Yummy.. not so..

The long due home-cooked dinner...The "I want to cook" feeling is returning! Plus, Sam's phobia of the cooking smoke seemed to have disappear too! (Hooray~) Time to find some recipes!

My dog, the monkey..

Sam's new ability - tree climbing..

At this rate, he is going to catch a squirrel pretty soon.

Good job, my little man!

10 Canine Commandments..

My promise to the little man:

Number 4 makes my heart ache... While I know I am his everything, I hope he knows that he is my everything too.

I love you, my little man and I'll be with you throughout thick and thin...

in the many, many, many years to come...

Secured, not..

Zim, Sam, I and a friend that was bunking over were watching TV in the living room at around 1 am last night when we heard someone opening our door. Initially, I kinda thought that it was our neighbor who just came home and didn't think much of it (well, NYC walls ain't that thick to begin with). However, Sam literally jumped up from his sleep and ran barking at the door. Zim got up to find that a rather attractive and confused looking couple (and possibly drunk as well) had actually opened the door with their keys. In the confusion, they mentioned that they supposed to be going to apartment XX (our exact unit). We were shocked and being sure that we did pay our rent and that we were probably not evicted, we chased them away and called the doorman. Apparently, we were told that they were supposed to be in the same unit in the opposite tower and came to our doorstep by accident.

The truth is, we weren't exactly convinced. Firstly, even if they were in the same exact unit, their keys shouldn't be able to open our door. Secondly, after complaining to the management, they did reset our electronic lock, as a result, I was locked out of my apartment as my key wouldn't work. (I would have really appreciated it if they had kinda informed me that they were doing that, so I would at least be more prepared..) I went to the doorman and asked if I could use the spare key that they had kept to open my door. It turned out that I didn't have a spare key. (Missing or never there? I wouldn't know..)

Well, while we won't know the exact truth behind the situation (and the management has pretty much zero incentive to tell us the 'real truth' if any), I was really freaked out by the whole incident. Since then, I jump every time someone opens their doors thinking that a stranger might have entered my apartment 'by accident' again. The sense of security that I used to have is gone. I'm honestly a little worried about leaving our apartment empty in future or to be home alone when Zim is travelling. The only consolation, at least I've a scardy little dog that would probably give me some warning and with a thin stroke of luck, scare the intruder away. So much for security in a high rise doorman building huh.

Sigh, really wishing that my lease would end soon so that we could move..

Pet photography..

I always wanted to have Sam's portrait professionally taken. I guess that would be one of the best ways for me to remember him and have him with me when that fateful day comes. However, after viewing several websites of photographers, and comparing their photos with those I've taken with my DSLR, I actually think that I'm doing a pretty decent job myself. Nope, I'm nowhere near their skill levels, but I think I'm pretty good at capturing Sam's most candid moments. Now I just have to take more outdoor shots of my little man.

In addition, I think one aspect that I really fail in is editing the photos I've taken. I guess if more time is invested in editing the photos, the effects would be even better. Thus, I have decided to embark on my first attempt using Gimp (besides the usual resizing image) to improve the quality of the photograph! Since it is afterall my first baby step, I will go slow and simple..

Original Photo:
Slight edited Photo - ya, like S-L-I-G-H-T-L-Y, just a little color adjustment and cropping done.
Simple black and white effect...
Posterized effect, my favourite of the three actually.
Pretty decent for a virgin attempt right? (LOL, okay, this is a ridiculously amateurish attempt.) Guess I should pull up my socks and experiment further in future!

Zombie Attacks..

Damn.. Why didn't I think of this, especially when I'm such a zombie fanatic. A quirky couple came up with the idea of involving a zombie attack as part of their engagement photos.

I'm sure Zim would be quite relieved though. Oh well, at least I could still dress up as a zombie for halloween!

Cat-sitting..

I've finally expanded my horizons and tried cat sitting. While cats are almost as adorable as dogs, I hadn't actually had the opportunity to interact with anyone of them closely. (Partly because, with cats, come lizards. Or rather, dead lizards they treat as toys.) However, when one of my friends had to go out of town, I jumped at the opportunity and volunteered to cat-sit. Why not? Especially since there are NO lizards in NYC.

It wasn't all that difficult as all I had to do was to swing by once a day to clear the litter box and replenish his food bowl. But I decided to be a little more adventurous and approach the cat on the 2nd day. Mr Weasel was comfortably hiding in the closet as he wasn't at all familiar with me. As I read that cats really enjoy having their cheeks stroked, I tried that on him for about 10 minutes before heading off.

When I returned the next day, I was pleasantly surprised that Mr Weasel actually came out and greeted me! Guess he did enjoy the massage I gave him. I eventually started playing with him whenever I visited for the next couple of days (especially since he would come out of hiding just to get a massage). He was a real cutie I have to say. The only downside was, his method of play involved mouthing and scratching with his claws. (Yap, a slight ouch.)

All in all, it was a pretty good experience and I had come to realise how easy it is to own cats. They are so low maintenance, unlike the stupid four-legged creature I have at home (yes, aka SAM). But still, I'm definitely a dog person and going to focus on getting a second dog and not a first cat.

Anyway, here's Mr Weasel. Cute huh?

My birthday pressie to meself..

I decided to give myself a belated pressie (well, anything goes in august..) at a spur of the moment.

Yap, I got me a new Fujifilm Instax Mini 25. I've been thinking about getting a replacement after tossing away the polaroid camera that I once had. Guess this is just the right time to pamper myself.
With the new camera, came a new inspiration! I've decided to embark on a new project where I would take two pictures of Sam a day and paste them on my wall! Zim wasn't too thrill about it as he was already thinking about what a chore it's going to be when it's time for us to move..Well, it's true but again, since when do I think so far in advance... We will deal with it when the day arrives. Meanwhile, so far so good and I'm already loving the effects even though it's still pretty sparse!
Only downside, one single shot costs about USD1. So, hopefully Sam would stay still and allow me to take the shot without fidgeting too much!

My "artsy" parents..

My dad's boss decided to give him a painting after he briefly commented (maybe in a 敷衍 manner) that a particular painting his boss bought was really nice. The boss gave my dad a budget and asked him to choose himself a painting from the Red Sea Gallery at Dempsey Road. So my two "artsy" parents went painting-shopping and chose the ONE. When I went back home in August, I was just in time to see the painting.

This is it: "Old Town" by a Vietnamese Artist called Le Minh Duc.

Erm... I'm no art expert, and while this is a really pretty painting, it was not quite my style. But at least my "artsy" parents seemed to like it.

Oh, just in case you are wondering.. this gorgeous painting has an equally gorgeous price tag - SGD5,000.

Yeah, jaw drop huh?

OUCH...

No, it wasn't Zim (LOL, he wouldn't dare), nor was it Sam. I actually got bit by a random dog at the dog park, a dog that was probably Sam's size. Well, for once, it really wasn't my fault. I did not disturb the dog at all. In fact, I was just chatting with the owner (whom I had met a couple of times) while I sat down on the bench. She followed suit and signaled her dog to hop on the bench as well. Within a split second, the dog attacked me and bit me hard. Seriously, like WTF right? Zim was really annoyed that the owner wasn't more responsible as she had known that her dog was aggressively protective of her. (I was aware too and thus was trying to keep my distance from him, but I didn't expect him to come at me like that.) What luck...

While it really did hurt, I'm not intending to see a doc since the swelling has gone down a little. Well, in the worse case scenario, I've approximately a year if I'm infected with rabies. I guess I should just live life to the fullest for now!! Or rather, try to...

Dog Food..

Having some rare foresight, I've started planning in advance for Sam's life in Singapore, starting from his food. Knowing that the silly man has a really picky taste and equally picky tummy (his digestive system is just pure lousy.), it took me quite a while to configurate his diet. However, after the recent trip back home, I was quite disappointed to find out that 3 out of 4 items in his diet is unavailable in the pet stores in Singapore. (WTF) Thus, I'm now embarking on a journey to find the right food for Sam and transit him into his new diet before we head back in 1.5 years.

What really shocked me is how INSANELY expensive dog food is in Singapore, and to think I thought NYC was bad. A particular dog food, Taste of the wild, cost about USD50 on amazon.com and cost SGD160 in a pet store in singapore! You gotta be kidding me.. It's almost 3 times the price... The alternative, Orijen, cost USD20 on amazon and SGD50 in Singapore.. Seriously? I'm not known to be a thrifty person, but the price difference is really quite substantial that I might actually purchase tons of his food and ship it back together with our cargo to save some money (a rather significant amount I would say..).

Alternatively, maybe Sam should really start basking to earn his own keep...

NYC in SG...

On our recent trip back, we caught up with some of our New Yorker friends who had since returned to Singapore for good. It really did feel like the good old days. When I first arrived in NYC and started making pretty good friends, I was always wondering why they would want to leave the ever-so wonderful Big Apple to return to the maybe-not-so interesting little red dot. One of the recurring reasons given was the high 'turnover' rate in friends here. (I was like "WTF") But, now, after experiencing a couple of turnovers, I guess I truly understand what they mean. It's really hard to make good friends (whom are almost like family) only to lose them when they move back home.

Anyway, Mr Lim and I were just plain happy to be able to catch up with the new yorkers that we were closer with!

Besides great company, we of course did not forget to indulge in the yummilious hawker food at one of my favourite hangouts - Chomp Chomp!
And I really really miss my favourite sugar cane + lemon! (Ahhhhh...) Stupid me drank too much sugar cane that I had to rush home like crazy just to use the bathroom!

Darn it..Writing this post makes me miss authentic Singaporean food like crazy... -_- Well, till Jan I guess...

Irene aftermath..

So Irene came and left..and barely left a scratch on us. Even the silly little dog slept through the storm without stirring.

But to be fair, the storm really did do some serious damage to certain parts of the east coast. It's just that it was nothing more than a rainfall when it hit Midtown Manhattan (where we stay) and there were in fact several other occasions when we witnessed worse. And yap, I did feel a little stupid filling up my tub with water (but again, better safe than sorry huh~). As a result, Sam Forest Loo Lim got a little desired bath and smelt really good for the next hour or two, before rolling in the rain and dirt in the dog park soon after. Good job.

All in all, what an 'experience' indeed. At least everyone is safe and sound, that's what matters.

Irene..

Irene's visiting tomorrow.. and now, nyc is nothing but a ghost town.. Pretty eerie and it does feel like a scene taken out of I am Legend even though it is still the calm before the storm!

Even the usual westside highway is so deserted! Just a couple of cabs driving by every now and then...

Being in Midtown Manhattan, we are under zone B, thus are not affected by the mandatory evacuation issued. That is as long as irene remains as a category 1 storm. Once she escalates to category 2 (which is highly unlikely), we would have to get our butts out of here. Well, thankfully, the shelters are pet friendly, so at least Sam would have a safe shelter over his head should that happen. I guess we are in a pretty good shape as of now. We are pretty well stocked up and have sufficient food (and alot of yummy snacks) to tide over the storm. And yes, I am well stocked up on pinkberry and diet coke... My comfort food~ And of course, not forgetting some booze and alcohol to keep us sane should our windows break!

Honestly, I do think everyone is over reacting. It's probably going to be nothing more than a huge thunderstorm that might lead to some flooding (which would almost not affect us since we are on the 32nd floor.) But till it arrives, we won't really know.

Fingers are crossed for now.. till tomorrow!

Twenty-Seven..

I finally turned 27 and yes, am officially in my late twenties -_-. It was another quiet affair, just the two of us and it began at my favourite NYC restaurant - Eleven Madison Park!

We were initially unable to get reservations (well, we only started booking 4 days in advance) and Mr Lim had to explain that it was for my birthday and that it is my favourite restaurant (Both facts are true!). We ended up on the waitlist and I was pretty disappointed that by thursday morning, there was still no news. Eventually, I was over the moon upon learning that they managed to squeeze us in! (Hooray!!)

I was expecting a simple lunch but was really surprised by the excellent service provided. It started when I was greeted at the door by name and led to a table with a hand-written birthday card for me! What a great personal touch!

The menu is really interesting and you could choose any 3 or 4 items from 12 choices depending on the number of courses you want. Hee, my selection was Tuna, Lobster, Beef and Berry! Zim's selection was Octopus, Lobster, Beef and Chocolate!

After placing our orders, we were served with a selection of amuses bouche! Our lunch started with a little dish of perfectly baked, cheesy gougéres that I could not stop munching on.

Tomato basil soup that was so refreshing and appetizing. While Zim found the taste a tad bit overwhelming, I simply loved it!

Smoked sturgeon sabayon with chive oil! I swear I licked the eggshell clean!

Just when we thought we would be served our first course, the service director came up to us and invited us for a kitchen tour. While she explained the functions of each section of the kitchen and how it is run, a gin cocktail was being prepared. What an experience!

My first course - Tuna:

Zim's first course - Squid:

2nd Course - Lobster:

3rd Course - Beef:

A palate cleanser - Egg white whipped cream using vanilla malt syrup and a drop of olive oil, with poppy seeds and seltzer. Well, it has a really interesting taste... Not quite sure if I'm a fan of it, but the afterall taste was really nice and light.

My dessert course - Berries! And they were really sweet to add a candle for the birthday girl!

Zim's dessert - Chocolate:

Just when we thought we were finally done with the meal, we were served mignardises that included my favourite macaroon! I was also given a box of desserts to go as a final birthday present.

And finally, the check arrives! I kept it as a souvenir as it has my birthdate written on it!

All in all, a very happy me...

A not-so-happy Zim, especially after footing the bill.

A happy us!

I'm so in love with the restaurant service, ambience and food that I would absolutely love to come back again. (Well, maybe not so frequently, especially after the damage.) Sigh, a little part of me kinda wished that this was the place Zim proposed at. *Ideas for singles out that!*

So, after the damage done at lunch, I settled for a homely and simple dinner - Japanese take out from my favourite restaurant - Oyishi Sushi! Well, I wanted a place where I could enjoy dinner with Sam, and since Irene was close, we decided to stay home and enjoy a simple take out!

Yummy chicken terriyaki!!

Happy Mummy with little Sammy..

Of course Sam was happy... he got to enjoy some yummy chicken too!

A happy us again!

Guess that's it! Last but not least, Happy birthday to me!

Sam's little corner..

Sam's little corner of outfits, collars and harnesses...

Just for Sam..

Another completed scrapbooking page. Thanks Rachel for the motivation and inspiration! Hopefully, more to come!

Packing in progress...

I'm coming home!!! Almost...

Goodbye Lappy...

Well, now that I've my new Macbook Air... I've to say goodbye to my faithful Macbook that had accompanied me for the past 5 years!

Goodbye Lappy.. Hopefully, your new owner would treat you better...

At least the new owner is showing him with lotsa hugs and kisses...

I decided to give it the little man after catching him eye on Lappy for the longest of time!
Guess I made the right decision... I wish Lappy and Sammy many years of happy collaboration!

Goodbye my friend...

Shades~

After contemplating for the longest of time, I finally took the plunge and bought me a pair of prescription shades! I decided to invest in a pair after learning from a fellow Singaporean-New Yorker that our insurance plans cover part of the cost of prescription lenses! I found out that my insurance covers up to USD100 per pair (plus the cost of the eye exam to get my prescription). So, I was kinda expecting to pay a couple of hundreds out of my own pocket. But, the lovely surprise was, I only had to pay less than USD100 in the end, even though the frames were supposedly USD140 and the polarized lenses were USD200. Apparently, there were additional discounts from a summer sale and the insurance plan. But hey, I ain't complaining. *Grinz*

Yap, my very own pair of Ray-Ban shades!!! When I showed Zim, he was like "Huh, so ah-lian.". !^@$@#$$%^# Tmd.. that guy has no taste.. Pui~

Well, the downside of this really great deal was that my lenses are uber thick... =/ Afterall, my prescription was 4.25 per eye (it actually went down from 4.75!! My eyesight's improving!) and cheapo me refused to pay another USD150 for thinner lenses. I guess people don't really notice the thickness and with my fringe covering, it probably isn't that obvious anyway.

This was supposed to be my birthday present.. but since it ended up being so cheap, Mr Lim felt generous enough to offer to pay for my MacBook Air as well. (So effectively, I've two pressies from him!) Wahahaha, what a great bargain for me!

I love August!!!