Feeding the soul

Moments passed
Jaded consciousness piled on..
My mind's been burdened with nothingness..

Nothing too fulfilling
Nothing seems peaceful
Nothing that I could call mine..

Nothing that is really a big deal..
Nothing was worth mentioning..
Nothing that I felt proud to share..

The tide could not catch up with time..
And so are the fleeting moments..

Running (pun intended) keeps me sane..
So does writing.

*****

Another way to say
Men are from Mars Women are from Venus

P/S: What a twist at the end..



-Adapted from Sunday Times-

*****

I was watching a bluebottle yesterday. In an effort to escape the living room, he kept flying against the window, hitting his head against the glass over and over again. Then he stopped launching himself at it like a missile and stuck to one little windowpane, buzzing about like he was having a panic attack. It was frustrating to watch, especially if he’d just flown up a little bit higher towards the top of the window, he’d have been free. But he just kept doing the same thing over and over again. I could imagine his frustration of being able to see the trees, the flowers, the sky, yet not being able to get to them. I tried to help him a few times, to guide him towards the open window, but he flew away from me around the room. He’d eventually come back to the same window and I could almost hear him, “Well, this is the way I came in…”

I wonder if my watching him from my armchair is what it’s like to be God, if there is a God. He sits back and see the big picture, just as I could see that if the bluebottle just moved up the window to the top, then he’d be free. He wasn’t really trapped at all, he was just looking in the wrong place.

Then I realized I was the God on this occasion. I had tried to help the bluebottle, but it wouldn’t let me. And then I felt sorry for God because I understood his frustration. Sometimes when people offer a helping hand, it gets pushed away. People always want to help themselves first.

-Cecelia Ahern, The Book of Tomorrow-

*****

It was cold..
We walked down the peaceful and quiet streets.
Holidays are never dampened, no matter how freezing the weather was.
In fact, the colder the better.

As we walked back to the ryokan..
We were starving.
Perhaps it was the weather
Perhaps it was the long walk
Or perhaps it was the good mood that whet up the appetite.

We saw this random ramen shop out of nowhere.
With a poster that flutter in the wind..
I was reluctant to go in at first.
I was looking for...soba.
Not a ramen fan at that point in time..
But this authentic shop was one that was infused with a deep Japanese culture.
And we would not miss it in the world.

I took a sip of the soup..
And started digging into the curly noodles, slurping noisily.
My my my..
The perfect soup warmed the whole of me..
That feeling, that sensation, that ambience.

*****

Back in SG,
We have been trying to search for that similar ramen experience.
Nothing was close.
Sometimes the soup was right, but the noodle was not.
Sometimes the noodle was right, but the soup was pure oily sodium torture.
And most of the time,
After a full local ramen meal..
I often felt like a walking MSG mascot.

One fine day,
Because of some detouring and we did not manage to do what we need to do..
We ended up at Suntec.
After pondering what on earth to eat for dinner..
I asked if he wanted to try out Sapporo Ramen which I came across while randomly surfing net.
Located at a secluded corner of Suntec Tower 4 (near Carrefour), we popped in without much expectations.
The interior was very plain.
White walls brown wooden benches.
No fancy deco.
Even the menu holds only ramen and a few sides.

Shin-Sapporo Ramen

Menu features four common ramen soup bases - miso (traditional mix of fermented soybean pastes), tonkotsu (rich creamy porkbone broth), shoyu and shio (the Shoyu and Shio soup bases both contain seafood and pork broth) and it also boasts a variety of of noodles which are made fresh daily.







The noodles were not perfect
But all the soups were pretty close to the authentic Hokkaido ones =)
So close we have already dined there twice.

And of course,
The best of the menu has to be..

Hurhurhur..



*****

AQUA is back!!



Lyrics that are so true of the 80s =)

Back in the Ronald Reagan days
When we put sattelites in space
When boys wore skinny leather ties
Like Don Johnson from Miami Vice

When M&M was just a snack
And Michael Jacksons skin was black
Back when the coolest thing in store
Was a Commodore 64

Back to the 80's
Back to Soap
Back to Rocky and Cherry Coke
Those were the days

And we go

Back to the 80's
And hey there Mr.T
To Twisted Sisters on MTV, yeah
Those were the days

I come back

To Iron Maiden and 7UP
Bananarama and Breakfast Club
Come Back, Yeah
Come Back, Yeah
I Come Back

When Huey Lewis was the news
When we went flying with Tom Cruise
When shoulderpads and looking tough
Lost a dare to David Hasselhof

To many men with heavy makeup on
To many poodles with guitars
Thanks for all the joy you've given us
You will always be our superstars

Back to the 80's
Back to Soap
Back to Rocky and Cherry Coke
Those were the days

And we go

Back to the 80's
And hey there Mr.T
To Twisted Sisters on MTV, yeah
Those were the days

I come back

To Iron Maiden and 7UP
Bananarama and Breakfast Club
Come Back, Yeah
Come Back, Yeah
I Come Back

Hooray for Cosby and Rubicks Cube
Hooray for Dynasty and Moon Boots
Hooray for Devo and Barber Curls
Hooray for Poltergeist and Barbie Girls

Back to the 80's
Back to Soap
Back to Rocky and Cherry Coke
Those were the days

Lets go back

Back to the 80's
To Mr.T
To Twisted Sisters on MTV, yeah
Those were the days

I come back

To Iron Maiden and 7UP
Bananarama and Breakfast Club
Come Back, Yeah
Come Back, Yeah

Lets go back

*****

Been waiting..
How is it possible that Starbucks do not have it when McCafe, Coffee Bean already have theirs?

With these frequencies to Starbucks..



Finally..=D

The new Armani Ads..=p

This is for the girls..

This is for the boys..

*****

A simple vegetarian lunch out at Quality Hotel..

It is never easy..

I remember growing up to mommy and daddy having their disagreements and quarrels where we are concerned..

Honestly speaking,

That felt like shit.

To say mommy and daddy shared the same nurturing methods will be the most incredulous thing ever..

Daddy had a military style, mommy preferred a softer approach.

Sometimes when we seek permission from mommy to do certain things..

She did not allow it for our own good.

But being the kids we were,

We went to ask daddy and he actually gave his permission.

As a result,

We often bear the brunt of them not seeing eye to eye.

Daddy often criticizes mommy's cooking..

The same old boring food everyday..

Mommy often complained about daddy's temper..

A fiery one that never gives mercy even when mommy was tirelessly doing the household chores..

But I guessed after a few hours of cold war..

They always manage to cool down..

So is Marriage an outdated ritual?

If one can be moved by MM Lee's faithful devotion for his wife, how could it be an outdated ritual..?

Marriage is not 30 banquet tables where your guests make merry and drink themselves to death..

Marriage is not finding the perfect gown and stride down the aisle in glamour and style..

Marriage does not stop at The Wedding.

How many couples could live out

"Till death do us part"

Sadly to say,

More likely

"Till the next one comes along"

Sometimes it scares me to hell..

With extremely different personalities

Coming from different backgrounds..

It's really amazing how they constantly work things out for us..

Learning never stops..

*****

Had a lil gathering with the kids..

All of them were already halfway through their drinking stint when I arrived.

Sort of a shocking awareness even for a 28 year old..

They actually find it fun to torture their livers like that =x

Played some games..

Caught up with my cousin and her kids..

Another 4 months pregnant..

One started school at Chemical Engineering at NUS..

Spotted his potential partner throwing glances at each other..

Kids kids kids..

Youth is really everything..

Mommy once babysit him for a period of time when he was still a toddler..

Being the only child back then..

He was pretty spoilt.

Used to be at loggerheads with my youngest brother..

Throwing toys at each other, fighting over Nintendo controllers..

And now they are the best of pals (like gay partners lol)

Except for the hilarious fact that he went to rebond and burn his self-detestable curly hair before army,

He grew up really fine and sensible..

21 years old now..

Just got into NUS Chemical Engineering

And now it's time for him to get lovey dovey hurhur..

So that's how the story goes..

We took turns around the table to wish the birthday boy something..

Some wished his dad would buy him a house, a car..

Some wished him to excel in his soon to be new found love..

Some wished that he will get first class honours..

But when it came to the boss of the cafe..

Things did not become that simple anymore lol.

Ending the night with more peeks..

*****