Updates! Updates! Why no updates?
Well, I know it has been 2 weeks without any new entries on this blog, the longest hiatus yet. But hey, look at David's blog, Dianhao's and Shahrin's as well. They also haven't updated their blogs for quite a while. If these friends haven't been contributing to the voyeur community at large, I don't see why I should.
Yes, yes, I know it's not a valid reasoning. They are them and I am me. When they eat doesn't mean I've to eat. When they shit doesn't mean I've to shit. And when they dance in bikinis doesn't mean I've to dance in bikinis. Apologies for traumatising you by putting the last images into your mind, but I was just trying to put a point across. Don't worry though, I'll never dance in a bikini. As for them, I'm not too sure.
By now, some friends would have known I'm already gainfully employed. Some I told them myself, others no thanks to Jane's blurting. For those still not in the know, I'm now working in a hotel as a management trainee where my training comprises of working in various positions from bottom up for a year. Which hotel, you may be wondering? Sorry, but I'm not saying and neither should friends who know.
However, that's not the reason for my online absence, or rather in terms of my blog entries. The real reason is my younger brother. He's currently working on some project, or seems to be, since he spends more time chatting on msn than working on his word document. But nice brother as I'm, I gave him the benefit of doubt and allowed him to commandeer the family PC (although it's really mine) for the past week. What he doesn't know is that I'll be handing him a usage bill once he's done. Sneaky I know, but this is a material world and I do need to feed myself.
Hence, those who've been screaming for updates, go blame my brother. I'm not to be faulted even though I do have to admit I'm within the higher range of my slacking mode.
So, as a sort of compensation, I'll attempt to write a longer entry this time round on short or maybe not so short snippets of happenings, thoughts and whatnots in the past 2 weeks. Do forgive me if the length falls short for I'm not very good at being long-winded. Now go grab a nice sofa, pour yourself a mug of water, get some popcorn, make yourself comfortable in front of your PC and then watch some VCDs or something. Otherwise, don't make yourself too comfortable because you need to focus on reading my entry. Focus.
Okay, ready? Go!
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Durian Durian
Durian, the King of Fruits. It was durian season a few weeks back and my goodness was I in heaven. Those spiky green monsters with yellowish flesh are just so delicious I kept restocking every three days. Yes, it almost made me broke, forming one of the three major investments I'd made then. However, it was worth it.
Nowadays, there're so many different varieties of durians. There're those cute nameless little durians you can buy for 50 cents each and have a whale of a time playing with it as a substitute for water bombs or for chasing away irritating salesman. Then there're D24, D99, D158, Golden Pillow etc. Some stalls tout their durian as having 'yellow meat'. This is one point I don't really understand. All durians have yellow meat, just a matter of being lighter or darker! Of course, if I'm not wrong 'yellow meat' usually refers to those with darker shades of yellow.
For me, I don't really care. When it comes to eating durian, I hold no discrimination to its skin colour, origin or variety so long it has fragrance and not too dry.
This reminded me of durians I'd seen in Taiwan and Japan. The durians in both places come in only one size - large. No small, no medium. Ought to be good for the consumers, right? No! Those durians have absolutely no smell! Not even when I stuck one up my nose and take a big whiff! And they actually have the audacity to call those durians!? At the price they're selling those 'durians', I rather buy a Tiffany watch and flush it down the toilet than to flush those durians through my body system.
In any case, back to Singapore, these days, durians are usually opened up and placed into styrofoam boxes and wrap with clear polyethylene before being placed on sale. In a way, it's good because buyers can look at the quality of the meat before buying. However, some Singaporeans being Singaporeans, like buying fish and meat in the market, they invariably can't overcome the temptation to poke here and there as if it actually helps them in their quality check before purchasing.
The end result: They'll typically buy boxes that have not been poked by anyone (including themselves) and leave the stall owners with boxes of durians riddled with poke marks.
So for me, I usually prefer to buy durians that are still virgins. That is to say, they haven't been open for all to see and poked at. It's okay if they've been molested while they're still wearing their spiky armour though. People need to touch, shake and smell the durians before deciding and I've no qualms with that.
Of course, me being me never bother myself with the ritual of selecting the durians. I'll always leave it to the discretion of the stall uncles to give me the good ones. If not, I can always eat half the durian and then return it to exchange for a better one on the grounds of 'unsavoury quality'. That way I'll win and the uncles will lugi and they know it. However, those who are interested can follow this humorous link on how to choose a good durian.
Sadly, all good things must come to an end and the durian season did just that around last week. Bugger. Guess I need to wait for the next season to come by.
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Conspiracy Theory
I don't know why, but recently I seem to be meeting up with friends more often.
Take two Saturdays ago, for example, I met up with Mei and went to Jazz by the Beach with her. I haven't seen her since I left Sentosa early this year and we thought it'll be a good opportunity to meet up and visit some ex-colleagues running the event at the same time.
The first set of the event wasn't too bad, the singing was okay, the music was okay, though the bass was playing a tad to heavily and loud. The second set wasn't my cup of tea - electric jazz. Felt more like clubbing music and I wasn't wrong. Regina, the program manager, introduced us to the band (of the second set) after the show (actually we need a ride out to my car from them) and they revealed they play regularly at DXO. Well, that's nice, thanks for the ride, but I won't be supporting you guys anytime soon.
Aside from Regina, the only other ex-colleagues I saw were Nasir, Maspol and Bryan. Didn't really know Bryan, since he only joined slightly before I left and he's from the retail side. Then there were some of the new interns. All girls. Darn, I should have stayed longer working in Sentosa instead of packing up early. Surprisingly, they have all heard of me. Must be the pile of half-baked shitload of work I'd left for them to continue on. Guess I was pretty lucky they didn't land their hands on any weapons that night.
A few days later, I met up Mei again, together with Joycelyn, another ex-colleague from Sentosa, after work for dinner. Had fun catching up with both of them, especially since Joycelyn had also left Sentosa and now working in her mom's company. Unfortunately, little lady boss didn't pick up the tab. Sighs, what can I say. It's a hard life trying to leech on others.
Then earlier this week, I hooked up with Dongwei, Shahrin, Ying and June for a dinner date. Ying suggested this Turkish restaurant near Arab Street that was too poor to pay for lighting. The entire restaurant was so dim I was amazed I could actually read the menu and find my food.
It's a nice restaurant she said. But she had never eaten there before. Duh. Then she went on to order only a small starter dish and no main course. She had allegedly eaten kaya toast earlier and was 'full', leaving the rest of us to test out the food.
Nevertheless, it seemed Shahrin had been there before (or so he claimed) and introduced us to the milk beverages. Well, Shahrin, if I hadn't told you so and you're reading this, it wasn't too bad la but I'm sure you can do better.
I kind of pity Ying that night, she was the stench of almost every joke. This is what one get when you have friends like Shahrin and June. So bad right? Luckily, where there're demons like them, there're angels like me. I only made no more than five jokes about her. Be thankful about that Ying. But seriously, to suggest eating prata straight after dinner? I don't think those slimming coffee will work that well.
It was pleasant news though, to hear that one of them will be tying the knot soon. Congrats and best wishes to you!
The night after I met up with those four pranksters, I met up with Rachel for movie. Again, yet another friend who I haven't seen in quite a while. We caught Mindhunters, a suspense thriller which was quite good. I'm puzzled though, to why Golden village pulled this movie from its screen when it has only been up for two weeks. Now only Cathay is showing it.
Now, all the above may sound like I'm trying to meet up with friends before something untoward happen (Choy! Touch wood, touch wood). The fact is I'm not the one who initiated all of the above. It was always the other party. So do I smell a rat? Of course I do, even if it's not farting!
I swear there's a conspiracy among all the people I know to make me go broke within a month. If not I don't usually spend so much time out and frittering money. Especially when I'm not getting my first pay for another month yet.
More proofs? How about an invitation to a birthday party this weekend when I hardly know the person? Or Jh's housewarming next weekend. I hope this two people are only expecting my presence, not my gifts, because I'm not preparing any.
Mmm...how about David? Everyone knows he's happily strengthening his family line in Europe, been doing so for almost a month already. I should be delighted he's there, because David equals big burn holes in my pockets. So how can he get me to spend?
Well, he caught me last night on MSN and requested me to send a sms to his beloved Qw to inform her he'll be back on the evening of 1 August. Can you believe that guy? He has got the money to spend one month in Europe touring and no money to reply a single message from his beloved?
My answer to David was of course a big NO, even though I've free monthly smses. It's not that I'm a cheapo, well, okay, I am, but that's not the point. The point is, he actually called Qw from Europe before and now he suddenly can't afford a sms? I've to be the winning yellow rubber ducky in the Singapore Duck Race before I'm dumb enough to fall into his trap.
If this is not a solid proof of a conspiracy to make me spend, I don't know what is.