a cup of Gie | the Girl can't help it

moving on

2010-08-27T13:34:00.001+08:00

It had been a good ten years until recently I decided I wanted more. Unfortunately Blogspot no longer matches up to Wordpress where blogging interface is almost idiot-proof. Plus, WP offers much more desirable blog themes.

So there, my new address is www.acupofgie.com

i figured

2010-08-22T19:58:00.002+08:00

If life gives you lemons, make tequila shots.

monday with skew

2010-07-20T19:13:00.005+08:00

Weekends with Skew are hard to come by these days. Being your own boss isn't all about flexible working hours and being very 'eng' when others are slaving away in the office. Skew is much busier on weekends with his retail business. Since I had a few off-in-lieus on Mondays (also hard-earned with sweat and tears), Skew and I spent much quality time together, exploring places and chillaxing. ;)

Poached eggs with corned beef

Mulling over the menu at Hatched

Time over a good cuppa cafe latte

Coffee-tasting at Papa Palheta

We're 1.7 years xoxo,

Gie

idyllic days in bintan

2010-05-27T10:22:00.022+08:00

Hello darlings! Last weekend, Skew and I left our worldly worries behind and hid out in Bintan. Well almost; auto-roaming calls and SMSes still haunted us from time to time. *rolls eyes*

As told, the beach by Nirwana Gardens Hotel is surprisingly clean and the waters fairly clear (though far from pristine). We checked in on Sunday (an off-peak period) and with the low occupancy rate, we shared the entire strip of beach with a family of three and another couple. The unexpected tranquility was much appreciated. ;)

Skew trying his hand at archery.

Infinity pool.

Without a doubt, Bintan accepts Singapore currency. But the standard of living is much higher than we were told. A three-course dinner at the Kelong Seafood Restaurant set us back by SG$90 and our tummies saw no satisfaction. Each can of Coke is SG$4 and juices cost SG$7-8. For a moment I thought we were holidaying in Europe (?!). Crappers.

But we didn't let the exorbitant prices get to us; I had cheese crackers and dips and chocolate pies on stand-by. Best Friend sent us an email that led us to the neighbouring beach club which serves really awesome three cheese thin crust pizza (SG$11). And we lamented why we hadn't known about this little joint earlier!

For the curious little ones, judging by my barely-there tan lines, the spray-on sunscreen SPF50 from Coppertone really saved our arses. Despite the prolonged hours by the beach and pool, we hardly turned lobster. Awesome, no?!

Where is our next destination,

Gie

guess where we spent our weekend

2010-05-26T09:56:00.003+08:00

Only 45minutes away, not an ultimate paradise, but nonetheless an escape from the crazy city life. More pictures soon!

Love,

Gie

up up away!

2010-05-23T09:58:00.005+08:00

My my! Finally I'm going away. On a trip. Overseas!

How I miss my 'past life' when travelling is part of the job; packing my luggage is my everyday life and DFS is my second home. Sigh... I miss the smell of perfume counters...But anyway this time's different. It's not for work but a personal R&R trip with Skew to a nearby island. Unbelievable as it may sound, I've been stepped foot on anywhere in Indonesia.

The intention is to get me out of this crazy red dot (a major event just ended) and the 45-min boatride will see me drinking cocktails by the poolside and stuffing myself with the much-raved about seafood. No schedules, no itineraries. Enough of planning! (Tells you how mental my job drove me to)

So, my bags are packed and I'm raring to go! Already, my stomach feels sick with excitement as I'm writing this piece. ;))

what's in a sign

2010-05-06T18:52:00.001+08:00

May 2010 Sagittarius Horoscope

Waiting for the Right Moment

You may be having second thoughts about some recent professional decisions, especially if your job isn't supporting your dreams. Opportunities for personal growth do arise this month, yet also place obstacles in your path. This is a time to scale back your vision and tend to the business at hand.

Blogging from my iPhone ;)

Of new toy

2010-05-02T16:49:00.002+08:00

I've been shameless broadcasting to all about my newly acquired gizmo - iPhone.

Meant to enhance social connection between people, the device seems to be dividing them instead.

Because right now, I'm busy blogging away on my new toy and ignoring Skew who's been trying to catch my attention since forever. Instead of engaging in a real life, I'm whatsapp-ing him.

Sent from my iPhone ;)

2010-02-21T14:02:00.002+08:00

When I miss Skew, I'd do my mighty best to recall all the times we had together. Be it having a good laugh or getting pissed at each other (mostly me at him), I'd savour the memories of us holding hands, kissing and the notes and cards and poems he used to write to me.

Skew explained that he no longer writes for me because he feels happy (now we're steady together) and his happiness needs no form of expression. He prefers to be introspective.

'I know the means to be happy and I strive towards it. And perhaps that's why I'm running out of the emotions required for good poetry.'

Meanwhile, I'm one who feeds on dramatic out-of-this-world head-over-heels cannot-live-without romance, helium-filled pink balloons, flowers and William Blake's poems. SIGH.

Anyhoo, I was fiddling with the cards Skew used to send me and he wrote me this one very lovely poem for my 25th birthday.

Another Year

How time sneaks us by
As we navigate on life's choppy waters.
Too much on the next colliding wave
And too little on the journey.
Today's a good day;
Unlade your cargo and sieve
Blessings from misfortunes
Of the year gone past.
The chaotic world pauses
In the calm habour,
So relax your well-worn
Soul and celebrate your spirit.
Slow down and find this day
A familiar smile that never left
My lips, just for you.
Just as it'll always be
Another year.

bright lights

2010-02-16T11:56:00.002+08:00

Vintage Striped Dress: Deja-Vu Vintage

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!!!

first day shenaigans

2010-02-15T09:45:00.009+08:00

Brother attempting to continue the same feat from CNY 2009.

CNY 2009

Kill the sun!!

Ashlyn having a ball of fun with the camera.

My most adorable niece, Ashlyn.

this year's 14 feb

2010-02-14T17:39:00.003+08:00

sweetness is what we need this coming year

2010-02-14T07:03:00.003+08:00

Despite all that has happened in the past year, we strive to love one another even more and stop those senseless fighting, acquisitions, mergers, pay cuts and what-have-you-not.

Love more, dress fabulously, spray better perfume and air-kiss a few more friends; lighten up and have a happy new year. ;)

first-hand look at rws

2010-02-13T01:46:00.008+08:00

Inside a lift at Hard Rock Hotel

It wasn't long ago when I visited Resorts World Sentosa. The colleagues and I were invited to a food tasting luncheon at restaurant Chinois by Susur Lee. SUDUP!

A few restaurants at RWS are already in operations and I highly recommend Chinois by its excellent high quality Chinese cuisine. I'm still drooling over its kampung chicken brewed soup. Simple traditional Chinese dishes made exquisite. An absolute delight.

Two nights ago, we were invited to the launch opening party of Rang Mahal Pavillion, a spin-off of well-established Rang Mahal. Well done with the finger food, but unfortunately the golden bubblies ran out a little too soon. :(

More pictures to come.

not over yet

2010-01-28T01:40:00.000+08:00

I dont know where the last one month went to. To the loo I think.

Many things have happened. But allow me to give you a brief summary:

Today started off as a shitty day, ended off the same. Tomorrow will probably be the same. And so is the rest of the week.

On a separate note, I suspect things will never be the same again and so I had a good time crying my eyeballs out while hitching a midnight car ride from this weird uncle who has the habit of stuffy used tissue all over the seats in his car. He drives weird too; adjusting his seat as close to the steering wheel as possible and tweaks his arm once every few seconds like an uncontrollable sneeze. Maybe one good thing about him is he never asked why I sobbed so hard. I didn't have to be answerable for the illogical emotions I have mixed up in my head. The head's melting pot; it can mess you up so bad that every thing turns to grey immediately once you turn your gaze on it.

The uncle's good. He listens to me. I don't have to plaster a smile or put up a fight to get my point across. All I needed to tell him is that I live in Hougang Ave 4 and I require a receipt for my cab fare home since it's way past official working hours and I have to figure a way home.

;) have a happy holiday

2010-01-01T14:28:00.004+08:00

It seems like the boys had a wee bit of fun last night, counting down to the good spirits of new year. Great thanks to Seto, Esmond, and Victoria who procured the food for the BBQ, Lesley who didn't managed to make it but sponsored us a bottle of fine brut rose bubblies, Songjie and Laura who came to win my money at the gambling table, Yuyee and Jac who made their 3-second appearance, Best Friend and Jeremy who got us tasty prawns, Weiqin who helmed the bartending station for the night and my lovely (slightly sick) boyfriend who provisioned this little lovely patch of space in his house.

happy happy happy(!) new year

2010-01-01T11:13:00.001+08:00

Cheers to a new year!

Image via Fashionologie.

tis the season for desserts

2009-12-28T19:24:00.008+08:00

Fresh strawberries, creme, crunchy cereal, cinnamon and almond - all my favourites combined into one mighty awesome dessert!

I lost count the number of servings I had over the weekend. My arteries are probably cursing me mad. Dearie aJ bought a pot of creme anglaise to Cindy's potluck Christmas dinner and since I couldn't stop replenishing my cup with more strawberries and creme... it's highly addictive. To honour her hard work, I volunteered to take home nearly the entire pot of creme. To add some crunch to the bite, I improvised with almond cereal and layered it below the fresh fruit and creme in a champagne flute. Mighty pleased~!

Judging at the results of our culinary skills put to test during this festive season, I say dear Archie now doesn't have to worried about catering food at his store's launch reception. ;)

Basic recipe for Fresh Strawberries with Almond Creme Anglaise here.

read fine print

2009-12-25T15:12:00.015+08:00

Everyone received a lucky draw prize during the annual Christmas party and I've got myself a $100 meal voucher at the Equinox Restaurant. Something to be delighted of.

Except the terms and conditions listed are:

- Voucher not valid on Saturday, Sunday, eve of public holiday, public holiday and major festivities such as Chinese New Year (16 days), Valentine's day, Mother's Day, Christmas eve, Christmas, New Year's eve and New Year's Day.

And the voucher of six months validity ends on 29 Jan 2010. -_-"

If you've seen the Equinox menu, you'd probably understand my headache. Dinner's way too expensive while lunch buffet is not in my consideration since weekends are not valid. Sunday brunch looks good except not valid for weekends (again).

I feel like giving up the voucher to someone else, instead of giving myself a headache thinking when I could/should dine at Equinox given the whole list of 'not valid on this day that day'.

merry christmas, love

2009-12-25T05:16:00.002+08:00

more on that christmas party

2009-12-23T23:35:00.005+08:00

Birthday celebration was part of the Christmas party and being a December baby *ahem* for obvious reasons, I was excited at the thought of... the cake! Dear Lesley my partner-in-crime at work was in charge of the party's planning and she asked me where we should get the birthday cake from.

"The Patissier!!" I squealed. The confectionery is one of my few favourites. It's true. I don't fall in love with cakes as quickly / easily as I do with dark chocolate.

Anyways, a turn of events had us scrambling for alternatives as things didn't work out with The Patissier. We suddenly thought of our good friend Chef Roberto whose Garibaldi group of restaurant recently opened a confectionery shop, DeSte. We were told that Chef Stefano Deiuri was really busy but he gamely agreed to do us a... 10kg(?) cake.

100 points!!!

The November/December birthday celebrants.

I'm still trying to find out but I'm guessing that the cake served was the Piedmont Pave - Chocolate sponge and cream cake with praline and Piedmont hazelnut cream. *Slurp~!*

I am just trying to say... it's damn farking good. It's high time we take notice of better quality cakes, up the standard of our expectations for cakes. Move away from neighbourhood cake shops once a while and venture into the likes of The Patissier and DeSte. It's worth every penny you pay for. ;)

the weekend before christmas

2009-12-20T16:48:00.011+08:00

Hanging out with my beloved writers from the Publishing team.

We share everything, including gossip, chocolates, instant noodles and laughs.

Poolside at Park Hotel Clarke Quay.

Lesley getting busy with Cherrie with the decoration.

Homemade dark chocolate orange custard ;)

Archie, the master of stirring.

Together, we make deliciously wonderful chocolate custard.

annual seasonal fun

2009-12-19T15:19:00.003+08:00

The Christmas party last night was a blast. Many thanks to Park Hotel Clarke Quay and Chef Derek Ang for the wonderful poolside party!

spanish celebration at 2am

2009-12-13T13:08:00.003+08:00

Probably a prelude to trip to Madrid Fusion next January, Chef Janice designed a celabratory menu featuring the signature sweets of Spain.

The platter menu features a dark chocolate block infused with smoked red pepper (aka chocolate chilli), churros sized like mini ping pong balls and crema catalana*. Needless to say, I was fighting off Archie's dessert spoon to grab most part of the dessert. ;) Oh Executive Chef Adam Ashe from Marriott Hotel was seated next to us at the counter bar. And he too, was clearly enjoying himself with the 10-course degustation menu. Who wouldn't??

Archie's menswear label is going right on track and soon, he wants to be able to do a launch party. Wouldn't Chef Janice's dessert be just absolutely wonderful for the occasion?

*Crema Catalana is simply the Spanish take of creme brulee.

birthday suit

2009-12-06T14:31:00.001+08:00

On me:

Stripe Playsuit, Sass&Bide, Brisbane

Faux Leather Belt: H&M, Shanghai

Matte Grey Biker Jacket: Topshop

Coincidentally, I wore the SAME playsuit, stockings and heels exactly a year ago on my birthday! This time, I upped the omph factor with a matte grey biker jacket. And well, my hair's much shorter than before.

celebration

2009-12-06T09:27:00.004+08:00

Thank you. It is my birthday and you girls worked the floor with me. ;)

decisions

2009-12-04T22:19:00.005+08:00

In episode 7 of Flash Forward, one of the characters Gough who foreseen himself as the one responsible for the death of a young mother, decides to change the the course of events by ending his own life. Thus, he prevented the unfortunate future event from happening.

For those of you who are not familiar with the popular TV drama Flash Forward, here's a brief synopsis:

A mysterious event causes everyone on the planet to simultaneously lose consciousness for 137 seconds, during which people see what appear to be visions of their lives approximately six months in the future—a global “flashforward”. A team of Los Angeles FBI agents, led by Stanford Wedeck (Vance) and spearheaded by Mark Benford (Fiennes), begin the process of determining what happened, why, and whether it will happen again. Benford contributes a unique perspective on the investigation; in his flashforward, he saw the results of six months of investigation that he had done on the flashforward event, and he and his team use those clues to recreate the investigation.

Gough, one of the FPI agents experienced a flashforward; he saw himself crying and feeling remorseful after hearing the death of the young woman, and he learnt that he was (or rather, will be) responsible for the event. He could not live with the notion that he will soon cause two young kids to lose their mother - an innocent woman he did not know. To stop the event from taking place and causing pain onto himself and the family of the woman, Gough decided that the only solution is to end his life before things could happen. He pulled the plug on his life.

This can be interpreted in two ways:

1. He is courageous. The bravery to end the course of his life in order to put a stop to the pending awful event unthinkable. You could say he sacrificed himself to save a stranger.

2. He is weak. By ending his own life, he thought the problem would be solved. But is it too easy a way out? Would there be repercussions? He will not live to find out. If he had stayed on, his determination to pursue for a solution will be tested and regardless of success or failure, at least he tried and that, would garner him admiration.

Similarly, his co-partner, Mark had a flashforward: he saw himself killed by a thug during a police raid. He feared for his live, and the future of his family. Instead of waiting around for his time to come, he hunted down his (potential) killer, and pulled the trigger on him first. He lived.

Morality is being tested. Decisions have to be made. How do we judge whether they are made correctly or impartially?

sometimes the good stuff

2009-11-27T00:06:00.013+08:00

Last evening, the good people at Majestic Restaurant fed me - what could be considered - the best meal in a while. In the name and honour of gourmet cuisine, I ditched my colleagues for plans to meet for late night supper and made Archie wait for an hour plus outside the restaurant while I filled my tummy with sake-infused lobster, double-boiled abalone, fried crab claw with pan-seared scallops in lime sauce and.. annoying, am I?

So I admit, I forget my friends when tempted with exquisite cuisine. Or simply food for that matter. Next stop, Jing at One Fullerton! I was told that Jing serves weekend brunch dimsum buffet at less than $40 per diner. It is time I should visit Jing, and the gym.

Anyhoo, last Tuesday I was treated to a product launch by Marc Jacobs at Klapsons, The Boutique Hotel.

Marc Jacobs' new sexy fragrance, Lola is touted as the more flirtatious, alluring version of Daisy. To celebrate the launch of fragrance, guests were tasked to create their very own handbands with available materials such as pearls, synthetic feathers, rhinestones and etc. To add on to the fun, guests were given the free hand to create their own signature cocktails/mocktails in line with the fun-loving sassy free-spirit Lola.

Best Friend having fun at it.

I am not afraid to admit this too: I have zero talent in DIY. I completely suck at putting stuff together unless a piece of step-by-step instructions guide of no less than A4 size is placed right in front of me.

Back to the fragrance. I LOVE LOLA! Dominated by heart notes of peony (fave!), rose (fave!) and base notes of vanilla and creamy musk (triple fave!), the fragrance is endearing right from the start. Impossible not to love ;)

Tomorrow's a long awaited holiday (i'm sure everyone's complaining the lack of public holidays in Singapore). I may get to sleep in late but the day is pretty occupied. A new wine hub is opening and with my slightly thicker jacket, I will be braving a temperature 18 degrees in the cellar and learning to 'appreciate' the 2005 Bordeaux.

happy holidays,

Gie

victoria

2009-11-22T00:17:00.019+08:00

Vic's last day...

Still, we wish her all the best in her future endeavors!

Apple Tart Tab Tan @ Barossa, Esplanade

The crowd watches with awe as the Bombe Alaska was 'set on fire'.

Bombe Alaska dorsed with chocolate sauce...

The week didn't pass without us thinking that how nice it would be if Victoria didn't have to leave. Albeit a short stint in the company, Vic's been such a wonderful desk buddy. At first you don't know each other, but one look at each other's shoes, you suddenly have tonnes to talk about. We would swirl our chairs 90degrees and start bitching to each other about ahem. Fun times when we share quirky fashion tips and drool over each other's stockings. Halloween, she would ask me for costume advice*. Together with Cheryl, we'd make a band of stockings-lovers. Other days we would simply crackle up during tea break while savouring her gluten-free chocolate cookies. The girl's been fun to work with and I'm gonna miss her.

*I'm may not be big on Halloween, but I can still offer sound fashion advice. ;)

Will see Vic again on my birthday,

Gie

encore

2009-11-16T21:25:00.007+08:00

Archie's mighty proud of his fashion label's debut collection. Then again it couldn't been possible without a few good and generous mentors around. The capsule collection features five sets of outfits. Actually a total of ten has been made but the outfits had to undergo the 'editing room' and some were left on the cutting room's floor. Anyway here are up-close pictures of the final five outfits which made the cut.

had a great weekend?

2009-11-16T07:04:00.003+08:00

My weekend get-up to BlackMarket's first anniversary.

Grey Dress: Max & More

Charm Necklace: H&M, Dubai

Green Clutch: Sisley, Hyderabad

Black Patent Heels: Zoe Wittnerman, Australia

not today

2009-11-15T22:13:00.003+08:00

Unfortunately I was put to the aging test last night. I barely passed the test. At 2am only, I really felt my ear drums pricking with pain and the balls of my feet somewhat hot. And that was only 30minutes since I stepped on the dance floor.

Urgh, the last time I wrecked havoc was a few months ago at the Butter Factory when H1N1 was spreading all around. Haven't been 'lancing lancing' since then.

Last night Black Market celebrated its first anniversary at Zouk's Velvet Underground. Archie was invited and I was his plus one. After struggling to connect with girls a millennium younger than me, I felt a sense of relief when Victoria, a colleague of mine met up with me and off we went to Phuture for some serious dancing.

The rest is history.

Coupé-Cousu's Runway Debut

2009-11-07T13:47:00.013+08:00

Last night marks Archie's first fashion runway. With his partner Alex, the brand Coupé-Cousu finnally revealed its first collection in conjunction with the Parco next NEXT Fashion Show at Millenia Walk.

Amongst Archie's supporters were The Best Friend, aJ, Songjie and Laura, Camy, Theo, Tess and her colleagues, Archie's Dad, David, Goufeng and many more I'm sure whom I haven't keep track of. ;) I'm just glad they all came. Though none of the three menswear labels won the top 3 prizes (as expected), we're simply mighty proud of Archie. The insanely long hours put in by Alex and him finnally paid off. Hey so what they didn't win the prizes? The huge mountain of praises for their beautiful constructed and wearable clothes have caught the eyes of many.

Good job my love!

Taking advice from homegrown fashion masetro, Thomas Wee.

of craps and crab

2009-10-31T16:55:00.013+08:00

Happy Halloween folks!

Jessie 'Hohoho' reminded me the occasion last night and wanted to drag me out to have some fun. Gah, sorry babe but Halloween cramps my style (or whatever that's left of it). In fact, every day is a Halloween for me. The day could go from freaking to scary to nothing to cranky. Basically it's a mad house. My heart could only take this much from Monday to Friday, and sometimes Saturday. So, no. No additional Halloween for me. :)

A colleague nearly caused me a heart attack when she brought me into the chiller room (yes *winks* we have one in the office to store wine, champagne and whatnots). A large cardboard box was laid in front of me and when I opened it...

King of the Kings of the Crabs!

I love eating crabs. It nearly drove me bonkers seeing such a huge (and potentially tasty) crab right before my eyes. Proudly imported by Norge, the crab was in our office for its feature photoshoot. Look out for its debut coverage in the upcoming Lunar New Year edition. ;)

Archie's been dog-gone busy lately with the fashion runway set to take place 6th Nov at Millenia Walk. Everyday it's pretty much him and his partner running about the entire island ala The Amazing Race, meeting manufacturers, seamstresses, searching for buttons, zippers, blah blah and more blah blah. Plus, the amount of time driving on the road takes quite a considerable amount of energy away from him. Driving while you're tired and distracted isn't funny business. Oh well, the price one pays for entrepreneurship and erm... the passion. It could make you alive and dead all at once.

But hey! On the plus side, the business has been featured on several print media. Must count our blessings. The most recent one is today's The Business Times weekend edition, page L4. Heh I've been keeping track of the media exposure the business has garnered. Archie and his partner have been so busy with the runway show and this is the little thingy I reckon I could do.

If you appreciate good, quality yet understated inventive menswear, do look out for the revealing of
Coupé-Cousu's latest collection, inspiried by famous Japanese architect Ando. Alternatively, I'm asking you, fellow homosapiens to join the fan page at Facebook because I know you like to join all sorts of fan pages and groups. Heh.

some wonderful news

2009-10-24T21:41:00.003+08:00

[image source unknown]

Archie is making his first fashion runway debut on 6th Nov at Parco@Millenia. Exciting times! It certainly hasn't been easy breezy for him and his partner for they have no background knowledge in fashion, designing and whatsoever. Just two business, accounting-trained graduates taking a huge leap over to the other side of the fence. I praise them for their courage. God bless them for they have great mentors helping them along the way.

Since aJ's wedding was over last weekend, I find myself itching for another project to take on. I wonder if Archie has budget for a after-show party. The New Yorkers do it all the time. I love the idea of champagne flowing through my parched throat after an intense night of schmoozing.

Worth being the fashion widow,

Gie

spelling bee?

2009-10-21T22:11:00.004+08:00

Woohoo~! An evening print media wants to do an interview with Archie and to feature his recent fashion line, Coupé-cousu. Thus far, Archie's fashion venture with his friend has been mentioned in the Men's Folio, the morning Chinese papers and Elle. Not a huge hula hooha, but every little exposure is just good for consumer awareness.

But there is this little issue which bothers me quite a bit: the print media seems to always mis-type/mis-print the business name. It's either spelt Coupe-cousu or Coupe Cousu. I roll my eyes whenever I spot a mis-spelling. It's Coupé-cousu. With the accent. As intended, it simply means 'cut-and-sewn' in French. However, without the accent, the word has no meaning. So yeah, it'd be absolutely (!) wonderful if the media could take a closer look at Archie's namecard and realise that Coupé-cousu is spelt as... Coupé-cousu.

Anyhoo, Archie's been rather busy with an upcoming fashion runway show taking place sometime in November. I'm glad for him, but it's been a lonely period for me. On the bright side, I could only wish that Calvin Klein would very soon buy over Archie's business for a few million and then, my riches would come.

In the interim, I'm setting up a Facebook business page on Coupé-cousu. Thus far, we have 2 fans - myself and Archie's friend. Grand.

Getting to know the media,

Gie

aj's dream wedding

2009-10-20T17:41:00.000+08:00

Time flies. A cliche I know but it really feels as such. It was probably no more than four months ago when aJ came to me and asked about the availability of the church hall at my parish church. I grilled her and she broke the wonderful news to me - she was to get married in October.

Besides lamenting how tight a schedule it is to plan the wedding, I also nagged at her to quit being picky and start googling for florists and what-nots. But aJ's a capable girl; without assistance of a bridal studio nor a wedding planner, she researched on all possible venues, gown designers, photographers, florists and etc. It's not like she's experienced in putting a wedding together in such a short time! But she did it anyway. Pulled it off wonderfully.

This dear friend credited me on the mass booklet. I wish I could do more. We used to chat live so often to exchange ideas on this affair. I miss those times. Hah! But, I can proudly say I literally 'saved' her life. The much-understated beautiful pair of 3.5-inches high white heels she wore was from me. =) She was having trouble getting the 'right' pair of heels.

A strange feeling was nagging at me at the end of the night. I felt like I've lost a close friend. I lost her to someone better. I know she will stay as my friend; the friendship remains but she's move a step ahead and is forging her own family soon. So odd when I think about it. Made my tears welled up.

So anyhow, it was a very lovely affair with a two-man band singing 'live', Vincent's dad singing to give his blessings to the newly-weds, the more mature folks dancing cheek-to-cheek to Elvis Presley and I heard 'Rainbow Connection' for the first time... Just pure romance.

Flowers are important. I love them.

Mega-watt smile.

While waiting, I had to make sure I was properly accessorised. =)

Time stood still.

At Amara Sanctuary. We loved the au natural shine from the sunset.

Setting up the photo booth

That's our picture flashed on the screen. White board says: Where's my champagne?

some quaint weekend morning

2009-10-18T16:14:00.011+08:00

Enjoying our brunch at Dome Dempsey Hill...

Colourful lorikeets by the road...

And stealing a glance at my dream house at One Lynwood Grove...

2009-10-15T00:44:00.004+08:00

I miss travelling and exploring the big big world out there. To travel, is akin to a mental and spiritual rejuvenation for me. I absolutely enjoy filling up someone else's shoes and live life an a local at whichever destination I go.

Unfortunately a few episodes of politicking were on-going at my previous job and I decided that I have to give up the job, and the benefit of being able to travel the better part of the world. Something's gotta give. It's been five months since travelling has ceased. Increasingly I feel the frustration swelling up within me. No longer can I tag my posts under 'Travelogue' nor illustrating my travel adventures to friends like a wide-eyed girl who has visited the Wizard of Oz and returned to tell her story.

Now, everyday, I commute to my new office like any other Singaporean. I stand in line to get into the train; with frustration. I queue to wait for my food at the hawker centre; with frustration. I need to jostle for space in the shopping malls; with frustration. Don't get me wrong; I appreciate my citizenship. However, I also value the freedom to get out there to see the world and experience life which can never be found here. I need freedom to move. Increasingly, I find it tedious to breathe easy as I lead my daily life 'typically'. Yesterday is simply the template for tomorrow. This is driving me mad.

When I'm not working, I do plan in engaging myself in various activities. It cheers me up, quite briefly. Even if it is only chilling out at Dempsey Hill, enjoying a cuppa coffe on a Sunday morning. I like that; it reminds me the times when I would walk down the streets of Sydney alone, find myself a nice quaint cafe to while the afternoon away.

I wonder how this odd character of mine would affect my relationship with Archie. I don't want to be stuck in a relationship so 'comfortable' that we'd spend the rest of our live and times together only to watch DVDs or late-night television and nothing else. I will shoot myself in the head.

I am getting increasingly bored. Perhaps not a very responsible statement to make. But true to the damn bone, I have this feeling of being helplessly bored. In life, in the relationship. Every morning when I open my eyes, and every night before I drift off to the dark, I'd notice my breathing becomes heavier. It's becoming harder to breathe than being trapped in a sauna room. I want to talk to somebody about this, then again, they might just say I'm crazy and ungrateful to the blessings I've received thus far.

I want to get away for a while. I just need to figure how.

probably the most damn good chocolate in the world

2009-10-11T18:26:00.004+08:00

According to a colleague, Amedei from Tuscany, Italy is probably the world's best chocolate ever. Hence, I didn't hesitate to pick a box of it up when I spotted a whole range of Amedei's products at Jones the Grocer. I have to give it a try!

According to Wikipedia:

Amedei is a chocolate manufacturing company located in Pontedera in Tuscany region of Italy. Their products range from chocolate bars to truffles and pralines. Their award winning chocolate bars use single origin and single varietal cocoa beans. One of its products, Amedei Porcelana is known as the world’s most expensive chocolate". They obtain the cacao from a Venezuelan region called Chuao; this cacao has been called the best of the world.

So, I ask my colleague, "Any rituals I have to observe before tasting 'the world's best chocolate'?"

Because I don't just wanna eat a cocoa bar; I want to savour it the right way. Like tasting wine, savouring good chocolate requires all five senses. The colour of the chocolate, the snap of the bar, the aroma of cocoa beans, the richness of the melted chocolate on your tongue...

Okay, actually I already know what to do. =) Excusez moi, while I go brush and floss my teeth. The palate must be cleansed before I could taste nirvana.

people management

2009-10-10T19:54:00.005+08:00

The week has gone by in a jiffy. Needless to say, it was seven days full of madness, agony, torment and (think of the worst word you know).

With reference to my previous entry dated 02 Oct 2009 (damn, me still in work mode), I learnt that that on my office level alone, there are at five Indian head chiefs whom I have to simultaneously report to. Everyone of them has to review and approve (not before inputting their comments) almost every email I send and proposal I write. The only damn sure thing I don't have to knock on their doors to seek approval is to go pee.

Well, writing to chefs - Michelin-starred ones no less - is a tricky business. Some have a heart of gold and berth of [patience as wide as their bellies while others are... well, prima donnas. My boss apparently knows the best. And hence, he becomes my highest authority for approval of sorts. As always in a typical company with more than 30 head counts, one or two would stick out like sore thumbs to resist that 'authority'.

And long story cut short, a Higher One's decision to bypass the Highest One, I got the shitz. The shitz literally rained on me. And then I spent one afternoon breaking down in a manager's room. The irony is, the manager who comforted me and gave me some sound advice isn't from my department. But we connected well in the few after-office hours dinner we had. Her level-headedness advice and gentle egging to get me back on my feet were just what I needed. To stay sane, people-management is imperative. You can say it's playing politics. Unfortunately, I learnt the hard way and there are no two ways about it - in this little mental black book in my head, I've noted the quirks and what-nots of everybody in office.

It's a jungle out there. And my advice is serious.

In the interim, I'm still having fun salivating and unbrashly discussing about cuisine from 9am to 7pm.

archie describes me

2009-10-06T22:51:00.000+08:00

Always
Nicely
Groomed
Individual
Endorses

Chocolates
H&M
Love
Orthodoxy
Entrées

Endorphins
Nespresso
Godiva

such an arse

2009-10-04T08:18:00.002+08:00

I wonder if Tofu's having too much of a good life. He gets his meals on time, his cage cleaned every weekend and his treats in different forms, taste and colours. Fortunately, he doesn't bites me when I cuddle him. Otherwise he'd be branded as the brat.

Archie's returning from Hong Kong tomorrow night. Although this time I am not totally uncomfortable with his absence, I still long for tomorrow to come quickly. Nah, I didn't get him to buy me clothes from H&M; I've learnt my lesson the last time. I just want to check out his latest purchase of an Agnes B Duffel leather bag and perhaps... *winks*

fresh hell on friday

2009-10-02T23:57:00.003+08:00

I would wake up every morning, thinking what fresh hell the day would bring. No, my job doesn't suck. The management I work with... well, tricky stuff. Which reminds why I refused to enter the hotel industry when I graduated from Tourism Management. Political relationships are not my cup of tea.

Then again, I would have to start learning the 'hard knocks' of this pragmatic, harsh cold society. Everything else in the past have been a bed of roses.

I was being screamed at this morning. It wasn't only directed to me. Perhaps a false impression I had that hoteliers have higher EQ than layman. Apparently not so.

No love lost. Really. I'm above all that and besides, I'm getting the hang of this shitz. The Godiva truffles sent to our office was the best thing that happened. A couple of Martinis helped too.

I'd love to dream of a few Michelin-starred chefs in my dream tonight. Bonne nuit!

king of chocolat

2009-09-27T01:12:00.005+08:00

If Pierre Hermé is the Picasso of pastry, then Oriol Balaguer is the Dalí of desserts. When I was looking through Gourmet Abu Dhabi's archives, the pictures of Chef Balaguer's chocolate creations already got me salivating.

Two days ago, the office had the great pleasure of savouring Chef Balaguer's chocolate confectionery. Freshly imported from Spain, solely on sale at Jones the Grocer - Chef Balaguer presented 'The Best 6'.

Mascleta - a delightful concoction of hazelnut praline, maldon salt and pop rocks. - is the prized flavour everyone was looking for. Remember the citrus flavoured (sometimes Coke Cola) 'popping' candies we used to eat as kids? Once in contact with liquid substances (i.e. the saliva) the candies would 'explode' in your mouth. Hence the 'popping' or 'exploding' sensation. Yeah, that's the prized praline everyone was coveting for. One colleague got lucky and perhaps this is the most expensive and delicious praline she'd ever had. She took a long while to savour her praline; it's approximately $5 per piece.

Like every other chocolatier, Chef Balaguer doesn't miss the opportunity to showcase his mastery of chemistry of chocolate and various ingredients, in this case, such as olive oil, yuzu, passion fruit, salted corn and saffron. In my very humble opinion, all of them were fantastic.

I've tasted enough pralines to declare I would prefer truffles instead, for the rest of my life. This was before my tongue touched the smooth, wildly fragrant praline of Chef Oriol Balaguer. Just the well-rounded crackling snap of the praline shell got me excited. The ultra-smooth praline centre was a breeze to swallow. Many too often, off-the-shelves pralines' fillings are either too sweet or overly sticky. I exclaimed, "C'est suffice!" But I guess I would have to take back my words, seeing that decent quality pralines are now available for non-royals like myself.

It is a tad costly for a box of 6-piece pralines (about $30). Then again, if consumers are already willing to pay this much for a tiny-puny bit of truffles from Godiva, I could tell you your money's definitely worthed with Chef Balaguer's pralines.

the last 10 days

2009-09-24T00:02:00.003+08:00

I don't mean to be a nag. But the last 10 days have been crazy. Archie's away in Japan, work was piling up and well, I couldn't escape the yak-yak from Mr. Boss. It was a difficult period, especially when Archie was absent.

Archie's returning home tonight. I'm just typing this away while keeping an eye out for him. For all the torment he has put me through for the past 10 days, I'm giving him a big hug then a painful pinch to his ear. It'd remind him not to go MIA while overseas.

By the way, October Fest has started for a number of restaurants! If you haven't decided where to go to get yourself drown with *burp* beer, consider Magma. I was so smitten by its German cuisine on my last visit. A pity Archie didn't join in the dinner. I doubt he could accompany me for any October Fest dinners-drinking sessions. Nor the Mid-Autumn festival. He's flying to Hong Kong on the 29th Oct. Seven days.

Looking forward to the next seven days of boyfriendless,

Gie

2009-09-20T10:56:00.003+08:00

Archie is in Japan now. The cheapest means of communicating with him is through emails, and if we ever go online at the same time, we probably could MSN each other.

However we don't 'bump' into each very often online. A few emails were written to him but there were no replies. I'm not sure if he's gotten my emails or read my messages. It is frustrating me. Even a one-liner reply could have set my heart at ease. So that bugger has three seconds to Plurk (Twitter equivalent) but cannot reply my emails.

I should have just dialled his mobile number and leave him with a huge bill bomb.

men in the kitchen

2009-09-19T15:37:00.003+08:00

Last weekend I attended an invite-only party at Helipad, Swissotel. It was annual epicurean affair to mark the anniversary of the signature restaurants, and also a PR-PR event where the F&B industry come together to savour the finest gastronomic creations by top Masterchefs. The gist is... awesome canapes and free flow of champagne - my kind of heaven.

Right smack in the middle of the Helipad, was the open-concept kitchen with 4 to 5 food stations. One of which was helmed by Chef Andre Chiang of Jaan par Andre. I didn't know much about him until a colleague of mine gasped when she learnt I was attending the event that very night.

"You will see Chef Andre!"

"Uh... huh..." was my reply.

Chef André is Taiwanese. He trained in France for more than 10 years, working in a few three Michelin star rated restaurant, before returning to Asia and becoming the Executive Chef of Jaan about a year ago. It's André with an accent. I can't help but thought that was pretentious. But what I think doesn't matter because apparently women are pretty crazy over him. His food station garnered the longest queue and the ladies in queue never stopped triggering their camera's shutter. A few more gung-ho ones (probably after a few flutes of bubblies) went up to him and asked for his number. I was told that Chef Andre is 'modestly charming'. Unlike a proud peacock, he is 'quiet, hardworking and mysteriously sexy'.

I didn't fall for him. But as I watched the bunch of men bending their backs, delicately garnish the canapes and wiping the sweat off their brows, I have to agree that men in the kitchen can be quite a sexy lot. Or rather, any man hard at work is a charming one. So a quiet, brooding man who cooks damn well is not a surprising magnet of attraction.

this is mid-week

2009-09-17T00:16:00.001+08:00

I hate working. For others. Period.

the one about the french stall

2009-09-13T11:08:00.005+08:00

I have to apologise to those who have visited The French Stall after reading my previous post. It was mentioned that the food was pretty tasty. Well, I thought the food was okay for that price. The price I saw on the menu.

However just last week, I found out that Archie paid over a hundred bucks for that meal. My bad. It was his treat and thus I didn't find out the total cost of the meal. In retrospect, a hundred dollars for a meal at a coffeeshop-style restaurant, sans air-conditioning and table-side service is a very ridiculous price to pay. We could have gotten much better service at Senso (Italian cuisine) with that same amount of money paid.

Archie couldn't remember what 'plus plus' he had to pay that night. Whatever it is, I was appalled at the exorbitant price we had to pay for the mediocrities .

Not going there anymore,

Gie

this is her sweet birthday

2009-09-06T20:50:00.005+08:00

Shades of Purple

Cheesecake Espuma

But more like an excuse of me to get more people hooked on 2am : Dessert Bar. Well, you probably had seen through my ploy already. ;)

We had the Cheese Espuma which was delightfully easy on our after-dinner tummies. Of course, my first choice of order was Chocolate H2O. The girls enjoyed Shades of Purple too - purple potato foam, blueberry sorbet, lavender marshmallows and cassis jelly. Sounds yummy eh?

Chef Janice was so sweet to come over to our table and asked who the birthday girl was (none other than Christina). I envy Chef Janice of her talent which is now put to good use. I should have gone for baking class eh? Hah!

Keeping track of my number of 'mecca' visits,
Gie

P.S. Thanks loads to Brandon. The floor manager who always give us real good service. :)

bopbop boat night

2009-09-05T13:08:00.001+08:00

well done!

2009-08-30T11:17:00.008+08:00

Best Friend agrees with my recommendation

Chocolate H2O

72% Valrhona cocoa, Evian Mineral water, Caramel wafer, Yuzu sorbet & Pink Ginger Syrup

Strawberry and Sweet Milk

Yums~

Finally, pictures of desserts from 2am : dessert bar!! I didn't have a hard time convincing or justifying to The Best Friend on my intense raving of Chef Janice's brilliant epicurean talent. After servings of dessert and a cup of nice warm peppermint tea later, Chef Janice graciously treated us to Yuzu chocolate ganache - citrius-infused cubes of heaven. ;-)

this is my new mecca,

Gie

one food up

2009-08-22T16:34:00.006+08:00

I am on the brink of working myself to death. I shan't go into specifics but I've been ducking arrows like ninja warrior. The price I pay for the better future. You know, sometimes you feel so confident but there are always roadblocks just when you thought the roads are clear. Dammit.

In the meantime, the balance of life must still be in place, no matter what. If I have to dead working, there better be good food around. Heh. Last week, the company had a mini yacht party. Chef Dennis Sim from Mietta's gave us (Archie and me) the buffet feast of our lives. For the first time, there were no crappy food from a buffet spread. I was so touched I almost gave Chef Dennis a mega hug. There were no foodie pictures; I was trying hard to keep my hyper-self under wraps (new company, you must understand).

I had the honour (or my stomach's honour rather) to visit Chef Janice at 2am : dessert bar, Holland Village. You probably read about her somewhere in the papers some time ago. No big hoohaa probably because most people dismissed her as 'the one who opened a dessert bar with her dad's money'. Eh.. cannot deny that, I guess. But she isn't one without substance. My boss (you can watch him tasting food at My Perfect Meal) and the rest of us couldn't stop raving at her creations. Her desserts are not your usual chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. She imagines. She creates. Her latest degustation menu is a genius work of art. Damn! I couldn't get a decent picture to show you what I'm so head-over-heels about. But may I warn you, 2am : dessert bar is not a place to order blardy meatballs and pasta and expect them to taste like stuff from Les Amis. Dessert people, dessert!

You have to have the Chocolate H2O. 72% dark chocolate frozen with Evian Mineral Water into a chocolate block. It seems a lot to digest at first, but the chocolate will almost instantly melt in your mouth. Because of its airy texture, this dessert will not fill you up and cause bloatness. Good for me. ;) As mentioned, Chef Janice's degustation menu takes you back on a nostalgia track. You will find really fun and creative interpretations of Peanut Butter & Jam, Lime Explosion, Shades of Purple and etc. One may find her desserts a tad expensive. I say, for the effort, imaginative effort and her Le Cordon Bleu experience, $13-15 is not too much to spend. Perhaps I would spend less for an ordinary meal and a little more at 2am : dessert bar for an extraordinary spread of sugar-fix.

Anyways, there is this eatery outlet I've been wanting to try along Serangoon Road. Archie drives by that area pretty often. It's The French Stall.

Escargot with Olive Oil

Beef Sirloin with Peppered Sauce

Cod Fish with Potato

Giant Profiterole with Hot Chocolate Sauce

A simple dinner to celebrate his entreprenuer grant being approved by Spring Singapore. The entrees such as Onion Soup and Escargot with Olive Oil are pretty tasty. But what puzzles me was the Chicken Liver Pate. The serving was as large as a luncheon meat. Too big for a pate, no? The bread wasn't enough to go around and soon, we find ourselves eating the pate on its own. The taste of the pate was slightly overwhelming when on its own. Bleh.

Too bad for me, I had no stomach left for the dessert. Otherwise the chocolate cake is somewhat warm and soft. Quite delicious. Profiterole was huge. Hah! Even Archie has problem finishing it. Maybe I was too tired or the sparklings worn me down further, all I wanted was to sleep.

I recently learnt of a really good Chinese restaurant - Chef Chan's Restaurant at the National Museum. I can't wait to meet Chef Chan in person...

Appreciating food and the chefs,
Gie

2009-08-21T17:03:00.001+08:00

To laugh often and much to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child a garden patch or redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

so far this week

2009-08-16T19:52:00.011+08:00

Me: Good morning, Mr. K.

Boss: Stop smiling. It's Tuesday morning and everybody has to work.

Me: Well... I like to start my day with a smile.

Boss: Yeah right.

That's my first day. A church mate who has worked with my current boss on a partnership level told me not to take comments from ang mohs too personally. I couldn't agree more. In fact, I find my boss a tad hilarious when he flares with anger. Guess I've seen enough white people to know that they're not monsters, aliens or anything really overly superior than us Asians. I am not about to be intimidated by a being who is simply fairer, taller and has a louder voice than me. So friends, if you're worried about me, I'm gonna survive. ;)

The web surfing restrictions at work has made it harder for me to keep up with friends real-time though. I haven't been able to tell Yann how I'm doing, help aJ in her wedding preparations, or talk nonsense with Archie. I can't check how cash-poor I am via internet banking nor CPF-rich I am. I sure miss the sights and sounds at Keong Saik Road. At where my new office is, all I see are loads of fashion-less OLs and yabbing executives. The traffic sure is hell too. I miss Maxwell food centre and Tong Ah kopitiam...

Oh well... something's gotta give. At least I have legitimate reasons to surf food blogs, review restaurants and stare at awesome food pictures. Oh well oh well. Tomorrow evening, I'll be reviewing 2AM Dessert Bar at Holland Village. With my boss. I'll tell you how it goes. Maybe he might murder me for smiling too much after a chocolate high.

Before I sign off to do work (i.e. research on molecular gastronomy), I leave you with a sweet note written by Archie (although I have an unexplainable dislike for sunflowers).

Without food is like a day without sunshine,
xoxo Gie

snowed in

2009-08-14T06:41:00.005+08:00

Aiyo aiyo aiyo... Hello dear friends, I've gone away from my usual surfing, blogging, msning, emailing routine since I started on a new job. A simple reason being, all of the above is restricted at work!

Okay, some web surfing allowed as long as it's food related research. So unlike in the past, I can no longer instantly 'google' stuff for you, reply your emails, nudge you on msn when I'm bored nor tell you the latest sale in Singapore. On a bright side, I have every legitimate reason to stare at food blogs for hours.

I should count so lucky in my previous jobs. I'll share why with you personally (if you know me). I'm now more cautious of what I write online pertaining to work. Heh. Anyway something's gotta give.

I'll miss the time I could frolick at Bondi Beach, Australia and so much more. Those for another time.

Long day ahead. But today will end with a boat party to celebrate the company's annivesary. Rumour has it that Chef Michelangelo will be cooking for us. ;) Till then!

by the way

2009-08-09T06:02:00.009+08:00

Word of advice: Don't throw stones at people when you're in a glass house. You will look stupid. Instead, take out your mirror and take a really really close look at yourself and recall what you have (and not) done. It is very easy and tempting to draw your sword, point and criticise those around you. Worse, you go around their backs and 'talk' about them with your other friends, citing that you are 'concerned' for these people you call 'friends'.

Really?

Then why aren't you taking these 'concerns' to these 'friends' in person?

I tell you why - because you're not that concerned about their well-being. You are simply criticising on baseless grounds. You have an issue. Your holier-than-thou comments make you feel good about yourself. Behind your every sarcastic insult - which only you think is friendly harmless humour - lies a very insecure being. You attack first because you're afraid of being hurt.

I'm not sure why some like to worship your words. I think what comes out from your mouth is superfical. You'd like to think you know a lot about this world and the way of life. But you may want to know what I've observed - you don't. You tend to only see and think of matters from your selfish perspective.

I need to spell this clearly because you never seem to get what I say. Perhaps you intentionally want to ignore my real concerns about you as a friend. You see me as a little girl. Too naive. Very simple. Overly trusting. Immature. Builds superfical bonds with certain beings. You should recall this - I was the first one who put up a red alert to you when stuff happened in the past. You chose to ignore and got yourself into trouble. Now you see me as the naive one?

Don't worry. I will take my concerns to you in person. Vis-a-vis. Very soon.

summer frolickin' @ botanic gardens

2009-08-08T07:28:00.015+08:00

Old-school self-timer needs a lil' getting-used-to.

Dreamy.

This must be how the photo would look like if we were in the 60s.

Kampong boy.

Archie does Mexican Ceviche. I must jot this down in my recipe book...

Still dreaming about the quiche pie...

I thrive on hopeless useless romance.

Shutterbug set free.

We spotted a humming bird. =)

Lone orchid nestled among the roots & moss twining up the wall

Betcha you've never seen twirly orchid before. :)

It's a shame I can't show you what Archie took with his vintage SLR. The films have been developed and I have to praise Archie's for his good picture composition. Pity, I don't think his scanner would do the pictures justice. So I'll only share the ones we took with my Sony Cybershot. ;)

By the way, Archie makes tantalizing quiche pies too. Pretty awesome for a first-timer. Man, this guy surprises me sometimes. I gobbled up the rest of the ceviche and quiche pie for supper later that day. Heh.

We set our picnic mat before the morning dew settled. A little humid but still bearable (Singapore climate, ain't a surprise). About three hours later when the sun starts to glare brighter, I checked myself in the mirror and I nearly screamed in horror. Humidity killed my hair. My nicely dry-dryer-blown hair was frizzing and flying in all directions. Even with a sun hat on. Horrors!

Anyway if you should visit Botanic Gardens, don't miss the Orchid garden. Admission fee is $5 for adults but you won't regret it. The number of orchid species is mind-boggling (i.e. totally worth the money). Take a stroll around the gardens and individual mist houses and absorb as much antioxidants as you can. Haha! The trail is well-thought and almost every flora and fauna is carefully tagged so you know what you're admiring. I like the mist house the best for the most practical reason - it has cooler fans.

I have decided not to hold a Christmas party this year. But Archie's quiche pie and ceviche is luring me into holding one so i can get him to make me more. What a lousy reason, I know. ;)

Xoxo,
Gie

so far so good

2009-08-05T21:08:00.010+08:00

Picnic @ Botanic Gardens

New Harry Potter specs (@ Haji Lane)

Shopping is better than psychiatrist.

Catching up with Karen @ MOF

Best Friend treats us to a chocolate buffet @ The Fullerton Hotel.

Archie gets behind the counter and play chef. ;)

It's mid-week already!!! Argh, so fast. So many things done, but so many others not yet. Got extra time?

what are you doing this weekend?

2009-07-31T10:51:00.011+08:00

It's my last day on the current job. Will be missing certain people and things, but I'm also looking forward to hopping onto another lotus leaf in my life. ;) I have about a week of break before I start my new job. I've jotted down a few appointments and stuff to do in my free time. Come Tuesday, Archie's taking me to a picnic - something I've been wanting to do since last year but never got to materialise due to my frequent flying schedule.

I'd be meeting up with some friends, catching up on life, remodelling my room (more like 'defragmenting' it to make space), getting my exercise mojo back and also, researching and writing a few articles on my other passion. :)

(@ Magma) Karen taking visual evidence of her food, in case of stomachache later.

Archie's Olympus OM-1

(@ Kampong Buangkok) Large pink Hibiscus

Vintage hair pins with emerald stones (H&M)

feeling love-ly today

2009-07-28T12:49:00.005+08:00

Image via This Is Glamorous

Bridal Shower Game via Made Sweet

Sculpture Card from EggPress

Image via TwigAndThistle

who's the lucky girl?

2009-07-28T10:22:00.003+08:00

Spotted along Bukit Pasoh Road. The inside of the Cooper is stuffed with balloons too. The bumper sticker read: Just Married. Quite romantic. So whimsical. Could be cliché to some. Nevertheless, very lovely. Could be something really simple, non-fancy but it challenges you to be bold and proud of displaying your love.

Have a lovely week yourself,
Gie

survived monday?

2009-07-27T17:20:00.001+08:00

Wound up rabbit toy from Mint Museum

2009-07-27T11:31:00.001+08:00

Love is like an onion. When you peel away layer after stinking layer until you'd just weeping over the sink.

- Peter Hornberger, 30 Rock

ndp preview

2009-07-26T15:24:00.004+08:00

Unexpectedly good. Not just about the 'live' atmosphere. The usual cliché racial harmony numbers were given a tweak. Without revealing too much, look out for flashbacks. I love that bit very much.

as simple as red

2009-07-24T15:31:00.001+08:00

Lip colour has come a long way. Red, nude, violet, sheen, glitter, and you-name-it-Mac-already-got-it. I've got quite a collection of lip colours in my make-up box (except any shades of purple. I haven't lost my mind). Mostly gifts during Christmas and my birthday. Thanks to friends who either assume I love lip glosses so much that I want to build a museum around them or they think I don't look well enough and thus, the need to add colour to my pale lips.

But anyhow, I love gliding lip stick or gloss to my *muack muack* lips. Of recent, I'm pretty stuck to the basics - red.

[Image via Garance Dore]

Red is one colour I haven't really had in that lip colour collection. I used to think red as passé. The Mother's and her mother's era. Loud-mouth aunties with long red nails scared me. Maybe fugly TV personalities with loud red lips traumatized my childhood too.

But really, nothing flatters our girlie faces than a dash of rouge rouge. Red lip colour no longer comes in just one typical shade of well... scarlet red. I like the look of a naturally pale face with nothing but well-defined eyes, red lipstick and a big bright smile, but somehow I (prolly you too) find it a tad difficult to pull of the look. without looking obiang or a nut job from IMH. I learnt it could only be the shade of red which didn't complement my Asian skin. Now, ere're probably a zillion different interpretations of red out there. Smouldering red, berry red, crimson red, fuschia, coral red, cherry pink and... you get my drift. When in doubt, check out Nars or Mac. There is definitely that one shade of rouge which rocks our inner Dita Von Teese alter ego. Actually I found quite a few from Nars which I couldn't wait to get my hands on. Does anyone know if the bigger Sephora shop at Ion carries Nars?? Singapore girls will miss out so so much if Nars isn't available here.

Nars in Fast Ride

Nars in Roman Holiday
(not red per se, but still cute-worthy to mention)

I recalled how much fun I had with The Mother's red Dior lipstick when I was a kid, before I associate red with irritating aunties, vampires, prostitutes and over-the-hill middle-age secretaries. But wait! Audrey Hepburn looks great in red lipstick and she looked very pretty. I decided to take the plunge and got my first RED lip stick. For beginners, try drugstore labels first. Maybelline's Moisture Extreme in Cranberry works for me. A deep red with a slight kiss of berry - wonderful for my imaginary 1920s nostalgia look.

Looks Like Sin (Deep Berry CremeSheen)

Then I'd add Mac's Cremesheen in Looks like Sin for extra 'depth'. So far I'm rocking the look comfortably. Less the cheek colour, more the rouge glider. ;)

Red is a strangely powerful colour. I'm quite addicted to my daily routine of putting on my red lip colour. Brushing my lips, lining the sides so carefully and pouting every now and then. Red lipstick has no tolerence for fuss-free lipgloss goers. Hardly something you could simply glide along while in a car. In fact, it gives me the pleasure of spending more time to admire myself in the mirror. Hah!

I'm young and bold. For now, red rocks my world, goes with my clothes and Archie is quite seduced by my rouge. Except he knows that kissing me too passionately isn't going to work out. Still, he's intrigued. I'm not sure how red lip stick works for me when I'm 30, 40 or 50. But I'm sure there is a shade that will work for me when the time comes.

my boyfriend says the darnest thing

2009-07-23T12:55:00.003+08:00

I'm really easy to be kept happy. I'm like Tofu really. Just need some affection, a wheel to do my own running, some food and water, and don't stress me out too much or I'll poop myself.

- Archie

if caterpillars could wear shoes, they would (trust me)

2009-07-22T13:11:00.001+08:00

A random sharing of what a friend replied when I texted her about me being such a brave girl - by walking away from a shoe sale. "You are not a caterpillar. You don't need so many shoes,"

She is one of a kind. Probably the only female homo sapien I know who has no interest, whatsoever, in shoes or fashion. If we have been distant from each other, it's likely because I hated her for saying that.

If you have seen other girls' shoe cabinets, I'm only a mild case of a shoe lover. My caffeine addiction is a much bigger issue but we'll discuss that another day. But hey, we walk so much everyday, shouldn't our feet deserve something better than crappy uncomfortable rubber soles which doesn't even go with the pretty clothes we hang on our shoulders? What I don't understand is why some girls (i.e. the ones I observe every morning at the bus stop in my neighbourhood) would take that much effort in putting on a matching outfit and handbag, only to completely destroy it with a pair of heels with stiletto so worn out and slanted... How the hell do they even walk in that shite? Worse, a pair of red Crocs.

That holy thing that wraps itself around our feet should not be shoddy. The price tag is up to anybody's discretion. It needn't to be sky-high or studded with diamonds or crystals. For moi, it needs to go with my clothes and comfortable. Imma clothes person. Shoes come second, but not the least of priorities. And no, not every piece of outfit goes with slinky black heels. NO.

Attempting to continue wearing a nearly worn-out flats recently has proven how much I cannot tolerate bad shoe wear. Surprisingly, a good flat shoe wear is harder to obtain than high-heels. Strange but true. At least in my case, I own five pairs of Mary Jane flats but only one proved itself worthy for more frequent use. And that pair needs to be retired soon. The rest were purchased as back-ups but so far none of them worked. I curse and swear most of the time while in them.

A recent purchase of Jazzy Lace-Ups from A Girl's Label

Having only one pair of shoe is like owning only one bra. Girls, if you need to learn anything about womanhood - not one bra fits all clothes. 99 types of ways to wear ONE bra is BULLSHIT; that bra will be dead in three months. Same with shoes. How could you work that one pair of shoe to death? Things work in a funny strange way. When you don't need it, the stuff appears in front of you every where. When it breaks down and needs to be replaced, you just can't seemed to find it anymore. I have had that experience. So I say it's never too extravagant to get yourself another pair of shoe. Unless, you own a museum of shoes...

Then again, it's just me talking. Actually there is no rational for getting shoes. If I had asked that same friend why she prefers to spend her dough on watching movies in the cinemas instead of the comfort of her own home with a DVD set, I guess she'd argue it's the whole atmosphere - Dolby surround sound, large screen, couple seats and maybe, popcorn. I could further argue that she is not a bat/rhino/hamster and large screen image and deafening sound waves are therefore, not necessary.

autosave failed

2009-07-20T16:40:00.003+08:00

I was this close to finishing writing a post on flea markets. I don't usually write that well to feel dang proud of myself. I thought I was picking up a thing or two from some better-at-writing friends. However the autosave function at Blogspot failed me!!! This is frustrating. Because I can no longer remember my exact words. Makes a whole lot of difference to the sentence structure. Argh. So whatever. There is a long string of profanities I should refrain here.

Tmd.

Listen to Michael Buble. Calm the soul. Breathe breathe.

ball of fur

2009-07-19T08:40:00.005+08:00

Tofu's growing by the day. Exponentially I say. haha When I couldn't get to sleep at night, I would bring Tofu's cage into my room. The sound of the slighty squeaking wheel makes me sleepy. Sounds like a lullaby. Sounds like a fellow living creature accompanying me to sleep. :)

P.S. I think Tofu may be a he.

cannot miss these

2009-07-17T11:46:00.001+08:00

archie's baby

2009-07-17T11:34:00.005+08:00

Kiki is a female black molted dwarf hamster, currently residing in a uber-cool Habitrail Ovo Pad. This little one is smaller and slightly less hyper than Tofu. Still, it's a challenge to capture it on my Sony Cybershot. The mode for fast-moving object still doesn't work -_-"

But Archie and I figured the Habitrail cage may be a tad small once Kiki 'fattens' up with age. Already Tofu has shown exponatial growth in just two days.

Missing my hammies already,
xoxo Gie

quote

2009-07-16T15:37:00.001+08:00

Prediction is difficult, especially if it's about the future.

- Niels Bohr

tofu

2009-07-16T02:08:00.007+08:00

The folks have been welcoming the shy critter. Stealing peeks no less. Tofu, the pearl white winter white russian (long name!) has been adjusting pretty well to its new home. =) I still haven't find out its gender. Mainly because it's so hyper and almost impossible to grab hold of it. I couldn't bear to crush its bones while at it. Since I don't plan to pair it with another hamster, I guess it's all right to leave its gender unknown for the moment.

I just saw Tofu stretching its body and yawning. It is a good sign I read. It's happy and contented. Heh. Archie couldn't resist and got himself a black molted hammie this afternoon. His hammie cage from Habitrail is oh-so-cute. Gotta take some pictures of his 3-week old hammie too.

It's major discipline these days. Every morning I'd routinely check on the fighting fish and Tofu, making sure they're stil breathing, changing the fish tank's water, checking the food level and feeding them fresh food. Every night I'd spend some time interacting with the creatures (I'm sure they recognise me!).

There's some great news ahead. Will share in time to come ;) No no, Archie hasn't proposed.

team spirit

2009-07-14T10:45:00.000+08:00

circa Christmas 2006

I miss those funky, fun-lovin', hardworking, straight-talking, awesome awesome peeps. A lot.

relishing

2009-07-14T10:30:00.005+08:00

Photos from Daily Adventures of Lil' Eeyore & Friends

to beat the monday blueness

2009-07-13T10:12:00.000+08:00

Photos via k.Akagami

not so grand

2009-07-10T12:31:00.012+08:00

Not feeling so grand lately. The smile plastered across my face is peeling off. I wish I could put a finger to what's bothering me. But to not being able to do so, is bothering me too. I want to eat like a glutton but the horrible ulcers aren't helping. I want to buy new shoes to replace a worn-out flats but my wallet isn't helping. I want to have a small furry animal as a companion but The Mother (plus current collection of two fishies) isn't helping. I want to move on to a new environment but the economy isn't helping. I want to get things done in this current situation but the past isn't helping. I want to be happy but the devil in me isn't helping. I can't even laugh without pausing to wonder, "Was that real or did I just laugh to humour everyone because it seems to be the only right thing to do?"

But oh well, there are a zillion things I want and want to do. So I cannot be satisfied. I just wish my family's complete. A dad who works and brings in a zillion bucks. A mother who's really cool about everything. No siblings. None of those irritating siblings who are out to make my life miserable. And just me who don't have to worried about money. Yes, money. Money can be the death of me. I cannot count. I cannot keep money safe from money-stealing elves. Only recently, I realised the math of interest-rate. By the way, CPF earns a lot from interest accumulation. That could be one reason why we have so much in the reserves.

I'm a late-bloomer. I guess that explains the 'growing pains' I'm going through now. 10 years later than the rest of my peers.

鱼儿鱼儿，游来游去

2009-07-05T19:58:00.007+08:00

Is it un-girl to like Siamese Fighting Fish? Heh. Last night, Archie got me a surprise - three fighting fishes (aka Bettas) courtesy of his Betta-breeder friend. After some consideration, I decided to bring just one home from Archie's place. This decision proved to be right, because only five minutes into the car ride, one-third of the glass tank's water was spilled all over my Anise black skirt. -_-"

A marine blue longtail. Halfmoon? Delta tail? Super delta? I'm still figuring out which breed this is... I have been reading up so much about dwarf hamsters (the plan was to get one this month...) but guess now my focus could change =)

Also see: The Daily Adventures of Lil's Eeyore

separate lives

2009-07-04T01:05:00.003+08:00

f-stop

2009-07-03T10:25:00.009+08:00

Me with Archie's vintage Olympus OM-1

Lately I've been smitten by lomography. Some photographers, loyal to traditional filmography wouldn't consider lomography as an art because it is after all a technique which comes about from old film cameras of poor quality and intentional use of incorrect processing chemicals to distort the colours of images. You would have noticed the pictures I posted recently are of a certain strange hue. I've been tweaking them with Picnik. I do wish I have the means and skills to develop the pictures but since I don't - heck! - I'm resorting to software instead.

Honestly, I'm pro both sides of the fence. I appreciate manual SLRs and the art of film techniques. I'm also glad that digital camera has the ability to preview pictures on-the-spot (I haven't met anyone who doesn't like this treat). But lomography is pure fun. Its cameras would allow me to practise its mantra 'Don't think. Just shoot' and produce casual snapshots which could be sometimes blurry, distorted quirky images. The surprise element as one waits for the development of films can be quite exciting. Techniques that require years of studying can now be condensed into just one Lomo camera. In a nutshell, you can take arty-farty pictures without tweaking it with software or processing techniques. It's like cheating! Oh, no wonder some photo-enthusiasts deem lomo as crap. =P

I am quite obsessed with a certain lomo camera - the Diana F+. A classic in the 60s, Diana F+ is unique for its dreamy, radiant pictures. It was a hit back then and still has a cult following. So much so now it has been re-created with same looks and quality but modified to allow for capabilities. Perhaps because of its plastic shell (I'm serious!), lomo cameras are dubbed as 'toy cameras' and they are generally inexpensive.
However it's not completely idiot-proof. A lomo cam still works similarly to a manual SLR. Aperture, exposure, shutter speed... all these are adjustable on a lomo cam. What buffers me most is the film format. After reading materials online, I still cannot get what the ___ difference between a 35mm and 120 film format. So much to learn!

I'm getting carried away. There are a thousand and one things which pique my interest. I need extra time. And $$$$!!!

coffee break

2009-07-02T01:44:00.004+08:00

This week has been exciting. Archie has gotten positive reviews for his shirt design proposal to Parco. I am having new ideas to elevate my passion into a potential business plan. I'm pretty psyched. All I need is a time-travel machine to bring me forward into the future. Fast. =)

Also see: The Daily Adventures of Lil's Eeyore

date night

2009-06-30T10:29:00.006+08:00

Archie was perplexed when I waxed lyrical of Ministry of Food's dessert for days. It seemed to him that I've never been so enthusiastic about a single ice cream palour so much until now. (I always do, but he probably didn't notice) The first visit with Wei simply wasn't suffice. I craved for more of its Hokkiado Gelato and macha ice cream. So good that it could kick Azubo's lousy (and over-priced) ice cream's arse over and over again.

Just one sip of Macha Shake, Archie raised his eyebrows, "UM! Very nice. Babe, you should try,"

Told you so.

Also see: The Daily Adventures of Lil's Eeyore

2009-06-29T16:26:00.001+08:00

"If it wasn't for Michael Jackson, people like Justin Timbrelake
would be selling curly fries in the valley.
I mean that with love."

- Jeremy Piven

be afraid, very afraid

2009-06-29T10:00:00.006+08:00

Two weekends ago, I was partying like someone else at Butter Factory. Then news broke that a few patrons fell sick due to H1N1. They visited the club on 17 June. Phew~ I wasn't there. Then a couple days later, news broke that a bartender of the club who was working on 20 June fell sick too. I was there on that day. Later more news of the club's patrons falling ill. So I broke in cold sweat.

I am socially responsible and so I decided it's best I return home for self-quarantine.

"I'm sorry but I'm afraid I won't be coming in for the rest of this week," as I handed over some work stuff to the-guy-whom-shall-not-be-name seated next to me.

He asked why. And I gave a brief explanation. Then he went into an unexplainable facial spasm which even Ally McBeal would approve of...

[image via zazzle]

I cannot find a better image than the one above because this is really how his face looked when he learnt I was once at the cluster area. I shite you not.

I was so touched. Never have I met one person who could be so concerned over me that his face goes into a paroxysm of fear. He winced when I was about to hand him a packet of thumbdrives. Oh my oh my, how could I be so insensitive? In reciprocate, I offered to disinfect all my files and documents with my hand sanitizer. Still his expression didn't relax. He studied me with his head bobbing up and down, up and down, up and down. For a moment I thought Tim Gunn's gonna jump out and criticise my tank-top-jeans combination. But no, he-whom-shall-not-be-named continued with his Mahattan once-over until I was so terribly uncomfortable that I nearly screamed, "YES IT'S GRANNY'S PANTIES I'M WEARING!!!!"

Oh anyway, I'm sure he-who-shall-not-be-named didn't mean it! He's just being concerned... after all, he goes into this coughing spell all year round. Surely he knows how 'infectious' these bugs are. To play along, I choked myself and made a few dry coughs in his presence before going home in a private transport to qurantine my'diseased'self.

sweet life

2009-06-28T14:58:00.005+08:00

Died and gone to macha heaven,

Gie_Chloe

Resting place: Ministry of Food

i have a lust

2009-06-28T01:44:00.008+08:00

More like an obsession over things I know I should not buy but the desire to own and wear it is so strong that I'm willing to go vegan to atone for my shameful covet...

Christian Louboutin Fred Flat in Glitter

Christian Louboutin Fred Flat in Sulphur

The catalyst for the mad frenzy is a pair of very very very similar lace-ups from Charles & Keith. C&K, I HATE CHU!!!

new addition

2009-06-24T10:35:00.005+08:00

Archie pocketed Eeyore and drove home (literally) =) Though I wished it's a real dwarf hamster coming home with us. I like the lil' break. Away from work. Away from hypocrisy. Away from gatekeepers. A breather is always underrated.

Also see: The Daily Adventures of Lil's Eeyore

signs of aging #3

2009-06-23T09:25:00.001+08:00

#3 - I spent most of my time intoxicated in cognac by the bar. What dancefloor??

churn-ed butter

2009-06-22T11:05:00.016+08:00

UPDATE: Those who have visited the Butter Factory on 17 June, please monitor your health. and seek medical attention if unwell. One cluster of locally-infected cases has been identified from Butter.

Eh... I was there on 20th. Let's hope everything's fine...

When your once-favourite obsure joint goes up the popularity ladder, be prepared to pay the price.

The new Butter Factory joint, now sitting at One Fullerton, is seeing MORE patrons than ever. Word on the street is that one needs to queue for at least two hours to get in!! Siao~! But the lure of thumping music and sweetness alcohol is too tough to resist. I haven't been clubbing since... a really long time. So you must know how willingly-unwilling I was to queue patiently for an hour plus.

It's prolly because of my recent bout of fever (not H1N1 lah...) that I was feeling slightly uninterested in hogging the dance floor. Prolly because it was simply too crowded. Prolly because Licai's endless bottles of Martell at the bar were more attractive. Prolly because I didn't want to warrant unnecessary attention and end up... you know, stuff you don't do anymore when you already have a boyfriend. =P

Shutter-buddy

A mis-communication in posing

This dude never grow old hah!

Courtesy of Karen

Yeah YOU!

The seemingly endless flow of cognac got me quite hyped up. And even Karen. Strange but true. Usually only bubblies can satisfy us. But Karen seemed very contented with the Martell and ended up so high throughout the night. Hahaha... Karen karen. It's her night anyway - bumping into old friends and a stranger whom she met on the plane when she returned from Shanghai. What are the odds?!

Oh interesting tidbit. With three bottles of cognac, naturally the bunch of us took up a space at the bar to settle our drinks. Two girls came up to our spot to get their drink. Now, we're not that sort of ungenerous Singaporeans. Naturally we let the two girls through to the bar. Instead of 'returning' the space to us after getting their drinks, the girls stood at that spot to consume their drinks. Now, we're not that sort of petty Singaporeans. We allowed them to continue with their drinks undisturbed. It was some time before Licai couldn't help it but asked the two girls if we could have our space back. It was somewhat cumbersome to stretch over the girls' heads and across their (barely there) boobs to get our glasses. I'm not sure if this is typical or perhaps a new generation of clubbers has emerged without me knowing - the girls asked for monetary exchange. Errrrr, yah. They asked for $40 in exchange of the 'space'. Errrr, yah. We don't want to mistake them for hookers but the request was pretty bizzare.

Karen lamented that the girls thesedays dress up so much for a clubbing session whereas she's still stuck in the 'comfy' era - jeans and flats. It was a 'haha' moment.

How has the clubbing scene changed in your perspective?

signs of aging #1-2

2009-06-21T14:33:00.003+08:00

#1 - A slight fever of 38.1C felt like it's gonna do me in.

#2 - One night of clubbin' left my limbs all numb the next morning. And there was hardly any intense dancing...

colours

2009-06-20T13:03:00.003+08:00

I love colours. I'd die a very happy girl if I could own all the colourful ribbons in the world. Archie, you heard me~!

I've been busying myself with an once-favourite hobby - cross-stitching. Very old school. Heh. All the colours... makes my heart warm and fuzzy. =D

still learning, still trippin'

2009-06-19T09:49:00.006+08:00

Inexperience and naivety has caused some unhappiness in my life recently. 'Communication' always seemed... straightforward on paper and theory. We can yaba all philosophies we think we know but when faced with a real-life situation, the words we know are stuck at the tip of our tongues and left hanging there. Perhaps my naivety has lead me to assume that the lil tidbits in life aren't that complicated after all. Why allow noises by the side distort the meaning of what is plain and simple?

But like I said, my naivety got me into trouble. I am now questioning my stamina to mental-juggle so many 'situations' lately. I feel like just heaving a long sigh then say, "Okay I give up,"

I would like to put those stuff way behind me. But you know, once cut, the scar remains there to remind you. It may not hurt anymore, but can you forget how it happened? There're too many times I could have exclaimed, "See! I told you right from the beginning it wouldn't work!"

I'm still hanging there. By the tip of my nail. Trying to stay calm and not to pysch myself to take the plunge.

What is the most ridiculous thing you've ever done to keep the relationship with your partner together?

bow in the hair, twinkle in the eye

2009-06-17T13:47:00.005+08:00

These days, I'm falling heads over heels with bows and ribbons. Love the cheeky checks.

quote-unquote

2009-06-17T12:59:00.003+08:00

Life is like Restaurant City - You never know what ingredients you're getting for the day.

- Archie

joyeux anniversaire

2009-06-13T16:55:00.004+08:00

Today's our 6th month of together-ness.
*****
I texted Karen, crossing my fingers hoping she'd be free for the evening to chill out with me. At a fast-food joint. I didn't feel my cough would appreciate a Dirty Lychee Martini.
*****
Archie's off to Kukup for the weekend with his friends. I had to stay back to fall sick and despite that, still work. An exhibition is setting up over the weekend at Expo.
*****
Karen took damn long to reply. Turned out she is currently in Shanghai. Busy with 'stuff'. Oops. I felt like I was interrupting. =)
*****

Many conversations ago, Archie mentioned that we should have gotten together two years ago. Many conversations later, he's still onto it. In fact, he wanted an explanation why I didn't/couldn't accept him then.

My simple reply was, "You weren't mature enough,'

He couldn't take it lying down. He probed further, asking questions and questioning my sanity (then and now). He insisted that he couldn't be any different from two years ago. But dude, if your mental level 'still the same' then and now, you have a serious problem. People should age with wisdom and grace. Which is why I find George Clooney irresistible sexy.

I don't think the two years of non-coupledom between us was a waste of time. We simply spent it building a deeper-than-supercial friendship. I elevated him from a acquaintance to a friend. A friend who gets my sarcasm. A friend who laughes at my jokes at him. A friend who... well, you already know what a friend does. =)

But it felt like the right person at the wrong time. Sounds absurd. There was a missing link between us. But deep down, I know 'this is a very nice guy and possibly...'

Many years ago, I was a younger girl who craved for some sense of maturity - womanhood. I went shopping for lingerie. But I found something else instead - a silky cream nightgown. A piece of clothing no young girl in her teens should set eyes on. I bought it anyway. But I soon learnt why it just wasn't for me. My boobs and back couldn't fill the curves of the gown. I was scrawny and looked like a kid in her mother's power suit. Unfitting.

So I chucked the gown aside and put it behind my mind. I love the gown but it just wasn't for me then. Fast forward a few years, I chanced upon the same gown (a little yellow though) during a spring clean. It was different when I put it on again. The physical *ahem* aside, I was a more womanly, more comfortable in my own skin. It wasn't simply a pretty little gown which resembles what the Sleeping Beauty could be wearing; it was more like an empowerment bestowed to a woman of what could be... (if I even make sense)

Anyway, it's like adding time to cheese. Flavour, aroma, texture don't come just after you leave a bottle of milk to sour. The environment and its natural bacteria influences the type of cheese produced. But after all the fussing, once passed the ripening stage, you'd be rewarded. Patience, my friend, is key to good stuff.

I don't think I'll ever appreciate Archie more if we had been together two years ago. The period of non-coupledom saw us grew up, roughed up, matured in many ways. Life has its funny ways of putting pieces together. The edges were sanded and polished to make the puzzles fit, if not better.

There are more to learn and wise up from. Archie and I have our differences. We talked about it. We cried about it (actually just me crying and him sighing). We sorted things out. We kissed and made up. Each time we try a little and laugh.

I'm not sure how time would wear off the you-used-to-do-this-or-that-for-me. I just hope it wouldn't wear down the I-will-love-you-forever.