Take Valentines Day with A Pinch of Salt

Haven't been blogging for quite a while now, despite my resolve to each time.
Feel that i should blog an entry about my Valentines Day this year, since it is such a huge event in the calendar.
Even though it has been over for almost 2 weeks!
How did everyone else spend their Valentines? :)

This year, with Valentines Day falling on a weekday, we decided to celebrate it early on the weekend prior to it.
Some photos!

Went to A Pinch of Salt, a small cosy cafe located in Tanjong Katong.

It is quite famous i think, appeared in a couple of media food variety shows!

 Prior to visiting I took a look at their website and was impressed with the design, and had the same expectations for the restaurant itself, but was a little disappointed, even though generally the layout was not bad. Perhaps because we were there for lunch instead of dinner, the atmosphere was not really there.

 liked their table deco! simple but pretty.

 and their wall of frames, damn cute!

Used an Outlet coupon to redeem their lunch set, which consisted of 4 dishes - appetiser, soup, main course, and of course, dessert! 

his appetiser!

my appetiser

mushroom soup for both of us. rather enjoyed the garlic bread.

his main course.  steak! the sauce is pretty good, richness just nice,

but..........

the steak wasn't very good i feel. the outside was quite cooked, and the inside was very very uncooked. 

kind of unbalanced... 

 chocolate dessert!

banana crumble. tasted awesome! first time i liked something outside chocolate :D 

 

went for a short karaoke session before heading for the programme at night! 

WICKED Musical! 

 

YAY! 

 

 look at the crowd watching WICKED

 the before-show reception 

during break 

i was amazed at how BIG the place is 

cheapo us decided to get the cheaper priced tix, which gave us a rather far view of the stage. 

was quite sian initially but after the musical started, i enjoyed myself fully. 

thank god the distance is not that far until i cant see anything. 

 

 sale of the musical's merchandise! i have to say its good business tactic, even i was tempted to get a copy of the soundtrack on the spot. lucky my brain was still logical enough to remind myself i probably wont listen to the soundtrack after i leave the compound. 

look at the crowd in the store! 

managed to get a photo with the Prince in WICKED. heh. 

hope everyone else had a happy Valentines Day too!

welcoming 2012

2011 was an especially hectic and yet special year for me.
guess exchange made me a much happier, independent, and mature person.
and now that im back,
and given that it is the new year,
i would like to seek forgiveness from those whom i had hurt in the past.
im past the stage of kicking myself over my childishness,
and right now hope that by putting unhappy events in the past,
in this new year, 
the friendships can be rebuilt. 

and as the end of my exchange journey nears

thought that i could update my blog with lotsa photos while im on exchange
since im here alone and have a lot of free time.
oh boy, how wrong could i be.
i was busy slacking away n enjoying myself i totally forgot about my blog.
many photos are true though >.<

and now its already November.
i've been in adelaide for almost 4 months.
time seemed to pass very slowly in august.
but now looking back,
i cant help but wonder,
where did all the time go?!?!

my last 20 days in adelaide.
sounds so short.
cause once i leave i wont be coming back.
as much as i wish to be back in spore soon,
i also kind of wish to have more time here.
feelings are mixed.
i look at the room (or rather, mess) that i've been calling home for the past 4 months.
kind of 不舍得
and now whenever i walk to school i've take more time to look at the surroundings
the trees, the flowers, the grass, the sky.
i don't have much chance left to enjoy them.

exchange is really a life opening experience.
coming here alone turned out to be the best thing that happened.
(even though sometimes it gets really lonely though)
the time alone also gave me time to reflect on past events,
and made me see how childish i used to be.
oh my goodness, i can't believe i actually behaved that way previously.
so blardy embarrassing goodness.
nonetheless im glad, cause now upon looking back,
i know that i've matured.
all the things that life throws my way,
only helped to enrich my experiences and broaden my perspectives.
these things that i call 'suay',
helped to shape my strong (or i would like to think it is) character today.

lastly, i would like to say aloud...

I CAN COOK NOW!!! 

humans are weird. 

when in spore, i cant wait to go for exchange. 

when on exchange, i miss spore and countdown to going home.

i can foresee myself missing aussie when im back to spore.

LOL.

somehow it just doesn't feel right

i think my stubbornness got the better of me.
i should have known.
so, this is what happens when you refuse to listen to your heart (even when it is protesting so very loudly) and listen to the stubborn mind.
the right thing is often the hardest to do.

im bored.
date me out! hahaha

been watching Rainie Yang's latest drama called 醉后决定爱上你 recently.
i have to say, her acting really improved tremendously.
she's no longer only good at acting sweetie cutie pie now.
there's an element of a mature and independent woman in it.
the chemistry between the 2 leads are pretty good too!
some classic lines from the drama that really touched my heart,
because it just feels so apt for me at some point in time.

go and watch!!

oh and a side note. 張孝全 is pretty shuai. 

i think as long as the actors can act well i will like them. 

cos e same happened for secret garden LOL

the nonsensical mindset of sporeans

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/tit-tat-exchange-over-reserved-mrt-seats-084554302.html

saw this and i went like 'WHAT?!!!'.

honestly, whats with the wrong mindset that only reserved seats people must give the seat up?
are the other seats around not seats?
or is the reserved seat more comfortable, bigger, softer, such that its more suitable for the needy?
no matter where u are sitting, as long as there is someone in need of a seat in front of you,
YOU SHOULD GIVE IT UP.

if let's say there's a pregnant lady who moved into the centre of the cabin,
because it was crowded and she needed to move in to let more people enter.
she's standing away from the reserved seats.
does that mean that you no need to give up the seat to her?
or do singaporeans expect the needy to purposely place themselves in front of the reserved seats?
honestly, it doesn't make sense because you should give up your seat as and when the need arises.

but then again, there are some particular old people who thinks that they are specially privileged.
they are healthy and strong, but yet stroll into the mrt and purposely place themselves in front of the reserved seats, EXPECTING people to just give it up for them.
hello? who do you think you are?
i dun mind giving up my seat to you.
but i just dun like the attitude of yours, as if the whole world OWE it to you to let you sit down.
if you are jolly when capable of standing then why do i need to give it up to u?
there are times where young people do not feel well and need a seat too.

there was a few times where i had my menstrual cramps and i got a seat.
and then some aunty come along n keep staring at me as if i am obliged to give it up to her.
she was wearing high heels btw.
i am not blind, i can assess her capability of standing.
obviously if u're still healthy and can balance so well on heels, then i dun think u need the seat more than me, do you?
age is not a default.
why should i give it up to you when im in physical discomfort, and when i have a 40 minutes train ride ahead of me?
so i just kept staring back at her.
to add on to my irritation, she kept using her bag to bang against my leg.
it was not a peak period btw. she had plenty of space. 
LIKE WTH.
so, to deal with people like her, who are so buay paiseh,
i commented to her LOUDLY 'excuse me, can u stop using your bag to hit me'.
for people like that who are so full of themselves, making them feel embarrassed will do the trick.

for the old man who complained, im shocked that he actually has the face to do so.
it just shows his mindset - that he is obliged to have a seat purely by default of his age.
this, is the wrong mindset.

on another random note, GE 2011 is over.
i just like to comment to certain new citizens who proclaim that we singaporeans, who are born and bred here, don't have the right to discriminate against them because our ancestors are migrants too.

i would just like to say that, these ancestors of ours contributed to what Singapore is today.
they supported Mr Lee Kuan Yew, they worked hard, to build Singapore to a modern city today.
you guys simply flock over when things are rosy and good,
and comment that 'we are all e same. all of us are migrants'.
excuse me?
our ancestors contributed to Singapore.
did u? or rather, did urs?
you cant just come when things are looking good and go around acting superior, and act as if u're a pure Singaporean too.
in other countries, migrants are e ones being discriminated against.
ironically in singapore, it seems that the foreigners are the ones who start the discrimination war first.
a case of  贼喊捉贼

ntu accountancy grads don't really earn

 recently saw this post and was a bit demoralised.
ntu accountancy graduates are not earning a lot as their starting pay. 
yeah yeah yeah,
i know that there are many ways to look at this.
the details, how its calculated etc etc.
but then, imagine the impression given to employees and pple out there.

Average Gross Monthly Salaries: 
Ranked 4th - SMU Business Management (4-yr programme) Cum Laude and above – $3,750 ($4,000)
Ranked 5th - SMU Accountancy Cum Laude and above – $3,625 ($3,800)
Ranked 16th - SMU Business Management (4-yr programme) – $3,292 ($3,500)
Ranked 26th - SMU Accountancy (4-yr programme) – $3,162 ($3,500)
Ranked 34th - NUS Business Administration (Accountancy)(Honours) – $3,081 ($3,375)
Ranked 53th - NTU Business (3-yr direct Honours programme) – $2,933 ($3,200)
Ranked 62th - NTU Accountancy (3-yr direct Honours programme) – $2,778 ($2,775)
Ranked 65th - NUS Business Administration (Accountancy) – $2,692 ($2,600)

Permanent Employment Rate
NTU fared much better here!
Ranked 7th - NUS Business Administration (Accountancy)(Honours) – 100.0% ($2,600)
Ranked 8th - SMU Accountancy (4-yr programme) – 97.9% ($2,650)
Ranked 10th - NTU Accountancy (3-yr direct Honours programme) – 97.0% ($2,600)


http://www.salary.sg/2011/graduate-employment-survey-2010-published-2011/
http://www.moe.edu.sg/education/post-secondary/

mans. i hope i can get a job before i grad! >.<

I AM GOING FOR EXCHANGE!!!!

alrights, its been final.
i've officially received the confirmation letter from Flinders stating I am going over there to study for 1 semester.
going to start applying for accommodation, visa, and booking air tickets soon.
and not to mention getting my loan from the bank!
MOOLAH is uber important.
feeling kind of nervous!
should i wait till i get my visa, or should i just heck and book my air tix first?
since i honestly cant afford to let the air tix prices spiral upwards like nobody's business
>.<

shall blog about my supposed-to-be-awesome-but-turned-out-horrible weekend soon!
also, i engaged in my second round of retail therapy!
=)