IndianPrincess

To India: Never Say Goodbye

2007-08-19T01:20:00.000-07:00

You greeted me with such anticipation
And painted my world with so many colours
You provided me with such romance from your history
Goodbye India... for now.
Here's a kiss for the end of this chapter.

Where will the next chapter bring us?

We flying the first class
Up in the sky
Poppin' champagne
Livin' the life
In the fast lane
And I wont change
By the Glamorous, oh the flossy flossy

Weekend Trip to Chandigarh

2007-08-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

This lovely city is the first planned city in the whole of India and it reminded me of a very peaceful n leisure form of Singapore. The roads are wide n free of clutter, there were dustbins everywhere n trees n grass on all free spaces. This lovely girl here is Arshia, Ashima's sister, who is Cherie's age. haha

On the first official day, we went to the Rock Garden. This place is awesome, it has pretty fountains

n garden sculptures

ashimaaaaaaaaaaaaa

n structures made or broken plates n bowls... all part of the government's efforts to promote an environmentally friendly culture. Im impressed I must say...

Some of the sculptures were actually made from broken bangles too
The local TV stations like to come here to film their Punjabi movies n TV series

I must say this place stuck a chord in my heart. It is so different from all other parts of India. N the culture of the people here differs too, they are more conscious of their surroundings, n would rather pocket their rubbish to bring home to throw over littering. Or this might just be the great upbringing of my friends.

Aunty n I - extremely lovely woman who cooked Thai food for me n gave me a pearl necklace n a silver bangle.
Ashima n her daddy

Vogue moment - priceless
Family Perspective - Hilarious

The Famous Lake where people take strolls along n where Arshia picked up the Marijuana leave-lookalikes

The Open Hand Structure that symbolises "Open to give, open to receive".

Peace at heart

2007-08-06T00:42:00.000-07:00

These people have showered with so much warmth and affection that I miss home even more.

There are places i'll remember

All my life though some have changed

Some forever not for better

Some have gone and some remain

All these places have their moments

With lovers and friends i still can recall

Some are dead and some are living

In my life i've loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers

There is no one compares with you

And these memories lose their meaning

When i think of love as something new

Though i know i'll never lose affection

For people and things that went before

I know i'll often stop and think about them

In my life i love you more

Though i know i'll never lose affection

For people and things that went before

I know i'll often stop and think about them

In my life i love you more

In my life i love you more

Beatles - In my Life. To R and his dad.

Jaipur III

2007-08-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would upload some of the pics from Melvin's camera... He takes alot of tehing n nagging before these photos come up. haha... Ok enjoy...

Steal Away

2007-08-02T02:30:00.000-07:00

C'mon and hold me

Just like you told me

Then show me... What I want to know

Why don't we steal away

Into the night

I know it ain't right

Don't tease me

Why don't you please me

And show me

What you came here for

Why don't we steal away

Into the night I

know it ain't right

Into the night, babe

Baby tonight... Ooohhhh...

I caught you glancing my way

And I know what you're after (...no second chances tonight)

Why...don't we steal away

Why don't we steal away

Into the night

I know it ain't right

Into the night

I know it ain't right

Why don't we steal away

I know it ain't right

Into the night, babe

Why don't we steal away

Make it tonight

Why don't we steal away...

Jaisalmer II - Melvin's camera

2007-08-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for some real action-packed pictures?? Say AYE!!!

Sights of poverty on the railway tracks. The place where these people live or attempt to live.

On the way, on the way to our great adventure!
Lunch at the great taj Hotel - whose food I thought paled in comparison to the awesome lamb at the Palace... Even the naan experts agreed with me.

A moment in time. Stop. Pose. Breathe. Live.

Humbled.
Funny looking bikes they have here - leopard prints n polka-dots

Our friendly and 10 upon 10 camel guides. The youngest whom is only 19 and had a big day the very next day - picking his bride. The oldest guide gave me my nickname of maharani...
Maharani looking back at you!!

Melvin and his talking camel
How do you measure brotherhood?
How do you measure arrogance?
How do you measure thirst?

How do you measure hunger?
How do you measure freedom?
How do you count dreams?
Why do you want to grow up?
This fella probably doesn't want to grow up to be mutton on our plates

Nor this.
Nor them...
The queen getting tended to.

Pretty and soft sand. Smooth and warm to the touch... At this point in time, Janni was too tired to try balancing on this velvet sand... But he was such a good boy standing tall and proud so this picture could be clicked...

Mr Bond the guide
Robin and Nick - obviously feeling the pains of camel riding... Haha.. these guys are the best desert companions. They stayed up to tell me scary stories and scared ourselves silly with a loud meow (India has no cats)... Really loved staying up to make pictures out of the stars and watching the shooting stars. Thanks Nick. It was indeed a magical night.

Molten sand... imagine if this was choc....

Follow the path of footsteps and they will lead you right to me.

At that moment, I wished so much for peace at heart. To stop the frantic silent cries from within. It's so difficult when all around there is so much life... Finding a vacuum to bury my thoughts.
And I wished for harmony - the blend of many contrasts, like night and day... light and darkness

I wished for the survival of humanity - that we do not ever lose empathy for others. And lastly, I wished for understanding. That we would listen beyond what we have to say and listen to the needs of others. These wishes I carved in the sand while the wind blew each layer away with each cold night breeze. I laid on the warm sand, now starting to lose its warmth, closed my eyes and envisioned all these coming true.

How many different functions of sand are there? Play, Work, Medium, Decor, Earth.

While leaving the desert, I left a trail of breadcrumbs: Memories of laughter, shouts, sweat, fun, speed, wind and a certain amount of fear.

Long long necks.

Lie with me under the big umbrella tree. Come watch the sunlight dance upon the leaves. Close your eyes, share with me your dreams and we will be free.

Up to no good... Muhahahha

The Hotel

The Awesome pool

The rooftop to watch the nightskies from

With a marble elephant for company.

On the way back where we met this lovely Jap man who has a special Chinese name of lil shepard with wisdom. My name apparently means shooting star. pretty ring to it eh? i cant remmeber what Nick's meant but Robin's goes something like OH Shiiiii (haha sounds like oh shit) but means "too good to be missed"... Haha thanks for all the Jap snacks and oragami sessions... It brought back snatches of childhood... We grew up too fast...

Jaisalmer: Stepping into the great unknown

2007-07-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

The train station
Taj Rajwala - the hotel which John Lenon and Amitah Bachan left testimonials about.
My beautiful bed

With a great lounge area. And a beautiful view. Apparently the hotel is within a real fort from great times
Going into the city to meet my friend the COW
MOO!!

Trying on turbans and alibaba pants...

Our city guide who is studying Psychology to be a professor. He lives in Kashmir but comes here for summer to help his uncle.
Celine.. Singh
The local children

Mansions of the past.
Nick and I

Childhood - I miss that

Door after door, step after step

The Past
The dark alley
Jaisalmer was also known as the Golden City
Robin and I
All those guilty as charged of having too much fun

Melvin and I

Calf in the cot

This was/ is the residence of the Prime Ministers - I think...

The vegetable market
The children who work there
The happy faces that light up the streets

Old men gathering

My camel!!! Please meet Janni - the prettiest camel ever. He has golden hairs in his ears and a relatively long mane. His fur is silkier than the rest!!!
Everyone wants to pose with my camel

Janni is just a star

Haha big celebrity
Ok Melvin n his camel - who happens to look like a cowboy soft toy here

Jamorn says nick looks a lil like a camel here.. hahaha

The village in the desert
Our lunch stop at the water hole where we watched animals come and go
Fighting with turban cloth

Till then... more pics coming up...

Jaipur I

2007-07-25T02:56:00.000-07:00

Ticket to Bollywood... haha train ride to Jaipur

Gate of the Pink City
What a royal welcome!!

I am the puppet master!
Entrance of Amer Fort

Dangerous Position but photos are worth it. They catch a moment in time

Our driver - Ali, quite a charming man who tells loads of fabricated stories
Mountain Goat... baaa

Great Wall of.... India
Mst have been one of my admirers. haha neh, im just a tourist attraction

Let the pics do the talking

Jaipur II

2007-07-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

Inside Hawa Mahal

This was probably the sights of the ladies of those times. They lived in conservative periods which forbade them to show too much of themselves in the public. Hence these small windows which allowed them the luxury of peeking out at the city.

Shall let the pics do the talking

Boys will be boys
Monekys will be monkeys. hehe

Petite Celine anyone?
After the wind palace we headed to Jantar Mantar, the observatory with the big sun dials, celestial measurements...
O Romeo Romeo, where art thou? Not here....

Snake charmer and his cobra sidekicks that scared me cos they released the snakes on purpose when I walked past. Can you imagine snakes on the loose???
At the City Palace... This place is really a tipping country - they just want to be tipped for every single little thing...
Museum of Textiles - where they keep what people of those times wore. There was this really big suit which this really big man wore and apparently he had 100 wives.... what a thing to show off!

The garden wiht the fountain

Museum of Arms and Weaponry
Er...
The famous silver jars that were melted from dunno how many thousands of silver coins so that the king can tranposrt water from the Himalayas to Europe... I think

It is really quite a charming pink city dont you think?

Hahahahhahaha.... Made Jamorn do that so I can get this classic pic

The people here claim I look like Ashiwyra Rai when I do this.... erm... she's too beautiful
N so the people here insisted they dress me up in a saree...
Heading to the moneky temple of the sun god...
With goats, cows and monekys for company

View from the top

People who come here to pray - mind you it's a really steep climb on stone floors and slabs. Almost slipped twice when climbing down
But the climb was worth it
To see the sun set from the top is marvelous
Headed to Chowki Dhani - a resot cafe place that was made Rajasthan style.

It really was the highlight of my Jaipur trip... They had performances, musicians, puppet shows, heena painting, camel, elephant rides which we took, scalp massages, food rajathan style... It was a whole load of fun!!

Erm I think Indian boys are funny, they always ask to take pics with me one by one - in this case, I had to take pics three times... cos Im a nice Singaporean
The boys playing with the games - achery, rifle-shooting-balloons, dart games

Part of my fare- the entrance fee was only 250 rupees and it included food (buffet of veg food) the perfomances, dance etc...
The waiters gave us their turbans for a while... Haha the guys had to wear theirs for the whole dinner...
Rajasthan women flanking moi. Their dressing is very unique - very different from sarees which were apparently introduced much later...

My hotel dome The lobby n good bye to Jaipur...

PS: We were wedding crashers for the night before. Some rich girl got married at the hotel last night and booked two floors of the hotel plus the whole lawn. So Melvin and I just walked around the guests in our berms n jeans... We finally mastered the courage to go up to this lucky couple and wish them a blessed marriage... There was so much pomp n bright colours there, simply beautiful.... KUN I cant wait for yours!!!

My Little One

2007-07-23T00:22:00.000-07:00

The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by. ----Felix Adler

Cherie, you will always be that light in my eyes.

Beautiful Differences

2007-07-19T05:19:00.000-07:00

We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibres, our actions run as causes and return to us as results -- Herman Leville

How true don't you think? Have you heard that everyone on this earth can be connected to each other through six individuals? I marvel at life sometimes and how there seems to be a meaning or reason for everything. How that stranger sitting beside you on the train could just turn out to be your soul-mate. How you two can share so many visions and experiences together that overrides all differences of colour, age and class.

Beautiful isn't it, that one's action can have a ripple effect on another's life? Beautiful isn't it, to know that you have the power to distract, to manipulate, to destroy, to create? Beautiful, isn't it to be human?

The Value of a Woman

2007-07-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

Be careful if you make a woman cry because God counts her tears. A woman came out of a man's rib, not from his feet to be walked on. Not from his head to be superior over, but from his side to be equal. Under the arm to be protected and next to the heart to be loved.

2007-07-10T11:08:00.000-07:00

You have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do. There are no limitations in what you can do except the limitations of your own mind. -- Darwin P. Kingsley

2007-07-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

Another Day Out... We started Sunday noon with some lunch at a Chinese restaurant at GK - 1 which was decorated with lighted red lanterns.
Clear Soup with chicken meatballs n glass noodles.. I wished it was fishballs. Oh well this will do...
More food that left us feeling like big bowling balls... Stir fried Chinese veg, crispy chicken garlic noodles, Thai green curry chicken n fried rice.
Heading to the Lotus Temple which embraces the Bahai Faith. Some of its basic teachings really touched my heart. It promotes "the abandonment of all prejudices, the agreement of science n religion, promoting universal education, the elimination of extremes of wealth n poverty, equality of men n women"
The beautiful sun that turns up every single morning, rain or shine...

More pics of Tan Siew Hui Celine

The people, the skies, the birds that fly

We then headed to the Lodhi Gardens after the Temple visit.
These gardens were from the Lodhi empire, they were filled with flowers, a mosque, a tomb n a bridge...
Some pics taken by Jamorn with my macro camera function
People lying on the ground.

Respect

Romance
Friendship
Do you like this picture? I do

Have always had something for silhouettes n shadows
Spider-man 4
My new anklet

Melvin submerged in grass

At Dusk
I shall end this entry with a different perspective on life. On growth, on peace and dignity. These I wish to my sister, Cherie.

2007-07-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

I bring to you - The India Gate which was erected to commemorate the Indian soldiers who died in the WWI and the Afgan Wars.

"To the dead of the Indian armies who fell honoured in France and Flanders Mesopotamia and Persia East Africa Gallipoli and elsewhere in the near and the far-east and in sacred memory also of those whose names are recorded and who fell in India or the north-west frontier and during the Third Afgan War. "

The skies may have been overcast but that didn't spoil our (my) posing mood.
The fountain pond behind me is the place where kids and adults alike love to swim and play on a hot sunny day. There was a little boy who was running towards me bottom-half naked crying out "Photo photo". Talk about feeling awkward.

Standing in its presence left me awestruck.

Signature SMU Jump
Lovely Day to spend in the park.

Till it starts blowing up dust and causing huge sandstorms. But that didnt spoil the fun for the kids in the water...

even though the guys had to fight to battle the sandstorms...
it didnt spoil my fun or my initial intention of taking pictures.

After which, we headed to Khan Market to shop and have lunch. It started drizzling but we hurried to make our reservations at this world-famous cafe called "Big Chill" which has been recommended in all the travel guide books to Delhi.

The whole place was decorated with old movies and pictures of the old stars like Audrey Hepburn.
Jamorn and Frankenstein Monster.
Audrey Hepburn, Pink Ginger fizz Drink and Me.
Vikram and his choc ice-cream - obviously contented.

Jamorn looking famished with his food - chicken tossed with red wine cream sauce pasta.
MY lunch at 430pm. I had grilled chicken breast stuffed with asparagus sauce and forest mushrooms. It tasted so good, the rest of them thought it was grilled fish!
Melvin's Lamb-sticks. Haha they tasted like bak-kwa to me. Singapore-food-deprived!
Then came the desserts! Woohoo!!! No qualms about putting on weight here :)
Probably the reason why Big Chill has been successful in keeping its secret recipies.

Blueberry Cheescake. Texture: melt-in your mouth. Taste: Light. Effect: Perfect for a heavy meal.
Our choc mudpie. Words fail to express its effects. Definately too good to be true.
After all that rich food, we NEEDED to work it off by shopping! So here's Janpath.

Dinner at Yo! China: Xiao Long Baos called Chicken Dumplings. Not too bad for an Indian-Chinese Restaurant.

Cushion Covers for the house
Genie Lamp for daddy
Pink Baby-doll top for me

And much more presents :)

PS: Today is also the day where the world has decided on the New Seven Wonders. I bet Taj Mahal is one of them!!

Week 7

2007-07-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

One of the interns decided to put on his chef hat and cook up a Singaporean home-cooked meal. There was oyster sauce chicken, green leafy veg, fried rice with prawns, omelet with prawns and sambal chilli prawns. N not forgetting the really nice creme chicken soup. Yum!

Did some shopping today! Bought two tops from United Colours of Benetton. Both are black in colour with those diamondnites. Haha decided that there was no point trying to look for really cheap buys which are rare, of poor quality, unsatisfactory, etc. Oh well, I have not spent for four days so here goes...
Baby pink Adidas Polo T- would probably flatter Aloy's tanned skin.

Hot Pink Adidas Polo T with orange and white thin strips - To match the sportiness and cuteness of my National Cricket Team Sister (Haha still cant stop bragging about her) Oh well... Im really proud of this lil gem.

I decided that since Aloy and Cherie have pink tops, I need to buy one to wear too when we have our siblings' outing. Haha so this is my Polo top from Puma, which seems like a pretty popular brand here. All our ads have angmoh boys and girls wearing puma.

Am eyeing this UCB three-quarters sleeved top for my mommy. Wondering if I should get one in the following colours: White/ Salmon Pink/ Lilac Purple/ Black.... Mommy what do you say?

2007-07-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

Words for thought

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream -- and not make dreams your master;
If you can think -- and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings -- nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run --
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And -- which is more -- you'll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling

Quote of the day:

Treat a man as he is, he will remain so. Treat a man the way he can be and ought to be, and he will become as he can be and should be." ----Goethe

I wonder if expectations of an individual would push him to further himself, to better himself. When do you know when to not execpt anything?

Look for the Silver Lining

2007-07-04T09:22:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought this week was gonna go downhill from tuesday, I got this gift. It's funny how life throws fuzzy little gifts called friendship, love, care when you least expect it. My sweet colleague called Ani bought this small gift made of pinewood when she went on a holiday during the weekend. Such a thoughtful gesture...

Here's the sweet angel who calls me "Baby"

KungFu Hustle at Akshaadam

2007-07-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

Lone maiden waiting in vain. *Sunlight, Camera, Action*
"Why isn't my prince here to save me yet?"
* Wind blows* Extra appears in background
Ok we need to pay him another 5 dollars to change his pose
Lone maiden gets infected with SMU spirit.
Arrogant Green Monster appears. *Spotlight* Hero Power: Pose
Thai Boy enters scene. He is the sworn enemy of the AGM. Hero Power: High Kick
AGM versus Thai Boy, who wins??? *drumrolllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll*
Oh no! AGM uses his sneaky green move..... n hits Thai Boy in the groin. But amazingly.... Thai Boy is not hurt! He uses his even-sneakier hands to punch AGM.
With AGM out of the picture, he picks a fight with Lone Maiden. But Lone Maiden has superb defense skills (perfected with her SMU jumps). She blocks, she jumps and she wins!

My Weekend at Noida

2007-07-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

Stayed over at Ashima's place in Noida. Her house is absolutely grand n beautiful.
That's ME in her driveway which can fit four cars.
This is her best friend called Ishrat. We met for lunch at this Sizzler House which was famous for Chinese hotplates.
I couldn't resist the black pepper lamb steak sizzler plate. Just typing this out is making my mouth water. What I would give to have Chinese daily.
No one could change Ashima's mind about her French chicken dish, she thinks it's the best out of all our dishes.
What a rare sight - MEAT
After shopping at Janpath market, we headed here to Khan market which is reputed for its white skinned-crowd and tailors who have done suits for George Bush or someone big.
We headed to this quiet and upcoming stretch of shops that were known to be works of the local designers. The Shoe garage - voted one of the best shopping ares in Delhi.
Our load in the front seat
My very sweet pair of white wedges - by far the most expensive footwear I have bought here cos it's designer's.

A jewelled booklet n mirror set for mama
An elegant black sequinned bag for mommy
My pair of silver ethnic chopals
Cherie do you like this white top or the brown one with flowers (below)?
Superstar Vogue goggles (sunglasses) and off-gold beaded necklace

Ok Cherie I was refering to this. It looks like the ones you got for CNY

Stuff from FabIndia! - Volumnising shampoo n fav creme top
My new handbag!!! I really like this. there was one in light pink and gold trimmings instead of bronze. But it would be impractical to buy both bags.
Ok this is ME - dressed up and ready to head to greater Kaliash for dinner

Dinner and drinks n loads of girly company - for once
Playing "spot Celine" in Ashima's atrium (garden in the house - like a sunwell)
Her living room which her mommy designed. I think she has talent!
The guys came to pick me up to go to Akshaadam. However the queues were 500 people-long and things like cameras, cell phones. all electronic devices, etc are not allowed in. No one with clothes ending above the knees were allowed in either.

So we had to settle with posing outside the gates of Akshaadam. Guess who's great idea it was?? haha anyway after 30 min of contemplation, we decided to not go in as it required too much trouble n effort. People had to fill in forms too!

PS: Mommy I thought you might like this picture. this pose reminded me of your pretty poses when we took pics at Sentosa - do you remember? I recall telling myself to be like you.. haha
Bert was throwing a tantrum cos there was nothing else to do... SO some genius came up with the idea of exploring the big shopping malls in Noida - aircon, coffee cafes, huge clothes shops, etc.
See the boys looked so contented to be travelling to this shopping haven. :) Aloy, I bought a pink Tee for you.
"Who's fire should I extinguish today?" I found this fire engine on the road, dont you think it looks Broadway?

End of Noida weekend: An iceblended frap in hand, muffins n triple layered cakes in our tummies made these three guys n a girl very happy.

Food for Thought

2007-06-27T05:52:00.000-07:00

Read about some issues from the papers and I would like to discuss two such issues that deal with FOOD.

A Bite of Heaven - Chocolate

Real chocolate is made from crushed cacao beans, which provide not only solid cocoa mass but also cocoa butter that is vital to texture because, quite literally, it melts in your mouth.

When European companies tried to cut cocoa butter, the debate dragged on for a decade. In 2003, the European Union ruled that substitution had to be limited to 5 per cent and only by a few specific oils that chemically resemble cocoa butter. This faux chocolate is clearly labelled 'contains vegetable fats in addition to cocoa butter' - and is shunned by purists. The French like to call it cocholat, an epithet derived from their word for pig, cochon.

In America, the FDA can act swiftly to change rules based on what it calls a citizen's petition. Last year, 'citizens' like the Grocery Manufacturers Association added new guidelines for chocolate onto an omnibus petition covering more than 200 foods that called for, among other things, altering food standards to 'permit maximum flexibility in the food technology used to prepare the standardised food' and to allow 'any alternative process that accomplishes the desired effect'.

Summary of Considerations:

For Genuine
Everyone has a right to enjoy chocolate at its finest and keep this tradition alive. If the definition of choc grows too wide there would be varying degrees of quality and even any cheapo brown thing can be called that.

For the "Fakes"
People rich and poor can have a taste of 'choc'. If we do not allow production of alternative chocs,"How about the poor man on the street? Doesn’t he have a right to have a bite of heaven?"

Second Food Issue close to my heart:
Tuna shortage sets off national panic in Japan
Supply crunch and rising prices drive sushi chefs to look for other red-coloured substitutes like smoked deer meat and raw horse, a local delicacy in some parts of Japan.

'We tasted it, and horse sushi was pretty good,' he recalled. 'It was soft, easy to bite off, had no smell.'

My heart skipped a beat as and almost stopped beating when I read this. The reason for this epidemic: The Tuna fish are not multiplying fast enough to be eaten all around the world. Thank goodness I prefer salmon sashimi.

Food or choc fans, you may write in to me with your views.

My daddy is so cute

2007-06-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

Read the conversation I had with my daddy. Haha I love him.

TAN says:
bye princess
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
bye king
TAN says:
emperor lah
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
ok la
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
heheheheh
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
yes r majesty
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
ok go sleeeeeeeeeeep
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
im gonna paint nails now
TAN says:
last time in China, the kings of the all states are under the Emperor
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
wahhhhhhh
TAN says:
ok, bye
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
yes almighty one
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
nights

I started the day happy and Im going to sleep contented and loved.

Just by being thoughtful can make someone's day!

2007-06-26T02:13:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up later than usual but it was the sweet thoughtful gestures that brightened my day. It really is a start to a good week, I shall be positive from now on.

Was the last at breakfast this morning and usually we have a plate of cut fruits – mangoes, papayas and bananas. But some of the other interns finished all the mangoes so I was disappointed cos it is the most delicious fruit here. Lo and behold, the moment I set down at the table, the guest house assistant/ cook brought out a huge plate of freshly cut chilled mangoes for me!!! N they were sweeter than the first batch that was finished I was so happy ;) Shared it with the interns who didn’t get a bite of the mango this morning.

It was Ashima’s dad’s birthday yesterday and they had two cakes so she brought in the second cake to the office to share with us. It’s by far one of the best cakes I have eaten. Smooth dark chocolate with marble mixtures of white chocolate coated the moist layers of cake that had alternate layers of blackforest cream and choc cream. ‘The gang of Girls” (us) had two slices of cake each cos it was simply irresistible.

All these small gestures of sharing and thoughtfulness has sparked the light of today for me. Who has sparked your light with their thoughtfulness lately?

My buys so far

2007-06-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

Sweet Swetha came back from London yesterday and bought Ashima and I individual gifts. I got a box of chocs!! Which I hurried to hide in my bag cos I have the reputation for having snacks and goodies in my drawer. (My office people ate up all my Hello Panda in my drawer)

Kun these are the gold chopals that I was talking about. Cherie Im getting the bronze version for you ok?

This off white suit with baby green handicraft sewing comes with a white scarf and pants too (250 rupees). The guys helped me choose this. Do you think they have good taste? It does look sweet and innocent eh?

My very first Saree!! So it deserves two photos of it!!! I love love love it!! The colour and the texture! The star of the show and an extravagence.

The pink-purple silk portion has flowers hand-sewn on it while the blue portion has gold thread weaved in between.

Oh I need to get this simple white top altered cos the sizes here seem to be too big for me. This is full cotton and a relatively great buy (199 rupees)

Ok you have seen the following tops before. This emerald green colour was the deciding factor is splurging 400 rupees on it. It has little round reflective mirrors hand sewn at the bottom in between the gold-bronze patterns. The texture is softer than the normal cotton as well. Good thing it came with a red pashima scarf.

And finally the 'old' favourite which I wore to work and to sight-see. I love the mandarin collar cos it accentutates my chinese roots and the material is good although a lil translucent. This is ex. (600 rupees) But it came from an upmarket shopping centre.

So there, Kun, Tiff n YF, as promised, these are my buys from India.

One of the Seven Wonders

2007-06-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

A trip to the Place of the Seventh Wonder!
This was how we got there. By an air-conditioned coach, complete with Indian Bollywood TV screens and blasting zen music.
First up: The Visit to the Agra Fort. It looks similar to the Red Fort but it was twice as crowded.
Blue skies marking the start of a beautiful day.
It takes alot of self-control to not roll around in the green green grass.
I still like my clothes.
The lovely Mughal architecture
The garden inside the Fort.
This little Indian boy ran up here and posed. No one took pictures and I realised that he wanted me to click him. So adorable dont you think?
So I had to take a picture with him. The moment I went up there and stood next to him, his family whipped up their cameras to snap pictures. I think Chinese women are rare here.

A group picture of the interns who went on this Agra adventure: Bert, Melvin, Jamorn, Vikram. Oh and that's me in the middle.
I love love love this pic.

Do I look scary in this? i tried to look arty-farty.

The Taj in the Distance.
An Indian couple that looks so in love. Asked them if I could click them. Somehow they match the surroundings.

Bert the archiologist.

Definately a tourist attraction.
My friend was so proud of his pic. He thinks he's a professional now cos he managed to capture the women wearing colourful sarees in the background.

I am the Queen. You may serve me now.
Peek-a-Boo

The long queue for the ladies to get into the Taj Mahal.
The entrance to the Palace.
Picture Perfect - The Symbol of Undying Love

Chah-Jehan raised the other to the memory of his wife Tage Mehale, that extraordinary and celebrated beauty, of whom her husband was so enamoured it is said that he was constant to her during life, and at her death was so affected as nearly to follow her to the grave - François Bernier
In 1631 Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal's period of greatest prosperity, was griefstricken when his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their fourteenth child. Hence it was said that Jahan's grief form the basis of the love story traditionally held as the inspiration for the Taj Mahal

Jamorn on top of the world!!!

SMU Ambassador spotted doing her normal jump poses at the Seventh Wonder.

I wanna push the guys over the railing, so tempted to do so :)

A look of Longing.

Inside the Taj Mahal where the tombs of His and Her Majesty lay.
My Indian family. Haha. We seemed like tourist attractions ourselves. The locals here will come up to me and ask to take a picture. Once you start, there would be a queue that forms.
Parting Shot: I Love the Taj Mahal!!!

Pigging Out

2007-06-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

This was like Mok Pork cutlets which was made of soya n cut veg in sweet and sour sauce.

My newly vamped office cafeteria in the bright and cheery colours of orange and yellow!

My lunch for today! These are the appetisers, a little of cereal-like chaat with the different sauces: sweet, minty, milky respectively.

We had South Indian food today! Awesome! It cheered me up even when there was no meat. Those white round things that look like mini pancakes are called idli which are made of rice flour.

The assortment of veg curries which you can soak the idlis in and enjoy your meal. :)

May the Force be with You

2007-06-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

Being an intern is similar to being an apprentice. You seldom say "No Master".

Wednesdays are not that great

2007-06-20T02:38:00.000-07:00

Went to the nearby hospital this morning for my rash condition. This is the entrance to the hospital. A far cry from that of Singapore's. The interior reminded of those old neighborhood clinics in Sgp. One thing is similar, the waiting time. But they made me jump queue cos mine seemed like a emergency (prob cos im a foreigner), so I didnt have to wait like most locals (a day or more).

I found this in the letter box! It's from Belgium! This cheered me quite alot.

With some postcards that were dated 7th june. Gosh, it might have been sleeping in the mailbox for more than a week n no one told me abt it

With much love n hugs from Celest. Such a sweet gesture :)

Shopping on Sunday

2007-06-19T10:29:00.000-07:00

Had Chicken Tikka subways with two of the Tata interns

Went to Greater Kailash Market which resembles Sernagoon Chomp Chomp but with upmarket shops.

haha chinese fastfood with everything Indian on the menu

Little girl armed with streetside lollies. It's crushed sugar with salty spices in Grape syrup. Dont you think she's adorable? Her mom put on her sunglasses so that I could snap a really cute pic of her.

All kinds of chaat

The girls have a new found love.

Momo's = Chinese dumplings

Evidence of Americanisation (Besides Mac's)

MORE PICTURES

2007-06-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

Just uploaded the pics from the guys' cameras. They have really cool functions like this wide screen shot (or maybe it was just edited)

Dunno why but this pose seems to be like second nature. The Foot Pop pose

I'd say that we look like we are from Nagaland (the northern part of India) where there are Mongolian looking Chinese. I bet they invented Momo's.

Feeling like a needle in a haystack in this Indian crowd. It's such a supportive gesture to spend the weekends at your country's own monuments. Of course it helps when the locals pay a tenth of what the foreigners pay (they pay 10 rupees only).

The four of us who went sight-seeing in Indian wear so that our pics would look more local. We used the timer for this and ran back to the camera just in case it got snatched off the stairs.
The marketplace within the fort. Quite a nice pic eh? I shall call it "A Moment in Time". Can you spot me? ;)
The guys and their Diablo pose. Some computer game they play when we are not watching Bollywood shows. Apparently they are on a quest to collect body parts now.

On her: DKNY ethnic tunic (US$ 499) CK Denim three quarts (US$299)

On them: Ralph Lauren cotton tops with Indian words (US$ 199) Denim bottoms (Models' own)

SMU Trademark Jumping Pose!

Celine's Flying Chopstick Kick with fellow sidekicks in Naga-land pose. "Waaaachow!"

Do-Re-Mi.... Doe a deer a female deer, Ray a drop of golden sun, Me a name I call myself.......

More pics of the Place to address the Private Audience (like Ministers and Princes)

The tile that has been 'inscribed' onto the marble tiles.

Ok tired feet deserves some rest - Enough of pics from the Red Fort :) Look out for more pics from Sunday shopping which I will post later...

The visit to The Red Fort

2007-06-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

Looking all Indian-ised and ready to go!

Finally reached our destination after an hour plus (pretty fast for water clogged Indian roads) BTW, it rained this morning again! N we can tell how rain-deprived the locals are by how they react when they see rain - dancing and playing in skywater. It really is quite a romantic thought.

The famous Red Fort - Lal Quila. The battlement walls stretch over 2.5km and enclose the fort and rise to a height of 33.5 metres at one point with a wide moat at its base. This was once connected to the river before it shifted to provide water to the moat.

The entrance to the Red Fort which is also the place where the Indian flag was hoisted for first time when India get its independence in 1947. Security is pretty tight with body searches (which also applies to the cinemas) and the bag detactor and scan procedures. However, the body search was compensated by special treatment for touristy me includes: personal 'handicap' toilet that is cleaned before I use and no queue for the tickets.

This is the sight we saw after the body searches. The official entrance to the exciting Fort city. Many people perceive that forts were meant to defend a city... BUT this was like a city itself inside the fort, stalls and entertainment meant for the owners or protectors of the fort. Will load those pics in the next post.

We were posing in front of Naubat Khana which means Drum House (to announce arrival of guests) which I thought was a Mosque so I had to act Muslim. Anyway I think the red turned out really well in the picture :) This three-storey building was also known as Naqqar Khana, it was here that music was played five times a day. It has another name which was 'Hathi Pol' (Elephant Gate) because visitors dismounted from their elephants here.

This is the entrance to the Museum that had information, paintings and sculptures of Indian's revolutionary past. It was a lovely sunny day after morning showers, so the sun was bright and clear, and surprisingly free from haze and pollution. Dont you like my Indian top? I like it too cos its a pretty deep shade of green.

This structure I believe was to house some birds cos I spied some flapping animals flying within the net. Somehow it reminded me of this scene from Aladdin cartoon where Princess Jasmine opened the beautiful white bird cage to release dozens and dozens of doves. On further research, it is actually the Emperor's throne, held in the Hall of Public Audience, made of a marble canopy or baldachin with pietra dura and floral motifs which were inlaid with polychrome semi-precious stones. It faces the main courtyard where civilians gathered to 'complain' to the Emperor.

The locals love to stop and gather to watch us while we posed and took pictures. Felt like a film star surrounded by hundreds of fans. if we charged everyone who stopped and stared at us 1 rupee, we could easily recoup our ticket costs. PS: we were all sweating despite looking fresh in pictures, being in the shade just lessened the burning sensation from the sun.

Look at the beautiful carvings! See how the daylight beckons and the rich shade of copper brown on the ceilings. One could marvel at the beauty and majesty of such sculptures filled with so much history and love which its sculptor patiently carved out.

I bet this place was reserved for Royalty. They really should let me in. I am princess in the eyes of my parents! The Diwan-i-Khas with an inscription on the wall which says “If on Earth be an Eden of bliss, it is this, it is this, none but this”. It truly is. I can only imagine how magnificant this fort must have been in the past with all its proper jewels and marble clean floors.

See the beautiful marble walls and carvings? How I wish my house would resemble this in the future, when I become power, rich and influential... hehe *dreams*

And I should have a pond in my garden too. Preferably with fountains and maybe kois. How about flamingos? hmm

View from the fort. The whole string of wires in the distance was covered with pigeons! To have a roasted pigeon, one should just electrocute those birds with those wires.

The out of place British barracks.

Ok we headed to CP for lunch at 5pm!! Hungry Singaporeans walked around for half an hour and the good Indian restaurants were packed and had a queue! Thankfully we came across this place called Zen. Guess what they serve?

Chinese Food! Although a tad too salty (maybe they spilled the bottle of salt into it), this wholesome meal put big fat grins on our faces. Yum yum. Lamb in Sze Chuan sauce, Cabbage and Xiao Bai Cai in Oyster Sauce, Pan Fried seafood noodles.

It ended off with a visit to the bakery to buy desserts. Halleluja! Haha cookies galore! Yes mommy Im watching my diet and exercising ;)

FRIDAY FUN

2007-06-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

The office invited a tarot card reader as part of a HR engagement project. That metal thing sort of shows which part of your body holds tension with each tme u hit it with.

Power Stones that aid in loads of things like romance, wealth health or to ward off evil.

The cards to my five questions that I asked in my head and then picked. She will then tell me what the card is about. In the end it is up to me interpret the answer to my question

The Empress which symbolizes love and growth in relation to my question. I still think your future is up to you and not predicted by a tarot card reader.

It rained today and everyone was so happy. The nterns at Airtel emailed to tell me it was raining too :)

It's also the last day of work for Aakash and they held a farewell party for him. This choc cake is HEAVENLY - yummy!

Some of the indian snacks n loads of chips (Kun, stop drooling)

The boys. The one in pink is the one i report to.

The girls. The girl in th emiddle is 25 n have been married for 6 months. Holy!

Awesome Connection with Food!

2007-06-14T09:48:00.000-07:00

It was Sari Day (supposedly) but alot of the indian ladies pang sei here. So only a few wore this beautiful garment. Just learning to fold the cloth to pleats n preventing the cloth from falling off is as delicate and graceful as the skillfulness of an artist's hand.

Velma and Del in their lovely outfits - Dont they look stunning? To wear a sari requires skill, to wear a sari when u are not an Indian girl is a thin line between stupidity and courage. The difference is grace and elegance. Let's hope this Chinese girl will rise to the occasion... one day

My usual partners (Ashima, Swetha and me of course) in crime decided to scoot off from the office canteen to have lunch at this atas restaurant called Fox.

It really was a foxy adventure, with lots of complaints about the waiters not observing our private space n me catching a tobasco sauce bottle that the waiter dropped before it could fall n shatter into a million pieces.

This is Swetha. I thought she looked lovely like that. With big eyes that portray longing and a subtle sadness. just that moment spoke volumes of elegance n quiet serentiy for me.

Swetha is scrutinising the menu for her choice of food. She decided on diet coke and a salad. healthy choice eh? The poor girl had to leave lunch early to get back to work as she had a departmental meeting and decided to take away her food. When she brought it back to the office to munch on, it was filled with pastsa n greens! She really should have stuck to the prawn salad.

Appetizing bread buns and bread sticks. The best part of this starting dish was the butter. It was a lovely minty mix of herbs and cold butter. The melt in the mouth effect made the normal bread invitingly fragrant.

Chicken Soup of the Day - Not too creamy with tiny bits of minced chicken in every scoop!
Ashima with her chicken. It was mainly breast meat cooked with a rich creamy white sauce. But it definately wasn't authentic as it had the distinct flavor of Indian spices. Really a huge portion that she could not finish!
This is my dish! Lamb Burgundy. I love the grilled tomato n freshly boiled veg. The lamb mixture was awesome for the first few bites as the fresh button mushrooms gave it a punch with each bite that I took. But I was huffing and puffing away while trying to finish the meat. Didn't touch the potatoes as I have had my fill of potatoes here in India. Would have been perfect IF the meat pieces were bigger so that one can enjoy the tenderness of it and the gravy could be less thick n rich. "More muchrooms and veg for this true blue Singaporean girl!"

Ok the food culprit n her partner in crime- Me Myself n I.
Desserts - Vanilla Icecream topped with choc syrup . Ashima was too full to have her icecream. What a waste. We were afraid we might end up falling asleep at work. Siesta!!!

I usually dont like Vanilla (right Kun?) but this version was more like Gelato than milk so I finished every sccop. The climax was the cherry at the bottom. Not the usual preserved ones that Cherie avoids, but it felt different, even the seed was still present. Very nice ending - like a Happily Ever After.
Oh! Dinner was SO GORGEOUS! The cook is undergoing training as we usually have a fixed routine of daily food- Indian daal/ Intercontinental Chicken n Chowmien/ Roti n Rice. So this time, he fished out a true blue chef skill - MOMOs! These are the Indian equivalent to our Chinese Guo Te Dumplings but are stuffed with chicken instead of pork meat. It tastes so heavenly as it's one of the rare things without spices or gavy. It even came complete with a familiar tasting Chicken Rice Chilli.

The whole feast - Italian Veg Pasta, French Fries ( not in pic, too much potatoes), Momos AND Chicken Broth! It's semi-clear soup. Might have been cooked using the chicken bones as stock. Really wonderful. Dinner ended with the boys trying to scare with stupid ghost stories, totally empty plates n all of us smiling with inflated tummies.

More pics

2007-06-13T08:02:00.000-07:00

The colours of India all rolled into one, baking in the sun.
Crossing the shaky bridge, women and children goods and bags in hand.
Big strong Indian man, YF you like.
Er.. even knows how to use sunblock lotion.
Im still scared of cows.

MEXICAN FOOD! Kun I know u love these nachos topped with gooey cheese.
Celine has to take photos with funny things.

More pics from the trip: New friends I made. Funny, entertaining and surprisingly very intelligent
A picture of a beautiful temple taken while we were in the raft floating on the river surface.

The Scary shaky suspension Bridge where thousands of locals cross everyday either by foot or on their two-wheeled motorcycles. "dont rock the boat baby..."
Sunblock 101: Always keep the visor on, even when you have a rafting helmet on.
Tempting streetside food which the guys indulged in but I stayed away from.
I love being the girl.
This somehow makes India unique.

Chotiwala! Literal Translation: "Got Pony tail" Legend has it that the two brothers had a fight and split up to have competitive restaurants beside each other.

I saw a beautiful sunset and HAD to catch it on film. So romantic.
Looking chirpy in the morning cos of the food!
Marcorni n cheese with mushrooms! - Breakfast!

2007-06-13T01:53:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I fell sick, got well and made a lovely trip down to Rishikesh, the place near the Himalayan Mountains. The 9-hour drive down to that place (which I assure you is pure torture) was well worth the pain. When we saw the raw beauty of India that Nature had to offer, my heart melted to the smooth flows of the Ganges River. Children were playing and swimming in the shallow waters, while people up on the bridges were crossing this wooden suspension to get to the rows of temples on either side. The now familiar sounds of traffic horns blazing was a distant cry to the melodious thump of the majestic river. We had to take a short 5 minute drive to get to the top of the river, so that we could experience the jolts from the rapids while water-rafting. Those nine hours of butt-soreness was compensated with this peaceful adventure that screamed of fun and laughter while the soul was humbled by being near this masterpiece.

Legends have it that this statue was carved by the hands of the river that came from the mountains.
Water Rafting ALL SET BOYS!
The girly version. The temple's aura was touching me even though I was half a river away.
The amazing bridge that could hold the weight of so many while suspending over the river.

Group pic
The long never-ending drive back home to the Gurgaon Desert.
On the drive home, we got lost in some Reserve Park where tigers and elephants roam or something. Didn't see them but I caught sight of a pretty tree.
Three Indian boys on a Chinese Bridge at a food stopover.
This place is beautiful! it reminded me of a trip I made to Cameron Highlands when I was seven.

Do not be deceived by the serene picture that my camera has captured. It looks cool but it's so HOT! Delhi was supposed to be 46 degrees at that moment. Although I away from there, I bet it was still 35 degrees at least.
This foodstop called Cheetah Green has many funny signs lying around. And it has amazing Chicken Tandoori too!
Could not resist running around a tree in India.
All that veg Indian food made me go crazy and evil when I saw birds. (PS: The Holy Rishikesh place I went to does not allow meat, or any vice for that matter)
Evidence of real hot weather: Daddy! Thanks for your thoughtfulness about the moisture spray, it came in handy. The guys were all fighting to use it.

Im the happiest girl alive

2007-06-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

Been really busy at work n have been a lil lazy to update. Dressed up in

sort of Indian- wear last friday... N this package made me really happy.

A New Kind of Shopping - More sights of India

2007-06-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

We went to the equivalent of Sim Lim underground today. The boys go crazy over their silly games and vcds. No wonder they say that men don't grow up. Haha
I like this dome, it reminds me of a mosque of sorts.
This public taxi is GORGEOUS! I think only couples should take this cab. Can u imagine two men taking it? Haha so cheesy...
The reason why Delhi is so safe. The Delhi police. One often sees this police vehicle in the Bollywood action movies. The policemen seem poser- friendly (like to take pics) too!
Somehow I cant explain the attraction for these lively women and their colourful wares. Their bright smiles and banter.
Went to
Cannaut Place with many stalls selling pics, posters, inspirational quotes, etc.
Lady selling colourful cushion covers, quilts, scarves, bags, etc. Love her smile, it's the businessman smile i tell u, to entice people to buy.
Toys- the boats go round n round on the water surface.
Books books books! I think I might end up buying more books here - the nerd in me is calling out.

This little girl was watching me take photos and smiling so much I had to take a photo with her. Her cheerful demeanor and polite manners tugged at my heart when she complimented on the picture with a simple "beautiful".
of course Bert had to sneak back into the bakery to buy more pastries. *He's piling on the pounds i tell u* hehe. Caught him red-handed.
This cute cart stationed at the sides of each road serves to entice weary, thirsty and burnt shoppers with its bright colours, cheerful displays of yellow, orange, green and coke flavours. It's so difficult to find a chilled drink here in Delhi. Come to think of it, I have only had a cold drink once a week?
Didnt know what this boy was doing, but thought it was pretty interesting. Maybe he's selling dried lemons and mangoes. Love the display arrangement though.
Pigeons galore! The people throw seeds to the grounds to feed these birdies. Dont worry daddy, I took this pic from afar and used the zoom function.

Oh look Mommy! Ice-cream!!! I think the cart concepts are so adorable. Treats on wheels.
There was this cart whereby the men were surrounding a guy flipping the bread-like thingies. Doubt it's nan, but it's evidence of the high carb diet here. So interesting to watch streetside food being cooked, but my tummy says "No, No"

This is Sarojini Market - known for cheap buys!
This tailor does alteration services for only 10 ruppees!!
If I ever get bored, I could buy some of these toys to keep me entertained.

Saw this monk walking from stall to stall asking for money and alms. He does resemble a hermit, complete with the walking stick and slippers.
Really like this picture as it shows these women bargaining at a necklace stall. Love the colours and the way they are crowding around. Sounds like a description of a collectivistic culture, which India really is.
The iced bottles and lemon slices may look refreshing and so tempting on a hot hot day but the nagging voice at the back of my head told me that I will only buy bottled water from the supermarkets.
Becos who knows where the water might have come from??? Perhaps this public water pipe? Where men manually pump water into their buckets? Haha I love my body and do not wish to harm it. Better safe than sorry just like what daddy always say ;)

Shopping at the markets really was a big contrast to shopping at the big malls that my neighbourhood has.

The Bar in the Shopping Centre

2007-06-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

Some of the funny sights. Pay a little closer attention to the notes.
See the signs - no geeks allowed.
Who on earth would qualify as stags???
Ok, G you are not allowed here. :)

2007-06-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

My Saturday adventure started off here. The Source of Great Food to come! The decor follows the Moulin-Rogue theme of dress-up and camera, lights, action!
See? I told you so. even the menu is so cute! I feel just like the director making the food cut.
Think Aloy and Cherie will love this decor. It is similar to our Clark Quey adventure. Remember? Lights, mirrors... Feel like a movie star.
That's my onion man! A slice of onion, some of the sauff (for food digestion) and a toothpick for the nose. Onion man is obviously a liar. See how long his nose is!!!

Bollywood style, sunglasses in a shady dark restaurant. This is called soaking in the culture.
Jamorn with Melvin's sunglasses, with a local Kingfisher in hand, tomato soup in his belly.
Chicken Sautéed with green peppers, big sliced onions. It is awesome. Tasty chicken that tingers the senses.
Chicken drumsticks cooked in butter and spicy gravy.
Look at the whole table of food. Have never been so happy to have lunch here in India. Eating so much that I have to roll back home. This is the best Saturday ever! :)

Trademark of Candy Conquerers! Combine casual elegance with fun and you get happy Singaporeans in a Candy- Ice cream shop.
Chocolate-crazy Celine holding a gigantic bowl of chocolates. Now you know what to send over to put a huge grin on my face!!!
That's my scoop of ice-cream. Strawberry Sorbet, it's delightful to have that sweet tangy ice cold sensation down your throat in this hot dry desert area.
I'll take you to the candy shop.... Sweets from all over the world- Spain, UK, etc.
That's all folks for this food adventure. Stop drooling now!!!

Laughter is the best medicine

2007-06-01T02:29:00.000-07:00

Becos yesterday was anti-tobacco day.
Just thought I should warn the smokers.
Haha thought Aloy would appreciate this sadistic humor.
And of course the quest for the perfect set of abs. (abdominal muscles)
This would probably happen to me in India if I was corn. Pop goes Celine...

Signs of being Homesick

2007-05-31T01:30:00.000-07:00

I am proud to be Singaporean. And am proud of the people, the land and the food. Just thought I would post an entry and show my patriotism cos it's a holiday back home now.
Chili crab.... the succulent flesh and the tasty chilli egg sauce. Dip those fried to golden brown man taos into the sauce. yum yum... I still vouch that the tastiest portion is the crab's mid-body.
Moving off from seafood to .... fish. haha Salmon sashimi. Love it love it love it with the fish roe and the washabi mixed with light soya sauce. Every bite you take, the texture of this lovely fish just overwhelms you. I like it when the flesh has a little bouncy touch to it.
Fishball mee - who can forget what they grew up on. I like mine with meepok, dry, no laa pok, no ketchup, more bean sprouts, and a little chilli. It's one of those foods that will remind me of my childhood. Teochew fishball noodles. Even the name of it has a nice ring to it.

Satay! I really like the pork version. Soft tender and juicy. I hate it when it's too sweet or too chao-ta-ed. The sauce needs to have nicely-grounded nuts to ensure a grindy texture that goes well with the side vegs.

Ok while im here facing daal every single meal of the day, feel free to indulge in these foods on my behalf ok? And don't tell me!

Pics of Nice Veg Food (Snack)

2007-05-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

This is the way they cook our food, cook our food, cook our food. This is the way they cook our food... every morning, aft n evening.
That's the youngest helper cutting up the tofu. Their tofus are made of cow's milk, not the usual soya milk back home. Cant blame me for putting on weight eh?
This helper went to put on the AIRTEL T-shirt the moment I brought my camera into the kitchen. Hehe the wonders of technology, it motivates men to literally dress up.
I bet he is my age or younger. It's such a weird feeling cos pple my age are studying, while he works, cooks, does the laundry for a living. Hmmm maybe it's his passion. Singaporean girls! Would you like him? He could make a terrific housemate!
I just wanted to show a picture of me in my new black jacket. haha.. the guys think i look like a teenage mutant ninja turtle/ assasin/ charlie's angel... I think u get the idea.

Snacking after work. It's really quite fun. Reminds me of the times when we have snacks and desserts after school or something.
This delicious snack is called chaat. It's like a mixture of kokopok (crackers) in a mixture of sauces like yoghurt (curd) sweet sauce, some sour sauce. Topped with nice nuts, steamed nuts and promegrate fruits. A really nice veg snack :)
Ashima bought it for me. Although I paid the cashier, she told him "NO NO how can I let her pay?" And he obediently gave the money back. The power of being a local.
More snacks! Im looking forward to the cool snacks they have here. So colourful and full of flavor. It bursts into savory flavors of sweet, sour with a tangy aftermath when you bite into it.
We didnt buy from the streetside. Need to play it safe cos me as the Singaporean has a relatively weak immune system.

Fun Facts From Work

2007-05-28T22:23:00.000-07:00

Interesting facts about your brain and intelligence

Your brain has about 100 billion neurons. A typical brain cell has from 1,000 to 10,000 connections to other brain cells.
Studies have shown that children who are breast fed display IQ's up to 10 points higher by the age of three.
Your brain weight accounts for about 2 percent of your body weight. But your brain uses 20 percent of your body's oxygen supply and 20 to 30 percent of your body's energy.
When you are born, your brain weighs about a pound. But by age 6, it weighs three pounds. What happens? Learning to stand, talk, and walk creates a web of connections in your head—two pounds worth!
Your brain is full of nerve cells, but it has no pain receptors. Doctors can operate on your brain while you're awake and you won't feel a thing.
In 1984 the political scientist James Flynn reported that Americans had gained about 13.8 IQ points in 46 years. If people taking an IQ test today were scored in the same way as people 50 years ago then 90% of them would be classified in the genius level.
A message for action travels from your brain to your muscles as fast as 250 miles per hour.
An analysis of 1 million students in a New York school district showed that school cafeteria food affected IQ scores to an astonishing degree. When preservatives, coloring, dyes and artificial flavors were removed from the cafeteria menu researchers found that 70,000 students performed two or more IQ grade levels higher than before.

Hope this keeps you entertained. It's like opening a Snapple bottle and looking at the underside for a fun fact!

To check out your IQ score, go to www.intelligencetest.com
I went, and Im not skivving during work. Mommy I know you like these kind of things :)

2007-05-28T08:49:00.000-07:00

Meat Tonight! With Italian spaggetti, brown gravvy chicken, mushrooms and baby corn in spinach paste.
The guys let me have the last piece of chicken! Becos Im the carnivore. I like being the girl :)
A picture of Japan from Junkai - riding into the sunset. I hope I can catch a similar sight here.

Evidence of the Bollywood Craze - Im not pulling your leg :)
This is MY dvd :) It's about how a 60 year old man has a relationship with a 18 year old against societal morals.
Ashima bought these tubes of moisturizer and lip balms for me, so i have protection from the harsh weather and air-con office days :)
Found these postcards of pretty girls on the malls.
This is the head cook! He has two sons (20 and 13 yrs old), he is going back to his village tomorrow to see his missus! He told me he is going to train his cooking skills in Belgium and Mexican cuisine. haha so sweet. They are all so happy when I offer them potato chips and chocs while asking them about their day.

Sunday Morning - Breakfast in Bed

2007-05-27T07:44:00.001-07:00

No sunday is right without snacks. hehe...
And of course India will not be India without Hindi movies. Haha I have influenced the guys to buy some dvds to watch with me cos they have started jigging to the Bollywood music.

Birthday girl (one of the interns) and her cake.
This is MY office. It's in between three malls. BUT I do not go out of the building, so there is no lunchtime shopping for me :(
Evidence of the need for infrastructure, these are the roads (or pavements) that people walk on from mall to mall.
Other forms of transport, alternatives to cars.
Of course, at times you will see an abandoned animal (cow this time) from time to time on the streets.

The remains of the snack boxes that keep me sane and happy.
Veg fastfood cooked by our house assistants. For a moment I took a bite of it and thought it was fish. Then I realised the patty was stuffed with potatoes. haha... meat-crazy... bah chor mee, prawn noodles, salted chicken, bbq stingray, sambal sotong, steamed fish, chicken rice....
Shopping at one of the nearby malls. Needed to do some grocery shopping and in dire need of a swimming costume. The huge influx of the mall is due to the popularity of the supermarket called Spencer's. It's supposed to have everything a household needs.
Obviously a household does not need swimwear, that's why there were no swimming costumes in sight! Oh well, at least the three boys looked happy to have reached an ORGANISED supermarket that has neat rows of food that has been classified to look like Carrefour.
Some happy happy shopping! - Came back with some dvds and books.

Here's a music video that has got all of us dancing away. Haha. It means "Salute my Love". Enjoy it :)

Tour to Delhi City ( I live at gurgaon)

2007-05-26T12:55:00.000-07:00

Some kind of landmark thingy for the early freedom fighters of India. Took this picture from the car so they would look like they were running.
Ventured into Delhi City to meet the Tata interns. had KFC for lunch and watched a Hindi movie at the above movie theatre. it really is a grand affair for them. Bomb checks, Marble floored toilets, cool chairs that can slide so you can lie down to watch the movie. It costs 175 Ruppees for a ticket during the weekend. Very affordable if you ask me :)

This is the place where all the other SMU interns work at. I work at a separate office :(
Cute little public taxis which I doubt I will be able to withstand during the 1.5 hr drive to Delhi.
Dont know why, but I like this picture. It calls out to me. Love the pillars and rustic feel. It stands out against the rest of Delhi.

A typical scene from Delhi. Make sure to note that this is the modern Delhi. When and if I do make a trip down to Old Delhi I will put up photos to contrast the two. Qiqi- Orientation Group buddy.

Outside the famous bakery with a rich history (found on lonely planet) with Kangwei (one of the new Tata intern friends I made)
With backdrop of Delhi in the background. Bertrand and I finally found our way into the inner city radius to meet the rest. Our driver seemed clueless on how to get to our destination.
With Yinna inside the bakery. Trigger happy - Singaporeans... Tsk tsk
Some of the cakes on display. One thng I realised is that Indian food has loads of sweet stuff for desserts. (Mummy! your favourite!)
Definately looking happy with our purchases. The Bharti interns (Bertrand and I) bought 13 pieces of pastries! To eat for the weekend :)

A nice day at Delhi but there's nothing to buy!!! The malls here sell dresses for 80 Sing dollars! Amazingly expensive if you ask me. The Hindi movie was a funny experience. Had to have the movie translated to me in bits and pieces and cook up a whole picture. The movie "Shootout" was horribly gruesome. Loads of violent killing scenes admist the looking cool portions and macho Bollywood dance sequences. Im looking forward to watching a Romance show now.

Shrek 3 and Pirates of the Carribean will only come out on 1st June here :( Well I can save up and look forward to that...

Just to see 'her' again

2007-05-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

Warm sand, Laughter in the sun, Cool waters, Summer lovin'

Let your hair down. It's FRIDAY!

2007-05-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

I love this pic with the SC girls. So natural and surreal at the same time :)

Tired feet. I need some pretty shoes to wear here. They promised to bring me shopping. Cant wait!
Sex on the Beach. Awesome drinks! And fascinating company.

With Harsh, the senior VP who interviewed me. he's leaving the company. (He's been voted one of the best managers in India)
That's the bag the HR department gave him and I have the honour of taking the pic with him of course.
Ani is really cool. She has three chinese words on her right arm that mean: peace, power, influence. :)

More dedications

2007-05-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

To Layshan, I wish you the clarity of thoughts.
To Cheryl I wish you eternal grace.
To my best friend Kun, Beauty and happiness.
To Tiff, forever cheerfulness and vibrancy. You do light up people's lives
To YF, a close up of dark handsome men. hehe... It's so fun teasing you!