The Apple of His Eyes
Thursday, November 19, 2009
2012
I am the kind of person who digs catastrophic movies. And very often, after watching these movies, they have lots of repercussion on me. I cried a bucket when I watched ‘Armageddon’, I had nightmare after watching ‘End of the World’. As for ‘2012’, I am more positive. I did not cry. I reflected. And a lot.
There are many articles about Apocalypse and whatnot and seriously I am not bothered by any of them. Not that my fear for death is lessen as time goes by (somewhat true). But I know one thing, everything will come to an end one day, and after the end of something, there will be a new beginning. That is always my philosophy in life for everything and anything. Just like people die, and after death, it may be a new beginning of a new life, such as reborn. I reflected a lot on my life.
Such as –
Shall I buy myself another Birkin bag?
Shall I buy that FM watch?
The dinner tonight at il Lido is definitely worth it despite of the price.
Have I recently said ‘I Love You’ to Kevin?
Where is our next travel destination for next year and how many months is it going to be?
If everything is going to be like the movie 2012, no one in Singapore (I believed, except you-know-who) is affluent enough to get on the Ark and if given a chance to sneak into the Ark, I will probably put Ziv before me, and let him sneak up the Ark himself and pass him my iphone, tell him to look at the pictures in the phone whenever he thinks of Mummy and Daddy (since we are definitely be gone by then). In short, I am willing to give up my life for my son.
I was thinking, so what if you are one of the wealthiest man in Singapore, who cares if you have special abilities such as driving your Lamborghinis with your toes, extremely good in math, ultimately, you have to die with the rest of the less wealthy people and talented people. The thing is, Singapore is too infinitesimal to get noticed for talent (porn stars not included). Maybe those richer ones will die a few minutes to hours later, because they struggled to get to the peak of Bt Timah hill or they get on a plane to nowhere and probably die from a plane crash due to lack of fuel.
What I want in life now is experience. The experience of being able to buy something I like, the experience of enjoying high life. I don’t care if Ziv is ever going to make use of what he will be learning in The Shichidah Kindergarten, I don’t care if paying the exorbitant (and some said outrageous) school fee is going to be worth-while for his life later, what I want is, Ziv being able to experience the unique learning techniques applied to their syllabus.
Of course, after all the said and done, that doesn’t mean I have to fritter all my money away on something which I do not need or mindlessly, but I think that being contented in life and not having regrets is the key to living. I don’t want to be running away from a giant Tsunami and still complaining, “Shit! I haven’t try this and haven’t try that!”
We still have to keep a good amount of money for savings just in case the day do not come, or come much later after our death.
Go watch 2012. You will see life differently, perhaps.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Baking and Me
Baking is never my forte. The only memory of me baking is during my secondary school Home Economic days. I reminisced that during the final year examination, I decided to make cup cakes and hence, I beseeched my mum to pre-pack the ingredients and all I merely need to do is just to mix them, and TA-DA! Hot and delicious cup cakes! I also remembered making my first ever cheese cake for Kevin for some unknown occasion. These are the reminiscences of some one who doesn’t take pleasure in baking.
Come to think of it, it is a shame that I know nothing much about baking since my brother used to be a 5-star hotel pastry maker and as for my mum, she knows everything from making curry puff to even nonya kueh. I recalled having to forgo my unhealthy recess indulgence during my primary school days for her homemade butter cakes and cookies. I lost some friends too since I didn't join them for 'zero-point' game.
Maybe being a mum changed me. I decided to take a crack at baking again and this time, alone, no one to help or guide me. I rely on the recipe which I got from a magazine and that was it. I know Ziv likes to eat cup cakes and obviously that will be my first endeavor.
I went to supermarket yesterday to buy all my baking needs (cost me a good $73!) and I started making the cupcakes at 12 midnight. By the time it was ready, it was already 1am. Kevin and Ziv supported me by simply staying awake and the first attempt was disastrous. I did not buy a weighing scale and everything was based on estimation and alas, my estimation SUCKS big time. So it came out looking BAD but edible. I have to say it smelt like POPCORN. Ziv had a few of the small cutie cup cakes while Kevin finished up 6 at one go (see the picture below you will know why 6 is an easy job)! With his limited vocabulary, Ziv even comforted me by exclaiming, “NICE!” I was so touched and vowed to come back tomorrow with PERFECT cupcakes.
The next day early morning I called up my consultant (aka my brother) and he told me my mistake and I should really get a kitchen scale. Hence during Ziv’s Shichidah class I went around TPY to look for the scale. Managed to get one and started making during dinner time and this time it was a success (to me) but not entirely great, it was a bit dry and I called up the older consultant (aka my mum) and she told me some tips. I sent a MMS to my brother and as usual his pet peeves in wanting everything to be perfect, told me that the ones I have are NOT perfect, because the cake should cover the cake wrapper.
Ok, fine. I agreed. I have that in mind now and I will take on more baking challenges (such as brownie, muffins, cheesecakes) so that I can make some really nice cakes for Ziv. As for Kevin, he doesn’t like to eat cakes, so maybe Subway-alike cookies will be my next attempt for him!
These are the small cutie cupcakes for kids...
Finally!!
Born on the same day but having different fate. One in the stomach and the other one in the rubbish bin.
P.S: Thanks to the Shi Chi Da Hui (aka, food tasting session) participants, Emily, Dylan and Jayden, for risking their 'life' for these cupcakes. I should get you guys to give me star rating. Haha...
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Some pictures of Ziv
That supposed to be 'artistic'. Taken during my inspection of my current house. He simply loves camera.
My abode for the next 1 year
Today I decided to stop dwadling and upload pics of my abode. I have been staying in my current place for almost 2 months and already paid 3 times rental.
The current place is not entirely bigger than the old one, just slightly smaller and has 3 rooms. However, one of the rooms now is used as a storage space for us, we haven't really unpack all the boxes because we know we will be shifting real soon.
Nevertheless, we still decorate the house so as to make it more comfy and more 'us'. My main exasperation was the full mirror at the living room reflecting my neighbour's laundry. Luckily Kevin is in window furnishing business, we managed to source some string curtains to get it covered, a little bit. I hate full length mirror in living room!
As for location, it was great, very near to expressway CTE and has lots of eateries nearby not forgetting Searangoon Garden Estate. Initially we wanted to buy the unit above us, which is the penthouse, but the negiotation led us to nowhere. Kevin thought that it was really lucky that we didn't buy the unit above us because it was very hot in the morning especially in our master bedroom, most of the time we wake up not because we want to wake up, it is because of the HEAT. Grrrrr...
Some before and after pictures...
We did something unusual this time, by placing our refrigeration in the living room area, not because our gigantic fridge is out of place in the kitchen. Just that we want to give Coby more space to urine and poo. Having the fridge in the living room is so convenient! Maybe I will do that when I shift to a new place.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
My Life Right Now
There isn’t much in life to blog about these days. There’s no new bags, no new shoes, no new job, no new baby…
The colleague sitting next to me is nowhere near loquacious.
I lost my ability to shop, not even window shopping. It is like I finally wake up, wake up from the fact that, I already have enough clothes to dress me up for half a year without repeating them. I don’t even have the urge to go to the mall because nothing interests me, perhaps only the restaurants are luring me to the malls.
This ennui is absolutely abnormal (for those who know me); I used to have ‘something’ on my shopping list with at least 10 support reasons for needing that ‘something’. There is simply no more impulse for anything.
I wonder what will be the pulling factor for me to hit the mall to select and buy 15 Christmas presents for my loved ones. Sat is simply stay-home with Ziv and swimming at home, while Sun is Shichidah day and swimming at home.
On the other hand, Kevin is zealous about house hunting. He was checking the units online every day, hoping that we will get our dream apartment really soon. We did offer a penthouse unit lately, but we stopped at a mil, thinking that the price is still as crazy as before as long as it is priced beyond a mil (of course that depends on the location).
As for my current abode, it is bizarre, we used to be walking distance away from the Jalan Kayu prata and now we are nearby to The Prata House and with lots of crab-py temptations. The House of Seafood (specialized in crabs) is nearby, so do The Crab Party, The Crab Place and lots more to mention.
What am I droning on now? I don’t know.
Back to work and Rihanna.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Yoga Lesson
Yoga is something which I deemed not-so efficacious in losing weight, and to me, it is almost as stultify as golf. “How can one sweat it all out with just stretching?!” I always thought to myself.
So even with free offers for the past few years, I was neither moved (by the offer) nor motivated (to lose weight by practicing Yoga). However, due to the expanding waistline ever since I came back from my Taiwan and Paris trip, I guess it’s time to move a little of my stiff body.
One of my colleagues recommended ‘lunch-time workout’ and I thought, “Why not?”
So I went ahead to book a session of Sivananda Yoga, which is another form of Hatha Yoga which consists of a series of 12 basic poses: Headstand, Shoulderstand, Plow, Fish, Seated Forward Bend, Cobra, Locust, Bow, Half Spinal Twist, Crow, Standing Forward Bend and Triangle.
There weren’t many students (about 8) in the studio for obvious reason, i.e. lunch time and I thought, “WTH, I will be sticking up like a sore thumb since I am the only one without experience!” True enough, I was extremely laggard in class; even the old aunty in front of me looks like a pro. I did many moves that were beyond me and my imagination (that I can achieve them!) and it is almost 10 times harsher than the aerobic class which I previously attended.
What I couldn’t imagine myself doing was the headstand. “Crazy” is the word I nearly blurt out when I saw the instructor demonstrating in front of me, unsupported. He encouraged me to try and I made known to him this is my first time and NO THANKS for trying it. I gave him the excuse that I had low blood pressure, but he assured that I will only feel a tinge of giddiness after that. Not given a choice to say ‘no’, I plucked up my courage to do it with the help of my instructor and with support.
It feels good, to be upside down.
Yoga appears to me as an exercise less strenuous, however in actual fact, it emphasized a lot on postures, flexibility and concentration. And I have none of the mentioned. Overall, it was an interesting learning experience for me, except for the part whereby the brazen old aunty in front of me farted continuously and loudly.
I left the studio knowing that I will be immobile tomorrow.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
How do you know...
that you got through your probation period in your new job?
Here's how.
I launched my company portal to view my to-do list. Ran a search on my name. Page refreshed!
Congratulation! You have 122 items on your to-do list!
Not that I daunted by the amount of tasks assigned to me and not that I am under the gun to get things done. Its just... Erm... Maybe... Unfortunate.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Moving the Shell
Some of you may know that the official key handover 'ceremony' will be this coming 21st Oct and I will be out of the house on 16th Oct.
It took us 1 week plus to pack everything and still the packing is still in progress.
Packing my clothes alone takes 2 days.
Kevin has 4 boxes of clothes.
Ziv has 2.5 boxes of clothes.
I have... 12 boxes of clothes. Its time to stop buying.
The new house is not going to be foofaraw which I deemed unnecessary. One good thing about Kevin being in the window furnishing business. Everything concerning window (privacy) is being taken care of.
Not so titillate about the move, but I will survive. I will get used to the new place, eventually. Maybe even before I get used to it, we already found a new place (again).
And.
I HATE MOVING.
