Friday Gourmet outings & JT farewell

As Saturday is my teammate, Mrs. World's birthday. Thus, we were celebrating her b-day during friday lunchtime at Tampopo where it's famous for its ramen and kurobuta (black pork) followed by cutting cake session during tea time. She was amazing and fabulous as early in the morning she fashion paraded for us and she was quite high that day. Happy life and wellness to her.

On Fri nite, we had our regular gatherings. Even though it's not end of the month, but we still gathered as we haven't dined for about 2 months due to everyone busy schedule. Main reason being also to hang out with JT before she leaves for Beijing next week.

Well, we didn't manage to book Margarita's, thus we ended up at Pete's Place - Italian restaurant which recently had been revamped and highly recommended by one of our colleagues. I'll make sure to my gang the next stop is margarita's. I'm dying and craving for mexicans......

The place has a nice atmosphere and the dishes are quite good but still it's incomparable to the one in the states. I prefer Pasta Brava at Tanjung Pagar. Well, the restaurant manager was quite attentive. Service was consider ok compared to other places.

We ordered quite a lot of appetizer and there are free flow of breads.


Main Course - ***1/2 out of *****
Appetizer - **** out of ******
Pizza - *** out of ***** (even though it's wood grilled but i think they could be better)


I had a fusili in pesto and olive oil which were quite good and something different.



Lasagna was a bit disappointed as it's too meaty and cheesy.






Steak was quite good as well.




As usual, we chatted a lot on the what's happening and share gossips hot from oven. There are total of 6 of us in this round gathering exclude Rina. As she is happily enjoying her honeymoon in Europe. Indeed Jessica was with us ^^ After dinner, we headed to her house to continue the session and she made us this plum choya with soda water. We didn't leave until 1:30am.

By here, i wish JT all the best with the new start and gan ba de in Beijing. She will survive for sure. We'll always be here when you need us.... hehhehe.....

Who owns the Arctic?

Recently, i read an article in Time magazine about "Who Owns the Arctic?"

The shrinking of Arctic seems not to be a major concern for all the powerful and surrounding countries. Despite, the surrounding countries (US, Canada, Russia, Denmark, Norway) are fighting on who suppose to own it rather than saving it. What they are eying are the limitless energy resource and possibly of oil resource.

Ironically, the land is being tortured like a ball in the football matched. I am disgusted of what the political leaders opinionated and claimed on Arctic.

It might be correct in a political view of what they had done, still the ecosystem in the Arctic is suffering. The melting ice is part of the global warming where we had caused directly or indirectly.

Even though i'm not an environmentalist or consider as activist in the green movement, i still have my concern on the shrinking of Arctic and how it would affected us. Especially to the ice ecosystem - the eskimos (what should they do and how will they survive) and its animals which are extinct.

I do feel bad for them and feel bad of what we had done. So, i've started to let myself be more environmental and green eco friendly.

Instead of declaring the pieces of land, i think those countries should collaborate with each other in order to save or at least decrease the speed of the melting ice.

Sometimes we as a human being are just nasty and too selfish. What a disappointment and shameless act of us.

Gems or Germs

Starting last year close to the IMF conference in SG, government had strongly promoted GEMs campaign. Don't ask me why it names GEMs or what it is stand for as i had no idea. The idea is to get the locals especially in the service lines to provide better services. With the slogan of "One Movement, Many Initiatives". It hoped to result in great service begins with me and go for the extra mile. This campaign is especially dedicated to the transportations, retails, dining, and etc. However, recently they rerun the campaign again by stating that certain places that you visited is guaranteed GEMs quality.

Needless to say how effective nor successful the campaign would be, you still get the same quality of services. I have to admit not all of the places offer bad services but majority the services are just unprofessional and below the standard. The worst are the ones in the transportation industries.

How could the GEMs campaign work while the citizens itself are not friendly enough and with the certain attitudes they carry around and proud of. Basically they just like never study any etiquette nor moral. Everybody is just selfish and don't care about the rest. (PS. I am not saying all sgans but majority that is the impression in my mind).

It would be no end if i have to talk about how many problems and the culture shocks i had when i just moved back to here. Slowly, i just adapted to it.

It's right to say that how could you offer a good service or being a well mannered person while your people are not educated enough on etiquette and hospitality. I acknowledge a lady who used to be ex- Ms. Singapore and currently teaching propriety class doesn't even have a etiquette. So you can imagine the results and how the students who enroll the class behave ckckck....

It is such a shame that you live in a city whom thirst to be hub of asia with good image and high quality of living standards but the services and the people have not met the standards.

Basically, when i am pissed of the service, i would just say "instead of promoting GEMs, they are spreading GERMs" ckckck....

Best Places to Launch your Career.

One day, i was browsing the business week website and this article caught my attention in the special report section - Best Places to Launch your Career which i would like to share and it's such an interesting piece. ^^

Out of the top 95 best places to launch your career, not a single company is an ad agency. Maybe it's because our industry is more concentrated and more focus where we don't get mixed up with the business industry. That's how i console myself ckckck...

The places to start your careers are dominant by accounting and engineering fields as expected. Sometimes, i'd think How i wish that i was majored in business and at least accounting.
Even I am good at math but i don't have a confident nor like to do all the calculation of assets, billing, revenues, stocks, and etc. As I know that i do not have a business mind and not very interested in this field such as finance, accounting, logistics, supply chain and etc. To me, those are aliens.

Thus, even though my dad never mentioned, i know he would love if one of his kids are studying accounting in order to be able to help him. Indeed none of us are at the end. I know if you're an accountant, you'll never be out of job as you'll survive in every industry and it's desperately needed ckckck... Despite, being an unfilial daughter, with my guts, i picked advertising (my mom warned me of long and hectic working life as what my cousin's situation).

i am very grateful to my parents to let us freely decide what we would like to do in our career without forcing us. There are so many parents out there who did oblige their kids on their career paths.

Well, i have never regretted of studying or taking advertising line. As of today, advertising does take a great role in our life. It is just amazing to see how advertising take such a great role. Even the simpler word of mouth is part of advertising. I still have not changed my point of view and perspective towards advertising. I am so glad that my inspiration is still the same as when i decided to pick advertising.

I always irked by people who humiliate advertising. This reminded me of my 2001 summer courses in art and humanity course where i was surrounded by a group of anti-advertising as well as the associate professor. I thought the class was crazy hehehee..... At that point of time, i felt proud to fight and defense for advertising during the discussion. ^^

Even though there are a lot of misleadings, i still believe the world ain't survive without advertising especially in today's society.

fears....

i don't know if i have been thinking too much or other else.....

i have never fear of getting older as to my principle you learn thru your whole life and gaining experience. Thus, the older you are, the more knowledgeable you are. Thus, i never stop learning and reading as it's the greatest resource and assets.

My birthday is coming end of next month and i fear to turn 1-year-older. Not that i fear of having no partner to stand by me, as this is never been my priorities. i will treat is as nature goes by. It's also not the fear that i'm going to 30 soon in a few years. I found no big deal to turn 30 in today's society as long as you're happy with it.

my greatest fear is like i've been wasting my time as i have not done anything great in my life or have accomplished any amazing thing that i could be proud of or let my parents proud of me. I do not what i should do...

On the other hand, i felt that my memory is getting worse and worsen. My STMs is heavier. I am fear of getting older will reduce my memory capacity, efficiency, effectiveness, and creativity.

I think it's the surrounding suppress and lots of article as how the world and health is getting worse and people encountered so many new diseases. At 20s you could easily had a heart attack, senile dementia, parkinson's, alzhemeir, and etc.

Maybe i should start to worry-free and care-less in my mind and just enjoy whenever you can.

wat a hectic week 2...

If you read my previous post, you'd know i had a hectic saturday morning. The weather was so hot that sun was glaring with no grace.

I was sweating and just want to quickly return home to sit in an aircon room.

Almost reaching home, i witnessed an accident @ Shangrila. There was a CRV coming out and a mini lorry turned in. The lorry just hit the mid (front and mid door) of the car on the passenger site. CRV was an caucasian (think he's either oz or europeans with heavy accent - was with my ipod so didn't really pay attention) with his sgan wife (but doesn't look like SPG, indeed she looked well mannered). Lorry is an indian.

Then the caucasian came down and started to scold and said it's lorry's fault and kept repeating that it's all nonsense, don't talk nonsense, you're rubbish and etc. The wife is even fiercer by saying all the same thing as her husband and even speak in malay to argue. The lorry driver just kept quiet.

To my point of view, it's a both parties fault, so both have to be responsible. But they just blame it to the lorry driver. I'm not sure if they're taking advantage of him. Well, i had no right to say. Generally, as a human being, it's just natural for us not to admit the mistake during accident unless you're under certain circumstances. Still, i think the way the couple scolded is a bit too much. Since the accident already happened just call the police, it isn't necessary to curse. i felt pity for the lorry driver.

Well, the highlight of the story is just started, i decided to leave and one auntie passed by and asked what had happened so i explained and then she ask me to check out the license plate of the lorry and i told her. After that, she said don't bother, let's go to buy lottery in mandarin. She even asked me twice hahahhahaaha.... isn't it hillarious?

Oh yeah, it's sgans practice, when there is an accident, the first thing you pay attention is to check out the license plate and hope to strike lottery. Not sure if the number did turn out in the lottery ckckck.....

To think about it, i should had taken a picture....

wat a hectic week 1...

I don't know what i've done for the past week. It seems that i had accomplished nothing but created more trouble to clean up.....

During my part time job as desk receptionist in dorm, i had seen numerous check out of spare key as most of the time, they just left their keys. I was quite proud of myself as i just borrow the spare key for once during my 4-year-stay in the dorm.

Unfortunately within the past 4 days in the week, i had forgotten my keys twice. Luckily, i had a savior as my mom afraid that i would forgot my house keys so she attached one key with my cousin.

It all started on wednesday when i went to pick up mooncakes from Shangrila with my colleagues. To be smart and calculative, i brought my home keys so that i could drop the mooncake @ home directly without bringing it back to office as my apt is just next door. Once i returned to the office, i left the key on my desk and it became messy with all the papers piles.

Thus, at 9:30 pm, i happily went home with my colleagues on a cab. Not until i reached home and searching for the key to scan the door, i realized i had left the key in the office. Actually, i had a six sense telling me i forgot something and i thought it was my cell. I even checked it out but never realize it's my key.

I called my cousin to ask for the spare key and she said she need to check and if couldn't find she would drop me off to the office. Thus, i walked to her house and we mutually agreed seemed that my uncle took the key. We went to my aunt house and they were overseas and couldn't find it so my cousin called her mom and she said it might be at the bowl on the aisle rack, if it's not there then she wouldn't know. At the end, we manage to find it.

After that, on the way she dropped me home, we realized my cousin in law's dad passed away and we had to attend the wake as the crem is on next day morning. So we went home to take some cash and went for the wake. I ended up reaching home at 1 am and didn't get to sleep till 2am. As expected, the next day i was stoned and carrying panda eyes.

Yesterday morning, i was supposed to go to bank to help my mom run some errands. Thanks for Standard Chartered Scotts branch which catered the non working people office hours (M-F: 9:30-04:30, S: 09:30-11:30), i had to be there latest by 11:15am. As i was quite tiring, i didn't wake up till 10:30am. It was also due to my cell's alarm didn't rang. Coz i turn off the alarm for weekend during rumi's visit and forgot to set it again.

I was rushing and prepared myself to rush to the bank. When i came down, i realized i wear an uncomfy sandal so would like to change, and realized that i left my key. This is a bad time, as both keys are with me. Luckily the security has an access to my floor so that i can get back my key and rushed to the bank.

During my 3 years in SG, i had never forgotten to bring my keys whenever i go, i even laughed at my younger bro when he stick a post-it-note on his door to remind him of wat to do. I bet i had to follow his step now.

This morning during the dimsum session, i quickly return the spare key to my cousin.... ckckck....

Feasting in a-non-festive-season

Recent continuous visits of buddies had resulted in a non-stop feasting for me. Well, there is nothing much to do in sg beside the gourmet parade. Most of the times, there are too many food to try and gobble down yet too little time and limited space for your stomach.

Reminded me of our last company incentive trip in Tokyo. As some of us were not extend due to some circumstances, thus we had a food and shopping tour within one day. Thinking of the amount of food we had eaten was just amazed. Moreover, the meal just continue one after another within a day.

Well despite the food we ate in Tokyo, i never regretted it as i have tasted the freshest sashimi ever in my life. It just melted in your mouth and yet sashimi is so cheap @ tsukiji market. Another highlight is the aburi (broil sashimi). Maybe someday, i should blog about the restaurants we visited. I thought i won't be doing the same thing again till my next visit in Tokyo. However, history repeat by itself.

Now, to talk about the food, i really feel sick. I just wish that i can have sandwich or salad for the next few weeks. I have eaten too much of local fare and slightly felt sick on it even though i know they're delicious. Suddenly, i just lost my appetite. For the past few weeks, i have visited so many outlets to hunt for food non stop.

Here are the outlets that i have been visited for the past 2 weeks. I bet after reading you will understand what i am trying to say though: Garuda @ Vivo and Cairnhill, Warung Lele, Boon Tong Kee, Brussel Sprouts, Food Republic @ Wisma, Jumbo @ Riverside Point, Chinatown food street market, Sun with Moon, Tiong Bahru Cze Char, Modesto, Ajishan ramen, Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee, East Ocean Teo Chew Restaurant.

Somemore, next week i am going to jakarta to attend my colleague's wedding. I will fly there on Thurs aft and return on Sunday. That mean i will hunt some javanese food to eat while i'm in town. ckckck......

I have decided to readjust my diets once i return from there.

Afterall, despite all the feasting, i will still continue to eat all of the food again once i recuperate.... I just love the chemistry and fusion of the food created.

Mon Piglet

With Mon's settled down in SG, we got to meet each other more especially since she started to work. Of course also due to our college's friends visit in town.

As usual, we went crazy again. First, we gossiping and bitching about our life, relationship, basically everything that we could talk about. ckckck....

Anyone who knew us that even though we are from Indonesia but there is a gap within us as she is from Central Java and speak Javanese while I'm from Medan and speak hokkien. So both of our Indonesian are not good and quite mixed up. Whenever we talk, basically just mixed the language and didn't understand each other like chicken and duck .... The amazing part is both claim we speak proper indonesian and try to convince each other hahahaha... isn't that kewl.... I think any indo who saw us communicating will be quite amazed.....

There are just too much miscommunication (due to the slangs) we have with each other that always turned out to be jokes......

Recently, when she wanted to ask me if one of our friends' fiance is pretty or not by asking "cakap?" (is she pretty), however i thought that she ask me if i talk to the fiance coz we're in the midst of discussing someone's fiance. then i said "yeh, gue ada cakap ama dia" (yes i did talk to her). then she asked, "sama aku, mana lebih cakap?" (who is prettier compared to her) then i started to realize that the "cakap" she implies is pretty instead of talking......

Well, there are tonnes of this stories between me and her. it's just like 1001 stories in arabian nites.......

down down down 2...

Continued from my moody, stoned, dazed.... It's Sunday nite i still haven't recuperate from my down down down mood. In fact, i felt more stress when i think of Monday is coming.

Even though i had a great time during weekends, i still feel something is lacking. When i was taking shower, suddenly i felt a sense of emptiness. I don't what is it that lack of. Definitely not the lonely feel but there is something indescribable.

Meeting my college's friends again revived me of the olden days and resulted me to think of a lot of things including my life and future..... i felt like i am in middle of nowhere yet helpless. Nobody is out there to give me advices....

Suddenly, i am afraid that all the moments i have had and gone through would be wiped out from my memory. The time i have had gone through is unable to repeat or happen in the future again. Is this what we called insecure? Maybe i'm really in my mid 20s crisis.. or is it i have been thinking too much or it is the pressure from surroundings....

At this point of time, i couldn't see my future clearly and i don't have a clear objective or even know what i would like to do... I am just scared to step further. I feel that i'm loss... i don't even there to think of what i would be in the next 10 years. I just couldn't see myself...

Maybe i have been listening to too much of jazz recently, will that affect my mood? I've been listening to Emi Fujita, Michael Buble, Vienna Tang and Peter Grant. Particularly on Michael Buble, he makes me more in love to jazzzzz......

Maybe i should stop listening to this down tunes so that i can recuperate faster..... well there is one song which i would like to share (well it's quite a depress one, so get prepared) but it's such a good piece by Gary Jules - 'Mad World'

How i wish we could turn back time or to freeze the time....

female

Females, if you ask if we carry more responsibility, i'd say yes and even our shoulder is smaller than Males, we have more responsibilities, yet a lot of restrictions and limitations.

Today, when i watched a drama, the guy actually share his point of view of Females in generally which i found quite interesting.
According to him, we are the most vicious, vengeance, wicked, jealous creature in the world. No other can beat us on it.

Is that real?

Maybe it's, that's why old folks say don't ever step on women's feet or you'll regret.

relationship 2 ....

I have been thinking much lately, maybe that's why that i have been very active in blogging to express my thoughts. I don't know why suddenly i've been thinking a lot, not sure if it's the 20s crisis. Is there such thing as late 20s crisis? I bet others who read will curse me what on earth that you're on late 20s crisis stage. ckckck...

I've been thinking about friendship. There are just so many things around our circle of life which is unexplainable. Throughout the stage of our life, we will always get acquaintance with new people and turned to friends. Thus, we will get to know different people from all over the places with different characteristics and personalities in different phases.

There are people that you just can't click as there are no chemistry, but there are people that you'll just click to it since the first day you met. It's like you have a close friend and distant friend or what you so call roommate or housemate category friend. There are also a bunch of pig and dog friends. ckckck..... Usually, we will define in good and close friend or just friend or even an acquaintance. ehehehee.....

The friends we grew up with from kindergarten are different gangs from the one we know in college. By the time we start to work, we will get to know different gang which is our colleagues. As we spend most of our time with them, naturally we just become friends. Did you ever think that they are actually like our family as we spend more time with them than our own family. On average, we spent more time in office which practically supposed to be our main home instead of second home. I'm also glad that i clicked well with my office gang. ^^

Every gang has different lifestyle, naturally we will play different roles depends on which gang we hang out with. i am quite amazing to the way of our interactions. At least for me, when i hang out with my high school friends (which practically we have known each since kindergarten or primary school) and college friends, we will discuss about different thing as there are different point of views and each of us will adapt to it. When it comes to your colleagues, it's another different story and situation. We're just happy to gather around and bitching on others. ckckck...

But the most important thing is how you balance yourself and play the role in different clans. Another crucial thing is not to mixed up your clans as it will crash (it's not a good journey that you'd like to experience).

Getting older makes me more cherished on friendship especially at current stage. you will hardly get to know new friends other than your working environment. Don't get me wrong that i
dislike my work clan. In fact, they are the gang that i hang out a lot with and enjoyed a lot. I care for them. i think it's because we share the same background and life hehehee..... Hanging out with them will just diminished our stress.......

It's just different from when you're in college. You'll get to know so many friends where all your variety of clans started. At this current stage, when you get to know a new friend, you will tend to cherish more. Some might afraid of getting hurt and didn't receive what they expect in return. Well, it's not an investment, and we didn't expect high ROI here. My principle is to burst out and never regret about it as long as you know you have done your best.

As we turn older, time is more precious than ever. Despite of the clans, every moment is a quality of time to me.

moody, stoned, sleepy....

Since i returned to work, i have been feeling very moody, down, and stoned........ I seemed to be blurred and hardly concentrated on finishing one thing. My mind just went blank and i ended daydreaming all the time.

Getting older had made me feel worsen when i don't get enough sleep of at least 8 hours a day. I started to feel cranky. At nite, i refuse to sleep and in daytime i'm sleepy and dazed....

During the tea time today, a media owner brought us Bakerz inn cakes which i ate a bit and it did make me feel better. However, the effect did not last long..... feeling down down down again...

Maybe i should start to eat something sweet to neutralize my mood. I am trying to limit myself on eating as i have been whacking on food for the past week during my friend's visit. Just now, i received a message for tomorrow's lunch appointment to meet one of our college friends from Tokyo.
Phew... another feast session.

I have not yet even recuperate..... arghhhhhhhharghhhhhhhhh

Sitting at the office at 7:15 pm where most of my colleagues had left for outing made me felt more disgusting on my own. Thanks to the piles of work from my clients...... :((((( which i had to skip an event held at dempsey today.

Another reason was also due to the music in my ipod playlist was quite sad (all of sudden, the singers were sound depressed) which makes me harder to recuperate my moods........

I just need any advise of how to get rid of my down down down mood................

relationship...

Basically, the idea of writing this piece is inspired by recent visit of my best buddy.

How do we define 'relationship'? it doesn't have to be defined in dating couple as it can be within family, friends. Basically, it's an interaction within our circle of life.

What i'm trying to describe in this piece is an inexplicable feeling of the relationship in our circle. A lot consider me as a loner as i'm perfectly fine to live by myself. In fact, i like the idea of staying at home in days without even step out unless necessary.

However, whenever my family or friends are visiting, i'd get very excited and awaiting for the day to come. Soon after when it's time for their departure, i will feel down. It seems like so fast. I dislike the feeling when i return home from work, there was simply no one home to greet me. Suddenly, the home is all by myself again. Thus, i will need time to recuperate my feeling.

It was perfectly fine when i'm by my own all the time. I would not have missed anyone when i don't see them, however i missed them badly once i see them.

The same things apply when i'm overseas to visit my families, friends. I definetely understand there is not any continuous feast. At least when you're traveling overseas, the down feeling would last only on your returning flight. As once you're back in town, your life will just back to normal busy day.

I just don't know how to explain this thing like what we've always been told there are many things around where there is not any scientific proof or evidence. Despite, it's just hard to control or get rid of this feeling. It's just like how our brain works.

As i'm writing this page, i've been thinking are there others who share the same feeling as me. Maybe this is the feeling everyone encounters when they lost someone.