My free weekend

Its true that you'll never be able to appreciate life's pleasures until it is taken away from you. My weekends have been all taken away, but fortunately I had the opportunity to reclaim one. And oh .... the freedom and the joy ..... it was different, it was refreshing and unique.

I would never forgive my self for waking up at 7am automatically on a day when i didn't need to go to work. Why can't this alarm clock switch off by its self? But the good thing is, I have never felt so awake when I am awake at 7am. So a nice slow breakfast and lots of lazing around later, I went for a music therapy workshop. Well .... it wasn't up to my expectation but I quite enjoyed it. They explained how different sounds sooth different emotions etc and even brought us through a 30 minute relaxation using music as a tool. Very cool!! And then there was massage with music and aromatherapy with music ... That makes the investment worth it.

And nothing beats spending your Saturday gossiping with good friends. So 3 of us girls went to KLCC Chilis and chatted the day away. Thank god for bottomless drinks. And ooh ..... the honey roasted chicken fillet really saved the day too .... so yummy!! Can't wait to go back for more. Its sweet yet sour with a tinge of spicyness. The fillet is so crunchy yet tender and juicy inside. Served with chips and margerine laded corn on cob .... its the perfect dish! Highy recommended ... can't wait for more!!

Food seems to counter any anxiety or stress you have. And when a surprise came from JB last weekend, what else could we do but eat? We girls went to Delixious for dessert ... sinful sweet stuff .... and just the thought of it in your mouth makes you happy! The sugar in it also gives you the extra energy and kick to do more stuff .... like shopping in Masjid India. hmm ... its something different. Walking around the shops, looking at Indian accessories, trying on sarees and Punjabi costumes ..... a totaly girlish adventure .... hehe. And to end the day, I bought my self a new suit! Not sure when I'll wear it though .... perhaps Deepavali?


Linda's Lemon Merangue Pie. Its crispy on the outside and the lemonish cream just melts in your mouth. Its so fresh and zesty!
Juliette's Chocolate brownie and ice-cream. If only I were this rich I'll be happy. It full of chocs and it has the bitter sweet feeling. The cake is warm and topped with ice- cream ... this dessert is just the best creation ever. My Berrilicious Chocolate Pavlova ... love the berries! So fresh and sour! Makes my mouth water. And the pavlova is just like rice crispies. Crunchy when you chew it but it just melts if you leave it on your toungue.

So we ended the day with food again. Saravanan Bhavan ...... serves excellent North Indian vegetarian dishes. Its really unique, the sweet Kasmiri naan, the blended spinach with cheese and the devil potato! Yum Yum. ooh ... I can't forget the mushroom curry too!

Wonderful weekend eh? Freedom + lots of weight gained!

The rain after the sunshine

A lesson learnt: Never eat durians after a cheesy meal in Italiannies. You'll suffer each time you burp or fart.

But after 3 weeks of work non-stop, pressures and datelines, I finally had space to breath last night. The results could be seen but of course mess was kicked up along the way. Is everyone happy of the outcome? I don't know ..... perhaps we have become robots ... too mundane and too emotionless .... but now that the burden is off, a little pampering does well.

So it was off for dinner and movie with my best girl! Went to Italiannies for my favourite stuffed mushroom and cheese. It never tasted so good! And the best relaxer of all ...... gossiping with your best friend over good food! Oh, my stomach is growling over the thought of dinner now ....
So there .... you all know my weakest spot now! I'll do anything for Italian food and cheese.

Went to pamper my self more after that. Chick flick @ The Garden's GSC Signatures! We watched the premier of 'Confessions of a shoppoholic'. Well, the movie wasn't that great, but you get to learn a lot from it. If you pay attention to the dialogue, or morals .... its a great plot. Will analyze it soon.

But what I enjoyed the most was sitting on the soft big reclining chair and enjoying a good laugh .... perfect way to let go of all the stresses. Its worth the slightly higher ticket price hehe! Its been ages since I last watch a movie, Wall-e I think, so I really felt reenergized after that.

Thought my happiness will last for a while ..... but come morning, something happened in the office. No not me .... I am in safe territory, but it hurts to see the war around, the words that can slice you apart and the accusations that burns your ears. Hope tomorrow will bring an end to this war. But until then, I am left wondering. Will it rain or shine tomorrow?

Random ravings

argh .......... Am I getting old or why am I so tired?

Even with a good night's sleep I am still lethargic throughout the day.
And by night fall, I am pooped .... there goes my life.

By 8pm, I am not back home yet. By 9pm I have no mood for dinner. By 10pm, nothing in the world matters but my nice comfy bed.

When will this pattern end?
Short term, it will end by this month ....... long term ..... perhaps when we hold the white flag up.

I want to run and hide. But I am not made of glass. I want to switch of but the button in me is on auto on. I need to pull the plug but don't think other wise. I want to just forget but I am being flooded by the environment. I need an extra pair of hand but I can't find it.

In simple words .......... I am blah!

I'm tired

Off to Singapore again and back on Monday. In a way I am dreading tomorrow morning when I have to lug myself to the very unfriendly bus station ... but in another way I am also looking forward to this trip where I can just crash in the hotel after work.

No doubt, work will be crazy this weekend. Friday ... lots of people to meet, Saturday & Sunday ... lots of politics to play. But when night falls ... its nothing but me and the 4 walls. Well, I might get bored and visit a mall or I might get a bag of chips and chomp it down while watching a movie ... we'll see how my mood goes.

But the past month has been pretty tiring for me. Bali was fun but energy draining. My terrible bug left me being dopey for another week or so. The office has been a mess since I was away and there are so many corrections to be done ... argh ... I hate back tracking things. Its recruitment time again and things are neurotic everywhere ... papers, calls, unrealistic demands, dreadfull calls and unlimited harrassments.

The price of adventure

Right now sitting here I feel like I am high on some psychedelic drug. My mind is floating and there is just this perception that my legs are not touching the ground. Its just amazing how I can be typing this entry in words that make sense.

Since I came back from Bali on Monday night, I haven't been well. Definitely I will blog about the trip ... but not till my mind is back straight again. For the past 3 days, I have been sleeping at least 20 hours per day??? Felt like a pig ............. The fever came with a package .. vomiting, cought, sore throat, flu ... The fever never seemed to go away. Temperature was always high 102 to 104....... till this afternoon, felt a little better. Then came this whoozy breezy feeling ....... perhaps like what a junkie experiences (hehe, to tell you the truth, I don't know what that feels like)

During my trip in Bali, I climbed up to Mount Batur, a volcano, and hurt my foot during the process. But that is part of the fun. I was limping around Bali for the next 2 days. I was also stupid enough not to take care of the wound. So I went for hot springs, walk on the beach, play with wild animals, paragliding ... not bothering about the foot.

And you know how you never feel tired when you're having fun? I never felt sick while in Bali (tho there was once I actually felt like puking cos it was too painful), until I came home and feel ill. My leg actually swelled so much that I could not fit into my slipper. My whole body was heating up already ..... so I went for a tetanus jab. Yup, that cleared my mind a bit, at least now I do not need to worry abut infections ..... but the side effects are horrible. And I hope this fever dissapears soon!!

Once upon a time, this girl called Nicole loved to eat Fish & Chips. But she was afraid of trying it at this particular place, A Star restaurant. In her mind, it was a little over rated, she heard bad reviews before, she was afraid it will be pricey and she didn't know what other type of food will be served there. But her friends tried to convince her to try it and sort of dragged her there.

She loved the taste of the food, the ambience, the friends she went with, the memories and it turned out that the Fish & Chips was delicious. A Star restaurant became her favourite destination.She can't stop talking about it now, recommending it to her friends and wants to try the other varieties there. Only problem is that A Star is situated too far away from her home and she can't make it there on her own. The cost of the dishes there is also way too expensive.

So the only thing Nicole can do is to think about it. She held the memory about it as the best, tastiest, freshest and the dish that gave her the happiest smile. She never had Fish & Chips again after that as she didn't want another Fish & Chip to replace that of A Star's. In her mind, she is always imagining the crispyness of the fish.

She kept the name card of the restaurant for she has the hopes of returning. But once, her mother accidently threw the card away. She was dissapointed as it seemed to have broken the link of her and of A Star.

Time passed but she still held on to her wish of re visiting A Star. She still held on to not eating Fish & Chips. But now, she was invited to her friend's party in A Moon Restaurant to have Fish & Chips. And its an invite she can't refuse.

New taste perhaps? New ambience, new friends, new adventure ..... but a lot closer to home. She is afriad of going to A Moon. Not sure if the first bite of the Fish & Chips there will ruin the memory of A Star's. Not sure if the memory of A Star will slowly fade away. She is not sure if she will enjoy the party. While getting ready for the party, she didn't feel excited (like she normally will .... she felt it was a chore), instead she felt scared.

I have tried advicing her to think otherwise. I have told her that what remains in your memory will be there forever. But now I am lost for words. Nicole is actually on her way to A Moon now. What else can I say to her except 'Good Luck'.

What would you do?

MA/FL 2007 Reunion

Its been a whole year since I left the bank but the one thing that I did not leave was the other 18 people that I met in the group. I still remember during one of the meetings when we were asked 'What is the best thing you have gained from this Management Associate/Future Leader program?' I answered .....'knowing the other 18'. haha, I know I should have answered the knowledge gained or the experiences in a financial org. Perhaps that would score me a bigger bonus but what I said really came from my heart.

We went through the vigorous interview process together, sat through hours and days of trainings together, explored and drew up projects together, had fun and food together, our numerous crazy nights and gossips together .... all would not be forgotten. I still remember my last day when you guys made me cry ... EVIL. But now you guys keep making me smile ... ANGELS!!

Though a few of us have parted ways, we are all just a call away. And its really lovely to see all 19 of us back together again. Well, it might not be in a UOB meeting room but Italiannies seems like a good meeting place as well. The group was big, yup, it was difficult to talk to everyone. But yet we managed to share so much, update each other and laugh at each other.

Looking back, it was a good experience. A lesson to be learnt and a good story to be told. What impact it had on me .... I don't know. All I can say is .. NO REGRETS! Everything happens for a reason. And I am proud to have you guys as friends!