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:: Do Not Blink ::
Do not blink your eyes, when you tell me, I love you.
It undermines the romanticism, rouses it
Like water vapour, from a morning cup of boiling tea,
That folds into the waking mist.
Do not purse your lips, when you tell me, I love you.
It reduces the credibility of your conviction, crushes it
Like a empty can of Coke Zero, compressed by an angsty teen
And thrown into the recycling bin.
Do not even attempt to, tell me, I love you.
It brings about expectations, yet none it fulfills.
Instead hold me and show your affection from a hug
And let your movements do the part.
Posted via LiveJournal.app.
:: The Original Parable about Destinations ::
There was a ladybug and a grasshopper
Living in a pleasant, quiet meadow.
Both the ladybug and the grasshopper lived a simple life.
One day, the ladybug, doing the usual chores,
Set sight on fruit tree in the horizon.
(It wasn’t very far, but from the ladybug’s perspective
It was far, far away).
The ladybug was excited, and shared with grasshopper
Dreams of moving to the fruit tree.
The grasshopper, who was not accustomed to anything
Other than eating grass, was inspired as well,
And both creatures started planning for this trip of their lives.
The story could go on about their arduous journey
But it is really a story about the destination.
Both the ladybug and the grasshopper finally
Arrived at the destination. They were happy.
It was not long, however, that the ladybug
Started feeling depressed about the new environment.
“It is too windy here,” the ladybug said.
“And I don’t like falling mangoes,” the ladybug added.
And the list went on.
The grasshopper paused, and knocked on ladybug’s shell.
“Hey lady(bug)…. “ the grasshopper said.
“It took us a lot of effort, to get to where we are now, our destination.”
“Let us not forget that, and be happy,"
"Or at least try to be happy,” the grasshopper cajoled.
The ladybug pondered, and took another look at the surroundings,
And was happy once more.
:: What is the shelf life of eggs? ::
The shelf life of eggs extends beyond the recommended sell-by date on retail packages if they are stored properly, according to USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists in Athens, Ga.
ARS food technologists Mike Musgrove and Deana Jones with the agency's Poultry Processing and Meat Quality Research Unit tested the quality and functionality of table eggs during a 10-week storage time, long beyond the current 30-day industry standard for storing eggs on the store shelf. Properly refrigerated and handled, eggs are considered safe for consumption for four to five weeks beyond the sell-by date.
Musgrove looked at bacteria like Salmonella, Escherichia, Enterobacter, Klebsiella and Yersinia that can contaminate eggshells and--if handled or processed improperly--remain on eggs when they reach the consumer.
However, Musgrove found that after washing and packaging, eggs showed no bacteria of the Enterobacteriaceae family until the fifth week after processing. Washing eggs according to current guidelines removes bacteria from their surface, reducing the chances of microbes getting into the eggs once they are cracked in preparation for consumption.
An egg's shell and membranes under the shell provide a barrier that limits the ability of organisms to enter. A natural protective coating, called the cuticle, helps to preserve freshness and prevent microbial contamination of the egg. This coating is damaged or removed by processing, but a thin layer of oil may be applied during processing to help preserve internal quality. The eggs are then placed in cold storage and shipped.
Jones studied the functionality of the eggs during 10 weeks of storage. Eggs are found in a wide range of foods, including baked goods and mayonnaise. Over time, eggs can lose their ability to fluff up an angel food cake or make creamy mayonnaise, but according to Jones, they didn't show a marked decrease in quality during the 10-week test period.
:: C'est la vi ::
I have been waking up to old songs.
I will wake, and then, an oldie will drift into my head.
I will then search it on Youtube, and then play it.
And then let it linger, while I lie.
For a while, anyway.
Surely this is a sign of old age,
When there is as much past, as,
There is, future.
Methinks; this makes an enriching life.
As there is enough experience gained,
In the last few decades of our lives,
For us to know what we want,
For the rest of our lives, and be
Contented about it.
And yet there is enough time
A few more decades, more or less,
In the future, for us to walk towards
This destination, we call happiness.
C'est la vie.
- Mood:
awake
:: Unusual Song to Wake Up To ::
Apparently, Feb 2009 @ Eunos MRT.
Enjoy!
:: Moving Along ::
I sat on the elephant, the slow-moving
Elephant, and watched the people, this morning,
The people, along the roads, doing their chores.
Some were waiting for their elephants.
Some were moving from A to B, some B to A.
Some were just moving along, going nowhere.
I suddenly thought to myself,
As all the people go on, getting busy with their lives
They focus on the current present, and then
They focus too, a little, on the nearby future
And the past and the history and everything else
Fades into oblivion. Maybe not all, but, nearly,
We are all just moving along.
We are all just busy with moving along.
Then my elephant stopped, and
I moved along.
:: Memories - Sweetness ::
And so, after my indulgence, I said:
W: So how? After this I will be really broke.
Need to save money and no more trips already...
M: 哎呀，有鲍鱼吃鲍鱼。
有粥吃粥咯。
Sweetness.
:: Hidamari No Uta ::
Morning song to wake up to.
Have a good weekend everyone!
:: Everest For Everyone ::
I was excited to catch up with P over dinner last evening.
I have not caught up with her since we last worked together.
P has been working towards her Everest goal since five years ago.
She finally reached her pinnacle a few weeks ago.
I am proud and happy for her.
During the dinner conversation, I received a holler from B.
But I hang on. Still hanging on no worries," he said.
"Remember what you promised me and yourself.
Best PT! :-) Winners don't give up.
U give up and be a nobody," I replied.
"Yes korz. Even if can't achieve, I will
Work towards it."
"I am meeting Peh Gee my lady friend
Who climbed Mt Everest. She says that if she can do it
You can do it too!"
"Wow sure.. I will work hard towards it.
Thanks a lot korz and that marvelous lady who
Climbed Mountain Everest."
I showed it to P and we had a good laugh.
And so, while P has scaled her mountain and is
Looking for her next mountain to climb,
While B is working hard to ascend his hill
Of tough physical training.
I wonder what's my mountain, my Everest.
Time for reflection.
:: People I Do Not Understand ::
On a quick musing before bed,
I would like to confess my inability to understand
Why certain people prefer not to keep in touch.
On certain days, I would look through my phone list
And send a personal holler to a few friends on mine.
As everyone has his or her busy schedule, an unexpected "Hi"
Methinks, is a nice way to keep in touch.
However, there would be certain personalities that
Would not respond. They must hate me quite a bit!
This evening, I happened to run into one such example
Who pretended not to see me.
I am a typical Saggi; usually brash, curt and direct
Able to accept criticisms and hopefully, self-reflect, and then self-correct.
I appreciate friends and acquaintances who make the effort to share, but
I can never truly understand people who disappear suddenly one day.
No closure. No accountability. No good.
Me no like.
:: Kor ::
B went for his PTP at the island of Tekong last Thursday.
Since then, we have been keeping in touch via SMS,
Except for the first night, when he gave me a call.
"Kor, thank you for seeing me off."
"No worries. It was nice visiting Tekong as a civilian."
The last time I was there, I was selling the Army to the recruits.
In retrospection, I was a recruit, selling to recruits.
"How are your bunk buddies?" I asked.
"We have been very busy, and we didn't really talk."
I hope he has befriended them already.
Despite all the negative talk about BMT or PTP,
They provide a unique platform to bring together
People from different walks of lives, and
Force them to learn to live with each other.
I remember enjoying my BMT very much
Being given the opportunity to learn in depth
The story of each platoon mate of mine.
B, in his SMS mentioned about the physical training.
"Don't disappoint me," I cajoled.
"I'll get best PT for the Major," he parried.
Just yesterday, mother gave me a call.
"B's OC gave me a call ah, and ask me to send letter to Tekong," she exclaimed.
"That'll be nice."
"So how ah?"
"Hmmm... why don't you write your portion on a piece of paper," I suggested;
"and then you could pass it to A, and she could write something on it too," I added;
"and then she could pass it to me. I'll finish it off and send it over."
"Is it?"
"Yes, I think that'll be nice," I affirmed;
"and during Field Camp, B would be encouraged by this letter."
Imagine everyone getting a letter except B.
That is not nice at all.
And so, while B's probably in deep slumber in Tekong
I wish him well again, and look forward to his POP.
:: Breadcrumbs ::
It was a pleasure catching up with Yaoliang.
At the White Dog Cafe, already my favorite lunch venue
Over a meal of Chicken Cutlet and Pork Pikata.
Notice the alliteration.
I have not seen Yaoliang for the longest time.
We spent our lower secondary school days of yore
Doing everything but studying.
We indulged in computer games; Might and Magic.
We resorted to paper games during all lessons
And would pass the paper through a series of classmates
So that we could play, even though seated far apart.
From VS came VJ for me, but Yaoliang went to poly.
We kept in touch, but less so, as time passed by.
Our last meeting was at Yaoliang’s place, just before
I made my maiden journey to Japan for my studies.
Probably two decades have passed since we last met.
I have to thank Yaoliang for locating me via Linked’In.
So, it was a pleasure catching up with Yaoliang.
We have changed, and yet, not really changed.
Yaoliang’s now a proud father of a three year old kid.
Still indulges in games, especially Wii, with his kid.
Even though we are in our thirties, we spoke as if we were
Still teenagers – locked into that particular period in time.
And reminisced, no longer vividly, but in bits and pieces
The misadventures of our younger VS days.
While many things have passed me by, that I do not
Even remember to update Yaoliang, he noted my milestones
From, of all places, my ten years’ worth of Livejournal entries.
Bewildered I was, of that fact that of all the nonsensically
Cryptic entries that I made over the years, one could make
Sense out of them, after all.
Perhaps this is another reminder, to me,
To continue to leave a little trail of breadcrumbs.
To Yaoliang: Thank you,
For making the effort.
Sunday mornings are a fun way to start when one starts it at The Red Star. Located at the fringe of Chinatown, Red Star is an old-school restaurant that serves delectable dim sum and is perenially packed with neverending queues.
We were lucky not to have to wait for a table as T came a little earlier to get a table. At 11am, we are already the second or third seating. Fortunately there are many servers, hawking their dim sums in Cantonese, and we had our table filled quickly.
The ju-pu tea is a bit strong, but fragrant from the chrysanthemum petals. M & M like the egg tarts. I still prefer the pickles over everything else.
Another hour more to go, and here's the dessert cart again, for the 5th time! We have had century egg porridge, Siew mai, had gow, pork ribs, egg tarts, paper wrapped chicky, Kai lan, char Siew bao, yam cake, chives roll, sugarcane prawn, and we are waiting for carrot cake and Chee Cheong fun. M says it's easier to just term everything as "Chinese Hors D'ouvres".
So boring, him.
Posted via LiveJournal.app.
- Location:1.2879,103.8418
- Location:1.4056,104.0318
- Location:1.3032,103.8399
:: B + A + W ::
My brother Bren enlists this Thursday.
I made a note in my Gcal - 4 June 2009.
I took leave from work, in fact.
So that I could see B off
At his ‘Enlistment Ceremony’ of sorts.
It will be a major milestone in his life
And I am happy to be part of it.
There were no silver spoons in our family.
And when dad passed away, a decade ago,
B, at a young age, had to learn
How to grow up without a father.
And I, not exactly old, but older,
Had to learn, to be
A better brother.
Sometimes, I wonder, as I look back the years
If I did a good job as a brother.
I believe I could have done more
Beyond the weekly personal tuition,
The pocket money, and being a role model
That B can respect, and emulate.
I wonder.
I always remember the conversation we had
At the TPY Swimming Pool.
I questioned B about his future,
And how he would go about achieving it.
The road was windier than anyone expected
But B is at a good juncture, and I know from his entry
That B remembers the pool talk, vividly.
Isn’t is funny, how feelings and emotions
Are expressed by not expressing them, but
Discerned, felt, and hence, connected?
The regular meals between Bren, Angela and me
Are looked forward, and enjoyed.
Perhaps childhood hardships bond siblings.
I treasure them deeply.
And thus, as I ready to bid B a good journey
To the next phase of his life,
I beseech all, to pause, and examine
His or her unexamined part of life.
To love his or her siblings, and family
For, there may be less time than what we
Think, there is.
:: Fish, Tonight ::
It was an impromptu evening at the Singapore Arts Museum
Friday evening, as we attended the 'Transport, Asia' exhibition.
This exhibition was part of the Singapore Arts Festival
Showcasing Asian photographers and focusing (methinks)
On transition and movement.
As it was an invitation from C, we grabbed a glass of white
And found him in the glass-encased hall, listening to the VIP's speech.
It was visibly a different crowd; I could see the Tatler bracket,
The arts-scene, the government officials, and then a few
Clueless students and tourists that must have stumbled
to SAM for the Free-Entry-Fridays.
When his speech ended, Minister Lui was whisked to the exhibits
While C introduced us to his group, and we took a picture or two.
Then moved to the other empty gallery; the Part II of the VIP flow.
It was impossible to stick to a group, so we went our own way
And finished the viewing in a jiffy.
Loitering at the foyer, we noticed a large crowd at the back.
Must be the food. We were right; light snacks were served.
The white was foul tasting, so we grabbed a red and
Unabashedly filled our plates with the last few items available.
We moved to the fountain in the courtyard.
And while the Minister and his merry men made their rounds
And C was shuffling between his many friends
And the multitude were, erm, doing the usual
We probably had a great time at the courtyard
Oblivious, unfettered, free.
- Location:1.2938,103.8534
:: Energies ::
I received good advice from J during lunch today.
He said, “Stick with people with positive energies.”
“How do you define people with such energies?” I asked.
“They are the ones that radiate energy.”
“And they make you feel charged and refreshed,” J added.
“What about the negative ones?” I enquired.
“They drain you and make you unhappy.”
Upon introspection, I was able to discern
Between the happy and not-so-happy moments
And who I was with, for each occasion.
Time to draw the line.
:: Housekeeping ::
My periodic housekeeping.
If you are follow my blog and would like me to follow yours as well,
Please kindly drop me a note so that I can add you.
It is too tedious to go through one by one to see
Who still blogs, and who has stopped blogging eons ago.
Appreciate your help!
