my head... hell i don't know how to respond to that) yeah you were so totally fashionably late... it made calvin klein looked way too early

Alex Has Left The Building And Moved To The Next...

what: alex's new office housewarming party

when: friday 27th oct 2006

where: tiong bahru

who came: everyone lor! many people wor!

wow factor: uhmmm... same old faces lor! ok ok, the moet and chandon rocks!

and some things never did change when: haris and william came along and KABOOM! we broke out into a 'makcik kepoh from kampung' skit, much to the amusement and bewilderment of other guests...at least it was off the dancefloor of Velvet this time round...and oh...at William's insistence, i had 3 sticks of ciggies...arghhh! there goes my no-smoking resolution...blaaah!



rizal, lynda and david... all try to act cute only... buay tahaaan!!!


while the rest of the world were at the back downing the booze, david hijacked the vodka orange for us and we did the elitist thing... laid claim to the reception lounge and watched Madge's Confessions Tour dvd


no gurl, you cannot make a fur stole out of the poor kitty...


then it was just elvan, ijack, C.Y., lynda and me doing a late nite supper in honour of C.Y.'s birthday... happy 30th birthday C.Y. old chum