CNY is bad for the waistline

Oh My Lordie, Lord, Lord! I think I've consumed more calories in the past 3 days than a small nation. It's disgusting how much I can eat when presented with really, really good food.

Let's see.... It was Jumbo seafood on CNY's eve, Sweet Salty Spicy on CNY day 1, Royal China on CNY day 2.

In between, we played mahjong at my mum's behest, which meant non-stop snacking.

And at night, there was Mac's and Canadian Pizza.

How like that????????

Oh, and I must say, nothing is sacred in my house. For some reason, Cheryl and I got into a word slamming contest, using each other's Zodiac sign.

It all started after lunch on the CNY second day, and for some reason, Cheryl called me a "crazy cow". (technically, I'm an Ox, but more on that later).

So that really fired me up, and in retaliation, a whole string of stuff came out from my mouth...

"Stupid sheep!" (technically, she's a goat, but oh well).

"Silly sheep!"

"Slanderous sheep!"

"Sala sheep!" , "Siao sheep!" (yes, at this point, we gave up on the English language)

Then remembering that she's actually a goat...

"Grotesque Goat!" , "Goateed goat!" (I especially liked this one)

She, whose vocabulary is strangely limited, starting yelling...

"Crazy cow!" , "corny cow!" , "crappy cow!" , "cucu cow!" (her Hokkien is so bad.. it should be kuku lah!)

So this continued until the night, and when we were having dinner, Cheryl lamented that "C" was such a tough letter to be rude about.

That's when Fadz chimed in...

"Callous cow!" , "Crude Cow!!!" (my own boyfriend leh)

And reminding all that I'm actually an Ox...

"Obscene Ox!!" (at this point, Cheryl fell off her chair in hysterical laughter)

Then my mum walks in, and being a horse, we had a go at her too.

Cheryl: hairy horse

Me: humongous horse

Fadz: hamsup horse

Geraldine: HORNY HORSE

My mum, as you can guess, did not laugh.

Beware of Danga Bay - You Might Die of Boredom!!!

I really shouldn't be so eager to try out new things. Sometimes, things end badly.

With the new train that takes one from Tanjong Pagar train station in Singapore to Danga City Mall in Johor, the supposedly new and exciting destination, I decided to make a day trip up.

Seeing how I've never taken the SIN-JB train, and wanting to see the new mall myself, I figured it'd be pretty fun.

Well, I figured wrong. Touting itself as the "Vision of the South", yeah, Danga Bay is for the blind and boring! There's freaking nothing to do!!!

In fact, I had more fun taking pictures at the Tanjong Pagar train station than I did at the so called Bay!!! What bay! It's just dead marshes and deserted buildings!!

The station is quite cool in its stuck-in-the-last-century kinda way. No air-con, rusty gates, faded murals... but an experience by itself.

If you thought there was no place in Singapore where time stood still, well, this is the place to be. But then again, the train station and the land it sits on officially belongs to Malaysia. So maybe that explains why things haven't changed since 1932!

Arriving at Danga City Mall, Fadz's face became black so quickly I was alarmed. There's 7 floors of.... nothing. Zilch. Less than 50% of the shops are opened. One person described it as having Far East Plaza type of shops. I feel so offended. This is NOTHING like Far East. Think more like Lucky Plaza or People's Park. Eww. Argh. Sucks.

The only thing worth making the trip for? Cheap archery at the top level. 36 arrows for 13 ringgit. I didn't know archery was so tiring and difficult. Didn't hit a single bullseye, but Fadz did.

I started out stronger, but Fadz's competitive nature soon kicked in, while my enthusiasm kinda waned cos the bloody bow is so bloody heavy. In the end, I hit the styrofoam/completely missed the entire target by 4 bows. Sigh.

In less than an hour, we were ready to get the hell out of Danga City Mall and head to Danga Bay. It's supposed to be more entertaining.

My ASS.

The much touted 280-shop single floor Festive Mall is more like a glorified air-conditioned pasam malam.

You know what we ended up doing? Playing arcade. Cos it's so bloody cheap. 1 Ringgit for Time Crisis 3, anyone?

But I managed to convince Fadz to try out a fish spa.... I didn't know it'd be so damn ticklish!

At 15 ringgit for 15 minutes, it's like half priced compared to Singapore. And with only the 2 of us as customers, we had the whole fish pool to ourselves.

The fishes were half interested in my feet, especially the sole. Which was incredibly ticklish and I kept giggling like a stupid kid, much to the amusement of the bored attendants.

But when Fadz put his feet in....

Damn! It was like a swarm of locusts descending on crops! And they never let up! Fadz feet must be like dead.

Tada! We emerged with smoother legs.

Ended the day with a seafood dinner, which is pretty much why we entered into JB in the first place. And you know where we ended up? At the same place we ate like 3-4 years ago, when we first entered JB together. Except previously, the place overlooked the Bay, with few developments.

Fast forward to present day, and our view is now blocked by the stupid Festive Mall and other stupid developments that are mostly empty cos no one in their right mind would think of investing in this hellhole.

But yes, we ate at Senggah Selalu.

A uber chillout place with Ikea-like lighting and giant fans to cool one down.

Cereal oat prawns...

Baby octopus...

Belachan kang kong....

And chilli crab!

If it wasn't for half price Secret Recipe, half price arcade, and half price seafood, and a relatively good-natured Fadz, I would have killed myself.

Bored @ Work

Am twiddling my thumbs at work now. Can't decide whether it's a good or bad thing.

What's happening, you ask? Well, it's parliament day, which is the glorious day where reporters everywhere are busily scribbling whatever is said in parliament, summarize the key points, and publish.

For radio, we have the added joy of making sure the news is pushed out ASAP, rather than have the whole day (like print) to mull over sentences and construct poetry out of nothing.

Buttttt...... everything being discussed today is business-related.

Which brings me back to my first sentence. I'm twiddling my thumbs.

A Passion for Everything

Quite a good day at work. I think there's nothing like the adrenaline rush of making a life report, and having to deal with the elements.

So there I was again, five minutes before going live on radio, where every mistake is magnified a thousand times.

My scripts half done, and Ican't find a quiet place to file my report. So I go to the life lobby, and await my queue.

Then the lifts start going crazy, merrily "dinging" away as the life doors open and people enter and exit.

I get so distracted, I call my presenter by the wrong name (whoopsie!!!).

So there I was, balancing my notepad on my thigh as the script is written over three pages. Desperate to turn my notebook, I squat down next to the plant to make the flip.

And my interviewee walks past me, with this mildly bemused expression on his face, like, why the hell is the reporter squatting like a lian next to a plant????

Anyhoo, it's moments like these that make my day exciting. Nothing's ever the same. No matter how many times I've gone live, each time still feels like the first time, the tense butterflies in the stomach, the heightened awareness of my surroundings.

Haha, I may bitch about my work a lot, but I guess deep down, I do enjoy it to a certain extent. Except for really stupid events.

And I suppose that kinda enjoyment applies to everything in life. In relationships, and in the will to live.

When one stops enjoying life, work, love, people, what's the point of continuing?

The Twilight Insanity

So it's my first day of enforced leave... just chilling at home. It's not too bad. At least I'm not spending money. HAHA

Anyhoo, caught up on my Gossip Girl (love love love!) and Grey's Anatomy (is it me or is the show going downhill?)

With more time to kill, I decided to watch Twilight once and for all to see what the hype is all about.

My verdict? Dang, but the acting is bad! Like, 90210 the remake bad! Like over the top, I don't know how to look scared so I just open my mouth like a gaping gold fish, BAD.

But I would get why girls, and women wanting romance, can get so caught up into the show. Certain parts, I was like, just get it on already!!!

Hmm, and Rob Pattinson? He's not THAT hot what. Acting, sub-par, too pale, too skinny. God, give me Brad Pitt any day, wrinkles, eye bags and all!!

I mean, I guess I do sometimes like the pretty boy type, and Rob has certain good angles, but come on, I just want to run a comb through his hair!!!

Now Chace is great looking, a pretty boy, and has great hair! So for all the young ladies who are fantasizing that they will meet their prince charming and hence would like someone closer their age to make the fantasy work, at least pick a right target.

But please... who can beat...

My darling David...

OR...

Brad?

Oh god, give me a MAN any day....

Oh What A Gloomy Day

Can I just say how much my day sucked yesterday?

On a scale of 1 to 10, it definitely received at least an 8.

So there I was, going about my day, doing my job, attending press conferences and what not.

And since what I was doing was quite significant, the normal SOP is to file a live report over the phone.

And when I mean live, I do mean live, as in I'm standing by on my handphone, waiting for the DJ to cue me in and me rattling off my news piece.

So anyway, this DJ evidently doesn't know how to work all the buttons. So 5 minutes before airtime, she calls, puts me on hold, and there I am, standing with my handphone stuck to my ear, waiting for my cue.

My cue comes, I take a deep breath, and start talking. Two seconds later, I hear the DJ going on air, moving on to the next story.

You know why? You know why? Cos she didn't know which button to press to unhold me and patch me through.

RAGE!

So I had to call back and was put on air after the break. But the venue I was at was in the process of being cleaned up. And even though I asked for the vacuum cleaner to be switched off while I filed my report, they just carried on cos they couldn't wait anymore.

And they started moving furniture!

So if you were tuning in to my live report at that moment, you could hear the vacuum cleaner, a chair being plonked down next to me, and lots of people talking in the background. All of which wouldn't have happened if the DJ had just patched me in properly the first time.

Dead air for 5 seconds is a criminal offence in my world! OH MY GOD!

So I stomped back to my office, and my editor requested that I do my report again in the studio, because it was simply too noisy. So I stepped in, see the DJ, and she's like "blah blah blah, I'm so sorry for blah blah blah. Do you forgive me?"

Bleah. I stomped to my boss' office to complain and immediately she called the DJ's supervisor. I hate to be a bitch but come on, you put me on hold for so long, evidently I was on hold, I could hear you, and you didn't know how to patch me through? You've been doing the same job for the past 1 year!!!!

And after that, I had to cut the soundbites and put together a story properly. 10 minutes before airtime, my sound files and system go berserk on me. I can't save any edits, my soundfile is a flat line waveform. MASSIVE PANIC ATTACK.

And it was just my computer! When I reloaded it on another computer, it worked fine!!!

Adding to my woes, I'm sure some of you must have read by now, my company is implementing shorter work weeks and enforcing 2 days of unpaid leave a month.

Translation: My annual pay package is essentially cut by a full month. How to live like that? I don't know how to live within my means. I don't what it means to shop less, or eat at less expensive places, or socialise less.

And you don't need to remind me about the hardships that other people are facing. Yeah yeah, I got no mortgage, no family to support, blah blah blah. If you're one of those people, I'm genuinely sorry for your difficulties.

But that doesn't mean I appreciate having to make changes to my lifestyle. What a killjoy. What's there to look forward to in life anymore?

Anyway, the evening capped off with my colleagues going on and on about her ex-lover. Cos I know him as well, she was like "XX this" "XX that". I was so pek chek that as we were waiting for cabs after work (around 11.30pm), I practically ran onto the expressway in desperation to get a cab and get away from her.

Now I know the torture Kristin and Sylvia went through went I broke up with the Fadz-man. Worse still, I'm the leaky tap that just won't stop flowing. My apologies for the hysterics and whatnot.

Like I said, yesterday, really, really stank.

And yeah, I'm in a bad

Where Oh Where?

Every once in a while, I get hit by thoughts of self-questioning about where life seems to be taking me.

To some extent, I feel like I'm lagging behind my peers (the really high flyer, stylo type), contented to languish in blissful ignominy and mediocrity.

And yet, there's a part of me that can't believe this is all my life has to offer. To remain as a nobody, to watch as people my age, my school mates, my friends, race ahead and achieve things that matter to them.

But therein lies the problem - I'm not sure what I want from life.

Everything tends to go a little fuzzy when I'm lazing about, watching tv, reading a book, lounging about and doing nothing in particular.

There seems to be no drive to say, hey, I should be doing SOMETHING, something meaningful, or something that's going to move me forward, be it in career, in relationships, or in getting noticed by the world.

And usually I'm perfectly contented to let things just be, never having to try any harder. Should things happen, I'd let it happen. If things don't happen the way I want them to, so be it. Move on.

You might say, hang on a moment, don't you go for like a bazillion holidays a year, and have a boyfriend?

Sure, that's nice. I definitely do appreciate having a great relationship with my family and lead a relatively cushy life, something that not everyone can lay claim to.

And I'm definitely thankful for Fadzli, cos I'm not sure there's anyone else who can put up with my brand of craziness (trust me, there's plenty of that).

But is that it? How about personal accomplishments?

Yeah, the career seems to be coming along. But you see, I never thought about becoming a journo. It just happened. I didn't apply for the position. THEY called me. So I've never really thought about what lies ahead, or what I should be working towards, because I never really gave it careful consideration.

My thought process really was - there's a job, it seems fun, nothing else around that really excites me, need money, accept job.

And I've been lucky that they've sent me for to Germany, recognised my work, been published occasionally in print... but again, is that enough?

Is it? IS IT?

Or am I just being greedy and wanting everything?

My Family, the Jokers

At dinner tonight, for some strange reason, we starting talking about weddings and all the idiosyncracies, craziness that goes with it.

And for some strange reason, it turned towards the traditional custom of getting the newly wed couple to eating something sweet and sticky, to symbolize a 甜甜蜜蜜marriage.

Not that any of us are getting married anytime soon, of course.

Mum: In my days, I was made to eat sweet mee sua. For you, I'd be kinder. Can eat 汤圆.

Cheryl: (continuing her Westernized, Chinese-eschewing ways) Told you my wedding will be free from anything cheena.

Me: A Krispy Kreme donut, I'd eat a Krispy Kreme donut!

(Cheryl and I start waxing lyrical about the beauty of a Krispy Kreme)

Mum: (after a long pregnant pause) Cannot. Got hole in the middle.

Cheryl: I can't believe we're having a serious conversation about this.

(after another long pause)

Me: Mochi! Japanese mochi!

(Cheryl and I continue oohing and ahhing about mochi)

Mum: (after careful consideration) Ok, mochi can. I'd fly to Japan and get for you.

Yes, my family is VERY into food. Definitely live to eat, not eat to live.

Why waste calories on something non-tasty?

Was just flipping through some of my older entries.

Damn, but I used to say a lot now, didn't I?

Looking at my newer entries, they seem to be written without much thought, containing very little information and flippantly short.

I wonder if this minimalist style comes from being a radio journo, and hence, trained to write very little.

Or if with age, and the stagnant working lifestyle that I now lead, I just have less to say?

Fewer opinions, fewer views, just going about my work and nothing much else.

I suppose it is reflective of my daily activities. You would think that being a journo means that I'm more connected to what's happening on the ground and around the world.

You would be right. But after spending a whole day immersed in the news, I simply refuse to talk about it after that. I don't want to think about it, I don't want to mull over it, I want to have nothing to do with it.

It's like every other job, right? Who wants to bring work - finance, HR, research, science - home and into personal life?

And so, I eschew all things news-related. Or remotely serious.

All I want to do is be this giggling idiot, fluffy, air-headed, bimbotic, which nary a care in the world.

Not caring that Singaporeans are dying around the world. Not caring that the economy is tanking, jobs are cut, wages are cut, people are destitute. Not caring that depressions rates are up, not caring that the world is crumbling around us.

I just want to watch E Entertainment Channel, pretend that life really is shiny and happy, and top it off with a little Nigella Lawson or Jamie Oliver.

New Year, New Blog Skin

Hmmm, guess I've been neglecting this blog now, haven't I?

Just haven't had much time to do much else, I suppose.

In between coming back from Japan (which I loved, loved, loved to bits), and today, I:

1. Got out of my holiday stupor (took 2 weeks)
2. Went to work (unwillingly, I might add)
3. Met up with friends (but still so many whom I haven't seen forever!!)
4. Celebrated Shawn's birthday
5. Went to Haji Lane
6. Celebrated X'mas Eve with Fadz
7. Celebrated Xmas with the family
8. Played mahjong for days and nights
9. Am in the midst of planning a holiday to Hong Kong with KB Gang in March!
10. Worked on New Year's Eve. Reporting about a countdown party. At Nee Soon South. Yes, Nee Soon South. I'm so bloody cool.

All my photos are up on Facebook. It's such a drag to upload both on Facebook and here...

But oh gosh, it simply doesn't feel like a new year!