I am currently in a reading-nonsense mode. I usurped John Grisham "Rainmaker", 8 days magazine and TIME Special Report on Asia's Tsunami all within a day! My reading abilities could have been put into better use by reading research materials but no. Somehow, the stupid stubborn brain chooses to read useless stuff, against the anguished screams of my conscience. Anyway, I am fairly confident that my brain state has deterioated somehow, due to lack of use, over the festive periods. Not like it is in a very wonderful state before, but now, my morale is ALL-TIME-LOW. Hooray. So thrilled.

So this morning, I woke up with a mission to eat Mee Pok Tah! (If you say "Mee Pok Tahhh!", you realized it sort of have a quenching effect.) We went wayyy back to my childhood home (for 17 years!!) at Balestier. Those are where I spent the best times of my life! Unlike the secluded mountain I live now, Balestier is a colorful mix of sleaze and food. Sleaze stems from two bars stationed along the road, with neon lights screaming. Once, my mother tried to help 3 elderly men hobbling down the bus. "They were near 90s!" my mother shrieked. They looked rather lost and adjusted their glasses as they surveyed their surroundings. My mother initially thought they were entering this Rakyat Clinic for a health check and attempted to direct them there, until she noted their glee in discovering the bar. They promptly entered the bar. HA HA! So sleazy.

Oh, the 7-11, which I patronized regularly has its fair share of sleaze. The guys who worked there looked like gals, and the gals who worked there looked like guys. In fact, I thought one as them as a butch-like lady, until the guy got sick of my maid addressing him as "Mam", and he told my maid, "I AM A MAN OK! DO YOU WANT ME TO PROVE TO YOU!", grossly terrifying my poor maid.

So anyhow, we went to have my favorite MEE POK TAH! at the quiet corner of Jalan Datok. HEE HEE HEE. Then, we went to buy Tau Sar Piah for my mother. Balestier Road is also known as the Road of Tau Sar Piah.

Anyway, I am slightly cranky now because I am delighted by little bits of good news in my mailboxes. I mean, it's not like some big good news but sometimes you just have got to appreicate small things amidst all the bad happenings. Hence, simple things like Toto having a fan, helpdesks plans of upgrading my lab computer systems, extra cash to give my loved ones a treat.. are just some simple joys i relished presently.
Posted at 11:04 PM by missjellybeano/">missjellybeano | 3 beanoes

The one movie I am highly anticipating for this year has got to be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I love Tim Burton's interestingly eccentric and quirky spices to any films. Of course, the Roald Dahl literature itself has painted a glorious picture of the sweetest kingdom ever created whereby my every dream during my childhood (after reading the book) is to visit the place itself. I will always remember the blades of sugary grasses in Mr Willy Wonka's factory, and sometimes (when I was younger), you might even catch me looking hungrily at blades of green grasses, imagining they are sugary treats. HA HA! Not to mention, Johnny Depp is relishing the role of Mr Willy Wonka! Double HA HA!

Talking about eye-candy.. I have just watched a film of eye-candies having fun - that is, Ocean's Twelve. The plot is admittedly flimsy, but hilarious all the same. Rusty Ryan is uber droolsome! Sigh. So is Isabel. I love the part about Julia Roberts! It's so lame..it's ticklish. Jennifer Aniston is such a lucky woman.
Posted at 02:40 AM by missjellybeano/">missjellybeano | 4 beanoes

ta dah! Finally, photoshop is installed after what-seems-like-eons since my computer was reformatted. If someone didn't need my help in designing my poster, I suspect I would NEVER have gotten it installed unless (1) I nag non-stop (2) I sought help from other people. Nothing in the world is free - quote Terry Benedict in Ocean's Twelve.

Anyway, although I am tad annoyed (I am underwhelming myself here) today, I still shall introduce a quaint little eating place, tucked away from the buzz of the city. (I am beginning to feel like a food critic - going everywhere to look for new food places ). The place is called - Ta dah - Secret Garden. OOOo. So mysterious, no? The ambience is really cosy and warm, very suitable for catching up with friends and romancing partners. I think I would have soaked up the atmosphere very much better, if I was with more appreciative company, like her. I mean, after all, my mum was more interested in the food than the ambience. The other diner, was well, interested in neither. So yeah. Being alone in appreciation of ambience is hardly fun. Bah.

Okie, proceeding on the food department. Yesterday, after writing about Mr Willy Wonky, I was struck by sudden craving for chocolate desserts. Just to let any chocoholic readers know, there is this wonderous topping concoction by Hersheys, known as the Chocolate Freeze Shell. The chocolate sauce freezes on top of your ice cream, effectively forming a crunchy shell. It has become my favorite dessert topping of all time. Drizzle the chocolate over your ice cream and throw a fistful of pounded almond. There you have it... OOOOMPHua.. Heavenly.

So! As I was scanning Cold Storage for this marvelicious product, my attention focus was abruptly interrupted by a japanese poster by Pa pa beard. A new product - chocolate fondant - was splattered on the poster's headline, claiming that the confectionery is capable of oozing thick rich chocolate when cut. Overwhelmed by the chocolate fever, I bought 2 home at the price of S$5.60.

Once home, I put thee chocolate fondant in the microwave, as instructed.

KA-boom.

After 20 seconds, my chocolate fondant is a mess!!! I suspect different microwaves work different. ARGH! Anyway, the chocolate sauce burst out from my fondant. SOB! To compensate, I added Haagen Daaz Rum and Raisin ice cream with my destructed fondant. Depressed, I squeezed like, a quarter of a bottle of my Hersheys' Chocolate Freeze Shell onto the dessert.

Right, so I have presently wolfed down the entire delivish confectionery, and I think this sin of gluttony is sufficient to last the entire month. I also think that I am going to puke soon.
Posted at 11:37 PM by missjellybeano/">missjellybeano | 3 beanoes

This cannot be true!!

Well, one reason why I fancy certain celebs is their abilities to stay together, stay faithful and loyal to their partners amidst the glittery distractions around them. Their stoic faith is one that makes me coo over them, besides their handsome looks.

Right, although it hasn't been officially proven that Mr Pitt has strayed, I declare he isn't half as hot to me after all.. Bleah. What ever happened to "Till death do us part"?

So disillusioned.
Posted at 11:45 AM by missjellybeano/">missjellybeano | 2 beanoes

As obvious as it is to anyone, there is some sort of overhaul at Tabulas. Since I am not a paid-user, I am not inclined to gripe much. But still...the messy layout left me less enthusiastic about writing. I tried to import the layout, which was slightly successful. But when I tried to re-arrange the template codes, they tried to coerce me into putting some sort of advertising bars. Bleah. So, I rather not change my template, than have some sort of advertising bars. Har! I guess the Tabulas guy is too swamped with complaints to actually look into whether advertising bars have been enabled in old templates. The poor guy. I sort of pity him.

Today has been a really BLAH day, with me feeling irritated with myself, not being able to produce any ideas or work. I could read and read but nothing comes to mind and these are times when I just feel like giving a good kick to my head, except I ain't flexible enough.

Lunch time was abit better because I had the hor fun I craved for a loong loong time, since I came back from USA. Food has a miraculous ability to delight me.

Besides, sausagelips also brought me a copy of THE SIMS 2! If you have been following pixy's blog, you would have known I am a sucked for SIMS and have been hankering to have one ever since she has gotten her copy. So expectedly, I was euphoric!

Unfortunately, the installation got stuck at Disc 3, and I never got to play SIMS 2. Boo-hoo. Maybe someone up there is trying to tell me,"DAMN YOU! YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE PLAYING ANY GAMES! DO YOUR WORK YOU STUPID IGNORANT LAZY ARSE!"

Ugh. So disappointedly, I went back to my readings (and fell asleep mid-way). When my mum woke me up for dinner, I thought I could have some food therapy again..only to realize there aren't any happy-food for cheering. Blah.

What a blah day. I want to eat curly fries. Sob.


Posted at 10:42 PM by missjellybeano/">missjellybeano | 7 beanoes

sushi!

I satisfied my sushi-craving today at Genki in school. It is pretty passable except I don't like the fact there doesn't seem to be anything on the conveyor belt. We had to order directly from the waitress. I mean, part of the fun of eating sushi stems from looking at colorful sushi-es rotating around and ew-ing at gross delicacies like snails and peapods. (Who eats those?! Disgusting.)

Lessons today are pretty smooth. The lesson in the morning was interesting, and the lesson in the evening ended 2 hours earlier! Hooray.


Posted at 12:59 AM by missjellybeano/">missjellybeano | 3 beanoes

Once in a blue moon, the bus decides to come right as I step into the bus stop and today is one of those fortunate days. As I was busy directing my cousin on my handphone, I got distracted by the approaching Bus 95. I hurriedly hung up, fumbled amongst my just-collected printouts for my card and stumbled up the bus.

Thankfully, there was an empty seat where I could throw my stuff on and pack away. Just as I was sorting out the documents, I thought I felt wind. So the wind kept blowing until it metamorphized into some sort of whisper that sounded like my name. Is somebody calling me? I thought. So I turned around.

Now, you must understand I am almost a quarter of a century old and my memory is like mush. I saw two unfamiliar faces and I was like uh. ok. I-don't-know-them-but-why-did-i-turn. Suddenly, the recognition began to seep in and it struck me like a brain wave!

Me: You are ...
(I wanted to say "blue" because it was her previous nickname but i think "You are blue, right!" sounded weird. Sounds funny and X-rated. Mmm. I hesistated.)
Me: You are ... *Trying again*
(I wanted to say "tequila" and "pigscanfly" but it sounded funny too! Then I realized I don't know her name.)
Her: ..didi's mama.

Oh yeah right! So we chatted for a while and boy! am I really glad to put a face to someone whose blog I have been regularly reading. Ha ha! Anyway I alighted the bus and realized I STILL do not know her name.

MMm.

Anyway, today is a major pig-out day. My supervisor decided he was generous enough to treat us all to lunch and I had a very fulfilling meal at Thai Express. *Rubs Tummy*

For dinner, I treated my cousins and mum to Swensens since I have some of their vouchers. The dessert of apple crumble is really not bad! Mmm.

***Edited***
Anyway, after the dinner, as we were fetching my 2 cousins home, we had a funny sort of argument. One of my cousin, Michelle, is a very street-wise ah-lian 18-year-old and is always having disputes with sausagelips.

During dinner, sausagelips apparently tried to irritate me when I said his spaghetti tasted plain. He retorted by putting his arms around my shoulders and said,"I LIKE MY THINGS PLAIN, you know." as an insinuation that I look plain.

So I faked a pout and complained to Michelle about his comment. Michelle flew into a rage. You have no idea how fast her retorts to sausagelips were.

M: HOW CAN YOU SAY PEOPLE LOOK PLAIN!?
M: DO YOU KNOW HOW YOU LOOK LIKE!
M: YOUR FACE IS ..
She searched for the right word.
M: Your FACE IS ..
She thought hard.
M: YOUR FACE IS OCCUPIED!

We all looked stunned momentarily. Occupied? Huh?

M: YAH! YOUR FACE IS OCCUPIED YOU KNOW!
M: YOUR EYES BIG, NOSE BIG, LIPS THICK! YOUR FACE IS ALL OCCUPIED!
M: THE REST OF YOUR FACE IS JUST OCCUPIED WITH OIL! OIL! OIL!

Ha ha ha. My gawd, you should have seen the speechless face of sausagelips. For once, I think he was so amused he had nothing to throw back at her.

***

After 2 good meals, I am currently feeling contented.
Posted at 11:23 PM by missjellybeano/">missjellybeano | 6 beanoes

Just a while ago, dear sandy showed me his ipodified photo (which is so humorous and adorable, my gawd). So as I was complaining my boredom to her, she told me I could try to counter my boredom by attempting and ipodification since both of us are quite broke to pay for one.

No thanks to didi's mama hard-core advertising for apple stuff as well as my brother's constant lauding of their aesthetics (he's an architect, very particular about that aspect), I am gradually developing an affinity for them (and that is expensive taste, btw).

Oh, so the above is an ipodification of Mister Toto. I believe didi has an ipodification of himself some time ago. Of course, you can get the real thang via here!
Posted at 09:50 PM by missjellybeano/">missjellybeano | 5 beanoes

Just a while ago, after finishing my lecture at about 9-plus in the evening, I sauntered to my lab to check my email. As I scanned through my emails, I realized, surprisingly, there was an email invitation from my brother. Ha, I thought, this is rare. Especially from my brother who seldom invites me to such web phenomenon. Well, such a rare opportunity should be explored and brothers should be trusted, so I went to the site to register.

WHAT...A...BLOODY...MISTAKE!

The registration was rather simple. After registration, they requested for my email again, so the young gullible me, oblivious to all sneaky portals behavior, submitted my address. I am still in the tra-la-la mode until..

"INVITES HAVE BEEN SENT TO ALL RECIPIENTS IN YOUR MAIL BOX."

What a sneaking bastard!!! With a click of a button, they (without my consent) sent invitations to all the recipients of my email box or something, I have no idea, including my SUPERVISOR!! GRRRR! Imagine my supervisor checking his mailbox and seeing their stupid pre-recorded message "HI! COME JOIN ME IN MY NETWORK." and thinking "THIS RESEARCH ASSISTANT OF MINE HOW COME SO FREE AH?"

Okie, that's it. I am officially dead.

I am so sorry if you all received the same invitation from me. PLEASE DO NOT JOIN because personally, I DETEST SNEAKY BEHAVIOR!! *huffs*


***********

Anyway, I watched "The Aviator" last night. You realized most award-winning movies feature mad people or ugly people. So next time you are thinking of winning some awards, you know where to go. :D

Posted at 11:45 PM by missjellybeano/">missjellybeano | 10 beanoes

Today has been a tiring, but exciting day. Together with my girlfriends, we ventured into the dense MacRitchie Reservoir in search of the much-hyped about HSBC Tree Top Trail. It was a long trek, up and down small hills, to the suspension bridge which is frankly disappointing. In fact, I think the Kent Ridge Park's Canopy Walk offers a much more spectacular view! I was hoping the suspension bridge to sway dangerously or something, but no, it was as stable as erm.. well it is like damn stable. I tried to sway the bridge abit but a mother bringing her toddler daughter would turn back and throw me dirty looks, so I refrained.

We started off happy, laughing and joking. No sweat. Ha ha ha all the way. After the tree top trail where we looked at the top of dying trees, we got a little lost. The Ha ha ha was slowly evaporating. Heh. We were gradually getting hungry and stomaches were growling to be fed. In all, we risked our lives edging over slippery pipes that overlooked little streams, escaping from crocodiles (!), ducking for potential golf balls, tolerating screaming children, missing bus stops to finally reach our food destination. Phew. *Wipes off sweat*

Photos here!

Anyway, I think I am losing my sense of hearing. As I inquired a bus driver about the bus route, I grossly misheard what he said.

Me (A friend behind me): Does this bus goes to Thomson Plaza?
Bus driver: Oh. Mei2 you3 leh. (Don't have.) Ba1 shi4 Bao4 Lu4 (Bus exposed).
Me: Huh? (What bus exposed? I do not comprehend.)
Bus driver: EIGHT FIVE FIVE.
Me: Oh, okie thanks.

We got down the bus and I turned to my friend,"
Why the hell did the bus driver said the bus is bao4 lu4 for? What does it mean the bus is exposed?"

My friend was incredulous.
"HE SAID BA1 WU3 WU3 (Eight Five Five in Mandarin) LAH!" and other friends started sniggering.

Later at night, I was watching Sandy park her car, 2 guys trudged along and I can hear them say,"Eh is she the parking attendant?" Suddenly one of them spoke.

WG (Weird guy): Hey. Do you know of any abandoned building around here?
Me: HUH?
WG: DO YOU KNOW OF ANY ABANDONED BUILDING AROUND HERE?
Me: er no.
WG: AHAHAHAHAHA. Ok Thank you.

Why the fish would anybody look for an abandoned building la! Warped eh.
Posted at 02:59 AM by missjellybeano/">missjellybeano | 6 beanoes

I am never the orange-kind of person. In fact, I have an averse reaction to orange-colored fruit ever since my aunt's doctor diagnosed her yellow-colored hands due to her excessive eating of orange-colored papayas. Apparently, there is some sort of colored pigment in papayas that can turn you yellow. To be more specific, I have stopped eating papayas ever since. I don't think yellow is a very healthy color to be, thank you very much. Don't say I didn't warn ya! EXCESSIVE EATING OF PAPAYAS TURNS YOU YELLOW! (p.s. what happens to blacks when they eat too much papayas? black+yellow = brown? Interesting.)

However, recently, my mother sprung back from the market with a load of puny mandarin oranges. They look so cute! And they taste so goooood. I am consuming them by truckloads! I hope I don't turn orange soon. Hm.

Anyway, nothing much to write about except for the fact I am currently feeling stupid. Sometimes, during lectures, I drift off into a daze and start wondering why the heck am I in class with these smart people. My mind is actually full of nonsense and (useless) overactive imagination and if our minds are transparent, I bet everyone in class will be aghast to learn that nothing in my brain has got anything to do with what the lecturer is saying.

Quoting my sarcastically-witted lecturer: "If I weren't here lecturing, I would have dozed off."

HA! My Sentiments EXACTLY.
Posted at 10:37 AM by missjellybeano/">missjellybeano | 4 beanoes

Forgive my recent weird amalgamation of food and body parts. Recently, I received plenty of quizzical cyberspace looks (also known as emoticons on MSN Messenger) on the subject of my nickname as a mandarin-orange-head (Please refer to entry below.) One of my MSN correspondents embarked on an animated discussion which broached the subject of candy floss. At that instant, I began to imagine him having candy floss hair, don't ask me why. I think I am warped. But hey, candy floss hair could be the solution to a better world. Here's why:

Firstly, when you are feeling depressed, you can just pluck your candy floss hair and get some sugar dosage that can dissolve some of your depression. Secondly, your candy floss hair - albeit a rather afro-looking one - will probably be low-maintenance. No need for expensive hair-stylist! You just eat your own hair and you don't have to worry about CHINESE NEW YEAR hair-salons' exhorbitant price spike. Boo. Thirdly, when confronted with an agressive assailant, you can whip out the satay sticks (or candy-floss sticks, if you prefer) from your hair and wave them menacing, stab them, whatever. Of course, you can always offer them your candy floss hair.

Gah. Now you see where my overactive brain cells are operating. Gahhhhh.

On other serious matters, I am currently feeling broke. Having NOT shopping for a month since christmas, all hell broke loose when I was released to the joys of shopping once more last week. UGH! I have been spending and shopping! What is worse that sandy is asking me to accompany for her shopping spree later and I will be exposed to more evils and temptations! I need a restraining order. Or a sugar daddy. Or mummy. Or sister. Or brother. Heh.

Also, I have received my LIVESTRONG bands from his mother. Now I have three. I can choose to wear one - LIVE STRONG. I can choose to wear two - LIVE STRONGER. I can choose to wear three - LIVE STRONGEST! MUHAHAHAHA. I am invincible.
Posted at 11:13 AM by missjellybeano/">missjellybeano | 5 beanoes

Early this fine Monday morning, I resigned to fate and settled to do my research. As if my Monday blues are not enough, my mother shuffled around the house, beginning her spring cleaning. Together with the maid (Lina), they began to dig into our storeroom with a shovel. Ok, I am kidding. I mean, they dug with their bare hands. Soon..

Mother: This paper bag don't want. *Chucking sounds*
Lina: But this is so nice!
Mother: This one also don't want. *Chuck chuck chuck*
Lina: But this one very nice! Takashimaya paper bag!
Mother: No no no. All don't want. *Chuck chuck chuck.*
Lina: But..
Mother: Throw throw.

The commotion tickled the conscience of the studious me. I went around, poking my nose at their freshly-dug-out contents, pretending to inspect their spring cleaning. TO MY UTTER HORRORS, I saw some paper bags I was planning to save from my USA trip, cruelly sentenced to the fate of being chucked away!!

Me: HEY! THIS CRANE AND NOBLE PAPER BAG IS FROM USA ONE LEH.
Mother: Aiyah. How I know. Only a paper bag what.
Me: HEY THIS CENTURY PARK PAPER BAG IS FROM NEW YORK CITY CENTURY PARK ONE!
Mother: AIYAH YOU PACK LAH YOU PACK LAH.

So! The paper bags heroine began cautiously sifting out treasured paper bags from the pile, saving them from a cruel destiny. Don't ask me what I do with these bags, I don't know why I have a fetish of keeping this paper bags, thinking I will always need them later. Or hoping they will become vintage items and then I will be able to tell my grandchildren - "Last time Ah Mah used these paper bags one okie."

Posted at 10:22 AM by missjellybeano/">missjellybeano | 3 beanoes