Wednesday, October 25, 2006  12:59 AM
The undomestic goddess
I often wish I was abit more domesticated.
It's a huge disadvantage, and I'm not just talking about marriage prospects here. It's a general thing, especially when I feel like killing myself every time I see a stain on my white clothing just because I was the one who put it in the washing machine.
And the worst part is, I don't even know why.
I know I don't outwardly express this, but I do admire people who can cook, sew, iron and run a household without any glitches. I mean, how is that humanly possible?
Let's review my disasters over the years.
During home economic lessons in secondary school, I often tried to do the stuff that would prevent my partner and I from dropping from an A to a C. For example, I chopped things up, did the washing of dishes and I was the official taster. I remember once we had to cook fish head curry or something - and the thought of cleaning the insides of the fish grossed me out so much I was thinking of ways and means to escape the class. Thank God for my wonderful, ever so efficient partner, Amanda, who did everything with such meticulous precision. She did the entire cleaning of the fish so well I wanted to applaud. When it came to cutting sandwiches, she cut it up in neat squares that our teacher gave us an A. If she had left it to me, there would be finger dents on the bread.
And who hasn't heard of how I sent my vest to the tailor in Secondary 2? Well, my mom can't sew, my grandma doesn't live with me and we don't even have a sewing machine in the house. The vest was halfway done, and it was due the next day. I rushed down to the tailor, paid them $3 and they had it completed in like 15 minutes. I got a B in the end, because I did half of it myself.
The last time I made cookies, they were almost destroyed because we (this other person is also a complete idiot - jan, this means you - at baking 101) did not anticipate that the cookies would EXPAND in the oven, and so we placed them too close together and of course, they stuck together and we had to carefully pry them apart. And these were Betty Crocker cookies! Betty must be rolling over in her grave right now. Or if she isn't dead, having a heart attack.
Of course, there's the mysterious stains that appear on my white clothing every time I wash them. And also that time when I got scolded for putting softener and detergent together in the washing machine. Was I supposed to know that there were two separate compartments?
I can cook spaghetti though, and instant noodles and anything that just requires frying. Rice isn't a problem too, on a good day. But the first time I cooked spaghetti, I forgot to put salt in the sauce and it was absolutely tasteless. I remember trying to convince myself that whatever I cooked was the way spaghetti was supposed to taste like. I only concluded the salt thing, like, two days later.
Then there's microwave ovens. I always hear these explosion-like sounds now and then when I pop something in. Without a doubt, I get really scared that I'm going to blow the house up. So I gingerly turn the knob off, and swear never to use the microwave again. That promise lasts until the next time I need to make something to eat, because I cannot cook anything else.
Maybe I should make it a point these holidays to pick up cooking from my grandma. And yes, that's also what I say to myself every single year.
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Sunday, October 22, 2006 4:31 PM
Tangy mustard seeks love at first bite
Something I've just noticed on the back of my favourite potato chips packet.
A clever marketing strategy that also serves a tale forever to be remembered - definitely appeals to girls like me.
Dijon mustard is sophisticated and a bit snooty. Honey is sweet and wild. Sparks fly when they meet... it's love at first sight. Honey mellows and softens mustard's sharp edge. Yes, we know, we're talking about potato chips here. But take a bite of these sweet, savoury lovelies and you just might get obsessed. We are.
And so am I. Even my potato chips have a love story to tell.
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Monday, October 16, 2006 8:42 PM
A milk chocolate covered green apple
Octobre is coming to end. Soon enough, anyway. And no I didn't spell the month wrongly - that's how the French spell it. French is not easy, especially when they love to confuse themselves once they hit number seventy. Eighty is technically broken down into four multiplied by twenty, and eighty-one four multipled by twenty plus one. I wonder how Janis is coping.
I can hardly believe the year is coming to an end. I think back on how I've changed and in what ways I haven't. Church and Crusade have become the two pillars of my life and instead of relying on circles of friendships for happiness, I'm depending on God more than ever.
What does being a milk chocolate covered green apple mean? Sweet yet tart. Tart: sharp in character, spirit, or expression. That contradictory description of my behaviour could be the reason why sometimes I feel like I'm struggling like a fish on land. I try, and try to be that person I think I really am, but when it fails without recognition, I crumble, seek solace and wish I could shut everything else out. Sometimes I think I'm too judgmental, too critical, and expect too much of other people that when they fail me, I grapple with it harder than anyone else. Yet I have my own beliefs that I hold tight-fistedly and make sure I don't go against myself. And all this while I continue trying to smile in front of everyone else, and maintain the subtle sweetness.
When my friends are licorice, champagne-filled pralines and a 7 metre strawberry tape, we make up an atypical group that wonders what we'll do if we receive Precious Moments.
I'd put on that sacharrine smile and be entirely appreciative of the thought and effort, but wonder - is that who I really am or is there anything else more suited for me?
2 comment(s). Your thoughts?
Saturday, October 07, 2006 1:36 AM
Little Miss Sunshine
I loved every bit of Little Miss Sunshine. The dysfunctional Hoover family, their characters and how I feel I can relate to bits and pieces in every single one of them. The brand of humour injected, the heartwarming storyline and how the family changed through their struggles. I even learnt to appreciate the camera angles - loved that scene where the camera angle simply shot the hilly grassland, the family's beat up VW and the clear blue sky. And of course, I loved Paul Dano. It's the type of movie where you just want to sit and watch it forever, and you find yourself praying that the movie never ends. I tried this new flavour, Peanut Butter Cup, at Ben & Jerry's today and - oh my it's yummy and a replica of my favourite Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. The thing is, it's not usually on the counter so you've got to ask for it. It's hidden below! However, when good new things come along, there's a trade off. Unfortunately, Dublin Mudslide (ranks in my top three B & J flavours) has been sent to the Graveyard in the USA and once the Singapore supply is gone, there won't be any more Dublin Mudslide ever! Apparently, it's highly unpopular in the States which is absolutely ridiculous because I think it's heavenly and so do the majority of Singaporeans, according to the B & J girl. So do grab your share of Dublin Mudslide's whilst stocks last! I've just been informed by my midnight shopping partner that River Island is going to be at VivoCity! My reaction, of course, was nothing short of ecstatic glee. RIVER ISLAND - one of my favourite stores in the UK, ranking up there with H&M. I usually refrain from this unglam outburst, but *squeeeeeaaaaaaaaaals So now, there's going to be Gap and River Island in Singapore. Trust me, nothing is going to stop me from being one of the first customers at VivoCity when it opens exactly seven days from now.
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Sunday, October 01, 2006 1:57 AM
Midnight shopping should be an everyday affair
Of midnight shopping, suede boots, $186 trenchcoats, Massimo Dutti tops, red heels and onion rings at Carl's Jr. at 12.33am.
Whatever makes a girl happy.
This has been the most relaxing week. From shopping for the CS Dinner & Dance to revisiting Pulau Ubin to the steamboat at Marina South to Campus Crusade's South Family Day - where I hid in the souvenir shop to bask in the air-conditioning and shop at the same time (where else would I hide?!) during Sardines - to Ling's departure to the CS Dinner & Dance itself where we went dressed as characters from 'The Godfather' to a stayover with Hong Kong drama serials to a late brunch of meepok to more shopping to that late one hour and ten minutes bus ride home from the west with the leftover pizza to Singapore Dreaming to a chillout at Kate's to dinner at Marche to midnight shopping.
A most fulfilling week I must say, doing everything I love, catching up with all the people that matter most and being away from school. Despite breaking out in a weird rash condition and simply wanting to bathe myself in calamine lotion, I could not have asked for a better way to spend the last nine days.
And I realised that no matter how much time you spend with the people that you value with all your heart, you can never get sick of them. I think that's a mark of true friendship and only some people make that list in my heart. I foresee them being the bridesmaids at my wedding, the godmothers of my children and where secrets hold eternal. These are also the girls that let out orgasmic squeals when - no, not in throes of pleasure - but when we envision a perfect outfit being put together in the recesses of our minds.
Bimbotic we may seem, but we're really not. We believe in good service, standing up for our own rights, speaking well, being nice to salespeople because you really never know what benefits it'll bring you (like being informed of the discounts at the midnight shopping spree so we could reserve the outfits and come back the next day) and dressing well to please no one but ourselves.
For a more detailed midnight shopping encounter, please do yourself a favour and proceed to the glam girls blog (link on right) and read Kate's latest post. It's absolutely hilarious - I laughed till my sides literally ached.
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