Friday, March 31, 2006
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Photos
Have you ever wondered what my lunch is like when I cook for myself on a regular weekday?
Here are a couple of photos of today's lunch (taken by phone cam):
Location: Desk (right in front of my computer)
Menu: Stir-fry spinach, chicken with black bean sauce, rice, chilli padi
This is what a typical lunch for me is : -- rice, veg, and a meat dish which is sometimes replaced with pork ribs soup with lotus root, radish, corn & potato & carrot, bak kut teh etc etc.. Sometimes I have an additional kimchi side too.
As you can see, I eat very well even when I cook for just myself. Always a balanced diet ( though I should really try to cut down on my chilli padi intake).
Yifan was amused when he called home to check on me today. He said I am the only person he knows who loves cooking so much. Yup. I really love cooking. It's what makes me look forward to meals each day. Yifan did some groceries yesterday: fresh prawns, live fish and Grouper head for curry fish head.
Dinner is usually a more elaborate affair, and I sometimes cook up to 4 dishes for that. But mostly it's 2 or 3. Then a hershey almond chocolate bar for each of us for dessert after that.
Oh, as for why I eat in front of the computer... I do that because most of the time, I take lunch while watching a korean movie. I used to eat downstairs in the living room but lately, the reception from the satellite dish hasn't been too good, so I skip that altogether, and only eat there when I eat with Yifan. Also, it was too cold to eat downstairs until very recently, so I much prefer to eat in the warm computer room ( although it makes the room smell a little after that).
*****
Realised I have yet to post up pics of my new shoes / loafers.
Here they are:
The last pair is Yifan's ( in case you couldn't tell that they are guy's shoes).
Why this sudden shoe-craze? Er... My feet are the blackest area of my body, blacker than anywhere else..especially my toes. Hence, this is more of a no-choice decision. Also, I think I need a pair of walking shoes, cos it's bad to walk too much in heels and sandals. So this time around, I am going to try to wear shoes. For once. I know I'll have to standby lots of bandaids, in fact, I think I should stick them on even before I wear the shoes so I dun even let the blisters have a chance to appear. FYI, a blister nearly popped up on my left foot the other night when I was at DSW trying on shoes !! At this point in time, socks may be a good investment too. Ick.
Here are a couple of photos of today's lunch (taken by phone cam):
Location: Desk (right in front of my computer)
Menu: Stir-fry spinach, chicken with black bean sauce, rice, chilli padi
This is what a typical lunch for me is : -- rice, veg, and a meat dish which is sometimes replaced with pork ribs soup with lotus root, radish, corn & potato & carrot, bak kut teh etc etc.. Sometimes I have an additional kimchi side too.
As you can see, I eat very well even when I cook for just myself. Always a balanced diet ( though I should really try to cut down on my chilli padi intake).
Yifan was amused when he called home to check on me today. He said I am the only person he knows who loves cooking so much. Yup. I really love cooking. It's what makes me look forward to meals each day. Yifan did some groceries yesterday: fresh prawns, live fish and Grouper head for curry fish head.
Dinner is usually a more elaborate affair, and I sometimes cook up to 4 dishes for that. But mostly it's 2 or 3. Then a hershey almond chocolate bar for each of us for dessert after that.
Oh, as for why I eat in front of the computer... I do that because most of the time, I take lunch while watching a korean movie. I used to eat downstairs in the living room but lately, the reception from the satellite dish hasn't been too good, so I skip that altogether, and only eat there when I eat with Yifan. Also, it was too cold to eat downstairs until very recently, so I much prefer to eat in the warm computer room ( although it makes the room smell a little after that).
*****
Realised I have yet to post up pics of my new shoes / loafers.
Here they are:
The last pair is Yifan's ( in case you couldn't tell that they are guy's shoes).
Why this sudden shoe-craze? Er... My feet are the blackest area of my body, blacker than anywhere else..especially my toes. Hence, this is more of a no-choice decision. Also, I think I need a pair of walking shoes, cos it's bad to walk too much in heels and sandals. So this time around, I am going to try to wear shoes. For once. I know I'll have to standby lots of bandaids, in fact, I think I should stick them on even before I wear the shoes so I dun even let the blisters have a chance to appear. FYI, a blister nearly popped up on my left foot the other night when I was at DSW trying on shoes !! At this point in time, socks may be a good investment too. Ick.
Sad Movie
Just watched:
This is one of the better korean movies I've watched so far.
It is about 4 different couples' abilities/inabilities to communicate with one another, and how when they eventually decide to express how they really feel, it may already have been too late.
A must-watch!
This is one of the better korean movies I've watched so far.
It is about 4 different couples' abilities/inabilities to communicate with one another, and how when they eventually decide to express how they really feel, it may already have been too late.
A must-watch!
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Wake Up to San Francisco
We're going on a summer holiday... in May.. to San Francisco! Yay!!
I am so excited I've already planned where to go, and what to do. The last time I was there was 15 years ago, so things must have changed a lot since.
It's gonna be a pretty short trip- just 4 days, so I'm sure we'll be in quite a rush. Too much to see in too little time. Certain activities are more or less certain though... like the drive up to Napa Valley, and to Monterrey Bay. Perhaps we could throw in a night out in the clubs too ( on the first night) particularly since we arrive at night and it'll be a waste to just spend it in the hotel.
And I want to go Sausalito again. Yifan's never been there although his last visit to Frisco was much more recent than mine, he's been there 3 times! What else? Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard St, Chinatown... I dun even think we can cover everything we want.
Actually, we were deciding betweeen San Francisco and Yellowstone Park, but then Yellowstone Park is far far away ( MT, WY, ID) and I dun know if we can look at trees and mountains for 4 whole days. That said, I do want to make a trip there in the future. Hopefully on a road trip that will cover Denver, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah. That will be an entirely nature trip.
I am so excited I've already planned where to go, and what to do. The last time I was there was 15 years ago, so things must have changed a lot since.
It's gonna be a pretty short trip- just 4 days, so I'm sure we'll be in quite a rush. Too much to see in too little time. Certain activities are more or less certain though... like the drive up to Napa Valley, and to Monterrey Bay. Perhaps we could throw in a night out in the clubs too ( on the first night) particularly since we arrive at night and it'll be a waste to just spend it in the hotel.
And I want to go Sausalito again. Yifan's never been there although his last visit to Frisco was much more recent than mine, he's been there 3 times! What else? Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard St, Chinatown... I dun even think we can cover everything we want.
Actually, we were deciding betweeen San Francisco and Yellowstone Park, but then Yellowstone Park is far far away ( MT, WY, ID) and I dun know if we can look at trees and mountains for 4 whole days. That said, I do want to make a trip there in the future. Hopefully on a road trip that will cover Denver, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah. That will be an entirely nature trip.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
My Weekend
One of the more interesting weekends we've had so far...
Watched: 100 Days With Mr Arrogant
Really funny movie. I like!
people hanging around waiting for tables
Red Lobster was PACKED when we got there at 5.45pm ( what we thought would be a pretty early hour for dinner). The wait for a table was 40 minutes. Usually we would have gone off to a different restaurant, but not yesterday. We were really desperate for some fresh maine lobsters.
The lobster tank above is strangely set in the middle of the entrance, right where people go to register themselves for tables. And whenever someone orders a lobster dish, the waitress goes to this tank to catch them.
fresh maine lobster with wild rice pilaf and garden salad(not in pic)
fresh maine lobster with fries; shrimp pasta below for sharing
And my favorite:
Watched: 100 Days With Mr Arrogant
Really funny movie. I like!
*****
Red Lobster
It's lobster season now, so this was what we had for dinner yesterday.....
people hanging around waiting for tables
Red Lobster was PACKED when we got there at 5.45pm ( what we thought would be a pretty early hour for dinner). The wait for a table was 40 minutes. Usually we would have gone off to a different restaurant, but not yesterday. We were really desperate for some fresh maine lobsters.
The lobster tank above is strangely set in the middle of the entrance, right where people go to register themselves for tables. And whenever someone orders a lobster dish, the waitress goes to this tank to catch them.
fresh maine lobster with wild rice pilaf and garden salad(not in pic)
fresh maine lobster with fries; shrimp pasta below for sharing
Red Lobster's now become one of my favorite restaurants, together with Olive Garden and The Cheesecake Factory. :)
*****
DSW
Went shopping at DSW after dinner. It's a chainstore selling SHOES. Lots and lots of them. The place is huge. I should have taken pictures of the store, but I was too busy trying on shoes. No worries, I'm sure I will go there again. No more departmental shoe sections for me anymore. This is way better.
Bought 2 pairs for myself, Yifan got one.
Haven't taken pics of them yet. Shall post them up tomorrow!
*****
Dallas Arboretum
Supposed to go to the Botanical Gardens yesterday but we were out of time, so it got pushed back to today instead. And even then, it was a last-minute decision, so we got there pretty late -3pm.
The gardens is bigger than I expected. Pretty crowded, lots of families with young kids, and almost everyone had a camera slung on his neck. Everyone was there for only one purpose-- to capture (mainly) tulips in full bloom. Purple, white, yellow, red, pink, orange... whatever colors tulips come in, they had them. Lots of azaleas and pansies too.
Pity some of the tulips were already starting to wither, but thank goodness they planted them in batches so there were new beds of tulips as well. Given their short lifespans, I dun know if the flowers will still be blooming in a couple of weeks' time, so it was a good thing that we went today. I noticed they dun last very long even in the cool spring Massachusetts and New York weather. Now's still a little too early for tulips there though. April will be a good time.
Here's some pics of the pretties:~
And my favorite:
Friday, March 24, 2006
The Country
I stood at my doorway for a good 5 minutes dressed in t-shirt and shorts, with a bathrobe over it to keep warm. I must look a sight and luckily no one saw me then, or it would have been so funny and awkward.
The smell outside is so familiar. I recognised it. It's the same countryside smell that I remember smelling as a child growing up in Changi. I can't quite explain how the smell is really like. A little wood-burning, grassy smell, I guess. It's definitely not sweet-smelling, but somehow I just love it. You know how certain smells remind you of certain people or certain periods in your life? That is how the countryside smell is with me. It brings back memories of childhood. It's been a long time since I last smelled that, but yet the minute I took a deep breath, I knew what it was.
I'll be moving out of Durant in approximately 5 weeks' time. Out from the country and into the city. This is the first time it struck me that other than the physical visible things I might miss, I will also miss the little and probably insignificant aspects( to many people, that is) of this place..
The smell outside is so familiar. I recognised it. It's the same countryside smell that I remember smelling as a child growing up in Changi. I can't quite explain how the smell is really like. A little wood-burning, grassy smell, I guess. It's definitely not sweet-smelling, but somehow I just love it. You know how certain smells remind you of certain people or certain periods in your life? That is how the countryside smell is with me. It brings back memories of childhood. It's been a long time since I last smelled that, but yet the minute I took a deep breath, I knew what it was.
I'll be moving out of Durant in approximately 5 weeks' time. Out from the country and into the city. This is the first time it struck me that other than the physical visible things I might miss, I will also miss the little and probably insignificant aspects( to many people, that is) of this place..
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Long Overdue Pics
Some pictures taken from my cellphone:
[1]
[2]
[1] and [2] Dinner at Olive Garden last Tuesday.
[3]
[4]
[3] and [4] Smoky Allen BBQ dinner last Friday. Free flow ribs with beans and coleslaw.
[5]
Smoky Allen. It's an eatery converted from a trailer that is parked right next to the road. Very cosy indoors and very home-styled, albeit a little small.
[6]
The kitchen and check-out area.
[7]
[8]
[9]
[7-9] Bull Bash 06 at Choctaw Coliseum, in front of the ticket counter.
[10]
The old lady who works at the laundromat that I use. She's really old.. I think close to 80?
[11]
Char Kway Teow at Lion City Restaurant in Plano. It looked authentic, and it tasted good!
[12]
Hor fun just like how it should be.
[1]
[2]
[1] and [2] Dinner at Olive Garden last Tuesday.
[3]
[4]
[3] and [4] Smoky Allen BBQ dinner last Friday. Free flow ribs with beans and coleslaw.
[5]
Smoky Allen. It's an eatery converted from a trailer that is parked right next to the road. Very cosy indoors and very home-styled, albeit a little small.
[6]
The kitchen and check-out area.
[7]
[8]
[9]
[7-9] Bull Bash 06 at Choctaw Coliseum, in front of the ticket counter.
[10]
The old lady who works at the laundromat that I use. She's really old.. I think close to 80?
[11]
Char Kway Teow at Lion City Restaurant in Plano. It looked authentic, and it tasted good!
[12]
Hor fun just like how it should be.
My Visit to the Doctor
Saw the doctor for the very first time today. I've been having UTI since Tuesday, and it's pretty bad. Spent more than 2 hours at the doctor's office, and took an iron test too. It took 2 tries to get enough blood out from me for the test. The first try was a prick on my index finger, and the nurse tried so hard to squeeze the blood out ( I didn't bleed much). Then the doctor came back and said they didn't have enough. Doc Diana then placed a heater in front of me, instructing me to place my hands in front of it to warm them up, so there'll be more blood for the 2nd attempt. This time around, the " qualified" doctor came and decided to draw the blood from my left arm. A foolproof method. No surprise at the results of the test though. I have a slight iron deficiency.
The doctor I had was a nurse practitioner, meaning she is a doctor -in-training. Er, I was a little hesitant, but it was fine since her teacher was onsite to supervise the entire time. The whole process was very different from what we have in Singapore. Things are done more in detail here. I was asked lots of questions about my health, I had my height and weight measured ( and BMI was automatically calculated on the computer by the nurse), blood pressure checked, and some other check where you insert your index finger into a little "thimble". No idea what that was for though.
The bill came up to $118!! (and $9 for medicine at walmart)
That will teach me to drink more water next time, and if I have to go to bathroom, I have to go. No more trying to hold for as long as I can.
The doctor I had was a nurse practitioner, meaning she is a doctor -in-training. Er, I was a little hesitant, but it was fine since her teacher was onsite to supervise the entire time. The whole process was very different from what we have in Singapore. Things are done more in detail here. I was asked lots of questions about my health, I had my height and weight measured ( and BMI was automatically calculated on the computer by the nurse), blood pressure checked, and some other check where you insert your index finger into a little "thimble". No idea what that was for though.
The bill came up to $118!! (and $9 for medicine at walmart)
That will teach me to drink more water next time, and if I have to go to bathroom, I have to go. No more trying to hold for as long as I can.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Close to You
Just watched:
My God! This movie is the ultimate -- no storyline, senseless, and just downright ridiculous. If I thought April Snow was bad, this one just takes the cake.
I should have known from the name of the movie- Close to You aka Wisdom Tooth (!!)
Whatever you do, don't watch this. No amount of money in this world can make me watch this again!
My God! This movie is the ultimate -- no storyline, senseless, and just downright ridiculous. If I thought April Snow was bad, this one just takes the cake.
I should have known from the name of the movie- Close to You aka Wisdom Tooth (!!)
Whatever you do, don't watch this. No amount of money in this world can make me watch this again!
Read all about it...
Idol Mania
Congrats to Jonathan who made it thru to the last round of Singapore Idol. I still can't quite picture him singing.. and singing Aerosmith's " Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" too !! Think how fun it'll be if he ends up in the top 10. Everyone would be so proud, and I can tell friends that I know so-and-so. Hehe.
We should have a cousins- ktv session next time. I so want to hear him sing in person. -- Jonathan of all people!
Lumut
Kel is leaving for Lumut this Friday, and will be there for 3 long weeks. Take care of yourself, stay healthy and injury-free, and have lots of fun! Talk to you when you get back.
Skype
I have skype now. My username is " speisaal" if anyone wants to add me.
Lovers in Prague
Silly me downloaded the series from backwards and in a random fashion, so now I have completed episodes 16-18 and some others here and there, but not the first few episodes. (!) I do have episode 1 though, and I can watch that in the meantime, and then wait mabbe 2 days? for episode 2 to be done. Argh! The thing with torrents.
I *heart* idol unlimited for the direct downloads.
Congrats to Jonathan who made it thru to the last round of Singapore Idol. I still can't quite picture him singing.. and singing Aerosmith's " Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" too !! Think how fun it'll be if he ends up in the top 10. Everyone would be so proud, and I can tell friends that I know so-and-so. Hehe.
We should have a cousins- ktv session next time. I so want to hear him sing in person. -- Jonathan of all people!
Lumut
Kel is leaving for Lumut this Friday, and will be there for 3 long weeks. Take care of yourself, stay healthy and injury-free, and have lots of fun! Talk to you when you get back.
Skype
I have skype now. My username is " speisaal" if anyone wants to add me.
Lovers in Prague
Silly me downloaded the series from backwards and in a random fashion, so now I have completed episodes 16-18 and some others here and there, but not the first few episodes. (!) I do have episode 1 though, and I can watch that in the meantime, and then wait mabbe 2 days? for episode 2 to be done. Argh! The thing with torrents.
I *heart* idol unlimited for the direct downloads.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
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