WOOhooo.....

my sister and her little one

Little Mischa has a smile that brings sunshine to my world. Maybe because it reminds me of my mini-sister. it brings back memories of our childhood. I was a "parrot" of my sis. I wanted to do everything she did. Wear the same clothes, say the same things, pose the same way in pictures. She hated it, but she loves me. If not for the fact that she pestered my mom for a sister, i wouldn't be on this earth. She used to pinch my cheeks everyday until they were so painful, and i wasn't allowed to retort cos she told me it was a sign of love.

My sister is so immaculately beautiful. I always tell people that i grew up thinking i was quite ugly. Of course i breathed a sigh of relief when the boys started calling...HENG AH...

Seperated at birth

Left: Russell my nephew, Right: Mary Kate olsen

They even have the same pout.

the story of my Burberrys bag

There was once a man named Herman Antakusuma. Mr Antakusuma wasn't much of a shopper, and he believed in quality over quantity. All his life, he had 1 rolex watch, 2 wallets (Louis Vuiton for credit cards, Bally for cash, and he puts them in different pockets in case someone tries to pick-pocket him), 1 Bally belt, one pair of Bally shoes. AND he wore them for YEARS and YEARS and YEARS...

After he passed away 5 years ago, I don't have anything to remember him by, not even photographs cos they were all left behind when i moved to China. Except this old vintage Burberrys postman bag. So everytime i look at it, this small part of me feels connected to him again. As this is made of cloth, i only wear it on very rare occasions cos i am so afraid of dirtying it.

Man on the moon

Aren't we proud...I love reading such news. For once, it's not just money that we care about. It's about understanding the world out there, development of mankind, stepping beyond boundaries.

We've been spending way too much hard earned money and time on the war, saving ailing banks...

Astronauts ready for spacewalk today

By Xin Dingding (China Daily)

The three Chinese astronauts aboard the Shenzhou VII spacecraft were in fine health on Friday, ready for the extra-vehicular activities (EVA) scheduled for Saturday, a spokesman for the space mission said.

Zhai Zhigang and Liu Boming started assembling the 120-kg EVA spacesuits since 10:20 am, Wang Zhaoyao, a spokesman for China's manned space program, told a press conference in Beijing on Friday. Xinhua reported that they finished the work in about 12 hours.

The two space suits were fixed to the module wall in parts when the spaceship was launched, to be assembled by the astronauts later.

Unpacking the suits comprises 21 steps and each step is divided into sub-steps and detailed moves.

Once the suits are assembled, the astronauts started testing and wearing them, in addition to a 100-minute rehearsal in the orbital module before the spacewalk.

Related readings: Shenzhou VII launched for spacewalk Video: Successful launch of spaceship Maiden spacewalk to be broadcast live Mission a boost for civil industries

"A job that people can finish in one hour on Earth usually needs two to three hours in space," Li Xiqiang, a researcher for the Shenzhou VII mission, said at a separate press briefing. But he promised the astronauts would not feel exhausted. "There's enough time for them to take a rest."

It was the first time for the two to assemble the suits in zero-gravity as it is impossible to create a real zero-gravity condition on Earth.

One of the astronauts will walk out of the orbital module at 4:30 pm on Saturday, Wang said. "Since it is the first spacewalk for China ... there are many uncertainties. We will very likely adjust the time for EVA according to the astronauts' conditions," he said.

The astronauts will make a series of difficult moves in space, Wu Bin, the expert in charge of astronaut training with the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, told Xinhua.

Zhai, the No 1 astronaut, is most likely to walk into space. Assisted by Li, who will stay on in the orbital module during the process, Zhai will take a test sample of solid lubricant from the surface of the spacecraft, which was placed there before the launch.

The astronaut, tied to the spaceship with two safety wires, is scheduled to walk along the orbital module exterior.

"Actually, it is not like walking, but floating," Wu said.

A set of handrails on the spaceship surface will help the astronaut move, he said. He must make sure that both wires are tied to the handrails before taking any step forward.

During the mission, the astronauts will depressurize and re-pressurize the cabin, as well as exit and re-enter the orbital module.

To ensure the safety of the astronaut who will do the spacewalk, the space suit is equipped with three oxygen tanks. An 8-m-long electricity wire, linking the astronaut with the spaceship, will send his physiologic data back and act as a spare safety wire.

"The EVA is expected to last 20 minutes. If the time for opening and closing the module door is factored in, it will be 30 to 40 minutes," Wang said.

The historic moment will be broadcast live.

The spaceship will aslo release a 40-kg satellite which will circle the orbiter and send back images to mission command.

Earlier on Friday, Shenzhou VII shifted from an oval orbit to a more stable circular orbit 343 km above Earth.

The spaceship atop a Long March II-F rocket lifted off at 9:10 pm on Thursday from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu province, in China's third manned space mission.

Muffin!

I've been browsing Karen Cheng's muffin recipes and always wanted to try. So i finally did!

TADA! Blueberry muffin with lemon glaze. I substituted milk with soymilk and it still works.

Okay la its really less delicious than it looks. Very doughy cos i didn't beat the egg enough. but still edible lor. Super rich. I couldn't finish one even. But Mountain Man gobbled 2 at one go, so supportive. He's a big fan of my food- maybe my only fan.

good kitchen night

I like cooking. Notice i didn't use the word 'love' cos then i'll be putting cooking on the same pedestal as shopping or handbags.

Cooking is great to destress. I don't enjoy the cutting, or washing, or cleaning... But i like stir-frying, it's like playing masak masak but real. The best part is really WHEN or IF the food turns out edible, or maybe even delicious.

I try to tell myself that homecooked food is NOT like restaurant food, cannot expect the same texture, tenderness, taste. It's just simpler, healthier (MSG free) and the overall experience of sharing a homecooked meal. Sitting down at the dining table, seeing Mountain man wipe everything out keeps me going, he keeps me motivated to cook another meal. And thankfully cooking gets better with practice, albeit the occassional "accidents" i won't rule out yet.

Last night, i cooked a very local chinese dish. I had never eaten it until i came to China. I just got the recipe from a colleague.

This is Tomato with fried egg. The ingredients are simple, but the process is a little complicated. As u can see, it's a little wet and the tomatoes have to be skinned first. Eggs and tomatoes have to be cooked separately before mixing them together.


Stir-fry beef with mushrooms. Yummy... Got this recipe from another blogger. Thumbs up!

getting colder

the mercury dipped over the last 2 days. Last night we slept without air-con, this morning i happily took out my new leather jacket and asked Mountain man if it'd be too OTT to wear to work. He gave the go ahead so tra la la... off to work feeling super confident.

Living for the Beijing Weekend

I'm BACK! After my Shanghai toils and troubles, i'm super glad to be back in Beijing. Fully rested and fully recovered! In fact, we did quite a lot over the weekend. Went to 798- this arty farty place with lots of arty farty people, galleries, cafes...



One of the exhibits was this giant tube made up of newspaper, with tv screens stuck inside. Nevermind what the interpretation of that is, but the thing ends with a slide, so we went on it! This is mountain man going weee...


Me held at gunpoint.


At the bookstore. I like this picture.


I exhibit my new sunny yellow maxi-dress.


Going backwards, before 798 we were at The Bookworm Club. It's a very cool bookshop/restaurant concept.



No photos were allowed but i stole a few shots anyway. There were shelves and shelves of these books- old stuff, new stuff, Music, Theatre, Film, Photography... It's a perfect place to hang if u wanna get lost in ur own world cos it's very quiet. Don't expect great food though.


**********************************************

AND, we also met-up with Karma C and Hubby! Like Internet Dating, but less weird, and it was fun! Let's totally hang again. Yay!

Les miserables

Day 8 in SH and the crap continues. alone, stressed, and now i'm super sick. I've been popping OTC drugs, I'm putting my life in the hands of this very heavily made-up pharmacist, hoping she doesn't kill me with her recommendations. So far so good.

The hotel bed is giving me severe body aches and restless sleeps. I just need to be home.

14 Sep 2008

After being rained out the day before, I was determined not to let the drizzles spoil my long weekend. So i started the day really early (930am) and made my way to Taikang Rd for an early brunch. Not wanting to seem pathetic cos i was alone, I settled for Bohemia, a nice little quaint cafe that was completely deserted. Perfect.

Brunch was a simple cuppa long black and toast with vegemite and strawberry jam.

I was delighted to find a "trade a book" corner. Bless the expats who had the sense to donate pass issues of my favourite magazine titles, so there i was, enjoying time alone, catching up on outdated celeb gossips. There was this very funny page on Celeb Daft Quotes. It made me laugh so hard....

Number 5 was the best.

"I was in History class and the teacher said to raise your hand if you know the continents. I raised my hand and said A,E,I,O, U. And the teacher replied, "Those aren't even consonants, they are vowels!".

Jessica Simpson

1.5 hrs flew by and the sun came up! Yipeee!

So i made my way to the Fabric Market (399 Lujiabang Rd, Shanghai Mian Liao Shi Chang) feeling all inspired to make new clothes! I love the fabric market. But I never dare to ask the tailors to make me anything from scratch cos it can go really bad, so i always bring along samples of items i like and just duplicate them like crazy. It's China afterall, no originality, but very good at copying!

I made myself 2 maxi dresses- I am crazy about them and it's so cheap. I already made 3 beforehand and i still want more So i super can't wait to collect the new dresses.

IMP> if u're reading, i took this picture for u. Familiar?

After that i went to H&M along Huai Hai Rd to do more damage. I was there for close to 4 hrs! Super crowded...

As if my day wasn't exciting enough, I also met up with my favourite cousin AAA! That was really my highlight of the day. We went to do MORE SHOPPING at Star Place, she bought LOADS of stuff, i'm sure she'll parade them on her blog soon. And we had a very nice catch-up over Sheng Jian Bao at Bao Luo. And then crepes for desert at La Creperie.

AAA> I'll miss u after tonight. It was fun hanging out, pls come back to China, it's not such a bad place. Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni! And post pictures soon, but remember to crop out my chubby thighs.

CONGRATULATIONS TO YANN AND JIMMY!

Today is a very auspicious day to get married. I would like to wish Yann and Jimmy all the best in their marriage.

The best advice given by the best man was.... Remember not to go to bed in anger. Just stay up all night to quarrel!! (i'm seriously kidding).

Why so dreary?

It's been raining and raining and raining since yesterday afternoon...

Last evening, the rain came in spurts every 30 minutes. It was so hard to get around so Aileen and i called off our night early and stayed home. But it's raining again today! and i'm determined not to let it spoil my day. HMPH!

PS: and i didn't bring my wellies! argh!!!

cam whoring

Can't get enough of my new hair. haha... also for mountain man in case he misses me. haha.

Healing!

Ok enough of whining...the best way to heal is to shop. I told mountain man today i was gonna go heal myself... I think i might have gotten him abit worried.

Here are my spoils, and i am MIGHTily happy about them!

I like them sooo much i got them in 5 colours. Black, Green, Maroon, Purple and Dark Blue... But what are they??

T-shirts?

Tanktops?

Scarfs?

Underwear?

Tada! Open foot leggings. I love them, perfect for autumn. only RMB 20 each. Super good quality as well.

I couldn't wait to wear the leggings so i modeled around in them first.

Johnny and I

I'm back in Shanghai again. As much as i love the city and the friends that i have here, I hate being here alone without Mountain Man. Especially when i'm feeling the weight of work and stress all over, i kinda need someone around to complain to.

So now, it's just Johnny(Depp) and I. He entertains me tonight as Cry Baby Walker, the acting is super OTT and the plot is super bad but hey, it's Johnny. He makes Danny Zuko look like an angel.

Work was pretty rough today, i want to quit. i literaly don't have the strength to rant about it. But something i saw made me smile abit. I've had my sunglasses for a while now but this is the first time i noticed the words on the casing...

It must be a message from the higher powers.

ah what the heck...

I've been asked tougher questions during my Hen's Night.

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?
some cerebral show that I won’t watch.

2. 2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
vinaigrette, the healthier the better.

3. What's one food he doesn't like?

Animal fat.

4. You go out to the bar. What does he order?
Guinness draft if there is, if not then some dark bitter beer. Single Malt whisky if he's in the mood, red wine when he's at a restaurant.

5. Where did he go to high school?
SJI.

6. What size shoe does he wear?
41

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be?
CDs, vinyl.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
The ones I make for breakfast.

9. What would this person eat every day if he could?
POPIAH skin.

10. What is his favourite cereal?
Not really a cereal fan. But he prefers the natural stuff, not processed like fruit loops or Capn Crunch.

11. What would he never wear?

Singlet.

Speedos.
And he will never wear a polo shirt and flip-up the collar.

12. What is his favourite sports team?
Uh… he doesn’t watch that much sports. LUCKY ME.

13. Who will he vote for?
The underdog.

14. Who is his best friend?
Pat, Dom, Heuj, Chin Hwee, Phil.

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?
buy too many handbags and spend too much.

16. How many cities/countries has he lived in?
Singapore, Australia, US, China (SH and BJ)

17. What is his heritage?
Kar chng ang ang…

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake?
Chocolate.

19. Did he play sports in high school?
Soccer, and TKD.

20. What could he spend hours doing?
WORK- aligning ppt presentation slides- Making sure every sentence has a full-stop, all fonts are consistent, no spelling and grammatical errors, every graph is neat, colours are matching.... He is also the ONLY person I know who sends out an excel sheet without gridlines cos he thinks its not professional.

Ask and you will receive... sometimes.

I did my first peer review today. A colleague had asked for a review, and she/he could pick people whom she's worked with to assess her. It's based on 5 criteria- Job knowledge, Reliability/Problem Solving, Efficiency/Effectiveness, and Leadership. I didn't give full marks but it was a very good score overall.



In 1.5 years of working for the company, i never knew that i could ask for a peer review. I jokingly told my boss that i wanted one from this person whom i think is not very fond of me. Of course the operative word being "jokingly". He replied "Sure, u can ask for one." in a very serious tone.



Anyway, i think i'm already my harshest critic, i don't think i can handle getting a bad one from someone else... It's a very typical characteristic of a virgo, I and ONLY I can criticise myself. Obviously such peer reviews are a bit political right. I would pick the people whom i think i work best with and like me the most. Why would i pick some person who'd give me a lousy score.



This brings me back to a recent conversation i had with a friend. We were talking about the life of a salaryman. Sometimes we feel afraid to ask for what we deserve cos we fear to appear greedy or discontent. But he reminded me that "if you don't ask, you don't get". Alot of us don't have a clue about the P&L of the company, they make craploads of moolah and it all ends up in the deep pockets of the people who are C/D/M level, occassionally also to the people who actually ASK. Asking for a raise is really the fundamental survival skill of a salaryman. Why didn't i learn this lesson sooner. need to start pulling up me socks.

Happy Birthday to me (Part 3)

Finally, my birthday is almost over. I celebrated well. Dinner with my very very very nice Beijing colleagues, made my birthday wish, and ready to face the world one year wiser.

I also did something drastic. TADA... bye to long hair, hi to new chic hairdo. Yay or nay?

Happy Birthday to me! (part 2)

Birthday girl must eat chang-shou-mian.. So i ordered myself a bowl of noodles for lunch.

this is called GAN BAN MIAN- la-mian with minced pork, diced potatoes and carrots, chili and some mysterious sauce that makes it super duper yummy! *burp*

Happy Birthday to me!

My brother's in town for business, last night he passed me some angpows from my family. So paiseh! so big already still give me AP. Calls followed from my sisterS-in-law, sister, brother-in-law, mother... I feel so loved. Suddenly i'm the baby of the family again- not the independent grown up married woman i've been trying to be.

Anyway shannon wrote me a card. So sweet...


Can u see the trophy she drew for me? i am the best ako in the "hole" world...


She's really grown up a lot. Last May, after my wedding she wrote me a card and i posted it here.
A few months later, i can see a distinct improvement in her handwriting- strongly coherent and more focused. I really miss her.

Early Celebration

Mountain man brought me to a romantic dinner at The Courtyard for an early birthday celebration. The view was breathtaking as it overlooks the Forbidden City, service was excellent, but the food was a little below my expectations.

We were alone on the 2nd floor of the restaurant. i think it was planned.


Mountain man ordered Atlantic Cod, and i ordered the Marine Scallops. The taste was somehow a wrong. The cod was too sweet, and my scallops didn't blend with the bean sauce it came with. A little disappointing, but the desert was goooood... Very thick and rich chocolate mousse on a heavy sponge, topped with some caramelly choclatey thingem. (i am NOT a good food reviewer)

After dinner, we adjourned to The Emperor's Hotel- each floor of the hotel is named after an emperor. There's a very nice rooftop bar, also overlooking the forbidden city. Drinks are quite expensive in general (above RMB 67), but the rice wine cocktails were half-off last night and they were not too bad! Can get high on rice wine OK, dun play play.

Our friend Zaheer- cool n laid back kinda guy.

Mountain Man took a nice picture of me. Actually he took some nice pictures of me, but my side profile is usually my favourite.

This isn't too bad also.

I took some pictures of mountain man too. These are my favourites.

Kinda grainy, but there was very little light so bo pian.

Boots!

I HATE it when it rains. China has these unforgiving thunderstorms, and that combined with a poor sewage system often means that u find ur feet soaked 3 inches deep in murky acid rainwater.

So I've been wanting to get wellies for the longest time. I've been actively looking cos winter's coming real soon. I always wanted the flowery type ones, but then i saw these today and went completely gaga. Tweed wellies!

AND CHECK OUT THE PRICE!!!! when i saw the boots i told myself that i'd pay about 500RMB for this, but then ARGH!!! such a good buy.

It's so cheap that i felt like i could splurge on another pair of normal boots. wohoo....