Thunder Perfect Mind

Prada Parfum
ooooh..check out the movie (abt 4.5min) and commercial (abt 30sec) for Prada's latest parfum at www.pradaparfums.com It's a collaboration between Miuccia Prada & film director Ridley Scott & his daughter. It's about the complexities of being a woman, and is actually a First century poem that 'deals with the endless psyche of being a woman'

It's ultra cool..and beautiful..and the heroine of the commercial is breathtakingly chio--Daria Werbowym, a model from canada & has ukranian parents. Plus it's shot in Berlin..leaves me with an eerie sense of deja vu and longing for something lost in the past..haha ok maybe i'm being melodramatic..but watch it & maybe u'll understand why!

Excerpts of the poem which i like..

'..For i am the first and the last.
i am the wife and the virgin.
i am the mother and the daughter.
i am she whose wedding is great,
and i have not yet taken a husband..
i am senseless and i am wise..
come forward to childhood,
and do not despise it beacuse it is small and it is little.
and do not turn away greatnesses in some parts from the smallnesses,
for the smallnesses are known from the greatnesses.
i am the one who is honored and who is praised,
for i am knowledge and ignorance.
i am shame and boldness.
i am shameless; i am ashamed.
i am controlled and uncontrollable..'

paeds & the pretty pond

Woah..Paediatrics is tiring, exhausting, draining...you get the idea! Just one week of it and my head is spinning! Really, there's so much to learn and re-learn i think 2 weeks is waaaay too short!!

Nonetheless i've truly enjoyed my one week at KK..the children are adorable, naughty, exasperating yet oh-so-endearing. They can be so stubborn yet so vulnerable..it's lovely to see them smile, but it's really heart-breaking to see them cry or be in pain. I think anyone who's been to the paeds wards know what i mean right??

Anyway, amidst the stress, clerking, tutorials, interactive sessions blah blah, i've found some peaceful moments alone.. and one morning a sight of great beauty greeted me..You know the pond beside KK, where the public carpark is? One morning, the pond was filled with hundreds of blooming water lilies!!! i couldn't suppress my trigger-happy nature..and started snapping away with my hp..

pretty pond pretty pond close uppretty pond even closer up

drained..

..But i'm still trying to see the bright side of things..

My blog may seem full of happy thoughts/happenings..and some people must be thinking..Man, is steph some super slacker or what..

Well i must admit, i try not to blog about my unhappy things..i'm not too good at blogging my problems without sounding like some miserable wretched b*tch.

Many times in life we all get doors slammed in our face..But too many of us focus on these slammed doors, and can't seem to get past it...When in fact what we should do is look beyond the slammed doors, and focus on things that we can change.

Anyz to all the SIP people, hang in there! Less than 2 weeks to go..Can't believe i've still got 6 weeks..haha..but i'm looking forward to it, really!

Salsa salsa salsa!

A Play by our very own med classmate!
"April, May and June, three older women suddenly alone in world, had been living together for longer than they cared to remember before finally moving out two years ago for good, or so they thought.

When Anne, an old friend on her deathbed calls and asks to see them one last time, they find themselves back in Singapore, together again, and with one small problem: they don't remember who Anne is.

In the meantime, Anne has hired a salsa teacher to teach her friends to salsa, so that they can let her relive the joy of the dance through them. Their lessons seem easy enough but the reunion become complicated as old wounds are revealed, secrets are revealed and lunacy sets in. Through it all, the beat of the dance goes on, and memory and friendships whirl and turn, as inextricable as dancers on the floor. "

It was a very good play, especially for Chen seong, since this is the first time his play is being produced publicly.. I'm amazed at his talent! So folks, look out for this budding, talented playwright! I'm sure there'll be lots more great work to come..

I thought the story was pretty good, especially the characters who were all female, and very real indeed! They kinda reminded me of my mum & her friends..gossiping, giggling together..And it shows grandmothers and mothers can and should have their fair share of fun too! I've decided..no one's gonna stop me from becoming a happy, flirty grandma who still silly talks with her friends at 70!;) i mean, really, who wants to grow up unhappy & miserable? There's enough sadness in this world as it is already!

steph,nic,chen seong,mark,liat leng,en quan

yet another week

End of geriatric posting..

I really enjoyed this posting, much as a surprise to myself. i think it's the little old ladies & gentlemen who are so vulnerable yet so stubborn that brighten up our days! I can understand how geriatrics can be challenging, but somehow at the end of it, you feel good about yourself. I think it sorta brings out the beauty, patience & kindness in people..that's why i think the geri team (doctors, nurses, physio & occupational therapists) always have that contented look.. like they know they're doing kind deeds everyday. =)

Heh there's this grand dame of 97, a very cute cantonese-speaking samsui lady, who 'broke from the sisterhood' (samsui women are supposed to be celibate) She has 10 children, but sadly has outlived most of them.. I think she's the cutest grandma around! I played some game involving putting different-shaped blocks into their respective holes with her..she was pretty good! And my heart soared just seeing her smile=) =) =) =)

I went online to find out more about samsui women:
'These women are an extraordinary breed of Cantonese from the upper Samsui districts of the Kwang-tung Province in China. Part of the great wave of Chinese immigrants to nations like Singapore during the early 20th century, these Samsui (literally: mountain and water) women stand out. They had been bred to do hard physical labor that gave them a physical and emotional strength unique among Chinese women. They were the rare women to work alongside men at construction sites in Singapore, enduring the same grueling conditions. They refused to marry, preferring to remain single, during an age when spinsterhood was highly unconventional.'

In the past week..
Imperial Treasure Teochew Restaurant with PuiSuan & Yipman

Thanks Yippee for the appetizing treat! The braised beancurd, marinated sliced chicken, and steamed soon hock..were all exquisite!

And Puisuan, you have a fulfilling & fun time in Germany..Lucky girl! Gute Reise! ;)
Heh anyz it was really fun talking to you girls.. It's been ages!!I really miss those times when we were dancing together in RGS/RJ/Frontier.. you girls have always been damn far ahead of me in terms of technique..and i've learnt lots about dance from you!! Just talking to you babes about dance that night has made me realised how much i miss it..i'll definitely take it up one day again--just as a hobby lah!

PS Cafe @ Harding road, near Dempsey with Mark & Geraldine

Sigh..i am sooo hesitsant to blog about this place..i wanna keep it a secret!!! But i guess sooner or later everyone's gonna start raving about this place..plus we should always share the joy/good food/fats..So here goes!

This is a 'jewel box' (as described by mark)..a glass house standing alone amidst much greenery & away from the hustle of the city. The long winding road led to a really chic, swanky yet chill-out restaurant with great decor. Think wooden panelling, vintage cane chairs with plush cushions, background jazz music, menus scribbled on large blackboards, stately glass walls, an open deck area for al fresco dining that leads out to lush greenery..Whee i loved it at first sight! :>

AND everyone was so beautiful--the girls all so well-dressed & radiant, the blokes all spiffy & model-like (eh geraldine, sorry you only saw that table of hunks towards the end of the meal!) AND of course the food was good, hearty & unique! We tried their beef,mushroom&bacon ragout, moussaka with eggplant,beef,tomato&cheese, and the duck rendang (soo tender!)

The clincher was the desserts (yes yes that's my weakness)..Ohmigosh the ginger pudding was out of this world..Just the right dash of warm ginger spice mixed with sweet vanilla ice cream & creamy earl-grey sauce! I WILL drive across singapore just for it, and it alone! The peacan pie and the blueberry chocolate cheesecake were just as sweet & sinfully delish!

So we left the place, knowing it had us hooked..and that we would be back for more..

to my favourite girl

To my dearest sister..
Happy 21st Birthday Lina!!

Thanks for being such an amazing sister, friend, comforter, confidante, supporter all these years! The best part of my life were the last 21 years, i.e. after you were born! (The first 2 were boring..boohoo..maybe that's why i was always crying, according to ma & daddy.)

I'm so glad to have had such a great girl to share my childhood tears & laughter, teenage angst & foolishness, and the ideals & hopes of young adulthood with!=)


'For there is no friend like a sister
In calm or stormy weather;
To cheer one on the tedious way,
To fetch one if one goes astray,
To lift one if one totters down,
To strengthen whilst one stands.'
----Christina Rossetti

i love the sea

Blading at east coast park

Yay! Blading with palm trees and the sky & sea in the background sooo made my day. When angela asked me to go blading with her & some of her work colleagues, i totally jumped at it.. though i like sleeping in on weekends.

After all it's not easy to finally find company to go east coast park (ECP) with me. Most of the time, i'll get an urge and just drive down to ecp by myself to blade by the coast..Anyz the breeze, and the unbelievable freedom you get by blading is always worth the drive down!


Well, it was--as always--an awesome day..Really, nothing beats a day by true blue natural beauty!

the tropical beach with palm trees in the foreground...how peaceful!:)

'And me, I still believe in paradise. But now at least I know its not some place you can look for, cause its not where you go. Its how you feel for a moment in your life when you're a part of something, and if you find that moment... it lasts forever... ' ----The Beach (the movie)

pontini's!!!

An italian affair!

Haha..one of the best italian restaurants ard..or so Nic & i believe! Haven't been there in a while. We went with Angela (my cousin) and Andrew & James(his cousins).

Here's some of the good-to-try delish picks..

Salmon & vodka pizza..oooh this is one unique pizza with a distinct flavour! Everyone liked it! The pizzas at Pontini's are thin-crusted--just done the way authentic italian pizzas should be.. rather than the heavy doughy american pizzas!

Veal cheek..this was as good as the one we tried at Il Lido..Perhaps not as 'melt-in-your-mouth' but there were 2 cheeks instead of one..PLUS there was a tongue that was meaty yet not too chewy! Sigh..how can i ever give up meat??

Huge vegetarian pizza..which we had to 'dao pao' cos james 'ate like a bird'..haha.

Anyz the highlight of the dinner went to...the desserts (but of course!)

Tortino al cioccolato: Warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream & passion fruit sauce

Tiramisu al copa: Italy in a dessert.
Some combination dessert thingie..with a bit of tiramisu, abit of panna cotta, and ricotta cake. There was this other dessert which andrew had..some Ricotta cheese/fruit/nut-cake was made of pistachio nuts, ice fruit cake & ricotta cheese..tasted refreshingly yummy..kinda like cheesecake but a much healthier & lighter version!

geri geri quite contrary

i thought i was going to dislike geriatrics posting, or that it would make me like internal medicine less..

But i'm finding myself liking internal medicine an awful lot! Oh dear, am i straying from the path of surgery? And i was soo sure i wanted to do surgery.

I haven't done medicine in ages..chose to do mainly surgical electives in year 3 and year 4 (yup i was THAT sure) But now that i'm doing medicine again, my interest has totally been piqued! And though the ward rounds last forever, and each discussion of a patient takes half an hour, and we are grilled on differentials/ethical issues/functional history of each patient, i'm still enjoying ward rounds alot!!

Am i really that fickle, or do i just like everything too easily?..

i'm back!

Fireworks!

Haha i'm back..wow steph is the most fickle girl ever..Tsk.

I really didn't expect my friends to feel sad about my blog 'closing', and i was even more surprised to learn there were more people reading my blog than i knew. What made me decide to blog again was my mum..She came into my room one night and said she was sad i had stopped blogging..Guess that's the channel where she learns most about my life..No secrets from mummy there!;>

Anyz whatever lah..i just decided to blog again!

I saw FIREWORKS today! They're beautiful!! Really wished they could last forever.. i still remember when my wonderful dad booked a suite at ritz carlton for my sister's birthday a couple of years back, so we could be just inches away from the fireworks in the sky. The fireworks were so huge & beeeaaauuutiful & so close to us i felt i could just reach out and touch them! hey lina..wish you were here to see the fireworks..i can imagine you gushing in awe! but i'm sure HK has great fireworks too!=)

'I do love fireworks, and I have missed them before, and I can't miss them again-oh, that would be horrible!' ---Gisele Bundchen

Btw, Happy birthday Singapore!

Oh yes! Before i forget..Angela is here! Yay! My lovely cousin from NZ! i've got more company!!=) My parents & i have been bringing her & my uncle out to eat quite alot lately...

Anyz here's a quick review of chow places!

Thai restaurant in taka..called Sabai..the food was not bad..anyz, u can't go wrong with thai cuisine!:)

Ng Ah Sio Pork Ribs Soup (Morning) Eating House

This famous bak kut teh store at rangoon road was given even more publicity after it turned away the Chief Executive of HKSAR. You see, the owners are serious about the 'Morning' in their stall name. They mean it when they close by 2pm, and will not budge even if it's the Chief executive of HKSAR. Woah..talk about attitude. We just had to try their BKT.

I thought it was pretty good..liked the strong taste of garlic, black pepper & cloves in the soup..but my dad was adamant that it paled in comparison to those in JB (Yup M'sia is known to serve the best BKT around) I have to admit, though, i was a little disappointed the pork ribs were not more tender..instead they were tough & dry..probably from the lumbar region, rather than the ribs.

But their deep fried you tiao & innards were definitely up to standard! All in all, i had a satisfying lunch.. The only bad part was the wait...You wait to get a table (we almost walked off immediately when we saw the crowd--every table had someone else waiting in line! And we were early for lunch--11am!). Then you wait to have the table cleaned; wait to be served tea; wait to have your order taken...The only part you don't have to wait is when you call for the bill. It'll be on your table before you can even say 'Mai dan!'

how quaint..boiling water in a kettle over a charcoal stove.

teapot & packet of tea..gong fu cha washes down the meal well.

Haha we still managed to clean out the dishes!

Yamagawa Japanese restaurant @ The Concourse

They have fab fab fab jap food!The great chef gary was the chef at my 21st birthday party..prepared all the fantastic jap food.

Er..sorry no pics of food..when it comes to jap food, i like it tooo much to remember to take photos before i dig in! Of course i had my unagi! (only bothered to take a pic of the sake..cos i don't really drink it) hah.

Garlic restaurant @ The Esplanade

'Love it or hate it, the garlic can transform a humble dish into a gastronomic delight with its flavour and fragrance. Aromatic and almost bitter, it becomes delicate and sweet when cooked...

'...Garlic has always been more than just a flavouring. In fact, it is also one of nature's most versatile medicinal plant. It has long been regarded as a natural antibiotic to fight bacteria and as an immune system stimulant. Garlic is commonly used to treat wounds, infections, tumours, intestinal parasites and digestive infections.' Hmmmm..guess there should be some truth to it??

To garlic lovers, do try this place! Esp the garlic fried rice & garlic ice cream! Eeew..despite me loving both garlic AND ice cream..the combination was just plain wierd. Like Angela commented..'Tasted too much like ice cream & too much like garlic.' Imagine chopped raw garlic in vanilla ice cream. We weren't quite sure what to make of it.

And to garlic-haters, don't even bother.

Thanks Woon jie for the treat. Thanks Kim Gor for the entertainment ;-)