first late nighter

heading out of the office at 7 pm on a friday night, i run into a coworker who invited me out for some drinks and dinner with her friends. sure, why not, i only had old rice waiting for me at home anyway. what i didn't anticipate was the all european audience. before long, i was sitting at a long table with a bunch of rather attractive europeans: 1 scotish, 1 german/scot (who looked like a younger version of pierce brosnan), 2 french/english, 1 english, 1 belgian and 5 aussies. all "locals" living and working in singapore. oh, then there was me and another american who empahically says, i'm not american, i'm a new yorker. enuf said. the thing about the europeans i find is that they are incredibly interesting and social, but can be incredibly arrogant. the german can come off a bit pompous and self rightious, while the french... well, are very french. the belgian was a bit aloof but i have to say, all in all, i found the evening delightful. at the end of the day or i should say at the end of a very long evening, despite the cultural idiosyncracies, i had a great time! it didn't hurt that the food and wine were equally interesting and enjoyable.

the shared cab ride home was a bit of an experience as well. there were three of us, the new yorker, scot, and me. the new yorker immediately started bossing the cabbie around - "left here, no, right there" - frustrated at his lack of efficiency to which she says "do you want me to drive???" also asking if he has been smoking a joint and that's why he is not paying attention, threatening to report him. this of course is all half serious and jest. after she is dropped off, the scot as if on queue, takes the baton and starts telling the cabbie what to do.

i am wiped by the time i hit the bed, but glad i said yes to my coworkers invitation to what has been the most interesting night in singapore thus far.

Every night I head out of work thinking "what do I want for dinner tonight?" usually in the same spot underground towards the subway. Somehow I find great delight in this nightly thought for many reasons: 1) I really like food, a lot a lot, 2) food options in singapore is great and cheap, 3) gives me something to think about and plan for the night. But above all, it makes me feel blessed, blessed that I have the luxury of thought and execution. Luxury and the freedom to eat virtually anything I want - except for a nice chile relleno (mexican food). However, this happy thought doesn't come without a price. As I think of how blessed I am, I can't help but think about the peeps I know on the skidrow, in kenya, uganda and peeps I don' know in parts of the world that go hungry at night. I have always known that the issue of poverty has never been about the lack of resources but the distribution of them. Few hoarding much. Not to oversimplify the problem but it's true. There is enough resources in the world for everyone to eat well. Take any country in africa as an example. Contrary to popular belief, most countries there are rich in natural resources and yet it is known for it poverty (among others issues). A lot has to do with corruption and again, inequality of wealth distribution. It may seem that I am secretly arguing for socialism. Maybe so if that is what it means. All I know is that it doesn't have to be this way. so I get lost in important thoughts like this often and I try not to just keep it there... just in my thoughts that is.

on a happier note, i have no midnight calls. my first night off this week and tomorrow is friday - oh joy, but then again... weekends are not what it use to be.

without an audience

the dust has finally settled for the most part and i am trying to find my groove. got back into working out (finally) and eating at home alot. this past weekend was a bit of a reality shock. lonely and alone, i found solace in a newly purchased korean drama ("one fine day"), hence the infatuation with Gong Yoo. saturaday came and went like a slug. sunday was a bit more productive (guilt is the great motivator for squandering saturday). i love to counter unproductive days with a productive one, it becomes a wash. besides, one has to contribute to GNP even if it means going to the market and doing laundry.

i find myself in my head more often these days as i have less of an escape, less distractions if you will. and in the process, beginning to discover quite a bit about myself. just when i thot i knew all there was to know about me at 37... voila! there is more. take away all the accountability, structure and distractions and you are left with... well, just yourself, no audience to please or play to. i once heard that you are who you are when no one is looking. that is where i find myself. take this blog for an example. it has an audience that it plays to. sure i'm honest in what i share, but believe me when i say that it isn't published without edits. now imagine a blog without an audience. it would look different. some expletives for those genuinely frustrating moments, intimate thoughts and longings for God or my deep cravings for profound friendships etc. this is a good thing. not that i want to get over critical and analytical nor live in my head all day long, but that i get to have this rare opportunity to discover who i am without an audience. how would my physical and spiritual discipline look? only time will tell. in a way i feel like i need to catch up with myself. i have let distractions, good and bad to keep me from facing me - it's been an easy out. my life driven by calendar, reacting to people and events. not that it hasn't all together been thoughtful or meaningful, but perhaps not as intentional as i would have liked. my pastor once said, don't let life happen to you, DO LIFE. perhaps that's where i finally find myself. but regardless of any given situation, the choice is still mine to make. maybe this time, i will choose differently.

Gong Yoo

my latest heart throb! starred in "coffee prince" (all-in, this is a must see) and "one fine day." i'm in love...

i miss driving

my 5 little cylinder subie that can climb any mountain and plow through any snow storm, but what i miss more is my m3. that car can ride, corner, hug the road like it was no one's business. i should have never let you go... : (

am i actually climatizing???

my body is mutating to adjust, i just know it! how is it possible that s'pore doesn't feel so hot and miserable anymore? walking back home tonight, i actually felt the cool air. was i merely imagining or was there really a cool, evening breeze? i just hope that my brain didn't melt in the heat and humidity to where it now finds solace in hallucination.

i stop by my oh so convenient 7-eleven, just below my condo where i now find myself doing most of my grocery shopping. forget ralphs, vons, trader joe's for that matter, i find virtually everything i need at my trusty 7-eleven. altho now adays, i only buy water, milk, juice and occasional beer. when i get desperate, i even buy eggs and bread there. yes, there is a legit market near by, but that requires carrying heavy bags across and down the street. perhaps that's why i remain cool, avoid heavy lifting and my usual fast walking pace.

after eating my overcooked rice, i relax to "the lake house," a pathetic attempt at a remake of "il mare," a FANTASTIC korean movie. i normally don't say that about korean productions but this was creative and artistic, but hollywoodtized, it becomes flat and loses all of its magic, its originality. i must admit, keanu reeves looked perty hot, but even he could not redeem the movie for me. by the way, what's up with men and their turtle neck sweaters? they look great!!! i don't know what it is, but men look FABULOUS in turtle necks. yes, keanu wore them well. but in general, i find this to be true. to this day, i remember the "turtle neck scene" in the first batman movie with michael keaton. of course, this doesn't help me in s'pore where the temperature never sets below 100 degrees. i exaggerate, it doesn't dip below 90. oh, and add 100% humidity and you will affectively wear a very wet turtle neck. so much for climatizing...

i just realized that my fridge is full of beverages and dietary supplements only. yes, dietary supplements that i brot back from LA, and lots of it. mainly protein shake type of powder. why?... no good answer that will truly satisfy except to say, it's quick and convenient. also ensure that i get enuf... protein? but don't worry, weekend is coming up and i get to make my favorite weekend breakfasts, french toast and scrambled eggs. but it doesn't stop there, i get to use maple syrup and salsa cuz let's face it, sometime you eat the food for the sauce. yes, i'm a sauce girl. for example, filet mignon is completely worthless without the bernaise sauce, like lucy without ricardo. but let's not take this too far...

i am clearly just rambling at this point so i will return to my exciting telecommunications book and desperately try to stay awake for my late night conference call.

back to the land of outdoor sauna

7 days in LA was just what i needed; monday night football and beer, friends at the grove eating nachos and huevos rancheros, tasty eats at k-town, my cutie niece (possibly the cutest in the world), skidrow buddies doing what they do best, friend's birthday in good ol' claremont and mom... lovingly nagging me to drink every health concoction in the world with perfectly sliced bite sized apples. and the FABULOUS so cal weather, daily reminding me that life happens best in the mid 70's.

but i'm back to s'pore where it has a life of its own - or rather, life on my own. i was acutely aware of this as i shuffled with the rush hour crowd on my way home. i heard a sound of laughter among a small group of youngsters behind me - clearly friends sharing a funny moment. it brings an odd smile over my face as i think of my friends back home - wondering what they are laughing about. i learn to quickly readjust to my environment; my pace slows down again to keep me from drowning in my sweat, i carry a hanky to wipe off the sweat, i keep an umbrella with me at all times for those capricious down pours, and i squeeze into the crowded subway just when you think that you'll get caught between the doors or have your face pressed against the clear, glass doors.

i come home to make rice and wonder how much water to put in. i can never remember how to get the water just right. inevitably it's under cooked or over cooked. in this case, under - too little water. nonetheless, i make do and relax in front of the magic box. nothing exciting on TV so i fall back on one of my dvd collection. bridget jones. renee zell...whatever is perfect as bridget, but let's face it, i watch it for colin firth, who arguably is one of the sexiest non sexy man i know on the big screen. i am in love all over again. the gym will have to wait yet again another day.

so i'm back on my blog (thanks for missing me mr. all-in). it was either to blog or to read. considering my reading material for the night - telecommunications, blog was a no brainer. the one thing i have to say about LA that i absolutely despise, loathe and abominate is people's obesession with the celebrity. "breaking news just in, brittany spears loses custody of her kids." are you serious??? don't they know that there's been another devestating pillage in darfur??? from that respect, i'd much prefer BBC here than Fox News there. but all in all, it's rather cool that i get to travel and experience both within 24 hours, oh and skip ahead an jump back in time while i'm at it. crossing the date line is truly a modern day time travel - stuff that orson welles stories are made of - but that's for another time and another blog. so stay tuned...