in love with a geisha

gEiSHA gLaM

i went to watch Memoirs of a Geisha alone..hehe it was kinda fun watching a movie by myself..i mean i usually go shopping alone cos i enjoy the freedom to Spend Spend Spend and linger over pretty stila products without worrying about making others wait...but i never tried watching a movie alone..but to those who think it's wierd walking into a cinema alone, i say--Try it! it's a strangely cathartic experience!

i was so enchanted by gong li's beauty i couldn't stop wishing they would stop showing zhang ziyi's and michelle yeoh's faces and show more of hatsumomo (the angry jealous but nevertheless beautiful geish played by gong li) Oh gosh..how can someone look so fantastic at 41? perhaps some women just grow more beautiful with age? heh that gives all of us not-too-pretty girls out there some hope? or there's always plastic surgery...nah

but gong li aside (i better stop before i sound un-straight..haha), the movie got me quite interested in geishas..the word geisha means 'artists' in japan..'A geisha will make herself a living work of art, and the goal they work for is one that can never be reached-- perfection in their chosen skill, whether of music, dance, or singing. A geisha attempts to make her life art, and polish her character until she shines with it. She sells ideas, dreams, and fantasies. She will hint at her sexuality, but never flaunt it.' In fact, the idea of sexual favors being included as part of their "entertainment" is reprehensible to most geisha, at least the serious ones.

A successful geisha must demonstrate beauty, grace, artistic talent, charm, impeccable etiquette, and refinement..Wow..i doubt we have any equivalents of geisha in our society but i would definitely love to see such culture, beauty and elegance (all of which i think are sorely lacking in our society) around!

'What attracts a woman to this profession is, above all, the conscious and deliberate choice to make art her life.'--Liza Dalby, author of Geisha

"Charm is arranging kindness, teasing, and wit into something that will please the ear." --Shizuka geisha.

hAha ok so now i'm a little more inspired to be more graceful & poised, less klutzy & ungainly.. heh wish me luck!

"Just be yourself, but with a geisha twist." --Shizuka maiko Kitsuneko, on how to be a successful geisha.

quiet reflections on chinese new year

Chinese New Year 2006

'The best cure for the body is a quiet mind'--Napolean Bonaparte

but a quiet mind is hard to come by even when one is alone.

It was an uncommon feeling..to feel bored and restless on chinese new year. i woke up expectantly, like today was supposed to be some special day..but all that greeted me was quiet.

i had a nice time alone at the breakfast table, savouring my favourite meal--cornflakes and milk--and snacking on all the new year goodies that were untouched and begging to be eaten. It was relaxing browsing through the newspaper page by page--a luxury i hardly have time to do since o&g posting started. i was just beginning to enjoy having the house to myself when the neighbours started waking up..

as strains of chinese new year music and hearty laughther wafted in from the windows i felt a pang of nostalgia and ache for my family and relatives. i called my sister, who was alone in HK..and i took some comfort that i wasn't the only one in the world spending new year alone. she was just about to go shopping by herself, which made me feel a sudden urge to get out of the house and get soem retail therapy for myself, so we both wished each other luck that the shops would be opened, greeted each other happy new year again, and hung up.

so now i am gonna put on some bright coloured dress for the sake of it being a festive season, grab the keys and maybe catch a nice movie to lift my spirits.

but i do miss her, and the good old days, and i doubt i'll ever get used to growing up. and i know for sure that while being alone gives you freedom and independence, i think i'll always need loved ones around me to keep me feeling alive=)

'The virtues, like the Muses, are always seen in groups. A good principle was never found solitary in any breast. '-- Buddha

a house warming

21st Jan 2006, Saturday
Luan jie's & Julian's house warming
at a bali-resort looking house along jalan istimera, just next to jelita :)

It's family time!

Saturday, also known as salsa day for me..heh i realli look forward to my weeky salsa classes at attitude dance studio with Nic. Haha nic is a great salsa partner.. he gets the steps pretty fast! no wonder there's this other girl who's always rushing to partner him..hehe;>

And i absolutely love my salsa teacher who's called lavina but we all call her luv..she's HOT! Tall and sexy with beautiful eyes.. and she can really move her body!

This session was fun..i especially liked the enchufla move! think it'll look really nice if done fast and professionally..haha i'm sure we'll get there eventually..just need to practice more!;)

In the evening i had my cousin (luan jie's) house warming. She and her husband have the perfect family..3 very beautiful kids--a daughter and 2 sons--who are absolutely heart-melting!

luan jie and her daughter joanna

my charming nephews..christopher and matthew (who's got a way with women..watch out girls!)

It was great meeting up with all my cousins and aunties..(most of the uncles were too busy/lazy to come) I really enjoy hanging out with my cuzzies cos they're all such happy people. They enjoy great food & shopping & gossip nonstop! There's no place without loud mirthful laughter with them around..they're what i call having the SPIRIT!

woon jie and me

my lovely cousins! hmmm..where have all the guys gone? for some strange reason the guys are mostly overseas..or weren't around for the photo..hehe

And it was great meeting new people too! like jaime, this tennis pro who's only 1 yr older than me but was the first singaporean to go to the american tennis academy..she was telling me she was in the same class as andy roddick and played against the who's-who of tennis like kim clijsters! whoa..

Malathi

20th Jan 2006
Malathi's wedding

I remember the day when Malathi shyly told me, 'Steph, i've got something to tell you--i'm getting married!' I was ecstatic! No wonder something was different about her that day we met over coffee & tea at the AH cafeteria--there was a glow about her that i felt--though she was still the same dear Malathi to me.

Malathi and i met at one of the wards in AH at the start of my 3rd year medicine posting. She's a regular patient there because she has SLE. For those who know her, it's terrible how much she's been through, yet at the same time it's amazing how she keeps such a bright outlook to life! Honestly i don't think i would have the strength of character to stay so happy and cheerful..already with all my blessings--good health, caring parents-- i'm still b*tching about life more than i think necessary.

Anyway, she's one of those few angels in the world whom i really respect..and i'm proud to say we've become fast friends, meeting once in a while to catch up over dinner--whether in town, near her home or even at her home for deepavali dinner or even over a ballet concert under the stars! And i never thought the day would come when i would attend her wedding..I knew she always wanted to get married but was always discouraged by the men who could not accept her chronic disease and cushingnoid habitus (because of her steroids) Thus i'm truly happy for her and so honoured to be invited! She knew my ex-CG mates and invited them as well, but wendy and i are the closest to her and probably the most excited about her getting married. (Haha wendy was screaming with joy when Malathi and i called her to tell her the good news!)

Wendy and i went shopping for a wedding gift and got her a dining set..we were lugging this HUGE box of fragile crockery into the temple and when we saw no one else carrying presents we were having second thoughts. heh. Also we were seriously thinking of turning back to change into our prom dresses (we were wearing our work clothes) when we saw how beautiful the ladies were in their colourful saris and stunning gold jewellery and pretty flowers in their hair! But we saw the men wearing jeans and even berms(!!!) and decided we were't so bad after all.

Well we enjoyed ourselves tremendously, though we didn't really understand the ceremony. But it was a different and novel experience which we really appreciated.

Haha then came the last part of the day which was probably our favourite too..dinner time! We treated to a really sumptious meal at the canteen of the temple..fragrant saffron rice, crispy fritter, vegetable curry, vegetarian 'beef rendang' etc etc. And we had the remarkable experience of eating with our hands. We were trying hard to mimic the people around us but the rice kept dropping onto the plate before it reached our mouth. Hehe the Indian ladies next to us took pity and kindly taught us the correct way..We got better but still ended up being one of the last few to finish. Haha..unforgettable!

beautiful babies

Jan 13th 2006
My first week of Obstetrics at the delivery suite and antenatal ward was tiring but wonderful-- Tiring because I was always rushing to be at ward 96 before 7.30am for Q&A sessions (every mon, wed & fri) where we got grilled by difficult mcqs and tutors; Wonderful because of the babies and their mothers (and dads). The joy written all over their faces is just amazing and very contagious! It gives me a rush of something indescribable, like i've just witnessed some miracle taking place. And i just can't help but be thrilled by the fact that we all actually went through such a tiny stage of life! haha

A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on --Carl Sandburg

Babies are such a nice way to start people --Don Herrold

And not forgetting the mothers of course, who i can't help but find really beautiful. You know what they say about mothers looking their worst during labour? It's not true at all! They look gorgeous, even sans make-up or jewellery. I find the whole process extremely touching--that a mother has to go through sooo much to bring her own child into this world. And the serene smile on her face after her baby is brought to her is perhaps the one of the greatest sense of satisfaction one can ever experience!

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan

Then there's the dad, or rather, dad-to-be. He is the anxious man pacing around the corridors outside the delivery suite before the wife is in labour. He is the loving husband staying by his wife's bed the whole time she is in labour, trying to be strong and encouraging with a brave smile and reassuring words of 'Push, you can do it, push!'..Yet the worry in his eyes betrays the concern he has for his wife and child. To me, it is a handsome picture of love and strength.

There are three stages of a man's life: He believes in Santa Claus, he doesn't believe in Santa Claus, he is Santa Claus. ~Author Unknown

Women's Liberation is just a lot of foolishness. It's the men who are discriminated against. They can't bear children. And no one's likely to do anything about that. ~Golda Meir

We Miss Crystal!

6th Jan 2006

my cg mates..sui an,clinton,kunda,me & crys

Whew..just got home.. A whole week of O&G lectures are no joke! and it's amazing we survived 9 hrs of lectures & 2 PISERS (heheh it was fun but i think the system couldn't take our ethusiasm towards the end) today!

Well despite all the spirit-crunching pressure we've been experiencing in O&G, today it was wonderful meeting our dear friend and ex-CG mate from cambridge..Crystal (jing jing).

Hey girl, what can i say--but i really really missed ya! I miss having someone to banter, gossip, and laugh with! I'm glad you're enjoying youself in Cambridge, but i know i'm always gonna miss the great times we had.. i still remember the little things like laughing alot along the halls of IMH with you, us trying understand thalassaemia in KK macs, the CG outings we always talk about but which never seem to happen (haha)..and lots more!=)

Well, we had fun (as we always do) tonight at Pizza Hut! Lots of laughs..great food..delightful company..i'm sure we all had a great time. Take care girl..see ya again soon! looking forward to it already;)

yummy pizza..chicken bak kua slices, mayonaise, cheese and chicken floss toppings on a thick doughy crust..just for chinese new year!

.

'summer vegetable' soup.. wishing it were 'salmon and vegetable', which i heard wrongly as. hehe. but honestly, think it tasted just minestrone soup

kenon, crys, jason. haa kenon totally entertained us with stories of guys being 'market spoilers' in his salsa classes.andrew, crys, sharon, elaine. hey elaine glad someone loves 'Memoirs of a Geisha' too! no prob, i'll lend u my book..can't wait for the movie! these 3 girls--sharon, crys and weiying-- really know how to pose! haha=)

darryl & crys..harhar can't believe darryl believed clinton that mok (an elective student from penang who joined us for dinner) was her bf!

crys and me..thanks for being such a great friend!=)

* picture of crystal hitting clinton * censored by request. hahaha

the start of work

Yesterday was the start of a new posting..but I started it off feeling not-too-great about myself, basically cos of my anaesthesia marks. guess it's partly cos everyone in my cg is so freaking smart and do so well, plus my self esteem isn't that high to start of with.
But it's silly wallowing over marks..
Anyz i was really cheered by several things and people..there are always angels to brighten your day! And like i've heard in a song once..'If we don't count our blessings then we're wasting our time..' So true=)

yIPpee! my wonderful dear mother came home from HK last night. Thanks ma for jetting back and forth HK and s'pore to look after your daughters..We love you! *Hugs*

Thanks bunches munches Zhimin for these fried cookies from taiwan! They're delish, like nothing i've tried before! Only thing is..my family opened the box while i wasn't home today and there aren't many left now..hmph.So rocky my dog only gets a tiny piece from me!
And of cos, thanks so much once again to you and your aunt for bringing my sis, cousin and me around taiwan.. Had a great time that day..probably wouldn't have gone so many nice places if you weren't there!
Thanks Lina for the lovely agnes.b black pouch..i was really desparate to get a new pencil case to replace my old and scruffy ROXY one(though i'm gonna miss it..had it since RJ times=p) But i was ABSOLUTELY delighted to see the black agnes b box Ma left on my bed last night.. I really like it..so classy. Love ya girl, you're the best!=)
Thanks to a gentleman called Sui An.. for helping me with my heavy stuff in the HOT sun! hey girls, he's VERY available! hehe

And thanks loads Wendy for the sweet card and message, the lovely crabtree and evelyn toiletries, and the dining voucher for Top-of-the-M! I've always wanted to go there..yay. Please thank your sis for me..And she's most welcome about the dress..bet she looked fabulous in it.. it's one of my fav gowns too!

taipei trip..i miss dou jiang you tiao=)

December trip to taipei

along the streets of taipei..after a yummy breakfast of dou jiang you tiao and other steamed breads with different types of fillings like vegetables, yam, egg yolk..the you tiao was so light and crispy it just melted in your mouth! pair that with warm, not-too-sweet dou jiang--heavenly! for once, i didn't mind not having cornflakes with fresh milk for breakfast!=P

A merry christmas eve dinner at WASABI, the famous japanese restaurant at 101. since we didn't make prior bookings, we had to eat late at 9pm..we were so famished that sashimi and even sea urchin never tasted so GOOD!

my cute and bubbly sister.. a gong li-look alike!

spent christmas in taipei..well it wasn't snowing so it wasn't exactly a white christmas like i would have liked, but it was cold so that was enought to make me happy!
taipei was really enjoyable..eating the little snacks at the night market, along the streets, shopping at ximending (funky trinkets and jap-inspired street fashion) and 101 (christian dior, paul & joe, hugo boss, aka i-can't-afford) taking in the sights of china's lost treasures at the national museum..BUT most of all, it was wonderful just to spend time with my family..really missed my sister and my mum, both of whom were in HK before the trip (my sis is studying med in HK) It felt fantastic to hang out as one complete family again--with an extra--my lovely cousin angela! she had just completed a job stint in shanghai and was on her way back to NZ, so she joined us for a short break.. haha she turned out to be the most tireless and determined shopper of us all! it was FUN having her around!
now we're all back in our respective countries..my sis in HK, angela in NZ, me in S'pore.. i miss them tons..but we'll meet again don't worry! Love you all!

ON TOP of 101.. the tallest building in the world! we were just posing with a picture of it=)

maiden post

31st dec 2005 to 1st Jan 2006

rocky, charlie, xiao die and their proud owners at tanjong beach..it was a tiring day of swimming in the sea for the dogs! dogs are truly the cutest & most loyal friends men will ever find=)
Ushering in the new year at the Balcony outside Heeren..with my babelicious gfs leanna and lijing. poor sylvia's car ran out of petrol.. we missed her!