Friday, July 30, 2010

SAM
























Photos from a little jaunt to the art museum.




Scrapper's Block

Still on mc today and did some work at home in the morning. Then I
thought I should take a break from all things electronic and make
something. But I am feeling uninspired... So here I am using my
iphone...

Tis a beautifully cool day, lovely.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Another random photo!

















Had the flu and stayed home today.
Coke + salt = good for one's throat, yes?

Monday, July 26, 2010

The first decade























I never planned to stay at my first workplace for ten years.
Then again (as Chelle knows) I never made plans to leave either, apart from periodic wonderings of 'what if...'

The year that I finished university, the job market wasn't too hot.
I knew of people the year before me who had taken several months to find a job.
So sometime in April, before my final exams, I looked out for vacancies, trudged to my lecturer's room to ask for a testimonial (thanks Dr Bhattar) and put my resume together (wasn't too difficult - there wasn't much to say).

And I prayed that God would bless the work of my hands.

And 3 months later I got a call asking me to go for an interview. Yes, very slow, I know.

I'm thankful for this job that has funded several (fabulous) holidays and made it possible for me to do many things. Being able to help other people, helping out when my brother went overseas to study. It has been good.

I think about the wet-behind-the-ears girl who wondered what lay ahead of her as she took the first train ride to work.

I think about the times I stressed out over things, the seasons of really late nights. And through it all, God took all that stress and carried me through.

So many things have happened since I started work, but all I can say is, I'm thankful :)

Weekend in Batam

I stretched out on a deck chair and watched the cousins cable-ski
under a hot blazing sun. The cousin who does canoeing as a cca...and
scored full marks for her napfa...did particularly well.

For some reason I keep thinking Bintan instead of Batam. But I
digress. It was a tiring but fun weekend with the family. Lots of sun,
fun and laughter. A family holiday has its own stresses, with
different people wanting to do different things... Still, the new
memories formed are worth it.

Friday, July 23, 2010

So Tired























What a whirlwind of a week. I'm tired, drained, and too tired to think of a third adjective.

The other day I blurted out to my mum - I want to run away. To an island. With coconut trees.

But of course I already live on one.

I dream of lying on a hammock but I would probably get tired of it in no time. Besides, I (besides living on a sunny island with coconut trees) also own a hammock but it's brand new and is sitting pretty in my cupboard waiting for the day I take it out.

I guess what I really want is to relax and. do. nothing.

So that's the plan tomorrow - off to a neighbouring island with my aunt & cousin who are visiting from canada.

zzz

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Queenstown Dumplings























Comfort food. Simple and unpretentious.
Closed on Mondays, I believe.
At the Shanghai-something stall on the 2nd level of the food centre at Queenstown.
I like the fried dumplings better than the steamed ones.
My ideal combination is chicken rice + fried dumplings (and lots of ginger and vinegar) + sugarcane juice. Preferably with good company (but of course) on a cool day after a hard morning's work.

And why I bring this up is because I stumbled upon this yesterday (via here) and was so amused by how rough/hale/hearty my photos look in comparison. See the delicious dumplings in more elegant light here...
http://peace-and-quiet.net/blog/2010/05/what-im-hoping-to-have-for-dinner-tonight/

This has sparked off a food mood. I'll post more food pix soon :)

Sunday Afternoon At the Barrage























Picture a cool, overcast day.
People, relaxing.
On a gentle green slope that reminded me of some hill in London some years ago.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Like a house on fire

My neighbour's house caught fire.

It was major neighbourhood news, complete with a big red fire engine.

There was raging fire from a bedroom, blazing like the fire under a hawker's wok.
And smoke billowing out in a thick black cloud.
I know because my technology-shy mother remembered her phone had a camera and took a few shots from outside the block where she waited alongside other onlookers.

The neighbours were shaken but fortunately no one was hurt. Make sure you have home insurance, y'all.

When it was all over, other neighbours came by to gawk up close, children in tow. A kind of learning journey, like a 'see-that's-why-i said-cannot-play-with-fire' tour.

No photos of fire from me but I couldn't help noticing some artistic patterns created by the smoke ...

The inconvenient thing about a fire is the soot it leaves behind on everything. And you know how much I like a clean house. So I mopped the whole house and my dad did another round and still my feet are a little grey! Sigh!


Thursday, July 1, 2010

A piece of Berlin

On displat at Bedok Reservoir. Enclosed behind glass, oh the irony of
it.