Happy 2010

Happy 2010

Resolutions?

- Earn More, Spend Less.

- Save more

- Get my butt back to Yoga

- Be a nicer person

not necessarily in this order.

New York

Hung out there with my friend Viv, who took me around Jersey, NY and Philly.

Chicago

Haven't been back to the USA since I was a teen. First time to chicago, winter Dec 09.

Soul Food

One of those things that grew up with me since childhood. Black fried carrot cake, which I remember as a kid my family would buy from the market every sunday, together with soya bean milk.

Childhood days were harsh, but still lots of lovely memories.

Toilet Happenings

Toilet. Washroom. Ladies room.

Uses? 

Not only for personal hygiene purposes, or touching up make up. But also for display and posing, as we just found out.

Ladies who Lunch

What happens when you put all the office secretaries together?

Answer: a bunch of women too happy to share recipes and show off their culinary skills.

Same thing, Different speak

Me: Is your ice tea home-made?

Waitress: No it's F&N. 

Me: Oh so I don't want, I want something home-made

Waitress: How about Teh-O peng with Lemon?

Me:..... *blink blink* . [pause]. Blank look.

My helpful friend: yup that's the same as Ice lemon tea

Waitress: [nods nods]

Me: Oh! ok!

Might I mention the waitress serving us is a Filipina.

Teh-O ping with Lemon = Ice Lemon Tea. Yeah it's true. Same thing, different speak. But it's quite something to be taught this by a foreigner waitress.  Thumbs up for taking the initiative in good service.

Choices Choices

Veron declares, "I need a red bag!".

Need? or Want? Want or Need? 

And here I am with my own dilemma as well, the classic economic adage - too many wants, insufficient resources. If I only had this much (or this little funds), should I go for a lovely bag (which I want, but do not really need) or should I go for a lovely wallet and a few small accessories (which I also want, but do not really need)?

Choices choices.

But then C would say, "you buy all these and put them in the cupboard???".

Cheap, Old and Good

C: You should really take your birkin out and use it you know. It's gotten very little mileage. In fact I've seen this longchamp bag more than your birkin.

Me: well, cuz this (longchamp) is a cheap bag and it's nylon, it's easy to carry and no worries on abusing, can withstand rain etc etc. If I took birkin out I'd be worrying about stains, weather, crowds etc.

C: So you buy a birkin just to keep at home???!!

Me: ...err...kinda yeah.

Later on.....

C: why aren't you wearing your new Tod's shoes? I haven't seen them since we were back.

Me: oh they are still somewhere in the luggage..

C: So you buy all those Tods and you end up still wearing cheap Crocs??

Me: well yeah, the Crocs are cheap and I don't mind if they get abused. 

Moral of story? The cheap and the old have their uses, and serves more purpose than the new and expensive (but useless?). 

Florence Travelogue

Duomo in Florence. I climbed over 400+ steps to get to the top of the tower for a sweeping view of the city. C challenged me, and so I did, in less than 30 mins too. 

Church near Florence train station....and eh? There's a BATA store in Italy?! Wah.

C's one desperate WANT - a big fat florentine steak. Serious.

To market to market to find us some fat cheese! and oils, and supplies, and all goodness of beautiful condiments for cooking.

The main biggest reason to go to Florence was to find the Tod's outlet of course. And of course some damage was done.... even the SAs looked at us with mirth and laughter and the other locals thought we were good and truly mad.

Of course a visit to the H store in florence, and then find us some lovely seafood dinner. Above is the giant fisherman's soup.

If tired of walking in the heat, rent a Segeway, like what we did in Lucca, a small town off Florence. Lucca is a lovely town, my favourite scene in whole of italy. First time on a Segeway, it's a little scary but fantastic fun!

C's lunch of roast baby goat at a Frommer's recommended restaurant in Lucca. The stunning view of Uffizi galleria in the evening. And some new found friends with their OES at Vivoli gelataria in Florence. Italy is an extremely dog friendly country.

Chocolate souffle at Taverna di Martin's back in Rome, our last dinner before heading home to Singapore. Absolutely the best and most memorable meal of the whole trip.

Rome Travelogue

My first trip to Italy. Sure is hot out there, Rome was 37 deg on average during our days there.Of course I hit the H store at Spagna, the Orchard Rd equivalent of Rome.

C says, that'da way! And to the Trevi fountain we went. Boyo it sure is hot. We dug into some Gelato at Saint Crispins, a highly recommended Gelataria.

At the Colosseum.

 

of course I did want to visit the fabulous Bulgari Exhibition. It was Magnificent.

 

A look inside the Pantheon, and then off to S' Angelo's Castle, and the bridge nearby.

 

More excellent Gelato at Frididarium, because it's just so hot. 

The Piazza Navonne. A Beautiful square where artists and performers show their skills.

We made our way to the Vatican at last! and look whose ancestors we found inside the Vatican. Looks like Bis' forefather suffered a similar fate to Bis, oh agony by Holly's ancestor.

Stunning ceilings of the Vatican corridoors. And the Swiss guards.

St. Peter's Basilica and it's magnificence.

Hot! More Gelato this time at Giolitti.