It is a public holiday here in Singapore and while the rest of the world slumbers in peaceful respite, me and about 100 other co-workers in the IT industry have to drag ourselves to the PC show at Suntec city to sell IT equipment to zealous kiasu deal- getters.
If you happen to be in Suntec, pop down to the Starbucks on the first floor and get me a mocha frappe. I will be the only brown skinned woman in a Canon T shirt.
See you at the circus!
Update:
No of Printers sold to strangers - about 100
No of mocha frappes brought by friends - none :(
Thursday, May 31
Wednesday, May 30
What is love?
I once heard a wise man say, "Love is an act of will, accompanied by emotion, that acts towards the benefit of its intended recipient." It is by far the best definition on the word I have heard.
It is also a concept a lot of people in my generation don't seem to get. They talk about things like, "my feelings have changed", or "I am not sure if you are the right one." Or even worse, "If it's meant to be, it will be."
People, don't fall for the hogwash. Love is not "Sleepless in Seattle" or "You've got Mail" or any of those feel good emotions that Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan got paid millions to propogate. We are not brainless beings, driven by our desires alone, in a wilderness where there are so many options, your head spins and you can't be responsible for your actions anymore.
I have feelings for people on a weekly basis. If everytime it happened, I told my husband, "My feelings have changed, and I don't think I love you anymore", I would be on my 416th marriage by now. But love is not about how you feel. It's about the choices you make, everyday. Choosing to stick by someone, even when he/ she is not particularly lovable at the moment. And noone is lovable all the time. We all have moments when we make mistakes, small or big, and need forgiveness. Noone is exempt.
But then we say," How am I supposed to know what love is?" Everything we see gives us the impression that love is unchanging feeling, unwavering desire, unevolving characters in a 2 hour life that ends with a crescendo of music and a star studded night. I am not saying it is solely the media's fault, but the pervasiveness of TV and film have made us beleive that the things we see are actually true.
I also idealised love growing up. Who didn't? We all wanted this person who would be like the somebody in the Depeche Mode song. We bought the myth, hook, line and sinker, and now are paying for it with more divorces, more single parents and more broken homes than we have ever seen.
But now I know better, because I have seen what love is.
Love is a man, torn by fear of his own life, the disappointment of his friends and family, and the destruction of what he had built, saying, "I don't particularly feel like laying down my life, but if that's Your will, then I will myself to do it."
Love is a man who was so emotionally driven by his choice, he cried out, alone in a garden, and was under so much stress, that his capillaries burst and blood flowed down his face mingled with sweat.
Love is a man, who bore the lashes of a whip so cruel, nails so sharp and a pain in his heart so deep, and yet kept himself on a cross for 6 hours, so that his intended will one day, be free.
That is love. That is going the distance, keeping the faith, finishing the race, and whatever other analogy you want to find for it. But that should be what we teach our children when they ask what love is.
This post is for a dear friend who is hurting and asked this question. We are all unfaithful lovers. There is only One who can teach it right. Learn it from Him.
It is also a concept a lot of people in my generation don't seem to get. They talk about things like, "my feelings have changed", or "I am not sure if you are the right one." Or even worse, "If it's meant to be, it will be."
People, don't fall for the hogwash. Love is not "Sleepless in Seattle" or "You've got Mail" or any of those feel good emotions that Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan got paid millions to propogate. We are not brainless beings, driven by our desires alone, in a wilderness where there are so many options, your head spins and you can't be responsible for your actions anymore.
I have feelings for people on a weekly basis. If everytime it happened, I told my husband, "My feelings have changed, and I don't think I love you anymore", I would be on my 416th marriage by now. But love is not about how you feel. It's about the choices you make, everyday. Choosing to stick by someone, even when he/ she is not particularly lovable at the moment. And noone is lovable all the time. We all have moments when we make mistakes, small or big, and need forgiveness. Noone is exempt.
But then we say," How am I supposed to know what love is?" Everything we see gives us the impression that love is unchanging feeling, unwavering desire, unevolving characters in a 2 hour life that ends with a crescendo of music and a star studded night. I am not saying it is solely the media's fault, but the pervasiveness of TV and film have made us beleive that the things we see are actually true.
I also idealised love growing up. Who didn't? We all wanted this person who would be like the somebody in the Depeche Mode song. We bought the myth, hook, line and sinker, and now are paying for it with more divorces, more single parents and more broken homes than we have ever seen.
But now I know better, because I have seen what love is.
Love is a man, torn by fear of his own life, the disappointment of his friends and family, and the destruction of what he had built, saying, "I don't particularly feel like laying down my life, but if that's Your will, then I will myself to do it."
Love is a man who was so emotionally driven by his choice, he cried out, alone in a garden, and was under so much stress, that his capillaries burst and blood flowed down his face mingled with sweat.
Love is a man, who bore the lashes of a whip so cruel, nails so sharp and a pain in his heart so deep, and yet kept himself on a cross for 6 hours, so that his intended will one day, be free.
That is love. That is going the distance, keeping the faith, finishing the race, and whatever other analogy you want to find for it. But that should be what we teach our children when they ask what love is.
This post is for a dear friend who is hurting and asked this question. We are all unfaithful lovers. There is only One who can teach it right. Learn it from Him.
Tuesday, May 29
my first hate mail
After over a year of blogging, I am pleased to announce I finally received my first hate mail. Yes, someone finally cares so much about my opinion and his own difference to it, that not only did he respond, he took time to conjure up personal insults, sweeping statements and blanket assumptions about my character.
If you want to read it, go to the KLK website and look under my 2nd Mudhal Payanam post. I am not going to link it.
Ladies and Gentlmen, hate mail. Nalinee has arrived.
If you want to read it, go to the KLK website and look under my 2nd Mudhal Payanam post. I am not going to link it.
Ladies and Gentlmen, hate mail. Nalinee has arrived.
Monday, May 28
Earache
I have a(n) ear infection. AND it sucks. The entire right side of my head hurts, from the jaw to the cranium and it feels like someone dropped a bowling ball on my head while I was sleeping.
It all started on Friday night, when I used a ragged non too clean finger to scratch what seemed like a normal ear itch. (Oh stop it! You know you have all done it.)
Next day there was a gentle throbbing which I ignored. But my last night, it was full scale war. My hearing got muffles because of the swelling and the whole ear just looks wonky.
So I went to the doctor today, and got some ear drops and an MC, my second one this year. Not doing well with the MCs this year at all.
Ear infections are such a juvenile ailment, I am almost embarrassed to have one. But if it hurts for a baby even half as much as it hurts for me, I am just thankful that any babies make it through infanthood at all.
I am going to rest now. See you on the other side of this pain.
Friday, May 25
New Boss
So I finally have a new boss. Actually, he is not really new anymore, he has been with us for 2 weeks now, but I wanted to wait to see if he was going to stick around before I wrote him up.
First thing, he is a he. This is actually my first experience working for a male boss, cos all the marketing divisions I have been in before have been female dominated, for some reason. So that's a first in itself.
Secondly, he is my first close up metrosexual. He is a spiffy dresser, all tight shirts and narrow pants, looks like he works out, has short hair and bling bling on his ears and fingers. He is also a little bit er.. expressive with the hands and face, which is very rare in most men who work in the IT industry. And I did not say what you probably think I said.
He has all the fire of a new employee who is driven to prove his worth to his boss, to establish his importance as new rooster in the yard with his peers and to show his subordinates that he knows more than them.
Will it last? We shall see.
Right now, I just wish he wouldn't come up and talk to me just after he has had a cigarette. I feel like Donkey in Shrek right after Shrek farted on him.
"I had my mouth open and everything!"
First thing, he is a he. This is actually my first experience working for a male boss, cos all the marketing divisions I have been in before have been female dominated, for some reason. So that's a first in itself.
Secondly, he is my first close up metrosexual. He is a spiffy dresser, all tight shirts and narrow pants, looks like he works out, has short hair and bling bling on his ears and fingers. He is also a little bit er.. expressive with the hands and face, which is very rare in most men who work in the IT industry. And I did not say what you probably think I said.
He has all the fire of a new employee who is driven to prove his worth to his boss, to establish his importance as new rooster in the yard with his peers and to show his subordinates that he knows more than them.
Will it last? We shall see.
Right now, I just wish he wouldn't come up and talk to me just after he has had a cigarette. I feel like Donkey in Shrek right after Shrek farted on him.
"I had my mouth open and everything!"
Thursday, May 24
Movie Review - Pirates of the Carribean 3, At World’s End
Pirates of the Caribbean was an apt finish to a totally awesome cinematic trilogy. Everything that you would want to see in a movie was in this one, unless you are into mindless gore. The acting was superb, the sets mind boggling, the script a work of masterful wit. I am so glad I saw it before all the critics came out and added their two cents worth of sulphuric acid to it.
(A side note on that – Why do movie critics always have to hate everything that isn’t controversial, deep, about homosexuality or politics? Have they forgotten that movies exist to entertain, to help us escape to another dimension, relax and recoup our resources? I am tired of all these people who take what little jargon their “Film Appreciation” professor taught them at college and hurl it back at us. Get an original thought, people!)
Ok, that said, I want to draw out everything I loved about POTC. And then the one thing I hated about it.
Reference to Singapore
If Singapore really had half the colour, personality and sheer force of will as the Singapore portrayed in this movie, we would be really something! The head honcho pirate (Chow Yun Fatt) was amazing with his crisscrossing battle scars and penchat for steam (which is kinds weird. Who wants more steam in the tropics?). I hope the reference does everything for our country as the STB hopes it will do and I hope the tourists who come as a result of this movie aren’t disappointed to find the sterile, ridiculously ordered city that we actually are.
Wit
I think the script in this movie, rivaled, if not surpassed that of the previous 2. Of course Jack’s lines are always bordering on the insane, but in this one, he has a few realy gems while blindingly sober. My favourite has to be when Elizabeth says, “It would never have worked out between us, Jack.” And he says, “Keep telling yourself that, darling.” The way Johnny Depp delivers that line…. I bet Elizabeth was wondering if she made the right choice after all.
Action and Adventure
Nothing beats some of the action sequences in this movie. I was wondering what could possible top the water wheel sword fight of POTC 2, but, yep, they came pretty close. Some of the fight scenes were actually the breather in the movie, the light hearted moments that takes away the tension of the main plot. The fight in the pirate court was one such scene, and the mindless skirmish actually helped focus the decision taken right after it. Well done, Jerry.
But…
Ok, now for what I hated. Pirates are about men. I am not sure if women were known to have their own ships or whatever, but I know that one of the laws of piracy was “No women on board.” So how does Elizabeth Swann turn from being the damsel in distress to the “distressing damsel”, as Jack Sparrow so aptly put it. Putting her in a place where she not only calls the shots, but gets old, battered, hardened men to follow her lead, is less than unbelievable, it borders on ludicrous.
Was this some half baked effort by the powers that be at Disney to bend over backwards and ensure sexual equality? Are they trying to make up for all the heroines of old who were dressed by birds and rescued by knights? I am sorry, but this “Look, we are for women’s rights too” statement in this movie just didn’t work for me.
My disbelief cannot suspend that much.
Tuesday, May 22
Road Trip - India (part 4)
This is the final installation of my blog on my road trip.
For more photos of my journey, click here and here.
Day 3 - Vaideeswaram
Yet another temple town, Vaideeswaram is the “olai chuvadi” capital of the world. Using an ancient text to tell your history as well as your future, these guys belong to a special clan that has safeguarded these texts for 1000s of years. These texts, written on palm leaves, used a kind of archaic Tamil script that only people in that clan can still read. So they make quite a killing reading these texts to people who either want to know their history, or their future.
If you remember, the point of my trip was to trace my history, so we went to one of these guys to see if he could shed some light on my ancestors. Finding him was hard because there was literally a whole street of these guys in Vaideeswaram, all claming to be the original. (Sounds a bit like the whole Papa Roti thing, doesn’t it?) But in the end, a call to my dad’s friend Rajendran solved the problem. It helps to have friends in high places.
Outside Vaideeswaram temple, we were swamped by the most ubiquitious sight of India – beggars. They hang around the temple hoping people’s piety will move them to pity. I was warned sternly by Malar and John NOT to give them money. They said, if you really want, you can give them food – biscuits or buns – but chances are they will reject it. Apparently most of them belong to a syndicate that feeds them, but makes them beg for their keep.
I had to test it out. I had bought some packets of food (prasadam) from the temple, which I didn’t want to eat. I offered it to this beggar lady with 2 children, but she refused to take it and kept asking me for money instead. Now, if I was a mother with 2 hungry children, I would take any food that comes my way, especially when it’s still piping hot.
Lesson learned.
Vaideeswaram is a small town, well supported by the astrology business. But there really wasn’t much else to do there. So after we got all the footage we needed, we left and headed for Pondicherry for dinner and the long drive back to Chennai.
We reached the ultra comfortable Raj Palace Hotel at about 9:30 on Sunday night. With the most strenuous part of the shoot behind us, we could relax, enjoy a good dinner (Chicken fried rice washed down with several gimlets), and entertain each other with horror stories from the media industry. I found out that John was the CEO for a cable channel called SS music, before life on the road called him back to sound engineering.
And Malar has worked in almost every major city in India and South East Asia, including Singapore, where he holds an employment pass.
Day 4 – Chennai
Finally, the last day of shooting. All the shoots today are in Chennai, so we had a little bit of time for some shopping in the evening. But before that, I got to experience the colour and vibrancy of what is touted to be now the best Indian city to live in.
Beggars, cows and pollution. I didn’t really find any of these a problem. I don’t know if I just looked unapproachable or what, but there weren’t a lot of encounters with beggars in Chennai. I saw more beggars in the small towns, strangely enough, just outside temples. There were still street and slum dwellers, in rags, and with children in throngs around them, but they seem to be gainfully employed. I was glad to see that.
The ubiquitious cows were everywhere, but they were quite grazing in little grassy alcoves, rather than obstructing traffic or terrifying hapless tourists (aka me). It just wouldn’t be India without the cows.
As for pollution, I noticed something really interesting. Women would sweep their houses clean of dust and debris, then gather the said pile of dust and dump it just outside their houses, where the wind will blow it in again during the course of the day.
A lot of the rubbish is also organic. Indians use natural resources a lot more than we do here – banana leaves instead of paper plates, palm leaf baskets instead plastic bags and cow dung instead of pesticides. Yes, there are plastic bottles, cans and other man made rubbish as well, but for city as large as Chennai is, they must either have a lot less trash or much more efficient waste disposal teams. But there is no doubt that India is the original recycling society. People save and reuse everything, which is really admirable.
I felt that politics and cinema drive the city more than then many temples, spiritual gurus and ancient texts and books. Everywhere you look, they are posters of political luminaries. Actors endorse everything from Aircel mobile networks to pumps for agricultural use. And the people are such big fans of some of the actors, that apparently in the cinema the film reel operator has to stop the reel in order to accommodate the whistling and celebrating that goes on once the hero appears. I wish I had time to have experienced this, but sadly, it didn’t happen. But the next time I surely will.
Chennai has been an eye opener. The memory I had of the city I visited 17 years ago remains an old and distance memory, the way you remember your grandma when you were 5. As I have grown, Chennai has grown along with me, infinite in beauty, wisdom and grace. This is not to say that it’s perfect, no place is, but its faults have been exaggerated more than its virtues. The people are gentle and hospitable, I wasn’t eve-teased, rubbed up against or even gawked at even once. The food is amazing, with enough variety to keep foodies like me happy for a long time.
My heart is full. I am so glad I came. Chennai, you have a part of my heart, and you will see me again.
For more photos of my journey, click here and here.
Day 3 - Vaideeswaram
Yet another temple town, Vaideeswaram is the “olai chuvadi” capital of the world. Using an ancient text to tell your history as well as your future, these guys belong to a special clan that has safeguarded these texts for 1000s of years. These texts, written on palm leaves, used a kind of archaic Tamil script that only people in that clan can still read. So they make quite a killing reading these texts to people who either want to know their history, or their future.
If you remember, the point of my trip was to trace my history, so we went to one of these guys to see if he could shed some light on my ancestors. Finding him was hard because there was literally a whole street of these guys in Vaideeswaram, all claming to be the original. (Sounds a bit like the whole Papa Roti thing, doesn’t it?) But in the end, a call to my dad’s friend Rajendran solved the problem. It helps to have friends in high places.
Outside Vaideeswaram temple, we were swamped by the most ubiquitious sight of India – beggars. They hang around the temple hoping people’s piety will move them to pity. I was warned sternly by Malar and John NOT to give them money. They said, if you really want, you can give them food – biscuits or buns – but chances are they will reject it. Apparently most of them belong to a syndicate that feeds them, but makes them beg for their keep.
I had to test it out. I had bought some packets of food (prasadam) from the temple, which I didn’t want to eat. I offered it to this beggar lady with 2 children, but she refused to take it and kept asking me for money instead. Now, if I was a mother with 2 hungry children, I would take any food that comes my way, especially when it’s still piping hot.
Lesson learned.
Vaideeswaram is a small town, well supported by the astrology business. But there really wasn’t much else to do there. So after we got all the footage we needed, we left and headed for Pondicherry for dinner and the long drive back to Chennai.
We reached the ultra comfortable Raj Palace Hotel at about 9:30 on Sunday night. With the most strenuous part of the shoot behind us, we could relax, enjoy a good dinner (Chicken fried rice washed down with several gimlets), and entertain each other with horror stories from the media industry. I found out that John was the CEO for a cable channel called SS music, before life on the road called him back to sound engineering.
And Malar has worked in almost every major city in India and South East Asia, including Singapore, where he holds an employment pass.
Day 4 – Chennai
Finally, the last day of shooting. All the shoots today are in Chennai, so we had a little bit of time for some shopping in the evening. But before that, I got to experience the colour and vibrancy of what is touted to be now the best Indian city to live in.
Beggars, cows and pollution. I didn’t really find any of these a problem. I don’t know if I just looked unapproachable or what, but there weren’t a lot of encounters with beggars in Chennai. I saw more beggars in the small towns, strangely enough, just outside temples. There were still street and slum dwellers, in rags, and with children in throngs around them, but they seem to be gainfully employed. I was glad to see that.
The ubiquitious cows were everywhere, but they were quite grazing in little grassy alcoves, rather than obstructing traffic or terrifying hapless tourists (aka me). It just wouldn’t be India without the cows.
As for pollution, I noticed something really interesting. Women would sweep their houses clean of dust and debris, then gather the said pile of dust and dump it just outside their houses, where the wind will blow it in again during the course of the day.
A lot of the rubbish is also organic. Indians use natural resources a lot more than we do here – banana leaves instead of paper plates, palm leaf baskets instead plastic bags and cow dung instead of pesticides. Yes, there are plastic bottles, cans and other man made rubbish as well, but for city as large as Chennai is, they must either have a lot less trash or much more efficient waste disposal teams. But there is no doubt that India is the original recycling society. People save and reuse everything, which is really admirable.
I felt that politics and cinema drive the city more than then many temples, spiritual gurus and ancient texts and books. Everywhere you look, they are posters of political luminaries. Actors endorse everything from Aircel mobile networks to pumps for agricultural use. And the people are such big fans of some of the actors, that apparently in the cinema the film reel operator has to stop the reel in order to accommodate the whistling and celebrating that goes on once the hero appears. I wish I had time to have experienced this, but sadly, it didn’t happen. But the next time I surely will.
Chennai has been an eye opener. The memory I had of the city I visited 17 years ago remains an old and distance memory, the way you remember your grandma when you were 5. As I have grown, Chennai has grown along with me, infinite in beauty, wisdom and grace. This is not to say that it’s perfect, no place is, but its faults have been exaggerated more than its virtues. The people are gentle and hospitable, I wasn’t eve-teased, rubbed up against or even gawked at even once. The food is amazing, with enough variety to keep foodies like me happy for a long time.
My heart is full. I am so glad I came. Chennai, you have a part of my heart, and you will see me again.
Monday, May 21
Road Trip - India (part 3)
Day 2 – Sirkazhi.
After a quick and excellent breakfast of thosai and the best tea I have ever had, we set out for Sirkazhi, the town my great grandfather came from. I was supposed to meet my dad’s friend, Rajendran who lives there. He in turn helped me to find all the possible connections to my dad’s family. If not for him, I would probably still be there, looking for my roots.
We went to the house of this old priest of the local temple, who was said to remember my great grandfather. This man was 95 years old, and still had a memory that was sharp as a knife. He is retired from his priestly duties, but lives with his daughter’s family in the same house he had lived in since he was born.
I was excited to visit the house, because 1) it would be my first visit into a village house, and 2) my first visit to a orthodox Brahmin house. I tried to remember all the “rules” of orthodoxy regarding visiting a Brahmin household. I am glad to say none of them were true. They welcomed us with kindness, offered us a place to sit on a bench, and some ice cold water to drink.
(A short note on drinking water in India. I was told NEVER to drink the tap water. The crew bought many bottles of mineral water and an ice cooler, so we were well watered throughout the journey. But, when you go to someone’s house, and all they have is water, from the tap, how to say no without being rude? The last thing I want is to be remembered as the uppity Singapore girl who won’t even wet her lips in our house. So I drank their water when it was offered. I said a blessing over it, and drank whole heartedly. And didn’t suffer so much as a stomach ache from it. )
The house looked exactly like the kind you see in Tamil movies. A U shaped covered house with a small open air courtyard in the middle, where they had the Tulasi tree and the water pump. In the back, there is a well and a general washing area. These people were considered affluent because they had electricity, running water, and a fridge. The floors were cement and the walls brick. The roof was wood and attap, and kept the house cool and comfortable. 6 people lived in that house, which is the size of my living room. Amazing. With no separate rooms for married couples, how on earth did they make 2 children. The mind boggles.
The next house I visited was the one my great grandfather built. It has been around for about 100 years and is based on the same U shaped with courtyard plan. My uncle and aunty who still live there have electricity, but no fridge, and no running water. And my uncle works in a bank!
Meeting my relatives was an experience in itself and I will leave it to the show to tell the story. But walking into the house that I could have been born in was overwhelming. I can describe it adequately, and won’t even try.
2nd Night – Chidambaram
Since Sirkazhi is such a small town, they don’t have any hotels that will fulfil the creature comforts stipulated by the crew. So we spent the night in Chidambaram, a slightly larger temple town that was a 2 hour drive away. I was so exhausted – drained physically by the 8 hour shoot in the broiling sun and emotionally by meeting my relatives – that I took a shower and went straight to bed. It’s only the next morning that I realized that the hotel we stayed at was called the Raffles Hotel! The irony was not lost on me. I’m not complaining because it had a clean bed and aircon, which is all I needed, but they were little short on the marble flooring and jazz quarter, what.
The hotel also did not have room service, so the guys had to go out to get some take away food. One of the things I really enjoyed about this trip was that I was with a bunch of people who were serious meat eaters like me. Which is really good because India has very good non-vegetarian cusine offer. The meat is usually fresh, not frozen, so it tastes different and absorbs the flavours of the spices better.
Now, I know a lot of you are frowning because you think I did something stupid and dangerous, but for the record, I did not get any digestive disorders while I was in India. No Delhi belly, nothing. 2 out of 3 meals were non-vegetarian. For breakfast, we went to a veg restaurant, but only because breakfast foods like thosai and idly are much better there.
If I have any complains about India, it’s this. The sun rises really early in the morning. By about 5:45 a.m., it is peeking into my room. Being used to waking at dawn in Singapore (6:30a.m.), I was like WTH when I found myself rising at 5:30 or so. So from then till my actual wake up call (8:00), it was my time with the wonders of Indian television. I was pleasantly surprised to find a TV channel dedicated to Christian programming – songs, sermons and services – in both Tamil and English. Belonging to a secular state like Singapore, it came as quite a treat, really.
After a quick and excellent breakfast of thosai and the best tea I have ever had, we set out for Sirkazhi, the town my great grandfather came from. I was supposed to meet my dad’s friend, Rajendran who lives there. He in turn helped me to find all the possible connections to my dad’s family. If not for him, I would probably still be there, looking for my roots.
We went to the house of this old priest of the local temple, who was said to remember my great grandfather. This man was 95 years old, and still had a memory that was sharp as a knife. He is retired from his priestly duties, but lives with his daughter’s family in the same house he had lived in since he was born.
I was excited to visit the house, because 1) it would be my first visit into a village house, and 2) my first visit to a orthodox Brahmin house. I tried to remember all the “rules” of orthodoxy regarding visiting a Brahmin household. I am glad to say none of them were true. They welcomed us with kindness, offered us a place to sit on a bench, and some ice cold water to drink.
(A short note on drinking water in India. I was told NEVER to drink the tap water. The crew bought many bottles of mineral water and an ice cooler, so we were well watered throughout the journey. But, when you go to someone’s house, and all they have is water, from the tap, how to say no without being rude? The last thing I want is to be remembered as the uppity Singapore girl who won’t even wet her lips in our house. So I drank their water when it was offered. I said a blessing over it, and drank whole heartedly. And didn’t suffer so much as a stomach ache from it. )
The house looked exactly like the kind you see in Tamil movies. A U shaped covered house with a small open air courtyard in the middle, where they had the Tulasi tree and the water pump. In the back, there is a well and a general washing area. These people were considered affluent because they had electricity, running water, and a fridge. The floors were cement and the walls brick. The roof was wood and attap, and kept the house cool and comfortable. 6 people lived in that house, which is the size of my living room. Amazing. With no separate rooms for married couples, how on earth did they make 2 children. The mind boggles.
The next house I visited was the one my great grandfather built. It has been around for about 100 years and is based on the same U shaped with courtyard plan. My uncle and aunty who still live there have electricity, but no fridge, and no running water. And my uncle works in a bank!
Meeting my relatives was an experience in itself and I will leave it to the show to tell the story. But walking into the house that I could have been born in was overwhelming. I can describe it adequately, and won’t even try.
2nd Night – Chidambaram
Since Sirkazhi is such a small town, they don’t have any hotels that will fulfil the creature comforts stipulated by the crew. So we spent the night in Chidambaram, a slightly larger temple town that was a 2 hour drive away. I was so exhausted – drained physically by the 8 hour shoot in the broiling sun and emotionally by meeting my relatives – that I took a shower and went straight to bed. It’s only the next morning that I realized that the hotel we stayed at was called the Raffles Hotel! The irony was not lost on me. I’m not complaining because it had a clean bed and aircon, which is all I needed, but they were little short on the marble flooring and jazz quarter, what.
The hotel also did not have room service, so the guys had to go out to get some take away food. One of the things I really enjoyed about this trip was that I was with a bunch of people who were serious meat eaters like me. Which is really good because India has very good non-vegetarian cusine offer. The meat is usually fresh, not frozen, so it tastes different and absorbs the flavours of the spices better.
Now, I know a lot of you are frowning because you think I did something stupid and dangerous, but for the record, I did not get any digestive disorders while I was in India. No Delhi belly, nothing. 2 out of 3 meals were non-vegetarian. For breakfast, we went to a veg restaurant, but only because breakfast foods like thosai and idly are much better there.
If I have any complains about India, it’s this. The sun rises really early in the morning. By about 5:45 a.m., it is peeking into my room. Being used to waking at dawn in Singapore (6:30a.m.), I was like WTH when I found myself rising at 5:30 or so. So from then till my actual wake up call (8:00), it was my time with the wonders of Indian television. I was pleasantly surprised to find a TV channel dedicated to Christian programming – songs, sermons and services – in both Tamil and English. Belonging to a secular state like Singapore, it came as quite a treat, really.
Friday, May 18
Road Trip – India (Part 2)
First Night – Pondicherry
Being on a road trip like this one, it’s impossible to tell where we are going to be when night falls. Therefore making hotel reservations was out of the question. Therefore 2 hours of our night in Pondicherry was spent driving around, looking for a hotel to stay. Most hotels were full for two reasons – 1) Pondicherry is a kind of a party town where young Chennai natives go for a wild weekend of drinking and partying and 2) Because of the political meeting, even more people decided to leave the city and Pondi is the nearest destination.
By 9:30, we still hadn’t got a room and I was beginning to panic. I know how Mary and Joseph felt, not that I was about to have a baby, but the part of being tired and stopping at every inn and not finding room to rest. Finally Malar called one of his friends, who told us to try a place called Shanti Inn. It was on a street that we had already driven by twice, but we didn’t see it because at the street level, you only see the door. The rest of the hotel is on the 2nd – 5th floors. The rooms were clean and air conditioned, the bathroom looked recently washed and the bed was comfortable. We decided to stay.
Dinner was room service, although no one had much of an appetite from all that traveling. Ok, honestly, that was not the reason. Pondicherry is apparently some kind of tax haven for alcohol. A bottle of Smirnoff vodka only cost SGD$16. So everyone decided to camp out in my room and have a few bottles of the stuff, “to help to relax”. They were so relaxed, I had a hard time kicking them out, because I wanted to sleep. Tomorrow we go to Sirkazhi, a big day for me. I needed to sleep.
Before I end this post, a word about Indian TV. Firstly, I love the fact that every channel has people who look just like me Рbeautiful Indian girls endorsing products in ads and good looking men reading the news. And the ads are really a lot more creative and sometimes risqu̩ then what we get in Singapore. There is this one ad where the opening sequence is a medium shot of a woman, waist up, squatting on something and bouncing up and down with her eyes closed. The next shot is a long shot of her rinsing out the pair of pants she had just washed by hand, and turning to show it to the camera. It was an ad for washing soap.
And these people had a problem with Richard Gere kissing Shilpa Shetty? What the…?
Sex and nudity is not really an issue in India. People are bathing in public places all the time, the men wearing a little less than a thong and the women a sheer sari or cloth that doesn’t leave much to the imagination. The problem was probably that Richard was an old geezer, kissing a young nubile woman. Yeah, I think that was probably it.
For pictures, click here.
Being on a road trip like this one, it’s impossible to tell where we are going to be when night falls. Therefore making hotel reservations was out of the question. Therefore 2 hours of our night in Pondicherry was spent driving around, looking for a hotel to stay. Most hotels were full for two reasons – 1) Pondicherry is a kind of a party town where young Chennai natives go for a wild weekend of drinking and partying and 2) Because of the political meeting, even more people decided to leave the city and Pondi is the nearest destination.
By 9:30, we still hadn’t got a room and I was beginning to panic. I know how Mary and Joseph felt, not that I was about to have a baby, but the part of being tired and stopping at every inn and not finding room to rest. Finally Malar called one of his friends, who told us to try a place called Shanti Inn. It was on a street that we had already driven by twice, but we didn’t see it because at the street level, you only see the door. The rest of the hotel is on the 2nd – 5th floors. The rooms were clean and air conditioned, the bathroom looked recently washed and the bed was comfortable. We decided to stay.
Dinner was room service, although no one had much of an appetite from all that traveling. Ok, honestly, that was not the reason. Pondicherry is apparently some kind of tax haven for alcohol. A bottle of Smirnoff vodka only cost SGD$16. So everyone decided to camp out in my room and have a few bottles of the stuff, “to help to relax”. They were so relaxed, I had a hard time kicking them out, because I wanted to sleep. Tomorrow we go to Sirkazhi, a big day for me. I needed to sleep.
Before I end this post, a word about Indian TV. Firstly, I love the fact that every channel has people who look just like me Рbeautiful Indian girls endorsing products in ads and good looking men reading the news. And the ads are really a lot more creative and sometimes risqu̩ then what we get in Singapore. There is this one ad where the opening sequence is a medium shot of a woman, waist up, squatting on something and bouncing up and down with her eyes closed. The next shot is a long shot of her rinsing out the pair of pants she had just washed by hand, and turning to show it to the camera. It was an ad for washing soap.
And these people had a problem with Richard Gere kissing Shilpa Shetty? What the…?
Sex and nudity is not really an issue in India. People are bathing in public places all the time, the men wearing a little less than a thong and the women a sheer sari or cloth that doesn’t leave much to the imagination. The problem was probably that Richard was an old geezer, kissing a young nubile woman. Yeah, I think that was probably it.
For pictures, click here.
Thursday, May 17
Road Trip – India (Part 1)
Itinerary
Day 1 – Chennai to Pondicherry
Day 2 – Pondicherry to Sirkazhi
Day 3 – Sirkazhi to Vaideeswaram
Day 4 – Vaideeswaram to Chennai
Day 5 - Singapore
Day One
I landed in Chennai airport at 10 a.m. and already the heat was searing through my skin. It was Agni Natchathiram, the hottest day in the year, although I didn’t know that at the time.
Good thing Kannan, the Assistant Director from Verite Productions was there with an air conditioned Chevrolet, so I didn’t suffer too long in the heat. It did make me think about how the people who cannot afford air conditioning survive this season.
We went to Raj Palace Hotel where I met the rest of the crew – Hameed, who of course I know from poly days, Malarvannan, the cameraman , and John Fernandez, the sound guy. Both Malar and John are Chennai natives (Chennaivites? Chennaaiwals?) , although they have both travelled the world extensively as professionals in their field. My episode of Mudhal Payanam was in good hands.
Before heading out of the city, we stopped for lunch – at Liu’s Chinese Cuisine. The two Singaporean guys, Kannan and Hameed were tired of eating Indian food and were dying for a change in palate, and this was their last chance to get some Chinese food before we headed for the rural countryside. So my first meal in India was steamed Thai rice, sweet and sour pork, chili beef and chap chai! Go figure eh.
At about 4:30, we headed out of Chennai further south toward Pondicherry. On our way out, we saw busloads of people with strange black and red flags on the windows coming into the city. Apparently some minister was getting honoured for 50 years of active political career, so the prime minister and president of India were coming down to some meeting to felicitate him. His followers also took it at a personal invitation and descended on Chennai in their thousands. Malar said it’s good thing we were leaving for a few days, because just the traffic snarls would tie up any travel plans for a while.
Even on the other side of the road, we were moving at a snail’s pace, because the more important followers of that minister were allowed to drive on the opposite side, towards oncoming traffic. Our driver Kumar played chicken so many times, I stopped counting. I just know that by the time my journey ended, I had almost broken the hand grip in the car.
Traffic rules are more of a suggestion than the law here.
Day 1 – Chennai to Pondicherry
Day 2 – Pondicherry to Sirkazhi
Day 3 – Sirkazhi to Vaideeswaram
Day 4 – Vaideeswaram to Chennai
Day 5 - Singapore
Day One
I landed in Chennai airport at 10 a.m. and already the heat was searing through my skin. It was Agni Natchathiram, the hottest day in the year, although I didn’t know that at the time.
Good thing Kannan, the Assistant Director from Verite Productions was there with an air conditioned Chevrolet, so I didn’t suffer too long in the heat. It did make me think about how the people who cannot afford air conditioning survive this season.
We went to Raj Palace Hotel where I met the rest of the crew – Hameed, who of course I know from poly days, Malarvannan, the cameraman , and John Fernandez, the sound guy. Both Malar and John are Chennai natives (Chennaivites? Chennaaiwals?) , although they have both travelled the world extensively as professionals in their field. My episode of Mudhal Payanam was in good hands.
Before heading out of the city, we stopped for lunch – at Liu’s Chinese Cuisine. The two Singaporean guys, Kannan and Hameed were tired of eating Indian food and were dying for a change in palate, and this was their last chance to get some Chinese food before we headed for the rural countryside. So my first meal in India was steamed Thai rice, sweet and sour pork, chili beef and chap chai! Go figure eh.
At about 4:30, we headed out of Chennai further south toward Pondicherry. On our way out, we saw busloads of people with strange black and red flags on the windows coming into the city. Apparently some minister was getting honoured for 50 years of active political career, so the prime minister and president of India were coming down to some meeting to felicitate him. His followers also took it at a personal invitation and descended on Chennai in their thousands. Malar said it’s good thing we were leaving for a few days, because just the traffic snarls would tie up any travel plans for a while.
Even on the other side of the road, we were moving at a snail’s pace, because the more important followers of that minister were allowed to drive on the opposite side, towards oncoming traffic. Our driver Kumar played chicken so many times, I stopped counting. I just know that by the time my journey ended, I had almost broken the hand grip in the car.
Traffic rules are more of a suggestion than the law here.
Friday, May 11
And we are off!
I am writing this from the free internet terminals in Changi Airport. Check in was really smooth cos they had a special express lane for individual travellers. There were about 400 tour groups, all looking haggard, tired and carrying everything from rice cookers to small TVs.
In about 10 Mins we get to board the plane and then, the adventure begins!
catch u later!
In about 10 Mins we get to board the plane and then, the adventure begins!
catch u later!
Thursday, May 10
Getting to know you!
This is such a perfect opportunity to get to know all you guys! Please do it and send it back to me ok? Email also can!
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
On Sunday
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
No. It's childish.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
SPAM! (Is there any other kind?)
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Yes, yes, yes, and I want more!
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Definitely! I am delightful!
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM ALOT?
Yes. Bad me.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS
Yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Only if someone's life depended on it.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Nestum!
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
No
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Not at all.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Macadamia and butterscotch
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Their eyes.
15. RED OR PINK?
Red
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
woah.. where do I start
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST
My best friends
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Absolutely
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
black and black
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Rice vermicelli sauted in garlic chili oil with soya beans.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
My colleague's Chinese radio station (ugh)
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Burnt Orange
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
sandalwood, Otrie's cooking, and Hanan's head.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
my mother
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Love her with all my heart!
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
NBA
27. HAIR COLOR?
brown
28. EYE COLOR?
brown
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No. Perfect eyesight, praise the Lord
30. FAVORITE FOOD?
All of it, I guess
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Spidey 3!
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Dress, dark blue
34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
We don't have a choice here -summer
35. HUGS OR KISSES?
I have to choose?! Kisses
36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Otrie's key lime pie
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Who knows, man?
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND
By default, all of them.
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
And the Shofar Blew by Francine Rivers
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
What an archaic question!
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?
American Idol!
42. FAVORITE SOUND?
Hanan singing praise songs!
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
North Carolina
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Honey, I am ALL special talent
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
KK Hosptial, Singapore
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
All you lot! Consider yourself tagged!
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
On Sunday
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
No. It's childish.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
SPAM! (Is there any other kind?)
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Yes, yes, yes, and I want more!
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Definitely! I am delightful!
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM ALOT?
Yes. Bad me.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS
Yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Only if someone's life depended on it.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Nestum!
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
No
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Not at all.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Macadamia and butterscotch
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Their eyes.
15. RED OR PINK?
Red
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
woah.. where do I start
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST
My best friends
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Absolutely
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
black and black
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Rice vermicelli sauted in garlic chili oil with soya beans.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
My colleague's Chinese radio station (ugh)
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Burnt Orange
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
sandalwood, Otrie's cooking, and Hanan's head.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
my mother
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Love her with all my heart!
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
NBA
27. HAIR COLOR?
brown
28. EYE COLOR?
brown
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No. Perfect eyesight, praise the Lord
30. FAVORITE FOOD?
All of it, I guess
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Spidey 3!
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Dress, dark blue
34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
We don't have a choice here -summer
35. HUGS OR KISSES?
I have to choose?! Kisses
36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Otrie's key lime pie
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Who knows, man?
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND
By default, all of them.
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
And the Shofar Blew by Francine Rivers
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
What an archaic question!
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?
American Idol!
42. FAVORITE SOUND?
Hanan singing praise songs!
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
North Carolina
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Honey, I am ALL special talent
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
KK Hosptial, Singapore
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
All you lot! Consider yourself tagged!
Wednesday, May 9
Getting Prettified
Ok, before I start this post proper, here is a quick quiz.
A nail bar is
1) An upscale hardware store that specialises in nails.
2) A bar where the most hardened people in society hang out.
3) A place where dainty, delicate women go to get their nails taken care of.
If you guessed 1) or 2), just know I don't blame you at all. But this post is about my pedicure experience, so the right answer is 3). Thanks for playing.
I have been to a few nail bars in the last 2 years and the experience has been mixed.
The one at Suntec, Nail Addiction, is pretty good, but the space is small and cramped and only one of the nail technicians (yeah, i know!), Sharon, is consistently conscientious about her work. The others are a bit moody and if you draw them on one of their bad days, then sub-standard is all you are getting.
The worst one I have ever been to is PINC, the Woodlands branch. I paid for the deluxe pedicure, and what I received was just the most rudimentary of cuticle trimming and a quick slather of exfoliant before she started painting my nails. The paint job didnt even last 3 weeks. I didn't like the atmosphere either. The girls were loud, brash and speaking in Chinese all the time, and it was more like a cafe then a spa. People want to be spoiled and pampered a little when they come in for a pedicure. I know you want a quick turnaround, so you can service more people and make a killing, but really. If we wanted to be herded like sheep to be sheared, we won't be shelling out $38.
But coming quickly to the reason for this post. I pass by this place every day on my way to work and the reason I never stopped in was this.
Pretticure. What kind of name is that, right? It just sounded so.... cheesy, you know. Like they were at Registy of Companies and went, "Darn, we don't have a name for this venture.. let's see.. people want to be pretty and they come in for a pedicure.. let's see... prettipedi? Pedimanipretty? Prettymani? I know!! Pretticure!!!" (For all I know, that's exactly what happened!)
Anyway, I went in on my way home from work yesterday solely because my other option was PINC and I REALLY REALLY didn't want to go in there again. As soon as I walked in, there was this pleasant scent of lavender everywhere, which is nice, since most nail bars smell like acetate.
Then, the girl behind the counter smiled and took me in, sans appointment. She offered me a drink list (!), with a selection of teas, from simple Earl Grey to the exotic Ginseng and Vanilla.
She left me there to choose my nail color while she went to prepare for my pedicure.
When she invited me to my station, I just knew this was gonna be a good experience. Reasons
1) Bubbling foot soak. Usually you get a tub of lukewarm water.
2) Equipment within their own sterile packaging.
3) Copious amounts of exfoliant
4) Cup of Earl Grey (my order), piping hot
My technician's name was Milo, and she was gentle, careful, conscientious and a great conversationalist who actually spoke good English. She did not try and sell me anything I didn't want or need and she gave me the first foot, ankle and calf massage I ever had at a nail bar. I thanked her profusely for the massage and she smiles behind her surgical mask and says mysteriously, "Wait.This will be even better." She then places a hot towel on my feet and kneads my toes till I sink into sweet, estatic oblivion. Sigh.....
This is the finished product of Milo's handiwork.
Now the cost of this little experience was only marginally less than other nail bars - $35. But the experience was worth so much more. I was so impressed by the level of service I received that I did not even let Milo finish her sales pitch when I signed up for their 5 pedicure package. She did all selling she needed to with her gentle hands and immense pedicure and people skills.
If you need a little pampering and a lot of TLC for your feet, go to Pretticure. Located at Jurong Entertainment Centre. Tel: 65600778. Don't let the silly name fool you. These ladies know how to treat another lady. And the rest of you, you are in the service industry. A little service wouldn't go amiss.
A nail bar is
1) An upscale hardware store that specialises in nails.
2) A bar where the most hardened people in society hang out.
3) A place where dainty, delicate women go to get their nails taken care of.
If you guessed 1) or 2), just know I don't blame you at all. But this post is about my pedicure experience, so the right answer is 3). Thanks for playing.
I have been to a few nail bars in the last 2 years and the experience has been mixed.
The one at Suntec, Nail Addiction, is pretty good, but the space is small and cramped and only one of the nail technicians (yeah, i know!), Sharon, is consistently conscientious about her work. The others are a bit moody and if you draw them on one of their bad days, then sub-standard is all you are getting.
The worst one I have ever been to is PINC, the Woodlands branch. I paid for the deluxe pedicure, and what I received was just the most rudimentary of cuticle trimming and a quick slather of exfoliant before she started painting my nails. The paint job didnt even last 3 weeks. I didn't like the atmosphere either. The girls were loud, brash and speaking in Chinese all the time, and it was more like a cafe then a spa. People want to be spoiled and pampered a little when they come in for a pedicure. I know you want a quick turnaround, so you can service more people and make a killing, but really. If we wanted to be herded like sheep to be sheared, we won't be shelling out $38.
But coming quickly to the reason for this post. I pass by this place every day on my way to work and the reason I never stopped in was this.
Pretticure. What kind of name is that, right? It just sounded so.... cheesy, you know. Like they were at Registy of Companies and went, "Darn, we don't have a name for this venture.. let's see.. people want to be pretty and they come in for a pedicure.. let's see... prettipedi? Pedimanipretty? Prettymani? I know!! Pretticure!!!" (For all I know, that's exactly what happened!)
Anyway, I went in on my way home from work yesterday solely because my other option was PINC and I REALLY REALLY didn't want to go in there again. As soon as I walked in, there was this pleasant scent of lavender everywhere, which is nice, since most nail bars smell like acetate.
Then, the girl behind the counter smiled and took me in, sans appointment. She offered me a drink list (!), with a selection of teas, from simple Earl Grey to the exotic Ginseng and Vanilla.
She left me there to choose my nail color while she went to prepare for my pedicure.
When she invited me to my station, I just knew this was gonna be a good experience. Reasons
1) Bubbling foot soak. Usually you get a tub of lukewarm water.
2) Equipment within their own sterile packaging.
3) Copious amounts of exfoliant
4) Cup of Earl Grey (my order), piping hot
My technician's name was Milo, and she was gentle, careful, conscientious and a great conversationalist who actually spoke good English. She did not try and sell me anything I didn't want or need and she gave me the first foot, ankle and calf massage I ever had at a nail bar. I thanked her profusely for the massage and she smiles behind her surgical mask and says mysteriously, "Wait.This will be even better." She then places a hot towel on my feet and kneads my toes till I sink into sweet, estatic oblivion. Sigh.....
This is the finished product of Milo's handiwork.
Now the cost of this little experience was only marginally less than other nail bars - $35. But the experience was worth so much more. I was so impressed by the level of service I received that I did not even let Milo finish her sales pitch when I signed up for their 5 pedicure package. She did all selling she needed to with her gentle hands and immense pedicure and people skills.
If you need a little pampering and a lot of TLC for your feet, go to Pretticure. Located at Jurong Entertainment Centre. Tel: 65600778. Don't let the silly name fool you. These ladies know how to treat another lady. And the rest of you, you are in the service industry. A little service wouldn't go amiss.
Tuesday, May 8
Letter from Grandma/ Grandpa
National Library Board has launched this project called Letters From Grandma And Grandpa.
The project is to help record advice (can be about life, the future, lessons to remember) grandparents want to pass on to their grandchildren.
Tamil Murasu is working together with National Library Board to gather and publish the letters in Tamil.
This is open to all Grandparents, who are Singaporeans or Permanent Residents.
Your letter has to be written in Tamil.
You should submit your letter in either typewritten or handwritten form.
Each letter should have approximately 500 to 1,000 words.
Unselected letters would be archived.
Letters are subjected to editing by the selection panel.
For more details please contact me via email and I will tell you what to do.
The project is to help record advice (can be about life, the future, lessons to remember) grandparents want to pass on to their grandchildren.
Tamil Murasu is working together with National Library Board to gather and publish the letters in Tamil.
This is open to all Grandparents, who are Singaporeans or Permanent Residents.
Your letter has to be written in Tamil.
You should submit your letter in either typewritten or handwritten form.
Each letter should have approximately 500 to 1,000 words.
Unselected letters would be archived.
Letters are subjected to editing by the selection panel.
For more details please contact me via email and I will tell you what to do.
Monday, May 7
Inane questionnaire thingy - Thanks Shal!
TEN EM0TI0NS:
1. are you missing someone right now? Yes
2. are you happy? Happiness is so temporary. I got JOY, baby!
3. are you talking to anyone right now? No
4. are you bored? No.
5. are you german? No.
6. are you irish? No.
7. are you french? No.
8. are you italian? No.
9. are your parents still married? No. Yes, another statistic
10.are you scared? Honestly? No. OK, maybe a little.
TEN FAV0RITES:
1. televison: Judging Amy
2. flower: Any that end up at my door with a card with my name on it.
3. color: Orange
4. sport: To watch or to do?
5. mall: IMM I think.
6. band: U2
9. animal: Whichever one is smart enough to stay the hell away from me.
10. state: Insanity
TEN FACTS:
1. hair color: Brown
2. phone color: Silver
3. car color: Lime Green
4. hair style: Long and straight
5. eye color: Brown
6. shoe size: 10
7. ring size: 13. With a big solid piece of compressed coal will be nice.
8. skin color: Brown
9. available: No
10. lefty/righty: Righty
TEN THINGS ABOUT YOUR LIFE:
1. have you ever been in love? er, yeah
2. do you believe in love? I don't know.
3. why did your past relationships fail? I was an idiot
4. have you ever been heartbroken? Of course
5. have you ever broken someone's heart? I think so
6. Have you ever fallen for one of your best friends? YES, YES, YES!
7. are you afraid of commitment? Yes, but I will give it a shot
9. has someone ever kissed your hand? Yes
10. have you ever had a secret admirer? Errr.. I think so
TEN THINGS - THIS 0R THAT:
1. love or lust: Lust. I am premenstrual and hormonal
2. hard liquor or beer: Yes
3. night or day: Night.
4. one night stands or relationships: Relationships.
5. television or internet: Internet.
6. pepsi or coke: Coke man!
8. money or family: Family. Money. Family with money?
9. phone or in person: in Person
10. msn or myspace: Msn
TEN HAVE Y0U EVERS:
1. have you ever been caught sneaking out? Of course not. I am too good.
2. Have you ever done something you regret? Of course!
3. have you ever bungee jumped? No, and no thanks
4. have you ever gone skydiving? No, and no thanks
5. Have you ever finished an entire jaw breaker? Yeah!
6. have you ever wanted someone so badly it hurt? Yes I have.
7. have you ever killed a man? In the biblical sense, yes
8. have you ever danced in the rain? Danced... hmmm... no
9. have you ever kissed someone in the rain? Yes
10.have you ever broken a nail? NO! They are made of iron, hello?
1. are you missing someone right now? Yes
2. are you happy? Happiness is so temporary. I got JOY, baby!
3. are you talking to anyone right now? No
4. are you bored? No.
5. are you german? No.
6. are you irish? No.
7. are you french? No.
8. are you italian? No.
9. are your parents still married? No. Yes, another statistic
10.are you scared? Honestly? No. OK, maybe a little.
TEN FAV0RITES:
1. televison: Judging Amy
2. flower: Any that end up at my door with a card with my name on it.
3. color: Orange
4. sport: To watch or to do?
5. mall: IMM I think.
6. band: U2
9. animal: Whichever one is smart enough to stay the hell away from me.
10. state: Insanity
TEN FACTS:
1. hair color: Brown
2. phone color: Silver
3. car color: Lime Green
4. hair style: Long and straight
5. eye color: Brown
6. shoe size: 10
7. ring size: 13. With a big solid piece of compressed coal will be nice.
8. skin color: Brown
9. available: No
10. lefty/righty: Righty
TEN THINGS ABOUT YOUR LIFE:
1. have you ever been in love? er, yeah
2. do you believe in love? I don't know.
3. why did your past relationships fail? I was an idiot
4. have you ever been heartbroken? Of course
5. have you ever broken someone's heart? I think so
6. Have you ever fallen for one of your best friends? YES, YES, YES!
7. are you afraid of commitment? Yes, but I will give it a shot
9. has someone ever kissed your hand? Yes
10. have you ever had a secret admirer? Errr.. I think so
TEN THINGS - THIS 0R THAT:
1. love or lust: Lust. I am premenstrual and hormonal
2. hard liquor or beer: Yes
3. night or day: Night.
4. one night stands or relationships: Relationships.
5. television or internet: Internet.
6. pepsi or coke: Coke man!
8. money or family: Family. Money. Family with money?
9. phone or in person: in Person
10. msn or myspace: Msn
TEN HAVE Y0U EVERS:
1. have you ever been caught sneaking out? Of course not. I am too good.
2. Have you ever done something you regret? Of course!
3. have you ever bungee jumped? No, and no thanks
4. have you ever gone skydiving? No, and no thanks
5. Have you ever finished an entire jaw breaker? Yeah!
6. have you ever wanted someone so badly it hurt? Yes I have.
7. have you ever killed a man? In the biblical sense, yes
8. have you ever danced in the rain? Danced... hmmm... no
9. have you ever kissed someone in the rain? Yes
10.have you ever broken a nail? NO! They are made of iron, hello?
Friday, May 4
Defending God, or Defending myself?
“And you call yourself a Christian!”
The first time someone used that put-down on me, I was shattered. There were 2 reasons it hurt so much.
1) It was a direct below the belt hit on the one thing that I cling to as my identity, which encompasses every aspect of my being. Attacking my status as a follower of Christ is the sharpest barb Satan has in his arsenal, on par with “If you are the Son of God…”
2) The mouth that uttered those words was my father’s, a man that I adored beyond anyone else. It was the ultimate rejection and put down.
Over the next 10 or so years, I have heard him say this about many believers, some of whom I love dearly. All it took was for the believer to make a mistake, act in a way my dad didn’t like, tell a lie or conceal a truth for him to jump on him with the only way he can attack him while maintaining his face and sense of self-worth.
My reaction was always one of anger and deep hurt. I jumped to God’s defense, trying to explain away my shortcomings or defend my actions, as if the circumstances extenuate my actions. I tried to get my dad to understand that it’s not God’s fault I am such a sad example to his glory. I pleaded, groveled, explained and generally left feeling even more defeated and deflated then when I started.
But lately I have been thinking about what that statement really means. Yes, it is said with derision and a sneer, but it carries the following hidden meanings:-
1) Because you are a Christian, I hold you to a higher standard than anyone else.
2) Your profession of faith is the only thing I can attack because there is really nothing else about you that I can possibly be offended by.
3) I want you to remember who you are and Who you represent here on earth, so that, through you, I can experience such a little of the Grace you walk in.
4) I know what the “rules” of Christianity are, but I don’t know who Christ is.
Now when I hear my father or my brothers ask if someone calls himself a Christian, my answer is a simple yes. For being a Christian is not about how good you are. It’s about how good Christ is.
If I was able to be good, keep all the “rules”, never lose my temper, never tell a lie, never swear and never make mistakes of any kind, then, why would I need a Saviour?
Ephesians 2:4-10
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Enemy: Call yourself a Christian?!
Me : Why yes, I do. Because in my moment of weakness, Christ loved me. In my moment of hurt and anger, He comforted me. When I fell and fell again, he shed His blood for me. When my sinful nature arose, He forgave me.
Enemy: Call Nalinee your child?!
Jesus: Why yes, I do. Because when I hung on the cross, it’s her face I saw. When I was striped with the lash, I had her healing in mind. When I shed my blood, I redeemed her unto myself. When she calls on me, I answer her.
I don’t need to defend God against a defeated enemy. And who better to defend me than the King of Heaven?
The first time someone used that put-down on me, I was shattered. There were 2 reasons it hurt so much.
1) It was a direct below the belt hit on the one thing that I cling to as my identity, which encompasses every aspect of my being. Attacking my status as a follower of Christ is the sharpest barb Satan has in his arsenal, on par with “If you are the Son of God…”
2) The mouth that uttered those words was my father’s, a man that I adored beyond anyone else. It was the ultimate rejection and put down.
Over the next 10 or so years, I have heard him say this about many believers, some of whom I love dearly. All it took was for the believer to make a mistake, act in a way my dad didn’t like, tell a lie or conceal a truth for him to jump on him with the only way he can attack him while maintaining his face and sense of self-worth.
My reaction was always one of anger and deep hurt. I jumped to God’s defense, trying to explain away my shortcomings or defend my actions, as if the circumstances extenuate my actions. I tried to get my dad to understand that it’s not God’s fault I am such a sad example to his glory. I pleaded, groveled, explained and generally left feeling even more defeated and deflated then when I started.
But lately I have been thinking about what that statement really means. Yes, it is said with derision and a sneer, but it carries the following hidden meanings:-
1) Because you are a Christian, I hold you to a higher standard than anyone else.
2) Your profession of faith is the only thing I can attack because there is really nothing else about you that I can possibly be offended by.
3) I want you to remember who you are and Who you represent here on earth, so that, through you, I can experience such a little of the Grace you walk in.
4) I know what the “rules” of Christianity are, but I don’t know who Christ is.
Now when I hear my father or my brothers ask if someone calls himself a Christian, my answer is a simple yes. For being a Christian is not about how good you are. It’s about how good Christ is.
If I was able to be good, keep all the “rules”, never lose my temper, never tell a lie, never swear and never make mistakes of any kind, then, why would I need a Saviour?
Ephesians 2:4-10
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Enemy: Call yourself a Christian?!
Me : Why yes, I do. Because in my moment of weakness, Christ loved me. In my moment of hurt and anger, He comforted me. When I fell and fell again, he shed His blood for me. When my sinful nature arose, He forgave me.
Enemy: Call Nalinee your child?!
Jesus: Why yes, I do. Because when I hung on the cross, it’s her face I saw. When I was striped with the lash, I had her healing in mind. When I shed my blood, I redeemed her unto myself. When she calls on me, I answer her.
I don’t need to defend God against a defeated enemy. And who better to defend me than the King of Heaven?
Thursday, May 3
Movie Review - Spiderman 3
Spiderman 3 marks the beginning of the wondeful summer season of very watchable movies coming our way - POTC, Shrek, Transformers and Fantastic Four. I guess you can add Harry Potter to that list as well, although I won't be watching it.
But back to good ol' Peter Parker. Except he wasn't very good in this one was he? No siree, he decided to explore his bad side, the side that is vengeful, bitter, horny and cruel. We all have it, which is why Sipderman will always be my favourite reluctant superhero.
I really enjoyed the bad guys in this one. Not one, but three! Sandman was a great character, especially to produce with CGI effects and all, bet the geeks had fun with that one. And of course Venom, with that lovely mouthful of teeth. And then of course the best one of all, whose come back was not exactly unexpected by anyone who has seen 1 and 2.
Mary Jane, despite all her screaming glory, was a better developed character this time around. It's important for us to see her weakness; I felt she was too one-dimensional in the first 2. I liked her mean, bitchy side, and they should have done so much more with that. What's the point of all that red hair, when your character is not even as fiesty as your hairdo? (Yes, I just don't like Kirsten Dunst.)
One of the Spidey fans that I spoke to was a little disappointed by the whole "It-came-from-outer-space" cop-out on the black goo. Admittedly, it was a bit contrived. But writing it as a science experiment gone wrong would have made this a 3 hour movie, and that point, we might as well throw in 3 songs and a fight scene as well.
And why did the goo jump on Spidey and not MJ? Curiouser and curiouser. I hate it when plots have holes big enough to fall through.
Still, go watch Spiderman 3. I can think of worse ways to spend an afternoon.
But back to good ol' Peter Parker. Except he wasn't very good in this one was he? No siree, he decided to explore his bad side, the side that is vengeful, bitter, horny and cruel. We all have it, which is why Sipderman will always be my favourite reluctant superhero.
I really enjoyed the bad guys in this one. Not one, but three! Sandman was a great character, especially to produce with CGI effects and all, bet the geeks had fun with that one. And of course Venom, with that lovely mouthful of teeth. And then of course the best one of all, whose come back was not exactly unexpected by anyone who has seen 1 and 2.
Mary Jane, despite all her screaming glory, was a better developed character this time around. It's important for us to see her weakness; I felt she was too one-dimensional in the first 2. I liked her mean, bitchy side, and they should have done so much more with that. What's the point of all that red hair, when your character is not even as fiesty as your hairdo? (Yes, I just don't like Kirsten Dunst.)
One of the Spidey fans that I spoke to was a little disappointed by the whole "It-came-from-outer-space" cop-out on the black goo. Admittedly, it was a bit contrived. But writing it as a science experiment gone wrong would have made this a 3 hour movie, and that point, we might as well throw in 3 songs and a fight scene as well.
And why did the goo jump on Spidey and not MJ? Curiouser and curiouser. I hate it when plots have holes big enough to fall through.
Still, go watch Spiderman 3. I can think of worse ways to spend an afternoon.
Wednesday, May 2
Short and Sweet - Theatre Review
Last Sunday, I went to watch Short and Sweet, the inaugural instalment of a play writing competition organised by NAFA (Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts). Basically, a collection of 8 new and original 10-minute plays, written and performed by both professionals and amateurs in the local theatre scene.
Some of the plays were very very good. Notably:-
1) Remembering the Kites.
Performed by Lim Kay Tong (who looked alot like Gandalf in this role, according to Aarika) and Sonny Lim (who looked like the Kung Fu Master in KingFu Hustle). This play was about 2 old timers, who seemed to have problems remembering the past, even if their lives, or at least the life they were holding on to desperately, depended on it. Needless to say, with such illuminaries, and a fairly solid script, this was one of my favourites. Unfortunately they ran over 10 mins, so they were disqualified. Yes, we were all, like, WTH?
2) Exchanges
This one was a Wild card winner, meaning the audience didn't have to pick them, because the judges, who have veto, picked this one. A simple tale about a couple who meet after 15 years, and all the pain, joy and memories that accompanies it. Each has a gift for the other, and the play ends without telling the audience what she gave him. This totally consumes us for the rest of the evening. "What was in the bag?" Does anyone know?
And then there were the duds.
1) Haven't.
With a name like that, you have to expect some half hearted portrayal of an afterlife, and that's exactly what we got. I was happy to see that it put some Indian actors to work, but that's all that play was good for. I didn't understand the plot, one of the characters didnt even need to be there, and most of it was existential hogwash anyway. Maybe the playwright "haven't" got it yet. How it was shortlisted baffled me.
2) 4 seconds.
This was another Wild Card winner, but I didn't like it. It seemed like another attempt to exploit the pain and loneliness faced by homosexuals to sell a story. I hate the fact that plays like this armtwist you into accepting homosexuality as "normal". That if you didn't like it, then you were labelled homophobic. Much as I don't like watching 2 men kiss, what bothered me about this play was not the "Give the homo a chance" subtext, but the "homos are "normal" too" agenda. You are not. There is no "normal". Deal with it, the way the rest of us deal with our own failings and insecurities.
The rest of the plays were good, not great. Frostbite gets an honourable mention here because my friend Candice was in it, and she is an amazing and talented actress. Go see her in "ON North Diversion Road".
Short and Sweet is a marvellous idea, an event that we need more of, and publicise more. The audience turnout was dismal at best (although the organisers claim the finals are sold out). But look out for the next one. Local theatre needs this.
Some of the plays were very very good. Notably:-
1) Remembering the Kites.
Performed by Lim Kay Tong (who looked alot like Gandalf in this role, according to Aarika) and Sonny Lim (who looked like the Kung Fu Master in KingFu Hustle). This play was about 2 old timers, who seemed to have problems remembering the past, even if their lives, or at least the life they were holding on to desperately, depended on it. Needless to say, with such illuminaries, and a fairly solid script, this was one of my favourites. Unfortunately they ran over 10 mins, so they were disqualified. Yes, we were all, like, WTH?
2) Exchanges
This one was a Wild card winner, meaning the audience didn't have to pick them, because the judges, who have veto, picked this one. A simple tale about a couple who meet after 15 years, and all the pain, joy and memories that accompanies it. Each has a gift for the other, and the play ends without telling the audience what she gave him. This totally consumes us for the rest of the evening. "What was in the bag?" Does anyone know?
And then there were the duds.
1) Haven't.
With a name like that, you have to expect some half hearted portrayal of an afterlife, and that's exactly what we got. I was happy to see that it put some Indian actors to work, but that's all that play was good for. I didn't understand the plot, one of the characters didnt even need to be there, and most of it was existential hogwash anyway. Maybe the playwright "haven't" got it yet. How it was shortlisted baffled me.
2) 4 seconds.
This was another Wild Card winner, but I didn't like it. It seemed like another attempt to exploit the pain and loneliness faced by homosexuals to sell a story. I hate the fact that plays like this armtwist you into accepting homosexuality as "normal". That if you didn't like it, then you were labelled homophobic. Much as I don't like watching 2 men kiss, what bothered me about this play was not the "Give the homo a chance" subtext, but the "homos are "normal" too" agenda. You are not. There is no "normal". Deal with it, the way the rest of us deal with our own failings and insecurities.
The rest of the plays were good, not great. Frostbite gets an honourable mention here because my friend Candice was in it, and she is an amazing and talented actress. Go see her in "ON North Diversion Road".
Short and Sweet is a marvellous idea, an event that we need more of, and publicise more. The audience turnout was dismal at best (although the organisers claim the finals are sold out). But look out for the next one. Local theatre needs this.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)