Addicted to books

Last year, I had written about my love for books. How I love the smell and feel of a new book. This year, after my short trip to S'pore, I went to a bookstore in KL and came back with two new books - Angels and Demons and a 3-in-1 Mills & Boon romance novel. I reached the end of boths books within days.

Just last week, I attended the Popular bookfair and came back with 5 books. Usually, there are not many good selections at this annual bookfairs. But this year, there were quite a few interesting books on sale. And they were cheap!! I came home, grinning and excited with my new purchases!! I got:

1) A Different Kind of Man - a Silhouette romance novel
2) Feels Like Home - also a Silhouette romance novel
3) The Expected One: Book One of the Magdalene Line
4) The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud
5) Secrets of the Widow's Son: The Mysteries Surrounding The Sequel to The Da Vinci Code

The last 3 books were bought coz I was influenced by the mystery, excitement and complexity of symbolism, religion, cults etc after reading Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code. And the fact that the books were so cheap (some up to 70% off), I just couldn't resist getting the books.

I've finished reading the two Silhouette novels and I just started reading Secrets of the Widow's Son, to which I am totally absorbed in. It's not a novel nor does it have a story line. Rather, it is "a spellbinding, speculative journey into the world of Dan Brown's next bestseller" written by investigative journalist David A. Shugarts. It is a book of facts. Not my usual reading but I am pleasantly surprised that I am actually enjoying the book.

Sighs....as if spending money on 5 books in one go is not enough, there's another bookfair going on as I write this. I'm so torn, as to whether I should go and risk spending more money, or forgo the fair and regret missing all the books that I may buy should I have gone. Hmmm.....I'll most probably cave in and go for the fair. But heck...it's good to buy books as they are investments. Besides that, I'm not the only one reading the books. There's my mum, sis, grandmother and even aunt who will all share the joy in reading the books.

Oh well...as I fight with myself on whether I should go for the fair or not, I think I'll go back to reading my book and see what else I can learn from the book. More knowledge on the Illuminati, Freemasons, the Holy Grail....

Horrendous drivers who don't deserve to be on the road

This year, I prayed to have good luck for me and my family. But ever since the year started, we've been having a phase of bad luck!! Accidents after accidents have happened. First, mum's car was hit by a motorcycle, completely denting the door and smashing the window. Then...just about 2-3 weeks ago, my car got broken into, ending up with a stolen CD player and also a smashed window!! If that is not enough, mum lost her purse just a few days ago.

To add salt to all that...having returned to the parking lot after getting our hair trimmed, my sister and I found that my front car bumper was on the ground!! There were people surrounding my car as we approached and the moment I saw the car bumper on the ground, my heart fell. WHY??? NOT AGAIN!!

The culprit was an Indian lady named Indra. She was supposedly reversing her car out of her lot, and instead of pressing the break, she pressed the accelerator, "bumping" straight into my car!! I can't even call it a bump coz the side of the bumper is actually broken, so is the small signal light. She was apologetic and said that she would bear the entire repair cost. Fine...I had no problem with that. The problem (with her) occured when we had to drive to her mechanic's workshop (he was already there by the time I reached my car).

The workshop is located at Jalan Perak and INDRA...made a whole fuss about not knowing where the place was, she's not familiar with Penang etc. In the end, I told her to follow my car, which she did at the speed of a snail!!!!!!! I had to constantly keep her in my review mirror for fear that she would be lost!!

And then....having reached the workshop and straightened out the matter, she had another "blonde moment". She apparently didn't know how to go home to Tanjung Tokong. By now, I was pissed! I mean..it's so obvious that she's just acting. So I asked her if she was from Penang. Her reply? Yes, she's from Penang but she "hasn't been back for a long time". I so don't believe her!! I also found out that before she hit my car, earlier in the day, she had already hit someone else and dented her car. She said she managed "to avoid that" but I guess by "avoiding" that, she increased her bad karma. She even told me that once, she had driven all the way to a place without putting her handbrake down!! God....she soooo does not deserve to drive!!!

After complaining and complaining about not knowing how to go home, the mechanic who I think had heard enough told her that he'd lead her back to Komtar (coz she said she only knows how to go home fomr Komtar)!! What bullshit!! She could not even do a simple 3-point turn to get out of the workshop. The mechanic had to do it for her!!

People like her should not be allowed on the road. I know that accidents happen. But if you were to talk to Indra woman..you'd understand my frustration.

***

Anyway...I was relating all this to my uncle and he said that currently, the Indian astronomical signs/planets are changing its course. Therefore, everyone is being affected. I hope he's right. I don't think I can stand another ordeal!!

Day 2 in Singapore

My second day in S'pore started with us having breakfast at the foodcourt behind the apartment. Since I tried the Chicken Congee the day before, this time, I tried the Fried BeeHoon. Unlike in Malaysia where the Beehoon is the only thing that you order and eat, here in Singapore, you have a choice of adding veggies, crabstick meat, luncheon meat etc. Being used to eating just plain beehoon fried with a bit of beansprouts, I didn't know what to add to my order. In the end, I took some veggies and a meat-roll thingy.

After breakfast, we walked around the apartment block to take some pictures and just exercise our legs. There was a kid's park, an exercise area for the old folks and a stony path where one can walk barefoot to improve the blood circulation. Still being child-minded, I headed straight for the monkey bars and managed to prove that I am still as flexible as ever!!

[Me showing off on the monkey bars]

Once I had my fill of picture taking, we headed home, had a bath and then our day REALLY started.

We first headed to Mohamed Mustaffa. It's not unlike our Mydin here. It's opened 24 hours and it's HUGE!! I got some souvenirs for my mum, sis and Trish and by the time we finished browsing the place, it was time for lunch.

Lunch was at a very interesting place nearby. I say "interesting" coz the restaurant is named....

Haha!! Uncle Stephen and Aunty Lita soooo wanted to take me to this restaurant ever since they found it!! Of course, the restaurant is an Indian restaurant and so we feasted on capatis and pooris.

Once lunch was over, we took a cab to Orchard Road. Now...the last time I was at Orchard Road was more than 10 years ago and my oh my...has it changed!! Well...I can't say that it has changed much coz I can't remember how it was the last time!!! Anyway, we walked through Orchard Central, took some pictures, then headed to the "never-ending" escalator ride up to the roof!! It was one escalator after another, just going higher and higher, so much so that the cars on the road looked like ants!! Despite being nervous standing above so many other buildings, the view was great!

We then took the MRT to the Ang Mo Kio Hub. It was where we were supposed to take the bus to the Night Safari. We walked around a bit and then ended up at the food court for tea. At around 5pm, we took the bus to the Night Safari.

The Night Safari was a nice experience. The entrance to the place itself was impressive. Everything was animalistic, from the decorations to the food eateries to the dressing of the people there. Unfortunately, we were only allowed to take pictures of the animals without using the flash on our cameras and so whatever pictures that I took came out dark. I did get some nice shots of the area though. :-)




By the time the Night Safari ended, we were all tired. We took a nice bus ride back to Ang Mo Kio Hub before getting on the MRT and heading home. It was a really tiring day but one that I would repeat at any time!!

I had a wonderful wonderful time in Singapore. It would have been nicer if my sister was with me and if the stay was longer. Now that I've had a taste of Singapore, I'm definitely going back for more!!

Thanks to Aunty Lita and Uncle Stephen for the wonderful time!! Love you guys!!

Back to Singapore after more than 10 years

The last time I was in S'pore...well...I can't remember anything from the last time I visited S'pore. Other than the fact that my dad was still in the band, my sis hadn't even started kindergarden, my mum had long hair and I was in primary school. The last time I was here, I visited Sentosa Island and the zoo. I sat on the cable car, walked on Orchard Road during Xmas and had my first taste of a hash brown.

More than 10 years later, armed with my OWN passport (my sis and I used to share one with my mum), I am back in the country where everything is FINE!! hehehe....

Taking the morning 7.30am bus from Penang yesterday, I arrived in KL at 11.40am, was picked up by Aunty Lita and headed straight to grandma's house for lunch. There was Rendang Prawns, Spinach soup and Black Pepper Chicken waiting for us when we arrived. As usual, everyone commented on how I look (i.e. no weight gain from the last visit), asked about how apah, amah and Vay were etc. After lunch, we went to look for a money changer but none were open as it was Maulidur Rasul and 99% of the money changers here in Malaysia are Muslims.

Aunty Lita and I headed back home to have a short rest and also pack our clothing into one bag for easy travelling. Jared managed to come home for a very very short while, then he headed off to work.

Since our bus to S'pore was at 6.30pm, we had a light tea/dinner of Roti Telur and Roti Bawang before we boarded the bus. We also bought nuggets just in case. The KL-S'pore bus was something. I had my own AV set, complete with headphones. Unfortunately, I fell asleep while watching a movie and decided instead to listen to music the rest of the way. Upon arriving at the S'pore immigration, we were "detained" there for nearly an hour as one Dubai passenger had problems with his passport. Finally, he was detained and our bus was allowed to leave. We arrived at the S'pore bus station at around 1am, took a cab straight home and just got into bed.

I got up at around 8.20am today. Just as I finished brushing my teeth and washing my face, Uncle Stephen came home from work. :-) The three of us then walked to a nearby foodcourt for breakfast. I had coffee and chicken congee. As the portions of food here is big, Uncle Stephen had to finish my congee.

After breakfast, we headed back home where Uncle Stephen went to sleep, while Aunty Lita and I got ready for our outing. We first visited Uncle Stephen's mum, who lives in a nursing home. She was surprised to see us as she was not expecting any visitors. It's my first time meeting her and I must say...Uncle Stephen is the spitting image of his mother. Not only do they look so alike, their characters/personality also match. They both love to talk; they both love to laugh; and they are both loud! :-)

After spending about 45minutes with her, our next stop was Uncle Maurice's apartment. He lives on the upper most floor of the building and his apartment was instantly recognisable, what with all the plants outside his gate. Entering his apartment was like entering an ornament shop. It was filled with pictures, statues, plants etc. If entering his apartment was an experience, entering his room was like entering a mini Catholic gift shop. He had small figures of Jesus in places, Catholic scriptures/booklets everywhere, frames and frames of pictures of family members...I refrained from touching a single thing for fear that if I did touch just one small thing, there would be a whole domino effect!!

We had a Chinese lunch with Uncle Maurice, after which we headed to buy numbers. After walking back to his apartment and taking some pictures, Aunty Lita and I took the bus and headed to Toa Payoh for some sightseeing and shopping.

From the numerous taxi and bus rides I've had since I arrived on the island, the cleanliness of the entire city is spectacular. The roads are so clean, you can't even see a single dried leaf!! That's how clean the roads are!! Besides that, every building is so neatly and cleverly painted that ALL the buildings look new and clean. It's really pleasing to the eyes. Of course, being new to S'pore, I had a small problem when using the travel card. Nothing major or anything but funny enough to be told. You see, the travel card is for convenience. When you board the bus or take the MRT, you just have to tap the card. Unfortunately for me, I "tapped" the card at the wrong part of the machine and I thought it was not working. I was so worried that the bus would just close its doors and continue driving on before I could get down. I kept saying "the card's not working, it's not working" and I must have had a funny look on face coz Aunty Lita was laughing!!

That evening, the three of us headed to Changi hospital to visit Uncle Rufino (my grandfather's eldest bro). He had been admitted the day before. There, I met his wife Aunty Shirley, his daughter Jacinta and her husband Tyrone, and their two kids Naomi and Clarissa. This was the first time I've met all of them. I'm really glad that I managed to meet Uncle Rufino (or uncle Nonoy as he is known) this time. He's already 78 and with his weak heart and declining health, this may be the last time I get to see him. Now...there's only one other Soliano brother that I've yet to meet and that's Uncle Frisco.

After the hospital visit, we headed to Downtown East for dinner. We went to a place called the E! Hub. It was like a mini-Genting, with all the games and food courts.

As the day was long, we headed straight back home after dinner. Tomorrow is another long day. I'm not really sure what the plans are yet but there's the Night Safari that we'll be going to tomorrow night. Then it's back to KL on Monday morning. Sighs...

Happy Birthday Amah!!

I'm writing this 3 days earlier and posting this on the day when one of the most important person in my life celebrates the day she was brought into the world. [I'm not sure why the date says 20th when it should be 23rd]Though the number that tells you just how long she's been in this world may seem old, in reality, she's as young as some 20-year olds. In fact, my friends say that she's younger and more hip than ME!!

Here's wishing my mum, amah, a VERY VERY VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

E - elegant

S - sensitive

M - motherly

E - entertaining

R - rockin'

A - adorable

L - loving

D - daring

A - always around

Red packets, Mandarin Oranges, Hearts

It's February 14th and this year, the day is extra special. Not only is it Valentine's Day, it is also the first day of Chinese New Year. So it's double celebration everywhere. For some friends of mine, it's triple celebration as their birthdays also fall on the same day!!

It's a long weekend, so naturally everyone's on holiday and travelling. Relatives of mine are no exception. 3 of my father's 11 siblings are back in town. So we kind of had a mini-reunion yesterday. Before that, my family and I were invited to our neighbour's reunion as it has been their practice to invite us every year. This year however, the food served was slightly different. Instead of the aunty usually cooking the whole meal, they catered. What did they cater?? Indian food!! Prawns, chicken curry, mutton kurma and Briyani. But then again, it's not something surprising as 90% of my neighbour's friends are Indians!! It was like there was a Deepavali celebration last night!! :-) Oh...and I got an angpow!!

Today, one of my colleagues was getting married. So for the first half of the day, I was in Bukit Tengah celebrating her wedding. It was unfortunate that my camera decided to go crazy today. I was so looking forward to taking pictures!! I'm not sure if it's the battery (coz I loaded new ones in) or the camera itself.

Being single, I've no plans tonight. I'm not even sure what I'm going to have for dinner since almost every Chinese shop is closed!! Tomorrow, I'll be driving across the sea to visit Trish. It'll be my first time driving to her house and surprisingly...my dad did not object!! I also have Yean Ling's house to visit but am not sure when I am going to do that.

Sighs...so far, I've been eating so many oranges!! It's as though oranges are going to be extinct!! I'm always like this during CNY. I just eat and eat and eat oranges. And then for the rest of the year, oranges are out of my diet!! :-)

I'm still waiting to eat Kuah Kapek and the sticky "Tikoi". Usually my neighbours will give us a plate of goodies but as I am writing this, I've yet to receive it. :-(

Oh well...as I wait to receive the goodies, I'll just go and eat more oranges........

Here's wishing everyone a HAPPY VALENTINE'S AND HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!

Usual catch-up

So I met up with one of the few friends that I have in my life - Trish- for dinner yesterday. The meet up was long overdue. Though we SMS each other and chat online everyday (during work, hehe), it's not the same as meeting up and talking face to face.

She picked me up at around 7-ish and since we had decided (earlier in the day, online, while I was at work) that we would have Tandoori for dinner, we headed to the Tanjung Bungah Ananda Bahwan. Yes...it's a long way from where we both live but then, we can't get the same environment anywhere in town. We of course do have to pay slightly more for the food, but heck...it's only once in awhile. Plus, the food is good.

Our meetings/catch-ups usually lasts for hours. If sitting in her car and chatting alone takes 1 hours (everytime), whatmore should we expect when we have dinner? :-)

We had a lot of food: Cheese Tosai, 2 Tandoori Chicken and nan, Briyani rice, ice-cream and drinks. Of course, by the end of the meal and night...I was stuffed!!

We chatted as we waited for our food to arrive; chatted as we ate our food; and chatted as we left the place. I think we sat through at least 2 groups of people, who came, ate and left the table beside us. HEHE!! It's no wonder we got "chased" out of the place once, a long time ago!!

Our meeting this time round lated about 4 hours. I suppose it would have been longer, if she did not have to drive all the way back to BM.

When I reached home, after changing into my pajamas and cleaning my teeth, I immediately fell asleep!! This, despite me having drunk coffee the entire dinner!! I woke up this morning feeling so AWAKE and fresh!! My body must have needed the rest. I can't even remember if I dreamt or not!!

Well...that's another entry in my blog. I'm not sure how I'm going to keep updating my blog when nothing exciting happens in my life. Sighs...

Valentine's and CNY is approaching. So let's see what happens.