Eilyx & Xylia

Eilyx Lim and Xylia Lim. Cool names, huh?

Eilyx looks like Nick while Xylia has her own unique look. She has really cherubic cheeks that you just want to kiss all the time. She also has a little birthmark on her right arm, just like me! We're special girls, you know :o)

They are both very pretty and totally photogenic. But what I like about them is that they remind me of children of yesteryear's. They are not afraid of playing in the sandbox or getting their hands dirty. They don't run to Winnie or a maid when they fall down. They don't throw tantrums or shun away from people when people greet them or play with them. They enjoy the outdoors. And they are creative. They drew themselves a little house in the sand with smoke from a chimney, made a little pathway with little stones and a garden with trees and leaves! I forgot to take a picture *smack on head*

I was glad I was able to capture a few beautiful pictures of Eilyx. Xylia was a bit more elusive, always turning away or making faces. In the last photo, she knew I was taking her picture but she turned her back on me. But she was giggling the whole time so you knew that she was doing it for fun.

Children!

Casket??

Would you buy a watch from the CASKET series? When I saw this catalogue, I was amused. I immediately thought of coffins and dead bodies. But a search on Wiki revealed that a casket is a receptacle for trinkets and jewelery.

Hmmm ...

But ...

But ...

But ...

NAHHHH!!

My Ramen Dinner

I found this little ramen place, along one of the alleys in the Shinjuku area. I love anything soupy so when I saw this, I just had to try it. It looks like Maggi Mee but was much nicer as the ramen had "spring" and the soup was just right to warm your tummy on a cold night. It's a little spicy and chockful of vegetables, with a few slices of beef. Oh, I added the egg for extra yum.

It was Y$580 for the noodles, an extra Y$100 for the egg. Cheap, by Tokyo standards.

Delish!

Housing Woes With Kek

Kek is my housemate. He moved here in September '08 when he decided to rent out his own condo unit, moved his family back to Penang and rented my spare room. He is hardly around as he is always away for work and he goes back to Malaysia when he can. The perfect housemate! He does dribble all over the toilet seat though :o(

When my landlord told us that he was selling the house, Kek agreed to move with me, provided that we kept to his budget of $600 for his room. I was positive that we would find a unit for the same price as the newspapers were always reporting that rentals were going down as more and more people were getting retrenched or sent home. I started viewing flats in the East area, namely Bedok, Tampines and Pasir Ris. To my shock, I could not find a decent place that was below $1800! But I assumed that he would understand once I updated him on the rental market situation and adjust his budget accordingly.

I texted Kek but there was no reply. He was never online. Until a week later. I was in Los Angeles. Two o'clock in the morning : I saw his name and immediately buzzed him. He was not going to pay beyond $600. He explained - his needs were simple - a basic room for him when he's in town and he was also servicing his loan on his condo, among other things. So his budget was limited. We then decided to go our separate ways. I wasn't angry at him but I was now in a fix.

I thought that staying with me was a bonus because for one, I was hardly around too. He had a lot of privacy. Ling and Baby Lynus could stay over at any time. I never charged him for his utilities and even provided him with free Internet. I kept the house "reasonably clean" and I did all the housework. $600. What more could you ask for?

So do I look for another housemate or do I start a search for a smaller apartment?

My Favourite Vending Machine

This is my favourite vending machine in the world. It's located on the third floor of the Port Hotel, Narita, Tokyo, Japan.

I will always buy something from this machine when I'm staying at the hotel. My favourites are the Chicken Nuggets (third picture) and the Fried Noodles. The French Fries and the Fried Rice are nice too. They cost about Y$400-450 each, approximately S$6.50. Definitely not the cheapest fast food but it's the novelty of having delicious, hot food pop out from a vending machine. The boxes even come with cutlery - spoons for the rice and chopsticks for the noodles. A packet of salt with the fries. They thought of everything.

There used to have labels in English for the various selections and I always wondered before, why no one ever told the hotel or vendor that HOT DOG is not spelled HOT DOCK, although that is the way the Japanese pronounce it. The labels have now been removed, after ten years? I guess someone finally noticed the blooper!

Notice the banner - "Casual Frozen Foods". I know my nuggets don't come on Noritake Bone China plates but what does Casual Frozen Foods even mean??

Strange Names

I have been meeting real estate agents with unconventional names.

I called this one guy and he introduced himself as Gate?? He recommended that I call his colleague, Kingsman for another referral. All the king's horses and all the king's men ... When I met Kingsman, he handed me his card. His name was KLINSMANN!! WTF. "Hello, I'm Klinsmann from the Klingons. I want to conquer your planet. Take me to your leader. "

There was another guy called Alister. I have always spelt it as Alaistair. But when I met Alister, I understood why his name was spelt as such. He probably heard the name and liked it and decided to spell it his own way - the way he heard it! Our conversation went like this :

Sky : Hello. Can I speak to Alister?
Ali : Haro? Haro Haro?
Sky : I'm looking for Alister?
Ali : Yes, yes .. I Alister. Why ah?
Sky : I would like to enquire about the place in Tampines?
Ali : Orrr... that one. You how many pee-pow (I think he meant people) stay?
Sky : Just me and a housemate.
Ali : Wat your bah-jut?
Sky : Below $2000
Ali : Ah, dis one OK. Arse-king onli $1,900. Come see. You when flee to view?
Sky : Anytime.

I couldn't "flee" any faster! Call me a snob but I draw the line at having pee-pow like these, handle my housing affairs!!

Francis Yip

I spent my Valentine's evening in the company of a younger woman, listening to an older one sing love songs.

Francis Yip. A name I always associate with the song, Shanghai Beach 上海灘 from The Bund, a Hong Kong drama from the 80's. I used to hate that song. That first verse ..
Lo..ng punnn (dum dum dum)
Lo..ng lauuu (dum dum dum)
That used to irritate the hell out of me. Maybe it was because my dad never let me watch any HK dramas and forced me to study in the kitchen while the rest of the family had their eyes glued to the TV.

But when I saw her concert advertisement on TV on New Year's eve last year, they showcased her powerful voice, singing songs in English. The ticket prices were reasonable and I was keen but I had no one to go with. I did think of bringing Eddy but I know that he would probably not be interested, even though she is closer to his age group!! And besides, I didn't know if he had the day off.

Then one day, when I was talking to Jean, I mentioned that I saw the ad. To my surprise, she said that she was a fan and always have been. That was it. We bought tickets, got a discount from the nice lady at the Sistic counter in Atria and we went for the concert.

When I was waiting for Jean at the Singapore Indoor Stadium that evening, I was amused at the age group that was present. We were definitely much younger than the average crowd which was good. You know what they say .. If you want to look young, hang with the old! Haha :o)

She came, she sang. And she WOWED! She has a very powerful voice for someone who's 62 and she has a figure that I would die to have! She had to sing Shanghai Beach of course, but I was singing along with the rest of the crowd. We enjoyed the evening and left with fond memories. And I no longer hate that song.

Thanks Jean, for spending Valentine's with me ..
Thanks to Ray, for letting me have your wife for the evening ..

And thank you, Francis ... for making me a fan!

Happy Valentine's Day

Love is in the air!

Irene got married today. It was a simple and tasteful affair. And everything went as smoothly as she had planned in her 9-page schedule :o)

A simple tea ceremony for the elders was held in the bridal suite. Cocktails were served at the Roof Garden at 12pm and the actual reception started at 1pm. The Justice Of Peace was there to solemnize the marriage between Irene and Jeremy. And a traditional Chinese sit-down luncheon was served after. There were speeches and the usual yam-seng cheers for the happy couple. The girls at our table even did a congratulatory message on video.

To Irene and Jeremy :
Happy marriages begin when we marry the one we love, and they blossom when we love the one we married. Congratulations!

A Gift From Fullerton Hotel

The Wedding Rings

The Wedding Luncheon Banner

The Wedding Keepsakes

The Wedding Guests

Friday The 13th

Today is Friday the 13th.

I should have felt the cloud over my day. And true enough, something bad happened. Eddy found out about my extravagant purchase in Milan. No wonder he sounded funny over the phone this evening. He casually mentioned that he had met Jacqueline at the office. And I had a feeling that he found out about the watch.

I quickly texted Jacq to get the details but she never replied. I couldn't sleep the whole night. All the while, this feeling of guilt was hovering over me. Finally, Jacq called and I got to know what happened today. Jacq was with Eddy's ex-girlfriend, Lilian and they started a conversation. Then Jacq told him that I bought a watch and he was surprised as I told him earlier that I did not buy anything in Milan. He was probably shocked at the price I paid too. I assume that he was pretty unhappy about why I lied to him.

Why did I lie? First of all, I felt that I was too hasty in buying the watch. I did not check out the prices in other countries to do a comparison. I just assumed that since Milan was a place to buy branded items like leather goods at a lower price than other countries, it would be a place to buy watches as well. Ever since I found out what I could have paid for it in Singapore, I felt like an idiot and I really didn't feel the joy in owning the watch. I didn't even wear it after I got back home. I felt foolish. I felt like a sucker.

I also knew that Eddy did not approve of buying branded goods - period. Many times when we went shopping, he would point out that he would not pay for this item or that, but I, on the other hand, would. This was where we differed in priorities and tastes. I will pay $250 for a Casio watch but not a Blum dress? I would fork out $4000 for a holiday but not for a Chanel bag? So I did not want to admit to Eddy that I had bought an expensive, excessive, exorbitant, overpriced watch because I was too ashamed and guilty.

But now that he knows, I wonder what I should do. If I try to carry the lie further, I might trip over myself one day. If I admit my rashness, he will know that it is because I spoke to Jacq and it was not my conscience that made me tell the truth. Either way, I'm fucked.

Although we are no longer together, I still value Eddy's opinions and want his approval because he still matters to me. It's almost Valentine's Day and my sweetheart is upset at me. I have to salvage the situation and hope for the best.

Honesty is the best policy.

Despondent

I met up with Leonard yesterday.

I always get this "sinking feeling" in my tummy after we meet up. He is the only one who does that to me. He doesn't do it on purpose, I know. But somehow, being with him, makes me less confident and often leaves me with questions about myself.

The last time we met was in Dec '07 when I went to Melbourne for a holiday. We met up for drinks and dinner a few times during my stay there. And when I left, that feeling struck me again. So for a year, we stuck to irregular MSN chats and texts to keep in touch. I often avoided or ignored him because that feeling was still fresh in my tummy.

Then just last week, he texted, saying that he was coming to Singapore and wanted to meet up. He asked when I would be back from my trip and he would come down then. I was back on Monday but I wanted to delay the inevitable so I told him Tuesday. So we met up late last night after his dinner meeting. We went back to the hotel and we had a nice chat, catching up. And no, we didn't have sex. I swear. We just fell asleep in each other's arms. But all that time, I was thinking of Eddy, believe it or not. About how nice it was to be in his arms and how good he used to smell. But it was Leonard that kissed me on the cheek when we woke up. Eddy never did that :o(

Today, we went for lunch and a foot massage. I got to know more about his current girlfriend and I guess that was when the feeling started. It wasn't jealousy. It was something else. His current girlfriend, Jacklin, although I don't know her, sounds like a gold digger. And he knows it. But he is willing to go along because she has other qualities that he likes. Money is not an issue for him. He likes the overall package, as he put it. All his friends including his mother, can't stand the girlfriend. Because they see her for what she is. But he is blinded by love.

He said that she was smart, exposed to the world and lots of fun. She can talk shop with him, about the stock markets, about business, about who's-who and what's-what. And that's when he delivered the blow : he said that I was not like her.

I have always considered myself to be pretty knowledgeable about a lot of things, from cars to movies and sports. Enough to start a conversation and know what others are talking about. But judging from the kind of girls that guys fall for these days, apparently, that is not enough or not important. I know of bimbos who talk about shopping, facials, nails and girly stuff all the time. But yet, they have guys waiting in line to help them with the shopping bags. And even pay for their purchases. So what am I lacking? Must I be like them? Study the daily market and subscribe to the Business Times? Or take the easy way and just learn to bat my eyelashes, flirt and act stupid.

I feel so despondent.

Chap Goh Mei

Today is the the fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year which is also known as Chap Goh Mei. It marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. Prayers, dinners, fireworks and fire crackers usually conclude these celebrations.

Chap Goh Mei is also considered the Chinese Valentine's Day. Young women wearing their best, would flock the temples in the hope of finding a prospective suitor. Single women would gather to toss tangerines into the sea, in hope that their future spouse will pick it up – apparently, a custom that originated in Penang.

Tonight, I went out with a single man. I did dress up a little. I went near the sea. But he was not my prospective suitor nor the man in my dreams (we all know who's the man of the month!) and I forgot to bring tangerines along with me. But knowing my darn luck with men, I think that even if I threw the bloody orange at the guy, he would still not see me loh!!

Chris. He was my colleague on a recent trip on Christmas Day. I had worked with him before but I suspected that he was gay. He was very soft spoken and had rather effeminate moves. He reminds me of a gay salon hairdresser. He has the funniest looking poofy hair too. And he has this lazy walk, someone who walks with no purpose. Just dragging their feet along, plodding along in life. He had denied that he was gay but I had my suspicions. I have nothing against gays, in fact I think they make very good girlfriends. So on this trip, I thought nothing more of him other than another nice colleague. Until another girl had the bizarre idea of match-making the two of us. The ONLY thing that we had in common was that we were both single. Oh, and that he was a nice guy and I was a nice girl and we both lived in the East. If only it were so easy.

Somehow, we exchanged phone numbers and I never gave it another thought. Till last Tuesday. He texted me and wished me Happy CNY. After some text-bouncing, we decided to meet for dinner a week later which was today. Eddy never texted me to have our CNY dinner as 99.99% expected. But I couldn't help hoping like a lovesick puppy. I will never learn.

Back to Chris ..
CC : Eh, no need dress up hor.
SK : I casual one la. Unless you ask me out for a date la. Then different la!
CC : Huh, feel like a date leh, heart beat'g like a date. Must be a date!

SK : Oh, then I must dress up loh!
CC : No la, it's just two friends, meeting for dinner and small talk,k?
SK : OK, see ya! (feeling a little stressed out now..)

We met at Parkway Parade and had a nice time chatting over dinner. The he suggested we walk to the beach. (Alarm bells are ringing in my head now...) But I went along and we sat on one of those stone benches where we continued talking. During the chat, I'd sneak a peak at him every now and then. I REALLY could not imagine being with him as a couple, holding hands or even (shivers..) kissing him! Eewwww....

Anyway, bells kept ringing in my head but I didn't know how to handle the situation that was slowly becoming awkward for me. We were talking about condos and when I mentioned that I was interested in one particular one, he said that we should go see it together! Gosh! We adjourned to McD's and then, finally home. Then he texted, saying that he wanted to make a second date with me. Hey, I thought it WASN'T a date today! And I really don't want to go on a second date, much less a first one. I thought we were just being friendly. And when we were talking about ourselves, we have so many things NOT in common! Isn't it obvious that we are not compatible??

Why do I keep getting myself in situations? Sigh!

Eddy = Me

The Snake is known to be rather selective in his choice of close friends and a mate. But of the twelve signs of the Zodiac, the greatest clash of wills and personality takes place between the Snake and its natural enemy, the Boar. While Snake is of the Fire element, Boar is Water. Fire and water simply cannot mix and the same is true of Snake and Boar.

It is a mismatch of the worst kind and even though they can be quite close in their early days of coming together, in no time at all, the differences between them will certainly start taking its toll on their closeness, causing them to think twice.

You read such things and take it with a pinch of salt. But sometimes, you can't help but wonder ...

Always The Bridesmaid..

My friend, Joyce just asked me to be her "zi-mui".

This is the second wedding I'll be attending this year. AND the second wedding that I have been asked to be the zi-mui / bridesmaid. I hope that it doesn't have anything to do with that tradition of "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." Me being the "something old" ?? That is a rather depressing thought. Hey, I should be privileged that a friend thinks that I am important enough to be by her side, on one of the most important days of her life. That's what I should be thinking! But .. always the bridesmaid, never the bride? How many times is once too many?

Irene is getting married on Valentine's Day. Romantic, isn't it? And it's at The Fullerton Hotel, one of the grandest hotels around. She's getting married to Jeremy, her boyfriend of two years? She's a very pretty girl, very petite, with huge eyes and the pinkest complexion. She adores pink so it's little surprise that I've been asked to get a pink dress. Or a champagne-gold one - that is her colour scheme for the wedding. I'm still looking.

Joyce's special day is on the 3rd October. It was her grandmother's funeral that brought her and Aaron together. A sad occasion with a happy ending. And I'm glad because she is one of the nicest girls I know and she deserves to be blessed . And Aaron makes her very happy.

To my two friends, Irene and Joyce : Thank you for the honour and thank you for being my friends.

Darn Weather!

The darn weather forecast let me down!

It didn't rain or more importantly, pour like it did, the day before. Where were the cats and dogs when you needed them? And because of the promise I made to Jac yesterday that if it didn't rain, I had to get out of my warm bed, leave my lappie and Nintendo behind and go shopping with her. Not my favourite thing to do on a cold, winter's day. Not my favourite thing to do, period.

I was really not looking forward to being dragged from shop to shop. Trust me, window shopping is no fun when you look like the Michelin man and have a budget like Scrooge. You don't want to try on any clothes because you need to take off the clothes that took twenty-five minutes to put on. You don't think that you should buy a new wallet because the old one that your ex-ex-EX boyfriend gave you is still usable. Usable being the key word that it can still keep all your notes and coins, numerous discount and membership cards in one big fat wad, despite being held together by a rubber band. The clasp is broken. Sue me.

But because of Jac's enthusiasm and bubbly nature, I ended up having a pretty good time. She took me to Louis Vuitton where she helped her best friend get a scarf, a tie and a wallet. Then we went to Cartier to try on some really nice watches - the Santos and the Tank models. Gucci was next where she showed me the shoes she bought yesterday. We finally found Chanel and she bought a pair of Chanel sandals for Euro$450! WTF! I can't imagine paying S$900 for a pair of slippers! I can't even buy a pair of Birkies!

I smelled the leather. I carried a Chanel 2.55 bag. I slipped on a Cartier watch. I touched a world that I can only dream of in my wildest imagination. Even if it was only for that few minutes. Make that Cartier minutes!

Money Talks!

On Wednesday, a former colleague pinged me online. We chatted a little before she asked me, "So this year got bonus or not?" I was dumbfounded for a few seconds. I didn't know what to say. I find it absurd that in uncertain times like these, there are still people who are still hung up on bonuses! Shouldn't you be concerned if you still had your job? And worry about not getting retrenched? And be thankful? Heck, I'd be happy if I was still able to draw a basic salary which is not much but not have to join the unemployment line!

On the other hand, I just met a colleague who's spending freely as if money grows on trees. She casually mentioned that she lost S$5000 at mahjong over CNY. $5K! WTF! A few hours later, she was looking for other colleagues to go shopping with. She had a whole long list of things to buy and I'm not talking about basic grocery items like sugar and rice. She wanted to hit Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, the works!

She called me in the morning, asking if I wanted to go to town.
Jac : Eh, wan to go town or not?
Moi : No la, I got nothing to buy. I ordi ask Vivi to help my friend check if her item is in stock. If have, then I will go down tomorrow. If not, I no need to go.
Jac : Ok la, we go makan later, ok?
Moi : Ok. Call later la.

Six hours later :
Jac : Sista, you wan go town or not?
Moi : No la, dun wan. You hungry or not? We go makan?
Jac : Not very hungry yet la. Tinking to go town loh.
Moi : Call Nick la. Maybe he wan to go?
Jac : Ok, call you back. You sure you dont want to go?
Moi : Sure. You go ahead.

Another six hours later :
Jac : Sista, I bought so many things lei! Wasted you never go. I bought three pairs of Gucci sandals, an LV bag for my boyfriend and an LV wallet. I spent Euro$2000 ordi lei.
Moi : Wah! Why stop there? I thought you had more things you wanted?
Jac : The shops were closed loh! Aiyo, tomorrow must go again! I still have to go to Hermes and see LV again. Wanna go or not? Come la!
Moi : No la, nothing to buy.
Jac : Go la. Nick oso had nothing to buy until I stir him to buy the Gucci sandals. Then in LV, I oso stir him to buy a limited edition LV bag for his wife. Haha! I very good at stirring people.
Moi : (thinking silently : HENG ah, I never go!!)
Jac : So how, go la?
Moi : See how. If raining, very sian one lei. Walk in the rain.
Jac : Ok, if it's raining tomorrow, we don't go. If no rain, we go, ok? Set?
Moi : Ok la.

Weather.com said that there is a 80% chance of rain tomorrow. I don't know how to turn people down sometimes, especially when they are so enthusiastic about something? I don't want to be a wet blanket. So now, I can blame it on the wet weather!

Melancholy

I guess I'm feeling a little pensive these days. Ever since I made it back home for my CNY reunion dinner this year. I saw how my grandmother has deteriorated in her present condition and how old my mom looks as well. My grandmother has four other daughters to look after her. My mom only has my brother and I. And that kinda woke me up.

It is sad that a person has to go through life, without knowing the unconditional love parents can give their child. I had a very tough time growing up. I don't think anyone should ever have to go through what I did. But one can never choose their parents, can they? Let bygones be bygones? That still does not stop me from wishing for something like Jean or Susan's relationships with their families. Wistful thinking, I guess.

Relationships are hard. Mother-daughter, father-son, wife-husband, boyfriend-girlfriend, friend-friend. We have to work at it. Nothing should ever be taken for granted.

I Give Up!

Why am I still being so nice?

On Friday, I suggested to Eddy that he bring his parents out for a CNY dinner. His dad is a little immobile due to a mild stroke but his mom is a sprightly 70+ year old little firecracker! The conversation went something like this :

Me : Hey, lots of people eating here lei. You should bring your parents for dinner since it is CNY and so near your house?
Ed : Ya. Maybe.
Me : Monday night la. I free oso.
Ed : See how la.
Me : You better tell them before you go to Bombay. In case your mom cooks dinner for your dad. You know how early she starts cooking.
Ed : Aiya, I still can tell them in the morning when I come back.
Me : OK. Up to you.

So today, I waited, knowing that he will call in his own time and I was already expecting him to cancel the dinner. True enough, he cancelled. At 6pm. Said that his mom had cooked and she was going out with her friends. That was it.

I expected him to ask me out for dinner since "Hey, I did put aside this evening for you and your family". But Nooooooo ... he just hung up. I waited till 8pm and then I got too hungry and upset. I went to have my own dinner and he called when I was eating. Apparently he was on his way out too. Later, he told me that he went for dinner with his friends.

You say ANGRY or not?? I give up.

Baby Roses

Eddy's mom gave this to me a few months back when Eddy and I were seeing each other. Auntie started telling me that she learned to make roses out of ribbons at the local community centre and she made so many for practise that she didn't have anywhere to "chaap" these baby ones. So she stuck them in this tiny pot of jelly-seashells.Then she handed the pot to me and said, "Kei ni la."

It wasn't anything much but it was the spontaneity that took me by surprise. I was touched. I think Eddy was embarrassed. This little 2.5 inch tall gift has been sitting on my shelf ever since. I thought I'd better take a photo and blog it - just in case it goes missing when I move!

She's a dear old lady. Bless her heart!

Another Expired Product!

See lah!

Another one. And this one hor.. cannot miss one!! EXP SEP 2006. Thankfully, there was only a little bit more of the product inside the bottle. But me being me, I unscrewed the cap, dug my little pinkie into the hole and korek-korek for that very last drop before I threw the bottle away.

I MUST remember my resolution!

Happy Yan Yat!

Today is the Seventh Day of the New Year. We call it Yan Yat or Ren Ri 人日 in Mandarin. It is known as the common man's birthday where everyone grows a year older. It is when yue sang is eaten. People get together to toss the colourful salad as high as possible and make wishes for continued wealth, success and prosperity. We are also encouraged to eat noodles on this day as they represent longevity. That reminds me - I better go cook an instant noodle and have some, for "yee-see yee-see" la :o)

So Happy Yan Yat, my friends! A year older, a year wiser!