cursed
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blame it on poor communication. I was told to report to bloody 60 Alps, Changi for my first day of work with Embraer. and guess wat? i reached there after braving the traffic on babe's car who had to sacrifice his morning to send me there to this uber ulu location and was told later by the coordinator tt i was to report to the orchard branch for work instead! WTF
*pengz*
i've no words to say. absolutely speechless now.
bumming around is no fun...
looking on the bright side, at least i'm working in Orchard. haha.
for the lost and confused
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You can hold any girl that you like
Fall in love when it’s easy at night
But you wake up wondering why
She ain’t ever something better
Firstly, i would like to thank Yeeling and Lihui for their belated bdae presents to moi. A lovely Fossil watch from the states from Lihui and my most wanted blush brush from Yeeling (finally get to strike off another from my wish list. YAY!). oh and how cld i leave out vince. hehe. He's yogurt treat to me at Yoguru eventually came to be a blessing for me. Since i had lyked it so much, one of the boss still in the states came across my blog and invited me back for free yogurt! for me and 5 more of my frens! Woots. hehe. Lucky me! Anyway, i checked it out again and realised tt yoguru is not actually from korea, its just the recipe tt originates from Korea. hehe. Nonethless, its a good treat and a wonderful alternative to ice-cream for dessert in this dreadful hot country... so do check it out at Kallang Leisure Centre (beside coffee bean) if u guys have the time alright. A wonderful place to chill as well...
i love chunky watches and i totally dig the strap! so chirpy...
Well, you would think tt with the amount of shopping down in Spain, i Would have satisfied my minimal cravings for shopping already. BUT (now we all fear this word don't we. haha) apparently, i hadn't. And i came back to Singapore and spent $500 in a day. Nah.. i was just kidding there. Lets see, Babe got me a piece of cake...
wait!! take a closer look.. its a fork! hehe. so adorable.. 
and in return. i got him a brown belt from Pedro.. since i didn't quite appreciate the white one his ex gf gave to him. heh. Next, I bought 2 tops, one from Cotton On and the other from Women's Secrets. Finally, a large toiletries bag also from Women's Secrets. Hey.. dun blame me.. who cld resist the 40% discount label.. hehe. excuses excuses excuses. oh well...
So today was spent lunching with my dear Yeeling babe before she leaves for the states the next week for studies in UPenn. Lucky girl going to such a great school! she sure has big plans for shopping though. have a slight inkling tt she might be going there for the wrong reasons. Woops. heh. remember to bring back VS and Gap for me orite? hehe. Then after a bit of lazing ard, had dinner with Babe at Taka Basement followed by himalayan tea latte at west coast mcafe since Babe had to return to school for mahjong. Wat a long day.. especially after the emergency calling last night. Hush hush... okie, lets not tok about tt now shall we. I shall return to blogging about the Spain trip before I forget about doing so. *tee hee*
oh and here's the picture from the triple date at Claire's hse.. i knoe i knoe. i and Zh look a little outta place right.. blame the xmas tree!!!
Labels:
travelling
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23-24 December => Salamanca -> Fatima -> Lisbon
okie okie.. i knoe it appears as if i've lost my drive to blog about the trip since i've arrived on singapore soils. Truth is.. I've been caught up with so much other stuff... meeting with frens, spending time with babe, shopping and just snoozing. hehe. oh well.. so here i am spending the wee hours in the morning uploading these photos and trying my best to recall how it felt then to best describe the scene as told in the pictures. haha. i guess i've to admit tt some content is lost in the midst of translation. but i'm trying at least!!! so here goes...
after hours and hours of cross country driving... never ending miles of land. plains tt stretch further than the eye can see. And what intriguied me most was the drastic change of weather conditions with every ten minutes of our travel. As we chugged thru the mountainous borders btw Spain and Portugal, mists and grey intimidating skies gripped us. it was a sense, comforting for me. like a trip back to the gloom, where all was cold, and the nights were neverending. Alas, that didn't last to long for as soon as we cruised across tt particular stretch, it was like Alice stepping thru the looking glass. wah la! we were in Portugal, the land of sunshine and green pastures...
having been in a slight greyish mood from being in Spain the past few days, stepping into portugal was like a breathe of fresh air. Here, colours were much more vivid, more vibrant and held a greater contrast. and with the sunshine, came back the heat. and boy was it hot in the afternoon as we came to experience later in the afternoon.
and as we spent a good half a day travelling,we were only left with the rest of the afternoon to sight see. first stop and last stop for the day: FATIMA? ahh? fatima? haha. yesh, in case u pple are wondering. Fatima in this case is the name of a place. Here we visited the Shrine of Fatima which is a place of worship constructed to commemorate the miraculous appearance of Virgin Mary to 3 children in 1917. oh well, there was actually a pretty long story behind it. One which was narrated to us by our dearest tour guide on the bus. However, I let it slip by me. hehe. Guess it wasn't reallie worth remembering for me. All i recall was tt the place was scorching...
The sun was amazingly high in the sky..and trust me i was prespiring thru my sweater. argh...
my heart went out to these believers tt drag themselves along the tiled floor tt stretched at least 300 m from one end to another. Whether it was on their knees or on their bellies with their head bowed low and eyes filled with a certain sadness tt i find hard to contemplate. the sun and its immaculate heat did its toll on them.
So here came the end of our tourings for the day since we had spent most of it on the roads making our longest road trip from Madrid to Lisbon. we settled into the hotel for a good nights rest to prep ourselves for the long day ahead.
I was rather excited since I was looking forward to more sunny weather and beautiful coast at Lisbon. We were also told about an extremely famous portugese egg tart shop set in the centre of the city where people come for their daily dosage of these lovely little treasure. oh my gosh.. was so looking forward to tt.
However, we HAD to start off the day with wat else? visit to a church!!! *yawnz*.. wat wat!?! i'm asleep alr. hehe. Yesh.. so here we got to see the Jeonimo's Monastry. a reallie humongous church with scary decor inside and even a tomb of Vasco Da Gama. now tts just eery. but nonetheless, the structure as seen from the outside was breath-taking with fine strong walls and superb ornate cloisters on the inside.
Then after a round of extremely boring explanation and yada yada tok about the history of the church. we went on a short walk to the legendary
Passeris de Belim better known as the portugese egg tart shop. On first look, the shop looked normal from the outside, with the glass windows showcasing the many different kinds of pastries as well as their most famour egg tarts. Customers were in the line queueing to purchase their box of egg tarts to bring home. However as we were led deeper into the shop. A left turn here, a right turn there, it came to my realisation how big the shop premise was. The place could seat at least 200 people with much room to maneuver still. Very impressive.Needless to say, the experience wouldn't be complete if we hadn't tried some of their egg tarts. One bite into the crisp pastry and i was sold. it reallie was the best egg tart i had by far... with the custardy base still slightly warm and the shortcrust pastry base flaky and extremely crisp. i was in perpetual heaven for a fleeting moment. Now if only i could figure i way to ship these back to Singapore. haha.
Now with heavy stomachs and our sweet tooths satisfied. We headed down to the coast for some sea breeze and photo taking. I vaguely remember the few monuments tt we were told about but guess they weren't of much importance. at least not to me. haha. look at me, i'm a failure when it comes to cultural stuff.
oh wait a min.. think there's one thing i remember. tt bridge u see in the background.. it runs for 17km long! hehe.. woots. two way back and fro and u've got a full marathon. hehe.
Now with heavy stomachs and our sweet tooths satisfied. We headed down to the coast for some sea breeze and photo taking. I vaguely remember the few monuments tt we were told about but guess they weren't of much importance. at least not to me. haha. look at me, i'm a failure when it comes to cultural stuff.oh wait a min.. think there's one thing i remember. tt bridge u see in the background.. it runs for 17km long! hehe.. woots. two way back and fro and u've got a full marathon. hehe. After lunch, I, Mum, ah-yi and Gabriel decided to go for the optional tour at Cascais and Sintra whilst Trevor and my uncle stayed back in the hotel. gosh.. finally the best decision made by far. The tour was amazing. Bringing us to the western coast of Lisbon where the rich and the famous dwell. THe beaches were amazing, ever so warm even in winter. Luxurious hotels spread along the picturesque coastline and the drive was not just a drive. it was awe-inspiring. Finally got a chance to touch the atlantic ocean. hehe. silly.. but its still the real deal anyway.
From there we travelled to the western most end of the European Continent. Legend has it tt travellers came to this point of the land and they became so sure tt nothing else cld exist beyond tt horizon and tt the sun just miraculously disappeared below the planes of the earth at sundown. it's an amusing thought but very magical once u experienced for urself the sunset. the orange glows cast over the raging seas lyke a blanket. 
the winds up on the cliffs were fierce. But somehow i enjoyed the sense of vulnerability, of exposure. feels like being broken down. Humbled by God's power. For once, i felt lucky to be at tt place at tt very moment.
the winds up on the cliffs were fierce. But somehow i enjoyed the sense of vulnerability, of exposure. feels like being broken down. Humbled by God's power. For once, i felt lucky to be at tt place at tt very moment.
sitting down here
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lethargy hits once again after these 2 days. I listened to my head and figured it was better to stay home and rest since work was about to start in a few days time. Good choice.. slp was precious.
Had my first bake order since I came back from Spain ytd. Here i would like to apologise to the people who have placed orders whilst i was away, had to turn some of them down. *bleah*.. but fret not! I'm back to deliver more sweet nothings!
Currently working on the V-day Special Cupcake Menu and preparing for experimental baking. Hoping to have it released by next week so tt I'll have ample time to deal with the orders. As a sneak preview, i'll be offering cupcakes in 4 different packages, different flavors and different themes. All lovely nonetheless. And all these served up in hand-made boxes by moi! Trust me, the way to a girls heart or man's heart.. hehe. is thru his stomach. Nothing is more pleasing then recieving a box of pretty and delicious cupcakes from your significant other. So do look out for my Valentines Day Menu coming up soon!
i've travelled a thousand miles
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and sitting thru a rather daunting and dreadful 16 hour flight from Barcelona. I'm finally back in sunny Singapore.. erm.. i mean terribly terribly SUNNY singapore. It was majorly hot here; if it weren't for the little sickness tt i caught once i was back, i wld have felt the heat even more. i'll tok about tt more later.
So after touch down, i took a short nap and then headed down to Claire's house for a delightful lunch prepared by the multi-talented Claire herself. of course i cldn't go empty handed hence i brought along the bottle of hazelnut liquor i had purchased in Spain for her. haha.. i knew i had to get it for her the moment i saw it... hehe. Glad she lyked the gift. obviously, Claire and Dave were such delightful hosts to the other 4 of us, Lihui and her bf Jonathan as well as I and Zhiheng. haha. in fact, it occured to me tt this was the first ever triple date tt i had attended. haha. the food was needless to say.. Great and the company was priceless. However, i was feeling the toll of jet lag and the lack of slp setting it. oh well, was acting more lyke a zombie throughout lunch. sorrie guys! hehe. But then again, i wld lyke to thank Claire for the effort! *hugz* (oh yeh, by the way.. can someone pls send me the photos we took? hehe)
the rest of the afternoon was spent at babe's hse where i spent it fighting the ZZZ monster and the bouts of cold and hot periods tt i suffered. it was excrutiating.. and at some point i thought i was going to die. but of course i've recovered la. haha. watched National Treasure later tt night with Babe. my ratings.. 2/5, feel tt i've outgrown the phase of treasure hunting and mystery solving, though many of the conspiracies featured in the movie are true, but i never came to reallie liking the movie.
the next day, i met up with Vincent for lunch at Miss Clarity Cafe before he leaves for Shanghai for gip. the Chicken Ballotine was superb as i had expected. 
yummy. then we drove down to kallang to try out this new yoghurt ice-cream stall tt vince read about. Called Yoguru, this stall is a spin off the hit version in Korea tt started off a craze which even travelled to the west with hollywood stars and celebrities. Do check the link out at http://www.yoguru.com.sg/menu.html. Being a big lover of yoghurt. i cldn't resist the huge bowl sitting in front of me. Topped with honey nuts and almonds and fresh kiwi evenly round the sides, it makes sure tt every bite entails a bit of everything in it. Though a bit on the tangy side, still it was refreshing a served as a pretty good dessert! thanks Vincent for the treat! hehe. take care in Shanghai k dude and work on tt chinese man. hehe.
yummy. then we drove down to kallang to try out this new yoghurt ice-cream stall tt vince read about. Called Yoguru, this stall is a spin off the hit version in Korea tt started off a craze which even travelled to the west with hollywood stars and celebrities. Do check the link out at http://www.yoguru.com.sg/menu.html. Being a big lover of yoghurt. i cldn't resist the huge bowl sitting in front of me. Topped with honey nuts and almonds and fresh kiwi evenly round the sides, it makes sure tt every bite entails a bit of everything in it. Though a bit on the tangy side, still it was refreshing a served as a pretty good dessert! thanks Vincent for the treat! hehe. take care in Shanghai k dude and work on tt chinese man. hehe.well, after such an activity packed two days, it ain't over yet. Met up with Babe soon after where we settled down to watch the movie "I am Legend". seriously, i thought tt it was a major flop, putting aside all the advertistments and hype, i was nothing but a resident-evil mock up entirely. super disappointing...
was in a bit of a rush later to get the cake tt i had ordered for Velda's and Ben Kor kor's bdae as well as to purchase vel's gift. Settled on a pretty nice waisted belt from miss selfridge. Hope she'll lyke it. hehe. Dinner at Rakuzen was splended and saw the union of all 10 cousins at one table. it has been such a long time... and the table was filled with laughter, whacks and good ole
conversation once more. it was all too good...
jap food.. ahhh.. how i've missed u after all these days in Spain.. haha. had my good fill of sashimi! yum yum! i love tuna! hehe.
The bdae kids... erm.. or shld we say adults. hehe. Happie bdae to Velda and Benjamin Kor Kor!
Seperate photos taken of the Han and Ng Family. it was wonderful having time to catch up with family and having a meal together. again, another heartwarming wholesome bdae celebration.
and finally, here's ending off with a photo of my family and the bdae adults. hehe. how sweet... kk, gotta return to baking. Orders!!! *swoosh*
i miss you
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see u soon babe...
Michael Buble -- Home
Another summer day
has come and gone away
In Paris or Rome...
but I wanna go home...
uhm Home
may be surrounded by
a million people
I still feel all alone
just wanna go home
I miss you, you know
And I've been keeping all the letters
that I wrote to you,
Each one a line or two
I'm fine baby, how are you?
I would send them but I know that it's just not enough
My words were cold and flat
And you deserve more than that
Another aeroplane, another sunny place,
I'm lucky I know
but I wanna go home
I got to go home
Let me go home
I'm just too far from where you are
I wanna come home
And I feel just like I'm living
someone else's life
It's like I just stepped outside
when everything was going right
And I know just why you could not come along with me
This was not your dream
but you always believed in me...
Another winter day
Has come and gone away
in either Paris or Rome
and I wanna go home
Let me go home
And I'm surrounded by
A million people I
still feel alone
Let me go home
I miss you , you know
Let me go home
I've had my run
baby I'm done
I gotta go home
Let me go home
it'll all be alright
I'll be home tonight
I'm coming back home
Spain and Portugal part 2
Labels:
travelling
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21 December => Madrid -> Toledo
Early morning, we got up to a bright start to tour the city of Madrid. Honestly, I didn’t have any earnest anticipation regarding the whole affair as I had the previous notion tt cities will be cities. To me, they are just a congregation of people, living together, as though in a habitat as the primary science books would describe it. However, it is the culture and history of a city tt sets it apart from the rest. This makes it unique and special. Hence first, we went to visit the 2nd biggest bull fighting ring in the entire world (with the biggest being in Mexico), it was an endless parade of photoshoots with parents yelling for us to hold certain postures or be at certain positions. Though I detested it, I know they meant well.
in remembrance of our missing cousins, velda and kor kor. hehe
Then we went to view the Cervantes momunment in Plaza espana, Puerta del Sol, Gran Via and Madrid’s most famous fountain.
Finally, we took a nice stroll towards the magnificent State Apartments of the Royal Palace and marvel at its lavish decorations and tapestry on the walls. I took a particular liking to the room dedicated to the Chinese as it had lovely yellow patterns on the wall, each of them resembling an intricate complex woven lace print tt worked so well throughout the spacious room. What attracted me most of all were the large number of rooms present in the entire royal palace and the amount of effort spent to decorate each and every one according to a different theme and color. Of couse only the best materials, luscious and smooth were used throughout. Every small detail from the ceiling to the floors were managed in the same style, slightly classy with a French flaire and definitely extravagant to the max. Pity photography wasn’t allowed in the palace hence the lack of photos here.
Finally, we took a nice stroll towards the magnificent State Apartments of the Royal Palace and marvel at its lavish decorations and tapestry on the walls. I took a particular liking to the room dedicated to the Chinese as it had lovely yellow patterns on the wall, each of them resembling an intricate complex woven lace print tt worked so well throughout the spacious room. What attracted me most of all were the large number of rooms present in the entire royal palace and the amount of effort spent to decorate each and every one according to a different theme and color. Of couse only the best materials, luscious and smooth were used throughout. Every small detail from the ceiling to the floors were managed in the same style, slightly classy with a French flaire and definitely extravagant to the max. Pity photography wasn’t allowed in the palace hence the lack of photos here.
love the similar expressions of my mum and auntie. twins will be twins.. hehe...
After a quick stop over for lunch, we proceed by bus to Toledo, the former capital of medieval Spain.Again, I held no expectations. It was not till I reached the top of the hill to view the panaromic view of the city tt I was awed and dumbstruck by the beauty and strategic placing of the city. Surrounded by high walls on all sides, the city was built on a slight mould of a hill of the country side of Madrid. With houses cascading down the sides of the hill, the cathedral stood high and proud at the top. It was no wonder tt this place was an UNESCO world heritage site.
We then entered the city walls for a walking tour. First we went to view the Gothic Cathedral. Well, wat can I say? Cathedral AGAIN! But this experience was slightly enhanced due to the presence of a very experiences city guide who managed to explain the significance of most of the features in this gargantuan church.
We then entered the city walls for a walking tour. First we went to view the Gothic Cathedral. Well, wat can I say? Cathedral AGAIN! But this experience was slightly enhanced due to the presence of a very experiences city guide who managed to explain the significance of most of the features in this gargantuan church.
Did I mention tt I think Catholicism is freaky? (no offence to catholics though *gulp*)
Then we took a slow stroll around the city pavements on our own. At the same time taking in the sights and sounds all around.
Toledo was a pretty strange city tt appears as though it is stuck in the past. A past of glory and faded riches. Even the inhabitants of the city are supremely old as compared to the pple who reside just outside of the city walls. Even so, the history of the city and its once glorified history as the capital of Spain remained. And its old world charm had such friendly disposition tt drew me closer to the place. In fact, I felt as if Toledo was the highlight of the entire trip.
a panaromic view of toledo city from the top of a hill
Saint Martin Bridge
trevor deserves a BIG HUG! he doesn't seem to be enjoying it though. hahaFinally after we had finished the tour of Toledo, we headed back home to Madrid where we made a stop over to have a special Tapas Dinner. Tapas is the common food of the Spanish. Consisting of several small cold dishes such as anchovies, olives, sardines and such, paired with bread. This previous finger food for the Spanish had evolved into a proper meal for the people of Spain. Well, I didn’t have too good an experience with this cuisine though. Probably wasn’t used to the food served. Cold… haha. Not exactly attractive on a cold day huh? Haha.
Tapas Dinner
my heart feels a certain aching. a forbidden emotion. one tt i shldn't be embracing. so why???
suddenly, i wanna go home. i want to feel safe in his arms again.
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