Loss of Friendship... to Marriage?

I am going to write a sobbing sad story about some of my lost friendships. If you are sick of my self-pitying wallowing, I will strongly recommend that you skip this journal. Well, I may appear self-centred, non-understanding and juvenile in my later confessions, but I believe one cannot be as rational when it comes to the matters of the heart. *Frowning*

The whole story started when suddenly, a beep beep of an incoming SMS on my phone shattered the dead silence of a lazy Sunday afternoon. It was a piece of good news. One of my best friends - Hui, was going to deliver her Princess in the coming week. She was one of the most loyal friends who had stand by me all these years when I always ran to her for both family and work problems. I was jubilant for her.

This was when I suddenly recalled some of the other friends whom I had gathered over the years but gradually lost touch as they got attached or married. Actually, I should have expected this as my group of friends were very family-oriented. We shared the same values and priorities on family. Thus, inevitably, their definition of family soon extended to the boyfriends/husbands and the families of their boyfriends/husbands. Gradually, I heard less and less from them. Finally, it came to a point when I heard nothing from them at all, ie our friendship came to a screeching halt.

As I recalled, I am puzzled about the sudden loss of contact with a friend. Indeed, our gatherings reduced when she became attached. To be frank, I too felt awkward if I continued to stick around any friend when she clearly needed more time for her boyfriend. The attached friends would typically engaged in couplerly activities with other couple friends. Nevertheless, this friend continued to warmly include me in some of the larger gatherings. I joined them occasionally, more to see her.

Suddenly, I hear almost nothing from her after her marriage. It was also partly my fault. I had not really initiated any gathering or SMS since. I was partly too lazy to initiate any gathering. At the same time, I was worried that she was busy with juggling between work and family - as she would now need to do household chores and take care of her husband. From knowing what were the events that spiced up her days to now not even knowing if she was still in town, I was saddened with this development.

There was once when I wondered if I had done something wrong which unintentionally offended her. Knowing how blur I am as a person, needless to say I am as clueless as before. Being quite close friends, I was quite certain if she had been unhappy about something, she would have voiced it out by now. Could I have lost our friendship to her marriage. Perhaps marriage really required a lot more work and energy than I could imagine. Marriage might have left her so drained and prevented her from keeping in contact with friends.

She was an example but not the only example. There were other friends who I hardly saw after they became attached, married or have their children. There were no SMSes, no emails or phone calls.

Yes, you could argue that not hearing from them may not be tantamount to the loss of friendship. There are many cases when once friends, remain friends forever. Time and distance may not separate true friends. Long-lost friends who reunite can remain as comfortable and close, as if not a single day has separated them. Perhaps I should not give up yet. After all, what is a year or two on a life-time friendship?

Yet, for many cynics, we know full well how time can be an extremely cruel nemesis of many relationships. More often than not, friends who reunite after being out of touch, are welcomed by awkwardness rather than intimacy. To avoid this awkwardness, many friends remain out of touch despite knowing that the friendship can be picked up by just a call, a SMS or even an email away.

For those friends who are just shopping or tea buddies, I believe many of us will not miss them that much if they forsake you. I am more disturbed when the friends with whom I have lost touch are those who might have 'braved through thick and thin' with me. Moreover, with modern technology, keeping in touch does not require an arm or leg. There are so many conduits available which are almost cost-less and available 24 by 7, even while you are on a bus or waiting in a queue.

Enough of my whining. Should I or should I not give these lost friendships one more chance by sending out an SMS? *More frowning*

Way to Go, Singapore Paddlers!

If you think that Olympics is quite distant from the minds of Singaporeans, you will be proven wrong from the support that Singaporeans show towards our table tennis team in their semi-finals match. It is the pivotal match which will decide if Singapore will be guaranteed a medal or another enduring fight is necessary at the bronze medal match.

The match against South Korea was in the late afternoon on a weekday. Many of us were slogging in front of our PC. Yet, many were still lured away from their mountains of work towards the TV at our lobby which was broadcasting the match via MioTV live. The match started late afternoon and continued even past knocking off time. Yet, many still lingered in the lobby and stared intensively into the screen, completely oblivious to the knocking off time. Seldom did we witness such a crowd in front of the TV screens. Even for those of us who could not catch the match, we were hearing news here and there from other colleagues about the latest development of the match. We were all rooting morally for Singapore.

When the news finally broke that Singapore has won, the whole country was elated. Finally, a confirmed medal after 46 years! Congrats, Singapore's Table Tennis Team! You have done us proud!

Hitched

Hitched? Not me!

I am only referring to the movie starring Will Smith. I am not exactly a fan of Will Smith, but thought he is still pretty good looking hunk with a sense of humour (especially in Shrek). 'Hitched' has a pretty cliche plot, but who cares? We all love a little predictable, funny, romantic and a happily ever after love story?

Boy and Girl are both love cynics. Boy is a love expert whose profession is to help other men secure their love of their lives. Boy becomes an expert only after suffering a bad heartache in college. Yet, Boy will only help people who are really in love and not lust. Boy and Girl fall in love. However, Girl is a reported who wants to interview the love doctor - Boy. When Girl finds out that Boy is the love doctor, Girl becomes angry and exposes him. This causes him to lose business and credibility and affects his clients. Boy also becomes angry. In the end, Girl realises that she still loves Boy and the same applies for the Boy. Boy and Girl get together again.

Simple plot. So what's so interesting about the movie?

I was very impressed when Boy wanted to win the heart of the Girl. He went through a thorough research about the Girl, including her ancestors. He planned a breakfast date but he refused to call it a date knowing the girl was adamant of romance. He brought her water jetting and lured her to an island with a museum for the first immigrants of New York. Girl was surprised to find grandfather's name in the namelist of the immigrants.

Hmm, few guys will go the extent to plan for such memorable dates. No wonder, even the love-sceptic Girl was moved. It is difficult for any Girl not to be swooned by the Boy or to resist his charms. Of the entire movie, I liked this part best because of the efforts that the Boy has put in and the creativity of the date design. *Wink*

Happy 43rd Birthday, Singapore!

Happy birthday, my homeland!

Thank you for everything!

Opening Ceremony of 2008 Beijing Olympics

I am truly impressed.

The Beijing's 'Bird Nest' has drawn opposing opinions for its design and architecture. Its prowress is showcased to the entire world during the Opening Ceremony. China, which used to be perceived as backward and traditional, has wowed viewers worldwide for both ceremony and the venue for the ceremony. From the traditional dance and songs to introduce Chinese grand history to the Taiji performance which is the pride of Chinese martial arts, the performances were stunningly beautiful. The beauty was certainly enhanced by the lightings effect.

The fireworks were generous and resplendent - lighting up the Beijing night skies. Well, this is the first time, where audiences are treated to a generous eye-feast.

The rainbow walk by the representatives and athletes as they marched to the centre of the stadium was truly innovative. With 200 over countries participating in the Games, the marach was rather long. I hang on because I was eager to see Singapore's representatives. Unfortunately, they were one of the last few countries to march into the stadium.

Well-done, Beijing. I am sure all people world-wide are proud of your opening ceremony. I am sure we will be continously surprised by the Olympics.

Going Crazy Over G2000

For many office workers, I am sure G2000 is a familiar brand where we can stock up on our shirts, suits, skirts and pants. Every year, there are two main periods where I will go on a massive shopping sprees - once during the GSS and once during the post Christmas sales. Of course, G2000 is a brand that I will certainly patronise, especially when I can literally grab the size and go.

Just like some people who will go on "Mango-hopping" during Mango sales, I will often go on G2000-hopping. What this means is that we will visit the different outlets of the same boutique because certain sizes or colours missing in certain boutiques could be found in another. When I find the right size and the right colour and in perfect condition, the satisfaction surpasses any fatique to be endured for all the walking, waiting and searching.

If I open up my wardrobe, I guess a sizeable proportion of my working attires are from G2000. The collection is built up over many years because I do not change my size significantly - often just 1 size up or down. With more cautious washing, some of my shirts and pants have 'accompanied' me for close to 6 years!

For those who know me, I am not exactly very adventurous with style, sticking to evergreen (an euphemism for safe and bordering boring) clothes. Hence, clothes for G2000 are great 'investments' because they hardly go out of trend. Moreover, most of its materials are relatively comfortable which suit me perfectly in the hot and humid weather of Singapore.

Needless to say, the current end season sale of G2000 has again left a dent in my wallet. The best way to safeguard my wallet from further damage is to avoid going shopping at all. See no evil (cheap and good clothes); do no evil (buy and buy).

Missing Japan

It has been a week since I came back from Japan. All of a sudden, I missed Japan terribly. This is especially after I have loaded in the photos as my wallpaper and my screensaver for my PC. Every time, I look at those photos, I am transported back in time to the beautiful lavender fields of Furano. Strangely, when I was in Japan, I missed home. Yet, when I am back in Singapore, I miss Japan.

This trip to Japan provides me with greater confidence of travelling in Japan on my own. Firstly, it is a rather safe country where daylight robbery is not frequent. Hence, walking along the roads of Japan is as safe as walking around in Singapore. Secondly, Japan has a friendly culture so we need not worry about not able to get help. Thirdly, Japan's public transport system is quite well-developed. Hence, for non-drivers like me, it is not difficult to travel from one part of Japan to another. Lastly, language is not as tough as a barrier as I thought. With my extremely broken Japanese, I could still manage my way through in Hokkaido. Hence, if I were to travel in Central Japan where there are more English-speaking people, it may in fact be easier. Perhaps to play safe, I would pack in my English-Japanese and Japanese-English dictionary which I used to use during my lesson days. This time round, I have left it at home thinking that I would not need it since I was on tour and with hardly any free and easy time.

Hmm, I would prefer my next trip to Japan to be on my own so that I can at least have more time to rest in places I like, enjoy the scenery, take photos and experience the place. This is often more difficult to achieve in a tour where we need to adhere to the schedule, so we do not have flexibility of stopping as and when certain scenery caught our eyes or truly mingle with the people.

Promotion Treat at Carousel

The team is certainly a great fan of the Carousel at Royal Plaza on Scotts. Hence, when a voting is carried out on the places that we can go for treats for those who have promoted this year, Carousel wins hands-down.

This time round, I try to take pictures of the spread using my new phone. Don’t salivate too much over the wide spread. *Wink*

Here’s just a sliver of the total spread.

Cold Cut section

Dessert Section – My favourite is the raspberry cheesecake.

Chocoloate Fondue

Those which are not featured include
- the sashimi and sushi section (complete with yellowfin, tuna and salmon as well as sushi and soba)
- the Chinese cooked food section (include Chinese stirfry),
- a local food section (which includes chicken rice and rice balls, laksa, dim sums, Indian cuisines), - soups (be it the western cream of broccoli or the eastern braised crab and mushroom soup),
- pasta (freshly cooked),
- roast meats (include rosemary chicken and lamb)
- bread and cheese section
- fruits and ice-cream section

Despite having been here numerous times, we seem never sick or run out of things to eat. Each visit brings forth new discovery of favourite foods. Yet, we cannot afford to eat so much buffet. Imagine the calories and cholesterol that we are piling on. Oh dear… …

Yokoso Hokkaido - Epilogue

7 days seem to pass in a blink of the eye, especially when 2 days were spent mid-air on the flight. Strangely, when I was in Hokkaido, I missed home. Yet, when I am back in Singapore, I miss Hokkaido miserably. The longing for Hokkaido intensifies when I look at the photos and relives the memory of this scenic place.

What do I miss of Hokkaido?

I miss the cool climate with the fresh air. In contrast to the oppressive heat in Singapore, the cool climate and the fresh air of Hokkaido are rejuvenating. It makes walking in the outdoor a luxury.

I miss the spaciousness of the place. Even at peak hours (ie knocking off time), the streets are not crowded, especially outside Sapporo. I did not hear cars honking impatiently on the streets. I did not see passerbys pushing their way through the crowd. With the vastness of the space, my temper seems to be at peace and my frustration seems to dissipate.

I miss the warmth of the people. Yes, surprisingly Japanese who are well-known for their efficient and hardworking nature are rather warm and friendly. In the traditional inns with the rather slow and narrow lifts, Ah Peng and I had some difficulty moving in and out of the lifts, especially with our luggages and the lack of sensors in the lifts. We met some helpful grannies and grandpas who held the door open with their hands while reassuring us that it would be alright to come out of the lift with their constant “Daijobu, Dette” (It’s alight, come out). I have met an elderly couple at the Otokoyama Sake Brewery who was trying on the brewery working clothes and they allowed me to take a photo of them (Their photo is in earlier entry). I have met a kindergarten teacher and children who gladly obliged my request to take photos with them. I have met an enthusiastic handsome young waiter at a Ramen shop with whom we took photos with and who recommended that I add sesame to my Ramen to enhance the flavour. I have also met other helpful and polite shop keepers who esplained slowly in simple Japanese (in response to my extremely broken Japanese) about the close of the departmental stores, the lifespan of cosmetic products, the price system in Daiso and the arrangement of our return flight seats. By the way, it was the first time I sat so close to the business class in an airplane that I was under the illusion that I was in business class, if not for the restrictive leg space.

I miss the cleanliness and the superiority of the toilet system in Japan. Even in public places, the toilets are dry and odour-free. Many toilets come with the basic system of seats warming (more for winter) and backside-cleaning functions. Some toilets come equipped with the odour-removal function and even music for one to play to camouflage certain embarrassing sounds. The toilets are also considerate enough to offer a baby toilet bowl in some cubicles to allow mothers to use the toilets with their children. In Singapore, many parent struggle in the public toilets as the children are too small-sized to use the toilet bowls meant for adults. Many mothers have to carry their children over the washing basins.
Japan does not only have clear public toilets. It also has very clean and safe streets. One does not need to worry too much about travelling alone in streets after sun has set as Japan also boasts one of the lowest crime-rates in the world.

I miss the departmental stores. In Marui Imai, there is an entire floor dedicated to confectionery and snacks. Small bite-sized confectionery is offered at each counter for patrons to sample before buying. One can certainly have our fill by just sampling all the confectionery.

Is there not flaw with the Japan or Japanese at all?

Of course not. No place can be perfect. Japan which is located in the volcanic region is proned to earthquakes. On the last night in Sapporo, both Ah Peng and I were woken up from our sleep as we experienced the shake from the earthquake from Tohoku. As the bed shook and the hangars in the closet clattered loudly, we were wondering if we should make a dash out of the hotel. After a good 5 minutes, the shake stopped and everything quietened. We thought it should be safe to remain in the building and went back to our sleep.

According to our tour guides, earthquakes that Japan experienced typically occurred between 12 midnight to 5 am in the morning. Hence, there was a regulation in Japan that disallowed employees from staying in office beyond 10 am as the tall skyscrapers were dangerous places during an earthquake. As Hokkaido faced Pacific Ocean, many restaurants and markets located along the coast closed early and no shop keepers were allowed to remain in the shops. This is to minimize any fatality from earthquakes and Tsunamis.

Japanese are supposed to be rather afraid of cold. Hence, when we attempted to switch on the aircon of hotel rooms to cool the place, we were initially puzzled why at 21 Deg Celsius and strong fan, the temperature of the room remained high. While we were on the bus, the driver did not switch on the aircon often and we had to remind him. Later, we find out that many Japanese are afraid of cold so the aircon power is usually not strong. In fact, many Japanese families do not have aircons in their house. They only have heaters. Moreover, cutting down on aircon is also a Japanese way of doing their part towards global warming.

Japan also faces space constraints, so many hotel room are pretty small, especially the toilets. One of the hotels which we stayed in separates the toilet bowl from the bathing area. The bathing area is so narrow that we cannot find a place to hang our clothes and place our toiletries.

For those of us who complain that life in Singapore is boring, especially the night life. Well, shops and departmental stores in Japan close about 8pm. Basically, after 8pm, the only shops that are open are only the eateries (izaya: shops which serve wine and accompanying dishes) for the knocked-off office men to gather and drink.

The last is of course the high standards of living in Japan. When one steps into a restaurant, the cheapest ramen one can find, which is often the shio ramen (salt-based soup ramen), will cost about Y600 ($7.80). Relative to our greater variety hawker food, our meals seem more economical. Transport fees are equally expensive. According to our guide, some of the internal flight air tickets could be as high as S$900.

I am an advocate of travel. Travel to a foreign land and different culture opens one’s mind and widens one’s perspectives. There is Chinese saying that studying tens of thousands of books cannot be compared to travelling thousands of miles. Indeed, reading about the various places can never compare to experiencing the places first hand. In addition to gaining greater exposures, travelling to far away places also make one appreciates our homeland – Singapore more.

For those who have travelled, you can certainly feel what I am saying next. Travelling is almost like an infectious virus which can quickly spread around to people around you when they hear about the glorious sceneries and the interesting encounters. Travelling is also like coffee which one can become addicted to. Travelling tempts more travelling. Visiting a city in a state seems to be a preview of what promises in other parts of the same country. It also lures us to other different countries to find out for ourselves how different truly these places are. Unfortunately, in today’s rising fuel surcharges, such a hobby can be expensive.

Yokoso Hokkaido – Sapporo (札幌)

Sapporo Salmon Centre
This is a science centre devoted to introducing the life-cycle of Salmon. Salmon is the most common fish in Hokkaido. Many Japanese families have salmon in almost every meal. Most of the salmon are either roasted or boiled. Few Japanese families eat them as sashimi as salmon are typically grown in rivers and there may be residual soil smell.

Salmon has a rather sad breeding cycle. Once the female salmon lay eggs at the upstream river painstakingly, they will pass on. Salmon fries will swim downstream. When it is the breeding time, the mature salmon will swim back upstream to lay their eggs again.

The centre also houses a small aquarium with different types of salmon from all over the world. It also showcases the salmon of different age. Outside the aquarium, there is a accompanying park surrounding the river which breeds salmon. In November, visitors may even witness the spawning of salmon in the river.

Asahi Beer Factory
Asahi is one of the most well-known beers in Japan, together with Kirin and Sapporo. During the tour of the factory, there is a short movie clip introducing the production process and the vision of the company. After the video, we are treated to free beers and other drinks by Asahi. As a non-alcohol drinker, I opt for its orange juice instead. There is both light and dark beer and is offered free flow to all visitors for a full 20 minutes.

Many other tour group members have at least a cup of the beer. Most Singaporeans are not very seasoned drinkers, so their faces quickly turn red. According to our tour guide, this is considered rather impolite in Japan. Hence, many Japanese do not drink in the day. They will only drink at night so that no one can see their red faces.

Hokkaido Jingku (Hokkaido Shrine) (北海道神宮)
Hokkaido Shrine is built to commemorate the achievements of the founder of Hokkaido. In Japan, there are two kinds of shrines in Japan – one is to commemorate the emperors who are believed to be the sons of Heavenly God and the other is for praying under the Japanese religion – Shindoshya.

There is a washing area outside the shrine for the devotees to wash their hands before they pray. To pray, one needs to clap once. To end the pray, one needs to clap twice. The shrine is filled with people during the adult festival where young adults reaching twenty years of age will pray for their happiness in lives on that day in their best kimono.

Outside the Shrine, the stone pavement is lined with sakura trees (cherry blossoms) which must be an amazing sight in mid May. There is also a small resting area where hot red bean pastry by Rokkatei and green tea are served to devotees and visitors. Visitors must try the pasty because it is certainly very yummy. Unfortunately, only one is given free to visitors. If you want more, you will need to pay for it.


Ishiya Factory (White Lovers Chocolate Factory)
The manufacturers of the famous Hokkaido’s White Lovers Chocolate set up the Ishiya Factory which is surrounded by a beautiful rose garden. The current factory building is reconstructed. It is both a factory, a museum of the chocolate cups all over the world, a café for rich hot chocolate and of course a retailing front selling the famous White Lovers Chocolate.
Well, I shall not waste more time describing. A picture speaks a thousand words.

Factory workers making white chocolate biscuits

Rose garden with a cute little white house

Sapporo Niishi Seafood Market
The Sapporo Niishi Seafood Market offers a wide array of seafood from scallops to crabs as well as local fruits such as peaches, melons and cherries. Corns are also a popular purchase among the tour group members.

Sapporo Clock Tower
This is the landmark of Sapporo. It is a 4-faced clock which is a goodwill gift from the States to Japan. It was made in America and shipped to Japan. After it arrived in Japan, it could not be erected immediately as the original spot intended for the clock was too small for it. Modifications to the clock have to be done before it could be erected.

Odori Park (大通公園)
Odori Park is crowded with tourists and visitors in winter as this is where all the ice sculptures are exhibited. During summer, it is no less quiet because this transforms into a beer garden with some of the most famous beers setting booths. The night is still young when all the office men congregated at the park to socialize and enjoy a cool beer after a day of stress.

Sapporo TV Tower
Sapporo TV Tower is situated at one end of the Odori Park. It resembles the Tokyo TV Tower.

Aurora Town Underground Shopping Mall
Beneath the Odori Park is the underground subway as well as an accompanying shopping street – Aurora Town. There are shops selling ladies fashion, cosmetics (like our Sasa or Watsons) and even books (Kinokuniya). Some of the skincare products such as Kose, Shiseido, SKII, Kanebo and Fancl are found in these shops instead of the beauty counters in Departmental stores. In the Departmental stores (such as Marui Imai, Mitsukoshi and Parco), the beauty counters of these brands offer only the cosmetic products (eg make-up and lipsticks).

This underground shopping alley resembles the shopping belt underneath Taiwan's Taipei Railway Station.

Tanuki Koji Street
This shopping belt is broken into 7 parts. There are shopping areas even outside the main street, such as the Departmental Stores and Daiso. The Daiso is a standalone building which is 5-storey high. Unlike Singapore’s, not all the items have standard price. If there is no price tag on the item, it means that there are priced at 105 Yen each. From toiletries items to household goods, the consumers are simply spoilt for choices.

Along the street, one can also find the Japanese’ ‘Giodano’ equivalence – UniQlo. The shop sells many casual basic wear for both ladies and men at more affordable prices than other Japanese goods. The materials are mainly cotton or synthetic wool.

There is also a good ramen shop located at the 5th avenue of Tanuki Koji Street. This ramen shop only offers 4 types of ramen. I opt for the white soup based ramen. The ramen is thin and springy and the soup is rich with flavours. The ramen is the Kyushu style (ie thin) while the traditional Hokkaido ramen is thicker (almost like our meepok). Umm, oiishi (delicious).

Ramen Yokocho
Ramen Yokocho is a small alley which is filled with Ramen stalls. This street, situated near Susukino (Red Light District of Sapporo) has been around for 20 years.

Ferris Wheel in Sapporo
This ferris wheel reminds us of Singapore Flyer. When night descends, the lights on the wheel lit on. The wheel seems to be shrouded in a cloud of fantasy.

Yokoso Hokkaido – Ainu Village and Noboribetsu

Ainu Village
Ainu Village is a museum showcasing and replicating the lifestyles the history of the Ainu people.

Ainu people are the aborigines of Hokkaido. The Ainu ladies normally had tattoo around their lips which they would start from the age of 10 until they were married. The Ainu people used to reside near the lakes and rivers of Hokkaido. They normally hunted fish and wild animals for food. They lived in wooden and attap huts. The Ainu people would keep a fireplace at the central of their homes. The fireplace was lit throughout the year to keep them warm and to create warmth for the house. The smoke from the fire would also help smoke the fish that they caught and hung on the roof. They would barter trade their food for wares and containers with the Japanese soldiers and generals who set sail to Hokkaido.

A replica of the wooden house of the Ainu people which is slightly larger than a typical Ainu home.

When Japanese started to occupy Hokkaido about 150 years ago, the Ainu gradually adopted the Japanese’ practice. Now, Ainu were not longer living the same lifestyle as before. Many Ainu had been integrated to mainstream Japanese and moved to cities in Central Japan.


Dance of the Ainu people to send the soul of their bear friends to Heaven. The Ainus believe than bears are their friends.

Noboribetsu
Hell’s Valley is located in the volcanic Noboribetsu with sulphur steam emitting profusely from the ground. Similar to lavender, when one approaches the Hell’s Valley, the rather distinct pungent smell of the Hell’s Valley signals the close proximity of the place. Well, to a layman, the sulphur steam smells like unfresh boiled eggs. The clear white steam is clearer than normal after the slight drizzle. It looks as if the ground is boiling.

With the abundant sulphur steam, this propels Noboribetsu to be the most famous area in Hokkaido. Hence, trying out the hotspring cannot be missed.

Many hotspring inns are traditional Japanese inns with Japanese rooms, ie no beds. Guests will sleep on tatami (bamboo mat floor) after the futon (mattress) are laid. Typically, the rooms will have a small table and tidy chairs at the central of the room during the day. While the guests are having dinner, the inn’s helper will then go into the rooms to lay down the futon. Hence, when the guests are back from their dinner, they will be able to turn in.

Such inns will also supply yukata (summer kimono which is often of single layer and made of thinner cotton) and slippers for guests to wear to their hotspring soaks or meals. The Japanese will usually practice three soaks a day – the first is before dinner, the second is after dinner and the third is in the morning. The hotspring is typically separated between the male and female hotspring. When one enters the hotspring, there are areas for one to put their yukata and towels. Then one has to strip off all their clothing and take a shower before one can enter the hotspring pool. One is only allowed a small towel to be brought into the pool.

The water is at least 40 Deg Celsius. It is difficult to immerse fully into the water immediately despite my own shyness and desire to hide under the water. I have to let myself into the water slowly, starting from my feet to give my body time to get used to the heat. Throughout the whole soak, I have been complaining non-stop to Ah Peng about the high heat. Worrying about how well our body can adapt to the hotspring, we decide to just soak for about 5 minutes before we quickly get out of the pool. Then it is back to the shower to rid ourselves of the minerals.

My concern about stripping naked in front of strangers is unfounded. In fact, it is a pretty liberating experience. None of the Japanese is shy or embarrassed. One will look stranger if one looks uncomfortable or attempt to hide behind the miniscule towel. None of the hotspring go-ers stares or looks at others. Despite having shared fitting rooms with strangers in China and seeing many girls walking around in only their undergarments in Singapore gyms, it still takes a while for me to dispel any internal ‘hurdle’ and get used to bathing in only my birth suit.

Yokoso Hokkaido – Chitose

Rera Factory Outlet is located just outside the Hokkaido – Chitose Airport. It is a large area with shopfronts of many International and Japanese brands retailing their past season’s wares. The space is larger than that of HarbourTown in Perth, Australia. It certainly can keep many shopaholics occupied for a good half day. Other than shopping, there are also cafes (eg Tully’s) and F&B outlets.

As the shop space is available for rental for short period of time, eg 3 months, the number or type of brands may change every few months or so. During our visit, a big store space for Gap has just closed. Currently, the brands available include Coach, Swatch, OZOC, Indivi, Timberland, Adidas, Levi’s, etc.

It is also the sale season for the Outlet mall. There are further mark-down on the reduced price. For eg, a Seiko watch can retail at less than 40,000 Yen (S$52) while a Levi’s T-shirt can retail at 1,500 Yen (S$20). According to our tour guide, the best buy is Timberland shoes because the price range is around 60,000 Yen to 70,000 Yen (S$78 to $9`). Of course, some of the designs can be outdated or it may not be available in your desired size or colour.

Lunch at the seafood market offers both hot boiling steamboat with lots of cabbage and salmon. Looking out of the windows, I am mesmerized by the Pacific Ocean waves smashing against the shore.

The seafood market also offers many local seafood (eg king crabs), fruits (both rock melons and black watermelons) and snacks (corn chocolates).

Yokoso Hokkaido – Ice Pavillion

Hokkaido is one of the most popular skiing destinations in the winter with temperatures reaching as low as more than 20 Deg Celsius below ice-point. It is a pity that we cannot experience the teeth-clattering cold in the summer month of July. Well, I can never be more wrong. No doubt I cannot experience the snow and the crisp cold of winter outdoors, but the Ice Pavillion offers a taste what it is like under -20 Deg Celsius.

To prepare us for the cold, the helpers offer us winter clothing at the entrance of the Ice Pavillion. This is added onto my windbreaker. All dressed-up, I brace myself for the freezing cold. When I first step into the place, I can already feel the biting cold creeping up my feet despite being in a pair of pretty tight jeans. My face and nose also soon start to shiver.


Icicles hang overhead mystically under the effects of the different coloured lights. There are also many small igloos which allow visitors to experience cold at -40 Deg Celsius for those who want the thrill of Arctic cold. As it is too cold for anyone to linger, I quickly take a shot of the place and rush out. Throughout the walk, I keep my head low and hide my hands deep into the coat pockets to avoid being exposed to too much cold.

Fortunately, at the end of this supreme cold experience, we are treated to a cup of hot tea and biscuits to restore the heat within. Now, I really need to think twice about travelling to the temperate countries in their winter.

Yokoso Hokkaido – Daisetsuzan (Big Snow Mountain)

On the ascent to Big Snow Mountain, we stop by a ‘husband-and-wife’ waterfall couplet at the Sounkyo Gorge. The ‘husband’ waterfall is known as the Shooting Star and is a shorter but stronger waterfall. The ‘wife’ waterfall is known as the Milky Way Fall which is longer and less powerful. Both waterfalls are situated a short distance apart. To walk from one waterfall to another, you walk amidst the trees and by the stream. Ahh, it is so relaxing to be so close to nature.

The Shooting Star Waterfall (Husband)

The Milky Way Waterfall (Wife)

Can you tell the difference between the two waterfalls?

Next is the ascent up the Daisetsuzan. We take the cable-car up the mountains. For those who wish to travel to the peak of the mountains, one can either choose to walk or take the chair lift. The chairlift is not open to public in the winters as the chairlift is meant to transport ski-iers to the top of the mountain for skiing down. The view at the peak of the mountain is somewhat blocked by a heavy fog. However, the view of the mountain at mid-level is better as the skies are relatively clear at that level.

Looking at the mountain ranges, I am instantly relieved of all stresses. It opens up my heart and soul with the lush greenery and vastness. I can imagine its grandiose when the mountain ranges takes on an orangish coat in the autumn. I can also imagine its pureness when the snow dresses its caps. Hmm, this gives me excuses to come back to the same place in a different season.

Nearby Daisetsuzan is the Otokoyama Sake’s brewery. This is both a brewery as well as a museum exhibiting the history and the developments of sake breweries from the tools that were used to the processes. The accompanying garden in front of the breweries is also beautifully maintained. Each visitor is also treated a free cup of sake.

The water used in brewing its famous sake is from the spring water of Daisetsuzan. A tap with free flowing of Daisetsuzan spring water is located outside the brewery. Many residents nearby will drop by to take this spring water for their own consumption. The water is cold and has lots of bubbles. It is supposed to be rich in minerals and be beneficial to the body.

Yokoso Hokkaido – Furano

Furano is one of the most famous agricultural towns of Hokkaido, supplying some of the most famous produces such as corns, melons (second only to Yubari Melon) and lavender. The lavender at Farm Tomita is the highlight of this trip. Imagine being surrounded by a sea of lavender and its soothing sweet scent. I simply cannot wait.

As the day of our visit is a weekend, traffic jams are formed way before we reach the farm. The jam is further exacerbated when this weekend is an extended weekend with Monday, known as the Day of the Sea, is a public holiday. The driver has to make several detours before we find our way to the carpark. The detour heightens my anticipation especially when I spot the field of purple some distance away. Finally, we arrive at the Farm after the skilful detour of the driver to avoid the jam. On our way, we hear that some other tourists have walked a 2-km distance to reach the farm.

When we walk towards the farm, a waft of refreshing lavender scent welcome us way before we are greeted by the sea of purple – a clear indication that we are nearing the lavender.

Wow, when we see the rows and rows of lavender, it is as if we are living in a fairy tale. Yet, we certainly know we are not in dreamland with the increasingly distinct scent of lavender. In addition to lavender, there is a kaleidoscope of other seasonal flowers which accentuate the purple of the lavender.


For those who are not really into flowers (especially the guys), fret not. There are many little retail shops by the side of the farm offering little snacks and souvenirs which are mostly lavender related.

As this is the season of melons, one can even grab a well-known Japanese rock melon at cheaper rate than other times. Each Furano melon can be sold at around 20,000 to 30,000 Yen (about S$26 to S$39) relative to the 70,000 to 80,000 Yen at the beginning of the season. Furano melons are typically rounder in shape relative to the Yubari melons which are more longish. For those who wish to consume the melon over a longer period, you should buy a harder melon as the Japanese melons ripen rapidly.

Since Hokkaido is also famous for its dairy products, tasting its ice-cream is certainly a die-die must try. I opt for the melon ice-cream as it combines two of the most famous produces of Hokkaido in one. The sweet fragrance of melon, the bright orange ice-cream and the smooth and creamy texture of the ice-cream keep me hooked. It is difficult to stop once you have a taste of it. Even after finishing the whole cup, I long for more.

Steam white corn is also another popular snack among the visitors of Farm Tomita. The steaming hot corn with large corn eyes cause many visitors to drool even though it is nearing lunch hour. In fact, many of our tour group like the corn so much that they subsequently buy the raw corn back to Singapore.

Our lunch is at the restaurant owned by Farm Tomita as well. There is an adjourning retail space for lavender related products for those who want to bring a little lavender home. Some of the more popular products include the lavender pillows which are made of lavender and charcoal. For the ladies, the lavender horse oil and the scrub draw their attention. Horse oil is very effective for dry and cracking skin especially when one travels to the temperate and cold countries. For the lavender scrub, the shop assistants offer trials on the spot. When a little of the scrub is rubbed onto the back of the hand, dead skin can be seen immediately. After the dead skin is wiped off, the hand which is scrubbed is considerably fairer than the one which has not. However, all other Japanese products, the high quality does not come at a cheap price. The lavender pillow is around 60,000 Yen while the scrub is around 20,000 Yen.

The food at this country-like restaurant is simply superb. It is buffet with a wide array of Japanese-Western fusion. Moreover, it offers ‘free-flow’ of steam scallops. For scallop fans, you cannot miss this because the scallops are big and succulent without any fishy smell. Well, in case you are not aware, sea food is also a local produce in Hokkaido given that it is facing the Pacific Ocean. The pumpkin soup and the pumpkin wasabi salad are must-haves. The soup is rich yellow, creamy and sweet. The pumpkin salad is surprisingly non-spicy despite the use of wasabi.

For people who have grown up in the cities, Furano offers a preview into the country life where enroute to the farms, we see fields and fields of padi and flowers.

A surprising stretch of cheery sunflowers on our way to Furano

Yokoso Hokkaido – Mt Moiwa

Mt Moiwa offers a good view of the night sceneries of Sapporo – the biggest city in Hokkaido. Unfortunately, on the day of the ascent, the evening suddenly turns foggy which shields us from the resplendent lights of the city below. In between the heavy fog, we have only managed to catch a glimpse of the night scenes.

Atop the squarish observatory area, there are indications of the distance from the observatory to some of the cities in Hokkaido found at different corners. Hence, when we stand facing a certain direction, we know we are looking towards Otaru, Noboribetsu, etc.


The most famous night scene in Hokkaido is believed to be in Hakodate instead of Sapporo. To me, the night scene of Sapporo seems subtle when compared to Singapore’s from Equinox at Swissotel and Shanghai from Oriental Pearl Tower.

Yokoso Hokkaido – Otaru (小樽)

Otaru Canal is a well-known water passageway for trade and transport many years ago. However, it has ceased its commercial use about 60 years ago. Now, it has become an oasis in a busy town offering a charming space for the residents.

(Otaru Canal - tranquil and serene)

On a weekend afternoon, there is even a rock concert along the Otaru Canal to add some ‘spice’ to the tranquil waterway.

(A rock concert entertaining the passerbys)

There is a quintessential little retail space located a short walk down the canal. The area is like a miniature Western town with many two to three-storey country-like buildings lining two sides of the road. Most of these shops retail or display musical boxes, cafes or confectionery. Occasionally, there may be odd surprises as one turns a corner to discover a shop selling local Hokkaido produce like melons and snacks or a shop selling stuff toys.

This cake & coffee shop is where we have a little butter cake with a small cup of aromatic coffee. The butter cake simply melts in one’s mouth. Ah, what an idyllic way to spend an afternoon.

(We get to keep the adorable little cup for souvenir)

This building houses one of the widest arrays of exquisitely made musical boxes along the street. The clock tower outside the shop emits steam and chimes every hour. The musical boxes come in all sorts of sizes, designs and themes. For first-time visitors, complimentary chocolates are also given.

LeTao is a famous confectionery with many mouth-watering chocolates and other cakes. Similarly, Rokkatei boasts one of the most exquisite chocolate strawberry in town where a thin dark chocolate crust wraps a whole strawberry. Yummy.

Although this is only a short street, the many confectionery and musical boxes shops are certainly captivating enough to keep you occupied for a couple of hours.

Yokoso Hokkaido - Prologue

Visiting the land of the rising sun has always been a dream since the days of Japanese study.

We heard so much about its language and its culture during our twice weekly lessons. Since then, travelling to Japan becomes a common dream shared by us who sweat through ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels. We long to see and experience the land which is the origin of the language that caused us to lose sleep during a great part of our teenage years. Two of them have subsequently visited Central Japan and Hokkaido on their own with their better halves. However, we still have yet to visit Japan together despite graduating for more than 10 years.

After much deliberation, I decided to realize my Japan dream. I close an eye to the high travelling cost and signed on a 7-day tour of Hokkaido with Ah Peng – one of the musketeers. Finally, I am a step closer to fulfilling a long-time wish even though prior to the trip, the guilt of the high expenditure of this trip keeps nagging me.

Located in a volcanic belt, Japan is well-known for its hot-springs and fertile land. The beauty of its national flower – Sakura (Cherry Blossom) is the pride of the Japanese. In addition to its natural resource, the Japanese are equally well-known for their efficiency and innovation – boasting many successful management concepts (such as Kaizen) and world-class brands (such as Toyota, Sony, etc).

Japan consists of 4 main islands – Honshu (Central), Kyushu (Southern), Shikoku (Southern) and Hokkaido (Northern). Honshu, where Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto are located, is the most popular vacation destinations among the 4 main islands. Hokkaido is increasingly gaining popularity especially for its hot springs and ski resorts. It is also one of the more sparsely populated islands with agriculture being the principal activity and many of the younger generation migrating to the cities in Central Japan. Being in the most northern part of Japan, the climate of Hokkaido is cool in Summer and freezing cold in Winter. Hokkaido is only occupied by Japanese for about 150 years from the Meiji Restoration period. Prior to this, the land is occupied by mainly the aborigines – Ainu.

Why Hokkaido of all places? Firstly, this is one of the best seasons to visit Hokkaido with its cool climate (average of 20 Deg Celsius). It will offer a respite from the scorching heat of Singapore. Secondly, Ah Peng has visited a good part of Central Japan about 3 years ago. Thus, Hokkaido is new to both of us. Lastly, this is season of Lavender (and maybe even Sunflower) which is one of the primary attractions of Hokkaido in July. If we miss this, we will need to wait another year before we can get mesmerized by a field of lavender.

In another 11 hours’ time, I will be breathing the fresh air of Hokkaido. Yokoso Hokkaido.

Preparing for Hokkaido Trip

Well, it is a last-minute and almost impulsive decision to travel to Hokkaido.

As it is a group tour with almost no free-and-easy time, no prior preparation or reading up is necessary. Perhaps I do not spend time researching about the place, I do not feel any excitement about the trip even as the departure date approaches.

Ironically, my colleagues seem more excited for me than myself. They keep counting down the days of departure for me and asking if I already feel the excitement. They are slightly incredulous about my rather nonchalant attitude towards the trip.

Maybe I will feel more only on the day of departure.

Breakfast at BottleTree

The last time I was at Bottle Tree, I only took a very short walk in the park and without patronising the restaurant since it looked like an expensive seafood restaurant. This time round, I am really here for food. My mum heard from her friends that they served pretty decent and affordable fried bee hoon for breakfast, so we decided to try out this place to have a taste of eating in a kampung setting.

Well, the bee hoon is certainly a disappointment. It is certainly more than made up for by the park itself. We are greeted by many fishermen when we walk around the pond. One of the skilled fishermen has caught quite a big fish. There are also many familiar tropical fruit trees such as the durian, rambutans, jackfruit and even bomb trees. Lotus is also blooming in the pond. Freshly plucked vegetables are also on sale.

It is an educational eco walk especially for the city kids who have grown up in HDB flats. The only durians, rambutans and jackfruits we know are often those which are wrapped in styrofoam boxes on the supermarket shelves. Hence, it is pretty exciting to see them still stuck to their branches as whole fruits, even though we are quite nervous when we are walking under the durian trees. For those of you who are wondering why. Durians drop onto the ground when they are ripe. As durians are not small and they quite a spiky shell, the impact of it hitting any part of the body is unimaginable.

(Jackfruit)

(Durian)

(Chiku)

For those who like to get close to nature once in a while, Bottle Tree is a good venue. Unfortunately, the two Bottle Tree parks are both found in the north (one in Yishun and the other in Sembawang). The one in Yishun is more accessible because it is only a short walk from Khatib Train Station. If you can afford the time and want a more novel place to spend a weekend, Bottle Tree may offer an option.

Coffee Story - A Twisted Version

Some of the loyal or avid readers of My Paper should have recalled coming across this article where one of the regular columnist shared a story about coffee. The story went like this.

People can be categorised into 3 types by their behaviours in the face of adversity or challenges. We can draw analogy from 3 types of food - carrot, egg and coffee in boiling water. Imagine the boiling water as the challenge or problem. The first type of people is like a carrot which is initially hard but turns soft in boiling water. The second type of people is like an egg which is initially soft but turns hard in boiling water. The last type of people is like coffee which adds aroma and colour to the boiling water. We should be like coffee that we change the plight which we may be in positively.

One of my colleagues' colleagues shared with him this story, albeit a twisted version.

To my colleague, he said "J, have you read the Coffee Story in My Paper?"

My Colleague said, "No. What's up?"

To my colleague, he said, "You are just like coffee. You pass your problem to me."

My colleague was seething with anger. As a coordinator, he had to work with everyone to get the monthly variance explanations to management and to Finance. This portfolio was in addition to his routine operational work. Yet, his colleagues seemed not to see the value in his work and thought of him as sharing workload with other colleagues.

When I heard his predicament, I felt sorry for him as well as I can truly empathise with the stress associated with a coordinator. At the same time, I was also irate at this colleague's colleague who seemed to deliver a twisted version of the Coffee Story.

I consoled my colleague that the coffee was meant to be a positive influence to the undesirable situation and I believed he was more than capable to act as a coffee in the current face of difficulties and turned things around. All the best to him.

My Boss In a Humorous Mood

Incident 1
1st July marks the official start of the second half of the calendar year. As I turn yet another page of my calendar, I am suddenly full of regrets and laments of my again un-accomplishment and waste of time. My neighbouring colleague joins in the lament.

My bosses hear us and snigger. One of them offers a solution. She comments that she can help me to lessen my guilt and regret. If I long for more accomplishments, she can help me in the work aspect by giving me more to do. Very funny. I immediately retract my comment.

Incident 2
It is late in the evening. We have just ended a discussion. Both my boss and I are tired and hungry. Notwithstanding, I check with her the schedule for a review meeting the following day and confirm that all the individual stakeholders will only go into the meeting room when the relevant products’ costs are up for review. I seek confirmation that the finance support will too attend the meeting when the products that they do costing for are up for review instead of staying throughout the meeting.

My boss’s reply? She asks if then she will not need to attend the meeting at all since she has not done any of the costing. Very funny again.

Do not be alarmed. These are simply our ways of trying to distress sometimes, by trying to inject more humour into our work. *Wink*

Making Full Use of the New Phone

The new phone comes with a 3.2 Megapixel Camera, so all the more we must fully utilize it for work. If you are thinking that we are using it to take photos of each other, you cannot be more wrong.

Yes, we are using it to take photos but not of each other. Rather, we are using it to take photos of our discussion of white board. Instead of painstakingly transcribing the notes to paper or printing out from the white board which sometimes can be unclear depending on the strength of the handwriting, we can now simply take pictures of the white board. Ta-dah, with this, we simply just download the image onto our PC and with our 17” monitor, everything can be seen clearly.

This saves the energy of discussion halting to allow for taking down of notes and minimize transcription errors especially pertaining to diagrams when in a rush, we may leave out certain critical items. The new phone certainly aids our efficiency.

New Favourite Cheesecake

After my thumbs up for the Secret Recipe's Raspberry Cheesecake, I have found another new favourite. It is the Tofu cheesecake from Sun with Moon Dining. It is a small piece serve delicately with a mint leave on top and covered under a miniature cage. The colour is almost white. Its texture is silky and light. For those who are not well taken to the traditional cheesy and salty smell, this will be one of my supreme choices with only a hint of cheese. Certainly, for those who are big on cheese, this Tofu Cheesecake may be too mild for your liking.

Sentosa Beach Volleyball

Here comes Ms Country Bumpkin again. I have seen the hunks and the babes playing beach vollyball. Erm, on TV. In reality, up close and personal, no. The new monorail in Sentosa? Well, I have heard about them and how one of two of the stations have to close down because of IR construction. I know that there is a station right at VivoCity. That's about all I know about the monorail as the few times I have been to Sentosa, I was taking transport (ie chartered buses).

The monorail is small but compact. It is crowded on a Sat afternoon with many youngsters rushing to Sentosa to enjoy the sea, the sand and the sun. There are also many families going to Sentosa for quality time spent together. Well, Sentosa is now full of activities and things to do with the sky trains, the luge rides, the Imbiah walks and even Cafe Del Mar (the IT bar to go to in town). Finally, I have a glimpse of it (as well as the hunks lying on the beach chairs sipping their drinks) *Wink*

Just beside Cafe Del Mar, there is a public court for the beach volleyball lovers. Once you are in that court, do not move out of it as there are many groups hovering around it waiting for their chance to 'jump' into the court. Despite having no courts, smally groups of people lined along the beach to do their 'dribbling' of volleyball. I know dribbling only applies to basketball. I do not know what is the appropriate word to describe routines for volleyball. If you know, let me know.

I sat with my colleague (we become better friends after being room-mates for the KL trip) while she admired her boyfriend and we chit chat with each other. After a while, her boyfriend encouraged us to play on our own. I was quite apprehensive, especially with my long and frequent history of accidents with the ball. I get hit by ball more often that I hit the ball (resulting in a myriad of injury from damaged specs to sprained fingers). Nevertheless, I thought since I was there, I might as well give it a try. Well, all I can say is I am still equally ill-fated with balls.

It was a rather languid way of spending a Saturday afternoon - basking in the sun and watching the volleyball games. Yet, I still feel this is not exactly my thing. Given a choice, I would prefer to sit in a cafe and read instead. It is abit awkward to be reading on the beach instead of getting into the thick of the action. It gets abit boring as well. Yet, I know my limits. Balls are definitely out for me if I want to protect myself from any potential injury. The only other thing I can do is perhaps to stroll along the beach. However, this requires a right party who is willing to walk that stretch of white sand with me. And I am still waiting.

Shokudo Bazaar

I was late as usual. As always, I was dragged into a last-minute meeting starting only at 6pm. Inevitably, I arrived about half an hour late. There was already a long queue outside Shokudo Bazaar. Fortunately, Ah Peng and Ms Chan were already inside, so I could skip the queue and just went into the restaurant to meet them.

This is the latest F & B outlet that hits the local shopping mall. Its modus operandi is replicated from Marche's concept, except that it has replaced Swiss cuisine with Japanese cuisine. For the die-hard lovers of Rosti, fret not. There is also the Shokudo's version of Rosti being served. For Japanese cuisine fanatics, you will be able to have your fill of Japanese snacks, bentos (set) and even desserts here. After finding a seat, you can just order your food, 'pay' with your card, and either wait for your food to be cooked or order something else before coming back to retrieve your cooked food.

The shortcoming of such a scheme is that it is self-service and you will need to bring your food to your seat. If you are seated at a secluded corner far from the main stalls alley, you may need to walk a fairly long distance. This is especially inconvenient when you are carrying hot pots or soupy food. It is also hard to resist the variety of food and we over-eat when we are attracted by the food array on the table. (Psst, we are slightly shock when we pay which indicates how much we have eaten).

Althought the restaurant is hip, cosy and refreshing, the ambience is not exactly very suitable for chit-chats as it is bustling with people and chatter. Moreover, the location where we are seated is also quite chilly with the aircon blasting down on our food.

For those who have like Marche and for those who wants an affordable Japanese restaurant which offers variety, Shokudo Bazaar will cater to your needs. Personally, I prefer the restaurant to its pasta chain which only offers pasta in Japanese-fusion style. My favourite? The Yuzuu Tea (grapefuit tea) - refreshing and heartwarming.

New Phone

My old office phone can finally walk into the history gallery forever. We have waited long for this new phone.

We could not keep our hands off when we get our new phones. The sleek feel is world’s apart from the previous bulky and heavy phone. The 3.2 megapixel phone adds convenience to our work. Well, we can take photos of discussion sketched our on white board instead of painstakingly take them down with paper and pen. It even comes with a USB charger so that we can charge both the PC and the phone together.

However, in terms of other features, I have not had time to play around and explore. Wait till I become familiarize with the new phone. Hopefully, it can help in my work more than my old phone. I believe its battery life should be more extended than the old phone. *Wink*

Photo-Taking for New Passes

Finally, we are going to get an upgraded security system. We will only need to tap and the door will open as opposed to the current system of slotting in the card into the machine. The current system is extremely inconvenient when we are holding many things on our hands.

For the new passes, we will need to take new photos to be placed on the passes. Hence, we agreed to do it today. After filling and checking our particulars, it is time to sit in front of the camera. Sit straight, a quick brush of hair, smile and click. It is done within seconds. After the shot, we can immediately view the picture and determine if we would like a re-take. We help each other see.

After the photo, we are even given a pack of tissue each. Wow, not only do we get new passes and photos, we even get free tissue. What a wonderful idea and enticer.

Tea Session with GCFO

In order to promote greater interaction between top management and staff, a tea session was organized where several senior officers from various departments in Finance were invited. It was my first such session and I wondered what we would need to do during the session and after.

HR has warmly bought some beverage and tarts for the session. Self-introduction was always an ice-breaker to start the ball rolling. Given the size of Finance, it was my first time meeting some of the invitees. Then we were asked to share what we liked and disliked about the company.

The GCFO then shared some of his insights based on what we have commented. Maybe because we were all very shy, so he had to spear the dialogue session most of the time. Yet, it was still a fruitful session for us to hear direct from the top management as well as picked up new insights on how we could better manage our work and career.

Flat Feet

One of my colleagues commented that I have flat feet because the arch below my feet was not apparent. She asked if I tripped and fell quite frequently in the past. I replied in the affirmative. So my frequent tripping and falling down was not solely due to my clumsiness but partly contributed by my slight 'handicap' of a flat feet.

I used to attribute my many accidents to factors like poor eye-sight (causing me to miss potholes and my steps), lack of motor skills (which meant that any tripping would result in severe injuries because I could not cushion the fall in time) and clumsiness (hence the tripping). Despite trying to always walk on the safe side and avoiding too adventurous sports, I still caused my mum abundant worries with my scars and the loss of blood.

Now, I could finally tell her that my falls were also partly hereditary as flat feet were supposed to pass down genetically. This means that no matter what precautions I take, I still stand a higher risk than normal people in tripping and injuring myself. Knowing my handicap does not mean that I will then throw precaution to the wind. On the contrary, I have to take extra care. I know even if I undergo lasik, practise more yoga or sports, I am still very vulnerable to trips and falls because of my flat feet.

Please also help watch out for me if you are going out with me.

Thanks in advance.

Another Fire-Drill

This time, we participated by climbing 14 storeys down. After we took our attendance, we still went for our coffee before we went back to our office. This was because when the crowd dispersed, there would be a long wait at the lift lobby. Since there would be a long wait at the lift lobby, we might as well enjoy the wait with a cup of coffee instead.

For some reasons, I had either not been exercising for a long time or I had not warmed up. I ended up with very sore calf muscles the next day. Actually, I sort of expected it when my muscles felt very weak after the climb down.

Sigh! You would see me walking weirdly for the next few days.

Friday the 13th

It is Friday the 13th - believed to be an unlucky day, according to the western superstitions.

Do take care.

My Shocking Story on Human Spirit

This is a documentary which portrays people who are different. It has featured the world’s smallest kid and the world’s smallest mum. The world’s smallest kid has a hereditary spinal cord problem which prevents her from growing up. Moreover, the curving of the spinal cord will affect her internal organs’ development. The world’s smallest mum has a bone problem such that her height will be limited.

We always erroneously think that being different, they will feel awkward with people who are different from them and would desire to live with people who are similar to them. We can never be more wrong. They feel nervous when they are about to meet people who are like them. They sometimes avoid meeting people who are like them because they feel that they are normal and may not want to be reminded of their difference. Yet, despite their positivism, some of the inherent differences can still cause some inconvenience to their lives. For eg, the world’s smallest kid cannot swim after her operations for prevent the further collapse of her spinal cord. The world’s smallest mum cannot drive because the mass-market car has not catered for her shorter limbs.

The last thing that they want is sympathy from others. In fact, they are more positive than we think. They are happy with what they have. They too have their mood swings, their wilfulness and sentimental side. They understand their difference and take things in stride. For those of us who are relieved of the challenges that they have to face on a daily basis on abashedly more negative and grumbling than them.

I was moved by their fighting spirit against their haplessness of their conditions. I was motivated by their positivism. Week after week during Monday night, I shared their fears, their resilience and their joys. If you have the time, catch the program on Arts Central and be motivated.

Pampered Like a Queen

This is a sequel to the Miss Country Bumpkin’s adventure.

After my first-in-my-lifetime attendance of a pop concert, I went for my first-in-my-lifetime pedicure. All those times you have seen my painted toe nails, they were outcomes of my own D-I-Y. Knowing my sister has unutilized package, I pestered her to bring me to “see the world”.

Miss Country Bumpkin was both excited and nervous about my “maiden” pedicure. Will it be painful? Will it be ticklish? When I D-I-Y at home, I could withhold my strength for the more sensitive areas during scrubbing. Needless to say, I did not know where to put my legs, when to lift up and when to lift down. The pedicurist had to repeat her instructions many times before I knew what to do and my sister had to on-pass the instructions to me. I was slightly tense while my feet were undergoing the various treatments as it was ticklish and slightly biting, especially when the line of dead skins at the start of the nails were removed.

(My ugly feet before treatment)

My feet were first soaked in warm water. I guessed this was to soften my skin and cuticles. Then it was scrubbing of the bottom of my feet. With the amount of dead skin piling on my feet, the scrub was not intensive enough relative to what I would do at home. After the scrub, it was back to some soaking before the cuticles were trimmed. Then the feet were messaged with lotion before nail colour was applied. I could not make up my mind with the wide array of colours in the catalogue. After the nail colour was coated on twice, we had to move to a dryer for our feet to be blown dry.

No more bending sideway and forward to reach the difficult areas during the scrub. No more bending down and holding my breath when applying the nail colour. No more trembling of the hands when the brush was applied to the nails for fear of colouring outside the nail. All I had to do was sit back and relax and be pampered like a queen.

I do not even feel like a queen during a massage as I will need to move my arms or my body up and down during a massage for the masseur to tackle the more knotty areas. During the pedicure, I literally do not have to do anything except to select my nail colour. After the massage, I feel better but it is a very private feeling. After the pedicure, I have the beautiful nails to tell the whole world that I just have my feet professionally treated. I feel happy just looking at the colours.

(My feet after treatment)

Sun with Moon

I have heard about this Japanese restaurant for some time. The reviews that it gathers are more positive than negative. Hence, I want to give it a try. After all, everyone's tastebud is unique. A man's meat may be another's poison.

There is no set meal offered. For someone who is dying to reward my stomach at the end of a week with a filling meal, I am disappointed. The highlights of the month are on Kyushu delicacies. Hence, I try the Char Siew Ramen while Ah Peng tries the green tea rice with salmon.

(Green Tea soup with salmon rice)

The soup for the noodles is too salty and oily for my preference. I am also not a big fan for pickled ginger even though the ginger helped reduce the greasiness of the noodles. For someone who is quite conscious of what I eat, I am a little put-off by the fattiness of the char siew.

(Char Siew Ramen with Pickled Ginger)

The dessert is more refreshing. The black sesame pudding is a welcoming change to the rather strong taste of the noodles. The pudding is smooth and the black sesame serving is generous.

(Black sesame pudding and green tea tiramisu)

On the whole, the restaurant has not wowed me as much as its reviews. To be frank, I am slightly disappointed.

Medical Check-Up

I had not done any medical check-up since my pre-employment check-up. Hence, when the company offered free medical check-up at the office, I immediately invited my colleagues to sign up together.

As with all medical check-ups, fasting 10-hour before was essential for a more accurate diagnosis. We went for the check-up early in the morning as we were already very low on sugar. After registration, it was off to the toilet for urine test. Then, it was to the height, weight, waist line and blood pressure measurement. All seemed good and ok. In fact, I was 1 cm taller - my all-time high at 167cm. I wondered if this was a result of 9 months of yoga which stretched my vertebrae and made me stand taller.

The last test was blood test. Blood test always made me nervous because the nurses often had difficulty finding my blood capillaries (maybe my skin too thick. LOL). I knew things were not quite right when I felt more than just a tingle when the needle was injected. The pain lingered when the blood was being drawn and I felt the pressure of the pull. This was the most painful drawing of blood I felt.

I was right. That night, when I removed the plaster, I could see the swell and the starting of the blue-black. Sigh!

Forgetfulness

I proudly told my colleague that our medical check-up would be in two days' time.

She looked at me blankly and asked was it not tomorrow.

Then, we frantically searched through our emails for the confirmation of the registration. We found none. No choice, I immediately called the helpline to ask if they could confirm which was the date I had registered for the check-up.

My colleague was right. It was supposed to be tomorrow.

I am really getting more and more forgetful. Luckily, I have asked my colleague before it or I would have missed the appointment.

Looks like my brain power is deteriorating faster than I thought.

Looking Though the Lens

The digital camera is ubiquitous. I celebrate the advent of the digital photography age when we can take and view photos anytime and anywhere. For photos which are not well-taken, we can do editing or retake immediately. Many of the digital cameras even come equipped with a digital video function so that we do not miss out certain important actions in our lives.

Yet, the familiarity with digital camera can inadvertently led us to habitually experience our lives through the lens instead of with our eyes. How often do we practically switch on our camera and scan the sceneries constantly through the camera when we sight see? How often do we attempt to capture certain events on the digital media for future keepsake that we forget our claps and smiles? What we remember are not the blueness of the skies, the freshness of the air or the hilarity of our actions. What we remember are instead whether the flash light is on, whether the red-eye corrector is on, or even whether our hands are shaking when we press the shuttle release. We are gradually viewing all things through the digital camera lens.

It is no doubt a dilemma. Much as we would like to see and experience all the wonders of the moment, we also greedily want to capture the moments so that we can relive the emotions subsequently. Hence, we become increasingly reliant on our cameras, flashing it at each and every opportunity so much so that we forget to enjoy the moment for itself.

This was most hard-felt when I was attending the Angela Chang's concert. This was a concert which allowed cameras to be brought in. Many started taking photos at different moments in the concert. I never brought my camera but I had a camera phone. Spurred on by the kiasu syndrome, I also started to take photos using my camera phone which proved to be rather difficult given the distance I was from the stage and the lighting on the stage. Hence, I was constantly fustrated with the effects of the photos which were often blurred (from too far and the lower resolution of my phone camera) and too white (from the overexposure of light but I could not rectified as camera phone had fewer functions than a full-fledged camera).

To a point in time, I realised I was more concerned about taking photos than truly immersing myself in the performance. This was when I decided to ditch my phone camera and began to enjoy the show through my naked eyes instead. That was when I could fully appreciate the ambience, luxuriate in the soulful singing and be stunned by the kaleidoscopic colourful light and costumes on stage.

Much as we would like to record certain moments, we should not let that overtake our living.

Angela Chang's Concert

Call me a country bumpkin all you like and I will not deny. Fancy my grand old age of 28 and I have not gone to any concert previously. Maybe I should say I have not gone to any paid pop-star concert before. I have been to a complimentary concert featuring Valen Hsu and Grasshopper when I was temping after my A Levels as the company I was temping at was the organiser of the concert. I have also been to musicals and instrumental concerts. However, the ambience of pop concert will certainly be different.

I have always admired the vocal power of Angela Chang (张韶涵), especially from a pretty petite frame. I started noticing Angela Chang when I was catching the Taiwanese drama starring her as an aspiring starlet. The songs featured in the show - "Journey" and "遺失的美好" (My Lost Happiness) were soulful and touching. I was disappointed when the concert was postponed due to the artiste's ill-health condition. Hence, I was full of anticipation when the night of the concert finally arrived.

The venue of the concert was not quite ideal as it was at one of the halls in Singapore Expo where I felt that squarish layout might not enhance the accoustics. Most of the seats were levelled which meant that audience seated further away from the stage might be blocked by taller audience in front. The screens by the sides of the stage were too small to provide good views to audience sitting way behind.

(The stage before the start of the concert)

The concert started at 815 pm with Angela Chang descending from the central of the stage with "夢裡花" (Flowers in the Wonderland). Throughout the next 2 hour show, she has impressed the audience with her powerful vocals and soulful singing. The special guests for the concert were equally impressive. Her songs reverberated throughout the halls. Many sang along with Angela Chang as she belted out the well-known ballads. The ambience was certainly influencing when many started waving their neon-light wands and singing along.

(A very blurred picture of Angela Chang singing, but already the best among those I have taken for the night)

Despite the soulful and up-to-standard singing, I was still slightly disappointed with the concert. I wondered if I had expected too much from a concert.

I have believed that Angela Chang was a singer who sang decently among some of the contemporary artistes. Although she had maintained her standards and sang along harmoniously with the live orchestra, the arrangements of the songs lacked originality. The arrangements followed dutifully to those in her CDs which meant that listening to her at the concerts was similar to listening to her CDs. I liked her original songs and were glad I could hear them live but I was expecting more. A different arrangement to some of the more familiar songs could better enhance her singing proweress. Moreover, there were some more-familiar-songs to the Singapore audience, such as "親爱的，那不是愛情" (That is Not Love) and "C大調 " (C Major) which were missed out. Many of us expected them to be covered during the encore section but we were disappointed.

In addition, I could finally empathise with the many criticisms of the difficulty of eliciting a warmer response from Singapore audience. Despite Angela Chang encouraging the audience to sing and clap along with her during snippets of her song, the response was rather muted. Hence, the ambience was not as lively as the songs performed.

On the whole, it was a good but not quite fantastic concert as I felt that it was too-safe a performance.