they took away my massage/facial treat

After months of saving up my nectar points, I discovered that they had taken off the massage/ facial redemption. Arghhhhh I want my Elemis massage/facial!

That puts me in foul mood today. It is not easy to stash up that much points...when £1 spend = 2 points.

Next destination: wales or rotterdam?

I hope it is Rotterdam, 1 week before heading wales because the TULIPS are blooming already! I still remember how mesmerised I was, just looking at those spring photos taken using my old mobile's camera make me crave for more tulips!

These are some photos taken by my friend when he visited last year, in London. Was it the millennium park at Westminster? Argh, I am lousy with these names. It is just one of the small patches of green, and you will never suspect that it can look so good with tulips blooming.

gym

Yesterday I joined a gym, as a spy.

Today I went there to exercise-did 1/2 hour of excercise(burnt 180 calories), and perhaps 1/2 hour of cooling down. The problem is, they have a cafe brewing Starbucks coffee overlooking a lake with nice sofas for reading and I can spend an afternoon reading there. I saw people enjoying their afternoon tea there and a woman sitting at a corner table with a pile of papers/books. She looked like she was doing research or mugging for exams. I think I can join them here next week!

What is the calorie content of a cup of Cappucino, tall? What if I get hungry and get a biscoti? The carrot cakes looked good too. Aw... no no no. That would be bad for my wallet and my waist!

I actually miss the level of "service" in singapore and malaysia, can you believe it?? The service in the retail sector is fantastic; returns exchanges, try ons without those sales girl acting like you are a beggar. However once you are out of the retail sector and dealing with the more gentle older people, eg- those around 20 gym staff, you can vomit blood.

Being a spy, I have to come in contact with them to assess the service. Now, I dont know how to fill up the forms. Hammer them too much, and I may suffer consequences, as I think I like the club and may remain a member after the spying mission. How?

I also found a nice place doing Decleor facials, giving 20% discounts until mid april. Decleor any good? Heard that they dont use machines or do extraction. Hmm... I think I miss extractions.

Is he hot? I shook hands with him.

What do you think? Do you think he is hot? Apparently, lots of girls do. Ok, found a smarter looking photo of this guy. Not too bad right? He is better looking in real life, but errr.. short. shorter than hubby.

My night was divided into 2 components:
1) the bimbo
2) the intellectual


The bimbo:
Met K Simmons at an event today, and he started talking to us, and extended his hand. Apparently, quite a few gals would trade quite a lot to me in my position, shaking his hands and chatting with him . Problem is, I had no idea he is hot, until someone tell me he is hot. To me he is just a reporter (ITV? I only know Jeremy Paxman). Next time I see him on tv, i will be able to tell hubby i shoke hands with him before, and he is cuter in real life. sure annoy the hell out of him :P

Alright, work is not too bad if I get to shake hands with guys like him more often. I am easily bought over.

The intellectual:
Alright, I had my free food and wine, and need to do some entertaining and remind boss why she pays me. Got to show some opinion and have intelligent conversation with her guests :(

Aside for being a bimbo and grinning like a silly C******cat, I also had an intellectual discussion. Would life be better if I knew what I know now when I was 16? Most people wish they did! More successful, taken better "paths". NUTS!! I think that you can only be young and silly once. I am glad that I was young, silly, naive, dare devil, stupid, whatever you call it. I enjoyed it! I had great fun! I did things that I will never be able to do again in a later part of life like.... errr dunno what. Cant give examples. But it was fun, ok?

Wouldnt want to trade the ignorance and silliness for anything in life. That gave us fun, that gave us hope. That makes us what we are today.

New invention: Niang (stuffed) Yorkshire pudding

Yesterday I invented a new recipe- Niang(stuffed) Yorkshire pudding

It all started because I have some extra mini yorkshire puddings from Sainsburry and I had no place to put them, and I also had some mincemeat left after another attempt to make "lion head". The lion head attempt did not materialise because we had eaten up all the meat balls before they get a chance to be stewed into lion head. Instead, we just cooked them with "tang hoon"- mung bean noodles- soup. Yummy!

The accidental invention of niang yorkshire pudding was yummy!

Ingredients
6 mini Yorkshire pudding shells (can get those frozen ones from sainsbury, or DIY)
1 bowl mince meat
1 egg
1 tbsp of corn flour
1 tbsp of those "flour" you use to make instant mashed potato. (I think this is optional)
about 1-2tbsp of milk (this is to make the stuffing more watery, so that the puddings will turn out soggy in the centre, crispy outside)
1 pinch of pepper
1 pinch of italian herbs, a bit of extra thyme if you like it

How to do?
Mix all these things together
Fill up the "centre" of puddings with the meat
put into oven for 10 minutes.


Unfortunately I dont know the oven temperature, as I just used the leftover heat from making cakes. (probably around 150C??) I think it is impt not to leave it too long, cos it would dry out the meat stuffing.

I think I will make more of these when I need to go for picnics!


Now I got cravings for Niang tofu!!! Where can I find the fish???

1 pound lighter.....my hair!

Thursday was spent spending money.

Had lunch with Bisoumoi in Chinatown, and wolf down a big plate of Japanese curry rice! It is fun meeting up with someone whose' life you always read about; there is this surprising level of familiarity with someone who you have never met before! That- is the magic of blogs.

The haircut was a disaster and a disappointment.

Firstly, hubby called the Stamford St branch to book. No one told him that he is not supposed to go there, but to go to New Oxford St. So, we happily went to the Stamford St branch, and told that we got the place wrong. What followed was a rush with a bulging tummy (it is the Japanese curry, you think what?) on foot, on Tube.

There was this most unhelpful dog at that branch who answers your queries with a dismissive "No". Any empty slots in other classes? No. Can we book a session the following week? No. No empty space. If not for the lady next to him who tried to help and ask him to check- there are indeed spaced next Mon-Wed (but bloody idiot did not tell us), I would have ended my queries with a "that's all".I bet the little G** would have watched the Devil Wears Prada and knew what i was doing.

So, I ended up cutting my hair in Chinatown (I have been psychoed into believing that ang mohs generally cannot cut asian hair properly, unless they are damn good-£££). Gosh. That was really risky and scary! The woman took out SO MUCH hair in the layering that I feel I have no hair left. It looks at the shop because she ironed it straight--but the next day.

Since I stupidly left the camera with hubby, I ended up going shopping. And spending £££ again. I hope my daffodils will survive the predicted cold snap next week!

Animated "we Live in Singapura".

JY sent me this link!



I still like the original one where Hossan shake his bon bon while singing. I really laughed my head off!

tomorrow is play day!

Today was just so enjoyable at work.

peaceful
Productive.
I can work 6 days a week if everyday is like that.

Tomorrow will be my play day:
AM: walk in parks? got time to buy shoes?
PM: Ladies who lunch?
PM-T&G haircut
evening? more parks/shopping at chinatown?
doze off

Have been struggling whether to work FT or not. I can live with a sudden increase of salary by 40%. The difference would be enough to send my parents on a HK trip. ££ is damn tempting! If I work FT, they will happily go on a monthly trip!!Awwwwww.......

Therefore, I struggle, struggle, struggle.. ££ vs health and sanity.

However, I decided fully NOT to go full time, not to work 5 days a week in the office, no matter what! That will mean someone will sharpen his arrows even more (not that he is not doing it already). If I work 5 days, I think my poor health really wont be able to take it well too, taking into account the work loads and also the commuting I have to do. I still remember how bad my health was, and how a big portion of what I earned went to the doctors.

I will offer to work 4 days, and an additional day from home when we have many contracts if Boss finds it ok. I will come back to office as and when necessary.

Dont want to waste another 1/7th of my life bickering in the office.

Da Xiao Ren software and dart boards

For those stressful days when you get poked/jabbed at the back : Da Xiao Ren!

I dont believe in these things but I don't mind having someone's photo and whack it with clogs/pin on a dart board. Maybe I should do it when I go back.

I think it will be a good business idea to make dart boards with photos of GB's on them...

hmmm floor mats are not bad too. Insoles? Sole of shoes? hehehe.. plaster a photos there?

Ops, revealing my nutty, evil side.

No water to shower....

Shower is broken

So, I either have to

1. use the bath tub-slow. Not what you want to do everyday. How to wash my hair PROPERLY?
2. dun bath
3. bath sam hui style. Too bad the you tube video is removed already, otherwise I would have put it here! Basically I have to make use of a basin and a towel. Sigh. I dont think I have used this method for the past 20 years? Only remember doing something like this when there was a long drought when I was a small kid.

And the landlord is suddenly busy again. A few says ago, he was super efficient in calling the management people, who in turn told us they could turn up at before 8 am to inspect the flat to detect reasons for the mould. Woah... suddenly so efficient? For months, they don't do anything, and now?

Oxford's Saxon Tower

Full name: THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. MICHAEL AT THE NORTH GATE
with
ST. MARTIN AND ALL SAINTS

This is probably one of the oldest buildings in Oxford

The Saxon Tower of St Michael at the North Gate is nearly 1000 years old and is Oxford’s oldest building. This is the tower which could offer you a view of of Oxford-what Samuel Johnson referred to as the “city of dreaming spires”. But if you are as cheapskate as we are, then hit the meadows.

I have been there at least 2-3 times, this time to bring ET there. It is sad that many tourists just walk pass this boring looking building (when you compare to the others in Oxford!), without realising that this is probably the oldest public building on Oxford!

What attracted me, and brought me in, are the stained glass windows. It is not one of those wow wow stained glass work, but perhaps being OXFORD's City Church, it always have something to amuse you, be it a simple poem, or a some of words strung together to form a sentence. The war must have taken given a lot of pain here, and a lot of love have been etched here and there within this building in memory of some loved ones.

These caught my attention:

When you go home,
Tell them of us and say:
For your tomorrow
We gave our today.

That was something from the POWs.

High Wycombe

High Wycombe is prettier and had a lot more shopping than I expected!

We decided to have a driving cum mystery shopping day, to destress, and picked high wycombe! We passed by this town a many time on our way to and from oxford, and i noticed that this "town" has 2 exits, and looks really pretty at night with the lights.

High Wycombe is really hilly, and like many English towns, have a love for round about-s. Not long after coming out of M40, we were greeted with 3 linked roundabouts! Nuts.

It is a pity that the the cherry trees are at the end of the blooms, otherwise some stretches of road would be really impressive. We drove along A40 to Oxford, pass some farms-horses, cows, sheep etc. It was a really pretty drive, with daffodils lining the roads and blooming cherry tress along some stretches. there was a steep slope which is >14degrees, and I made a mental note to drive here once I get a convertible! Hahaha...

We decided to visit Hell fire Caves-a long series of tunnel which is supposedly haunted. Too bad, due to some electricity problems, it was closed when we visited. Anyway, we still had fun walking on the hill and burn off some of the calories we piled on during our pub meals, before going back to another meal and some shopping :D. I think I will make it a point to shop in High Wycombe next time. Good shopping town, cheap parking!

...

Cherry tree blooms are really hard to catch. The light almost white pink hue means that it could be really difficult to catch well on a camera, unless you have a very good one. You just got to be there, and see the real thing. It is a real pity that we miss the Oxford's blooms this year-again. You got to be free at the right time! Sigh. Missed the cherry, hope to catch the tulips! hehehe.. I know it only cost £13 for a day trip to Belgium. Dying to go! Hopefully ZK can make it this Saturday, and we will join this gang of youngsters to go, as opposed to plan B, join a trip organised by an UB's travel agent. Looking at the clientèle, we do suspect that it will be a silver company.

Now that we have decided to move back to town, I think I am beginning to miss this place. We are 1/2 hour to the Chilterns and 1 hour to the Cotswolds. And now with the car, and me getting behind the wheels..... Sigh. I will dread the 13 mile each way drive to work when I move out.

Humongous words

This week's new theme:

Humongous words. Yes, the more complicated it is, the better, and preferably used in an alliterative way.

Eg, make sentences like:
...to include inputs, involvement and interactions of important members....

Then, insist on Englishness, by saying:
"....irregardless..., we have to use UK spelling!!!"

Damn, it feels like I am back to secondary two. J was angry because he lost to a gal in science. Gals should be terrible in science and losing to one was a major loss of face to a pimply 14 year old.

So, J threw me huge huge words. Big was slum-ish. Large was laughable. Only humongous words could show off your intellect. :D I miss "quarrels" with J. We were after all really good friends, and J actually brought along a dictionary in school. Honestly, without J, I wont be who I am. He is one of those important friends in your development stage who helped to shape who you are today.

This is how we used to fight:

"choppp!!! What did you say?"

"xyz! Don't you understand? Proven-girls are stupid"

"Don't understand! Not like you, I don't speak English at home! Ok, why don't we speak in Chinese? Speak Chinese!"

[For someone who could not even pronounce his name accurately in Chinese...] "Ok, ok. Check dictionary..."

Wait, how do you spell XYZ?

Girls are stupid, X-Y-Z!!!! Grrrr.

.... and then I would check the dictionary & get angry when I realised what he meant. During the "cease fire", I would compose my argument by substituting the words with humongous synonyms to scold him.

Those were the fun, innocent days. Where did they go?

This time, it is not innocent. It is a constant stress.

Gosh, I am a lazy bum. Why must you insult me?

This has to be blogged!! -"BLOODY FOREIGNERS"

What happens when you go to someone else's country and do as well as/better than them?

1) you are lucky-they actually appreciate you-wow! foreign talent, good for the economy!
2) you are not so lucky-they quietly wonder why you don't go home, behind your back, and lament that their rice bowl is threatened by people like you. What will happen to their children? Compete with yours? -- does this sound familiar? I am sure we all have been in this position before, when Mr's Brown's Ren Ren got the no 1 place (again) in school.
3) you are in a "normal"(at least you try to tell yourself) situation?- they openly hate you, after all they see you as going to their country and take away their rice bowl.
4) You are not so lucky- they do all they can to squeeze the max out of you, and get rid of you.

I am probably around 3) and 4).

What happens when you have
1) back stabbed
2) robbed people's credits, and push the blames to them
3)sabotaged in countlessways

and the person is still around, surviving?

You call them "bloody foreigners"? and you tell them "this is ... [fill in the blank with your country's name]." -

I got that today. My eyes almost popped out of their sockets when i saw the email. I was stunned. Really stunned.

Being a donkey, I will take that as a compliment. Long live bloody foreigners!

Long time ago, I was a foreigner who did not do as well as the locals. I was asked, "why are you here?"

Between "bloody foreigner" and "why are you here", which one would you prefer?

Talkative day

After many days of "speechlessness" (and also many sleepless nights!), I am making my 3rd entry today. It is weird isnt it? What not going into an office environment you dislike could do for you?

Today i sent hubby to the tube station and fetch him! Hehe... that is my first time and 2nd time driving alone alone. I dropped him off, and then go shopping at the supermarket, joining those mums who had just finished their school runs. Then I went to the town centre walk here walk there and resisted going into the library to and come back with another pile of books. I need to work these few days, so I better not start reading!Life was blissful. I do my work, write my stuff, cook my lunch, and feel so relaxed and happy. This kind of like tell me DONT WORK FULL TIME!!!!

Work still surround me. I have the option of not doing anything, and risk becoming a fat piece of satay-getting skewered, put on a fire, and someone will happily fan it! I better do my homework! Sigh.

Another T&G haircut!

We finally managed to book a session on next Friday Thursday pm. I cant believe that the Stamford street branch is so much more difficult to book that the New Oxford Street branch. I was already so impressed with my previous T&G hair cuts at the New Oxford Street branch, and this branch is supposed to be "better", because the "students" are mostly qualified stylists in advanced courses. Is it possible to have a hair style which could make me look 5 years younger and 5 kg lighter?

I will also meet Bisoumoi for lunch. I am really looking forward to next week because there are so many "programs" and the "2B"s will be away for 3 days, which means I will only see them 2 days next week. Phew!

Address and contact of T&G Academy:

58 Stamford Street
London
SE1 9LX
Telephone: 020 7921 9100

Cost: £5 per person
Time taken: up to 3 hours
Booking open on wednesdays for the following week's appointment. Got to book early because they are so popular!

I survived

I am still surviving well.

Despite the daily poison arrows from that idiot, I am still alive. Yesterday, he just shot me a big big one. This guy has no moral, no ethics. Even in situations where you obviously do not want to compete with him, he will still try to kick you out, and kill you off, he wont just let you hang around and do your own thing. He really understand the meaning of cut grass, get rid of roots. Idiot.

And last Sunday, I drove into London!! I was really nervous when we had to enter A40!

Guess what I saw

We were somewhere in Soho, one of the narrow lanes.

We were looking for a parking space.

We saw space! But, damn, there was a car in front of us-also looking for a parking space.

Car changed mind. We were happy-move to the lot.

Something did not look right with the few guys in front of us. The way they walk? Are they fighting? Gays? Weird. And wait, why did they car gave up? We have been driving for almost 1 hour looking for space!

Ah!!!.. these are.[guess]

We wanted to move a way, but could not. These people were talking/arguing??? on the street, blocking us.

Then I saw a black man-smartly dressed. Wore a brown jacket, with cap. I would believe if he says he is a Hollywood star. He walked towards us, towards some of the guys.

Then, while he was quickly walking pass, his hand touched one of the guys' hand.

And I saw fingers moved. Something white.

Guess what? Check my post label for clue.

This is the first time I have seen it. It spoils my blog theme today-which is supposed to be my first drive into/in LONDON!!!

Moral of the story? Venture into back lanes carefully.

DONKEY STORY:

A person who is as stubborn (and probably as stupid) as a donkey likes to listen to donkey stories.

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later,the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw.

With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!

Life's too short to moan over the + DIRT +!! SHAKE IT OFF!

Some donkey info:


Donkeys have a reputation for stubbornness, but this is due to some handlers' misinterpretation of their highly-developed sense of self-preservation. It is difficult to force or frighten a donkey into doing something it sees as contrary to its own best interest, as opposed to horses who are much more willing to, for example, go along a path with unsafe footing.

Although formal studies of their behaviour and cognition are rather limited, donkeys appear to be quite intelligent, cautious, friendly, playful, and eager to learn. [Source-wikipedia]

Chillingly, the Honolulu Zoo's description of the donkeys' behaviour is more accurate compared to those zodiac signs ...

BEHAVIOR:

Donkeys are complex creatures, capable of many moods. They can be friendly, affectionate, independent, patient, and even sad, and there is no questioning their intelligence. But when a donkey would rather not do something, it can be the laziest and most stubborn creature in the world.

Like horses and ponies, donkeys are capable of biting and kicking with both hind legs. However, such behavior is unlikely from any animal accustomed to children unless there is a great deal of provocation...

... Donkeys are most active in the evening, but also move about during the day and at night. When threatened, their defense is to run or bite....

Conclusions: I got to go for kick boxing classes and the dentist- to sharpen my teeth!

Deleted.....

Unpublished some posts...

Decided those unhappy posts complaining about my life-esp work-polluted this blog's good vibe. Sometimes one whole post had been made up of nothing but my unhappiness at work. Sigh. Is there an end to this unhappiness soon?

This will be one of the most significant week in my life-career wise.

And yet, I actually cried a few times this week. Weird, isn't it? I almost cant believe I can have so many major victories this week. I should be crying tears of sweet success, not misery.

Things have just been too much. I can cope with failures, but getting into trouble because I did well is something which had happened to me many times, and yet, each time, it is still very painful. I really think that I should be celebrating, not wound up in misery.

I will find ways to cheer myself up again. 2007 will be a good year for me, no matter what!