The Insignificance and Vulnerability of Simplicity

Sunday, January 30

Every time mommy starts roasting these nuts..
The whole house oozes an irresistible and slightly burnt nutty smell that no one can resist.
So currently,
The kitchen cupboard is filled with these..

Though they are a healthier alternative to the calories bursting pineapple tarts, egg rolls and bak kwa..
They are a big culprit of constipation which all the guys in my family never seem to suffer from it =x

*****

Few days back,
Besides being occupied with exams and assignments..
I was helping mommy to make these little "peanut puffs" known as kok zhai..
There is no fixed recipe for it..
Everything was purely based on mommy's memory..

Daddy and the brothers kept coming into the kitchen.
So that sounded helpful right..?
Sounds nice?

Well the youngest one helped a little..
Then he said he was busy and off he disappeared to play his PC game -.-
The rest of them asked the same question over and over again.

"Are they cool now? Can we eat now?"

When that was not feasible
They came up with more "innovations" to hang out in the kitchen.

"Maybe we can try adding a little salt to the pastry?"
"How about adding honey to the peanut filling?"

Mommy: ........

*****

Labels: CNY, family, photo logs

irony @

11:30 PM

Friday, January 28

A casual brunch with Jamie over the weekends after New Year Day..
Our meet ups were usually after work when we were half dead most of the time.
Hence this was a refreshing change..

KPO Brunch

The Works

Eggs Benedict

Glad she liked the food :)

*****

Labels: brunch, chill outs, friends, photoshop

irony @

10:04 PM

A Sunday.Brunch.Dogs.

The Sun, half-hidden.

An outing that is two months overdue..
Initiated a meetup for the doggies..
And finally I got to see Chloe =)

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Dogs white or fluffy are definitely hard to resist cuddling them.
The two of them are both.

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This picture became his wallpaper hurhur..

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It was one the better brunches around.
Eggs nicely done up, generous meat portions, the al fresco was good.

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After the meal,
We began cuddling the dogs and snapping pictures with all kinds of cameras..

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Loooove these pictures..

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*****

Labels: brunch, chill outs, crazy gang, photo logs, photoshop

irony @

5:26 PM

Thursday, January 27

Thoughts, a tonne too much, overloaded

I looked around the cabin..
One two three on my left..
Five six on my right.
Seven in front of me.
The eighth had his hand moved in a fishing motion.

I phones.

Everyone had their heads dug in some games or FB or tweets..
How many of us actually sit around and absorb our surroundings in its natural state..
Stand around to feel the tug and push and listen to the non local voices
And feel amused..
How many of us actually think about if we did something offensive to anyone that day..
Whether we had raised our voice at our parents or loved ones..
Whether we had stepped on a poor snail..?

How many of us get back to basics and read a book?
When was the last time we ever got close to nature?

Do we feel horribly insecure when we forget to bring our phones from home?
Can we leave home without our phones?
I can in fact :)

Technology got the better of us.
Reflections, none.

*****

I held on to my bowl of soup..
The table was dirty but I did not mind.
Was about to put the tray down when an old man came up to me.

"Hold on hold on, I'll help you clean first.."

So with the tall stack of bowls on his hands, he put them aside at the collection point.
Took out the cloth and wiped the table not once, but twice.
Even though with a slight hunch, I could tell he took pride in his work..

.......

I was speechless.
That surge of respect for him, that burst of gratitude..
Uncontrollably,
I smiled very widely and said a heartfelt thank you.
Then he went on to clean the next table and then another..

These are some of the few people who deserves all the salutation in the world.
They are people whom you will respect without any qualms.
Learning till they grow old.
Working till they grow old.
No complaints, no bad attitudes.

Along the journey in life..
We learn new things and develop our way of deciphering thoughts..
We picked up all things good and bad combined like a half soaked sponge.
As we grow older, our ego tends to inflate.
We no longer feel the need to learn humility because we think we know a lot.
We held on to the "experiences" in our comfort zone.
And then we preach to many others with our self deceptive know-it-all..

Sponge almost full..
With so much opinions in us..
How are we going to fill our brain with new stuff?

*****

Honestly speaking,
It was sleepless for the past few nights..
The second and last assignment for this module.
A concoction of many things combined.
Had to give ideas to not one but two classmates of mine on separate occasions..
And then they even sent me their essays to "review"..
I did not detest this.
In fact their questions made me brainstorm deeper..
They gave me ideas and boundaries all at the same time.

Perhaps I was attending to many matters at the same time.
Out with mommy and daddy to buy CNY stuff and I was busy sms-ing assignment ideas to them :(
Mommy was telling me something..
Daddy as usual, was grumbling to me at the same time.
Felt damn bad for not giving them my full attention.

Never had I utilised my brain beyond its max..
Split attention and I cant focus!
The minute I closed my eyes..
I dont sleep.
I see pictures..

Stress.

At least it paid off.
That exhilaration of hearing..

"Finally someone listens to me in class.."

After waiting for two hours and a half, finally met the trainer..
And what seems like 3 minutes, I cleared the module with a breeze.
That relief I supposed, is like skydiving off a plane.
That satisfaction, simply ecstatic.
The mentally drained mind suddenly ignited to life again.
It was a moment to relish.
And it's still one of the reasons why I really love studying.
The emotion right after exam, knowing that you did well..

Priceless.

After 3 minutes of assessment,

"So what do you think of my class? I've already marked you competent so you can go ahead and tell me bad things.."

LOL gosh..
How am I to tell her that she's really one of the best trainers I've ever come across without sounding sucked up?
Some of the classmates actually complained to me..
That she's not following the notes, giving us too much information..
Too haughty, too stuck up.
I thought she has all the right in the world to be proud and confident.

I'm not a natural speaker.
But I really meant this.

"Are you teaching any degree courses? I really think you should. The stuff you gave us, is really beyond the notes."

I love lecturers who teach beyond their notes and not read from power point slides..
It shows they know their stuff, and definitely the right person to look up to.
Honestly speaking,
She endears..
She makes me see things in another dimension..
She's even better than some of my Uni lecturers..

In just ten lessons,
She painted an extremely clear and defined picture of what and how management should be, how competent managers should run the show to ensure optimum service operations.
Far exceeded the experience I got from my six years in my current job.
Never have I enjoyed classes so much..
Her class was real fun.

*****

Labels: musings, random, thoughts

irony @

5:21 PM

Wednesday, January 19

Burlesque

A literary or dramatic work that ridicules a subject either by presenting a solemn subject in an undignified style or an inconsequential subject in a dignified style.

Best musical I've ever watched to date..
First movie of 2011 and it's really awesome.
The visuals are good, the dances are so energetic, the songs are damn catchy!
Vocals so powerful that she moved me from goosebumps to tears..
Every piece of musical was delivered with dedication.
And a good storyline with a modern twist..
That showcased a little of everything.
Witty conversations, downpour of emotions, artistic camera angles..
Pure entertainment yet never a minute of sleazy portrayal.
I definitely prefer this to Moulin Rouge.

This musical movie struck many big chords in me.
How a small town girl strived so hard to be accepted into getting a job at Burlesque in LA..
"Great enthusiasm, terrible timing"
Casting all her pride and her ego away shamelessly just for the club owner to watch her perform at the audition..
Because she was so confident of her own talent, she gave her all..
Extremely sure of what she wanted, persevered through even when she was being cast out.
The unbearable feeling of being left out, yet she tried to be nonchalant about it..
The triumphant moment with a twist of luck as she impressed with her earnest talent..
And gradually changed everyone's perception about her.
In the rich world of temptations, she remained grounded.
Walked away when she saw that things are not what they should be..
Courage.

And how many of us are able to do that?
Give up all we ever have currently to pursue our dreams wholeheartedly, even if it meant making a big fool out of ourselves, remained steadfastly sure of what we wanted under the scrutiny of others' ridicule, even though there are so many obstacles out there, even though no one believes in us?

Cher, an artiste whose unique voice got to me ever since I heard her..
Portrayal of a woman who never listens, a tough cookie hard to crack.
Her strength is her primary weakness.
Christina Aguilera made me see her in a totally different light.
The whole musical seemed to be tailored just for her.
The minute she got onto the stage and start singing, the world watches.
And yes she can act.

A cliched storyline when it comes to dreams and realisations..
But this is a muscial movie which I can watch it over and over again without getting bored

Simply love this =)

*****

Labels: movies, thoughts

irony @

11:47 AM

Monday, January 10

2010