You are Coraline, eh?
15/04/2004
I finally got a copy of Coraline
Just the paperback ($9 from MPH) instead of the usual nice hardcover colour version that will probably cost three times more. I intend to bring it on my trip to Hong Kong. Light, small and Gaiman, it should come in handy.
The Office
Got KT in the office interested in The Office and we’ve been laughing about it since. He says he sees a bunch of similarities between the character David Brent and his buddy in our office, Fogey. But I don’t think of Fogey highly enough to see that. I think Fogey is too dumb to come off slimey. But that’s me. Anyway, The Office is hilarious. I love the way it’s shot like a documentary, very clever.
That’s my favourite character Gareth. He’s too funny. If he looks familiar, he was also the pirates with the loose glass eye in Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl.
wondered why great comedies originate in Britain first. Not all of them do, Third Rock from the Sun was truely American. But I guess the greats are mostly British. Perhaps we just prefer the humour through the use of language and wit better than action and contrived circumstances. Maybe the Brits are just funnier. Could be the accent.
Next on my hitlist is ‘Allo ‘Allo, but that’s going to have to wait.
Mid Day Break
14/04/2004
Ok, so I’m goofing off
I’m so sleepy. I don’t think I’d do anything right anyway. Found a Cat Personality Test, though I haven’t tried it. This Inkbot Test that reveals your unconscious mind was really wacky. I didn’t finish it though, it got too long.
Tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow
14/04/2004
Looking forward to the days off
So I will be away from Saturday to Tuesday – taking some time off with KF. We’re heading to Hong Kong, not my first choice destination, but it was there, and convenient, and I just want to take a break. The weather apparently hot (27 degrees C) and humid, so great. I’ll pack light. 
So I just have to make it to the end of the week.
Are you gonna be my girl?
13/04/2004
Donor, Donator
Nothing exciting happened to me today, but AK was sure annoyed when sometime at noon we received feedback via email from a user who pointed out that our poll was badly phrased. There is no such word as donator, the correct word is donor he claimed.
Funnily enough, donor just makes me think of Pierre Png.
Anyway. For the record, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary donator is a word. Means the same thing as donor.
Done with The Office
Sadly, the first season of The Office fit on 1 dual layered dvd. 6 episodes, all fantastic, though much better only with the subtitles turned on. 
it was over too soon. Too funny.
My books finally arrived
Last Thursday, my colleague called me excitedly to tell me that I received a “sack” of stuff upstairs. I came upstairs to find a real gray sack and in it a nicely packed box with my Dreamhaven order. Yay. So Neverwhere, The Day I Swopped My Dad for 2 Goldfish and Angels and Visitations (which I put off for 6 years) is here – now I just need to get through those. Can’t wait.
Desperately seeking Sumiyaki
11/04/2004
The lunch adventure
After looking at all the pictures of the Yaki Onigiri yesterday, I had this burning craving for Yakitori. So I dragged KF to Kazu Sumiyaki Restaurant for some barbecued lunch, Japanese style. We flew down to Cuppage Plaza, the dingy neighbour to uptown Centerpoint and dashed into the restaurant only to be informed politely that they only serve dinner. Great.
Well, when that failed a whole heap of other Japanese restaurants in the building became real options, except most of them were closed (or closing to get ready for dinner) because it was almost 2.30pm. We made our way down to the first floor, as a coffeeshop serving Yong Tau Foo beckoned, but it was so crowded we had to look for alternatives. Just as we were about to give up and walk to Centerpoint, we came across a small coffeeshop style Japanese noodle place called Ohsho and settled there. Food was ok, not fantastic, but I guess the treat was eating there. You can get a set meal at $8 and the variety is pretty decent. I chose a Tenshin Rice (which was basically rice enveloped in a chive and crabmeat egg wrap covered in sauce) and Gyoza set. Comes with soup. The gyoza was fine, thin wrap filled with minced meat but they kept coming apart. The rice though, was a bit much.
We should have ordered a ramen + rice set, but I guess we were hungry. Iced water is free (you get it yourself) but soft drinks will set you back $3.
It’s April already
Should be a good time to travel out of the tropics. So next weekend I’m heading to Hong Kong. The weather looks pretty fair, so I guess it’s tee shirt and jeans.
Life under a microscope
10/04/2004
Japanese cartoons dubbed in English, Japanese serials dubbed in Mandarin, perhaps sushi later
The jet lag I experienced in the US was horrific, I didn’t think anyone could actually feel that bad from jet lag (ok, maybe I was whining cos I had to go to work) but now the jet lag has turned my life around! I sleep at 11.30pm (at the latest) and wake up at a very normal 9am. Even better, I get to catch boring Saturday morning programmes on both local TV stations.
For Japanese cartoons dubbed in English by Singaporeans with inconsistent and inaccurate American accents check out Channel I’s morning lineup for kids.
For Japanese serials dubbed in Mandarin by the Taiwanese with overly whiney and dramatic tones, we can always count on TCS 8.
Too bad I won’t be able to get some of that Yaki Onigiri again for a while. Guess the search is on for a local alternative.
Back to the here and now again
Well back at my office things are back in place again. The familiar constant bashing of keyboards, and whiffs of nicotine and the constant fixation on short term revenue lost no time in getting re-acquainted. It’s life back in the trenches again.
If you enjoy constantly shifting your focus, being micromanaged, and being unsure of where you’re heading in the long run, you should contact me for a referral.
On a healthier note
You should really start eating more cruciferous vegetables, like Bak Choy, Broccoli (my new favourite), Cabbage, Daikon, and Watercress, cos they contain phytochemicals which helps our body break down carcinogens. Perhaps I should leave broccoli on and around my desk in the office.
Had dinner at Quan Le Yuan restaurant last night with the family. We’ve been going there for ages, since we discovered they make pretty decent, no fuss Teochew dinners. We usually get a steamed fish (that’s what going there is for, anyway) but since I just got back, I got to order the Promfret instead. My brother prefers the steamed Fish head, which is really vile if you ask me. They also make a really mean rendition of minced garlic fried watercress – lovely. Go early, at or before 6pm or late, past 8.30pm to avoid the crowd.
Random from my trip to The Botanics yesterday
KF was still up when I woke up (about 8.30am) so I didn’t let him sleep and instead we dragged ourselves out to breakfast at Cafe Le Amis at The Botanics. Even though it was hot, humid and crowded.
I’ve shaky hands, I know
KF took this one, thought it was cool
Back in the homeland
08/04/2004
If you missed me, I’m back
If you didn’t, I’m back still. Too bad for you.
Had a really hectic week at Sunnyvale which ended at 5pm Friday evening on the dot so I could hitch a ride to San Francisco for a really lovely weekend. The weather was fine – a little chilly, but good nonetheless – and the company was warm, which made coming back to reality (or the hell I call work) even harder.
Spent Saturday tasting tea at Chinatown and then taking a walk down to Market Street.
Scenes from San Francisco
I really like this tea, it’s a green Oolong
That’s the Transamerica Pyramid peeking behind some buildings at Chinatown
I walked from Grant Avenue to Market Street to get to Old Navy
Banana Republic was the first familiar sight down the street
Quick update
03/04/2004
I’m alive!
Yeah, the work week is over for me, and my weekend will be fun fun fun. I don’t know what’s planned for tomorrow but I’ll try to wake up about 9am (good luck!).
So just yeah, I had a good dinner tonight, and am staying at Alice’s. Allen gave me a ride from Sunnyvale to San Francisco, and we took a short detour to Moffett Field, where the US Navy has a hangar and a NASA research lab. That was cool.
All in all the week at Sunnyvale was probably better than I expected. And I met many new and interesting co-workers from around the world. I just am not sure I like the environment there. It’s very big and corporate and well, it’s just American. I’m so used to that Asian homely feel.
Anyway. That’s my update for today, I haven’t done any shopping (just a bit at the Yahoo! Store) and tomorrow and the day after I have to catch up. I think I might end up checking in my bag if I buy some more.
That’s it for today, it’s a short one given I’ve to wake up early tomorrow. Have a good weekend! And when you get in to work on Monday – know that I’ll still in pretty San Francisco enjoying my weekend! See yer Wednesday Singapore Time.
