This is where you stick random tidbits of information about yourself.
Metamorphosis of Shamkahlo.
Friday, May 29, 2009 KANTOI! I first heard this song thru' de Oshow on Monday & almost everyday since..its sounds rather retro, very catchy and sung both in Malay & English.. Enjoy the song, u could also sing along with it too..I love it..hope u do too!
Thursday, May 28, 2009 I am officially lighter... 8kg lighter to be exact of what i was 3 months ago..its slow but I am elated that I m losing it ..haha..quick congratulate me..hehe.
The weighing machine at home is always showing different readings, depending on its mood.Took my weight when i went for my 2nd Phase FFI yesterday afternoon..all the way to Changi Naval Base cos they have posted me to a new unit there. The medical centre has an accurate and more reliable machine & it was read & recorded by a medic whose main job was basically that..to take readings..temperature..weight..blood pressure..seriously ..haha.. Anyway, a little high on the blood pressure but nevertheless still healthy & fit enough - according to the MO - for my last IPPT..dun congratulate me please.. A friend suggested to me, perhaps i should aim for the monetary for this last IPPT. I told him its simply ludicrous... a joke in its own category!
WL jio-ed me to watch a movie yesterday after he ran a few errands..so we agreed to meet at the stipulated time & the designated venue. As i was heading towards the escalator to meet him at the theatre , i picked up a folded paper that 'appeared' before me & it turned out to be a crispy $10 note...haha...finder-keeper!! It gonna be a good day afterall..a free movie..thanks to the careless dropper.. My predictions were correct..after the show...WL said the dinner gonna be on him as a bday gift to me. This has been the year with the MOST belated gifts & treats, even after 2 weeks of the actual date.
KEEP IT COMING MAN..ANYMORE? ..I am still accepting..hahaha..
Anyway..there werent many halal places where we were yesterday - besides the usual suspects - but we discovered a new chicken place that displayed the halal cert quite prominently at the counter. It wasnt anything to crow about, tho their mascot was a mean rooster. I supposed their selling point was their sauce which ranged from the MILD to the VERY to the SUPER spicy!!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 Another unexpected bday gift..
I was invited to a cooking workshop by Shaggyfish to be conducted by Chef Eric last nite. As i was the first participant to arrive, i saw many participants, mostly teachers & lecturers, arriving later and making payments at the door which i wasnt aware of. Curious, i asked & was told it had been taken care of. The cooking workshop was another bday gift for me. Cool! Thank you maam! Another surprise from my HC ex-neighbour..a term i have not used for the longest time...haha...xie xie!
Anyway, the workshop gave us the opportunity to learn to prepare a 3 course gourmet meal. As the appetiser the savoury crepes Au Breton. Its a crepes recipe with smoked salmon, capers and onions condiments served with homemade sour cream. Next, the main dish was Singapore's signature dish transformed into a unique blend of Asian meets West, the Spaghetti with Chilli Crab Sauce. The fresh crabmeat in the sauce, with a generous mix of Haybee and that specially-flown spicy fermented bean paste all added on to this mouth watering dish. Simple superb! Finally, for dessert, the much awaited Molten Lava Chocolate Cake with Vanila Ice cream & Strawberries. Personally i am NOT a chocolate person, & with the Bittersweet chocolate used in this dessert..i ended up eating the ice cream & the starwberries only but I am pretty sure all chocolate lovers would love this cake.
Well..after cleaning up..i received another surprise..a friend who was in the same workshop had bought a bday cake for me & another May baby..a little embarrasing tho..hehe..cutting a bday cake exactly 14 days after my birthday ..thank u all the same...
Well...i was resting in my room...it was already 11pm!
I simple ignored the sms...find a better timing to speak, i mentally replied the sms...hehe
Anyway..coming back from my morning jog the next day, i found a note left on the coffee table. He wanted to leave..my tenant that is. Well...i thought he stay a little too long already.
I found him arrogant & cocky at time..well maybe in my next post i will discuss more about this snobbish guy who felt that i have done nothing to make his stay in my house more comfortable.
BLOODY HELL...i am renting the room...he is my tenant..I have no obligation to play Little House on the Prairie with him.
My good friends all think alike. They all felt that we, the Taurus, are the most difficult creatures to get the perfect bday presents. Common complaints from us;( according to them lah) 1. It wasnt wrapped well enuf! 2. It wasnt the brand we endorsed! 3. It wasnt what we dun already have..!
Anyway, they decided..well one suggested & the rest agreed..to give us a good makan treat @ an established & rather HC location.
Thank u all...its was simply sedap!! We Taureans loved it!
Another meet up...it was a really boring evening when i was chatting with my ex artists...& since it was dinner time, i suggested that we met up for dinner. Another artist was mobilised & over some Aliff's cuisine, we updated on each others' latest development.
Finally met with a good friend from BSS 89 since he came back from USA. LAst met him in 1999 or so...since then he had studied & stayed in USA for a good 4 years..before families bought him back to Spore. He had definitely lots of stories to tell, having graduated from UCLA in Liberal Arts & minoring in cinematography, having interned in Paramount Pictures & meeting big names like Julia Roberts & Mike Myers, were part & parcel of his job. When we met him over the weekend..he just came back from Seoul with his family & friends..& his intent to travel to Rome has to be cancelled cos his leave wasnt approved. Maybe we could just travel to Miri as planned...haha
Monday, May 18, 2009 It wasnt a breakfast at Tiffany ..but at JB.
But again it wasnt wat u had BUT whom u were with. Over the weekend, my bro-in-law drove up to JB with my two nieces & my sister. Fortunately, we werent stucked in the jam..& i managed to text to a radio station & casually asked the Dj if she wanted me to get her anything from across the causeway...haha...of course she politely declined the offer..haha .. We did a little shopping and ended up having dinner there as well...
This huge sculpture spells exactly that. Made from pillow-like material, it is by an Indonesian artist being displayed now at the Esplanade. Bring your love ones there if u think u are too shy to say it out loud..hehe..suggestion only lah!
Another exhibition is a mural display along the MRT underground tunnel leading from the Esplanade. Go check it out. I have my opinions on such display..but go see it urself!
Its NEVER TOO LATE..so say its advertisement tagline!
Received my last bday present last nite.
It was from another Taurus baby, OPS.
In previous years, we would exchange gifts way in advance, as early as March but as we are not working under the same roof, it has been difficult...to give or receive...hehehe...
Trust me..getting a gift for a Taurus is definitely no easy feat! Well I should know..I am one...HAHAHA
Thursday, May 14, 2009 Fancy meeting my friends from BSS of year 1989, in a Mall not far from home. We last met 10 years ago when i first moved to Jelapang in 1997, well that was 12 years ago to be exact. Last nite, they were supposedly from an exercise class But looking at the consumptions of calories laden sumptuous spread on their table, they might just need to sign up for more classes...hhhahahh...seriously Ros!!
Anyway, it was always good to meet up with 'long-lost' friends.
All of them are in different fields now, one deals with counselling emotions, the other nurtures the future while the other deals with the quest of multiplying $$ for others & himself...haha
Of course we exchanged contacts, again, & made promises to meet up again soon BUT I really hope that i dun have to wait for another decade for another meet up.
Nice meeting u guys again. Well if u have read these ..please leave a signal..haha
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 Alhamdullilah. Itu lah yang ku lafazkan setelah aku mencelikkan mata pagi tadi tanda kesyukuran. Alhamdulilah kerana aku berkesempatan untuk menyambut hari lahirku sekali lagi. Alhamdullilah kerana dikurniakan kesihatan oleh Nya untuk menikmati 13 hb Mei sekali lagi. Teringat aku akan lagu nyanyian OPICk seperti yang tertera di bawah.
Bersujud kepada Allah Bersyukur sepanjang waktu Setiap napasmu seluruh hidupmu Semoga diberkahi Allah
Bersabar taat pada Allah Menjaga keikhlasan-Nya Semoga dirimu semoga langkahmu Diiringi oleh rahmat-Nya Setiap napasmu seluruh hidupmu Semoga diberkahi Allah Alhamdulillah wasyukurillah Bersyukur pada Mu ya Allah Indah dalam kebersamaan Hilanglah sebuah perbedaan ..ALhamdullilah.
Well, right after my Subuh prayers..i sms-ed my fave radio station & requested that the DJ sing me a birthday song..hheehhee...& she gamely did, tho a little solemnly cos it was 6.43am she said. Thank you all the same.
Since i was up rather early, i decided to meet up with my nieces at their school gate & proceeded on to have breakfast with their mummy, my younger sister, who sends them to school everyday. Nothing fancy..half boiled eggs, toasted bread and prata telur for her...before we both start out a brand new day separately.
I was looking at all the photos from the other nite. A good fren of mine told me that she has STOPPED taking POSED photos cos its UNNATURAL, INORGANIC and rather INERT! So I decided to compile and compose a montage of the 'NATURAL-EST' photos...no expensive lens or equally pricey cameras...no gifted eyes...no special angels or focused focus watever...hehe...but enjoy them nevertheless.
Monday, May 11, 2009 It was the most impromptu Birthday celebration EVER! I was thinking aloud of having a little makan with families when my sister said, "Dun worry, I can prepare the food! Just make sure u book the venue!"
Well..& so it happened 3 days before the actual day.
Its Mothers' day this Sunday and I have decided to make 3 mothers very happy.
My 3 sisters who have always been there when i needed them, to support me, to encourage me & sometimes to pamper me ..well my other sisters are simply too far away...in kilometres and more...haha..
Looking back at Mings' sculpture in my previous post, I felt riled to see 5 expensive LV Almas handbag halved for that ostentatious and conceited sculpture.
This was because, after much dithering and vacillation, i finally decided to award myself a monogram for my coming birthday..hhehee..
A monogram Damier beaubourg- thats the one on the right.
Happy Birthday to me in advance..I so deserved it!
Monday, May 4, 2009 Attended a briefing this afternoon on an Art module that i was supposed to do next semester. We were given a choice to do AAA431- STUDIO SPECIALISATION or AAA432- CURATORIAL PRACTICES & EXHIBITION. Both are equally insteresting, rather relevant to our role as an Art educators ...well I have already know what my pick is.
Anyway, I chanced upon a solo art show put up by a contemporary artist Lloyd Ming. Well i need many sponsors to put up a solo show like his BUT i wont mind curating a show like this..hehehe. The show titled 'I AM NOT CHINESE', which just ended its run on 3 May 2009, in New York, and it is by appointment only shows its exclusivity.
One of the highlight of the show was 'The Crucifix'. The Crucifix is made from thousands of dollars worth of cut up Louis Vuitton handbags and is meant to be a commentary on the idea of salvation through materialism. "It is inspired by the new wealth in China," says Ming. "But it can also refer to America or any consumer-driven society."
Ming sold a version of the Crucifix to a Bristish Collector.
When asked how much did the collector buy the sculpture for?
"It wasn't cheap," says Ming. "But it should have been more. The buyer got a good deal; however with this economy all buyers of contemporary art are getting good deals right now. I guess I should feel fortunate that I sold anything at all because many artists are not selling."
Although Ming is selling he believes that artists make better work when they don't focus on sales and he thinks the slow economy will inspire good ideas in all artists.
WOW...what an inspiration..anybody wants to donate their luxury goods for my next show soon..next semester..really..
Needed to do my bi-annual decluttering as i am capable of accumulating junks rather easily...hehe.. so i bought the huge plastic storage boxes since the cardboard ones gave way to wear & tear...but I did not buy enuf boxes so off again to Ikea again this afternoon since I have the mood for some spring cleaning- I might as well do it fast.
It wasnt packed for both visits, I guess with the opening of the one in the east, it had somehow distributed the customers rather fairly..which made my shopping trip more bearable.
