Night Out with Kar Cheng and KG

Was supposed to go for dinner with Kar Cheng, but Kelvin (aka Kiao Gu) came in a cab and whisked us off to Joo Chiat. Kar Cheng is a gross cousin who wore a fargly-looking cap that has a blinkling neon green marijuana leaf. He is so obsessed with anything Thai that he listens to Thai songs, tries to irritate us by speaking in Thai, and worse, sets Thai songs for his mobile ringtones. Indecent things were also spewing from his mouth, like how his stools would emit alcoholic fumes if he have had a drop too much, how he likes to burp into KG's mouth (sick!), and many other explicit elaborations on the things that he does with his Thai girlfriend that were uncalled for. KG was not much innocent either.

At Joo Chiat, I was whining about my craving for barbequed chicken wings and the two men were greatly annoyed. Kar Cheng was groaning "带女人出来很麻烦!" We lounged at a pub and had an enjoyable chat over drinks and mixed nuts. It was boring because they were showing soccer and the only thing that was interesting was a Phip woman sliding up and down an angmoh's thighs (even that seemed boring after a while). At one point, we were wondering why there were angmohs in the pub, and KG made us smirk by joking that they did not want to go home after the IMF.

The boredom and my persistent demands for chicken wings (even the barmaid offered to buy for me when she overheard my whines) proved too much for the two men, and we left for Boat Quay shortly. We went to my favourite KTV pub as the drinks were cheap, the waitresses were foxy and the place was near empty. Then we started belting out our favourite songs happily until I realised the remaining patrons left quickly. All the better. Kar Cheng went for his Andy Lau favourites and KG went for Jay Chou songs, but the best part was when the three of us yodelled to 伍佰's 一生最爱的人. I think the bartender nearly went crazy because we were practically shouting.

Soon, the place started to see a steady flow of patrons and we had to give up our monopoly over the mike. As Kar Cheng had to work the next day, we left pretty early (according to our standards). KG was sweet enough to remember that I felt like eating chicken wings, and we all decided to eat supper before going home. KG was asking around the eateries nearby for chicken wings, but we eventually settled for some pricey and way too spicy phad thai at a Thai eatery. Not too bad.

What a crazy night spent with these two crazy fellows.

Mooncake Shopping

Went with Slug to the Mooncake Fair at the basement of Takashimaya to shop for mooncakes. I hate the crowd. We hardly had the chance to try the mooncake samples because of retarded gobblers who anchored themselves at the booths trying every single mooncake flavour and taking more than 5 minutes to ponder if it tasted good after each try. How slow could these people get? So I took vengeance by barging forcefully into the crowd, giving out 'tsk!' huffs and stepping on many toes.

Check out the many innovative mooncake flavours offered by the many participating hotels, restaurants and bakeries at the fair, like durian mooncakes, tiramisu mooncakes and even ice-cream mooncakes from Haagen-Dazs that costs a hefty $68 for a box. In the end, we decided on getting the traditional mooncakes with yolks from Tung Lok. I also learnt there exists a difference between red lotus and white lotus.

Then we proceeded to BC's house to pay a visit to his mother, a warm old lady who tends to talk a lot. We were also greeted by her over-zealous pug puppy called Bobby (which led Slug to remark 'Why are all dogs named Bobby?"). So we gave her the mooncakes and chatted with her for a while before making our way home feeling worn-out.

Movie with Ah Sir (2)

Went to watch Little Man at Cineleisure with Ah Sir. Throughout the show, the smell of Ah Sir's tuna sandwich was wafting through the air. Yech.

After that, we went to Tong Shui to have supper. We shared a bowl of Nissin noodles whose soup tasted so bland and had their delicious chicken wings. I amazed Ah Sir with my hobby of sucking on lemon slices (in my iced lemon honey) cleanly.

Ah Sir, if you are reading this, have you done what you are supposed to do? I hope the outcome is favourable.

Grassroots Activism at its Best

Went to Suntec with Slug for a rewarding walk after a tiring day of transcribing. We were cursing the IMF event under our breath because our bus route was diverted and we had to take a long walk through Millenia Walk to get to Suntec.

After lunch, we went to admire the pretty little fishes (and spotted a decomposing lionfish) in the aquarium at the basement of Suntec, and pestered Bo to take a break from work and meet us for a chat. While the two chimneys were puffing away, we chatted animatedly for more than half an hour before she was called back to work again.

Suntec was so ghostly quiet today, but I loved it. I hate crowds.

On the way home, we met the Cat Auntie again. This time, we really got acquainted with the neighbourhood cats through her(good Lord). Grey ones, white ones and black ones. And we even exchanged numbers (her initiation, not mine) so that she can entrust me with the task of feeding the cats in case she needs to go to Malaysia for some time (a task I further entrust a reluctant Slug to attend to since I appear in the West sporadically). Now I am part of the Cat Lovers Network!

Back home, Meow Meow has killed AND ate three stinky lizards. Sick.

Mi Mi is Missing

Mi Mi is missing.

I haven't seen her around for a long time, and I am starting to get worried. Slug and I could not find her at her usual hangouts. I am fearful of her getting knocked down by cars while crossing the road or worse, fall into the hands of cold-hearted psychos who abuse cats.

While Slug and I were walking home, we met the Cat Auntie again. As usual, she was feeding the strays, so we went over and chatted with her. She too, had noticed Mi Mi's disappearance. According to her, today was the third day she was not around.

Cat Auntie never fails to impress us whenever we chat with her. This time, she amazed us with her huge bag of at least twenty cans of cat food. Because the cats are fussy eaters, she makes it a point to remember every cat's favourite flavour. She said that according to a so-called Cat's Association, Friskies dried biscuits are not good for cats because they can induce kidney failure. She dislikes the Malays for giving the cats raw kunning or fried fish heads, because she claims it is unhealthy, so she prepares fish the healthy way: lightly salted baked fish fillets wrapped in aluminium foil. We cannot believe these cats have such gourmet meals everyday. On top of these, this devoted auntie goes from block to block late at night to search for the cats and make sure each has its meal!

Sigh, I hope Mi Mi would come back soon.

Night Out with Kar Cheng

Had a night chat at the void deck with Kar Cheng, who just got back from Thailand, over Big Gulps and Pockys. It was pleasant to know that he may be bringing his Thai girlfriend to Singapore to meet his parents soon, and I volunteered to take her to the zoo, tee hee!

Why Big Gulps? Because the future Mrs Lim does not like Kar Cheng to drink beer. When he was trying hard to convince her over the phone that he was not drinking, I was stifling my laughter and trying hard not to chip in "He no drink, he smoke only!" Well, give this man some credit, he is trying to quit drinking and smoking for her. Awwww ...

It was freaky to hear Kar Cheng go on and on about his intentions to settle down. This is the big man who once proclaimed a year ago that he would never marry, and now he is willing to be domesticated by a sweet girl who is equally willing to learn Chinese cooking and the Chinese language (why she wouldn't learn English instead is way beyond me).

Sigh, I totally understand. Wouldn't it be lovely to walk down the aisle and bask in the glorious ambience of marital bliss?

Lunch with Spongebob

Went to Novena to have lunch with Spongebob. Poor Spongebob seemed tied down by her work, but she never fails to buy fruits after her meal, just like when we were in RI. And we saw David, who seems to be working for everyone. Sometimes I think he talks too much.

Dropped by Weatherford after lunch to pay a visit, armed with a small but delectable-looking strawberry cheesecake that I bought for them. Too bad Margaret was on MC, Grace was overseas and Szu Wen had resigned, other than that, I had a great time catching up with Jacqueline, Yen Wee, Joanne, Effy the receptionist (who thought I was here to send wedding invitations when she saw the cake), Doreen (Bong's nemesis), Jimmy and Ben. Ben was so sweet when he said I could call him anytime whenever Bong, Mo and I feel like going JB!

Sigh, I miss Weatherford.

Dinner at 2nd Aunt's House

Had dinner at 2nd Aunt's house. Ah Sir picked me up at Tampines to go together. I bought big pau for them, but choosy Ah Sir was whining "The pau is chicken or pork? Eeee, I don't like pau. Huh? Inside got egg ah? But I don't want leh. Next time you buy ice-cream and bananas, okay?" This girl deserves to be thrown into Kenya and be fed tree bark. Keke.

Nice of Ah Ping to join us for dinner when she heard that I was going to 2nd Aunt's house. Not nice of Bobbi to bark at me and sniff at my thighs as if narcotics were strapped to them when I came.

If you can recall, Bobbi is the erratic dog who clamps at the fingers of innocent kind folks who just feel inclined to pet animals, and Ah Sir is the eccentric dog owner who commands Bobbi to assault people!

I love 2nd Aunt's homemade muah chee, but I just do not understand why her muah chee contains sesame seeds. 2nd Aunt was particularly evil today. She tried to gorge me with her muah chee so that I would become to full to eat dinner, but in the end, I still ate more rice than everyone. (Maybe that is why my arms are flabbier than Ah Sir's) For dinner, 2nd Aunt cooked fried fish, pork in black bean sauce, pumpkin (a disgusting dish for old people) and fish and tofu soup. Ah Ping came after a while and I had a jolly chat with everyone.

Despite Ah Sir's whines, the pau was a hit with everyone else, including Bobbi who has never stopped growing sideways. Despite Ah Sir's protests, Ah Ping still shared with Bobbi large morsels of the fatty pau. I fear for Bobbi's health.

Nice Ah Ping and Weibin sent me home. I am so envious of them because they are going on a week-long vacation to Thailand, and especially dropping by Kanchanaburi! Sigh, when can it be my turn ...

A Day to the Science Centre

Went to the Science Centre with Slug on a nice sunny afternoon. The Science Centre was really crowded because it was the September holidays and excursion buses were unloading throngs of eager school children there. We bought tickets for admission to both the Science Centre and the Omni-Theatre which cost $12.80 (whereas single tickets cost $6 and $10 respectively).

The Science Centre folks have revamped the place (slightly) since my last visit a year ago, and much to my chagrin, removed my favourite kinetics exhibit originally at the main entrance. What is there now is the Water Works park with many cute water exhibits and a large fountain a la the one at Bugis Junction for kids to frolic in. The first section is the Mind's Eye with many visual exhibits, followed by the Physical Sciences section with exhibits on biology and plant & animal life. I LOVE the Marine Alcove BEST because it houses coral reef and sea creatures like puffer fishes (the authentically spiky kinds), sea urchins, star fishes, stone fishes (kudos to their camouflaging), barracudas and the common saltwater fishes.

Our IMAX movie was screening at 4pm, and we proceeded to get to the Omni-Theatre on an off-the-beaten-track route through the Ecogarden. Embarrassingly we got lost there and time was running out, so we had to run back to the Science Centre and get on the orthodox path. On the way we passed by the Atrium where a dramatic demonstration of live electricity was going on. Beautiful electric sparks that are akin to natural lightning were generated from the 3.5 million volt Tesla Coil, and the results were 5-metre long purple eletric sparks, deafening buzzes and a mesmerized audience. Sadly, we had to skip that demonstration as we had to continue running towards the Omni-Theatre.

Luckily, we got there just in time. The movie we were watching was Deep Sea, a 40-minute documentary narrated by Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet. It was a spectacular movie experience because of the humongous screen. The documentary gave us a low-down on the balance of the marine ecosystem and how it is maintained by various marine creatures. For example, the Crown-of-Thorns Sea Star has a voracious appetite for coral reef and basically eats as it moves. The Triton Trumpet Snail saves the reefs by swallowing the starfish whole (seems impossible, doesn't it?). Other impressive scenes include the wolf eel and its ability to munch on sea urchins (ouch), the Mola Mola that has no tail, the green sea turtle that becomes vegetarian upon entering adulthood and thus is erm, green in colour, the adorable Mantis Shrimp with powerful claws used for opening mussels, the Rainbow Nudibranch (a magenta sea slug) that appropriates the Tube Anemone's tentacles, swimming scallops that look like dentures, and translucent Sea Nettle Jellies. The best scene is that of coral spawning, which only takes place on a certain day of each year and only for an hour. Gazillions of eggs are released from the coral reefs uniformly and then dispersed, but only a few will survive to succeed the reef colony. This phenomena is magnificent yet mystical. The ending brought us to the sad reality that humans are greatly upsetting the balance by pollution and overfishing.

Held in conjunction with this movie is the Deep Sea exhibition that showcases information about the deep sea (a high-pressure sea environment 150 metres below the surface which only submersibles can reach) and animal specimens like the lantern fish, chimeras, hatchet fish and some other bizarre creatures. Too bad they are dead and their luminescent properties cannot be seen, so they appear black and weird. Slug and I were extremely impressed that these creatures had been caught from the extreme depths and presented to the public. Other than these, there were three huge and live Tasmanian crabs and Australian Snow Crabs kept in a chilled enclosure.

After that, we had less than half an hour left to explore the Science Centre so we had to skip the sections that we were not that interested in like the Aviation and Human Body sections. We visited the classic chick incubatory, but sadly, none of the eggs have hatched yet, though one of them already has some cracks on its surface. Then we went back to the Ecogarden to look at various plants there like the cotton plant (ready-to-be-used cotton from its fruit!), maize, sweet potato, papaya trees, taro, orchids, and grape vines etc. There is even a cute tree house there amidst lush greenery and the evening tranquility.

It was soon 6pm and everyone was ushered out of the vicinity. I did not even have the chance to play with the kaleidoscopes at the retail shop there. Slug even wanted to get a crystal-growing kit. As usual, we swore to come to the Science Centre earlier next time, but we always get chased out at 6pm sharp feeling that we have not completely explored every acre there. We had dinner at the in-house Sakura restaurant. The tempura prawns and ice-cream are not to be missed.

To top our day there, we went to the Observatory after dinner because there was a star-gazing program lined up from 8 t 10pm. Unfortunately, the sky was filled with reddish clouds and there was not a single star in sight. Nevertheless, the two very sweet helpers still made the effort to explain to Slug and I about the huge telescopic apparatus and the various stars that can be seen on a clear night (including Jupiter!). They even dispelled the Mars hoax (the stupid urban legend that says Mars would be nearest Earth on 28th August) when we mentioned it. I was so disappointed with the weather but we promised them we would come back if the clouds cleared up. So we waited at the Science Centre park which has a conducive environment for making out (tee hee!), but maybe God thought we weren't stupid enough, so he let down a drizzle. I insisted on waiting for the stars but the drizzle got heavier so Slug had to drag me home. So much for waiting for the stars, aaargh.