Sakura In Sugarland!

If people tell you that they are going to Japan to admire the flowers, yea well, while most people are jumping around in excitement, I am very pleased to say that I won't be all THAt excited.

Mind you, I am still very much in love with Japan and would still very very very much like to go and look see. However, to just go for the sakura, I think I might wanna take a raincheck.

Simply because, I think the cherry blossoms look extremely picturesque next to a nice, ancient building like over here in Sugarland!

Wahhahahhaha!!! Very beautiful here during the cherry blossom season so I shall enjoy it while it lasts. Here's sharing with you some of the magical beauty....

An Open Letter To My Best Friends

To My Dearest Best Friends:

Thanks for being around in my life, answering my calls, accepting me for who I am, and never throwing me out of your rooms when I bounce in without knocking.

Even though I may or may not be physically with you, do remember that I will always give you a very important place in my heart.

There are time when we may quarrel, and there will always be times when we may become too busy to tell each other the smallest deatils that have happened in our lives even if that was what we have always been doing.

Still, thank you for coming into my life and I will always be around for you to call. If my phone rings and I don't answer, don't give up! Call me again and again! Leave me a message telling me that you would like me to share a joke with you, or just a listening ear should you ever need to cry.

And if you need someone to take a stroll with, do call me if you think I would help make the silence and pain easier to bear.

Much as I cannot promise that I will be a good ear, but I promise to at least try to make you smile more than once and help you take the burden of unhappiness away.

Likewise, if you see something funny or hear of something that you are dying to share with someone, call me, email me or send me a text. I'll be waiting for you at the other end of the phone or at the end of the corridor.

Loving all of you!

Hugs and kisses!!! XOXOXOXO

Lots Of Daffodils......

Lots of daffodils, were showing off their skills, bowing all together, I can almost hear them whisper, "Go on, kiss him, go on and kiss him!" - That Sunday, That Summer by Nat King Cole

Looking at the daffodils that are nodding their heads in the wind along the roadside, in the open fields, in and around the ditches, under the trees, I don't blame you if you are starting to think that wild daffodils look so pretty.

Unfortunately, they are definitely NOT WILD.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but if you are thinking of how romantic and pretty they look and wish with all your heart that if only they would grow in bunches in your very own garden the way they do on the roadside or in your neighbour's garden, then you are very unlikely to obtain some, lest you call in the local landscape artist.

Reason being, they are PLANTED. Yes, that's right, planted by some hulking men wearing florescent yellow vests on a lorry.

Still, very pretty to look at.

Cheer up mate. Take it that we are learning something new everyday!

Old Boots, New Boots and Re-heeling

I went shopping today (hah! Like what's new?) and at the same time took my trusty leather boots for reheeling.

My trusty all weather boots (especially good for super wet days because they keep my feet exceptionally dry despite being really affordable - think 10 pounds aka. SGD 30) according to Timpsons would cost me 8 pounds to reheel.

I promptly walked out of the shop and went into New Look (my absolutely most favourite store for now) and bought myself a new pair of boots.

Sure, it's almost summer, but I don't care... I shall indulge myself on boots all I like because on going back to Singapore, boots are just going to be absolutely nuts to wear.

Entrepreneurs Are Like Raindrops On A Moving Car's Window Pane

Entrepreneurs Are Like Raindrops On A Window Pane.

Just like regular people, entrepreneurs start out as individuals. Everyone wants to get a piece of the pie and join the entrepreneurial bandwagon.

Did you ever notice that on your window pane, there will always be a few streaks of rain water where when raindrops fall, they inevitably fall faster and smoother than the other raindrops forging their way blindly?

Likewise, at the start, there may be many, even hordes like a downpour willing and wanting themselves to become the next Bill Gates or Sim Wong Hoo. Then these raindrops would fall look beside them and realise that it seems like their fellow raindrops are having it better following the route that has been followed by someone else. It just seems so easy and so many of these entrepreneurs join the main stream and become just another co-worker in your office.

Have you also seen the way that some raindrops desire so strongly to become individualistic and forge the entire length of your window pane by themselves?

Ah, these are the entrepreneurs that try too hard and in the end fall alone and destitute, condemned to eternal solitude and then in their old age keep wondering why their business never grew.

Now, do you see those raindrops that start from the mainstream and then leave to forge it on their own? These are the entrepreneurs who have had it with the mundane life and aim to rough it out on their own. Whether they will make it, ah.. that depends upon how much they have learnt or not learnt from the mainstream.

Finally, look again at your window pane, do you see the raindrops that start out small and then steadily grow as other raindrops join them? These are the entrepreneurs who grow their businesses, forging alliances and gaining mergers, perhaps even ursuping if they have to, but these, ah these, become the next Sim Wong Hoo and Bill Gates for their foresight.

People are like Raindrops On The Window Pane

People are like Raindrops On a Window Pane.

All of us are but mere individuals but along the way, there would be many who will join up with the mainstream when they see that others seem to be moving faster and along a more familiar route, the route that just seems... easier....

Some will take longer to join this mainstream than others but being unable to resist the temptation of a seemingly much faster track, choose to go with the flow.

Then, there will be also some, who initially join the mainstream but later choose to branch out on their own to search perhaps for something a lot more fulfilling but a lot less collective and accepted by the masses.

Along the way, perhaps these branches would form mainstreams of their own as other little raindrops join them and thereby create a whole new way for those who wish to follow.

Finally, there is the tiny few drops that choose to start and end all by themselves... Alone... Misunderstood... Deviant....

Which raindrop are you?

I LOVE WU ZUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have an absolute new love in my life.

Despite the innate fear of being labelled an awkward teen, I am still declaring that I am totally infatuated with Wu Zun!

I mean, look at his eyes, his lips and his hair! He's so perfect! THE most perfect Prince Charming that one can find on earth. Not only is he so damn drop dead gorgeous, he is also the heir to his grandfather's family business of being the sole agent for Mitsubishi Motors in Brunei!

Is he THE Prince Charming or what?!!

Nickie says its a phase just like F4.

Chubby Hubby says he shall change his name to Wu Zun if I am really THAT smitten with this fella.

I personally think that maybe he is Gay because he is such a goody goody good boy looking kind of character.

Nickie says perhaps he is a highly insecure guy because girls only throw themselves at him because he is rich and good looking.

Chubby Hubby thinks that we girls are having a case of sour grapes cos' we can't have him.

Haha, WHATEVER!!!!!!!! Anyway, in case you didn't already know, I am now into my 10th episode of Hana Kimi 花样少年少女 that Taiwanese drama that was all the craze when it came to Singapore.

Yes yes, I admit I am slow, but then admiring and fantasizing about my Sour Grapes Prince Charming while watching the drama gives me something to do! Haha, meanwhile, until I am done with Wu Zun, Wu Zun ROCKZ!!

PS: If you peeps out there got some other show to recommend me that you think will probably make me sound less bimbotic or maybe just any old show that you think I DIE DIE MUST SEE, then please leave me a comment. I promise you, I do read them! Cheers!

Happy-Ness & Pretty-Ness

I finally decided that Pretty-Ness and Happy-Ness would look rather nice upon my bridal car and so made a trip to Edinburgh yesterday in order to buy a pair.

I was actually planning on a pair of medium sized ones but it seems like the whole of edinburgh simply didn't have that kind of size available. Turns out, Pretty-Ness has been discontinued. Sob Sob!

The first store I walked in had one last Large Pretty-Ness sitting in its very tippy top basket way above the heads of many customers. I only managed to see it cos' it was this rather bright pink.

After much delay, the lovely store assistant Wen Wen brought it down for me to look-see. It wasn't exactly love at 1st sight, but I suppose its better having the larger one than not having one at all.

Ultimately, I placed Pretty-Ness and Cheeky-Ness on reserve and went to another shop to look for the Nessie that I really wanted... The Happy-Ness.

Finally found a few Happy-Ness'es in another shop further down the road and then went back to the 1st shop to purchase my Pretty-Ness. Had to give up Cheeky-Ness because I didn't have any more money. Sob Sob.

Only later in ebay did I realise that Pretty-Ness, Cheeky-Ness, Happy-Ness and Drunken-Ness was an entire set. Darn!

Oh well, placed an order to get Cheeky-Ness and Drunken-Ness in this lovely quaint little shop in Brighton, Falkirk.. Hopefully its not out of production yet, although supposedly it's going to be since it's been on the market for about 4 years and new designs have come in since then.

Still, nothing beats the older designs because nothing beats the loving handcraftedness that makes every single toy different from the others.. Unlike the machine made toys these days...

My Little Pet Onion...

Admittedly, it sounds a little warped. But my latest little intrigue in my life has got to be my little pet onion.

I mean, think about it! What's wrong with having a little pet onion? Unlike dogs and cats which make noise, shed fur and eat a lot, a pet onion is quiet, doesn't shed anything except maybe a layer of skin or 2 and doesn't consume anything except maybe a little bit of water and some warm sun.

OK, so why not a pet goldfish or a terrapin, you may ask? They don't make noise, don't shed fur and don't consume a lot. Sure, you're absolutely right, but then I've still gotta go and clean their tank and do a hell lot of set up. Worse, in our current snowy weather, I might come home to a block of goldfish in an ice cube. So in order to be humane, it's not that great an idea to adopt a goldfish or a terrapin.

Fine, you say, so why an onion? Why not, erm, a garlic maybe, or a shallot? Why an onion?

The answer? Cos' I found this already growing in the kitchen drawer and decided to adopt it!

PS: Nickie however believes it's going to attract some insect sooner or later, so I am keeping my onion while it still lasts. It's moving outside to the garden into its own pot soon when the weather warms, I promise!

On Politically Correct Terms For Various Occupations

I was reading the Metro Tabloid the other day on the train and I came across a letter to the forum.

A young man was asking the newspaper why there was a need to be so politically correct when it came to addressing various occupations.

Apparently his son had asked, "Why can't we call the fireman, a fireman? Why does he have to be called a firefighter? And why can't we call the female firefighters, firebabes or firechicks?"

Haha, firechicks.... yea baby.... (imgery of hot babe in firefighter's uniform comes into mind - red hot!!!)

But seriously, why CAN'T we call them firebabes? And why should children be forced to learn difficult words that are so way out of their leagues and difficult to understand? I mean, a fireman IS a MAN right? So what's wrong with fireman, or policeman or whatever-man for that matter?

Pure crap isn't it? Why do people always insist to make life more complicated than it already is? No wonder kids these days are having trouble grasping the language.... The adults are making life too damn complex!

It's true! It's finally snowing!!!

Last night, I realised that the window panes and windscreen of the car was covered entirely with ice... That's when I realised that maybe, just maybe, it's really going to snow!

Yesterday there really was some snow floating around in the rain but that was quickly gone after the sun came out.

Hah! But today! Today it is different!!! It's really well and truly raining with a blustery wind and YES! Snow!! Sure, its not the thick white kind that carpets the entire ground with a powdery snowy white but its snow all the same....

Fluttery, white snow mixed in the rain.....

Finally! I can strike off another thing off my list! HAH!

Oh wait.... No.. No.. NO!!!!!!!!!!! The sun's come out again!!!!! SOBZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How long do you take for meals?

Larry didn't come over for dinner yesterday.

On MSN, I asked him why and he said he was busy. In all, he spent only 30 minutes the entire day on all his meals for the day combined.

Hmmm... typically we spend about 3 hours for dinner, inclusive of cooking, serving, eating and crapping...

Is it too much?

$1 a meal a person, anyone?

People often say that to live in an "ang moh" country typically costs a bomb. I disagree.

In the words of my Aunty Jenny, "You just gotta learn how to live!" and truly, that's all there is!

Just went to do a little mental calculations and realised that basically, Chubby Hubby, Nickie, Larry and I are all living on basically $1 for a meal!

I can't believe it but its true! Chubby Hubby and Nickie in total spent about $20 in all buying foodstuffs such as meat, desserts, veggies and fruits. You wouldn't believe it until you see it with your own eyes, but today's shopping only cost us less than $5 and it was a total of 4 bags full, not just full, overflowing filled full!

This CD that I am listening to already cost me $5 for a boxset of 4 CDs.. so go figure!

Funny strikes we have here!

Maybe I am like really backward and outta touch with what strikes truly are, but I always thought that strikes were meant to be dramatic and to get what you want, or to protest against something that you don't want.

I envision a typical strike to be something like the Hock Lee Bus Strikes in Singapore which we Singaporeans would have read about in history books. I imagined a mob, rioting, making a nuisance of themselves, bringing all traffic and other walks of life to a standstill. I believed that there would be a lot of violence, of a period of unsafe passage through to anywhere.

But it's not like that at all! In fact, these people here plan their strikes for like months ahead and everyone knows that these people are going to strike and plan their activities around the periods of strike so that there would be minimal disruptions to their life.

I mean like, if disruptions are minimal, then why have a strike? If life still remans relatively normal and if people are not particularly inconvenienced, then the strike would lose its purpose isn't it? I mean, if no one is inconvenienced, then whether there is a strike or not won't particularly affect them and if that's the case, then whether the strike carries on or not is of no consequence to the commuters and supposedly people who are affected and therefore, it makes the people on strike unimportant and therefore even these people are gone, it doesn't really matter right?

At least, that's what I think.... Unfortunately, people still get inconvenienced.. Like Nickie!

Nickie was one of these people inconvenienced by the recent train signaller strike. Of all days, Nickie had to choose the days of a strike to get to her sister who was elsewhere in the country. Not her fault though, co' the sister was headed for a competition which only lasted for abt a week. Rather sucky because then instead of the 4 hours on 2 trains, she took 3 trains and 1 coach and reached in like maybe 6 hours or more.

And when we came back, she managed to take one train but then had to take a connecting coach to her 2nd last destination. In the end when she reached Edinburgh, she realised that the last bus back home was gone hours ago! So poor Nickie was stuck at the station with her 30kg luggage and it was already about 7 hours of journey lugging that luggae around.

Thank goodness we managed to get a new car in time to go and get her at the station, else she would have to take the cab which costs like maybe 100SGD to get back home!

Ode To My Red Benz

Yesterday, we bid a fond farewell to our lovely red Benz who has since gone on to a better owner who can give it the attention and love that we haven't been able to give.

It's kinda sad really, even Nickie admits that this is the one car that we have had the most feelings for.

Funny though, every car that comes through our hands seems to always get rather dirty on the outside. Maybe we are "suay chew", then again, maybe we are just lazy. =) But still, an excellent car that starts 1st time, every time... Hopefully the new owner will give it a re-wax and a hoover-over soon, that we have been meaning to give but never found the time for.

Actually kinda sad to have to see it go, but at the very least it is going to go to a nice new owner who is buying it for his son. Hopefully it gets loved as much as it was when we had it, even though we hardly spent time to maintain it.

Has tremendous fun driving with the sunroof open in the late afternoons was we raced across motorways, even if it was only to get to our local supermarket. Imagine, the wind in your hair, the dappled sunlight falling through the trees and creating sparkling motes of light on your clothes and face.. ah... pure pleasure...

But well, as they say, if the old one doesn't go.. then the new ones ain't gonna come! So to our beloved Merc, farewell!! Thanks for serving us so well!! You're already sorely missed....

Some of the best things in life are FREE! - It's TRUE!

I know this has probably been said countless of times by countless of tourist booklets and websites but it's really true! The best museums to view in Britain are really the ones that are free!

I was at London's British Musesum the other day and seriously, anyone would have told you that you can spend more than 3 days there and you still feel that you haven't completed everything.

Likewise, today I went over to Edinburgh and visited the Museum of Edinburgh, Museum of Childhood and the Royal Museum of Scotland and had a whale of a time!

I like the Royal Museum the best because there are like basically 3 floors with some floors in between and the galleries just keep going on! Every corner you turn there's bound to be something of interest although my favourite is still the Ground Floor where the Millenium Clock stands. In the nearby gallery stands various taxidermies of extinct and endangered animals and even Dolly The Cloned Sheep! Rest assured though, no animals have been harmed intentionally in order to obtain the stuffed specimens. All have died of natural death or accidents thus allowing them to be stuffed and exhibited. I especially love this floor because it reminds me of the harsh reality that the animals currently living today might just be extinct by the time our children are born. So as cliche as it may sound, I still gotta say it at least once:
When the buying stops, the killing can too!

I can proudly say that I have seen a Quagga! If you guys remember still, back in secondary school, we were given an essay describing a weird animal that looks like its a combi of a donkey and a zebra known as a Quagga. I bet you didn't know, but a Quagga is not a hybrid but actually a real species of zebra but which has obviously since gone extinct. Apparently, the one last Quagga was also the only one that was photographed when it was still alive and lived in the London Zoo. It's really a rather pretty animal because it's like this brown coloured zebra with really faint stripes. Difficult to describe, so since a picture paints a thousand words, please refer to the attached photograph. I'm not kidding! That IS a quagga!!!

I didn't manage to catch a glimpse of Dolly the Cloned Sheep though because I was rushing to catch my train back home before my train ticket expired. But you can bet I am definitely going back there to finish my tour of the entire 5 floors of the museum!

Best of all, it's free!!!!!

My Boyfriend Went To London And All I Got Was A Stupid Harrod's Paper Bag!

Okay, that's not true! Haha! =) In fact, we had a really enjoyable time in London although we bought basically nothing except about 5 postcards and a meal in London Town.

Thankfully, it wasn't like how Michael Buble sang it because it really wasn't a foggy day in London Town. Rather, we had clear blue sapphire skies, white puffy clothes and plenty of sunshine.

Here's a pointer if you are a tourist. Go and buy a day trip ticket (or whatever number of days you plan to stay) during the off peak hours (i.e. buy the ticket after 9am) from any underground (that's MRT for us Singaporeans) station. This ticket then allows you to get on any tube at any time and take any bus in London (other than the tourist buses) at any time until 430am the next day. This is really quite a saver because a single bus trip costs 2 pounds while a single tube trip costs about 4 pounds. Also, basically everything is assessible by the Underground so your ticket will basically take you ANYWHERE in London Town.

I went off to sightsee and I've gotta say, my legs are killing me because I basically really walked around London Town! They are STILL killing me so don't follow my footsteps (haha! pun fully intended)!

Here's a list of stops that I went and their relevant Underground Stations.

London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Tower Hill and The Monument
(London Bridge Station)
Admittedly you can get to these stations via the names of the stations of these landmarks but it's a tad troublesome because these places of interest are really all within a stone's throw of each other. And taking the Underground means you'd miss walking along the River Thames and some of the best views of these beautiful places. If you are going to Tower Hill, do remember to go in and take a look at the Crown Jewels and do go atop Tower Bridge with an authentically dressed Beefeater for a view around the River Thames.

Also, if you are headed to the Monument that was like built about 300 years ago (don't worry, it's still solid, I've climbed it and survived, so trust me), do attempt to climb it to the very top for a very nice Bird's Eye View of London. Sure, it has 311 steps with absolutely no breaks in between, up a long and winding staircase that is narrow enough for just about one person but hey! For your trouble you get a nice certificate that says you have conquered the 311 steps. It's a fantastic achivement if you ask me. And this is significantly better than the London Eye because this only costs 2 pounds and still gives you a great view.

Chinatown (Leichester Square)

There's really nothing fantastic about it. In my opinion, it shouldn't be considered a town since its just about maybe 1 or 2 streets filled with some chinese shops and eateries. Annie recommends the Japanese restaurant Misato which is also recommended by Cheap Eats of London. It's pretty near the gate which says "Welcome to Chinatown London", just a few shops away from the supposedly very famous "Wang Ji Restaurant".

Trafalgar Square (Trafalgar Square)

It seems like this place is a must go fo all tourists. In the vicinity is the National Art Gallery. Come here if you would like to squeeze in with the tourists and cuddle the cast iron lions. I really can't remember which fella was executed here but just come all the same.. it only proves that you have really gone to London.

From Trafalgar Square you can take a bus or a walk to Westminister's Abbey and The Big Ben. Alternatively, you could just start from Buckingham Palace (Green Park, St. James), and snap a few pictures, watch the changing of guards and then walk down the mile long street known as The Mall which will take you past St. James park and get to Trafalgar Square. Then from there, carry on to the above said.

British Musesum (Tottenham Court or Russell Square)

There is just so much so much to see here! Just when you think you have basically completed everything of interest, you suddenly turn a corner and then Voila! another huge bunch of artifacts and what-nots to see. The boyfriend and I swore that we would leave in 2 hours to go see something else in London but time simply flew and before we knew it, we have spent almost 4 hours (and that's just simply from browsing the exhibits and not even stopping in time to read the stuff written on the cards beside them!). Best of all, it's free and has been since the 1970's so just come here for a nice family day. Lots to see, and some to touch!

Harrod's (Knightbridge)

Any self-respecting person would just simply have to come to Harrod's. Sure, it's just this huge shopping center but after Diana's death, Dodi's Dad has since added some touches to the shopping center with a Diana and Dodi Memorial in the Lower Ground Floor, with their photos lit with candles and the diamond ring that Dodi gave Diana as a token of love. There is also a statue of them near the 3rd Door on the Ground Floor releasing a dove. Worth a see even if there's nothing that you might want to buy there.

Notes On The Underground

Like I've said, buy the tickets as I have mentioned above. Do note that planned and unplanned closures of the various stations ALWAYS occur in the vast and complex network known as the London Underground fondly known as The Tube. The reason why its called the tube is simply because the train cabins are so narrow that if 2 people sit down opposite each other there is just one person's space between them. If you are a huge hulking giant, I suggest you give the Tube a miss cos' you are probably going to be mighty uncomfortable.

Dinner time! See Ya Later!