It's really spring...

I was on my way to campus for an evening class yesterday and I was stopped on the path by a beautiful sight. It instantly brought a smile on my face, it's really spring... I was running late so did not take a picture of the beautiful tree but as I walked briskly along the path, I kept turning back to take glances of it, simply could not take my eyes off it :) Coincidentally, one of my coursemates showed me a picture of that beautiful tree during class, ha, I guess I was not the only one who noticed and was attracted to that tree. Thanks to my coursemate, I manage to keep a picture of it :) Hmm, however, having a picture of it cannot beat standing underneath that tree and immersing in the atmosphere of a beautiful spring...

Another 1 down!...1 more to go

When I had finished the reference page for my third major written assignment yesterday, I nearly sprang out of my chair. I could not wait to get away from that spot which had been my assignment-doing area for the past month. Thanks XF for that space in your room, in fact, it's the whole room that I was using :P I have not cleared those notes, readings and books that are currently strewn all over on the bed and table yet. The 'aftermath' of doing assignments is simply unimaginable but will certainly get down to do some clearing, filing and organising pretty soon, well, not that immediate I guess. Still enjoying those moments of being "brainless", nah, not thinking much for this weekend. I am determined not to make this Labour Day weekend a laborious one :) There is a final test for one of my modules in the coming week but, sorry, it's currently not on my agenda, some form of prioritizing is necessary in life :P ...Goodness, why am I still blogging so much after writing almost 16000 words for all my written assignments? Yup, I must say that at some point of doing my assignments, I was really sick and tired of writing. Navigation was pretty much an issue in the sea of words and knowledge, the strong currents hit real hard at times, paddling in that kinda situation was nearly impossible...But glad I kept paddling, slow but thank goodness, I did not drown... Okie silly gal, life moves on from here, it will and it must. Enjoy the "Labour Day" weekend!

Another 1 down...1+1 more to go

I must say that there is satisfaction and a feeling of success as I finished the conclusion of my second major assignment. Nah, it's not about the quality or the results, to me, it's more on embarking on this journey, it's about starting, trying and going through the process... Well, before I start the next assignment, hmm, I shall let those lazy bugs in me run free a little, you know, they cannot wait to spring into action :P As you wish, lazy bugzzz...

To those two buddies who have been keeping their fingers and toes crossed for me to complete all my assignments, thank you so much! :) Oh yes, I thought one is keeping her ears crossed too, haha. Well, certainly hope that none of you are getting cramps :P

Ending...Beginning

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. ~ Maria Robinson

What's the difference between ending and beginning?...Hmm, is there really a difference?

Tea + company

It was a real hot afternoon...but I simply loved the light that was filtered in, so gentle and soothing to watch

Light snacks for tea...Well, I presumed it's light :P

Hee, gotcha again! Luckily, she did not notice :P

Nope, life does not centre around assignments and readings. I was glad when my very good friend asked me out for tea. We spent the afternoon drinking tea at Coffee Club (Siglap), forgetting about an online test that I needed to do by today, haha. And the interesting thing was my very good friend was more worried than I was about my test when I told her about it :P Well, anyway, what a quiet place to spend the afternoon... My very good friend went to Hong Kong and got me Disneyland cookies again. Thank you dear, it's always the thought that counts :)

1 down...2+1 more to go

My coursemates described it as painful. Indeed, it was, it is and it will continue to be so. "I feel" and "I think" statements no longer hold (Darn!), every idea has to be supported by literature. Being critical in your thinking and writing is a criteria, there is a need to question assumptions. No structure, framework or other forms of rigidity is provided to manoeuvre our ways of thinking, every piece of writing from every one of us would be an unique piece of perspective and argument. That's tall order... The rigour behind doing the written course assignments is really something I need to get used to. But I must say that those minor assignments and group assignments for the past months were of much help to get us working on our final written assignments. Well, one written assignment done (Phew! Wonder how I did it. Ha, I guess just do it and life goes on :P)...two more plus one final test more to go for the semester... Get cracking silly gal!

Those quiet moments...

Sat him on my lap at the balcony, his concentration was totally on the little world outside

He's kinda like a teddy bear whenever his fur gets long, so huggable! ...He sat near the balcony, did he want out? Well, he fell asleep just right on the rug not long after :)

Do metaphors matter in life?

From The Sunday Times (17 April 2011) in the article "Life is a metaphor"...

...being aware of metaphors reminds you of the central role poetic skills play in our thought. If much of our thinking is shaped and driven by metaphor, then the skilled thinker will be able to recognise patterns, blend them, apprehend the relationships and pursue unexpected likenesses.

Even the hardest of the sciences depends on a foundation of metaphors. To be aware of metaphors is to be humbled by the complexity of the world, to realise that deep in the undercurrents of thought there are thousands of lenses popping up between us and the world, and that we're surrounded at all times by what Professor Steven Pinker of Harvard's psychology department once called "pedestrian poetry".

David Brooks (New York Times)

Every Sunday, I always look forward to reading the section, "Think", of The Sunday Times. Just yesterday, the headline "Life is a metaphor" caught my attention pretty fast and got me interested to explore more about the content in the article. Life is indeed full of metaphors. I feel that the kinda metaphors that we apply to our lives in a way are lenses that we have chosen to see life. And I think metaphors also in a way help us, or at least me, to get in touch and relate better to the realities of life, they are bridges that facilitate connection. Sometimes, they are navigators in the complexity of this society. Sometimes, they are lighthouses that lead us to acceptance. Ain't they interesting? But how much are we really interested in them? Do we want to spend time to think about them? What metaphor would you use for your own life? I would be interested to hear from you if you are interested to think about it and share :)

Once in a while, it's really great to receive texts from friends asking about how I've been and that I have been thought of and missed. It's really sweet of them :) Ha, just yesterday, got a lovely text from a dear friend whom I have not met for quite a few months and I thought the last sentence of her text was kinda interesting and got me thinking abit..."Dun be too philosophical k!" Haha, I did not know how to respond to that and I thought I should ask her why but I did not and maybe I should the next time we meet up :P I asked myself...Silly gal, are you really getting too philosophical at times? Is it not good? Has it become irritating? Maybe there ought to be more self reflection on my part. You know, sometimes, I do feel like an alien or maybe a freak :P within the community. Well, maybe within this community, pragmatism overpowers idealism.

Meet Dreamy...

Dreamy is my dream dog...from the pet shop. I stood in the pet shop for almost fifteen minutes just looking at Dreamy, a name that I have given to the golden retriever, a 3-month old innocent looking pup. Hmm, maybe I am not the ideal pet owner, sure hope that Dreamy will get a more suitable owner who will always be committed to taking good care of and loving her wholeheartedly. At times, I am really thankful for and inspired by those real lovely people out there who are so devoted to the care of animals in the society. I have heard about them, I have read about them and their efforts, every bit of it for every single animal, are laudable. You guys have really made love so noble and humane with all those little and simple things you have done for those little adorable beings whose feelings could only be expressed in barks, mews and sometimes, through their affectionate gazes. You know, what these adorable beings really need are really extremely simple things that we as human beings at times have taken for granted...

From The Sunday Times (17 April 2011) in the article "Dogged efforts pay off for pet lovers", Ms Pearly Looi, a volunteer, said this...

These animals do not really ask for much more than love. You can really see that over the months of caring for these mistreated dogs, their eyes get brighter, and they start wagging their tails and smiling again.

I guess love to these animals is as simple as that...

Cookies, Tea and Baileys

My fascination with the piece of mirror on the wall

Bailey's Irish Cream Liquer Teacake...the highlight and the STAR for both of my friends for the evening. You could see luxury and satisfaction written all over their faces as they placed the Baileys-soaked teacake in their mouths. But sorry, not my cup of tea :P

Creamy durian...really the real stuff!

Hibiscus Tea Party...Hmm, natural floral sweetness with pepperminty flavour but could not seem to taste lemongrass in it

I have chosen to explore the Hidden Royal Garden

YQ's back in Singapore for a short visit and she never fails to meet up with us whenever she is back. We had dinner yesterday at Pu Tien, had so much that we decided we should walk abit before having tea. JX suggested having tea at the Baroque-style "The Cookie Museum" at Esplanade and it's good that we had made a reservation, it's a rather small place and there're not many tables and seats. As we were waiting for our tea and dessert to be served, we were introduced to various samples of their cookies, ha, I must say I was really very much seduced by "English Rose"...the kinda romance that meandered through the body as I placed the cookie in my mouth was simply charming...

How's Bob doing?

Bob dearie has real interesting sleeping positions :)

(Photograph taken from http://www.facebook.com/thestoryofbob)

Bob is doing great! Have been checking on his progress via facebook where his caregivers would post pictures and comments of Bob. He's eating lots now and is probably back to his active self, thanks to his loving caregivers. Well, wish his fur which was shaved off during the surgery would grow back soon though :P ...I can't help but to say this again, Bob is really one real lucky cat, a very special one too. Take care, sweetie :)

The missing piece

Sometimes, we seem to find something amiss in our lives, life isn't as complete and isn't as wholesome as we thought it should be. What's that missing piece and where can we find it?...Must pieces of our lives always be fitted nicely together and must life always be a complete picture?...

Gimme the real stuff!

I believe it was a fruitful shopping trip for Ms Tan yesterday. Well, I suppose it was a good stress reliever for her too :P It was kinda late when we are done with shopping and we have not had dinner. We decided to head to Chomp Chomp at Serangoon Gardens for some local hawker fare, especially the BBQ stingray. The stingray did not disappoint, it was fresh and we liked the sambal chilli on top of it, as good as expected! It was quite some time since both of us really had ice kacang so decided to order one but unfortunately, it was not as good as we expected. We expected to taste the authentic ice kacang but we seemed to get the so-called modernised one. To me, it's not authentic coz of the ingredients in it (did not have the green stuff you find in chendol, red beans did not impress, no good blend of taste between ice and ingredients), the syrup (lacked the 'punch' and the taste of childhood) and the condensed milk (where on earth is it?)! I wonder if I have ordered from the wrong stall or is the real authentic ice kacang just an illusion and dream on my part?

Their fate in autumn

I guess it's spring now but it seems and feels like autumn along the road just outside my house. The trees that lined the road are filled with yellow leaves. I remember walking along a path filled with fallen leaves while on my way to the MRT station. I could feel the crisp of them all with every step that I took. I remember looking out of the window while reading and saw numerous leaves swaying and waltzing their way from the trees down to the ground, their fate seemingly determined by that strong gust of wind. It's a beautiful sight... Just last Thursday afternoon, as I stepped into my room to get some stuff, I noticed three leaves on the floor of my room, ha, it must be the wind and I have left my windows opened too. Have had a good look at those leaves, love the blend of colours in every leaf, marvelled at the elegant veins that decorated the leaf blades with much poise. I placed all three of them on my window ledge, thinking maybe the next gust of wind might determine their next destination...

Birthday goes 'wild'

The birthday boy...Happy Happy Birthday dear friend!

In the foreground, my light supper...In the background, hmm, do I know them? Haha...

We celebrated Edmond's birthday at Wild Rocket at Mount Emily. I kinda joined the rest only after my evening class, well, it was almost I think near ten when I joined them, just enough time to grab a bite while the rest are having dessert. I ordered...er...oops, cannot recall what it's called but it's pleasant and delighting to the taste buds, refreshing and not too filling for a meal late in the night. Was my second time there, I think the interesting thing about the food at Wild Rocket is all about how East meets West, with a tinge of local flavour surrounding it. Our dear Rene certainly did a great job to 'enhance' the aesthetics of the chocolate birthday cake from Jane's Cake Station, well, probably under the instigation of Miss Lee :P

The journey continues...

Sometimes, I wonder why I have chosen to be a student again...

Those days of group discussions drained me mentally...but isn't this about social constructivism?

Those days of presentations were met with challenges as our views were being challenged...but isn't this about being critical?

Those days and even months of reading brought great tiredness to my pair of eyes...but isn't this about gaining insights and broadening perspectives?

Those days of thinking over my essays and writing them brought struggles and frustrations...but isn't this...isn't this a part of learning? Remember, nobody says it's going to be easy.

I have survived this far as a student. There will still be new challenges ahead...But tonight, as I look back at the exploratory journey that I have chosen and the challenges I have had for the past months, I know in my heart that I have no regrets. Keep going, silly gal...

Looking into your eyes

A photograph taken by Mark with all his Apps 'tricks' :P

How could I miss out this lovely picture of Sunny Baby and look at that pair of eyes, they never fail to melt my heart...

Sweetie Baby

Baby, sorry it took me so long to give you that cuddle, that hug and that little peck on your nosey... Real happy to see you over the weekend :) You know, wanted to look for a new toy for you that day but came out of the pet store empty-handed. Well, you see, I was thinking, what's more important than spending time with you. What's the point of having a new toy but no one to play with...You are and will be in my thoughts :)

It's Veggie Day!

Eggplant with beancurd and Chinese celery...This is what I call creativity and innovation in cooking :P

Did he call this ABC soup? Well, anyway, I finished every bit of it in my big bowl

Were you ever thrilled by the sight of vegetables? Would you believe that vegetables have their ways of bringing delight and joy? Frankly speaking, I do not know how I can continue living without the 'greens'. Once in a while, Derrick would invite us over for homecooked dinner and that Sunday, it happened to be the first day of the month (according to the Chinese calendar, I think). He's a vegetarian that day so he prepared a vegetarian meal for us. Thanks to Derrick, it was a wonderful veggie meal! So glad it's Veggie Day!

A Teochew eating Hokkien food

Prawn rolls and my favourite - pig's liver! Thick yet tender, yummy!

One of the must-tries...Hokkien mee, anyone's hungry?

My father wanted to check out a traditional Hokkien restaurant, Quan Xiang Yuan, at Jalan Besar. We used to have dinner there occasionally as a family but I think it has been quite some time since we were there for dinner. There are quite a few must-haves if you are there. Although delicious and tasty, we thought the dishes were still kinda a little salty for us despite us requesting for less oil and less salt :P

Tofu tofu, silky tofu

I know what XF and Didi are gonna say about this dish. With one look at it and they know who's the creator :P A real simple dish created from what's discovered in the refrigerator but much enjoyed and savoured by this silly gal...

What does every picture say?

From XF...

From Mark...

At times, a picture tells more than what a string of words could offer and at times, it feels good to receive a lovely picture...