Friday, March 31, 2006

Let's Salsa

I had my favourite ngoh hiang guan qiang at Maxwell market. It's not fantastically fantastic but it certainly has plenty of awards and foodie reviews. Its something I've had since I was a kid and absolutely loved it. Eating it again brings back fond memories. Its unlike any others I've tasted.

Today marks my 3rd attempt at salsa (again, I'm beginning to feel like a failure after trying to do it so many times) after getting inspiration from the fellow salseros and salseras from BOAT. Salsa is one of my 4 greatest addiction, it is something that you simply cannot resist. You hear the music and you want to move. You see people do it, you want to do the same and you just want to move! Then reality hits. Alas, you discover you cannot move as well as you wanted to...bummer!

First class today was boring with the 123.567. I was half asleep half the time, moving with zombie moves.

Posted by LiTTle-FooT at 1:32 AM with 0 comments

Poor Jolly Shandy

Last Saturday, I was out teaching Little Bee how to cycle. I still walked/jogged there despite knowing I would be late by about 10 minutes. BUT, she was VERY late! Hmph! She was one of those who apparent knew how to cycle a bit already and picked it up really fast, much faster than me some more than 10 years ago. I was far worse, no one could succeed at teaching me no matter how hard I tried and how hard they tried.

I went home, there was a worker outside my gates doing up the floor. I had to get my mum to open the door so he could place a plank across the ground to reach my house. My JS saw him and did what he normally would, BARK! The worker reminded my mum not to let him run out of the house.

Mum placed him onto the shoe rack of waist height nearby. My JS is terribly afraid of heights, so there was no way he would automatically jump off on his own. He wouldn't even jump off the sofa. I got into the house and gave him 2 pats on the head before turning around. Who knows, he tried to followed me and jumped off the rack!!

I was terrified as I saw the shoe slip off under him. Perhaps it was the shoe that slipped forcing him to jump. He ended up on the ground screaming in I don't know was pain or shock. He didn't move, but simply froze in that position, screaming. I dared not touch him, thinking he might have broken a bone or two.

Mum picked him up to cuddle and sayang. After some 10 to 15 minutes he was up and running about again. My poor JS...my heart, so pain...

Posted by LiTTle-FooT at 1:10 AM with 0 comments

Friday, March 24, 2006

Jerangkang Waterfall

Jerangkang Waterfall is located somewhere near Kuantan, Malaysia. It boasts of a series of over 40+ cascades with relatively sizable pools to enjoy the dipping in, to swim and some jacuzzi, if you can just find the right spot. After that, all you have to do is to find yourself a relatively big, flat rock surface to catch your siesta. Ahh...heaven...

Despite being sick and not fully recovered, 2 weekends ago, we unloaded ourselves right there after braving thru the 8 hour journey through the night. There were police road blocks along the way. I hardly slept. When I finally slept, it was time to wake again. It was pitch dark when we arrived at 6am in the morning. The nasi lemak is not ready yet. And so we waited, each with a different stoned expression.

At 8am, the lorry (our 4WD) came to bring us to the waterfall. We packed ourselves in like sardines. Honestly, with our backpacks and all, there was no space left. This is a good time to visit Jerangkang, where the weather is hot (so we get to cool ourselves down) and water levels are lower (so we can play in the pools and the torrential falls aren't too strong). We arrived at base camp an hour later and walked in another 20 minutes to our camping grounds.

The fun began with a short hike further in. The trail started is relatively easy, even for the beginners who were with us. Our youngest member was a 6 year old girl. A majestic waterfall greeted us 2 hours later. This is our 2nd and final rest point where we had our lunch. The water was extremely cold. And as you can guess, we made our way to the jacuzzi point right under the waterfall.

We made our way back to our camp site safely after we decided we had enough of food, fun, siestas and photos. We cooked liang teh after dinner and the few remaining souls chatted the night away while the rest chose to turned in early.

There are plenty of trees here. At last, I do not have to fight for hammock space. So happily I picked my tree and set up my 'bed'. It was a good thing too, otherwise I would probably have to fight for the side sleeping space in the tent since I was still sick. Good choice to hammock really, cos I perpetually needed to clear my nose through the night.

I learnt another thing, timber hitch. An amazing knot that can hold me in my hammock! The next amazing thing I learnt was, attempting to change in my banana hammock. Haha, interesting. I never thought it was possible.

Day break came, we finished breakfast, packed and prepared for our journey back to SG. Another weekend well spent.

Posted by LiTTle-FooT at 1:38 AM with 1 comments

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Give up!

That boy is beyond repair! I am talking to a block of wood. The male of the species has succeeded in annoying little missy again! Little Miss Annoyed is not going to make friends with Little Miss Nice this time.

Men say, women have selective hearing. I say, this boy not only has selective hearing but selective sight too.

Sigh! Spare the rod and spoil the child. I cannot be closing one or both eyes all the time. Hey, I have a temper too. Running away from your problems, from reality, to me, only reveals the coward.

Tension headache. I have head cramps like cars have clamped wheels. The intelligent option is of course to disregard the little boy and spend my energy on something more constructive, like my jolly shandy.

Posted by LiTTle-FooT at 12:29 AM with 0 comments

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

No Manners

Right, HE happens to be MALE again!

I was on my way back, making my way through the glass door at the next tower of the office building. The glass door has to be at least 2 cm thick! As I pushed my way through the left glass door, he had to make his way through by pushing the right glass door without waiting suficiently or following behind me.

In the process, he KNOCKED into my poor feet, TORE my shoe and still without any apology. He's not a young chap. I stared at him. He wasn't the least apologetic at all, much less to apologise. What is the world coming to? Where are your manners???! My poor shoes....TORN.

Posted by LiTTle-FooT at 5:11 PM with 0 comments

Are You Afraid Of Exercise?

http://exercise.about.com/library/blfearofexercisequiz.htm

Take the quiz to find out!

Posted by LiTTle-FooT at 4:33 PM with 0 comments

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Depressed

Isn't it depressing to find out you have tonnes to say to someone you just met than someone you already know for quite a while? These are not the people you pass by and you say hi and bye to them. You've worked with them, argued with them, almost fought, got unhappy with them and of course laughed and joked over many things and had coffee and tea into the late nights.

I felt the impulse to dissociate myself from them. Your presence is transparent and you feel like making it come true.

On a similar note, what can be more depressing than losing your cellphone?
A hard disk crash and losing valuable data.

Lost handphone? No problem. On the contrary, I get absolute peace and solitude, living in a world of my own, uncontactable, unreachable and unable to get to anyone.

Posted by LiTTle-FooT at 12:45 AM with 0 comments

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Do the JIVE

I used to think its very difficult, after seeing some of those wowow competition moves.

Jive is an extremely happy dance that resembles Lindy Hop. It is also latin rock & roll. But while I think Lindy Hop is very coarse, Jive is much more graceful or maybe the teacher is such a sweet lady everything becomes instantly graceful. It's difficult not to be happy while moving to the beat. The turns are very pretty and very pleasant to the sight.

Also a partner dance, this is much easier than salsa or bachata since the men and women have the same moves. Back rock, side-close-side, side-close-side or back rock, side cha cha, other side cha-cha. While the men take the lead, this is quite a no-brainer for the ladies to just follow, move and spin.

Posted by LiTTle-FooT at 3:08 AM with 0 comments

Monday, March 13, 2006

2 Travelling Angels

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family.

The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement.

As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.
When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem."

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest.

When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how could you have let this happen?

The first man had everything, yet you helped him, she accused. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die. "Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied.

"When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it."

"Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem."

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every out come is always to your advantage. You just might not know it until some time later...

Posted by LiTTle-FooT at 1:51 AM with 0 comments

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

I-ASS-HOLE

Is documentation important? Yes.

I've answered that question no less than a trillion times at job interviews. It ensures you're in conformance with all your what-have-yous standards and so that you can boast to the world your standards, procedures, quality and capabilities.

I thought that was the politically correct answer till recently. I have a bozz-o who tells me documentation is rubbish. So no point keeping them when no one reads them, no one updates them. So we should not have them. I see that obviously as a resistance to change. And althought all of what he says is true, the ASS probably doesn't understand the law of some being better than none principle.

AND, we are attempting to strive for I-ASS-O. Wish me luck.

Posted by LiTTle-FooT at 1:54 AM with 0 comments

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

The Psychology of Exercise

Interesting writeup and quiz I came by today:
What makes exercisers like to exercise? And why is it so hard for the non-exercisers start?
http://exercise.about.com/od/plateausmotivation/a/expsychology.htm

Posted by LiTTle-FooT at 11:18 AM with 1 comments

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Eventful

It has been an eventful day. As I sit back and wonder, I wonder if it's my unlucky day.

First, there was this HUGE metre-long monitor lizard in my way, it was coloured the same colour as the floor and cleverly moving so slowly. I screamed. I was on a bike racing in its direction and its way too late to brake. The scream somewhat shocked the critter. One inch less and I would have been an instant murderer.

I don't normally talk on the phone and bike. This time, I did and I was on the bike going downhill, talking on the phone when this group of horrible guys were in my way. I did the most foolish thing of squeezing the brake and of course failed at controlling the lousy rented bike successfully. It sent me flying for about 1 to 1.5m. SHIT. Lucky I wasn't speeding, I thought, as I flew off the bike.

Well, if only the guys hadn't been standing there behaving as though the road belonged to their ah gong. I might have scraped thru performing a stunt I've never tried in my life before.

The aftermath was equally amusing. The guys who caught me trying to be super woman, stared at me. 2 guys came over for a closer look (but that was really all they did). Or were they waiting for me to faint or something? I think they were more stunned than I am.

I stood up, retrieved my mobile (which I had to drop to break the fall) to finish the conversation. Then, I picked up my belongings which had also flew out of my bag the way I flew off the bike. Quickly I put my things down and reached for the blue mountain to wash my abraded elbow, which had suffered the worst injuries.

FINALLY, I heard someone mutter, "Anyone got plaster?"

Deep inside, I was thinking, my goodness, plaster for my wound? U must be joking. "It's ok, I have it." I told them. (I had a full first aid it with me, complete with chlorohexidine)

The group continued to watch from a distance while the 2 guys continued to watch me from a distance totally engrossed and performing first aid on myself. I noticed they were still there after a while.

"It's ok. I'm fine.", So they left.

Back at home, I counted the amount of brusies, abrasions, scratches, cuts...numerous..I cannot finish counting them. The abrasion still refuses to dry....

The fall seems to have taken a lot of energy out of me. And I actually feel weak with a slight cough when I was perfectly fine before. My core is aching and that doesn't normally happen. Flying off the bike certainly takes a lot of strength.

Posted by LiTTle-FooT at 2:56 PM with 4 comments