Bunny meets Giant

10th Oct 2007 - Our Solemnisation

2007-10-14T02:28:00.000+08:00

10th Oct 2007 - Our Solemnisation

No words... just pictures... and eternal memories... Enjoy.

Jin1 Tong2 Yu4 Nu3 (I'm thick-skin, so what?!)

No.6, No.4, No.10, No.9

We can never get enough of ourselves....

Our best freinds are attending their best frien's wedding. (Get the pun?!)

Word has it that we are Singapore's Next Top Model.

Descendents of the Sims.

The $400 solemnisation set up.

The settings

Mmmm..... Nice

The Solemniser a head of white hair, I think is good luck!

Piping hot Marriage Certificate. (The glove was symbolic of the time we spent together in HK when he proposed...

Look at those gorgeous locks...

My friend is wearing a sarong, is she: (a) a sarong party girl, or (b) from Inonesia?

Us again!

I like this shot!

Mums...

Make-up: Model herself
Hair: Model herself
Stylist: Model herself

Wedding Notice

2007-10-12T12:16:00.000+08:00

:: Our Wedding on 24th October 2007 ::
THE Wedding Event of the Year (We think!)

Love & Romance descends on the very special day
of 24th October 2007,
in the sprawling lushing greens of Fort Canning Park,
nestled in the enthralling realm of The Legends, Palm Terrace.

There, we shall witness the union of two lovely stars,
Lindy & Raymond,
after a decade of appreciative, nurturing
and pleasurable companionship,
sealing their love with faith and a vow.

The joyous celebration commences at 1900 earth hours.
Please arrive early to allow your palate to be whet
by the delectable gastronomy,
relish in the delightful entertainment
and savour the enchanting ambience.

Make merry and be in the mood for love.

Yes, you heard it from us.

~ Our Wedding Vows ~

Lindy & Raymond~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From this day forward I promise you these things:

I will laugh with you in times of joy
and comfort you in times of sorrow.

I will share in your dreams, and support you
as you strive to achieve your goals.

I will listen to you with compassion and understanding,
and speak to you with encouragement.

I will help you when you need it,
and give you space when you don't.

I will remain faithful to you for better or worse,
in times of sickness and health.

These promises I give you today
and all of the days of our lives.

Take this ring as a sign of my faith and commitment.

You are my best friend,
and I will love and respect you always.

Yes, always.

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

Our Wedding Photos

2007-09-19T21:41:00.000+08:00

~ Our Wedding Photos ~

Australia Trip

2007-08-23T12:51:00.000+08:00

Wonderful Australia

2nd time in Australia, but a whole new feeling washes over me. It is a mixed feeling of nostalgia, an excitement, a yearning. I'm VERY, VERY looking forward to this holiday. Admidst all the ups and downs that occured in my life recently, this trip would be a refreshing break for me. A time to unwind with my loved one and to run away from the harshness of reality. For a while.

Now that I'm back, and reality sets in. My memories are still oven-fresh, and I must get them all down in writing before they fade away over time.

Pre-Day 1

It was Sunday, 20th May 2007. My dad sent me to the airport. I was there 2 hours in advance. After checking in the luggage, I had a good amount of time to idle with. So I wrote notes, people-watch, shopped in the airport, used the free internet service available readily throughout the waiting area.

Surprisingly, all the excitement in me dissipated. I was unusually surreal at that time. Maybe it was because I had already pictured in my mind, the scenario of being in that foreign land many, many times.

The flight I was taking was Qantas QF010. I was assigned a good seat. I must hand all the credit to my tour advisor, Raj from Fortune Travels. He was very professional and experienced and booked me a very ideal seat. There was no one beside me, and I enjoyed the personal space.

Throughout the 7 hours journey, I did not sleep for a minute. I don't know why. But that didn't come as a surprise as I usually couldn't sleep on such flight or coach travels. I watched a film "The Holiday", by Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz. Also 2 documentaries on dinosaurs.

The time ticked slowly. Many thoughts ran through my mind. Close people would know I am a thinker. I can spend long hours, keeping silent, just thinking.

When I finally landed at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, it was 4.50am. Picked up my luggage and proceeded to the Skybus Pick-up point for my transit to the city.

Melbourne, Tullamarine Airport

Skybus Waiting Stand

Skybus Ticketing Booth

I must say, for this trip, I spent easily 20 man-hours just researching and planning for both of us. I always liked to plan ahead, and plan in details. This knowledge of information gives me control and confidence. So you wouldn't be surprised if I can just rattle off the places and roads like I've always lived there. I studied the map of Melbourne city and Hobart city (Tasmania, our 2nd stop) very well. (I am Micheal Scofield!! :) ) No lah, I just think it helps to be prepared.

Interior of the skybus

:
:
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Ok, anyway, I was there ahead of my scheduled arrival. The second I stepped out of the airport, WHAM, the icy winter wind hit me. I had underestimated its impact. So long had I not spent time in wintry places that I almost forgot the harshness of nature.

I shook, dragging my luggage and tugging at my coats, at 5am in the cold and dark Melbourne airport and boarded the bus. On the bus, I tried dialling for Mr Sim, but I realised I could not make calls out. So I thought, never mind lah, reach the hotel then call reception.

It was almost 5.30am when I reached the South Cross Station Terminal on Spencer Street in the city, I thought I would board the connecting free shuttle bus that would drop me at the hotel. But the first bus was an hour away at 6.30am! Oh right, never mind, I'll take a cab then, since it is already pretty near.

I hopped onto the cab and said, "Crown Hotel please." To that, the driver replied, "Which one?" WHAM again! This is so shitty. I tried the Crown Plaza (that later turned out to be correct, heng ah). Now in Melbourne, the cabbies sometimes expect the change to be tips. So for my $8 trip, I gave a $10 and never saw it again.

The reception of The Crown Plaza was truly opulent. Totally befitting of a 6-star hotel. I asked whether Mr Sim or his colleague's name was in the guest list. The answer was no. She called the other hotel, they too don't have anything. After 10 minutes, they finally found the mandarin name of his colleague. Hell, why didn't anyone register their 'Ang Moh' name??

The new 'Owners' of Crown Complex... heehee...

A city view from the Crown Hotel Room

Posh Lobby

Day 1 - 21st May, Mon

While waiting for My Sim to get ready. I started cam-whoring for a bit. In fact, throughout the trip I was cam-whoring. :) :) The Crown's got very posh rooms. The casino, which sad to say, did not allow photography. But it was huuuuge. The size of a football field... It had not 1, but 2 floors, countless of machines and tables for you to play on. We played a bit and lost some...

Stunning Ceiling

Wide steps leading to the Casino

We checked into our downgraded hotel (what to do, on a budget mah), the Kingsgate Hotel located on King's Street. It is just a street away from the Bus Terminal and newly-established DFO (Direct Factory Outlet). And accessible to the other parts of the city, and just an 8min walk to the casino.

Kingsgate Hotel

Him...

Her...

Us!

Super nice backdrop!

So, we walked to the Botanical Garden and snapped numerous photos of the lush green lawns, wide tree-lined lanes, English monuments. Posed a few poses as if we just started dating. Heeehee...

Next, we hopped onto a tram to St Kilda Beach. Again, photo opportunities. There, we had an adventure with the sea-birds! A few other tourists were throwing french fries up into the air and making a huge commotion among the birds! The wind was super strong and cold, and the bird could not advance ahead!

After a leisure dinner of chips by the sea, we headed back to the city, to the DFO. Because it was towards closing time when we reached, we didn't manage to shop a lot. Then we surfed the net a bit at the hotel before zzzzzzzzzz.......

Day 2 - 22nd May, Tue

Bright morning! That day was shopping day! Our first stop was to Bridge Road at Richmond. Where the 2 rows of shops lining the streets sell cheap clothings. One can actually find A$5 items! What a rip-off! Had lunch at the MacD there.

Next, we popped on a cab again and dropped at Smith Street at Collingwood. Where there are huge discounted outlets of Nike, Converse, Timberland etc. Throughout the whole time we were at Melbourne, Mr Sim was looking for a pair of white or beige shoes to go with the light suits he will have to wear on our wedding, and he finally found THE pair on this street. It was selling at A$69, which by Melbourne standards, were cheap. FYI, men clothings there were generally expensive, compared to Singapore.

Indians on strike for more benefits.

Then, we rushed down to DFO again to check out their stock. Yep, not too bad if you are really keen in shopping. But not for me, because I am trying to keep cashflow up. We were at Levis outlet and there were jeans going for as low as A$39. Of course, don't expect them to be the latest styles or the nicest shades. Under 'instruction' from my li'l sis to grab something 'nice and cheap' for her, I had to make do with a pair of grey, skinny jeans at A$79. Mr Sim also bought another pair at A$49, which came with a gadget! Hooray!! The special gadget was a retractable earpiece in cool iMac white, which he instantly took to a liking. I suspect he bought the jeans because of this gizmo!

There's also this stall selling incredibly yummy-licious donuts, dripped or stuffed in rich cream. Hmmm... if you are a sucker for the fatty creamy stuff, you'd like it as well. :)

Need I say more?!

After dropping off our buys (or rather Mr Sim's buy), we proceeded to Crown's for some gambling again. Of course, Mr Sim insisted it was not for the gambling, but rather for some nice 'wanton mee' he had to let me try.

Well, the noodles we did try. They only had the 'dumpling' and no 'char siew'. It was Hongkie-style I think. Not bad lah, the noodles. Then we bought tickets to watch '28 Weeks Later' at the Village cinema at the entertainment complex. It cost A$9 for a ticket, as it was what they called, a 'Super Tuesday', where I suppose tickets would be cheaper.

We were catching the 8.20pm show, and had some time to spare, so we decided to try our luck a bit. As it turned out, we did win a bit, and so the dinner and movie was paid for. :)

Now, one noticeable difference about the cinema was that the seats had higher backs, perhaps to accomodate our taller Aussie counterparts. After the show, we tried the KFC, because it was on the recommended list of Mr Sim's colleagues. The chicken, was not bad! They had the spicy, boneless chicken which was 'a-ok'! Well, obviously Mr Sim enjoyed the carnivoring. :)

In Australia, friend-making chatlines mostly had some tinge of sexual indication. There were plenty of advertisements on Aussie TV.

Day 3 - 23rd May, Wed

This is the day where we will fly to Tasmania for our Part 2 of the trip. This is the day of coindence and fate. On our skybus journey, we saw a cutie boy (at most 2 years old), pulling a stuffed-lamb almost as tall as him. The lamb looked so cute that I thought next time, I'll also get one for my kiddo. On reaching the airport, we noticed that the mother and son was queueing at the same line. Wow! I don't believe the coincidence.

Then we went for our brunch at 'Hungry Jack', aka Burger King (in local context). The branding and similarity were uncanny. Shopping around a bit, we had a bit of time before boarding. When we walked to our seats, lo and behold, the baby was seated next to me!!! It was incredulous! I kept thinking, what did it all indicate?? Was there a hidden message for me?? Was this boy going to be my daughter's future husband? :) :) The idea of having grandkids looking like Eurasians kept a smile plastered on my face throughout the trip. Yahoo!!

Is that Burger King reincarnated??

After an hour's flight, we finally reached Hobart! The Hobart airport was small but clean. The kins of the arrivals can actually walk into the lugagge belt area, there was no gate. The flower that Mr Sim bought for me to welcome me to Melbourne was denied entry into Hobart, and so the officer had the honour of keeping my pink roses (actually, to be very precise, the colour was a light shade of peach, I don't know what you'd call that).

Then we picked up our rented car -- a red Kia Rio Hatchback. We were excited man! First time, driving-touring in foreign land. Very special feeling and we were happy.

So, the assigned position for us was, Mr Sim as the driver, and myself, as the map-reader. Best combination. Close friends would know why. :)

Hobart has got pretty scenary. The city of Hobart sits at the foot of Mount Wellington and overlooks a huge river. So most of the people's houses are built on slopes. They even had destinated radio channels for tourists! Wow, how professsional is that? :)

It took only 15mins to reach the city and another 5 to reach our motel. Our motel is the Martin Cash Motel. Sounds dinghy? But it is quite decent! At A$65 (almost half the price of Melbourne's cheapest hotels, but twice the size), it is a steal. It is furnished like a chalet and is quite complete in facilities. Fridge, ironing, hair-dryer, cable TV, strong heater (much needed) clean bath... we like it.

Feeling hungry, we headed next door for some food, but little did we expect them to be really quite tasty! Our fave was the baked potato topped with creamy dressing. Mmmmm...yummmmy.....

It was about 4.30pm when we finally dig ourselves from the seats and drove towards Mt Wellington. It was a long way up. We drove for almost an hour, and am still no sure if we were reaching the submit. The sun was setting and sky was turning dark.

Sunset from Mt Wellignton

Fyi, Australia's mountain roads or highways had no lamps. You had to rely on your car's headlights on the road's reflectors to find your way.

Hobart City from Mt W

Have you experienced coldness? A low temperature may not be as cold, but a strong wind is a sure guarantee. We only took a few photos and quickly rushed back to the comfort of our car. In fact, this happened regularly throughout our stay in Hobart. :)

Next, we drove to the pier, where people were selling freshly fried fish and chips on their boats! It was getting too unbearably cold, so we stayed only a while and headed back home.

Darkness falls at only 5.52pm!

We did stop at a supermarket near our motel, to pick up some milk and cakes (we got a too-sweet carrot cake) for breakfast.

Back in our room, we watched a silly HK movie about a gambler-cum-swinster, and how he was framed. We slept after that, to gear ourselves for the long day next day.

Day 4 - 24th May, Thur

Yeah, Thursday came. We woke up early and called the Cadbury Chocolate Factory. Yes, you read correctly. Cadbury had a factory in Tasmania and there were factory tours opened to public. We were LUCKY!! There were slots available. So off we went!

Before the cadbury tour, we did try to visit a vineyard along the way to Cadbury. It was the 'Moorillah Estate'. But a pity, it was late autumn and the vines had long been harvested and a yellow and brown sight greeted us instead. Very autumnly. Back on the road to Cadbury.

It was barely a 10min drive from our motel, so convenient. We paid A$25 for 2. And at the lobby, we helped ourselves to the bite-size chocolates. Chocolate a tad too sweet lah. Then as we were busy snapping photos, the Cadbury mascot, Froggy, appeared! We seized an opportunity for a photo taken, of course.

The tour guide arrived, informing us that we had to wear hear gears to prevent contamination. The whole factory building was a 100-year old building, rich in culture. The aroma of cocoa filled the entire place! We were led to different parts of the factory floor, to witness the world-famous chocolate in making. We even saw their new flavours - Turkish Delight. Too bad photography was not allowed.

Finally, at the end of the 45mins tour, we were given a surprise present, of yet more chocolates!! Hahaha! Anyway, when we ventured into its retail outlet and 'lup' any interesting chocolates we could lay our hands on. Heehee... ;) We also grabbed some light bites there.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, Mr Sim and myself are about to embark on the longest car-journey in an unknown land, we have ever tried. We were going to Port Arthur...

Port Arthur, on the Tasman Peninsula, was the site of a notorious and brutal penal colony. A tour of The Port Arthur Historic Site provides a fascinating insight into the conditions.

It was, as encouraged by Mr Sim's colleague, was reknowned to have beautiful sights and interesting tales to tell. With just a map of the 1st half of 3-hour journey on hand, we felt game enough to try and find our way. Sooo exciting!

Bless us. The journey was long, but smooth. Along the way, we saw plenty of meh-mehs (woolly sheeps). So huggable! After twisting and turning in the lonely road, we reached. The much-acclaimed PORT ARTHUR.

Now, a little history lesson. Port Arthur was the place where the British sent their convicts to, hundreds of years ago. Back in those day, a pickpocket or a horse-stealer would have easily been jailed. Hundreds of convicts travelled for months on ships, many did not survive. Those who do survived might not have been better off, if they realised what they were in for in Port Arthur.

At Port Arthur, many sad tales and lonely souls fill the island. It was not a place of joy. Convicts were made to work on the island, learning different trades, and doing different menial tasks. They were made to stay in the Penitentiary, a 4-level yellowish building. The most hard-core criminals were chained in the lowest floor. Those who tried to run away or had comitted serial offences, were punished, in my opinion, one of the most cruel form of punishment. It was not simply inflicting physical injuries. It was, in the words of the wardens in those days, 'tampering with men's mind'.

Let me explain further. These re-offenders were sent to a cell, the 'Punishment Cell', the size of your storeroom and locked there. The storeroom was completely dark. No light at all. No short breaks outside. Everything was done in darkness. The convicts were not allowed to speak. Only stay in total darkness, 24 hours a day. They didn't know how many minutes or hours or days had trickled by, because they couldn't tell. Guess how many days they were locked up there?

At least 30 days.

My God. Many turned loony. They became out of their right mind. So, right beside these punishment cells, was an asylum. Of course, occupancy rate in the asylum was never low. There might be even some who never made it out of the asylum.

The guards there were allowed to bring their wives along to this island, but as many as 60 couples share a room the size of a school hall, each couple separated by a mere curtain. Shocking! In those days, many terrible things happened. Don't we feel lucky to be living in modern times?

Sad tales aside, I must admit, Port Arthur is indeed mesmerising. Lushing green lawns, quaint little cottages and coniferous trees dotted the green landscape. Clear sky and blue waters.

Port Arthur Penitentiary

Our entrance fare of A$25 per person also included a water cruise round some small islands near mainland Port Arthur. One small one right in the middle of the sea was called The Isle of The Dead'. Phew! A name with impact. That's right, as the name implies, it is not for the living, but for the dead. The dead on the mainland was ferried across to this isle and buried there. It was a cemetary for the people of Port Arthur. It was the future for them.

Cotton clouds dotting the blue sky

F@#%ing cold!

By the time we finished photo-taking all around the place, it was already almost 5pm. Mr Sim and I had signed up for 'The Ghost Tour' earlier on. It was one of the main reason attraction, and also the main reason we made the journey there.

It was still another 2-3 hours to kill, so we slept in the car for an hour. When it became too unbearably cold to sleep, we had our dinner and watched some DVDs.

Soon, the moment came. The tour guide gathered the participants. Hmm, not too bad, 20 to 30 people. Won't be too scary I guess.

Our ghost tour guide

The Ghost Tour Guide, was a plump, bearded man in his fifties, wearing dark all over. He assigned 3 particiants to be his lantern-bearer. One in the front, one in the middle, the last at the back -- all to guide us together. We were warned to stay together and not wander off. I soon realised his intention. What seemed to be an enchanting place by day, soon turned unfamiliar at night. The whole place was in total darkness, except for the flickering fire in our old-fashioned lamp, and the faint moonlight.

The night was cold with drizzles. In silence, the group of us walked behind the guide. Mr Sim and I held our hands -- tightly. Throughout the entire tour. Either for warmth or for safety, I don't know.

Our first stop -- the old chapel.

The ceiling had fallen and some walls down. In the middle of it, we stood in the rain, listening to his stories. He told of murders that were committed during those days when the chapel was built. Convicts murdering convicts and burying them right in the soil. In another part of the chapel, outside a window, a convict had fallen to his death. And on the spot his blood spilled, no plants ever grew.

On we went, to the 2nd stop. I think this is the most eerie part of the whole night tour. We arrived at the Priests house. A small, low cottage. A story was told that another tour group had once sent a brave person up to the door and rap the door knob. He had stood there for a long time. After he returned to the group, he shared his experience. He was rapping on the door for a few times, then he heard a man's voice from inside saying, "Welcome". The group just freaked out. Another time, a group went about the usual routine. A little girl said she had seen a man at one of the windows. He was an exceptionally tall man, wearing a tall hat. Later on, when the group had been dismissed, the little girl and her mother went into to the gift shop and was flipping some books, when the little girl exclaimed, "That's the man I saw." It was the picture of the priest.

Back to our tour. A teenage girl was assigned to walk up to the house and rap the house. But this girl was so overwhelmed by the stories, that she simply could not venture ahead until her grandmother had to accompany her. The rest of us followed.

In the house, I felt uncomfortable. It was a small house, with narrow corridors, wooden floorboards that creaked, and low ceilings. It was pitch black in the house, and had it not been the faint moolight that shone in from the window and the single lamp we were allowed to carry in, I can't imagine how heart-stopping it might be.

Mr Sim and I stood at a corner of the room, beside the door, while we were inside a small room and the guide was telling his stories. I had to admit, I felt that was the lousiest position to stand. We were standing right beside the opened door, if any thing walked past, we would be the first to witness! I pray that nothing would happened. Luckily. The story was over, and we went on our way to an underground dungeon.

Inside the dungeon, I conveniently led Mr Sim to the middle of the group where I felt safer. :) It was also a small room, built out of stones and bricks. In the center, was a solid stone slab, like a table. We were later informed, that it was an operating table! Woooo! Right behind the table on the wall, was a hole. It was said that, in those days, doctors could only perform disection on human bodies on the dead convicts. And on the island of Port Arthur, there were plenty to go around.

The stone slab had a few deep cracks, which the guide claimed, was for the blood of the corpse to flow nicely. And the hole on the wall, it had stories too. People had reported seeing a face whisk out of the hole and looking around. Others claimed to have seen a pair of fiery red eyes glaring out of it.

After a suspenseful 2 hours, the tour was finally ending. Everyone walked back to the tourist centre, almost certainly, with a lighter heart. :)

When we were at the reception, collecting our certificates of participation, Mr Sim told me that when we were at the Priest's house, he could hear loud, hurried footsteps in the room on top of us. It was pacing around the room. He thought it was the doings of the staff, to add the fear and thrill in us. When Mr Sim said those words, I looked at him blankly, and told him honestly -- that I heard nothing at all. We looked at each other for a while. I don't know what to think.

Soon, it was time to head home. It was already after 9pm. We were soon about to embark on another adventurous episode on ourselves! :0

Have you ever driven a car on the Malaysia Highway for 3 - 4 hours straight, without stopping to take a leak? Man, that's what we had. Our virgin attempt, and in Tasmania!

So, we starting driving. It was very dark, with the occasional cars. The light from our car lighting up our way on the lonely roads. You know, according to the Aussies, you could get a kind of vision sickness by looking too long at the night roads. And if the driver is sleepy, he can easily crash. So to dispel all these possibilities, I came up with as many tricks as I can, to make Mr Sim stay awake.

I offered him sweets, chocolates, food, drinks along the way. We sang to the music. We looked at the stars. We talked -- a lot. I shared with him everything from planets to aliens. I kept asking him to make some noise.

So on and on, the ride went on. We finally drove into this town, Sorell, near to our own main city, Hobart. We thought, yeah, we will be home within half an hour. We were so wrong.

We drove for another 20mins into the dark Tasmanian highway. I thought something was amiss, coz I estimated that we would have seen the city lights by now. Nothing. Only the wilderness. Mr Sim felt uncertain too. Then, came the 'sign'. The directions on the side of the road read 'Runnymede'. Hell! Isn't that in the OTHER direction from our dwelling!! Urghh!!!!

By now, we were a bit nervous, because we had only 1 level of gas left, enough only to last for at most half an hour. There were no cars at that time of the night. There were no families living there. We felt stranded.

I said, "Hey, I think we are on the wrong track."
Mr Sim, "Are you sure?"
I said, "Yeah. The signboard says we are on another direction to another place."
Mr Sim, "Are you sure?!"
I said, "Yes. We need to make a u-turn."

With that, Mr Sim made a detour. Apparently, we had forgot to make a left-turn at the little town of Sorell. Although we knew we were headed back to that town and there would be gas station there, we still felt weak. Confidence dropped to an all-time low. Along the 20mins or so ride back to Sorell, doubtful questions still came up. But I egged Mr Sim on, and thank heavens, we did arrive. We drove into a gas station to have our tank pumped. Bought more snacks, cup noodles and took the right road home.

Haaa..... feeling better now, we drove into a KFC near our motel, and bought some 'nerve-calming elixir' - the boneless KFC chicken. :) :)

Day 5 - 25th May, Fri

We woke up to the soft Australian sun outside our window. Today was the last full day we had in Tasmania. We woke up, bright and fresh, ready to make full use of the day.

We decided to visit Richmond, an old-Hobart style village. It was about 30mins drive, and along the way, more woolly sheeps. A pity they were too far away in the grassland, we didn't get a good picture. :(

Self-obsessed

Soon we reached Richmond. Driving into the village gave us a sense of nostalgia... it was as if we had travelled back in time to old European times. There was no tall building, everything at most 3-storey high. After cruising the streets for a bit, taking in the sights, we knew we had to grab some food. Now, in cold places, you seriously feel hungry more easily because your body needs energy to stay warm. We settled on a little cafe/restaurant, which serves some decent food.

This is called 'Ai4 Sui4, Mai4 Mia3' (Want pretty, don wan life). Aiya, heck care the cold lah!

As usual, hot chocolate for me, coffee for Mr Sim. Then we dug in. The food, was quite good! I think, so far the most satisfying for me in this trip. :)

Mine!

His!

After an hour of relaxing, we thought we should walk around a bit. We passed by costume shops and giftshops. And I suggested to Mr Sim to buy tickets into an award-winning tourist spot, which featured the 'Old Hobart Town' model. The models were all built out of skillful hand, and they looked real-like.

I had wanted to go in and take pictures of the miniature constructions. But Mr Sim had his eye on another thing - a wooden maze. He thought it'll be fun to be exploring the maze. Well clearly, both of us had differnt agendas. Aiya, guys don't care about taking pictures of some silly old miniatures, while girls couldn't care less about running in a maze like kids. :p We couldn't agree with each other, and ended up unhappy with each other. So, the verdict was, we ain't going anywhere.

We decided we had enough and so left the village of Richmond.

Driving down towards the Hobart City, we guess we could do with some retail therapy. So, at Salamanca Place (near the waterfront), we parked and strolled around.

The Salamanca Place is a lively place to go, with its daytime shopping and galleries, and its evening restaurants.

We stepped into this novelty store called 'Socrates'. It sold some really interesting stuff. We bought some cutsie stuff as well as out of spore 'adult' reading material. heehee... We spent almost 2 hours in just that 1 little shop! There were so many interesting knick-knacks...

It was almost 4pm when we stepped out of Socrates with our purchases. We walked back to our car and 'Ta-da', there was a sticker pasted on our windscreen -- it was a parking offence ticket. Ahhh! The parking attendents there were so 'on'! It might cost us $20... we felt a little dampened that we had to spend money for the wrong reason.

There was a little park nearby and we decided to explore it a little and see of there were any nice spots for photo-taking. We parked near the park, and this time, we remembered to buy a parking ticket. :)

Saw me? I am in Lilliput!

The sky was getting dark... but the park was still lovely. Green grass, yellowing trees, grey-white European structures...

Next up was dinnertime. Our last dinner in Australia. We remembered we drove past a 'Hog's Breath Cafe'. You know, Hog's Breath is one of our favourite restaurant for beef. Really well-cooked, savoury, wholesome beef. Nice. We thought it would be quite near where we parked since it was a small city central in Hobart. But we were so wrong. We walked for ten minutes in the skin-rippling, freezing Tasmanian Winter wind. We tried to walk fast, making small screams occasionally when we couldn't endure the piercing gusts. 'Arghhh...', one can almost hear us yell.

Savouring the authentic Hog's Breath

So, to finally reach Hog's was somewhat comparable to reaching the heavens. As we pushed the door open, we were greeted by the strong aroma of food, warm smiles of the service stuff.

Pure bliss.

We placed our heavy butts and weary feet into our seats and rested our tired souls. Our nose sniffing like little bunnies and eyes twinkling like a kid looking at a lollipop! Mr Sim ordered their signature beef and I got fish for myself. The food was delightful and the service prompt and friendly.

After a satisfying meal, we endured the same biting wind to pick up our car. We became adventurous and took a different route back, no harm done.

Day 5 - 26th May, Sat

Waking up at 8am, we hastily hauled our stuff into the car, and vroomed to the airport. We thought we were a little late, and rushed throught the return of the car. Luckily, we met a kind soul at the car rental counter, and he gave us some experience on how he managed to successfully appeal for the waiver of the parking offence ticket. We are eternally grateful to you, Mr Kind Soul. :)

Views from the plane

bye-bye melbourne and tasmania...

So then , we went through a 'jet-setting' time, switching flights and reached Singapore almost 10 hours later. Dear friends Amy and Kelvin picked us up.

You won't believe it, but still wearing my boots and long-sleeved clothes, we continued to the Quality Hotel, hardly able to stop gushing about our wonderful trip, first-hand to our friends.

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Three months down the road, in August, when I have just completed this super long post, I am still reminiscing about the sweet memories that flooded my mind.

Nothing bad, only good.

You would too, if you had been to where we had, seen what we saw, and did what we did.

Truly, it was Amazing Australia. We will return again.

300 The Movie

2007-05-02T02:23:00.000+08:00

300 The Movie

Mr Sim and myself love this movie!! So I have decided to give my synopsis of the movie. If you haven't caught the movie yet, then fear not. Hope the review below will make you unerstand why the movie is a collector's item!

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The City of Sparta was renowned in Greece to have one of the finest cavalry and combat skills.

When a baby boy was born, the Council would decide if he was fit and healthy, or weak and deformed. The latter would be thrown down the cliff outside the city, and left to die.

Those who were kept were reared by their mothers until the tender age of seven, where they would be taken away, to be trained by the infantry of Sparta until the age of twenty, where they would eventually serve the kingdom.

Young Leonidas was no exception.

He, too, underwent a terribly grueling training of courage, wits and strength. Together with other boys, they were made to fight, were punished abusively, practiced the art of warfare and were given tests of survival, that were unheard of in other parts of the land.

The boys were thrown into the wild in the icy, Northern winter, with no aids but a spear. They faced unimaginable dangers. Those who survived and returned were accepted into the elite army of Sparta.

Young Leonidas was one of them. He braved through the years. And he became the King of Sparta.

He ruled the kingdom in peace. But elsewhere, the land was divided and war engulfed the people.

One day, when he was training his young son, a Persian messenger arrived from the faraway lands.

His arrival was an ominous bode.

He brought along the intentions of his master, the Persian king, Xerxes. They wanted Sparta’s earth and water, and they would show no mercy to those who resisted.

Then, and there, Leonidas, had to make a decision – one that would determine the fate of his people.

He knew full well that submission, would bring slavery to the women and children, and death of the men.

With the support of his Queen Gorgo, his put his decision – into action.

With a single kick, he sent the Persian messengers into the deep trench. Spartans would fight to redeem their integrity.

With the attack of the huge Persian army, King Leonidas felt he had to consult the divine ones – the Oracle that dwell in the Ephor temple on the top of a steep cliff.

It has been a tradition of the Spartans to offer a beautiful girl to the temple every year, to act as a medium between the divine forces and the people.

This time, Leonidas’ request of blessing for success in the war against the Persians were not given. He was told that he would lose terribly. With a heavy heart, Leonidas descended. Little did he know that the Oracle had actually been bribed.

At night, he could not sleep. He was brooding over whether to send an army to fight the invading forces. Queen Gorgo supported his decision to fight for their home.

The next day, he summoned 300 of the finest he could get, and started on his journey to the Hot Spur, a treacherous area which would render a geographical advantage for the Spartans.

The council men, led by Theron, tried to stop him, but in vain.

Along the way, they were joined by the Athenians, who wanted to fight alongside them.

Along the way, King Leonidas arrives at a Greek village. He looks through the remains of a devastated village, scanning the details of the destruction.

The corpses of the villagers were hung up on the tree, outlining the silhouette of the tree. It was truly a disturbing sight.

At the coast, the sight that greeted Leonidas would have instill tremendous fear in others, but not to Leonidas.

He was being followed by a hideous man, Ephialtes, whose father used to be a Spartan warrior. His intention was to fight alongside Leonidas against the massive Persian army.

However, he was rejected by Leonidas, who found him incapable to fight. With a dejected heart, he left bitterly, vowing to become someone impressive.

Before the battle, a Persian Emissary was sent before Leonidas, to ask them to give up their fight altogether. Leonidas’ answer was demonstrated by one of his capable warrior Stelios leaps over several guards to counter the attack of the Persian emissary.

Leonidas fights through the first wave of attack. And won it.

The second day of battle begins. Silhouetted forms, whips crack, barbarians howl.

The Spartans fought relentlessly. Needless to say, the Persian army was matchless against the skillful and brave Spartan army.

As the distant battle horns sound off, thousands of Persian arrows race through the golden sky towards the Spartans. Momentarily, the sky turned dark, light blocked by the thousands of arrows!

The Spartans hid under their shields. No harm done.

Next, the Persian sent giant war beast, hoping to break through the Spartans’ indestructible defence. But the beast was clumsy. The Spartans spent little strength to topple the beast.

Then Xerxes, the Persian ruler graced the battlefield to talk Leonidas into surrendering.

But they were greeted by the wall of the day’s dead.

His efforts were futile. It was impossible for Leonidas to submit.

The leader of the Immortals, Xerxes' elite fighting force joined the next fight. Needless to say, Spartans were not threatened.

The Uber Immortal is released from his bonds and unleashed upon the Spartans. This time, the Spartans lost the son of the Captain, and Dilios lost his sight.

Meanwhile, Queen Gondo knew the warriers would not hold the Persians off for long, for the invaders far outnumber the Spartans. She stood before the Council, pleading for an army to reinforce the 300 warriers.

Met with opposition from Theron, one of the most influential Councilors, Queen Gondo’s pleas almost fell on deaf ears, if not because Theron was later found out to be in cahoots with the Persian.

However, reinforcement came too late. Ephialtes had sold his loyalty to the Persians, who promised him all that he ever wanted. Ephialtes led the Persians through a shortcut through the mountains and surrounded the Spartans.

Lonidas sent only one man back to the Kingdom; the man was Dilios. Dilios was instructed to return and spread the story of the 300 warriers and the battle they fought against the Persian army. Dilios was to summon the brave and righteous hearts in Greece to join in the fight against their strongest enemy ever – the Persians.

This time, Leonidas knew deep down, that they would be defeated. And they did, but not without one last fight. Leonidas and his 300 brave warriers laid down their lives for the freedom of their homeland and their people.

The story of the 300 warriers against the massive Persian troops spread far and wide. The Spartans, together with hundreds of thousands other countrymen, now brace the Persians in a ratio of 1 to 3. Surely now, their battle will be a resounding victory!!!

Muar Chinese

2007-04-10T22:12:00.000+08:00

Muar Chinese

Super S.H.I.O.K!!!

Rashes!

2007-04-04T12:43:00.001+08:00

Rashes!

Ok. Who hasn't had rashes before? Some might have.

Ever had the really extensive and ugly ones? If your answer is 'yes', then you are ready to compete with my rashes.

I'm not boasting, show you my rashes...

(The pictures below are not meant for the weak-hearted. Should you experience discomfort, please shut down your PC, and seek a psychiatrist's help immediately.)

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Like a flower in bloom!

Since last year, I've been plagued by rashes that I used to get only during my childhood days. This past 2 years, it has been too frequently visiting me.

Rashes are the kind of illness that would torment you so much yet won't kill you. It's the worst feeling you'll ever get. The itch is unbearable.

I've had enough!!

I asked the doctor what could be the reason I'm getting these peskies. His answers ranged from food allergies, to air contamination, to stress release. ... Oh, how was I to know which is the culprit?!

I decided to start with the main and most likely culprit; FOOD.

Oh, I love food. One enjoyment of life is that you get to savour the wonderful variety of food whipped up by many talented hands. As for me, I'm a junk eater, hey, don't get that wrong, I'm not a junk-food eater, I meant I eat everything. Not like some people who don't eat vegetables, and only meat. :)

So that makes it all the more difficult.

The doctor told me there was an allergy test to do - the Alcad test.

A syringe of my blood was taken and sent to the lab for tests against all the food panels I choose. There were 3 panels to choose from. Each consisting of 30 over types of food. The cost? 1st panel is $199, 2 panels $299 and covering all 3 panels would be $399.

I took the last choice. What to do? Sometimes you must spend a bit a money to get things done. :(

After a few days, the report came back.

My banned list of food from now on will consist of:

I know, it's ridiculous. How can anyone be allergic to lettuce and oat and sesame??? I don't know why it as got to be me. But I'm gonna stick to it coz I paid a damn $400 in, ok! DON'T SHOW ME THESE FOOD FROM NOW ON.

Qian Hu Fish Farm

2007-03-15T17:45:00.000+08:00

Qian Hu Fish Farm

Have you been to Qian Hu Fish Farm? It's located off Old Chua Chu Kang Road. A very 'ulu' place that is not accessible by any public transport.

If I were to ask around on who has been to this place, I'm sure the result would be disappointing.

If you think it's some smelly, wet kampong with shabby pond dug into the ground and mosquitoes buzzing around you, then you will be in for a big surprise.

Qian Hu is an integrated "one-stop" ornamental fish service provider ranging from breeding of Dragon Fish, farming, importing, exporting and distributing of ornamental fish as well as manufacturing of aquarium and pet accessories and distributing them to local and overseas customers. Currently, Qian Hu has presence in 4 countries, namely, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and China, which consists of 10 subsidiaries associates

Mr Kenny Yap, the CEO

Qian Hu breeds 200 species of fish including endangered and high value ornamental fish such as the South American catfish and the Dragon Fish (Arowana).

Qianhu is a national pride!

It is my 3rd time to Qianhu fish farm with my kids. They enjoy coming here very much. Here, they learn about the names of different types of tropical fishes, buy fishes back home at a cheap price (they always ask their parents for money, and spend easily $20-$30 at a go), and even try their hands for “longkang” fishing at the Agro-Education Centre (costs $5 per half hour... I enjoy catching them too, it is very fun!) ! :)

And the most expensive fish for sale could possibly be this >>

The price? $4288.

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One of my boys... maybe he think I'm too free, purposely come up with something for me to do -- He dropped into the pool and got himself TOTALLY wet with fishy water!!!

The children were never so enthusiastic towards their schoolwork!!

Murky green water

And finally, just to introduce to all you mountain-tortoise out there... The latest invention in the ice-cream world -- The Mighty Bendable Ice-cream!!

So special! I shall not tell you the secret to this amazing and delicious invention! Muahahahaha!

D&G Ad-Gang Rape

2007-03-08T12:26:00.001+08:00

D&G Ad

Women's groups called this ad violent,
the designers called it an 'erotic dream.'

In their advertisement for the latest S/S 2007 Collection, the designer duo behind D & G tried to pull a fast one on woman activists' group with their controversial print-ad, featuring a blank-looking woman pinned down by a half-nude man, with other men looking on.

To me, this 'Gang-rape' ad may be artistic and provocative, but it is also suggestive of sexual violence on women, and demeaning women's position in society. It is penetrating the minds of teenage fashion-wannabes, who relate naughty to cool. That is so wrong.

I wonder if this is the trend, where consumers are no longer attracted to the good 'ol advertisements of beautiful, stylish women, clad in pretty clothes.

I find these ads pretty, don't you?

Our Home

2007-03-05T17:14:00.000+08:00

Our Home

Our home is so near to both our parents... It is very accessible as it is right next to the Buangkok MRT Station. There'll be many shops opening up at the station, ensuring further convenience.

Our carpark will also be built underground, with a lift sending us right down to the basement. :) :)

For the past year, I've been scouring the newspaper and cutting out lovely pictures of apartments and their interior. Many designs are soooo nice (to say 'nice' is an understatement)...

Simple and tasteful. Me like 'em. :)

CNY Tales

2007-02-24T14:04:00.001+08:00

CNY Tales

I used to look forward CNY for a number of reasons. Firstly I get to enjoy feasting out on the whooping variety of snacks and goodies. Secondly, there is usually a longer holiday break then other festive season. Of course, importantly, we also get lots of 'financial assistance' from the red packets collected, and we can indulge in perhaps a new phone or an MP3 or something... :)

Then, as I grow older, I start to spend CNY in another way..... Gambling!

Of course, during CNY, there is one important thing you can't forget, that is, 'Lo Hei.

One interesting incident happened. My father drove us all to an aunty's house, there was only 1 lot left. But an inconsiderate driver parked his car eating into the empty lot.

But my father is not someone to be trifled with. He daringly parked as close to the maroon car as possible, as that the passenger can't get in.

How does he know that car sure got passenger? Coz I told my father that there's a baby cot in the back seat, that's definitely a whole family out to 'Bai Nian'. So we gotcha, didn't we? We felt super shiok!

~ Happy New Year! Huat Ah! ~

The Lift Pervert

2007-02-12T18:54:00.000+08:00

The Lift Pervert!

On Sunday night, I returned home at about 8pm+. It was not too late, so Mr Sim didn't accompany me up. Then I met with something 'interesting'.

After I alighted from the car, I waved goodbye and walked towards the lift.

I saw an Indian man, looking like one of those Indian foreign worker in my direction. He entered the same lift as I did.

The pervert is denoted by the red 'cross', and subsequently as 'P'.

When we both entered the lift, I already sensed something was wrong, because why would a foreign worker stay in my block. He was obviously from those construction sites near my house.

Ok, unless I was wrong, he is a local, and I'm biased towards Indian men.

But you know what? He asked me, "You which floor?" That three simple words gave him away - he definitely did not sound local. To that, my immediate reponse was, "What about you?"

He did not answer, and pressed '7th' floor. I followed with a '13th'. Friends would know I don't live on that floor.

Ok, up to this part, I know I should have just walked out. It crossed my mind at that moment, I swear it did. But somehow, my legs just wouldn't move. It's one of those rare times my head can't control my body. Thinking back, I admit my negligence for my own safety, and I promise I would definitely not do something so foolish in future.

Anyway, back to the story. After the lift door closed, I stood at the back, while he remained at the door. I turned myself towards him and watched him.

At that moment, I was surprisingly calm. I was alert, and geared up, ready to slam him with the Macbook I was holding on to, or kick him hard, anywhere where it hurts. And I remained fixated on him throughout the whole ride because I want him to know I am watching him and he better not try anything funny.

At the 7th floor, the door opened. He walked out of the door, really slowly, before making an equally slow turn to the left.

His hesitation led me to think that he is unsure of which way to go, indicating further that he didn't live there!

When the door finally closed again and shut him out, I heaved a sigh of relief. But the story was not over yet.

My sixth sense told me that he was waiting to see which floor I stayed in. So I pressed another three more buttons, just to mislead him. (I'm not being overly suspicious, read on!)

After I alighted at my own floor, I watched the other lift. Somehow, I had a hunch and this hunch was later proven right. The other lift started elevating to the 7th floor (just to remind all of you forgetful Jones, that was the floor the pervert alighted), halted there for a while, before descending down to the ground floor again.

Bingo!!! There was no such coincidence. The pervert really had been there.

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After I reached home, I related the whole 'adventure' to my mother and li'l sis. And when I demonstrated the ferocious kicks I would give to that pervert, they laghed at me - because I was really just super heated up with my kicks. Can't blame me, because I was really panted up with that anger.

I am glad I am safe. I realised my folly in handling this issue. My negligence could have jeopardised my safety. BUT it goes to show how vulnerable girls are. I hate to admit this, but girls are at the losing end most of the times. I wish we can somehow not have to go through all these crap. Guys never needed to worry about such stuff.

So guys, please, unless beckoned by really urgent matters, do send a girl to her doorstep. If something happens to your girlfriend or wife, YOU WILL REGRET IT FOR LIFE.

Crazy Horse Paris

2007-02-10T18:06:00.001+08:00

Crazy Horse Paris

The Cazy Horse Paris performance ended with a resounding finale. This parisian cabaret combined professional, graceful dance movements, with nudity and creatively designed lighting effects to bring you an out-of-the-world finishing.

When news came out that they were moving out of Singapore, the sales records soared to a all-time high. People understood that this was as far as they could get for some sort of nudity-arts performance in Singapore, and they would not find anything similar again. At least not until the new IRs were ready.

The price were not cheap either, going at $80+ for the cheapest, and $250+ for the supreme seats. All entries came with a drink from your choice of wines, and liquors.

Mr Sim and I managed to get tickets for the show during its final few days of performance.

When we reached there, we were awed by the sher opulence of the luxuriously done up reception. Truly stunning.

Crystal chandeliers decking the grand reception area, intricately-carved wooden wall features, antique baroque-style furniture furnishing, even the washroom was a strong wash of blood red. The Eng Wah people definitely spared no expenses at glamming the whole place up.

There were 15 dances in all, each lasting between 2mins to 5mins, the whole duration over an hour. Both Mr Sim and I felt it was truly a unique performance that you should have watched if you didn't mind parting with the money.

All in all, we enjoyed the cabaret and we hope more of such performances will drop by our shores again, to steam up our cultural scene.

The Great Proposal!

2007-02-01T16:35:00.000+08:00

The Great Proposal

How many of you girls out there have dreamt of being swooned by the proposal of your Mr Right in the most romantic way...?

Don't have?! Don't BLUFF lah!!! You mean you prefer being asked the Singaporean Man's favourite, "Would you like to buy a HDB flat with me?" kind of proposal meh??!

Ok, I shall be generous (since I'm a Leo, muahahaha!) and share with you my dream proposal method. Guys, if you are reading this, please learn well hor!

I am dreaming that Mr Sim is coming to propose to me... Mr Sim has 3 options to impress me.

Option 1: Prince in White Horse

He comes riding in a white galloping horse, all dressed in white and looking very handsome. :) :) (My saliver is dripping already...)

He says: My lovely Princess, you are the star in my sky, the love of my life... Will you marry me?

To that, of course, not one estrogen-driven female can say 'no' to such romantic gestures.

I'll allow myself to be swept away on his speedy horse, and elope to his kingdom in never-never-land and become a 'tai-tai' forever!!

Option 2: Muscular Bionic Man

Oooohhhh... Tall, Dark & Handsome, with powerful Bionic eyes! He drives a state-of-the-art super-mobile and arrives at my doorstep, looking deliciously masculine.

He says: I was just on my way to save the Earth and stop some evil schemes... ... but everything can wait. I NEED to hear from you -- Will you travel the world with me and let me protect you forever??

Me: Y-E-S!!! (With that, I jump into his arms and let him carry me to his roaring mobile...)

Option 3: The SNAG (Sensitive New-Age Guy)

The Sensitive New-Age Guy is the perfect boyfriend for the modern woman, the ideal son-in-law for you to bring home to your mother.

He is totally sweet, giving you flowers on your birthday's and remembering the important dates. He doesn't mind buying sanitary napkins for you in emergencies and waits patiently for you while you try out clothes. Yet he has a mind of his own, and is decisive and generous, and ambitious in his career. (Mr Sim, Are You Reading This?! Please buck up!! Hahahah...)

He'll bring you to a quiet, romantic place, set a candle-light dinner with food he whipped up on his own.

Opening the little-blue box, he says, "You are the woman I have been waiting for all my life. I love you for everything you are, and I will give you happiness, because life is meaningless without your smiles. My love, will you walk with me till the end of our lives?"

Me: (Tears of crystals shimmer in my eyes...) I am willing to spend my life with you and you alone.

So you see, Women are suckers (I am No. 1!) for all things romantic. And why not? Life is so boring. Hope all Men can sweep their Women off their feet and give them this sweet piece of memory to treasure for the rest of their lives.

Wedding of Junxi & Kanghua

2007-02-01T15:36:00.000+08:00

Wedding Day of Junxi & Kanghua

Congratulations to Mr & Mrs 'A-ber Then'!

This is your big day, a day where beautiful memories belong solely to the two of you... I am soooo happy for you both, and I await my own with anticipation!

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Those who are reading this will probably already know the course of the events on that day. So I shall just post some interesting pictures...

A photo of the bride taken from an awkward angle - below the makeup artist's armpit!

Girls unite! We wow to give the boys 'jia-lat, jia-lat'!

The wolves have arrived...

During sabo-time, the guys were asked to eat the watermelon with a pair of chopsticks. But that Marco Bay, voice very loud, action equally loud, whole hand dip into the watermelon to start the 'feast'! Wah Biang eh!

Another smart-aleck Mr Soh, attempts to break the watermelon into half like a durian!

No time to waste. Must count the $$ fast!

Mr Bay is traumatised by the 'Watermelon Saga'.

This guy sleeps in any condition.

Here is more to prove my point.

He is incorrigible!

Well-taken photos must share one!

Greedy Jason only came for the food.

the bride & the Emcee

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!

The CUTEST baby I have seen! (More photogenic in person!)

Usually secretive and cautious, the Groom has been captured in his worst stance!

Once more, Congratulations to the two of you and hope you have a blissful life ahead.

How was your year in 2006?

2007-01-22T13:45:00.000+08:00

Year 2006, 2007

How was your year in 2006?

Has it been smooth compared to your previous year? Was your career, school life, health, personal life plain sailing?

I hope it had been so for you, and that you had an eventful year.

The truth is, it hadn't been exactly very plain-sailing for me... I got sick really often, and many more I shan't mention. Just one of the lousiest time I had.

What do you do when you have had such crisis tumbling on you? You stay positive ALWAYS. You seek solace in the good people whom you trust. You keep yourself busy with fulfiling tasks that keeps you level-headed. You try and do it good with the other things in your life - at least that's some consolation to the other things that messed up.

So the next time, something crappy happens, take it from me - thousands of others survived their own major crisis, SO CAN YOU.

Have you been dreaming?

2007-01-20T19:07:00.000+08:00

Have you been dreaming?

When you were still schooling, have you ever wondered how great it would be if you grew up faster, started earning money so that you can afford the life that you often envisage you will have? You might have thought that when you grew up, you will no longer be plagued by the mudane and sometimes presurizing school life... I remember way back when I was a teen, a girlfriend had often dreamt of how free and relaxed adulthood would be.

I'm sure by now, we would all have realised that the truth is far from those lofty childhood dreams.

All human go through the same process. The minute they are given life, their parents start to prepare them for the working life ahead by drilling them on their education, in the hope that their acadamic results turn out better than their peers, and have a better chance at succeeding in their career, and ultimately, life.

Have we sometimes been so caught up by the speed of time and the turn of events that we have forgotten the possibility of dreaming??

Ask yourself, what have you always wanted to be/to do since young? Have those dreams been slowly pushed to the back of your mind after the 'turmoils' of work have taken its toil?

I have dreams too. It is those dreams that keep me alive. It is the propelling force that is pushing me to go forward. Without it, I would have been a hollow shell, without a purpose for life. Such dreams about the future is comforting and often healing to me. When I sometimes think about it or start planning for it, it takes me away from the harshness of reality for a while, and leaves sweet aftertaste lingering long after you have moved on. Without dreams, life would be so uneventful and dull, don't you think?

So I say, to all the good people I know, go ahead and savour every moment of life. Dream and dream!

Taman Negara Photolog!

2006-12-05T15:00:00.000+08:00

Taman Negara Photolog!

This is it! The stuff you have been waiting for! The Taman Negara Photolog!

This trip was extremely fun! We discovered blossoming 'love affairs' between a few of us, witnessed some hidden talents, and uncovered some very odd preferences of some... But on the whole, it was a very entertaining escapade!

1) First Things First

A warm welcome to our friendly Singapore Trip Leader, Jeffrey from BOAC.

Our forest guide, who can go without food during fasting period, but not cigarettes.

Our little minivan 'ensured' that we had a bumpy ride throughout the 10 hours. Woah!!!

Our resort, The Woodland Resort, set admist heavenly forest. Modest yet comfortable.

The pool in our resort, also the place where we identified Hidden Talent No. 1 - Ah John. He could piggy-back Gina around in the water like a hippo ferry birds across the river. Amazing!

Our breakfast, normally bread, noodles, baked beans and hotdogs. Simple yet Fulfilling. People say this mentality reflects the Hokkien saying, "No Fish, Prawns also can." We were very forgiving people.

The river that fed the people of Taman Negara with its food, its water and the beauty of nature.

2) Nature's Lessons

Plants with thorns fit to kill!

Giant ants busy with their daily routine.

More giant ants...

Bats in the Cave we climbed. There must be hundreds of them! Urghh!

Orang Asli, who defy modern civilisation.

A tiny tree-frog which lost its way.

The forest shrouded in thick mist... Are we in Heaven?

The multi-talented yet humble rubber trees, whose latex we cannot do without.

An odd-looking leaf. Is it 1 or 8 leaves? Hmm... I'm getting dizzy...

Mean-looking ants' nest perched on branches.

During our night Safari excursions, we were hoping to catch a glimpse of the Malayan Tigers, grizzly bears or an elephant or two. Alas, fate was not meant to be, but we did catch some other little jungle residents instead.

Cute yellow bird sleeing on a branch.

A slithery snake waiting for its prey.

A playful dragonfly which can't resist the 'glow' of our guide! :p

The remains of the oil palm seed.

3) Special Talents

Special talents are rare. However, among our group of 9, we have discovered that we are a bunch of talented lot! Here are 4 entries which made it to the top 4. Let's announce the winner!

4th Prize goes to... ... "Sleeping Anywhere", sent in by Mr DH Koh.

3rd Prize goes to... ... "Sleeping with NO IMAGE!", sent in by Ms JX See.

2nd Prize does to... ... "Easy Sleeping Standing Up!", sent in by Ms L Sim.

1ST PRIZE GOES TO ... ... "The Revolutionary, Wrestling Sleeping Position!", sent in by Mr and Mrs Teo! Well done and Congratulations to the two of you!

4) The Guessing Game

Now, the guessing game will increase with difficulty. Ready? Good Luck!

Qn 1: Whose head is this?

Qn 2: Whose head is this? (this is really simple, heehee...)

Qn 3: Whose head is this? (what a weird hairstyle... with a 'yellow tail"...)

Qn 4: Whose bloody head is this?? (sorry, that'll be the last head!)

Qn 5: Whose heads are these? (look, you are freaking me out, ok?!)

Qn 6: Whose feet are these?

Qn 7: Whose feet are these? (The funny part is, they belong to 2 entirely different person, with the same clogged blood in the exact lateral position! This is really getting scary...)

5) Odd Relationships

After the 'business', Mr Koh sits up, feeling satisfied.

Who is he sharing the bed with?... Oh My God! It's Mr Teo! You FREAKS!!

Trying to get close together again in open public huh?!

Looks like Hanxiang is Hot Stuff!!

Now it's the 'Hu Li Jing' (vixen), Jason Teo. and who's that girl beside him??

It's... Jan See?! What is the world becoming? People do wrong things soooo easily during vacations!

Now do you know why I call Jason Teo a Vixen? He's been trying to hit on my Mr Sim! Get lost, you foxy!!

6) Other Snippets Of Our Trip

Ah Hua can't stand these two 'birds' anymore!

The dirtiest sandals belongs to Hanxiang.

Girl Power!

The cart that carries luggages.

Victory for Ah Hua, for sitting on top of a bumpy wehicle!

The 3 Beauties of Taman Negara on a river cruise...

You can't get enough of th 3 beauties, can you?

The water is freezing, hurry up with the photo, will you?

This guy needs a bra!

Tired Jan...

Tired Jan with a close-up...

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And finally, just us...

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Possibly one of our most memorable and challenging trip :

Taman Negara Nov 2006

~ The End ~

Are They Faking It?

2006-12-05T04:34:00.000+08:00

Are They Faking It?

Before we start, I must clarify that the Men and Women mentioned below does not represent all, but majority of us.

When Men are courting Women, they are one of the best creatures you can find around. They are accommodating, thoughtful and forgiving. After a year (2 years if you are lucky), they gradually evolve. They become less of everything they used to be. Here are some illustrations which I am sure our Women comrades have experienced at some point in time:

Accommodating
Before
W: Dear, shall we go shopping this weekend?
M: Sure! (smiles and agrees willingly)

After
W: Dear, shall we go shopping this weekend?
M: No. I don't like shopping. (replies curtly and matter-of-factly, with no room for discussion)
------------------------------------------------------------------
Before
W: (Sees a mega sale going on in one of her favourite boutique) Dear, I go in take a quick look, can?
M: Ok, I wait for you outside. (and smiles)

After
W: (Sees a mega sale going on in one of her favourite boutique) Dear, I go in take a quick look, can?
M: Don't want lah, why spend so much money? (and steers Woman away)
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Before
W: Dear, what shall we do tomorrow since it's Saturday?
M: Shall we go for a walk at East Coast and spend a nice day there?
W: Yes! (shrieks with excitement)

After
W: Shall we go for a walk at East Coast tomorrow since it's Saturday?
M: No. (outright reject with no reasons given)
------------------------------------------------------------------

Thoughtful
(Man and Woman were eating out.)

Before
M: You want some before I finish up the drink? (offers Woman the last mouthful of drink)
W: Ok... (sips away in bliss)

After
M: (Finishes up last mouthful without offering)
W: Eh, why you didn't offer me the last mouthful? (indignant and hurt)
M: You never ask what. (What kind of fucking answer is that?!)
------------------------------------------------------------------

Forgiving
(Woman was late for 10 mins and rushes to meet waiting Man)

Before
W: Sorry I'm late!
M: Never mind. (holds Woman's hand and continues the way)

After
W: Sorry I'm late!
M: Why you SO late?! (face turns black and starts walking, leaving Woman following behind)
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Before
M: Your mole / freckles / pimples / nails (whatever you can think of) look so cute!
W: Is it? (blushes with glee)

After
M: Your mole / freckles / pimples / nails (whatever you can think of) look ugly. Go and do something about it leh. (getting impatient)
W: Why last time you never mind all these, now you do? (shocked and hurt)
M: (No answer, just walk away)
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The above are not necessary personal accounts, but a compilation of common complaints made by many Women friends.

Why change after being together for so long / after marriage? Why can't all those tenderness and kindness be retained throughout the relationship?

The Woman in a Man's life must be someone he loves dearly, and cherishes very much to spend a whole lifetime together with. If a Man loves this Woman so much, why would he do / say things to hurt / anger her? If the Woman is the closest to him, why would the Man do all the insensitive things to her, but maintain a positive image in front of his friend and colleagues? Is the Woman not fit enough to warrant such respect and kindness?

Food for thought.

Bridal Boutique Confirmed.

2006-11-24T12:31:00.000+08:00

The day was 22nd Nov 2006, Wedneseday. At 7.30pm, Mr Sim and I stepped into the boutique along Tanjong Pagar.

The name: Di Gio Bridal.
Comments: Positive Experience
Results: Packaged Confirmed

Overall, I liked the designs of the gowns and designer's service. The price and package were competitive as well. We walked out feeling satisfied.

My 1st Bridal Boutique Visit!

2006-11-23T02:50:00.000+08:00

The thing about getting married is, that people have the conception that it is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and everyone wants it to turn out as close to perfect as it can.

I've only been to 3 wedding shows, read 2 bridal magazines, and I'm about to make a big decision - to decide on my wedding boutique. Some girls will think I must be insane to decide so quickly, but hey, try visiting a bridal boutique every weekend, trying 5 to 10 gowns at each visit, and then telling the wedding consultant, "I'll think about it." Woah, that's a very tiring and pai-say thing to do!

Lucky for me, I sort of already had shortlisted what I want.

So on Sunday, 19th Nov 2006, I went down to the boutique alone, (and unarmed), mentally bracing myself for the slew of sales closing talk I might encounter.

...........................................................

I made an appointment with the lead designer. She started off by showing some gowns which she thought were suitable for me, gving me realistic and genuime comments . I must have tried on almost 8 to 10 gowns in the 30mins I was there. Yes! Quite a few caught my fancy.

I then proceeded to ask for the packages. The pricing was not OTT, rather reasonable, actually. Since Mr Sim wasn't around, I told her I'll come along another day. To that, her response was very cool and professional, and she didn't come up with crappy sales talk at all. I was very glad with that.

The designer had definitely left me a good impression.

Pre-Taman Negara

2006-11-09T05:34:00.000+08:00

The group of 9 of us are going to Taman Negara (hereafter termed TM), Pahang, Malaysia.

Taman Negara

One of the oldest rainforest in the world is right here in Malaysia.

All 9 of us are going with a mission: to enjoy all the tranquility and activities the forest can offer. We are out to have fun. And I have a good feeling about this.

Mr Sim and I had strongly recommended this trip to our friends and 7 gamely took it up. How do we know it'll be exhilerating? Because we went there exactly 10 years back, during a college Geography trip.

Wow, it has been 10 long years. I wonder how much the wise old forest has evolved.

The bus journey will take us about 10 hours to reach TM. And from there, the fun begins. Will be back with a photolog. Stay tuned.

The Legends

2006-11-04T10:03:00.000+08:00

We have confirmed our venue and date.

The Legends @ Fort Canning

We basically didn't want a normal Chinese sit-down dinner. We wanted to be ~~abnormal~~, different. More updates on our selected venue will be available in time.

See you all at The Legends on 24th Oct 2007.

Badminton

2006-10-27T11:07:00.000+08:00

After our stomach-bursting lunch, we loitered a little in MS before proceeding to Hougang for a round of badminton at Hougang Sports Hall.

The only contenders were Amy, Kelvin, Mr Sim and myself. Mr Sim and myself arrived earlier and surveyed the area.

The minute we entered the court, we were awed! There were like 12 courts in the sports hall, all were occupied by sweaty players. The look on their faces, their movements and sharp screeching sound made by their rubber soles were petrifying us. They were so pro!

Well, Mr Sim and I had not touched badminton since our college days perhaps (a good 10 years, gasp!), and we were decidedly in bad shape. So we started pratising a little before our mates, Amy and Kelvin arrive. Mr Sim offered to apply some cream to counter the muscle ache I might have. It was good foresight.

Now, badminton is a sports that will make you sweat like a candle burning. After 20mins of trial play, we were almost drenched in our own salty perspiration.

Waraku Jap Restaurant

2006-10-27T11:02:00.000+08:00

Mack brought the whole family to Waruku Japanese Restaurant at MS on Tuesday, Hari Raya Puasa.

The window display looked tantalising and real... Mr Sim and I already knew what to order the minute we sat down. :)

Everyone ordered a main set, plus side dishes (soft shell crab, chawanmushi), and the total came up to less than $100. Affordable, we say! And the taste was good! :)

Mr Sim's Choice

My Choice

Side Dish - Soft Shell Crab

Mack's Choice

We had a hearty meal. Thank you Mack!

iTower

2006-10-17T13:31:00.000+08:00

Mr Sim has gotten himself yet another gizmo - iTower (the next Bose sound systems in making).

Ta-da! The iTower exudes heavenly sound, is ipod and creative compatible, is remote-controlled, has bass and treble adjustmets, is space-saving, is a looker! (L-O-O-K-E-R, not H-O-O-K-E-R. But you know what, it 'hooked' us so quickly, I don't think the description mattered!?)

Guess whats the price tag? ........................... $368 (after discount from Taka card, where we bought it) I'd say it was reasonably priced.

We tested Mr Sim's ipod on it (coz I didn't bring mine), and Jacky Cheung never sounded so good. ;)

I could see the burning desire in his eyes. So after we walked one round on the same floor, in less than 3mins, we went back to the sales counter and asked for the sales order. Yup, we were that decisive.

Wedding Show by Club Chinois

2006-10-16T13:16:00.001+08:00

The wedding show today was small scale, but had a nice touch to it.

Mr Sim and I needed to go to Club Chinois at Orchard Hotel. Instead, we ended up at Orchard Parade Hotel. Luckily it was just across the road. Look, the names of the two hotels were sooo similar. Can't blame me for the mix-up.

When we arrived, the food-tasting had already started. We missed the 'Cold Dish', but it's okay. The rest of the dishes turned out fine, but nothing special.

The gown presentation by Di Gio was interesting, though it was not motivating enough for me to sign up with them yet.

You know how confusing (and often vexing) it is for couples to choose and decide from the of numerous contenders? The list is endless.

Anniversary

2006-10-12T11:32:00.000+08:00

On Anniversary, we met up for a short lunch at Hog's Tail, Chijmes. The place looks nothing more than your normal Kenny Rogers or Tony Romas, but lo and behold, they've got great beef.

In fact, Mr Sim suggested the 'upsized' version, which I gamely accepted. Along with a finger-food platter and desert, our conversation soon dwindled, because we were too busy fighting the queasiness from overfeeding.

Nonetheless, it will still be on our recommended list to get some good beef.

Mr Sim took half day's leave, and he spent the rest of the afternoon by sleeping by the poolside of his gym at One George Street.

If you haven't been there, this gym's got a great view of the structures of Singapore's busiest business district.

.................................................................................................

Later in the evening, Mr Sim and I met up again for Part 2. He had gotten a movie premier invitation for World Trade Centre at Vivo City. I thought that was special. There was buffet dinner and free popcorn and drinks. We caught some footage of the films coming in 2007 as well.

Speaking of Vivocity, I thought the tenant mix was very similar to MS. With the new additions of Naf Naf which returned to our shores after a long hiatus, and Pull & Bear another fashionable Spanish player. Looks like the retail scene is set to sizzle even more.

Welcome Myself!

2006-10-08T19:28:00.000+08:00

It's a Sunday today. Ah girl helped me to set up this thing. We took quite a while to think of the usernames... it is quite a hassle, if you ask me. Because I want everything to be on the right note.

My Macbook's not with me. It's with Mr Sim's colleague. He's helping to download some software. Thank you, L.T. Oh, and the Macbook's an anniversary gift from Mr Sim... I loooove that gizmo!

I got a Macbook and he's got a Uzap.

Yup, that's Mr Sim right there, slinging the Uzap like a prized possession over his shoulder. Notice how angmoh-ish my Mr Sim looks. Heehee...

2 more days from now's gonna be the IT day. I've got a list of places to decide on for dinner... and maybe lunch. Am thinking of shortening the day to spend more time with him. Will be updating.

Bunny meets Giant

10th Oct 2007 - Our Solemnisation

10th Oct 2007 - Our Solemnisation

Wedding Notice

~ Our Wedding Vows ~

Our Wedding Photos

~ Our Wedding Photos ~

Australia Trip

Wonderful Australia

Melbourne, Tullamarine Airport

Skybus Waiting Stand

Skybus Ticketing Booth

Interior of the skybus

The new 'Owners' of Crown Complex... heehee...

A city view from the Crown Hotel Room

Posh Lobby

Stunning Ceiling

Wide steps leading to the Casino

Kingsgate Hotel

Him...

Her...

Us!

Super nice backdrop!

Indians on strike for more benefits.

Need I say more?!

Is that Burger King reincarnated??

Sunset from Mt Wellignton

Hobart City from Mt W

Darkness falls at only 5.52pm!

At least 30 days.

Port Arthur Penitentiary

Cotton clouds dotting the blue sky

F@#%ing cold!

Our ghost tour guide

Self-obsessed

This is called 'Ai4 Sui4, Mai4 Mia3' (Want pretty, don wan life). Aiya, heck care the cold lah!

Mine!

His!

Saw me? I am in Lilliput!

Savouring the authentic Hog's Breath

Views from the plane

bye-bye melbourne and tasmania...

300 The Movie

300 The Movie

Muar Chinese

Muar Chinese

Rashes!

Rashes!

Like a flower in bloom!

Qian Hu Fish Farm

Qian Hu Fish Farm

Mr Kenny Yap, the CEO

The children were never so enthusiastic towards their schoolwork!!

Murky green water

D&G Ad-Gang Rape

D&G Ad

Women's groups called this ad violent, the designers called it an 'erotic dream.'

Our Home

Our Home

CNY Tales

CNY Tales

~ Happy New Year! Huat Ah! ~

The Lift Pervert

The Lift Pervert!

Crazy Horse Paris

Crazy Horse Paris

The Great Proposal!

The Great Proposal

Wedding of Junxi & Kanghua

Wedding Day of Junxi & Kanghua

How was your year in 2006?

Year 2006, 2007

Have you been dreaming?

Have you been dreaming?

Taman Negara Photolog!

Taman Negara Photolog!

~ The End ~

Are They Faking It?

Are They Faking It?

Bridal Boutique Confirmed.

Women's groups called this ad violent,
the designers called it an 'erotic dream.'