The Web

Creatively

You worked your art

You spun a web

Around my heart

How beautifully

Your deeds have spread

Each intricately

Woven thread

With strands of care

You dried my tears

Your gentleness

Dispelled my fears

Your wisdom

Helped me understand

And patiently

You held my hand

To give me courage

To brave the storm

With kindness

You have kept me warm

Your passion

Lit a glowing fire

That filled my soul

With sweet desire

You're all

That I was dreaming of

For the web you spun

Was made of love

- By Sherri Deskins -

Salt

Sometime back I had a terrible sore throat which plagued me for over a week. During that period, H advised me to mix some salt with water and gargle so as to disinfect my inflamed throat. I admitted that I didn't heed his advice the first time. So I procrastinated and my throat obviously showed no signs of improvement even with the medication I took. After a week long of sore throat, I put H's advice into action - I gargled with salt water. Strangely enough, half the pain that I was experiencing for the past week seemed to subside. I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or imagining things but I felt different. I gargled with salt water again the next day, this time with more salt... Guess what? No more sore throat anymore. Salt water worked better than the lozenges given by the doc. Thanks H! You're the man!

Dougal

'Dougal, over here!' This is how I decipher the spelling of its name from the manner his doting masters; D and M called for him. My fate with Dougal began in Rye, a town out of London. A beautiful and serene place with lavender growing everywhere. When I met Dougal for the first time, he started to jump on me soon after I was being introduced to him. It seemed like 'love at first sight' for him or maybe for us. Initially, I was slightly overwhelmed by its behaviour. So, my first reaction was 'Argghhh!!!' Not certain if I'd frightened both the poor dog and its masters, D or M (can't remember who) started to pull him away. I felt guilty at that juncture. Didn't mean to misbehave myself. Dougal is a very intelligent mammal, he tried to sit at the sofa opposite the ones sat by me and kept looking over. After I felt comfortable with my guests and Dougal, I gestured the latter to come over to my side. Before I could wink, Dougal had already ran over to my side and sat itself comfortably between H and myself. The next thing that happened was Dougal lying comfortably on my lap. Everyone in the room was pleasantly surprised especially its masters with how Dougal seemed to like me a great deal. D told me that it was his first time to see Dougal getting cozy with a female guest in such a short span of time even though his pet dog does prefer female guests. D and M were pretty hilarious. They joked about how they were glad that Dugle has found a new home and they were willing to let Dougal follow me back to Singapore because they knew that he'd be in safe hands. D even showed me a book on how to take care of dogs. I couldn't stop laughing. Never had I seen such a pair of funny hosts. I miss Dougal very much and his masters. I wonder if Dougal is thinking of me right now.

Paid a visit to my grandma. I've always been trying to contain my emotions whenever I was in the same room as her. I don't know what got over me, tears started streaming down my cheeks after my grandma's maid said that my granny was 'sayang me' when she grabbed my hand tightly. She was sleeping soundly as usual. Even if she is awake, she won't be able to correspond with me. I wish I had someone to run to and sob as loudly as I could but I got no one, only myself. Took me a while to calm myself down. Waited for grandma to finish her milk fed through a feeding tube before I made my way back home. I thought I was already calmed down but the moment I stepped out of the lift, I broke down again. My face was drenched with tears as I tried to make my way out of the carpark to the main road to hail a cab.

Curry Chicken

Tried my hands on preparing curry chicken the first time. Looks good ya? hehe... Taste like curry chicken. I never wanted to cook curry chicken except for Japanese curry. I always find the latter easy to prepare. Now, I can add curry chicken to the list of dishes that I can cook. I didn't go through the traditional way of stir frying the curry powder until it is fragrant yada yada yada...

I simply perform the following stunts:

1) Boil some water (just enough to submerge the chopped chicken pieces);

2) Put in the curry paste and stir well until dissolved;

3)'Throw' in the chicken pieces and potatoes (I use baby potatoes coz' I find them cute-looking);

4) Simmer the curry pot for 15 mins;

5) Pour in approximately of 250ml of coconut milk and simmer for another 15 to 20mins until all the poultry and potatoes are cooked.

6)When all the steps are completed, served with rice or bread.

It's definitely an idiot proof way of preparing the above dish. Have fun experimenting if you're going to! :)

Disclaimer: Do not blame ME if it doesn't work on your end. Carry on the above mission at your own risk.

The Party

Best firm party I ever had. Maybe because most of my colleagues were almost drunk and I got to see their 'ugly' behaviours. *wicked laughs* I definitely wasn't drunk, the last thing I would get myself into. Shortly after I reached the club, my colleagues told me a newbie looked just like me and I was 'coerced' to take a picture with her. In fact, I love taking pictures with or without me inside. I don't find any similarities though. Hairstyle maybe or the eyes... Thoughout the whole party, everyone was busy taking pictures or rushing to get the free drinks. For me, I'd be glad just to be asked to be in the photo-taking session.

Free drinks

Attended my firm's private event at a rather popular club. The club was booked from 7 - 10pm. We had free flow of housepours, beers etc and last order of free flow ended at 10pm. I'm not a hardcore drinker compared to some of my colleagues. To ensure that they drink to their hearts' content, each person will order 5 glasses of drinks (max no. of drinks that each person can order each time). By half past 9 in the evening, most of them were tipsy and some quite drunk. One colleague I always talk to in Mandarin, suddenly converse with me in English. He asked some weird questions which I was unable to answer him. I'm a disciplined person when it comes to drinking. Anyways, due to long period of pondering what drinks to get for myself, I missed the opportunity to order free drinks by a few seconds. Sigh... The bartender X told me that the free flow had ended just after my colleague ordered hers. So unfair, refusing to leave the bar counter, I gestured to X to allow me to make the last order. He said that I could but I need to give him a peck on his cheek. Hmm... no way am I going to do that! I shook my head and tried to act 'innocent' and gave him my sweetest smile telling him impliedly, ' No kiss but I still want my FREE Drink...' Voila! My charm worked on him!! He gave me 2 glasses of bourbon coke instead of one initially. When I collected my drinks, he still tried to claim a peck on his cheek from me. As usual, I flashed my 'winning' smile at him, thanked him for the drinks and left the counter. I never tried to use charm on anyone to get things done ( not that I am one gorgeous babe) but somehow it seemed rather fun that night. It is what one called 'cheap thrill'.

I love you, dad.

Today's my dad's birthday. I mustered my courage and sent him a sms ' Happy Birthday to you, dad! I love you. ' at 12am sharp. 'Thank you' was his reply to me. Although I did not tell him that I love him verbally, I know I will make it known to him one day. I'm an emotional person and I guess I'd break down if I told my dad that I love him. Saying ' I love you' to girlfriend/boyfriend always seems so easy but it always seem hard saying the same stuff to my parents. It's a good start at least.

2 doctors in 4 days

Finally, I threw up my white towel for defeat. No way I can fight the sick bugs alone. Yes yes, me and my (not mine actually, I refused to accept all risks and ownership pertaining to these evil ones) sick bugs again. I took the cough syrup 4 times in a day instead of 3, thinking that maybe I'd recover faster. If it does show some improvement in my condition, I'd definitely finish the whole bottle. I swear I will! Went to Dr No.1 for consultation on Monday, finished 95% of the medication. No signs of improvement at all and my condition became worse. Throat is still sore. I tend to cough even more especially when I try to hit the sack. Getting to work is not an enjoyable trip for me either. Not sure if the air-conditioned in the bus is the culprit, I'll cough throughout the whole journey till I got off the bus. Thus, robbing me of my precious 40 mins nap. Mere breathing would trigger the cough too. Sad right? As I coughed, I'd try to grasp for some air. Feeling breathlessness now. I've been pushing myself to go to work enduring all forms of discomfort that have been embracing me. Not trying to be a wonderwoman or to impress my manager, just want to get my job done within the deadline. Hmmm... still not drowsy yet, so I shall continue blogging. Medication from Dr No.1 finished and not working well, so I consulted Dr No.2. More medicine for me. Getting 'sick' from taking all the syrup and pills. Is my body rejecting the effect of these drugs? We'll know in another 2 days' time. Consulting Dr no.3 is a likely event on my agenda.

Cake

I got him a birthday cake finally. Though an extremely belated one, I did it. I bought a chocolate truffle cake, should be good. Wanted to get black forest cake from Rive Gauche but it was sold out. Besides the cake, I got him a box of bitter sweet dark chocolate from Royce. 'What is it about dark chocolates? The answer is plant phenols -- cocoa phenols, to be exact. These compounds are known to lower blood pressure.' Extracted info from this article: http://www.stuffedchocolate.com/health_benefits.htm. What else did I buy? 2 rice dumplings, his favourite. He has many favourites. Number one favourite: Curry Chicken.

I always enjoy getting birthday cakes for my loved ones. I'll source for the best cake available. To me, it's a must to have a bd cake on one's bd. I bought a Ganache cake from Rive Gauche located at Taka for my dad's upcoming bd. I always have a bd cake since I was a young child, so do the rest of my family. Most of the time, I'll be in charge of bd cake for my family. I don't find it a chore, never. He will get a cake from me every year unless there is a hiccup.

A prey? Me?

Could it be the haze or have I fallen prey to the sick bugs? I've been coughing all day at my client's place. I tried to suppress myself from coughing while talking to my client but I just couldn't contain my cough for more than 2 mins or maybe a min. My throat hurts too each time I swallow my saliva. Getting sick during my engagement is never a happy affair. Went to the doctor's to get medication.

Dr X: " So, what's wrong with you?"
Me:"My throat is painful and I kept coughing."
Dr X:"Open your mouth."
Me opened my mouth wide. "AhhH...''
Dr X:"Hmm...you've an inflamed throat and the current haze condition isn't helping."
Me:" Ya, my throat hurts very much. Can you prescribe the PINK cough syrup? Also, can you prescribe me both drowsy and non-drowsy medication for cough?"
Dr X:" All cough medication will make u drowsy. It is a matter of less drowsy medication or a more drowsy type."
Oh well, he is the doctor and I can't rebutt him back but I'm sure there're cough drugs which are non-drowsy because I've taken them before.
Me: "Oh I see. I didn't know that."
Dr X:" You need more rest?"
Me:"Nope, I don't think I want and I can."
Dr X:" Ok, you looked fine to me too."

What an idiot! Of cse, I looked fine!! Must I look very sick with pale lips and blood-shot eyes? I prefer my favourite doctor Dr Y but he was not on duty that evening. sigh... Dr X didn't listen to his patient's request. Got myself a black colored cough syrup (when I asked for those pink types) and a white colored one (apparently, the latter will make me less drowsy). Pray that I won't sleep in while performing some audit work, else I'll be damned. There're still some more work to do with a deadline to meet. Gonna try to wake up at 5am to finish my work later. Set my clock and my mobile on alarm mode. Breathing seems alittle uncomfortable too. And my right ankle too, it hurts so badly when I walked for more than 30 mins now. Need a sinseh to nurse my sprained ankle. Saw a slight bump on the left side of my foot. Uncertain if it is my small little bone protuding out. One word to describe my current feeling, Painful. Very painful.

Another Good Japanese Restaurant

In my earlier article, I mentioned that there's a good Japanese restaurant located at Raffles Place. It is called 'Botan Japanese Restaurant'. I discovered another good place; SUN with MOON (brought to my attention by H) which served a wide variety of Japanese dishes. I can't say every dish is fantastic but their sashimi is really fresh. I took a picture of the stuff I ordered, not every dish though. I highly recommended the Kaki Bacon Yaki (grilled osyters with spinach and bacon) and Amaebi sashimi (Prawn sashimi). 4 pcs for $12.80 for the former & the latter cost $15 for 5 pcs. The oysters were big too. If you looked at the photo one the left, at the top left corner, you'll find the osyter dish. The dish shown below the osyters is simply steamed rice topped with unagi and clams. When they first served it, they'd place a puny sandglass and started inverting it. When all the fine sand had run to the bottom of the bulb, you can lift up the cover and start eating. Interesting experience is all I can say. I enjoyed the soft shell crab tempura too. Bigger than the ones I normally had at Sakae Sushi or other Japanese restaurants. Size does matter sometimes and the skill of preparing the dish is important too. For food lovers, you know what I mean. Sometimes I feel like I'm having a 'oral' examination whenever I made an attempt to explain the pictures I posted. hehehe... Price is reasonable. But be sure to call to make reservation first because this restaurant is very popular. When I reached the restaurant at 6.30pm, I was told that the restaurant was fully booked but I could've a table till 7.45pm only. I didn't think I need to take a long dinner, however at the same time I didn't like to be rushed thru' dinner too. Since I was craving for sashimi & I don't intend to spend the whole night at Sun, I accepted their only available option. Nice place with good ambience. Located at Wheelock Place. 501, Orchard Road, #03-15/16/17. Tel: (65) 6733 6636

sick bugs

Throat's itchy and slightly painful, feeling feverish and weak all over. My newly sprained ankle which I thought has healed started to hurt again. I can't be sick at all. My peak period is around the corner. Taking sick leave is a no no for me as I don't want to affect my performance and efficiency. Gonna drink more water and get ample rest and maybe an apple a day keeps the sick bugs away.

The British Museum III:Other Treasures

The British Museum II: Mummies

They're so Awesome, aren't they? Nothing beats to seeing the real thing.

The British Museum I

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Visited The British Museum during my recent trip to London. Took lotsa photos. I'm very impressed by the humongous collection of ancient items maintained by this museum. My heart skipped a beat when I saw displays of mummies for the first time right before my eyes. Impressive collection in an impressive place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you can hear me

Dear God,
If you can hear me now, please lessen my granny’s suffering. Stop the worsening of her condition. Please allow my granny’s loved ones including myself to be with her for a long while more. Please don't take her away.

Dear God,
If you can hear me now, please ensure that H’s blood pressure be controlled at a normal level and bless him with a healthy body.

My very first tisane faite à la maison

Passed by a medical shop around my neighborhood yesterday and decided to check out the place. What’s there to check out for? No hunks or babes. Just piles and piles of medical products. I’m always intrigued by the amazing health benefits that TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) can offer to mortals like us. With an unexplainable burning desire, I decided to try my hands on brewing chrysanthemum herbal tea ( 'ju hua cha'). It shouldn’t be that difficult, all one needs is just some cow sense. My mum always makes herbal tea but I never try watching the process. If my mum can do it, so can I. If Yan can cook, so can you. I’m trying hard to be humorous here, so please PRETEND to be amused. Alrighty, back to my herbal-brewing adventure, I bought the cheapest pack of chrysanthemums (dried ones, of course and not those fresh ones which some use for offerings) & a pack of brownish yellow type of rock sugar(remember, rock sugar & not caster/ granulated/ brown/ fine/ icing sugar). Now, everyone pls repeat after me, 'Rock Sugar'. Good. There’re supposedly 2 types of rock sugars; white and brownish yellow but the lady at the medical shop told me that the latter is better as it makes the herbal thingy more fragrant. She couldn’t be wrong since she worked there, so I swapped my white rock sugar for the other type. Total price paid: S$3.00/-

Elated with my purchase, I headed home immediately. Found a large pot, filled it with water for about 3 quarters full with consideration of the amount of space that the herbal stuff will take up in the pot too. Minutes passed and the water was boiling! Woohoo!! I opened the chrysanthemum pack and dumped the whole pack in. But wait a minute, it brought to my attention that I shouldn’t have utilized the whole pack. The flowers doubled in size and seemed like they absorbed all the water in the pot!! I believe I inherited my mum’s good genes that I can ratify the situation. I scooped up some of the chrysanthemums out from the pot into a bowl. Voila! Everything was under control again. Next, I put in some of the rock sugar. Please use your own discretion on how much sugar to use. I didn’t want it to be very sweet or too bitter. Once the sugar melted, the herbal tea is more or less ready. One last step: use a sieve to separate the chrysanthemums from the tea. This is an idiot-proof recipe. Good to brew herbal beverages occasionally for consumption to cool our body down and to prevent getting sick easily since we’re experiencing haze now.

A New number

Looking over the weighing scale, I lost another kilo again. Total weight lost todate: 6 kgs. A super long overdue and very belated birthday gift to you. You know who you are. Anymore fats to lose: Yes. How much more? I've to first fit into my Mango dress which I bought quite a while back as my first goal. I bought the dress when I made sure I could fit in and not thinking that I can fit in someday. Unfortunately, due to my massive binge eating, this black number has to be 'archived' inside my waredrobe. For this, I need to discard another 2 kgs to be positively sure that I can slip in this beautiful dress (solely in my own opinion) nicely without having to risk ruining this outfit. And of course, to take good care of my health.

Tired. Very very tired. My eyes're tired too. When will it be for me to collapse completely? When is D-Day? I never enjoy competition but I enjoy watching competition. What an irony, yeah? Sadly, life is full of ironies including mine. 'Think about the irony. Are you thinking about the irony?' These're the lines which H likes to use on me out of sheer harmless teasing. I was always amused and 'irritated' whenever he made those statements. Just like my new-found interest;blogging (something I'd dismiss as an interest of mine in the past). It is another medium of telling people or should I say 'sharing' with others how my day was in a non-verbal manner. It doesn't bother me whether anyone is interested in my daily activities or I get many hits on my blog everyday. Logically, I can save on telecommunication expenses. Did I hear cheapskate? Yes, I am a cheapskate & I am so PROUD of being one!! But wait a minute, maybe I am not so cheapie since I need to pay for internet bills which costs > a 50-dollar bill yet the internet connection is breaking down so often. Maybe I should switch to a different internet service provider. Any good recommendations, anyone?

Will I lose interest in this new interest? This statement sounds so funny and silly. Will I stop writing my thoughts online? I guess one day I will.

I wish I can fall into a deep sleep without bringing along any memories because I am deeply hurt. So hurt that I felt like my heart is being punctured a couple of times. I don't shine anymore. Most probably, I never shine in the first place when I thought I did.

No more death please...

I wish that my granny can live for another 10 or 20 years. If I can, I'm willing to give some years of my life to see my granny just for a long while more. Yes, I know I can't do that at all. Staying alive to see my loved ones withered away breaks my heart. It's been broken many times which seems to be beyond repair. I love my 'ma ma' and I can't bear to let her go. I really can't bear to. Why must we go through life and death among other things? If I were to go before my parents, they'll definitely be heartbroken. Should I need to make a choice between (a) to see my partner die before me and (b) I die before my partner, I would choose option (b). Why? One may ask. Staying alive to endure the pain of losing a loved one who has departed from the world forever is never easy. It seems that I am starting to fall into depression. No more death please.

MOoncake festival

Met H for dinner @ Empire Cafe. He ordered Hainanese chicken rice while I had crayfish hor fan. I always like the idea of carrying lanterns during mooncake/lantern festival and savouring delicious mooncakes at the same time. I remembered I celebrated lantern festival with H for the past 2 years in Hong Kong. H asked me how I wanted to do after dinner and I replied that I want to carry lanterns in cityhall area. He was like, 'ok...' and didn't look the least bit embarrassed by my suggestion. Chinese garden seemed like a more appropriate place but since I was working on that day, so it was kinda inconvenient to head all the way to CG. Ok, lantern-carrying plan aborted. H suggested going to City Space at Swissotel Westin for drinks. We had Cloudy Bay XXX white wine there. Ambience was not bad and we got to enjoy jazz music. The jazz singer sang quite well in my opinion. However, the cashew nuts were quite salty. H looked slightly dismayed that I kept popping those salty and unhealthy nuts into my mouth. I guess I took more than 10 nuts (or even more) but I sweared that I didn't finish the whole bowl of nuts. Anyways, I thought I can admire the full moon together with H at City Space but thanks to the haze, I saw nothing spectacular. On the whole, I enjoyed my evening with H.

I hate diabetes! I hate stroke! I hate heart attack! I hate these illnesses. One by one, my loved ones taken away by these horrendous sick devils. I hate myself for not spending enough time with them when they were still breathing the same air as me. I hate what diabetes and stroke have done to my granny ('ma ma'). She is fading further and further away from us as each day passes. Everyone will die one day, I will too. I try to be strong and remind myself constantly that I must not break down in front of my 'ma ma' even though she no longer responds effectively with anyone. 'Be prepared' is what I hear often whenever we discuss about my granny's condition. Tears welled in my eyes each time I hear this. I don't want to start sobbing in front of my parents, it is not easy for them too. Memories of my granny especially the moments spent with her when I was in primary school appear vividly in my mind. She'd try to tie up my long black tresses in different hairstyles from Monday to Friday. She'd wait for us after school to bring us home from school. She used to prepare really good vegetarian meal and very good black coffee while she was still very able and fit. I can't bear to continue further ...

H was down with fever but he had already seen a doctor. He told me that he has unusually high blood pressure which he'd go for further tests to find out what triggered it. So I went to surf the website for more info on high blood pressure out of my own free will. I shan't talk in details on high blood pressure coz' you can easily get the info on yahoo or goggle search. It is said that consuming fruits with high % of potassium can control blood pressure. Since I am not a doctor, I shall leave the medical prescription to a real doc. I found a list of healthy fruits with a higher content of potassium and headed to Carrefour straight after work. Yes, yes I'm a nosey parker but I felt uneasy with H having high blood pressure when he is still quite young. Not sure if his family will show him some basic concern but I know his sis will coz' she loves this brother of hers. Anyways, I tried to carry as much as I can but with a laptop hanging on one side of my shoulders, I could only carry this much. I bought a 2-litre freshly squeeze orange juice (it better be freshly squeezed coz' it is not cheap), 3 pears and a box of kiwi fruit containing 4 such fruits. After all the running and walking, I managed to catch the last private bus going to H's place since it cost S$2.50 only, with or without ERP. Well, H was not at home even though he said he will want to rest for the rest of the day. Not his fault or his problem. I assume he'd be home resting away since he didn't mention that he may head out for a breather. Blame no one for your own stupidity. Wanted to pass the stuff to his maid but she didn't answer the residence phone. I wish I can leave the stuff at his doorstep but the orange juice will turn foul. Took a cab back as I was so worn out.

Less is More

His Momo My Momo

I always make the mistakes of revealing more (verbally) of myself to my friends and loved ones. I will volunteer more information to them like a machine gun which keeps firing non-stop when one just need one bullet (only for sharp shooters) to kill the target. There are times when I want to talk to other people especially to H about what I am doing, because, quite naturally, I want to share it with somebody or just H. Well, I know I can't and I shouldn't. I should let them find out for themselves with no clues from me. It is like, when someone asked you,'How's your day?' or 'How're you?', what they really want to hear is just one word, 'Fine' and not 'Today I did this, done that, been there' yada yada yada... Just like no one enjoys being preached at. I will keep all my emotions/problems under my hat and be more 'self-centered' about my inner feelings and really personal thoughts. One less person to be upset/agonised/traumatised/stressed/worried. Less is definitely more.

...

Slept at 6.30am, woke up at 10am. Laid awake with a tinge of sadness. Was it the red wine which created an after-effect? Search me... Maybe it's my granny. Maybe it's him.

A Form of relaxation

Attended a relative's wedding dinner which ended around 11pm but I was not willing to head back just as yet. I decided to head to Borders which has became my favourite haunt. I didn't construe why I felt the urge to get another book even though I had just purchased one the day before. Sadly, I've not started on the new title and I found another good title to read...It was almost 12am when I made payment at the cashier. Still longing to loiter in town for a while more, I made my way to Marriot Hotel to grab a seat at the lounge. Surprisingly, it was not crowded and I found myself a good seat. Ordered a glass of red wine ( Kendall Jackson Sauvignon Merlot, California) and commenced reading on my new book. Not an expert of red wine but the one I ordered was quite good I think. It is considered premium red wine on the menu. So I read and sipped my red wine slowly while enjoying the still of the night as my companion. Suddenly, I realised that reading was something I used to enjoy very much ( I still do) but I didn't get down to do it for a long while. I felt relaxed and calm for once. Reading releases endorphins in me too, not just chocolates. No interruptions, no disturbance, no sms, no phone rings ( who would call me after 12am?)... I had a great time but I knew I'd to go home at some point as I promised my parents that I'd be back by 3am. I decided to halt my reading at 3am and catch a cab back. Met a nice cab driver who chatted with me throughout the whole journey. We discussed sensitive issues which would not be mentioned here. It was an interesting evening for me, indeed.