HUI

Happy Children's Day!

2009-10-02T00:47:00.001+08:00

carrot cake

2009-09-30T22:03:00.006+08:00

don't ask me why but i've been in a cooking mood lately :) went grocery shopping over the weekend and came back with loads of baking materials. on sunday, i made sherperd's pie (something easy to start) for the family and on monday i baked carrot cake.
so, why carrot cake? simple reason being i didn't have a cake mixer for the other cake recipes BUT i think i (or my mom hopefully!) will be investing in one soon :) anyway carrot cake attempt wasn't quite successful. as you can see from the photo, the cake wasn't as fluffy as it should be. it look a long time to cook the inside such that the top layer was burnt i had to slice it off before creaming it. but the fruit of one's own labour always tastes sweet :) now the task is to make it even sweeter haha.

wedding of the year

2009-09-30T21:41:00.004+08:00

CONGRATULATIONS to my favourite celebrity couple!

new neighbours

2009-09-28T22:09:00.004+08:00

a pleasant surprise when i was going down the stairs two days ago - a herd of kittens (four of them!) feeding off their mother! since then, i've been keeping a lookout for my newfound squatter neighbours. in the day, the kittens are usually sleeping there by themselves (while the mother goes out to look for food i suppose?) today i found the whole family together again and i cldn't resist taking a photo!

internship week 3

2009-09-19T00:52:00.003+08:00

this is probably the most tiring week of my internship so far, even though it's only been three weeks! it certainly felt longer than that! the warehouse sale earlier this week totally exhausted me but i'm glad the weekend has finally arrived again, what's more an extended one! :):)
three weeks into the internship and tiring as it is, i'm pretty much enjoying what i'm doing so far. i can forsee that the experience which i'll be gaining here is going to be so much more and different from my previous stint; goes to show the difference between working in a statutory board and a multinational company. for one, the working population in a mnc is young and vibrant, seemingly meritocracy-based, wheras a stat board has a mixed population of the young and old, segregated vertically. because of that and in part due to the nature of the organization, the mnc generally practises an open working culture wheras the other tends to be bureaucratic and conservative. this then leads me to the third difference which is the degree of autonomy in the two types of organizations. clearly, there is a higher degree of autonomy in an mnc than in a stat board. while i do understand from the company's pov that an intern's presence is temporary, thereby placing much limitation on the amount and type of work she can be given, i feel that the value the intern can contribute to the company is as much as the responsibility the company can entrust her with. that said, i gotta admit i was pretty taken aback at the free rein thrown at me during my first week of work which i gradually acquainted myself with. so far, things have been going fine - an industry i've grown to become interested in, friendly colleagues and an approachable manager who are most willing to help only if you're not afraid to ask plus an interesting job scope which i enjoy doing. i do hope things will only get even better in the next few months to come and not get complicated by the ugly side of office life we always hear people complaining about!

internship

2009-09-01T01:13:00.002+08:00

i'm starting my internship tomorrow, after NINE WHOLE MONTHS OF slacking, traveling and whatnot. feeling somewhat unsettled and ill-equipped to start work again but i suppose everything will soon start falling into place and i'll get the momentum soon!
expectations for the internship? WORK, BRING IT ON!

bye graz, bye europe

2009-08-19T02:42:00.002+08:00

a final tribute to the place i called home a fantabulous five months away from singapore.
that's my apartment directly above the bicyles; that's my room with the blinds up.

je t'aime, not

2009-08-19T01:41:00.002+08:00

i was unimpressed by paris. the place was dirty; metro stations were smelly (in the toilet sense); people were rude and couldn't speak english! i may have been wowed by the sheer size of the eiffel tower but the tourist crowd certainly was a turnoff. personally i wldn't recommend paris as a honeymoon destination.
anyway these are the great companions i had for the last leg of the europe tour :)

strasbourg

2009-08-19T01:24:00.003+08:00

budget traveling in europe means spending one day in a random (and boring!) city even if it wasn't part of your traveling plan because that was the cheapest way to get to your destination.

it can only be primark

2009-08-19T01:11:00.002+08:00

the reason we headed to london for the second time.

lovers' paradise

2009-08-15T01:52:00.002+08:00

the next time i visit santorini, i'll be with my bf (LOL!), ride the atv and stay at oia :)

this is real greek

2009-08-15T01:39:00.003+08:00

greek alphabets are simply, interesting.

the colosseum

2009-08-15T01:28:00.005+08:00

and i never thought i'd have a chance to visit one of the seven wonders of the world!

monkey see monkey do

2009-08-15T01:21:00.002+08:00

they say that when you go to pisa, you have to do the mandatory support-the-leaning-tower shot. this is what happens when everyone tries to do that at different spots. i'm pretty sure i appeared in someone else's shot too, looking nothing short of ridiculous lol.

florence

2009-08-15T01:09:00.003+08:00

most of you should have realized by now that i like my photos taken in portrait style, even for landscape scenery.

the city of water

2009-08-15T00:55:00.002+08:00

despite being extremely touristy, i heart venice for all its quaint and rustic feel.
did you know that there are no cars or other land vehicles in venice? what a pity this beautiful water city could well disappear into the sea in decades to come!

the capital of fashion

2009-07-29T02:02:00.001+08:00

true enough, the only attraction in milan is the duomo lol.

the new paris, i'm afraid not.

2009-07-29T01:03:00.002+08:00

i decided during my easter trip that i wanted to do the smu jump at every city i vist in europe. i think i only managed to accomplish that at less than half of the places i visit.

the family

2009-07-29T00:39:00.003+08:00

this is probably the first complete family photo we've taken. it was taken at my cousin's wedding, two days after i came back from europe, with my new and shortlived haircut.

the things i'll miss

2009-07-23T20:00:00.007+08:00

greenbox
top 11
merkur
hofer
eggenberger strasse
obb
hauptplatz
jakominiplatz
posaune
kartoffel with kase
puntigamer

my flatmates and the gbp pple of course :)

HELLOOO.

2009-07-23T00:53:00.006+08:00

it's almost a week since i came back and i've been pretty overwhelmed by almost everything.
1. first, singapore's weather is intolerable! the heat and humidity is making me feel gross and sticky the whole day, even after i come out of a shower! it's probably the biggest adjustment i have had to make since coming back.
2. went for a much-needed haircut at jean yip on friday (only cos chapter two was fully booked and i really needed a haircut after five months!) which dint turn out all that satisfactory :S
3. attended my cousin's wedding on saturday. i didn't even realize he's 31! weddings these days are so different from the traditional ones back then (think brides wearing gaudy, lacy gowns in shades of white or pink) i especially liked the photo presentation showing the journey of the love birds; it makes one feel as though fairytales do exist :)
4. went for the just lai reunion gathering at ken's place and learnt a piece of shocking news which i'm still recovering from. other than that, seems like everyone's still the same except we're all moving closer to the real world in different directions now that everyone's soon to graduate in the next or following semester.
5. saw graduation photos of the 2005 batch and cyberstalked a bit about who's going where and doing what. together with the earlier events, it feels scary that we're quickly entering this new stage of life where important, life-changing decisions need to be made. it seems as though most people have got it worked out, or at least figured out, except for me.
6. went for the internship interview today. it's been a while since i donned those formal clothes and heels and it's also been a while since i had to relate to my academic experiences. what do i want to do?
7. away from these mind-boggling stuff which yields no answer no matter how much you think about them, i turned to watching korean dramas because they are heart-wrenching yet awfully sweet at the same time. but after a show, you hate it cos it paints such a rosy picture of reality which we all know is otherwise.
8. looking at the last photos of the exchange, the memories seem to be gradually fading away i have difficulty remembering some names. those five months feel a little unreal. i miss the freedom and, not having to think about the things i have to think about now.

too soon

2009-06-16T17:00:00.002+08:00

long passed are the winter days. summer has arrived and it's time to leave :(

birkenau

2009-06-12T08:08:00.003+08:00

"those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it."
George Santayana

alone in krakow

2009-06-12T07:13:00.011+08:00

while i was all excited about my solo adventure after having decided on it weeks before, uncertainty, fear and loneliness hit me shortly after i parted with the company and wandered about the streets alone, waiting to catch the bus to krakow. then i arrived in krakow and locating the hostel at four in the morning in the unpatronising rain got me thrilled again and the ensuing travel was quite an enjoyment :)
who cares about the girl who was walking alone on the streets by herself, snapping away at everything she saw, popping into random shops along the way, trying to order from the menu she didn't understand and eating by herself in the restaurants?

food experiment

2009-06-12T02:04:00.002+08:00

one of my lately successful cooking experiments - curry fried rice with tuna and onions. it tastes much better than it looks!

gotcha

2009-06-11T07:39:00.006+08:00

now who's the real paparazzi?

istanbul love

2009-06-11T06:54:00.006+08:00

after visiting so many churches in europe, i was more than glad to visit mosques for a change.
other than the lustful cab driver who drove me in circles for twenty euros, i love the annoying ice cream man, the diabetically sweet baklavas, the plainly delicious turkish chicken rice, the cheap ferry rides across the beautiful bosphorous, the bustling bazaar streets, the relaxing shisha times and more :)
here's to europe's cultural capital 2010!

Hello, ice cream?

2009-06-11T06:35:00.002+08:00

the lonely empress of austria

2009-06-11T06:25:00.008+08:00

a visit to the sisi museum in vienna's hofburg got me pretty intrigued by the princess's sad life story and her poetry.

"O that I had not left the way
That would to freedom me have led!
O that I had not gone astray
On vanity's broad path instead!

Now in a prison cell I wake
The hands are bound that once were free;
The longing grows that naught can slake
And freedom! thou hast turned from me!

I waken from a vision rich
Wherein my spirit captive lay,
And vainly curse the hour in which
Freedom! I gambled thee away!"

innsbruck

2009-06-11T05:19:00.003+08:00

me at 2000m with the tirol landscape behind me :)

eis cave

2009-06-11T05:18:00.000+08:00

i remember googling attractions in austria after the exchange results were released and seeing this, thinking it's almost impossible to go there. but here i am, along with my portugese flatmate, almost reaching the eisriesenwelt cave after a long tedious journey! well done girls :)

the vanity of this world

2009-06-10T09:52:00.001+08:00

what blooms so fair at daybreak, by noon is trampled low;
what bravely struts and strives soon turns to ash and bone;
no substance lasts forever, no brass, no polished stone.
one moment fortune smiles, the next brings bitter woe.

oh think, what are those objects we prize beyond compare,
mere shadows, dust, and wind - all worthless, false and vain;
field flowers glimpsed in passing and never seen again!
for that which is immortal, no man seems to care.

andreas gryphius, vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas, 1637

salzburg

2009-06-10T09:16:00.005+08:00

a picturesque place where photos simply does no justice.

buda_pest

2009-06-10T08:54:00.006+08:00

this is taken on the famous chain bridge, which becomes a real pretty sight and an especially romantic spot for couples at night!
did you know that budapest's name is derived from the agglomeration of the two cities separated by river danube?

the obvious choice

2009-06-10T08:35:00.004+08:00

what do you do when beer costs almost the same price as, or sometimes even cheaper than, water?
here i pay a visit to europe's largest beer house, hofbrauhaus, where beer gets served in one-litre mugs and people start drinking at mid day.
it's no wonder we're all getting fat in europe.

more than just a wall

2009-06-10T08:02:00.005+08:00

going to berlin is like taking a walk back in history, only that i'd have appreciated the place more if i had bothered to inform myself about european history previously, which i have not done up till now.
sometimes one can't help but question why people do the things they do when it's pretty obvious it's not right. but i figured if the answer were that simple, there wouldn't be so many conflicts around.

antartica

2009-06-10T07:51:00.003+08:00

one day in keukenhof is enough to make your head spin for all the flowers and colours you see!
this is my favourite flower of the lot. i like it for its simple ethereality :)

amsterdamned

2009-06-10T06:42:00.011+08:00

welcome to amsterdam's famous red light district, which has become a popular tourist attraction even mainstream tour groups are brought here for sightseeing. it was funny watching the wives holding on tight to their husbands while they walk along the street.
on a side note, i'm pretty amazed by the organization of the business; i didn't see anyone soliciting business on the streets unlike in geylang.
sex, drugs and crime; amsterdamned indeed.

king of waffles

2009-05-18T09:20:00.007+08:00

belgium is a really boring place for tourists imho which is why i'm not going to post photos of antwerp and brugges because there's nothing much worth talking about. the only redeeming factor is probably the waffles, and you know i'm a big fan of waffles :) i didn't think belgian waffles would taste any different from the ones we eat in singapore (e.g. gelare or the neighbourhood confectionary shops) initially and nine sing dollars for one waffle seemed like a tourist ripoff. but because it's a tourist thing to do when one is in belgium, i had to try it and the verdict? belgian waffles definitely lives up to its name!

me in belgium

2009-05-18T09:13:00.002+08:00

you see me everywhere in belgium because huis means house in dutch!

a series of unfortunate events

2009-05-18T09:01:00.005+08:00

this was taken in charleroi, late in the night after we came from the airport and realized there were no more train services in operation. and we thought we couldn't get any unluckier after having missed a flight the day before. we spent one night at the airport and the next at the train station. a series of unfortunate events indeed.

sintra

2009-05-18T08:34:00.008+08:00

portugese egg tart

2009-05-18T08:06:00.004+08:00

this is where the yummy portugese egg tarts with the flaky pastry skin and fluid egg filling originated from. pastel de nata's the portugese name and it is believed that they were created by catholic monks from the (also famous) monastery nearby. the tart is quite tasty, fresh from the oven, though not enough to keep me coming for more when i go to lisbon again.

my dream house

2009-05-18T07:30:00.004+08:00

i ♥ porto and its colourful little tiled houses! love the small balcony where you can talk to your neighbour next door, shout out to the random guy walking past below or simply sit and watch the world go by.
i'd not known what to expect when i went to porto but i ended up really liking the place - simple, quaint and away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

twenty two

2009-05-06T05:11:00.003+08:00

i always find it hard to make birthday wishes because i can't seem to think of anything i really want. after the big twenty-first birthday, each additional year seems so fast and insignificant. i hardly feel like my age, but then again what should it feel to be a twenty-two-year-old?

friends

2009-05-06T04:12:00.005+08:00

you've seen how it's like in american dramas such as friends; this is what i'll want to do in the future too after i start working. yeah we may piss each other off with our weird habits but the idea of living together with friends whom you can ignore because you don't feel like talking, bitch with because you just had a bad day at work or simply talk to because you have nothing better to do sounds real good!
anyway, all of you in singapore, you're dearly missed!

just for laughs

2009-05-06T04:10:00.001+08:00

hui says: i'm going to budapest tmr!
xy says: where is that?
hui says: hungary
xy says: if you're hungry, go eat first. i need to talk to my boss now.
hui says: i'm not hungry. hungary is a country!

HAHAHA.

the madridian way of living

2009-04-27T18:59:00.004+08:00

i much prefer madrid's park retiro to barca's famous park guell, probably because i don't take to gaudi's architectural style. the weather was great when we went to retiro; the sun was strong enough to get a tan yet you don't feel the heat because of the cool breeze.
if only we have such parks in singapore; i can spend hours there doing absolutely nothing :)

the passion of christ

2009-04-27T09:01:00.003+08:00

this is one of the sculptures i like at the entrance of the sagrada familia church; looking at it brings forth a silent wave of sadness. being an idiot about christianity, i did a quick google and found out that the entrance of the church depicts the passion, hence explaining the tormented expressions on the figures. great job done by josep subirachs there.
i blame it on my lack of christianity knowledge that i cannot fully appreciate the intricate architecture of the building, which has been undergoing construction since more than a century ago. can you imagine working on a project for your entire lifetime but not being able to see the finished product?

real madrid

2009-04-27T08:59:00.001+08:00

an adventurous start to the long easter traveling indeed! first we checked in to a hostel which was located in an industrial area some thirteen stops from the city and always crowded with staring black people at the reception area; then we had a close shave with a group of lousy (fortunately!) pickpockets on the metro; end that with getting chased out of a buffet restaurant after eating for two hours. there you have madrid, a boring but eventful city.

the food i eat

2009-03-23T22:29:00.006+08:00

something decent-looking i whipped up, with some help of instant tomato soup, topped with toasted bread and broccoli, one of my least favourite vegetables back in singapore but is probably the only vegetable available here next to salad which i've grown to like fortunately.
i'm rather easygoing with food, especially when i'm cooking it myself (i prob wouldn't say the same if i'm back home and my mom was cooking), so normally i'll fix myself pasta (aglio olio style with lots of garlic and onions or simply tossed with cheese), instant food such as rice/soups/noodles or just cereal but i really enjoy what i eat even though they're nothing fantabulous. i hardly eat meat at home because one, i don't like ham that much and that's the easiest meat to cook; two, bacon expires fast and i don't like eating the same food for the whole week; three, bratwurst and chicken seems a real hassle to cook, especially if you're eating on your own so i usually get my protein from eggs (sunnysides!), lots of milk and yoghurt.
you would think that with the kind of food i'm eating i should have no prob shedding some weight over here, but accompanying the fuss-free diet are the after-meal snacks like biscuits, chips and chocolates which i have perpetually stocked in my room :)

here to study

2009-03-22T07:06:00.005+08:00

proof i'm not just here for all play and no work, this is my information technology class celebrating the end of the examination; even the professor joins in with a bottle of beer!
the fhj education system is pretty similar to smu's, with active participation and project work. i'm glad i came two weeks before the exchange semester to attend the class (which was only 0.5 smu credit btw) where i got to work with the local students who also made an effort to involve us in their activities (i.e. partying, that's what they do best lol!) it was real coincidental that four of them are coming to smu for exchange next semester; i'm thrilled to be able to play host to them then!

a naked affair

2009-03-22T06:49:00.004+08:00

this is bad radkersberg where we went for our first thermal bath, a typical austrian activity in winter. it was a great day to walk the suburbs cos the weather was great, there was the sun and the sky was clear. the highlight of the day had to be the shock we received when we entered the sauna. people, both man and woman and mostly old, were walking around stark naked. of course, we weren't comfortable enough to do what the romans did so we went in with towels wrapped around our swimwear and tried not to stare lol. what an experience!

sweets

2009-03-20T01:40:00.004+08:00

you can see these old school candies vending machines at almost all the tram/bus stops in graz. however, it seems like no one ever buys from them?
maybe one day i'll give it a try.

simply bohinj

2009-03-18T00:27:00.004+08:00

another paradise just an hour away from bled. you never thought slovenia would be this beautiful; every photo we took was postcard worthy.
enough of words for now, let the photo do the talking :)

a paradise of its own

2009-03-18T00:04:00.003+08:00

this is one of my favourite shots taken in bled. i LOVE the contrast of the medieval castle atop the cliff against the alphine mountains in the background, with the tranquil lake beneath it's totally beautiful!
bled has got to be the most beautiful place i've been to in europe thus far! it's a quaint and peaceful town with lots of greens and a huge lake. it feels really surreal to be walking by the lake at any time of the day (wei, it's a great dating spot too!) spring would be a great time to visit the place because the weather's warmer and the vegetation will start flourishing it'll only get more beautiful!

because i love you

2009-03-17T23:38:00.008+08:00

presented this commercial during marketing class today as part of a project on the advertising scene in singapore. it's one of my favourite advertisements on the singapore tv; never fails to give me a good laugh each time i hear THE line come up LOL! yeah i do cringe when i hear it but i think it's also quite real, no? that's not to say i'll do it too of course!

eating horse

2009-03-14T09:33:00.004+08:00

this had to be the most interesting thing i saw in ljubljana (though i later learnt from my flatmate that horse meat is available in italy, and probably other parts of europe, too). i'm not so adventurous when it comes to food and i thought it cruel to eat horses (but not chickens and pigs, i know) so i stuck to having my normal chicken kebap. anyhow a friend tried the horse burger and said there was not much taste to it so not much of a loss there.
as a capital which claims itself as the place "kjer se srecuje vsa euvropa" (where all of europe meets), ljubljana was really boring. it rained when we got there on the first day so we had to seek shelter before continuing our tour. even then, we managed to cover the main sights in the city centre within a few hours and then there was nothing much to do at night.

more than just mushrooms

2009-03-08T12:58:00.006+08:00

this is one of the stalls at the weekend portobello market in london. it was a really huge market an hour was barely sufficient for speed window shopping. real vintage accessories, antiques as well as woman's clothings are sold at the market but the prices weren't that cheap by singapore terms. an interesting sight along the way was this stall selling really, really cheap food products such as biscuits and chocolates only that i found out later the foods were either expired or expiring the next day! in case anyone was wondering, no portobello and cheese sandwich was found along the way.

a bun affair

2009-03-07T19:50:00.006+08:00

"no visit to bath is complete without a trip to the oldest house in bath", so they say.
after visiting the traditional roman baths, we had tea at sally lunns's refreshment house which is home to the world famous sally lunn buns (charles dickenson was a huge fan). fluffy sweet bread which was not all that exceptional, but the house special clotted cream (forget about the fats for a moment!) and quaint setting made it a great experience.
while most people think of bath as a really lovely place, i regret that i dint have enough time to explore the area to share the same sentiment.

mystery of the stones

2009-03-07T10:00:00.008+08:00

i gotta confess that i used to mix up stonehenge and the moai statues of easter island for the fact that they are all stones lol!
one wld think that given the technology we have today, buildings can be made even more extravagant and magnificent-looking than before but i think what's mesmerizing about these sites is more than just the architecture but the story and mystery behind them.
i took a whole load of photos of the same stones while freezing against the strong gusts of chilling wind. thought this photo has quite a nice polariod touch to it :)

ben and i

2009-03-05T07:58:00.006+08:00

to be honest, i knew nothing about the building before i came but being a typical singaporean tourist, camwhoring is a must!
there were many places to tour around in london five days was hardly enough. however i must say that the capital fell short of my expectations. big city no doubt, with a cosmopolitan mix of people from all around the world, i found it a tad complicated and too gloomy (probably cos it's winter) for my liking. it's worth going back though for the shopping is awesome!

fasching tuesday

2009-03-02T07:16:00.006+08:00

little boy dressed up as pikachu during fasching (germans' version of madi gras) in graz. hundreds of people, both the young as well as the old, gathered at the city centre in the afternoon, dressed up as fanciful characters, for the costume parade, which is akin to singapore's chingay. the carnival continued into the night on the streets with lots of booze and music. it was quite an experience participating in a carnival for a first time, what's more in the cold winter!

first sight of snow

2009-02-24T07:28:00.004+08:00

this was taken during the train ride from vienna to graz. two and half hours of gazing at the snow covered landscapes; we must have appeared like idiots to the locals! now i think i've had enough of the snow and cold; it's time for spring!

third week in graz

2009-02-24T06:28:00.004+08:00

so it's my third week in graz! i had my first german class this afternoon and picked up some basic conversational terms such as "mein name is hui und ich komme aus singapur" which was quite fun but i doubt i'll be able to carry a decent conversation with anyone in german at the end of the classes. last week was taken up by orientation which was a bit of a letdown cos there were too much boring administrative stuff to settle such as registering for insurance, matriculation, computer issues etc. school will be starting officially next week and before that, i'll be off to london on wednesday!
anyway i've decided that since i'm too lazy to blog these days, i'll just post random shots of graz and other places i'll be travelling to keep the blog alive!

first week in GRAZ

2009-02-08T03:05:00.007+08:00

it's been a week since i arrived at graz and i've been either too busy settling down or real lazy to blog. so here a really lazy post in bullet forms!

1. it was snowing when we arrived in vienna (YAY!) and it continued snowing for the next couple of days until yesterday when the sun finally came out. the snow was really fun (think prancing in the snow and snowball fights!) save for the harsh coldness; but i'm really looking forward to cool, temperate spring as well!
2. i went shopping on the second day here and got myself two winter coats (which look almost exactly the same) and a pair of black boots to equip myself for the cold winter. the sales here are really quite a steal and i'm trying hard to curb impulsive buying which i'm doing pretty well :)
3. the hostel where i stay is called greenbox and it's right next to my school; it takes about 5 minutes walk and is really literally green. the apartment's new and well furnished and i've got really nice flatmates. there's a dishwasher in the kitchen which i'm rather skeptical about, for i've never used one before; there's also a small gym and sauna here at the hostel.
4. the trams and buses here are really convenient. it gets you everywhere in less than half an hour (although that's probably also because graz is a small town).
5. the roads here are bicycle-friendly; there's a bike path beside most roads. makes me feel like getting around by bicycles instead!
6. austria is a very green country and i like it for that. garbage has to be separated into five categories - plastic, paper, metal, biodegradable and others. supermarkets do not provide plastic bags which can be rather troublesome at times but i think it simply takes some getting used to.
7. i love the kebab burger here! the pita bread is crispy and it comes with lots of greens! i'm still getting used to the food though; austrians typically eat a lot of meat which can get a lil overwhelming for myself. i often get cravings for soup noodles here :(
8. the architecture of the buildings here is really magnificent as depicted in magazines and television. you can never get enough of them here!
9. it can get rather quiet and boring at night here where i live because shops generally close by 7pm and greenbox is located away from the main night scene. i'm just waiting for orientation to start next week so we can all get to know more people!

ciao and will try to blog soon again!

24 hours before

2009-01-30T02:13:00.006+08:00

it's almost exactly 24 hours before i jet off for my exchange tmr! i'm going to be flying qatar from t3 at 0220!
this must be the umpteenth time i've said this but time really flies! i can hardly remember what i did the last month. a bit of meeting up with whoever i could; a bit of shopping for the exchange and winter necessities; a bit of time with the family and a bit of tv and reading time for myself; there's cny and then i'm leaving tmr.
it was quite a good month i have to say; without the stress of smu workload which has began to pile onto the unfortunate. i can't believe it's already week four of the acad semester! it seems like i've taken a long break from school; far too long that i've kind of forgotten how it's like to study and be pressed by assignment/project deadlines. irk i don't really want to be reminded of that, not yet.
things back home is pretty good too, probably because i'm leaving soon, everyone seems especially tolerant of each other; tempers down save for the occasional harmless bickering. maybe my impending departure has enlightened each of us in our own ways; it makes me a little sad to leave now :(
anyhow i'm sure the following six months will be a great time for everyone, wherever they're. to a different and great experience in europe!

truce

2009-01-09T22:00:00.002+08:00

it's nearly two weeks away from cny which means i'll be leaving singapore really soon! now the reality seems to be kicking in more so than ever.
before i left for batam, there was some tension between my mom and i, sparked off by the exchange trip no doubt. a bit of unspoken unhappiness and grievances on both sides, me not understanding her and she not understanding me etc. i'm glad for the genting break she had shortly after i returned from batam. it gave us both time to think about the issue and decide that time's too short to remain angry at each other. we're back on talking terms now and starting the preparation for cny!

Relish at Cluny Court

2009-01-04T16:58:00.014+08:00

met up with serene and richard on saturday night to go try the much-raved about relish gourmet burgers by wild rocket.

serene chose the chicken burger with marsak sauce. the sauce was the differentiating factor with its sweet and tangy taste. richard said it tasted like the chilli crab sauce. i opted for the seafood burger with lemo mayo which came with generous serving of chunky seafood in the thick patty. richard's choice was the blue cheese beef burger with poached pears. quite an interesting combination i'd say. it looks quite good, with the cheese flowing generously out from the middle of the thick beef patty. a pity i don't take beef!

my review:
nice ambience for a simple night's out with close friends. the thick patties are a major plus point but a tad overrated. most of the burgers on the menu are beef; hence the choice of burgers for non-beef eaters like myself is pretty limited. this would be a good place for burger lovers i suppose. i'd recommend going in the afternoon to enjoy the lunch time set meal which comes with starter, burger, dessert and tea.

BATAM - simply eat, nua and get fat

2009-01-04T01:25:00.016+08:00

off to batam!

our destination - ktm resort.

"It’s a layback and natural haven, which offers convenience and total relaxation for anybody who needs a short getaway from the hustle and buzzle of city life to unwind."

our family cottage which turned out way better than i'd expected. there was a small kitchen complete with a washing sink and cooking stove, two air-conditioned bedrooms each with a television and clean toilet, as well as a balcony overlooking the sea.

the spa was totally awesome! a pampering treat of jacuzzi followed by a full body massage, with soothing music playing in the background against the soft splashing of the waves underneath.

a last shot with the lovely cottage before we are checked out.

one of the stopovers during the city tour on the second day.

it certainly felt longer than two days while we were there because village life passes so slowly. an apt time for a getaway to relax the mind and ponder over troubling matters at the beginning of the new year before facing reality again.

my review:
ktm resort is a pretty good choice for families, friends or even couples looking for a short and nearby getaway from the hustle and bustle of singapore. while the food may not be so good and the activities may be rather limited, the tranquility and appeal to mother nature more than makes up for it. i'd definitely recommend the ocean view spa package! do also bring along a good book and read away by the sea!

the last of 2008

2009-01-01T03:32:00.003+08:00

the girls i'm thankful for, with whom i can totally see growing old together. it's been five great years and it's only going to get better!

a toast to 2009! here's to rebirth, love and wholesomeness!

single, (subjectively) charming thong. anyone interested?

will be away in batam for the next two days!
till then, enjoy the new year!

Four Cities in Europe

2008-12-31T00:40:00.003+08:00

the next big thing to look out for on the blogosphere:
Four Cities in Europe

belated christmas and birthday celebrations

2008-12-29T12:46:00.004+08:00

happy birthday ping! mark the faces before some of us are flown off for exchange!

merry christmas! victims of the wearable gift exchange lol.

- photos taken using lana's new lx3 camera.

of christmas, poprings, and bread monsters (part II)

2008-12-25T05:54:00.010+08:00

helloo wei, this post goes out to you specially :)

away from the bustling activity happening at town, into the laidback surroundings of ecp. no turkey, no crabs. just simple fare and great company!

poprings are absolute ♥!

and the bread monsters continue their adventure at hkcafe this time!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

early reflections

2008-12-22T05:31:00.001+08:00

it's half past five in the morning and i'm still wide awake! the body clock's been acting pretty insanely these days; i can't sleep till after 3 and i wake up arnd noon, contrary to the usual days where i sleep the entire afternoon away.
few days ago, i finally dropped the bomb on my father regarding the impending exchange trip. to my surprise, he did not have any violent objection and told me to go ahead if that was what i wanted. my mom, however, seemed to become more reluctant to let me go as the date draws near. sometimes i can't help but feel selfish for leaving the family behind to pursue my own interests but (the "but"s!) at the same time, i don't want to be restrained by such a responsibility and live to regret my decision later. let's just hope it's a passing phase and everyone will be happy in a while!

of shutter shades and bread monsters

2008-12-20T14:49:00.000+08:00

quarantine/twilight

2008-12-14T23:24:00.000+08:00

my review on two movies i caught recently - quarantine and twilight.

quarantine
"on march 11, 2008, the government sealed off an apartment complex in los angeles. the residents were never seen again. no details. no witnesses. no evidence. until now."
this was how the television trailer went and i thought it was going to be a pretty interesting thriller worthy of a cinema trip. five minutes into the movie, juls and i were wondering if we were in the right theatre. fifteen minutes later, you have a mad and bloody old woman pouncing onto people and ripping the throats out of them. a rat which happened to scramper across the room got violently stepped on, flat; intestines and blood bursted out onto the floor. total grosteque.
basically, this is a movie revolving around a rabies outbreak in humans. outside the quarantined apartment, you have the government assuring the oblivious public that everyone has been evacuated and necessary actions were being taken to control the situation. inside the apartment, with all networks cut off and swat snipers ready to shoot at any escapees, the trapped residents were left to fend for their own lives. lots of savagery and gore where human beings readily axed fellow beings in the race to stay alive.
a recurring theme about ethics in troubled times which has been explored many so often in movies but still leaves one with no answers. unless you're in for stomach churning (literally) blood and gore, i'd suggest you give the show a miss.

twilight
went to catch the sneak preview of the movie adaptation for the first book of the much raved about vampire trilogy - twilight with my sister yesterday after work. as some of you may know, i'm a total sucker (pun unintended lol) for vampires so i was more than happy to read the books when juls introduced me to the series earlier last sem. i even managed to convert my sister from a non-reader to a twilight fan!
in short, the twilight saga is a story of forbidden love, set in high school, which could be easily related to, as compared to conventional vampire novels about the seductive vampire and the alluring damsel. i didnt think much of the characters after reading the books as i felt that they were being overly and annoyingly reliant on each other, something which i cannot comprehend. isabella swan, the damsel in distress literally, was whining throughout the four books which irritated me a great deal. edward cullen, despite the near-perfection description given in the book, was being way too protective and loving towards bella, whom i thought dint deserve it, for my liking.
however, robert pattinson's portrayal of edward cullen really got me. he brought edward cullen alive and totally charmed me AWW. those who've watched the movie will know what i mean.
anyway, back to reality, safe for my bias towards robert pattinson, i thought the movie was average on the whole and fell a little short of expectations. the casting, for one, was not what i had expected. kirsten stewart's depiction of bella only made the character more detestable; rosalie wasn't as attractive; alice wasn't as petite and so on. watching the movie having read the book made it harder. i was trying to compare the two things the entire time it felt rather tiring. thanks to robert pattinson for the much needed distraction though! nevermind all the negative feedback; i'd strongly recommend the movie for the girls out there!

transformers, robots in disguise

2008-12-11T00:04:00.000+08:00

i'm working at taka toy fair from tues-sun. do drop by to visit the bored soul if you have the time!

standchart 2008 - run your own race

2008-12-07T22:28:00.000+08:00

kudos to myself for completing the half marathon race this morning in three and a half hours! mediocre results but satisfactory for me nonetheless. echoing what the emcee at the starting point said, "it's not about finishing the race, it's about having the courage to be here."
interesting happening of the race. blame it on pre-race anxiety or whatever, i wanted to go to the toilet before the race started. i guess i wasn't the only one who felt this way. five minutes into the race, guys were dashing into the bushes. it was really quite an amusing sight.
i think i managed to learn quite a bit from the race which would be useful for future marathons. for one, do empty the bladder before the starting the race lest you be subject to much inconvenience later on. more importantly, while running is very much a mental thing, sheer perseverance is not enough to tide you through the entire race. i only have my lack of discipline to blame for my current pathetic plight. am relying on salonpas to relieve the aching joints and muscles!
despite having said that, i'm almost certain i won't take part again in any more running events, not at least without some proper training which i am totally too lazy for. one experience is good enough for me :) respect goes out to those who completed the full marathon! well done, richard!

nonya fever - baba king

2008-12-07T00:18:00.000+08:00

went to collect the standchart race pack ytd at the expo with richard. yes, tomorrow's the run! goodness grief i haven't trained much and was down with sore throat and flu just yesterday. i've been trying to drink lots of water and stuck to porridge diet in a last minute, desperate attempt to be in good shape for the run. thankfully, the ulcer which has been bugging me for the entire week is recovering and the sore throat is almost gone :) anyway, i've always felt that running is more of a mental than physical thing so hopefully, i can pull myself through the run tmr!

after collecting our race packs, richard and i went to have lunch at this peranakan restaurant called baba king. yup riding on the nonya wave following the channel 8 drama. i really know nothing about nonya food; the food served were not bad but i think i prefer to eat nonya kueh :)

graz accommodation - greenbox

2008-12-05T00:27:00.000+08:00

Dear Hui Hui!
We have reserved your housing application and your deposit and we are looking forward to welcoming you in Graz in the summer semester. According to your demand we have reserved a room in the following student dormitory for you:
period of rent: 15.02.2009-30.06.2009
address in Graz:
Studentenheim GREENBOX
Eggenberger Allee 31/1/11/47
A-8020 Graz
It is a single room, fully furnished, no. 47 Top 11, 1st floor. Greenbox is built in form of apartments – 4-6 students per apartment, one common kitchen, 2 bathrooms. You have to share the bathroom and the kitchen with other students. The room is fully equipped, but you have to bring pillows and blankets, sheets, and some dishes and plates for your personal use. The student dormitory is well equipped; there are common rooms, internet connection in the rooms, washing machines, sauna etc.

just received this in the email! with the exams done (results are coming back and not looking up to my expectations; so much for trying not to hope too much), it's time to be looking forward to exchange next year! i didn't expect the dormitory to be apartment style (i confess that i haven't actually done much research and simply went with the crowd) i don't really like the idea of having people live under the same roof as me; it makes me feel that i don't have much personal space to myself. but on a positive note, there're 2 bathrooms in the apartment! i have this thing against sharing toilets (it's a girls' thing i think) two toilets shared among 4-6 people definitely sounds better than an entire level sharing one. i hope i get nice and fun housemates!

communication

2008-12-03T02:35:00.000+08:00

exams came to an end last saturday. i'm much thankful for that. the four papers seemed alright so we'll see when the results come back. i'm hoping to do well this sem to justify a well-deserved break for the next six months but at the same time, trying not to get my hopes up for fear of disappointment.
despite ending the exams, it's sad to say that school hasn't quite ended for me because of a pending project which has evolved from being exciting to utterly dreadful with the client's incessant demands and the miscommunication between the client, the prof and the team. well, hopefully things will change for the better after tmr.
anyway speaking of communication, after working on the client consultancy project and relating to much personal experience (i'm also currently reading "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"), i've come to realize that communication is something which is often understated in our lives. true enough, everyone knows that effective communication is important but if you think again, how many of us really understand the essence of it and how to achieve it? i'm still trying to figure that out in my own way but from what i gather so far, i'd say that the fundamental obstacles deterring effective communication are personality differences and information asymmetry, the latter often being the underlying cause of most conflicts. while some people may argue that this view is inherently flawed, that information can never be perfect, i feel that it is not entirely impossible, in a figurative manner, with much faith and tolerance. how many times have you jumped to conclusions quickly only to realize later that you've misjudged the situation? many times, i'd say for myself, as much as i try to make a conscious effort to consider other perspectives which could alter the situation. so my take, always give the benefit of doubt whenever possible and make the world a much happier place.

can you beat that?

2008-11-19T15:15:00.001+08:00

1. sleeping for more than twenty four hours straight
2. getting pooped by a bird twice while crossing the road
3. queuing to buy my first 4d ticket LOL
4. getting kiaped by the library gantry doors (twas poor juls!)

vote obama

2008-11-03T22:09:00.000+08:00

in view of the elections tmr, i'm supporting OBAMA for change!

beekaekay

2008-10-31T21:46:00.000+08:00

the bangkok trip was awesome! awfully tiring no doubt, it was a great learning experience! clara and i arrived at the hotel around noon, wasted no time and set off to begin our shopping spree! we managed to cover the three major shopping areas - siam square, mbk and platinum plaza - all in one afternoon but i hardly bought much :( i think the flood of bangkok apparels in local shopping malls and online sites is getting to me. my only regret had to be missing my wanton mee husband and suan lum!

the next three days were spent in the hotel as our schedule was fully packed with presentations, discussions, activities and interviews from morning to afternoon, not to forget the school projects we had to do after dinner. it was amazing meeting so many people from all over the world who shared a common passion for what they do and were so forthcoming with their experiences it really helped the two of us settle into the foreign environment quickly.

three main takeaways from the trip:
one. i have a better understanding of myself. the challenge, however, is to manage my personality as well as appreciating other people for their differences. it's a really difficult process, given my stubborn nature, but i'm working hard on it!

two. like vicky in vicky christina barcelona, i have absolutely no idea what i want in life. i've come to realize that life's an experiment; you can only try to find out what you like by eliminating what you don't like and that is, after giving everything a try. so i'm trying to be more open-minded and adventurous now!

three. i enjoy having my own personal space. after a good three days spent away from home, i was rather reluctant to come back to all the bustle and nagging at home. i used to think that i was a homely person but now i realize i'd only wanted to have my own space and home's not exactly the best place for that. living on my own certainly sounds really appealing!

anyway, here're some random photos from the trip.

before leaving on my first business trip :) did i mention that i overslept and almost missed the flight?

favourite tuktuk ride!

on the boat on chao phraya river across the hotel we stayed in. it's really luxurious, we were given a twin room each!

the BEST oyster omelette i've ever eaten, seriously!

camwhoring before dinner on the first night :)

aww isn't he just ADORABLE!

dinner cruise on the second night, taken with the friendly and talented music performer for the night, who's only sixteen btw.

with the secondees and coaches.

woman, nothing but trouble

2008-10-24T00:35:00.000+08:00

mentoring days

2008-10-21T14:16:00.000+08:00

met up for lunch with weiren on thurs. the last time i remembered talking to him was more than a year ago, after the release of his olevel results. now he's already into his second year of poly! it's great to see him make it this far. to hear of his accomplishments and self-motivation, i actually feel quite proud even though i doubt i helped much.
anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY in advance!

when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. keep on striving!

midterm break

2008-10-08T01:00:00.000+08:00

my midterm break started last saturday after the bp midterm, which i hope i do decent. even though it's only tuesday, i feel like i don't much of a break left! caught vicky cristina barcelona on sat after dinner at outback. it wasn't my kind of movie, watching it late at night made it worse. worked on sunday and mahjonged after that, losing 29 bucks (ouch!) but i believe i'll recoup the losses another time. coloured and highlighted my hair at snip avenue yesterday. cheap hair services at average (or below, my sister would say) service quality. the red highlights i wanted turned out slightly pinkpurplish :S i can't decide if i like the change. today, i worked again and sales was surprisingly good :) so there goes 4 days of the break.
with the remaining week left, i need to complete a position paper, work on projects and go running. i'm excited to try out the new asics running shoes i got at a steal from peninsular plaza lol! i'm really thankful i'm done with midterms so i have excuses to waste the midterm break away yay :)

growing old

2008-10-02T04:25:00.000+08:00

it's hard to notice how much your parents have aged when you see them every day. it's scary when the physical reality finally hits you in the face and i won't even go into details about that. what's frustrating is knowing that you can do nothing about it except to wait for the time for a switch of roles.
till then, the clock continues ticking away.

new layout

2008-09-29T22:43:00.001+08:00

as you can see, i've changed my blog layout. i'd thought i was going to use the old one for the longest time and prob not change it. but you see, i was playing around with blogger's customization tool and ended up messing up my original template so i figured it's time for a change. i like this template now that everything can be seen at a go. i've also added in the plurk widget which allows me to tag random stuff at random times. it looks a tad out of place though.
and so, i removed it in the end.

swiss culture

2008-09-25T00:38:00.001+08:00

with some shopping at bugis prior to that. it was carol's last week here before she returns to nottingham, in fact she's leaving on sat! it's rather a pity we dint manage to meet up with her much during her stay here as all of us were kept busy with school and all :( heard much ravings about swiss culture and hence got them to all head there for dinner. the food was not as good as i had expected, i like the thick, creamy and garlicky sauce of my chicken dish as well as the rosti; however the sauce for the sausage dishes turned out too salty for our liking. i think the service makes up for it though; the staff were really friendly, but that may be due to the lack of dinner crowd (f1 road block?). i wanna try kushinbo the next time; there was a long queue forming even at 8 plus! but then again, the thought of stuffing myself with food at a buffet makes me think twice :S

yearbook yourself!

2008-09-23T21:20:00.000+08:00

a product of boredom during twc class last week. go try it and have fun at www.yearbookyourself.com!

being random

2008-09-20T21:57:00.001+08:00

i believe in karma. what goes around will come around, and probably hit you worse; it's just a matter of time.
stupid and lazy people are infuriating.
i managed to drag myself out to run today for the first time in months and i'm feeling the ache already.
i have a case analysis due on monday and i have no idea how to go about doing it.

farewell thong!

2008-09-15T14:39:00.000+08:00

so thong is leaving for liverpool on tues to start his law pursuit. i know you'll have lots of fun but try not to fool around too much ya? oh and one thing, i'm pretty sure your rain-lookalike hairdo will fit in real well there lol!

speaking of hairdoes, wei, fionne and i went to have our hair cut at chapter2, part thanks to the discount voucher i had from ibiza. for the umpteenth time, i went to the salon with the intention of cutting my hair short. only this time, i did not chicken out despite the hairstylist's warning about the curling ends and my much unwillingness to part with my long hair. so there you go, a new look for me which i'm very much satisfied with :)

it was mooncake festival as well as my father's birthday yesterday. my sister decided to be real nice; we went to get an ice cream cake after our work and celebrated with a birthday song and not much of a surprise from my father. i haven't eaten much mooncakes this year; baked lotus mooncake with yolk is my favourite!

happy birthday, min and fio!

2008-09-11T22:59:00.000+08:00

september seems to be a favourite month for parents. following my sister and lest, huimin had her 21st celebration a day in advance on monday, which coincides with fio's birthday.
happy birthday, girls! stay happy, stay pretty, stay forever 21 :)

happy birthday, xinyun and lest!

2008-09-07T01:01:00.000+08:00

happy birthday to my sister and lester chia!

no photos of my sister's celeb due to the gloomy weather, made worse by the lousy service rendered by pizzahut which i shant say more. just think grumpy service crew and a waiter who did not even apologize for spilling a glass of water on our table.

this week has been exhausting i know not why. it's only week 3, my projects have barely started but i feel like there's so much to be done. the neverending readings, a trying attempt to keep myself up to date with current affairs, meetings here and there sigh.

at least there's something worth looking forward to at the end of this :)

graz, here i come!

2008-08-27T20:05:00.000+08:00

the long-awaited news are finally out, i'm offered fh joanneum for my spring exchange! even though that wasn't my first choice, i'm equally thrilled at the prospect of going away and basking in the culture of a new place! at the same time, the thought of leaving singapore for somewhere foreign for an extended period of time is rather scary :S

graz, here i come!

missing oracle

2008-08-24T00:22:00.000+08:00

i was finishing up my long overdue ocip report which i almost forgot about. looking at the photos made me miss those simple days and company! with the many recruitment emailers coming, i'm tempted to go for another ocip but the thought of probably being the only year three among mostly freshmen holds me back :S

first week of school

2008-08-22T22:55:00.000+08:00

the first week of school is over to much relief. it's weird to be back after a long break, especially when all you see are new unfamiliar faces and surroundings. barely having the time to settle down, one is quickly reminded of the stark reality of the competitive education system. what's more, being a year three comes with added pressure, looking at the advanced modules we're taking and the expectation that we've grown to be more sophisticated thinkers after 2 years of training hah.

i'm quite happy with how my timetable turned out this sem. not much complaints about the profs; they all seem pretty competent. i'm just a lil apprehensive about doing comms; besides inferiority complex at work, i'm not really sure that's the path i wanna take but i guess i'll give it a try and see how things work out.

anyway i'm beginning to like my 8.30 classes, even though i struggle with waking up every morning. i like the thought of having the entire afternoon to myself, even if it's just doing nothing. it feels good to be away from that gloomy place called school.

on a happier note, i met up with linglee for a midweek kbox session on wednesday. that's another perk of having morning classes - cheap de-stress recreation :)

new semester

2008-08-17T22:21:00.000+08:00

schools starts all over again tomorrow after 4 months of summer. i'm so not looking forward to the 8.30 classes i have almost every day.