Lunch (and Dinner...and Dessert) Buddies

We are citizens of eternity -Fyodor Dostoyevsky


Can't live without you...

Bonding over food is something quite meaningful for me, most of my lunchtimes are quite meaningfully spent catching up with people in the area (of Raffles City to Tanjong Pagar), and having discussions, work-wise.

Here are some photos I took of most of my lunch buddies during april-may (Haha! Rather outdated.) In chronological order! Also meant to keep track of what unhealthy foods I eat on my lunch hours...I actually don't eat at hawker centres or food courts at all - maybe once in a month anyways - and it's always chicken rice. ($2.50 at Maxwell!)


Eileen on assignment with me, we were at Chip Bee, later eating at Crystal Jade at Holland V.


Huntley my awesome ex-colleague. Till this day we still meet frequently for lunch and activities like golf. I had some aglio olio at this place in Amara.



Ches... the last time he was in SG this year for a engineer test. We went to Breeks, I find the food there awfully decent and I do frequent that place A LOT. Always ordering the chicken patty...


Haha... so unflattering. Here's my first lunch with CJ. He brought me to a 'quiet Malay stall' very nice nasi padang and my favorite, beef rendang - and here's his previous office along Tanjong Pagar. He was in the midst of flapping his hand at me to chase my camera away - claims he's camera-shy.


White Dog Cafe - with LT and my chocolate truffle cake (which I haven't had in ages!) I remember I was sniffling sick and always fell sick at this period of time... still, the cake was enjoyable. Actually this was for tea on the same day as CJ I think...


Boss with his subway cheese steak melt and me, always going for Italian BLT! 'Tapao' to office as usual - Amara's subway is always super crowded.


A humongous burger that the guys shared... at New York New York. Hahaha... Looks like Jason wants it all!


Kie, offering it to me...


Food art - my name in ketchup by master artist Jason


I had this - I have a weakness for paninis. Surprisingly filling, Kie had to help me finish...


We had ice cream afterwards at Azabu Sabo! What a feast!


Lunching at MOS burger with colleague and her salad...


Mine - I always eat this fish burger or the teriyaki chicken or spicy dog.




Fantastic Creme Brulee at OCha with Melvin after assignment.


Makan buddies at Chompchomp. I ate 7 chicken wings that day... Haha, they were floored!


The sugarcane glasses are HUGE... but somehow we always managed to finish the drink.


I always make it a point to order the pizza - choose your own ingredients and eat it piping hot! Oooo!


Korean food at the Amara Hotel Food Court...YUMMY! The kimchi's excellent - restaurant standard I tell you!


Discussion at Kopi alley, Icon - I must say that their service is wonderful and so is the Teh-C. Here's CJ's Kopi and my Teh-C looking happy!


Yong Tau Foo at this restaurant in International Plaza, they also serve a decent chinese fried rice.




Caught up with my best friend at Carls' Junior for dinner. His work keeps him really busy so am always delighted to meet him at our favorite shopping center Vivo - also quite near to my workplace.






Next day meeting Justine for a catchup - I love donuts too! I can eat like 3 at a go... although I now sway towards the ones with less creme fillings. With the opening of new JCos now there is hardly any queue on weekdays at the one in Raffles City! Yes!


Lunch. I do like fast food unfortunately... time to induce some new eating habits. Thank God for my high metabolism...


Also been frequenting the HK Cafe at Marina simply because there are not many alternatives for a nourishing and inexpensive supper in the town area... BestFriend likes it a lot too. So, I am having my usual HK milk tea and I love the thick toast with peanut butter and condensed milk. They make a really drippy one! (The one at Anchorpoint not so drippy, eh)


Nicee indian food at Amara foodcourt. Am spoilt for choice here at Tanjong Pagar... but unfortunately, my lunch is always at other sites! Roar!
Who wants to have lunch with me please, meet me here...


Eating Yami yogurt while crossing the road to The Office. Yami yogurt at Icon is nice - The outlet there serves it up fresh and ingredients are super nice too. I always have mine with mixed nuts its a great combination with the sweetness of the yogurt.

Think I shall do this again (taking photos of almost every lunch and dinner) it's a great way to see how my eating habits have changed over time... or in different locations.

==

Additional! Thailand food! From the June camp...


Sipping from a coconut after hitting Cha-am. I love the feel of those beachy places...


One of my favorite desserts. This is at a restaurant near Siam Square. Apparently it's quite popular with tourists because it is jam-packed full... however, I think the Thai food here is so much ... tastier?


The durian lovers Malaysians and Singaporeans could not resist getting a taste of the Thai durian at HuaHin... but after the sampling we decided Segamat durian rules!
Please bring back some for us!


I highlighted this Thai tea in my travel show... called "cha'yan", it is similar in texture to teh tarik - very milky, sweet, aromatic type of tea. They blend it the same way too. Here I had mine at Chatuchak. The one I had in some cafe was too... thick, I think after you drink it you will have a sugar high!


I remember those days we hung out at Serene Centre's Black Canyon coffee, here we have a chance to try the nice coffee in HuaHin... all agreed it was superb! Much better than.. starbucks?


Thai beef noodles. It's surprisingly tasty and I can't get enough of it...I think I ate it almost every time we went to a food court there.



Yummy! These sure does bring back memories...I was here 3 years ago with TBO and Kie, we sampled these delicious desserts (Though Kie did not try the warm durian with thick milk sauce) Still found at the MBK foodcourt and as good as ever.


The Japanese restaurant called 'Fuji' found almost in every shopping centre in BKK - this one is Zen, I think. The salmon is really good because its fresh from the BKK rivers.


Am always happy when my hotel breakfast has warm toast (must be warm) with butter. My usual is a bowl of muesli with milk and warm toast, some croissants, with hot tea...Haha. Am boring that way.

Hungry...

caffeine-ated

Having endless meetings and discussions lately means that I cannot avoid coffee, tea, or alcohol or ALL three (which I had yesterday).

Plus I don't drink much water so imagine what it does to my system. Bleah!

(Although I do like the new dark mocha starbucks frappucino.)

During the morning meeting yesterday our client brewed coffee for us. No choice, gotta drink it. I must say that it tasted really good. But I think I'm able to ingest caffeine well... tea is surprisingly okay so far. I don't want to think about the effects of caffeine+ alcohol though!

Here's an average week for me

Yesterday
Coffee in the morning meeting,
Yuzu float (should be healthy right?) for afternoon meeting,
Teh O with dinner meeting (needed something warm to drink)
Night- entertaining people/myself with some Timmermanns'.

Day Before
Lunch - Root Beer (is it caffeine? Should be right.)
Meeting at Haagen Daaz - drank latte. I think they put like drugs into this latte because the whole week my stomach felt kinda weird after.
Other meeting at Harrys', drank tea...
At night, a healthy lemon+ honey at HK cafe.

Day Before
Afternoon meeting - Pacific Coffee, I drank tea.
Evening - drank Tea.

I cannot remember the rest but I went to Pacific Coffee like 4 times last week with cappucinos and chillinos (not nice). Need to break the coffee habit! And drink Snapple (the most healthy option I can find over there.)

The effects on my body?

-restless sleep - wake a few times at night.
-Nightmares (though it may be caused by other issues)
-jittery; my hands are trembly and so are...other areas! Kinda worrisome how caffeine affects my body.
-feel tired like sluggish kinda need to detox feel
-my intestines seem to be hardened, can feel it 'solidifying'...


I will try to take alcohol minimum once a week...
Totally abstain from the harmful cappucinos and etc - haha ask them to serve soybean milk in the morning.
Try my best not to drink tea... unless at teh tarik place (love!)

And drink more water.

Yeah!

ERP-ed

Although I'm not a driver I find these images humorous.
On one hand we need to reduce the traffic congestion so it doesn't become a Jakarta or KL or BKK! On the other hand... $2 to drive through a not-so-long road is kinda expensive to most, I believe.


This could well be our future!


Erm, alternative transport (bicycle? motorboat?) anyone?


A usual sighting for us to ask taxi drivers to stop at some obscure road just outside the ERP




I wonder who comes up with these stuff!



The real reason why we want Pedra Branca!
Hmmm, don't you think there must be a reason why countries are fighting over islands, the latest one being the Japanese-Korea tussle over the Takeshima / Dokdo islands...

Okay no more ERP jokes...

changed

You can't control the way you feel.
At least, I've realized that recently.

How some people make you feel better, think deeper, smile more. I feel like I just want to stay connected, to constantly meet and interact with these people in my life. They give me something to look forward to on long killer work weeks. And I'm not beating myself up for that. I read that:

The principle of love says that you can accelerate your growth by creating more compatible connections and withdrawing from incompatible connections. Connections can be with people, places, objects, activities, or ideas.

Everything you connect with in life will either empower you or drain you. The connections that are most compatible with you will energize you. The least compatible connections will drain you.

For example, if you have a close, loving relationship with a highly compatible partner, that relationship will energize and empower you more often than not. But if you find yourself stuck in a relationship with someone who's a poor match for you, that relationship will drain you and cause you to stagnate. You're better off alone than being stuck in a relationship that drags you down. But better still is to enjoy a relationship with someone who energizes and uplifts you.

Fortunately, we aren't stuck with our existing connections. We can consciously chose to break off connections that aren't working, and we can form new connections we think will be more compatible. This can require some experimentation. You may not know which connections will suit you best, so you'll need to branch out and experience new people, places, and activities to learn what's most compatible with you.

One day, I hope that I can give this kind of powerful love to someone in my life who needs me most. CJ asked me this week, whether or not I consider myself successful. I think, as I chatted with him, that it depends on your definition of success. If it is to earn and have a million dollars by age 35, I don't think I will be successful. I half-jokingly (half-seriously) told him that maybe my idea of success is to be married by 30 and have 2 kids, settle down... and I will be happy.

But for people like us I think that perhaps only that is not enough.

Maybe we want a million dollars and a happy family. Maybe we think we can achieve more, and more is STILL not enough. (Right, CJ? Mr Workaholic...) I like chatting with CJ. Sometimes it makes me ponder on life issues, sometimes it just messes with my mind. I'm always in a quandary to decide which suits me better, I like to mess with his mind too!

He encouraged me last week to tell TBO... the truth, and it shall set us/me free. And I wondered DEEPLY what was stopping me from telling TBO. Perhaps, it is my love for him that makes me fear, that I cannot handle his response - or non-response. Drats.

And similar to CJ, TBO does not believe in 'the best one', so... it might not bode well for my expecting an enthusiatic response on his side. But I have settled in my heart to tell him, finally; when I meet him. (Although, I may not have the guts to.)

I realized, that whatever the outcome may be, I will still be cheerful, TBO or TBO-less. CJ replied with a deep thought (via sms) that as long as I have God, I will be happy.

I cheekily said that, Nooo. I need money and love, too...

We have been talking about money and love lately. Which do YOU prefer? I think all of us want to have both, isn't it? But at some point of time you need one more than the other and only having one or the other may make you even more miserable. Your preference also depends on where it is coming from, some people have it good, money AND love coming from the same place... hahaha!


The elusive TBO...who has no idea what storm is brewing his way...

KL photos

The highway up to Tuas from somewhere in KL. I was sitting in front of my double decker coach. Aeroline's good. Think it is my preferred way to go UP to KL now...


Went up to KL for the last weekend to film an event.
I really enjoyed myself despite the short time...walked a lot. Walked everywhere, I think I know the Bukit Bintang area like the back of my hand now.
Some photos.


At Shah Alam stadium, was filming this muay thai event where they choose the Malaysian rep for The Contender 2. It's my first time watching a muay thai live! And it's pretty cool! I did like it. Stylised version of boxing popular in Thailand.


Can't see clearly from the photo but this is the infamous KL jam... at 2am!!!
When we finished our supper at 3 am the roads were still packed. I was standing at this intersection for about 15 mins waiting for my lost Boss... and the cars did not move so I suggest walking around at night at the Bukit Bintang area on weekends, would be much faster...


Now see the jam 'behind' from where I was standing. In the far skyline is the Menara Tower - once the tallest vantage point in KL. Scary jam...when we arrived at noon on Friday there was already a jam! I think it's worse than the one in Bangkok!


The Pavillion. Bigger and better. What's with huge shopping centres these days. It has lots of flagship stores like Coach, Mango, Gap, Tangs, Parkson, even La Senza, Roxy, Paul Frank, Pull and Bear, Juicy Couture, my fave shoe shop 'nose'... ummm... one whole day also cannot finish walking. But but but. I still like the crowded, messy type of shopping at Sungei Wang. I like both... I like shopping when I'm overseas...


One of the cool shops at The Pavillion!


Somehow, I find this menu quite funny... It's a sports bar at The Pavillion And I think 'crispy soft shell crab' is an oxymoron... food for thought?


I always suffer on the first night overseas, because I can't sleep on strange beds. My hotel room...Coronade hotel. Kinda oldish and creepy if you have a room to yourself which I did. But the location's fantastic it's just next to Lot 10 so from there you can walk anywhere to Bukit Bintang.


I made my boss do this, Lol! He's almost as tall as the towers...


Someone's hairy arms...It's like moss if you brush against it. You can see the 'overgrowth', this is coming from a guy who has '6 o'clock shadow' at 3 o'clock. Shaving is a must to do everyday. I wonder what creepy little creatures are lurking inside?


Hahaha. Fascinatingly gross. I haven't got a chance to see the 'two monkeys in a hammock' legs.


Me... at Petaling St, Chinatown. There is a cute tradition there where they cannot turn away the first customer of the day or else they would have 'bad luck' for the rest of the day and no good sales! So be sure to appear there around 1130am when the shops are opening. And be sure to haggle if there's something you really want to buy. I think you can slash the price by half...Mostly fake goods though.


Filming. Notice the passersby with same stance, think they are relatives?


Satay! You can't get stuff like these here. The satay at Jalan Alor is really sweet, succulent, tender... I think 10 sticks is not enough for me and The Boss.


The Boss. We are having supper at the roadside stalls selling authentic KL roadside food like char kway teow, ikan bakar, bbq squid, tom yam soup. I love this place - It reminds me of the time I spent backpacking here ages ago.


My favorite drink. At my favorite Roti Canai shop which is near Jalan Alor. The place been around for ages... there's nothing like a juicy banana prata (die die must try) for a morning wake me up...

Wanna go Australia next.

glimpsed

"Be brave when others are afraid, and afraid when others are brave."- Warren Buffett



So far so good. Didn't buy anything for my buy-nothing month. Only food... ha.
Am stoned today because of the supered long day I had yesterday. Back after midnight. 4 meetings and one who entertained me...or we entertained each other, I suppose... Looking forward to chinese massage session and going home early later. Clock-watching today!!!

Been trying hard not to be frustrated recently. Many things reminds me of TBO - I have not been praying much lately about this, which I should. Is it a sign of a lack of faith, or a disbelief that God will help me through. After all, how long should I wait? Stumbled upon Kenneth Hagin's book 'I believe in Visions' - and read it while waiting for my brother to come out from the shower. My Dad actually picked up this book from someone who moved house, along with a vintage YSL bag (It's mine! So happy. My pet bag of the week.) and he's been raving about it so... I almost finished reading the entire book at that sitting - I read fast - and there was a part where he is so sick of praying - he was born with a deformed heart and was a sickly person - and God spoke to him that he is praying without faith, so God could not answer his prayer, because by His word in the Bible God says that we need faith to have our needs and prayers met and He cannot fulfil them without, because He cannot go against His word. Woo. I am like, stunned, after that. Have I been praying about this and, really focused you know, not really praying for anything else... ...until that sometimes I don't have the faith anymore??? Honestly I don't know.

You will feel different when you're in the company of different people. For some you just want to talk, relax, chill out. Others make you feel light and bubbly like a bouncing ball, you just want to bounce around them and talk animatedly, excitedly. Others make you want to reach inside yourself and do something for the better of the world, others challenge you to rise above your situation and do something. Like that, I've always liked the way I feel around TBO and the way TBO makes me feel about myself. I can't really describe it but it's a peaceful feeling, yet a sense of adventure and encouraging, feeling, like you feel very comfortable and can laugh and laugh and feel really... happy, contented... I've always felt that way around him that's why in the past, he only sees the 'emo' side of me, because I will always go to him when I am feeling insignificant, or after a bad fight in relationships... but during the happy and cheerful times I never go to him. Haha. He is my bad-weather friend!

So, I think I have decided to let him know, soon. It's really difficult though. I think I am afraid he will laugh. Errr, because he doesn't take me seriously. I also don't take myself seriously. I think I will laugh, too. Either way I think I will continue to be happy. Yeah!!!

He makes me a better me. And I just want to let him know that I've always loved him. Love is a decision, not a feeling. To me, at least.