yesterday i accomplished something i've always wanted to do - to learn CYCLING! strangely, i've never gotten round to learning how to cycle, even though there are two bicycles lying around at home (talk about the number of white elephants i have), the closest i've come to experiencing the speed and freedom of this sport is on the four-wheeled bike i had when i was really young, and of course tandem bikes (which are often too bulky and difficult to maneuver). anyway, it wasn't really that much of a nerve-wretching experience. in fact, i surprised myself - my sense of balance really isn't that bad (as i've imagined) - i managed to conquer my fear and was able to cycle straight after about an hour-plus and two falls, still bad with turns though. practice makes perfect... so if i'm able to get off my lazy bum to practise a few more rounds, i should be cruising the paths of east coast park very soon. :)
anyway, the bike i used yesterday, isn't she pretty? it's a cannondale f700 hardtail '99, and all i know is that she's really pricy for a bike.
scribbled at 9:26 am
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anyway, the bike i used yesterday, isn't she pretty? it's a cannondale f700 hardtail '99, and all i know is that she's really pricy for a bike.
Friday, October 28, 2005
have you heard of the white ribbon campaign?
NOW YOU HAVE, so all men reading this, please wear your white ribbon on 25 nov to pledge never to commit, condone or keep silent about violence against women. :)
What is the White Ribbon Campaign (WRC)?
The WRC is the largest effort in the world of men working to end men's violence against women. It relies on volunteer support and financial contributions from individuals and organizations.
How did the WRC get started?
In 1991, a handful of men in Canada decided we had a responsibility to urge men to speak out against violence against women. We decided that wearing a white ribbon would be a symbol of men's opposition to men's violence against women.
After only six weeks preparation, as many as one hundred thousand men across Canada wore a white ribbon. Many others were drawn into discussion and debate on the issue of men's violence.
Goals and Focus: What does it mean to wear a white ribbon?
Wearing a white ribbon is a personal pledge never to commit, condone nor remain silent about violence against women. Each year, we urge men and boys to wear a ribbon for one or two weeks, starting on November 25, the International Day for the Eradication of Violence Against Women.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
cartoons - just for laughs:
scribbled at 8:07 pm
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Tuesday, October 25, 2005
more pretty stuff to fill up my earring holder?
scribbled at 6:16 pm
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Sunday, October 23, 2005
many bloggers and LJ-ers have done this - 5 weirdest things about yourself:
1) i find supermarket shopping alone extremely therapeutic, having the luxury of time to browse through every single brand of breakfast cereals and picking up the healthiest snacks for work - sometimes i feel it beats shopping for fashion. i think when my kitchen oven is up and running, you'll find me at the baking corner of the supermarket more often to pick up ingredients for new creations. ;)
2) like many others, i can only sleep under a blanket, but more to that, i like my feet to be exposed even when it's cold.
3) i have a sweet tooth when it comes to cakes, chocolates and pastries, but when it comes to beverages and hot desserts, i prefer them bland. another one relating to taste buds, i like my potatoes in almost all forms - baked, mashed, french fries, rosti, but i detest hash browns.
4) it has become a habit when i eat my pau to peel off the exterior layer, on-and-off i'll do that ever since i see one of my teachers doing that in primary school, guess it's also more hygienic this way.
5) i like slapping on sunscreen when i go out, even when it's dark.
so, what are your strange habits?
(btw, i shifted back already! damn alot to shift and unpack... *tired*)
scribbled at 12:50 pm
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1) i find supermarket shopping alone extremely therapeutic, having the luxury of time to browse through every single brand of breakfast cereals and picking up the healthiest snacks for work - sometimes i feel it beats shopping for fashion. i think when my kitchen oven is up and running, you'll find me at the baking corner of the supermarket more often to pick up ingredients for new creations. ;)
2) like many others, i can only sleep under a blanket, but more to that, i like my feet to be exposed even when it's cold.
3) i have a sweet tooth when it comes to cakes, chocolates and pastries, but when it comes to beverages and hot desserts, i prefer them bland. another one relating to taste buds, i like my potatoes in almost all forms - baked, mashed, french fries, rosti, but i detest hash browns.
4) it has become a habit when i eat my pau to peel off the exterior layer, on-and-off i'll do that ever since i see one of my teachers doing that in primary school, guess it's also more hygienic this way.
5) i like slapping on sunscreen when i go out, even when it's dark.
so, what are your strange habits?
(btw, i shifted back already! damn alot to shift and unpack... *tired*)
Thursday, October 20, 2005
what was it that made all of us so excited at work this afternoon?
ta-dah! it's JANE'S CAKE STATION! and delivered right to my desk!
A and YK were out at jalan kayu area for work today, and they actually brought back the famous durian cake from there, knowing jessie and i were craving for their cakes since weeks back when we were there, so sweet of them! :) the chocolate cake was only available from 3pm onwards, so that explains this alternative. nevertheless, savouring it with my five other programme group mates WHILE having our mini group discussion was indeed delightful (*thumbs up*) and thankfully none of us belongs to the anti-durian group.
scribbled at 8:05 pm
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ta-dah! it's JANE'S CAKE STATION! and delivered right to my desk!
A and YK were out at jalan kayu area for work today, and they actually brought back the famous durian cake from there, knowing jessie and i were craving for their cakes since weeks back when we were there, so sweet of them! :) the chocolate cake was only available from 3pm onwards, so that explains this alternative. nevertheless, savouring it with my five other programme group mates WHILE having our mini group discussion was indeed delightful (*thumbs up*) and thankfully none of us belongs to the anti-durian group.
lexus GS300 - uh so cool!
The dynamic presence of the GS300 is at once the pure essence and an inspired refinement of the original Lexus concept of performance. It embodies the new Lexus design philosophy captured in the concept L-finesse, and expressed in the elemental qualities - "Incisive Simplicity", and "Intriguing Elegance", and "Seamless Anticipation".
Mio Sport Select Petite Heart Rate Monitor - The Mio designed for female fitness enthusiasts seeking a comfortable stylish fit
Get the most from your workouts with the stylish Mio Sport Select Petite. Monitor your heart-rate without a chest strap and calculate the calories you burn during exercise. Sport Select Petite offers a slender fit designed specifically for fitness-conscious women
Enter your personal stats: age, gender, weight and resting heart rate and the Mio Sport Select Petite does the rest! It takes an ECG-accurate heart rate without a chest strap, calculates percent of maximum heart rate during exercise so users know their exertion level and tracks calories burned during exercise. The Mio Sport Select Petite offers a comfortable petite fit designed specifically to fit slender female wrists smaller than 6.75 inches. You can also remove the straps from the watch face and add a fashionable extra strap in either petite or regular Select length.
scribbled at 1:23 pm
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The dynamic presence of the GS300 is at once the pure essence and an inspired refinement of the original Lexus concept of performance. It embodies the new Lexus design philosophy captured in the concept L-finesse, and expressed in the elemental qualities - "Incisive Simplicity", and "Intriguing Elegance", and "Seamless Anticipation".
Mio Sport Select Petite Heart Rate Monitor - The Mio designed for female fitness enthusiasts seeking a comfortable stylish fit
Get the most from your workouts with the stylish Mio Sport Select Petite. Monitor your heart-rate without a chest strap and calculate the calories you burn during exercise. Sport Select Petite offers a slender fit designed specifically for fitness-conscious women
Enter your personal stats: age, gender, weight and resting heart rate and the Mio Sport Select Petite does the rest! It takes an ECG-accurate heart rate without a chest strap, calculates percent of maximum heart rate during exercise so users know their exertion level and tracks calories burned during exercise. The Mio Sport Select Petite offers a comfortable petite fit designed specifically to fit slender female wrists smaller than 6.75 inches. You can also remove the straps from the watch face and add a fashionable extra strap in either petite or regular Select length.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
gym business
the new nikewomen range of gym clothes is out! these days, i always seemed to be looking out for cool gym clothing, must be the influence of poser gyms like cailfornia fitness, many years back at amore gym, i am almost always doing aerobics and on the threadmill in my old roxy tees. oh well, anyway, i really like this nike grey pants with the colourful waist band, but that's going make me $79 poorer, and i would need another matching top. :|
anyway, i recall one of the posters stating the regulations at delta gym which reads, "gym-goers should not curse and swear while lifting weights." what's wrong with those muscle buldging and popping veins males - i don't know if cursing and making all sorts of weird noises actually motivates them, it really puzzles me at times. this is also why i always feel uneasy doing free weights in a male-dominated gym. another thing i noticed is that people (including myself) tend to choose the treadmills that are right in front of the mirrors. it's not narcissism or anything, but i do think that watching yourself run ensures better posture and kind of drives you to work harder and move faster. for some others, i guess the mirror hides them from the staring shopping crowd along orchard road, which can be irritating at times.
scribbled at 3:25 pm
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the new nikewomen range of gym clothes is out! these days, i always seemed to be looking out for cool gym clothing, must be the influence of poser gyms like cailfornia fitness, many years back at amore gym, i am almost always doing aerobics and on the threadmill in my old roxy tees. oh well, anyway, i really like this nike grey pants with the colourful waist band, but that's going make me $79 poorer, and i would need another matching top. :|
anyway, i recall one of the posters stating the regulations at delta gym which reads, "gym-goers should not curse and swear while lifting weights." what's wrong with those muscle buldging and popping veins males - i don't know if cursing and making all sorts of weird noises actually motivates them, it really puzzles me at times. this is also why i always feel uneasy doing free weights in a male-dominated gym. another thing i noticed is that people (including myself) tend to choose the treadmills that are right in front of the mirrors. it's not narcissism or anything, but i do think that watching yourself run ensures better posture and kind of drives you to work harder and move faster. for some others, i guess the mirror hides them from the staring shopping crowd along orchard road, which can be irritating at times.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
with the wireless network at home, it has been a while since i stayed back late in office to clear my work, kinda gives a feeling of serenity to work at this time of the day with just the dripping sound of water coming from the mini aquarium in the background - but well, it's a little scary too. working in such an environment does allow you to concentrate and work more efficiently, you don't end up entertaining phone calls (somedays my office phone and handphone just keeps ringing non-stop, it makes me feel like a operator) or replying to urgent e-mail requests, and to only realise at the end of the day you've achieve so little - that feeling really sucks. oh anyway, i was supposed to be playing badminton tonight, but it just didn't work out 'cos of a silly last meeting discussion with the contract people which ended too late. what to do, the contract has to be signed by TOMOROROW, by hook or by crook.
it's finally FRIDAY tomorrow, and it's time i pack up and get some rest.
oh yes, HAPPY 24th BIRTHDAY, DANIEL!
scribbled at 8:46 pm
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it's finally FRIDAY tomorrow, and it's time i pack up and get some rest.
oh yes, HAPPY 24th BIRTHDAY, DANIEL!
Monday, October 10, 2005
pure chocolate indulgence
almost nothing beats indulging in a slice of rich chocolate fudge cake while surfing the internet aimlessly and reading bimbotic blogs on the bed on your OFF DAY. yes, that's what i'm doing right now!
bought this soft chocolate cake from pine garden's for my brother's 27th birthday, i've been the official cake-buyer for the family for years, and i always try to make it a point to get cakes from a variety of places, but why are the famous chocolate cake shops all situated in the most ulu part of singapore. okay, lana's is at greenwood avenue (you're only likely to be familiar with this place if you're a district 9/10 kid, or you grew up blowing candles off lana's cakes) and then again, they're not exactly the most customer-orientated shop around, opening only half the week and also being infamous for not picking up phone calls. my initial choice was jane's cake station along jalan kayu, a run-down confectionery just like lana's - my warning to all is don't ever believe the guy on the other end of the line if he tells you to just pick up the chocolate cake from the shop when you're there, 'cos almost everything was sold out one hour before they closed on sunday 4pm, damn. pine garden's was my alternative, after reading positive reviews from the internet, it's looks just like any other hdb bakery which probably won't catch much attention, but the cakes in their website really look gorgeous, especially the pretty tier wedding cakes covered with white icing and fresh flowers!
verdict: had a substantial piece (when it comes to chocolates and cakes, heck the calories), and i still feel it doesn't come close to lana's or awfully chocolate, although it's still good. the sponge is tad dry and hard and the fudge is too thick, the two just don't blend in as well, then again, it could be because it was kept in the fridge for about a day. anyway, pine garden's is pretty famous for its black forest cakes, and my mum's an avid fan of these... in november, i might just give it another shot.
scribbled at 7:08 pm
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almost nothing beats indulging in a slice of rich chocolate fudge cake while surfing the internet aimlessly and reading bimbotic blogs on the bed on your OFF DAY. yes, that's what i'm doing right now!
bought this soft chocolate cake from pine garden's for my brother's 27th birthday, i've been the official cake-buyer for the family for years, and i always try to make it a point to get cakes from a variety of places, but why are the famous chocolate cake shops all situated in the most ulu part of singapore. okay, lana's is at greenwood avenue (you're only likely to be familiar with this place if you're a district 9/10 kid, or you grew up blowing candles off lana's cakes) and then again, they're not exactly the most customer-orientated shop around, opening only half the week and also being infamous for not picking up phone calls. my initial choice was jane's cake station along jalan kayu, a run-down confectionery just like lana's - my warning to all is don't ever believe the guy on the other end of the line if he tells you to just pick up the chocolate cake from the shop when you're there, 'cos almost everything was sold out one hour before they closed on sunday 4pm, damn. pine garden's was my alternative, after reading positive reviews from the internet, it's looks just like any other hdb bakery which probably won't catch much attention, but the cakes in their website really look gorgeous, especially the pretty tier wedding cakes covered with white icing and fresh flowers!
verdict: had a substantial piece (when it comes to chocolates and cakes, heck the calories), and i still feel it doesn't come close to lana's or awfully chocolate, although it's still good. the sponge is tad dry and hard and the fudge is too thick, the two just don't blend in as well, then again, it could be because it was kept in the fridge for about a day. anyway, pine garden's is pretty famous for its black forest cakes, and my mum's an avid fan of these... in november, i might just give it another shot.
yay, my room is finally painted in shades of soft lilac and lavender, with cornices to hide the unsightly cables. i'm still hesistant whether to get day and night curtains, nice but requires double the amount of washing.
scribbled at 11:47 am
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Sunday, October 09, 2005
just back from jamie's birthday party at coasta sands downtown east chalet, and managed to install the new photoshop 8.0 successfuly, so here are the pics! :)
edited to add: (anyway i only just realised that i didn't include any of the guys in the pics... it's actually not an all-girls party, heh). haven't attended a bbq party for quite some time, we had the usual heaty barbecue foodstuff with chicken curry, fried bee hoon, fruit cocktail jelly and layered coconut agar-agar (her maid's a really good chef), and of course, the huge 3kg hazelnut indulgence cake from prima deli! (it really reminds me of ferrero rocher chocolates, mmmmmmm! and two servings, oops.) oh yes, all the girls also had a fun time playing 'heart attack' and slapping each other... and the game forfeits that jamie thought of were atrocious - kissing the other loser on the cheek, piggy-backing one another, etc. thank goodness, lady luck was smiling on me last night :P anyway, the birthday girl is really one of the most jovial people around, and it's fun having such a sunshine character in office.
scribbled at 12:11 am
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edited to add: (anyway i only just realised that i didn't include any of the guys in the pics... it's actually not an all-girls party, heh). haven't attended a bbq party for quite some time, we had the usual heaty barbecue foodstuff with chicken curry, fried bee hoon, fruit cocktail jelly and layered coconut agar-agar (her maid's a really good chef), and of course, the huge 3kg hazelnut indulgence cake from prima deli! (it really reminds me of ferrero rocher chocolates, mmmmmmm! and two servings, oops.) oh yes, all the girls also had a fun time playing 'heart attack' and slapping each other... and the game forfeits that jamie thought of were atrocious - kissing the other loser on the cheek, piggy-backing one another, etc. thank goodness, lady luck was smiling on me last night :P anyway, the birthday girl is really one of the most jovial people around, and it's fun having such a sunshine character in office.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
pretty accessories - pink opal semi-precious stones and glass beads, oh-so-tempted!
scribbled at 1:16 pm
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Monday, October 03, 2005
cheap cakes for sale! had my fair share of marble cheese cake and chocolate fudge cake yesterday - sinful, sinful.
scribbled at 1:55 pm
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Saturday, October 01, 2005
come to think of it, i haven't accomplished much the whole of this week except:
1) i'm proud to say i just came back from a jog round the reservoir this morning (my second time!), and from the markings along the way, it's confirmed that the whole route is slightly more than 6km. i'm never much of a jogger actually, but i like the rejuvenating feeling it gives me, and of course, it's one of the simplest and most efficient way to keep fit. maybe i should seriously consider making a pact with some of my fellow gym mates to train for something like a 10km mini marathon. oops, i can't believe i actually said i want to do this, any keen parties?
2) managed to meet up with jl and gang yesterday evening for some traditional peranakan dishes at peramakan, this cosy eatery along joo chiat road. trust me, joo chiat is one of those areas i'll probably never be familiar with. anyway, it's my first encounter with this dish called ayam buah keluak (chicken in indonesian black nut gravy), and it tasted kind of strange... but i thought the sotong dish and beef rendang were really nice. and of course, i must mention the sago gula melaka! sago pudding drenched with thick heavenly gula melaka syrup and coconut milk... absolutely sinful! now i wonder how peranakan ladies can still manage to look so good in their sarong kebaya.
anyway, brother will be going off to the states for a work trip! so it's time to stock up my benefit dandelion again, should i also get georgia? :P
scribbled at 9:25 am
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1) i'm proud to say i just came back from a jog round the reservoir this morning (my second time!), and from the markings along the way, it's confirmed that the whole route is slightly more than 6km. i'm never much of a jogger actually, but i like the rejuvenating feeling it gives me, and of course, it's one of the simplest and most efficient way to keep fit. maybe i should seriously consider making a pact with some of my fellow gym mates to train for something like a 10km mini marathon. oops, i can't believe i actually said i want to do this, any keen parties?
2) managed to meet up with jl and gang yesterday evening for some traditional peranakan dishes at peramakan, this cosy eatery along joo chiat road. trust me, joo chiat is one of those areas i'll probably never be familiar with. anyway, it's my first encounter with this dish called ayam buah keluak (chicken in indonesian black nut gravy), and it tasted kind of strange... but i thought the sotong dish and beef rendang were really nice. and of course, i must mention the sago gula melaka! sago pudding drenched with thick heavenly gula melaka syrup and coconut milk... absolutely sinful! now i wonder how peranakan ladies can still manage to look so good in their sarong kebaya.
anyway, brother will be going off to the states for a work trip! so it's time to stock up my benefit dandelion again, should i also get georgia? :P