Thursday, June 29, 2006 09:26 p.m.
I went to Sentosa today with E and my 10 year old cousin who's back from the States! We rode on the luge and skyride and that was really really cool! The luge is like a go kart and though the ride was short, the three of us were racing and there were alot of turns and corners and it was downhill so we had to negotiate that and of course I lost to the 2 crazy guys. Haha. The skyride was a little scary because we were like just sitting on a chair and we were high up and moving but fun nonetheless! We had sushi for lunch, splashed around at Siloso beach, walked through a jungle trail, went to the Insect and Butterfly park and finally played 36 holes of mini golf before we drove up Mount Faber and and came home and jumped into the pool downstairs to cool ourselves down. Haha. Really good day and though I'm really tired, I really enjoyed myself with my hyperactive cousin and I think living with him in LA really made us closer. Last night was girls night out and I met the SCGS girls for dinner at suntec before we indulged in Haagen Dazs at the Esplanade! Haha. Good catchup with the girls and I really hope we can all go on a trip together! The past few days have been good as well. We watched England beat Ecuador at Yado's house and he has this huge screen which kind of makes Lampard and Gerrard in your face. Haha. The rest of the time, I've been going out with E, hanging out and watching tv, spending more time reading my bible (E and myself have embarked on a challenge together to read one chapter of first corinthians each day) and really just having a good time of rest!
Saturday, June 24, 2006 09:23 p.m.
The parents invited some guests over for dinner and naturally, I am expected to socialize and make small talk. My mum only told me about the dinner this afternoon at 3PM and I was once again expected to cancel my night appointments and come home. It was the same on Wednesday too when she told me about 4 hours before dinner that our relatives were coming over so I could only spend an hour at the sunday school party. It not that I don't like socializing or coming home for dinner. It just that I wish my mum let me know earlier so that I can plan my days. But of course, my mum doesn't see it that way because she thinks that all my appointments are casual and social and it's not like I'm doing a million dollar business so I can easily cancel out on them. Ah.Saturday, June 24, 2006 06:41 p.m.
Sometimes I wish each man was his own island. Any food he craves and desires for, the internet, tv, large shopping malls and basically everything he wants will just magically appear somehow. Sometimes I wish I was then an island and I didn't need to socialize or interact with people to get what I want and need and I could use the internet or sleep or even just laze around the entire day or go out without anyone telling me what I need to do or what I should be doing or even dressing up to meet someone. But then again, if you really think about it, remember the Tom Hanks show where he was stranded on an island? I thought life for him was very boring even though he eventually liked it. So maybe I don't really want to be an island. Who would kill the lizards for me or accompany me shopping and tell me whether that dress makes me look fat or not or have Starbucks with me on a hot afternoon?Thursday, June 22, 2006 11:59 a.m.
E and myself went to watch The Da Vinci Code yesterday afternoon and personally, I felt the show only stood to serve the point that the whole story is all made up. Cleverly made up though. Sure there were some things that were true like the Council of Nicaea, the existence of Emperor Constantine and all but what happened at that council and other things are really just half truths if not bull. We walked around Orchard Road, got bored because it was too familar and hot, wished we were shopping in LA instead, complained about the lack of basic customer service in Singapore and how everyone rushes to the Mango Sale. Really, what so good about the Mango sale? We walked in there and got out almost immediately! It's worst than a zoo in there and every girl will end up with the same top as you! I've given up shopping in Singapore! Came home after the movie because E needed to pass some dips and jams to my mum he bought from Seattle then we went for the sec3 sunday school class party at Zaneta's poolside! Oh my, I miss all my sec3s and I wished I could stay longer but daddy came about an hour afterthat and sent me home because my mum had some relatives over for dinner and I had to be home. I was sifting through some travel maps just now and I came across the San Francisco map we had and as I was flipping through it, I realized I really miss that city! Really! I love that city to bits! The boyfriend and I are hoping we can go back to San Francisco again next year after we finish school and spend about 5 days there and afterwards go up and visit Yaozhang again in Seattle and spend some time in Vancouver too so I hope we can work those out with my compulsory 10 week long internship and all! Ah, there's really so much I love about that city! The blue cloudless sky, the people, the pretty steep streets, the fresh seafood, small cosy apartments lining the streets, the cable cars, union square, the Golden gate Bridge, the ocean, the weather and so much more!
Tuesday, June 20, 2006 11:18 a.m.
I was so bored this morning, I flipped through the cookbooks and decided to make french onion soup because I was really bored and I missed the french onion soup at Mimi's. I'm proud to say that I cooked it all by myself (my maid only helped to slice the onions) and the french onion soup turned out quite fine! I didn't put in enough onions (didn't realize that onions shrink in size after they're cooked) and the onions were a little too white but the taste is there! I think with a bit more fine-tuning, I should be able to rival Mimi's! Haha. Going over to the boyfriend's house now for kueh pie tee with his parents!
Tuesday, June 20, 2006 08:03 a.m.
I woke up this morning at 630AM while it was still dark because I slept at 930PM last night. Haha, now I'm wide awake and I want to do something right now but I don't know what to do. Anyway, I was unpacking a little just now and I came across the notebook I carried along with me everywhere I went in LA. I wrote alot of things in the notebook, like what I've learnt in the office, what I've observed from the interactions with people in the office, what makes the US and Singapore different and also other little random things like how to improve my swing in golf, how to get from one place in LA to another or how long to barbeque steaks till they are medium rare. I was looking through what I've learnt and observed during the 5 week long internship. To be honest, I think I learnt quite a bit (I'll tell you more if you ask because I've been taught and told many things in confidence) and I really enjoyed myself even though it was my first time working. I'm glad I didn't have to do anything related to filing or admin or database entry. I learnt more about labour unions and it isn't just about increasing unemployment or increasing wage rate. I learnt how to do a sales analysis for Sony, I learnt about mergers and acquisitions and how to file tax rates online for the federal government. I observed what it was like to meet customers for lunch and how you have to really mind your manners, I observed what it really means to have a family oriented workplace or how a company can increase productivity by regulating internet usage and traffic and really, I saw so much more and learnt even much more! I don't know what it's like to work in Singapore but I guess experiencing an overseas internship kind of sets the standards a little higher so I hope at the compulsory internship next summer for accounting school, I'll learn just as much, if not more. I don't really know what I'm going to be doing in the next 6 weeks before school starts. My dad wants me to work for him so I might have to go in to his office a few times each week though I'm trying to avoid it like crazy by loudly proclaiming I'm jetlagging. Haha. I want to work at an ice cream parlour but I have yet to discuss it with my parents. The boyfriend and I got a few things lined up and I'm intending to meet up with friends and do some shopping since I didn't do much in the states. Whatever it is, I just want to make full use of and enjoy these 6 weeks because this is essentially my last summer before I start work. Next summer, I have a 10 week long compulsory internship and the summer after that, I should be actively looking for a job.Monday, June 19, 2006 07:30 p.m.
Singapore is so humid and hot, I perspire the minute I get out of the shower and I'm all sticky throughout the day. How did I even survive the years in this humidity? Now I miss those times in LA and Seattle when I would get out of the shower shivering, or the times I whine to Chang to get him to shut the screen door so that I won't freeze when I sleep. I remember also the time E and myself went to the marina in LA for a nice lazy lunch and we were sitting under the hot sun and my skin was burning but it didn't affect one bit of our lunch. I didn't even perspire! Yesterday outside coffee bean at Serangoon Gardens, we noticed chairs and tables for the customers of Cafe Cartel and Coffee Bean but really, who would be so stupid to have lunch there under the hot singapore sun? Haha. I'm jetlagging so badly. I'm feeling really sleeply right now but I don't want to sleep because I want to adjust back quickly. Yesterday after chicken rice at Serangoon Gardens with E, I came home at around 6PM and while waiting for my parents to get ready to go to my grandma's, I fell asleep and didn't wake up till around 1030AM this morning. I didn't shower, wash my face, change out or even take out my watch. Haha. Anyway, met E for a while in the afternoon and now I'm in my room, with the aircon and fan at full blast and I'm waiting for my maid to prepare my dinner. It really is too hot out there.Sunday, June 18, 2006 08:13 a.m.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR CHUA YAOZHANG!! Hope you enjoyed yourself with your friends at the birthday party! I want to see pictures and as promised, a whole entry to you and your cooking prowess soon! Say Hi to Chang and I hope that both you guys haven't missed Edmund and myself too much and didn't resort to shooting the duvet (Edmund laughed when he heard that. haha) or walking around the house or playing Battlefield aimlessly for hours! Take care and much love from the tropical island of Singapore!Sunday, June 18, 2006 06:28 a.m.
My mum probably went on some crazy shopping spree while my father was working hard in Shanghai because she came home with 9 pairs of shoes, 10 pairs of tailor made chong sams, 5 handbags and so many many other stuff that she's happily displaying them out nicely one by one for us to see. Haha. My dad on the other hand, is mad with her because she made him dump all his clothes in his work bag so that she has more luggage space and she made him carry paper bags of duty free stuff and her shopping because they didn't have enough luggage space. Haha. Anyway, some rather dark and blurry photos of Seattle at night from Kerry Park on the last night where we had tons of fun taking ghostly photos! Haha. Unforgettable great view of downtown Seattle from that high point.
Sunday, June 18, 2006 04:37 a.m.
I'M HOME! The flight was unbearably long and I had a stomach ache on the Tokyo-Singapore sector so that made things more miserable but oh it's nice to be home, soaking in the humidity, fooling around with my sister, having my maid pack my stuff without me needing to lift a finger and having my own comfortable bed! Sarahwong and E picked me up from the airport and then it was straight to Thomson Road for Minced Meat noodles with chili and home made barley before going over to E's house for a while to pick up some of my stuff. I've got to leave the house in 10 minutes to pick my parents up from the airport! They're coming home from Shanghai!Thursday, June 15, 2006 11:06 p.m.
It's my last night in Seattle and seriously, I don't feel like going home to responsibilities and reality. It's nice being here and I've thoroughly enjoyed the company of Chang, Yaozhang and E over the last week. E left this morning for Singapore already and it has been quite quiet ever since. We didn't do much after he left except to have Wendy's for lunch, check out a Christian bookstore and then have a simple dinner of Bak Kuh Teh before we watched Spider Man 2. Well, yesterday, we went to Carkeek Park to barbeque our lunch! We had quite an awesome view of the Olympic Mountains and a rather serene lake (or was it a sea?). The guys played football for a while then we went to this small creek where we soaked our feet in icy water! Shopping at the University's village after the park, delicious spicy thai food for dinner and then a drive to kerry Park where we got a magnificent view of Seattle City at night! It was seriously an awesome view and really, it's just amamzing. It reminded me too of the scene at Treasure Island in San Francisco where E and myself also managed to see the city with all its lights at night. I just talked to my sister on the mobile and as I was speaking to her, I realized how much I haven't really had an honest conversation with her in a long time and how I haven't been spending enough time with her. I'm hardly home and whenever I'm home, I always just stick to my computer or do my own work or complain that I'm too tired for any fellowship. I think that needs to be changed soon before regrets start setting in.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006 10:09 a.m.
Updated the "links" list and added in Juan Juan, Aveline, Yado and Yaozhang. Check out Yaozhang's blog for more pictures and comical captions from our seattle/vancouver trip thus far. Haha.Tuesday, June 13, 2006 11:50 p.m.
Back from Vancouver! It was 2 days of pure fun, pigging out, walking around and just having fun! We walked on Robson street (I like that street!), had sushi buffet for dinner where we stuffed ourselves silly, shared a hotel room among the six of us (yaozhang, chang, jess, justin, E and myself), had dimsum for breakfast and did a bit of shopping at Richmond Center where the boyfriend bought me a new gorgeous bag (even Chang and Yaozhang said so!) and seriously, he spoils me rotten even though I can get quite demanding sometimes and we have our small little squabbles. It was really quite a good trip up. It was interesting seeing what the US-Canada border looks like (and what procedures we have to go through to cross the border. It's quite different from when we cross the causeway into JB) and the drive up was really scenic because we managed to see snow-capped mountains, potatos fields, nice buildings and even tulips farms so really really nice. I think crossing the border by car and knowing how the mexico-california border is like and learning about the security at the Ports in America during my internship, I'm convinced America is very open and susceptible to many different threats and other stuff. The security at the border was quite lax, there aren't fences along the entire border and all and really, I think I could have easily brought in drugs or an illegal immigrant and not get caught. Well at least I think I could. Haha. After crossing the US-Canada border, we splitted up from Jess and Justin and stopped by Costco to buy even more stuff, popped into Petco and then stuffed ourselves silly again at the Korean restaurant eating till our stomachs were bulging! Haha. I have put on more than 5KG ever since I've came up here and it doesn't feel that bad now because many girls here are real big but I think I'm going to get so depressed when I get home and I see all those stick looking chinese girls. Haha. Anyway, it's E's last day here tomorrow and my second last day so we're going to start the day earlier tomorrow to make full use of whatever time that is left. So far, it's been so so so good and I believe the four of us are having a ball of time laughing around, joking, spending time with one another, eating to our heart's content and all, I don't want to go home!!
Monday, June 12, 2006 11:19 a.m.
Would you like to know what living with 3 guys is like? This is what happens at 2AM last night. The buzzer for the dryer goes off and Chang starts taking the guys socks out of the dryer. After a few minutes:Chang: Eh, why is all our socks brown? Some idiot put a band-aid in our socks pile!!!!
E: What happened to my socks? Can you give me my socks?
Chang: yaozhang! Your socks are brown!
Yaozhang: No! All my socks are white!
E: (runs over to check his socks) My socks are still white! Thank goodness!
Chang: Why is this sock white! Why are the socks brown! yaozhang! It's your fault!!! And this whole thing goes on and on and on for the next 10 minutes. The lights get turned on because the guys need to discern if their socks are really brown and all. Haha. It really is quite funny. Haha. After that whole socks problem is solved, Chang picks up the rifle and shoots E and I screamed because I heard the pellet fall near me. Hahahaha. But of course, it isn't all bad. I mean, I just have to deal with the tv automatically being switched on at 630AM because some idiot set the alarm on the tv so that he can watch the world cup and I have to hear the ACS anthem and the Singapore national anthem every morning. Haha. On top of that, we write notes for each other in the bathroom's whiteboard, speak singlish all the time (quite refreshing surprisingly) and the guys gay around quite a bit and I have to endure that. Haha. Yaozhang is an excellent cook though and we're well fed here so I promised him I'll dedicate a whole entry to him soon! Anyway, we visited Yaozhang's church at Mercer Island yesterday and it's a small and cosy church and it kind of reminded me of the neighbourhood church I went to in LA. After that, we went to this really beautiful waterfront house at Mercer Island for his friend's baptism and lunch. After that was Pike Place fish market and then we came home for a singaporean dinner at Yaozhang's rooftop with Jess and Justin and Yaozhang made such delicious chili crabs, tiger prawns and chicken! It was so so good! Lunch now and then all six of us are going to cross the US border and spend 2 days in Vancouver! Just a second ago, Chang screamed GOAL!!!!!! and ran around the house like a mad cow because Italy scored! Haha. See what I have to live with?
Saturday, June 10, 2006 09:19 p.m.
Yaozhang brought us to his school (University of Washington) yesterday for a personal tour around the campus and specifically the business school and the biology department. The university is really quite a nice beautiful place with old looking castle like buildings, cosy libraries that make you just want to study right away and it's really quaint and lovely! A pity the skies were grey and it was quite cold yesterday! I cannot imagine how Harvard and the other older Ivys would look! Had a really good Korean lunch afterwards, shopped at Costco to buy seafood for our seafood cookout tomorrow night at the rooftop of his apartment then we had thai dinner with Jess and Justin before we all went to the Cheesecake Factory for some yummy cheesecake and wonderful conversation! Today, Krispy Kremes (or as Chang calls it: Krispy Diabetes) for breakfast and then the four of us went to the Boeing factory in Everett to see how they assemble the Boeing 747 and the 777. Pretty amazing and the factory is huge! They employ about 22,500 employees but a pity we couldn't take photos. After that was shopping at Seattle's premium outlets but didn't buy much before coming home for sukiyaki steamboat dinner which was super super yummy and perfect for the cold weather! Even though I like Seattle, I don't live I could live here for 4 years because it's so grey and depressing even in late Spring! I cannot imagine what it'll be like in Winter! Going up to the rooftop now for desserts (Haagen-Dazs ice cream!) and the guys are going to play with the guns again. Haha.
Friday, June 9, 2006 12:27 a.m.
I'm here in Seattle already and so is Chang and E and Seattle is nothing like LA! There are clouds in the sky, the weather is slightly colder, you don't see flowers in gardens but instead, you see tall green pine trees everywhere. It drizzles quite a bit here in Seattle. In contrast, it only rained once in 5 weeks while I was in LA! I still prefer California and San Francisco is still the best! Anyway, Yaozhang has a really gorgeous bachelor's pad! Lovely! He cooked a really good meal for us last night before we went up to his rooftop for some ice cream and the guys played with the guns. Today, we drove 3 hours eastwards to Leavenworth, which is a quaint mountain area Bavarian town! It's like Solvang which is the Danish town we stopped for lunch on the way back to LA. Walked around a little, had fun at the hat shop and then we drove back and stopped halfway by the river to have our dinner where Yaozhang grilled korean steak and Chang started a campfire to keep us warm! Really lovely day and I'm glad we managed to grill our dinner outdoors and all because I'll never be able to do that with 3 girls! Haha. The drive to Leavenworth was really scenic and we managed to see concave convex banks, snow on mountains, rapids and all! Really cool and it's like textbook geography come alive! I'm going to watch Star Wars episode three with the three pigs now!
Apologies for the smaller pictures. I got them from yaozhang's camera.
Thursday, June 8, 2006 11:52 p.m.
A few last pictures from Knott's Berry Farm, San Francisco and LA.
Tuesday, June 6, 2006 11:47 p.m.
I'm leaving LA tomorrow after a 5 week long internship and I'm flying up to Seattle for a 10 day holiday with Yaozhang, Chang and E! Looking forward to it and I think we're going to squeeze in a weekend to drive up to Vancouver so thumbs up to that! I can already tell it's going to be a blast up in Seattle! I feel like I'm not quite ready to leave LA just yet. Over the past 5 weeks, I've grown to love this city, greatly appreciate the change in environment and I'm learning so much, tasting, seeing and experiencing so much more, enjoying myself thoroughly, I just don't want to leave! But well, all good things must come to an end and I'm just glad for this opportunity! Anwyway, ever since E came up, we've been touring and holidaying quite a bit. Within the 10 days he's been here, we've spent a day each at Disneyland (I love Disneyland!) and Knott's Berry Farm, a Saturday in downtown LA/Hollywood area with Selena visiting LA farmer's market, the Walk of Fame, Chinese Theatre with some of the famous stars handprints and footprints and the famed Kodak Theatre where they host the Oscars and the American Idol Finals. (Sel, thanks for bringing us around!) He's been nice and patient enough to accompany me to the malls and we went to Crystal Cathedral again on the weekend of Memorial Day for service and it was just so grand with the raising of the American flag and the singing of the national anthem. Somehow I felt so patrotic after that service even though I'm not an American. We also went to Richard Nixon's birthplace and memorial library to look at Nixon's house and read about his history and presidency (interesting) so really the last 10 days has been nothing but the best! :) Flooding this post with pictures from the past 10 days in LA with E and apologies for not arranging them neatly but I really don't have time! I have quite a bit to pack still and the room's in a mess and I have to clear the debris from Hurricane Hannah (as E calls it) and on top of that, budget our expenses for the Seattle trip with E.
Tuesday, June 6, 2006 12:20 a.m.
Back from the weekend up at San Francisco with the boyfriend! San Francisco has my vote for the most gorgeous, neat looking, romantic city! We went up to San Francisco on Saturday morning and on the way up, stopped by Yosemite National Park to look at waterfalls which were just so magnificent that they just make you stare with your mouth wide open in awe! We stayed at the Hilton which was just south of downtown San Francisco and north of Silicon Valley. On Sunday, we spent the entire day downtown visiting the Fishermen's wharf which had a good view of The Rock (the island in the middle of the bay where they used to house federal prisoners), the San Francisco bay area and also fresh seafood! I love that place! We also went to Castro (area where gays frequent), civic center, union square (with the best shopping around!), a street that's so steep but gives a beautiful view of the city and has a lovely flower bed, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge to walk around Sausalito (most expensive houses with the ocean on the front in America), went to the twin peaks that gave us a view of the bay area, saw the sunset at Treasure Island, walked around the Golden Gate Bridge and just simply took in the wonderful sights of the city. It's really a beautiful city and it's just so soothing looking at the streets with steep slopes and the unique houses that line them! I'm still in wonder and awe of that city and I would love to go back there again and have more time! We came back to LA today and on the drive back, stopped by Hearst Castle which is a huge estate built by William Hearst a long time back. It has the largest private zoo on its grounds, a view of the ocean and the rolling mountains, beautiful architecture and interior designing, indoor heated pool with gold floors, Harry Potter style dining room and all! Now you know what the rich do with their money! We stopped by Solvang (which is a quaint danish town) for lunch and all of a sudden, I feel like I'm in Europe. Really cosy small town! Really wonderful weekend up in San Francisco. I have one more day in LA because both E and myself are leaving a few days earlier to fly up to Seattle for a longer holiday there! Not quite ready to leave LA yet! Ah! We took hundreds of photos ever since E flew up but I'll just pick a few :)
Friday, June 2, 2006 02:27 a.m.
The boyfriend has arrived in LA already and has been here for the past week so we’ve been touring and doing some sightseeing so there’s hardly much time for internet. To be honest, it’s amazing he’s here and I still can’t quite believe it! I’m thankful he flew up and it’s just so wonderful and surreal to be able to spend time with him here in LA and to just travel round. I will try to update whenever possible but right now, I have to get some sleep because we're visiting Knott's Berry Farm tomorrow and then we're going up to San Francisco for a 3 day holiday over the weekend! -----------------------------------------------------------------------------