Say Goodbye...

Made a long overdue effort to revamp the guest room into a craft room. In the process of doing so, I finally tossed some things away, most of which were just trash. There were a couple, however, that had some memories attached...

1. My childhood stereo..

This was a birthday gift from my parents when I was in secondary school. It was antique enough that it had both a cassette tape and a MD player! It had served me well during my school days, always there for me while I chilled out in the room or while I struggled to study. It's definitely hard to say goodbye, especially after a decade. But I guess when it's time to let go.. I've to..

2. My snowboarding helmet..

This thing probably saved my life last fateful Christmas. Though I've absolutely no use of it now, it was a little heartbreaking tossing it out. Afterall, I am indebted to it.
Seeing the evidence of the crack it endured while it sacrificed itself for me still gives me chills and make me grateful that no long term damage happened (but again, maybe I did get dumber..=P).

Saying goodbye isn't easy, especially to things with memories. While I no longer hang on to these physical possessions, looking at the photos still give me a little warmth in my heart (and a little ache as well). At least there's still some memories of them that I could hang on to for as long as I would like...

For now, GoodBye...

Me Time trip.. Planning..

OMG. I didn't realise how difficult it is to plan a backpacking solo trip. It's even tougher for someone who tends not to plan for any trip and kinda do things as and when she feels like (Well, I'm a super last minute, impromtu kinda person I guess). I'm having a major headache just selecting the places I wanna visit, and suddenly, 2 weeks seemed to be wayyy too short!

I wonder if I would ever get done.. The scary (yet really thrilling) part is that, I would have to have a pretty complete plan as I won't really have anyone to lean on when something shitty happens.. Well, I'm pretty sure something IS going to happen. (Maybe a charming English prince or knight would come to my rescue then.) But till then, I'm definitely on my own! The unknown is just so exciting!!!! Sigh, wished I could have done this earlier!

Here's a quick look of the top places that are the highest priority in my itinerary as of now...

1. Bath

It's kinda stupid why I wanna go Bath. I was watching some HK drama (which I can't even recall) about a couple meeting and being together in Bath and I thought that I wanna go there someday.. And yap, that someday is in October!

2. Stonehenge

Definitely have to visit the iconic prehistoric site right?

3. Glasgow

Yap, Scotland's in my travel plans as well!!!

Other places include Liverpool, Cambridge and Edinburgh as well!!

Hopefully, the photos I upload in November will be that of those I took myself! Meanwhile, back to planning... *Pulls hair*

Musicals!!!

I recently bought tickets for two musicals that I've been dying to watch!!!

1. Rent

Remember me being super excited about Rent's return to broadway? (here) Yap, I finally bought tickets for it!!

Won't be able to collect my tickets till the actual day, but the seats are amazing!! I really can't wait till July 27!!!

2. Book of Mormon

Sigh, sad story on why I got the ticket. I probably tried the lottery about 5 times (and nope, didn't make it for any..) ! The crowd for the lottery tickets was insanely huge (possibly bigger than that of Wicked). Eventually, I decided that luck wasn't on my side and I'm finally willing to pay for two full priced good tickets (for me and Zim). Annoyingly, the next available date for two decent orchestra tickets (middle) is in April 2012! WTH.. Frustrated and desperate to watch it (come on, I'm a HUGE south park fan!), I decided to be a bitch and ditch my husband. In exchange, I managed to get really good seat for ONE in November! I am soooo excited!

Sorry Mr Lim, I promise to give you a good synopsis of the musical! I'm so enjoying the soundtrack I just can't wait!!! yippppppeeeee~

PS: If you are planning to visit me Sam next year and wanna catch this musical, BUY TICKETS NOW!

Me Time Trip..

Yap, I'm going Great Britain for my solo holiday!!! Not quite sure what the itinerary is as of now, and I seriously need to sit down and spend sometime planning the trip.. but you know what, I'm so freaking excited already!!!!!

I'm counting down to October...

So, wake me up when September ends ya?

Purple monster..

Something new for a change...

Can you spot my havianas tan? That's the results of Sam's daily noontime dog park visits! Yap, I officially have a thong tan.. LOL
Not exactly sure if I'm in love with the color, but nonetheless, it's an interesting change..

Time to ponder on what I should get next...

Kiasu Americans...

Goes to show that Singaporeans ain't the only kiasu people around..

The fireworks won't begin till 9.20pm and people are already reserving spots.. Nice...

Lucky us, we have the full view of the fireworks in the comforts of our own home! *Smug look*

anyway, Happy 4th July!!

简单爱

Suddenly had an urge and gian-ness for Jay chou's first two albums. Afterall, I was a fan some donkey years ago. Unfortunately, silly me forgot to transfer my songs from the CDs I bought (legally) onto my macbook before I came to NYC. -_- As result, I just had to deal with the cravings/ yearnings I had for these songs. (Hm, it's beginning to sound a little weird..) Anyway, now that I finally got my hands on it, thanks to Raye~ I'm totally loving it.

Interestingly, the number one song that I just can't stop playing, surprisingly, is 简单爱. Well, I didn't exactly like it previously.. but there's someone that kept appearing in my mind when the lyrics are planning and I just love the whole feeling of it..

Yap, you probby guessed. It's SAM! I love you SAMMY!!! =

我想就這樣牽著你的手 (more like paw~)不放開
愛可不可以简简單單沒有傷害

你靠著我的肩膀
你在我胸口睡著
像這樣的生活　我愛你　你愛我

Okay, I'm starting to sound like a psycho... but he is indeed, the love of my life.. sorry zim~ =/

Me Time...

I was just chatting with a few of my friends over the past week about how being in NYC has changed us. (Luckily for us all, it's usually a change for the better..) I know that I've matured (yes, it comes with age), became more sensible and definitely am more independent. I am even surprised by how resilient I could be and how I could actually stand on my own feet and cope without Zim around. And of course, I am pretty proud of myself for being a relatively good doggy parent (Okay, self praise is no praise..but you get the gish~). Well, that is if you see beyond what a brat the little monster has become. Sigh~ Still, it's an achievement for a first time dog owner!

Though I'm pretty proud of what I have become (*Smug look*), I still wanna push myself a little more. So, *Drums roll*, I am going to challenge myself by going on a backpacking trip ALONE. Yes, alone. This is really a pretty big decision considering what a wimp and scaredy cat I can be. So, hopefully through this, I will be able to grow even more!

I've a couple of plans in mind about where I would like to explore on my own. (Definitely places that have no lizards!) Hopefully things will work out and I would be able to get some me time to myself... Fingers crossed!!

School-less...

I didn't get into the school I applied to. So, what now?

Interestingly, I wasn't exactly disappointed that I was rejected. In fact, it kinda helped me settle the dilemmas I faced with regards to the financial capabilities to afford the studies, the time constraints and the practicality of the decision. Despite that, I know I still wanna work with animals. Thus, even if I ain't able to be a veterinarian, I'm confident that there are alternatives for me to explore.

I've found a shelter to volunteer in. I had previously tried volunteering with ASPCA but the commute got the the better of lazy me. This time, I managed to find a shelter within the vicinity. Hopefully, I will be able to keep it up. I guess time would tell.

Meanwhile, I shall continue to indulge in my taitai-hood, examless and carefree days of ultimate nua-ing.

Life isn't that bad after all, isn't it? *Grinz*

One year and counting.

I am really lousy with dates and anniversaries. (Good for Mr Lim I guess) I actually just realised that I've missed Sammy's first anniversary with us which was supposedly on 28 March!

Well, this first year with the little boy has been a roller coaster ride. From having a little cute puppy to having a handsome but slightly rebellious adolescent. From struggling with separation anxiety, to being able to remain in the crate for several hours while mummy and daddy are out. From sleeping in the crate, to pretty much owning the bed at night. From strictly dog food, to little treats of yummy human food (one of his all-time favourite is cheese). And most importantly, from tons of potty accidents, to, well, not so many accidents. (Yeah, there's still room for improvement.)

I've to say we got pretty lucky. Sam has an absolutely amazing personality for a jack russell terror. He does have his pissy moments (where he gets a little snappy), he does play a little rough (especially when he realizes that the other party is a pushover) and he does have a hell lot of energy. Yet, he is an independent, healthy and happy little guy. I cannot thank him enough for the tons of joy, laughter and pride he brought into our lives (more in mine than in Zim's life I'm pretty sure).

I love you, my silly little boy and of course, Happy one year anniversary.. and many more to come!

Cowardly me..

Curiosity killed the cat and killed my courage. Out of curiosity, I had been watching numerous horror movies and documentaries over the past month. As a result, there were several occasions when I woke up due to nightmares (yap, mostly those surrounding the supernatural). Even when I'm wide awake, I would scare myself with silly thoughts of scenes I saw on tv. (The number one culprit was a particular scene in 见鬼2 where a perverted old man ghost was staring at the lead actress in the public restroom. Shrugs). Thus, when Mr Lim had to leave for a short trip again, I was really upset (okay, mostly scared) and didn't dare to sleep till the sun started to rise. (Yes, for once, Sam didn't help much. In fact, I was sub-consciously worried that he might stare at nothing and bark again.) I was pretty much dreading the next time Mr Lim had to leave for a work trip that I couldn't tag along (those that include any sorts of plane rides).

Yap, that was sunday. Well, honestly, things weren't as bad as I thought. For once, I am actually really appreciative of the noisy streets of NYC, the ridiculously loud sirens and the constant traffic (yap, even in the wee hours of the morning). At least I wasn't alone! Little Sam was pretty cooperative as well and didn't do any of his sudden outbarks at nothing. (Phew~) All in all, seemed like I've pretty much gotten rid of the cowardly me for now. (Until I succumbed to my curiosity and start watching any scary shit again, well, and knowing me, that would be pretty soon..) But seriously, I really do take my hat off those who stay alone! I could never do in the long run!

Anyway, the good news is.. Mr Lim is coming home today! Time for a real good night of sleep.

zzzzzzzzz

What I want for XXX...

XXXX as I really cannot think of any occasion that is coming up which I can justify getting meself a gift or extorting Mr Lim for one. Nonetheless, I want this!
Yap, it's a customized Longchamp Le Pliage bag! *Sigh* I'm a huge sucker for longchamp bags (current count at 4). The shape of this bag is pretty cute and I don't have any of this size as of now. (Does it mean it's justifiable to get it?)

The slightly bigger one, (additional USD30) is quite a contender too. But I do have a pink one of this size. =(

Out of my 4 bags, my favourite is the navy and blue one (which also happened to be my first of the 4). However, wear and tear is taking a toll on that bag and it's in pretty bad shape. I really love the colors and is quite disappointed that it happened to from a limited edition collection. Hence, if I were to customize one, that would definitely be my colour scheme. To add a personal touch to it, I would even emboss my initials (erm, on second thoughts, KEY would be way better than LKY) on it. Nice right?

Sigh, so the dilemma is, is it worth spending USD200 on a bag (includes taxes and shipping) that I could buy off the racks (well, the classic designs though) for possibly 60 Euro? Argh...

Think think think...

My new toy!

Okay, it's not really that new. Mr Lim bought me a Silhouette SD during the black friday thanksgiving sale last year. After procrastinating for, erm, 5 months, I finally opened the package and put it to test. And you know what, I'm loving it!

It was a little confusing to use initially, but after a short while (and some youtube tutorial), I eventually figured out what to do.

So, I chose the font type and paper size, type in the words I wanted.

The setup of the machine was really easy and there was no compatibility issues at all! The installation was a breeze as well. (Unlike my stupid Canon Selphy.) Thanks to the youtube tutorial, I knew how to insert the paper correctly.

The end product was amazing and the cutting happened within minutes. It's so much better than the QuicKutz Squeeze that I previously used. Definitely a time and effort saver.

On a side note, the silhouette SD machine produced a really funny noise that woke the little boy. He was pretty fascinated by what he heard and could not stop staring at it.
Here's the end product! Isn't it awesome! (And yap, no surprises, it's for Sammy, yet again)

Anyway, this is really quite exciting and tons of fun! I really can't wait to put it into more use!

Cherry Blossom weekend in DC..

I finally made an effort to visit Washington DC! As usual, we tagged along when Mr Lim went to work. Honestly, DC is awesome. It's so beautiful, well-kempt and seriously clean. (Sigh, I guess everywhere is clean when the comparison point is NYC) I really enjoyed visiting the monuments and museums (I got two under my belt). And best of all, we happened to be there just in time for the Cherry Blossom Weekend. I was quite concerned that the rainy week prior to our trip would wash away all the cherry blossoms, but lucky us, we made it there to see it!

Here's a little glimpse.

We stayed in the W hotel in Washington. Really nice and posh place! Pity Mr Lim's starwood privileges didn't come into play and we didn't get a free upgrade as hoped. But again, we really shouldn't expect much, especially since this is the peak season in DC. Anyway, the best part of the hotel is that the restaurant located there is J&G Steakhouse!!. How could we say no! Well, this was by far the best room service food we ever had! Yum~

Unfortunately, due to expensive lodging (it was almost USD400 per night) and time constraints, we didn't really get to enjoy more places within DC. Hence, I'm pretty sure I will be heading back once again. Plus, Sam seemed to really like the daycare I found him!

Our last night in DC was spent in a touristy place called National Harbour. Erm, as it was still the off-peak season there, it was pretty much like a ghost town. Other than the hotel, Aloft, we stayed in, the whole area was not very dog friendly. We weren't even allowed to dine at the outdoor seating area with Sam. (Apparently, a new policy came into play just last year.) It was quite frustrating as the hostess had already sat us down and we were ready to order when a 'seasoned' waiter came out to turn us away. Duh~ In the end, we decided to just pack up, check out, get the hell out of that place and find a MacDonald Take out. (nothing's more satisfying than a good filet-O-fish anyway) Guess that would probably be our first and last time to that area.

Nonetheless, the trip was good and seems like pesty Sam did enjoy himself while understanding the culture and history of his country.

New Look for Spring 2011

Watching little Sam investing a fair amount of time setting up and beautifying his blog made me a little guilty neglecting mine. Thus, after much deliberation and a lot of hard work, I have decided to give me blog a facelift! Nope, I'm not narcissistic. It's just that I needed to find a picture that would not have it's quality compromised by the reduction of the file size. Plus, since we spent so much money on our wedding photo shoot, using this picture as the background does make quite a bit of sense.

So here's the outcome. Not too bad I hope...

Rent..

I remembered reading the NY times article about the musical coming to the end after a 12-year run and could not help but feel a sense of regret of not being able to catch it. I loved the dvd version and had always wanted to catch it on broadway. Well, the regret kept hanging over my head everytime my ipod plays "Seasons of love" until I realized that....

It's back!!!! Or rather, it's coming back!


I CANNOT wait...... whoopie~

Best of all, there's lottery tickets to the show! Time for me to spend my weekdays standing in line for tickets!

This is just one of the reasons why I love NYC!

I am finally insured!

After a year in the states, I am officially proud to say that I finally have health insurance! (YEAH!) No more overpaying ridiculous amount for simple consultations. And no more disgusting high hospital bills that are uber jaw-dropping.

On a good note, thankfully AIA and Zim's company were able to cover the hefty snowboarding bill. (The final bill was almost 5 digits) We are really relieved that we didn't have to fork out a single cent. (Phew~)

Nonetheless, at least I no longer have to crack the joke that my dog has insurance and I don't. Now me and little Sam are both well-insured. =D

Sammy's little blog...

Okay, after procrastinating for the longest of time, I have decided to give Sam, the stupid dog, a blog of his own. That would hopefully, prevent him for hogging the contents of my blog. And maybe, the future updates here would orientate around my life, not his! While it might not be as interesting, at least it's about me, not him. (Grumbles..)

On a good note, Sam types miraculously fast! After all, he does have four paws, instead of two hands. Hm, good for him.

Anyway, check out his stupid little barks here.

Sam in action...

The little destroyer caught in action!

Sam the destroyer..

Our little boy is a PEST, especially when he's bored. And when he's bored, he would definitely put his little jaws into some use (Not in a good way though). He's a pampered brat with tons of toys and one of his favorite boredom killing hobbies is to destroy his stuffed toys bit by bit.

Sam has a little routine which he does while decapitating his toys. His routine begins with the Tags to the Ears to the Tails (if any) to the Limbs and finally to their Bodies... You could almost always see his satisfied little face after he had torn the toy into pieces. (Doesn't he just sound like a pretty seasoned serial killer?!)

Keeping his tortured habit in mind, I am pretty cautious in buying toys for him. While avoiding real human toys, I do look out for toys that are meant to be for aggressive chewers. And apparently, Kong's toys are meant to be sturdy and long lasting. (And I really adore their chew toys..) But I guess their stuffed animals really couldn't withstand the "Sam" test...
Zebra Kong was one of his first toys.
I guess Monkeys just ain't his kind of animal.
Tiger was the latest addition, and that probably explains why he is still pretty intact. (As of now..)

After watching him destroy 3 kong stuffed animals, I wondered if he was just against Kong toys, so I bought Booda to try it out. And of course, to nobody's surprise, he killed Booda bit by bit... (and yap, I had to clean up after him AGAIN. -_-")

So, I gave up on having to clear up the mess of a stuffed animal (cotton wools) and invested in a Skinneeez stuuffing free toy. Somehow, Sam managed to flip the poor fox inside out.. (At least there wasn't much of a mess to clean up after this time round.)


I bought this cuddle pal for Sammy in Singapore as I felt really guilty for abandoning him for such a long period. Judging from the outcome of the toy, I guess Sam's still in a pissy mood over being left behind.

Here's a little glimpse of Sam's ongoing projects..

My independent little man...

As much as I adore Sam, he's possibly the one rare dog that is not at all cuddly. Unlike most dogs who would love to crawl up to your lap for a good rub, Sammy would rather sit at the other end of the room and glance at you with the corner of his eyes. 犯贱的我 is usually the one crawling up to him to disturb him (especially during commercial breaks). At the dog park, when owners leave their dogs behind, the dogs would start staring out of the gate and waiting for the owners to return. Sam? He would just give me a quick glance and go right back to his games. Even when I return, I pretty much still don't exist in his eyes when there are other distractions. Sad huh? But again, this is really characteristic of terriers, who are supposedly more independent to begin with. (Okay, that probably also explains why he doesn't do recall well at all.)

We left the little man at his usual daycare for the whole duration of our Singapore trip. When we picked him up, the lady at the daycare was full of praises of how wonderful Sam was. She commented that Sam was super independent and did not cry or whine at night. Even in the day, he would just play as much as he wanted and when he was tired, he would head to a small little corner to sleep on his own. When I heard that, my whole heart just ached. He sounded like a poor little kid that had no parents to care for him and he's just left to fend and mind his own stuff. T_T Sigh, how I wished I could have been there to give him a little pat when he's trying to cuddle into a ball to sleep or maybe even a little kiss, or to greet him when I wake up in the morning. (To compensate, Sammy boy got to sleep on the bed for the next couple of days.)

Sigh, as much as I appreciate his independence, I do kinda wish that the little man would be a tad bit dependent on me...

Us...

Conversation between Husband and Wife

Me:"Do you think Sam is talking to the other dogs when he barks at them?"
Zim: "Possibly.."
Me: "Hm, do you think the dogs in Singapore will understand Sam's american accent then?"
Zim: -_-

Well, I always dig the american accent in ABCs to begin with. So effectively, Sam is our ABCD - American Born Chinese Dog!

Frankfurt!

Zim and I decided to stop by Frankfurt on our way back to Singapore for two main reasons:

1. To break up the long and horrid plane ride on SQ26/25. It's officially the worst SQ planes of all the SQ flights I've been on. Apparently, while all the other SQ flights have been upgraded to the newer planes, this is the one rare flight that is still using the ancient Boeing 747-700. The screen is possibly smaller than my kindle screen and the chairs are oooold. So, by stopping over at Frankfurt, we managed to book the newer flight (YEAH~) for our Frankfurt-Singapore leg.

2. Shopping! There are only two destinations on my shopping list - Longchamp and Crumpler! So far so good! Crumpler was awesome!!!!! Apparently, the crumpler in Europe is different franschise from the crumpler in Asia and America, thus the collections are totally different from those in Singapore and NYC. AND I LOVE THEM ALLL!!!!!!! Nothing new for Longchamp, except that it's dirt cheap after tax refund. Ho Ho Ho... I'll update my loot when I get back to Singapore. Swinging by Crumpler one last time tomorrow for a few more grabs. =D

Other than that, Frankfurt isn't exactly the most exciting of places and it really sucks that the weather is wet and cold. It's been raining for the past two days that we were here, what luck. Maybe tomorrow will be a better last day.

New Year Resolutions...

I've only ONE resolution this year.

Always trust my own instincts.. It's possibly always right...

I learnt the lesson the pretty hard way in 2010. So I guess it shouldn't be too tough for me to achieve that in 2011.

Happy holidays!!

Merry X'mas!

Hee, Zim decided to give me my X'mas present before we head off to Vermont. Well, this was quite a pleasant surprise as I really wasn't expecting anything, especially after the few major spendings this month (beginning with MASA and followed by Vermont trip). Nonetheless, the gift was AWESOME. (Probably one of the rare few things that I actually really like!)

And yes, it comes in a pretty little blue box tied in a silky white ribbon that is every girl's dream!


It's a lovely charm bracelet with it's very first charm that resembles little Sammy!!! YAPPY!


Feeling really guilty for him spending so much money, I've decided that this would double up as our 2nd wedding anniversary present as well. (Time really flies! It's been almost two years!)

I've been pretty busy with school that I've not been able to buy him his present. Oops.. Shall brainstorm and sit on it for a while.. Hang in there Zimmy~

Done with School!

Yeah! Okay, at least for this semester..
Happy~

Snowboarding weekend!

Snowboarding weekend is finally coming up! Not only that, it's also gonna be the first white X'mas I'm gonna be having! Happy~ Anyway, in preparation for the snowboarding weekend and after much deliberation, I finally decided to invest in the snowboarding gears.

So, I swinged by Paragon Sports with a friend who is an expert at snowboarding to stock up on the gears. Hee, I'm really glad he was there to give some really precious advice. No surprises, the criteria of my purchases were as such:
1. The aesthetic - White is of course my new black. (Recall: white ibook, white ipod, white iphone..)
2. Price
3. Feasibility (Come on, I'm afterall still a girl, what were you expecting?!)

Here are the steals:

1 ) My snowboarding boots from Burton. Not only was it one of the cheapest available, I am completely in love with the colors!

2) My solomon helmet which surprisingly cost as much as the boots does.

3) The design of my board with my lovely Oakley googles. It's also my first pair of Oakley. Apparently, I don't have a nosebridge that is high enough to support most of the Oakley shades, so this is about as far as I can get to own an Oakley. Guess I'll make do.

4) The snowboard bag that I had to drag all the way from Union Square to Chinatown for lunch. Luckily there were wheels on it. It's a lifesaver!
All in all, my steals for the day.
This whole shit cost me quite a huge sum of money and thankfully, we had already bought our ski jackets and pants from our shopping trip in feb. Hence, the damage isn't as significant as it should be. (Okay, who am I kidding again...)

Nonetheless, I'm definitely making a pretty deep commitment here and will try my best to go snowboarding as frequent as I can before the season is over or before something is broken. (Knock on wood though) And, by any stroke of luck, I might be able to snowboard well enough by the end of my stay in NYC.
Can't wait!! And yap, this is also what I'm abandoning Sam for. Sorry Sammy boy!

It's Really NOT my day.

When bad and unlucky things do happen, they all happen at the same time. And yap, today is the day.

It started off with a confrontation with a neighbour I really dislike. (Yes, I'm biased...) I was dreaming for a dashing ang moh, preferably with a Daniel Wu resemblance, that would move in opposite us. And of course, that did not come true, nowhere close at all. In came this fugly balding middle aged guy. (Okay, I'm not against his appearance) I just didn't have any good vibes about him. We had an encounter before this and he was just purely unfriendly and stuck up. So, in a nutshell, I don't like him. I guess I must have been really extremely unlucky to meet him on my way back. (I was carrying this uber heavy box all the way back from times square and I was in a rather frustrated mood already.) He was complaining about a barking dog and how the dog had been driving him crazy for the past three days blah blah (no, it's not Sam, Sam isn't even at home most of the time, it's a dog we are dog sitting.). To his credit, his complaint was valid. Unfortunately, being a bitch I am, it's just his face and his tone that I was upset with. Plus, I was really tired from dragging the box, couldn't he had picked a better time? This was actually one of the rare few times that I was not apologetic for something that's partly my fault. It didn't help that the dog was barking when I was struggling to open the dog. Sigh, maybe the barking might make him move away? And maybe then a daniel wu look-a-like would move in instead? *Praying~*

On one hand, I was also pretty frustrated with the barking. I am dog person and while I don't mind the barking, it's getting on my nerves a little and I'm also a little stressed out that my other neighbours would complain as well. I had to change some of my plans for the rest of the week as I had to stay home to prevent the dog from barking incessantly. And I really appreciate that Zim's mom was around to help out a great deal.

And things just didn't get any better. I decided to carry my two uber big textbooks to school to sell today and after struggling with the stupid books on the long train journey and long walk, I arrived at the bookstore just 2 minutes before closing! RAWR~~~~~~~~ Super upset. So, I was left with the two horribly heavy books. Thank god for my classmate who was willing to let me leave them in her car. So annoyed.

The best part of all, to end my day, I dropped my underwear in the toilet bowl (AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh) just five minutes short of a new day.

WHAT THE HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL...

It's here!!!!

No, I don't mean my period.

It's the canvas I ordered! Well, long story short, I went for a Rachel Ray Show recording and the guest star was Ty Pennington (from Extreme Makeover Home Edition). Apparently, he was endorsing for Canvas on Demand and as the audience, we received a USD$150 gift voucher free. Well, being the skeptical Singaporean, I was pretty convinced that there were conditions applied to receiving the discount. Hence I procastinated for a while before finally choosing a photo to be made into a canvas. No surprises here, of course it's a photo of Sam!

It was a real pleasant surprise to learn that not only were there no strings attached, the company even gave us a larger size being the size we chose wasn't suitable for the photo we submitted. All we had to pay was the shipping cost, which came up to no more than USD$15! So, we waited.

This was the photo we submitted.

Here's the end product which I absolutely adore!!

I absolutely love it! But I can't quite say the same for Sam though.

Nonetheless, I'm sooo please with the end product. =D

New apple product to my collection?

Couldn't stop LOL-ing when I saw this product.

Maybe I should get this for Sam for X'mas.

List of things to do when I get back...

1. Visit a dentist. Despite the daily brushing, I'm sure there are some decaying food scraps anchored somewhere in my mouth that I just can't get rid off. But nope, I'm pretty sure my breath doesn't stink.. Slight dilemma here though, (A bimbotic one as well) should I return to Hougang just to see the cute dentist, or should I just find one in the vicinity? *Frets*

2. Get a facial. I really miss my facial place - Skin Revival. While there's a pretty decent facial place in Flushing, I really miss my facialist whom I could just talk non-stop with. (I'm not that sure if she misses me though, probably not..)

3. Get a hair cut. Hair cut is just ridiculously expensive in NYC and after being to two different salons, nothing beats NEXT Hair Salon! And in comparison to the prices here, it's wayy cheaper too. Maybe I'll get a color and a perm (if I don't chicken out again) as well.

4. Visit my OB-GYN. Well, the last time I went, I had some cysts removed. Hopefully this visit would be better and more pleasant. And, time to stock up on my painkillers again. Yes, the cramps are still here. It was better initially but it's gradually getting worst. Sigh~ let's see how it goes. Hopefully, my insurance would cover the cost. =P

5. Visit my optician - Chew's Optics (I've been going there since I was in primary school!) I guess I am officially sick of my nerdy glasses. Time to get something that will make me look smarter and to grab more contact lens.

6. Stock up on my comics! This time round, I'm bringing some back here with me! Rawrrr...

7. Visit Universal Studios Singapore. Any takers?

8. Indulge in the oyster spread at Marriott Hotel's buffet dinner. (My record is still 15 in one seating. This I've to beat!) Oh, I better get my cholestrol checked before doing that. -_-

9. Wala and paulander sessions! I'm ready to get dead drunk! Where are my drinking khakis??

10. Eat Ya-Kun, eat Ya-kun, eat Ya-Kun.

Meal of a lifetime..

We finally did it. We went to MASA and busted our wallets. My very first experience with a Michelin 3-star restaurant, and probably my last too, especially after the damage incurred. Whether if it's actually worth it, I'm not too sure, but the experience was definitely once in a life time and of course, the company was awesome.

There was no fixed menu in the restaurant and the chef would serve whatever he wants (probably dependent on the availability of the ingredients). It was a 8-course omakase dinner (that was somewhat similar to Sushi-O-Gari), except that this has officially overtaken the price significantly (it was more than 3 fold!).

Anyway, it was also the first time in my life trying a list of super expensive and exotic food.
1. Caviar
2. White Truffles
3. Black Truffles-Good stuff, seriously
4. Fugu (yes, it's pufferfish) and thankfully still alive to tell the tale
5. Wagyu beef (that was heavenly~)
6. Tuna belly (toro)

Slight disappointment that the foie gras didn't make it to the list (but again, we had our fill at Sushi-O-Gari). A couple of the courses were also garnished with gold flakes as well. How extravagant! A lot of the dishes were also topped with yuzu sauce and had a pretty good aftertaste (though I did get kinda sick of it after a while).

Honestly, despite the impressive list of food that we had, it didn't feel like it was worth the amount of money we paid. While the food was good and ridiculously fresh, it was nothing as orgasmic as what we had at Sushi-O-Gari. The service wasn't astronomical either (it didn't suck, nor was it drop dead good) despite only having a handful of guests to serve. Each sitting had about 16 guests and we were sitted on wooden tables that reminded me greatly of Ikea. (okay, I'm being mean. But again, my table was wobbling slightly.) There was quite an intimidating air when we entered the restaurant and we were told that the chef requested that we turned off our cell phones and to excuse ourselves when we need to answer the phone. (This is kinda dumb. I mean, our group was making quite alot of noise just by our basic conversations already, so what difference does answering a call make?) Another unfortunate part was that they didn't allow photographs and that was really a damper as we were all equipped to take pictures of food that we were probably gonna taste only once. Well, I guess they do need protect the privacy of their dishes.

While I don't regret my experience, I'm pretty sure we won't be doing it again and probably won't recommend to our friends as well, unless the joker has too much money to spare. Nonetheless, I'm glad we did it and we enjoyed it while it lasted. (Which was until the bill arrived..)

In bed with him..

So Zim's outta town again. (Silent "yeah"!) And when that happens, I am able to illegally allow the little boy to sleep on the bed with me all night long. And I looove it. Well, I think Sam loves it too, especially since he would sleep all night through without getting off.

However, everytime I try to lay him right beside me so that I could hug him to sleep, the silly little thing would wriggle out of my arms and crawl far far away. T_T Seems like he would rather sleep on the edge of the bed than right beside me!!!

Yet again, I would sometimes wake up to see that the little boy has crawled nearer back to me and is laying relatively me. And that really makes my day!

I know he loves me! My silly little boy..


- Greetings from KeY's iPhone!

Lotsa Love from Singapore..

Little Sam's gifts from Zim's mom and sister!!! A really pleasant surprise and I have to admit that it's really heartwarming to know that they treat Sam like family. (Afterall, he is like my child!) Zim's mom was really cute and even asked Sam to say good night to Por Por. Hee....

Thanks for the love!!!!!

Ugly New York..

Well, as much as I like NYC, it really isn't as glam a place as it's set out to be. At least not with the tons of ugly and rude New yorkers around here. For the 10 months since I've been here, I've been told off a dozen times for things that I didn't do on purpose. And it really sucks.

Incident 1:
I went to the supermarket near our apartment for the first time. After shopping, I placed the basket of items on the checkout counter and waited for the cashier to scan my items. Sounds right doesn't it? Apparently not. The cashier, with the rudest and worst attitude ever, told me off bluntly, saying that I should have taken the items out and place them individually on the checkout counter and stow the basket away (anywhere else except the checkout counter...) What the... Worst of all, just because of this practice, there were baskets and trolleys parked everywhere, making the checkout lanes a mess. Geesh, how dumb.

Incident 2:
I was walking Sam and crossing the cyclist track that has a sign "Yield to Pedestrian". At first glance, it seemed clear, thus I went ahead and crossed, not realizing that a cyclist had came out of nowhere (travelling in uber speed). Of course, he swayed and avoided me (thankfully) but without forgetting to shout at me rudely first, asking me to watch where I was going! WHat the...

Incident 3:
I bought a new tote bag that I loooove to ferry Sam around. Well, I wanted a bag with an opening so that Little Sam could pop his head out to see see look look. Anyway, since the day I bought it, I've taken the bus and subway umpteen times without any issues. Until this fateful day. I was about to board the bus and the driver pointed at me and waved a 'No' action. I was confused but tried to board the bus anyway. She shouted at me, rudely AGAIN, saying that the bag isn't enclosed and thus I wasn't allowed. (Sigh, you gotta be kidding me!) So, LL. I ended up walking about 5 avenues to get home instead.

Incident 4:
I was just walking along the pathway and texting to Zim. Apparently, the pathway was doubled as an entrance into the petrol kiosk and a cab was turning into it. I did see the cab but just walked anyway. Come on, it's a pathway for pedestrians, so, don't I have the right of way? He actually honked me and scolded me for crossing. What the...

Incident 5:
I was walking (again~) and there was an idiot who left his coffee cup on the floor while he was trying to light his cigarette. The pathway was pretty big and he just had to leave the cup in the middle of nowhere. I mean, if he was any brighter, he should have placed it near the wall. (But again, I would never had left my cup on the filthy NYC streets.) I did see it but just ended up walking a tad bit closer to his cup than he would liked and he shouted loudly (This one was really loud though I was no more 3 arms length from where he was standing.) asking me to WATCH OUT! Arrrrrgggh.. Well, I actually shouted back this time round, as his rudeness was totally uncalled for (but again, so were many others).

Incident 6:
A wheelbound passenger was trying to board the bus that I wanted to board. So I stood back and waited (it took a pretty long while..and I was freeezing in the cold). When the guy got up and the ramp had retreated, I simply hopped on the bus. The bus driver SCREAMED at me infront of everyone saying that I shouldn't have boarded when he wasn't ready, blah blah blah. I was pretty stunned. I mean, apparently, I was supposed to wait for him to get out of his seat and buckle the guy up before I was 'allowed' to board the bus. O-K-A-Y. I'm sorry I didn't know the protocol or SOP for 'Waiting for a wheelchair bound person to board', but the screaming was really uncalled for.

Sigh. This incidents were just off a few that I could remember (and yes, I don't forget easily...) and there were many more. I mean I don't think Singaporeans are any more polite, but at least they ain't rude. They don't go around snapping and shouting at people like that. Yes, there were moments that I got pissed off and what not, but still, most of the incidents could have been resolved by just answering nicely. Best of all, several of the incidents were with service providers. Dude, where's your service standards? Oh wait, I am in NYC, there's NO service standards.

Now KeY isn't gonna be the pushover no more. I'm going to start to act like a New Yorker and no way am I gonna get bullied again. Watch out people, I AM going to retaliate the next time you step on my toes...

Watch out, I mean it...

Sweet tooth!

Yummy desserts at Kyotofu!


- Greetings from KeY's iPhone!

Pesty little Sam

Another one of Sam's pesty acts!

The stupid dog...

Sam's barking at nothing again. And it really sucks that I'm home alone with him. It's really creepy when he stares momentarily into space and barks at it.

Is he seeing something I'm not... *shrugs*

Argggggghhh...

New School Term..

It's week 1 of the Fall term for me. A brand new start for everything. It's interesting how far I came along. From coming to the states, with the mindset of being a taitai for 3 years, to contemplating getting a masters in columbia (btw, 1 year masters in Columbia is equivalent to my whole 4 years degree in Mercy College) to ending up in taking a Vet tech course in a ulu college! Nonetheless, this is one of the rare few times in my life that I have the feeling that I might actually be doing the right thing.

Nonetheless, I just kept wanting to slap myself while I sat through the biology lecture and lab. Going into FASS wasn't a coincidence (nor a backdoor). It was more of "I'm SUPER sick of labs after 2 years in JC that I'm not going to step into one again!". Ironically, (and a pretty wicked twist of fate), I ended up have to take all 3 science modules again. Yes, that totally includes physics. =( Oh well, at least everything seems pretty manageable. So far so good. I'm just counting down to the day where I've to dissect a frog or a lizard. (Gulps~)

Time to head off for a Algebra class. WTH~ It's gonna last for 4.5 hours!

Dog attack.

Zim, Lil Sam and I were just enjoying a lovely Saturday brunch at an outdoor diner that we frequent when the little boy got attacked.

As per usual, Sam was just lazing under the table minding his own business while we engaged in our own conversation. Suddenly a lady behind me starting screaming. Almost immediately, I heard Sam yelping (Definitely the loudest I ever heard from him). When I turned around, I was shocked to see poor little Sam in the mouth of a much bigger dog (Probably a chow mix). The little boy was yelping and struggling to get out. I reacted as quickly as I could and pulled Sam out of the dog's mouth. Even after Sam was out of the dog's mouth, he continued yelping for a couple more minutes while recovering from the shock. By then, everyone at the diner was staring at us. While Sam was struggling to get out of the dog's mouth, all the owner did was to hold on to the leash and screamed. She did absolutely nothing to separate her dog and I had to pull Sam out of danger myself. Luckily, the bigger dog wasn't all that aggressive as I got away without any bites. The poor little boy had blood stains on his snout and body and he even peed on himself out of fear. (Totally heartbreaking.)

I guess I was never the confrontational kind of person and all Zim and I wanted was to make sure that Sam was fine. We ignored the lady and started examining Sam. At the point of time, several patrons and the waiter had stepped in to reprimand the lady for not controlling her dog. (And of course, being the ever 'reasonable' person, she insisted that it wasn't her fault and she didn't see our dog there.) They insisted that she left her contact details for us in case we needed to bring Sam to the vet, which of course she didn't. (We didn't bother insisting either) Best of all, she still wanted to have her brunch there. Fortunately, the waiter who was clearly annoyed, spoke up for us and chased her away. Frustrated, I just gave her a dirty look and asked her to leave. (Which she did of course).

After checking Sam out, we weren't able to find any puncture wounds on him. Thus, we concluded that the feisty little boy bit the bigger dog in self defense. (Way to go SAMMY BOY!) Interestingly, after Sam recovered from his initial shock, he immediately started growling and barking at the bigger dog. (Though his bark was pretty pathetic in comparison.) While this isn't the first time Sam got attacked (The first incident was pretty mild compared to this) nor the first dog fight I had witnessed, this is the first time that I have seen an attack that had happened without any triggers. It just felt as if the dog came in, saw Sam and attacked Sam. As far as I was aware, Sam didn't appear to have done anything that might have triggered the attack.

While I did not blame the big dog about the attack (since Sam came out unharmed), I really pitied the owner who was in such denial about her inability to control her dog or to admit her problems. I would think that it's pretty scary to be walking around with a ticking time bomb that is way beyond your control who is ready to jump on any dog any time. Maybe she would be better off having a smaller dog that she could at least attempt to pull back.

Well, at least Sam is fine and it seemed that the incident left no scars on him since he returned to his pesty ways soon after. But it was really heartbreaking seeing the little guy being attacked. What a World~

KeY's Life.

Pardon the MIA. So, Mom and bro came and left. While I was pretty excited having them over, the 15 days got pretty unbearable quickly. I guess I'm just too used to the freedom and routine I had before they came. I was actually excited prior to their arrival, annoyed when they were here and sad (which a huge pinch of relief) when they left. (What a ride.) It was in fact more of a bittersweet feeling when they left. On one hand, I was extremely thankful that I'm finally getting my usual schedule back (no more entertaining them and cracking my [already empty] brains for ideas of what to do and where to go) and of course, no more naggings. On the other, I'm missing the familiarity of the feeling of home and of course, Mom doing my housework for me. =P

That being said, I'm back to enjoying the little freedom (not so much of the housework though). It sure feels good to be back on my daily routine (Yes, that means revolving my life around Sam). Till Sept I guess.

The reading fever is ON~

I'm actually pretty pleased with my reading progress. (Well, it goes to show that I've put my kindle into good use, finally.) Recently, I managed to complete two books that I never knew I would even be interested in - "The Reader" and "Pride and Prejudice". Best of all, the books have enticed me to be interested in the movies as well (Time to check out NetFlick~). Plus, it's funny how I always thought "Pride and Prejudice" to be some tragic romance novel of forbidden love. As a result, I was pleasantly surprised that it was one with a really happy ending. What a misunderstanding. At least I'm sure the movie will be sob-free and heartwarming, though I'm pretty sure it's gonna be sob fest when I watch "The Reader". (Shall hug Little Sammy and dry my tears on his little coat. I'm sure he ain't gonna be too pleased with me for that though.)

Now that the fever is on, I'm really kinda in the mood for some adventurous reading. So, next on my list - "The Time Machine" and "War of the Worlds". Sounds pretty 'exciting'?

Okay, I admit, the main reason why I have chosen these books is simply because it's free from the kindle store! Yes, I'm a cheapskate. =P

Oh well, wish me luck.