Current Music: You Learn (Alanis Morissette)
World of plastics...non-biodegradable, they are. They appear to some in a couple of strata...malleable...shape-shifters, perhaps. "Once bitten, twice shy"...apparently this doesn't apply to some. Subjecting them to be victims of these malicious solid elements...I just don't get it.
Utterly insane to dedicate a post to such matter...n'est-ce pas?
On a higher note, I'd be hitting Wild Africa soon! ~
Current Music: Mockingbird (Eminem)
Sometimes I wonder if our taxes and whatever we're contributing to the government are channelled to good causes. Yea yea, world class this and that...but the civil service experience I witnessed yesterday was the absolute opposite.
What with the dudes who seemed inadequately trained up for their calling...to that fella whom I had to translate whatever bull that's spewing out of his mouth 'cos the Philly guest had trouble understanding his Singlish. Utterly disgusted...
Current Music: If I Ain't Got You (Kenny G)
Spent the whole of yesterday at the Zoo and Night Safari...felt damn good. Couldn't have asked for a better day to go there...weather was fantastic, animals were active, albeit a tad too short for the zoo visit since we didn't quite get to see ALL of the animals due to time constraints. Would've loved to spend more time to get shots of the babies.
One of the white rhinos gave birth a couple of months back...and last I saw her when before I left, she was still pregnant with the little one. I just love looking at baby rhinos galloping around the enclosure...since they've got more space at that size.
Didn't quite get to see Inuka and Sheba...probably resting. Charlie was not there either...exhibit was under construction. Ah, the frustration...this is the second time! Though I've got some great shots of the baby ring-tailed lemurs with my amateurish Cybershot T30...wondering if I should get a proper SLR someday. Nevertheless, some of the soft snaps turned out well...on the camera viewer, at least. Perhaps I should get them on print. Will post some on the photo section since the blog has got a knack for screwing up the layout of the pics like it did for the previous shots of the pigeons and Ol' Frankie.
Anyhoos, got to bump into quite a good bunch of people along the way...Ram, Ai Kheng, Zai, John, Hussy, Sim, Ai Khim, Jenny, Vikrant (he's back!), Julius, Mummy Rotela (though I didn't get to catch up much with her), Han Qiang, Vincent, Emmey, Selamat, Bashir, Margaret, Anthony, the Wahids (both Babboon and Gibbon), that KFC lady...ahhh, I really miss the people, too! It's kinda sad that I only get to really talk to some of them during this kind of oppurtunities since I was so damn busy most of the times back then. But better than nothing, right...hopefully I'll get to catch up more when I'm back for good...with a rather different mission ;p
Left the Zoo with a bit of retail therapy (of course!). Well, just a minor one...'cos I'd been dying to get the calendar. Think I'm gonna start collecting every year from now on. I've got 2007...think 2005 is chucked somewhere. The shots are not that fantastic (I think Julian W did a way better job at it!), but for conservation sake...would like to think of it as me doing my part for the effort ;p. Oh yea, for those who were asking me about the black Chawang shirt, they've finally stocked it up in the stores. Thinking if I should get one in grey as well...hee!
Second half of the day was spent at Night Safari...minus my Bongo :o(. Did the usuals...Ben & Jerry's (try Jamaican!), fire twirlers, tram, show and the walks. In conjunction with Halloween, they did up the pet cemetary route. Uber cool...way way better than 2005! Can't wait to look out for the scarers on the 27th (yeap yeap, going there AGAIN). The show...some interesting changes...though some parts were a tad cheesy, I have to say. Some tongue in cheek...
Giant flying squirrel just did a small leap...slow loris was moving about (surprise surprise)...otters, chirpy as usual...then we spent probably 30 minutes with the Malayan tiger, whom up till now, I can't recall his name. We were just squealing with excitement (or maybe, it's just THEM...haha) at every moment he turned to look at us as he was engrossed with devouring yummylicious (to tigers' standards) supper in the form of what looked like a limb of an ungulate.
I love love LOVE yesterday...but what could've been better? More time for shots of the animals. And BONGO WINGS AND FRIES!!! 27th, 27th, 27th...hohoho! Can't wait for weekend to come...whee!
Ciao!
Current iTunes Playlist: Aired in 1997 (MMMBop by Hanson)
Yea, these songs were playing back when I was all bushy-tailed and green-eyed in some nook at Swiss Cottage...ooh, those school days. Do you really feel like going back to those days sometimes?
Well well, high school days are making a sudden comeback. Sometimes I sense influences of high school royalty, if you're familiar with that concept. Oh, the ridicule of it...I suppose adolescence deprivation might've driven one to this. The more amazing part is the willing worshippers...the lambs? Yea, however you label them..tsk!
Current Music: Another Day In Paradise (Phil Collins)
Hee...I've got my lil' neighbours (I think they're twins) squabbling over a skate scooter. And now one sister is zooming away around the huge ol' tree while the other is hot on her heels...or wheels, rather. I think I should come up with a name for that big ol' tree. Ol' Frankie? D'accord...presenting to you OL' FRANKIE:
Upstairs neighbour is throwing down what I assume would be crushed rice grains or something...and guess who came by....
And lil' neighbour tries to do her share in the welfare of Unsheltered Stray Animals of Pasir Panjang Road...
Ok, someone's gotta work...
Ps: Oh yeap...thanx a bunch to Ade and Mrs Tan for that fantabulous diner chez Sushi Tei (they rhyme!). More ranting sessions! ;p
Current Music: The Moment (Kenny G)
Horrifying Fact: Somebody's gotten a tad more voluptuous that she could hardly fit into her new kebaya suit...arrrrgghhhh!! That's it...no more late night suppers at McDonald's...sheesh!
Started the day off with...erm, no, didn't get to hit the park this morning. The whole of yesterday really drove me to the extremely absurd levels of fatigue.
Anyhoos, last night was a rather nice moment of...hmm, what shall we call it...recollection? The whole jim gang this particular family who came over to De Yumi's place to visit Yayi...Goonsey and I had trouble trying recognise all the kids who've grown way, WAY, up! There was this girl whom I remember cousin Rai was babysitting for during a relative's wedding at Holland Drive...at that age, I remember her walking around like a penguin (babies do that, don't they?) at the playground. And now she's blossomed into a fine young lady...hit me on the head, "Have I gotten THAT old???"...geez!
So there were about over 20 of them in the family, and it was getting a tad too confusing for Goons and me to recognise who's who. He decided that instead of just being colour co-ordinated, they should start sitting together in separate groups as separate families and hold up A1-sized name plates or something.
Yea, speaking of colour co-ordination...it's just this Malay family thing to do during Hari Raya. Not too sure how it originated, but I do remember the old fogies referring to that as boria. To my understanding, boria is a group of performers (from Penang?) who dress alike and interestingly well co-ordinated dance steps. So yea, I suppose the whole purpose is to aid relatives in recognising who belongs to which family...helps, especially Malay families have a knack for HUGE families...hohoho! Well, except for mine...parce que je suis Javanese ;p
That's all!
Current Music: How Can I Put Out The Flames (Candi Staton)
Oh, the irony...it's National Coming Out Day today! Then there's General Pulaski Memorial Day in the States...whoever he is. Joan Cusack's birthday...yea, she's cool. And of course the ultimate one...The First Lady Of The World. None other than Eleanor Roosevelt, a great human activist. Cool fact: there's a whole century between us. Damn, we Librans rock!
I'm feeling rather productive aujourd'hui...and deffo can't wait to start hitting the Park again after Ramadhan. Time to get busy busy. I'm also contemplating about volunteering at the Zoo...quelque chose I've never got the opportunity to get around to over the deux ans.
Scenes from my window:
Well, it's not so bad a neighbourhood, n'est-ce pas? At least I'm not seeing much of the regular minahs and mat-reps (is this how you spell it?). And that's exactly why je n'aime pas beaucoup Geylang during Ramadhan.
Gotta break fast...
Current Music: Always (Toni Braxton)
One piece of advice: NEVER ATTEMPT ANY RETAIL THERAPY WHEN YOU'RE PISSED...or maybe even when you're unusually elated. But I guess it's worse with the former because you'd be heading to the cashier as if you're in a trance...it only dawns on you when you're given the receipt. And you'll think, "Why the %*&# did I get that for??". So that was last night...
The idea of what Munge told me a couple of days ago kinda tickled me...the common unfortunate event (or perhaps a string of it) in our lives. She was telling her bud about that episode of my life...well, with the one from "land of Vikings" (as how she put it). And he just came up with, "J, isn't that YOUR life story?". Yeap...sad, isn't it? I know...hahah! We are so gonna start our very own parody of "Desperate Housewives" or some thingamajig like that. Imagine the humour...or the horror of it ;p
Geez...I don't understand what the hell he's talking about! So I suppose it's a good thing...?? Hmmmph..
So anyways, we were setting that date yesterday, right...I suggested getting someone to tag along. But apparently it's gonna be a "big girls only" thing. Connection of the intellectual (or "inter-legend"...that's what happens when you're always trying to français-ise everything...haha!) minds of some sort. And of course that cuppa of bitching to go along with it.
Random thought: I can't stand companies which simply choose to have awfully friggin' long address names when you have to send them cheques...that you tend to overshoot the allocated underlined space meant for you to write the receiver's name. Arghh..
Exactly une année till my Quarter Century Life Dream...whee!
Current Music: Simply Beautiful (Al Green)
Well well, not much to tell...just updating stuff worth mentioning.
Frustrations from Last Night
My Almost Tasteless Maggi Noodles - I do remember that the instructions on the older packs always mentioned to use 2.25 cups of water as the soup base...so of course that's what I did last night. Till I realised a tad too late (after I just poured the seasoning into 2.25 cups of simmering water) that the new recipe only requires TWO cups. Grrr...thus resulting in my crappy noodles with diluted soup.
Room Telly Went Off On Timer - Of all times, it just had to switch off at the climax of Bone Collector! I ended up not being able to watch how the serial killer got around to the last victims. Well I've watched it before, but doesn't hurt to be reminded of one of the greatest suspense movies I've ever watched. Have to find out how to switch off the goddamn timer once the telly comes alive again... *roaaarrrr*
Good Feels So Far
Precious Sahur Moments - It's about the only time I get to catch up with Mama Jams over that mere 40 minutes of breakfast at 4.00ish in the morning (just a slightly bigger breakkie as a start to fasting for the day). "Catching up" usually refers to me updating her with my latest trials and tribulations...and funnily happy moments, too (if any). Always ends up with her inching to her bedroom door, asking me, "Are you almost done...I gotta get ready for work"...sheesh!
Spring Cleaning Of My Hard-Drive - Realising I've got only about 5GB worth of space on my Machine, I've decided to do a bit of spring clean up. God knows why on Earth I've got 11MB of CD-label printer programme...so of course that ended up in the trash. Now, I'm battling with myself whether to trash Diablo II, which takes up a whopping 1144MB of my space! (Used: RARELY, Last Used On: 1 Oct 2005) Hmmm...whaddya think? Geez...my Assassin is already all the way in Lut Gholein, in search of the Tal Rasha rune (or some thingamajig like that...can't exactly recall the storyline anymore). I've always hated Lut Gholein, for some reason...even when I completed the game the first time around (yes yes, I did kill Diablo AND Baal!). Especially when I used to play the Sorceress, and used up a hell lot of mana...that was frustrating to the max! SO...to trash???
Funny People Moments
Natt's Dad -
(On the phone)
The Dad: Natt, have you buka?
Natt: Not yet, is it time already?
The Dad: Oh yea, two more minutes..
Hmm...?
Mama Jams -
(At Garuda restaurant, cashier counter)
Me: Ma, they don't accept NETS...only credit cards. Have you got your Master?
(Mams gave me the card , walked off...and I continued to daydream...until...)
Me: Ma! Come back...you need to sign the receipt!!
(She came back, laughing all the way...then I realised she was just after that Pinle pancake thingie...sheesh!)
Some Director -
(During Natt's WIP, and the said person was triumphantly squishing trespassing ants with her fingers)
Natt: Boss, you are working in a ZOO!
Latest Retail Therapy
Glide Laptop Case - Finally, the perfect one...well, albeit for the starkly huge logo at the front magazine pocket (I'm not very big on huge logos). Other than that, it's completely perfect. And it's also great that I can use it as workstation at home! So goodbye to the friggin' huge Acer carrier with that ridiculous long shoulder strap (good thing my height makes up for it!)...but then again, it has served me well all these years. Just that it needs to make way for something nouveau.
(ps: the retail assistant said that my Osprey comes with a lifetime warranty...the BAG's lifetime or MY lifetime...hee!)
One thing I love about a new travel pack is the mini catalogue that comes with it! Not so much for the wheelies, but I love the design of the Waypoint series...they sure make my Quantum 55+10 seem...well, small.
One pro for Deuter, though...the discreet logo (as compared to Osprey!) I also kinda like the neat top-loading designs. Besides, my Deuters (Quantum, Nexus and Hip Pack) sure have been through a hell lot with my travels. Quantum has even been to places I've never been to before (Az borrowed it for her Europe study tour and Li borrowed it to Spain and Germany)! The Hip Pack has evidences of the time I invested painting in Takeo and Hambantota, and the time when I fell on the muddy slope in Kinabatangan.
I've also been on a hunt for a perfect pack for short trips for the longest time, and almost splurged on that Columbia pack from Harbourfront. Suddenly I found my MIA North Face (knock off from Russian Market in Penh...hehe) in some nook in bro's room. He chucked it to the side 'cos he tore the front compartment...that a**e! Anyways, all it needed was a little mending with ultimate TLC and it's good as new! So it accompanied me to Ubin...I especially love the detachable section. Saves the hassle of bringing along the Hip Pack.
I once read in a bulletin board on Contiki about a fair bunch of travellers (read: backpackers) who discriminate against the psychocentrics who use cabin trolleys and duffels on their travels. I'm not discriminating, but really, where's the fun when you can't keep your hands free when travelling 'cos you have to lug your stuff around? If it helps, my Grandma uses cabin trolleys...hehe. Reminds me of the show Zoom Thailand on Suria... Darlina teased Nurul for having her cabin trolley when they were going on that expedition to Thailand, "Kau nak pergi umrah ke?" [Are you going for an umrah pilgrimage (in Macca)?] ...LOL!
Speaking of Contiki, I've always been a Contiki-er wannabe. However at this point of time, I should say that it's beyond my financial means as a minimum wage earner...so I'm picking up tips from experienced travellers to bundle up the travel components as drawn out on Contiki's colourful itineraries (I hope no one from Contiki's management is reading this! Hah). But I'd surely love to join one of their trips sometime in the future. Those who are 18 to 35 years old...you guys should check Contiki out! (Hopefully this makes up for that suggestion which is not exactly the company's best interest...heheh)
Current Realisations
It's Raining! - I hope it'll subside when the sun makes its grand entrance later...need to do laundry big time!
External Hard-Drive Is Running Out Of Space! - Should've gotten that 100GB, knowing the amount of junk I tend to keep...arghh!
I'm Rich! - Pay is in...need I say more? Muahahaha..
Past TWO Hours! - That's how long I've been spending on this post! Well, it includes digressing to...
D'accord...I've got to restart the PC or else I won't be able to play music on iTunes. Really can't wait for the store to be available here (tentatively by year's end) so I can start downloading hassle-free...woohoo!
Ciao for now...
Current Music: So Lady (Mary J Blige)
Peut-être je devrais retour au zoo...
Peut-être je devrais prendre des vacances...explorer de monde...
I just don't feel like conforming anymore...was I even doing that in the first place?
