He's the one :')

All it takes is a while.

"I guess after awhile of ignoring, we get tired of being angry and instead we feel sad. We get reminded once in awhile why we're not talking in the first place, but there comes a point where there's no more anger..

Just disappointment."

3rd day at SOSD

Yesterday was my 3rd day at the shelter and I'm slowly beginning to experience how things are being done everyday. 

For the first time, I got to walk Sharky (as pictured above) and she always wanted to head back into the shelter. There was once she resisted so hard that I could see how much I lacked of confidence as well as the determination to push her forward. 

If I could, I really do want to be confident like others too.. 

On a happier note, I got to walk another dog, White Socks with the supervision of Vanessa and the feeling of being in sync with your dog while walking is truly a wonderful feeling and it's as if your mind suddenly blanked out from all areas and you're just focusing on walking. 

Walking your dog is indeed a great way to clear your mind. :)

One year, one month.

Met up with BunnyBoi yesterday despite the rocketing PSI readings & we headed over to Crystal Jade for late lunch as I read on Tammy's website that TM's outlet are having promotion for their dimsum so we went to check it outzzz.

Here's what we ordered!

Fried carrot cake - I like that the cake has a really nice after taste though the texture seems to be quite chewy for me. 

Roasted pork dry noodles - omggg... Please don't order their dry noodles! I didn't quite like that their noodles tasted bitter and was hoping that they came with chilli like the usual dry noodles we eat at hawkers, but it came with thick gravy as shown.. I'm not sure if its oyster sauce gravy? Definitely not a to-order but on a tastier note, their roast pork is juicy, soft and crispy at the right places!

Clockwise from left : custard buns (was hoping more fillings could be stuffed in 3/4 of the time I was eating the bun instead), siew mai, steamed prawn dumplings and chive dumplings (all of which were tasty and sweet as their fillings were generous).

& finally... Aloe Vera with osmanthus & honey for dessert to cool ourselves down from the nasty haze these few days! 

I really liked this dessert!! Am I the only one who thinks that aloe Vera is tasteless instead of bitter? I can't taste any bitterness in it even though he said its bitter!? I think it's easy to make this dessert too! Just add honey, osmanthus and aloe Vera and you're good to go! Shall try making it someday! 

& after all that we've ordered, the bill came up to S$22.40! It's good to drop by during the promotion time from 2.30pm - 5pm, but I'm sure that elsewhere is cheaper, tastier and more dishes could be ordered! 

Megagamie digi print skirt

I actually got this Megagamie skirt off the racks @ kissjane bugis junction months back but it was too loose on me, hence I sent it for alternation! However, to my dismay... The top part of the skirt that was supposed to be paper bag design was actually altered into a flat design! Means I can't put a belt over it to have the pleats showing anymore! NOOO!! D:

& the measurements didn't turn out to be the one I wanted as it sits snugly on my waist, so no heavy food intake when I'm in this skirt! 

Material wise it's really worth the S$30.90 I paid for! It's quite thick though I can't figure out what material it is, but it's exactly the same texture as Love & Bravery's dress! Oh and not forgetting that there's a smooth inner lining sewed underneath the skirt as well! It's not flimsy and strong winds will definitely not enable you to do a Marilyn Monroe pose! Haha!

It seems like an unreleased piece too as I haven't seen any reviews and launches on this yet. 

Exact prints & texture of skirt as seen on Love & Bravery's Surreal Dotted Print Dress.

Ha(I)ze

The haze was soo bad on Monday that at 10pm, it rocketed up to 150!!! My dad brought back masks for the whole family and I didn't want to wear them at first but... Who cares about image now that the haze really is at a dangerous level?! 

So here's to keeping myself safe from the haze! Everyone should start wearing one if they haven't already! It works for me as I didn't get to smell the smoke anymore once I've had my mask on!

Have a good midweek! :)

Day 2 at SOSD

Pepper, who was so afraid of noise and us that the corner of the wall seems to be her only comfort. I hope she will be able gain more confidence and start loving the "hand" which she has a phobia of. I really wonder how one is able to lift their hand up to shatter their image that our 5 fingers meant a pat on their heads, a rub on their tummy and NOT something abusive. The hurt she felt must've been so immense that she shivers upon the sight of my hand slowly advancing towards her. However, for the first time today, we were able to get her to walk further away from her comfort zone with the help of treats though she moved back right away and she even nibbled treats off my fingers. I really hope she will be able to be confident as she once was.

Today, I also dog-walked for the very first time. Indeed, it is tedious work as I needed more strength to hold them and also to ensure that they do not cross my path. I still have loads more to learn. 

More than words.

Never have I been this open, dramatic and chatty when I'm with you. Thank you for always, always, been the shoulder to lie on, the ears to listen patiently whenever I'm ranting or mumbling, and the long warm embraces whenever I needed it most. And most of all, thank you for loving me with every bit of your magnanimous heart that accepts all of my imperfections wholeheartedly. You're the kindest, ever. 

Thank you for making me smile all the time. I love you, BunnyBoi. <3

Leaving

I was just told by my helper that she's leaving next month. Seems like her mind really is made up and there's nothing we can do to make her stay. 

Her goal of working here has already been achieved: To pay up her loan, and she has paid up everything this month. 

I know that everyone is selfish in their own way.. But as a FDW, aren't you supposed to put away everything back at home and about yourself when you come to work in someone's family? Just because your loan has already been paid up doesn't give you a valid & acceptable reason in employers view to "go home".

It's just not fair. So you can just leave and leave us panicking cause we've got an elderly at home to care for. 

Then my question is.. Why work as a foreign domestic worker when you can work as something else that doesn't need such a long contract period? 

Singapore is all about bonds, contracts and compensations, isn't it? 

But what about the foreigners who breached them? Why do we have to be the ones scratching our heads and frantically search for a replacement within this 1 month before she waves goodbye with no strings attached?

"Everything happens for a reason"

I'm going to the shelter tmr! Finally... My mind IS made up & I'm glad prolly that's why I'm here with this community. I hope I'll be able to become strong, if not stronger when I'm faced with unfortunate and unfair circumstances around these poor animals. 

I guess this is really "my time" cause guess what!

My dad bought aircon's for our rooms after a decade of not using and he got this foldable bicycle at a steal price of S$28! 

The only thing I didn't like was it was too low for my liking and the front part of the steering doesn't seem to be tightened fully even though my dad did so. & just in time! I can use this to cycle tmr! I just hope I won't be tired from all the cycling haha! 

Now I know why some bicycles are nearer to the ground as they are foldable ones, and that's Rexmyboy! Haha so cute he's reacting to the sounds of the bell my brother is making! 

I'm looking forward for tmr! :))

Failed attempts!

It's my helper's off day today and hence I took over the kitchen! However, today's take-over was one of the worst ever! :(

Firstly, I made maki sushi for lunch, only to realize :

1) I mistook white rice for sushi rice. I only found out when I was done draining off the water.

2) I didn't have seaweed cause surprisingly..... I threw away the previous attempt's leftovers on the night before. HOW CLEVER.

3) I didn't know where my helper kept my sushi mat, hence I made do with a wet cloth wrapped in cling film. 

The correct rice really plays a part in the outcome of the sushi. 

Lesson learnt: Be prepared!! 

Maki rolls with Japanese cucumber, tamago & sesame dressing. 

Chawanmushi with shiitake mushrooms only

I also tried making Chawanmushi! My fav steamed egg is this! But I hardly ever order when I'm eating out cause the price for 1 ranges from S$3.50 - S$6 maybe? Depending on the type of additional filling you want it to have. Considering I'm only working part time on both days, I usually eat what's friendlier for my pocket haha. 

The recipe calls for more soya sauce but I didn't put much cause I was afraid it'll be too salty for my grandma. I really should've listened to it! Cause I only added 1 teaspoon instead of 3.

Another thing to note is that I used the cups from ikea instead of the normal Chawanmushi teacups cause I don't have 1 and err.. Its expensive if I buy in quantity, yet I can't just buy 2.

The surface area really plays a huge part in getting the right consistency. As my cups were taller in height and narrower in width, it took me about 25-30mins to steam it instead of 15mins. Lolol after that mark I kept opening the lid to check if the egg is cooked by placing a chopstick in but unfortunately, its not.

& I tell you..... The worst part of cooking is this!

Hahaha right right! After lunch I wanted to rest but once I saw this mess at both the sinks... X.X

Cooking and preparing really takes up quite alot of time as after I'm done, 3hours later and I'm preparing dishes for dinner.

Dinner wasn't pleasing as well. :( 

1) rice was soggy

2) soup needed more packets of bakuteh seasonings as I had 1Kg of pork ribs, though the recipe stated only add in 1 packet of seasoning for 1kg meat.

3) steamed fish was too spicy! T.T haha but it's sweet! Me likey. 

Oh well.. Today just doesn't seem to be My Day. Hopefully it'll be better the next time round when I'm more prepared! :)

Katong day!

Met BunnyBoi for our Katong date & we headed over to Katong 112 and look what we saw!! 

$9.90 NETT SALMON SET LUNCH DEAL VALID ONLY @ KATONG 112 BRANCH! 

It's really value for money! I'm going to drop by next week for lunch yay! :)))

Bought tickets to Fast 6 and we passed our time by having Chawanmushi at their food court beside the theatre. Priced at S$1.50 per portion, it's an additional 10% off for all Passion card members! It tasted nice too! Salty for my liking. Shall have it next time again after lunch. 

After which, we headed over to With a Pinch Of Salt at Tanjong Katong for dinner. It's only 4 stops away from Katong 112 and the shop front is visible when you're on the bus. 

Their interior is so cute! And I like that their tables have different colours. 

We ordered squid ink pasta with beef & farmhouse platter to share.

It was my first time trying out squid ink pasta and I still prefer the standard pasta sauces though. 

There's nothing special about the farmhouse platter as I felt that their fish bites (the one beside the nuggets) is overly fried. The top of my gums kinda hurt upon chewing it. Nuggets, 2pcs garlic crusted chicken wings, fries and sausages. 

I didn't really enjoy this meal but as BunnyBoi has mentioned, we prolly ordered the wrong stuffs. 

Service was acceptable as well considering they only had 3 staffs the man the whole place. Their manager even stopped by to ask if we enjoyed our meal. So thoughtful! :)

Met up with the rest @ Starbucks & we played Heads Up! It's a game whereby you'll place your phone on your forehead and everyone around you will describe what's been shown on the screen, which you then have to guess what it is. Oh and we downloaded Fun Run too! Its something like squirrels racing with each other to reach the finishing line with 4 players in the game. It's really fun & addictive! Haha! 

Ending off with my outfit of yesterday!

Jollyfemmelle laced top | cotton on skorts | shoes from BKK | bag from bugis street

Cycling day!

Thankfully we went ahead with the plan and cycled as the weather looked like it was gonna rain, and another good thing was we paid $6 for 2 hours of bike rental! Initially it's $6 for 1 hour, $8 for 2 hours, but as it was gonna rain, we had their buy 1 get 1 free promo! 

Throughout the whole journey to East Coast Park, I was really worried for Shu as there were a couple of times where she almost lost her footing at the pedal & my heart nearly dropped back then! 

We managed to return the bike at exactly 7.30pm and was too tired to head back to the hawker & lucky for us, there's Burger King nearby. 

Oh and!!! I found $2 while heading back to the pit stop!!! So happy! Haha! 

Initially we wanted to order BBQ Turkey Bacon set but luckily the staff showed us a cheaper alternative and we all got ourselves their fish burger @ $1.95 each! Plus a top up of $0.95 for their Coke float, and $3.20 for the onion rings. In the end, we only paid $3 for this meal after using the $2 that I found! Cheap thrills ftw! Yay! :)

SOSD

2 weeks ago, BunnyBoi and I went to the farmway and we happened to pass by SOSD (Save Our Street Dogs) open house & went in.

We were directed into the kennels where it's only accessible by their staffs & volunteers, and there's a couple of dogs there who were in cages as they are one of the few dogs with distemper.

I didn't take any pictures of them cause I felt I wouldn't like it if I was caged up/suffering/lonely too.

I've always been contemplating about volunteering and also I wasn't able to offer my help at ALL's, missed out on M&M's enrolment intake, I've hence finally made up my mind to contact SOSD. 

I hope I'll be accepted because I do have some issues with myself that needs "fostering", and I think it has alot to do with my mental well-being & I guess that by helping out, I'm helping myself too. 

I'm gonna take this leap and get out of my zone for once!

On a chilly Saturday night

“Quality time does not mean we must spend our moments gazing into each other's eyes. It may mean doing something together that we both enjoy. The particular activity is secondary, only a means to creating the sense of togetherness. The important thing is not the activity itself but the emotions that are created between both.”

- Gary Chapman

Mizzy Corner Nasi Lemak

Mizzy Corner nasi lemak set A : S$3.50

It's been awhile since I last had nasi lemak and I've always wanted to have one but I'm worried that the rice wouldn't be fragrant enough as some of them uses white rice instead of the rice cooked in pandan leaves & coconut milk. 

So ever since the renovation of Changi Village hawker, Mizzy corner has been shifted from their original stall to the previous "International Nasi Lemak" stall. And now, it's really at a corner! Haha!

My brother and I started eating at Mizzy corner as the queue at International was always long, hence we settled for Mizzy's. Thank god we had it at Mizzy's!! As of today, it seems like the queue at Mizzy's is longer than International's, and I heard alot of passerby's were commenting and pointing at Mizzy corner saying that "it's nice it's nice" while we were eating. 

The rice was fragrant and when I had a bite of it, I was in heaven!! 

The chicken wings were very crispy though I'm sure it didn't taste as great as the previous time as the wings didn't have their distinct fried chicken smell & taste which I love in all chicken wings! Like for Old Chang Kee's chicken wings, their taste and smell really matches your taste buds when you chew on it!

The ikan bilis tasted exactly the same, crispy and crunchy on every bite, but I really wished they could've given a little more ikan bilis cause.. *points to my plate * :'(

I'm not a fan of chili sauce so I gave about 3/4 of it to my brother, and it tastes sweet and mildly spicy at the same time for me. 

This plate costs S$3.50 and if you want you can add on Otah, chicken wings etc for an additional of S$1.50! I'm not sure about the other add on ingredients though. 

Nonetheless.. I've finally satisfied my craving of Changi Village's nasi lemak today! Yay! :)