surprise!

as if the morning just wasn't beautiful enough. hubby surprised me by turning up at my office with a lovely bouquet of flowers. no special occasion. it was, just because. one of the girls said, ' actually, the courtship period is always the best, as that's when they shower you with gifts.' I responded plainly, 'Err my hubby rarely (like once or twice in a span of four years) bought me flowers.' She replied, 'Wah, then this is a positive improvement!'

*grin*

beautiful beautiful morning

the windows were wide open when my sleepy eyes fluttered open this morning. it didn't bother me at all that i slept through my 5 am alarm clock and missed a sorely needed session at the gym for it was such a gorgeous day. there was a cool stillness which almost took my breadth away. the sky was so blue and everything seemed right with the world.

i skipped out of the house almost to a musical note. just happy to rush out of the house which seemed to keep me from enjoying the beauty my window let me peek into. as if i had the 'everything perfect i will notice' glasses on, i even managed to notice a fresh crop of wild mushrooms growing under a newly planted tree on the road divider. drivers stared wildly at me as i stooped down to take a quick snapshot.

if that wasn't delightful enough, i was also treated to a little splash of rainbow over the opened pages of my book. just beautiful. a beautiful, beautiful morning.

atiq from peshawar

there was another bomb blast in Pakistan today. again it was at the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). this time it was a huge car bomb in a busy market in Peshawar itself. The carbomb killed at least 90 people and injuring more than 200 persons.

i have a friend who lives in Peshawar.I got to know Atiq when i was travelling almost monthly to Lahore. PL and I met him when we were at the Wagha border. PL being the friendly creature she was managed to get this guy's attention from miles away. And, i think, she was as besotted by his dreamy eyes as I was, cos she gave him her mobile no. He came by the hotel the same evening we met, terribly excited that he had made such exotic friends. As he was in Lahore visiting his sister, he even introduced us to his sister and his niece who sorta chaperoned him around during his trip.

Atiq was a sweetie. Everytime i was in Lahore i'd call or text him to say hi, and if he was in Lahore he'd come by to the hotel for a short chat. But he lived in Peshawar. So most of the time it was just short calls to say hi, keeping in touch with this lovely friend i'd made.

He liked to talk to meabout what modern life was outside of Pakistan. He came from a wealthy family and was expected to join the family business. He was also expected to marry someone of his parents choosing.We spent a lot of time talking about marriage and how he wanted a love match much to his parents unhappiness. I think I was his link to a world he desperately wanted access to, while i was fascinated by his life which seemed like a bollywood movie come to life.

We lost touch after some time as my travels to Lahore became infrequent, especially as PL's trips to Lahore with me became less frequent. It just wasn't nice for a young (then) single girl like me to keep meeting another young single man like him. Plus his dreamy eyes (and sexy stubble) just made it way too difficult to be just friends with him. i had to stay away. *kidding*

And now, i wonder. Whether he's ok. Whether his family is ok. Whether they're still in Peshawar and safe. Tonight my prayers are with him and his family. I pray that they be kept far from harm.

Atiq- i hope our paths cross again. insyaallah.

spotted @ Holland V

spotted @ Holland V

I thought it was a hilarious sight!

and CERTAINLY it would be a crime to ignore this great cash windfall!

check it out at NISSAN!

i love advertising and marketing gimmicks like these!

Liverpool Absolutely Rocks!

now. i've been raised in a liverpool home. i think my dad is a liverpool fan. okay no. i think dad isn't really a liverpool fan, he's just anti Man-U. Younger bro- Wanos on the other hand is a die-hard Liverpool fan. growing up, i kinda just went along and cheered whoever else dad and Wanos cheered on. More often that not, it was liverpool or whichever team that played against Man-U.

Anyhow, over the years i developed an understanding that most Man-U fans are also fans of Ferrari, Real Madrid FC and the All Blacks. I on the other hand, detest Ferrari, don't really care about Real Madrid and definitely positively am anti- All Blacks (i'm a wallaby fan through and through!)

Now having married a die-hard Man U fan, what has happened is that my anti-Man U sentiments have converted to overt pro-Liverpool sentiments. i must confess partially its just to egg hubby on. Although it does suck sometimes when Man U loses- cos its followed with crappy hubby mood.

But boy oh boy! Last Sunday night when Liverpool TRASHED Man U- it was absolutely FABULOUS! Especially when i watched it over at one of the brunch kaki-Man U fan's home. It was quite daunting being the only liverpool fan amongst the crowd as other liverpool fan-friends were either overseas or just too chicken to come.

I on the other hand stood bravely across the storm of red devils as i knew that I would never walk (stand) alone!

*LOL*

keeping me going

some things that kept me going over the last few painful weeks at work.

happy markers!

this delicious chanel is sooo not mine, though i wish it were.
if i were to buy one it would be in this exact shade!
(good choice imp!)

mickey will always make me smile...reminds me of my minnie ears....

(i'll post up some pics on that soon)

gorgeous dinner in the Straits Room- Fullerton. *heart*

crazy testing month...yet fulfilling too...

it's been a crazy month...and i'm just in the middle of this horrid horrid work period...we've had back to back programmes at work.

but even in all this craziness...i feel fulfillment. Job satisfaction. After almost 4 years in this job which revolves around training and development, i've finally begun to feel as if i've built up enough competencies and skills to train and facilitate effectively. i also feel greater confidence in my ability. right now it's just about pushing myself to keep on practising so that i get better and better with time. just over the last few weeks i've trained thrice and facilitated twice more, with pretty senior participants too. once or twice, i felt i could have done better. but overall i've been pleased with my overall progress and am pleased that more than once- the experience took my breadth away.

it's daunting and very challenging, but also very rewarding at the same time!

rest

i've got a nagging cold. work has been so so tough. this body of mine feels like its breaking down. i haven't even had time to think. today was, and is, about rest. after a leisurely breakfast with the family, i spent time in bed watching dvds and tv. and i'm only blogging cos hubby left the laptop on. i'm shutting down and am going to enjoy a good nights rest. tomorrow, i will catch up on work to prepare for another tough week that begins early monday morning.

did i mention? my back is so tense it's hurting like mad. it's the stress. only thing that is helping is salon pas stickers.

like i keep repeating over and over again. if i survive october and november this year. i'll survive ANYTHING!

the recluse

tonight, i took some time to send off some text messages and emails to close friends who i've just been carelessly fallen out of touch with. and there's actually very very many of them.

people don't realise this about me, that i'm actually quite antisocial. that' i'm really quite introverted. people laugh when i tell them this. the only way they'd rationalise this if i've a dual personality. but i don't. people don't realise that extrovertness takes a lot of energy out of someone. being funny, outrageous, hilarious all takes its toll. and at the end of the day, when we (extroverts) can be alone, we'd rather be alone. quiet, introverted, and reclusive. i mean you hear this all the time about comedians like Jim Carrey or even my favourite Owen Wilson- noone believes that they could ever be depressed, and in Wilson's case depressed enough to try and take his own life. Just cos they're funny most of the time.

Ok- i'm not hinting that i'm depressed. I'm just saying that i look all friendly and bubbly, and you'd expect that i'm always out surrounded by people, partying and having a ball of a time. And i do have fun and hang out with people SOME TIMES, but if you ask my very close friends- they hardly see or hear from me most of the time. and that's just it. i have very very few friends i consider close.

The friendships that have persevered time are those where my friends and i, can hear nothing from or about each other for months at end, but we don't feel awkward about it. We never come to the conclusion that we're being ignored, or that we don't care about each other. BUT, but if any one of my friends needed me, and if i needed them. no questions asked- we drop everything for each other. No rubbish like- 'What never hear from you in months, now you need my help, you come to me'.

Of course there is some unofficial maximum time line that you draw- i mean if you haven't heard from a friend in 2 or 3 years, you'd not know if they've moved away to the other side of the globe or is even still alive right? so some sign of life is healthy. If not, they just drop off your radar, well until they bleep back onto the radar i suppose. Cos if that happened, i'd welcome them with open arms- i mean people have their own lives to lead right?

Anyway, tonight, i thought i'd send my friends some signs that i'm still breathing. *hee*

btw- hubby is the total opposite of me. he's like mister-keep-in-touch-with-friends-constantly kinda man. which is why, he's out hanging out with some sec school friend tonite while i'm blogging in bed about ensuring my friends know that i'm still breathing.

LOL

Walter the Farting Dog!

worked all weekend while nursing a cold. had a tough day in the office today and worked in the office till way after ten. i came home to find that hubby had brought some of his work back home. curled up with his books and laughed my head off while reading William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray's 'Walter the Farting Dog'.

His kids LOVED the book and found it hilarious! so did i. I love what my husband does for work- as a preschool teacher, i feel that his job boasts a lot of soul and is full of love and nourishment. I envy him and the important character building work that he does. I know its much harder than it looks and i respect him for how much of himself he gives his kids.

Anyhow, Walter the farting dog, is basically about a stray dog which a family picks up which farts. The kids in the family love him and don't mind the farts, but the father decides that Walter has to go if he doesn't stop farting. Poor Walter, who didn't want to lose this family he had just found decided never to fart again, and in a series of adventures, he proves his worth- farts or not to the family.

" And then he went and lay down on the sofa. A gigantic gas bubble began to build inside him. ' This is going to be trouble,' he said to himself, nervously. He was afraid of what might happen if he let it go. He thought maybe the house would explode. So he kept it in. It wasn't easy. In fact it was torture. But he had resolved never to fart again. His future depended on it."

LOL.

halal food in vientiane

i was quite surprised with the numerous halal restaurants just in the vicinity of the City Inn Hotel Vientiane. Unfortunately, it's all halal Indian/Pakistani food. I'd get pretty bored pretty quickly, but if you don't mind Indian/Pakistani food the you're all set to go! I'll certainly explore more of Vientiane when i return next month. I'm sure i'll be able to find more halal food eateries!

a makeshift Indian and Pakistani Food shop just across from the National Lao Culture Hall

which is just around the corner from Le Fontaine

this halal Indian restaurant just around the corner from the one above

just across from the Cultural Hall too.

This is an upscale halal Indian restaurant- Rashmi's Indian bar and grill- which is just a road away from City Inn and Lao Plaza hotel. I overhead that the restaurant was opened by the Indian High Commissioner to Lao.

You'd be able to find this Indian halal restaurant just across from le fontaine (the road pependicular to the fountain, towards the river, away from the French restaurants)

I also found an ad in the paper for Halal food in Vientiane- even has Malaysian food!

i wanna play Quidditch!

I wanna play Quidditch! I wonder if i can get this going in Singapore. If Son was here, she'd play with me. I think she'd make a good beater!

coffeee shops galore!

i must confess that i'm quite embarassed that i didn't really explore much of local lao- you know what i mean, restaurants and local restaurants and shops which the locals go to. instead i was doing the mat-salleh/farang/ang-moh/caucasian type thing. Hanging out at the upscale cafes and shops.

Besides the fact that we had so little time outside of work to do much exploring, and our hotel was so conveniently located in mat-salleh/farang/ang-moh/caucsian central, I was really also just amazed at the range of baked goodies that were available (I'm such a sucker for pastries, cakes and breads!) and how cheap everything was. It was all just really very lovely!A must try if you're here is definitely the Scandinavian bakery- YUM! (also at Le Fontaine)

The selection of swedish cookies and pastries at the Scandinavian bakery

Another lovely bakery cafe that i wanna park myself in next time,

serves gorgeous pizzas, salads and sandwiches for cheap cheap cheap!

beer lao

on our first evening in Vientiane, boss and i popped into Khop Chai Deu Restaurant and Bar near Le Fontaine which was a short walk away from our hotel.

Boss ordered a Beer Lao. I giggled heartily when he poured out his beer.

"Wah liao boss! I never drink beer and i also know how to pour properly!"

(Oh My God Boss, I don't drink beer and even I'd be able to pour that beer out better than you!)

Anyhow, the restaurant bar is pretty decent, serves Western, Indian, Lao and Thai food. Has a great vibe, and was a real nice place to chill. The food was pretty decent too!

vientiane frenchy!

vientiane has lovely french restaurants which serve really good french food and all so reasonably priced. we had our working lunch at Na Dau Restaurant right near the Patuxay Arch or Arch De Triomphe of Vientiane.

Pity it was a working lunch, and way too serious for me to fish out the digital to snap pics of our set lunch. The bread was out of the world, and the butter...oh my...i haven't had butter this good like forever. Au Petit Salut's (which is the French Restaurant in Singapore i go to the most) butter and breads are no match for the rolls they served at Na Dau..and they kept coming and coming! I had a salad- SCRUMPTIOUS, then grilled fish- TO DIE FOR and a gorgeous dark chocolate cake soaked in something nice and tart- DIVINE! And best of all, it was all for just about $US10 per pax - MAK KAU!

Boss and I also dined at Restaurant Le Provencale at Le Fontaine before we left for the airport after our meetings. It serves rustic Southern French-style dishes and also has a large portion of pastas and thin crust pizzas. I had a really lovely Neopolitane pizza- anchovies, mozarella, olives for just about US$7- MAK KAU! Something like that at somewhere like Spizza in Singapore would cost at least SGD 20, i believe!

The Le Fontaine area is really cosy and nice, with lovely French and Italian restaurants all around. I told Boss, as we ate dinner, if we squinted as we looked out the window by our table at Le Provencale towards Le Fountaine (the Fountain), if we squinted just enough, you could just believe you were in Paris. So romantic lah! LOL!

Anyhow I can't wait to return to Vientiane and try the famouse Le Silapa restaurant which has received rave reviews from even the New York Times. Expected costs- US$10-13- MAK KAU! So cheap!

laos boat racing festival

we arrived on monday afternoon not realising that it was a public holiday- the Lao boat racing festival. it's an annual boat racing festival to mark the end of the Buddhist Lent. crazy fun (too bad i didn't manage to get any good photos!)

what we hadn't realised was that almost all the shops would be closed including the money changer. i was going to just exchange my US dollars for Lao kips at the airport, but boss said that there were many money changers near the hotel that offered good rates. During my walk, before i met boss for dinner, i realised that all of them were closed. And the hotels didn't exchange currencies either!

we walked and walked, and when we did find an open money exchange, it was already closing and refused to help us exchange our cash. we resorted to withdrawing cash from the ATM, but even then we had to walk up and down looking for one which accepted our cards. Obviously the Lao-Viet bank wasn't 'sophisticated' enough to puke out money for us!

boss, relieved to find a reputable ANZ atm to draw money from!

Changi vs Suvanarbhumi vs Wattay

I've not been blogging as i've been away away away...was in phuket on a holiday. flew back on sunday nite, and flew out to Vientiane, laos for work the very next day. I was exhausted, after returning home from Phuket. We had to immediately stop by at the t3 raffles medical to check out hubby's strained back (yaay can claim travel insurance!), i had to unpack, do the laundry, and repack for my work trip. But i was pretty excited as i've never been to Vientiane, and i've only heard cool things about it.

Flying to Vientiane is quite a chore as there aren't any direct flights in. We flew SQ to Bangkok and then TG to Vientiane. The trip also gave me an opportunity to compare and contrast 3 airports- Singapore's Changi Airport, Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport and Wattay Vietiane airport.

Bangkok airport was alright, except that the transfer was such a pain. I don't understand airports that separate their departures from arrival. So when you arrive, you have to go through a transfer area where you will be screened for security again. It's really irritating, as you have to walk quite a distance to get the transfer area, before you go find your gate. Boss and I found ourselves in 'purgatory' between the arrival and departure levels. We could not find the 'tv' with the departure listings until some ways away. soo irritating.

at least my bum didn't hurt anymore

this was also the first time i was in BKK airport since they're 'facelift'. The metal chairs now have the cushion making them much more comfortable and friendly looking- but didn't help the aesthetics that much. still looks like an ugly warehouse with all the cemented blocks and uncarpeted floors. very cold image of a country which warmly boasts a thousand smiles. terribly incongruent, me thinks.

just one flight all night!

BUT Bangkok airport was heaps better than the Wattay Vientiane International Airport. Ok, it is a tiny airport, so i shouldn't be too critical. but still? I think there was only 3 airlines which flies into Vientiane. Laos Air, Thai Airways and Air Asia (Vietnam). On the evening of our departure, our TG flight was the ONLY flight going out that evening.

totally empty, no immigration officer in sight..

We checked in about 1.5 hours before our flight to find that the immigration officers hadn't even turned up yet! It was quiet town until about an hour before our flight. They also made boss very edgy, when 5 minutes from the flight's scheduled departure, they hadn't even begun boarding. So relax.

All in all, Changi International Airport is still the BEST Airport in the WORLD! *grin*

spotted

bangkok airport

i wonder what sort of debris they've found in the toilet bowl??

*heh*

kusuma seafood

last night, with the rented car giving us ultimate mobility and freedom, we drove to Patong for our favourite seafood haunt.

now, i detest Patong. i just don't like the vibe, it's not relaxed and there's so much hussling going around that you just CAN'T feel relaxed. but Patong Beach is really good for seafood, shopping (if you like the imitation T-shirts and the same stuff i see in markets everywhere from Phuket to Vietnam to Cambodia) and halal food. There's endless shops which offer halal cuisine from Indian to Lebanese or even Malaysian food and Thai Seafood. There are some bigger established restaurants but hubby and i love Kusuma Seafood- delicious and very very cheap!

We stumbled upon it during our last trip, visiting twice during our previous stay. We returned to the makeshift shop to see that their layout's improved, and the food quality just as good. The owner and cook are from the South of Thailand and can speak Malay but with a heavy Terrengganu accent.

Hubby was craving their steamfish- though i was thinking about the lobster (just 700 Baht, what like SGD 30 or so- so cheap!) but i wasn't that hungry, just greedy, so we settled for fish and squid and my favourite cockles. All drenched in their delicious Belacan sauce. and All for a mere SGD 20 bucks. yeesh- i wanna live here lah!

Email me if you want to know how to get there, it's a little bit complicated since it has no actual address. =)

trannies? anywhere?

there was not one tranny in the nearby vicinity that day although

i know Phuket's famous for them.

premium outlet phuket

we rented a honda jazz today from a shop just down the road from the hotel. for Baht1200, we were able to shaved off a good Bath 400 off the price the hotel would have quoted. it's also a better deal than getting a tuk tuk or taxi as it's much more expensive, maybe just Baht 400 one way from the hotel to Patong for example.

Driving around Phuket was much easier this time. I wasn't as stumped as during my last trip by how much the scenary has changed from when i was living here many years ago. My navigation instincts were flawless this time, never did we make one wrong turn. =)

We headed to the phuket premium outlets today. No shopping on the agenda really, we just wanted to check it out. It's sooooo su rreal. It's built exactly like the premium outlets out in the states- made me feel like i was back in San Diego at the outlet right at the border with Tijuana, Mexico.

Besides the Nike and Adidas shops, there wasn't anything particularly interesting. No CK, no GAP or Banana Republic which made me go crazy when i was in San Diego. The outlet here carried mostly local brands carrying tiny Thai sizes ( damn, i must go on a diet). The outlet was pretty new and not all the shop spaces were taken up. We'd visit again the next time we're here just to see if anything got interesting.

The discounts at Nike and Adidas were pretty good i must admit- about 40-50% cheaper than shops in Singapore. But we both didn't get anything at all- the mood just didn't strike us. I really didn't need anything. No point buying just for the sake of buying, yeah?

I did want to head to the Jim Thomson factory outlet, but hubby hurt his back during the sea cave canoe tour and was suffering from terrible spasms. So we just headed back to the hotel.

sea cave canoe phuket

the canoes leaving the lagoon within the limestone formation. that's a roomy inlet though.

this was my third time going on this sea cave canoe trip. the first was in 2000 when i was attached to Banyan Tree Phuket. i went alone on a special discount as i was hotel staff and in guest relations no less. and i remembered that i had a fabulous time, even though i was alone as the trip was fun and the guides were so friendly and showered me with so much attention.

i returned again with my parents and sister in 2003. and i urged them to go for the trip as i thought it was such a good way to experience the beautiful limestone formations at koh phang nga.

have you ever seen a monkey swim?

we didn't sign up for the trip when we were on our honeymoon as we had just 3 days on phuket island and decided to go deep sea fishing instead. when hubby said he was leaving the fishing rods behind for this trip, i signed us up for sea cave canoeing with the original sea cave canoe operator.

i had a lovely time exploring the little caverns and the lagoons within the limestone formation. It's not just about enjoying nature, as the experience of being canoed into the squeezy, dark and narrow lanes into the lagoons which only appears when the tide is low. But the tide can't get too low as then, there is no water in the lagoon, and its all mush in there. In fact, 6 months ago, a group were stuck in the lagoons for 3-4 hours as they estimated the tide times wrongly, and were aghast when the tide rose faster than they had expected.

hubby exploring the mangrove cave. the tide was going out, and this part of the lagoon's bottom was not too squishy. the guides know exactly where u can or cannot walk. we def paid attention!

After exploring 3 caves, we stopped off at Koh Raya for a leisurely swim. It was such a nice little remote island and a much better option than James Bond island (nothing to see there but trash- believe me!)

beautiful, isolated koh raya

Just as i remembered, the food was amazing, the service was so friendly and personal. If you do swing by phuket, do check out www.seacavecanoe.com . Be sure to go to them and not other operators- they're the original and the best in my opinion!

pancakes

the pancakes...i've dreamt about the pancakes since the last time i was here in april. and this morning, the pancakes did not disappoint!

out at sea with unaccustomed earth

what a lovely morning it was. the weather held up blessing us with beautiful blue skies...what a perfect way to start the day- with the wind in your hair, lovely rays of cheery sun reflected off the crystal clear waters and a book in hand.

i'm glad i brought Unaccustomed Earth along, it was so apt, the themes of human emotion mirroring nature. surrounded by nature i found myself savouring the book even more now than when i first read it.

*Spoiler alert*

My favourite of the collection of short stories are the last 3 connected short stories about an Indian girl and an Indian boy who spent just a month together in the same house, their families briefly connected. It was written first from her perspective, and then in the 2nd story you hear his side of the story and his life after that short time they spent together. And the 3rd story was written from both perspectives many years after, when they meet again and fall in love. Yet, again- their paths crossing for the briefest of moments in this long existence we call life.

It ends when the boy who by the 3rd book is a grown man of about 40 dies in the boxing day Tsunami, not far from where we were floating about joyously.

so bodoh

was at mph the other day, browsing for another bedtime novel. found jhumpa lahiri's 'Unaccustomed Earth'. i loved her stuff- so i picked it up. short stories are definitely what this fried brain of mine can cope with.

curled up with the book last night, and after 3 pages, i realised- Yeesh! i've read this. in fact, i have already this exact book.

yeesh! eveeleva so bodoh!

but you know, she's really good. so i'm re-reading the short stories all over again!

low low season

it's low season in phuket. the hotel is really quiet. i think hubby and i are the only asian guests in twin palms phuket. surin beach is really empty too, the restaurants deserted.

we walked out to the beach to one Surin Beach Seafood restaurant for a light dinner. I was craving for thai glass noodle salad with squid and it did not disappoint (forgot to snap a pic as i was quite starved by then). prices aren't as cheap as some of my favourite haunts at Patong beach, but we weren't in the mood to travel too far.

i'm feeling very relaxed although during my massage at the spa, i was thinking about work more than anything else =( and just want to go to bed. We had a simple meal of fried rice and shrimp in sweet and sour sauce. the food was very very good. and our meal came up to about SGD 20 (with a tah-pow packet of pad thai!)

nite peeps. i'm going to dream of the gorgeous pancakes that the hotel's Oriental Spoon restaurant dishes out for brekkie! *Yum*

much needed rest time

work has been bad. quite bad. and wait for it...work's going to get much much worse in oct and nov!

so smart me, decided that i should, seize the small window of opportunity to take a break to recharge so that i'll be ready to face the challenges of the ridiculous work load that awaits. so i'm back here in phuket twin palms.

what i forgot was that, you tend to have to work really hard to clear whatever's necessary before you go off on holiday, even if it is a short weekend away. so i've been putting in long long dreary hours in the office over the last week, working till very late either in the office or at home. but i'm here now.

managed to spend some time chilling by the pool today with a book i picked up just 2 days ago. And had a luxurious massage at the palm spa. And am resisting the urge to look at the office emails. I have a great team back in Singapore, and I know they have everything under control. Tomorrow will be a full day in Phang Nga with my favourite sea cave canoe. I'm looking forward to it!