designer . dreamer . lover . daughter . friend

Really.

Anyway, I’m done with wasting time. Reading on Lady Gaga’s weird outfits (got bored after the 3rd), clicking on a link to a statelite image of a swarm of sharks (THANKS TO ANTZ), etc.

I was talking to ANTZ about how clients often want to play designers and I have to obey. Because they feed me. I get upset of course. Because I know whatever they want is.not.gonna.work.

True enough, recently this client wanted her way in how she would like her posters to be.

The response?

Fail.

But it gave me assurance on myself.

I’m also sick of how clients come to me and ask, “Can you do something like this?”

OF COURSE I CAN. Why the hell would one think that I can’t when all it takes is a whim of Photoshop and I have been doing it for years?

The question that begs to be asked is: “Why would you want to be like them? Don’t your Brand have its own voice? Personality, Belief, VISION, MISSION?”

Right now, you’re looking at people, envying them from your position. Why not be a star in your own rights and have OTHERS looking at you thinking, “Why didn’t I think of that? Why didn’t I do that?”

Nobody looks at boring posters. Think your poster will shine among all those who are spending big money on campaigns? Why should the consumers be biased over your one boring poster and give you their attention?

WHY WOULD CLIENTS BE SO NAIVE TO THINK, that their one boring poster would be accepted and get THAT attention?

Do the same thing and get fucked by the same results.

Want different results? Get the same message across in a DIFFERENT way.

THIS INDUSTRY IS IN NEED OF BRAVE CLIENTS.

Like this one.

Of course TBWA/Paris deserves all that credit for selling this idea to the client. The idea is damn simple. Have Safe Sex. Wear a condom.

BUT GODDAMMIT. IT TAKES A VERY BRAVE CLIENT TO SAY YES AND GO AHEAD OK?

Now the video has gone viral. People are passing it around, AND getting the message.

Seriously, who wins?

The agency, the client, AND the horny consumers (if they practise what was preached of cos). Everyone is happy.

I certainly hope your Countdown Party was good! Well, many of those I read on Twitter celebrated theirs at home and feeling totally contented about it. Most had their partners with them so that was understandable. The whole point about such festive seasons is having someone with you anyway.

I had the most awesome time ushering in the New Year by Yishun Dam. We had prepared tables, chairs, mats, and lotsa food to relax by the windy dam, watching the world go by. It was so lovely, I had planned to write an entry on it. But I guess that can wait.

Well this afternoon I spent almost 4hrs to book a chalet with Aloha Loyang/Changi/whatever it is. I had wanted to go ahead and book it but as it was very last min (I wanted to book for next weekend), only limited bungalow chalets were still open for booking and only Sundays were left. And they cost $420 per day to book.

After some thoughts I decided to call up on a friend who is a teacher as I had heard long time back that civil servants can get theirs at a discount, though I didn’t know how much. Called a Soka friend who joyly agreed but told me to wait till later of the day.

I knew this friend very well and was expecting that she would take a long time to reply me. I sincerely appreciate her help but time was running out for me. Plus I found out that to check in, I need the person’s NRIC. Last I heard, this friend stays in Bukit Batok. Wah liao.

So I decided to call my secondary school friend who lives just a few streets away and is truely the most helpful girl in the whole world. Called, no one answered. She is known to always miss her phone calls. So sigh. Left her a message. And miraculously she called back within 5mins!!! Turns out she just gotten off badminton and was about to wash up and attend a secondary class gathering which I politely opted out in the end.

I asked her if she could help me book a chalet and she gamely suggested giving me her personal details so I could just go and do what I need to. Hooray! As I was on the phone with her while she repeated her NRIC no to me, all I could focus was I couldn’t register with the website. Only after 4 tries and an experasted friend later that I read the words in red properly: she supposedly already is a registered user.

Friend: Oh?? But I have never booked a chalet with them leh…
Me: Err??
Friend: Why not you reset the password?
Me: Okay… but you’ll need to check your email..
Friend: It’s alright, you can login to my mailbox..

5mins later… while she was still on the phone..

Me: Erm, never receive email from them leh..
Friend: Maybe the system slow.. you need to wait. Anyway I need to go and wash up first. You call me back later?
Me: Okay.. call you back in 30mins..

I had wanted to bathe as well but all I did was to stare at the screen waiting for an email that never came. Later..

Me: You sure you used that email to register last time?
Friend: Should be…
Me: Still no email leh..
Friend: …
Me: Okay, nevermind, I wait by my computer, anytime I call you yah?
Friend: Okay!

So I waited, and after 2 hrs I just felt that something was wrong. I called up Aloha to check and they suggested I send them an email manually with my (friend’s) NRIC and DOB as there may be something wrong with the system (WTF???). So I did. And I waited.

Another 3 calls to them later, they finally sent me the email.

I heaved a sigh of relief. Thought all had come to an end.

Guess what.. with the info they had sent me, I still couldn’t log in!!!!!!!!! I was literally going “URGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”. I could also be Jasmine’s sister, pulling some hair out.

I called them again and I think the woman was sick of recognising my voice. She told me she could log in.

Later we found out that she had mistyped the password to me WTH? Suay or what?

It had been 3hr 30mins since I first checked out Aloha’s website and decided to make a booking with them.

So finally logged in, I excitedly went to pick my chalet.

There were only Garden Bungalow 3, 5 & 13 left. I picked 13! Because it was his favourite number and I felt it was so apt as I wanted to book it for his birthday next weekend.

Just before I proceed to make payment, I decided that it would be better to go update the password to something my friend would remember better.

When I came back to book, the chalet is now LOCKED!!! I suspect it was not unavailable, just that my attempt earlier caused the system to think that someone was attempting to book the chalet. Exhausted by this long chain of waiting, I contemplated to just book either of the two left but I really liked the idea of booking Chalet 13.

So I called up Aloha again. The woman (oh no) told me to wait for 20mins. The system would refresh itself.

Wait AGAIN! It was going 4hrs. OMG, I could have made a trip to Paris Ris and book the chalet manually CAN? Plus return trip thanks.

I finally went to take my shower, hopping that no one would suddenly spoil my plan by booking the chalet right after the system unlocked it. That would be ultimate suay ka sai.

I came back and the chalet was still locked, I decided to call my bf to check his opinion first. I didn’t intend to make it a surprise. Already experienced too many among friends and it was becoming dull. Besides, how do you trick someone to go to ulu Loyang?

2mins into the phone call, the chalet was unlocked! I could happily make my booking! After 4hrs!! Yay!

Unfortunately, the bf thought it was a bad idea. He reasoned that it is a Sunday and it would be too rush for everyone. We could only check in at 3pm and next day he may have to work.

With each sentence, I could feel the fire of excitement (I’ve named it Billy – don’t ask why) in my heart being extinguished cruelly. Splash! Splash!! Splash!!! Until there was only smoke left. I didn’t even have time to say goodbye to Billy.

I digress.

Billy, the fire of excitement, has more lives than a cat for he had been brutually extinguished countless of times by some long freaking pole named Giffy. I hope Billy resurrects someday.

Back to the topic.

I had never planned for him to lift a finger in this whole celebration. All he needed to do was to be there, and enjoy. If I had my own kitchen I would have made it at my place. But I don’t. So I searched around for a possible chalet equipped with kitchen.

I also spent the night before watching YouTube videos to choose some dishes to make.

Everyone can leave on time and leave the cleaning to me.

But no, a few sentences later, no booking was made. No matter how much he said he appreciates all these but there was no need to, the heart just couldn’t help but feel dejected.

I decided not to do such things anymore. At this point I suddenly remember what Valencis shared with me before.

She told me that Zen (her then bf, now hubby) has a spontaneous nature like me, we love fun and making others happy. Zen is totally someone who would do things like me on a whirl, but instead of supporting him, she (a planner’s nature) always told him to save the trouble, stopping him in doing whatever he wants to. After a few yrs, she noticed Zen was not doing things like his nature would and she realised, she prefers the real him. And so, one Christmas, she let him do his thing.

And she was amazed. Amazed with the decorations, the food, how much everyone enjoyed and she wondered why did she even stop him in the first place. Life is short afterall.

I didn’t share this story for I felt there is no need to force someone to celebrate his/her birthday. If it’s meant to be, one day he would realise this as well. But I did find myself totally relating to the story.

For who do we wait for? Why do we choose to stop? Why do we have to let things stop us for being who we truely are?

Those were really the questions that were lingering in my mind. Life is truely so short. I want to live it out. I do not enjoy being a whimp and I have decided to do these on some other occasion instead. Yes, I want everyone to enjoy and live it out!

PS: The first friend I approached really did go to sleep upon reaching home and only SMSed me at 830pm at night.

PPS: While updating my friend’s password, I realised the registered email she was using belonged to her sister’s. -_-

PPPS: RIP Billy.

Okay, I feel better already so here are some pics from NYE 2009!

While accessing my SD card, I found some pics we took last year on Leong’s lorry to Yishun Dam! Qiao or what? As you can see, nothing has changed much since then.

Sabby & Ian

JX & Simin

Someone identify Billy’s murderer

Most of the pictures are from Rachel. Rachel please forgive me. Anyway if anyone of you is wondering how Rachel looks like when she is angry:

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You can see I’m pretty safe

Rach & her Dad were the first to arrive at around 630pm at the dam.

Sea of Calm

They brought some snacks & drinks for all of us! Sweetest people ever.

Other smart people at Yishun Dam too.

And then we arrived with all the barang barangs

My pot of ABC soup!

Fully armed with tables, chairs, mats and what not

Rachel’s love, David

Starting to nom

Fooooood

Some guy at the flea market nearby, modelling a tube top for us. Jasmine bought it.

Leong & his ladylove, Miao Ling

Fong didn’t feel too comfortable after riding Ian’s foldable bike (looks like a triangle btw)

Playing Chubby Bunny while the rest recorded all the unglam moments

Can you see the amount of sparklers we got?? Enough to last us 30mins of full blown child’s play -_-

All the girls morphing into a crazy mode with the sparklers

JX & Simin – =)

JX & Simin – -o-

JX & Simin – :|

JX & Simin – :(

LL, best describing David, who got called back to do guard duty 2hrs before midnight

M for Melanie

Then I wanted to copy – WTH?

I’m sorry Rachie

Finally got it right!

Happy New Year!!

They wanted to try doing Olympic logo

We contributed to some ozone damage that night

A friend got so excited playing the sparkler that she impolded into a bright ball of fire

Impossible group picture with fireworks. Ian’s smartest with the helmet

Told you it was impossible

We simply couldn’t get our sparklers to light at same time & gather together

Leong & Rachel’s fathers prefer to wave their satay sticks instead

Happy 2010 Everyone!!! HUAT AH!!!

Hahahaha… OMG it has been 3 months since I last posted? Honestly I thought this blog is dead for good. But life has been picking up and I’m back to my usual self. You know, the crappy, joking and happy person that I am.

If not for Terence asking me for the recipe of the lotus soup I cooked via Twitter (BTW I’m very active on Twitter! Follow me there la… Same username), I don’t think I would be writing.

Anyhoo, I was actually very lazy to cook and take pics. I’ve long past the era of taking pics everywhere I go and post on my beloved (and used to be loved by others) blog. It’s so dead, I feel sad. Even my camera is an old Casio 3.2MP laopok cam that I had bought 5yrs ago when I first enrolled in NYP. It was bought with my own money and till this day it is still functioning! Long live you Dinosaur! The boyfriend has since upgraded to a dont-know-how-many-MP Lumix and got himself a new Mac Desktop.

I looked through my SD card and found so many forgotten memories it is madness. Maybe I’ll post random pictures here.

Ok, stop the crap, let’s get started with Cooking your very own Delicious Lotus Soup!

Before I start, I would like to add that my grandmother (who lives in Malaysia) cooks very tasty soups. I’ve never been someone who needs to cook so I always stare at her in admiration each time she brews the most tasty soup on Earth. When I asked her how to cook, she always tells me “Like that lor..” -_-

Like what?! It was rocket science to me. I felt I would never achieve the same taste, and I felt I’m destined to be so since my 3rd aunt always tells me that she follows the steps and ingredients my grandma does but has never quite achieved the same taste. I can secretly attest to that cos well, I tasted the food la.

Why I never learn from my mom? My mom is the worst cook in the world, but I always eat what she cooked cos I was so lazy to buy food so no matter how bad I would still eat. Her lotus soup tastes nothing like a lotus soup, I think it is out of love, she would add extra ingredients like red dates and alot alot of things. In the end the soup tastes like some weird hybrid instead of its pure original goodness. Whatever she cooks it always end up this way because she adds too many things that aren’t supposed to be there. I gave up trying to tell her long ago. Just eat.

I had not set off to cook lotus soup. Ever since I started living on my own (bad things with it – loneliness, no one to wash my clothes etc etc but peace comes with it too), I started with simple potato soup. Not that I know how to cook. But i got so sick of eating outside food that one day I stomped to the supermarket and bought my own ingredients and came back to experiment.

I mean, how wrong could it get right? I basically just recalled what I saw in a soup and dumped everything in. All those childhood years of watching Fang Tai, Yan Can Cook and Jamie Oliver paid off. Not that Jamie Oliver has any credit in this Chinese soup. I’m just saying.

I never look back since and got more and more adventurous with cooking. I’m naturally a curious person and anything to do with art (yes I feel that food is art!) always got me very interested. Just that I was too dependent and lazy when I was living with my parents. Now no choice liao lor…

One day I was at NTUC Hougang Mall trying to get ingredients for Tom Yam soup but wth, the ingredients like damn hard to find! The NTUC so big and so many kinds of vegetables also don’t have the ones I need to get. Just as I was bored I saw peanuts. All tightly packed in a yellow drawstring bag. I suddenly got the inspiration to attempt at Lotus Soup. But wth??? No lotus around. SO BIG don’t have something so basic??? I always see it in the NTUC at SingPost (near my place) and that NTUC is considered small one lor….

I didn’t abandon the idea and one day at SingPost, I bought it.

WTH? I still haven’t started on the recipe.

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Ok! What you need:

1) Pork Ribs (cannot don’t have man)
2) 2 Large Onions
3) Peanuts
4) Lotus Root

That’s it! The ingredients are damn simple, did you expect more?

First, soak the pork ribs in salted water. Don’t ask me why. I think I develop this habit of doing so cos my mom always tells me to soak things in salted water before cooking to fend off whatever germs that comes with it. Not sure how true is that or rather it works but better to play safe right? hahahaha later die. I always plan to do this first so that by the time I’m done with peeling, chopping and whatnot the pork ribs can be removed to cook!

Next, cut the ends of the Lotus Roots, peel and cut it across the width. So they look like this:

Then, deshell the peanuts. Yes lao niang actually did that one by one. So sian! Wth. I was so bored repeating this process. Btw I wasn’t sure if it was the correct peanuts to use when I first bought them. (after soup was cooked I found out it’s right la) First time I deshell them I actually put one in my mouth and WTH! So plain and nothing like those Camel brand peanuts that are so tasty. I don’t know why the difference here and could only rely on faith that it would turn out ok (which thankfully it did so I’m writing this entry).

Bring the pot of water to the boiling point and just briefly toss your pork ribs inside. I think I always remember this step when I watched Fang Tai and I did it without knowing why I did that the first time. After I put in then I know why. Omg the water was so dirty, you wouldn’t want it in your mouth. So just let them take a quick bath in the hot water. Fish them out and put one side.

Boil the water again, after it has reached a boiling point, put all the ingredients in!

Brew it for some hours (up to you). How I gauge that it’s ready to be served is when the lotus roots and pork ribs take the colour of the skin of the peanuts (reddish brown). That’s how I know. Also found out that the colour came from the peanuts after the first time I cooked it.

Add salt to taste. Viola!

I must say, it tasted like granny’s… Not being biased! :)

I WILL SKIN THIS BLOG SOON. WTH DO so many designs for clients and yet when it comes to my own it’s damn CUI. I cannot stand looking at this monster.

I’m quite sure I’m not the only one in SG who is NOT hyped abt F1. In fact all the I find all the related F1-related tweets retarded. However, I do not mind watching Beyonce or Gwen Stefani LIVE! There is some slight tinge of jealousy + sianness as I see people who witness how those Hollywood superstars really look like in real life..

Anyway, that’s not the point and it’s not enough to make me feel that my life is miserable. In fact it is awesome now. I hope it lasts. Wah lao.

What actually makes me more sian is the fact that Mr J is out with his friends and I’m not invited to go with him! LOL…. I’m not angry. In fact I’ve always given him the freedom to do whatever he wants and go wherever he wants simply cos…..

I can’t be bothered. LOL.

Or I’m also a very busy person most of the time.

SO WHAT IS MAKING ME SIAN?

I realise I actually just enjoy spending time with him. This, may not be a mutual feeling (LOL). But I like his company. And then like being rudely shoved awake… OH NO I DO NOT WANT TO TURN INTO ONE OF THOSE WHINY AND NEEDY GF.

What have I become?! :O

That aside, I met up with Kenneth, Mel & of cos Mr J in the middle of the night at Hougang Mall’s 24-hr Mac. No pics cos I believe I look hideous in my specs, oversized tee (Mr J’s actually) and a pair of denim shorts.

Why? What’s wrong with posting nice pics online? You do the same too lor.

There is something I love abt spontaneous meet up and if it evolves into some conversation that encourages, inspires, or full of laughter, I would always return home thinking whatever midnight cab fare is well worthed it.

That aside, I’m most happy cos I made a client happy. :)

Okay.. I was randomly browsing Facebook when I saw a friend’s friend’s name pop up randomly on the side panel. It caught my attention cos it was….

Anyway it was “Kinda insert_surname_here”.

First thing that came to my mind. Like wth?! Kinda?? Imagine if the surname is “Seow”. And you brought this girl to your boss for recruitment.

“Hi Boss. Meet my friend. She is here for an interview and she is Kinda Seow.”

Wahahahahahaha.

Or. If the surname is Cham.

“Hey, you remember the girl I mentioned to you a while back? Yeah, yeah that one. Please try your best to help her. Yeah, you know? That girl. She is Kinda Cham.”