catching up

oh. got to catch up with D and his Russian wife diane too on the same day. the food at Bakerzin is better than I expected. The grilled wings are pretty good.

Its amazing how good diane's English is now. I remembered the first time when we met 2 years ago, she could barely speak much and haltingly. yet now, she could go on and on like a machine gun, non stop without catching her breathe. talk about impressive wow... She is so good at her talking that she can even get on the case of those china students in her class, complaining about their dishonesty and cheating using other people to do their assignments... so funny.

I was telling D i didnt know if its funnier watching his wife bitching so rapidly, or the fact that even she was bitching those dishonest china nationals in singapore. It brings home a point doesnt it...

D was sharing that when he first met his wife, he had thought she was those quiet introvert sort who doesnt talk much. now that she has mastered the medium, he couldnt believe how she can talk non stop. it was hilarious seeing his expression.

its a good catch up and knowing everyone is well. the next time i see him, we prob have more to talk about with him being in a new daddy role.

a date with gwenie, and the kids

My paper is finally over... yeah! Prob nailed the written part but as usual... listening is always a bloody challenge... Back to bloggin my Singapore trip! Got a chance to meet up with Gwenie after her med exam and to make the date even better, Tracy and family with their bubbies came along. Talk about rare treat esp for one of those last min thingie. I was still trying to find time to visit Gor gor's little new prince and presto, they saved me one trip ;p

We decided to meet at Cityhall being the most central I can think off

To the anxious papa wWF, here are the belated pictures of your beautiful princess and prince ;p

Big Cheek's signature grin before the feast...

Here's one of big cheeks contemplative look on our other choc cakes apart form hers, and followed by another shot of her satisfied look after her feasting. The little one made our money worth that day, finishing up the other 2 half eaten cake which we aunties couldnt stuff in further.

it's always amazing to see how quickly little toddlers grow up, esp seeing my gf';s kids. my little big cheek is blossoming so prettily and every bit as adorable as before, not to mention lightweight. hahahaha.

Then again, i rem an old chinese saying, that is 'a girl should weight lightly to have a good life ahead, while boys should have heavy bones to be sturdy and successful in life.' Every wise old saying has a bit of truth in it i'm sure.

After feasting on cakes and more cakes at Canele, we decided to head to gwenie's bachelorette pad at Icon. Big cheek originally wanted to follow me and gwenie in our car, but as i lifted her up in my arms, her pants and dressie was wet. ok, i have plenty of wet tissue in my tote thanks to the swine flu thingie and unhygienic behavior of most sgporeans in public area. no problem. However upon closer inspection, we realised it was spilled water and not pee peee. so princess has no choice but to return to the warm embrace of her doting daddie.

Kids are so fickle or realistic.sigh. After she arrived at gwenie's place, she doesnt want to follow me anymore since i have no more cake to offer... sob sob. Now she has more interesting thing to play with like exploring the mid level gardens in the complex. Its really quite a nice spot up there abeit a little warm and humid in sg's weather. A lovely chillout place for those cooler nights i supposed.

As i flipped thru the pictures, Gwenie looked absolutely maternal and at ease holding the 2 kids, where by comparison, my husband laughed and said my shot with the kids looked a little odd, more like an au pair having fun than an adult... sigh...what can i say. absolutely no maternal instincts or whatsoever.

big cheek was roaming happily ard and aw....back to granting permission to me to hold her little dainty palms. what do adults have to do to suck up to kiddies to gain their affection man..hmmm
At gwenie's place. The little princess had a whale of a time it seems with all the platform for her to run up and down. Kids are such bundle of energy. Totally envious for a woman reaching middle age.
Little prince was equally well behaved and quiet. His face scrunched up alittle when the temp got a tad too warm for him but otherwise, he slept thru like a good boy. My friends are so blessed with great kids, which in turn is a blessing for me when we meet up. haaaaaaaa

here's one for the contented snoozing prince

Holy water ban to halt swine flu

It is news like this that should brought fanatics back to reality - that "faith" is only a state of mind...

The "holy" water is not so holy afterall huh... it can ward off "demons" but not virus. A "demonic work-around"? haaaa. Somehow the irony of it makes me wanna laugh...

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

BBC: Holy water ban to halt swine flu

A bishop has advised that holy water be removed from churches in a bid to halt the spread of swine flu.

The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Right Reverend John Gladwin, said at some churches people were invited make a sign of the cross using holy water.

"The water in stoups can easily become a source of infection and a means of rapidly spreading the virus," he said.

In a directive to priests in Essex, he added: "It is not our intention at this stage to cause panic."

He said priests should also advise members of their congregation who have flu-like symptoms to stay at home. [read more]

buzzer beat episode 1

i gave up. i finally succumbed to my tv drama addiction and took an hour out to watch the latest new drama - buzzer beat episode 1. i tried to convince myself that its an hour well spent honing my listening skils. yeah right...self consolation...

not bad not bad, its quite peppered with humorous lines. the story is about this professional basket ball team member and its coach, entwined with love story with this girl who plays violin.
worthy of my hour well spent, at least for this one hour.

for those interested, the video is out on veoh.
to read more summary, here

the 'empty' unit next door

I should be intensively mugging for my Jap paper but failing miserably. Been feeling rather restless. Wasnt sure if its attributed to the heat or the bloody renovation drilling going on that is preventing me from getting into the mood. The thing about living in older high rise place, there is always someone feeling uber rich and splashing money all over their place.

Not sure if my neighbour is selling his place, or still desperately renting his out. Since I have been here in a year, I have already seen 3 changes of tenant. The first Indonesian family left because their work required new posting. The 2nd tenant came and left so fast that I never even got to see their faces! The most recent 3rd tenant, an american husband with Taiwanese wife was even better, they were out in less than 4 weeks!

Apparently the american chap hated the place from what I heard from the grapevine. I reckon its their Italian neighbor above, constantly making a ruckus.

Previously we too had issue with noise from our neighbor upstairs. It was those freaking loud stomping noise esp in the master room that went on and on and on till like 2am in the morning. It was actually stressful trying to sleep but someone thumping all over above u. I felt like someone was whacking my head with a muffled hammer. Othertimes, people were like dragging chairs all over the place like a ghosthouse.

So several times, I left a few polite note to get them to tone down. No avail. I feedback to the management and he basically forgot about it for months. Finally my hubby got fed up and knock on their door. Hisindignant and 'felt wronged' persona is not something that even I want to mess with. The 2 Hk people insisted it wasnt them and that they too had an equal noise pollution from their italian neighbor, who are constantly boozing and having parties, making huge din. no wonder the people below that italian family never lasted. Meanwhile, our neighbors after the very polite exchange but prob intimidating experience for them. unlike australian who would vocally outright put you in your place, hk people are less confrontational in that and prefer to suffer in silence or through some paper or 3rd people mediator. unfortunately, my husband and i are 'doer' people and doesnt believe in passing the message game. well at least it worked. they finally stopped making all sort of noise. not a peep squeek ever since. thank god....

back to my neighbor's unit.
well unless the italian family above move out, no one in the sane mind can live in a noisy unit below them. i have see 3 waves of people over to view the apartment now, with bright smiles plastered all over. as i peeked through the eye hole, i was thinking 'ha.. you folks wont be laughing anytime soon now if u really do stay there...'

we are still in 2 minds about whether to remain or to move comes the expiration of our rental lease. honestly i prefer not to move for the convenience, not to mention that it will be my fourth major relocation work all overagain and i honestly dont want to handle that all over again. its crazy work.

Dusty Memory of someone.

Do u have those days where the least expected people appeared in your dreams? Making it weirder, 2 of the least expected people who doesnt know each other but inexplicably linked in some ways continuously popped into my deep sleep.Am feeling rather restless these few days. Dunno why. Just one of those "stuck in a rut" feeling...

Just read about 'lex's dad who passed away recently in FB. My thoughts are with him. Afterall, he is perhaps singularly the only few rare people, who has always been in sync as to how my brain works. Well technically I am not even sure if we are still counted as friends since we havent spoken for a long while now. Once in a blue moon, there is occasional email correspondence. Almost as rare as the next dinosaur find.

Truth is, 'lex has been the nicest, sweetest chap and I probably have to 'fess up that I probably havent been fairest to him. He is prob the only guy ever in my historical dating past (not that its that many anyway..) that I owe an apology to, even if we are on neutral grounds now.

The last time when we met in a group gathering, I had pretended superficially all was fine, or at least I felt that way. We never talked about what happened, or rather what didnt happen, or what made me walk away. I still remember how very very strange it was, sitting there, chatting, laughing with the rest present. All the while, with our fragile charade going on full steam ahead while the rest remained absolutely clueless about it.

What had made us clicked, was how we were always able to read each other minds so clearly and actions in sync without having to rehearse our act. Funnily, the only time our brains miscued was the "very first time we met" and the "last time we spoke". I still rem he told me that he had tried to get me out on a date and that failed on him utterly. It's a pity mind synchronisation doesnt always work out.

Jealousy is a strange foreign emotion, at least for me. It doesnt happen to me very often. Have I been lucky? Probably. I never had ever need to be jealous of anything nor anyone until u are immerse in a relationship.

The first time the green eye monster hit me, I confronted this jealousy in unexplainable rage. Thinking back, that insane jealousy was irrational but funny. Yet the episode was something to learn from.

The 2nd time it hit me, I was older. I dealt with it with an uber cool exterior facade even when it was eating me up inside out but I wasnt gonna admit to it, nor let anyone see my torment. This jealousy was warranted, overly-rationalised and yet, definitely wasted.

The 3rd time it hit me, perhaps where now I am a tad too logical for love. This time, when jealousy surfaced, I subdued it by irrationally wrapping everything up faster than one can blink... I dont think either of us saw this ending coming, definitely not him. I never once questioned if I had made the decision rightly, we have gone beyond that. Yet mildly, it's peppered with occasional sense of guilt and apologies. I dont know if I did him a favor, or caused him unnecessary heartache. Whatever it was, it was never my intention to make him sad then. Funny how one action will change 2 person's whole life course. My gf had asked me causally some time back, if we were still in contact. When I said no, she told me that she thought it was better decision this way. He's a great chap, just not my chap. There is a saying, some people and some past are really best laid to rest as much as possible.

Whenever the memory of our last conversation should choose to resurface in those rare moments, his last questioning expression, unsaid words will still "haunt" me. Maybe that's why I am still on the run. Running and avoiding his peace offer to have that catch-up drink to date. I might sum up the courage one day, just not today. Cowardly perhaps but I know his sunshine smile will only draw up my guilt. Everytime I pass by Canele, flashes of him will always come to mind combined with a tinge of sadness for that split second. Some calls it retribution. I wonder if it's just me...does he avoid eating at the place like I do now?

Hey at least I know with relief that he has found his other deserving half. Not that I ever doubted he will have any problems being who he is.

In life, they once said "You have a to kiss a few frogs to find your prince."
I think I had kissed a few princes too many in this lifetime.

Safe Alternative to remove black oil grease stains on clothes

What do you do when you have a pair of new pant, but the lower portion of the pant is completely wreaked with those industrial black oil grease stain? Despair...?

My husband came home sheepishly tonight, with this laundry challenge. The first thought that went through my mind was " This new pant is fucked." How am I suppose to salvage it without any grease solvent for fabric? Plus its Khaki and I cannot damn well bleach it?

I tried the first option using VANISH stain remover spray. After a min, I rinse and checked. No good. The black stain was here to stay. My husband was mentally prepared to throw the pant away. I stubbornly refuse to submit defeat.

As I stare at the stain, an idea popped into my head. Chemistry time. What removes oil better than oil based solvent? So I dashed into my bathroom and grab the unexperimented frontier... my oil base make up remover! I figured at the back of my head that if my oil based Shu Umera cleanser is suppose to remove hard core mascara effectively and also safe on face, I reckon its worth a try and not wreak my clothes.

So after drying the pants as much as I can with a towel, I pumped my (expensive) make up remover on the whole black patch and waited for a minute. Then I use my hands and scrub the pants as much as I can.

To my delight..it worked!!!
Using pretty warm water to rinse and scrub at the same time, the black stain started to fade!
I repeated the process 2 more times, and the pants gradually returned to its original state without the grease stain! To ensure no oil mark remained, I sprinkled some baking powder on the patch to absorb any remaining oil and rinse. Presto! As good as new!!

So now u know, if you dont have a proper solvent, grab that handy oil based make up remover to for emergency treatment of that stain. (well it worked on cotton pants, not sure about silk and wool).

Ps: (Incidentally, I discovered that the Shu Umera oil based remover worked better than my M.A.C oil cleanser. )

Catching up at BARSTOP

Before I headed back to Sg, it was a spur of the moment that I thought I would gather some close college council and fac caps for a drinks gathering. More people turned up than expected but the greatest reward was seeing some people that I havent seen since we left college.

We decided on Bar Stop, (located at 6 Devonshire Road) as one of our friend Mich was performing there on a Friday eve.

Conversations flowed free and easy. Everything started with the name of the place. We laughed over how other people keep mishearing it as Bus Stop and we got the questions like "Why meet at bus stop in town? What's with the bus stop?" This joke always had be guffawing like a silly bird coz I had asked my gf once the exact same question. I had asked her "Bus stop? So many in orchard, which one?" Luckily she forgot about my embarrassing moment and I get to live it down..

It was interesting to catch up on how everyone has been doing, still doing or plan to do. Has it been 17 years now?! Crap! Suddenly I feel really old...

I was most impressed with Mich. She has the most powerful vocal voice I have heard and I was in awe. When she was in between breaks to catch up with us, I told her I never knew she could sing like that!! Granted I knew she had always been in band, but I had never had the honor to hear her hear like a song lark till this trip! Talk about life surprises! She laughed and said she has always love to sing but was a little shy back then to perform before a crowd in school. Right now, apart from performing at Barstop, she even has her own vocal coaching studio "Stay Nuts" in, working side by side with her hubby. She loved every moment and everything she is doing. She is working her dream. She deserved all these happiness!

The funniest moment was when the rest of her band joined in our table, it was even more surprising that I knew her sax' player! He had looked familiar to me but I couldnt put a finger as to where I had seen him. It wasnt when the boys started chatting and halfway through, I mentioned about something and dang! He caught it and asked "I knew you since Sec 1 then!" Shit! 20years of misplaced history. Ha! Astonishment filled the air and we started swopping details and stories from our youthful days and indeed, we had even been in the same join-school excursion together to Msia for some art programme. Some stories were hilarious, some left some of the guys gaping in shock about some of their horny seniors... when all the old stories started spilling out -about the boys and the girls. Finally stories from both side of the "missionary" fences come to merge as one. Funny.

By the time the place closes, Mich insisted on giving us a ride to catch up more. It had been a crazy day for her with loads of MJ dedication since the news of his death broke thru the media, so she had little time to spare earlier... She lived pretty near my bro's place, so we had a nice long drive back catching up. Through the stories, you just realise you really cannot tell what is in store for you in life. God has a funny way of throwing a curve ball at you and you just have to catch it and deal with the changes.

We promised to catch up more but alas, my schedule was packed to the brim and I didnt have a chance to see her and her little boy this trip. No matter, I'm sure there will be a chance and way to go Mich!

Dinner at Clarke Quay

This trip back to singapore has been relatively fruitful, considering how I managed to squeeze time to see so many people in a short trip. I guess it helps when it is done in groups. Ha!

The first nite back, had Indonesian dinner @ Clarke Quay with some ex-colleagues. It's amazing how a decade pass us by in a blink before we knew it! From relative wide eye bambi, everyone has gone from looking for love to settling down, having kids and being a hands on parents.

We girls were talking about controlling rice intake, and before I knew it, E pointed out to me and asked "Didnt you say you have too much rice?" I gasped in horror that unknowingly and habitually clearin my plate, the whole plate of rice has gone down my tummy. I yelped out in despair "Too late toolate!! U should have told me BEFORE i ate everything!!" I could envision more gruelling hours in the gym than intended...sigh..The girls laughed...

To all those women out there who have been dissing on our poor suffering Singapore men, you must be either super suay (unlucky) or blind, or just after empty romance. All the SG men I know who are daddies - are the most hands on, independent parent compared to other countries I have been. That doesnt apply to all of coz, but generally Singapore man are relatively dependable. So quit bitching about how unromantic they are and look for something that counts even more. Then again, maybe it is just my era of men. I wont hold hopes on some young dudes with plucked eyebrows, dyed funny crop, hanging out their underpants to be of parental model... here's my friend who single handedly managed her daughter during our group dinner date.


Some Kids are really easy to "con" at times. Promise them icecream or something sweet that they like, they would instantly finish their meal in a split second and even proudly show you their empty plate. Having said that, it is also important not to back out on your promise or they probably wont trust u anymore. This little girl had a taster of every icecream favour before settling down on the dark choc. She totally rejected strawberry. Ah... a little girl after my own heart. haaa

Such distinct service different In HK and SG

Was grocery shopping at Jason's supermarket today. Something that I had pretty much taken for granted suddenly became acutely obvious today. I just realise how much more pleasant it is to shop in HK supermarket than in Singapore (barring Wellcome since I dont shop there enough to pass any judgement)

In Singapore, both NTUC and cold storage are the primarily supermarket. Personally, I had always prefered Cold Storage to NTUC because historically they stocked a wider variety than NTUC though on my recent trip, this difference seemed to be disappearing and they could have jolly well be run by the same management and buyers judging from the display shelves.

The point to note is how in HK, may it be Jasons Market place, or Gourmet supermarket or even Park and Shop, I always get greeted by any passing supermarket staff. They would always say "thank you for shopping" or "feel free to look around" something to that effect. When I asked for help, I am ALWAYS greeted with a PATIENT staff who will normally attend to my queries politely and unhurriedly. It doesnt matter if I speak cantonese or English, I get same treatment.

In Singapore, the experience was a little less than desirable. Forget the customer greeting. I will be lucky if I can find any available staff to help with my queries, and hoping not answering me in a sullen looking face, or impatient note. It's something about their tone and volume that is quite unappealing. Once in a while, I will get a nice gentle auntie who is not acting like she needs to talk in such great speed because she is dying or something.

Take a comparison. In Singapore supermarkets, I was asking if they have other Twinning Tea flavours and all I got was a snappy "No, dont have.", in some places, I get some clueless look, mumbles and then finally "No."

Today in Jasons in HK, I was asking a staff who was doing stocking and inventory check. He paused his work immediately, stood up and face me with a smile asking how he could be of help. There was no pissed off scowl for disturbing him or taking him away from what he was focusing on. Instead, he patiently listened to me and when he finally understood what I was looking for (he wasnt versed in knowing what Milo was called in English and I didnt know the Cantonese way of saying) , he told me apologetically that they dont stock in. He didnt just stop there. He went the extra mile, suggesting other possible options of packet drinks. I declined politely explaining they taste different and he politely apologise again for not having the item I needed.

THIS, what I experience today, this is service. It is not the first time I had such polite replies when I did item enquires in Hk. I just didnt notice how polite they were because I had forgotten how brusque Singaporean staff are when interrupted. This is what Singapore service industry is missing in our franchise and corporate chains.

We really have a long long long way to go and improve. Is it the training department at fault, the staff we employed at fault or just the whole Singapore culture at fault? Until we find out the root cause, we will never surpass HK in their service industry.

Cheap and good muscular massage in HK

Just as my husband and I were lamenting about our fav massage couple moving away from causeway bay due to higher rental, I found another HK massage therapist at an equally reasonable rate @HK$200 an hour (~SG$40/hr)! What is most important is that she is really good and I have had her doing my massage for over a month now. My husband was overjoyed that he can have that neckache attended to once again.

As I was telling my friends the other day while I was back in SG, while the quality of environment in HK may not match up to Singapore in terms of drinkable tap water, cleaner air and healthier outdoor lifestyle options, yet in terms of lifestyle in HK, I am beginning to embrace it wholeheartedly. If you are patient enough, look hard enough, you can get many services and courses at a much cheaper prices here in Hk than Singapore.

Apart from massage, even tennis lessons in HK was surprisingly cheaper than Singapore. I rem I was quoted at least SG$70/hr back then, but in HK, I can easily find any decent english speaking coach to travel to my place for HK$200/hr (~SG$40/hr).

Throw in staff discounts and private staff sales for many luxury brands due to Hk ex-colleagues, honestly, I dont care to pay for full price on any material stuff anymore.

HK is a land of goodies. Maybe because there are a greater pool of "hungry" people out there trying to make a decent living here in HK than SG. I sure am gonna miss these extras when I ever leave this place.

No yoga for me

I tried Yoga when I was back in Singapore. My gf has been into it for months now. She would hit the gym for the lunch and morning classes before she head to work.

She asked if I was interested to join her for the 7am yoga. Hell no! Much that I want to keep fit, waking up at crack of dawn for exercise is too much of a stretch for me. I was joking with her that if I wont even wake up at 6am to have fornicate, she can forget about me travelling to gym for workout with a sweaty class of at least 10 others.

So in the end, we went for another Dynamic Yoga class in the eve. While I was impressed with the instructor out of this world snaking of limbs all over her torso, yet Honestly, I dont really quite like it. Not for the fact that I couldnt complete half of those twisting poses and stances, but rather I find those poses if done incorrectly will cause more damages to your neck and lower backs since there are alot of repetitive actions and requires very specific postures. Of course I admire those young ladies who seemed to have no problems stretching their limbs to the limit. I have a super lazy ham string and in no way, I would split my legs and body apart like the instructor.

Unlike in all the yoga classes I have tried where very little warning or focus was placed on how to align your weight properly; in my pilate classes, we learn about correct postures, about aligning your spinebones, and restacking them correctly everytime you lay down and get up. We learn to control excessive hips movements and more cautiously aware about the weight one puts on your back without pushing all the weight on your lower back muscles. There are great varieties in footworks and overall stretches and building of the core muscles. I'm not sure how the mat pilates goes but I sure love my reformer allergro equip pilates.

Maybe the yoga class in singapore I went to wasnt the best or most condusive for beginners. Afterall its yoga class conducted in a gym, not a proper yoga house. The indian instructor was too fast in her instructions, and I doubt she seriously had time to focus on the correct postures of each students in a class of over 15 people in an hour. Then again, I have already tried out 3 different yoga in different countries and each time I wasnt wow by it while in comparison, I love pilates the first time I tried it in Sydney.

When I was back in pilates yesterday, my pilates instructor was sharing her first time experience with Hot Yoga.

She told us she was horrified by the experience, the fact it was so hot and hard to breathe and the class was crammed with 30 over other sweaty people. She had thought she would try it as her best friend loved it to bits and dragged her along. My instructor too shared the same views, that Yoga is not ideal for people with neck, shoulder or back problems because done wrongly, one can incur more damages due to the repeated actions required and incorrectly placed stress. (So maybe one on one may be better or at least a really small class) One of another girl also shared her distaste for large yoga class and made me laugh so hard when she said, this guy next to her in Hot Yoga class was "spraying" all his sweat all over her and it was disgusting!!

Well, I guess yoga or pilates is a personal thing and preference. Though I realise Pilates in Singapore is much more expensive than the one in HK. I checked sky pilates located in town, its at least SG$10 more ex per lesson than my Hk lesson for package of 10 as a comparison. Then again if its a small class, I wont mind signing up if I ever get back.

Sigh. Everything in SG is getting more expensive.
Thankfully the Sg haircut and clinic visit are still cheaper than HK.

Success! Weight down!

The whole 2 weeks I was back in SG, I refuse to abandon on my exercise routine since I felt I was making headways with the progress. The pilates classes have certainly improve my abs muscles and tone my arms over the month. However I knew I had to remove the fats from aerobic exercises before the results can be more evidently seen.

Hyatt Singapore hotel has a great gym. Even when I have stayed there countless times in the past, I have never once used the gym till now. Aint sure if it has always been this great or due to the recent renovation. While I love the threadmill, the only thing I hate about it is that when you underquote your calories burn target, the whole equipment shuts down when target reached with no room for u to increase it midway. So it was pretty disruptive to my run the first time I used the machine.

Its damn satisfying when you know your stamina gets better and better. It has been less than a month and I never did expect to feel so fit so rapidly. Of course it "disgusts" my partner seeing how I can be completely inactive for 3 years and yet gain back my stamina and fitness level so rapidly. He always complain how I can make it look so easy. I gloatingly told him I have good genes. haaaaaa

I didnt want to give up my sweets and so I still snack on small choc cakes on and off but more infrequently now. The feeling "wasting" my hard works overrode my desire to wolf those cakes down in huge slices. Thankfully I have never been a food junkie so its much much easier for me to impose some self discipline.

Woke up this morning and decided to weigh myself. Well here's my report card, with the aim of clearing about 500 calories each gym trip, at least twice a week.
I have lost 2 kg now! Cool!
(I think if I didnt over ate at home with my mum's glorious home cook food, it might get better.)

The good thing is that the 2 kg lost isnt just water loss. I could actually feel my calf muscles toning up. There was this morning that I woke up and surprise surprise, I could see the effect of pilates on my abs muscles that are mildy visibly defined now. The running made my tummy look flatter but the pilates improve the conditions and look of the abs muscles. Coool!

Of course the stubborn lump of lard at the lower belly is still hard to remove but I am determine to get there.

So I dont understand why people would rather choose the unsafe lazy way of losing fats from consumption of drugs and formulas, or stupidly go into unnecessary dieting. All u need is really an hour at least twice a week to exercise to rid yourself of some weight.

Singapore- Not so great experiences

Finally flew back to Hk last night. While I cannot say I miss Singapore in general with all the noisy endless construction going on everywhere without any tranquil quiet respite, I definitely miss my family and friends.

Life was busier the last 2 weeks catching up with as many people as possible, balancing that with keeping to my gym routine. It was hard trying to slot people into free slots since most of friends are working. Still, it was satisfying as I managed to see more than I had expected.

I dont like shopping in Singapore.
Apart from the fact that variety is not that great, the sale items are actually still more expensive than those I saw in HK taking Nike for example.

It grinds me when Singapore shopping mall staff talk rudely, or really quite clueless. Take for example when I went to CK Tangs as they were having pretty good bra sales. I was asking for a size 34 and the total "vacant" in the the head sales girl tried to tell me about cup size. I patiently explain to her, I need the right size and she keep talking about cup size. I got fed up and told her cup size has nothing to do with the circumference size. 34, 36 are an indication of how broad your chest area is irrespective of how gigantic your tits are. This sales girl looking about mid twenties went blank like no one ever told her how to read bra size. She keep harping about cup. I got fed up and move to another brand. She is a lady and she has no clue about selling a bra. What a freaking joke.

Then move to Calvin Klein and the auntie keep trying to promote her slow moving bra stock, even when I have explicitly told her I dont want lacy see through ones, she keep trying to hardsell those I had already said no. And those that I want, she just said "No size" and walked off looking disinterested. It was exasperating.

Then I went to Robinson at Centerpoint to try to buy my down feather pillow. They didnt carry the brand I wanted. This auntie asked me what I wanted and I told her, and she said "have have" So i followed her. However, it was firmer than I liked and so I declined but she kept telling me its cheap about $170 after discount. I looked at her and said no way. I shared I had gotten my down pillow much cheaper at closer to $100 at a sale. She looked at me incredulously and said its impossible. She insisted I was wrong and NO WAY a down pillow can be that cheap. I told her I got it in a sale few years ago but she kept insisting I was wrong and it must be mixed down and feather. I was getting exasperated. Why do people keep trying to tell me I am wrong in Singapore?? Finally I cut her off by saying politely "Auntie, I think I know how to read my pillow label tag that say 100% down" She was a bit taken and then stumbled saying yah yah. I walked off with my friend. My friend asked me "Why do you even bother to explain so nicely to her? I would have walked off." I dont know, I guess i respect the fact she is just trying to earn a living but I disliked the way I was being talked down.

On a separate occasion, I was taking a cab back home from the MRT station area designated taxi stand. It is pretty infuriating when you see other selfish inconsiderate people flagging taxis just further down the road, totally ignoring the line of people in the taxi Q. What is even more upsetting was the blue comfort cabs who picked these ruthless people up, upsetting the people in the Q. In that 20mins I was standing watch, only the silver cabs, the red cabs driver who dropped people off before the stand rejected these inconsiderate cab stealers. The comfort cab drivers seemed not to care so long they have business in their back seat.

When I boarded this new blue comfort cab, I gave the driver the exact road name and the complex name. This uncle paused, creased brows and tell me he never heard of such a road name in this area. I was taken back. My brother's place (road) is like there for coming to 10years. The taxi driver insisted there is no such road and asked me if it was street xx instead. I told him no, its not anywhere near there but the driver said that is the ONLY area that has condo in the vicinity. I was trying very hard not to snap when he kept telling me I AM WRONG for a few mins, the taxi driver tell me HE KNEW EVERY ROAD NAME in the region and there is no such road I am telling him.

I got fed up and finally told him "I lived there my dear and I will guide you, just drive." I wasnt sure if it was the "my dear" that caught him off guard or he sensed I ran out of patience. He started to drive without a word. I dont even know why the dear word came out..maybe when I deal with really incompetence people these days, I tried not to let them feel too stupid I supposed.

Halfway to my destination, he suddenly spoke very politely to me, without the earlier affronting attitude. "Oh yes I rem now, there is this road name. I rem where it is now. I thought u were referring to those EC condos". I was too tired to point out that how cocky he was earlier and how he shouldnt berate me as if I didnt know better. I just let him off the hook.

When I was departing at the airport, the non chinese security guy pissed me off as well. He was barking his orders at all the people putting stuff through the X rays. He was rushing people when there was plenty of time. This Hk mother and daughter forgot to remove the water bottle from the bags and this airport security staff snapped at them to discard the bottles. The mum started to drink the water on the spot, but he yelled at them "Cannot drink here!! Outside! Outside!" The mum was abit taken back and walked out meekly. When it was my turn, he brusquely asked if I had laptop. Then he snapped at me to take out my unzipped cardigan. Before I can even take a breath, he yelled at me to take my boots off. "Off! Off! Boots Off!" It was annoying the way he talk to me like I was some kid that was being reprimanded. So in a moment of spite and rebel, I zipped off my boots and threw them pretty hard into the tray, twice. He looked up and I glared at him. I have no issues with compliance if u request it politely, I would be happy to oblige. However dont talk to me as if you are damn smart just because you filled your little pretty head with a false sense of superiority, due to this little power to order people around. He was not even worthy for me to tell him off. It would be a waste of energy.

When I was lining up waiting to show my boarding pass, several HK passengers were always talking about the "illtreatment" and comparing it to their service in HK airport. I have to agree, Hk airport was a much much more plesant experience, both in and out for me.

If this non chinese changi airport terminal one staff is a shining example of many other airport staff behaviour, leaving such a bad taste in every departing travellers, it will be a miracle that Singapore Airport ranking can remain in top 10.

What is wrong with Singapore toilets?

What is it with Singapore Toilets, not to mention this prevalent missing supply of hand dryer paper?? This is getting absurd!

Apart from Tampines One toilets not having any hand tissue, neither does Central Mall @ Clarke Quay and the shopping center next to Isetan Scotts in Orchard!! What the heck?!!

I was complaining about this disgusting irrational phenomenal to my Singapore friends. I had a range of other stories. About how their company bosses tried to be "Smart" and decide to cut cost as well by removing the supply of hand papers in their office toilet. The result, a messier than necessary toilet that is so unbecoming. After a few months, the bosses decided "
Oops I am such a moron" and reversed their earlier decision. Bless the Hand dryer papers.

I too heard of stories about how some people will wash their legs in the the hand sink and then use a thick stack of the hand paper to dry off their feet. While I wont comment on the rationale of their need to wash their feet but if its a must, hence bring your own feet towel instead.

The worst lot is the selfish cheapskate bastards that really put me off. They STEAL the public hand dryer paper for their own selfish needs, so they can save a few bucks themselves and inconvenience everyone else. These people really need to be told off man. However Singapore being a passive lot didnt, and in the end? Everyone suffers (in silence) and in convenience without paper supply.

Apart from missing hand dryer papers, I dread heading to Singapore public toilet. If I can hold it till I return to hotel, I would. Several times (frequently) in public toilets, I would pray, hold my breath and push open the toilet door, just praying the seat is not wet and stain with pee, The floor is not wet with pee, the floor is not messy with wet tissue bits strewn all over and that the ladies didnt forget to flush leaving huge tissue mess inside the toilet bowl. Honestly, toilet use is not rocket science. Why do women ( I cannot speak for men here) keep abusing every public toilets? Even if you cannot spare a thought for the next user, think about the employed person who is paid (poorly) to clean up your mess!

The next lot of offenders I really want to scream my head in disgust are those bitches who are too fucking stupid, and I mean absolute stupid to use the sanitary bin. How hard is it to wrap up your bio waste and step on the bin pedal to throw your waste away? Instead, there are selfish people who leave their used stained pad wide open sitting on TOP OF THE BIN, in full public display. You know how fucking disgusting is that regardless of gender??? WHY ARE YOU STUPID BITCH TOO STUPID TO EVEN ROLL UP YOUR USED PAD AND WRAP IT WITH THE TISSUE ROLL??

Yeah sure, some people think its just a small matter. Why kick up a fuss. Bring your own tissue. Or this is the way for years, live with it. Sure I can do that but that is missing the whole big picture completely. The big picture is what is happening to our Singapore society? Such a simple counter bad toilet behaviour speaks volume about the mindset, culture and bred of people living in this state. Without making any effort to constantly highlight this gaps, there will never be improvements.

Till this day, my mum, friends and siblings will still think about the really clean, bright and relatively odorless toilets in most major malls in HK (on HK side) I had brought them to. This is excluding those kids centric toilets with lower sinks and cubicles.

When I was in Singapore, I really miss those HK toilets like in IFC. I miss those Hk Toilet Ah yi as well who really makes the effort to wipe the seat down to ensure its clean too or at times offer to hand me the hand dryer paper. Its a relatively pleasant experience.

Singapore toilets, most of you are really a huge disgrace after so many years. Even those with "Ok" label, you still have a stench.