its me melissa

FutureProof

2012-02-16T01:52:00.000+09:00

Baston ni Kabunian, Bilang Pero di Mabilang via Rodel Tapaya

wow, his work is amazing

its like a world from Hayao Miyazaki-love all the small details. I can look at if for hours.

Surprisingly saw this piece at Singapore Art Museum at FutureProof exhibit on now.

It was actually alright- they had some good pieces.

yayoi kusama's piece

Sooner or Later

2012-02-10T10:12:00.001+09:00

Expediting time is impossible- the present is indispensable -the future is tomorrow- and tomorrow is Saturday

la coupe

2012-02-03T21:34:00.000+09:00

hadn't been to the hair dresser since August-and seriously, my hair was getting scary.

someone close to me literally looked at me, paused, and said "you really need to cut your hair." this someone was my husband-who never notices these things.

after shot-before shot is too scary to show

so after almost 6 months- of having it get stuck under my bag shoulder strap, getting tangled within itself, having to put it up in a bun before consuming food and even sometimes getting myself stuck to walls (no idea)- i have gone for a haircut......

since it was close to PAUL, I had to go in to stock up on my favorite food in the carb group! I had to restrain myself from getting a millefeuille....I think I'm too excited about them being available in Singapore that I feel the need to buy them out and gorge myself. That's how happy this pastry makes me.

the 2

2012-01-26T00:58:00.005+09:00

i love my wives

Dragons and Red

2012-01-24T00:12:00.004+09:00

performance dragon art
and
...somehow we both unconsciously wore red today...realized when we were in the elevator

its pouring

2012-01-23T02:44:00.002+09:00

a new addition to my show list repertoire

thats my start to the chinese new year
year of the dragon
~ have a feeling its gonna be a swimmer -with all the rain that's been coming down

mel's pan

2012-01-21T21:43:00.000+09:00

Paul has arrived in Singapore

my prayers have been answered

a lombok story

2012-01-08T19:21:00.000+09:00

hope you enjoyed it

thats hot

2012-01-06T23:21:00.001+09:00

mmmm
this Clipper tea is the best Chai tea bag I've ever bought at a grocery store- not to mention its Organic
and this Celeste Crianza Torres wine is just the type of spicy Spanish wine I love.
too bad I need to go to bed- I can sip either all night long...

$50 lighter

2011-12-28T19:12:00.001+09:00

I'm someone who wants to fix everything myself
and hate it when it comes to having to pay an electrician

I peer over their shoulders so that I don't have to next time

por un segundo

2011-12-24T14:15:00.000+09:00

when you're sick of all the christmas music

walking around tokyo

2011-12-22T00:18:00.001+09:00

I forgot how much you walk in Tokyo
walked 1 week in my heels-didnt bring anything flat
it was pure pain ...at least for the first 6 days
I think my feet finally adjusted on the 7th, then I took a plane home

so wrong

2011-12-11T22:45:00.001+09:00

fake snowflakes and snow, christmas trees and santa hats...
when it's 30 degrees, people are wearing shorts and sandals and drinking ice tea

tropical countries shouldn't put up christmas decor
it just never looks right

diy

2011-12-10T12:16:00.001+09:00

sometimes if you want something to change
you just have to do it yourself

so thats what i'm going to do~~~

it's complicated

2011-12-08T23:52:00.001+09:00

selah sue-raggamuffin

bermuda

2011-12-05T11:29:00.001+09:00

sun, colorful houses with white limestone painted roofs, turquoise beaches, pink sand, coral everywhere

hibiscus flowers, friendly people, cotton candy, tiny island paradise

excess

2011-12-02T20:54:00.001+09:00

I have too many hand creams.

you'd think my hands would be well moisturized....but they aren't.

I also have too many shoes

but that's nothing to complain about.

Cateleya

2011-12-01T20:08:00.001+09:00

Columbiana with Zoe Saldana
like a Columbian Nikita
the young Cattleya is super fierce

its 3 o'clock in the morning

2011-11-29T23:16:00.001+09:00

a bit of art viewing with my wife on St. Laurent

after dinner at Les Heritiers-a byow with a good menu degustation
we went looking for some good watering holes
we came across Sparrow- strong gin tonics, nice mature crowd and a so called 'dj' that consisted of a guy on a Mac in a dark corner, apparently they are also a breakfast place
Baldwin - pharmacy concept bar, has mandatory coat check that will set you back 2$, a young crowd, and scary drunk guys from France that won't go away.

bath

2011-11-25T00:51:00.001+09:00

nothing like a bath when its cold and snowy outside

Hart

2011-11-15T05:52:00.001+09:00

I've never been so strongly attracted to an art piece as i was the other day
at a random friend's friend's place, i was using the bathroom
there was a print of this painting that i just couldn't stop looking at
it was Feria in Valencia by Hemenegildo Anglada Camarasa, a Catalan artist

i love the colors, the textures and how it just draws you in.
now i know what it feels like to really want a piece of art
or what my french friends would call "hart"

while you were sleeping

2011-11-14T09:16:00.001+09:00

in bed; pick up my kindle-reading 1Q84
past midnight, everyone's asleep or lazing
get a call from the only other person awake
get in the car to pick the bum up
inhale fresh air, take a walk on mont royal, get a drink at La Quincaillerie
get out, hear "serait plus amusant si j'avais la cocaïne" from a member of "le freak show"
past 3am, its time to pick up bagels at St-Viateur
murakami night minus the illusions
creep in like i was never gone
leave some bagels on the table
back in bed, coco at my feet

j walk

2011-11-08T14:27:00.003+09:00

new york

i like your style

i like your streets,

you are mass consumerism at its best

artichoke pizza, high rises, cranes and taxis

jay walking to Whole Foods and Century 21

marley

2011-11-03T04:41:00.002+09:00

loving my Marley earphones with mic

they're eco-friendly, cute, tangle free and the sound quality is great!

2 9 !

2011-10-20T14:35:00.000+09:00

have been around for a month
and have had no time to blog

Ashita

2011-09-24T00:17:00.000+09:00

will squeeze this coco puff and not want to let him go

tomorrow at this time I'll be home
someone in my family will remember to pick me up after i've sent them my itinerary more than 5 times-
they will probably avoid paying for parking and pick me up at the curb after a few circles around the airport,
my dog will whimper his happy bark/cry when I get in the door and hopefully be able to control his bladder,
my mom will have the fridge packed with the foods I love,
my dad will say things that he knows drive me crazy,
my sister will go back to whatever it was she was doing and act like I wasn't gone for more than a year,
I'll go to my room and find all my furniture rearranged and my things missing,
but I'll be so happy

the things she says

2011-09-19T22:48:00.000+09:00

my sister and i go through phases with the things we say

mine aren't that orginal-just super repetitive and not that P.C.

whereas Nana likes to be a bit more original

she started calling people ``Poo``

and now its stuck

shes Queen Poo.

Poo with Queen Poo

her latest creation: Blar

part pirate, part...her.

how to use it..? when annoyed.

I'll probably be using it a lot when I see her in 5 days

Pop Quiz

2011-09-17T13:04:00.000+09:00

Got this quiz from anarticle on Huffington Post :

Pop Quiz: To Level or not to Level Your Wallet

When you are considering dropping a lot of cash on a garment

or accessory, the following five criteria must be met:

1. I am in love. I amweak in the knees and will pass out of I don't own this.

2. It is classic. Itis very high quality and can be passed down to my daughter or niece.

3. I promise that Iwill not be sick of this item by Fall 2012

4. A knock off versionof this item is not available.

5. I am not indesperation mode. My love is real!

So I made my ownversion for those of you that can't resist to buy cheap stuff:

Pop Quiz: Whether ornot to pass up a bargain/sale/steal

When you're notthinking and can only focus on how much you must

be saving the following criteria must beavoided:

1. I can't pass this up or let the anyone else get it!

2. It doesn't gowith anything else I own but....

3. It will lookgreat on me after I get ______ and lose ________ kg

4. Its perfectif I ever go to ____________.

5. This willmake me happy and make all my problems disappear

There are so manythings I wish I never bought and listened to my own advice

next time, ill justopen up this post.

project runway

2011-09-13T00:11:00.000+09:00

Olivier, Anya, Kimberly-photos courtesy of mylifetime.com

finally-new season of Project Runway!

I'm rooting for Olivier.

He has the cutest accent and he IS cute

He clearly has skills but gets kind of lost...

and Anya

I swear its not cuz they're Asian!

Also like Kimberly

lanvin X pitbull

2011-09-03T08:31:00.000+09:00

look at Albert move!

countdown as of today-20

on a tuesday

2011-08-30T13:12:00.002+09:00

if we were in any other country, this holiday would be moved to make a 3 day weekend

but no, in Singapore, we get random holidays on Tuesdays

so i had to crawl out of bed and survive a day of work on Monday

and it was so hard

don`t feel like going out with just one day

so spent it at the pool with my ``Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother`` by the controversial Amy Chua

(a good book for any asian that experienced that whole crazy strict parent)

reminds me of my Tiger Father when i was young

now he`s more like Marshmallow Father

the west changes people

inspiration

2011-08-27T19:00:00.000+09:00

i came across this article on BOF
about Street Etiquette
a blog about mens fashion
some guys with really great style

if you feel you need some creative inspiration:

Street Etiquette-Sartorial Sounds from LightUp Film on Vimeo.

fast foward

2011-08-22T23:30:00.001+09:00

one month from today

i will be on a plane to the other side of the world

i'll be home

for a little while

full moon

2011-08-15T23:51:00.002+09:00

full moon from my window
it looks bigger in real life

rolling in the deep

2011-08-14T17:40:00.004+09:00

i know its overplayed but still love it

last week

2011-08-06T23:49:00.001+09:00

tokyo in a week
train rides, shopping, quality time with good friends, convini, sleep, shopping
nostalgia, satiated again and again,shopping, more friends, izakayas, nama beer, shopping, convini,
sea urchin, oysters, tuna, aji, japanese rice, grilled eel, macarons, croissants, sorbet, shopping, chilled corn soup
kirin espresso tea, convini, ume gummy, tuna mayo onigiri, in-laws, a few scattered power naps,
back to singapore....

t♥kyo!

2011-07-23T00:47:00.000+09:00

more than a year has passed since the move to singapore
tokyo for a week!

beyonce up close

2011-07-11T00:11:00.001+09:00

how can you not love her

its hot outside

2011-07-02T22:50:00.000+09:00

loving the in season fruits this time of the year;

lychee, long kong, mangosteen, mangos, rambutan

mochi hand picking each lychee...with 5 other aunties/obasans

not really into the motivational slogans or quotes,

but this one stood out

".A life of reaction is a life of slavery, intellectually and spiritually. One must fight for a life of action, not reaction."

- Rita Mae Brown

we'll be back

2011-06-20T23:19:00.000+09:00

we had a Bintan mini-break

enjoyed every second

even loved how the weather was a bit cloudy and cool

private beach, clear waters, lounge chaisses, sea kayaks, soft sand, lemon grass tea with honey, warm sun, white sheets, private balcony bbq, long massages, burning incense, no plans...the best kind of vacation.

simple things

2011-06-11T23:11:00.000+09:00

gelato on a gloomy saturday

kiwi, grapefruit and latte for me

walnut for mochi

latte wins

simple

dad

2011-06-06T00:22:00.000+09:00

my dad was in town again

he had the intention to use Singapore as a base for him to travel

his destination was Sri Lanka

unfortunately, we had a health scare

and thought surgery was needed...so his plan was put on hold

happily, it wasn't as serious as we thought

so instead, we got to spend oodles of time together

a lot of home cooking by my dad, emptied wine bottles

and long chats

man down

2011-06-05T16:54:00.000+09:00

the rain doesn't stop today, neither do the naps.

east coast sunday

2011-05-15T22:15:00.000+09:00

a lazy Sunday along the east coast

papaya milk, big shady trees, the open sea, interesting tropical flowers

dreading Monday's arrival...

tangerine and watermelon

2011-05-14T20:17:00.000+09:00

a lot of watermelon pink and tangerine turning up on me.

new chapstick from maybelline

my laundry

nerds

and perfume

my sister and i used to cross bridges, walk through blocks and blocks to buy some nerds at the depanneur/convenience store (since we were too young to go out alone, we'd drag our mom with us on our 'expeditions'...)

saw them at the store and had a craving!

solution

2011-04-28T22:10:00.000+09:00

sometimes all it takes is a hug

montreal with mm

2011-04-24T17:45:00.000+09:00

For those of you we wish to see in Montreal this October

I made a site just for all that Montreal with MM

I'll keep updating it!

empty space

2011-04-24T10:07:00.000+09:00

this world, selah sue

wondering how its possible every other mall in Singapore is empty
the newer it is, the more so
and who are these architects
seriously

hotspot

2011-04-10T22:14:00.000+09:00

golden mile complex

legume/herb hotspot

fun place with funny smells and good thai food

the place for spotting backpackers boarding buses

i like to buy mini aubergines and mint and try new tamarind snacks

m♥chi day

2011-04-04T00:05:00.001+09:00

a day of all mochi's favorite things

happy birthday

♥♥♥

saturday

2011-03-27T00:52:00.000+09:00

check my emails, workout, shower, laundry, watch latest episode of greys anatomy, 2nd load of laundry, breakfast, phone call to mom, subscribe to esquire + elle digital magazine on zinio, make appointment for much needed haircut (hair is becoming scary mop), chat with my sister, take a scary taxi ride to clark quay, have freshness burger's salsa burger, shopping for shoes, wandering around marina bay sands endlessly, drinking wine by the bay, knocking over a wine glass, having dinner with friends, checking out the view from the top of Singapore, home watching for Idol repeat for 4th time, chatting with sisters, blogging...

lunch

2011-03-24T23:33:00.000+09:00

i love how i can get fresh cut fruit singapore

where you at

2011-03-23T23:02:00.000+09:00

for my sisters, thinking of you

real world

2011-03-19T21:56:00.000+09:00

Ironically, the day I got my life together (got a job!)
was the same day that Japan's started to fall apart.

We've been watching the news day and night keeping up with whats been happening
and it just gives us heartache.
If anything, I guess we feel helpless
and we know that it could have been us in Tokyo...
but here we are, far away in Singapore

so many stories are coming out now; from survivors,
even the happy stories are tinged with sadness
the saddest stories are about the elderly, too weak to run or climb to higher ground
they didn't have a chance at all....
tsunamis are too scary, because you just have no time

Just because I don't like to talk about whats happening in Japan,
or anything else that's sad
doesn't mean it's not on my mind.

attacked

2011-03-12T12:21:00.003+09:00

image via the washington post

By now, everyone has seen what an earthquake M8.9 can do
quivers, tsunamis and fires
was this the earthquake tokyo was preparing for all these years?
lets hope the worst is over

japan, you're in our thoughts

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a monopoly story

2011-03-06T13:13:00.001+09:00

my sister via skype video chat

my sister loved to play monopoly when we were kids

she always wanted to play,
we'd have meals in between games, sleep nights, live, go to school...all with monopoly in between

so we all began to strike monopoly
NO MORE MONOPOLY i'd tell her

but her desire to play didn't stop
since she couldn't make us play, she found a new way for us to 'participate'
she'd still have a piece for each of us
and when it came to our turns,
she'd throw the dice off us (like throw them at our arms or legs)
and then she'd move our token for us
and she'd buy/sell property for us
she'd collect or take money for us
and she'd have a great time

this lasted for a while,
but her interest in Monopoly finally came to an end
and a new interest always followed...

To this day, I loath the thought of playing a game of Monopoly
its like the song that never ends...it just goes on and on my friend..

m.i.a

2011-03-03T20:33:00.000+09:00

hypnotize you, n.e.r.d.

i am temporarily out of order

Esperanza and Orange tarts

2011-02-18T21:06:00.000+09:00

if anyone watched the grammys, you should know about Esperanza Spalding
she's pretty amazing
super young Jazz singer/musician, super accomplished, and has Obama as a fan

Esperanza performing at the White House

so I don't know how this happened but I'm suddenly very occupied
It's definitely a good thing
I felt like making something refreshing, so decided on this orange custard tart
I also made some hummus and I must say its the easiest thing to do. I will never buy it again!
also, they sell hummus like gold in Singapore, its just crazy expensive.

V-tines day

2011-02-14T23:22:00.002+09:00

Dating a Japanese guy that is really Japanese hits you hard on V-tines day

Where in Japan, girls give guys the giri-choco ("obligation chocolate" in Japanese) and you end up being disappointed if you expect anything
The closest I got to anything remotely romantic was sakura-mochi (a Japanese rice cake) on the eve of V-tines, but then an absent bf on the actual day- after that I have just learned to give up.

a picture stolen by our Shizuoka visitor

This year, is the most romantic one yet-he got some food, dessert, a present (even a card!) and we spent time together on the couch watching the Grammys. I feel the love ♥♥♥

2 days

2011-02-08T21:43:00.001+09:00

my shizuoka sister came to visit for 2 days
almost had to report her as missing when she never came out of arrivals

I packed in as much of singapore for her as I could in 2 days
had dim sum and tried durian (she cried....tears of fear), Chinatown omiyage shopping, pictures with Merlion, unofficial Raffles hotel tour (btw disappointing rooms) with the original Singapore Sling at the famous Long Bar, hovering over people and trying to guilt them in to leaving to eat local food at Esplanade hawker, forced swimming in the morning at the condo pool, checking out the nice cage-free zoos and falling in love with the Proboscis monkies, strolling through shops around Arab street with a local, trying more local food one more time, lining up for Koi bubble tea (she said it was worth the wait), taking an over-airconditioned bus ride back and then sharing some Youtube videos (found out about AKB48...omg!)

can't wait to see her again-seeing her feels like nothing ever changed

Rolling

2011-01-30T01:22:00.000+09:00

really felt like having sushi, so decided to make our own
Liang Court is the place to go for all things Japanese here
its like Little Japan-town in a mall; without being obvious

bought a few movies
Shanghai with Ken Watanabe, Gong Li, Chow Yun Fat and John Cusack
watching it, enjoying it..getting in to it...
then the last part is scratched. hate that!!!
will decide if I liked it or not after I exchange my copy-but what I did see I liked

a month

2011-01-23T18:55:00.001+09:00

my dad and mom have been here for more than a month now
I don't know why, but my dad is always busy, even when on vacation
he doesn't know how to relax
this is the man who once alloted me 10 minutes to sunbathe, after which i had to get in the ocean and swim
I guess we all live life differently

Did everyone read Amy Chua's article in WSJ regarding Asian parenting?
She was thoroughly criticized about her tough Asian love
I have mixed feelings about it, now I'm old enough to understand it its not so bad
but at the time, I hated how my sister and I were the only ones raised up military style and wanted to be treated like my friends.
now my parents are big softies..total 180
good or bad, I think parents mostly try to do their best

mom and dad

Vietnam

2011-01-20T19:11:00.003+09:00

Ho Chi Minh city
crowded, dusty, lots of motor bikes
street vendors, people in pajamas and on small plastic chairs
food and more food, lots of fruit
tall trees, straw hats
motor bike repair stops on street corners
mosquito repellent incense under tables for vicious mosquitoes (highly possible: your pants get burned, spoken from experience)

mom's old school,

crossing the traffic-lightless street, mom's gripping on to me tightly,

delicious Chả giò

Notre Dame Cathedral

Year of the Cat (opposed to Year of the Rabbit)

Mekong River

runaway

2011-01-17T09:11:00.001+09:00

I'll be gone for 3 days
but I'll be back

runwaway- kanye west, my favorite part is at 13:40

Spin

2011-01-07T23:47:00.002+09:00

Sometimes it feels like a lot is going on, but at the same time, nothing is going on

I just watched Monsieur Ibrahim with my mom, a French movie about a boy learning about life from the grocer on his street. My type of movie. My favorite scene is of the Sufi whirling....a prayer within a graceful spin.

Has anyone ever read Pale Fire? apparently, it's one of Nabokov's best works. I've only read the cantos so far, but they are very good- they are like 4 mini stories within a poem with catchy lyrics. My favorite is canto 2, a sad story of the eventual suicide of an unpopular daughter.
Other books I am looking forward to read, Room and Super Sad True Love Story.

You are in my thoughts Wanderer

2011

2011-01-01T22:27:00.000+09:00

I brought my parents to the Asian Civilizations Museum
I recommend it to anyone visiting Singapore and interested in southeast Asian cultures.
These are a few of my favorite faces from my visit.

So its 2011! happy new year to you all.

with the fam

2010-12-28T22:52:00.000+09:00

botanical gardens

Blizzards allover Europe and US, while we get grey skies and rain.

I've been swimming every morning with my dad. He's up to 10 laps, I'm on 7 with lots of breaks inbetween.

It's great to having parents stay- if there is any handyman work needed, my Dad will gladly do it.

While he's been here, he has oiled my bike, revived my plants, replastered my bathtub, added outlet extensions and fill up my cupboards with food.

My mom is my assistant when I cook, watches my shows with me and is always on my side, like my personal cheerleader.

And in return, I shaved my dad's homeless man beard, dyed my mom's hair, gave her a mani and pedicure, showed them around and I always keep their life interesting with my comments and opinions and semi-dictatorship. happy family

the southern ridges; discovered

2010-12-21T21:22:00.000+09:00

A lot of firsts last weekend,
first time to the west coast
first time to southern ridges
All this discovered with my parents.

My parents are in town, so of course most activities revolve around food; thinking about what to eat, getting food, and then devouring it. Meals are always more enjoyable with family.

at the Mall

2010-12-13T19:58:00.000+09:00

My wireless router suddenly committed suicide this morning, after only 6 months
so I brought it back to Best Denki where they claimed that didn't make that model anymore
they told me to call Linksys' customer service.
Totally unhelpful.

So I went to Harvey Norman across the hall and told the salesman what happened.
He opened a new router and replaced the defect part for me!
Best Denki ? nuh uh!.

I also accidentally kidnapped a girl walking down the halls of the mall.
She hooked her self on to my bag without me knowing it, thinking I was her mom
She was very focused on the floor, trying not to step on cracks.
When I turned around on the escalator, she realized she had made a mistake and started to cry.
Poor girl, I helped retrace our route to find her mother-and her mom was super mad at her.

By the way, did you know Christmas is 12 days away?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I plan to watch Home Alone - one of my favorite Christmas movies.

addiction

2010-12-07T19:35:00.001+09:00

canolli my sister and I made in summer

I have a new fixation; food shows. I can leave the TV on a food network all day long and not mind.

Watching makes me want to cook.
I've been doing a lot of it; African curry, Shepard's pie, L'ancienne mustard vinaigrettes, coffee granita, Chinese style sautéed french beans, homemade gravy from scratch, minestrone soup...etc.

Some of my must-haves in the kitchen;

garlic
onions
ginger
potatoes
tomatoes
carrots
spices (oregano, cumin, coriander seed, paprika, chili, black peppercorns, bay leaves)
herbs (mint, dill, coriander, rosemary)
canned diced-whole- puréed tomatoes
canned chickpeas
eggs
flour
starch
baking powder
pure vanilla extract
olive oil
wine vinegars
rock salt + regular salt
canola oil
butter
soy sauce
rice vinegar
fish sauce
oyster sauce
sesame oil
mayonnaise
sardines
black bean sauce
caster/brown sugar
lemon+limes
couscous
rice
bread crumbs

Its expensive to start from scratch and buy all these things, but they pay for themselves. My next buy? My own herb garden.

life lesson

2010-12-02T22:33:00.001+09:00

Do you ever feel more productive once you get out of the house?

I think I have more courage and motivation on a bus ride on my iPhone than at home in front of my laptop.

I'm also more likely to be productive if there's someone at home wih me-

they just have to be in the background somewhere.

Independence; well- I tried, I really did. I lived alone for a whole 6 months in a minuscule Tokyo apartment-I did anything I could to avoid staying there.

(so minuscule that when I did more to a bigger place, I walked around just to get used to the extra room)

It was my super expensive life lesson.

6 months rent, plus 2 months 'key money' that I'll never get back and all new furniture and appliances

let's just say it was tuition, cause I can't bring myself to think about it as anything else.

red dot

2010-11-30T23:51:00.000+09:00

Tupperware; in the 50's there used to be 'Tupperware Parties' to explain the new technology.

how far we've come from then.

Red Dot Museum in Singapore showcases the designs of everyday projects. What's kind of sad is that nothing is very impressive anymore; we've been spoiled.

The Time

2010-11-28T15:46:00.001+09:00

Black Eyed Peas- The Time

spotted: @Flor at Duxton Hill

The Time from this weekend? spotting my husband sitting with two guy friends having cake and coffee at a pattisier...a weird but endearing moment.

our complex

2010-11-25T23:07:00.002+09:00

I'm not sure if it's because Singapore isn't that big or that theres some kind of gravitational pull
but somehow we end up here on a regular basis.
I vowed never to go there again...but it didn't work.

Bras Basah Complex...a place you would for sure disregard; is actually full of surprises.
We finally got out and noticed its rooftop, where we got to see the 'end of the world' skies, a secret meeting between a couple on a bench ( I imagine that they are having a forbidden love affair and meet everyday at that bench at exactly 4pm, away from family and the world -then I realize how realistic my imagination is..and not that interesting...), and a breath of fresh air after having life sucked out of us.
Time stops in that complex...so does the flow of air.

8Q Disco

2010-11-21T01:43:00.002+09:00

Food For Thought cafe near 8Q

We wanted to see the exhibit at 8Q, Tokyo was coming to us this time...pieces from Tokyo Metropolitan Museum.

With some detours, we finally got in there.

by Kiichiro Adachi

There were several great pieces, among their very modest collection.

My favorite was the disco 360 degree mirror box with a spinning disco ball- where you go in, put on the headphones and its like a 1 person party with yourself, but totally visible from outsiders. They should have those throughout the city. They should probably have them in places that really need uplifting..like...elevators.

i < 3 this so

2010-11-19T11:53:00.001+09:00

East Coast

2010-11-17T18:35:00.004+09:00

Biking rentals on East Coast

quiet green observational post

for watching planes take-off from Changi

while we take a break under big trees

Its almost dinner time ' time to eat some chicken

orange chicken with roast potatoes.

We are undergoing an unofficial competition; who makes the best chicken

I'm biased, but I think it's me

me me me

motion

2010-11-14T22:45:00.002+09:00

There's a strange sound that we hear on Sunday nights..it sounds like a spacecraft hovering around- it comes in and out from different directions; but when we look out, we don't see a thing. I really need to know what it is and weirdly enough, NONE of the neighbors seem the bit concerned! what is wrong with the rest of the world and their lack of curiosity...

and then I wonder if maybe only we hear it...but thats not possible... is it.

I'm sure theres a perfectly logical explanation that I will probably never discover but know is out there...

Xfile-sy.......

....

..I'd realistic like Scully.

but hoping for more like Mulder

Alors on danse

2010-11-10T23:45:00.000+09:00

my friend has this dance I call 'the jelly dance'; she likes to break it out in unassuming places and times...always in public. and I love it.
and this week, it feels like our Tokyo days of roaming around without a real agenda.
this song is for you lulu

sunday motifs

2010-11-07T23:05:00.002+09:00

thai plate, hindu temple entrance floor and door

its been a while since i had a normal 2 day weekend, and it felt really good; despite the circumstances! (more on that later)

I recently finished 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo', which is the 'it' book of the moment, it was pretty good.

now I'm halfway through "Crossfires" by Miyabe Miyuki- my first book by Miyabe, a well known Japanese author. I'm very proud to say that I borrowed it from the library! I'm so frugal these days-well, when I want to be.

conflicts and contractors

2010-11-05T00:49:00.000+09:00

its confusing growing up asian in canada
you are always notably asian
at least at my elementary school; everyone was noticeably different
but going to high school and univerisity, you start to notice how there are "cliques"
the asian clique
the nerdy asian clique
the harmless asian clique
the brown clique within the asian clique
the black clique
the misfits
the we are the real asians clique
etc...
that was all fine-it felt like we belonged in those cliques

then in university, I really tried to avoid the only other asian in my classes
maybe I thought I had enough friends, or something.

the funniest is listening to my father and sister have a conversation
my father, unknowingly, has a Chinese mentality
my sister, has a Chinese mentality only when it comes to money, is very much an individualistic outspoken Canadian.
they speak but they aren't actually communicating.
I'm the translator that tries to mediate

"Dad I want to be an architect!" (after flipping through a book on architecture for 20 min)
"Do you think you have what it takes to be an architect? You have to be really good to be successful"
"Dad, you are soooo negative!!!"

on a different note, heres what I've been dealing with these days; messy contractor stuff

roots

2010-10-30T15:13:00.000+09:00

“The world
is a book
and those
who do not travel
read only
one page.”
—St. Augustine

dear St. Augustine; The more pages I read the more conflicted I become-
books have made me in to a gypsy! -melissa

I'd love to live on a different page every few years as I have but I can't continue like this
need to grow some roots
but I do strongly feel magnetized to n.america the more I am away
having been away for so long makes me appreciate it so much more.
I miss the feeling of montreal's tossed salad where everyone is different but no one really feels discriminated

I want to have it all
until then, Singapore is home

loving this tune

2010-10-27T00:01:00.000+09:00

trey songz-can't be friends

was just searching for some new songs to add my ipod
loving this song

also secretly enjoying: khloe & kourtney, long bus rides, getting off work early, 'the good wife', having time to go the the gym, scramble on iphone, getting sms from mochi, hyperbole & a half, the breeze today, talking to my parents on skype (or sky-pee as they like to call it)

house guest

2010-10-25T23:15:00.001+09:00

goodwood park high tea (v.good!),chinatown, local flowers

my mother in law-yes i have a mother in law and it feels weird to write it-came to visit

we tried to take her to as many places that included both a/c and food

and some places without

katong, east coast, marina bay sands, fullerton bay hotel, goodwood park, chinatown

a lot of eating, chatting and catching up

we might have converted her to a s'pore lover

2010-10-21T22:59:00.002+09:00

discovered tightrope by janelle monae..love this catchy video, her style and the song
just wanted to share it with the rest of you

awfully difficult

2010-10-18T11:03:00.002+09:00

walked town joo chiat road in attempts to find a sofa, but only ended up seeing one to `consider`, none was love worthy. stopped by the hyped ``awfully chocolate`` and had some of their hei ice cream-which came in a cute chinese takeout box and was awfully chocolatey but in a good way. not sure about their other stuff.
where-when-how...will we ever find ``THE``` sofa...

i turned 28 last week! i``ll always love birthdays no matter how old i get. getting bday wishes from my family&friends makes my day. having ice cream or sushi on top of that is even better

the visitors

2010-10-12T23:09:00.001+09:00

more visitors from japan
actually, one used to live here, the other has never been to southeast asia
so it was decided that he should be immersed into Singapore
with kwai teow in Geylang!
i don't think he liked it...it was too much for him....poor Elio
then we went to look for 'girls' to show him in Geylang's dark alleys

in dark alleys of Geylang

unfortunately i couldn't join in on all the excitement afterwards

i got stuck with mr. flu! who has robbed me of my only day off and 2 days of work

has taken my voice, my appetite, and a day planned with Letters from Lulu...so sad

will make it up to you Lulu!

bus poem

2010-10-08T15:15:00.000+09:00

you know whats sad? that people prefer to live in new buildings over old ones...
i think old buildings have character, history and the quality of materials are better.
all that man made stuff just looks retro (not in a good way) after a decade...pvc counters, veneered doors, sad attempts of modernism... i appreciate you old buildings! you have charm, you have class, you have sass...just need to be embraced and updated.

love new buildings done right though! if only that were more often...

akward picture of me by letters from lulu at haji lane

the world is turning, busy rush
time passes in a flash
bus ride through town, funky smells unavoidable
breaking hard, throw me forward back 10 times plus
nauseated bus ride ends at 10 past
destination, home at last.
back again tomorrow- cycle restart

shibuya night 2009

2010-10-04T11:35:00.001+09:00

this is dedicated to my wife, cyn who could use a good laugh.
your 24 hour trip to tokyo
sleepy in shibuya shopping at 109, drinking burnt coffee from starbucks, sitting out on the streets and making a retarded video, going back to my place, drinking wine, getting more wine from the convini, waking you up in the morning, mamo making us pasta, you going back to sleep for a nap, me waking you up, you showing us your stellar uniform (meaning SCARY), me dragging you out to catch the train on time, you trying to go to a local festival in hopes of finding gyoza, me not letting you....you getting on a train to leave...

in the tropics

2010-09-26T11:03:00.000+09:00

living in a tropical climate, i need to bring around a tropical-kit in case of heat, humidity, rain, perspiration, sun, runny nose, dirty hands, & strong air conditioning
its a full time job making sure i have everything ...god forbid i leave something at home

a fraction of whats in my bag

love this movie "sayonara itsuka"....it really glamourizes life in south east asia
and miho nakayama is beautiful in it
she makes living in the tropics look effortless

hi, just call me Tornado

2010-09-21T23:55:00.000+09:00

a tornado blew in from australia last wednesday, and since then there have been a lot of meet ups with new friends, food, talking, a monopoly card game, a museum trip, more food, mad typing, shock on how much singapore has changed, bus trips, and skype chatting from across the table

glad to have you back

now we have a million and one things to do cuz we have each other

treading

2010-09-15T19:11:00.002+09:00

kele-everything you wanted

been going to the gym since i got back to s'pore and kele's new album 'the boxer' is on my itunes. i thought i liked it more when the gym was empty at first-but having someone on the treadmill next to me makes me work harder. the hardest part of going to the gym? is the decision to go-so i get up and leave before i have a chance to really debate with myself.

so this week will be the last week of unemployed life for me! hope i can still get my workouts in.

near the bay

2010-09-11T22:27:00.002+09:00

i was excited to receive a visit from a very close friend from tokyo
we wanted to do everything to make up for how much we've missed hanging out with her

eating at Hua Yu Wee 华友园 East Coast seafood place where you can bring your own wine, gossiping, laughing, enjoying sambal chilli, running out of wine, continuing the drinking back home, chatting until one of us fell asleep and another had a nose-bleed, going out the next morning to East Coast hawker for buk kuh teh-katong laksa-duck rice, perspiring and not sweating, checking out Marina Bay Sands top floor view and seeing all of Singapore, walking among the chaos of people, trying to find a water taxi-finding out the hard way it wasnt in service yet, going to quiet, peaceful Fullerton Bay Hotel for high tea at Landing Point, gossiping some more, feeling sleepy and deciding it was time to call it a day...a great time with a great friend.....my stomach is full and so is my head with new memories.

cant wait for next time

catch-up

2010-09-08T23:28:00.000+09:00

there was a home-warming but not at our home-at our condo bbq pit last saturday
what i have to say about that?
a bbq in singapore can be fun, but...i wouldn't want to go through one again.
being sweaty from before it started is not how i like to start off

1. the child that came with the friends that we forgot had a child, surprisingly she was a very good girl that liked to take pictures (thats why i didnt bother taking any..she has all the good ones!) the parents were cool too

2.our friend was the bbq'er by default (no one else seemed to be up to the job)

3. the meat we got at Espirito Santo Gourmet and Butchery at parkway parade on the East Coast, their bbq package was really good, highly recommended

4. another shot toward the end of the night (hence the red faced asian people)

sunny sunday

2010-08-30T14:28:00.000+09:00

i had a successful first haircut in singapore
no tears or violent thrashings..
split ends are gone, my hair is finally all my natural color~~
went to Kelture in Paragon and had japanese hairdresser Tomo do my hair.
turns out he was in montreal for 3 years- small world; it is.

starved, headed to DinTaiFung in the basement
it was chaos in front of the restaurant
families, kids, babies, couples,....chaos!
we had to wait 20min for a table- but it was worth the wait.

they even gave me one more XiaoLongBao to replace one that had a tear
it came in its own bamboo steamer.

my apps

2010-08-28T13:17:00.000+09:00

iphone user from june 2010, these are the apps i obsessively use (not in any order)

1. skype: make free intl calls AND recieve messages with pop up directly to my iphone if online(not like watsapp where you have to go into the app to check if you have any messages)this is good for those us with free wifi/3G
cost: FREE

2. facebook: to check the news feed...even tho nobody has updated..for the past 5 min...and even when they do, i'm annoyed to see them update AGAIN. what i DO like is when someone adds photos..I LOVE PHOTOS..especially of people im close to
cost: FREE

3. shoutcast: a fave internet radio thats not only good on the computer, but if you have free 3G (maybe only in asia?) you can listen to thousands of online radio channels (except .977...why is that???? i can only get it on pc...)
cost: also FREE

4. nytimes: get interesting news updated daily-not only boring/depressing news about nat'l disasters/death/finance..but about style/life/travel/entertainment/home/tech
cost: FREE

5.hipstamatic: take interesting pictures HOLGA style...with a variety of lenses per download (though im already tired of the set i got "shibuya")
cost: $2.99 per set

6.epicurious: pick what ingrediant you want to work with, cuisine type, meal type..etc and they will search for recipes in their catalogue. recipes are rated by users too.
cost: FREE

project runway

2010-08-27T17:05:00.004+09:00

pendant from mexico- mayan calendar

i'm told that my sign is bat?? what it really means..i dont know....

started watching the new season of Project Runway 8!

so...i dont have anyone that I love yet...its pretty inconsistant

i always feel a need to root for the asians,..but they usually get kicked off half way...

gretchen pulled off some nice designs, however she needs to be less ...annoying

my favorite challenge was the party favor one, it really showed what people had in them

and who didnt have anything in them...

all i can say is fabric choices are crucial! not that i'd know...i barely passed home ec.

the sun's out

2010-08-22T19:24:00.000+09:00

Ironically today is the first sunny day I've had since I got back

hawker papaya milk (real papaya-no powdery stuff!), a long walk along East Coast, eating lunch, taking a cab to Fullerton but ending up at Marina Square Starbucks instead (youth olympics traffic jam), a swim at the pool with not too many screaming kids, and korean chili chicken delivery at home

i live in nausicaa

2010-08-21T19:30:00.001+09:00

for those of you that have seen hayao miyazaki's movies
you know his fantasy forests with the trees and animals from another world

it seems like singapore's wildlife isnt too far off!!
in canada, when it rains; the worms come out
here, the enormous snails come out

(the image you see is life size)

in the dark burrows of job hunting

2010-08-19T16:48:00.000+09:00

view from near fullerton hotel

i cant say job hunting is fun
it really isnt
there are so many factors that induce depression
waiting, applying, finding things you actually want to apply for, thinking you should just apply for anything, procrastinating, cover letters, realizing how underqualified you are, wanting to see people but they are all working, napping, guilt, diminishing bank account ~~~~

attempting to be positive
these are unemploment's good points;
sleep anytime, read at my leisure, workout when the gym is empty, drink loads of coffee, prepare meals to cook, stare at my pores, have time to brush floss and use that dental stick thing thoroughly, actually put things where they belong....write this post in the middle of the day and read it...and reread it...and wish i had something better to write about