Vonnie's Pillow Book

New Home!

2009-01-29T19:09:00.000-08:00

We are all settled into our new home. :-)

3rd Jan 2009

2009-01-29T02:16:00.000-08:00

Finally we can breathe! Here is a selection of pics for our wedding day

Its been a Long long time ...

2008-10-22T06:14:00.000-07:00

I have taken such a long long holiday from this blog i almost forgot my password!
Wedding planning is hard work... its not just book venue and get gown kind of thing like what i originally thought... after months of planning...I have some wedding pics to show up here.

Yearbooked!

2008-08-25T08:22:00.000-07:00

We are now Flatowners!

2008-08-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

Our deposit of $1K for our first home has been accepted... Yipeee!

Tampines will be our new home in 2009. We will have to brace ourselves for more loans, until we get the flat renovated for the big move. Wish i could show you the pics of the kitchen cabinets, you will be laughing faster than i can say " Retro!" Top floor, corner unit, bright & breezy, loads of potential, tiny flat, big dreams.

pic by Bonobo 2005

Words that are starting to annoy me

2008-07-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

No sure why... but these overused words have started to make me cringe whenever i hear them being mentioned. Or maybe its just the way some people use it, thinking it would sound cool in a very wrong context. Like "anyhowly" talk. hee hee some are not even real words.

1) " Moving forward..." very sickening way of cutting people off and getting them to move their asses on what they are supposed to do in a discussion or a politician's favourite phrase of saying He/she has a "vision for tomorrow".
2) "Apparently..." when used to start a statement, not to defend a point made previously.
3) " I beg to differ.." again used to start a statement, not to defend a point made previously.
4) " On contrary..." used when they is nothing contrary about the point mentioned to the previous or subsequent statement. leaving the listening hanging and confused.
5) " Just do this thing... then that thing to solve the thing..." super overused in my office, no one but people in my office know exactly what this thing and that thing and the thing means. ( they are all three completely different "things")
6) " On a daily basis..." If you want to emphasize something why not just say everyday?
7) " Can you zerolize this?" Used to say when you want to offset an expense using an alternative fund. why say zerolize when a simple"offset" will suffice?

Thanks for bearing with me, i just wrote this to remind myself not to speak horrible english EVER. and stick to simple and non-bombastic vocabulary feats.
Check out more annoying words/phrases on this link from Lake Superior State University 2008 list of Banished words http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php. They have been compiling this list for the last 30 years!

The Scream 1893

2008-06-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

Massive Spring cleaned my room today and found this long lost Edvard Munch poster with the following passage, just thought i would share this with you before i toss it in the trash... paper will decompose but beautiful paintings and words will live on forever

I was walking along a path with two friends
the sun was setting
I felt a breath of melancholy
Suddenly the sky turned blood-red
I stopped and leant against the railing, deathly tired
looking out across flaming clouds that hung
like blood and a sword over the deep blue fjord and town My friends walked on
I stood there trembling with anxiety
and felt a great, infinite scream pass through nature.

Its been so long...

2008-05-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

Its been so long since my last post. Been very busy at work, finally kicked off Decentralized training and a great weight off my shoulders. Now i just need to focus on being a trainee analyst. :-)

Extremely Productive Labour Day

2008-05-01T10:09:00.001-07:00

Been so busy the past week, training my colleagues, and get this... Wedding planning!

Nothing Beats today in the productivity chart, decided on my venue & gown!

On Monday, while accompanying Agnes at the Bridal Shop I reunited with my DREAM GOWN. When i helped to organise the Wedding show at the Regent Hotel 7 years ago, this was the same gown i was eyeing...Yes the same one! Its hardly worn at all because it is somewhat too unconventional for Locals ( Locals prefers the more "princessy-look") This Dream Gown is a Mermaid with Cream Lace with Pearls, very very J.Lo. LUCKY ME! Wish i could show you the pic.

As for the venue... here are the pics, Villa Raintree.

A brilliant mash

2008-04-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

Was watching American Idol the other day with Mom,its Broadway Week with Andrew Lloyd Webber, being a huge fan of his i really enjoyed this episode! one of the contestants, David A. sang the song "Think of me" from Phantom Of the Opera. Don't you think it sounds like the Emmy Rossum's version of "Think of Me" + Babyface's "Loneliness"? Take a listen...

David A's Version of "Think Of Me"

Emmy's Version of " Think Of Me"

Babyface's "Loneliness"

Are you a Retro Song Remix Fan?

2008-04-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

Found some wonderful PM Dawn remixes! Take a listen ... what's there not to like?
Since we are on the topic of "remixes" if you are in the vicinity of Jalan Kayu in Singapore, go order the Murtabak Remix version ( i kid you not... there is such thing!) , Its power to the extreme...i tell yah! Onions, chicken chunks, spicy mutton, egg, all combined in crispy thin croissant-like shell...very good!

So relax, eat your Remix murtabak ( real or imaginary) and listen to these tunes... POWER !

George Michael's Father Figure Clubhouse mix by DJ Buhtl ( The embedding function is disabled) but this link should work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WteSWIKhvw

PM Dawn Vs Spandau Ballet - Set Adrift On Memory /True Mix

George Michael's Father Figure + PM Dawn's Looking through Patient eyes

Haunting tune from my childhood

2008-04-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

My sis, Vet was on youtube the other day and she showed me this video... Ah... memories

I remember hanging out at home with mom after school. When she did the ironing, she would watch the TV series, "Twin Peaks" YES! my mom watches DAVID LYNCH STUFF! Now you know where my taste for weird B grade movies come from, maybe she watched this only because Joan Chen was in it as Jocelyn Packard, oh well... anyway enjoy this music video from the OST. Its eerie, emotional, mysterious... a murder of a young girl in a small town. Santa if you are reading this... I want the entire DVD collection. :-)

Bather's At Sunset Way - Yay or Nay?

2008-04-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

Yeah! I love to write about FOOD. When Lawry reminded me to go try this place, Bather's at Sunset Way... i leapt at the chance and went the very next day, inspired by his good review.

http://7minutedays.blogspot.com/

** Disclaimer: Ratings and comments are just my opinion, we have different palates and as with food, it is a highly subjective and marvellous topic. Try the food yourself, don't let my comments stop you :-) **

First things first, here is the rating chart

-M = Totally not edible

M = Edible but not Eatable

MM = So-so only, Why pay when i can make this at home for nothing?

MMM = Good, pass!

MMMM = Very Good, will be back for more

MMMMM = Time to sneak into kitchen to steal recipe from Chef!

I ordered the very cheesy titled set menu for two" Enticing Couple set"

Let's go through it course by course

BBQ Portebello on Cabbage Gratin (MMM)

Very good start, Mushrooms grilled perfectly, nice bechamel sauce over cabbage that melt in your mouth... you chew...then suddenly.. CRUNCH!... Eh why got lettuce?

There are bits of Iceberg lettuce lurking in the cabbage mix creating some bulk, ( not enough cabbage left in kitchen is it?) Not sure why the Chef would choose to add lettuce into this dish, they wither and brown and add a raw taste, baffling indeed.

Tomato Goulash (MM)

Mushroom (MMM)

These two soups came hot which is always good. Tomato goulash tasted tangy, good texture but very sweet ( like Chef ran out of puree and cheated with Maggi's Ketchup) Mushroom was creamy, yummy and chunky, full of mushroomy goodness! -Definitely not from a can.

Spaghetti Aglio Bacon (MM)

I can certainly make a better version of this at home! Pasta was al-dente but taste-wise it tasted more like the liquid left on bacon wrapper rather than bacon itself.

Surf & Turf Carousel (MM)

Very diversed dish, as if prepared by many different chefs, because each piece of seafood/meat taste so different with its own sauce and totally not complementary to the next piece of meat/fish. In other words, they don't go well together... i shall call this a schizo-dish.

Things i like about this schizo-dish

1 pcs very nicely grilled fish fillet, 1 very very good mini Beef steak, perfectely roasted Squash, Eggplant, Quince, Asparagus and Brocollini

Things i don't like about this dish

Two miserable halves of a slipper lobster, one cooked, one not cooked ! I sent it back to the kitchen, then it returned minutes l;ater with three halves ( How come ah?) Jeff, my lovely fiance and partner in crime commented " They might as well give us prawns!" Which i totally agree. Also i didn't like the mysterious sweet butterscotch-like sauce on the steak.

Chef's Creation(M)

Scoop of Raspberry ripple ice-cream on old skool type coffee cake with buttercream, drizzled with mango and strawberry coulis with elegant slivers of fresh fruit. I only liked the slivers of fresh fruit without which i would have rated this -M

Despite the bad food review (I am fussy) the ambience was quaint, like being at your Aunt's place in Australia, service was entertaining because Jeff got frusterated with the waiter for not understanding what " One of each" means. It takes a lot to see his exasperated face because he is usually very patient. I think the menu was very well-balanced and well thought out. Note to Chef/s: if you are reading this, please pay more attention to freshness and choice of ingredients as well as QC when plating the food just before serving. I would like to come back again to try one more time, just make sure the seafood is cooked this time! :-)

More of Kelly

2008-04-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

I got lots of feedback from friends that Kelly's blog was funny and that they liked it, I think she should have her own fan club! So i am presenting more pics of her here in a slideshow, she is normally extremely photogenic, she even waits for camera click before changing her pose, such a natural!ENJOY the slideshow!

So Cute... I Like

2008-04-08T08:09:00.001-07:00

Unfair Family Pet Pictures

2008-04-04T18:23:00.000-07:00

Von : ( To Kelly) You Guest Blog for me ok? Any topic you want... You can even put your beautiful pics on my blog, so people know who is blogging on my behalf... Have fun!

Kelly: ( to Von) Erm... ok. ( looks through all the pics saved on comp)

Kelly: (mumbles) sigh... my family unfortunately have bad phototaking skills, think i will share with you their lack of skills ( bad composition, weird poses, bad lighting etc) so that you don't do the same to your pet, read on.

Mid-Yawn! How unglamorous...

Being photographed with food I CANNOT EAT

Made to wear santa suit in APRIL then placed on highchair where i can't come down to hide myself... sigh

Falling asleep...

Squashed face - need i say more? Oh ya - Bad lighting

Yeah, yeah... you laughing right? Laugh.. laugh..

Laugh... Laugh some more, laugh until all your teeth falls out...

Being tickled upside down

Blogging is really tiring... think i will take a chihuahua nap. Remember... don't repeat these mistakes above with your pet.

Fun Distraction!

2008-03-31T10:47:00.000-07:00

Couldn't sleep and started reading my friend Yeeling's blog, she blogged about this website. Apparently i look most like Michelle Rodriguez in all three angles... now even a website says i am not Chinese - story of my life! Get your celebrity match done at http://www.myheritage.com/

Fun 90's weekend - Derrick & Joelle's Chalet

2008-03-25T05:31:00.000-07:00

Had a fun nostalgic 90's weekend, went to Derrick & Joelle's chalet at Arang Country Club in Pasir Ris, it was HUGE,nice and comfy unlike the ones i remember a decade ago.

Went for a 5 min dip in the pool ( because it was rainy), Blew bubbles ( loads), lighted whistling sparklers ( damn! those were loud)

We even played Monopoly but it was the latest Now and Then Electronic version, with the following updates.

1) Instead of boring Utilities ( the electric company and Water works) you now will have to grab the Satellite and Telecoms cards.

2) No more train or MRT stations, its Airports up for grabs now! How spicy is that!

3) Instead of thousands for a plot of land, its now millions for one, making it a more realistic amount for today's soaring real estate and inflation rates.

4) So the aim now is not to be a millionaire because that's so 70's, now its to be a Gazillionaire! So you must be wondering... how the heck do you count those colourful...flimsy,paper notes to make a Billion? Well... you don't! See pic! You have a Credit card thing where you place in a validator thing to make bank, sale and rental transactions just like cashcard and ezylink card, really Crash Hot and so exasperating at the same time. try it if you have the chance!

Holyweek 2008

2008-03-25T04:31:00.000-07:00

Went for Brekkie at Breko's with Ariel then headed out to church on Good Friday.

Photos of the beautiful St Joseph's and Cathedral of the Good Shepherd during Easter.

Recipe of the week #1 - Bagel Burgers

2008-03-25T03:43:00.000-07:00

Fancy a juicy Bagel Burger? The secret... use 50% pure beef mince and 50% pure pork mince for an incredibly juicy patty sandwiched between two lightly toasted, crisp and chewy bagel halves... Mmmm!

Recipe for Bagel Burgers( Serves two)

200gms lean beef mince ( Weightwatchers)
200gms lean pork mince
1 egg
1 quarter teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of McCormick's italian spices ( if not just use Basil/Marjoram/thyme/rosemary)
2 bagels of your choice ( alternatively, regular burger buns are fine too)
1 tbsp Olive oil

Optional Fillings
Sliced tomato
Butterhead lettuce
Wholegrain Mustard
Tomato Ketchup
Cheddar ( best type is the super-cheetos red one from Chihuahua, i mean the mexican town, not the dog) or meltable Emmental ( President brand is good)
Pickle slices
Fried onions
Grilled mushrooms (Sliced)
Fried Egg
Sliced Beetroot

1) Combine the pork and beef mince together in a large bowl, season with salt, pepper, spices and then add in the egg. Let it rest in fridge for at least 10 minutes or 15 rounds of " Row row row your boat" sung at normal speed.

2) Shape the meat patties with your hands, please note that the patties will somewhat rise a little while cooking. So about thickness of about 5mm to 8mm is good. This recipe should yield about 4 very generous sized patties so you can have Double patty burgers!

3) Heat olive oil in pan, then panfry each side for around 2 min to 3 mins. i know you will be tempted to press it down and flip it a few times, but the second trick to a juicy burger is to not disturb it while cooking, so to distract yourself, go slice the bagels in half and toast them if desired, then come back and flip over ( ONCE ONLY!) to the other side for another 2 minutes or so.

4) Assemble your burger with any of the optional fillings and i guarantee, your stomach will be rumbling by now! Enjoy!

I used the same recipe for this burger party i hosted some time ago, read more about it and see more pics at Lynda's blog, http://impishdreams.blogspot.com/2007/07/double-patties-burger-party.html

Oxymoron Meds

2008-03-25T03:01:00.000-07:00

This is an update on the post, " Think you had a bad day?"

So, i went to the Doc's again today because my ulcer is still here. After a week, no improvement... this is how my consultation with her went,
Doctor: How do you find the oral gel?
Me: Erm... it's...
Doctor: (with knowing look) yeah, i know .. it taste quite yucky right?
Me: (Stunned look on my face OH MY GOD! I have been sabo-ed by the doctor, she knew it was yucky and still gave it to me!? i used that ass-tasting thing for one bloody week!)
Doctor: Ok i give you this oral lotion which you can dab on the ulcer instead, let me know how it goes... ...

So anyway, if you look at the label it says ORAL LOTION - POISON. Is it just me, or do you find that weird too?

Snowcity - Singapore's giant Ice kacang

2008-03-25T01:32:00.000-07:00

Snowcity

Snowcity was a blast, i swear i need lessons for snowboard! Click on album cover above to reveal more pics!

Pity cameras were not allowed inside the snow chamber.

Interested?

2008-03-25T00:23:00.000-07:00

BACHELOR UP FOR GRABS!

Here is my friend Lawrence, He is very easy on the eye, fun-loving, clever, witty, kind and love animals. On weekends, when he is not hanging out at the beach and not working out at the gym, most likely he can be found at home doing " nerd things". Just don't ask him in detail what his job is, he will answer in his most mysterious-stranger-James-Bond-voice, " Sorry, I can't tell you... cannot lah" Babes... read more ( MOAR!) about him http://7minutedays.blogspot.com/

Being (haunted by) John Malkovich

2008-03-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

I have my camera loaded with pics from the long weekend but i am too tired to blog now, thought i could leave it to the week. But i watched the old 1999 movie, Being John Malkovich and is now haunted by this scene that keeps playing in my head, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur3CQE8xB3c

Sleepmax is Power to the Max!

2008-03-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight is Day two of the Sleepmax trials. I took my initial dosage of this stuff last night and i concussed like the lady on the label, damn power man...

Not sure if it really , really works but with extracts of Heather flower, Hop, Chamomile, Lemon Balm and Anise all blended into a dark amber honey, its simply Divine!

Looking at the label on this bottle brings to mind an urban legend told to us in class by my Principles of Marketing Lecturer in polytechnic, Mr Siow.

Gerber, one of the leading American babyfood manufacturers donated care packages to a few Third world countries, much to the dismay of the charitable corporation, most of the packages were returned to them untouched. They were perplexed... then they realized they had a packaging problem.

The old Gerber packaging only showed their logo ( see logo on the right, face of happy, happy baby) and the contents of the bottle in English text, very few people in these countries can read, so they depend on pictures to know what was inside these bottles... they honestly believed that they were given bottles of mashed up babies! they had horrified looks as they rejected the care packages.

Imagine if we sent them bottles of Sleepmax with the pic of the concussed woman on the label, what will they think? :-)

Wish i brought my Camera!

2008-03-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

Did not feel too good today, rested well then we headed out for a drive to Changi Village. We bought a couple of soap bubbles from the Mama shop then blew bubbles everywhere ...scaring a few cats along the way, scoring some envious stares from the trannies at the famous carpark, such FUN!

So Lovely, So Lomantic!

2008-03-19T10:13:00.001-07:00

Jeff and i went to Tierney's Gourmet on Saturday, after parking the car, he excused himself to go to the Loo. I went ahead and browsed around the delectable boxes of instant Tabbouleh, $9 loaves of French Brioche and the hunt for Diet Dr Peppers. Just as i was comtemplating if i should get the Farmer's multigrain loaf...He appeared back to my side, He said that something was growing out of his ass, then he pulled out this super-big Champagne rose, how beautiful, how perfect, what else would a girl ask for?

Think you had a bad day?

2008-03-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

I have good news and bad news,
Bad news first...

See this? I am having a huge ulcer in my left cheek and it cannot heal because my one and only wisdom tooth is rubbing against it. The texture is like putty, it smells like silicon glue and it tastes like Ass. ( not that i know what ass taste like lah) :-(

Now the good news! Feeling all down and out and in extreme pain ( i am resisting the use of my Ponstan Painkillers)I started to count my blessings... YesterdayJeff surprised me by preparing a "Dark room Feast" where you eat everything in the dark... you can't see what you eat so you will get a heighten sense of taste and smell... very interesting... but my ulcer was so bad i needed to get the lights switched on so that i can cut my already bite-sized food into chihuahua-bite-sized pieces. He got it set up in his room, that's why you see a bed in the background, ha ha.

It was an awesome antipasto meal, Pesto stuffed olives, Roasted capsicum, Garlicky mushrooms, Wholemeal chappati, Pan-seared tuna, Minute steak, YUMMY!

I don't feel so bad after all. :-)

The Pillow Book - The sleep therapy experiment

2008-03-19T02:16:00.000-07:00

I dedicate this Blog to Sei Shōnagon, she wrote the original Pillow Book which was a book of observations and musings during her time as court lady to Empress Sadako during the 990s and early 1000s in Heian, Japan. In it she included lists of all kinds, personal thoughts, interesting events in court, poetry and some opinions on her contemporaries. Sounds like an ancient blog right?

History aside, i really needed an outlet to write (under doctor's orders) to help in my insomnia, here's the experiment, here i am!

Special thanks to Jeffrey, Lynda and Lawrence for encouraging me to join Blogsphere!