Hot Bods, Good Food, Fast Cars

Waaah... Just 1 more day to the end of Beijing Olympics. And then it's another 4yr wait! And it had to get excruciating painful as increasingly talented and good-looking atheletes turned up at the finals. So many wonderfully gifted hot bods! The World's Javelin Champ - Norway's Andreas is definitely one of them, as well as the Silver Medalist High Jumper - Blanka who is so lean, so flexible and so striking but also oh-so-very yah-yah-papaya. Arghh.. there will be a hangover effect. =P

As things eased up a little on the work front during this examination period, I had a little more time to mess around the kitchen. 2 wks ago, stirred up this 'One Pot Rice', using a Straits Times recipe. Not too bad!



Earlier this evening, boiled an 'Old Cucumber Soup' (with carrots, sweet corn, pork ribs, fishballs) and steamed some 'Black Bean Paste Chicken Wings with Ginger'.

And here is a snapshot of my dad's dream car:

Turning Tides

A mix of a week.

There were some real lows.. that proved that a man can be real nasty and petty (perhaps even worse than *pardon me* a lady) when his ego is bruised, when he realises that he is not as great as he think himself to be, or as popular, or as wise, or as influential... Scary turn of events and (i guess) an irreversible souring of relationship. Ugly, ugly, ugly. And certainly unbecoming of a person in a position meant to guide and nurture.

And then there were some highs. First, a signed acceptance of movement. Next, a deep, sincere and thoughtful conversation with a future mentor (hopefully, a real mentor this time). Then, the first Olympics medal (and a Silver one to boot) for Little Red Dot since Independence. And finally, the return (even if it's for a short while) of my 2 overseas pals from Germany & Australia this weekend. Wonderful.

It hasn't been a particularly pretty year. But tides will turn, and if you are facing similarly challenging times at your end, hang in there.

Tides will turn and the sun will soon shine again.

Glorious Games

Love the Olympic Games! I can actually happily stay in the whole weekend and just glue my eyes to the google box, taking in the exciting live telecast of competitive beach volleyball, gymnastics, badminton, swimming, and synchronized diving. So many different countries, all aiming for goal/gold. Superb skills, superb atmosphere. =)

Am not too sure if it is the after-effect of having watched the Olympics opening ceremony.. thought this year's NDP was a little of a disappointment. Personally felt that the messages of Singapore Spirit didn't quite come through.. At some points, the acts even seemed random, disconnected and 'colorful for the sake of being colorful'. =P That said, I'm still definitely proud to be a Singaporean.

Anyways, checked out the Southern Ridges (aka 9km park connector) over the long weekend. Strolled from Alexandra Arch to Henderson Waves as the sun set behind myself and dad. A very nice, leisurely walk, with light breeze ruffling our hair. Not too crowded. A good way to unwind at the end of a busy week.

Os - Olympics and O2

Did you catch the opening ceremony of Beijing Olympics 2008 yesterday?!

Hairs on my arm stood, particularly during the first 1hr cultural segment. Goodness gracious me... that precision, the beautiful and meaningful choreography, that riot of fireworks, the rotating globe with its acrobatic dancers, the fluidly practised motions of the whole field of master puligists... the sheer scale of the whole set-up obviously illustrated the tenacity of this emerging/emerged giant. Clearly, no expense is spared this time. All one can do is to stare and gape as the Chinese merrily showcase their rising prowress and determination. Good luck to anyone who (still) takes China lightly.

And 9mths into O2 zinc, I'm ready to throw in the towel. The weak battery life, the drop call rates and the poor camera functions are the major gripes. The last I heard, it can still fetch a worldly $300 upon trade-in. And I'm thinking of switching to an LG model next - either Viewty or Secret. Looks like I am as adventurous when it comes to hps.

Goodbyes for a while

Last Sat, Sec 4 classmates had a sending-off party for a friend of 14yrs who'd be relocating to London for the next 3yrs. It was a cosy but smoky affair at Ju Shin Jung (again), followed by a marathon gaming (Wii, Settlers-like games, Mahjong) session at one of our pals' home. It was way past 2am when we said our bleary-eyed goodbyes.. Bon voyage, XW!



And I decided that I had enough of durians... enough to last me till the next season. Yesterday night's dessert was so bao(2) man(3) and bitterly-sweet that I can literally *gasp* pass on with a smile on my face.. but the heatiness of it all was too much.. had to wake up thrice during the night to drink water and dissipate that simmering heat. =P