Coffee Addiction

2012-01-26T11:48:00.000+08:00

So I thought CNY would be better this year but I guess I was wrong. I keep forgetting that 2 days with family is about 1.5 days too long.

It was nice to have my brother back, however. We haven’t seen each other in 3 years, but he slips right back like he was never gone. My mother is obviously delighted, which is great, and it’s nice to have a decent conversation with someone in the family again.

Not much else by way of updates except I might have an ang moh who thinks it’s cool to be gragok now. In case you’ve forgotten, gragoks don’t have blonde hair and blue eyes. They look like this:

Mum & Uncle Matt <3

14 sleeps to Bali!

Happy Dong Chiang Days, everybody.

2012-01-20T10:33:00.001+08:00

Taken while walking along Chinatown one evening, waiting for a friend to show up.

I'm trying to rediscover the joys of CNY. It isn't too bad, really, if you're there just to soak up the atmosphere and don't actually need to buy anything.

Fairy lights on the trees, lanterns lining the street, loud auctions going on in the square and people peddling everything from embroidered clogs to huge, succulent pomelos. Made me smile.

I have to admit, CNY has been getting less terrible in recent years. I expect this year things will be even better with my brother back from the states. Hopefully the questions will move from asking me "so when are you getting married?" to asking my brother "so when are you two having children?" Muaha.

Oh, and one of my mates came up with the best answer to the most hated when-are-you-getting-married-so-I-don't-have-to-give-you-angpow-anymore question: "I'm getting married soon. It's going to be the most expensive wedding ever. You better save up."

Brilliant. I think I might use it.

2012-01-09T12:59:00.000+08:00

So I guess I haven’t gotten round to kicking the ol’ procrastination habit. I’ve watched this video a hundred times and still die of cute every time I go through my Google Reader feeds and it pops up again.

Zooey and Joseph-Gordon? Sorry, cats of the Internet, you can’t beat them in the cute category. Not this time.

What did I do on New Year’s eve? A group of 8 of us went to have a nice burger dinner at Arab Street then we all headed to Unleashed & Hubby’s pad for a few drinks, some good conversation and of course, a little bit of dance centralling.

We’re not old, we just enjoy each other’s company more than being squashed together with a thousand other sweaty bodies.

Tagging this video here so I can keep returning to it.

o.O

2012-01-05T12:24:00.001+08:00

I had an interesting ride into work today. The cabbie was a middle aged man who was clearly hankering after his youth. When I got into the cab, he immediately asked if I was late. When I said I would be in a couple of minutes (otherwise take taxi for what? So expensive), he begun telling me a story of how he can drive so fast that one of his passengers asked if he used to be a racer. "But I'm not, you know! I'm just a very, very good driver!"

Then he whipped out his phone and showed me a picture of a young and long-haired man. It looked like he had snapped it off an old photo, because it had that telltale sepia and patterned border cutout. The man in the photograph had a hand on his chin and a come hither look on his face. It creeped me out a little bit. "Look, this is me, in 1973! You probably not born yet! So handsome, right? All the girls used to like me!"

I noticed then that his hairstyle hasn't changed, except his hairline is a little further back. I also noticed that the photo was his phone wallpaper.

"I bet you've never been entertained by your cab driver before!" he said. "Let me entertain you with my singing!"

Oh dear God.

I braced myself when he turned on the radio, expecting him to sing along to whatever song was playing.

Instead, what he turns on is a CD recording of him singing. A recording. Of him singing. A pretty good recording - it sounded like he did it in some kind of studio - but it was a recording. Of him singing. And he played it. For me. I thought he might be joking and had just put on a regular CD, and was just about to laugh when he sang along. He sounded exactly like the voice on the CD, complete with mispronunciations. He had a recording. Of himself. Singing.

"Nice, right? Uncle can sing or not?"

It was terrible.

"Last week when I played this for one of my passengers, she asked me to sing at her restaurant in Arab street!"

...no please.

"I told her I will think about it. If I do it, it will be on my own terms. Talent like this ah, cannot anyhow waste, you know?"

Facepalm.

2011: A joint MindyPanty roundup post

2011-12-29T15:33:00.001+08:00

Stuff we noticed in 2011.

In no particular order:

Tiny tower
PP: Oh good God did we spend a heck of a long time on this. Quitting it was like quitting smoking. "I will stop at level 32." "Okay, I'll stop at 50." "Okay, this is getting ridiculous. I'll stop at 55." "Oh my God restocking 66 levels takes forever!"

Kate Spade
PP: Only because of...

TPL
PP: I may be a little embarrassed to say I knew her from school. I never spoke to her tho. She was really shy and quiet and we were in different classes.

M: Best blog post about TPL comes from Rockson: "Fucking chio man! don't know why she holding this paper bag from a brand call Kate Spade. Maybe she like gardening! I want to show her my spade also! My spade is call Horse!!! Hahahahahahahaha!"

The hashtag: #firstworldproblems
PP: And the emergence of hashtags in every social media platform ever. #needstostop

The Occupy movement
PP: Which went everywhere and failed here.
M: And which, like the 'gate' suffix, spread to wildly unrelated things. Not happy with your sandwich? #OccupySubway

App Talk
M: Apps are everywhere and app "show & tells" became a bona fide topic of conversation, at bars (nothing like whipping out the iPad over beers) and at work (it gets slow, okay!). I swapped apps with my Mum. My MUM. Anyone know any good games involving trains? Ha, I kid, got them all already.

MRT breakdowns
PP: This one got the whole nation up in arms and got me back on Temple Run. What? I got a high score waiting for the MRT to get moving again.

Internet best:
PP: Nyan cat (earworm alert), OHMYGOD IT'S A DOUBLE RAINBOW, rigid sloth, flippity floppity giant fish across the neck gif, military woman singing Adele, stupid memes, rageface, watching Justin Bieber die on youtube... I clearly spend too much time on the Internet so I'm just going to stop here.

The word "epic"
PP: Everything is epic. Even if it really isn't. Did epic become a thing before this year? I'm not sure. But the word "epic" and how it's now used is pretty epic. The Internet FTW.

Fail & Win
M: Everything also suddenly became categorisable as a fail or a win. As if the rich, technicolour tapestry of life suddenly became a mono-chrome narrow plank, with instant social humiliation on one side and fist pumping mates buying you beers on the other. It is not, somethings are just...

Meh.
M: Okay, i am only just starting to understand this word. It is the dividing line between Fail and Win. It is the plank.

Stripes, spikes and skulls
PP: On clothes, shoes and everything, respectively.

The end of Harry Potter
PP: I wish JK Rowling didn't avada kedava this project. Too lame? Fine.

The end of Google Reader
PP: ...sob. I can't even... this is... this was the end of my life on the Internet. Google Plus just isn't doing it. I'm now lonely on the Internet. How can that be? It's THE INTERNET! Sniff.

Awkward Facebook Friend Just Read 'Ten Tips For Longer Loving' In Cosmo Reader
M: The death of the beloved Google Reader also seems to have spawned a much more sinister trend. 'Readers' on Facebook. These things tell everyone what you have read, whether you choose to or not. I'm sure there is a way of 'hiding' it, but it's complex and annoying. So just stop it. If I decide to read a well-written and researched piece in The Guardian that happens to be about a Japanese midget porn actress, or whatever, I don't want it on my wall, or anyone else's. It's the Guardian, it's legit, but stop this creepy, involuntary sharing.

Borders closing down
PP: I'm on some sort of emo spiral now. Borders Wheelock Place was a place filled with memories. Many a night I spent on those gnarly, dirt-trapped carpet in the kids section just reading while waiting for friends to show up or waiting to go clubbing (the place closed at 11pm.)

Decorating with grey
PP: Relatively 2011 on the interior decorating scene, decorating with grey is just lovely. It's apparently also "associated with intelligence, discipline, stability, sophistication and quiet authority" and can "be the difference between either creating a brilliant decor color scheme or a dull, moody one." Like these here, just gorgeous.

The Green Corridor.
M: Singapore said goodbye to trains, lovely, lovely trains, and chose to severe itself from a railway line that could take you from Tanjong Pagar to Bangkok and beyond. What was left after the tracks were hauled back to Malaysia was a quiet oasis of largely untouched forest that travels the spine of the island. What Singapore decides to do with this is anyone's guess, and it could define the government's attitude to the quality of life of citizens in 2012.

Rebecca Black
PP: 'Nuff said. Random thought: So many people (real and fictional) with last name Black. Rebecca Black, Jack Black, Jacob Black, Sirius Black, Conrad Black, Cilla Black.

Death of many a dictator/evil villain:
PP: Gadhafi, Osama, Kim Jong Il.
M: Just waiting for Maggie now.

The Royal Wedding
PP: I know a lot of girls my age who had their eye on William forever, just so they can be princesses. No, "don't worry, there's still Harry" doesn't cut it, because as Mindy would say: Harry's ginger.

Hipsters
M: 2011 was the year they became mainstream. Well, I went mainstream, like, ages ago, probably before you'd heard of it. But yeah, the beautiful dichotomy of these guys is now an industry, where anything vintage and/or alternative = 'authentic' and thus, good. In 2011 youth culture sat down with a vintage book in an 'arts space' and drank some fair trade coffee, or maybe a beer, as long as it was made in a shed in a Ukrainian's back garden.

whoops.

2011-12-29T10:23:00.001+08:00

"i think if you think about what you watch most in youtube, while sat in your fluorescent hell hole office, it is a good guide to what you should be doing with your life: i should be in the mountains."

"oh, shit. i'm watching the big bang theory bloopers"

2011-12-27T12:13:00.001+08:00

Food, drink, family, friends and religious traditions. That's all Christmas is and I'm really blessed to not just have all of it, but also be able to share it with someone dear to me this year.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas! <3

Best lines this Christmas

2011-12-26T12:50:00.001+08:00

"Gloria (clapclap) Gloria (clapclap) in excelsis deo!"

Post church: "Gosh I really need a beer."

"What time should we leave?" "After this beer." "Really?" "Yea." We did not leave after the beer.

"I'm hungry." "ARE YOU KIDDING? We had enough meat for a week!" "...But I'm hungry."

"Shall we do shots?" "What kind of question is that?"

After taking a sip from a jug: "GAH what is this?!" "Long island iced tea." "GAH!"

"OMG snow!" "Yay! Oh no it's all in my shoes." "Oh no me too."

"Uhoh. This taxi ride is not good." "It's okay, we'll be home soon." "Uhoh, really not good."

"HAPPY CHRISTMAS MORNING! I want instant noodles for breakfast." We had mince pies, cheese and chorizo instead, sob.

"You can have a cat, I will have a toy poodle." Okay.

"I'm hungry. "ARE YOU KIDDING? I had three rounds of food!" "But I didn't!"

"WILL YOU SHUT UP? I'M NOT GOING TO SANDS OR THE TOWERS!"

"It's a breathing apparatus!"

"Basically, Baffy, mum got all our women penises for Christmas."

That last bit is true, and I can't frickin' wait to use it. Port-a-loos, you don't scare me anymore!

Getting old

2011-12-22T14:16:00.001+08:00

Last Monday I had a company Christmas party during which I didn't drink that much (honest! Or at least I thought so at the time.). I woke up feeling fine, but was hit with a terrible hangover the second I walked into the office, which intensified the longer I sat there.

I felt awful. The screens were too bright (and there are bloody hell 8 of them), I had a pounding headache that made me unable to open my left eye, and there was a noise in my head that sounded like "eurghhhhhh" that may or may not have come out my mouth from time to time. I was tired and headachey and spacey all day.

And then I fell sick. And I don't usually fall sick. And even if I do, I'm all better within days. But it's been over a week now and I'm still emptying my nose into tissues and speaking as if behind a muzzle. Oh and the hacking. Great, heaving phlegmy coughs enough to turn off the most wanton ladydog in heat.

I'm getting old. I'm annoyed that I can't party all night and get to work the next day sans hangover anymore. I'm annoyed that a sneeze will likely turn into a full blown flu and stay for ages. But mostly, I'm annoyed I'm getting old. What is this? When did this happen! 28 is not old. 28 is young, okay!

Bloody hell. My hope to get better before the Christmas season is diminishing with every tissue wonton I make. This is greatly messing up my plan to eat my way through Christmas. This upsets me.

>:|

Yes is more

2011-12-14T15:56:00.001+08:00

I've had to justify myself to a few people lately, so I might as well write a post on it.

I don't know exactly what's changed, but since I quit Lighthouse I've realised my motto in life is "say 'yes' first, think later".

Want to freelance and give up a steady income? Yes.
Want to edit a magazine about horses, something you know absolutely nothing about? Yes.
Want to go to the gym? Yes.
Want to have another pint? Yes please.
Want to try hot yoga even though you're unhealthy as hell and the heat might kill you? Yes.
Want to go on a holiday? Yes.
Want to go on a holiday where you climb atop a death trap and whiz through an impoverished country, then sit in an inner tube and ride down a famous river? Hell yes.
Want to dive to the depths of the ocean where there is no air even though you're prone to freaking out? Sure. Why not.

Of course I would say no to some things. Like bungee jumping or skydiving. I want to experience things, not have my heart stop even before I've done anything. Of course, I've said yes to some things I probably should have said no to. But that's life.

I guess it was Lighthouse that made me realise there's more to life than working 15 hour days just to give birth to a magazine month after month; going on leave very rarely and even then, sending out newsletters and writing stories; or getting so stressed and upset with work that I stop seeing friends, family, and mess up my body by eating horribly and not sleeping. My life was one big deadline, and I didn't know how to strike a balance. That was my fault.

Sure my Lighthouse experience is invaluable. I enjoyed (most of) it and would like to one day return to the fast-paced, pressure-cooker environment, but for now, I like my life. I'm done being so focused on work and have life pass my youth by. For now, anyway.

Some people I know have looked at what I've done this year with what feels like... negativity. It's sometimes in their tone of voice when they say "wah... who are you and what have you done to angel, man?" or when they say "the princess getting sweaty and muddy? That's a first!" Or sometimes they'll just say "huh sure or not? Who are you trying to impress?"

Me, that's who. I get happy and proud of myself when I do things I've never done before, or when I see things I've never seen in my life. These things that I've done lately? They aren't even huge or milestone-y. They're things countless other people have done in their lives. In my mind I've never really lived. I've always taken the sheltered route, always too cautious. I want to change that now, if that's okay with you.

I'm not sure if people are negative because they're angry, or jealous, or what. I can't think of a reason why someone would not encourage somebody else to grow or try something new. I'm choosing to focus on the positive things some other people are saying instead, including how they're really happy for me that I'm finally doing things that I want to do, instead of doing things that everyone around me wants to do. They tell me I seem happier, more sure of myself. They may be right.

A couple of people have asked me what I thought about a new thing they're going to try, or a new place they're going to see, or a new adventure they're going to embark on while seeing said new place. I've always said "yes, do it", as long as their lives aren't in danger. These people, they're like me. We've done the "right" thing, by Singaporean standards. We've gone to school, got good grades, went to JC, then university, then we've landed jobs and given money back to our parents. That's the way we were taught, and that's the way we lived. A lot of us now are itching to do something more, expand our horizons a little bit.

That's great. Do it. Ignore the naysayers: if they're really your friends, they'll encourage you to grow. Say yes, think later. Then tell me how it goes.

/end rant

Thanksgiving list

2011-11-30T15:36:00.003+08:00

We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Singapore (and the whole notion of Thanksgiving is a bit strange to me anyway: I hear it has something to do with settlers coming in, having a meal with natives and then something bad happens and many people are dead. Why...is this a celebration?) but I do like the idea of setting aside a special day to count your blessings so here goes my belated Thanksgiving thankful list post: (Apologies for ridiculously long sentence.)

1. I’m thankful for this job. Because this job allows me to

2. Travel. I never had money or time to travel in the previous job and believe you me, I’m never going back to that life again.

3. Have someone I want to see the world with. This is invaluable. And it helps that we share a similar quest for adventure and exploration over shopping or...something. Also helps that we both like alcohol, possibly too much.

4. I’m thankful my health, without which I could not do the above and without which I could not do

5. Yoga. Because yoga has not just made me stronger physically, but has taught me how to stay calm and focused even if you’re sweating buckets and your muscles are screaming trying to hold your body upright while in an impossible pose. This helps you breathe when the world gets crazy, as it so often does.

6. I’m thankful for my family, and even if I want to murder them sometimes, I’m grateful they’re there because I know the world would be a lot darker if they were not.

7. I’m thankful for my mother, who has the most love to give in the world and who taught me what strength really is and where it comes from, which is from

8. God. I don’t care if people reading this believe in Him or not, but I do, and being brought up in a Catholic family has given me both a moral compass and a heaping guilt complex in equal measure. It’s trying to have both at times, but it has also helped a lot and I'm thankful for that.

9. I’m thankful for all my friends. All of them. And I’m thankful that so many of them live either here or at least in the same timezone. Each of them play a different part in my life, some of them mostly online and others mostly in real life, and I couldn’t have come this far or fathom a future without any one of them. It’s just not possible. My friends have become my family; I’m fiercely loyal to them and I’m happy knowing that most of them feel the same way about me.

10. Lastly, I’m thankful for this little one, who always has a hug, a kiss and a “GODMA!” for me everytime I see her. Without her, familytime would be a tedious dance routine over eggshells, and it is she who brings so much light and laughter into this household.

It’s a terribly long list, I know, and I still have more to be thankful for. But I will stop here, these being the most important of them all.

BE WELL.

Gratefulpanty

Ps/ No particular order.

Pps/ I don’t really know the origins of Thanksgiving (the bit about people dying) and can’t seem to find it on wiki but I know it’s there. Does someone know the real story and can tell me about it?

How does that girl on Fun Taiwan stay so skinny?

2011-11-19T20:19:00.002+08:00

I brew a mean cup of tea. Then again it isnt that difficult. Having a great time in Taipei so far just exploring and eating about three times my stomach's normal size. Gonna come back a whale but who cares, right? It's all about living life before it's over.

Oh. And I love how nobody bats an eyelid when I speak mandarin here. Hey singaporeans, Y U NO like these Taiwanese?

All street-fooded out,
Fattypanty

Tales from the tiny bladder

2011-11-16T10:15:00.001+08:00

I'm not kidding when I say I have a small bladder. I'm currently on the same pee schedule as a very heavily pregnant woman in my office. I've seen her about three times this morning. She's also senior management, so she must think I'm slacking off, going to the toilet as often as a heavily pregnant woman does.

Here's the question: How do I tell senior management that I'm not slacking off, I've just got a really tiny bladder, without sounding like a complete idiot?

Life is so hard.

Tea and strawberries

2011-11-16T08:44:00.001+08:00

The two-day Cameron Highlands stint was just what our souls needed. Some strawberries, some hiking, some crisp, cool air. Oh, and the sprawling tea plantations. Everywhere you turn you see rolling green grids of tea bushes, sometimes shrouded in clouds.

Ah, nothing like Mother nature to soothe the soul.

(Also, nothing like my own mother to nurse me back to health after catching a cold in Cameron Highlands. Note to self: Try not to get wet in cold countries. It doesn't happen in sunny Singapore but apparently you CAN catch a chill. Who knew!)

Off to eat my way through Taipei and Kaohsiung after this. I'm apparently supposed to lose some weight before a girlfriend's wedding in December, but I hear there's no dieting in Taipei what with all the good food around. Oh well, I guess I have no choice but to stuff my face. Can't wait!

Thanks to Lisa for the Diptic recommendation. So fun!

I may or may not have tried to speak parseltongue to it.

2011-11-14T15:28:00.001+08:00

"ssssssss harrrrrry pottttterrr sssss"

NiceSmelling PantryLady is ObviousStatementsLady but only because we don't speak the same language

2011-11-10T16:50:00.001+08:00

I love the pantry lady. She's sweet, she's thorough, she's friendly, and she smells amazing. I know that sounds weird, but really, she smells phenomenal, as if she takes a bath every 5 minutes.

I wish I could converse with her more, but she doesn't speak much English and I don't speak much Malay and so everyday conversations with PantryLady centre around painfully obvious statements.

For example:

NiceSmelling PantryLady: Hello, sister! You come work today!

Me: ...YES! (I make up for the lack of things to say with almost explosive enthusiasm)

NSPL, as I reach for the Chinese tea bag container: Oh sister! You drink this one!

Me: ... YES!

NSPL, wiping a cupboard: Aunty wipe this one!

Me: ...OKAY!

In the end I smile very brightly after my one-worded answer hoping she won't think I'm rude. I wouldn't be surprised if she knows me as the nutter "sister" who drinks Chinese tea and smiles like a madwoman on a caffeine high.

...YES!

Note to self:

2011-11-09T17:05:00.001+08:00

Sometimes, the best thing to do when something happens, is to let time pass.

It may be the hardest thing to do when something happens.

I don't mean "do nothing" when something happens. By all means do everything. Go read something, watch something, go shopping, text somebody. Do anything and everything that is absolutely unrelated to the thing that has just happened.

But let time pass. Then the initial impulse to do something passive aggressive lessens, and the reasons you gave yourself about why said impulses weren't reeeeally passive aggressive sound like what they truly are: lame.

And for fuck's sake don't text or talk to the person with whom something just happened. Not just yet, anyway.

Then things become clear, you realise you've been a dickhead, you swallow your pride and make a sincere apology.

And then you hope to God the other person stops thinking you're the dickhead you are and agrees to sweep it all under the carpet.

Rinse, repeat.

Sometimes I forget Mindy is Angmoh.

2011-11-08T19:58:00.001+08:00

Me: I need to unlock Scarlett Fox on Temple Run. This current character I'm playing grunts too much. It's putting me off.

Mindy: ...And he's ginger.

Lulz.

Siri, the personal assistant to help you pick up girls.

2011-11-07T18:55:00.003+08:00

I couldn't make this shit up even if I tried.

I was out with some of the Bloomberg folk for drinks at Far East Square on Friday night when a random guy comes up to the group. He pointed to one of the guys in our circle and said something along the lines of "How did you get to be so geek chic?"

I thought he was one of the Bloomberg people (there were several there I didn't know) and didn't think much about it. People entertained him about this "geek chic" topic for awhile then went back to their conversations, leaving him talking to only me.

I had my 4s out at the time and he goes:

RandomGuy: Oh, is that the new iPhone? The one with the Siri?
Me: Yep.
RandomGuy: Oh, can I see it? *Proceeds to turn Siri on* Siri, what is your owner's name?
Siri: Sorry, I do not understand "what is your owner's name". (I hadn't told Siri what my name was yet at the time.)

I exchange a "wtf?" look with R, one of our friends, but dismiss it.

RandomGuy: Oh, haha, what's your name, anyway?
Me: Angeline.
RandomGuy: Siri, is your owner free tomorrow?

Siri proceeds to pull up my appointments for the next day. He sees that I have a relatively busy day and then goes:

RandomGuy: Siri, is your owner free on Sunday then?

Siri shows him that I have The National concert on.

RandomGuy: Siri, what is The National concert, and can your owner not go to it?

RandomGuy shoots me a little bit of a smile. Siri pulls up information about The National concert, but nothing else.

RandomGuy: Siri, what is your owner's phone number?

What? I shoot another look at R who is by now looking on with a "is this guy serious?" look on his face.

Siri doesn't understand what he means by "your owner's phone number". I fall in love with Siri just a little bit.

RandomGuy: Siri, does your owner have a boyfriend?

This time R and I turn and point to Mindy, who was standing beside RandomGuy but was absorbed in a different conversation.

RandomGuy: Siri, I'm about to get my ass kicked right now, aren't I?

Ookay, what? Thankfully, RandomGuy returned the phone after that, shook Mindy's hand and went off. But seriously? Using Siri? DUDE YOU THINK YOU SO COOL?

Facepalm.

I am 5 years old part 10,493

2011-11-04T13:00:00.001+08:00

Colleague:

omgggg "police may probe bieber sexual tryst as singer was 16"

Me:

ugh

awful use of the word "probe", as well.

Colleague:

hahaha yes hahaha

poor bieber. americans all can get off with this kinda stuff but he can't lol

Me:

lol nice use of the phrase "get off"

meeheehee.

Moar weird dreams

2011-11-03T13:27:00.001+08:00

I dreamt a psychic told Olivia Dunham she was going to die when she sees the cursed six numbers (16, 23, 42, couldn't see the rest but we know what they are) and told her it'll happen at exactly 22.22.

She then tried to speedily get away in a car but the psychic was all, you can't run, and she was all, well hell yea that's cuz I'm cursed, but I'm going to try anyway.

Then it cut to me trying to run away from the numbers and I was with Mindy and our plan (for some reason Mindy was cursed as well) was to cuddle on the couch and close our eyes and go to sleep at 22.22 so that we won't see any numbers at all. Except we couldn't decide whether to hold hands and do it, or cuddle and do it.

And then I woke up.

... :\

1. I already know I watch too much TV.

2. I already know I wish I was Olivia Dunham.

3. I already know my default response to anything bad/scary is to sleep to escape it.

Obvious dream FTL.

Oh look.

2011-10-28T15:59:00.001+08:00

I am now a hipster.

Sent from my iPhone

Strange dreams

2011-10-26T09:18:00.001+08:00

I dreamt I was at the altar getting married when a girl bursts through the door yelling to stop the wedding. I signalled to my bridesmaids (one was Elaine, the other I couldn't see the face) who stood up and frog marched the wedding crasher out the door. The bridesmaids were wearing a beautiful pale blue/lilac gown and had flowers in their hair, but they were rough and tossed the screaming girl out of the church. I turned to the priest and said: "This is why you don't mess with an Asian chick and her Asian bridesmaids." WUT. But I woke up feeling really proud of said bridesmaids. Even in my dreams my girlfriends rock. :D Oh, and the priest was a very aged Jamie Oliver. Yeah I don't know either.

---

I dreamt I was at a tube station (looked like London, but also like Singapore) going to a place that was supposed to be really exciting. Mindy had a map of sorts on his phone that looked halfway between an iphone and ipad, and the map had yellow and red dots and our routes were glowing green. He was holding on tight to my gloved hand and asking if I was excited. I said I was, and he clearly was, too. Suddenly, we were rushing through the crowd trying to look for somebody we're supposed to meet and afraid that they'll miss the train. Then I got a text from that person saying they're at the Diwali street festival waiting for us. I asked how they're going to get here in time for the train when they're in Singapore? When I looked up from the phone I was completely alone. WUT. Sounds creepy, but it really wasn't.

---

I dreamt I was alone, standing at a lake looking at it and feeling really anxious. There's a waterfall to one side and the other side the lake fell off the edge (of the earth? I don't know.). I knew I wanted to go into the water, but I knew that if I did it would mean trouble. But I had a very big urge to go in, even though I really shouldn't. I tried looking around for something but I'm not sure what and when I couldn't find it I started jumping up and down in frustration. I noticed the waterfall got stronger. I woke up and ran to the toilet for a pee.

---

Dear brain, y u liddis? Y U NO remind me to pee before bed instead of giving me an obvious peeing dream? >:|

2011-10-20T16:40:00.002+08:00

This song featured quite prominently during the Laos trip. Anytime we were just watching the Mekong, actually going down it, or just when anyone mentions "down river" in a sentence, this song became an earworm.

The song came on my iPod this morning. It isn't a prancy tune but damn it's good. Ah Laos. I miss your slow pace, your good food and your beerlao. Enjoy!

Except not really.

2011-10-18T18:32:00.000+08:00

Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

Sometimes youtube commenters are genius

2011-09-28T13:59:00.005+08:00

Youtubed Ingrid Michaelson's Keep Breathing and saw this comment:

So I did. And it was brilliant. Here's the rainymood link. Let that play in the background then play this:

If you're just an acquaintance, don't talk to me while I'm on the toilet

2011-09-21T15:41:00.000+08:00

I don't know if I'm the only idiot who thinks this way, but if you're not someone I'm really close to, I'm not comfortable talking to you while I'm on the bog.

Allow me to explain:

There's a girl from the other side of the office I always see in the toilet. Like 8-out-of-10-times-a-day kind of always. And she's always primping. Not just powdering her nose kind of primping, but full-blown mascara reapplying and hairspraying kind of primping. I can't even begin to identify what creams and lotions she has spread out over the sink or what they do.

Anyway, I don't remember what her name is, and the only reason I talk to her is at all (apart from seeing her in the ladies all the time), is because she met a mutual friend at a party once, told mutual friend she works here, and said mutual friend mentioned me.

I'm sure she's a sweet girl, but she really needs to stop talking to me every single time I'm in the loo.

Every day it's "OHAI ANGEL HOW ARE YOU DOING HOW IS YOUR LOVE LIFE I LIKE YOUR SHIRT/PANTS/SHOES/HAIR/WHATEVERLOOKSNICETHATDAY I'M GONNA ASK YOU A MILLION QUESTIONS NOW KAY!"

...i'mnotkidding.

She's from sales, and you know how salespeople are really good at schmoozing and networking and never run out of things to say? She never runs out of things to say, even if I saw her just the hour before.

I mean, what am I supposed to do in a situation like that? My mother told me it was rude to walk away from someone who is talking to you, so I feel like I should stay and entertain her, but I kind of have a job to go back to and OMG MY PEE IS COMING OUT ALREADY HURRYUP.

Just go pee and listen to her, you say?

Are you out of your mind? I mean, she's talking to me, so she is tuned in to what I'm doing which means if I pee with sound SHE WILL HEAR IT. What if I've had a lot of water and waited to the last minute to pee (I always do) and end up peeing like a racehorse? How embarrassing would that be?! And even if I manage to pee quietly she's actually asking me questions and waiting for me to respond and... talking about my personal life while my pants are around my ankles and I'm concentrating on peeing quietly and I need to concentrate on hearing if anyone else has come in and will listen to this idiot girl stammering while peeing and omg my brain and bladder are about to explode.

Worse: What if I needed to poo?

Oh my God.

Right now, I stand around awkwardly (she talks and puts on makeup at the same time but I don't so I don't know what to do with my hands) and entertain her for a while before giving an awkward chuckle hoping that signals the end of a conversation, run into the loo when she just starts a sentence and try to finish peeing by the time her sentence ends and before I have to actually answer.

It's not ideal, and I have to very carefully gauge when it'll be a long sentence before making a mad dash into the cubicle, but it's the only thing that works for now.

Ps/ If any of you wisebottoms reading this are plotting to troll me by chatting while we're in the loo, I'M ON TO YOU AND WE'RE FRIENDS SO I'LL JUST PEE ANYWAY.

2011-09-09T00:19:00.001+08:00

Great first day in Bangkok. No shopping centres this time, just walking around temples, looking at giant reclining buddhas and getting from place to place via riverboat instead of taxi. Oh, and the food. Oh, the food! However am I going to go back to Singapore without all this great street food that costs next to nothing?

Day trip out of Bangkok tomorrow by train and visiting the floating markets on pushbikes, then train to Laos! Can't wait.

Adventuretime

2011-09-07T10:46:00.001+08:00

Going to traipse through BKK - Laos - BKK for 10 days with nothing but a backpack and a smile.

Here's to grabbing life by the nether regions and new experiences like sitting in a rubber tube and floating down a famous river, climbing on a deathtrap and going too fast, eating pizza toppings that might make me see things that aren't there, exploring the country on pushbikes, jumping into waterfalls and drinking cheap beer till I go blind! Okay, that last one is an old experience, but one that is still highly cherished.

Don't worry, I am very careful (read: paranoid) and have travel insurance as backup.

I'm grateful to have a job that allows me to sod off work long enough to experience these things. And someone to experience these things with. And a family that nags, but sends me their blessings anyway because they know I won't be happy without the occasional trip beyond these shores. And friends who I will miss and who will miss me, including those that have vowed to maim people responsible should I come home with as much as a scratch. Yes Mindy, be careful. Elaine knows where you live.

Seeyall in 10 days!

Drat.

2011-09-04T13:18:00.000+08:00

I misread this and for a moment was excited to celebrate mass in a Christopher Walken voice.

Oh well. Would've been fun.
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

It's so fucking depressing when you have to work and everyone else doesn't.

2011-08-30T13:46:00.001+08:00

Worse when the CATERED FOOD IS THE PITS ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GET ME OUT OF HERE.

Big dreams

2011-08-24T17:33:00.001+08:00

wanxin: HAHAHA

your gong cha poem

me: hahaha

oh man

so bad tho, but hehe dun care lah

wanxin: IT'S DAMN FUNNY

good what

if i'm gong cha i'll be happy

maybe you should submit it, you might get free gongcha forever

me: FREE GONGCHA FOREVER

wanxin: don't need to queue!

me: and can buy for friends!!!

wanxin: YES

DO IT ANGEL

DO IT FOR YOUR FRIENDS

This is madness

2011-08-24T16:36:00.001+08:00

I think I just wrote a stupid poem about Gong Cha.

Gong Cha is the king of tea
Of the bubbly sort
Earl grey milk with bite-sized chewies,
Healthier than wine or port.

But angmoh doesn't like it much
I guess it's a Singaporean thing
I never liked it much before
But now I think it's KING!

Yes, that was incredibly bad, but OMNOM GONG CHA.

This is why I'm fat

2011-08-22T16:07:00.001+08:00

Chicken rice - Frozen yoghurt - Beer - Curry at Little India - Beer - Murtabak - Teh Halia - Coffee - Bacon sandwiches - Beer - Potato wedges - Beer - More murtabak - Nasi goreng - Maggie goreng - Sup tulang - Mutton chop - Prawn noodles - Teh Halia.

This over only the 2 days there were visitors in town.

It's a miracle I can still fit through the door, but I guess I shouldn't be too surprised at the sore throat I'm having to deal with right now.

Meeee. My throat is on fire!!

One year ago today

2011-08-15T16:15:00.003+08:00

I was overwhelmed but trying not to show it.

My eyes were puffy from crying the night before.

I was excited and scared.

I put on (and probably practiced) my "I'm a serious person, no really" face.

I saw the most startling sunflowers.

I wore a crisp white shirt and black trousers because my ex-principal said that it the best colours to wear to make a good first impression because it shows you're soft but strong (I never questioned it, and I don't know why I seem to follow that odd piece of advice.)

I cracked a joke about how the Energy desk seemed to have the least energy, ha ha, which only got me a blank stare from HR.

I wondered how I was going to keep my eyes on six tv screens, eight news feeds and a million emails already.

I wondered how I was going to remember all these names.

I wondered if one of the guys here was gay or creepy (or both)*.

I wondered when I could get off work and go for a drink.

One year later:

Monitoring the six tv screens, eight news feeds and million emails isn't quite as difficult as it started out being.

I gave up on the "i'm a serious person, no really" face because HAHA WHAT?!

I'm wearing blue jeans and a black longsleeved shirt because I was late and didn't have time to think about what to wear.

The sunflowers moved away.

I still wonder if one of the guys here is gay or creepy (or both).

I can remember about 80% of the names in the editorial department, and 2% of the names anywhere else in the office.

I know who to call to go out for a drink after work.

I think that last one was one of the bigger achievements working at this office. I can't believe it's been a year!

*not that you're creepy if you're gay, or you're gay if you're creepy. Just that this guy is both, and when I put both of it in a sentence it seemed like I was saying you can only be one or the other. Or neither at the same time. Am I making sense? Probably not. I didn't mean to offend, is what I'm saying. Sorry.

Adele Friday

2011-08-12T13:47:00.003+08:00

I just spent about 4 hours listening to every single Adele track I could find on youtube (I'm late to the Adele game, I know.)

How did I not get obsessed earlier? Her music is mostly sad but her voice is just incredible. Happymaking. And then I find this quote from her:

"I love food and hate exercise. I don't have time to work out... I don't want to
be on the cover of Playboy or Vogue. I want to be on the cover of Rolling Stone
or Q. I'm not a trend-setter... I'm a singer... I'd rather weigh a ton and make
an amazing album than look like Nichole Richie and do a shit album. My aim in
life is never to be skinny."

Sing it, sister.

I only got into an Adele youtube spiral because someone on Google Reader shared this amazing video of a bunch of military folk doing a cover of Rolling in the Deep. This female lead singer is several kinds of awesome. Great Friday song.

Enjoy!

Payback's a bitch

2011-08-09T18:54:00.001+08:00

Watching the national day parade on tv for the first time in a long time because the ang moh thinks it's... Interesting? (Ang moh seems to be laughing more than watching in awe, but I can't really blame him :/)

Approximately three cheesy tunes, a few facepalm-worthy skits and many belly laughs later, I ask: "oh come on how long are you going to make me watch this?!"

Response? "This is payback for the royal wedding!!!! HAHAHAHA"

Fml.

53 minutes and counting.

Fml.

Happy Birthday, Singapore!

2011-08-09T07:49:00.001+08:00

I may not agree with you all the time, but I still live here, so don't go to shit, okay?

Psychic iPod

2011-08-01T10:25:00.002+08:00

Sometimes my iPod is psychic, I swear. Woke up feeling bleaugh thinking about going to work, and my iPod was playing emo music all the way. The only cheerful tune that came on was Wham!'s "Wake me up before you go go" that started playing while I passed Commonwealth MRT. See? Psychic.

Anyways, this song came on when I got to the office. It's quite emo, but very very beautiful. Take Monday easy, y'all.

Yay! They finally got with the programme!

2011-07-26T09:03:00.000+08:00

Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

Lip-sync song of the day

2011-07-25T11:40:00.003+08:00

There was once I heard a song on the radio while in a cab and said I wanted to put it on the blog as a prancing song of the day, only to be told I wasn't actually prancing (on-seat bopping doesn't count) and had to be truthful on my blog so...

Here's my non-prancy, lip-sync song of the day, complete with makeshift eyeliner mic.

Enjoy!

A photo of us as promised

2011-07-22T07:48:00.002+08:00

And it only took a week!

This was taken in early 2009, after one of our sunday Holland Village Katong Laksa/Harry's dates.

(I think we need to take more photos, Banu.)

Apart from the hair, we look pretty much the same as we did then. Happy days.

Ps/ Don't ask me why I'm wearing a friggin' scarf in Singapore. Gawd I must've thought I was so cool. -_-

Random things I saw after work

2011-07-15T17:00:00.001+08:00

1. A fully grown man walking out of the lift smiling at his mcdonalds ice cream cone before he realised I noticed.

2. A man trying to jiggle his lorry door open with a sheet of cardboard. I guess/hope he locked himself out by accident.

3. A woman queueing up at a bubble tea stall, holding two straws and unconsciously moving them like knitting needles.

4. A man on a motorbike gesticulating wildly and talking (I hope into a handsfree set I couldn't see) at a red light.

5. A woman in a scarf running across the road in the rain only to reach the other side, curse, and run back.

6. A man napping on the floor at the cityhall underpass.

7. A man napping on the couch in the lobby of Mandarin Oriental. (Rain = sleep?)

8. A few people loitering in the hotel lobby, casting their eyes up toward Mortons Bar. I guess we're all early then?

Mortons Bar has been my Happy Place since I first tried it nearly 10 years ago. Yes, way back when the price of each martini was still $6.99. It's now $14.99 per martini and I'm still here.

They bring around platters of steak sandwiches periodically that are so good my friends and I (and other patrons) keep glancing at the door for it. You can feel the mood at the bar lift when the steak sandwiches arrive.

Anyhoo. I'm early today, waiting till 5pm when the doors open. I'm also waiting for The Bestfriend to arrive for a long overdue catch up. She lives in Shanghai and isn't here often enough (I'm also a lousy friend who still hasn't gone to visit).

We've been bestfriends for 15 years now, of which she's been overseas for almost 10. Still, it feels like no time has passed every time she comes back, and we chat with the ease and familiarity that only comes with best mates.

I didn't mean for this to be a tribute to the bestfriend when I started this post but I guess it is now! I love this girl to absolute ribbons, and would drop everything to be there for her when she needs me, long distance or not. She's one of the few people who is genuinely interested to know what's going on in my life, listens, and actually tries to solve my problems, sometimes long distance.

I should put up a picture of her, but since I'm tapping this out on my blackberry, that'll have to wait till my procrastinating brain finally ups and does it. Also, it is 5pm and time for a martini. Stay tuned!

Love,
Suddenly sentimental panties.
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

We take food very seriously

2011-07-13T14:48:00.001+08:00

Going to have Don's Pie crab bee hoon tonight. It's one of Singapore's best, imho, and we've been looking forward to this day for a long time.

Jiayi: MORNING

TODAY IS THE DAY WOR

me: lol yes it is

Jiayi: i purposely wore no accessories

me: I THOUGHT OF THAT BUT TOO LATE

ALREADY WORE RING SIAN

Because when we have crab, all accessories have to come off.

Later:

Jiayi:

i donno man

i just want my crab bee hoon man

me: yeah

i'm planning what to eat for lunch so that my stomach is in optimal eating capacity for crab bee hoon

Jiayi: IM SO EXCITED

hahahhahahahahha

ok i shall buy food now

Later:

Jiayi: is it weird tt i just sang a song of crab bee hoon
to the tune of zhao an lao shi?

me: LOL

Jiayi: yeah when i went to pee

after lunch:

me: shit i'm very very fulllllllll

and i didn't even finish my ramen

HOW

later how to eat, how?!

Jiayi: I'M VERY VERY VERY FULL TOO

I AM VERY VERY UPSET WITH SELF

It's not just JY, btw. Wx has confirmed tonight's dinner with me everyday since Friday.

Parce que

2011-07-12T09:12:00.001+08:00

Mindy [9:03 AM]:

dum dum

de de de de de de

de de de de de

Yeo, Angeline [9:03 AM]:

do do do do do do do do

Mindy [9:03 AM]:

doo doo doo de dil le leh

Random 30 rock in-sync mania <3

One of these things is not like the other, part 2

2011-07-08T17:32:00.003+08:00

Everyone else has got David Cameron talking about the NOTW hacking, and CNA looks like they're reporting on... something to do with people standing around with their hands on a giant, transparent globe.

Here's part 1.

I want to go (back) to there

2011-07-07T23:58:00.004+08:00

always x

Rainy morning haiku:

2011-06-30T08:42:00.001+08:00

Smokers at the bin

Staring out into the rain

Soulless eyes, joyless

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL CAPS LOCK DAY!

2011-06-28T18:09:00.001+08:00

IT'S A DAY YOU AUTOMATICALLY SEEM EXCITED AND ENTHUSIASTIC!

OR ANGRY AND FRUSTRATED!

BASICALLY, NOT A DAY FOR MELLOWED FEELINGS!

THAT IS ALL!

ge kiang

2011-06-22T23:27:00.005+08:00

As we all know, the Malaysian railways end their service into Singapore on the 1st of July and being the suaku Singaporean (and also being with someone who loves trains) who has never taken the train into Malaysia in her life, I took my first and probably last train ride out of Singapore two weekends ago and into...

Langkawi! Duty free island!

Okay to be fair, I didn't rumble out of Singapore on a train, I took the coach. I rumbled INTO Singapore on the train, but that's a story for another time. This isn't going to be a blogpost about the trip. Rather, it is a story about how I am no longer 18 years old and probably should stop being so gung ho.

See, there's this waterfall - the Seven Wells waterfall - that we went to see. It sort of looks like this:

The only thing this picture doesn't show is the litter on the ground, but still, nice riiiiiight?

To cut a long and slightly embarrassing story short, I fell down. I did not fall down climbing UP that waterfall, which would have lent me some street cred; I fell climbing DOWN a very small incline while making my way to a pool of water.

Note to all: When climbing in the vicinity of water, do not step on the parts of the rock that are green. It isn't discoloured rock, it's algae. It is very, very, slippery.

I was given this piece of advice before my fall, mind you. But no, climbing down that waterfall I was fearless. I felt like I was young and spritely again, like I was 18 and could beat the boys at the monkey bar. I was fuckin' Xena, I could do anything. I remember a teeny voice at the back of my mind saying "you think you still young? You're gonna fall." but in my adrenaline rush, I quashed it silent. I was, as mothers and grandmothers everywhere would call, ge kiang.

So yeah. Slipped, fell on my hip and slid down a rock.

Oh yeah, right before we got to the waterfall I had read a sign warning people that there are parasites in the water, and if you had a cut not to wade in the water, and if you were still sick after 2 weeks since your visit to the waterfall, ~~you're gonna die~~ go see a doctor.

When I fell I scraped my elbow exposing myself to the abovementioned killer parasites, but here is really what I wanted to show you. Behold, the bruise on my hip a day later:

Sorry no scale. Believe me, it was quite big.

It's a little bit leychey when you are on a beach holiday and your bikini doesn't cover the bruise at all.

Here's the bruise a week later:

Now got scale. Big right?

Yeaaa. It's pretty much gone now, but daym, that's an impressive bruise. Especially if you consider how tanned I am and therefore how most colours wouldn't show up quite as much.

Moral of the story? If given the chance I would definitely try to climb down the waterfall again, but I might take it a little slower this time. And avoid all green bits. In short, mai ge kiang lah!

2011-06-22T17:44:00.000+08:00

"The most irresistible chocolate biscuit"

Well who am I to resist it then? OMNOM.
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

Inbox zero

2011-06-16T11:03:00.001+08:00

This makes me happy. Unfortunately it also means I have no more trips planned. What say you, Mindy?

Random thought of the day

2011-06-15T15:40:00.001+08:00

I love that some people care enough for their dental hygiene to brush their teeth in the office toilet, but don't they ever think about shit molecules?

This blogpost was brought to you by a random thought too gross to post on twitter.

Ps/ Shit molecules totally exist.

Things I have suddenly wanted to do

2011-06-07T13:02:00.001+08:00

1. Learn how to ski

2. Learn how to dive

3. 750 words (Already signed up for this)

4. Make my own jewellery again

5. Go for the 30-day hot yoga challenge

6. Get really good at vinyasa and then

7. Take the yoga teaching course

8. Buy a sewing machine and go back to making bags

9. Dust off the electronic piano at home and start playing again

10. Learn French again and this time not be shite at it.

What the hell has gotten into me? Skiing?! kay brb, goal-setting time.

Sibei sian day

2011-05-31T16:25:00.000+08:00

Sibei sian week, more like. Alone on late shift, freelance work every other day (this woman thinks she owns my life, I think). Annoyed with the way my room had to turn out, annoyed that family members can be such douchebags. Having to pull double slot duties because bosses/colleagues have "kid emergencies"

Srsly, I need a kid. Real or imagined. Or rented. These kid emergencies are getting ridiculous.

Sleepy and grumpus. Mrargh. Eat chocolate.

Read this in a sports commentator's voice, imagine this happening in slow-mo.

2011-05-25T08:21:00.001+08:00

Large woman in orange (let's call her pumpkin) sees that the train is bursting at the seams! She makes a run for it! The beeping comes on, indicating that the train doors are closing! She speeds up! The tiny girl at the train entrance (and the target, for sure) gasps in horror! I am stood behind that girl and can feel her lean her body back in fear! Pumpkin barrels in! She makes it!! Surprise! Her shirt is wet from sweat and is plastered onto girl at entrance's face! The rest of us fall backward into the train further, but are glad we are not said girl whose face is wet with pumpkin's effort!

Pumpkin smiles like a champ! Other girl looks like she's going to cry! Dingdingding!

Le sigh.
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

2011-05-24T10:32:00.002+08:00

This is several kinds of awesome.

Another Disney song bomb!

2011-05-12T10:43:00.000+08:00

Good gosh I'm on a roll. I came across a post on The Little Mermaid in my morning google readering and watched a performance of "Part of your world" by a guy and guess what? I know ALL THE WORDS to it.

This isn't as surprising as knowing all the lyrics to the Gummi Bears theme song, since I watched The Little Mermaid on VHS when I was little until the tape unravelled out of its casing beyond repair. (I must have painstakingly rolled it back when it jammed in the player about a million times.)

Anyway, here's the video. No lyrics this time since I assume all the people who read my blog are my friends and if you're my friend you should also know all the lyrics to this. *Glare*

Ps/ I super super super love her voice. <3

Enjoy!

Random Disney song bomb!

2011-05-11T16:46:00.002+08:00

I had a long, rambling post about a girl in pleather hotpants and the pitiful state of society that is/could be pressuring this girl and many like her to wear things that are obviously uncomfortable just to look a certain way for others BUT!

I had some coke light and I'm on a little bit of a buzz and I was talking about gummy bears and I googled the theme song and I realised that I KNOW ALL THE LYRICS, WHICH IS SO AWESOME so I hit "save draft" on the long rambling post and instead started on this one.

I love this guy's voice. It's so Disney and makes me want to sing out a window and call for the birds to help me with the dishes.

Lyrics after the video. Enjoy!

Dashing and daring,
Courageous and caring,
Faithful and friendly,
With stories to share.
All through the forest,
They sing out in chorus,
Marching along,
As their song fills the air.

Gummi Bears!!
Bouncing here and there and everywhere.
High adventure that's beyond compare.
They are the Gummi Bears.

Magic and mystery,
Are part of their history,
Along with the secret,
Of gummiberry juice.
Their legend is growing,
They take pride in knowing,
They'll fight for what's right,
In whatever they do.

Gummi Bears!!
Bouncing here and there and everywhere.
High adventure that's beyond compare.
They are the Gummi Bears.
They are the Gummi Bears!!

Prancing song of the week

2011-05-10T11:13:00.003+08:00

This song has been in my head since the wedding last Saturday. I remember dancing to it and having the best time in a long, long time. This post is a tiny attempt to hang on to the amazing trip. I'm really upset it's over now and I'm back in Singapore, but hey, at least it happened, right?

Oh, a day after the wedding an aunty told me I was singing my heart out to this song. I don't remember this at all (I was drunk).

Oh well, at least she said I had a lovely voice. Enjoy!

The price of our vote

2011-04-20T07:45:00.001+08:00

Growth & Share dividend: $600

Door to door visit (which happened yesterday, after they announced the election date): $0

Handshakes: $0

Big banner of MP: $not a whole lot, it wasn't very well done anyway

Lollipops for my niece: $1

My dad's excitement and undying love for PAP: Priceless.

So many things wrong with that.

Someone should make a newswire version of pls revert

2011-04-13T14:54:00.002+08:00

Today's email:

"Apols, this out from BBG. Looks like we unhave based on quick search but a bit silly for us to be uppicking our parent company from a rival. Advise please. Inlooping XXX for FYI in case of onpass."

O.o

Things that make me happy

2011-04-08T10:33:00.003+08:00

Because it's Friday and we gotta get down to happy times on Friday. Partying partying YEAH!

Okay sorry. My brain is already on vacation hence this blogpost:

1. Going for Vinyasa yesterday.

It was hard, I sucked balls, but am totally, totally hooked. Might even be more hooked than I was on Bikram. Now to get the movements down pat so I glide from my tummy to my toes gracefully instead of getting my arms and legs entangled while sporting an OMG WTF look on my face.

2. Putting the keys in the door and already hearing my Goddaughter screaming happily for me.

Ahh kids. I love kids. As long as they're not my own. She was adorable, and was so genuinely happy to know I was home it made my heart expand and I felt like I could shoot fireworks from my chest. (earworm alert) Then she grabbed my hand and we played "fishing" for about 10mins till I got bored and told her I needed to shower. What? 2 year olds clearly aren't the only ones with a short attention span.

3. Getting most of the things I need to plan for the next three weeks planned.

4. Getting a running commentary

On what someone else is doing, including photos of shopping acquisitions and details of one-handed veggie-samurai playing skillz. This is strangely happyfying when you have nothing pressing to do. Lol.

5. Sleeping early and through the night

FOR ONCE! FISTPUMP! Might have something to do with numbers 1 and 3.

6. Throwing my new (fake) wayfarers into my bag

Because I AM GOING ON A BEACH HOLIDAY!!!!!!111

Meeting TheBestFriend and the LOHL in Phuket in a couple of hours. Nothing but sun, sand and sea, food, pool and motorbikes for the next couple of days.

Gotta love it. Please don't rain kthx.

Bye!

Love,

BikiniPanties

2011-04-05T13:04:00.001+08:00

i have run out of steam and energy. don't know how i'm going to last the night, let alone till the weekend.

phone is off, im-s are off.

just want to build an impenetrable pillow fort and not come out till june.

Prancing song of the day

2011-04-01T10:09:00.002+08:00

Because I jumped up and danced when it came on the radio.
Because it's a great song.
Because it's a Friday song and it isn't Rebecca Black!
Enjoy :)

No complaints

2011-03-29T13:00:00.001+08:00

krabi > phiphi > mbs > jb > jakarta > ubin > phuket > paris > bruges > uk > batam > langkawi

And that's only from January to May this year.

Life is good. Can't complain. :)

Day off, finally

2011-03-27T18:49:00.012+08:00

I had a day off last Monday after working two consecutive weekends and decided it was a big enough deal to document my entire day with photos. (I also got a new camera so was just itching to use it.)

Ok, I'll warn everyone right now. This is going to be a very hair-oriented day. I love this hair dye. It's so easy to use even though my hairdresser hates me for using it.

So very important. Coffee happened about three times that morning. Yum.

This was done while waiting for the hair dye to work its magic.

Also, this. "Well, I guess you could say more than just her hair... Died this time. *Puts on shades*" YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

Oh, and then I went for yoga, but because I was late and flustered and rushing to places, I totally forgot to take a photo. Sorreh. First time doing a photo post thingy. Kind of fail. Anyways after yoga...

SQUEE HAIRCUT! Don't ask me what woman beside me was getting done. She was talking non-stop about her domestic worker. My hairdresser was too shy to take a photo with me but I convinced her later so...

Ohai Joanne!

And then I went to the eyebrow threading place and totally forgot to take a photo (I need to get better at this) so I took a photo of the end result:

Oh, this was taken when this was happening:

OHHH YEA. YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT. Two plus hours of beer (and many, many complementary bacon quiches) later, it was time to head over to Absinthe for dinner.

Dinner was part of the Singapore Restaurant Week, during which participating restaurants serve three-course meals for $35++. Pretty damn good deal, imho, especially when I would never have been able to afford a meal at Absinthe otherwise.

Because Absinthe is part of the City Dining...club or something exclusive like that, we had to pay $20 more for a four-course meal. The best part of this meal had to be the pork belly, and I actually have a photo of it but uhm, because I'm no photographer, the picture didn't turn out well and I'd rather leave you to imagine the sweet, melt-in-your-mouth pork rather than not do it justice with an awful photo.

(Hey instagram people, I'm making that last line out to you.)

So yes. That was my day off. It was fantabulous, with a helluva lot of pampering. I apologise for the slew of awfully taken photos, trust me there are many many more I'm not subjecting you to.

Maybe I'll do this again when I get better with the camera?

Yours,

RelaxedPanties.

The poo report #3

2011-03-03T10:34:00.001+08:00

Two days in a row WIN.

I may or may not have fistpumped while on the toilet.

The poo report #2

2011-03-02T12:31:00.001+08:00

Success!! It's 1230 and...well I won't go into detail but success!!

Only a tiny bit of success tho, but hey! Better than nothing. Whoops, so much for not going into detail.

Pleased. :D

Reporting to you live from the can,
Bowelpanties.
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

The poo report

2011-03-02T10:39:00.001+08:00

The white house issues pool reports, I'm going to issue poo reports.

I'm obsessed. I'm not usually regular but this is getting ridiculous. I'm sorry if anyone is having lunch and reading this because I'll have you know right now that I will be chronicling my poo cycles (or lack thereof, rather) so you can press "next item" on your google reader now before I continue.

Still here? Okay. Anyway, my tummy is bloated and hard and super ridonkulously uncomfortable. I haven't gone since saturday and I feel like there's something THERE but it's just not uh, making a grand exit.

Come on poop. You've been on stage long enough. Time to bow out now.

I eat veggies with nearly every meal and have a fruit almost every morning. Nothing.

I also took two tablets last night to uh, help the process along. Says on the box it'll take 10-12 hours before something happens.

It's been 13.5 hours.

Nothing.

And I have been eating like a pig these days! Had a really big pasar malam meal last night including a ramly burger! I don't know how I manage to continue putting stuff in when there's no output! Oh yes! It's called greed! Fml!

Anyways. You know the magic bus formula? The one where if you've been waiting ages for the bus or taxi and you get so frustrated you text someone complaining about it and as soon as you hit send the bus/taxi arrives? Well, I'm hoping this will be the same. I'm sorry to have dumped this on you (see what I did there?) but I'm really hoping there's a magic poop formula that'll kick in as soon as I tell the Internet my woes about being backed up.

It is now 1030am. Come on, magic poop formula. It's all you now.
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

2011-02-25T08:41:00.001+08:00

I dreamt I was in a crowd of girls I recognise but I didn't like (I felt like I didn't like them in my dream, I don't have anything against them in real life) and I was in a corner and they were loud, and they cackled, and they thought they were beautiful but they were gross and big and ugly and the more they laughed the bigger they became and then suddenly I realised they were laughing at me, that I was tiny and ugly and stupid and then one of them held a mirror up to my face and I touched my hair and it fell out and I opened my mouth and my teeth fell out (we all know what this means, fml) and then I realised that as much as they were ridiculous and horrible-looking, I was way worse and I screamed but no sound came out just the sound of my teeth falling into my lap (it made a very loud clinking sound) and suddenly they were gone and I was all alone in a tiny room that felt like a cardboard box with teeth and hair around me.

I woke up feeling wretched with faces in my head and a panic in my heart. Then I couldn't shower because my sister in law was in the shower. And then I couldn't find my passport photo and turned my room upside down. And then I couldn't get on the train. And then I couldn't move in the train. And then there was a train service delay.

And now I have work to do but instead I'm here typing this out hoping it'll help shake off the crazy dream and difficult start to the morning.

Yay Friday?

Making room

2011-02-23T16:58:00.001+08:00

I'm a huge fan of social media, I really am. Except after a breakup.

All these push notifications about whattheyredoingwheretheyarewhattheyreeatingshittingsmokingsnortingetc hurt at first, then start to grate, and finally you're just numb to it. Today, when I scan my friends' updates on various social networks Ex'sName never registers in my mind, and my eyes just sweep past it like nothing ever happened.

Because that's what it feels like, strangely. Like it never happened.

(Also because seriously, who the hell cares?)

So I never really gotten around to doing the whole "clean sweep" people around me are quite fond of doing. (Read: Erasing exes off every network possible.) That has worked fine for me so far because like I said, it hardly registers in my mind anymore anyway.

That was the case until a few days ago when my phone was with a significant other. We were looking at pictures stored in the phone and laughing when an update flashed, telling us where Ex was. I think it was the first time I had noticed it in yonks, and it was only because someone else was looking at it.

Someone very important. Who might not have liked knowing that I still get these updates.

It was fine. The whole thing passed with no trouble at all, and neither of us deemed it important enough to say anything about it.

But it got me thinking:

1. If I were Significant Other, would I have liked to have a good time marred by an update by Ex? Probably not.

2. If I were Significant Other, would I start to wonder if Ex and I still keep in contact? SigO might not, but I probably would because I am neurotic. And:

3. Why on God's green earth am I still subscribed to shit I don't even look at?! THAT IS JUST E-CLUTTER AND E-CLUTTER IS E-VIL (I know Vick agrees with me on this one).

This is an extremely long-winded way to say I've started the process of cleaning things up. I've already unsubscribed to the Google Calendar (which wasn't getting updated anyway), and next on my list is foursquare (which I hardly use except to get mayorship of the fishsoup place near work WHY AM I NOT ALREADY MAYOR I EAT THERE ALL THE DAMNED TIME).

I'm cleaning things up not because there's hate in my heart, or because I'm closing some sort of chapter in my book. I've done that already.

I'm cleaning things up because I'm making room for something else. Something bigger, more exciting. Something that feels real right now and looks to feel real for awhile yet. Something that deserves all the room it needs because well, it is just deserving like that.

Here goes! :)

2011-02-08T17:29:00.001+08:00

I used to think I couldn't do long distance relationships because I don't trust easily and am too insecure.

I now realise I can't do long distance for a very different reason.

Yay?

Egypt

2011-02-04T11:51:00.001+08:00

Can't tear my eyes away from the TV at work today, watching the unrest in Cairo.

Good grief. Things have escalated in the past 72 hours to the point where international journalists (and local ones too, I believe) are getting rounded up like sheep, beaten and thrown into jail. Their cameras are getting smashed, their news vehicles are getting pelted with rocks and every time they're on air (reporting from undisclosed locations), the thing that gets repeated the most is "I am so scared".

Worse still are the protesters on the streets. CNN is showing a video of a police van racing down the street through a mass of protesters without slowing. Through a mass of protesters. Those protesters didn't get up after. A huge firetruck also barreled down a different street without slowing and the cameraman got up close to one protester left laying in the street, with others rushing to him screaming "they've killed him". Oh, and then there's that video of a protester catching fire after a molotov cocktail catches him in the chest.

Every time the video comes on I flinch.

And there's a big rally planned in the central square for later today, which analysts believe will be tiananmen-esque.

No jokes this post. Not going into a political debate/finger pointing, either. Just one giant prayer going out to the people in Egypt. I'm so blessed to be safe but am also feeling an overwhelming sense that I am wasting my life, and should be doing something to help right about now.

My eurasian mother is more Chinese than all of us

2011-02-02T11:55:00.001+08:00

On SMS, about reunion dinner:

Me: Mum, I have to work, can we eat when I get home? What are we eating?

Mum: Ok, I am cooking. Not steam boat lei.

Me: AIYAR WHY.

Mum: Dad lah, he don't like wat.

In other news:

NO STEAMBOAT FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR. DISMAYED.

Point of no return

2011-02-02T11:18:00.001+08:00

I think everyone reaches a point of no return at some point in their relationships. The point you realise: "well shit, I'm in this for serious now, aren't I?" and then there's no turning back.

Considering how I never fully reached that point with the previous one (not that I remember anyways, but then my mind has a knack of blacking out stuff I don't want to remember) and still felt like death when that came to a close, I'm...really kind of scared shitless right now.

Especially since I try to make sure I've got my head screwed on tight and weigh every little minute pro and con before I make any decision. CHYEAAAAAHAHAsob.

Seriously tho, I don't know when it happened, or how. I always thought I was standing on the edge of a cliff but not quite taking the plunge. And then suddenly I was free-falling through the air, all common sense out the window.

And I'm scared of course. But scared in a really exhilarated way. Because free-falling is fun sometimes, no? :)

Love,

FlyingPanties.

Ps/ Gosh I sure hope there's a mighty big stack of mattresses at the foot of this cliff.

how on earth will I get up for yoga tomorrow?

2011-01-29T02:58:00.002+08:00

some more got laneway, then maybe gareth emery (yaaaaaaay!!!!)

jialat.

"But sometimes going to bed isn't the right option."

GAN BEIIIIII.

(not drunk la, just don't wanna tweet can or not?)

ohai

2011-01-29T02:57:00.000+08:00

wine, port and a whole lot of haypee.

that is all.

BEEEG GREEN.

A taxi-inspired limerick

2011-01-28T20:34:00.000+08:00

(Warning: coarse language)

Ka ni na bei chao cheebye
I sit your cab really can cry
Keep stepping brake
Gimmie headache
I vomit here then you sure die.

-fin-
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

I think I might be able to eat fish soup from Tanjong Pagar MRT station for lunch everyday.

2011-01-28T17:01:00.001+08:00

That is all.

(I feel a little like I'm cheating on wonton mee, but never mind.)

Too bad, deal with this instead.

2011-01-21T01:47:00.001+08:00

So I had a post about being able to write about something without being all jinx-y and touch wood-y about it (three "about"s, wow), but then right before I published it I got totally jinx-y and touch wood-y and decided instead to save it onto a google document and write this instead.

Meta, I can haz it.

Prancing song of the day

2011-01-20T17:26:00.002+08:00

This song helped a bit when I was an angsty panty half a year ago (half a year!!) so I've always had a soft spot for it. I remember begging Vick to play this in her car every time I was in it, and I remember us (okay, maybe just me) yelling along to it. Of course I only knew two words in this entire song, but hey, they're the most important words.

So I was kind of surprised when the song came on this morning and instead of me feeling like I had some angst to purge, I actually enjoyed the happy tune. Sure, I still yelled "FUCK YOUUU" maybe once or twice, but the prance was definitely happier this time around.

Enjoy!

This blogname is really misleading

2011-01-18T16:06:00.001+08:00

Especially since I changed the blog template today to coffee beans.

I hardly ever talk about coffee. Or sleeplessness. Or eyebags, even if I still think they should be fashionable.

So to everyone who google searched "coffee addiction" trying to find a cure and stumbled upon this blog with a raving mad woman posting ridiculous photos of signs with bad English, crazy conversations with friends that probably don't make sense, and videos that have recently made me dance around the room: I'm sorry.

I do have a slight addiction to coffee, if that helps?

Probably not.

Sorry.

Kbai.

2011-01-18T14:11:00.001+08:00

sit. stew. fume. frown. blog it. shake it off.

rinse and repeat.

...cheebye.

Squimonkey

2011-01-18T09:38:00.002+08:00

me:BABY YOU'RE A FIREWORK

me:COME ON LET YOUR COLOURS BURST

wanxin:HAHHAHHA

wanxin:wait wait i have chinese songs playing in the background

wanxin:let me think of the next sentence

wanxin:MAKE THEM SAY OH OH OH??

me:i think it's AH AH AH

me:now we sound like monkeys

wanxin:LOL

wanxin:noo monkeys go ALAN ALAN ALAN AL AL ALAN

wanxin:eh paiseh not monkey

me:HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

In case you've missed it, the ALAN ALAN ALAN animal is here: http://purplepanties.blogspot.com/2010/12/i-cant-get-enough-of-this-damned-video.html

Oh and because I want everyone to have this earworm, the Katy Perry video:

Being a girl can be such a mfking drag. Like seriously.

2011-01-07T14:02:00.001+08:00

/end rant.

Resolutions in next post (maybe. Still haven't kicked the procrastination habit)

2011-01-04T18:21:00.001+08:00

2010:

Bangkok, fireworks, alcohol, babies, skarlett, toca, alcohol, deadlines, alcohol, training, joblessness (aka pantslessness), coffeehouses, prawning, heartbreak, anger, self-doubt, death, dow jones, meatlessness, play, play, play, alcohol, family, Holland Village, old monk, zoukout, waffles, banana, breathlessness, christmas, babies.

I guess it wasn't all bad, especially with the scattered but numerous appearances of my good friend alcohol throughout, real good friends (here labelled "babies" but not real babies, don't worry) and also new-ish friends that have become fast, good friends like my fast-talking, ADD-suffering brother from another mother.

At the risk of jinxing everything, I have a good feeling about 2011. And I think 2011 sorta likes me too.

*Knocks on wood*

When I grow up

2010-12-28T18:39:00.001+08:00

I want to be my parents.

Sparkles' bbm this morning made me realise how lucky I am to have folks like mine.

Well, indirectly anyway, because she asked if my folks still had sex and my reaction was OMFGROSSWTF before I told her they just left for a trip together, so I guess uhm, yes? *barf*

Seriously tho, it's incredible how my folks are already past 60 and go on holidays together as much as they do (several times a year, leaving me in charge of the damned fish). It's kind of incredible how they bicker like crazy, but still hold hands when they go out shopping. It's kind of incredible watching them struggle to talk to each other - my mom in her good english, my dad in really really bad chinglish - but still talk non-stop all day everyday anyway (it's kind of annoying when you want to watch tv).

It's especially incredible when you think about what they've gone through raising three children in our crazy fluctuating finances, battling sickness and death, dropping out of school and getting retrenched.

It would have been so easy to give up, but they didn't. And I guess I'm just here to say I'm so grateful for that.

And that if I end up at 60 having lived but half the full life they have, I would be so lucky.

I can't get enough of this damned video

2010-12-23T14:21:00.004+08:00

2010-12-22T15:47:00.001+08:00

I've had the best one month.

But I don't want to talk about it, just in case it takes the magic away.

But I just have to say: I've had the best month just passed.

Love,

Happypanties.

No wonder you were so calm

2010-12-22T10:05:00.001+08:00

wanxin:okay i was raped by my friend's brother and got pregnant

wanxin:i wanted to keep the baby but you told me for rape cases there's only 25% survival rate

wanxin:from all those news that you read off the screens

me:...what?

me:you read that off a news item?

wanxin:oh

wanxin:hahahah

wanxin:i forgot to tell you it's a dream

 me:WTF

me:SLIGHTLY IMPORTANT DETAIL, WANXIN.

wanxin:HAHAH

One of these things is not like the other

2010-11-19T11:24:00.000+08:00

No prizes if you guessed it was channel news asia.

Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

Gay people cannot drink.

2010-11-11T10:44:00.000+08:00

Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

What tea is it?

2010-11-11T10:40:00.000+08:00

It's fukkin' hocha!

Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

I can't beat the Sparkles.

2010-11-10T13:57:00.001+08:00

me: eh whhy u dun ask XXX

ask la

ask leh

jiayi: HAHHAHAHHA

DON'T WANT LAH

me: eh why

ask leh

ask la?

jiayi: ...

me: hehehehe

why, why don't ask

ask leh

THIS IS HOW YOU TALK TO ME ALL THE TIME BTW

IS IT ANNOYING

IS IT IS IT

jiayi: ya it's annoying

i love it

hahahhahhaha

hor?

annoying hor?

annoying right?

right not?

right?

hey angel?

angelll

angel ah?

me: this is going up on my blog.

Proof that some friends are just out to kill me, part 2.

2010-11-03T13:33:00.001+08:00

It was an incredibly busy morning so I didn't have much time to talk to Sparkles. After telling her I'm busy and ignoring her online for awhile she turns to bbm:

Sparkleberry ★: You're always so busy at work now
Sparkleberry ★: Hate yr job
Sparkleberry ★: Pay attention to meeeeee
Sparkleberry ★: *bellows
Sparkleberry ★: My gf also not paying attention to me
Sparkleberry ★: I am lonely
Sparkleberry ★: /lonelyface
angel t.: Argh
angel t.: Shhh!
Sparkleberry ★: ?
Sparkleberry ★: ??
Sparkleberry ★: ???
Sparkleberry ★: ????
Sparkleberry ★: ?????
Sparkleberry ★: ??????
Sparkleberry ★: Is it beeping a lot?
angel t.: It's on silent and turned upside down. I replied u online la!
Sparkleberry ★: It's on silent and turned upside down. I replied u online la!
Sparkleberry ★: It's on silent and turned upside down. I replied u online la!
Sparkleberry ★: It's on silent and turned upside down. I replied u online la!
Sparkleberry ★: It's on silent and turned upside down. I replied u online la!
Sparkleberry ★: It's on silent and turned upside down. I replied u online la!
angel t.: OMFG.

I love you, Sparkles, but DUDE MAN. O.O Too hilarious.

Update: Proof that some friends are just out to kill me.

2010-11-03T10:54:00.002+08:00

At 10am today:

wanxin:legal fee. legal and professional fees?

me:excuse me?

wanxin:FEES

wanxin:fee

me:are you trying to ask me a question?

wanxin:yesss

me:i don't understand ur question

me:SPEAK IN FULL SENTENCES, WANXIN!

wanxin:HAHAHAHA

--later, on the same issue--

wanxin:i always thought is all plural

 me:nah it's like: you have to pay a FEE to get on the train.

me:but here is a list of FEES for the train

me:make sense?

wanxin:not conductor?

me:you do have to pay the conductor la, but we're talking about fees right!

me:AIYOH

wanxin:HAHAHA

UPDATE: Wanxin redeems herself later:

wanxin:hahaha be careful

wanxin:you're sounding more and more ______

me:more and more...what?

me:BEAUTIFUL?

me:CHARMING?

me:SMART?

me:WITTY?

me:WHY, THANK YOU WANXIN! lol

wanxin:have you sensed my reluctance to talk to you already?

me:wei.

me:

OHAI, MATT :D

2010-11-02T10:12:00.001+08:00

In the middle of a conversation with vick:

2010-10-18T15:53:00.001+08:00

me: i was trying to watch the family stone last night

but i stopped it halfway because it was too romantic and i knew there was gonnabe a happy ending

and i wasn't really in the mood for that, lol

but it JUST occurred to me (because my brain is about 15hours late)

that instead of ROM-COM it could be VOM-COM

amirite?!

Fellas?

Photoshop-branded whitening soap.

2010-10-13T09:30:00.000+08:00

Seen at a thai supermarket.
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld