Hollywood Taitai

A Chloe Party

2010-08-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

I'm in love with a bag that doesn't exist.

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Isn't this the most luscious shade of pink?

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Unfortunately the Chloe Paraty in Rosewood is a much darker shade in real life.

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The Chloe Elsie is a nice piece of work too. I love light-coloured bags especially pink and cream but my practical side wins every time.

Except today I succumbed to this Rebecca Minkoff satchel in Peach Nude online. I hope the real bag doesn't deviate from the pic.

Voracious appetite

2010-08-21T20:45:00.000-07:00

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Such a cool bookshelf is it not? Tho it would be a hassle to search for a particular title.

I'm the middle of selling some books to clear the clutter on my shelf. 6 hardcovers and 2 soft covers only gets me $20. Such a sad number considering that I spent more than $100 on them.

One book I can't bear to give away is this charming title, "The Elegance of The Hedgehog". Which has nothing to do with hedgehogs and makes a good read for one lazy afternoon. The story is simple but I have been tiptoeing through each page to savour the whimsical and at times, pompous prose. Read it.

7/28/10

2010-08-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

I was spending time in the Bay area with my friend when my kind neighbour called to say that Hunter was busy scarfing down the catnip she had laid out for HER cats. Of course those were not her exact words. Needless to say, I was shaking my head in embarrassment over the phone. The kind lady even offered to escort Hunter home so he won't become coyote dinner. I gratefully declined knowing the cat had a finely tuned antenna on danger and that Kelly would be home soon.

5 days and nights later, I returned home but Hunter was nowhere to be found. On an excellent hunch, Kelly and I set off for kind neighbour's house. As expected, we spotted furball near the crime scene. Kelly was nearer to him than I but when I called his name, the cat shot right past his daddy and halted next to me. My heart fluttered with pride and joy at that moment. With our contentious relationship, I did not realise he might have miss me too. Alright kitty, you are more than forgiven.

Song about the flash floods

2010-07-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

Oh gosh, I feel so bad about the businesses badly affected by floods, the people living in those areas, people who are trapped on their way to and from work.

And since it's our own fault for clogging up the drains and the maker's fault for bringing down the torrential rains, we all need a little levity in this gloomy situation.

I'll rather have rat please.

2010-07-15T01:01:00.000-07:00

Rats, bugs, centipedes and even a broad-footed mole. Those are the reasons Hunter wants to go out and play. The same reasons that start the nightly ritual of a million "NO"s before I locked him in the bathroom for time out.

Tonight as I opened the door and was about to launch into a lecture when I spotted a spider on the rug. Hunter saw it too and disinterestedly gave it a few swats. Astonishing! Isn't hunting why he begs to be out every night? The spider shaken up, paused, then scurried in Hunter's direction. I think "Great, easy kill for you." Instead, the cat gingerly lifts its paws to let the spider pass. I roll my eyes and let him out. After which, he tried to sneak past me. Back to the loo he goes.

The joys of parenting or lack of

2010-07-13T02:10:00.000-07:00

Taking care of a pet is a thankless task.

Kelly stalks the cat every evening. The stupid thing is so focused on its prey that it will plonk its ass right in the middle of the road, remaining there when cars approach. Thank the heavens for alert drivers. Even after the car came to a complete stop, the cat refused to budge. Only after realising that the vehicle would not vanish did it grudgingly walk to the side of the road. Having witness Hunter's harrowing escape with death, Kelly now tracks the cat and goes to bed worrying that it will be killed by a fast car.

At night, its mummy has to repeatedly call for it to come home. I so wish cats knew how to use cell phones. When the cat finally decides to grace me with its presence, it also proceeds to throw up whatever meal it caught. Thankfully its poor suffering mother has well-honed reflexes that catches the vomit in napkins before it hits the floor. Even if it happened 3 times in a row. Other times, I'm not so lucky and out comes the cleaning solution and mop.

All these just for him and does he learn? No. Every night, it tries to sneak past my watch towards the door. I give warnings, shake my finger, yell and finally haul it into the bathroom for time out. Amazingly that always works. Dawn comes and the whole process begins again.

Sure, the snoring amuses me and I melt when he rests his little head on me. But mostly, it's "FEED ME. GO AWAY. I WANT TO GO OUT. ME ME ME." You can't reason with a pet. You can't make it a better animal. It is what it is. And it makes me wonder if this joy of parenting thing is overhyped.

My overactive imagination then extrapolates this to a mother-baby relationship. Perhaps it is not an accurate portrayal. I'm sure there are more amazing moments and logic can be taught as the kid grows. Yet, a human lives longer and is in a way more vulnerable. Words and emotions are absorbed and experienced more acutely. I can't tell if it's worth it.

So tell me, are we all suckers? Or have I yet to experience the miraculous joys that parenting purports to provide?

How to hide your womanly bits

2010-07-04T03:16:00.001-07:00

I'm amazed at the ideas people come up with to get women to purchase rubbish products.

First Cami Secret, now the Hip-T!

It purports to cover bum cleavage, hide spare tyres,

lengthen tops and creates layers without bulk.

I say, save the money! Why would anyone wear an ugly bandage around the hips? In the first place, you shouldn't be buying tops that are too short or jeans that are too low.

Next is the Camelflage. As you can infer, it says it can prevent cameltoe.

Finally something useful? Again, you can easily prevent the painful situation by avoiding pants that are too tight and string thongs.

Haiz, these remind me of those funny Japanese inventions. Highly amusing and in one word, bo liao.

Shoes for big feet and small feet

2010-07-03T04:28:00.001-07:00

My beloved wedding shoes now come in mini sizes for little girls and babies!

The heart tugs at the ones with bows though. They cost $100 each *whew!* Would have been kinda sweet to get a mother-daughter(future) pair otherwise.

Oh, the unbearable cuteness of them all!

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows

2010-06-29T03:36:00.000-07:00

<a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-US&from=sp&vid=f2822d1e-af61-45f5-b674-f3f697170e3d" target="_new" title="'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' Trailer">Video: 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' Trailer</a>

A whole myriad of emotions. The overwhelming feeling is that of sadness. It's ending.

All it takes to make this girl happy

2010-06-24T00:41:00.000-07:00

One Manhatten Marmalade,
One Mint Julep,
One Whiskey Sour,
One sleepy guy at home and
One purring cat.

Despite a desperate need to sleep off three strong whiskey cocktails, I felt the urge to get dirty. Rolling and steaming Ngoh Hiang, that is. I just couldn't stomach the possibility of my defrosted pork going bad. Even if it's 2am and I am inebriated.

Some long, some short.

Had a little supper at 4am. Goodnight now.

Snores

2010-05-20T03:19:00.000-07:00

How can it be the most irritating noise a guy makes when you are trying to sleep,
But the cutest little sounds when it comes from your kid.
Or pet cat in my case. Which I think of as my kid anyway.

A bib for the sexy woman who loves crabs

2010-05-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

Eating crabs is a messy affair. Bits of meat flying all over the place, sauce splattering. What if you wanted to wear a low cut top while cracking those chilli crab claws? Relax, CamiSecret to the rescue!

I love you Mom.

2010-05-09T03:14:00.001-07:00

I am so proud of her. A rather odd statement since it's usually said the other way round. But this is the exact sentiment that's making my heart swell.

My mum is a traditional person. She never imagined in a million years that her only child would not be by her side or at least on the same island. And I never imagined in a million years that she would be alright alone. With no one, not even my dad, by her side on Mother's Day. I felt such pangs of sadness when I called home to wish her a Happy Mother's Day. Even more so when she told me she was making a simple dinner of soup and watching TV on a day when we should be celebrating together. Yet, she was so filled with joy at my call I could hear it miles across the oceans. It broke my heart and made me smile at the same time.

She worried about me when I was young but the tables have turned now. I often wonder what would happen if she did not have a job to occupy her time. She has little friends and didn't relish travelling by herself. But she is stronger than I expected. When she was told to stop work for 6 months, she strolled around the neighbourhood, cleaned the house from top to bottom and to my great surprise, found a part time job. It paid peanuts but it made her happy to be busy. Consequently it made me happy too.

I'm glad we have gotten to this point together. I miss you and Happy Mother's Day.

Midnight Mee Rebus

2010-05-09T02:23:00.001-07:00

N invited me and J to visit and enjoy home cooked Mee Rebus. I was on the phone with N to arrange a lunch date the next day when she received a text from J who decided to take up her offer right there and then at 11pm!

Since J would pass by my house on the way to N's, I jokingly asked if she would picked me up. The result was this delicious supper!

Mee Rebus was followed by a depressing Kate Winslet movie, The Reader, at 2am. I do highly recommend it. After that, we chatted till 7 in the morning!

Did I mention that it was a Thursday night? J's boyfriend had accompanied her for supper . While we all didn't plan on staying up all night, there wasn't a single complaint from him even when he hasn't slept for more than 24hrs. He even went into work without sleep. Iron Man...

During supper, N's very smiley baby woke up for his feed. Maybe he wanted Mee Rebus too.

And you wonder why I don't like vegetables

2010-05-03T03:41:00.001-07:00

I hate vegetables with a passion. Growing up, you couldn't get me to eat anything green. Over the years, I've become more sensible. As long as they are cooked with meat or flavourful spices to mask the taste like sambal belacan, I'll eat it.

I decided to make lamb saag for dinner one day and the recipe called for 2 full bowls of spinach to be shredded into ribbons.

To save the extra step of plucking leaves off a bunch of spinach stems, I did the easy thing of buying pre-packaged spinach leaves. Though the box says 'washed and ready to eat', I don't trust industrial cleaners of doing a thorough job. For a very good reason. Look at the number of bugs I found while washing the vegetables!

Still have appetite for lamb saag?

All packaged vegetables states they are 'washed and ready to eat', which would be great if I wanted extra protein! My regular brand was sold out so I bought the store's in-house brand thinking it wouldn't matter. This was the worst cleanup job I've seen. Even with the soiled bunches of spinach from Asian supermarkets, I've never encountered bugs. I'm never buying the in-house brand again.

Botak Tree

2010-05-03T02:48:00.001-07:00

Strong winds last week snapped a huge branch off the oak tree growing behind our house. It landed on our roof which was impeccable timing since we were expecting fire inspectors to show up anytime.

Every year in May, the LA Fire Department sends out inspectors to check if your house is free of debris that can start fires. If you fail the first inspection, a letter of warning arrives to tell you to clean up before the second inspection. Fail again and you will have to pay a hefty penalty.

We urgently called our handyman to help remove the offending branch. It was so big that he had to saw it into smaller pieces before he could toss it off the roof.

All the pieces lining the street, see how big it is? We don't even have enough bins to throw them out. Since garbage collection takes place once a week, it will take us a few weeks to clear this green mess. That's not the end of it. The branch didn't split off cleanly and its remaining part looks like it might break anytime. If it doesn't, we will have to chop it off once we have empty bins. Poor tree is going to be botak for a long long time.

The Door

2010-04-29T04:25:00.001-07:00

4am

I was in the bathroom when the door suddenly swung open with a click. But no one was standing in the empty space of the frame. I walked out and was momentarily petrified to see the front door wide open too. No one except me and the cat which had been slumbering peacefully a second ago was now awake and confused. Nothing seemed amiss. I closed the door and sat down to still my beating heart.

It was a moment straight out of Stephen King's mind. The real reason though were the ferocious gales of wind which had been blowing through the house at 15mph or 24kmh. Thank God I was awake to shut the door and not leave it open to intruders.

Rambo V: Rat Killer

2010-04-28T05:56:00.001-07:00

5.30am

For the second time, we found Hunter in the garden feasting on a dead rat. Naturally I went ballistic since he got very sick the last time he ate a whole rodent. Kelly grabbed the cat who was not happy at being intercepted. Then I made Kelly pick up the dead rat and toss it out so Hunter doesn't return to finish up. I suspect his hunt-kill-eat activities are what's been making him throw up nearly every night. Let's see what the vet says.

My next question is 'Why are there so many rats?' I'm sure those rodents can sense a rat killer living nearby plus we don't leave edibles lying around. So far, Kelly's been adamant about not setting traps around the house cos he deems it inhumane. Which would make Hunter the perfect solution if only it didn't cause him to get sick. What to do now?

I love Zara!

2010-04-28T00:24:00.001-07:00

There's so few Zara stores in LA that popular items fly off the shelves as soon as they arrive. I can never find the clothing I want and if I'm so lucky to find it, they never have my size. Oh well, I'll just take it as saving money.

To make it big in Hollywood, you need

2010-04-27T00:06:00.000-07:00

1) A pretty face.

2) To study and be better than your competition.

3) Determination.

Most importantly one needs talent and you are looking at him.

Happy Anniversary!

2010-04-21T23:22:00.001-07:00

To celebrate our second ROM anniversary, Kelly told me to pick a restaurant, any restaurant. I'm the go all out or go good and cheap type when it comes to food so I was hesitant with making a decision.

After some discussion, we settled on the 1 Michelin star molecular gastronomy restaurant, The Dining Room at The Langham. Bonus for this TV addict, the Chef de Cuisine was winner of Top Chef season six.

I happily got my makeup professionally done and straightened my hair.

Kelly thinks I'm fussing but I didn't want him to see me looking like I do everyday. At least must look extra hot on our anniversary right?

I really wanted the Chef's menu which has to be ordered by the entire table. Because of Kelly's aversion to seafood, we asked if certain dishes could be substituted. The answer came back negative and our server suggested we do the 4 course menu and added ala carte dishes.

Even though I told Kelly I was ok with their recommendation, he decided to indulge me. Imagine hearts popping out of my eyes. By the time we placed our order, we were starving.

Our dinner started with an amuse bouche. The parfait of powdered salmon, horseradish and cream cheese had an interesting texture but I found 3 powders too dry on the tongue. Poor Kelly took one spoonful and contained his urge to spit it out.

First course was a perfectly cooked piece of langoustine on a bed of white asparagus in a delicious bouillabaisse bisque that I mopped up with my bread. Strangely, the calamari crisps reminded me of papadum.

The chef compromised and substituted Kelly's first course with a colourful harvest of garden vegetables. He gobbled everything and paused to mumble "It's really gooood" when I asked.

Our second course was a pretty presentation of foie gras terrine with wild strawberries and rice crispies. Salty, sweet and tart, it was sublime.

Next course was trout topped with porcini puffs and a sweet hibiscus foam which would not be missed in this dish. But that fish was the best I had in my life! It melted in my mouth like butter. I was the happy recipient of Kelly's intense dislike for seafood.

A deconstruction of the Reuben sandwich, our fourth course featured pastrami pigeon, sauerkraut gelee, cheese crisps and rye sauce. The pigeon was chewy and a tad salty.

Doesn't Kelly look like Mona Lisa here? In between courses, we had divine bacon rolls with goat cheese butter, butter from Vermont and butter from France.

Lamb shoulder confit and coffee cardamom soil. I can't remember all the components of this dish but I remember the lamb was perfectly cooked.

Mmm mmm mmm, Japanese Kuroge beef with marrow toast, a pea roll, matsutake mushrooms and Bordelaise sauce. I savoured every bit of it.

Isn't the presentation wonderful? Kelly was so full by the time this dish arrived that he didn't take a single bite. This was one of the highlights of the night, such a pity!

After the savoury courses, we were served a palate cleanser of peanut butter and jelly which had been blasted with nitrogen to form tiny icy dots.

The guy who cannot take another bite has space for desserts and it's written all over his face.

So eager that he cannot snap a clear pic of his Baba Au Rhum with pineapple, kiwi and coconut. Verdict? Really really good.

My pic came out blurry too.

My dessert went by the intriguing name of Fool's Gold. It composed of a salty hazelnut praline sprinkled with gold pieces, a chocolate sorbet and cocoa tuille. This is perfect for chocolate lovers but it was too much for me after a heavy meal.

The 3 tai tais seated next to us were invited to meet the Chef de Cuisine in the kitchen. After their turn, the same invitation was extended to us! It must have been a long tiring day in the kitchen but Chef Michael Voltaggio was very personable. Arrgh, where are the fake lashes I had bought for tonight's occasion?

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Awaiting our return was a trio of mignardise. The lemon curd was too sweet after my dessert but I love the passion fruit candy with its edible wrapper, reminded me of 白兔糖. The chocolate lolliPOPs lived up to their name. Hidden inside were pop rocks candy so you heard and felt them pop in your mouth.

This was my first molecular gastronomy experience and it was a subtle introduction which I would definitely like to explore more of. It was also the first time I have whipped out a camera at an expensive place and I was kind of embarrassed. Since the tai tais were doing the same, I feel slightly more justified. All in all, it was a wonderful culinary experience for me.

Thank you and happy anniversary!

A walking city.

2010-04-15T20:57:00.001-07:00

One cannot get very far in LA without a car. Wikipedia says residents spend 4 days a year stuck in traffic and no wonder, LA has the highest per-capita car population in the world. I don't know where the statistics are culled from and its veracity but it's a fact that LA is car city. And precisely why people forget it is a great place for walking too.

The weather helps, most times it's neither too warm or too cold. Plus a sprawling city gives rise to neighbourhoods with unique character. The other day, I took an hour long walk and spotted some interesting things.

I love how they bother to embellish the humble utility boxes with serious art. This particular one has been painted with (my guess) colourful Aztec people.

Looking up yields unexpected finds too like this cute Maneki Neko painted on the side of a building.

Who doesn't like a cat mural on the exterior of a school? This feline by the name of Room 8 is so famous, he's been in magazines and has a children book written about him. He's long gone to kitty heaven now but his story is read to new students each year.

Have you seen such beauty flowering from a cactus? I love the symmetry and lilac shade of the bloom. There are also lots of beautiful houses with nice gardens but I can't feature them on a public blog. Hopefully I get to explore more fun neighbourhoods when I get there, by driving.

Crazy glasses.

2010-04-15T05:25:00.001-07:00

Is it weird that I like these glasses? And that red hair. It's calling out to me.

Speechless.

2010-04-14T20:40:00.001-07:00

Alexander McQueen Fall 2010, I dream of the day I can own the pair of winged shoes.

Fab health, flab body, fab mind

2010-04-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

Since early Feb, the doctor has cleared me of hyperthyroidism. And I wish for those I know who have had it and myself that we will continue to be in remission for the rest of our lives.

I should be happy, instead I'm upset that my body hasn't shrunk to its former self. 50% of my wardrobe remains unwearable including all my jeans and pants save for 2 pairs. In a fit of pique, I tossed a large amount of clothing into the donation bin. Though I kept a few to remind myself that I will fit into them one day. I also scrutinise the hell out of every photograph and only look at the weighing scale after using the bathroom.

How whiny can I get? Stepping back from the scale and taking an objective look in the mirror, I think I look alright. Of course I wish my thighs were smaller, tush perkier and boobs bigger. Thought, why does fat only migrate South? What was I talking about? Yes, I should remind myself "I am just fine." Certainly, shopping for new clothes help. Right, Kelly?

Cute sightings

2010-04-11T01:44:00.001-07:00

I was travelling on an empty bus when 3 people boarded. After settling down, the guy whipped out his guitar to serenade the lady opposite him with a Spanish ballad. I'm guessing it was a love song because from the wide smiles and passionate tune. I was too shy go closer and disrupt the magic.

Here's the strange part. We all alighted at the same stop and after a brief exchange, the guy and girl went their separate ways like they didn't know each other personally. If they are indeed strangers, the guy's confidence and spontaneity deserve a standing ovation.

While grocery shopping during the wedding, I spotted this adorable mini van. You can see that it's half the size of a regular car based on the parking space. Can you guess what it is used for?

Promoting cheddar cheese!

Preview the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!!!

2010-04-05T16:18:00.001-07:00

Ellen DeGeneres took 2 young fans to visit the theme park which opens June 18 in Orlando, Florida. I can't wait to go!!!

Bad Singlish is going international!

2010-04-05T02:28:00.001-07:00

Bad Singlish exists but the worse crime lies in celebrating it. Once again, our exotic accent is displayed in its full splendor in US game, Just Cause 2. Watch it and tell me that you still feel pride in being a native English speaker. My mask of horror unfroze enough for me to chio dou peng (laugh till I fall). I'm not sure there are shards of the language left for us to butcher.

Comments from gaming forums:

"I love this game just her VA (Voice Acting) is just so terribad."

"It sounds to me like she should be reading fortunes over the phone."

"She should never be allowed to say 'people' 'comrade' or 'metal' ever again."

"I hate her voice. I hate her face. I also hate that manly walk she does to the chopper."

"I wanna rip out her vocal chords! Her accent is so damn annoying."

"Every time Bolo Santosi speaks I want to hit her voice actress with a brick."

"I die a little inside every time Bolo Santosi opens her f**king mouth. I still can't bring myself to skip cutscenes."

"That Bolo Santosi woman might actually be the worst voice I've ever heard in a videogame."

"What is the problem everyone seems to have with her? She has a heavy accent but it sounds reasonably exotic to me."

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The day I met a snoring baby.

2010-03-30T04:36:00.001-07:00

Saturday was too beautiful a day to be staying home or running errands. So we decided to drive down to Santa Monica and watch the sunset.

A serene sight.

LA would not be LA without its palm trees.

After a quick dinner, we decided to pop in at Kelly's cousin's home as he lived nearby. Say hi to 7 weeks old Cameron!

Cameron and I, it's complicated. We have yet to figure out if he is my first cousin once removed (as the Americans would say) or my nephew (in Singapore terms).

This is the youngest baby Kelly has ever held. Can you tell?

Kelly got lucky. Once I got Cameron, he proceeded to regurgitate his milk, fart loudly a few times and poop. All while I was holding him. Does he hate me?

I have never ever seen a snoring baby in my life! On the cuteness scale, he's on par with my snoring cat.

I'm just really shy.

2010-03-30T01:48:00.000-07:00

Beauty Bonanza!

2010-03-09T14:29:00.000-08:00

I'm on a roll today, 6 posts in a single day. Heh, only cos I don't have tons of pics to resize and touch up.

Here's a tip. One thing that most people don't think about shopping for in US is beauty products. But you should and here's why.

I shop online at Beauty.com for my regular serum and moisturiser.

The skincare brand was running a promotion. With every $60 spent, I received a value pack worth $45.

In addition, Beauty.com gives shoppers 3 free mini samples. (I mistakenly inserted an extra item in this photo.)

And to top it off, Beauty.com paired with designer Chris Benz (confession, I don't know who he is but it doesn't matter) to design a makeup case for a special promotion.

Chris Benz came up with this suuuper cute vintagey travel case filled with all the goodies you see in the pic. All you had to do was spend at least $130 to get this amazing deal.

So I bought THIS,

And got ALL THESE FREE!!! The total package is worth more than what I paid for.

Every few months, Beauty.com partners with designers for special deals like this. Even if you only shop at cosmetic counters in department stores, the big brands have monthly deals where you get lots of samples with your purchase. And the qualifying amount is usually reasonable.

Are you sold yet?

Bacon Ice Cream

2010-03-09T14:26:00.001-08:00

We were frying bacon for lunch one day when I decided to get adventurous with my food.

Bacon + Caramel ice cream = Not a good idea. The sweet-salty-greasy flavour didn't really appeal. One crazy combination I love though is McDonald fries with their vanilla sundae. What odd flavours do you mix up?

New Kit Kat flavour

2010-03-09T10:01:00.001-08:00

I was happy to discover this new (to me) flavour of Kit Kat in a Japanese supermarket here. This is Kinako Ohagi which is red bean mochi flavour. Was quite disappointed as it tasted very much like a regular Kit Kat with a slight tinge of powdery aftertaste.

OH, I discovered a Kit Kat addict's blog!

Poltergeist or something else?

2010-03-09T09:31:00.001-08:00

For a few months, we kept hearing the sound of feet running on our roof and nails scrapping the side of our walls late at night. Scaredy cat that I am, I NEVER jump to supernatural conclusions. Why frighten myself right? So I always sought a logical explanation.

Which was the right one.

A nest of raccoons had taken up living space in my neighbour's house and they would wander about the neighbourhood in search of food nightly. After which the whole family of 5 (maybe more??!) would return home by using our roof as a spring board to leap over the fence that separates the houses.

So cute right? They are also bold fearless animals. If they are a safe distance away, they would observe you rather than run away.

My neighbour is doing some major renovations on his house now so I'm sure the family of raccoons have relocated. Which means no more poltergeist-like noises.

Would you eat this???

2010-03-09T09:10:00.001-08:00

Perusing the revised menu at a Japanese restaurant, I came across this description for Oyako Don. Who can bear to order this dish after such a touchingly tender reunion??? So I ended up with ramen.

But I tabao (packed) the Oyako Don for next day's lunch.

Stars, light, action and... cake?

2010-03-09T08:37:00.001-08:00

While grocery shopping on Sunday, I came across this little stand at the supermarket. Curious as to why there was Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and balloons?

These were cakes for Oscar viewing parties! The Elvis cutout threw me off. I thought he was just a rock n roll singer but apparently Elvis starred in a lot of movies.

I wonder if other cities/states sold such cakes too or was it unique to LA? The supermarket should have sold popcorn and champagne to capitalise on the whole Oscar theme.

Oscar's viewership was the highest in 5 years. While many more people tuned in, I wonder how many bought these cakes. The thing about these supermarket cakes is they are all sugar. You don't even bounce off walls. One bite and you just convulse on the floor in sweet delirium. Bleah.

2010-02-27T11:06:00.001-08:00

I know I think too much.
But sometimes I go so far off the tangent,
I surprise even myself.
Why be so hard on yourself?

Prada

2010-02-27T11:00:00.000-08:00

Daria, oh Daria.
The clothes, oh the clothes.

Darling & Me

2010-02-23T03:59:00.001-08:00

I love this pic of us so much.

Covet.

2010-02-05T19:05:00.001-08:00

Slow poison flowing from the tap

2009-12-21T04:23:00.000-08:00

My my, today I learnt that my tap water contains rocket fuel additive, dry cleaning solvent, an industrial degreaser, bromates associated with cancer and arsenic. Still, the government declares our water legally safe for consumption. It all boils down to outdated guidelines in the Safe Water Drinking Act. Since the rules implemented in the 80s, companies have been dumping more types of chemicals into the water.

Over the years, scientists have conducted continual testing of water sources nationally but their results have been lobbied against by economically motivated companies and strangely, ordinary civilians who think it's a sham to raise water rates.

In our home, we use a filter in the water dispenser. Though I wonder how much chemicals are removed. Yes, there is a bottled spring water option but I loathe having to spend extra money. I mean what's the point of paying for safe drinking water when all one can use for it is bathing and laundry? If you think about it, even washing dishes with tap water seem like a ticking time bomb.

On this track, how safe is drinking water in Singapore? I know we are always told it's one of the safest in the world but how safe is safe? What are the guidelines, what's filtered out, what's poured in? No one thinks to question and with perhaps 80%, 90% of the population subsisting on tap water, won't you want to know? It would be interesting, not to mention reassuring.

2009-12-14T05:12:00.001-08:00

Maybe cos it's end of the year but I've been clearing gunk out of my life. From clothing to magazine clippings, products to blogsites. One just accumulates without fully utilising it all so I'm going to clear out what I don't miss. And take a curated approach to bringing in the new.

Jingle all the way to buy a Christmas tree!

2009-12-14T00:43:00.001-08:00

We drove to this tree lot along Hollywood to pick out a Christmas fir for our house. This year, all the trees were adorned with big red bows which makes them look festive and ready to go home with you!

After we chose this little tree which the sales guy calls a gnome, he asked if we wanted to keep the bow. It cost $5.25 and he personally recommended we keep it to preserve the tree.

Total head scratcher. How can a piece of red ribbon lengthen the life of a tree and why does it costs so much? Naturally I said no, at the same time that Kelly said yes.

I looked at Kelly and asked why we were using the bow and not our own decorations. Kelly's turn to look weirdly at me. He seconded the salesguy by saying that putting water in the bow helps to keep the tree alive longer.

Then it dawned on me that they were referring to BOWL and not BOW. *slaps forehead*

The big red bow atop our little noble fir tree. This is a supermodel tree. I know how crazy that sounds. Just that this tree is a really good size and the way its branches are spread out evenly creates a beautiful symmetrical shape. Anyway.

The smell of fir has permeated the living room and it smells like Christmas!

Penang Char Kway Teow

2009-12-09T03:36:00.001-08:00

My attempts at making Penang Char Kway Teow. Colour and taste could use some improvements but I managed to get that smoky flavour (wok hei)!

What's multi-coloured and faster than instant noodles?

2009-12-09T03:27:00.001-08:00

One min ago, there was nothing unusual about the scenery from my windows. To my astonishment, this lovely sigh greeted me seconds later. A double rainbow no less!

When was the last time I saw a rainbow? It must have been at least 2 to 3 years back. Rainbows just awe me but their beauty is fleeing. These were gone in 2 mins.

Naked winter

2009-12-09T01:31:00.000-08:00

I've been less than inspired fashion-wise. For one, 70% of my wardrobe is black, grey or white. Which isn't so bad but my clothes are squashed together, sometimes 3 pieces on the same hanger, to maximise wardrobe space. So I can't visually mix and match.

And worst of all, I can't layer to save my life. So my perpetual uniform has become sweater, jeans and coat. Would you believe, I just bought my first pair of leggings?

I know I know, this is all so frivolous. But I like dressing up and it's hideous to be stuck in a rut.

Flaming red

2009-12-06T02:50:00.001-08:00

Have this strong compulsion to colour my hair red.

Alas, my hair has been falling out in clumps lately due to hormonal changes related to the thyroid. The upside is that hair will grow back once my hormone level regulate itself to normal but it's going to take a long time. And I didn't have a lot of hair to begin with. Meanwhile, the number of strands has thinned considerably. It's like hide and seek with my scalp now.

So I am staying far away from chemicals, cuts and combing. Any recommendations for hair growth supplements?

Fantastic Mr Fox

2009-12-06T02:31:00.000-08:00

Charming, witty and a good laugh. I've been wanting to watch this for so long and dragged Kelly to the theatre tonight. We are in love with this gem of a film. Catch Fantastic Mr Fox when it shows in Singapore!

Hey babe,

2009-11-20T01:59:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking "You are in love." and a little smile flitted across my face. My second thought "You are hot!". Choices are good. Confidence boosters like you always say.

Heart you. Sorry, I'm still being a tortoise. Oops. I mean turtle.

Party at Boulevard 3

2009-11-19T21:40:00.000-08:00

Kelly's colleague was in town with his fiancee so we all met up for dinner then hit club Boulevard 3.

Sidetrack a bit. I think it's crazy to party in countries with cold cold weather. I always see girls wearing short itsy bitsy dresses even when the weather falls below 10 degrees weather and stand in line for a long time just to get inside some club. But that night, I was one of those silly girls. :p

Kelly loves trance which totally puts me to sleep. Whenever we party with his local friends, I just end up drinking a lot. Like how does one dance to ambient music? Boulevard 3 though, was fun for me. It was all Top 40 hits and we dance away while Kelly snoozed.

I love the scantily clad dancers.

The fiancee is one hot Latina mama and she was definitely shaking it throughout. She tried to teach me her sexy moves but I burst out laughing. Undaunted, she kept trying. Embarrassed, I had to keep laughing.

At one point, there was a dance off on stage and this little boy held his own against the men. I swear you could hear all the girls go 'awwww'.

This girl beat the guys at tap dancing!

By right need to pay for bottle service to get a table. But there were so many empty tables upstairs so we just cop one. No one chased us away and we had lots of space to dance!

Favourite pictures of the night. First time I put falsies myself. Didn't do that good a job but my eyes did look bigger. I love the ones from Shu Uemura because they are so soft and natural but also expensive. Need to scout for more affordable brands.

Have a break, have a ...

2009-11-18T15:13:00.000-08:00

1. You know how the tagline ends! I love some Kit Kat and think the Japanese are so clever in coming up with weird but good tasting concoctions.

When I visited Kyushu, I got their limited edition Yuzu, chilli pepper and wasabi Kit Kat. It might sound like a strange combination in one chocolate wafer stick but the flavours work. Taste-wise, you get more Yuzu and chilli pepper with just a tingsy twinge of wasabi. That slight kick of spice balances the sweetness amazingly.

2. More Kit Kat!

Heart the green tea ones. I asked Kelly to get me 2 boxes when he transited at Narita airport. I really want to try the soy sauce and apple cider flavours. Anyone stopping in Japan then LA?

3. Langue De Chat.

French sounding name aside, you MUST get this if you are ever in Fukuoka! Thin macha paste sandwiched between 2 thin biscuits = yummy! Have you seen this in Tokyo?

4. My latest favourite, Chip! Chop.

I usually don't like salty and sweet together but this, I can't stop eating till the entire packet is gone.

And contrary to what it looks like, I really don't snack a lot.

Mazel Tov!

2009-11-17T17:58:00.000-08:00

During the second Saturday of this November, Kelly and I were invited to the Bar Mitzvah of his cousin's son, Zachary. We had attended Zachary's brother's coming of age ceremony last year and it wasn't much different this time round.

Handsome family hor?

Both occasions have opened my eyes a little to Judaism. Mainly, I am amazed at the Jews' tenacity in keeping Hebrew and their customs alive even if they seem to have little relevance and much inconvenience to modern life. Take Shabbat for instance. It is observed from sundown Friday to nighttime Saturday and during this period, believers refrain from a few creature comforts we take for granted. Like working, writing or even taking automobiles. So if you live a distance from the temple, you just have to walk. No buses, no cars, no taxis.

Zachary chanting a passage from the Torah in Hebrew

While turning 13 doesn't seem very exciting for most kids since you still can't legally drink, club or watch movies beyond PG13, the same number means that a Jewish kid has come of age to take on the responsibilities of an adult. In the lead up to Bar Mitzvah, the kid must participate in community service as a form of giving back to society. I think that makes for a more meaningful and significant birthday right?

At the end of the service, Zachary is seated in a chair then hoisted up by 4 strong men out of the room. They do this at Jewish weddings too. I don't know if there is a significance but it all looks very fun to me!

The ceremony took place in the morning and there was a dinner party complete with fake tattoos, disco lights and a DJ spinning. I didn't take any pics at night. In the interim, we visited Kelly's dad. See how prettily their house is decorated for Halloween?

Scarecrows, geddit?

Introducing Buddy! Would you believe that this is a 7 months old Maltese? Though the seller assured Kelly's dad that Buddy is a purebred, we are starting to think that maybe he has a bit of poodle blood in him. That is one big puppy with super long legs!

Would you pay $205 a night to live like a hamster?

2009-11-17T17:38:00.000-08:00

This is such a ridiculous idea. Why would anyone pay 99 Euros a night to eat hamster grain (terrible food), run in a giant wheel (exercise on vacation?) and sleep in hay stacks (uncomfortable lodgings)?

大家好!

2009-11-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

Ever ordered 大家好 and Clementi at a kopitiam? What?!?

Baffling and head scratching, yups, that's me. I couldn't decipher what they were from the names alone but once their origins were revealed, there is a sense of wonder at the Singaporean's ability to abbreviate so ingeniously. Embrassingly, I also learnt what Siu Dai is. In my defence, I usually just order Kopi-bing or Milo-bing!

Becoming a polar bear.

2009-11-11T15:32:00.000-08:00

Contrary to my belief, bears don't hibernate. Instead they go into a state of torpor where the physiological activity slows down characterized by decreasing body temperature and metabolism. I have become a polar bear.

The shorter autumn hours makes the day dull faster. Even the sun doesn't seem as bright. Contributing to the haziness of it is the cosy feeling of K and Hunter being home a lot. It feels like a dream where motion is suspended and each moment stretches into eternity.

And makes me constantly lethargic. Even after recovering from one week of stuffed nose and head that feels like an inflatable castle that kids like to jump in.

This week I have started to spring clean the house. Clearing out clutter to make space for new clutter. Soon I won't have any more excuse to be in a torpor. So excuse me as I slowly make contact with the world.

On my wishlist: Riding trench coat

2009-11-11T11:35:00.001-08:00

I so want this. Why does it cost $400 if it's made from 100% cotton? Isn't Topshop suppose to be the mecca of all things affordable and fashion forward?

No one barbecues on an autumn night

2009-11-08T09:31:00.001-08:00

Because it gets dark at 5.30pm. But I saw a recipe for Indonesian sate and was curious about how it differs from Malaysian satay.

Skewers of marinated meat. The meat is drowned in Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce), hence the darker colour compared to its Malaysian cousin.

We had to shine a torch on the grill to check if the sate was ready. Most of them ended up with a burnt crust. The sate was sweet with a strong taste of cumin,very Middle Eastern kebabs-like. I still prefer the savoury note of Malaysian satay.

Dad's Boutonniere

2009-09-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

Finished my dad's boutonniere yesterday night! I haven't showed it to my dad yet but it's so darn cutesy that I think he will freak out at having to wear it. Ha ha ha.

Kelly's Boutonniere

2009-09-29T03:38:00.001-07:00

I'm darn proud of myself for being able to make this for Kelly's wedding suit!

Heart the White Rabbit charm! Isn't it so adorable?

Harry Potter Theme Park

2009-09-18T15:02:00.000-07:00

Incentive to visit US? The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens in Orlando in spring 2010 which is March to May 2010. Just in time for summer crowds. I have to say though I'm surprised that there are only 3 rides. I'm NO fan of roller-coasters but I imagine that's what most people go for at a theme park.

Anyhow I've never been to Florida and this is one more incentive for me to make a trip!

Alice in Waterland

2009-09-14T15:44:00.001-07:00

As some of you might know, the Singapore wedding is inspired by Alice in Wonderland. No good reason for the theme except I wanted something whimsical and nothing with those cloyingly sweet Disney princesses. So it was either Hansel and Gretel or Alice. A candy house won't go very far in the tropical heat so Alice it is.

Don't expect some OTT Lady Gaga craziness. There's no balloons, White Rabbit and gang aren't going to be walking about. It's this little thing called budget. BUT it's going to be a fun and chill wedding inspired by the characters, colours and motifs in Wonderland. Meanwhile, check out this awesome underwater shoot by Elena Kahlis. There's more on her website, you have to see!

Speechless.

2009-09-12T17:42:00.000-07:00

I love crowds and bustling places. But recently I have been enjoying the pleasure of a quiet afternoon. Hunter's snoozing outside with sunbeams on him, Kelly's snoozing with a fan that churns so loud I wonder how he does it. And me? I only slept 4 hours today and I need a nap. But I'm savouring every minute of my quiet time.

As long as my eyes are still open which is not for long now. Good afternoon and good night.

2009-09-10T22:28:00.000-07:00

I really really really don't want to talk about it. Honestly, I'm pretty sick of talking about it.

And I'm starting to really really really regret my decision. Surely there is something else we can talk about?

Chingsta

2009-09-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

Guy's cute and the dashchund's cuter.

2009-09-05T22:55:00.001-07:00

Slept 8 hours in the past 2 days combined. Been kept awake by the endless stream of wedding planning. I don't know why my mind keeps rehashing the same things over and over again. Last night, I actually lay down in bed at midnight (record for me) but slept fitfully with a continual charade of Alice in Wonderland characters streaming into my consciousness.

Anyway as I was putting together my wedding day mentally, I realise that my bridesmaids are all so chio! Which makes me wonder, are there any brides who choose bridesmaids based on how photogenic/ugly they are?

I wanna.

2009-08-31T17:50:00.001-07:00

Some Miss Singapore World contestants are embarassing

2009-08-31T03:46:00.001-07:00

Beauty and brains are definite criteria for a beauty pageant contestant. One would assume that in a Miss Singapore World contest, knowledge of Singapore's history and current affairs is also a basic criteria.

Nope. Embarassingly so, some of this year's contestants couldn't answer questions like when the Merlion became extinct, which shopping center just opened and how old Singapore is. Didn't we celebrate her birthday this month?

Diva - How well do they know Singapore?

Movie at the cemetary

2009-08-28T05:51:00.001-07:00

My summer's never complete without a picnic and movie at Hollywood Forever cemetary. This time, they were showing 'Singin' in the rain'. It's so famous yet I've never watched it before. So I was really excited at the prospect.

The movie stars Gene Kelly who is soooo handsome! They just don't make men with such charm anymore in Hollywood. Did you know he was also a co-producer on the film?

Gene Kelly was running a 39.5 degree fever while filming this famous scene. Initially the cast refused to let him shoot but he persuaded them to do one take. The final cut that made it to the big screen was that single take.

On another note, Kelly tells me that Michael Jackson will be buried in the cemetary that we can see from our house. Although it's too far away to see his actual grave.

Hot Stuff

2009-08-27T23:33:00.001-07:00

It's getting hot in LA.

1. I'm running a slight fever.

2. The mountains are on fire.

See the huge column of smoke?

The blaze has spread by nightfall. Looks like an inferno.

3. Hunter.

This is his sleeping pose when the weather turns warm.

Hunter's Birthday Celebration

2009-08-27T23:20:00.001-07:00

Hunter turned 11! Technically 20th August isn't Hunter's birthday but since we don't know the actual day, we celebrated on the day he was officially adopted by us.

Of course birthday means present and cake! We got him a *Drum rolls* ..............

Cat camera!

This lightweight battery-operated camera is smaller than my palm and yes, it's more like our present. Since Hunter is an outdoor cat, we have always been curious about his adventures in the wild, hopefully this mini device will give us an insight into his world.

The camera captures 40 shots only so we are still tinkling with the settings to achieve a good balance of time and pictures captured. His paw action says "I want my cake now."

I wanted to bake a cake for Hunter but he is finicky about food and water.

Once, I cooked him chicken rice but he didn't touch it at all. Only after I separated the rice and chicken did he decide to try the chicken. And Mr Hunter doesn't drink anything other than fresh cold water. Everytime he sits next to his water bowl, I have to go over and fill it up with water from the tap. We are more like butlers than owners.

For his birthday, we decided to give him his favorite. Tuna. Topped with a Nemo candle.

He was so excited about his food, I couldn't get a clear pose at all.

Happy Birthday to my darlings

2009-08-20T05:06:00.001-07:00

A kiss to dear min in Singapore. It's also Hunter's birthday today!

Back from the doctor's and he said...

2009-08-14T17:14:00.000-07:00

Received horrifying news at the doctor's today. I am officially at my heaviest in years. Last time I was at this weight, I was all muscular with Michelle Obama-esque biceps and a big tummy. Weird I know but it's a combination of intense PE in JC and the damn delicious omelettes sold in the canteen.

Before I left Singapore, my wedding gown designer had smilingly warned me not to put on any more weight since she can't let out my dress any further. Though I am aware that the weight gain is a side effect of treatment, I'm still shocked at the rate of 4.5kg in a month. Good news is that my doctor has said I can start doing light exercises.

Sigh, so easy to pile the pounds and so much harder to lose them. Anyone has a sure fire recipe for losing 9kg in 2 months?

It feels like Halloween already

2009-08-10T17:49:00.001-07:00

It's Summer. The bugs are buzzing and that attracts spiders. Those eight legged creatures have been industriously building cobwebs all over our house. You can't walk in or out of the house without getting ensnared by a web. Every morning I sweep them away, the spiders would construct a new one overnight.

I also can't identify what species of spiders they are except they are brown and hairy. Please don't let them be the venomous types.

Living in the wrong part of town

2009-08-10T17:32:00.001-07:00

So much for living in LA. I never ever spot a pretty face or come close to celebrities even D-list ones. Where I live, I am lucky to see a cleaned up, not bad looking hippie-yuppie.

West Hollywood is an entirely different story. That's where stardust falls. Where glamour hangs. I was at Dominick's on a Friday night, meeting Kelly's friends. It's not a restaurant frequented by celebrities but there was plenty of eye candy, boys and girls. The food was bad but I feasted.

Journalists held in North Korea released

2009-08-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

I can't help but shed tears of happiness at the release of journalists, Euna Lee and Lina Ling. Especially at the sight of Euna and her daughter.

Wedding Website

2009-08-05T15:53:00.000-07:00

Here's the new website for our Singapore wedding. Theme is inspired by Alice in Wonderland. If you have seen the previous website, the content is pretty much the same. What's new are pictures from our US wedding.

I don't know if it's wedding fatigue but planning has been going really slowly. And I mean reaalllly slowwwllly. It's 2 months to my wedding and I've only started working on the guest list yesterday. Imagine the mountain of work that waits for me. *shudders*

2009-08-04T22:36:00.000-07:00

A conflicting message is when you have told me all my life that I have to be strong, I have to stand up for myself and that you can't take care of me always, then turn around to say that you want me by your side forever.

Truth is when you decide to have one child, you should cease all expectations. Cos it's a wild card right from the beginning. You can't expect that if the kid didn't screw up, they should stick with you.

I want to be understanding. I like to think I have been but I'm not the most patient person. Don't remind me all the time I made a bad decision. Repeating the same thing over again and again isn't going to make it sink in.

We should be so scared

2009-08-04T21:36:00.001-07:00

Mutton chops are back for Fall.

Other than that, I love Zara's Fall collection. The white dress on the right is so me! And I wish I could buy all these outfits.

Le sigh.

Bagus Asia!

2009-08-04T02:57:00.000-07:00

Last week, a friend introduced a group of us to an Indonesian restaurant cum grocery store in LA. I have never had anything close to Malay/Indonesian food here. It was bagus!

Nasi Padang with tempeh, jackfruit curry and rendang.

I ordered Nasi Warteg because I haven't heard of this rice dish before.

It turned out pretty close to Nasi Padang except I had noodles and chicken.

When I heard they have tahu telur, I was jumping up and down. That's my absolute must order dish in Singapore. So when the waiter set down my plate of tahu telur, I was seriously disappointed. We all thought it was more like gado gado. My friend even took the plate to the cashier to check if they gave us the wrong order. Disappointment of the night.

Friend flew in from Michigan to tour LA.

Cheers to a great meal!

On another occasion, we all met up for dinner with the spouses. How come the waiters behind are posing with us too?

Last Day in Arkansas

2009-08-03T23:11:00.000-07:00

We woke up to this.

On the road to the airport. I know it's dangerous but isn't it so romantic at the same time? I love fog and mist.

Camwhore with the fog.

5 mins later and I wouldn't have this picture of the taxiway. By then, the fog had receded so much I could see the buildings in the distance.

Missouri & Arkansas Day 3

2009-08-03T20:40:00.001-07:00

My goal is to visit as many states as possible. So we decided to drive across the border into Missouri to chalk up my state numbers.

After a 2.5 hour drive of nothing but cows and hays, we reached our destination.

Nope, not here to see the geese.

We are here to drive this.

The speedboats and jet skis were rented out so we were left with a ginormous pontoon for the two of us.

Welcome aboard boat no. 14! This is our friendly driver.

And his gorgeous passenger. hahaha, buay hiao bai.

Nice summer day out on Table Rock Lake.

Plenty of seats, want to join?

My happiest moment came when Kelly asked if I wanted to drive. Erm, you don't need a licence to drive a boat right?

It was so hard to take this pic. My eyes were all over the place, hoping I don't crash into any speedboats or jet skis. I was driving slower than Kelly too.

Look at the huge float! It looks like those molecule toys from chemistry class.

The speedboat we wanted to rent.

A wooden rollercoaster above the lake, so cool!

Kelly steered on our way back.

Back in Arkansas, we visited historic Bentonville. Another ghost town. Where IS everyone?

The first Wal-mart started by Sam Walton.

A specialty of the South is frozen custard.

Tastes like melted ice cream to me, won't be trying it again anytime soon.

Arkansas Day 2

2009-08-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

We arrived here after a 2 hour long drive. (cue cows mooing and birds chirping) Where are we?

Follow me down the rabbit hole...

Today is cave exploration day! We are taking a guided tour of Cosmic Cavern.

Looks like ugly alien life forms. The types of formations go beyond the stalactites and stalagmites we learn in geography class. There's pearls, popcorn, soda straws, bacon and more.

K is eyeing the giant stalagmite suspiciously and that's some calcite on an odd looking formation.

Everyone climbed up to this shelf and asked the guide to take pictures for us.

Next stop! Guess where we are?

How about a scenic railway ride?

Which comes with its own conductor!

The train has been in use since the 1940s. Can you tell?

It's a short 4 mile ride and this is all we saw along the way.

When the driver's cabin had to turn around in order to drive the train back to the station, the conductor got all of us to come out for some train smushing fun.

Train smushing is when the train comes down the tracks fast,

and smushed the coins you have placed on the tracks!

After and before. Only our penny got squashed. If we knew, we would use more pennies. Don't try this on your own tracks. The train needs to be at a controlled speed and the coins need to be placed a certain way.

Back to the station!

Last stop, the pretty pretty town of Eureka Springs. This is a very old town with lots of quaint Victorian-style stores. Local laws mandate that shops can only stay open till 5pm.

We reached at 5.30pm so most of the shops were closed. I don't understand why they set the 5pm rule cos the streets were bustling when we passed through at 4pm. So people who stay there overnight have nothing to eat and nothing to do.

Cute signs.

Don't you feel more like tourist than criminal at the Court House?

There was a nice outdoor concert so we bought ourselves ice cream and sat down to enjoy.

While strolling around the gradually quiet town, we came across this beautiful garden.

Hahaha, I wanted Kelly to do a thumbs up with the giant stalagmite but he refused cos got people on the tour with us. When we saw this plant, he finally posed for me!

Arkansas Day 1

2009-08-03T18:02:00.001-07:00

K's latest project took him to Arkansas, hometown of Bill Clinton. We decided to take the chance and explore a new state towards the tail end of his project. I landed past midnight.

Pretty much slept the whole of day 1 away. Met Kelly for dinner. This is my favourite summer outfit!

Erm, K loves pine trees so much that he wanted to cart this one home.

Historic downtown Fayetteville, major city in Northwest Arkansas. It's like a ghost town. (whispers) Where is everybody?

We finally found a hole in the wall restaurant located underground. It was bustling too. Food wasn't fantastic but pool afterward was great. I love pool.

Food cultures of the world game

2009-08-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

Take a break.

I am on Twitter!

2009-07-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

I started twittering recently.

Adjusting picture quality to post on blogs can be tiresome. That is why I haven't been blogging much about life. For now, twitter might be easier. But did I just add on to my tech garbage?

A modern Twilight tale

2009-07-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

For Twilight fans, here's a real life version set in the romantic city of Paris and beautiful French beaches. There aren't any vampires but there is a Patrick Dempsey doppelganger and an 'Abercrombie & Fitch' hunk. Be warned, the tale is a long one but you will be hooked!

Last Night in Singapore

2009-07-14T17:35:00.001-07:00

My computer crashed a while back. After it recovered, I lost my motivation to blog. Wedding planning is consuming a lot of time. These were taken on my last night in Singapore. Lin and Lea fulfilled my wish of having prata at Jalan Kayu. Sweet girls!

I look like I had crawled out of bed... cos I just did! Haha!

My new favourite is condensed milk prata! Mmmmmm...

Rocking Horse Motorcycle

2009-07-14T17:23:00.001-07:00

Made by Felix Götze from pieces of old German motorbikes, would you let your kids ride one of these? Heck, even I want one.

Source

Make free calls to various countries

2009-07-12T03:32:00.000-07:00

I got this recommendation from a government email and want to share with you all. From now till 30 Sept 2009, sign up for Mediaring Talk and call the following countries for free!

Fixed (landline) & Mobile: US, Canada, China, Singapore, Hong Kong
Fixed (landline) only: United Kingdom, Taiwan and Australia

The catch? Each call is limited to 10 mins. But you can call and say Hi at no cost! Better than nothing right? Plus you can make multiple calls. I tried it out. The connection is quick and the sound quality is excellent.

Oops, I did something very naughty

2009-07-12T02:35:00.001-07:00

Ha, got you with that title huh? The trick to not shopping is not going out, not browsing online and not reading forums. Now, if only I can remember that.

Making the grand entrance for prom

2009-07-07T18:11:00.001-07:00

Teens in Singapore don't really do anything unique for prom. Take a cue from these 2 British ladies who dolled up and put themselves in homemade Barbie boxes. Talk about arriving in style.

Alexander McQueen Knuckle Buster Clutch

2009-07-07T00:06:00.001-07:00

Love.

You know it's Summer when...

2009-07-03T05:31:00.001-07:00

you enjoy the pop of yucky squashed maggots. Those flies don't let up. Today I was in the bathroom with my hair up in a ponytail. Then this irritating buzzing started next to my ear. I turned to curse the damn fly, flicked my hair and slapped the side of my face with my ponytail.

Horses must really hate Summer.

Michael Jackson Virus

2009-07-02T02:08:00.000-07:00

There is a mass mailing worm going around.

DO NOT open your email attachment if you see any of these.

Header: Remembering Michael Jackson
Sender: sarah@michaeljackson.com
Content: Secret songs and photos of Michael Jackson
Attachment: Michael songs and pictures.zip

Woman's Food Guide

2009-07-02T01:25:00.001-07:00

Great new marketing tool from AsiaOne. Instead of targeting the general public, they put together a food guide for ladies only. This and their regular food column means double the advertisers. Good thinking.

Tea ceremony

2009-07-01T15:13:00.001-07:00

Kelly has only met my parents and paternal grandma so I am really looking forward to the tea ceremony in Singapore. Not only would he be introduced to Chinese customs, he gets to meet my relatives personally. As we know, there is no time to talk to people during the wedding dinner.

Then my maternal grandma decides she doesn't want to go through the tea ceremony because she never did so for her paternal grandkids and it might be awkward to make an exception for her maternal grandkid (me). Read: People might gossip.

I respect and love my grandmas a lot. If I want to show my adoration, what has the decisions of her other grandkids got to do with me? To me, since I am having a tea ceremony, might as well do it for the whole extended family. Not like my family is very big anyway. My married friends, enlighten me. Does custom dictate you only serve tea to paternal family?

What I do

2009-07-01T03:47:00.000-07:00

People wonder what I do with all my time. When the reply is "wedding planning", it's hard to fathom how an entire day can be taken up with that. I am hyper and OCD. Being sick has its usefulness sometimes. While I could kick back and enjoy the convenience a Singapore wedding package, I choose to scour through thousands of websites looking through hundreds of invitations, hundreds of shoes, hundreds of bridesmaid dresses, hundreds of accessories and more. Everything is done individually and nothing is done in small numbers.

My other job is writing for Examiner.com on my favourite topic, weddings. Examiner.com is an online news site with professional writers and a variety of interesting topics. Thus my site is more reporting driven with a focus on the Los Angeles wedding scene. But I like to include news, trends and beautiful weddings from all over the world.

Between this and my wedding, I am guilty of neglecting Love, Love Me Do. To think I can still contemplate setting up my own wedding website. I haven't got a clear focus for that yet so it will have to wait. Not forgetting the cat who is shedding like crazy and housework. I am kept busy. Only those tasks don't pay off monetarily. I need to look for a part time job but it's very irresponsible to quit in 2 months. Right?

Please help me spread the word and share my Examiner site with brides-to-be and grooms-to-be okay? Thank you!!!

So near, yet so far

2009-06-30T21:12:00.001-07:00

In one of my layovers, I read in a magazine about the increasing trend of married couples working in different cities and living apart. Even those with kids. I relish the idea since it means I get to live in Singapore. It's not like Kelly and I haven't been separated by distance and time before. After seeing Kelly leave for the airport every Monday, he needs to know how it feels from my end.

I'm hardly a clingy girl. I need my space. But when Kelly was based in LA during the past weeks, I enjoyed the experience and company more than I thought I would. Now that he is back to his jetset life, we have less talk time and less experience with the little joys and upsets of daily life together. It made me realise that being together does foster a closer relationship. Which is why you sign up for marriage right?

2009-06-29T22:38:00.000-07:00

My grievances were in paragraphs but no one likes a griper. So it ends here.

Cat Fight

2009-06-29T16:52:00.000-07:00

Last week, a feral cat strolled into our property. Though kitty belongs to our neighbour, it's not neutered and has been walking around with a blood red gash on its neck for 6 months now. Once upon a time, when we thought it was a street cat, we wanted to take it to a vet but never got close enough before it would dash off. Recently, we learnt the cat is called Ferguson and belongs to a neighbour. It makes me mad that someone would ill-treat his pet this way. I thought of calling SPCA on him, but Kelly says he's an unstable eccentric old man. Who knows what he might do to Hunter or us out of spite.

Meanwhile Ferguson seems to have taken a liking to our property. We found some spray marks on walls, plants and the cat door which might have been his job. We theorised that could be one reason why Hunter refuses to use the door for weeks. One day, Ferguson walked through our gates. Hunter continued to snooze peacefully, unaware of any presence. So much for his hunting abilities. I pity Ferguson for his uncaring owner so I decided to show some love with many cat treats.

Warmed by the idea of food, Ferguson plucked up the courage to approach the house. By this time, Hunter had woken up and was hiding under the chairs. Cats are territorial. Most of the time, they don't allow another cat to trespass but instead of defending his territory, our cat was trembling in his safe spot. Meanwhile, the other cat just walked into our house. Obviously Obviously, both of them aren't going to be best friends so we had to discourage Ferguson from getting too close to the property and claim his stake. We gently shooed Ferguson out and he stood in the garden waiting for more treats.

Hunter loves us, the house and the food. So I can't understand why he didn't dare to stand up for himself. I picked Hunter up to confront Ferguson. Hunter wailed, hissed and spat at the other cat but he also wriggled violently in my arms till he broke free. Then he ran away. Useless cat. we rewarded Ferguson with more treats. Kelly reached out to feed him with his hand and the cat swiped with his claws. Blood ooze out of the slash marks. While Kelly washed the blood which continued to flow, I cleaned the wounds with anti-bacterial lotion.

When Kelly was done washing, Ferguson was still waiting for his treats. Damn cat. His persistence won him a whole bowl of food which he hungrily scoofed down. His owner doesn't feed him too??! Meanwhile, I caught Hunter and locked him in the house so both cats won't get into a physical fight. After bandaging Kelly, we spied on the cat. Ferguson ate, groomed and plonked himself contentedly in front of the house.

After a long long time, Ferguson was still sunning himself in our garden. Hunter was busy pacing the door, wanting to get out. So I let him out and see what he would do. Both cats immediately went on the defence, wailing and hissing. Then all went quiet. I peeped out of the window and saw both of them sleeping in different spots with one eye open.

Hunter, scaredy cat and useless defender. It was amusing for us to watch the whole exchange though.