Protected: Whoever said money isn’t important can go screw themselves.. This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below: Password: Full circle Just because I don’t talk about it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt. Just because I don’t write about it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t affect me. Just because I don’t show it doesn’t mean that I’m not depressed about it. It’s a constant struggle, a daily battle and I’m not sure whether it’s worth fighting for it anymore. New Year, New Beginnings? It’s New Year’s Eve and the mercury indicates 15 degrees Celsius. The past week has been dreadful with the rain and among other things, perhaps largely due to the approaching new year. I’m not exactly sure whether I’m a candidate for Seasonal Affective Disorder but year ends do make me pensive and this year, is no different from prior years. 2009 has been a year of change. For the U.S., and certainly for me as well. I’m not usually a person to recap but since I’m at home instead of partying outside like the locals or squeezing with 7 million people just to see the fireworks display at TST, I might as well make the most of my time. I can’t do 20 things that some of my friends have done during the year since my life has always veered towards boring so here’s only 10 to satisfy your curiosity: 1. I became a Certified Professional Risk Manager at my own cost and benefit. 2. I bought a spanking new one bedroom apartment at District 8 and finally got my keys. 3. Item 1 brought no comfort as the financial crisis saw me lose my job in Singapore because Singapore proved too expensive for the multinational companies. 4. Which as a result, got me posted to Hong Kong, an equally expensive place. 5. Convinced my 14 year old brother to work in KFC (it runs in the family!) to pay off his Xbox 360 and got convinced by Thiang and Ruok that I should sign up for Plurk since the bar was dead. 6. Went up North to visit a friend and climbed a mountain that was beside another mountain and adjoining the river. 7. Bought my first duck which is another story for another day and only if I eventually decide to blog about it. 8. Travelled back to Singapore almost every weekend in October, once in November and December, just to stock up on Magiclean wet wipes and chilli sauce (Nah, just kidding but I did head back to Singapore, obviously for other reasons). 9. Went up to Macau and tried my luck with the one arm bandit for fun. With technology, these machines are now touch-screen though. 10. Rejected someone and had a taste of my own medicine when I was rejected. So there you have it. There were other stuff that I could add in but I felt that would be too brutally honest. For the sake of my friends and myself, I’ll keep it the way it is for now. Happy New Year everyone! A night out with the locals It’s always interesting to see where and how the Hong Kongers spend Friday night so when one of my online local friends invited me to join him and his friends at Harry’s Bar, I jumped at the chance. Of course, we all know how Harry’s Bar in Singapore is so I thought it would be something similar. You know, with the bar stools, heinekein on tap, live music.. Of course, I had no idea that the Harry’s Bar in Hong Kong is pretty er… Yeah, the lounge-y type as above. It is located in a hotel so I guess there is a need to be more upscale. They had a wine buffet from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm on Fridays for just HK$168+ but as the wine sessions in Singapore taught me, just stick with the whites. Which I did for the reds were incredibly hard to swallow literally. After numerous glasses of white and tons of stupid jokes, the guys decided to bring me over to Club PI in Lan Kwai Fong. For some reason, they looked at me in disbelief when I told them that although I work in Central, I’ve never been to Lan Kwai Fong to drink. Club PI is one of the few clubs in Hong Kong with no cover charges but at HK$80 for one drink, it is also not cheap either. As we made our way over to the club, the guys told me that it is actually pretty normal for the men and women in Hong Kong to buy alcohol from 7-eleven or any other convenience stores and drink to their hearts’ content before entering the club. After all, alcoholic drinks are indeed much cheaper from convenience stores. I won’t go into details of what happened next except that I woke up the next morning throwing up what’s left of the tequila shots, mojitos and white wine. Drunken/Herbal Prawns During one of my trips back home, the family held a birthday dinner for Dad at Jumbo Seafood Restaurant at East Coast Park. The drunken prawns were to die for and it got me thinking whether I could recreate the dish in Hong Kong. I’m not much of a cook despite having lived with males who are fantastic cooks all my life but I guess the cost of living in Hong Kong got me exploring the idea of cooking more often at home. As with many tech-savvy females, I googled the recipe and adapted it slightly to cater to my tastebuds and the ingredients available. Here goes the recipe: Main Ingredients 300g Fresh Prawn 4 pieces of raw chicken fillets with skin [Note: The recipe calls for live prawns but being a chicken, I bought dead ones instead. I also added in chicken just for variety.] Marinade for prawns 4 tbsp cooking wine 1 tbsp sugar Ingredients for Herbal Soup 3 slices Dang Gui 1 stick Dang Shen 1 tbsp Wolf Berries 1 tbsp Young Ginger 500ml Water 1/2 tbsp Oyster Sauce 1 tbsp Light Soya Sauce 1/4 tsp Pepper The actual recipe actually calls for scallops, sesame oil and salt to be added but I’m not a fan of adding those into my soup. Even then, I didn’t follow the measurements to a T and added in more dang gui and wolfberries and some carrots to the soup because well, I like it that way. The best part about herbal soups? Having them on a cool, wintry night! Mak’s Noodle Shop @ Wellington Street It’ll be quite incredulous if I do not blog about food after being in Hong Kong for 3 months. So anyway, I found the opportunity to head up to Mak’s Noodle Shop at Wellington Steet after work today. The place is always packed because the food is cheap and good. Don’t let the above picture fool you. Although a simple bowl of wonton noodle soup costs HK$28 (app. S$5), the noodles are served in small bowls to ensure that the noodles stay hot during your meal. Admittedly, one bowl wasn’t enough for me but it was satisfying to have at least tried one of Hong Kong’s famous food haunts. Protected: Vulnerability This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below: Password: Almost a month now.. Image courtesy of NatGeo. Almost a month now since i’ve arrived in Hong Kong. Had my first typhoon, my first subway sandwich in HK, my first trip to Disneyland and it’ll also be the first time i’m celebrating my birthday outside of Singapore. Hong Kong has always been deemed as the land of opportunities and I am starting to see why many foreigners prefer living in Hong Kong. Till then. Day 5 It’s day 5 in Hong Kong and I am still yelling at the shippers and the relocation company back in Singapore. My household effects were supposed to have been shipped, customs-cleared and ready for delivery by the time I got to Hong Kong which was by the way, on Tuesday. 5 days later, i’m still stuck without my household effects and left to rot in the hotel room. I’m already contemplating legal action. People who have relocated know how anxious one gets when their stuff has not arrived. Flip side, the unit has been painted a bluish tinge and the professional cleaners have spruced up the place. It looks a lot more habitable and presentable now. They’ve got some really strong stuff that actually managed to rid the mould and dirt along the bathroom grout lines. I’m impressed. The only unpacking I’ve done so far are the files and personal effects of mine in the office. I’m sharing a secretary with my boss and she’s great and helpful. Probably a little older than me but I’m not telling. I feel a lot better splurging on the burberry scarf I got for her as a thank you gift. Sigh, I don’t even spend such things on myself. Anyway, all that’s left for me to do is to wait for the cable guys to pop by the house today to set up the internet and cable connection. Then, it’s time for me to paint the wooden skirtings, fill in the gaps on the floor with some gap filler and redo the silicon glue for the bathtub. The things i’ve learnt from Old boy never ceases to amaze me. Now, back to some more yelling at the shippers. Zzz Second day in Hong Kong and I am already pooped. This is it I guess this is it. All the preparations over the last couple of weeks will be culminating this Tuesday. I’ve shipped most of my stuff to Hong Kong a week ago but I’m amazed that I still have three sets of baggage that I am dragging to the airport. I apologize to those that I have not met up even though I said I would. I will return next month to settle some stuff. Hopefully, I will have time to meet up with you guys then. Till then, look out for snippets of sunshin3 trying to learn Cantonese. Finding Sunshin3 The problem with childhood is that you grow up so fast that you don’t really know how you look like in the first place. I know I was in this play but if you ask me where I am in the photo, I don’t really have an answer for that.. Moving to Hong Kong As some of you may be aware by now, I have accepted the move to Hong Kong. While it may not come as a surprise to anyone and yes I am grateful that I was offered a job, there is a part of me that cannot help but lament at what a bad time it is to move. Considering I just bought an apartment in Singapore and was hoping to live in it, I know that the current market conditions would not be ideal for me to stay in Singapore to look for a job. No matter how resilient I think I am, I am also conscious and well aware that my current portfolio is a speciality that very few companies will require. So I am headed to Hong Kong where the opportunities for the legal sector are a lot more varied. As to how long I will stay in Hong Kong, I have no idea but at this point in time, this is something that I want to do. Protected: Cognitive Dissonance This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below: Password: Far Away by Nickelback This time, This place Misused, Mistakes Too long, Too late Who was I to make you wait Just one chance Just one breath Just in case there’s just one left ‘Cause you know, you know, you know [CHORUS] That I love you I have loved you all along And I miss you Been far away for far too long I keep dreaming you’ll be with me and you’ll never go Stop breathing if I don’t see you anymore On my knees, I’ll ask Last chance for one last dance ‘Cause with you, I’d withstand All of hell to hold your hand I’d give it all I’d give for us Give anything but I won’t give up ‘Cause you know, you know, you know Heard this song on one of the episodes of Bones… In memory of.. Strange, Twisted Humour I have no idea what kind of comics does Imy fall under but I dig her style of humor. As in some ways, it is a reflection of our growing pains. Sweet Got to thank God for helping me find my pad at the right location and right price. Am executing the Option tomorrow. A little excited and a little anxious but no matter what, am still grateful. The only desire now is to get my keys before my birthday this year so that I can finally say that I got my own place by 21! The damning truth about housing Househunting has become quite a chore of late. Although my lease ends next year, i figured it would be a nice time to sniff out some bargains. Unfortunately, the banks in Singapore are tightening credit and most banks are only offering an 80% loan quantum for a private property to me. Look, i cannot buy a hdb flat because i’m way below 35 ok? Reminds me of this article i read in Newsweek recently that says that the only way for America’s economy to recover is for Asia’s economy to spend and save less. It is a controversial opinion but it does paint a sense of realism about market economics. Somebody somewhere has got to do it. The only question is who? I am blogging about this is because i am peeved that i was rejected by one of the banks for a 90% financing simply because i was applying as a single. Considering that i have been discriminated pretty much the whole of my life by the powers-that-be, you can probably imagine the fury that i have. But is there anything i can do about it? Nada. Zilch. All i can do is swallow up whatever pride i have left. So anybody want to buy a flat with me? First Post for the New Year I am aware that it has been almost a month since my last entry. With His Grace, the new year has been busy but smooth-sailing thus far. There are a lot of thoughts going through my brain but I have found neither the time nor the desire to put such thoughts into writing. I guess the reasoning behind it is in the knowledge that there is no purpose (for me) in having my thoughts made public. Perceptions are hard to change. Thoughts for next year Strange as it may seem, I’m not feeling very sanguine these couple of days despite the closeness to the new year. By all accounts, it’s been a pretty depressing year and according to economists and investment analysts worldwide, next year will be a lot more unfavorable. To make matters worse, my gut feel tells me that he’s going to kick me out once things get better between them if he plays his cards right with her. Next year also sees a lot more responsibilities on the work front for me. I have unwittingly been pulled to work alongside another non-profit organization that is also on water sanitation. I sure hope this project leads to something good although I’ve been disappointed on too many occasions. One more disappointment ain’t gonna hurt I suppose. Sunway Lagoon: Day 2 Courtesy of FantasticMalaysia.com There’s nothing much to blog about for Day 2 except how crowded the Theme Park was, probably witnessing the wrath of Old boy and I guess, the KTM ride back to Singapore. We didn’t head up the Petronas Twin Towers, the KL Tower or explore the night scene in the way that I had hoped for the first night but that’s alright. The trip’s over. In fact, I really would like to avoid any discussion on Malaysia at the moment because it is starting to irritate when Google automatically directs me to the Malaysian site of Google. And with that, another chapter in my life is closed. Review: The Villas (at Sunway Lagoon) Like the hotel brochures and reviews by other reviewers in 2007, the Villas did “seem” private and it was huge. Maybe swanky to some but for the both of us who have stayed in both cheap and luxurious establishments, service was a key indicator for us. I am not sure about the exact indicators for a 5-star rating for a hotel establishment, however, here are my thoughts on why they do not deserve the ratings on Tripadvisor: 1. There is no soundproofing in the Villa which translates to 7 hours of incessant screaming and continuous booming of music since they conveniently forgot to inform us that the Theme park was just 2 minutes away from the Villas. 2. We do not think you are stupid if you cannot figure out how the air-conditioning or the ceiling fan works as most of the service staff do not know as well. Oh, it’s also not the Villas’ fault that they are unable to get better reception for their television channels. 3. Maid service is not provided in the Villa so you can forget about changing the sheets during your stay. 4. The Cab service is actually a van that has air-conditioning that does not work. 5. Room service takes 1 1/2 hours to bring you lunch but takes only 30 minutes for dinner after you have complained to the reception. 6. Evening cocktails will only be served to you during the evening of your check-in. Nothing more, nothing less. 7. Calculation errors during checking out. 8. Larvae in the candle holders on display in your plunge pool. With this, i can only say, Malaysia, Truly Asia.. Sunway Lagoon - Day 1 Image courtesy of Scania The day started real early for the both of us. At Mr Brown’s recommendation, we took the Aeroline bus to Bandar Sunway and were floored by the facilities, the food and the service on the bus. Although the air-conditioning broke down about half an hour before our arrival at Bandar Sunway due to some irritating kids who decided to use the Karaoke system and thereby blowing a fuse and causing the aircon to break down, the sole but very attentive cabin crew tried his best to alleviate the frustration by checking up on the passengers regularly and offering more drinks. Once we were dropped off at Sunway after a 5 hour bus ride, we made our way to the Villas at Sunway Lagoon. Touted as a five-star establishment and one of the best for privacy as it was an adults only accommodation, i was willing to shell out RM 1,288++ per night in the Villa. The description on the website was fantastically written and the photos of the Villa were inviting, to say the least. Considering that each Villa had a plunge pool, a sunken bath, an outdoor rain shower, butler service, a four poster bed and a total floor area of 102 sqm, i took a gamble and went ahead with the booking. But you know, sometimes i forget that the tagline of the Malaysian Tourism Board is Malaysia, Truly Asia.. Which in reality also means, experience third world service standards in five star establishments.. Obviously, the concept of service has not fully matured in Malaysia. More to come in my next post. The Sun, the Way and the Goon Due to unforeseen circumstances, i had to hold that thought of going to Europe for the holidays. With a week’s leave taken and more rolled over, Old boy and i will be heading up to Sunway Lagoon this weekend. I swear, every man has a boyish side. It’s cute though. The irritating irritant This is utterly ridiculous. My utility bill for this month is S$298.70 which may seem the norm for some but for a 3 room hdb, this is absolutely outrageous. Old boy was of the view that i should decrease the rent for the tenants but i cannot afford it at the moment. I’ve come to a point where the ever increasing utilities is causing a lot of undue stress on my financial position and health. With the internet, cable and utility bills all in, the monthly outgo is about S$450 to S$500 and that does not include my mobile charges, tv licence fees etc. Plus with Old boy being unemployed, it is a tough struggle to straddle everything together. I am just glad that i still have savings. Money can hurt a relationship, honestly. I don’t tell him about stuff like that because i don’t want a fight between us to occur. It is not his fault that he has not been able to secure a job for the past 7 months. Sigh. Dear God, please let me have that extra bonus so that i can kick out the other tenant who has been monopolizing my bandwidth and therefore, increasing my electricity charges by leaving his pc overnight to download his stuff. If that doesn’t happen, i swear i am going to move the modem and router into my room and switch it off after 11pm everyday. Protected: Knowing my place This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below: Password: Itchy fingers Ok, i’m itching to travel again. Did think of going to Boracay Islands or the Maldives but since i’m planning to go solo (again), these areas weren’t quite apt for me as they are usually reserved for couples and honeymooners. Didn’t want to feel depressed by all the happily married couples. Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy if you’ve got a partner. I’m just saying that the last thing i want to be asked on a holiday is, “why are you travelling alone?” Contary to popular belief, solo travelling is a huge thing in UK and there are numerous websites and travel agencies that have sprung up to cater to such travellers. Of course, Singapore takes a while to warm up to that idea. Heck, Asian people generally aren’t very enthusiastic about the idea. So, anyway, i was thinking of doing a Singapore to London, London to Brussels, Brussels to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Paris, and then Paris back to Singapore. The open-jaw tickets from Sin-London and Paris back to Sin would only cost about S$2.3K inclusive of taxes on SQ of course. I was planning on going by rail for the rest of the journey since Thalys and Eurostar have the right connections. But it would also mean that i’ve got to fork out close to S$3.5k i think for the entire trip. Not really sure if i want to spend my bonus on such an extravagant trip… Hmm.. Post Wedding Stress Exhaustion has never been clearer than ever. Fragility of life With the Bangkok aerospace shut and not to mention, the hassle of trying to get alternate flights for my boss who was coincidentally stuck in Bangkok, it looks like any travel plans of mine may have to be shelved for now. I’ve also just received a call from a good friend who is flying to Mumbai this evening to negotiate for the release of a Singaporean female who has been held hostage by the militants. Somehow it feels as if the scene in The Kingdom where Ronald Fleury was on the phone with Francis Manner discussing the situation and in the next still, Francis was dead from an explosion in a compound, is playing in my head. His phone call was a reminder to me to treasure life. I can’t imagine how his girlfriend must be feeling right now. Pearl Jam - Last Kiss