Friday, November 11, 2011
In search of the famous Seremban Siew Pow
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Weng Yin Seafood Village at Port Dickson
Lucky Seafood Restaurant at Lukut in Port Dickson
Hard Rock Shop in Melaka is open! ( Nov 2011)
And of course, I just had to buy the hard rock cafe guitar-shaped magnet, the second one from a different country in the span of one week (see post below on the magnet from Makati, Manila)
As for eating at the Hard Rock Cafe in Melaka, the restaurant at Hard Rock Melaka will only be open end of 2012 according to the guy manning the Rock Shop.
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
First day of this biz trip to Manila
I woke up at 630am for my 940am flight out to Manila. My mum's flight was one hour later and that left me some time after landing at the NAIA airport terminal 1, to take the free shuttle to terminal three where she would arrive. And en route there, (the terminals are not connected at all and definitely not within walking distance), I saw Resorts World Manila. If I had known of the existence of RW Manila earlier, I would have booked a flight back later and stayed a day there to try my luck at the machines, just for fun you understand.
But anyway, I managed to meet my mum at the arrival hall without any problem. The airport taxi cost 500 pesos which I think was a total rip off because it was such a lousy uncomfortable mpv and the ride to makai took less than half an hour without any tolls. The driver also did not want to give me back the full amount of change I am glad we don't have to take any more taxis for the rest of the trip.
My mum seems to be enjoying herself a fair bit this evening - we went to Red Crab for dinner which is one of the more famous restaurants here. After that, we walked away to Glorietta 3 so I could get my Manila Hard Rock Cafe magnet.
Tomorrow I have arranged a day tour to all the attractions in Metro Manila and I think we are going to have a pretty awesome time. It has been 4 years since I've been too Makati and sadly, I return at least 10kg heavier. I think all the travelling is really doing me in. Ah well.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Real Steel (2011) Movie
Friday, October 21, 2011
The Thing (2011) Movie
Friday, October 14, 2011
Tree of Life (2011) movie
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Taking a public bus to the Corcovado Train Station in search of Hard Rock Cafe magnet
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Journey to Rio
Saudade
Getting used to the humidity and time difference (Brazil and Peru are like 11 and 13 hrs behind SG time) is a real challenge for us.
In Brazil (the work bit), I learnt a word that accurately describes how I feel right now - Saudade. (Click here for the definition).
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Mad World
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Conan (2011) Movie, Last Night (2011) Movie, Bridesmaid (2011) Movie, and Something Borrowed (2011) Movie
Conan ~3/10. My CEB would disagree but I found the movie overly violent, unimpressive and predictable. The whole movie is essentially about a barbarian boy whose father is tortured and slain by a dark lord in search of a missing piece of a mask which would make him invincible. The boy grows up and goes in search of this dark lord to takes his revenge. It happens the dark lord is searching with his witch daughter, for a descendent of the house of some ancient king. The blood of his descendent would activate the power of the mask and give the dark lord the power to raise his witch wife who was burnt to death at the stake. Anyway, Conan manages to save the descendent who of course happens to be a pretty nubile young lady and defeat the dark lord. Yay right? Sorry but this movie is so lame.
Last Night ~7/10. The movie leaves the audience wondering whether the couple will eventually tell each other or find out the truth about the night before when each of them slept with someone else. While on a business trip, the man slept with a colleague whom he was attracted to, and who was of course very attracted to him too. And on the same weekend, the lady bumped into an ex boyfriend and they ended up in his hotel room. The only thing I took away from the show is that affairs by women are usually led by the heart and that affairs by men are led by their eyes and well, d!ck.
Bridesmaid 8/10.~I get why this show was such an unexpected hit. It was hilarious but with so many cringeworthy moments that I had to shut my eyes at certain bits when Annie (best friend and maid of honor of the bride Lillian) wrecked the bridal party, and when Annie got drunk othe plane. Do people like her even exist? Ok, maybe they do so the question is, are people like her even allowed out with a free pass from the asylum. Eek. This movie is strictly for females and those who are like...females.
Something Borrowed ~8/10. I confess I have not finished wastching the last 10 mins of the show but the show really is nothing more than a lady having an affair with her best friend´s fiance. After they both discover they love each other just 60 days before the big day. The stuff that my CEB would shake his head at and call a big waste of time.
I guess my CEB and I are going to be watching very different movies on our way back from Sao Paolo. I can´t wait till he gets to SP but before that I have a gruelling week of presentations and meetings. Bah.
Monday, September 05, 2011
Our last night in Bali - Matahari Guest House
Friday, August 19, 2011
Rise of Planet of the Apes (2011) Movie
Ape alone weak, Apes together strong.
Well "said", Caesar.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Time to come home
In a matter of hours, I will be dragging my huge (and v likely "overweight") luggage once more across the tired concourse of the airport, presenting my huge (and most likely "overweight") self at the check-in counter, clearing customs and then boarding the plane back to Singapore. Despite my stated pref for an aisle seat, I've ended up with a middle seat this time. Bummer.
The novelty of travelling has quite worn off. Except for the month I got married, I've been away from home for a stretch of 5 days or more, once a month, since I joined this new company. Not that I am complaining about all the travel which has been such an eye-opener and an opportunity for growth. It is the hassle of getting to the airport, checking in and waiting around to board the plane which I have grown to dread. Add that to lugging around my laptop for work (thou shall never let the co's laptop be parted from oneself), a handbag and a suitcase that weighs a ton, travelling for work is a far cry from travelling for pleasure.
But since work can be combined with whatever little pleasure that one can afford, I almost extended my stay over the weekend at my own expense because of a very attractive hotel promotion I received in the email. I say almost because...
Me "Eh dear, I think this weekend I am not coming back"
My CEB (long silence)
Me "Sale still going on and there is a hotel promotion"
My CEB "Grrrrr"
Me (ignores my CEB)
1 day later
My CEB "Me sick...caught a cold"
Me "Okay, take care"
My CEB "When are you coming home to take care of your husband?"
Me (ignores my CEB)
And sometime later the same day
My CEB "My wife don't love me"
Me "Your wife loves you very much"
My CEB "Sick...need TLC"
Me "In short you want me to come back asap without extending right"
My CEB *grinz
Yes, my CEB is the Manja-King indeed :P
It is time to come home, and home is in this case, where the heart is.
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
46 and going strong
I'm in a foreign land working on what is a public holiday in Singapore. A public holiday to celebrate the day Singapore declared itself as an independent nation, a different country from this very same foreign land I am in.
And being here makes me so proud to be Singaporean, and so grateful to all the people who brought Singapore to where we are today. Long Live Singapore!
Thursday, August 04, 2011
Madam Kwan's @ Suria KLCC
However, simply because we've never eaten at Madam Kwan before, we decided to join the crowd in the restaurant and have at least one meal there.
So we did. And a rather expensive and unremarkable affair it turned out to be. Good enough food but definitely overpriced given the quality and type of food served. I'll tell you how much the meal above turned out to be - RM111 - and the only item not shown is my longan drink which cost RM5. The nasi lemak was RM15+, the nasi bojari RM 22.90, kangkong (small) RM14.50 and the plate of assam prawns (large) was RM 37.50.
It was more than enough food for the both of us, and the food was decent enough without being extraordinary BUT I would definitely not recommend this restaurant to my fellow countrymen given the prices, unremarkable service and interior decor, and the type of food served.
Iketeru @ Hilton Hotel KL Sentral
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Eat Pray Love (2010) Movie
I finally got to watch the whole movie after buying the DVD eons ago. The book was widely popular in the bookstores then, and the movie came out shortly after but I hadn't made an effort to get either. Until my beloved ex-boss told me that she thought of me when she was reading the book, and recommended that I read it too.
So because my CEB wasn’t home early last night, I took the opportunity to pop the DVD in the player and catch the movie on my own. (My CEB hates this sort of movies). Briefly, JR’s character leaves her first marriage, a husband who loves her, to find herself. She then gets together with an aspiring actor, with whom she was wildly infatuated with, and then desperately and unhappily out of love. She goes to Italy to find herself, to do nothing but enjoy life. And then to India for spirituality and finally to Bali where she finds love again.
And I could relate to each of her relationships. Probably that is why my beloved ex-boss who knows me so well, thought of me when she read the book.
There is a scene where JR’s character said “The only thing more impossible than staying was leaving” as she realized the extent of her discontent and unhappiness with her husband and her marriage. Despite all the wonderful memories that they had, and the home they created together. And despite how much the husband still loved her as was evident when he refused to sign the divorce papers “I’ll wait for you…all I want is you”.
It reminded me of how I felt when I left men who had loved me– a combination of feeling just awful and guilty but still saying goodbye. Not to be true to myself, not to find myself, not just because I didn’t love them anymore, but because staying another day was unbearable and no matter how hard I tried and looked, I couldn’t see a future with them. The idea of waking up, coming home to, sleeping with them every single day and night of the rest of my life had become so abhorrent that I felt physically ill, mentally broken, spiritually desolate.
But like JR’s character, I need time to forgive myself. I doubt they have fully forgiven me either. Or rather, I know they have not forgiven or forgotten me. Esp the one whom I doubted loved me. It breaks my heart now to realize that all I do for my CEB out of love now, is what he had done for me all the time. And which I had thought as calculated acts to win my heart. Only now do I realize how very much effort he made, and how very much he had loved and cherished me. Something I could not ever reciprocate.
And if you asked me now, even without my CEB, what would I do with this realization, my answer would still be the same – I could never go back to a ruined relationship. You only cut your fingers picking up the broken pieces.
So, I want to end this post with a quote from the movie. "To have broken heart means you have tried for something.” I hope this comforts you as it had comforted me in some strange way.