Freedom

"Freedom is from within." ~ Frank Lloyd Wright

A good role model

Today, I thought about these questions...What makes a good role model? Or who is a good role model?

Someone who wears a toe ring for most parts of her adult life?

Someone who has five ear studs and still thinking of getting the sixth pierced?

Someone who never really thinks twice about colouring her hair?

Someone who thinks that tattoo is an interesting form of body art?

Someone who can be defiant in her own ways?

Someone who...alright, maybe she is not really a good role model afterall. Hmm, does this really matter to her? Well, hmm...not really :P

It's peanut butter!!!

It has been quite a while since I last tasted peanut butter spread. I know I cannot have a jar of it at home because I know I am capable of finishing it. I can even eat it on its own, I remember when I was much younger, I would use a spoon and scoop by scoop eat the creamy peanut butter from the jar, like I was eating ice cream. Well, I better not be caught by Mummy lest I get a real big scolding from her. She has never allowed us to buy peanut butter spread :( Well, maybe it's a good move coz it could really cause heatiness if consumed excessively :P

The angel in my fairy tale lives on...Today, the familiar bundle wrapped up in that familiar piece of cloth, traditionally looked like an obento, was left on my table. Good! Ha, I knew I did not have to think about what to have for breakfast today. Bought my usual milk tea and took time to enjoy the sandwiches. The tanginess and sweetness from the marmalade worked well with the peanut butter, bringing about a refreshing taste early in the morning. I have a confession to make...finished the two portions of sandwiches, one for breakfast and the other for lunch. Ha, not willing to share especially when it's peanut butter!!!

Getting away

"Get away from the crowd when you can. Keep yourself to yourself, if only for a few hours daily." ~ Arthur Brisbane

I know I will always enjoy and treasure these moments...

It felt like...

Ms Tan and I ordered the same kinda drink, ice lime mint, at Bakerzin after dinner Friday night. Ha, had the same feeling after drinking it, tasted like we were in a spa or at a beach resort. It would be a good drink to sip on while sunbathing at a beach. It has been quite a while since we last went lazing around at a beach resort :P

Air...fresh air

Mark said he would pack some air into the lunchbox that contained the food I prepared for him when he returned the lunchbox to me. The 'air' was delivered and placed on my table the next day, I took a whiff of it. Well, no smell of nature but sweetness certainly filled that lunchbox. Oh boy, real sinful sweetness! The bread below was real soft and with that kinda topping, I felt like I had committed one of the biggest sins in the world when I ate it :P

Spending time for...

"Where do you find time to blog?", "You would wake up early in the morning just to prepare packed lunch for the day?", "Why do you have time to blog?", "Why do you have time to cook and you bother?"...Those were some of the questions I have got from friends. Like everyone, I have the same number of hours in my life everyday, nothing less, nothing more. I guess I just make time to blog and cook and that would mean I would have to sacrifice time for some other things. I just do what I feel I should do or feel like doing, I guess I choose to be selfish and I choose to believe that I have a choice in my life. If you ask me if I can really manage time in my life well, I would not really confidently say so, be it work or my personal life. You could say I dislike schedules at times but I do recognise the fact that it could be important at times too.

Just the past week on Thursday, I woke up early again to prepare packed meal for my lunch. I have also prepared and shared another two more portions with two other lovely people at my work place :) How could I ever have forgotten them :P The ingredients were prepared the night before and early in the morning, they were all stir fried together. You know, I always love it when Wednesdays come to an end and weekend is drawing near, hee! I guess hence, there is this enjoyment of preparing packed meals to work.

The text of the day

Received a text while busy at work yesterday...

"New ticket booked. Coming in on 14th. Leaving on the 24th. We have a few days for all of us to be together. Workin' hard or hardly workin'?"

Idiot Didi, u and ur words...but I must say your text made my day, real glad that you are able to join us at XF's place this June. Yup yup, we will have about a week for all of us to be together :)

Goodnight...

"I want to live my life so that my nights are not full of regrets." ~ D. H. Lawrence

Stay-home Sunday

It was a stay-home Sunday, trying to clear some work before the new week starts but somehow, the power of procrastination seemed kinda in control. But I am certainly glad that I have met one of my targets, that is to prepare dinner for the day, was determined to do so that day. I guess it gets a little sick eating food bought from outside or to dine outside too often, sometimes I just yield for homecooked food. Well, when I am in the mood to cook, nothing could stop me :P I looked into the refrigerator to look for ingredients to cook up a meal for my parents and myself. In less than five minutes, decided what I would like to prepare...

1. Stir fry sliced bittergourd with egg (bittergourd is kinda like a must have in my family every week, three of us grew up eating that :P Ha, I guess sometimes my parents do wonder how much of hardship and bitterness can their three children take in their lives...I wonder too)

2. Tofu with minced meat, carrots, straw mushrooms and spring onions...with gravy. Minced meat was marinated late in the afternoon :P

3. Prawns cooked in my grandmother's domestic helper's homemade chilli, coupled with onions (realised I added too much) and cherry tomatoes. Oh yes, and some chilli padi, this dish seemed too spicy for my parents' stomach but I thought it's fine. Hmm, just wondering if it would taste better with a few slices of fresh pineapple, well, maybe next time :P

We had some cooked brown rice to go with the dishes. It seemed to feel good eating a simple meal cooked by myself and great to be able to share it with my loved ones. Wow, that was quite an accomplishment for me :)

The invitation

The pages of the book have turned yellow. It must have been left on my shelf for quite some time. I can still remember how the poem in this book captivated me when I was browsing through the pages of this book in the bookstore many years ago. It gripped me and tugged me hard, it was really inviting and I knew I had to own this book even if it's just for the simple reason of having this poem by my side always...

The Invitation

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have been shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty, even when it’s not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”

It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

~ Oriah Mountain Dreamer

An enjoyable moment

Missed cooking...It was early in the morning. Ha, pretty excited to be preparing a meal so early in the morning, there is always this feeling of anticipation before cooking. You know, wondering how the food would turn out :P Opened the kitchen door that led to the backyard. The air seemed so still and fresh, enjoyed the silence. The ingredients were prepared the night before so it was pretty easy, just gotta stir fry everything together in the morning. Always love to have lotsa vegetables in my dishes so made sure that I had lots in my fried rice. Before I knew it , everything was done. It was my lunch for the day. It felt kinda great to be preparing homecooked food for lunch at work, I was so proud of myself! Lunch was great today, not so much how tasty the food was but the fact that I have enjoyed the process and I am glad I have spent time to do that :)

Silver? Gold?

"Too many people miss the silver lining because they are expecting gold." ~ Maurice Seitter

A fairy tale

Wondering what I should have for breakfast Monday morning, kinda just went back to work after a couple days of medical leave plus rest over the weekend. There seemed to be a number of things to follow up on at work and I kinda predicted there would not be much time for breakfast that day... Miraculously, a familiar bundle was left on my table, thoughtfully wrapped and tied, it also came with a postcard having a picture of a greeny looking doggy. No trace of any name of this sweet angel that has left this obento on my table but I knew who that was who had left a great smile on my face that day. Breakfast was pretty rushed but every bit of the homemade breakfast was savoured, enjoyed and treasured. I supposed that art piece on that postcard came under the series or theme entitled "Fairy Tales". Hmm, well, if this is a fairy tale, I wish it will never come to an end...

What is music?

What is food?

Thinking of you

A day at the clinic

That night...I must have had the most terrible headache of my life, I could barely open my eyes, my head felt hot and felt as if there were tongs all over my head, each of them gripping my head so hard that it nearly brought me to tears. The terrible headache has also caused me to feel nauseous. Taking a panadol in the afternoon did not seem to be of much help. I knew I gotta lie down, went to bed pretty early but was wondering if the monsterous headache would go away, it was so difficult to get to sleep...

I knew I needed to stay home the next morning, my head still hurt a little and I wasn't too sure if my brain could really function that day, my whole body didn't seem to obey me well, it liked its position on my bed. My mother thought I had overslept and quickly came to my room to wake me up. In a daze, told her that I wasn't well and was not going to work...That late morning, packed a book, a bottle of water in a little bag and headed to Dr Chiew's clinic, all ready to wait for at least an hour to see him. Just as I have guessed, the clinic was filled with many people. I was asked twice at the counter if I really do wanna see Dr Chiew and was reminded three times that I needed to wait very long. Well, I guess I was all 'geared up' for the long wait. Started reading a few pages of my book but it was kinda difficult to concentrate, there was still this throbbing pain in my head and was probably too tired to read, just wanted to close my eyes, wish I had a bed then...Two elderly sitting near me were raving about how good Dr Chiew was and chatting about what good food can be found around that area, they were Teochews and they really reminded me of my grandmother, sometimes, you just feel like holding their hands and giving them a hug...

About almost one and a half hours later, it was finally my turn to see the doctor. Have not seen Dr Chiew for quite a couple of months, he seemed to have aged and he looked tired too. But his warm smile stays, I think one would just feel better with his greeting, it's always so sincere and so full of care, has not changed a bit all these years. As usual, he was really meticulous and patient, trying to understand and explain. Knowing my old problem, he also asked about my gastric. Sometimes, his words of advice bring comfort, well, I must say it did that day. I actually dread getting sick, going to a doctor and taking medication but that day, I knew the main prescription for me was to have lotsa rest...

A little gift + a lovely note = a smile :)

It's really interesting how I could be thought of by friends, usually it's when they see some kinda dogs or things that have pictures of dogs. Maybe I gotta get a job that involves dogs, ha, why not! But the interesting thing is I do not have a dog of my own, silly gal... Received a little gift from dear Angeline that morning, she saw that set of post it with all the pictures of dogs and she said she gotta get it for me. That was really sweet of her :) Sometimes, she just knew when I needed a smile although she could be so busy at work. That little gift and the lovely message came at just the right time, gave her a big hug...Thank you so much dear!

Under lock and key

Being thought of has always been a wonderful and beautiful gift to me...received a little gift from Derrick, it's from Thailand and it came in a pretty little box. Ha, it really looked like Sunny baby despite it being a padlock! The face looked so much like baby :) Thank you, Derrick...Just wondering what I could use it to lock...Dear Sunny baby, just wondering if you do know that you are dearly missed and thought of...

Gone in a matter of minutes...

I must have probably stood at the gate for about five minutes, admiring the beautiful sunset and forgetting how tired I was. You know what, that was really the achievement and satisfaction of 5 April 2010. I waited till the last ray of light faded, I know I am gonna miss it...

Setting...

Setting...

The sunset on 5 April 2010 was especially beautiful. I was home, stepped out of my car and I just couldn't stop gazing at the magnificent sky...

Arteastiq

Art + Tea?

Busy snapping pics, using her well-equipped with apps iphone :P

Mint lemongrass tea

Four Beauteas

Checked out Arteastiq at Mandarin Gallery with Snoop yesterday, we met up for tea. It was a pretty small and cosy place. As I looked out of the large windows, I didn't feel I was in the middle of Orchard Road. I saw trees, only trees. It rained in the afternoon, hence making it just right for a cup of hot tea. I would say it has got the ambience and music for afternoon tea. I had Mint Lemongrass tea and Snoop had Ginger spice tea. Kinda enjoyed my tea but didn't really like Snoop's coz it's got a strong cinnamon taste, I don't like cinnamon although I am a fan of ginger :P But I thought there's just something amiss in the tea that I had, it didn't give me that kinda uplifting feeling like what some great tea would, the taste and fragrance didn't really linger in my mouth for long, there wasn't really this tenderly warmth in my tummy after drinking it. The gelato that we ordered came in four different flavours, all tea-flavoured. Well, they were not so pretty to look at but nevertheless, they tasted rather refreshing. Discovered an interesting place for breakfast at Mandarin Gallery - Wild Honey. They do have an interesting breakfast menu, it's kinda really international. Well, if only it's not located in town :P

The simplicity of friendship

"The real test of friendship is: Can you literally do nothing with the other person? Can you enjoy those moments of life that are utterly simple?" ~ Eugene Kennedy

It's tea time!

I guess The Marmalade Pantry is a place that one would wanna go again and again, especially for cupcakes. Some cupcakes are so pretty to look at that one wouldn't even wanna take a bite. Hmm, I would feel that there's nothing really pretty about cupcakes at The Marmalade Pantry but I think a few of them are really yummy. Had tea with a few colleagues today. The nutella cupcakes were sold out when we went today. Ms N was kinda disappointed. We chose three to share amongst the five of us, Geisha, Granny's Apple and Elvis. Elvis was peanut butter and it was the last one! Phew! The peanut butter on top was awesome, you would really wish it was a thicker layer on top :P I had Sakura tea, wish I was drinking it under those beautiful cherry blossoms... Well, with or without cherry blossoms, the group of us were having a great time chatting and as usual, Mr F was entertaining us with all his stories :P ...I would say it's a good place to have afternoon tea during the weekdays, not so crowded and noisy I guess.

When the warriors meet...again :)

In the midst of the bitterness of the green tea, there's sweetness and enjoyment as one savours it long enough...

We celebrated Edmond's birthday at Sushi Tei last night. It was great meeting up with the rest and catching up. There was so much laughter, too much I suppose, the waitress actually came to us and politely asked if we could just keep our noise level a little lower, oops! Everyone of us was busy with our own lives, fighting all kinds of battles :P but I thought when we came together last night, we kinda really let our hair down and really messed it up :P I feel that there's always a difference between "friends" and "colleagues", not every colleague can be a friend. To have a true friend amongst your colleagues, count your blessings always :) Appreciate much that Joyce and Edmond have always been making that effort to bring us all together, glad that we are still keeping in touch although three of us in the group have already left our previous workplace. Well, may the warriors meet again...and again...and again :)