my quaint world

I think living in Singapore for the past 10 years had turned me into quite a city girl. Or was I always one? :)

My little garden was in a mess, so I started picking out the weeds. With rubber gloves. *blush*

I can't help. In my imagination, there are bugs, worms, leeches, spiders all ready to jump on me!

But I only got stung by the "stingin nettle". And its a plant. *grin*

Anyway, here are my growing "xmas" trees (not sure what are they really called). I wanna grow some lavenders between them next summer.

Mmm, a new hobby?

4 Sept 2006 - Madonna's Confessions Tour.

I remember listening to her ever since, childhood, teens and till now, she till rocks. And she rocked Amsterdam Arena that Monday!

Woa, the lady was in command of her stage, turned the entire stadium into a discotheque-dance-club. It was a Powerful. Vibrant. Energetic. A gggrrreat show.

And she's still a hot hot hot babe at 48!

Whats in Amsterdam? Canals. Chinatown. Tulips. Prostitution. Drug.
Concert in Amsterdam? Bars. Drinks. Beers. Hotdogs. Ciggs.

No kiddin, one can drink and smoke! And bars are at every corners. Cool eh!

The evening started with DJ Tiesto spinning. People were migling, dancing, anticipating her arrival... And there she was, emerging from within a huge disco ball!

In fact, tickets for the standing area would be fantastic (which is more costly). Just feel like being at a super huge dance floor of a club! I got tickets with fixed seating cause I expected a chaos. 60,000 people maa!!!

But I was nicely suprised - No fuss, no rush, no pushing. Everyone was cool and happy. Dancing, drinking and smoking away. Hehe.

The lady was in good mood. She was smiley, chirpy and relax.

She said, "I've been smelling a lot of funny smoke around here *smiling* It's bad for my throat!"

Everyone screamed. 60,000

She chanted, "We are one, we are one, no more war, we want peace, no more blood, we want love, we want love, we want love, we are love...."

Everyone chanted. 60,000

She said, "Do you know that there are 34 wars going on in a world right now, and if I could stop only 1 I would do anything but I know that's not possible but I want to show them that it is possible to be all together, no matter what country you are from or what religion you are under the one roof like we are now in one big harmony!" And she asked everyone to hug the person next to us.

Everyone hugged. 60,000

She stucked her ass to the camera and then stucked her middle finger in between.

Everyone went wild. 60,000

Unforgettable!

I am bored. Can't find some interesting blogs to read. The ones I like are either updating too infrequent, or having holidays or not writing anymore.

I have been reading her blog, Girl. She writes very well, witty, funny and yet sexy. Recently, she even published her very first book. Then, her identity was spit out by the nosy paparazzi. Well, I guess it was a hardtime she had to go thru so she stopped writing for a while. I hope she'll be back soon!

Any other blogs to recommend to me?

Btw, Kenny's comments about Merdeka Day is hilarious - especially the part about our dear King and the funny pinch about flowers at the end.

Its still cloudy here but I can already see the shy sun peeping thru the big grey puffy clouds. I think he should be brave enough to shine for this weekend. He better be!

Its a long weekend for me - 2 house parties on Saturday. SGI-Belgium Monthly Meeting on Sunday. Hop, wiggle and dance in Madonna's concert on Monday @ Amsterdam. Yay!

Bon weekend!

Well, ma first attempt and it was a success! Of course, its cooking with assistance - a faraway phone call to my ma + Julia :)

Long Bean Rice

Ingredients
4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 large onion (finely chopped)
1 bowl of haebee (dried small shrimps)
1 bag of long beans (cut into pieces of 1 inch)
7 dried mushrooms (finely sliced)
1 piece of chicken breast meat (diced)
10 pieces of medium peeled shrimps (cut into small pieces)
3 cups of uncooked rice
Salt, Sugar, Pepper, Light Soya Sauce, Dark Soya Sauce

Instructions

1. Heat up wok with adequate amount of olive oil (healthier!)
2. Fry garlic, onion till light brown
3. Add the haebee and fry till fragrance
4. Add long beans and dried mushrooms. Add chicken meat and shrimps
5. Add salt, sugar, pepper, soya sauce and taste
6. Add uncooked rice + 1 cup of water
7. Add dark soya sauce to get preferred color :)
8. After this, put everything into rice cooker and add water and cook as per normal

Serving

This portion served 3 of us + 2 lunchbox for lunch at work next day :)

So yummy till I forgot to take a commemorative picture!!!

Feel like cooking :)

Never did I thought one day I will feel this way.

I just wanna cook cook cook and make great dishes.

STILL I am just cooking-day-dreaming.

Oh by the way, its great having a guest. Even greater when my guest is a good cook.

Julia sure can cook. Also, she's Cantonese so she make great yummy rich and healthy soup.

We have 2 visitors this weekend - Julia and ma sis, Kelly.

We cooked teochew porridge for lunch yesterday. My sister tried to give a hand in helping. This is what she made.

Well, we had a good laugh!

Oh, I've been to Nice and the Isle of Greece while I've sipped champagne on a yacht
I've moved like Harlow in Monte Carlo and showed 'em what I've got
I've been undressed by kings and I've seen some things that a woman ain't supposed to see
I've been to paradise, but I've never been to me

I love this song.
There were moments where I felt that way during my trip.
Then I'll sing to myself, softly in my ears.

One of the days
(Stop keeping track of days because it was a holiday!)

We drove for an hour or so to Monaco. Its a small country ruled for 700 years by the Grimaldi family.

Area : 2 sq km / 1 sq miles
Population : 32,150

Sun. Glitz. Glamour. Rich. Famous. Expensive. Tax Free.

The very beautiful and impressive Monte Carlo. Damn, lots 40 bucks to the stupid slot machines. But now I dare say that Ms Teh was there, cashing "out" at Monte Carlo.

I'd say we have to have a drink there, in a very loungy bar just in front of Monte Carlo. Parked right in my view are rows of Ferraris and Maseratis and many others which are too expensive that I don't even know em ;)

Just wanna checkout if the drivers are cute.

Well, who knows, maybe I'd get to blink an eye with Brad Pitt, Prince Harry or err Paris Hilton. But it wasn't my night. Damn, 30 bucks for 2 drinks.

Day 3

Went to Nice! Walked around for a couple of hours before we join the usual crowd at the beach. Ehehe!!!

All kinds of mushrooms @ Saleya Market.

Old town Nice.

Crescent beach of Nice.

Abstract cactus. My sister say you can see an image of a deer in this art. Muaahah.

Nice harbour for the rich and famous.

In the late evening, we took a long drive to the top top of Vence. It was of nothingness. Cold. Silence. Me.

Day 2

This day we went looking for real sandy beaches. Drove right up to the centre of Antibes but well, it was another narrow long beach full of merry-holiday makers. So can you imagine the noises surrounding you while you lay there looking at the blue blue sea! Fiewww - NOISY!

Took at walk in the evening at the harbour of the riches and their boats.

I did take some good shots eh?

Each morning, we walk to the centre of Vence to go to the bakery and market for fresh deals to make our meals.

Homecooked meals! Budget holiday la... but it was cosy and relaxing!!!

My most ingenius buy is the portable hotplate for cooking - just 25 bucks and it cooks our food well for the entire week, outdoor. Smart he!

The place we rented has a small terrace in front with a BBQ pit. I've never done so many BBQs straight in a week in my entire life!!! :)

Yummy! Yummy!

Day 1

St. Paul is a beautiful medieval fortified village perched on a narrow spur between two deep valleys.

A view around St Paul.

Olive trees everywhere!

Pretty tiny wild flowers growing on the pathways.

Ooh, the willow trees always give me a sentimental feel.

The wall enclosing the village.

Typical pathway in medieval towns.

Hmm, enjoying the sunshine.


We went to the 'pebbles' beach at Antibes to laze and enjoy the sun. But it was very crowded!!! Imagine sunbathers lying less than 1m apart from each other!

But the colour of the sea - deepest blue I've ever seen, and above the line of the horizon, clear skies of a lighter shade of blue. Breathtaking!

With that in mind for consolation, we also squeezed ourselves in between the sardines of humans.

This picture was taken after the crowd has left though. I didnt wanna seemed rude because there was many boobies exposed earlier on.

There was a fireworks display that night on St Paul. After the fireworks, they lit up the entire village with red flames.

This pictures gives an eery feeling, as though people are trapped in a fire but if you look closer, all smiles on the people! Look closer!

Ah, all the little things in life that brings smiles.

The drive to find the sun.

It was a long drive but thankfully, we arrived all safe and excited.

I think starting off a long driving trip at 6am is an excellent idea. Supposedly to start at 5am but you-know-me :)

Anyway, 6am is perfect - one can start off driving with enthusiasm, 2 hours later as the boredom creeps in, one will feel the pang of morning hunger.

After a hearty breakfast on board, one can continue driving with fulfilment for another 2 hours till boredom kicks in again - then its lunchtime!

Eating is the trick.

Then before you know it - we have covered 700km :)

Well, we picked the wrong week - too many tourist heading to the same way. In fact, this week is a big holiday week so we were stuck in the jam for almost 4 hours.

But we were close to our destination!!! Damn.



Anyway, when I saw this I was estatic :)


When we finally arrived, the night has fallen.

We were tired but safe.

Didn't have a gps but the manual gps (me!) navigated almost perfectly :)



It was a total of 15 hours LONG ride!

Oh yea people, I will be on a week holiday.

It'll be a 13 hours driving tour to South of France. Yes, its a long way BUT we just have to go to the sun. Its freezing here. Bbbrrr!

Will be exploring the region of the east French Riviera - Cannes, Nice, Monaco...

Found a small nice cheap (hehe, got a last minute deal) place to tuck ourselves in for a week, Maison de l'Ara @ Vence - to re-vitalise, to re-energise, to discover, to wander and to get a tan :)

So folks, see ya in a week!
Meantime, have a blast this week!

Last Saturday, I went to the Pole Pole, Latino Festival in Knokke with 4999 other people :)




We camped at a friend's garden. Arrived at noon, beers, pitched our tents, beers, beers, beers...




Afer couple of beers, it was real fun to try to upturn each others innards by jumpin on the huge trampolin. But it was fun!!!

Although I feel really woozy after 5 mins :S



Then we hop by the Surfers' club (where all the riches are) and had couple more drinks.



And people oogling. Then we went back to our gartel (garden hotel) and started our BBQ and had the most delicious ribs and salmon I ever had. Yuummyy!




At about 9pm, we moved on to join the crazy party at the beach till 4am!

Sometimes it just take a single lit of fire to start a catastrophe.

Well, well, that's how I feel. Just a teeny weeny stupidity of another, starts the volcanic eruption within me.

Now the world looks bleak and black. Just like the weather outsie.

And I have long grouchy face :S

How do we maintain to be in the state of high spiritness and above all these little insignificants that always seems somehow to affect us, bring us down?

This is the challenge.

For now, I try to smile, I try to wipe out the words, the deeds and the feeling of angers from within me. I try to make a reset. I think I'll eat some chocolates :)

Spend Sunday lazing at the beach of the Belgium's Surfers' Paradise @ Knokke. There were many cute surfers, sunbathers and topless sunbathers.

I slept, read a book, stared at the coming waves and blue skies, all in the sun for 4 hours. It was relaxing indeed.

Didn't do a dip in the sea though because the water is at f***ing freezing cold - 17 degree! Though the sun was shinning hard and my friends were burnt. Not me with my thick, strong Asian skin :)

This they call it summertime! Brrr...

Ok, I admit I have new addiction - blog reading or rather blog breezing.

I can't just help it. I can spend hours and hours breezing over the thousands of blogs in this world. Getting a tiny glimpse into others life.

Eventhough, I promised myself to stay focus at work, I can't help but to sneak an hour or so to feed my addiction. And many long hours in the evening also.

There's couple of blogs that I read regularly though - Karen's, Zoe's, Girl's, Kenny's and loads more.

Any theraphy to recommend?


Oh yea, Happy Birthday to Little Creature!!! ;)

And Happy National Day, Singaporeans!!!

Ok, its Monday morning, don't feel like working much, so I'll write ;)

I wanna have a mountain bike - Cube LTD 5 2005! Its really nice to go biking in Belgium - the forests are beautiful, view of the maize fields are endless, and weather is puurfect.

Reality sucks because there's certainly a limit to every penny in ma pocket :(

Someone buy me a bike? Pretty pretty please!

Aaahhh, tomorrow's my furry baby's birthday!

Nam is 4 years old.

I feel so homesick now :(

I miss his dreamy eyes and quiet moves and occasionally crazy antics.

Tanglin family, please give him a big kiss, big hug and big treat ok!

Feel on top of the world. Feel like going out.

Friday - We are goin to a outdoor party in Mechelen organised by radio station, Q-Music.

Saturday - We are going to Pole Pole! Latino party and we'll sleep out in a tent by the beach.

Except for that Saturday, I have to go to the hairdresser at 8am.
Too long, too messy.

Well, life's a gamble. I just hope it'll be a decent cut.

Cross my fingers!!!

Yummy!

Dark. Grey. Cloudy. Cold. Gloomy.


That's real the belgium weather.

Last weeks' been surreal.

When I arrived at work this morning, I saw the usual - many mails of jokes, pictures or articles from friends and family. And this particular mail from my Godma's sister struck me.

She sent me the experience of a friend, Angie whom I accidentally met up again recently.

Well, the story goes like this :

My housemate in Singapore was lookin for a Tech Consultant, after countless interviews, alas she hired Angie. My sister happened to see her pic on the MSN and thought she looks rather familiar. So my housemate just casually asked Angie if she's from Soka and if she knows the Tehs.

And she did! So we met up for a yummy roast duck lunch sometime ago.

We were in the Student Division years back in SGM - practising the song 'Achy Breaky Heart'.

Coincidence he!

And well, so knowing her made me read her experience with great interest. (Well, at times one can't help to be a little nosy he)

Its about her struggle in her past relationship and how she managed to emerge again victoriously and happy.

Indeed, it is inspiring!!!

It just reminds me that everything wells from within. Suffering or happines. And that is our choices.

But it is easy to forget, admist the current of life. And thus, to fall into the gutter.

Thus, the practise of faith is what keeps one's mind sane. The moment of calmness and reflections.

I will not post here the experience but if anyone would like a read, just drop me a mail.

I tried to look up here to see if she did posted it online. No but this site has collection of interesting and inspiring experiences from Soka members around the world.

Read it and share with me, the words of which experience inspired you most?

Oh yea, its work hours now... but normally I write during my lunch break. So no fret for I am no lazy bum ;)

But I gotta go now... loads of work to do :(

Stayed at home last Sunday. Cleaning, washing, ironing.



Started off with a nice european breakfast. Refreshing he - Serrano Ham with Melon :)



Finally hung up ma painting. Still can't figured yet the feeling it emits but there is just a connection between us. Anyhow, I don't have a name for it yet.

But it put colors to ma life.

Dunno what got into me last Thursday. Is it the beginning of ghost festival? :)

It was suppose to be a short team drink - 1.5 glass of champagne + 4 glasses of wine (I think).

Puked. Multiple times.

Drunk but still smiling :)

Crashed!

Ok, its funny. No more laughing please ;)

Sometimes you just feel so low down in the gutter. All energy drains, all smiles left, all twinkle in the eyes lost and all colors of the world gone.

Its just one of those days.

The more you dwell, the deeper it goes down into the gutter.

And unreachable to anyone. Undecipherable.

BUT its only you and you alone could struck oneself out of it. Remember never to blame on anyone else, and not even one too close.

For me, I go back to my basics - faith and I never will succumb to that of the twisted mind.

To people around, please bear and hold on without anger, prejudices or doubts.

The happy self will return.

Just wanna say that I've been a little busy and will get very busy with work.

It works slightly different here - the interaction with people. Just DIRECT!

I am still learning to be an extrovert (during when sober... ehehhe)

And learning to calculate and chase the numbers instead of the bits and bytes.

But still I am determined to do my best and be the best ;)

Ganbatte, Ms Teh!

*** Oooh, and how she misses NaM and his dreamy eyes and wet kisses!

Nothing much been happening.

Still trying hard to decipher the alien language. Started learning a little Flemish.

First word : Maandag (Monday)
Last word : Zondag (Sunday)

And it stops. Getting old, absorbing rate is slow.

But at least, now I can understand which days the movies on TV will be shown :)

Yes, it is LONDON!

To visit my sista! But poor me is broke now after a weekend there. Just the dirty 'Underground' cost me 4.90 pound / day * 4 = 20 bloody bucks! (= RM 120)



Ofcourse, some good monies spent on booze... hehe.


Nevertheless, it was good time I had la. Couple of friends was in town, just at the right weekend! So, we spent many hours chatting , eating and drinking like good ol times back home. Except, no mamak stalls in London!


Yes, I bought 2 pairs of ALDO shoes :) Couldn't help it. They are so sexy!

London is indeed dirty and really hot as its summertime now, especially in the Underground. Its a moving sauna!

Marks of chewing gums everywhere on the pavements, walls and on the edges of your jeans (damn!) after a whole day of walking in the city. Singapore took the right decision to ban that sticky stuff.

Still, its an amazing city. Very quirky, vibrant and interesting. All kinds of people from every corners of the earth came and lived there.

Each time I go to London, I couldn't help but feel rather invisible, like an audience watching a live fast moving play. People ain't watching you. People are just too busy living or err... making a living.

I felt I could just dance, or jump or dress as tarty as I wish, and could just walk down the streets unpassed.

You know that feeling?



One can't leave London without a good Indian dinner. And yes! Largest naan I've ever seen or ate :)





Just that the city is really filthy! Its disturbing to see. Perhaps everyone is doin, because everyone else is doin it.

Fellow Londoners, love your city and stop littering!

Poor me is down with bad bad sorethroat. Hurt like hell!

I have me one and only Nim Jiom Pei Pa Koa but it doesnt help much.

Took some xxx medicine recommended by a friend (description in flemish n french only!). I hope it will work magic :(

Wish me luck!

Because this weekend I am goin to visit my lil sista in London! Time for some long yearned hokkien babbling.

Pre-party drinks at ma place again :)

I can't help it - just love playing host and seein people enjoyin the foodies and drinks.

Talk about the next-day cleaning another day ok! Ahe.

We were invited to a private pool party. It was a cool party. Drinks aplenty, hot chics, fantastic DJs spinning (I got a free cd... heheh), dancing people, jacuzzi and of course, a pool! So, at 4am, people started jumping into the pool and having fun.

Don't ask me what kind of fun ;) Me didn't see any hot scenes. Too bad!

We partied right up till 8am! Fieeww, there was a moment - caught me in amazement, there I was dancing to the beat, sipping ma whiskey soda and the sun coming up on my right, the moon leaving the scene on my left.

Crazy party people in Belgium!

I think I have gotten this question for a zillion times since I've been here.

Well, thinking back, this is also one of the question I used to ask any foreigner that I've met for the first time in my home country. (So, wei, let's quit asking this lame question!!!)

Because now I know the feeling.

Its damn irritating! Eheheeh...

But I've got a standard answer now. And even could anticipate the standard response!

Well well, what could one say when being asked of that by a homelander? Of course, one has to say with the glee of excitement that 'ooh, I love it here!'. And go on about the weather, the food and bla bla bla.

Well, well, I just wonder when will be the day I will never have that question anymore!

Pppfff...

But on the upside, it is, in fact nice that people try to talk to me. But well, conversation couldn't be carried out too far due to the barrier of languages.

I do miss a lot the lepak sessions late night at the mamak with ma buds :(

Well, an update on how am I getting on here.

Might seems to be all fun but well, there is also lotsa challenges and I foresee more to come. Of course, there were times of ups and downs.

My biggest challenge is the languages. Understanding people and forming bonds is almost impossible now, I guess due to the missing bridge of a common language. Therefore, the more I should push myself to learn, at least, flemish to start off. And I am determined to at least be able to understand what is spoken within 6 month! Too aggressive timeline, you think?

Next, the new job! Sales is entirely different and indeed challenging. So many news things to learn. Well, I took the decision for the move so I will do my best. And I want to be the best and I will be!!! :)

GOOD NEWS - after weeks of calling SGI Belgium, I finally managed to speak to someone. Seems like every Saturday morning there is daimokukai at the kaikan. And a meeting on every first Sunday of the month. I will go there this saturday! :) Strive for kosenrufu, yeay!

What else, err, started running in the evenings. Wanna do it every evenings but so far, its only 2 times in 3 weeks. Gee!

I've also been cleaning the house weekly. Its spotless and hairless.

Next on the list to do - to plant lavender in my lil garden :)


Oooh, how I miss my crazy friends in Asia, the karaoke-ing, the Zion char kuey teow, nights at mamak stalls and me little Nammie! :(

Well, well, gotta be happy - life is short, so live life!

We are indeed party people!

Thursday @ Carre - Very crowded huge dance club with loud music booming away, swirling colored lights, ultra-flexi dancers, fireworks, expensive drinks, beautiful people and even a violin player fiddling to the fast beats. Supposedly very poshy and only good looking ones gets to enter. The bouncers there are HUGE men! Also, I got in! :) But alas, in there was way tooo hothothot!

Friday @ crashed in bed.

Saturday @ Werchter Classic - There was Bryan Adams, Sting, Simply Red, Simple Mind... playing in this music festival. 80k people in the big field! Woa, the feeling was exhilarating. Lost in the sea of humans!



Sunday @ Brussels - Joined the crazy crowd in Brussels to watch the final match and cheering at La Bourse thereafter. There was police everywhere but yo, they do look lost in the mass of cheering happy dancing people with the italian flags, football horn, whistles and fireworks.

Still much lined up for the coming weeks - London to visit me lil sis, Antilliaanse Feesten, Pukkelpop and whole loads of other music fests, Ibiza, South of France, BBQs and Madonna concert!!! :D

Phew, I hope I will be able to keep with it but at the rate the beers are filling me, I think a potbelly will form soon! :S

** She makes a mental note to always have her camera next time round