I was thinking twice if I should post this here (because readers here are only looking at those socio-political issues?) but I was thinking… aiyah! whatever lah! Haha…

I had actually been contemplating about moving out of Singapore to either the US/UK/Australia or wherever that accepts me into graduate medical school (GMS) to study and eventually to settle down. This seemed to be a rather natural progression because if I had to apply for GMS overseas, that probably means that Singapore didn’t give me an opportunity to pursue something that I wish to do and pursue as a long term goal - and to return to Singapore after graduating from a GMS overseas probably meant that I’d be treated as a 3rd class citizen and 3rd class doctor anyway.

Returning to Singapore as a talent but still a Singapore probably doesn’t make me a foreign talent. I’d probably have to give up my citizenship and then come back as a foreigner that makes me a foreign talent - which according to local believes fetches more benefits.

Of course if I should ever move to another country, the purpose is not to come back as a foreign talent - but rather, I’d figure that they probably need "foreign talents" in their country than Singapore needs me. After all, Singapore probably gave up whatever vacancies to another foreign talent. Of course, I’d rather serve my country any time, and the good thing about being a doctor is that there’s no boundaries where patients are concerned because there should not be discrimination when saving a person’s life.

I digress. It’s about how I will feel after I leave Singapore.

I guess I will miss the country. I will miss seeing Dr Chee get himself into more trouble. I probably can’t miss much of the general elections because it’d probably be a walkover in the ward I am in. I’ll miss the food, my friends and my parents as well. This is a time when I wish that I have a loved one with me who can accompany me on this long journey but alas, I have none.

While the grass is greener on the other side, the road is going to be a little lonely. Walking alone will no doubt be tough, but I guess that’s the price to pay when you are in pursuit of your dreams and your country doesn’t give you that opportunity. Or is it because I just don’t have the material for it? (of course, the last question is rhetorical) =P

Of late not only is the Hand Foot Mouth Disease starting to pick up, but computer viruses are beginning to adapt the recent behavior of their distant cousins.

Yes, apparently, the viruses in my laptop are having one helluva time propagating and cross-infecting and are so promiscuous that the same behavior will wipe out the entire nation of Singapore with HIV should it be replicated amongst the citizens. It’s strange that I even let a suspicious looking file named logo1_.vir slip through my fingers as I did a manual check.

Well, thank goodness all the files are cleaned and not quarantined or deleted. I can’t imagine the catastrophe.

Seriously, sometimes I think I am not really that geeky after all - because when I first heard it, I was thinking to myself - what is an iPod classic? Haha… Before I go on, I would like to thank Paddy of Blog2u and iShop by Club 21 for the iPod classic and to all my friends and readers for supporting Simply Jean. Confused? Yeah… me too, but here’s the long and short of it. =)

Paddy from Bog2u called me on my cell phone this morning (which I missed) to congratulate me on being the winner for the Referral Contest, which I took part without being aware of it.

Apparently, there was a contest by Blog2u for existing bloggers who are with Blog2u to refer their friends to join the Blog2u network. So me being me, I think I told some of my blogger friends to sign up for it, and of course telling them that they do not need to wait to accumulate for their earnings - which really is a plus point. However, that was it.

Somehow, word got propagated and from what I heard from Paddy, quite a number of bloggers put me as their referrer so that effectively entitles both of us a coupon each; and as the saying goes, the rest is history.

When I returned the call to Paddy, I wasn’t expecting anything and thought that someone had called me by mistake. However, I was shocked beyond words that I actually won something from a contest. If it weren’t Paddy (or any other people that I have heard of) I would have nearly thought that it’d be a time-sharing scam scheme. It was to the extent that Paddy asked if I was usually that soft-spoken! Haha…

However, the next question that crossed my mind was… what is an iPod Classic? I mean… I know what an iPod is, probably the iPod Nano, Touch and Shuffle… but Classic? Isn’t that the name that they give to very old and out-dated products? Like… Mary Poppins is a classic, or Penguin classics and all? Then I did a search for it and realised that I can’t be further from the truth. Apparently the iPod classic is a remake (or sorts) of the classical iPod except that it is now more sleek and comes with an enhanced interface! 80GB! Goodness! The largest MPEG player that I have is only a 30GB! Wow, 80GB! w00t! w00t!

Wow… I have not gotten over the shock yet! Haha… what a great way to start the new year indeed! =) Really… many thanks to Paddy and iShop again, and of course to all my fellow blogger friends and readers who made this possible. =)

Thanks and happy new year! Yippee!

I am not sure if it’s a big secret that people from the various departments in the government reads our blog on a regular basis, but sometimes, don’t you get the uncanny feeling that someone is really reading your blog and monitoring your activities? As audacious as it sounds, it may actually be true. Of course, there is no confirmation from anyone in the government on this, neither are there any denial of it. So, what makes me think that the PTC/LTA reads my blog? The answer came in a rather subtle manner.

After the countdown yesterday and after nua’ing for an entire 4 hours or so at the Starbucks cafe at Raffles City, we decided that it’s time for all to go home. So, Tian Hong and Ridzuan were kind enough to accompany me to the nearest reasonable place to wait for a taxi - at the bus stop. Haha… yes, taking taxi was probably the last thing on my mind and if there was a bus option, I’d take it. Unfortunately, no NR (night rider) buses passes by the bus stop that we were at and apparently, taking a taxi was the only choice.

So we waited. And waited. And while we were waiting, I took a few pictures of speeding cars and errant taxi drivers - but that’s irrelevant. What happened was that all the taxis that were apparently available (green LCD on top) were all along North Bridge Road, while I was along Stamford Road. I can’t really figure out why no taxis want to turn into Stamford Road but I figured that they might want to go to Boat Quay for their passengers. After a while, or rather, a long while, we decided that we’d go to the nearest MacDonald’s for breakfast, and suddenly all the taxis appeared.

Well, I guess that since I wanted to go Macs, we might as well go grab something first. So off to Macs we continued. By then, I was so tired, I just fell asleep at Macs. By the time I woke up, it was already 6:20am and it was time to get back. Hitting the roads, it was empty and void of any taxis in sight. For that, I walked back to the bus stop where I got my bus home.

Tian Hong and Ridzuan thinks that the PTC and LTA are watching over me because of my recent comments on the hikes, and cooked up a conspiracy theory on how I won’t be getting any taxis anytime soon; but nay, I don’t really think so. After all, who will be so free to read my blog. Right? =)

Yes, this is another long expired post. You must be thinking… what happened? Well… many things happened… and for one, I was sort of taking a rather long leave from a couple of things, just like Claudia when she decided to take a hiatus. So what happens after a break? More entries, of course! Haha…

So, after the library lunch and roaming around a crowded town for the whole afternoon; and making many phone calls and last minute reservations, I managed to get Alice, Miccheng, Tian Hong and Xinhui down for a Christmas get-together. The place that we booked was at Indulge @ the Cathay, which is a really nice place to dine where they serve hotel-rated food at low affordable prices that even students can afford!

After bumming in town for another 4 hours before dinner, we finally met. Xinhui was hungry and crying out loud, while most of us were… hmmm… quite ok. =P Miccheng brought a long a bottle of Vienna wine which was opened without extra charge at the restaurant. We all know how expensive corkage charges can get at some places.

Pictures of food? Sure! But how about some pictures of those who attended?

Xinhui: This is not a peace sign. If I still don’t get my food soon, I’ll going to poke them into your eyes!

Tian Hong posing for a cool look while bearing the hunger in his tummy

Alice can’t stand the sight of it anymore… she’s feeling a little sick

Miccheng showing his… ahem, baby face

And now for the food! Seriously, I have a good mind to put everything into a photo gallery. Uploading pictures to Wordpress is quite a chore.

Prawn with Wasabi and Sunflower seeds. This is such a delight to have! The prawns are succulent and fresh and while it’s crispy on the outside, it’s soft and tender on the inside - perfect to go savour the taste bite by bite.

The Cheeky Wings - essentially fried chicken wings, is a must-try! The wings are crispy and well-flavour and the meat is nice and sweet! I heard from the chef that there is a special way of preparing it that gives it its omph!

Salmon with Kung-Po Sauce. It’s East meets West at it’s best! The familiar taste of perfectly sauteed salmon with spicy Kung-Po Sauce goes surprisingly well! If you like the flavour of Kung-Po, and you love the softness of the salmon, then you’d love this dish!

Chrysanthemum-shaped fried dory with sweet and spicy Thai sauce. The dory is nicely sliced at one side of the fish and folded into a Chrysanthemum and deep fried and flavoured with Thai sauce. The fish maintains its absolute moist while the sauce gives it the unmistakable Thai flavour that is ever so popular at Thai eateries. A must try and a top 100 Singapore dish!

Steak at rare. I think Miccheng had it rare because he recalled that even medium-rare was quite tough. Hmm… Think I’d still like mine medium at best.

This is the chicken soup that was on the house. Every time. =)

Aglio Olio spaghetti. It was ordered on the side, and in fact, we left it to the chef to decide on the pasta that would go well with all the dishes. Wise choice!

Rice that came with the dishes. I think it was on the house.

Besides all these ala carte dishes, we had more surprises in stalled for us! The chef had order some dessert for us. On the house too! Oh man, this was turning out to be one of the best Christmas that I ever had!

This is walnut brownie with ice cream and peach soaked in wine! It’s really good! Really yummy-licious! The peach was somewhat sweet to the taste with a well-seasoned texture while the brownie and ice cream was so smooth that it’d glide down your throat!

More surprises! This is coconut juice service with bobo-hitam and coconut milk! It was totally unexpected because no one would have thought of putting that in the coconut husk! Moreover, the coconut meat was still inside! Nice and smooth and blissful to the taste!

This was the Vienna classic wine that Miccheng brought along. Although it was just bought from a supermarket, it is one of the better bodied wine that I have tasted! It leaves a slightly sweet aftertaste that most non-wine drinkers will like. Too bad this is only available in Vienna.

Red wine, anyone?

We left Indulge feeling good and well-fed. I’d recommend this place for a nice change without bursting your wallet. Moreover, this place is nicely tucked away from the hustles of the crowd at the Cathay, so you can enjoy a nice meal with your friends or loved ones in your own privacy. The only other attention that you’d get is that of the friendly staff at the restaurant. 4.8 stars out of 5. This is definitely a must-try. A Simply Jean recommend.

Yeah, I was almost back to ghost town at the now defunct library@orchard. Everywhere was deserted. No books. No shelves. No floorings. No counters…

From outside, it was just a glass with white paper pasted over the windows (#1). There was nothing. Once inside, I saw… empty space where the Chinese books used to be (#2). No more checking out machines (#3). No more IT books (#4). No more comics (#5). No more multimedia computers (#6). No more facing against the wall (#7). No more printers (#8). No more cubicles where you could listen to music as you read (#9). No more counters (#10). No more checking out just near the entrance (#11). No more stage (#12). No more Galilee (#13). No more waterfall (#14). No more health books (#15). No more meeting rooms (#16)…

Well… then I met our 2 comedians librarians at the library. Here, Ivan was wondering where Jillian is. Hmm…

Oh! Is Jillian teleporting from the future? Did she see where she was going to go to? But that’s secondary…

… because what is a lunch without food?!

… and log cakes?!

… and desserts?!

Side-track a little. One of my friends was thinking of opening a dessert shop in town to beat the hot weather during spring and summer. She intends to call it Just Desserts! Yes, including the exclamation mark! Haha… how apt to be situated in the midst of busy Shenton Way. Now, directors can ask their employee to go get some desserts…

Director: Look at how you handled the case? How can you not put the interest of your clients before your own? Now they are downstairs demanding to get an explanation and to sue you for your negligence. I am not going to care. I want you to go down and face the music and get your just desserts! And I want Ice Jelly with Aloe Vera…

Lawrence Lee (the employee): …

Ok. Enough of the side-track. Since today’s also going to be the last day of reporting to the branch for the librarians, I figure it might be safe to show some more pictures…

Here’s where the books from he book drop goes to… sliding down a now-non-existent slide… and they go to…

… these shelves! Where the books are sorted out first and if they belonged to the same branch.

The manager’s room! But… where’s the window?!

Ah… here it is =S

And this is the counter that’s right in front of the staff room door…

And an overview of the staff room… The manager’s room is to the left.

And soon, it was time to go… guess I won’t be seeing any more of the library@orchard. Still, thanks for the good memories. I look forward to the next library that’s going to open in town. I hope Ivan and Jillian can return together to the new library.

See you in 2012!

I wasn’t so confident about trying it at all. After all, I had been procrastinating it for the longest time that I remembered. Someone once told me that it’s the in thing and that everyone’s doing it anyway. Suddenly, it felt like I was in secondary school again, when peer pressure is abound and sometimes, we just feel like giving in.

Well, for once, I finally decided to give in - in a certain sense. Actually, I initiated the whole thing by suggesting it. Of course, the other party seemed rather conservative but I decided to give it a shot anyway. For once, I am quite glad I did - because I am actually quite enjoying it. No doubt there was a lot of fumbling and it even kept me up the whole night, but the satisfaction and climax that I get from it - I tell you, it’s unbelievable.

Just like how one of my friends put it… The first attempt is always messy. As a matter of fact, it *was* messy! I had to try and try again before I finally got it right - and you know what? I didn’t feel like stopping at all. It’s like… reaching the point of no return.

Yeah… and that got me up all night.

Thankfully I manage to wake up on time for an appointment today; without feeling a little sore all over and with a slight headache and something that felt almost like a hangover. As much as it felt good, I think doing it late into the night (and into the morning) is not really a good idea because it just simply leaves you all drained and tired.

And according to my friend - it is almost like sex… and that it’ll get better each time I try it.

Read the rest of this entry »

Oh yeah… you stare back at him straight in the eye! Then again, what’s the point? The dirty old man will just get more excited at this stare sparring. He might get really turned on and then accuse you of making him excited! Ya… it’s like… "what the… " right?

Well, Alice got this experience just an hour ago while taking the bus. She was on this face-to-face seat at the front of the bus when an old man boarded the bus. Seated opposite Alice, he signaled for Alice to sit next to him.

"Come, come, don’t be shy", the old man seemed to say.

"You must be crazy", thought Alice.

"Come, come, accompany uncle. Uncle give you sweets", the old man seemed to continue.

"Siao!", thought Alice again.

"Lai, lai, wo yao he ni zuo ai", screamed the old man silently. (translated: "来，来，我要和你做爱", or in English, "come, come I want to make love with you")

Then, without hint of anything, he helped himself to the seat next to Alice.

You know what? You shouldn’t really try anything funny with a blogger. More here. =)

Ed: You may have to load a few times… Alice seems to be editing her post

Got this email in my inbox for a speed dating session organized by the MCYS. It’s supposed to be later this month and I am thinking that it might be a good experience. They didn’t mention anything about paying, so I am wondering if the dinner that is provided is going to be for free! Haha… I am such a cheapskate! =P

A sumptuous dinner leh!

Still wondering what speed dating is all about, I asked someone about it. Apparently, it’s like a round robin thing - where either the guy or lady gets to seat while the other part moves in a round robin fashion. The couple is then given about 5 to 10 minutes to mingle and talk and ask questions to find out about each other before the next round starts.

About 1 hour and 30 minutes is set aside for this interaction, which means that a person will get to potential know about 6 to 9 people. When I was glancing through the program highlights, I was giggling to myself because I can imagine how some of the activities is going to bring out the uglier side of us! =P

• Be the first 20 to arrive and receive attractive early bird prizes!
• Heh heh… I wonder how many will rush to be the first 20 - displaying the Singaporean kiasu syndrome
• Do come early and relax with a game of pool or table soccer
• Haha… I hope the ladies playing this can maintain their grace… or are they supposed to be all natural?

Actually I am not laughing at them, or anyone in particular. I’m more… thinking of how unglam I’d be when I am going to be rushing to be the first 20, or when I raise 1 leg high when playing the pool… or shouting really loud when playing table soccer!

Haha… okie. I think I better not go. =P At least I get to keep the unglam parts all to myself. Haha…

Marina wrote a post about what happens to our post when we die. I was thinking about that after Reuben Kee - one of the dragonboat paddlers, passed away. It’s sad that it takes a live of a friend of a friend to make me start thinking about it, but I’d think that it’s good that at least people start thinking about it now.

I will probably write a blog will - and not just that; but probably include all my passwords and all and pass it to a closed one. Ya… that means exposing all my deep, deep, dark, dark, deep, dark secrets. Then again, I’m already dead - does it really matter? I don’t think I have a legacy to leave behind - nor do I think any scandals arising from my emails will be detrimental. After all, I’m already gone. Dust to art to dust returnst, was not spoken of the soul.

As to whether I’d want my blog to be maintained, I’m really not so sure. Perhaps I should start making automated backups and getting it sent to my email instead. At least whoever has access to my email will have access to my blog entries and comments. =)

Speaking of which, Alice and myself were toying with the idea of setting up a mini trust fund using money that I earn from adverts (after defraying cost of hosting and domain name renewals). Anyone who wishes to maintain the blog of someone who passed away may apply for it such that we will pay for the domain name (if any) and hosting. We are not sure yet, but the plan is in the making.

Of course, what do I do with the earnings now? Actually I have not withdrawn anything yet. I am just hopping that Ming and Josh and Paddy do not suddenly disappear one day or decide to suspend their business indefinitely. I’m trusting my earnings in their care and I hope that I’d be able to withdraw it should I ever need to.

Meanwhile, I am still drafting out my blog will. For all I know, there might just be an explosion next door now…

*boom*