tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53410252012-02-10T00:36:07.922+08:00PleasantInterludepleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.comBlogger10641100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-51098354197026555062012-02-10T00:36:00.000+08:002012-02-10T00:36:07.936+08:00A wee hours visit to KKH A&E. A night without sleep. Another 4 hour visit to KKH A&E. A screaming uncooperative toddler.
Perfect recipe for exhaustion.pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-62088854846267320252012-02-04T22:25:00.019+08:002012-02-05T01:36:24.491+08:00had an early dinner at cornerstone restaurant. located at bishan park, it had a nice atmosphere especially in early evening. it's a cozy place with both indoor and outdoor dining area. as the weather was great, the outdoor area was more popular today. we tried their salmon steak that came with aglio olio and salad, bbq chicken that came with mashed potato and salad, as well as buffalo wings and pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-14864856097013878662012-01-29T11:47:00.000+08:002012-01-29T11:47:06.886+08:00a week of CNY trip to Jakarta with one active toddler was exhausting. we visited our relatives, went to bandung and taman safari. taman safari has improved a lot and it's worth a visit. and I'm grateful to be able to savor the local delicacies once again, without any tummy problem for all of us.
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-26345619942639144342012-01-21T17:40:00.001+08:002012-01-21T17:40:00.450+08:00.. going back to jakarta after TWO long years.
I figure I'll be a stranger in my own country :p
see ya soon, singapore.pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-53775467956604467072012-01-13T00:02:00.001+08:002012-01-13T00:03:59.890+08:00It was so damn hard to find love in this world, to locate someone who could make you feel that there was a reason you'd been put on this earth. A child, I imagined, was the purest form of that. A child was the love you didn't have to look for, didn't have to prove anything to, didn't have to worry about losing.
(Change of Heart - Jodi Picoult)pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-71688574013753382992012-01-12T21:23:00.025+08:002012-01-12T21:23:00.811+08:00Read some raving reviews about this famous muah chee stall in hougang avenue 8, so we decided on a whim to give it a try, as we've never tried a black version before.
The uncle prepared the gooey balls meticulously, dipping each one to a bowl of fried onions before rolling them onto the peanut and black sesame bits. It did make a difference - the balls were fragrant and yummy.
Black muah cheepleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-90650609151290044512012-01-09T08:55:00.000+08:002012-01-09T08:55:54.497+08:00One of the items in my to-do list this year is to extract my lower right wisdom tooth. It already had 2 fillings, one of which came off last year, and a quarter of the remaining tooth was broken twice. The dentist advised me to extract it way back in 2010 but I refused as I was on maternity leave back then. I kept postponing it as I thought the procedure was scary, costly and the tooth did not pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-33649554655655943822012-01-02T19:48:00.001+08:002012-01-07T19:50:13.549+08:00
Christmas Tree at Changi City Point
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-17366251287017275612011-12-17T22:38:00.002+08:002011-12-17T22:38:37.855+08:00
Christmas Tree at Changi Terminal 3
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-14346023100316057042011-12-17T22:33:00.001+08:002011-12-17T22:37:32.981+08:00Attended my very first baking workshop at Creative Culinaire, which I signed up on impulse some time last month.
I arrived at the school 20 mins prior to the start time and was pleasantly surprised to find out that they provided drinks and slices of cafe's signature cake for us. We were advised to come at 8.50am to allow some time to settle down before the class started at 9am. But the class pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-70717836363760524772011-12-12T23:37:00.002+08:002011-12-12T23:37:09.469+08:00
Banana Cake
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-45807628728755441982011-12-11T17:54:00.002+08:002011-12-11T17:58:11.842+08:00I finally had a chance to take photos of the elephants on parade - at vivocity's sky park.
Elephant Angels, Ele Fun-Asia, The Elephant and The Cat,
Broken Pixels, and Happiness Maximus
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-19609384117594114282011-12-10T15:24:00.000+08:002011-12-10T15:24:04.889+08:00It's been a while since my last bake. As there's no birthday party invitation this weekend, it's time to hit the kitchen!
Rainbow sprinkles butter cookies
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-29137687803806628632011-12-09T23:50:00.000+08:002011-12-10T08:13:32.484+08:00
Source: papercostumes
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-33140994223774311022011-12-05T23:50:00.012+08:002011-12-10T21:39:31.699+08:00I've got it.
now why did this one give me a very different feeling? it used to be much more fulfilling than this.
Source: papercostumes
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-80333445878279513262011-11-26T23:50:00.003+08:002011-12-10T09:12:21.387+08:00
Christmas Trees at Central
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-11160642311957075512011-11-23T21:46:00.003+08:002011-11-24T21:48:41.829+08:00got our first L-series lens!
it's a 17-40mm f4.pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-4922595623190896392011-11-19T23:50:00.036+08:002011-12-10T09:16:46.512+08:00
Christmas Tree at MBS
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-78035198912674807582011-11-19T23:50:00.031+08:002011-11-24T21:53:33.935+08:00Gardens by the bay is finally open for preview! In conjunction with World Orchid Conference held at Marina Bay Sands, the Flower Dome is open for public as well throughout this week.
We arrived around 9.30am when the car park was still empty. Went up and walked along the covered walkway until we reached the Heritage gardens and Dragonfly lake. The view was superb, can't wait for see the whole pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-55580440895329589972011-11-09T09:48:00.000+08:002011-11-09T09:48:10.652+08:00Omg, can't believe it's been 14 years since this was taken. I was one of the girls clad in long-sleeved blue top and long wide white skirt, marching proudly in Istora, playing Carmen. Cheers to the sweetest highschool memories!
PSUMB - GPMB 1997pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-67960603329149093832011-10-24T23:50:00.000+08:002011-10-27T22:50:55.008+08:00Thank you!
A box of Pierre Herme macarons,
delivered right to my doorstep
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-30060608876204262502011-10-22T23:50:00.046+08:002011-10-27T22:29:16.092+08:00[Europe Trip] Day 8
We still had half a day free today so we left hotel early and took all our luggage to Zurich HB. Put our stuff in the biggest locker and somehow managed to insert coins to a defective slot - therefore I had to look for the office and ask somebody to take a look. Thankfully it was solved quite quickly so we could get on with our plan.
Bought a few slices of cheese from a pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-84406807345525605532011-10-21T23:50:00.003+08:002011-10-27T21:39:18.742+08:00[Europe Trip] Day 7
Morning route: hotel - Zurich HB - Winterthur - Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall. Had a quick tour in Schloss Laufen and then went down to take a closer look at the roaring water at Rheinfall.
Spent the rest of the day in Zurich: Landesmuseum, Bahnhoffstrasse, Spielzeugmuseum, Peterskirche.
Loved the autumn colors. If only the weather was more bearable.
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-48567381878088813202011-10-20T23:50:00.033+08:002011-10-26T18:19:10.731+08:00[Europe Trip] Day 6
We had an hour to spare in the morning, and luckily the sky was clear! So we explored Luzern on foot, while noting the various landmarks we missed yesterday.
We took the Golden Pass panoramic train from Luzern to Interlaken Ost. Breathtaking view, as we could see various colors doting the mountains - white snow at the peaks, autumn color in the middle and green at the pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-80734363466583459002011-10-19T23:50:00.088+08:002011-10-26T18:05:10.072+08:00[Europe Trip] Day 5
Left the hotel early and walked to train station. Took the 8.04am train to Luzern, followed by 9.08am train to Alpnachstad. Upon arrival we purchased tickets and rushed to Pilatus Bahn, getting into the striking red funicular traveling on the steepest railway in the world. Not long after, the 25 mins ride started.
At the top of Mt Pilatus, the view was awesome. The place pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-28357537592477969742011-10-18T23:50:00.000+08:002011-10-26T09:15:17.015+08:00[Europe Trip] Day 4
Spent the first half of the day for more exploration in Salzburg. Followed by 5 hour train journey to Zurich HB. We love train rides in Europe.
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-80346730061302203552011-10-17T23:50:00.001+08:002011-10-26T09:11:21.210+08:00[Europe Trip] Day 3
After a fulfilling buffet breakfast, we went to nearby supermarket to buy some snacks. Collected our luggage and checked-out from hotel, then we went to Westbahnhof for our train to Salzburg, arriving at 1:05pm.
Salzburg main train station was under construction so it looked like a mess. We immediately went to the tourist information center, asked for a city map and was pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-25732907599781185072011-10-16T23:50:00.025+08:002011-10-26T00:14:34.839+08:00[Europe Trip] Day 2
Started our morning super early as our bodies were still in GMT+8 timezone. However there was an old lady who beat us as the first one occupying a table for breakfast. On the menu: scrambled egg, crispy bacon, various bread, cake, cheese and ham, cereals, fruits, juice, tea and coffee. My favorite: corn flakes + raisins + lots of whole hazelnuts in a bowl of fresh milk. Superpleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-35074157575315051942011-10-15T23:50:00.065+08:002011-10-25T23:47:51.373+08:00[Europe Trip] Day 1
Yay! We're coming back to Europe for the second time! Frankly speaking, it's not as exciting as 3 years ago. I guess the novelty wore out after all; not to mention we left our little one home.
But Europe is as spellbinding as ever, and it's autumn!
Our flight took off at 1.05am. We got 2 servings of food during the 7 hours flight: savoury snack and breakfast. I love pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-89847473622947541752011-10-09T19:34:00.000+08:002011-10-09T19:34:44.639+08:00First attempt on apple-cranberry cake, using half a recipe. Olive oil was used instead of traditional butter. It's very easy to make, ready in about an hour or so.
apple-cranberry cake
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-87243985803740009192011-10-08T21:55:00.000+08:002011-10-08T21:55:14.972+08:00A few years back a friend gave me a pack of Pia Legong keju from Bali. She said it was so famous she queued in front of the shop in the morning just to get a taste of it. Reservation is usually required 3 weeks in advance to ensure availability. There is only one shop in Bali selling it, and their exclusivity strategy works well. The funny thing is, this pia is much more famous in Jakarta than inpleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-53492798101714851752011-10-02T11:39:00.001+08:002011-10-02T11:41:57.240+08:00Spirit Wings (Joni Eareckson)
Some birds live in cages
They never learn to fly And like those birds, I never found my wings
But Lord, your love released me
So I could see the sky
And now my heart rejoices as I sing
Spirit Wings
You lift me over all the earth bound things
And like a pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-74045623588875157802011-09-19T21:27:00.006+08:002011-09-19T21:42:09.383+08:00I'm back from the no-facebook land :) the trip was tiring but it was still enjoyable, with lots of great food and fantastic views.
First meal in Shanghai - Tsui Wah Restaurant
Xiao Long Bao at Yu Garden
Viewing Shanghai from SWFC observation deck
The Bund
Jing Gang Market
Entrance to Ming Tomb
Misty Great Wall view
Min Bao Hotpot for dinner
Summer Palace
Bird Nestpleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-35931616848994535802011-09-07T13:57:00.000+08:002011-09-07T13:57:11.661+08:00Do I look like a provider for free reminder service?
Don't people have calendars/alarms/whatever-gadgets/their-own-brains for that?
*gemes*pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-17889455229645214472011-09-03T20:16:00.001+08:002011-09-03T20:18:27.935+08:00First mass using The New English Translation of the Order of Mass from The Roman Missal@2011. Parts of mass (chants) were not sung yet, I'm wondering why.
It'll take some time to adjust, especially the response to "The Lord be with you."pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-67549282648112683622011-09-02T23:50:00.011+08:002011-09-03T20:05:58.448+08:00Went to Expo with Borders clearance sale in mind. But the queue was extremely long it would take some effort just to spot where to start queuing. And the books were scattered everywhere in the big hall, with only one category: fiction/non-fiction.
So we moved to the sale next door, John Little Sale. The variety of stuff on sale was amazing.
Anyway, farewell, Borders! I'll miss seeing you at thepleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-71511053159882134102011-08-22T12:40:00.000+08:002011-08-22T12:40:42.297+08:00Got my China visa!
After the last horrible Schengen visa application, this one was such a breeze.pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-79651972160449676452011-08-17T12:53:00.001+08:002011-08-17T13:03:44.350+08:00Best visa application experience so far: China. It really helps that they monetize the process and outsource it to a 3rd party. Form can be filled in and submitted online, appointment can be set in advance. Payment is upon collection and there are 3 choices: regular, express and urgent. The number of documents requested is not as many as other countries - no bank statement and no company letter pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-38347229377740164122011-08-13T22:54:00.000+08:002011-08-13T22:54:10.370+08:00Met up with my high school friend this evening at Skinny Pizza Wheelock Place. Commendable service - they offered water without us asking for it, and they cheerfully helped entertaining our toddlers. Thumbs up! And the food was great. Various choices of pizza toppings on crunchy, crispy pizza base.
We had squid ink pizza, garlic butter chicken pizza, crab meat corn soup and 3 side dishes: pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-41689108638405166532011-08-09T22:48:00.000+08:002011-08-09T22:48:59.181+08:00Visited the Singapore Art Museum today as their admission was free. I wasn't too impressed with their Art Garden, though. We arrived early before they opened the door and it turned from empty to crowded in no time. The majority in the crowd was family with young kids.
Even before lunch we finished our tour. Then we met a group of friends for lunch at Manpuku, Tampines 1. It was quite a big pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-22758002152767322962011-07-31T11:29:00.000+08:002011-07-31T11:29:27.416+08:00Nutella cheese cake layer bars. Sinful yet so yummy.
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-35842811104482355642011-07-30T20:47:00.001+08:002011-07-31T01:27:29.281+08:00My first attempt on pizza-making.
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-70143326282025126422011-07-29T21:37:00.001+08:002011-07-29T21:38:06.781+08:00The Girl Who Could
Once upon a time there lived a Boy and a Girl. They were about that age where they were curious and just starting to understand things - a little older than you and a little younger than me.
The best way to see curious things was to climb very high. The Girl was an excellent tree-climber. The trees were very tall. The Girl wore knee socks to protect herself.
The Boy did not pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-57322907822392998962011-07-14T09:22:00.000+08:002011-07-14T09:22:21.155+08:00Is it really a right time?
Should I start the ball rolling?pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-5382954205465551142011-06-28T14:27:00.003+08:002011-06-28T18:03:05.303+08:00was quite annoyed yesterday as the air tickets we've been eyeing for a while was no longer available. To think that just the day before i could have just easily bought it, but did not do so for some reasons. After another round of discussion with the relevant parties we decided to change the dates. And it turned out there's a new fare deal for that dates, $1k cheaper than the original one. Woot!!pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-40092195698733596282011-06-17T17:23:00.000+08:002011-06-17T17:23:00.125+08:00In a dire need of some retail theraphy, good food and a company.pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-28449115710674524312011-06-14T22:23:00.000+08:002011-06-14T22:23:03.816+08:00It's been a while since my last book purchase. I was in SingPost building this afternoon for lunch and came across a book sale booth. I couldn't resist the temptation. At $10 each, it's quite a bargain, isn't it?
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-81741816010938557252011-05-28T21:36:00.003+08:002011-05-30T21:31:32.669+08:00Plan aborted.
I hope there will be another chance.pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-46206431275202874872011-05-28T10:20:00.000+08:002011-05-28T10:20:11.043+08:00Went to Pasir Ris park for morning walk. Found out that there's a horse barn with a few horses roaming around. It is open for public, unlike the exclusive saddle club we visited some time back. They offer pony riding and pony feeding too. The cafe was still closed, but it did not look as nice as the rider's cafe.
Oh, there's nice garden and mangrove nature walk there.
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-25379085692150590902011-05-22T12:25:00.000+08:002011-05-22T12:25:43.577+08:00We returned to Punggol East for a morning walk. This time we walked all the way to the pedestrian bridge built on top of Serangoon reservoir, connecting to Lorong Halus Wetland. We could see the Sengkang East Dam from the bridge. Construction is still on-going, I think they are building connection to Punggol Jetty. Once everything's done, the whole complex will be awesome!
The Popeye's chicken pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-60008294804126365102011-05-17T21:35:00.000+08:002011-05-17T21:35:54.811+08:00Dinner at Kyushu Nihon Ryori, Hong Leong Garden.
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-77995753427392446432011-05-14T18:35:00.000+08:002011-05-14T18:35:12.541+08:00We had brunch at Riders Cafe, Bukit Timah Saddle Club today. The place was really secluded one had to either drive or take a cab in. But then it allowed for lush greenery on a large area. Right at the back of the cafe there was a horse barn. We could watch the horses being cleaned, fed and sometimes brought in or out.
The dining area was quite small, therefore reservation was highly pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-59929797354867289082011-04-23T23:50:00.000+08:002011-04-24T16:10:58.299+08:00had seafood dinner with friends at D'Kranji farm resort. a super sinful round with chili crab, salted egg crab, drunken prawn, sauna prawn, lala beehoon, sliced wild boar meat, black pepper pork, champagne pork ribs and hazelnut birthday cake!
*burp*
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-42400159005547950562011-04-23T17:15:00.000+08:002011-04-23T17:15:05.350+08:00baked gingerbread-man-shaped sugar cookies - their appearance was not worthy to be put up here :p
next round was brownie cupcakes.. not too bad!
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-78320052900620705202011-04-21T17:21:00.000+08:002011-04-21T17:21:19.142+08:00Talked to one GSC support analyst today who proudly told me she knows no other customer had encountered the same issue as us, and she was absolutely sure about it because she's the only one supporting GP for ALL O***** customers.
I could only say wow.
So how could I have many different analysts assigned to my GP SRs for the past years? I have so many SRs sometimes I couldn't even recall the pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-55438605257282494492011-03-25T23:50:00.028+08:002011-03-26T00:46:26.368+08:00Took half day off today to bring the little one for his 9-month check-up. Then we went for Hollywood After Hours at USS. I thought it was a perfect option for us to go inside the theme park without paying the full price, as we wouldn't be able to ride anything anyway. I didn't expect much to explore, but still it's a disappointment as they cordoned off most of the park area. We're left only with pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-3895617222757066952011-03-24T08:10:00.002+08:002011-03-24T08:10:11.962+08:00finally cleared, after 9 months plus and several phone calls.
*amazed*pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-64114218250654170882011-03-16T23:50:00.022+08:002011-03-24T22:09:05.676+08:00[Perth Trip] Day 5: Margaret River - Perth
We started our day quite early today at 9am, stopping by at glass studio to pick up some items and bought snacks from a bakery next to it, before continuing with a scenic drive through Boranup Karri Forest, South of Margaret River.
Our next stop was Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, situated where Southern and Indian Oceans meet. It's super hot and windy up pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-85647798578375947922011-03-15T23:50:00.021+08:002011-03-19T13:46:40.970+08:00[Perth Trip] Day 4: Margaret River
First stop of the day: Melting Pot Glass Studio along Bussel Highway.
Then off to Greek Chapel of St John. Too bad the chapel was not open so we just took some photos outside. There was a yoga class currently taking place in the hall next to the chapel itself so we couldn't stay long as the children noises would surely disturb their peace.
We had our lunch pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-11995533735568066492011-03-14T23:50:00.029+08:002011-03-19T13:38:05.309+08:00[Perth Trip] Day 3: Perth - Margaret River
At 10am we left our hotel to start our road trip to Margaret River. We stopped by at Hungry Jack's along the way for brunch. Then to Busselton Jetty, the longest wooden pier in the southern hemisphere, stretching almost 2km. The view there was terrific, clear blue sky and shimmering blue sea.
Next stop: Simmo's ice creamery. We had ice cream waffles pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-83374679879603821862011-03-13T23:50:00.030+08:002011-03-19T13:37:37.252+08:00[Perth Trip] Day2: Fremantle
Today's itinerary: Fremantle and Cottesloe beach.
It was quite a hassle to get out of Perth in the morning because of road closures due to some cycling event taking place. So we took a lot of u-turns plus went through several traffic jams before we managed to drive out of the city.
Fremantle was a laidback city with great view and great selections of food. Our pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-68143545016968678302011-03-12T23:50:00.068+08:002011-03-19T13:37:08.241+08:00[Perth Trip] Day 1: Singapore - Perth
It's traveling time again! This time we did it rather differently. Destination: Western Australia. Self drive, family-oriented itinerary to suit the 2 families.
Our flight SQ225 departed from Changi Terminal 3 at 1:10am. We arrived at Changi quite early, giving ample time as it was our first time lugging a baby around for a flight. The airport was really pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-59112468840333178402011-02-15T22:08:00.000+08:002011-02-15T22:08:24.941+08:00There are no innocents. There are, however, different degrees of responsibility.
(The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson)
I finished the book in 3 days - it's been a while since my last read. The story was even better than its predecessor, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, more so since I could straight away enjoy the story without the tedious familiarization of the characters in Swedish pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-33294210228673300212011-02-12T23:50:00.000+08:002011-02-13T10:07:14.532+08:00Had a lo hei cum steamboat session organized tonight at home.
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-79217427605388090502011-02-10T21:33:00.000+08:002011-02-10T21:33:58.007+08:00Took half a day off today for visa application. What a bright sunny day to visit Botanic Gardens - we passed by on our way to the embassy. It's been a long time since I saw the nicely designed main entrance gate - back then there was still a food center in Taman Serasi :)
Counting down to holiday!
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-56070196681835741542011-02-08T21:18:00.000+08:002011-02-08T21:18:27.755+08:00"Friendship - my definition - is built on two things," he said. "Respect and trust. Both elements have to be there. And it has to be mutual. You can have respect for someone, but if you don't have trust, the friendship will crumble."
(The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson)
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-88859927833764336122011-02-05T18:54:00.000+08:002011-02-05T18:54:29.047+08:00Went to Sentosa Flowers 2011. We chose the healthiest and cheapest route - going in on foot via the newly opened Sentosa boardwalk. It was nicely designed, with covered travelators to make the journey more enjoyable. However the travelators only moved in one directions, from mainland to Sentosa.
The flower display itself was not as great as last year's. Plus the maddening crowd, the almost pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-60102454908065481322011-02-03T23:50:00.000+08:002011-02-05T09:32:12.256+08:00Happy New Year, everyone!
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-36165358155269421382011-01-30T23:50:00.001+08:002011-01-31T00:14:02.833+08:00CNY fever is on!
What is new on this version of pineapple tarts: rice flour. With 1:3 ratio against wheat flour, the texture's more crumbly.pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-25086261031242816622011-01-26T13:58:00.000+08:002011-01-26T13:58:15.342+08:00I'm sitting in a bus now, listening to Corrine May's song on my way back to office after an extended lunch hour at Parkway Parade. I think I should do this more often, it's definitely more refreshing than spending lunch hours in office.pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-62328970974958874952011-01-25T21:24:00.001+08:002011-01-25T21:25:30.582+08:00There's always the first time for everything. Today I got myself tagged in one of those online shops' photos! My goodness, I can't even stand seeing my news feed clogged with friends being tagged in photos that are totally unrelated to them - I've been selecting 'Mark as Spam' whenever I got the chance. And I can never understand why all of them are calling one another 'Sis'.. And now I am taggedpleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-85120518897594546782011-01-23T19:06:00.000+08:002011-01-23T19:06:26.489+08:00Will you kiss the lepers clean, and do such as this unseen?pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-88642508571458730932011-01-21T23:30:00.000+08:002011-01-22T00:10:43.413+08:00After a seemingly endless work week, we started our weekend early by going to Orchard this Friday evening.
Our first stop was not planned. But upon exiting the lift we saw Sour Sally counter and immediately decided to try a cup. I was wondering how great their yoghurt actually tasted, as it's so popular in Jakarta. We chose medium-sized original and green tea flavour, with mochi and granolapleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-17279956443206595022011-01-18T23:35:00.003+08:002011-01-18T23:36:56.012+08:00I waited for Katie to make the connection, to say something about her own circumstances in relation to mine - but once again she surprised me. "You know what I noticed when I was with Jacob? In your world, people can reach each other in an instant. There's the telephone, and the fax - and on the computer you can talk to someone all the way around the world. You've got people telling their secretspleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-1918753627893700792011-01-17T11:21:00.000+08:002011-01-17T11:21:26.348+08:00And how am I supposed to explain the difference between functional and technical?
Grrrrhhh...pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-56753927371930872692011-01-14T10:24:00.000+08:002011-01-14T10:24:41.720+08:00Wondering how they do it these days.. When falling in love, romantic photos, mushy status updates and notes are uploaded for the whole world to see. What would happen when they fall out of love? Delete all those stuff, update relationship status to single, look for new partner and repeat from step 1?
-an unimportant musing on a cloudy friday morning-pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-47705321208479782432011-01-12T22:53:00.002+08:002011-01-12T22:58:38.150+08:00While blogwalking to a friend's new site I was tempted to leave a comment with a link to my own. I ended up browsing my poor, long-abandoned blog, and felt it's time to relive the passion.
So here I am, wondering what to write :p
Life's been great. I'm enjoying motherhood, so far. It's challenging, yes, tiring, for sure, but it's fun. A joy I've never experienced before. A new center of my pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-26730141687067506402011-01-09T20:58:00.000+08:002011-01-09T20:58:39.366+08:00Recently I stumbled upon Pão de Queijo recipe while wasting my time browsing. I immediately tried it out by substituting mozzarella with cheddar and tapioca starch with normal flour - those were what I could find in the kitchen. The result was edible and quite tasty but it did not look right.
So after a proper preparation (read: grocery shopping), I tried it again. It was great.. crunchy on thepleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-39602647102072951492010-12-07T20:41:00.002+08:002010-12-07T20:41:58.788+08:00feel like punching lots of people on the face today.
can I?pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-20509329474905445272010-12-05T21:54:00.002+08:002010-12-05T21:54:23.051+08:00Dear Baby J, welcome to the wonderful world!
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-45216974353354894772010-12-05T09:56:00.001+08:002010-12-05T09:57:47.216+08:00exactly 6 months down the road... weighting scale shows the original number, and my old wardrobe fits me once more!
woohooo!!pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-399747380367818542010-12-03T20:45:00.003+08:002010-12-03T20:46:14.811+08:00Ion Orchard's Christmas Tree 2010:
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-33739563619338103062010-12-03T20:44:00.000+08:002010-12-03T20:44:57.726+08:00It's year of the babies! we visited baby Michelle this morning at Raffles Hospital. Congrats to joyous parents L&M!
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-45886061137932239482010-11-20T14:12:00.005+08:002010-11-21T14:15:27.154+08:00Visited the newly opened Sengkang Floating Wetland. It connects Anchorvale CC and Sengkang Riverside Park, but too bad the park is not ready yet. The land looks barren with small newly planted trees. It will look much better in a few years' time.
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-77271926998905451072010-11-03T18:33:00.001+08:002010-11-03T19:00:14.075+08:00..and I simply forgot that I could no longer take any day off.pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-29594864395778521532010-10-09T14:29:00.000+08:002010-10-09T14:29:15.005+08:00Taken at National Orchid Garden..
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-38046687187786424692010-10-05T20:49:00.002+08:002010-10-05T20:49:31.452+08:00I am not sure why on earth I value integrity above all else.
Only to get disappointed time and again.
And if I can't even trust you, whom else can I trust?
Bye bye, holiday.pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-12895848809105517952010-10-02T23:50:00.002+08:002010-10-03T01:04:51.847+08:00Visited friends' place for dinner. Yummy menu for tonight: pempek complete with noodle, sliced cucumber and vinegar sauce, chicken drumlets, chicken wings, risoles, fruits, chips, tiramisu and cafe-style coffee complete with froth milk and cocoa powder.
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-67558493605836105582010-09-27T21:06:00.001+08:002010-09-27T22:01:18.195+08:00So how was my first day back at work, you asked?
I was pleasantly surprised to realize people was actually greeting me and some of them even found me in my cube *so touched*. They went:
"Hari pertama balik kerja?"
"Hey, new staff!"
"Welcome back!"
"You look fresh.."
"Hey, you're back!"
"Do you still remember your password after such a long leave?"
"You look more like a mummy now.. your pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-44556585077854457572010-09-22T16:32:00.001+08:002010-09-22T16:33:48.479+08:00To Baby Ryan, welcome to the wonderful world!
Congrats to the proud parents G&D :)
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-72311433853840817872010-09-21T23:50:00.000+08:002010-09-22T16:32:25.045+08:00Having additional family member means a myriad of adjustments. One question that everybody seemed to be asking was "who will take care of the baby?" The first few months were alright, as I was in maternity leave and both grandmas were more than willing to take turns to help babysit.
In the long run, our options are only limited to using infant care, hiring a nanny, and hiring a maid, if I want pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-56226320633310154712010-09-18T22:10:00.003+08:002010-09-19T11:52:58.343+08:00This afternoon we happened to be at Velocity with rumbling stomach, and stumbled upon Professor Brawn Cafe. Without giving it too much thought we decided to just try it out.
The cafe was nicely designed with a colorfully written blackboard, specially designed menu book and table top. The menu book resembled student notebook with cute contents: main modules - marine studies, livestock studies, pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-75178922880845792032010-09-05T21:54:00.003+08:002010-09-05T21:56:56.581+08:00I finally paid a visit to city hall area this afternoon. How things have changed! Shops mushroomed everywhere. My first stop was Marina Square. Thought of crossing over to Suntec but changed my mind upon seeing the crowd heading to/from Comex 2010. So I went instead to Marina Link, followed by Esplanade Exchange. Shopped for a while at Raffles City, before proceeding to Parco Marina.
I took pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-54734010585467520232010-08-09T22:05:00.002+08:002010-08-09T22:05:31.289+08:00People who do not honor their agreed appointments without any basic courtesy, lost my respect.pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-66266286794869669022010-07-29T23:50:00.000+08:002010-07-30T13:26:11.469+08:00Tried some cakes at Beviamo, Tanglin Mall this afternoon with friends. Ordered hummingbird cake, carrot cake, strawberry shortcake and chicken avocado salad.
On a weekday afternoon, the place was about 50% full. Service could be better, though. Carrot cake was good but not moist enough, we've tried better version. Strawberry shortcake was a disappointment. Hummingbird cake was a hit among us - pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-7911787244659182992010-07-25T23:50:00.001+08:002010-07-26T21:28:27.023+08:00Finally we had the chance to try Brotzeit, a German restaurant at Vivocity.
Ordered platter for 2 - Würstelplatte: authentic sausage platter with spicy chicken sausages, Nürnberger pork bratwurst, mini pork-beef cheese sausages, weisswurst sausage and garlic sausage with sauerkraut and mustard and spicy potato wedges.
Superb sausages! And the service was commendable too.
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-15234772621993100082010-07-24T23:59:00.009+08:002010-07-25T10:10:53.270+08:00Went to friends' house in the afternoon for an impromptu gathering, with baby in tow. We had the yummy lychee martini cake, settlers of catan board game, and delicious dinner from golden pillow. Their specialty is curry wrapped in fluffy bread. The bread was a real treat - soft and fluffy, great combination with the mildly spicy mutton curry.
pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-4835893614308123982010-07-23T18:34:00.002+08:002010-07-23T18:35:00.289+08:00Men and their gadgets.
I just don't get it.pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-61356766461955507072010-07-12T19:43:00.002+08:002010-07-12T19:44:04.043+08:00I kinda miss the good old days.
*sigh*pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341025.post-23605384186670525412010-07-07T14:12:00.004+08:002010-07-07T18:22:14.153+08:00I miss office for its aircon. It's terribly hot today.pleasantinterludenoreply@blogger.com2