profile a loner who needs friends. a law-abiding rebel. a rigid hippie. a mediocre prefectionist. a walking contradition. likes travelling the world | rainy days | sleeping in | a good book | cliched romantic comedies | singing in the bathroom | looking at clouds | daydreaming | babies | people watching | late night buses | rooting for underdogs | smell of fresh linen | being alone | when karma works . tag links avril | cam | issac | jovi | leigh | manda nina | the cranky flier | cruz | the satorialist archives May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 May 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 December 2009 January 2010 credits skin by: Jane |
Monday, September 29, 2008 | 9:43 PM
the emo post
today's a downright horrid day for yours truly cuz... 1) today is monday but considering that i only have a 2-day work week, so shall let it rest. 2) i thought i left my westone sound isolating earphones together with my ipod pouch at my cousin's, so had to endure the train ride to camp and back on my cheap (and non-sound isolating) earphones. update: earphones are still MIA and upteen search at various places have come to no avail. 3) i received news that there'll be a parade tmr which means waking up earlier than usual. 4) i was the only person who was sweeping the bunk from top to bottom (i exaggerate) while others slack and chat. 5) something potentially earth-shattering might be coming up with could very well change the remainder of my ns life for worse. i am pretending that all's fine and dainty until concrete news comes down from my bosses (while crossing my fingers and praying very very hard). 6) the something potentially earth-shattering is serious enough to ruin my pre-during-&-post holiday mood that's been gaining momentum since last weekend. pls pls pls let that NOT be true. i'm not saying what it is for fear (and supersition) that once it's spoken it's confirmed. Sunday, September 28, 2008 | 5:16 PM
into the wild. having always been fascinated by the idea of wanderlust, it came naturally to me to pick up a copy of jon krakauer's into the wild while browsing through the shelves at dasa secondhand bookstore in bangkok. the narrative tells the tale of Christopher Johnson McCandless, a young man with an educated background who gave it all up and live in the wildness of alaska. his body was found 4 months later by a party of moose hunters. while i'm not gungho enough to throw caution in the wind and follow in his footsteps, the novel threw up many thought provoking ideas. are interpersonal relationships really that necessary or just a facade? are we too caught up in the perpetual rat-race to see beyond it? and just how many people can leave everything behind just to gain another persective of things? the quintessential ideas of man versus nature and man versus himself kept popping into my head. needless to say, i pulled a couple of all-nighters devouring the book.
hence i was over the moon to know that there was a movie adaptation of the novel and it was being directed by Sean Penn no less. Emile Hirsch stars as the protagonist together with a stellar ensemble including Marcia Gay Harden, Catherine Keener and surprise surprise! Vince Vaugh. though it was critically received, the indie nature of the feature meant that it went straight to dvd locally. i went into watching the film with much apprehension for we all know how horrid movie adaptations can turn out. understandably, some parts of the novel was dramatised to make for a better watching experience but overall it was a very poignant movie which did the novel justice. thank god. the bf might be rolling her eyes and going "not again" but yes, i bawled my eyes out towards the end. if there's the adventure streak in you, no matter how small or insignificant, i say, go catch the show. you might not come out all raring to go off on an off-road adventure, but at least it'll make you go hmmm... and what if... go read or at least watch the show. "I read somewhere... how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong... but to feel strong." - Christopher Johnson McCandles | 12:40 AM
i heart the two tailed mermaid if starbucks was a bank, i'd be filthy rich by now, considering all the moolah i've invested on dark mocha frappachinos and caramel macchiatos. can't really pinpoint what's the cause of my infatuation, perhaps it's due to their corporate culture, branding, good service, or simply just cause they have great drinks.
plus they've got funky merchandise to boot. i'm totally in love with my daily mug and the new anniversary one which i've gotten from genting.
Saturday, September 27, 2008 | 6:06 PM
drumroll pls alright alright, i think i've been keeping the suspense for too long that it has ceased to be of any interest as to where i went for my short-and-tightly-under-wraps getaway last week. so, dear readers, yours truly was over in....
granted, it may seem like a major disappointment for people who think that i've been whisked away to exotic locations like bora-bora or maldives. trust me, i wish i was too. however, what made this trip unlike others was definitely the travel companions aka my partners in crime. the guilty parties are listed below and they've known each other for at least 12 years. uh-huh, more than a decade.
it never fails to amaze me at how close we are despite leading vastly different lives since graduating from the same primary school. although we've gone on to different secondary schools (okay, jem and i went to the same place) and embarked on different tertiary routes, that hasn't diminished our friendship the least bit. this really goes to show that long-lasting friendships are possible if we all just make the effort to do so and that's very heartening to know in today's everchanging world. be it late night mahjong sessions (just nice 4 people!), the supposedly study sessions that always ended up being gossip marathons, the last minute dinner/supper dates, we've all been there and done that. the only question that i've been asking myself on this trip was, "you mean it's taken us such a bloody long time to go overseas!?" and so it has but still, always better late than never. this entry's not gonna be groundbreaking as there's seriously nothing much that i can harp on about genting, it being my 7th or 8th time to the gambling mecca/huge bore (depending on your age). the only semi-high i got from genting was entering the casinos legally as oppossed to sneaking in. there was a sense of ah-ha! take that! when being asked to show your passport and proving to the security that you ARE officially 21. that being said, i lost (as usual) so perhaps it wasn't all that great after all.
we spent the night in resort hotel, which wins my vote for the (only other) place to stay in genting if you can't get the members-only highland hotel. there was no way the buy-one-get-one-free or super-duper cheap promotions were going to convince me to park myself in the oh-so-small rooms at first world, even if only for a night. resort hotel has recently completed a massive revamp and while its plain rooms are nothing near to being spectacular, i'd take plain rooms over jail-like cells any day, thank you very much. oh and we went to the theme park, which proved to be more of a disappointment every time i went back. forking out RM51 was definitely a rip-off if not for the looks on the ladies' faces after we forced them up the pirate ship and *insert random thrill rides.
next stop, kl where it was all shop shop and shop!! our humble abode was none other than capitol hotel, where i have very fond memories of (and where the bf will be on her illicit weekend trip). funny how i don't seem to have any pictures of the room (think i was busy plotting our shopping route) but here's one with the view from my room, which i'd say is rather unexpected but very welcomed.
the second part of our trip has much lesser pictures as we (ie myself and jem) were busy blowing our ringgit but here are some of the shots we took while on a break from all that shopping.
reached klcc in the early evening and was fortunate enough to bear witness to its transformation into the night. though it was a daily affair, watching something so spectacular come into light was still a rather humbling affair.
 me 2 years on. i definitely liked the first picture better. other than the fact it was taken by a certain ex-vice president of the tkgs photographic society, i looked thinner in there. ouch. and then there was the non-stop cam-whoring...
and then we started getting creative...
after all that exercise, we headed for a&w to replenish our already-grumbling stomachs. it seems that once abroad, we're always seeking for things can't be found at home. a case in point would be my non-stop gorging of dunkin donuts the minute i step foot in thailand and now, clogging our hearts with mugs of root beer floats washed down with greasy curly fries.
and while we're still talking about food. let me introduce you what is in my opinion the number 1 must eat dish while in malaysia. though it's something that i'd rarely touch in singapore, i'm obsessed with it while in the land up north. it's none other than wanton mee! the coffeeshop just beside our hotel serves up a mightyly wicked version.
came across this feature while jl was busy quarreling with taxi touts who wanted to charge us exhorbitant fares for a 10mins ride. my snapshot was insuffcient to do the huge installation justice. the feature was at least 50m long by 10m high and it was FULLY constructed by f&n cans. either the price of tin cans recently fell drastically or they simply manufactured too many. either way, i'm not complaining cuz it was a sight for sore eyes and tired legs alike.
and there you have it. my genting-kl jaunt report. nothing too heavy nor too in-depth, for the trip was a chance for 4 long long long time friends to get together while getting away. i've learnt things i'd never otherwise have known and while not all are pleasant, they only serve to strengthen an already solid friendship. or at least until i find out about something even more earth-shattering. Friday, September 26, 2008 | 11:05 PM
the happy post wenjie's feeling particularly cheery this evening and it's probably due a combination of the following reasons: 1) he's got a TWO page academic testimonial from ms tan 2) he finally set off the application form for interview with the necessary documents to unsw for his second round of approval. 3) he left work approximately 17mins early today
5) he has finished editing his recent holiday pictures and finally will post them tmr. 6) last but not least, probably the single most important reason is simply because...
Friday, September 19, 2008 | 11:46 PM
the protagonist has to report at sun plaza in slightly more than 6hours time for what has got to be the most spontaneous (ie last minute) holiday in all of his 21years. while the money has been changed, the bag is very much a work in progress and all the necessary gagdets are getting a last minute charge. and instead of crashing in bed or finish packing, at this very moment, the talented multi-tasker is blogging about his trip and playing viwawa wahjong. as ms ivy tan would say, ai zhai! :P Sunday, September 14, 2008 | 9:13 PM
a mid-autumn night's dream
like many hdb dwelling kids, i've had fond memories of mid-autumn festivals throughout the years. i'm sure we all started with battery-operated lanterns that belted out the most irritating anthems and gradually proceed on to the real candle-operated ones. while many might associate the festival with tea drinking and mooncake gorging, what really comes to mind for me are the massive bon-fires at the end of the night, where we pool all our paper lanterns, candles and other flammable whatnots together to create THE biggest fire we could. more often than not, we were that close to arson. i call this unexplainable behaviour the post hungry ghost festival offering syndrome. even though the full moon has decided to take refuge behind a rather cloudy sky and that makes chang-e and jade rabbit spotting almost impossible, this hasn't hindered kids from burning up a storm and bring the PSI index up a couple of notches. so excuse me while i go grab another slice of mooncake. happy mid-autumn festival everyone! HUAT AH! (it IS a festival after all.) Saturday, September 13, 2008 | 2:42 AM
the unearthly hour post there's something strangely therapeutic about hanging freshly laundered clothes out to dry at 2.30am on a saturday morning. or that may just the night owl in me talking. happy weekend world! Friday, September 12, 2008 | 2:24 PM
the friday afternoon office post here i am, sitting in front of the internet pc, willing the clock to go just that bit faster so that i'll through with another week of doing nothing. the soon-to-be-past week, like many others before and to come, was pretty uneventful, with the exception of a very last minute guard duty thrown in midweek. yes i know i've yet to post my birthday pictures and i should (used very very very loosely here) be able to get them up by this weekend since nothing's scheduled as yet. made some headway in my aussie university application(s). to my relief, found out that my application has reached sydney and that idp wasn't cheating me. considering that application fees were waived, i had every right to think that they might take a long time, that is if the application forms were being sent out in the first place. unfortunately, out of all the courses available at the unsw, yours truly had to go choose one that has by far the most complicated selection process, consisting of the initial application, an interview application and an actual interview before they actually think about choose you. the fact that i'll need to submit the same credentials again and that unsw wasn't my first choice to begin with, didn't help in the least. speaking of first choices, uq has been silent thus far. darn. in a rather random event that my life just seems to be filled with, i might be headed up north to genting and kl with my primary school mates, who are the same group of people (okay only 3) whom i've known for more than half my life. while am looking forward to the trip, it's not gonna help my already barren bank account. argh. absolutely abhor the idea of being mediocre. Monday, September 8, 2008 | 9:02 PM
b in the house after her major faux pas at last year's ceremony, all eyes were on her at mtv's video music awards 2008. she didn't disappoint. shimmering onto the stage, looking amazing in a silver vintage silver Versace mini-dress, she went on to win her very first moonman(s) ever for piece of me.
its official y'all. it's britney bitch. and she's back. all pics from breatheheavy.com Labels: Britney Wednesday, September 3, 2008 | 11:51 PM
the very-long bangkok post okay this i've got to admit. the following entry is SO late that it should be renamed the way-overdued bangkok post instead. but, as a firm believer in the art of procrastination, being late is always better than never. the best friend might be complaining that i'm behind the deadline (by today) but hey, if not for an unexpected break, this post might not even happen at all. spent half my day in bed and the other half photoshopping these collages, so i only want to hear the good stuff.. hahas! enjoy!
day 1 - thursday, 24th jul 08
considering that we both have airport experience, we were fashionably late at the check-in gate since seats were already reserved and singapore airlines (theoratically) can't fly off without us. yea right. unfortunately, being law abiding and considerate ex and current airport staff, we weren't so late that our names had to be paged over the intercom. "mr XXXX and ms XXX, pls haul ur a**es over to gate E4 now!" that would have been a nice start to the holiday though.
touched down at suvarnabhumi airport slightly after 6 and hopped onto a taxi immediately. travel tip: pls ignore all the touts clustered around the arrival hall and head straight out and turn all the way left to the official metered taxi stand. a trip to the city shouldn't cost you more than 500BHT and for god's sake don't blow your money on airport limousines that costs more than double the price. you'd still get to your hotel in the end and bkk's cabs are relatively new.
then it's off to the trendy thong lo, which is the bangkok equivalent of our holland village. maybe cuz we weren't there at the right time, or the happening spots were located too far away from the bts skytrain station, but we spent a good part of the night walking the streets. (as it turns out we'd be doing a lot of walking in the days to come. good way to slim down though.)
okay, this is where the blow-by-blow account of our bangkok trip stops. i'm gonna post up random things that are actually worth posting about instead of taking you through what we did from 9am (sleep) till 2am (getting ready to sleep).
well details aside, chatuchak was in short, huge. well, i don't expect you'd get away with calling yourself the biggest market in the world without actually being any less do you? reached at around 8am (as per travellers' tips), just when the shops were opening. personally i'd suggest heading down slightly later, say 9.30ish as that's when most shops would be ready, as opposed to watching them get ready for business.
the goods on sale were pretty much the same as everywhere else, the mass printed tee-shirts, lacquerware, buddha potraits but there were some treasures to be found amidst the monotony. got myself some not so bling-bling tees which were a steal at S$15 and 2 pairs flip-flops for the baby at slightly more than S$2. prices like these wouldn't even exist in singapore.
had a quick lunch of funky fried chicken hips (yea hips) and a mango salad with fried papaya when the weather got slightly unbearable. both dishes actually turned out really nice and with the tangy dips and an ice cold cola, provided a much appreciated relief from the unrelenting sun and also the humidity.
got ourselves outta there at around 2pm when it was really too hot to go persist in our shopping quest. took the bts to ari station in a bid to lose ourselves in the air-conditioned mall and ended up at iberry, which was akin to our bakerzin, only cooler. had a refreshing iced raspberry tea with a sinful chocolate banana cake while the bf absolutely refused to share her strawberry shortcake. the audacity. baywatch since the bf got herself 2 pairs of bikini at chatuchak, she decided to make the best of it by taking a dip in the hotel's lap pool. i, for one one would hardly pass up on a chance to swim but while she indulged in her mermaid fantasies, i took the opportunity to snaps some shots of the hotel in the daylight. the bf did her part by taking some shots in the pool while i was on edge about the possibility of dropping my beloved ixus into the water.
couldn't resist the inviting waters anymore so i took the plunge in my brand new red fisherman's pants. (was rather afraid of staining the pool red though since it hasn't been washed before) the water was f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g, something which the bf casually mentioned (casually as in "you might find the water a little cold." -.-) but it was good to work off some of the phat thais and tom yums that we've been ingesting over the past few days.
suan lum night bazaar
really enjoyed myself at the night market when i was here in oct 07 so imagine my sadness when it was reported that suan lum would cease operations in may 08. largely thanks to the inefficiency of the developers and the can-do mindsets of the vendors, suan lum was still very much in business when we headed there after our swim.
went with the intention of getting a bedside lamp but this lighthouse series of candle holders really caught my eyes. after much deliberation (and running between the 2 shops), finally decided to heck it and get the latter instead. while i'm still in need of a reading light in bed, the lighthouse is sitting very comfortably on my bedside table as i type. :)
had dinner at this alfresco restaurant that screamed "tourist trap!" but the food was surprisingly good, if a bit expensive. their calamari (whiche we always seemed to be having no matter where we go) was one of the freshest i've ever tasted and it had a really airy battertoo. so people, next time you're headed for suan lum, don't miss this place. directions might be sketchy, but they're under this huge ass tree that keeps raining pods on you and right by the roundabout. can't miss it. can't take the heat maybe it was a combination of the heat from chatuchak, the sudden switch of temperature at iberry, the swim and the tom yum from the day before, but i wasn't in the best of conditions when i woke up the next day. nonetheless, gung ho us trudged down to hit the malls again. managed to get my wall clock at a rather reasonable rate while the bf got more stuff for her bf (not me). blew a combined S$300 at loft, a lifestyle megastore but it was money well spent (at least to us) for we both gotten things which we liked.
things got really so bad at lunch (which was nothing to write about) that we had to head back to the hotel. felt really shagged and vomit-y so popped 2 panadols courtesy of the bf and knocked out soon after. i think this is my body's way of telling me that i've overshopped and need a rest for both the body and the wallet. woke up feeling starving, so at least that's a good sign. so it's off again to mbk, where the bf managed to pick up the latest enrique iglesias cd. dinner was at fuji japanese restaurant, another must eat whenever i'm in bangkok. overordered and overate as usual, but since the bill came up to like S$40, it was worth feeling like a bloated balloon. i think.
food food food!
way back home
having been caught up in all the shopping and time-wasting, we were running late for our return flight for real this time. with no thanks to a law abiding taxi driver in a country where hardly anyone heeds the traffic rules, we arrived with barely enough time to check in. was kinda hyperventilating on the drive there as we got really cheapo tickets which cannot be changed no matter the circumstances.
thanks to the ingenious idea of prebooking seats online, i still retained my window seat, which led to pictures like these:
the flight back was way more enjoyable, both service and food wise. i was just happy with my window seat, and was grinning away into the sunset.
granted, bangkok wasn't a soul-searching, life-changing kind of trip (that honour belongs to south africa) but this being our way overdue "graduation trip", it was certainly enjoyable. crazy and random stuff that only us can do like promising to go get our nails done (never happened), heading out in tees, shorts and flipflops to get supper, talking way into the night/early morning are just some of the many things that made this trip special. next on the cards: visit manda in perth next mar/apr! phew. that was long. Labels: Travel |
