Bye Folks

Hello.. Stick Insect and I are at Changi Airport, trying to ride out the time til our scheduled flight. We hope Hong Kong's weather gives us cloudy and cool.

No heavy rains please!

Well, see you in 5 days folks!

Max Speed

The days have whizzed by like some tornado.

The annual Nurses’ Day Dinner held at the Meritus Mandarin brought the Team back (except for Shitty, whom was unfortunately left out due to a lack of Muslim placements).

the layout

flame on!

Our server was this young thing whom my table teased relentlessly. We all thought that he had this 'thing' for Summer as he shot glances at her whilst serving. The food didn't live up to it's hype, though we had their infamous Chatterbox chicken rice.

I've not had that for almost 4 years.

But as long as the meal is free, I will still most definately partake!

here chickie chickie!

I even managed to instigate the Team to cheer for my ward manager as she walked up the stage to collect her award. She beamed amidst the thunderous applause and wolf whistles.

Sis Siva then revealed that we lost the debate. Well, it’s déjà vu, isn’t it?

Some members took it quite hard. As for me, I’m ok with it since I’ve never won before. Wahaha.. and wasn’t expecting to win either. If there's 1 thing I've learnt is that politics and luck play a hefty part in the whole drama.

However, that aside, the defeat was still baffling because it was evident we were the stronger team.

Even our opponents knew that our facts beat them hands down. The speakers could not refute our stance and the final speaker threw her case away as we sapped their haughtiness away. They even cried after the debate because they knew they got slaughtered.

Nonetheless, I respect the judges’ decision. No matter how drunk or cognitively handicapped they may be.

people!

The next day saw my life kick back into hyperdrive as Team Ross + Gremlin and I headed for Batam. They managed to charter transport around the island and we covered some ground.

street stalls

Can you see all the LV, Miu Miu etc?

Shopping centres were bursting at their seams with imitation luxury goods. They were everywhere! We reckoned some bags paraded in Singapore must have to be bought from Batam too.

yes, the mimicking isn't exclusive to designer bags! hello! it's BFC!

Ross said Batam’s dusty streets were reminiscent of Singapore in the 70’s. I simply took in the sights and sounds of colourful Batam life. From the touts to the roadside stalls.

We ate at a local nasi padang little eating house recommended by the driver. Just look at how 1 man can hoist so many dishes at a go! And such a wide array of dishes to choose from!

there was so much food, the plates had to be stacked!

Rudy even tried the turtle egg

my fave has got to be A&W..!
Give me a fucking root beer float, coney dog and curly fries any day!

we left Batam as the sun set

back in Singapore's embrace

And today, I met up with Stick Insect for lunch at Chinatown with Gremlin. After which, we stocked up on toiletries and zoomed off to stuff our faces with Mac’s oily, lip smacking-msg laden seaweed shaker fries, leaving all the grit lovingly cemented to the gaps between our teeth.

A sight deadly enough to induce an outcry in oral hygienists globally.

We’re flying off tomorrow. For another adventure to add to what we’ve amassed thus far. I've packed my bags. I checked my hand carry. My clothes are ready and neatly ironed.

Every time before I fly, I can’t help but feel a pang of ache for the family I’m leaving behind. I hope they miss me too. Irritating Gremlin already has a whole list of stuff he wants me to buy.

Sigh.Nevermind, i will torture you when i return..!!

Rainbow

Amidst the hype of the solar eclipse, months of brainstorming, practice and an irritating mixture of human politics, we’ve crossed the final debate hurdle. With it all now entangled up with history, I’m exhaling a long sigh of relief.

One less pressure off.

We had a post debate dinner with Sis Siva and Sis Ju at Rice Table to thank them for all their effort. Especially Sis Siva who worked relentlessly even through weekends to tighten our speeches. In hindsight, it was also a swan song for all the debaters as we marked the end of a journey and drift back to routine.

I sincerely hope everybody starts to realize that it is very taxing for me to be pulled in multiple directions. I too, wish for a simple work-home-play routine, though I really have the impression that everyone expects too much from me for my meagre salary.

Don't expect me to have the answers for every blardy question.
Stop asking me to take on extras.

fuck off ok? Don't think I can when I can't.

Putting hostilities aside, it was nice to catch up and ventilate to Sharon Lee a while ago. Our conversations always encapsulate a river of emotions. Ever since our paths crossed 16 years ago, we’ve developed a strange connection. Though like all relationships, ours was never easy to develop.

Sometimes I have so many things to tell others but its within my nature to withdraw. Other times, I prefer silence, simply because words fail to capture or diffuse emotions. Undoubtedly, its hard for me to allow people to penetrate my inner circle.

With our differing perspectives on life, a huge physical divide between locale and separate lives, it amazes me how someone can see so much of what I try to blind myself to while in the thick of things.

I still question what I did right to deserve her.

Meanwhile, I’m hibernating at home. Nursing an acute fever probably induced by recent unpleasant events. The doctor prescribed the usual cocktail of ibuprofen and antihistamines with a dose of Augmentin (which I always skip). Haha.

I'm looking forward to the weekend trip with Gremlin and Team Ross to Batam. Hope to whack the jetski and drown. Ok, let's leave out drowning.

I hope the rain brings a rainbow.

July has been a pretty hectic for me and I predict it will just snowball. After getting our mid year bonus, Stick Insect and I hunted down the best deal we could scour for our trip.

We dropped the idea of going to US after the fear of H1N1 swept through our shores. Then I weaseled my way out of returning to Taiwan since we had already visited Taiwan last year. So we decided on going Japan, only to see Japan also soar into pandemic levels.

After which, I tried to brainwash Stick Insect into going Korea. K is for Kim Hyun Joong. Ha haha.. But before we could finalize anything, we learnt of hostilities simmering between the North and South borders and taught it wise to temporarily avoid the area.

It seemed like disaster would befall anywhere I picked to visit. You need an emergency in your country?! Send me an air ticket! Sob sob.

Finally, Stick Insect was won over with the idea of visiting Hong Kong and I booted the initial plan of visiting Disneyland for Stick’s request for historically beautiful Macau. Woohoo.. just like the Korean version of F4.

Ride the Gondola with me Ji Hoo!!

Hell, if I wasn’t able to go Las Vegas, I will drag my limp body to its Asian alter ego!

As usual, like a demon possessed, I did all my homework and vomited our itinerary spanning a modest 5 days. I'm quite happy with how things turned out, though still a little worried over the timing and details. I’m in the final phase of my edits and I hope we get to have a blast there!

We also booked tickets for Jump! in Sept. OooOOOooOOoo.. I can’t wait to go see it!!

And I even managed to finish watching Boys Over Flowers (Korean). I looove the last episode where Jan Di bared her soul and took a gamble. Although I admit that Ji Hoo had limited expressions in the entire series, just staring at his face was sufficient.

Yes, I'm mindlessly biased.

On another note, debates have been quite tiring. Ever since we made it into the finals, we’ve been frantically dredging information from all over to add into our speeches. Sis Siva has been extremely supportive. The brain behind it all. The team always seems to be plastered in her office!

Though we had some reshuffling of speakers since the last debate, I do hope individual(s) involved can understand that there was no ill intent involved.

We’re looking forward to the Nurses’ Day Dinner and Dance later in the month. And I hope to go Batam with Gremlin + Ross + Clan before Stick and I leave for Hong Kong. I can already feel the tempo of life quickening!

PS – Stick and I got the EXSA award =)

The cardiac muscles fibrillate at the mere sight of Kim Hyun Joong

Thump Thump.

He can sing, dance and play multiple instruments too.

Swoons.

Asian guys rock. Yay.

My BF's face is the best =)

Salivates.

Someone send me to Korea!

Pssssssssssssssssssssst...

Guess what?

My tiny ward is finally full. All thanks to H1N1.
After 2 looong years, we've finally hit our maximum capacity with 20 patients.

Somebody go buy 4D quick.