I'm Back From the Land who gave us Hercules and Feta Cheese!

As some of you may know, the huge time gap between my last entry and this is due to my computer's irrational decision to break down, my laziness at getting it fixed and also my absence from Singapore as I took my annual vacation to the land of the Olympics, Greece.



Greece, also famous for the Aegean Sea and its white-washed-blue-domed-or-doored houses perched at its cliff shores.




It's the home of King Agemennon (the one who started the Trojan war lar) and his death mask, which is suppose to still have a bit of skin attached to it when they dug it out..eeks!



And also ancient Greek temples....




More temples of different shapes, styles and sizes... (Though i kinda pity those 6 female statues who have to support the roof with their heads! haha...)




And of coz, the icon and the thing that represents Athens, the capital city of Greece.
It's none other than the Parthenon!


Okay that's about all i can squeeze in here for now. I must make a point to say that all the photos were taken by me (heehee!) and not copied from some travel brochere yah..haha!

Hope it satisfies those reading this for the time being as I try to finish sorting through my other pictures, and hopefully be able to think out new funny accompanying lines to go with them. Taa!

Happy (early) Mother's Day!!

Okie since I can't access the internet as and when I like it, I thought I better put in this one before it's too late. It's more examples of the messages the beloved-person-who-gave-birth-to-me-after-nine-long-months sends to me to show her concern. I really do love this petite-but-spunky(as what one of my friends called her) independent power woman who showers her care and love abundantly without hesitation, and may i add, it sometimes ends up as the funniest text messages that never fails to brighten my day.

So thank you Mummy and I love you! (if you haven't already know that)

(This was a reminder for me to put on the ear studs of my ear rings in case they came off without me knowing)





(the message by itself is already hilarious, my mother was worried that i may get my shoe soiled by accidentally stepping on the sticky sweet that melted on the steps, so she was so kind to cover it with a tissue. But the most funny twist to the story was that I WAS THE ONE who dropped that ricola sweet on the steps on my way out and was too lazy to pick it up, therefore letting it melt away til the next day when my mum saw it! HoHoHo!!)



Another one of her commands scribbled on paper for me, the first thing i see after i wake up.

And she really IS the 'highest' authority in my household, though me and my brother may not show it so often out of some rebellious streak that runs in us.

She holds the highest position in my heart as far as I am concerned.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Exams is like opening a TooL Box...

First, you get hammered into having to spend copious amounts of time wallowing beneath the depths of thick thick texbooks and chim chim theories which drive you nuts and want to bolt for the door!

Not only does all the mugging pry you away from your social life, you also have to do a fair bit of prying your eyelids open with pliers yourself!

Sometimes it makes you wonder whether results are really a good gauge of your abilities since you really cannot determine the quality of your life with a measuring tape.

And then after all the hard work, studying and torture. The end of exam papers always almost somehow leaves me feeling ultimately, utterly and completely Screwed Up!!!

Yes, that's right, its the end of exams for me and the start of the jobless holidays. On a further annoying note, my com has been hit by the elusive spyfalcon virus (doesnt it sound like a thriller detective novel?) so the internet connection is totally impossible for at least the next few weeks for me. I have to resort to either taking advantage of my friend's com like now or travel long distance to school to use it..hmmmm..

Wallowing in mellow juices...

Clarissa's current playlist

1) 终于明白- 动力火车

2) 一直很安静- 阿桑

3)爱笑的眼睛-徐若宣

4）简简单单-林俊杰

5）末日之恋- 张志诚

6）靠近- 庾澄庆

7）秋天别来-黄淑婷

8）叶子- 阿桑

9）莎士比亚的天份-林俊杰

After discovering the wonders of viewing MTVs on youtube from a friend, I got hooked into getting all those sad sad chinese songs about death and lost love. Damn!
I haven't felt this depressing heart-wrench about a drama theme song since the song 一个人生活 by 林凡 when i was watching some dubious ch 8 show called '天地传说之-鱼美人'.
Haha..okie as you can see I'm a period drama enthusiast. Now the latest one I'm watching is called Chinese Paladin or ‘仙剑奇侠传’for the less tacky name.

And below is one of the theme songs that is oh-so-depressing coz its a song about a third party love and a death sacrifice! arrghhh...i'm such a sucker for these songs.


阿桑- 一直很安静




Next up is this clip of our own local Singaporean, Lin Jun Jie, performing songs he wrote for other singers. He has so totally ruin the songs for me, coz now I can't accept the original singers after listening to his version. *Blehz*

Okay I'm stuck at home with no motivation to study at all, so what do I do? Coooooook!

Don't be surprise if you can't recognise me after I come out of my hibernation shell looking different. (meaning the dreaded word all women fear come out of their boyfriends mouth:F**er)


ps: this is for justin who wanted food pictures.haha.

Hotdogs anyone?

(pity the poor dog who went sun-tanning too long and became my lunch!haha okie i'm lame!)

Maggi mee (Tung-yi brand) with lots of extra stuff

(i swear this time i didn't take a bite out of the egg! it just came out like that.)

Chilli prawn spaghetti

It's that time of the year again.....

Yes folks, it's that time of the year again. The period that most undergrads in Singapore (NUS, NTU,SMU...regardless) dread for the fate that looms or has already descended upon them.

It's the period of EXAMS!!


When the everything gets gloomier and the sky seems a darker grey.

When you get imprisoned in your own home/room as you longingly gaze out to greener pastures of fun behind the bars of your window.


When you feel your brain overspills with too much information, just as your pencilcase gushes out all its contents as you dig it for highlighters, pens and whatsoever.

It's the time of the year when i feel all of that and stay at home all day, eating nothing but bread and butter for my meals. (who knew that even bread can make you fat!?!)

Yup, my friends I'll need to be alone with my readings, books and bread for this few days so don't expect too many updates here til then okay?

'til the next time....

AbbaCradaabra.....Spells Gone Wrong!

Beef with special An-ions anybody? It's bound to give you a 'shock'...

Or chicken that is first fried then floored to give a better taste?

You make yourself available for the toilets at various locations?

And the ultimate when it comes to spelling, especially in this age of phone text messages belongs to none other than my delightful Mother.

I humbly challenge all of you out there reading this to try and decipher the 'hidden' message my mother is trying to tell me.

The answer will be given in a week.=)

Work as a B.U.G.....

Work is like a bug that buzzes around your head, irritating you non-stop until you have no choice but to try and get it over with and kill it. But then, just when u think you have squished it flat, ten more come to its funeral! Arrgghhh.....

Cooking as therapy...

Okay i know my last few entries seem abit depressed....all about light and darkness..black and white photos.. Luckily i managed to swim (ironic term to use i know) my way through the puddle of deadlines and realised that cooking can be quite a way to relief stress..here's how...


Seafood Spaghetti with Garlic Butter Sauce

Instructions

First, take a clove of garlic (or your work) and try to chop it up into tiny pieces for better digestion.

If unable to process it in time, proceed to use the back of knife to crush it instead, using fist to do the pounding. (be it at the garlic, or for wringling fists in air out of indignation and despair for not being able to do your work in time)

Second, do the same for a couple of shallots.

Third, put some butter (or yourself) in a pan and see how it/you heats up under pressure.

Fry the mashed garlic and onions in the butter. (but make sure it/you don't get too burnt out prematurely)

In another pot, dump all kinds of seafood such as prawns, scallops and calamari into boiling water. Let the whole thing (you and your work research findings) simmer so that in the end, you can get better stock at the bottom of the pot. (it rhymes!)

Cook the spaghetti while the seafood simmers.

Lastly, combine seafood, spaghetti and garlic butter in the pan, mixing it up evenly. (also applies to the combination of different project member's parts)

Add in the stock, salt and pepper (or bombastic chim words) to taste.

Wait til everything boils over before serving it up with a garnish of parsley (or a long sigh of relief).

P.S:for those of you who doubt,I DID cook the spaghetti in the above picture. I took the photo in my kitchen using one of my prettier plates.Haa.:P

Away from the sun

It's down to this
I've got to make this life make sense
Can anyone do what I've done
I missed life
I missed the colours of the world
Can anyone go where I am
'Cause now again I've found myself
So far down, away from the sun
That shines into the darkest place
I'm so far down, away from the sun again
Away from the sun again


I'm over this
I'm tired of living in the dark
Can anyone see me down here
The feeling's gone
There's nothing left to lift me up
Back into the world I've known
'Cause now again I've found myself
So far down, away from the sun
That shines into the darkest place I'm so far down, away from the sun


That shines the life away from me
To find my way back into the arms
That care about the ones like me
I'm so far down, away from the sun again
It's down to this
I've got to make this life make sense
And now I can't do what I've done
And now again I've found myself
So far down, away from the sun
That shines the life away from me


ps: feeling abit like im stuck hiding under a dunghole lately. it's either that or it means i desperately need to get a TAN!! haha...

Look up, Lift up!

Sometimes when you are the most down, the only thing left to do is to lift your head and look up. That's when you will see the light.

Where are you headed for?

Ever had the feeling that no matter how hard you try, you just seem to be going in the wrong direction? Instead of surging ahead with the rest, you feel like you are sliding down bottom?

HaHa my motto is:
Since you are already at rock bottom, the only way you can go next is UP, Up and Away! :P

The Greatest Gift of All.........

As Jesus looked up form where he was seated opposite the temple, he saw many people putting offerings into the treasury box. The rich people threw in large amounts of money and expensive gifts. He also saw a poor widow putting in two very small copper coins that were a fraction of a penny.

"I tell you " He said, " this poor woman has put in more into the treasury than all of the others . All those people gave gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty, put in all she had to live on."

(references from Mark 12:41-43 and Luke 21:1-4)

For you all, do think about where the heart of the giver is before you receive any presents yah...haha don't forget that even though the gift may be small, inexpensive or something that you may not have wanted, But what really counts is the thought of the person when he/she bought you the gift right? Similarly, don't be fooled by appearances, coz in the end, the size of the present is not what matters. But rather, it's the heart that really counts. (if you want further proof ,look at 1 Samuel 16:7)

P.S: Heehee..this post goes out especially to those friends of mine whose birthdays are coming, don't judge me by the cost or size of my present okie!! haha..be like Garfield and reflect about what 'expensive' really means !!!

P.P.S: did i mention that i love love love Odie? =)

LOVE is.........(part 2)

- how Harry loved Charlotte in the tv show "Sex and the City"
(he was short, bald and fat but he loved her with all his heart and was the most understanding, compromising guy ever to her)


- Monica and Chandler in the comedy "Friends"
(when Chandler was being seduced by a girl in his office who was second runner-up in a beauty pageant, he told her, "I love my wife.And if she was here she'll kick your ass!")


- Peter Fox and his blind girlfriend Denise in the comic strip "Foxtrot"
(Denise is just the coolest girlfriend ever! haha..you must read the strip to know what i mean.)



And lastly...Love is when you only have eyes for each other while the rest of the world just fades away in a soft loving glow...






Cheers to Pauline and Justin! The happy couple! :)

LOVE is.........

growing old together

accepting each other even though your hair is falling off

always having that special someone's shoulder to lean on

forgiveness, compromise, patience (but not getting yourself hurt while doing that)

hard work...but still enjoying the process and effort needed to do it

Finally, to me.......

Love is having someone who will help pull up your butt when it gets old and saggy!!

(Photo taken by Elyse Sewell at livejournal.com)

Happy Valentine's Everybody!!!

This is for all the single people....

I know Valentine's Day is approaching and some may start to show symptoms of queesiness coz they are without a partner to vomit endless sweet nothings to...
So this shout out goes to all those single people like me, YOu're not alone!



Though you may have to walk the path alone for now......


It sure as hell doesn't mean that you cannot continue to walk it happily right?

Vincent

I heard this song on the radio the other day. Though it was not my first time listening to it, the lyrics kinda got me thinking. It's a sad song written by Don Mclean about the painter Vincent Van Gogh and named after one of his famous paintings--"Starry Night".

The painter did this piece when he was at a mental institution coz he was suffering from madness, he committed suicide after that shortly. The even sadder thing was that he only ever sold one painting in his whole life and it was only after his death that he became so famous.Sighz.

Haha I may not seem like an art-farty person but surprisingly I am! (but not in the snobbish way) Anyone who feels as much as I over this song tell me, I would love to have a chat about it!

Don Mclean
Vincent

Starry starry night

Paint your palette blue and gray

Look out on a summer's day

With eyes that know the darkness in my soul

Shadows on the hills

Sketch the trees and the daffodils

Catch the breezes and winter chills

In colors on the snowy linen land

Now I understand

What you tried to say to me

How you suffered for your sanity

How you tried to set them free

They would not listen

They did not know how

Perhaps they'll listen now

Starry starry night

Flaming flowers that brightly blaze

Swirling clouds in violet haze

Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue

Colors changing hue

Morning fields of amber grain

Weathered faces lined in pain

Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand

For they could not love you

But still your love was true

And when no hope was left in sight on that

Starry starry night

You took you life as lovers often do

But I could have told you, Vincent

This world was never meant

For one as beautiful as you

Starry starry night

Portraits hung in empty halls

Frameless heads on nameless walls

With eyes that watch the world and can't forget

Like the strangers that you've met

The ragged man in ragged clothes

The silver thorn of bloody rose

Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow

Now I think I know

What you tried to say to me

How you suffered for your sanity

How you tried to set them free

They would not listen

They're not listening still

Perhaps they never will.

A whole new year....

It's a whole new year of 2006 and its a time of contemplation of life, of friends, of God and also questions like, "What in the world happened to my 2005 man?!!"

I must say it has been a hell of a ride in 2005. Like a rollercoaster, there has been ups and downs, sudden turnings that jerk you to your senses, moments of dread just before you know you're gonna plunge to your death! (like just before your exams for an instance) Yup, there has also been times where life's so good that you wanna just throw your hands up in the air and go "Whooo....Hooooo....!!!"
But then, regardless of all of the above, the most important thing is in the knowledge that the people who started that ride with you are all-- still with you, screaming with you, experiencing the same things you do... afterall, they know how you feel because they are stuck-strapped in the same carriage as you! wahaahaa...

Okie, that's about all i'm gonna write now... For 2006, I just want to have all those people in my roller coaster carriage stay where they are with me, strapped down to earth and be safe and sound. That's all....I'm off to go sit and contemplate somemore....

Funny signs in Italy...

Yes...and the bottomline is that sex still sells...or so what i learn at sociology classes...

And apparently only saints are allowed into the grounds...which includes me of coz..heh heh!!

Oh and NOooo this is not a sign asking people to tickle under one another's armpits while they are busy holding the rail (or so i thought at first) haahaa...

What a way to advertise! Tell people that they stink and go take a bath while selling to them the freshly handmade soap they need..genius!

I wonder, what if people's intentions weren't so "good"..would it still be accepted?

I'm still pondering over the meaning of this one so don't ask me about it...hah!

Two-three-five-three-five-three-five....Pizza delivery!

Just as i promised....Pictures of all the pizzas i had a slice of in Italy...Ma-Ma-Mia!! here we go!
Rectangular Pizzas!
Pizzas that are bigger than my brother's head!
(which says alot abt their size considering my bro's inflated ego-head.. *guffaws!*
nah just kidding!)
Pizza Chefs doing their 'Thang'..haha..
Ta-Da....presenting the perfect-pizza-missing-a-slice coz haha guess who ate it..heehee!

I'm Baaackkk...

Okie..I'm finally back..with lots and lots of (some would say boliao) photos..haha..but before i start bombarding here with them...i'd like to start off by saying sayonara to italy or as what i saw at the airport..BUY BUY ROME!! haha..

What rhymes with spagetti?....Italy!

Okay people i'll be leaving on mon night (5th dec) for ITALIA! Only be back on 21st dec so please don't think i hate you if you call me during this time and i don't answer. (Alternatively it will be a different story if you DO call me after the 21st and i still don't answer..haha)

Anyway, i'll try to bring back a pizza or two if i can... for you guys.............to see the pictures! wahhahaha....!!

Okie..i'm off to be what i do best...a tourist! Bon Voyage to me! haha..and try not to miss me!