A surprise at Boat Quay?

My friend from Taiwan is visiting, so I ran him all around from Bugis Junction to National Library to Raffles Hotel to Raffles City to Boat Quay to Clarke Quay and back to Fairmont Hotel all in one day. I am thankful to be alive, though my feet are quite upset with me.

While strolling at Boat Quay (me secretly looking for a foot massage place but unfortunately, SOME people are too ticklish), we ran by a restaurant that featured carved out melons! It's too bad that they don't sell wooden versions of these because doing it in fruit seems like such a waste, but nevertheless, the hostess allowed me to take a picture (because I'm clearly a tourist today instead of a questionable-local). 

Of all the (TV show) Heroes powers, I think one of the greatest ones was the girl who could learn anything by just watching it being done once. Just imagine! Me being able to do that double back tuck......or being able to carve melons.

Chilling on a Sunday

Hi Tinkles,

On Sunday I went with my friend Xav in the afternoon to the Singapore Art Museum . For lunch I had a Foccacia Chicken Avocado (Panini) from Dome, which is right next to the Museum. The service was great, and I was IMing with Daniel while waiting for Xav (who managed to come at 530). Sigh.

Oh yeah. Xav learned where the SAM is. About two blocks away in the Singapore National Museum, which is where he was looking for me. D'oh.

Anyways, we went in and went to the Korean exhibit. Unfortunately, you're not allowed to have any photography inside the galleries. I left all the books at home, so I'll fill in the details another time, but there was one particular work that amazed both of us. What appeared to be a 2D painting actually was a block which had spaces carved into it; these spaces were in the shape of people. From the left, there is a woman in a jacket. Then another woman covering her head with her hand. Then a man leaning against a wall. Then a woman sitting on a (half) wall. From a standing point, it seems as though they are either just flat paintings or actually popping out from the block. When you come close you can see that it's actually carved out from the block itself. If you look while walking, the optical illusion is that the people are turning with you. The girl sitting on the wall follows you with her eyes. Xav told me he half expected it to be just like a horror film when the eyes would open. Thanks a lot. So much for no nightmares.

The Korean exhibit wasn't half bad, to be honest. Unfortunately, they don't even mention the Korean exhibit on their webpage (Current Exhibitions ). The other exhibitions were interesting too. I'm not much of a minimalist-lover, sooooooooo yeah the Korean exhibit had a lot of pizazz! I didn't realize how often SAM changes its exhibitions. I will have to stay in the loop for a while. And I still use my Purdue ID to get my discount. lalalala naughty.

Afterwards we went over to my friend Kenny's house where a bunch of friends just hung out. We talked about martial arts. Apparently, Xav is good enough to teach people Wing Chun after only one lesson with someone else. I laughed at him. Ridiculous.

OK Love you a lot. -tickle- (scream) HAHAHAHA!

I Love Lorie Line!

Goodness me! It’s been a while. So Wednesday I went to a “programme” by the Singapore International Photography Festival to Jim Orca’s talk “21st Century and Beyond: Images Transcending Culture”, which was quite a name for a half interesting/half boring talk. But he has done a lot for the community. He is a commercial photographer by trade, but he’s used his photography to help himself connect to people – as well as use his photography to connect different worlds together.
One of his projects is for the World Toilet Organization, which is for promoting sanitation (and buying toilets, I presume) for the poorest parts of the world. Another project was for a school that is for ex-convict/juvenile delinquents that want a second chance and go back to school. He had a model who actually was a student, and he did a lot of “breaking free” motifs as well as interesting (sometimes a tad more obvious than suits my personal tastes, but it’s ok) schemes. I wish that he sold some of the pictures as t-shirts  promoting a good cause while supporting it as well. I really like how he has a ‘resurrection’ theme while the body actually made the outline of an up-arrow.
The other thing (while bringing up the movie Born in Brothels) was going to teach Indian children of various ages to shoot photography (and I believe how to use the Internet as well) with use of a translator.
Even though another talk I went to (Institute of Critical Zoologists) was quite creative and definitely an eccentric perspective, I think that Jim Orca’s work has moved me more. I actually decided today to try to be a nicer person (but only to strangers). I helped a girl (who later turned out to be Korean, who knew?) get her tray for lunch today. Small, but I guess since I had nothing else to think about during lunch, why not?

This weekend was pretty pretty crazy. Friday night I met up with some of my friends for dinner. Then I met my Indonesian friend (who was here for a wedding) and we hung out first at New Asia Bar (VIPs again....^.^) and then we went out to ButterFactory as well.
On Saturday...yes I spoiled myself like crazy. I got a massage and then a facial at this cute little place in Adelphi (it only cost $113 for three hours!!!). I am definitely going back!! And bringing my friends!! Then I bought a bunch of makeup (because I need to start wearing makeup for work...oh man)...from Make Up For Ever (used by lots of make-up artists, apparently). We had a lot of fun with the make-up artist, and I will need to go back (though I did spend a whopping amount there) do learn how to do more fun eyes (i totally just bought one nude colour...color...color.....:p).

So then met up at Supper Club (which was completely amazing) with my friend + his “indo” friends for some fun; then I went home, and slept like a log.

Sunday was more subdued. Met SH at Orchard to buy some art supplies at Art Friend in Takashimaya (after sharing some Jampong(?) [spicy Korean seafood noodle soup] and japchae [my favourite]) that favourite was intentional ok?! Then we went back to her place, and i painted like there was no tomorrow, and my painting is ok, but I learned two important things: (1) paint the background first and (2) sketch or else everything looks lopsided. Don’t worry, I have no chance at becoming the next amazing painter because definitely cannot paint fine details like them. I don’t have an inherent grasp of color and light yet.

My husband ^.^ (good friend) drew me a picture with watercolour pencils....i laughed a lot, but it actually is very nice because he used the Chinese calligraphy strokes. Then Sunday night we went out to eat some CRAB (OH SO DELICIOUS ......drool.........droooooooooool.......-wipe-) and then play some pool (my ‘husband’ played with me and made me feel better about myself, so i played better this time than last time :p.

Don’t worry, my so-called husband is not my boyfriend. No boyfriend for me! He is a very good friend though (we go to the bookstore together because I cannot go with my tinkers anymore...) (tear). I tinkled my friend’s piano, and I’m about to go buy some sheet music I think (from some place in Orchard sometime later this week) so that I can have a good time running the fingers around. The tone is vaire close to m. Hasbrook’s old one. But out of tune as well. :p just old and antiquey...
I’m looking for something to fill the bottom portion of my painting though. It’s complete except that I want to put a poem or something else there. (maybe even in Chinese, if the husband consents) lol.

I’m about to sign up for gymnastics classes as well. Oh dear. I know I am going to be a log the next morning, but I need things to keep my body in  better shape. Blah. Everything is a little tighter now that I am in my old ways.

Gotta run! Going to see a movie with a friend tonight  My Magic by Eric Khoo.

Love, love, love
Sansie

weekend

well I got off a little bit early on Friday because there wasn't much to do, and I took a taxi to get to Orchard to do a little bit more shopping. I ended up buying a dress from bebe that is really nice - apparently JC doesn't like the grey color on me :p-and some things from Zara. Nice. I am supposed to go to India sometime next week; the delay is due to red tape stuff. Then Friday night we just ran around after some dinner at Taka and I was a bad girl because I was really cranky. Oopsie! And then on Saturday I met up with a friend to check out an art exhibition, I'll post the pictures later. The place is valled 8q, and the art is very "avant garde," but frankly it was a bit too absursd and weird for my tastes. Give me Rembrandt anyday. So afterwards I got to sneak into the National Library, but crazy thing is that it didn't have ANY tamora pierce or diana wynne jones....sob.....ok well after that we went bowling, and I was a bit subpar, but nothing too terrible. I want to go again. Then I got to try a place for some "chicken chop" before hitting the hay.

Sunday was a bit of reading, studying and watching tv...as well as some cleaning!!! I am such a good girl. Haha and my friend that I went to the gallery with told me I would make a good wife for a day because he liked my buffalo wings. Heehee!!

Ok I am talking to you...bye baby!

hi my name is so-and-so

Friday was low key. I don't know why I was so tired after work (especially from sleeping so well on Thursday) but I just went home and slept early.

Saturday was a nice and cloudy day (but with a few breezes which were appreciated). I went on the MRT to City Hall, which is right next to a mall (and bought some Aldo shoes to match the black/blue dress that I bought).

By the way, Baby, you called me today! I was a happy goon but I was, as you know, headed towards a meeting, so I couldn't talk to you. Sorries baby. You better call me later!

So then I went to the Art Museum. I uploaded all the pictures onto the facebook/picasa (including a pictures of some friends haha) that I managed to take before being told that photography was prohibited. I did write down a few names of some of the artists that I really liked from the "Post Doi Moi" (Doi Moi I'm pretty sure is for "change" "new") where various Vietnamese artists painted - some had political themes, other had historical/family themes. One that I thought was interesting was four vietnamese women in their own respective panels representing hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil - and a fourth - think no evil. But the artist said something along the lines of: to be happy, don't look too much, don't talk too much, don't
listen too much and don't think too much. I will put up some of the pictures later.

Then Saturday night I went to a friend's place (who is from Brooklyn) to eat some dinner and watch some movies. I bought some Mrs. Field's mini cookies (in the shape of reese's cups) along. We ate hamburgers and hot dogs as well as chips. I love seaweed crackers. LOVE. I think I love them more than sesame breadsticks (gasP!). And there are these 'veggie sticks' that are bbq flavored - SO DELICIOUS. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DELICIOUS!!!

Sunday's plan was to go wakeboarding, but everyone was too tired from Saturday night, so I ended up meeting a friend to play some pool. After looking around Boat Quay for a place to play, we ended up walking around Dhoby Ghaut for some Chicken Briyani (which was nice) and somehow saw a sign for the toy museum. One of my friends told me that he went to a toy museum, so I decided to go and check it out. Yeah...lots of pictures on Facebook/Picasa.

After the toy museum, we actually went to meet up another friend play pool on Orchard Rd. I was pooped though!! Then we went to this guy's condo to swim for a bit and eat homemade spaghetti. I miss fettucine alfredo a lot :(. We just had a show and tell session of youtube. I showed some of my friends America's Best Dance Crew (2) and Muto. You have to check out Muto. It's a little disturbing, but the amount of time, effort, and art that went into it makes it amazing.

I did a back tuck into the pool and two aerials. My first aerial wasn't so great (ouch) but the second one I did much better. The tuck was fine, but let's see if I end up going to Dubai anytime soon. If I won't, then I won't go sign up for a gymnastics open gymmy thing on Thursday nights. The first one was for stretching anyways). I did some jumps, but I'm starting to do some yoga stretches (from youtube), so hopefully by the end of august I will be back in a flexible condition then. Toe touch was all right and r herkie were ok, but the pike was awesome. I was really happy with my pike for some reason - maybe because you feel more secure doing it into a pool. I didn't try an around the world just because I probably would have severely injured myself. I still hate the double nine. STUPID DOUBLE NINE!

I was exhausted when I came home, and after a long meeting today, I am at home and about to nap after uploading the pics on FB.

Love, sansies

Ciara: Get Up